Israel Book Shop presents Chapter 26 of a new online serial novel, Nine A.M., by Esther Rapaport. Check back for a new chapter every week.  Click here for previous chapters.

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A handwritten question in the margins of the Nugot Heyet (Fortified Place), the local monthly journal that was sent to the sick people in the infirmary:

Aryeh, please answer me on the other side of the page: Would you give 60 marks (our wedding gift from Wangel) to save one of my students?

Answer on the opposite margin of the page:

What’s the question.

Naomi’s feet were hurting from running around so much, and something inside her was completely drained from all the deliberations: the feeling of being torn, the actual decision, and coming to terms with it. But none of this was reflected in her eyes when she arrived at the office, out of breath, and leveled her gaze at Elky forty minutes before the end of the workday. “Our decision is yes,” she told her simply.

“That’s what you decided? Excellent.” Elky blinked rapidly and began to rummage in her drawer. “Just sign here that you got all of your monthly wages.” She took out the regular form. “It also wouldn’t hurt to write a few words of thanks to Wangel for the wedding gift… Here it is, because you probably don’t want to lie.”

Israel Book Shop presents Chapter 25 of a new online serial novel, Nine A.M., by Esther Rapaport. Check back for a new chapter every week.  Click here for previous chapters.

Copyright © Israel Bookshop Publications. 

On a piece of paper, written with an unsharpened pencil:

Tram Ticket:

Passenger – Dror Elkovitz

Driver – Chaim Landau

Location – Yerushalayim

To – The Bais Hamikdash

Price – 2 silver shekels

“It’s too expensive, Chaim,” Naomi said seriously as she glanced at the large clock on the wall, and then turned back to the creased little note. Elky was already at work; she’d only be able to catch her for a few minutes during her lunch break.

“Expensive?”

“Yes. A silver shekel is worth much more than the marks we have here.”

“The flower-seller wrote it,” replied five-year-old Moishele, not quite grasping what she was saying.

“Who, Gittel?”

“Yes,” the boy said. He dashed over to the row of chairs that he had carefully arranged and shouted, “Tram! Tram! Who wants to come?”

Israel Book Shop presents Chapter 24 of a new online serial novel, Nine A.M., by Esther Rapaport. Check back for a new chapter every week.  Click here for previous chapters.

Copyright © Israel Bookshop Publications. 

List in the back inside cover of Zeide Nachum’s siddur:

1945

March 23 – Digging pits

March 28 – Erev Pesach, we are walking

April 17 – 23 Nissan, Matthausen camp

April 19 – The Wehrmacht comes and chooses people

April 20 – Train ride to Austria

April 22 – Walking through the forest

Naomi put the siddur back in its place on the high shelf. “Have you ever shown this to Binyamin, Zeide?”

“I don’t remember. Why?”

“Because in recent months he’s been looking for information, answers to some questions he’s had about how this place was established and how it all started, how it was managed, what happened to my father before he passed away…”

“Lots of subjects. Is there something that connects them all, do you think?”

Israel Book Shop presents Chapter 23 of a new online serial novel, Nine A.M., by Esther Rapaport. Check back for a new chapter every week.  Click here for previous chapters.

Copyright © Israel Bookshop Publications. 

Dear Naomi,

Please warm up for Zeide the steamed squash that is in the pot in the cooler cabinet. Both of you should eat; don’t leave anything for me, because I’ll only be back tomorrow, and it will be spoiled by then. Prepare something hot to drink and air out the room very well.

You take care of mine, I’m taking care of yours—and Hashem will take care of all of us…

With love, Babbe

Naomi set the table in her grandparents’ one-room apartment. “I think it’s been years since we’ve eaten supper together,” she said to her grandfather, taking out the small aluminum forks from the cutlery box.

He mustered up a small smile. “So now there’s an opportunity.”

“I guess so,” she replied as she sat down, playing with the strap of Babbe’s apron that was hanging on the hook behind her, swaying in the strong evening wind. “Babbe asked me to air out the room. But when it gets too cold for you, Zeide, tell me and I’ll close the window.”

“Alright.”

Naomi let go of the apron strap. “Tell me, Zeide, has it ever happened before that Babbe worked in the infirmary through the night? Because I don’t remember such a thing. Is this the first time?”

“It’s true, it’s hardly ever happened. When we were younger, there was no infirmary. People who needed a doctor called Dr. Baruch Grodotzky, zichrono l’vrachah, and he came to their houses or they came to his house. He only opened the infirmary after about ten years. His wife was the nurse there. For years, Wangel brought him all kinds of medical books, and that’s how he learned. He also taught the medical knowledge to his daughter, Katzburg.”

“And in recent years?”

Israel Book Shop presents Chapter 22 of a new online serial novel, Nine A.M., by Esther Rapaport. Check back for a new chapter every week.  Click here for previous chapters.

Copyright © Israel Bookshop Publications. 

Patient Report – Aryeh Klein

Temperature – 40.8 degrees Celsius

Blood Pressure – 80/45

Respiratory Distress – Mild

Test Results – Bronchial Breathing

Diagnosis – Flu, Pneumonia

“You’re not going in.” Babbe sounded a bit muffled due to the white fabric covering she wore on her face. She stood at the doorway, with her hands resting on the doorposts to the infirmary hut. “There, another reason to be happy that your husband is also my grandson. I’m taking care of him as best as possible, Naomi’le. It’s not a place for you. Go home.”

“I brought him soup, Babbe.”

“I also did, it’s fine.”

“And he ate it?”

“He will eat it, b’ezras Hashem. I’ll make sure of it.”

“But he’s been like this for four days already!”

“I hope that very soon, b’ezras Hashem, he’ll feel better.”

“But Babbe, what is this disease that he has?”

“Dr. Katzburg says it’s very severe flu that sometimes also attacks the lungs and causes infection. That’s likely what the Elkovitz baby has also.”

“Oy.” Naomi’s voice trembled.

“It’s really going around. We have had twenty-three flu patients in the past two weeks. Seven of those patients contracted pneumonia too. I think that’s what happened to Aryeh.”

“Is Aryeh…is he breathing okay?”