Lidia

Among the Esperantists in Poland between the wars, the majority were Jews. There were some notable exceptions, though these were few. Most Poles were cold toward Esperanto. Fiercely patriotic, they still remembered a time under foreign domination when the languages of other nations had been imposed on them. One might have expected them to understand the need for a neutral auxiliary language, but the general attitude at that time in Poland was 'unfriendly', recalled Eugen Rytenberg, who taught Esperanto in Warsaw during the 1930S. Most Poles considered Esperanto 'a Jewish affair', Lidia later said, and they wanted to have nothing to do with it.

But in the international Esperanto movement, Lidia met people from all over the world, some from countries that had only a short time ago fought a bitter war against each other. To most ofthe Esperantists, differences of nationality or religion meant little. Even if they did not all share a fervent belief in the 'inner idea', at least they considered themselves brothers and sisters in nia kara lingvo (our dear language). Among the Esperantists Lidia was at home.

The Seventeenth Universal Congress of Esperanto was to be held in Geneva, Switzerland. Lidia went with her sister Zofia. Years later she reminisced: 'When in the summer of 192$ I took a train to go from Warsaw to Vienna and from Vienna to Geneva in order to attend the Esperanto congress held that year in the City of Nations, I did not imagine that each turn of the wheels was bringing me nearer to a contact which was to mean Life for me.'

After two sleepless nights Lidia arrived in Geneva. The city was just recovering from a heat wave, and Saturday, the first of August, was beautiful. As it was the Swiss national holiday, that evening the tree- lined quais along Lake Leman were festooned with lights, music played, and fireworks boomed out over the lake, reflected their colors on its surface. At eight o'clock the night vibrated as all the churchbells in Geneva pealed in celebration. The Esperantists, enjoying their 'Get- Together Evening', strolled in the university's Promenade des Bastions, the gardens decorated with lights, while musicians entertained them.

In Geneva, newspaper articles had been appearing about the congress for two weeks before it began, and just before the meeting opened the Tribune de Geneve had printed a long article sympathetic to Esperanto. 'It is no longer the-time for facilejests and anti-Esperantist nonsense,' wrote the reporter. 'Today that is left to the ignorant, because it is in serious circles, whether practical people . . . or academics and scholars . . . that Esperanto counts its most earnest champions.'

A number of Geneva's postal employees and gendarmes had been studying Esperanto so they could assist the thousand participants expected to attend the congress. The Esperanto-speaking gendarmes could be recognized - how else? - by a green star embroidered on the sleeve of their tunics.

On Sunday, the day the congress was to begin, Geneva was shrouded in gray skies that poured rain all day. But just in time for the opening ceremony the rain stopped.

At eight o'clock the crowd filled opulent Victoria Hall. After the welcoming speeches, Edmond Privat rose to speak. He reminded the audience how in the same hall, nineteen years earlier, Ludwik Zamenhof had spoken to them of the pogroms in Bialystok. That evening Zamenhof had told them not to blame any nation or people, but rather the darkness which causes men to act toward each other in such a beastly and savage manner. 'Give forth the light of mutual understanding, show forth the light of mutual knowledge and friendship,' said Privat, 'those were the words of Zamenhof at the Geneva congress. And when I remember that, I think also about all those geniuses who, as he did, always strove to bring this world some light. . . greatmeninthisworldhavealwaysworkedforthelight. . .'

But Ludwik Zamenhof was gone. And, Privat said, 'that charming person, whom we all loved to see at the congress' - Klara - would not be with them again. Privat asked them to stand in her honor. 'With pleasure we welcome the two daughters of our Majstro: Zofia and Lidia Zamenhof, who do us the honor of attending the congress. Ili vivu! Long may they live!' he cried, and applause filled the hall.

'The memory of their noble parents', Privat went on, 'remains engraved in all our hearts. They are indeed brave, courageous young women working for noble and beautiful goals. Let us thank them warmly for that, as well as for coming to Geneva.' Once more the congress audience applauded.