Israel Book Shop presents Chapter 84 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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From a letter that Leo Sherer z”l wrote, published in the Nogot Heyet(Fortified Place), Issue number 10, Year 1978:

From my sickbed, I wish to send my thanks to all those who have sent me letters with warm wishes for a recovery. I will also utilize this distinguished platform to thank Dr. Baruch Grodotzky for his dedicated treatment to save my eye, and to his daughter and assistant, Dr. Annie Katzburg. And of course, to our compassionate benefactors, Katarina and Josef Wangel, who provided the right equipment for my treatment, and in general, over the years, have made sure to provide materials and updated medical information so that our doctors can keep learning and advancing, so that we can continue living here in good health and tranquility.

From the incident that happened to me, I turn to you with a simple request: Be careful about sharp, protruding branches, because such a distressing accident can happen to anyone who is not careful enough.

And another request: Even when I am not around, try to keep up your work productivity, for the sake of the honesty, fairness, and gratitude that we owe to the supervisors here.

Wishing you good health and peace always,

Leo Sherer

Sol, the nephew who stood with his head bowed near the bier, folded the yellowing paper and raised his tear-filled eyes. “I don’t think there could be a better will than this letter, written sixteen years ago, after that accident. Our beloved Leo, may his memory be blessed, wrote with great effort, with one eye bandaged, his instructions to the residents of this place. And if I may note, it is not only to the Wangel family that we owe gratitude, but also to him, the man who headed this blessed factory for some fifty years.”

He took a handkerchief out of his pocket. “And perhaps, indeed, it is worthwhile to look at the two requests that he wrote here as his final wishes: to continue working with as much dedication as possible, for the sake of fairness and honesty, and yes,”—his eyes flitted over the large crowd—“to be careful about sharp and protruding branches. And by that, I mean the lesson that is clear to us all: Don’t let people with delusional ideas sow discord and ruin all that our Leo has built here for decades.”

He lowered his eyes to the mittah. “Dear Leo, we loved you so much. We are anguished that we have to part from you, and we promise that we will do everything to follow in your ways.”

“Speak only for yourself,” Yidel Klein whispered, standing next to his Aryeh. “It looks like indeed, he is planning to do everything to follow in his uncle’s path—and to inherit his position.”

“Sol?” Mottel Kush turned to him. “But Leo has sons-in-law!”

Israel Book Shop presents Chapter 83 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. 

I heard what you said about the one who came. I didn’t want you to get in trouble because of me.

I’ve left, and I’m not going into any other house.

You told me to take whatever I need; I took a bit of food and the rope that was at the bottom of the trunk.

Thank you for everything.

The unsigned note was the only memento left inside the large linen trunk that Chaya Kush had brought with her as a dowry. The trunk was made of high-quality wood, with a broad metal band at its base. For a quarter of a century, it had been faithfully storing the winter blankets and other sundry items. Over the past half a day, it had helped store something else.

Elimelech Kush didn’t need a signature to know who had written the note. “But how did he leave in broad daylight without being seen?” he asked his wife, Chaya.

Israel Book Shop presents Chapter 82 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. 

Sign on the central bulletin board in the camp:

Urgent notice!

All residents of the camp, aged thirteen and up, will gather today at the beginning of the lunch break in the factory yard, regarding a vitally important matter!

Leo Sherer

“I’m pleading with you!” Leo paused and coughed, his pallor rather yellowish. “I am pleading with you: No nonsense, please! We are in a very, very tense situation. The Wangel family is very displeased by the recent developments. What I am asking everyone is to continue their daily routine as normal, and to work productively and efficiently.”

A whisper rippled through the crowd.

“Schvirtz tried to craft a communications device,” Sherer continued. “We have no idea what for. To contact the SS in Vienna so that our hiding place should be discovered? It is not clear to anyone; I just know that a member of the Wangel family heard part of the conversation, and they were very angry, and rightfully so. They demanded from me to turn in the one who spoke on the device. At that point, Schvirtz realized that he had been caught, and he went and turned himself in.”

Israel Book Shop presents Chapter 81 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. 

Dr. Katzburg,

I’d appreciate if you could send me something calming for my Rechel.

Thank you, Sarah Liba

Meir, Chani’s son, silently took the little brown glass bottle that the doctor handed him at the door of the clinic. “Tell your grandmother that I trust her not to overdo it!” Dr. Katzburg instructed him. “Not more than two teaspoons an hour!”

It was four minutes to nine, and Meir ran as fast as he could. Aunt Rechel’s little house was suddenly crowded: Babbe and Zeide were there, as was his mother, and Aryeh, his brother, with Naomi, and Rechel herself, of course, sitting on the bed silently.

Only Binyamin was absent.

“Thank you, zeeskeit,” Babbe said as she took the bottle form him. “Naomi, bring me a spoon, please. What did the doctor say, Meir? Two teaspoons?”

“Yes. Two an hour,” the boy replied. “Mamme, should I go home now?”

“Will you make it in time?” she asked him.

Israel Book Shop presents Chapter 80 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. 

The last page in Babbe’s notepad:

Dear Mamme,

Please don’t be angry at me, and you also, Zeide and Babbe.

I will make every effort to come back alive, with siyata d’Shmaya, with simchah and shalom.

But even if chalilah I do not— I wanted only the best for you.

Please be happy always, and I hope someone can try to learn as an aliyah for my neshamah.

Love, Binyamin

P.S. I don’t want to part with anger, and I don’t know if Naomi really did carry out her threat and went to Sherer, the way it looks. In any case, what happened now isn’t really connected to her; Wangel heard a conversation that was made at an inopportune time.

So tell her that I will try to forgive.

And that she should also forgive me.

And that she shouldn’t give up on any of her dreams.

Iszak Zuretzky scratched the edge of his nose just as voices were heard outside. He quickly stuffed the notepad back into the pocket of Sarah Liba Einhorn’s white coat, ran to his bed, leaped into it, and pulled the blanket up over his head.

Leo Sherer entered, flanked by his two sons-in-law. “So he really went?” He looked around. “Irwin, check under his bed.”

“He went,” David Elkovitz said. “I’m telling you he went there, Papa. You can tell the people who have gathered that they can go back to work.”

“But I want to ask them a few questions,” Leo said. “Maybe someone knows something other than what you are telling—”

Their eyes locked for a moment. “If you don’t believe me, I have nothing else to say,” David said. He spread his hands in resignation. “But I will say it again: Binyamin went to the manor house to turn himself in. So it is needless to keep those people there, all gathered in one place… It might be dangerous.”

“Dangerous?”