With my daughter on a bench

This is a picture of me, Alexander Singer, with my daughter.

The photo was taken at the beginning of the 1950s, in Jablonec nad Nisou, where we lived at the time.

In 1947 I took out a classified ad in the papers: "Clerk with knowledge of French and German with a talent for business looking for employment." I of course didn't have any business experience.

At most, that I'd worked for three months in one export company. It was only a tiny little company, about four employees.

The owner was one Mrs. Heydukova. She was a collaborator, because during the war she'd had some German staying with her.

The salary I got was just enough to pay the rent. You couldn't live on it. I used to go for three-crown lunches, but normally lunch would have cost seven crowns.

I ate with one Prague family. The husband worked and the wife was at home, so she cooked. Then more people started coming to their place for lunches, who'd pay them for that. In 1947 I got a job in Jablonec.

Back then there were still former German companies there, which had a national administrator. Well, and one of the administrators gave me a job.

During my stay in Jablonec, I was an active member of the Jewish religious community. I also participated actively in the community's religious life.

I was even the only one who was capable of leading prayers. In the building that I lived in, there was also a prayer room. I got an apartment there from the Jewish community.