Page 46 - issue
P. 46
climbed all over them, it was like a big very scary. That was the first time I real- ing for the Defense Department. The
amusement park. ized the importance of having Israel.” new couple were not particularly reli-
Tania describes the tremendous relief gious and moved to Aberdeen,
◆◆◆ when the war ended with Israel victori- Maryland, where her husband Mel got a
ous: “It was like going back to life. I can job. “My husband, my son, and I began
Tania Shichtman is from Lebanon, remember those days like they were to return to Judaism together, but then
the country that lies just north of Israel. yesterday.” our son took off, and we had to play
Her family lived in Beirut, though out- catch-up,” says Tania.
side the Jewish quarter. “It was a beau- After the Six Day War, Tania’s family
tiful city and a beautiful life,” she says, realized that they could no longer stay Their son Max felt drawn to Judaism
“until the war.” The Jews knew that if in Lebanon. Until the war, they had even as a very young boy. The
Israel won, they would be saved, and if lived together and were friends, but Shichtmans realized that they had to
not, they were in great danger. Tania after the war, attitudes changed. “It was- move to a Jewish area for his sake. But
was a teenager at the time and remem- n’t our country. We were not wanted.” it was not enough for Max. By the time
bers sitting by the radio day and night There was a lot of resentment that he was bar mitzva, he decided to wear
worrying. It was not only their Moslem Israel had won. “We didn’t have a very a kippa and expressed a desire to
neighbors whom they had to worry hard time but it was emotionally attend Beth Tfiloh school. Tania and
about. “The Lebanese Christian neigh- wrenching,” explains Tania. She had Mel were happy with this and encour-
bors hated us almost as much as the grown up thinking she was part of the aged him, because they wanted to get
Moslems. We understood that our lives country, and “all of the sudden you are closer to their roots as well. Eventually
depended on the success of Israel, and a stranger.” They left Lebanon in 1970 Max became a rabbi and now lives in
we were petrified. If Israel lost, angry and went to Panama, where her broth- New York.
mobs would come to our house. It was ers had already settled. There she met
pretty frightening. The first three days, her American husband who was work- ◆◆◆
before the true facts came out, it was
Jonathan Attar was a teenager living
(410) 469-1516
38 u www.wherewhatwhen.com u
amusement park. ized the importance of having Israel.” new couple were not particularly reli-
Tania describes the tremendous relief gious and moved to Aberdeen,
◆◆◆ when the war ended with Israel victori- Maryland, where her husband Mel got a
ous: “It was like going back to life. I can job. “My husband, my son, and I began
Tania Shichtman is from Lebanon, remember those days like they were to return to Judaism together, but then
the country that lies just north of Israel. yesterday.” our son took off, and we had to play
Her family lived in Beirut, though out- catch-up,” says Tania.
side the Jewish quarter. “It was a beau- After the Six Day War, Tania’s family
tiful city and a beautiful life,” she says, realized that they could no longer stay Their son Max felt drawn to Judaism
“until the war.” The Jews knew that if in Lebanon. Until the war, they had even as a very young boy. The
Israel won, they would be saved, and if lived together and were friends, but Shichtmans realized that they had to
not, they were in great danger. Tania after the war, attitudes changed. “It was- move to a Jewish area for his sake. But
was a teenager at the time and remem- n’t our country. We were not wanted.” it was not enough for Max. By the time
bers sitting by the radio day and night There was a lot of resentment that he was bar mitzva, he decided to wear
worrying. It was not only their Moslem Israel had won. “We didn’t have a very a kippa and expressed a desire to
neighbors whom they had to worry hard time but it was emotionally attend Beth Tfiloh school. Tania and
about. “The Lebanese Christian neigh- wrenching,” explains Tania. She had Mel were happy with this and encour-
bors hated us almost as much as the grown up thinking she was part of the aged him, because they wanted to get
Moslems. We understood that our lives country, and “all of the sudden you are closer to their roots as well. Eventually
depended on the success of Israel, and a stranger.” They left Lebanon in 1970 Max became a rabbi and now lives in
we were petrified. If Israel lost, angry and went to Panama, where her broth- New York.
mobs would come to our house. It was ers had already settled. There she met
pretty frightening. The first three days, her American husband who was work- ◆◆◆
before the true facts came out, it was
Jonathan Attar was a teenager living
(410) 469-1516
38 u www.wherewhatwhen.com u
