Page 136 - issue
P. 136
drink and party, keminhagam, a boy and operation to smuggle Jewish survivors Lithuania. “Maybe you heard of him?”
a girl emerge from hiding. The last two out of Europe and into British Palestine, “What was his name?” I ask.
Jews of Panevezys. Both were about 15, which was “illegal.” In 1948, they them- “Reb Nochum Horodneker.”
16, or 17. They do not really know each selves made aliyah to the new State of Oh my gosh! Reb Nochum of Grodno!
other. They walk over to the open grave Israel, where they started a family; they
full of naked bodies. The boy gestures to had three kids. Probably the greatest tzadik in Lithua-
the girl, “That one over there, dos iz der nia (or elsewhere?) of the 19th century:
tate, that is my father.” “How do I know this story?” the tour the Gaon who spent his life (1811-1879)
guide asks rhetorically? “It’s my parents! helping the poor and unfortunate (a
The girl gestures towards another I am one of the three children.”’ huge understatement).
corpse, “That one, dos iz die mame, that
is my mother.” You could have knocked me over with I nod politely. “Yes I have heard of
a feather. Wow. She herself has two kids, him.” How can you explain to a secular
What a scene. The two instinctively who live in Israel and are married to Jews. guy like this who his ancestor was? Has
hug each other tightly and cry and cry Not frum, of course, but so what? Wow. he really never read about him? What a
and cry and cry, for a long, long time. world.
Such is the story of the fate of Pon-
After an eternity of weeping, when ovezh shel mattah (the earthly Pon- We chat, and it turns out his grand-
there are no more tears left, the two teens ovezh). The other Ponovezh, well, that kids live in Chevy Chase, Maryland!
look at each other. “You know what this would take too long, and I have already
means, right? We have to survive, and we rambled at great length. So attention all you NCSY, Aish,
have to marry each other.” Chabad, and other kiruv folks: Some-
Just one more item. The tour guide’s where in Chevy Chase is a kid or kids
I don’t know who said the words and kids live in Israel. I talk to some of these who, if you succeed in being mekarev
who nodded silently. It doesn’t matter, nice secular Israeli senior citizens. Mi them, will enable you have a one-way
does it? Against all odds, they survived atem? Atem Lita’im? Mimotza Lita? ticket Upstairs. One could do worse
in the forest until the Red Army chased “Who are you? Are you Litvaks, or of than have Reb Nochum of Grodno for a
the Germans out of Lithuania three Lithuanian extraction?” meilitz yosher.
years later. They did indeed marry and
threw themselves into Zionism, be- Most of them are. One of them, a phy- We part amicably and go our different
coming activists in the “Brichah,” the sician in his seventies, tells me his great, ways, in more than one meaning of the
great-grandfather was a famous rabbi in term. Sigh…u
(Letters continued from page 30) some people felt it shone a negative wonderful, hard-working devoted
light on hospital births, but too many OBs, OB nurses, midwives, and dou-
the name of a person to call, who was women are going into birth with their las. Please do your due diligence. Ask
happy to do it. The package got to its des- eyes shut tight. Doing so endangers questions, and be involved with your
tination and made someone very happy! their lives and the lives of their ba- labor process. Make your own choices;
Please call 410-358-7433 if you are trav- bies. According to the World Health don’t let them all be made for you and
eling, so that you too can have a part in Organization (http://apps.who.int/ regret it later. Do not take it for grant-
this mitzva! iris/bitstream/10665/193994/1/WHO_ ed that what happens at your birth is
RHR_15.23_eng.pdf?ua=1) there are in your and your baby’s best interest.
BRACHA BUCHWALTER 45 other countries that have better Make sure it is.
rates of mothers surviving childbirth
TO THE EDITOR, then the U.S. Forty-five! And in oth- As a local doula, I have witnessed
I would like to thank Faigy Ober- er countries, rates are improving, but many instances of births not going the
ours are not. And of course, Ameri- way they could have for a number of
stein for hosting the Childbirth ca spends more money on childbirth reasons that could have been avoid-
Awareness get-together. It was won- than any other country. ed. It is said, “You never know what is
derful to listen to so many profes- enough unless you know what is more
sionals active in the birth system. I am not pointing fingers, but wom- than enough.” (William Blake) Wom-
Hearing the various perspectives of en need to be aware that not every de- en should not have to suffer through
doctors, nurses, midwives, and dou- cision made during the course of their “more than enough.” Rather, they
las involved in neonatal and post-na- labor and delivery is made with the should learn what enough is.
tal care of women was so informative, best interest of the mothers and babies
and the awareness of these important in mind. I know it sounds crazy, but There is such a need to continue
issues needs to be spread throughout it’s true. Decisions are made based on this dialogue as was proven by the
the community. needs of insurance companies, hos- number of women who wanted to stay
pital policy, and vacation timing, to late discussing birth issues. I com-
The showing of the video “The name a few. mend Faigy for spearheading the ef-
Business of Being Born” was also fort whenever she can. Thank you.
very important. I understand that Our community is blessed with
YOCHEVED GLASER
128 u www.wherewhatwhen.com u
a girl emerge from hiding. The last two out of Europe and into British Palestine, “What was his name?” I ask.
Jews of Panevezys. Both were about 15, which was “illegal.” In 1948, they them- “Reb Nochum Horodneker.”
16, or 17. They do not really know each selves made aliyah to the new State of Oh my gosh! Reb Nochum of Grodno!
other. They walk over to the open grave Israel, where they started a family; they
full of naked bodies. The boy gestures to had three kids. Probably the greatest tzadik in Lithua-
the girl, “That one over there, dos iz der nia (or elsewhere?) of the 19th century:
tate, that is my father.” “How do I know this story?” the tour the Gaon who spent his life (1811-1879)
guide asks rhetorically? “It’s my parents! helping the poor and unfortunate (a
The girl gestures towards another I am one of the three children.”’ huge understatement).
corpse, “That one, dos iz die mame, that
is my mother.” You could have knocked me over with I nod politely. “Yes I have heard of
a feather. Wow. She herself has two kids, him.” How can you explain to a secular
What a scene. The two instinctively who live in Israel and are married to Jews. guy like this who his ancestor was? Has
hug each other tightly and cry and cry Not frum, of course, but so what? Wow. he really never read about him? What a
and cry and cry, for a long, long time. world.
Such is the story of the fate of Pon-
After an eternity of weeping, when ovezh shel mattah (the earthly Pon- We chat, and it turns out his grand-
there are no more tears left, the two teens ovezh). The other Ponovezh, well, that kids live in Chevy Chase, Maryland!
look at each other. “You know what this would take too long, and I have already
means, right? We have to survive, and we rambled at great length. So attention all you NCSY, Aish,
have to marry each other.” Chabad, and other kiruv folks: Some-
Just one more item. The tour guide’s where in Chevy Chase is a kid or kids
I don’t know who said the words and kids live in Israel. I talk to some of these who, if you succeed in being mekarev
who nodded silently. It doesn’t matter, nice secular Israeli senior citizens. Mi them, will enable you have a one-way
does it? Against all odds, they survived atem? Atem Lita’im? Mimotza Lita? ticket Upstairs. One could do worse
in the forest until the Red Army chased “Who are you? Are you Litvaks, or of than have Reb Nochum of Grodno for a
the Germans out of Lithuania three Lithuanian extraction?” meilitz yosher.
years later. They did indeed marry and
threw themselves into Zionism, be- Most of them are. One of them, a phy- We part amicably and go our different
coming activists in the “Brichah,” the sician in his seventies, tells me his great, ways, in more than one meaning of the
great-grandfather was a famous rabbi in term. Sigh…u
(Letters continued from page 30) some people felt it shone a negative wonderful, hard-working devoted
light on hospital births, but too many OBs, OB nurses, midwives, and dou-
the name of a person to call, who was women are going into birth with their las. Please do your due diligence. Ask
happy to do it. The package got to its des- eyes shut tight. Doing so endangers questions, and be involved with your
tination and made someone very happy! their lives and the lives of their ba- labor process. Make your own choices;
Please call 410-358-7433 if you are trav- bies. According to the World Health don’t let them all be made for you and
eling, so that you too can have a part in Organization (http://apps.who.int/ regret it later. Do not take it for grant-
this mitzva! iris/bitstream/10665/193994/1/WHO_ ed that what happens at your birth is
RHR_15.23_eng.pdf?ua=1) there are in your and your baby’s best interest.
BRACHA BUCHWALTER 45 other countries that have better Make sure it is.
rates of mothers surviving childbirth
TO THE EDITOR, then the U.S. Forty-five! And in oth- As a local doula, I have witnessed
I would like to thank Faigy Ober- er countries, rates are improving, but many instances of births not going the
ours are not. And of course, Ameri- way they could have for a number of
stein for hosting the Childbirth ca spends more money on childbirth reasons that could have been avoid-
Awareness get-together. It was won- than any other country. ed. It is said, “You never know what is
derful to listen to so many profes- enough unless you know what is more
sionals active in the birth system. I am not pointing fingers, but wom- than enough.” (William Blake) Wom-
Hearing the various perspectives of en need to be aware that not every de- en should not have to suffer through
doctors, nurses, midwives, and dou- cision made during the course of their “more than enough.” Rather, they
las involved in neonatal and post-na- labor and delivery is made with the should learn what enough is.
tal care of women was so informative, best interest of the mothers and babies
and the awareness of these important in mind. I know it sounds crazy, but There is such a need to continue
issues needs to be spread throughout it’s true. Decisions are made based on this dialogue as was proven by the
the community. needs of insurance companies, hos- number of women who wanted to stay
pital policy, and vacation timing, to late discussing birth issues. I com-
The showing of the video “The name a few. mend Faigy for spearheading the ef-
Business of Being Born” was also fort whenever she can. Thank you.
very important. I understand that Our community is blessed with
YOCHEVED GLASER
128 u www.wherewhatwhen.com u
