"You have no idea how much I have struggled against this desire that until recently I lacked even a name for,‖ he said, sobbing. Then one night at the Koźla Club, while discussing Socialism with a religious man, he looked at me in a way that no one else had done before.
He invited me to stay in his guesthouse, and I found nothing strange in this, since it is common for men to sleep together in the same bed. When night fell on freezing winters in Warsaw, it was often difficult to return to the suburbs, and on several occasions I spent the night with relatives. As we undressed that evening, the Hasidim boy took advantage of my situation and kissed me on the mouth. I had never felt such a beautiful feeling, and thereafter we met at every opportunity.‖
"His name was Lazarus, a religious fanatic who wanted to take my brother with him to Chicago,‖ explained Anita. ―Although he was an Orthodox man, he made an exception about sexuality, arguing that life was too short to waste."
"Samuel had fallen in love like a teenager experiencing the most exquisite pleasure on earth.‖ ―Do not be intimidated by prejudice,‖ he scolded me. ―If you have been able to break with capitalism, you can also question sexuality."
―At first, I felt like listening to Samuel who was feared as the demon. ―What you do is not natural!‖ I shouted back at him. ―Using condoms is not natural either,‖ was his response.
But you see, Elena, mishpoche is mishpoche and I ended up accepting his double life. I met his friend Lazarus, the most handsome Hasidim on earth.‖
"Samuel and David had long ago made peace between themselves. If I had complained about Samuel's sentimental relationship, your father would have defended him, and advised 61 Family is family
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me not to interfere in my brother's personal life. Socialists are all Traifener bein 63, he would say. Since he used to eat pork at the socialist meetings, he was also prone to taste forbidden flesh..."
"We simply looked the other way concerning Samuel's private affairs, hoping Fruncha would never find out since she was only outwardly liberal in politics, and not at all liberal in sexual matters or anything else, she might very well do something crazy."
The members of Bund considered themselves progressive on political matters but were highly conservative around issues of sexuality. ―Sexual liberation was regarded as a capitalist trick to distract people's attention from the important issues of the day. If they agreed to accept birth control, it was only to allow workers the extra time needed to conduct the social revolution. In other words, Elena, they did not care about the rights of women and were merely a bunch of hypocrites."
"Despite our best efforts to keep Samuel's secret, Fruncha found a love letter which not only made her realized that Lazarus was her rival, but that he also had plans to take her husband to the United States. The woman felt the deluge approaching, and became convinced that she was Lot reincarnated."
"Her attempts to 'save' Samuel, made him recognize that he could not give up, and asked that she be understanding enough let him elope with his beloved."
"Over my dead body!‖ Fruncha shouted. If God was not going to send lightning and fire against this Sodom and Gomorrah - then she certainly would. ―A deceived soul – whispered Anita - makes an overwhelming enemy."
"But Fruncha, the Socialist, held one last card: Like threats pending over the Canaanite cities, the U.S. immigration laws denied sexual 'perverts' the right to enter the United States. The wicked woman waited until Lazarus had departed according to plan, and once he was out of the way, she took his love letter to the American Embassy."
"My husband is a sexual pervert,‖ she told the surprised immigration secretary, handing him the note. ―You should not grant him a visa.‖
"Using terrorist tactics, Fruncha defended what she believed belonged to her. As if following the suggestions of a vindictive God, she saw her actions as correct, and just like Lot's wife, she should not look back. Yet her plan backfired. When he found out what she had done, my brother locked himself in his room vowing never to come out again. Day after day, he cried, inconsolable, and eating only bread and water. He never spoke to his wife again."
"One winter night, cold as the heart of Pharaoh, your uncle shot himself. I never thought he would kill himself for love. Once Fruncha realized just what she had done, she went mad 63 Jews that don't respect the Kosher food
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and became unemployable. The poor wretch ended up renting rooms in her house and blaming herself for the tragedy."
"There is nothing pitiful about her,‖ Elena intervened. ―She was not right, nor did she have any excuse to make such vile treason."
"Now you should understand why your father's affairs make me desperate,‖ Anita confessed. ―If David is following in Samuel's footsteps with this Susanita, then he will end up with a bullet in his head too."
"Come on mother!‖ Elena laughed, ―Dad is just a friend of the homosexuals. He gives them the support he could not give Uncle Samuel, but he is far from liking other men.
Remember what you said about how Samuel was mistreated for being suicidal. That enraged my dad. Whether alive or dead, he did not want Samuel to be discriminated against, and besides, the problem is not homosexuality but prejudice. Homosexuals are treated like Jews: They may be accepted once they convert. Anyway, Mom, if you used contraceptives, how is it that you got pregnant?"
The question surprised Anita. She could only answer it with another question: "Who told you to trust modern times?"
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XII
Ricardo Jimenez had been President of Costa Rica three times. He was now over eighty years old and tired of politics. He had decided not to run for the 1936 elections, but would support another candidate from his Liberal party instead, the young Leon Cortés, his Secretary of Public Works. Yet one of the issues disturbing the ex-president was the accusation leveled against him by some members of the new president's entourage. It was said that during his past administrations, Don Ricardo had opened the door to "a Jewish invasion." In order to defend himself, the ex-president decided to ask his advisor, Don José Sanchez, to collect information on the migration patterns of Jews in Costa Rica.
"You know, Don José, I am an fervent defender of free immigration. This country is as yet unpopulated and we require foreign workers and investments. Besides, I am a firm believer in opportunities for all. I would not otherwise be engaged in a scandalous relationship with a great woman despised by the native aristocracy. They want to do the same to the Jews and I will not have it. These people have suffered enough, and we have a lot to learn from them, especially the need for tolerance. However,‖ he added, ―given that each new administration blames all problems on the former one, let us prepare to defend ourselves."
His personal adviser promised that he would not fail him. For some months now, he had been collecting information about the Jews, "for personal reasons," he advised the President. Don Ricardo wanted to know if this had anything to do with his daughter's adventures with the local merchants. "Absolutely not, Don Ricardo, absolutely not. My daughter is as mad as a March hare and I will have nothing to do with her." Like the good Liberals they were, both men trusted reason and despised passionate feelings. "Yadira will eventually come to her senses," he remarked before leaving.
Don José was not bothered by the presidential assignment. He had befriended Anita last year, and she would be his contact with the Jewish community. Taking advantage of her husband's illness allowed her to be alone in the store, and the oligarch enjoyed her anticlerical conversations. When he visited this time, he came to buy some shirts for the hacienda's employees, and to ask her about the number of Jews in Costa Rica.
Anita began to worry about the anti Jewish campaign in the newspapers and was longing to ask Don José's opinion. He rejected all calls to close the doors to new immigrants, and told her in confidence that the President was in fact upset with the opposition for accusing him of "flooding the country with Poles." Accordingly, he was now in need of all the available information he could get about the real number of Jews in the country: "We need much more information than is officially available, which by the way, is not a lot. As a personal favor to me, will you ask your husband about the most recent Jewish immigrants and collect the information needed to help President Jimenez?"
Anita was dumbstruck. "I will make sure the Administration does not change policy, remaining supportive of you Poles..." Don José continued. "Oh no, Don José, you do not!"
interrupted Anita. Don José was confused because she was smiling. Anita said "I mean, not 104
Poles but Jews, Don José; you in Costa Rica have identified the Jews with the Poles simply because we Polish Jews are the overwhelming majority in the most recent immigration. In any case, I thank you for looking after our interests," Don José. David will surely appreciate it and, through him, our community. I understand perfectly well the need to support President Jimenez."
"Yes,‖ concluded Don José, ―in this way we will not contradict each other," he smiled coyly, happy to see her involved in secret deals with the full knowledge and cooperation of her husband!" Combining official and love affairs excited him enormously and today he had proven to Anita what a shrewd politician and suitor he was." By saying that they were not to contradict each other, he meant her nation and his nation, but the phrase also implied something about the secrecy of their private meetings together, and he was sure that she knew it."
Anita assured him she would talk to David immediately, "and he will arrange a meeting with representatives of the Costa Rican Jewish Community. We are well aware that we are under attack, Don José, David will meet with a group organized to respond to and challenge the accusations made by Otilio Ulate (owner of El Diario de Costa Rica) and other noted anti-Semites.‖
Don José was much elated by his handling of the affair. He thrived on critical situations and as a way to Anita's heart, he had embarked on an explanation that went something like this:
"Since Independence, Costa Rican rulers have encouraged the establishment of foreign agricultural colonies by providing land to immigrants who must promise to engage solely in agricultural activities and to dwell forever in the area to which they have been allocated.
One such area was located on the slopes of the Miravalles volcano and composed exclusively of Germans. These Germans from Miravalles and many other Germans, Italians, and French, abandoned the harsh conditions of rural Costa Rica for the towns, largely the capital and the main cities of the Central Valley. Numerous European immigrants ended up creating stores, restaurants, hotels, movie theatres, bars, pharmacies, banks and so on. At that time, no one said a word against them, or threatened to withdraw their status as residents."
"But as you can probably imagine, Anita,‖ Don José continued, ―the Jews came to Costa Rica early. They actually started coming from 1502 when Columbus landed in Puerto Limón and thereafter throughout Colonial times. These were ' marrano' 64 Jews, as they were called in Spain, whom the Catholic Church and the State persecuted. It seems that several of these ' Marranos' hid in Costa Rica and created a sort of refuge for threatened or destitute Jews, arriving both from Europe and from our hemisphere. You see Anita, Costa Rica was the poorest and most remote corner of the Viceroyalty of New Spain, that is, Mexico, where the Inquisition was based. During the 18th century, the Catholic Church had to order the towns of Alajuela and Heredia to build their Christian temples. Some say that these towns had not built such temples before because many of their inhabitants were Jewish."
64 Pig, literally in Spanish. Pejorative term for converted Jews.
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"Some even argued that our peaceful and anti militaristic way of life was, to a large degree, due to the Jewish blood running in our veins." He said this almost as if screaming a memorandum to President Jimenez. "That is quite probable," Anita said.
"In Costa Rica we may all share the same blood, even Don Otilio," Don José continued.
Then Anita came even closer to the coffee baron and whispered: "Beware, Don José, you will do better if you never repeat those words to anyone else. You could get in trouble. That argument would only increase their hatred against both you and I. The worst anti-Semites are the converts and those who fear that they may have Jewish blood."
Don José promised not to mention the issue again, but he could not avoid thinking how ironic it was that the very people who attacked the Jews were themselves members of other nations living in Costa Rica, the recently arrived Britons, Germans, Italians, Austro-Hungarians, French and other immigrants, for example. "Are these groups fomenting hate and discord among us Costa Ricans?" he asked rhetorically, before paying some attention to the woman's argument: "Are those currently harassing the Jews, actually converted Jews? Perhaps their parents or grandparents were Jews but not from Poland?"
A moment's silence was broken by an exclamation, "Indeed, my dear Anita! There are probably some old converted Jews among those attacking you these days, but not all are converts, nor are all the converts attacking you. On the contrary, many among them support you, and, as a matter of fact, they are also on the side of President Jimenez.‖
―You see,‖ he continued, ―the first immigrant Jews that came here were Sephardim, and while some of them 'create trouble' for their fellow countrymen, others do not. Take the Pazos family, for example. Alfredo Pazos Robles created various enterprises and ran for president at the Chamber of Tourism and the Chamber of Commerce. He was actually a member of the Costa Rican Chamber of Commerce for many years. In 1930, he ran for Congress under the banner of the National Renovation Party. Moisés Mas Duro who arrived from Saint Thomas although his homeland was Denmark, was nationalized in 1882
and headed another of these notable families. These are now powerful families, Anita. They will not see the poor Jews expelled."
Anita was not so sure. In her opinion, the Sephardim families integrated easily in Costa Rican society because they converted to Catholicism and tended to intermarry and created joint business ventures with Costa Ricans. "Many among them want nothing to do with the Jews," she moaned. "Thus, the elite here regards these Sephardim as ' Ticos'65, but they consider us foreigners. Ladies such as Sophie Fishel de Pazo and Techa Pazo de Cardoza, are featured in leading national newspapers as the 'most beautiful women of the country.'
After them, no other Jew would ever be included in that list. And although my Elena's beauty brings traffic to a stop around this Market, she would only ever be reported about in the accidents and crime section of the El Diario de Costa Rica. Otilio Ulate will regard my dear beautiful child as a bandit, the most common criminal of our days," Anita asserted.
65 Costa Ricans
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"But why would you want to live in Costa Rica?" asked Don José.
"We, and many other Jews, have come here simply because we could not get into the U.S.A. In 1921, those opposing free immigration obtained their first victory in that country.
The new legislation erased dreams, the dreams of David and of myself, the dreams of my deceased brother and that of hundreds of thousands of Polish Jews. We simply could not get a visa. It is that simple." ―Thus, Eastern European Jews migrated to different countries with more favorable policies, including Argentina, Canada, Brazil and Palestine. Argentina has now closed her doors and Polish Jews have had to move into countries like Colombia or Costa Rica."
"The contents of that pamphlet distributed at my daughter's store are false then," said Don José. "It says that Jews were committed to engage in agriculture only while staying in Costa Rica, but the truth is that the Costa Rican immigration laws were much more liberal. Until the first of March 1931, our doors practically remained opened to everyone. We had a policy of free admission. The first Jews arriving between 1925 and 1930 did not have to show any money whatsoever. The President himself declared that the only thing required to come to live in Costa Rica and become a citizen was the desire to improve one's own life, I can assure you. After all, I have been advising President Jimenez on these matters."
It was her turn now: "Well, you know, Don José, most of our friends will tell you just what I am telling you. We all came here not really knowing where we would end up. We were fools. Many of us, including my husband David, thought it would be easy to enter the U.S.A. from 'neighboring' Costa Rica. We firmly believed the two countries shared a border." For a moment Don José almost laughed, but then controlled himself and simply said, "Is that so, Anita? Is that so indeed?"
That brought to an end their conversation. Each wanted to leave... but only to meet again later, hopefully well armed with more information to share. However, four weeks passed before Don José and Anita had another opportunity to talk. They had collected important news and both the Government and the Jewish community were now organizing to challenge the accusations made by their adversaries.
Don José started first: "Look, Anita, these are clips from the newspaper La Tribuna, a publication with views similar to those of the Government, and that is also known to be supportive of Jewish immigration. These reports fully rebuke the accusations leveled by El
Diario de Costa Rica, concerning a supposedly massive Jewish immigration here. Let me read it to you:
´ According to official records from customs, we have had two waves of Jewish immigration in Costa Rica : One from 1917 to 1929 saw only 30 Polish Jews arriving in the country from a total of 556 immigrant Jews; and the second one began in 1930, and has lasted until today, provoking anger with the friends of Fascists and the Nazis among us. Until 1935, this wave included 526 persons, of which perhaps half came from Poland, and can be considered Polish Jews. Anger 107
against these Jews has emerged from the fact that they are Polish and are being persecuted, and not because too many of them have entered our country. The truth is that in Costa Rica we have plenty of room and are in need of skilled European immigrants, not only to work and develop our country, but also to improve our trade with the outside world, and help to develop our finances, and in particular, our national industries and culture. '
This is the exact reality, Anita! Some established businessmen are trying to prevent or reduce increasing competition from Jewish peddlers. They are natural allies of those that follow the creed of racism and argue against the Jews because the Catholic Church makes them Christ's murderers, or because their Arian ancestry of white supremacist pushes them to 'eliminate or dominate those they consider to be inferior races', Jews, Indians, Blacks, Arabs or Orientals."
"Yes indeed, Don José. But let's keep it quiet, you don't need to shout."
"Oh, please forgive me, dear Lady, I get carried away sometimes. Just let me tell you one last thought. We need to work these matters out now while President Jimenez is in office.
Once he is replaced, who knows what might happen?"
Anita felt frightened by these last words: "Let me tell you what I have found", she said eagerly. "After our previous conversation, I immediately talked with David who got in touch with the leaders of our community. I cannot say what they are going to do; they will get in touch with you directly, I hope... For my part, I contacted the women of several Jewish families with the help of my older daughter. We met right here to discuss the matter in this very spot where we now stand.
Each of us was put in charge of finding out about other immigrants. In two weeks, we gathered practically all the information required and this is it: About 210 immigrants have settled in Costa Rica since 1933. Most are merchants or artisans and most migrated either because they were poor or because they were persecuted, or both. Not one among us is a farmer, including the Sikora, as you see,‖ she said, opening her arms to show him the store.
―Most of us come from Central Poland, from the area around Warsaw, Lublin, Kielce and Radom. Many come from about 25 small rural towns much the same size of those you might find here in Costa Rica, Don José, including Zellochow (about the size of Heredia), although some others come from Ostrowiec, which is larger."
"Zellochow, you see, is located in the province of Lublin and its main activity is the leather industry, mostly shoemaking. The founders of the Costa Rican Jewish Community came from these two towns of Zellochow and Ostrowiec. Marcos Aizemer first arrived in 1929
and he created a stir in Poland with his letters, convincing many to follow him. A 'chain'
was thus created."
"A chain? What do you mean by a chain?" interrupted Don José. Anita laughed, and then continued. "Oh, it is just an expression, my friend! Marcos´ messages got around, that Costa Rica was a nice and welcoming place for immigrant Jews. And then one after the 108
other, encouraged by the news received from their friends or relatives already living in this country many other families decided to come."
A customer interrupted their conversation and Anita stopped to find out what he needed.
Don José, meanwhile, looked at the shirts he was buying and then studied other merchandise before standing finally in front of the large mirror on the back wall. It was an excellent spot to look at Anita doing her work. It made him invisible. His eyes were not looking directly at her; his eyes were apparently simply looking at his reflection in the mirror.
Still, Anita felt something, and their eyes met in the mirror momentarily. She said, "Give me a minute, Don José! I will be back with you in a second!" The new customer understood the need to go about his business as quickly as possible, because a member of the holy oligarchy was present and in need of immediate attention. The peasant meekly bowed to Don José, who spoke to him familiarly, as one speaks with a child. After he had left, Don José and Anita continued their conversation.
"The immigration to Costa Rica is very different to that taking part in the United States,"
she said. "There large entrepreneurs arrived as many workers abandoned the large industrial cities of Poland and Europe, while here, we immigrating Jews are all small merchants coming from small rural towns in Poland. Those arriving in the U.S.A. were closer to the ports as well as to the embassies and consulates. They were used to cities and modern life. We, on the other hand, had to learn the ways of the city first before trying to get to the United States.‖
―Those lacking the means to get into the United States had only one alternative, and that was to come to countries such as this one. Costa Rica has a population, economy, and social life rather similar to that which we knew in our small Polish towns. This is why José Rocer, Marcos Aizemer, and those of us who followed after them, immediately took to you, your people, and this country," Anita concluded blushing unexpectedly.
Don José smiled a mischievous smile, realizing that she was embarrassed. Anita could not understand why she should blush while mentioning the simple fact that the Jews liked Don José...the implication was that she liked him too.
"The Sikoras and most other immigrants," she continued, "lived only one day of their life in a large European city."
Again Don José smiled his mischievous smile:
"All right! I gather that the Sikora and most of the other immigrants did not know about large capitalist industries, but you were not peasants either. What did you do for living in your small rural towns?"
"Not at all, Don José. Not at all," she answered immediately. "We are not peasants. You must realize that we have an old tradition among us. I do not know for how many generations we have been small merchants, craftsmen, religious men and scholars. No one, 109
and I mean nobody in my family, has ever tilled the land or cared for an orchard. It is the same with the rest of us. The only land I have had to deal with is the one accumulating on these floors that I have to sweep several times a day!"
Don José had to leave, although Anita had been of great help to him and to the Administration. She had promised to help David write a draft report that would be used by the leaders of their community to publicly answer the accusations leveled against them.
Don José continued advising President Jimenez using mush of the information this woman had provided. Their different ways converged around a shared view of history and both were apprehensive about political right-wingers.
"I will take these shirts,‖ he said. ―I am giving them as a present to the President." Anita understood perfectly well that he not only the shirts to the Government but also the information she had provided. Why he should like to engage in such childish games of hide-and-seek she did not know, but it amused nonetheless, and she felt an excitement at the thought of sharing secrets with him. Another preoccupation soon came to her mind, and as he was about to leave, she asked one last question:
"Elena told me where she found that pamphlet, Don José. She claims that your daughter Yadira gave it to her. Is that true?"
"Yes," he answered, still trying to leave. "Don José, how is such a thing possible?" she asked, raising her voice to try and stop him.
He remained silent for a moment before continuing: "The problem with my daughter is very simple, Anita, and it is all my fault. She has never forgiven my infidelities to her mother. You see, my wife has carefully trained our daughter to hate me and to always be on her side. Yadira constantly tells me how much suffering she has had to endure because of my affairs with other women. She is just like a second wife! However, her mother is more traditional and has succumbed to the charms of the Church. Yadira, for her part, is young and possessed by a profound rage against me, and everything I love and care for.
You should know that she is now a member of the Nazi Party and the leader of this dirty smear campaign against President Jimenez, the Jews, and me her own father."
His heart was hurting as he stepped back into the store to relieve his feelings. "Every time my wife heard of one of my affairs, s