Ruzena with friends from Hashomer Hatzair

This is a picture of me and my friends from Hashomer Hatzair in Topolcany in 1940. This picture was taken in the so-called moadon or hajm, Hashomer Hatzair in the yard. First on the left is Erika Polakova, then I, Ruzena Steinerova and then Lilly Weissova. I was the only one to survive the war.

I used to spend my free time with my classmates or in Hashomer Hatzair. I felt very comfortable in Hashomer. We used to have lectures and on Saturday we used to go on tiul - an outing. We used to go out into the country. We were learning the basics of Hebrew. From those times I remember the word 'sheket,' which is what you'd shout to quiet people down. Otherwise, Hashomer Hatzair was a leftist organization, and they tried to indoctrinate us with Marxism. My brother Andrej, who brought me into it, wasn't a very big Zionist. His friends went there, and that influenced him. Before the war Andrej was supposed to aliyah. He was already even all set to go, but in the end it didn't happen.