Springtime is coming to a close and summer is pushing in.
It was an intensive period for me. Starting with Tu Beshwat - the New Year of
the trees, I was asking where the family will meet for Pesach. Purim came along
and was soon followed by every body's spring cleaning efforts, sometimes
cleaning their own while dirtying the neighbor's windows from below.
In honor of my great-grandsons Barmizva, my grandson, a
doctor living in Beer- Sheva, was trekking of several days all the way to
Jerusalem. Somewhere on the halfway trek he was met by some more of my
grandchildren with their children. My son took me along to meet up with them.
It was a gorgeous day in the mountains of Judea, 4 generations being together.
The love for our country gets into everybody's heart through their feet.
For Erev Seder Pesach the close family got together and
Danny as always, took me along. For lunch the next I joined with the Zuckerman
family with loads of children mingling around and a very festive religious
atmosphere where everybody joined in the conversation about the exodus of the
children of Israel from the slavery in Egypt.
Within a few days Yom Hashoa followed. Tuesday morning I
got a phone call from the neighborhood Television station if I was prepared for
them to come and interview me. They came along almost immediately and with
cameramen and all. That was for two whole hours. They wanted to know everything. That
same day, the eve of Yom Hashoa I appeared on television for all of 4 minutes.
Throughout the year I was involved in researching together
with Dr. Judith Reifen the founding of Youth Aliyah by Recha Freier. 1932 a
group of Jewish youngsters turned to her to help them find work for them.
Nobody wanted to employ them because they were Jewish. 80 years ago Recha had a
dream, a vision, if it was only possible to send these and other youngsters to
Palestine to work half day in a Kibbutz and study the other half day. Due to
her unrelenting efforts Youth Aliyah was established and several thousand of
youngster's life could be saved.
At this year's ceremony in the Judean hills by the Fire
Scroll, arranged annually by Bnai Brith and KKL-the Jewish National Fund, Recha
Freier and Josef Indig, then a young youth leader in Yugoslavian, were honored.
Their descendents were presented with the "Jewish Rescuers Citation"
on behave of Bnai Brith and the committee to recognize the Heroism of Jews who
rescued Fellow Jews before and during the Shoa.
Prior to the start of the ceremony I gave a talk to a bunch
of soldiers from the Border Police. At the ceremony were several speakers and I
was one of them. I represented the thousands who were thus saved.
Danny took me home for a short break and a Police car
picked me up the give a talk at their Traffic Police Headquarters somewhere in
the Judean Dessert.
The following week was Memorial Day for our fallen soldiers
followed by Independence Day. The Border Police has for some years been looking
after several Shoa survivors and invites us to their ceremonies. This time I
was given the honor to light up the memorial torch as a survivor and in memory
of my grandson Eyal Yoel who fell ten years ago during the battle in Jenin.
The following day, Independence Day I stayed home and
watched on Television, other people enjoy themselves. I saw the Youth Bible
Contest, the giving out of the annual Israel Price for outstanding efforts in
different fields and some more. That was
much easier for me.
Now I am back to my weekly routine, or almost. For everyday
something new crops up. I have to keep checking my calendar to make sure I
don't forget what it is that I had planned to do and if there is time to fit
something unexpected in.
