Wladyslaw Ejnesman

This is Wladyslaw Ejnesman, the son of my first wife, Tania. He wasn’t my son but he was a dear child to me. The photo was taken in Walbrzych in the 1950s.

In the 1950s all kinds of disturbances began and, although I wasn't feeling it, people from Bund predicted something bad would happen. And they started saying that we should leave, so we needed to leave. So we did; the committee organized such things. Many people left Poland at that time. It was a difficult decision to make, to leave Poland. I had a job in Walbrzych, we had an apartment and yet, we decided to leave. I think I didn't want to stay in Poland any longer, what for? Everyone would leave for wherever they could, such were the times. The Jewish Committee found me a supposed cousin in Australia. I got these papers and I left for Paris. Such transit. We stayed there, they supported us, gave us a place to live, from social services. We got a small room in a hotel, we stayed there. And we went to eat at a canteen, where there were people from all over the world. We stayed in Paris for three years. People told me, don't go to Australia, because it's too hot. Better go to Canada. So I said that my head hurts when it's too hot. And I waited until they found me a cousin in Canada. In Edmonton; this was Aunt Tauba's daughter, from Kielce. 

So we went to Canada. My cousin's friend, Dudzelzak, helped us then. She called him and told him that I was coming and he took us in. We decided to stay in Ontario and that's where we stayed until we left for Poland [in 1992]. We got by. I worked in so many places; first I worked on Golfring Place… I can't recollect everything; it's too much. I worked everywhere, wherever I could. Then I opened my own store, worked there with my family, a store with men's clothing, and then we also ran grocery stores.

My wife Tania didn't like it there; she wanted to go back to Russia. But how could I go back to Russia. We broke up. I was alone for seven years, then I met my second wife.