Page 100 - issue
P. 100
face the mezuzah, then come back and years ago, in 1959 or 1960. After submit- his class.)
face the class and tell them our Hebrew ting a first draft of this article to WWW, I So she didn’t remember the inci-
names. decided to track this kindergarten teach-
er down. Mrs. Chani Kaplan – back then dent. Does that matter? What really
Some boys from the frummer homes a married woman with at least one child matters is that she touched me in some
already knew their Hebrew names. my age – is now Mrs. Gelertener and lives way – as I did her. And here is the les-
I didn’t. My parents always called me in Jerusalem. When I called her, she re- son that I come away with: There are
“Sammy.” Their friends sometimes membered me very well! people who seem to play a major part
Yiddishized it to “Semmela.” A num- of our lives, and then there are the so-
ber of boys were called up before me. “Sure, I remember you! Sammy Fin- called minor players. We don’t always
I remember two of them: Stanley Be- kel! You were a nice little boy!” When I know who really cares and thinks about
iner and Sammy Sasho (whose parents asked her about the incident, she said, us, and we don’t know how we impact
were of Syrian descent). I am sure their “That sounds strange, but it could have others. Sometimes a chance encounter
parents called them by their English happened. They did all kinds of interest- can be a significant event in another
names. But when they turned to the ing things in TA back then.” person’s life – for good or for bad. You
class, after facing the mezuzah, they never know.
announced their Hebrew names. I was She was as sharp as a whip. Her voice
amazed. was crisp and full of exuberance, and her So, there you have it – at least two
memory was super sharp. I was blown guardian angels in my life – and I haven’t
Then it was my turn. I faced the big away by her energy. She was one of those even turned six yet. There would be more
wooden mezuzah casing, and I “heard” special people that G-d put in my life. to come.u
words – completely in my mind. I walked What amazes me is that there is some-
away from the door, faced the class, and one who still remembers me, from so *The munitions factory is described
began to pronounce those words. The many years ago – from kindergarten! –
teachers tried to assist me, but I waved even though I wasn’t part of her regular in the book, Death Comes in Yellow:
them off in irritation, and said, “I know class. (By contrast, I had a teacher in Ye- Skarżysko-Kamienna Slave Labor Camp,
already! Shmuel Yitzchak Finkel!” shiva University for four years who didn’t by Felicja Karay. Another point: Just as
know my name, even though there were the Americans didn’t understand the
uuu sometimes only a half dozen students in survivors, our schoolmates didn’t under-
stand us, the children of survivors.)
That incident took place about 57
92 u www.wherewhatwhen.com u
face the class and tell them our Hebrew ting a first draft of this article to WWW, I So she didn’t remember the inci-
names. decided to track this kindergarten teach-
er down. Mrs. Chani Kaplan – back then dent. Does that matter? What really
Some boys from the frummer homes a married woman with at least one child matters is that she touched me in some
already knew their Hebrew names. my age – is now Mrs. Gelertener and lives way – as I did her. And here is the les-
I didn’t. My parents always called me in Jerusalem. When I called her, she re- son that I come away with: There are
“Sammy.” Their friends sometimes membered me very well! people who seem to play a major part
Yiddishized it to “Semmela.” A num- of our lives, and then there are the so-
ber of boys were called up before me. “Sure, I remember you! Sammy Fin- called minor players. We don’t always
I remember two of them: Stanley Be- kel! You were a nice little boy!” When I know who really cares and thinks about
iner and Sammy Sasho (whose parents asked her about the incident, she said, us, and we don’t know how we impact
were of Syrian descent). I am sure their “That sounds strange, but it could have others. Sometimes a chance encounter
parents called them by their English happened. They did all kinds of interest- can be a significant event in another
names. But when they turned to the ing things in TA back then.” person’s life – for good or for bad. You
class, after facing the mezuzah, they never know.
announced their Hebrew names. I was She was as sharp as a whip. Her voice
amazed. was crisp and full of exuberance, and her So, there you have it – at least two
memory was super sharp. I was blown guardian angels in my life – and I haven’t
Then it was my turn. I faced the big away by her energy. She was one of those even turned six yet. There would be more
wooden mezuzah casing, and I “heard” special people that G-d put in my life. to come.u
words – completely in my mind. I walked What amazes me is that there is some-
away from the door, faced the class, and one who still remembers me, from so *The munitions factory is described
began to pronounce those words. The many years ago – from kindergarten! –
teachers tried to assist me, but I waved even though I wasn’t part of her regular in the book, Death Comes in Yellow:
them off in irritation, and said, “I know class. (By contrast, I had a teacher in Ye- Skarżysko-Kamienna Slave Labor Camp,
already! Shmuel Yitzchak Finkel!” shiva University for four years who didn’t by Felicja Karay. Another point: Just as
know my name, even though there were the Americans didn’t understand the
uuu sometimes only a half dozen students in survivors, our schoolmates didn’t under-
stand us, the children of survivors.)
That incident took place about 57
92 u www.wherewhatwhen.com u
