Page 66 - issue
P. 66
closed and no one can get out if he “I’m not going, I’m staying here. But longest alert begins at night, at eight,
wants to. Today the greeting is: “Ah, I I just thought, just in case anything and lasts for three hours….
see you stayed,” with a smile of pleas- happens, you know – I just wanted to
ure. It makes them feel good. It makes come by and…” His voice trails off. We hear the sound of airplanes
us feel good. No more fancy metaphys- overhead – our or theirs? Flares shoot
ical reasons for staying. Perhaps the I am somewhat embarrassed. “Well,” up, darkness becomes light for a full 60
real reason was that we were certain I say lamely, “it will turn out all right. seconds…. It is like a stage set, pretty
there would be no shooting. We were How are things going at the Yeshiva?” but unreal: the sudden bright orange,
quite wrong…. the yellow flares in the night sky, the
“Everyone is down in the shelter, crimson spew of flames bursting and
On R. Akiva Street I run into B, the and we are all studying down there. flashing for a quick moment into the
well-known black-market dealer. For The Rosh Yeshiva has put us on a kind dark blue of the night. We huddle in
some reason, I am very fond of him. of 24-hour duty for the duration. He the black shelter and we can only
wants at least 50 boys studying at every watch, and wonder, and hope….
“It will be all right. We will win,” he minute of the day and night. You know
says. Not very original, but hopeful. Rav Kahaneman. He says that Torah Inside, the children are restless, try-
Then he looks around him and whis- study is the generator which will keep ing bravely not to show their fear. Only
pers to me, “I have vowed not to deal in our men in the field going.”… children and fools think that fear is
‘black’ until the war is over. The govern- something to be ashamed of. Amram
ment needs the dollars.” He is obvious- ◆◆◆ tries to be funny: “It’s like a movie.”
ly very proud of his gesture. But it wor- Jonathan has one major concern: “Do
ries me: if B has suddenly become The afternoon lull ends abruptly at you think we’ll have school tomorrow?”
patriotic, things must be very bad…. about four o’clock with the familiar
wail. This time the shelter is packed. All “No, I would think not.”
During a lull in the shelling, the men who were caught at work since “Oh, boy!”
Ephraim comes over to the house. He early morning have managed to get At least someone is happy with this
is an American college student now home. We begin setting up sleeping war.◆
studying at Ponevezh Yeshiva and has arrangements for the night. Sheinfeld Reprinted with permission from The
been very close to us. “I wanted to say balks: “No need to worry about tonight. 28th of Iyar – 50th Anniversary Edition
goodbye to you,” he says. The Arab pilots are afraid of night fly- (Feldheim) by Rabbi Emanuel
ing.…” Feldman.
“Goodbye? Where are you going?”
Sheinfeld is wrong: the worst and
58 u www.wherewhatwhen.com u
wants to. Today the greeting is: “Ah, I I just thought, just in case anything and lasts for three hours….
see you stayed,” with a smile of pleas- happens, you know – I just wanted to
ure. It makes them feel good. It makes come by and…” His voice trails off. We hear the sound of airplanes
us feel good. No more fancy metaphys- overhead – our or theirs? Flares shoot
ical reasons for staying. Perhaps the I am somewhat embarrassed. “Well,” up, darkness becomes light for a full 60
real reason was that we were certain I say lamely, “it will turn out all right. seconds…. It is like a stage set, pretty
there would be no shooting. We were How are things going at the Yeshiva?” but unreal: the sudden bright orange,
quite wrong…. the yellow flares in the night sky, the
“Everyone is down in the shelter, crimson spew of flames bursting and
On R. Akiva Street I run into B, the and we are all studying down there. flashing for a quick moment into the
well-known black-market dealer. For The Rosh Yeshiva has put us on a kind dark blue of the night. We huddle in
some reason, I am very fond of him. of 24-hour duty for the duration. He the black shelter and we can only
wants at least 50 boys studying at every watch, and wonder, and hope….
“It will be all right. We will win,” he minute of the day and night. You know
says. Not very original, but hopeful. Rav Kahaneman. He says that Torah Inside, the children are restless, try-
Then he looks around him and whis- study is the generator which will keep ing bravely not to show their fear. Only
pers to me, “I have vowed not to deal in our men in the field going.”… children and fools think that fear is
‘black’ until the war is over. The govern- something to be ashamed of. Amram
ment needs the dollars.” He is obvious- ◆◆◆ tries to be funny: “It’s like a movie.”
ly very proud of his gesture. But it wor- Jonathan has one major concern: “Do
ries me: if B has suddenly become The afternoon lull ends abruptly at you think we’ll have school tomorrow?”
patriotic, things must be very bad…. about four o’clock with the familiar
wail. This time the shelter is packed. All “No, I would think not.”
During a lull in the shelling, the men who were caught at work since “Oh, boy!”
Ephraim comes over to the house. He early morning have managed to get At least someone is happy with this
is an American college student now home. We begin setting up sleeping war.◆
studying at Ponevezh Yeshiva and has arrangements for the night. Sheinfeld Reprinted with permission from The
been very close to us. “I wanted to say balks: “No need to worry about tonight. 28th of Iyar – 50th Anniversary Edition
goodbye to you,” he says. The Arab pilots are afraid of night fly- (Feldheim) by Rabbi Emanuel
ing.…” Feldman.
“Goodbye? Where are you going?”
Sheinfeld is wrong: the worst and
58 u www.wherewhatwhen.com u
