The Beth Am Review Kol Aviv
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N I S S A N 5 7 8 1 | I S S U E N O . 2 T H E B E T H A M R E V I E W K O L A V I V by Rona Behar Karp Nissan 5781 TABLE OF C O N T E N T S A Wartime Pesach Story 02 David Chudnow Passover Moon 02 Donald Vanderweit Alyse and Kurt: Chapter 2 03 Deborah F. Blum Od Lo Dayanu 05 Rebecca Axelrod Vanderweit Pesach in a Strange Land 06 Rabbi Susan Laemmle Esser Macot 08 Reuven and Larry Herman The Rebbes' All-Nighter 12 Debby Berman The Gray Market Turkey 13 Annie Spar Have We Been Led Back Into The 15 Egypt of Ignorance and Servitude Ed Elhaderi 17 Flip the Hustle Daniella Platt Slaves of Modern Society 19 Jay Horowitz I Survived the Ten Plagues of Egypt 21 Ariella Benor PAGE 2 TEMPLE BETH AM Nissan 5781 A Wartime Pesach Story Passover Moon B Y D A V I D C H U D N O W B Y D O N A L D V A N D E R W E I T My father served in the army in World War 2. He was Oppressive moon! Cruel overseer! somewhat older than most of the other GI’s; he was Every night you glare down at me already married and had a baby daughter. Also, as I haul and dump buckets although he was already a practicing attorney in “Come clean me next!” you taunt. Milwaukee, the Army decided he would be better I scrub and mop suited to load and unload cargo and placed him in the No food in the house, my head pounds Port Battalion. A year’s worth of chametz to banish Cleaning room after room until He participated in D-Day on Omaha Beach. He I fall asleep, too tired to close the blinds recalled that while waiting on his LCVP to be off- You throw pebbles at my eyes all night loaded, he witnessed the officers ordering a young, Growing fuller as our time gets closer tall GI to act as a human depth-finder. The unfortunate fellow jumped off the ramp with full Finally all is in order pack and disappeared beneath the waves, never to be I shower and dress seen again. I recite and remember And feast. Later he was in Antwerp when the Nazis attacked in Then I open the door for Elijah, and see you the Battle of the Bulge, a truly terrible fight. Full and glorious, rising over my neighbor’s house Thankfully, he was ok and stayed in Antwerp for After all that, we meet as equals some months after the Nazis were defeated there and Me in my tie and jacket, ultimately surrendered in mid-1945. You resplendent in silver Passover occurred that year on March 28, 1945. The Soon the guests will have gone, and I will finish my Allies scheduled a seder for the Jewish military in wine, Belgium which my father attended. What was notable And I will watch myself get fatter was that the Allies had Nazi POW’s acting as waiters while you slowly fade away in the seder and serving the Jewish GI’s. My father said it was quite strange to have people who only a short time before desired your total annihilation serving you. To remember this forcefully underscores the portion of the Haggadah which states, in every generation people rise against us to destroy us. Now more than ever we must be vigilant to protect ourselves and our values. by Mike Reinis PAGE 3 TEMPLE BETH AM NISSAN 5781 ALYSE AND KURT: CHAPTER 2 B Y D E B O R A H F . B L U M Chapter 1 Recap: Alyse and Kurt met, married and “Who cares?” Kurt whispered. “They can’t do a travelled to Germany on a honeymoon. A visit from thing. You’re an American citizen.” the gestapo caused Alyse to take their wedding Did she and Kurt look so obviously Jewish? Or presents to a locker in the train station and plan an were the Germans wondering if they liked early departure with Kurt for the United States. Wagner? The whole concept of racial purity seems unscientific and ridiculous. The human Alyse’s eyes open when she hears water running race is one species; that’s what she learned at inside the washroom. It’s mid-March, 1938, and Northwestern University in Chicago. she and Kurt are staying with his parents in Stuttgart, Germany. She and Kurt married in She throws her legs over the side of the bed to October in Chicago. Then, Kurt’s parents sent start her morning routine. One, two, three - she them tickets to sail on the Ille de France, a swings her arms in wide circles. When they luxurious ocean liner, and “come for a visit,” as return to the U.S. – to Los Angeles – to start their they put it in their letter. new home, the weather will be warm and the sun will shine. She’s lived in Chicago forever it The first week spent skiing in Switzerland was seems, except one year spent studying dance in lovely. She worked hard to learn to ski, but her in- Hungary. She imagines Los Angeles full of laws looked down on her for being a “performer.” glamorous movie stars. She sees herself running They spent a week in the Swiss alps with her in- on the beach and dancing in the sand, as laws, and Kurt’s brother, wife and young son warmth sinks between her toes. from Paris. It was generous of the Nazis to allow Kurt’s parents a travel allowance. Strange place Kurt runs the razor over his cheeks. If his parents this “new” Germany. It’s cold outside and the don’t leave Germany soon, he might never see trees are bare, but under the down covers, it’s them again. Last night, the Gestapo questioned a warm. Jewish banker on the street until the poor man collapsed. Across the hall, Kurt shaves, lathers his shaving brush, wipes the suds over his cheeks. Alyse His father’s voice echoes down the hall. “Kurt? recalls the concert of Edwin Fischer they Are you awake?” attended when they first arrived, then compares it to last night’s performance of Wagner’s The Ring. The music sounded excellent, but people in the audience stared at them. PAGE 4 TEMPLE BETH AM NISSAN 5781 Sigmund, Kurt’s father, strides over and shakes Kurt leans on the basin, catching his breath. He Kurt’s hand. “Take care, my son. You are doing thinks of Los Angeles and all the different well in America. We’re proud of you.” languages spoken: Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, even Yiddish. “Come soon,” Kurt says. “Everything is ready. Just activate the papers at the Embassy…” Looking He became familiar with the city during the into his father’s eyes, he sees a man who fought years he spent working for Universal Pictures. in “The Great War,” who owns a factory and Each year in Spring, he traveled to the employs over twenty men and women, most of distribution offices on Vermont Avenue to pick whom are not Jewish. up his sales assignments. For three years, he travelled through Canada, Colorado, and the “Enough!” Kurt’s father raises his voice. Midwest selling Universal films. He knows every Alyse grabs her bag and they rush down the small theater from LA to Chicago. stairs. Out on the street, Alyse is almost crying. Kurt consoles her with a gentle kiss. They must The land, the freedom, the wide open spaces hurry. enchant him. He loves America’s promise of freedom. Immigrants can arrive with thick In the station, there are no gestapo, so they accents and winter coats, and gradually lose the breathe easier. They collect two suitcases from accent (though it never really goes away) and the lockers after exchanging the tickets for two then move to LA and lose the coat as well. keys. The cases contain their wedding present, Cold light fills the Stuttgart dining room. Alyse, solid silver table settings, and cash they are the Hungarian-American-Jewish performer, sips smuggling out for Kurt’s parents. “I wish we could coffee. A lamp sheds yellow light on the dark travel together, but it is safer this way,” Kurt says, wooden antiques. Outside, bare trees hide hugging his dear new wife. nothing. “If they want to search you, show them your Kurt sees a police man stride by on the street American passport.” below, and eyes Alyse’s bag by the door as he Alyse nods. “See you in Basel.” She tilts her head enters the room. He whispers, “You have the and buttons her coat. locker tickets?” Alyse nods. “We better get going “Remember the code? If I call you at the train or we’ll miss our train.” station in Switzerland…” “Gretel had a boy means everything’s okay,” Alyse Kurt’s mother, Alice, hovers. “What about coffee?” recites. “Gretel had a girl means something is she asks, looking worried. wrong, and Cousin Gretel had twins means a big “It’s alright, Mother,” Kurt says, putting a hand on problem. This has nothing to do with the family his mother’s shoulder. “Alyse’s train leaves first. I’ll we’ll have, right?” get some at the train station.” He gives her a hug and grabs his coat. PAGE 5 TEMPLE BETH AM NISSAN 5781 “No!” Kurt laughs.