Cultural Activities Between the Two World Wars

[Page 129]

Cultural Activities in the Years
on the Eve of the Second World War
by Yaacov Szmulewicz

Translated from the Yiddish by his nephew Asher Szmulewicz

During the years before the outbreak of World War II, the library was located in the center of the town, in a house that belonged to Chaim Mass. The cultural institution was comprised of three rooms on the first floor:

- A reading room;
- A library lending room, where books were lent up to three times a week; and
- A room for the free discussion club.

Close to the library were located:

- A cultural club that organized conferences, “crossword” evenings and various social events;
- A dramatic club that gave theatrical performances and poem recitals in the evenings; and
- A teaching – tutoring group that gave evening courses dedicated to most neediest learners among workers and people who did not have the opportunity to learn during their childhood at school.

The teachers were close friends:

Aaron Szmulewicz and Zelda Berkowicz – Yiddish;
Shlomit Marder – Polish; and
Yaacov Szmulewicz – arithmetic.

The same friends were also active in the cultural club and they organized lectures on Friday's evenings about literature and political themes. After the lectures there were discussions. The lectures were lead by Dr. Yossef Kruk, and they were very successful (and popular).

That is how the cultural activities were conducted in Klobuck until the beginning of the World War II.

The Klobuck Jewish youth, most of whom were from poor families, living in poverty, found consolation from their hardship in the books and cultural activities. The young people lived with the illusion of a free and happy life that could be brought to the world by culture and enlightenment. But instead of the dreamed liberty there was bloodshed brought by the German hordes who put an end to the most beautiful illusions.

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