We Must Not Think of Ourselves: A Novel

Sala is one of the many housemates with whom Adam shares the apartment in the ghetto. She is married to Emil Wiskoff, who works closely with the Judenrat, and has two sons, Arkady and Rafel. She and Adam form a connection from the moment they meet, and they eventually begin an affair.

Sala is a character with an inherent sense of adventure and a desire to see and experience as much of life as possible. Although she was raised in a deeply religious and conventional home, the little she learned of the world from the newspapers she read growing up left her wanting more from life. Her marriage to Emil was a means to this end; although they enjoy a companionable marriage, Sala is more drawn to the life and freedom marriage to Emil provides her with than to his person. She displays the same free-spiritedness that saw her leave home without a second glance on multiple occasions in the ghetto—from joining her children in betting on dog races to eventually embracing and acting on her feelings for Adam.

Sala’s free-spiritedness, however, is tempered by an inherent kindness and a deep sense of responsibility she feels for her family. The latter is largely fueled by her fierce love for her children. She views her role as a mother as her foremost identity, as she experienced true love for the first time at their births. She looks out for their welfare above all else. This, combined with her good-heartedness, is what drives her decisions. Her sense of obligation to Emil as her husband does not stop her from engaging in an affair with Adam; however, her love for Adam does not supersede the responsibility she feels toward Emil and her sons. She gives up her love and her chance at life by choosing to send her sons out of the ghetto under Adam’s care while staying back herself. Sala’s character is a testament to The Resilience of the Human Spirit and the kind of strength and sacrifice human beings are capable of even in the most trying times.

Szifra, who is 15 years old, is one of Adam’s students. She used to attend his classes before the ghetto and is the reason Adam continues lessons there. Szifra is the oldest child of a wealthy Jewish family and has two younger brothers. Her family is marred by loss and tragedy from the moment the Germans arrive: Her father dies by suicide after the Nazis seize his business even before the family is relocated to the ghetto.

Szifra is beautiful and charming, with looks that allow her to pass as Polish or “Aryan.” She is ambitious and has big dreams of going to America one day and making it as an actor. She is also strong-willed and resilient. Having witnessed her father’s death and her mother’s ineffectuality, she is determined not to end up like either of her parents. This leaves her burdened with finding ways to help her family survive and eventually escape the ghetto, a pressure that increases after her mother’s death from typhus. She begins to trade sexual favors for survival and even works her way to successfully organizing kennkartes for her brothers.

Szifra’s boldness and ambition also translate into selfishness sometimes, especially in the eyes of the ghetto community. She views her actions as necessary but does not realize the implications of flaunting her relatively comfortable life in the face of her starving people. Her pride and refusal to pay heed to other people’s judgment puts her in danger in the community. She is eventually murdered for her actions, though the culprit is never revealed. Szifra’s story thus explores The Moral Complexities of Survival Under Oppression.

Henryk is Adam’s father-in-law. A wealthy and well-connected Polish Catholic man, Henryk is the only one of the Duda clan to accept Adam’s union with his daughter, Kasia. After the Nazis announce the relocation of all Jews to the Warsaw ghetto, it is Henryk who secures Adam, the Wiskoffs, and the Lescovecs an apartment (albeit the same one for all of them) in the ghetto.

Adam and Henryk share a complicated relationship. Henryk’s acceptance of Adam stems not from any open-mindedness or true appreciation for Adam’s character but from his love for his favorite daughter. His affection for Kasia is extended to Adam by association, and upon Kasia’s death, the men share a moment of true commiseration as they mourn her together. However, Henryk’s feelings toward Adam are also tinged with a sense of superiority. He reminds Adam of how good he has been to him, insinuating that Adam ought to feel indebted to Henryk for accepting him into the family despite Adam being Jewish. This sense of obligation is what Henryk exploits when he comes calling for Adam’s apartment as well as Kasia’s wedding jewelry.

Henryk is an intensely selfish and opportunistic man who likes to present himself as a benevolent person. He promises Adam, just as he does the Wiskoffs and the Lescovecs, that their apartments will be well cared for and presents the place in the ghetto as a favor he is doing them. It is only later that Adam learns of Henryk’s double-dealing ways. Henryk attempted to present himself as useful and helpful to the Nazis, the Polish Home Army, as well as the Jews he knew personally, like Adam, all while serving his own selfish needs. Eventually, he and his entire family are caught and killed for this misstep.