Being Jewish
About Juraj Stern
Smart, kind-hearted, and engaged. These are some of Juraj Stern‘s characteristics. If you are searching for him, look for a gray-haired man in an argyle sweater and suit. He’ll be teaching dozens of students in the Paneuropean University. Alternatively, you could look through the busy streets of Bratislava’s old town and find him talking to all kinds of people about history, culture, art and life. On top of all of this, his Jewish identity has shaped his story and makes him the person he is today.
What was it like growing up during the war as a Jew?
“…I was a small child, I didn't realize it much. All I remember is that I had to hide. …my father had been caught several times. He managed to escape each time using various tricks. …. [Later on when jews could move more freely,] we left eastern Slovakia from Michalovce, to Hlohovec, to my mother's birthplace, and there I have already experienced some of the events that I remember.”
Do you have any other memories of the war?
“Although [I was 4 at the time and the memories are] quite foggy, I remember that I went through a terrible event. I hid for two weeks [alone]. I was hidden under where the cattle were. …I was covered in hay and I was hidden there for several weeks. The hosts who hid us brought me food [once a day]. I was not allowed to scream, I was not crying, I was not allowed to let anyone know that I was hiding. [Because if someone found out, it was very likely that I would be killed.] When I left, I basically couldn't talk, [because of this] I stuttered for years.”
Compared to your other characteristics, how important is it for you to be a Jew?
“…There have been different periods. Of course, being a Jew during the war was very difficult and even dangerous. …My mother, she was a believer. She lit candles and prayed every Friday, but she also didn't go to the synagogue [like my father]. I was not led and brought up in a religious spirit. I got closer to Judaism only when I married my wife, who came from a very religious family, and there, for example, I experienced a kosher household for the first time. …For the first time, I got closer to Judaism.”
Are there any stereotypes about the Jews that suit you?
“Yes there are. I like Jewish humor. … Jews like to tell jokes about themselves. One joke I particularly like is: The three priests met up. A Catholic priest, an Evangelical priest and a Jewish rabbi and talk about how they share the money they collect in the church. The Catholic priest said: "I will draw a line on the ground and throw all the money into the air. What falls to the right, I will give to the Lord God, and what will fall to the left, I will keep. The Evangelical pastor says, “I do it differently, but very much like you. I will throw everything up to the Lord God and now the coins that fall where the number is will be given to the Lord God and the other side where there is no number, I will keep. "And the rabbi says, "Well, gentlemen, I do exactly the same as you, I'll just throw everything up to the Lord God and I'll keep whatever falls."”
“Every person has to live through something, has to live through an event… to realize, if this is an important part of their story.”
- Juraj Stern
“The sun was shining, which I had not seen for a very long time. For me that moment of freedom is actually connected with light and the sun. For me freedom means sun and light.”
- Juraj Stern
Has it ever happened that being a Jew would go against your favor?
“Of course. I've experienced that before. I experienced this when I went to school. …During communism in Slovakia, that is, from 1948 to 1989, being Jewish was not easy. Communist Czechoslovakia was not in a friendly relationship with Israel and therefore communists perceived Jews as potential enemies or agents of Israel. It so happened that when I finished highschool, I did not receive a recommendation for further studies due to the fact that a general called Ungernstern was fighting against the Communists in Russia during the Russian Communist Revolution. The communists eventually executed him. My history teacher found out which of course stopped me from receiving a recommendation for further study [and even to go to university] simply because we shared the same part of our last names. Many high-ranking Jewish officials were executed during this time. Unfortunately, being of jewish origins was enough to make [my father] lose his job. My father couldn't be an accountant, but he worked at home with my mom and knitted sweaters on a knitting machine [to make money]. Another example of when I had been discriminated against was: I had gone to job interviews, but they didn't accept me.”
Could you tell me what would you say to these people who do not feel connected to one part of their identity like you once were?
“This is an individual matter. This is very individual. Every person has to live through something, has to live through an event… to realize, if this is an important part of their story. You can't tell anyone, ‘you have to’ or ‘you should’. This is everyone's free choice and he must be internally identified with whether or not to take this step.”
