Israel Book Shop presents Chapter 28 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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Dearest Elky!

Embroidered with the loving hand and heart of a shvigger, in honor of your promotion at the office!

Mama (Mottel’s Mother)

Elky rubbed a finger over the small leather bag and the buttons that closed it, and raised shining eyes to Chaya Kush. “Thank you!” she said. “It’s so beautiful!”

“I’m happy you like it,” Mottel’s mother replied with a smile. “I saw a few of the younger women with such handbags in the last two weeks, so I thought it could be a good gift for you.”

“Yes, Katarina has been giving handbags as payment for embroidery and sewing work that she likes. They must have bought stock somewhere, so she can distribute them.”

“Do you like that style better?” her mother-in-law asked, somewhat hesitantly.

“No, this is much more special. It’s wider and more comfortable on the shoulder, and your stitching…” She studied the tiny, perfect, maroon stitching, and the satin flower affixed to the strap. “It’s gorgeous. Thanks so much again! It really makes me happy!”

Israel Book Shop presents Chapter 27 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. 

Amoxicillin – Dosage Instructions:

Speak with a doctor or healthcare professional regarding dosages. The normal dose is three times a day, one tablet with each meal, for ten days. Do not take medication without explicit instructions from a doctor; the damage may be worse than the benefits. This is a warning!

“But there are only eight pills here,” Naomi said to her grandmother as they stood in a dark corner in the yard of the infirmary, her hand shaking as she proffered the little carton. “Based on what the package says, Zuska needs thirty!”

“Not her, she’s a little girl,” Babbe replied, studying the tiny letters written in German. “It’s amazing to see this disgusting writing dripping with compassion and concern for our health… Anyway, we’ll give her one pill a day. It will be enough for eight days.”

“The nes of the pach shemen…” Naomi murmured, but there was no smile.

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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?”

Israel Book Shop presents Chapter 21 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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Letters etched into the ground, in front of the preschool door:

Mazel tov to our teacher Naomi on your wedding!

“They will sing mazel tov in kindergarten for me today, too!” Dror skipped over to her as she approached the building, accompanied by all the little girls with flowers in their hands. “Right you let them sing also for me and not only for you?”

“Of course, because of your new baby!” Naomi smiled at him. A new baby sister had been born to Dror nearly a week earlier, and he was extremely excited.

“I saw her two days ago, and she’s this tiny, like this.” He demonstrated. “And do you know why they will sing mazel tov for me?”

“Of course, because you have a new baby sister,” Naomi answered patiently.

Israel Book Shop presents Chapter 20 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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Mir zehnen vi feigelach frei

Mir zehnen vi blumelech in feld

Mir zenen chaveiros getreye

Mir kinder fun Yaakov’s getzelt

We are like flying birds;

We are like flowers in the fields.

We are loyal friends

Of all the girls in this Bais Yaakov…

(Yiddish: Eliezer Schindler z”l)

Katy, the assistant, clapped her hands excitedly when the girls finished singing. “Beautiful!” she cried. “An outing with the sun, wind, and songs… What could be better? I don’t even understand the Yiddish words, but oh, it’s still all so beautiful, Naomi!”

“That’s right.” Naomi smiled at Katy and her young students and put the song sheet into the small briefcase that Aunt Chani, her future mother-in-law, had given her. “Girls, you really sang our theme song beautifully. Now you can go and play in the fields, but don’t go too far, and don’t get anywhere near the factory!”

“Can we go see the rabbits?” Zuska Neiman jumped up and down. “I love feeding them!”

Naomi shook her head. “It’s not a good idea. The older children are there now.”

“And besides, it’s so sad to see them,” ten-year-old Surele chimed in. “Because in another few days or weeks, they’ll be killing them so they can make coats and all kinds of other things from their fur.”

“But Hashem gave the animals to people, to us!” Zuska argued. “So that we can use them. That’s why He created animals!”

Israel Book Shop presents Chapter 19 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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10-year old Sarale’s math notebook, last page

–Roizy, what are you wearing to Elky Cohen’s wedding?

–My blue dress. And you?

–My mother got permission to take remnants from some sparkly pink fabric, the one that Morah Naomi’s Shabbos skirt is made of.

–What will she make for you from it?

–A shirt. She says that for a wedding at the manor house, we need to come dressed respectfully. Not regular.

–When is Morah Naomi’s wedding?

–They don’t know yet. And please, write lighter with the pencil so I can erase it later.

–Fine, sorry. I wonder if her wedding will be in the factory, as usual, or if it will also be at the manor house.

–Why should it be at the factory?

–My brother told me that her chassan told him that they didn’t decide yet.

The chuppah took place on the small balcony, under the open sky. In the hall of the impressive house, people stood and listened to Rabbi Schwartzbrod making the brachos. Naomi stood in the hall on the left side, which was designated for the women, leaning on an open window, near her mother, Rechel, and tried to hear every word.

But the distance, and the rav’s low voice, made it impossible for her to hear the words clearly. She heard the familiar voice, but the words were unintelligible. Perhaps it was because she was hearing only what kept replaying in her head over and over again in recent days, ever since the beginning of last week:

“If you say so, Binyamin, then I think your sister can trust you.”

“Is there really a reason to be afraid?” Binyamin had asked, stealing a glance behind him. She, Naomi, was standing there, near the door to the rav’s study.