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Chaya
Jankiel is a dark-eyed orphan who has recently arrived at Mother Minka’s remote Catholic orphanage. When he arrives, Mother Minka makes him promise not to tell the other children about the Nazi atrocities occurring in the world beyond the orphanage. When bullies target Jankiel, Felix and Dodie try to save him. Felix wonders whether Jankiel might be secretly Jewish too but never asks him, knowing Jankiel wouldn’t want to admit it at the Catholic orphanage. Jankiel runs into Felix as Felix is escaping the orphanage and tries to convince him not to leave; he won’t say why due to his promise to Mother Minka but insists Felix will “really regret” entering the outside world. Felix ignores him. Jankiel functions as foil for Felix: like Felix, he is probably a Jewish boy whom Mother Minka is intentionally concealing from the Nazis, but unlike Felix, he is knowledgeable and fearful whereas Felix (when the novel begins) is ignorant and brave.
Jankiel Quotes in Once
The Once quotes below are all either spoken by Jankiel or refer to Jankiel. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Pages 9–17 Quotes
“Jankiel’s not hiding from the men in the car,” says Dodie. “He’s hiding from the torture squad.”
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Pages 18–28 Quotes
“Look,” he says, “I can’t tell you what the Nazis are doing because Mother Minka made me swear on the Bible that I wouldn’t tell anyone. She doesn’t want everyone upset and worried.”
“Thanks,” I say. “But I know what they’re doing. They’re burning books.”
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Jankiel Character Timeline in Once
The timeline below shows where the character Jankiel appears in Once. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Pages 9–17
...dormitory exit, wanting to ask Mother Minka when his parents will come, Dodie tells him Jankiel, a new boy at the orphanage, is hiding in the bathroom. Annoyed that Jankiel is...
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Dodie tells Felix that Jankiel is hiding from “the torture squad,” not the visitors, and indicates a group of boys...
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The bullies flee the bathroom. Jankiel asks whether “they” have left. When Dodie says one of the bullies will be smearing...
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As Felix, Dodie, and Jankiel walk back to the dormitory, Felix wonders whether Jankiel is Jewish too, since both boys...
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Leaving Dodie and Jankiel, Felix goes to find Mother Minka. On his way, he looks out a window into...
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Pages 18–28
Jankiel appears and tells Felix not to go. Felix imagines that Jankiel wants him to stay...
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When Felix tries to leave, Jankiel tells him he shouldn’t go: there are Nazis everywhere. When Felix says that’s why he’s...
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