In the summer of 1934, Mutti heard of a young American woman
who was stranded in Karlsruhe. She had come to Germany with
her father who was unaware of the many new laws of foreign
exchange. He was arrested by the Gestapo and sentenced to a
year in jail.
Mutti immediately went to see Miss Gutman. She found her
weepy and distressed, wearing a sleeveless, very short
dress. Mutti comforted her and told her that as a Jewish
Daughter, she was not alone. Mutti could easily extend her
full hospitality if she would be willing to change her
apparel according to the standards practiced by every
religious Jewish community. If she wished, Mutti would be
delighted to lengthen her dresses and sleeves and adjust
necklines.
Miss Gutman agreed and they began sorting out the items to
be repaired. Mutti gathered them up and then put her own
spring coat around Miss Gutman and they headed towards our
home. In our sewing room there was a large basket where
discarded curtains, partially faded velvet drapes and still
useful parts of old Shabbos dresses were kept.
For two days Mutti and Miss Gutman stayed in that room, even
taking their meals there, while Mutti repaired the dresses
in her wardrobe and as the piece de resistance, lengthened a
short winter coat with material from a heavy, brown velvet
velour drape. Miss Gutman was elated. That same week, Mutti
invited several women acquaintances to meet the modestly
dressed Miss Gutman who soon had new friends and many offers
of hospitality.
Most Sundays were usually spent in a picnic outing. Our
family, accompanied by Dr. Homburger and his wife, who was
our pediatrician, and some family friends, usually including
Miss Gutman, would go to the forest. A two hour walk took us
to a farm house where there were wooden tables and chairs in
a garden setting. There we ate our sandwiches and drank milk
fresh from the cow, whose milking had been supervised by a
mashgiach. We usually met other families from the
religious community. The farmer's wife gave all the children
baskets and showed us where the heavily laden blueberry
bushes were and where small wild strawberries grew on the
forest floor.
Whenever there were newborn lambs and calves, she would take
us to see them. At that time, we did not realize that it was
to be our last summer there for soon after, Jews were
forbidden to walk in groups on the street or even in the
forest.
There were constant new limitations on our lives. Our
Agudath Israel group leader, Rolle Greisman, had already
left for Eretz Yisroel. We could no longer even meet with
Flora Rabinowitz, who was the girls' new leader, because of
these new laws. How we missed her! Yet, as I look back, our
lives still retained a structure. School, German and
limudei kodesh, shul, visits to and from
friends' homes, and Papa's stories on Sunday afternoons.
Some were from Tanach, like the story of Yiftach for boys
and of Devora Hanevia for girls, midroshim from Ein
Yaakov, and our favorites from the gemora: Shimon
Ben Shetach, Choni Hamaagal, Shimon Hatzaddik and many
others.
The year passed, Miss Gutman's father was released and when
they came to say good-bye, Miss Gutman kissed Mutti and
said, "When you told me that I was a princess, a bas
melech, you changed my life. You returned me to religious
observance.
"I will never forget you."
