xt7n028pgq1j https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt7n028pgq1j/data/mets.xml Jewish Federation of the Bluegrass Kentucky Jewish Federation of the Bluegrass 2011-06 2011-07 Newspaper of the Jewish Federation of the Bluegrass, previously named the Central Kentucky Jewish Association and Central Kentucky Jewish Federation. Published ten times annually. The Federation seeks to bring Jewish community members together through holiday parties, lectures, Yiddish courses, meals, and other celebrations of Jewish heritage and culture. They also host fundraisers and provide financial assistance for Jews in need, both locally and around the world. This collection is part of the Jewish Federation of the Bluegrass records, 2016ms010. newsletters 2016ms010 English Jewish Federation of the Bluegrass Inc.  Contact the Special Collections Research Center for information regarding rights and use of this collection. Jewish Federation of the Bluegrass records Jews -- Kentucky -- Lexington Jews -- History Shalom, June/July 2011 text image Shalom, June/July 2011 2011 2011-06 2011-07 2025 true xt7n028pgq1j section xt7n028pgq1j Shaln

Newspaper of
The jewish Federation

 

June/July 2011

JFB President’s Message

 

By: Linda
Ravvin

Where did

the time go?
Just four years
ago I was
accepting the
president’s
position and
anticipat-

ing a whole
new range of
experiences.
JFB (0r CKJF, as it was previously
called) was not a stranger to me ~ I had
served as part time Executive Direc-
tor from 1986-1992 and was excited to
””19“.“ m. m.” In“, 3“ ,.\ .7: ,.'

 

 

‘.ll'. boards oxur mam tears, illLlLlcl'

Temple Adath Israel, Camp Young
Judaea Midwest and the Central States
Region of Hadassah, but working with
our board and community over the last
4 years has been a special honor.

We have progressed a lot and there
are still many opportunities before

us, both as a federation and a com-
munity. My first board meeting was

a revelation — apparently the budget
over a period of previous years had
been determined not by real dollars
collected but by wishful thinking and
slightly fanciful spending. The bud-
get process of JFB — the name change
happened about 1 1/2 years later — was
immediately altered and adhered to
and our accounting system completely
overhauled and updated. Our budget
is now determined strictly based on
monies collected, not monies hoped
for. This has proven to be a difficult
belt tightening process, particularly

during the recent economic reces-

sion which has hit all of us. We have
seen staff hours cut: the Jewish Fam-
ily Services Director position became
half time, and the Community Activi-
ties position was cut to 60% and was
unfortunately completely eliminated at
the beginning of this year.

However, thanks to the dedication and
hard work of our fantastic staff and
volunteers, we have seen an increase
rather than a decrease of our activi-
ties. Indeed, over the years we have
seen the introduction of new programs
including the JFB Jewish Film Festival,
Lunch and Learn with the Rabbis and
the PJ Librarv Program. We have also

. phi»
la; iuiropy \ror \\ omen Only) and our
young leadership program, now called
Young Bluegrass Jews.

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We have seen wonderful staff leave

us: Daniel Chejfec, after being our
Executive Director for over 9 years,
Paula Clancy, our superb Director of
Jewish Family Services, Jana LaZur,
our excellent Community Activities
Director, and Mary Rosenbaum, editor
extraordinaire of Shalom. We also had
the marvelous wisdom to hire Judy
Wortman, as our current and incred-
ible Executive Director following
Danny’s departure (after a gap of over
six months during which I assumed
the role of interim director in addition
to the presidency). Talia Smolkin will
be starting as our new Jewish Family
Services Director at the end of the sum-
mer, although she has already been
meeting with her committee to plan for
next year's programs. Gayle Bourne

see JFB, page 8

 

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OF THE BLUEGRASS
mam a..." . SIVAN/TAMMUZ 5771
T'— L 6 ents, grandparents, friends and donors
' A to the PJ Library. Two of the wonder-
kt ‘ rag ful books were presented by story-
By: Simone Salomon, Chair teller/ actor Amy Faust Mayer and a
fun, creative art proiect was fac111tated
by artist Ilona Szekely. Balloons, door
prizes, a special PJ Library cake and
lemonade made for a festive Mother's
Day and an exciting
start for this new
program.

The kick-off party for P] library was
held on Sunday, May 8. A great time
was had by our young children, par-

‘1 z

”

Look for future
7 " PJ programs and
events that will occur
E throughout the year.
If you haven’t signed
up your children
ages 6 months to
8 years to receive
,g‘ these i‘fx‘t‘ monthl;
' books, you can do so
online at pjlibrary@
Rabbi Moshe Smolkin serves P] Library cake.

CAMPAIGN NEWS
And a great time was had by all

The gala tribute dinner honoring Susan
and Steve was indeed “an affair to
remember.” The night was an unbe-
lievable success. Excitement and love
for Susan and Steve permeated the
atmosphere. The dinner was deli-
cious; the speeches were heartfelt; the

see PJ, page 8

 

music by the Bats was fantastic. It was
an evening full of life and celebration

that honored the work that the Callers
have done to enhance the lives of Jews
locally, in Israel and around the world.

see Great Time, page 20

 

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5 3, ‘75:. . g . 15g?

Keynote speaker Norman Lipoff Nancy Lipoff, Judy Wortman, Linda Ravvin, Susan and
Steve Caller at the Gala Tribute Dinner honoring the Callers.

 

 

 

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Incoming President’s message 3 C

Abusy month forCampaign 3 New ExeCUtlve . om m lttee

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Peath’s door opened ............................................................................................................ the EXGCUthQ Committee: ‘ . . »
rag ................. , ........................................... j v : . . ' ~ . . n Hello, ever
The Tragedies ......................... b . . ' column on
\ lVlng memory never 10 E TOlgOllCl'l. . _ , V .
Why we should remember the l-lo‘ricaust . 7 PTESldent _. RGberthfOSSman I alfeWIYveel
Where will I be led ................................................................................................................................................................ 7 ‘ . .' .. ' .. - . "' P an, m g
Documentary stories about therinka lewrsh Ghetto ....................................................................................... 9 Vice Presldent Gary Yarus '. - new PreSiC
Search the Joint’s neWiv—released trove of Holocaust-era records 10 Secretary - Hanna Sin-it'll of the Blue
To Tweet or Not to Tweet ............................................... i i . . .
Jewish star in Hong Kong ..................................................................... i 2 Treasurer " Bl“ LUCBS 31:: 13:11::
Third Opinion ......................................................................................... i7 W . i
There is never enough time. .77 At Large Evalyn BIOCk help JFB b‘
Timothy Snyder: Bloodlands ............................... .i8 At Large ... Linda Ravwn . you, JFB'S
Hadassah membership big announcement- ,,,,,, 19 For those(
The Ironic History of Palestine .................................................................................................................................................... i9 I've lived i
Hadassah Offers WinPWin Opportunity to the Community ......................................................................................... 20 . - -V- ‘ ‘
ADL Applaudes President Obama’s Strong Outline of Principles For US. Policy ln Middle East. ,. .. L The election W!“ be at the Annual meat‘ng on June l’ 20] L member 0‘
PreSIdent Obama, the ’Winds ofChange,’and Middle East Peace ........................................................ for nearly
Ask A Rabbi .............................................................................................................. Barbara ar
B'rtayavon h f d ...... h ........................ ( whose ba
T e Lexington C apter 0 Ha assa ..................................................
The Lexington Havurah .......................... F I G W e r 812(8) In I
Temple Adath Israel ................... '
TN to host Mystery Wine Tasting for interfaith couples ................................................................................................. 2S
Ohavay Zion Synagogue .. ........ I joined th
Wanted: Hillel Coordinator position .................................... ago, and 1‘
Nine women celebrate B’not Mitzvah at TAl ................................. Vice- resir
Around the Community ...... P .
Calendar {2 _ commumt
, . V w "t things abc
O 5 Q 3’ I“ is that, raw
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a « we are ext
The chmgton Chapter 01C Hadassah and old, ‘A
. 2— w 1’ a. _. Picked fresh from your garden . . . delicious vine-ripened vegetables or sprigs of fragrant herbs by’ religiO‘
, H La” «iii, lite in ”a; ”fix dag,“ “k” and bouquets of colorful cutflowers or lushhangingbasketsforyourporch. . . I..." politically
Published ten times per year by the Spring is here and the Lexington Chapter of Hadassah is again selling cash Certificates to use at*# nmx‘cumi‘i
Jewish Federation of the Bluegrass, lnc. Pmper Plants on Military Pike- W
1050 Chinoe Rd. Suite 302 Lexington KY 40502 . . . . i all stripes
' ' ' Mak 1 h n of ham baskets, atio lants, flowers, herbs 6: ve etables directly at the
Phone (.859) 268'0672 ' Fax ($59) 268-0775 wholeezflle‘rggr‘ihguse. Buyggagh Cerfificgtes (:5 each with no expiration (glate) from Hadassah and 1 to know 0
email: shalom@JeWIshleXIngton.org use them like cash at Proper Plants. V-
through h
JUNE/JULY 201 1, VOLUME XVIII, ISSUE 5 Certificates can be ordered by phone, e—mail or regular mail from: Judy Craft, jcrafty@hotmail. common l
Linda R awin, President com, 368-7654, 4413 Slmgbark Court, Lexmgton, KY 40515. __
JUdy Wortman, Executive Director If ordering by mail, use this form and send it with your check, including $1 for postage, to Judy
Tamara Ohayon, Communications Director Craft, 4413 Shagbark Court, Lexington, KY 40515. Pricing information for the plants will be in- ‘l
cluded when the certificates are sent to you.
SHALOM EDITORIAL BOARD . Vlav wag
. . . d 1 : Le Ch r H d h i , . ‘
David A. Wortman, E dltOf-In-Chlef Checks should be ma e payab e to xmgton apter o a assa Federatim
Hanna Smith ,
Jane Chaput Name‘ group Offf ‘
PaulTIIIier Address: City and Zip: “or? :11 ,
Marcia Blacker . . Par 19 W
Gary Yarus Amount enclosed. (Please Include $1 for postage) celebratec
, . . . Susan anc
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS it you are not reserving Jewish Weekly email and would like to. please paign din
Simone Salomon. Deborah Grayson Riegel. Jeremy Popkin. Bonnie Sobel send your name and email address to lexadmimkjvjewIshlexingionorg committe,
Gary Yarus, Leonid Dayen, Alan Luxenberg, Ned Rosenbaum, Ruth Poley ~ . , , » . , ,, ~ - , . . . - , - . 7/ ~ , . .. . . . . , f
or attend
LOCAL DISTRIBUTION SERVICES .. . 0 .. VV wonderfu
Lowell and Be Ni off . . w “7 J' W“
tty g Federatlon PreSIdent Federation Board June 1 ma
Production Services by Georgetown News-Graphic Lmda RaVWn Evelyn Block Gail Cohen we are de
. . . . . . . Jane Chap.” Rlel Rosenberg est award
The editorial staff has the right to edit all articles submitted for publication in Shalom. Executive Committee Susan Cobin
Articles should not exceed 500 words. The appearance of any advertising in this pub- Robert Grossman, Vice President Gail Cohen Kathye Schattner Award 8C
lication does not represent either a kashruthor any other endorsement on the part of Angie Ornstein, Secretary Larry Kant Kae Schennberg Salomon
the Federation or any other agency or organizations. Bill Lucas, Treasurer Amy Faust Mayer Hanna Smith is: comm
- _ ' ' . . 1 r
Opinions expressed in Shalom are not necessarily those of the Shalom editorial staff or :rulce BBOUdy.’ Agerlrlibe'rwAt Lbarge iennifcg Mme.’ Dav'd Wekstein ary p
the JFB or its constituent organizations. ve yn ant2ic e er, em er—At-Large ngie rnstein Gary Yarus The Cook
0
Shalom is artiall su orted b the advertisements appearing in the paper. S h l D d1 Year Awa
p y pp y a 0m 6 a 1116 Janice has
Copyright © 20] 1,Jeyv_i5h Federation of the Bluegrass. All rights reserved. For reprint , . Deadline f r arti . Famil 5‘
permission contact David Wortman, Editor-in-Chief, Shalom, at shalom@jewish|exing- . 0 . des for the Af'guft 5’”le IS July 10' ears :nc
tomrg . Email articles to shalom@JeWIshlexmgton.org 3'11 0 st sum

 

2 | June2011 Shalom

a.» 3"!" -, *

 

  

 

 

Incoming President’s message

By: Bob Grossman

Hello, everyone. I’m writing this
column on Mother’s Day, 2011. In just
a few weeks, if all goes according to
plan, I’m going to be sworn in as the
new President of the Jewish Federation
of the Bluegrass. I’m both humbled
and honored to take on this job. I hope
that during my year as president, I can
help JFB become the organization that
you, JFB’s raison-d’étre, want it to be.
For those of you who don’t know me,
I’ve lived in Lexington and been a
member of Ohavay Zion Synagogue
for nearly 17 years. I’m husband to
Barbara and father to 13—year-old Ben
(whose bar mitzvah is on June 3—4 at
028). In real life, I teach chemistry at
UK.

I joined the JFB board about six years
ago, and I’ve served as treasurer and
vice-president. To me, JFB represents
community. One of the wonderful
things about the Jewish community
is that, even though we are all Jewish,
we are extraordinarily diverse: young
and old, well-off and barely getting
by, religiously observant and secular,
politically liberal and conservative.
newcomers and long—established resi—
‘ a place where all Jews of
all stripes can come together and get
to know one another, help one another
through hard times, commemorate our
common history together, and cele-

brate together the practices and beliefs
that we share.

JFB has benefited hugely from the ex-
traordinary leadership of Linda Ravvin
over the past four years. Linda put in
countless hours making sure that JFB
successfully navigated the financial
challenges and staff changes of the last
few years. I am extremely grateful to
Linda for all her hard work over the
past four years, as we all are, and I am
conscious that it will be very difficult
for me to fill her shoes. I look forward
to benefiting from her advice over the
next year.

I am also very glad that I will be work-
ing with Judy Wortrnan. Judy is fairly
new to our community, but she has al—
ready made a big and positive impres-
sion. Her professionalism, dedication,
and experience in other communities
have been vital to our efforts to help
JFB respond to the needs and desires
of the central Kentucky Jewish com-
munity.

JFB has a lot of challenges to face as
our community and its needs evolve
and change. I hope to discuss some of
these challenges with you in the future,

both in this column and in person. For -

now, though, let me just say that I look
forward to working with you over the
next year to make JFB your Federation.
331

 

A busy month for Campaign

May was a very busy month for the
Federation. Thanks to a committed
group of volunteers and the Federa—
tion staff, we observed Yom HaShoah,
partied with our PJ Library kids,
celebrated Yom HaAtzmaut and feted
Susan and Steve Caller at a gala carn-
paign dinner. Thank you to our donors,
committee members and participants
for attending and supporting these
wonderful events.

June 1 marks our Annual meeting and
we are delighted to announce our new-
est award winners. The President’s
Award goes to Simone and Arthur
Salomon for their devotion to the Jew-
ish community and for making the PJ
Library program a reality.

The Cookie Wenneker Volunteer of the
Year Award goes to Janice Newman.
Janice has been a member of the Jewish
Family Services Committee for many
years and this year she chaired our
most successful Women’s Happy Hour,

the first women’s campaign event to be
held in quite a few years.

The Young Leadership Award goes to
Tamara Ohayon. In addition to being
the Federation’s Communications Di-
rector par excellence, Tami has volun-
teered her time to create and develop
the programs of our newest division,
the Young Bluegrass Jews which is
chaired by Bill Lucas.

Sincere thanks also go to Linda Rav—
vin, our outgoing president and our
retiring Board members Bruce Broudy,
Angie Ornstein and Ricki Rosenberg.
Angie has served as secretary of the
Board and Campaign Chair. Bruce has
served as a member of the Executive
Committee and Ricki has served on
the Campaign Committee and the PJ
Library committee. Congratulations
to our new president Bob Grossman
and the incoming officers and Board of
Directors. $

 

New Kentucky tax credit
opportuntiy for charitable gifts

Charitably—minded individuals and
organizations should act now to take
advantage of a new Kentucky tax
credit opportunity specifically to pro-
mote community philanthropy across
Kentucky through contributions to
endowed charitable funds at qualified
Kentucky community foundations,
including Blue Grass Community
Foundation. This opportunity in—
cludes individual and family charitable
funds and foundations, as well as
endowment contributions to support
nonprofits, religious and educational
institutions, such as the Jewish Federa—
tion, 028 and TAI.

  
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
  
 
  
  
 
 
 
 
 

" Committee for many years.

1 recompenses her.

throughout the year.

Jewish Federation of the
bluegrass congratulates
award winners

fieadership and efforts this event was a huge success. Janice
“has also been a strong member of the Jewish Family Services

Tamara Ohayon received the Young Leadership Award. Ta-
mara volunteers her time to create and develop programs for
our newest division ”Young Bluegrass Jews" (along with the
chair Bill Lucas, who received this award last year) which is
now meeting on a regular basis for fun and learning. Tamara
is our Federation’s outstanding and dedicated Communica-
, tions Director and works many more hours than her salary

imone and Art Salomon received the President’s Award.
etISimone and Art are longstanding role models in the Jew—

: ish community and are insnumental in the launching of

; the PJ Library Program, our exciting new program. It offers
i free Jewish books and CD’s to every Jewish child between
the ages of 6 months to 8 years who registers to participate.
imone has also volunteered to be our community coordina-
or for the program including activities that will “159;? _. ce

asher Koach to our Award Winners: May they:;
continue to go from Strength to Strength. ’

Donors, including individuals and
corporations, who contribute money
to permanent endowment funds at
Blue Grass Community Foundation
may be eligible for a 20 percent income
tax credit up to $10,000 per donor

per taxable year. The credit may be
taken against individual income tax,
corporate income tax and the limited
liability entity tax. This tax credit may
be carried forward for up to five years.
The tax credit benefit is in addition to
the federal charitable tax deduction
value of the gift.

For questions or more information,
contact Lisa Adkins at 859.225.3343 or
ladkins@bgcf.org. 23%

   
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
    
     
  

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June 2011 Shalom | 3

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 Converting from a Jewish Label to a Jewish Life

By: Deborah Grayson Riegel
Special to the Jewish Week

When my older brother Scott was a
senior in college, he wrote home about
the new woman he was dating. Three
pieces of information stuck out: 1) she
had the same first name as his sister
(that’s me), 2) she was from Minnesota
(where’s that?) and 3) she was Jewish.
While many Jewish families would
have regarded that third detail as cause
for either relief or celebration, our
family took it as evidence that his new
girlfriend was in a cult, and would
certainly try to get my brother to drink
the (kosher) Kool—Aid.

While our family was Jewish, we were
Jewish in label only. Any appearance of
living a Jewish life was an unintended
result of living in New York City,
where you are practically Jewish just
by living in its grid. We believed that
Judaism - and, by ecumenical exten-
sion, all organized religion — was an
expression of compulsive neuroses (at
best) and the cause of every war in the
history of mankind (at worst). So when
my brother shared this factoid about
his new paramour, Debra, he had to
know that we wouldn’t be pareve
about it. Not that he even knew what
”pareve” meant.

We did have our own traditions, of
course. When faced with something we
didn’t really understand, we did what
we always did: we made jokes. Not at
Debra, of course. But about what we
knew (read: pretended to know) about
living a Jewish life: a life that must be
vacant without bacon, or stringent due
to shul, or hamstrung by holidays that
we didn’t observe. Over the years, as
Scott and Debra’s commitment to each
other grew, our teasing waned out of
respect for the challenges my brother
faced in shifting from a Jewish label

to a Jewish life. He was the one who
would be keeping a kosher home - not
us. He was the one who would be
blessing the wine and the challah each

week — not us. He was the one who
would be raising his children to believe
in a God and a lifestyle he was only
just learning about - not us. And with
what I’m sure were many concessions
on both sides, Scott and Debra got
married, and are raising three bright,
beautiful children who speak Hebrew,
love Israel, lead synagogue services,
and have their own well-educated
opinions about what being Jewish
means to them.

Ever-competitive with my big brother
who was now living a Conservative
Jewish life, I began dating a Modern
Orthodox man when I was in my
twenties. This experience would turn
out to be the ”Jewish Boot Camp" that
I never knew I wanted, but am eter-
nally grateful to have had. It's little
wonder that that first family members
to whom I introduced my boyfriend
was my brother and sister-in-law — a
decision that saved me from a panic at—
tack and my new flame from a wrong-
ful arrest.

The first morning of our visit, I woke
up and went downstairs to Scott and
Debra’s kitchen to feed my little niece
Shira her breakfast. As I spooned
scrambled eggs into her mouth, Shira
stopped chewing long enough to point
over my shoulder and ask, "Aunt
Deborah, what’s your friend doing?”

I turned around to see my new friend
slowly and painstakingly wrapping a
black leather strap up his arm. I had
seen enough Afterschool Specials on
TV to deduce exactly what he was do—
ing —- and that it was about to involve
some kind of needle, and eventually,
require rehab. It was at the very mo-
ment that I was about to snatch my
innocent niece from her highchair and
run from the house that Debra came
downstairs and explained to me the
Jewish practice of laying tefillin. While
I learned about the Torah’s command-
ment that we wear tefillin on our arms
and our heads to remember that God

brought the children of Israel out of
Egypt, I was humbled by how much I
had to learn, as well as how willing I
was to turn my new boyfriend into the
cops.

While the relationship didn’t last, what
I had learned and begun to prac-

tice during our years together did. I
learned how to bentch after meals and
how to talk to God. I learned a little
Hebrew and a lot about keeping a ko-
sher home. I learned how to be Shomer
Shabbos, and that I didn’t want to be.
All of these Jewish rites and rituals that
I learned out of love paved the way

for me to meet and marry the love of
my life, my husband Michael - who
already kept a kosher home and had a
relationship with God. And now, the
two of us together have made a family
of four who keep kosher, make Shab-
bat dinner, belong to a shul and regard
Jewish practice a tenet of our daily
lives.

Earlier this year, I was in LA. for work
and was delighted to have the op—
portunity to take my younger brother,
Andrew, and his lovely new girlfriend,
Lourdes, out for a birthday dinner.

As Andrew drove down the free-

way, Lourdes and I got to know each
other. Born in Honduras, Lourdes was
raised Catholic. She was baptized, and
received her first communion and con—
firmation from the Catholic Church.
Nevertheless, due to her openness

to religion in general, it didn’t seem
strange for her to accept a

”Pirkie A-what?” my brother Andrew
asked. ”What's that?”

Here we go again, I smiled.

As Lourdes lovingly and correctly
explained the collection of advice,
ethics and insights of leading rabbinic
scholars to her Jewish boyfriend, I
realized that I had the honor of watch-
ing the next of our siblings get curious
about what Judaism can offer beyond
worries and wars.

What will stick for Andrew? What
will last? How will this love story end
up? Who knows. I do know that when
Andrew asked Lourdes if she would
convert to Judaism if they got married
one day, her response was telling; she
asked him ”Will YOU?" The one thing
I do know is that each of us went on

a Jewish journey in the name of love,
and we have moved along our own
personal continua from Jewish label to
Jewish life.

Deborah Grayson Riegel is a certified
coach; speaker and trainer who helps
individuals, teams and organizations
achieve personal and professional suc—
cess through her-M work-
shops, presentations and one-anew“ ‘
coaching. Visit her online at www.
myjewishcoach.com or www.elevat—
edtraining.com. o

‘ ’

 

coveted Early Childhood
Educator position at the
Alpert Jewish Commu-
nity Center.

“I just got back from a
fantastic workshop,”

she told me, ”where my
supervisor and I learned
how to apply Pirkei Avot
in the classroom.”

Saif Amoozegar

   
 

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The following 6 essays are the winners
schcols Several of them were read

Death;s door opened

By: Amir Abou-Iaoude Grade 7
lst Prize — Middle School
SCAPA Bluegrass School
Teacher: Kim Carnes

I don’t exactly remember when I found
out what I was witnessing.

My infantry and all had hustled up this
hill. I remember somebody saying that
this is where those Nazis had shot that
video showing how nice those Jewish
communities really were. I saw that
video, and now that I stood in front of
Terezin, I guess that’s what I expected
to find. That’s probably why it shocked
me so much.

There was fog. It was humid, just

like any fair day in May. Early, hardy
plants were beginning to sprout in the
barren soil. Dewdrops had formed on
the ground. The walls were made of
pure stone. It was a demeaning place,
but I thought nothing about it then. My
mind was somewhere else that day.
Something called me back to reality. It
was the cry of our commanding officer.
He shouted a few words in my native
language, Russian, and I knew it was
time to get a move on.

It had rained the night before. No,

I shouldn’t say it rained — that’s an
understatement. It didn’t pour, rather
it exploded with sound and light and
rain. As I readied my gun, I heard
my feet splash in the puddles below
them. I remember I shot a few bullets
from my gun. I killed a few Nazis, but
I don’t remember who they were and
why I killed them. When you were in
the war for as long as I was, killing a
few men was like eating breakfast. I

did it every day.

The battle was over. The officer
shouted for us to wait for the fog to lift
before we did anything else. A tense
silence shuttered over the infantry. We
sat in silence for one hour until you
could clearly see thousands of meters
ahead of you. The officer murmured
the signal, and we stormed the camp.

It was dry and rotten. I was ordered to
search the cellars, alone. I descended
the steps cautiously without words.
The time didn’t seem right for words. I
opened the wooden door of the cellar.
It was bare. Yet then, something caught
my eye.

It was a string of children’s artwork.
Some depicted horrifying scenes of
death and destruction; others offered a
glimmer of hope. The colors overtook
me and I once again was removed
from realitv. I put all the paintings I
could find into a nice neat stack, which
I then placed into my own two hands.

I left the cellar. I handed the paintings
to my officer, but he didn't look at
them. He was occupied with some-
thing else. Then, someone tugged the
back of my uniform.

I wheeled around. It was a little child.
She couldn’t have been more than six
years old. Her eyes were red, and she
was covered in her own crimson blood.
She coughed out words in German that
I didn’t understand. Then, she died. I
realized where I was.

I was in a fortress of death. a

 

- Contest Winners -—
in the 2011 Annual Emilie Szekely Holocaust Awareness Writing Project in area
by the auth’OI'S at the recent Yom HaShoah community commemoration.

Tag

By: Ethan Caudill Grade 8
lst Prize — Middle School
Jessie Clark Middle School
Teacher: Mrs. Wlosinski

I was a young Catholic boy of 10. My
friends Benjamin, Matthew, Francis,
and I were playing tag in the street.
Matthew and I had been best friends
ever since we had met each other at
church. He knew Francis and Benjamin
from his school and we all had become
the closest of friends.

As we were playing tag, Benjamin ran
down the side alley trying to evade

the rest of us. Matthew and I sprinted
toward the sound of Benjamin’s feet
slapping on the concrete. Just as Mat-
thew and I were about to turn the
corner, a man in filthy clothes sitting
against the wall shouted, ”Nicht weiter
gehen, Gefahr lauert vorn (’go no fur-
ther danger lurks ahead’ in Cerman)."

”What did he say?” I asked Matthew.
”He said, ’go no further, danger lurks
ahead,”’ Matthew answered. ”Tell
him we are just playing around.” ”Wir
spielen nur (we are just playing,”
Matthew explained. ”Sie sind gewarnt
(you have been wamed),” he replied.

“What did he say this time?” I in-
quired. ”You have been warned,”
Matthew translated. ”Let’s go. Forget
about him. Come on," I told him.
yeah,” Matthew said reluctantly.

I grabbed his arm and dragged him
around the corner. As soon as we
rounded the corner, I dropped dead in
my tracks. In front of me stood a tall

 

man with blue eyes and blonde hair.
He was dressed in a green suit and
held a compact handgun pointed at
Benjamin. Paralyzed in fear, Benjamin
didn’t move a muscle. Grasped in his
left hand, the man had Francis pinned
to his chest in an armlock. ”Kommen
sie her (come here)” he shouted at
Benjamin, gesturing with his handgun.
Obediently Benjamin marched forward
with his head hung low in tears. The
man gestured to the line of people
marching behind him. Benjamin qui—
etly conformed. He marched into the
line without a challenge. Before the
man had time to catch us, Matthew
and I bolted back down the alley.

Without a further word, we raced back
down the alley towards Matthew’s
house. As soon as we arrived, we
heard shouting from inside. “Vor-
warts! (move!)," a strong voice yells.
l glimpse his parents bein