Korczak Page #4

If not me, not us,

there would be someone else, worse.

We have no choice between good and evil,

we can only seek for the lesser evil.

Me and the Judenrat took the responsibility

for hundreds of thousands Jews in the ghetto.

I know that the majority or at least a half of them

has a slight chance of survival

if the war lasts for more than a year.

I know that refugees and the poor will die first.

That's why we try to save so many people.

Save the elite, people of great worth,

save youth, children.

Everything we do heads in this direction.

God and history will judge us,

whether we made some terrible mistake.

We can't have doubts so far.

Our situation is hopeless.

The Germans still want more payments.

Wealthy people refuse to pay taxes,

we have to collect them from the poor,

who die of cold and starvation anyway.

Bourgeoisie rascals. No solidarity.

How could you agree to form Jewish police?

We had no choice. I'm sure that the German police

would be more ruthless than our.

Chairman Czerniakow is right.

And Mr. Geppner does what he can

to get as much as possible for the shelters.

Yours is of top priority.

Doctor, could you find some place here

for a several dozens of children from Dzielna street?

It's out if the question. I have 200 children,

the building houses no more than 100.

I won't put their lives into risk,

you can't force me to do it.

I can accept a few children,

only the ones in greatest need, after a careful examination.

We are not able to cope with this orphanage.

It's a real dying house. The staff steals everything.

A bunch of rascals with no moral rules,

they think they won't be punished.

You have to understand that it's not normal.

You accept abnormal situations too easily.

I have to assure maximum protection

for my children.

- There is about 100,000 children in the Ghetto.

- Unfortunately, I can't take care of all of them.

What are you going to do when the war is over?

I will run orphanages for German children.

To Jewish Commune.

I make an offer for a position of a tutor

in the orphanage on Dzielna street.

Thanks to my experience I am able to cooperate with

criminal types and born blockheads.

I suppose that such types

who are among the staff of the orphanage

will voluntarily leave the institution,

with which they are bound only by cowardice and indolence.

I need to pee.

I would like to have two meals a day as a payment.

But I can resign it anyway. Goldschmidt.

Dostoyevsky says that all our dreams

come true in the course of years.

But in such a distorted form

that we can't recognize them.

I can recognize dreams I had before the war.

I didn't go to China - it has come to me,

Chinese famine, homelessness of orphans

and death of children.

I accepted the job on Dzielna street.

A slaughterhouse of children, a pre-funeral home.

But I don't want to discuss it.

The one who describes somebody else's pain

steals it and feeds on it,

like there wasn't too much pain already.

JEWS - LICE, TYPHOID

Please, don't go in there.

My husband has returned from Gestapo in the morning.

They kept him all night.

He has locked himself and is asleep.

As you well know, everyday more than a dozen

of dead children is found on the streets.

These are homeless children

who die of hunger, cold or disease,

or children abandoned by their parents,

who can't afford to bury them.

Or children wounded by a shot by Germans

while crossing the wall.

Hospitals are overcrowded

and don't accept these dying children.

We have to arrange dying-houses for them.

It requires neither much money nor place.

Just a room with some shelves, like in a shop.

There are many empty shops now,

we can arrange something.

These dying children could be put on the shelves.

Some coal would be needed to warm these places up.

If we can't save these children

we should let them die with dignity,

do you understand?!

Die with dignity!

Thief! How did you get this chocolate?

Sabinka was accused because of you!

Now you're running away like a rat!

- What happened?

- Nothing.

Isn't it too late to go out?

I... Szloma bet me he'd jump over the wall.

And he did it.

He's bleeding.

I will take care of it. I'm so hungry!

- We're hungry too.

- Are you?

Go to the kitchen and check

if Mrs. Stefa is there. We'll be there in a moment.

- Mmmm, it's delicious, Natka.

- It's very good.

We really can cook, Natka.

Doctor, you give him scrambled eggs

while he's stolen Maniek's chocolate.

It's not true! I found it...

I wanted to bring it to...

I believe you. Now eat.

Ewa!

Ewka! Come here.

I will be back in a moment.

You look beautiful.

Where did you get it from?

I bought it from one guy, it was very cheap.

- It must be from the Ghetto.

- I don't know.

I have something for you.

Thank you.

Jozek, I'd like to ask you... not to come here anymore.

To the shop.

The owner asked me who you are.

I said that you are my brother.

But she knows you're a Jew...

I will have trouble... You know...

Don't be angry at me.

Mum?

Go away.

Dear Ewka!

I thought that you know how much I love you...

I wanted to go to America...

as soon as the war is over

and come back for you with a big car.

Now I know these were

childish and silly dreams.

Everything divides us

and it will never change.

Thus I have nothing to live for.

Don't blame yourself for

my death, it's my fate.

Enough, boys!

Stop it!

Go to my room, now!

What was it about? Jozek!

You're the oldest one here.

You've never hit anyone,

while today you hit even Natka.

- Mrs. Stefo!

- What's going on?

He's in love...

- And that's why he's aggressive?

- But not with Natka.

He's in love with Ewka from our house on

the Aryan side, that's why he's so angry.

I don't want to be a Jew.

Natka, do you want to sue him?

No, I don't want to.

Mum... Why did I come here?

God, she's alone in there, without me.

Why? What for?

Your mother died in peace

because she knew you're here.

She wasn't able to arrange

anything herself, only me...

Without me...

What for?

And then Jozek and you stopped me.

And you gave me the scrambled eggs.

I came there when they were taking her away.

Just one hour.

They took her clothes and buried her naked...

What for?

Jozek, what happened?

Jozek!

What happened?

I want to die.

Have you ever thought of killing yourself?

Many times.

I wanted to commit suicide when my mother died,

along with my sister.

I was afraid that she will be

alone and suffer. But she refused.

Do you love Ewka?

Yes.

How can you tell?

Earlier I could talk to

her like to anyone else...

but suddenly I started feeling ashamed.

- Do you know that Natka is in love with you?

- I know.

See? Death is easy, life is very hard.

Do you think that children

have a right to die too?

Of course.

They often die more beautifully

and decently than adults.

I understood it when I worked in a hospital.

Go to sleep.

You're too good and brave human being,

to kill yourself because of a woman.

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