Search JTA's historical archive dating back to 1923

Warsaw’s Forgotten Men Play Hunger ‘symphony’ in Aid Plea

February 3, 1935
See Original Daily Bulletin From This Date
Advertisement

A “symphony” with hunger and misery at its leitmotif was played at the local community house the other day by a crowd of over a hundred Jews who came to ask for aid.

Bringing their hurdy-gurdies, fiddles, clarinets, fifes, drums, cymbals and bells, they streamed into the building: the halt, the lame, the deaf, the dumb and the blind. Once inside, they struck up their instruments. Those who had none clapped their hands, sang, shouted or stomped their crutches on the floor, until A. Mazur, president of the community, finally was forced to receive them all.

Insisting that a police ban on begging in the streets had left them without a way to keep body and soul together, the beggars threatened to bring their families and “take up residence in the community house.”

Their recessional emphasized the threat.

Recommended from JTA

Advertisement