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"One Hanukkah in Auschwitz" (a short story for the season of Hanukkah)
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<blockquote data-quote="RabbiJames" data-source="post: 76385878" data-attributes="member: 138413"><p>Yes, thought the Rebbe, he would indeed celebrate Hanukkah, even here in barracks 9, in this hell hold called Auschwitz with these 50 men, but how? He had no menorah, no candles, and no matches. He would exercise his faith, and like the prophets of old, he would just pray and ask the Eternal Holy One (Blessed be his name) for a miracle. He slowly turned and faced the men of barracks 9.</p><p></p><p>“Fellow Jews” he started, “Tonight is the first night of Hanukkah. As Judah the Maccabee fought against the enemies of Israel, and achieved victory, so shall we, one day, be free of the Nazi yoke. Let us now celebrate this first night of Hanukkah.”</p><p></p><p>“And how, dear Rebbe, do you intend to do that?” ask one man as he got off his bunk and walked over to where the rabbi was standing. “Do you intend to ask Herr Kommandant a holiday pass to go home to our families, if in fact, they are still alive?”</p><p></p><p>“No” replied a second man, “the Rebbe will ask Herr Kommandant for some candles, matches, and maybe even a golden menorah.”</p><p></p><p>The men were just shaking their heads, murmuring if indeed the rabbi had lost his senses.</p><p></p><p>“Where is your faith?” replied the Rebbe, “is there anything too difficult for God?”</p><p></p><p>“Our faith” said the man who had come over to where the rabbi was standing, “went up in smoke, like our mothers, fathers, sisters, and brothers, wives and children did as soon as they passed through those gates out there” he was now pointing out the window in the direction of the iron gates at the front entrance where the death trains unloaded their living corpses.</p><p></p><p>Rabbi Faerman looked into the face of the man who was now standing next to him. Something in him seemed familiar. Sometimes it was hard to recognize people as the toil and the hardship of labor camps had wasted human bodies. The man was also looking deep into the eyes of the Rebbe.</p><p></p><p>“Avram?” said Faerman quietly, “is it you, who so faithfully attended the synagogue in Kiev for so many years?”</p><p></p><p>“Yes” replied the man, “but I am just the shell of the man I used to be. Now I am alone, family gone, up the crematorium in smoke. Yours too I suppose.”</p><p></p><p>Rabbi Faerman didn’t wish to ponder the fate of his family. Perhaps they too had joined Avram’s, victims of the third Reich’s murderous plot to silence all Jewry through the “final solution”. As rabbi, however, he must at all cost, keep the faith, so that faith might overcome fear and hate. Faith must endure and overcome the walls of Auschwitz.</p><p></p><p>“Avram”, the rabbi now grabbing his fellow prisoner’s hands, “for the sake and memory of our loved ones, for our faith, to honor tradition, we must celebrate Hanukkah like in times before dear friend”.</p><p></p><p>Avram looked into the eyes of his Rebbe, he slowly nodded his head.</p><p></p><p>“Let’s pray then rabbi” “and let’s invite the others too”.</p><p></p><p>Slowly, both men turned to face the other men of barracks 9. All the men were standing now, all eyes glued on the Rebbe and Avram.</p><p></p><p>“Men” said rabbi Faerman, “tonight we shall celebrate Hanukkah, yes, we need candles….so…we shall pray for candles, who will pray with us?” “Those who wish to also join us in prayer, step forward to join us at the table.”</p><p></p><p>The rest of the men looked at each other, slowly, they nodded and walked over to the table, soon, there were about 30 men around the table. The rest stood by their bunks, but also in the spirit of prayer. All eyes were now glued on the Rebbe.</p><p></p><p>“Let’s pray” said the Rebbe in a quiet but firm voice.</p><p></p><p>“God Almighty, God of Avraham, Yitzchak, and Ya’akov, praise your Holy Name We come to you now, your chosen people, to ask for a miracle in the midst of suffering and despair so that we might celebrate this time of the Festival of Lights that reminds us that you have not abandoned your people, and that somehow, you will set us free from this place. Please send us some candles, just a few, to light and honor this time of Hanukah…. amen”</p><p></p><p>“Amen” echoed the rest of the men, who up to now, followed along in silence slowly rocking back and forth in a steady motion. Now, they all returned to their bunks to settle down for the night.</p><p></p><p>Rabbi Faerman returned to look out the barracks window. In the distance, he saw the faint outline of a man walking toward the barracks, illuminated by the search lights of the camp. He knew it was time for the guards to come around and check the barracks.</p><p></p><p>Sergeant Muller was the regular guard who would come. He was a fat, stout man with cruel lips who take pleasure in shouting “Juden Schweinen” (Jewish pigs). At times, he would call out the whole barracks into the cold night air, line every man up and then punch every third man in the stomach. He would then take count and abruptly turn and walk away, leaving behind a faint smell of schnapps.</p><p></p><p>But this figure was not sergeant Muller. As the figure got closer, the rebbe noticed that it was a tall, thin figure of a man walking slowly in the new fallen snow. This Wehrmacht guard was obviously a new one.</p><p></p><p>Rabbi Faerman watched through the window as the new guard stopped in front of barracks 9, looked around and just stood there for a few minutes, kicking the snow with his boots. The search light in the guard tower passed over barracks 9 momentarily, then he called out;</p><p></p><p>“Herr Rabiner, hier komt” (come here rabbi) He stood there in the cold evening night air, a soft wind blowing some snow around his boots.</p><p></p><p>How strange, thought the Rebbe, never had a Nazi soldier called him by “Herr Rabiner”. He then saw that the guard had noticed him at the window. He motioned for him to come out with his gloved hand. The rabbi slowly opened the barracks door; a gust of wind swept inside followed by a flurry of snow. Slowly, the rebbe went outside to meet this strange new Wehrmacht guard.</p><p></p><p>The Rebbe and the guard were now face to face. Clad only in his scant jacket, Rabbi Faerman seemed to ignore the cold being intrigued by this new guard. Dressed in his heavy coat, helmet, belt, boots, and rifle, this guard had a serene look on his face. Somehow, his face did not reflect hatred of the chosen people. The new guard spoke in a quiet tone, but first looking right and left as if to be sure no one else was listening.</p><p></p><p>“I’m Sergeant Kohler, Herr Rabiner. I’m replacing Sergeant Muller”</p><p></p><p>“What happened to Muller?” asked the rabbi.</p><p></p><p>“Sent to the front, for reasons that are not really important” replied Kohler.</p><p></p><p>“Rabbi” continued Sergeant Kohler, “not all Germans love Hitler and hate the Jews, some like me, feel just the opposite.”</p><p></p><p>Rabbi Faerman stood there in the icy wind and snow hardly believing what he had just heard. A Nazi soldier, a camp guard, a soldier of the third Reich saying that he loved the Jews! It seemed strange that in this desolate place of misery, suffering, forced labor and human carnage that there could be a tiny bit of mercy, love, and understanding.</p><p></p><p>But here, standing before him, was such a person, perhaps someone like Oskar Schindler, who also took a stand to help save Jews. Indeed, God had sent this Wehrmacht soldier to this camp, to these barracks to ease, maybe just a little, the suffering and misery of God’s chosen people. Sergeant Kohler continued to speak;</p><p></p><p>“I too have suffered loss in this war” he said slowly, “my mother, father, and two sisters died in an allied bombing.” “We all suffer in this war, both your people and mine.” “Wars are to be fought between armed soldiers, not innocent people whose only crime is to be part of a culture rich in the knowledge of science, art, history, and a profound knowledge of God.”</p><p></p><p>“I am sorry for your loss” replied the Rebbe, still shocked at these words coming out of this guard’s mouth. The sergeant slowly nodded his head.</p><p></p><p>Then, the sergeant reached into his heavy coat pocket and took out a small cloth sack. He stepped back a few steps as the tower search light passed momentarily over the two figures standing there in the snow and wind. He looked around to be sure no one was watching, he threw the sack down into the snow, and kicked it with his boot toward rabbi Faerman.</p><p></p><p>“I too know of your holidays” he said.</p><p></p><p>With these words, he nodded to the Rebbe, turned and walked away. Rabbi Faerman stood there in the wind and snow, looking down at the small cloth sack which was by his feet. He picked it up and quickly returned to the barracks.</p><p></p><p>Inside, the men had now gathered around wondering what had happened outside. The rebbe was still in a daze, marveling at this encounter with the new guard, a guard with compassion toward the chosen people. He went to the long table by the window and untied the sack, emptying the contents onto the table. Out of the sack fell 9 semi burned candles of different sizes. There was also a small box of matches. The men of barracks 9 were now all gathered around the table. No one said a word. They just looked at the candles and the sack. Rabbi Faerman finally broke the silence.</p><p></p><p>“Let’s thank Our LORD God of Israel for answering our prayer”</p><p></p><p>The rest of the men nodded some now smiling for the first time in months. The men joined together in the spirit of prayer.</p><p>“O God of our Fathers, Avraham, Isaac, and Jacob, we thank you for answering our prayer, for sending us these candles, for sending us this guard with compassion toward your people, so that together, we might celebrate this Festival of Lights, bringing light to this place of darkness and gloom”</p><p></p><p>The Rebbe paused for a few seconds, then he continued.</p><p></p><p>“We also ask for protection for Sergeant Kohler, allow him to survive this war, and to start life anew…as we also will do.... amen”</p><p></p><p>The rest of the men also echoed their “amen” in unison. Avram looked at Faerman then looked at the candles. Tears came to his eyes, to think that in this place of grief, there was a tiny bit of humanity.</p><p></p><p>Rabbi Faerman then lined up the candles on the table, putting the tallest candle in the middle, and the 8 smaller ones, 4 on each side of the middle Shamash. He then lit the middle Shamash. The Rebbe proceeded to pick up the end candle, and handed it to Avram. Avram nodded, and then lit the end candle with the Shamash, thus welcoming the first night of Hanukkah, a Hanukkah in Auschwitz, a light of hope in a camp of death.</p><p></p><p>Slowly, the men returned to their bunks. No one talked, they just wondered in awe at this moment of bliss, amidst death, dying, and misery, the two lit candles gave hope to the barracks of men who had lost all hope. The seemingly hopeless future was now changed by the first lights of Hanukkah.</p><p></p><p>The Maccabean Jews had won their struggle against their cruel and ruthless enemy, Antiochus Epiphanes. Adolf Hitler was just another Antiochus who, in time, would fall. England, Russia, and the United States were closing in on the armies of the third Reich. Very soon, the time of Jewish suffering would be over. Liberation was near.</p><p></p><p>Rabbi Faerman looked out the barracks window again. The evening sky was now lit with the stars of the heavens. He watched as the tall, thin figure of sergeant Kohler walked away into the distance.</p><p></p><p>“May the LORD God of Israel bless and keep you Sergeant Kohler” said the Rebbe quietly. “And may you live to see the end of this war.”</p><p></p><p>Rabbi Faerman watched as the figure of this new Wehrmacht soldier slowly disappeared in a swirling gust of wind amidst the flurries of snow.</p><p></p><p>AUTHOR'S ENDING COMMENTS;</p><p></p><p>Many people say, especially those who were there, that one can never know the suffering of those in Auschwitz, and the rest of the camps of death unless you were there for real. The “Final Solution” and all the “killing ways” did not silence the Children of Jacob. Israel outlived the Reich, Hitler, Goebbels, Eichmann, and all those who wanted to see the end of Jews. This was just another way the Satan came up with to try to rid the world of God's chosen. One would like to think that there might have been such a guard as Sgt. Kohler, just a tiny bit of humanity among all the demonic guards from hell. Only those who were actually there would know for sure.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="RabbiJames, post: 76385878, member: 138413"] Yes, thought the Rebbe, he would indeed celebrate Hanukkah, even here in barracks 9, in this hell hold called Auschwitz with these 50 men, but how? He had no menorah, no candles, and no matches. He would exercise his faith, and like the prophets of old, he would just pray and ask the Eternal Holy One (Blessed be his name) for a miracle. He slowly turned and faced the men of barracks 9. “Fellow Jews” he started, “Tonight is the first night of Hanukkah. As Judah the Maccabee fought against the enemies of Israel, and achieved victory, so shall we, one day, be free of the Nazi yoke. Let us now celebrate this first night of Hanukkah.” “And how, dear Rebbe, do you intend to do that?” ask one man as he got off his bunk and walked over to where the rabbi was standing. “Do you intend to ask Herr Kommandant a holiday pass to go home to our families, if in fact, they are still alive?” “No” replied a second man, “the Rebbe will ask Herr Kommandant for some candles, matches, and maybe even a golden menorah.” The men were just shaking their heads, murmuring if indeed the rabbi had lost his senses. “Where is your faith?” replied the Rebbe, “is there anything too difficult for God?” “Our faith” said the man who had come over to where the rabbi was standing, “went up in smoke, like our mothers, fathers, sisters, and brothers, wives and children did as soon as they passed through those gates out there” he was now pointing out the window in the direction of the iron gates at the front entrance where the death trains unloaded their living corpses. Rabbi Faerman looked into the face of the man who was now standing next to him. Something in him seemed familiar. Sometimes it was hard to recognize people as the toil and the hardship of labor camps had wasted human bodies. The man was also looking deep into the eyes of the Rebbe. “Avram?” said Faerman quietly, “is it you, who so faithfully attended the synagogue in Kiev for so many years?” “Yes” replied the man, “but I am just the shell of the man I used to be. Now I am alone, family gone, up the crematorium in smoke. Yours too I suppose.” Rabbi Faerman didn’t wish to ponder the fate of his family. Perhaps they too had joined Avram’s, victims of the third Reich’s murderous plot to silence all Jewry through the “final solution”. As rabbi, however, he must at all cost, keep the faith, so that faith might overcome fear and hate. Faith must endure and overcome the walls of Auschwitz. “Avram”, the rabbi now grabbing his fellow prisoner’s hands, “for the sake and memory of our loved ones, for our faith, to honor tradition, we must celebrate Hanukkah like in times before dear friend”. Avram looked into the eyes of his Rebbe, he slowly nodded his head. “Let’s pray then rabbi” “and let’s invite the others too”. Slowly, both men turned to face the other men of barracks 9. All the men were standing now, all eyes glued on the Rebbe and Avram. “Men” said rabbi Faerman, “tonight we shall celebrate Hanukkah, yes, we need candles….so…we shall pray for candles, who will pray with us?” “Those who wish to also join us in prayer, step forward to join us at the table.” The rest of the men looked at each other, slowly, they nodded and walked over to the table, soon, there were about 30 men around the table. The rest stood by their bunks, but also in the spirit of prayer. All eyes were now glued on the Rebbe. “Let’s pray” said the Rebbe in a quiet but firm voice. “God Almighty, God of Avraham, Yitzchak, and Ya’akov, praise your Holy Name We come to you now, your chosen people, to ask for a miracle in the midst of suffering and despair so that we might celebrate this time of the Festival of Lights that reminds us that you have not abandoned your people, and that somehow, you will set us free from this place. Please send us some candles, just a few, to light and honor this time of Hanukah…. amen” “Amen” echoed the rest of the men, who up to now, followed along in silence slowly rocking back and forth in a steady motion. Now, they all returned to their bunks to settle down for the night. Rabbi Faerman returned to look out the barracks window. In the distance, he saw the faint outline of a man walking toward the barracks, illuminated by the search lights of the camp. He knew it was time for the guards to come around and check the barracks. Sergeant Muller was the regular guard who would come. He was a fat, stout man with cruel lips who take pleasure in shouting “Juden Schweinen” (Jewish pigs). At times, he would call out the whole barracks into the cold night air, line every man up and then punch every third man in the stomach. He would then take count and abruptly turn and walk away, leaving behind a faint smell of schnapps. But this figure was not sergeant Muller. As the figure got closer, the rebbe noticed that it was a tall, thin figure of a man walking slowly in the new fallen snow. This Wehrmacht guard was obviously a new one. Rabbi Faerman watched through the window as the new guard stopped in front of barracks 9, looked around and just stood there for a few minutes, kicking the snow with his boots. The search light in the guard tower passed over barracks 9 momentarily, then he called out; “Herr Rabiner, hier komt” (come here rabbi) He stood there in the cold evening night air, a soft wind blowing some snow around his boots. How strange, thought the Rebbe, never had a Nazi soldier called him by “Herr Rabiner”. He then saw that the guard had noticed him at the window. He motioned for him to come out with his gloved hand. The rabbi slowly opened the barracks door; a gust of wind swept inside followed by a flurry of snow. Slowly, the rebbe went outside to meet this strange new Wehrmacht guard. The Rebbe and the guard were now face to face. Clad only in his scant jacket, Rabbi Faerman seemed to ignore the cold being intrigued by this new guard. Dressed in his heavy coat, helmet, belt, boots, and rifle, this guard had a serene look on his face. Somehow, his face did not reflect hatred of the chosen people. The new guard spoke in a quiet tone, but first looking right and left as if to be sure no one else was listening. “I’m Sergeant Kohler, Herr Rabiner. I’m replacing Sergeant Muller” “What happened to Muller?” asked the rabbi. “Sent to the front, for reasons that are not really important” replied Kohler. “Rabbi” continued Sergeant Kohler, “not all Germans love Hitler and hate the Jews, some like me, feel just the opposite.” Rabbi Faerman stood there in the icy wind and snow hardly believing what he had just heard. A Nazi soldier, a camp guard, a soldier of the third Reich saying that he loved the Jews! It seemed strange that in this desolate place of misery, suffering, forced labor and human carnage that there could be a tiny bit of mercy, love, and understanding. But here, standing before him, was such a person, perhaps someone like Oskar Schindler, who also took a stand to help save Jews. Indeed, God had sent this Wehrmacht soldier to this camp, to these barracks to ease, maybe just a little, the suffering and misery of God’s chosen people. Sergeant Kohler continued to speak; “I too have suffered loss in this war” he said slowly, “my mother, father, and two sisters died in an allied bombing.” “We all suffer in this war, both your people and mine.” “Wars are to be fought between armed soldiers, not innocent people whose only crime is to be part of a culture rich in the knowledge of science, art, history, and a profound knowledge of God.” “I am sorry for your loss” replied the Rebbe, still shocked at these words coming out of this guard’s mouth. The sergeant slowly nodded his head. Then, the sergeant reached into his heavy coat pocket and took out a small cloth sack. He stepped back a few steps as the tower search light passed momentarily over the two figures standing there in the snow and wind. He looked around to be sure no one was watching, he threw the sack down into the snow, and kicked it with his boot toward rabbi Faerman. “I too know of your holidays” he said. With these words, he nodded to the Rebbe, turned and walked away. Rabbi Faerman stood there in the wind and snow, looking down at the small cloth sack which was by his feet. He picked it up and quickly returned to the barracks. Inside, the men had now gathered around wondering what had happened outside. The rebbe was still in a daze, marveling at this encounter with the new guard, a guard with compassion toward the chosen people. He went to the long table by the window and untied the sack, emptying the contents onto the table. Out of the sack fell 9 semi burned candles of different sizes. There was also a small box of matches. The men of barracks 9 were now all gathered around the table. No one said a word. They just looked at the candles and the sack. Rabbi Faerman finally broke the silence. “Let’s thank Our LORD God of Israel for answering our prayer” The rest of the men nodded some now smiling for the first time in months. The men joined together in the spirit of prayer. “O God of our Fathers, Avraham, Isaac, and Jacob, we thank you for answering our prayer, for sending us these candles, for sending us this guard with compassion toward your people, so that together, we might celebrate this Festival of Lights, bringing light to this place of darkness and gloom” The Rebbe paused for a few seconds, then he continued. “We also ask for protection for Sergeant Kohler, allow him to survive this war, and to start life anew…as we also will do.... amen” The rest of the men also echoed their “amen” in unison. Avram looked at Faerman then looked at the candles. Tears came to his eyes, to think that in this place of grief, there was a tiny bit of humanity. Rabbi Faerman then lined up the candles on the table, putting the tallest candle in the middle, and the 8 smaller ones, 4 on each side of the middle Shamash. He then lit the middle Shamash. The Rebbe proceeded to pick up the end candle, and handed it to Avram. Avram nodded, and then lit the end candle with the Shamash, thus welcoming the first night of Hanukkah, a Hanukkah in Auschwitz, a light of hope in a camp of death. Slowly, the men returned to their bunks. No one talked, they just wondered in awe at this moment of bliss, amidst death, dying, and misery, the two lit candles gave hope to the barracks of men who had lost all hope. The seemingly hopeless future was now changed by the first lights of Hanukkah. The Maccabean Jews had won their struggle against their cruel and ruthless enemy, Antiochus Epiphanes. Adolf Hitler was just another Antiochus who, in time, would fall. England, Russia, and the United States were closing in on the armies of the third Reich. Very soon, the time of Jewish suffering would be over. Liberation was near. Rabbi Faerman looked out the barracks window again. The evening sky was now lit with the stars of the heavens. He watched as the tall, thin figure of sergeant Kohler walked away into the distance. “May the LORD God of Israel bless and keep you Sergeant Kohler” said the Rebbe quietly. “And may you live to see the end of this war.” Rabbi Faerman watched as the figure of this new Wehrmacht soldier slowly disappeared in a swirling gust of wind amidst the flurries of snow. AUTHOR'S ENDING COMMENTS; Many people say, especially those who were there, that one can never know the suffering of those in Auschwitz, and the rest of the camps of death unless you were there for real. The “Final Solution” and all the “killing ways” did not silence the Children of Jacob. Israel outlived the Reich, Hitler, Goebbels, Eichmann, and all those who wanted to see the end of Jews. This was just another way the Satan came up with to try to rid the world of God's chosen. One would like to think that there might have been such a guard as Sgt. Kohler, just a tiny bit of humanity among all the demonic guards from hell. Only those who were actually there would know for sure. [/QUOTE]
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