(1929-1933)

Heniek Singer belonged to those friends of Fira Melamedzon-Salanska, who were especially close to her heart. He appears in her story as a big, cheerful and talkative man. His father run a spedition company in Poznan. Heniek helped him. He made several entries in Fira’s books of friendship, which she used also in later years. We present here some of the entries made by her friends. Some of them are written by Singer.

In Fira‘s albums, Heniek Singer is seen in one collective photo presenting members of the Brit Hazohar, a  Zionst  organization created in Poznan. This is a special photograph as it shows a large group of Poznan young Jews, included Poznan University students, who were Fira’s friends and acquaintances. You can find this picture in the book. Here, we add some student documents regarding Hela Lukrecka and Rutka Charlupska, who are seen in this photo. The documents come from university archives. Also, we present a bunch of Fira’s memories of Heniek Singer.

The Singers run a spedition company located at Sapiezynski Square*. We used their service. They transported the cloth Tatulinski bought in Lodz or Brzeziny to Poznan. Is was fixed that number 11 means the Melamedzons, and anything marked with this number goes to Melpoz. Apart from bales of wool they transported for us different things, like my dresses made by tailors in Lodz, some packets, boxes of sardine or watermelons, which Daddy bought to our house. The watermelons were unknown in Poznan. Lodz merchants were exported them from the south, maybe from Romania border. When I came back from Brzeziny with a heavy suitcase, I also sent it in Lodz Singers’office to number 11 in Poznan. Once, we came in conflict with a tax office as they brought to the shop our private goods by mistake, with no documents proving the goods were for personal use, and for a company.

I remember having a grudge against Heniutek. We had a book describing and summarising all the operas at home. It was Daddy’s book. He used it always when he planned to go to the Great Theatre to see a new performance, or when he heard an aria or a concert of opera music on the radio. He liked the opera. Sometimes he attended the same performance for a few times only because another singer was casted, or somebody famous came from another country. Once, Heniutek noticed this book in our house. “Fira, can I borrow it? I want to read it”. I lent it to him but he didn’t get it back. Heniek, where is this book?” I asked.  „It’s somewhere among my books. I will look for it.” At last Daddy started to ask about it. „Tatulinski, the book must be somewhere on the shelves,” I lied. When I met Heniek I told him that I needed to have the book back as Daddy looked for it. He got despondent. “Fira, I can’t find it. I don’t know what happened to it.” As we were accompanied by others somebody laughed, “Heniek must have needed money and sold some books including yours.”  That didn’t make me laugh, however.

*Sapiezynski Square –today Wielkpolski Square