Introduction, Circa 1891.

In May 1887, in the boom textile city of Lodz, Poland, a baby was born to the family of Mendel and Rivka (Rebecca) Rydzynski. He was named Lajzer (Eliezer, Leon). He eventually became my father. Lajzer had two brothers, Icio-Maier and Abraham, and a sister, Brandl. Later, another girl, Gucio, was born. Like most Jews in Lodz, they lived in the predominantly Jewish neighborhood, where my grandfather had a small sheet-metal shop. At the age of three-and-a-half years, he was enrolled in the traditional Cheder (Hebrew school).

One afternoon little Lajzer, less than 4 years old, came home from Cheder crying. When my grandmother asked why he was crying, he told her that the Rabbi in Cheder spanked him as punishment for something. (This was common practice at the time.) My grandmother immediately went to the Cheder to talk to the Rabbi. She knocked at the door and entered. The Rabbi (mellamed, teacher) was alone and half-dozing. My grandmother approached and asked him, “Rabbi, why did you hit my boy?”

The Rabbi was shocked at what he perceived as arrogance. (According to Orthodox Jewish tradition of the time, it was very improper for a woman to address a strange man directly, or for a man to even look at a strange woman’s face). He turned away from her.

“Go away, woman,” he cried. “I will not talk to you!”

She went around to face him again, grabbed him at the beard, and said: “You will talk to me! My husband and I pay you to teach our son — not to hurt him. If he misbehaves, let us know and we’ll take care of it. You will not lay a hand on my boy again!” And she left.

When word of it got around, some people were annoyed at my grandmother, but most were secretly cheering her on and admiring her courage and determination. The incident became widely known. (Many years later, when I was a young man, some people knew me as “the grandson of the woman who grabbed the Rabbi by the beard.”