One day as I was taking Jessica home after she did some entries for us she asked me how I could fall asleep with so many business pressures. I responded that I counted my blessings. Then feeling that might have been a lame response to someone with such a critical condition I told Jessica a story. When I was living and going to school in Israel back in the 70’s, I bought a sandwich every day at the neighborhood deli from a beautiful, smiling-eyed woman. One day she handed me my purchase and I saw the numbers tattooed on her forearm. I had never actually seen a concentration camp number before. I was shocked. She couldn’t believe that I could be speaking Hebrew and not have seen a number before.
Over tea on her break she told me about the camp, what she endured and how the Americans liberated the camp. She said, “They handed me a bar of soap. I had not gotten to bathe for years. It was like a bar of gold to me. I cherished it. Now I live in Israel and I have everything I need. I am so thankful.”
I told Jessica that after hearing her story I never looked at soap in the same way. Every morning when I step into the shower I see something to be thankful for… even the little bar of soap. Jessica agreed and started asking questions about the Holocaust. She went to the library and checked out, The Diary of Anne Frank. The next week when Jessica came to Chameleon she commented how wonderful the story was and that she no longer had trouble falling asleep.
The history of human beings to one another is deplorable . I’m glad Jessica took the steps to read about it after you told her that story. It’s frightening to me that our past history is being removed or lied about with our political unrest in our country.
Their response,” it’s in the past”, let’s move forward.
We Must remember our past and educate our children. Because if we have learned from our past, it could easily be repeated.
Happy Hanukkah
Fabulous story. I am so grateful to live in a free country and hope we all make sure we continue to have the freedoms we have come to take for granted. Thank you for sharing this story.