‘We welcome our leader, the Führer, and we are proud to play our part in Greater Germany. We will obey all our new laws without hesitation. Indeed, we plan to set an example of how to behave and we hope that other schools will learn from us and act similarly. From today, we have two important changes. The first is that, from this moment on, our school day will begin in a different way. You will no longer hear me over the tannoy, welcoming you and reminding you to leave your coats in the cloakroom and hurry to your classes. From now on, you will hear a new greeting from me.’

Then he thrust his right arm forward, palm down, arm straight out, and shouted, ‘Heil Hitler!’

No one spoke, not even in a whisper.

Mr Schmidt lowered his arm. ‘That is how we will all greet each other from now on,’ he said. He looked around the hall to make sure everyone was listening. I was starting to feel awkward standing up while almost everyone else was sitting. I wished he would get to the point so we could go back to class.

‘The second important change is that we are going to show our dedication to the Führer and show our enemy their true place,’ he went on.

He raised a hand and pointed at each of us who were standing. ‘You dogs no longer have the same rights as everyone else in this school,’ he said.

I burst out laughing. I couldn’t help myself. We weren’t dogs! This must be one of his games! A bunch of other kids laughed too. A ripple of giggles went through the hall.

Mr Schmidt saw the laughing and his face turned scarlet. ‘You Jews are lucky to be taught in this school at all!’ he yelled, so loud I had to cover my ears. ‘From now on, you shall be treated like the lesser race you are! You will sit separately in lessons and assembly, at the back of the room.’ His gaze moved around the school hall. ‘The rest of you are not to interact with them. Jews are different from us. They are dirty and inferior. For now, we have to put up with them in our school, but no one is to talk to them or play with them. You will pretend they do not even exist.’

My feet were blocks of stone, rooted to the floor. I couldn’t move. I still couldn’t understand what was happening. Was it a joke?

If so, it was a really, really not funny kind of joke. And no one was laughing any more.

The hall was completely silent.

‘NO contact. Do I make myself clear?’ Mr Schmidt asked.

‘Yes, Mr Schmidt,’ the entire school replied. Even us Jews standing awkwardly amongst the rest. That’s how conditioned we were to obey our headmaster.

I could still hardly believe what was happening, though.