A Jewish Story. Sheldon Cohen

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СКАЧАТЬ and to sweep away Ostjuden and Jewish vermin in general with an iron broom....The Ostjuden must be got rid of without delay, and ruthless measures must be taken immediately against all other Jews. Such measures might be, for instance, the immediate removal of Jews from all Government employment, newspaper offices, theaters, cinemas, etc.; in short, the Jew must be deprived of all possibilities to continue to make his disastrous influence felt. In order that the unemployed Semites cannot secretly undermine us and agitate against us, they should be placed in collecting camps.... Voelkischer Beobachter, No. 20/34, March 10, 1920.’

      Hitler and his cronies, long before they came to power, had their plans all prepared— including future concentration camps—and published them for all to see. But who would notice and believe it? Indeed, as early as 1920, during the very early development of the Nazi party, the first few Nazis would establish their creed and future vision for Germany—a Germany free of Jews.

      Leah, with Emily trailing behind, entered the kitchen and joined the two men at the able. Eight-year-old Emily looked just like her mother, with black hair, large hazel colored eyes, and a smile that could light up a room. She was sensing the tension in the household for the last six months, clinged closer to her mother and smiled less.

      “What have my two favorite men been talking about?” asked Leah.

      Ben answered, “David and I were talking about what we plan to do about conditions in the country. We got to the part that we’re going to move.”

      “Yeah, but we didn’t talk about where yet,” interjected David.

      “That’s right,” said Ben. “I was getting to that, but wanted your mother to be here first. We’re going to live in Minsk in Byelorussia. Right now, Minsk is in the Union of Socialist Soviet Republic (USSR), or Russia, Ukraine, Byelorussia and other neighboring countries organized together. Your mother was born in Byelorussia and I was born not too far from there in Northeast Poland under Russian control.”

      “Well at least there is no more Czar there,” said David, “but what about anti-Semitism?”

      “No matter where we would go around the world, we’ll find people who hate, but in the Soviet Union as it’s now called, it’s better than here in Germany where now anti-Semitism is government policy and getting worse all the time. The good news is that when I went to Minsk to take a medical course, I lined up a good job in a clinic and hospital there for your mother and me. And I found a nice gym with good gymnastic equipment and a twenty-five meter swimming pool. It looked as nice as anything here does. I feel we should live okay. Your mother and I speak perfect Russian, which is the language there, and you and Emily do pretty well with it too. In no time, at all you will both be experts. You know how much your mother knows about history and current events and she too feels that we have to leave Germany.”

      “You smart kids understand Russian pretty well, so it’ll be a good idea if we talk Russian from now on, so we’ll all be better by the time we get there. We’ll be leaving in three weeks as soon as school is over before the summer.”

      Emily sobbed, left her chair, sat on her mother’s lap, threw her arms around her mother’s neck and said, “Will we be able to swim, Momma?”

      “You bet we will, Emily, and you know, you said you want to be a nurse like mommy. Well, daddy and I will be working in the hospital there, and I’ll start teaching you about nursing, so by the time you’re ready for nursing school, you sure will be ready. And don’t forget what daddy said about the swimming pool. We’ll both go there whenever we can, and I can take you there so you can swim with the other girls—and maybe you’ll even swim with your old mommy sometime, even though you’re so much better than I am. I’m sure they have a swim team you can join.”

      Emily smiled and hugged her mother.

      Ben said, “And David, there’s a good high school and university there and you’ll be able to start next semester. When I was there and visited the gym, I spoke with the gymnastics coach. I told him about how good you were and he said he’s anxious to check

      you out and it sounds like you’ll be able to make the senior boy’s team. They have competitions just like we have here in Germany. I watched the boys work out and I think you’ll be as good as the best of them, maybe even better.”

      “Sounds good, Dad, as long as we’re all there together—that’s all that counts.”

      “Perfect, David, that’s the only thing that counts.”

      Leah nodded and smiled. “Okay, kids, go and finish your homework,” said Leah. “Emily, get me when you’re finished and I’ll check it over.”

      “Okay, mom.”

      After both children left the kitchen, Leah said, “You did a good job with David, honey.”

      “Thanks. We’ve got smart and great children thanks to my brainy wife. Thank God for the Jewish Community Center where I saw this dazzling creature sitting against the wall.I just pray we’re doing the right thing.”

      “We are, Ben. We must. For the last three years, we watched Hitler consolidate his power. The man is as ruthless as a human being can become. He’s putting all his Mein Kampf ravings in place, and he’s starting with you and me and all the Jews of Germany. He didn’t waste any time. He wants us out and he’s succeeding. It wouldn’t be safe for any Jew in Germany any more and whoever doesn’t leave is playing with their lives.”

      “That’s what I tried to tell, David,” said Ben.

      “I’m sure you did a great job. David could understand. I just want to shield Emily a bit now. She’s too young and it would worry her at this age. We just have to act as if we’re moving to another country as a family with no deep reasons behind it. It will be easier there in Byelorussia where she will not have to hear about Hitler ranting and raving about the Jews.”

      “Is this madman going to bring another World War to the world?” asked David.

      “A Nostradamus I’m not, but all the chess pieces seem to me to be falling into place. The world is worried about it and I have to agree. Don’t you?”

      “Yes, I do. Tell me, my genius wife, what do you think? You are my main teacher now that I don’t go to school anymore.”

      Leah laughed. “Well, in this year alone three things have happened that in my mind, at least, all point in that direction…”

      “What three things?” interrupted Ben.

      “First, the Versailles Treaty demilitarized the Rhineland. This area is all German territory west of the Rhine with three big cities: Cologne, Dusseldorf and Bonn. In Hitler’s mind, it meant that Germany couldn’t use it. The effect was that it was no longer part of Germany. How long do you think he would stand for that? It took him three years, but he acted; he sent troops there. Shouldn’t the French have kicked him out?”

      Ben asked, “Why didn’t they?”

      “I wish I knew. I suppose they didn’t want any bloodshed. Since the Rhineland territory was under treaty from Versailles, all the others who signed the treaty should have gotten together and kicked the Nazis out. So they didn’t and that left the French on the border and they didn’t want to act alone. That’s my best guest. Anyhow, I’m sure it left Hitler feeling like a military genius. It just emboldened him. God knows what he’ll do next.”

      “You СКАЧАТЬ