More than one hundred years ago, just after World War I, a Jewish Elementary School Nr. 2 has been founded in Sokolow Podlaski. The school’s teaching was based upon an innovative Dalton’s educational system which encouraged pupils to seek solutions on their own, or with the help of their peers. The children themselves discovered principles and rules, something which in pre-google times must have been a real challenge. The pupils were successful, and the school was appreciated on national scale.
Izaak Trumper, the director, born in Narewka, brought up the children in the spirit of assimilation and strongly opposed Zionism. “For many years there was no one to teach Jewish history and religion. Finally, when they hired someone, the new teacher, Mosze Migdal, had nothing to say in the school” - recalled many years later one of the pupils.
Trumper was a Polish patriot, who spoke Polish, wrote in Polish and, quite obviously, tried hard to become a member of the Polish community which kept rejecting him. He led the Jewish schoolchildren to take part in patriotic celebrations in Sokolow, and pretended not to hear the abuse heaped upon them by Christian children.
Trumper’s educational successes displeased the local school inspector who wanted to close the school down. He even succeeded and had the school shut down for several months. Another teacher (a Christian) instigated high school students to beat Trumper up. This teacher was later sentenced to six weeks in prison.
Later, Trumper moved to Warsaw. He did not survive the war. Nowadays, there is no one in Sokolow who would remember Trumper. But the building which housed this modern and patriotic school still stands. Perhaps, inside, one can still hear the echoes of his teachings?
#YomhaShoah
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