In our shtetl lived a very orthodox family, that of the gabbe (beadle) of our local synagogue. It embarrasses me a little to admit it now, but the gabbe's eldest son, who was about my own age, was teased mercilessly by us, his peers. In an environment where strict piety was the norm, Moshe stood out as a caricature with his long hair and side-locks. From the time he was thirteen, when a Jewish boy becomes a man in the eyes of his religion, he was always dressed as a thumbnail adult. He wore long black trousers, a prayer shawl under a thick black coat and a shtraimel (a heavy fur lined hat) perched on his head. Although this was reasonable apparel for the greater part of the year, we always broke into laughter whenever we saw him dressed like this in hot weather. It's a fair commentary on Moshe and his upbringing that he was able to absorb this for so many years without feeling aggrieved. In fact, he was quite extroverted, and had an uncommon tolerance for those who did not share his commitment or opinions.

Imagine our surprise when my girlfriend Gina and I, on a visit to Michow, saw a tall, handsome man, dressed in the latest fashion, coming towards us. Looking at this young man more closely, we identified him as the long-suffering Moshe. His hair had been clipped short, his beard intact but well trimmed and on his head a peaked cap, popular at the time. He greeted us warmly, but was obviously enjoying our discomfort. Perhaps it was his reward for all those years of teasing.

"Faigale, Gina, how lovely to see you both. The big city isn't like the shtetl. You never run into old friends there, do you?"

Neither of us had yet rediscovered our voice, but he didn't seem to expect a reply. Instead he pressed on, as if determined to lay the old Moshe image to rest.

"In fact, unless you make arrangements in advance, you may never see old playmates again. Why don't we do just that? Let us exchange addresses."

On our return to Warsaw we did meet, and were all involved in the Jewish Socialist movement as well as other community activities. These meetings, lectures and workshops fired in me a life-long interest in community affairs.