KIKAR MAGAZINE A Literary Journal for Camp Ramah in Wisconsin Summer Workshop 2011 March 22, 2012 Issue 1: Passover Issue 1: A PASSOVER READER This past summer we for Pesach. experimented with a My goal was to treat each camper as a creative writing program professional writer, and I served as their editor. I for a number of campers. often sat during free periods or came to find kids I was honored to be during meals in order to go over edits, comments or brought in for this new changes. project; as I was already a In keeping with the idea of professionalism, a writer in residency with literary journal felt like the only appropriate to way Northwoods Ramah Theater Company, it seemed a showcase their work. good fit. Hopefully this is only the beginning of a I worked intensively over the course of a wonderful creative outlet for campers. I myself week with campers from Garinim to Bogrim and remember taking a creative writing class at camp, Tikvah. The campers in Machon and Nivonim and I held on to my notebook for years, constantly received prompts during a peulat erev (evening adding to the groundwork I had set at Camp Ramah. activity) and wrote for about 30 minutes. I was so impressed with what the campers Happy reading, created, and am thrilled to present some of the work here for the entire community to read, just in time Deanna Neil Nivo ’97 Alum, Editor 1 The Sea The Song of the Sea by Elissa Fertig (17) Contents Exodus by Nesya Graupe (18) Orphans and Visions Nachshon’s First Step by Joel Abraham (19) Shifra by Anonymous (2) The Sea at the End of the World by Dakota Schee (20) The Astrologer by Eli Krule (2) Susa’s Epiphany by Rachel Banoff (21) The Book of Raphael by Ethan Weiner (3) Last Breath by Golda Kaplan (21) A Baby in A Basket by Michael Herber (6) The Four Sons The Seder Plate The Four Sons by Naomi Cowans (22) Why a Bone? by Noah Garon (7) Bricks and Mortar by Elissa Fertig (7) Elijah The Egg by Alli Biskowitz (8) Letter to a Prophet by Miles Ury (22) Elijah by Josh Hoffman (22) The Plagues Dear Elijah by Tamar Blue (23) Blood by Batya Selis (9) The Door Opens by Batya Selis (24) Plagues by Zoe Tselos (9) Lice Outbreak by Samantha Brody (10) Masters and Pets Hail in Egypt Killed the Tree by Aaron Rose (10) The Best Round of Fetch by Mychal Herber (24) Insects! by Miles Ury (11) Free or Trapped? by Shira Forester (25) Darkness by Allison Schwartz (11) Darkness by Ari Pentelovich (11) The Four Questions And Thus the Angel Watched by Anonymous (12) A Collection (26) Tonight, I kill by Nina Shragg (12) Slave Meets Taskmaster A Hard Heart Looking Back by Anonymous (27) A Hard Heart: The True Confessions of Broderick Only Human by Anonymous (27) Restin by Tali Friedman (13) Just for Fun Moses’ Staff Sad Man by Jordan Weinfeld (28) By the Hand by Morissa Pepose (14) No Getting Up by Tali Friedman (28) When Hope Rests by Rachel Eve Small (14) Bob: An Imaginary Biography by Josh Hoffman (28) I Am the Staff that Freed the Jews by David Selis (15) Letter from the Depths by Eli Krule (28) Dang, Moses, You So Smooth Lookin’ by Aden Freya Juliet White: A Biography by Elissa Fertig (28) Finkelstein (16) What am I? by Miles Ury (28) Kermit the Frog: A Biography by Ari Pentelovich (28) Acknowledgements (29) 2 Shifra of an Israelite woman who was about to give birth. It By Anonymous (Nivonim) was her first born and the woman had really wanted a Shifra heard the decree of son. As Shifra ran in, she knew that she had come just Pharoah. He wanted her and in time. She brought the baby boy into the world and all of her midwife friends to quickly quieted him with her hand. She handed him to kill the firstborn male his mother and ran out. She went to her supervisor Israelite children. She and declared a stillborn birth. Once out of sight, couldn’t do it. Not because it was morally wrong, but Shifra prayed to God that the newborn baby boy because she feared God. She quickly ran to the house would survive. The Astrologer: A Haiku By Eli Krule (Bogrim) Egyptian man gazed In the stars he sees the down fall of his Pharoah 3 The Book of Raphael “But Mother, what is all “Mother, Raphael is 15!” by Ethan Weiner (Shoafim) the commotion?” Marlene’s sleepy “It will harm him gravely.” eyes drifted to the baby. “And the damage will The underage mother trudged up “ O h M o t h e r , h e i s grow worse if we don’t wait any the slippery steps to the beautiful! Can’t we take him in?” longer.” orphanage. Her frail hands “There are no other rooms Both abruptly stopped; it gripped her baby in his blanket, and we already have 15 kids to a seemed they had come to a silent who no longer had enough room, with four rooms. He can’t agreement. strength to continue crying. She stay here, that’s for sure,” Mother “Come brother,” Marlene set him down on the front step. A grunted. encouraged, “we have something single tear cascaded down her face Marlene’s face dropped, to tell you.” and onto the blanket. The doorbell but lit up with an idea. “Can’t we Raphael sighed, “What?” was rung, and the poor, tired let him come home with us?” she A moment of silence woman walked away into the inquired. “He’s very handsome… enveloped them all for what London fog. Little did she notice he looks like you.” seemed like days. “You aren’t my the other orphans’ cries for food, Mother sighed, but liked brother; nor are you mother’s the broken windows, the despair this flattery. “I’ve always wanted a son.” Marlene’s confession broke and the lack of laughter. son.” the silence. Raphael stood, not After getting dressed, a “Oh, I hadn’t noticed this,” comprehending this long protected small plump woman opened the Marlene said. There was a note secret. “She is telling the truth,” door. She sighed. Another doorbell tucked under the baby’s arms. “It Maria confirmed. baby. Food was getting too hard says, ‘His name is Raphael.’” “You are lying to me,” he to find. “Those scrawny little runts denied. “I am Raphael Leif!” And are eating it all!” She said. She *** he truly believed it. His features scooped him up and carried him to were by coincidence nearly As years passed, Raphael grew up the kitchen. Setting him down near identical to those of the Leifs. with the belief that he was the fireplace, she took baby “What other lies have you kept Raphael Leif, son of Maria Leif formula from the cupboard and from me for 15 years? Perhaps I and brother of Marlene Leif. slipped it down the small baby’s am not even human!” Conditions at the orphanage got throat. Almost immediately, the He stormed out and walked even more miserable; the children boy coughed it up. to the family Orphanarium, which were malnourished and the “That formula was worth a was a mere 3 houses away. Often conditions grew steadily less fortune, you stupid child!” She he would go to the roof to sort out sanitary. exclaimed. “This one isn’t a good his feelings. The day was Friday, boy.” R a p h a e l l o o k e d October 13th; an omen of what A well-fed young girl menacingly upon the street 2 was to come. walked down the stairs, rubbing stories below. He saw Mother and Raphael stared confused at her eyes. “Marlene, go back to Marlene frantically trying to find his ‘mother’ and ‘sister’ arguing. sleep,” the woman yelled. him; there was concern in “He is too young.” 4 Marlene’s eyes, but only fury in gratitutde, pain, and horror return to my homeland, I will Mother’s. showed in his eyes. Raphael knew immediately be sent to jail.” “Where are you, you good he wouldn’t tell. The murderer “You must go back!” for nothing child?” Mother looked down. A pool of blood had “But why?” he wailed. shouted. Eventually, he walked formed around the man. Raphael “To save the children.” down to the top story. He stopped; almost regretted it, but then he Raphael woke up sweating a scream could be heard coming saw the past scars of fatigue all and hyperventilating. Although the from the door on his right. over the child’s body; from a sun had just emerged from the “Stop, stop! It hurts!” a broken nose to a mark of a knife horizon, he was wide awake. He child wailed. across his leg. knew that he must return to “Ha! Of course it does. A sudden realization hit London and save the abused This serves you right for taking Raphael: he must leave orphans. He had no doubt; he was more than your share of food!” immediately. commanded by God. Raphael recognized one of the Covering his eyes from the caretaker’s voices. The man had *** glare of the sunlight, Raphael always been kind to him, but had Raphael Leif, now Oliver Neil, exited the airplane he had rode to he ever wondered how the man lived humbly in Scotland for England. After passing security he treated the orphans? Another wail several years.