12
JEWISH WESTERN BULLETIN
Friday, September 21. 1|
Deaths my father died
was cut off like a ripped film in a movie, like a radio jammed by another station. Which station had interfered with Papa's broadcast? And then both stations were silent—his and the jamming one. His mouth remained open, as if it were about to tell many more stories about good people, all pushing through this opening and as if Papa's mouth were unable to express them all at the same time.
I jumped up, ran to his bed, embraced him and kissed him on his forehead. Perhaps it was then that I remembered how his forehead used to touch the ground on Yom Kippur. Perhaps I thought that I could bring back his spirit, like Elisha. Mother came out of the bathtub. My wife called the doctor and the doctor came and pronounced a decision on things that had already been decided. A kind neighbor came and made all sorts of arrangements., A rabbi came, one of Papa's acquaintances, and he set up what had to be set up. Furniture was moved from its place, windows were closed and opened. Oh, he knew his way about the dead! They placed a candle on the floor, much like a danger-signal on a road which is being repaired. And then the rabbi openecl the book and began to
(Continued from Page 10)
oxygen bottle did not need to whisper anymore.
In the morning, they washed Papa in the house. Furniture was moved about and torrents of water were spilled and then they tied him up with many linen tapes. After the funeral, relatives and friends arrived, even Aunt 'Susannah came in from her village. Oh how glad she was to leave her hundreds of chickens and meet with friends whom she hadn't seen for a long time!
There were many opportuni^ ties for great and sorrowful weeping, of which we somehow didn't avail ourselves. Perhaps it was because he died in the middle of a story, or because all the radio stations were shut down, or because his heart needed a wider mouthpiece and his wasn't wide enough. But it was quite possible to mourn along with the wailing of the train-whistle between the narrow and embattled mountains on the road to Jerusalem. Or even in the silence like a window which has not been closed and is moving back and forth in silence.
How few gestures and expressions we have! We have p^in, we have fear—we have a smile, and just a few more expressions. But it's just like the mannikins
whisper ^d at his whisper the' in the display-windows of clothe
ANNUAL
MEMORIAL
will be held at the , ; tj i
BETH ISRAEL CEMElTEkV
1721 Willingdon, NortH Burnaby
SUNDAY, SEPT. 23
at 12 noon
Rabbi Bert A. Woythaler will conducf the Service, and Cantor Abraham Deutsch will chant the memorial prayers.
Those who passed dway during the past yedV ancf were interred at Beth Israel Cemetery, are as fqll^s:
FANNY LEVINE____.....__________-__.Sept.J7'i 1961
ALEXANDER RAYMOND GOLDEN_____Sept. ^4/ 1961
AMINA DWEK ------.______________Nov. 26,. 1961
LILLY RONA RUBIN________________Dec. 21, 1961
JACK ZAITZOW____________________Jan. 18,; 1962
SAMUEL IZeN___________________.Feb. 8,rr962
SAMUEL ANGEL_____________________Mar. 25, 1962
ABRAHAM LEON LEVINE____________April 19, 1962
ERICH BERGHOLD_________________April 19, 1962
SUE WOOGMAN__________________June 7, 1962
AUDREY ESTHER HATTENSTONE______Aug. 6, 1962
Now for Elementary, High School, ond Senior Mafric subjects, and English for New Conadians
Week of October 1st for Trade, Technical, Commercial, Business and several hundred self improvement
courses.
For a Copy of the Complete Program
CallREhmi
Vancouver School Board Night Schools
ing stores. Fate se^s our expressions as the window-decorator sets the expressions of these mannikins. At times he will lift their hands, at times he will turn their heads one way or another, and so they will remain all the time, and so do we. I grew a mourning beard. In the beginning it was hard and then it softened, and sometimes as I lie down I hear either shots or a tractor backfiring in one of the valleys. Papa was like one of the quarries. He gave up all his stones, and then remained empty. Andnow that he is dead and I am built; up, he remains open and forsaken. And the woods grow around the quarry. At times when I travel down into the valley, I see these-^forsaken quarries by the side of the road and they are lonely. Quarries, gravestones. I ordered a gravestone. The evening before I ordered it, I saw a girl standing next to a gravestone, tying up a shoelace that had opened. \yhen I came closer, she fled between two big houses. I ordered a wide gravestone with a stony pillow at its head, and the stonemason asked me for dimensions, just as a tailor asks for measurements.
The graveyard is close to the border. In days of political un-resft the dead remain lonely. On-^ soldiers are seen there from liime to time. Next to Fapa, a Crerniap doctor is buriied but they didn't get a chance to set a .gravestone for him. All they left; liim is a small tin tablet. Neair the town one can see tow^r. Such towers won't help atiymore. Only silos arid wa-tier-lowers. They have to be big in ;oirdei* to fill all the? houses with water, and God who is so big and so high filled my Papa altogettier. Too bad I was filled with qtiier things and not al* ways from tall towers either. At times the pressure is low and I! am only half-filled with thoitghts and dr<^ams. A few days ago went to the cemetery and over the graHre there is a name and a quotation. The burial place o: Moses isn't known to us, but his living place is known tous anc eveh until this very day we knew all about his life. Everything is topsy-turvy. Now only the burial places are known to us; the living places are neither distinct nor known. We move about, we change and we become different, but only our buria places are fixed.
As I am alone now, I continue to walk on my way and I'm developing all sorts of traits which belong to Papa, and some of the lines of his face and of his nose. Some of them I develop and some of them I leaveVout.
But, as I told you'iii^th^'^beginning. Papa still contiiiues to die. He came into my dream; I was worrijBd about him? ^ and I said to him* "Take your coat, walk slowlj^ don't talk. I djc^n't want you to be upset. Restf up from this awful war." But cannot rest, I keep going. I go on without praying. I take the t'fillin, but I do not put them on my arm and my forehead, but into their little bag which I never open again.
Once I was walking along the ancient Via Appia in Rome. I was carrying Papa on my shoulders. Suddenly his head fell off and I was afraid that he might die. So T laid him down on the side of thie road and I put a stone underne^h his neck and went to call a;taxi. At one time they used to call God to help and now they call a taxi. I couldn't find any and walked far away from where Papa was lying. After every few steps I turned to look at him and then ran again past the traffic. And so I saw him lying by the side of the road. Just his head was turning towards me, holding me back. I saw him through the ancient Arch of San Sebastian. People were passing him; they turned to him and then continued to walk on. I found a taxi but it was too narrow and looked like a snake. I came to another taxi
and the driver said: ''Oh, we know him. He just makes believe that he is dead." ^nd I turned back and I saw that he still lying there, that, it was still my Papa lying there by the , sfde of the road and his white face was turned toward me, but I didn't know whether' he was alive or not. I turned once more and then I saw him like something very, very distant, on the other side of the gate of the ancient Arch of San Sebastion. Translated from the Hebrew by Zalman M. Schachter
Please Note;
NEW REGULAR-BULLETIN OFFICl HOURS
Monday fo Friday, 8:130 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
COPY DEADLINE COMMENC, ING AFTER ROSH HASHONi MONDAYS AT 4:30 P. M.
SCHEDULE OF SERVICES at the Home fbr the Aged CohgregatJon;
SELICHQT - Saturday roghf;-Sept:22, 12.05 am
ROSH HASHANAH - Saturday ond Sunday, Sept. 29 and 30
jlJEVEMfNG SERVICES: 6:30 p:m.
: MORNING SERVICES: 8:15 a.m.
YOM kIpPUR SERVICES:
- kOT NIDREI: 6:30 p.m.
:M0RNING SERVICE: 8:30 a.m.
SALE OF TICKETS: Every day and Sunday at the office: AMherst 1-7944 ; E^^ R^ent 6-9341
i GinsDerg
3132 Heather Street
tiWhpId traditional High HoJy; Pb^ services on September 29 ani^ i 30 (Rosh Hashonah) and Octpb^ri & (Yom Kippur.) Cantor M. Solny pf Seattle will lead the services.
___-7 p.m^
TIME OF SERVICES: Friday, September 28th _ _ _ -11 _ Saturday and Siinday
September 29th and 30th_____ 8 d.m
Shofar: 11 a.m.
Seats now availoble
($10 eQch)
Sale of tickets for seats for High Holy Days will be Siinda) September 23 from 9 a.m. to 12 noon aijid from 7 to 9 p.i They will also be on.sale fronri 7 to 9 p.m. every night of Sunday. September 23rd. ,
For further information, please call Leo Tischler ctt TR 4-0157, J. Checov at RE 3-6638 or Mr. Gehrman at TR 4-1518.
SCHARA nEDECK SYNAGOm
Announces that
t't.
Rabbi M. Hier
of NEW YORK
and
CANTOR N. GOLTSMAN of Winnipeg
Will Conduct The
Auxiliary High Holiday Services
in the
SYNAGOGUE AUDITORIUM
All seats $12.50 each Available at the Synagogue Office Daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
•V -
m