The Seven-Branched Candlestick: The Schooldays of Young American Jew

My aunt did her duty by accompanying me to the office of the principal

ith such an evident pride-that I fear she was more concerned with her own social prestige than with my education. And when St. Gregory, through a personal visit from its headmaster, discovered that Mrs. Haberman had no right to aspire to the exquisite preference which God accords Episcop

aff, she called it. That was really why she accompanied me, that first day, to assure herself that I was going to be placed among a "perfectly

g, gave us as much time and courtesy as he could afford. As I l

d grocer each morning over the telephone. The principal heard her through-in fact, prompted her whenever she faltered, nodded appr

ss of boys in a public high school, why

is convenient,"

wanted him to go to

ch o

Episcopalia

uivered with the smile

The boy is a

"His parents had Jewish affiliatio

did see! For a moment later he

. I won't try to talk to you about the splendid spirit of democracy-because you evidently don't want the boy to be democratic. You don't want him to stand on his own merits as a Jew. If he did that, he would be putting up an honest, spirited battle. I only know that all men and all boys like an honest stand and a fair fight for the things worth protecting. I know that if I were a Jew, I should never-well, that's your business, not mine." He took out of his desk a little leather-cover

ssure her that he would follow my course in his school with much interest, and would do all

As she slammed the machine door and was driven away, I felt somewhat bewildered-very much alone in a hallway of hundreds of boys whom I did not know, but who jostled me, went by me, up

all and up the wide stair-well. It was t

stairs fearfully, my heart beating faster than usual, my knees trembling a little.

ly apart. Along the wall, behind gleaming glass, were cases of seashells and botanical specimens. The teacher's desk, at the fur

during July and August, and of how he had been swimming when he could get away from his summer job-swimming in the East River. It shocked me to hear that. I had a picture of the East River as I had seen it from the Brooklyn Bridge, a brown

nced that there were no boys of my acquaintance in the

t the side of his desk. He was a little, timid man with one of th

do you think of that!" he said to me. "A Jew for-" Then he stoppe

e words which the principal had only just spo

came to me to face this seatmate squarely and to tell him that-yes, I was a Jew

e, I could see that he was very lame; also that around his neck (for he wore no collar) was a little leather tho

me surlily,

w, ain't you?

the directness of the question. The lam

stuttered. But I could f

not exactly? What'

nd father? T

hereupon, much to my relief, he branched off the subject. "He don't seem to be such a bad fellow, even with a name like Levi.

ose name was Geoghen, was one of them. He used his very lameness as an excuse to boss and bully his classma

only a speech of welcome from the teacher, and

and had started for the doo

eh?" he chuckled, loo

irs into the main hall. I was just about to gain the str

n his deep likable voice

e're dismiss

've already begun to fight like

yes,

eart that it was not true. The