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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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?”

Israel Book Shop presents Chapter 79 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 stone at the entrance to the cemetery, near the old inscription of the brachah of Mechayeh Hameisim, written in print letters:

When one departs from the kever, he should place his left hand on the headstone and say:

“V’nachacha Hashem tamid…v’atzmosecha yachalitz, v’hayisa k’gan raveh…”

May you rest in peace until the arrival of Menachem, the consoler, mashmia shalom.

“I’m sorry, Tatte.” Binyamin’s voice was hoarse as he removed his hand from the matzeivah and bent down to find a stone on the ground. “I’m sorry if what I did wasn’t right, and I’m sorry if what I’m about to do is not right. I don’t have with whom to consult, and I hope that I exercised the right discretion. Please, be a meilitz yosher for me and for everyone. I never meant to do any harm. I wanted us to get up and be revived again…”

He turned toward David Elkovitz. “You are not coming with me, no matter what. I’ll go myself and tell them.”

“What will you tell them?”

Binyamin sighed. “Whatever words Hashem puts in my mouth. I am thinking of a few possible options, and I hope that the one I use will be the best one.”

“Maybe it would be a good idea for me—”

“Not a good idea at all, but thank you, David, for offering to be the one who answered me on the other side of the line. It sounds much more believable this way. I hope they don’t harass you because of it.”

“And what did we talk about, if they ask me?”

Israel Book Shop presents Chapter 78 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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Rambam, Sefer Hamada, Hilchos Yesodei HaTorah, Ch. 5:5

…If the idol worshipers said to them, “Give us one of you and we will kill him, and if not, we will kill all of you,”…and they should not give…one of Am Yisrael. And if they specified and said, “Give us Ploni or we will kill all of you,” then if he is guilty…they should give him to them. And they are not instructed to do this l’chatchilah. And if he is not chayav misah…and they should not hand over…one of Am Yisrael.

Binyamin put the open sefer into David Elkovitz’s hands, his eyes flitting all around. “It seems that Wangel has specified me, because they are looking for the one who spoke on the device, and that’s me. The thing is that I didn’t really do anything that makes me deserving of death!”

“And even if you were deserving,” David answered, after slowly reading the relevant lines, “it says here that ‘they are not instructed to do this l’chatchilah’! But go and explain that to my father-in-law.”

“Thank you for warning me.” Binyamin’s face was ashen as he leaned on the tree. “In any case, this is what it says regarding everyone in the camp. But what am I, for my part, supposed to do now? The Rambam doesn’t say anything here about that.” He reached out, closed the sefer, and gave it a kiss. “I wouldn’t want to think that everyone will be punished because of me. Maybe it’s better if I go now to speak to your father-in-law. I won’t tell him, of course, who came to warn me.”

Israel Book Shop presents Chapter 77 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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Elky,

I know that you were just released from the clinic, but my father has been summoned urgently to the manor house. Please come right away and check that everything is in order in the accounts and the salaries, because we are afraid they are going to do a thorough inspection.

And destroy this note.

Eva                                                                                                                     

“Who gave you this note?” Elky asked the boy at the door, suspicion in her voice. It was Herzlich’s son, and everyone knew the open secret that he’d never learned to read in any language. Dr. Annie claimed that the issue was that he was severely cross-eyed, and she didn’t have the resources to help him. The office used him as a courier to send around written messages that they didn’t want anyone except the recipient reading.

“Eva. Eva Sherer,” the boy replied.

Israel Book Shop presents Chapter 76 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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Theresa was sitting at the piano, playing the overture for Brandenburg Concerto No. 3, when her sister walked in and sidled up behind her.

“You know I can’t stand it when people stand behind me when I play. And certainly not you—I know how happy you are to point out every time I go even slightly off-key!” Theresa muttered, her eyes fixed on her music notes.

“Stop playing now, please,” Helena said. She had a strange expression on her face.

Theresa could not see her sister’s face, but she heard it in her tone. She raised her hands from the keys and swiveled the round stool to face her sister. “What happened?”

“Something really odd. I wanted to call my friend in Vienna, because I forgot something in her house yesterday. But as soon as I picked up the phone, even before I dialed—I heard voices talking.”

“Maybe Papa is talking on his cordless now. Or Mama.”

“I don’t think so. They’re at the funeral for the Jewish preschool teacher.”

“What, she died?”

“Yes, this morning.”

“But she’s terribly young!”

“What?! Oh, no. Not Naomi. The one who preceded her, the older lady.”

“Oh. And you don’t think that in the middle of her funeral, Papa or Mama can talk on the phone, if they want to?” Theresa chuckled. “Come on!”

Israel Book Shop presents Chapter 75 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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We are sorry to inform you of the passing of the ishah tzidkanis, who taught all of our children with love: the preschool teacher, Mrs. Bilhah Shmilevski. The levayah will be at 2:00 p.m., near the shul. The lunch break will be extended by half an hour.

From his bed, Binyamin could not see what was written on the paper someone brought into the clinic, but he definitely noticed the pallor that spread on Babbe’s face, and the fact that she pulled over the nearest chair and sank down onto it.

“When did it happen?” she whispered to Dr. Katzburg, who entered at that same minute, looked sweaty and strained.

“While she was sleeping, apparently,” the doctor said, shaking her head sadly. “She’d become progressively weaker in recent weeks, and her family said that she fell asleep late last night, so they didn’t want to wake her this morning. But when they saw that too much time had passed, and she wasn’t waking up…”

Sarah Liba bit her lip. Outside, agitated voices could be heard, and Sherer’s son-in-law, sitting on the chair across from Binyamin’s bed, like a lion waiting to pounce, stood up. He fixed the boy with a warning glare, and then walked to the doorway. “What happened?” he asked loudly.

“Morah Bilhah passed away,” the doctor replied.

Binyamin, in his bed, opened his eyes wide. Morah Bilhah!

“When is the funeral?” Irwin asked, glancing outside.

“At two,” Babbe replied in a low voice.

“Was she very sick?”

“You could say that,” the doctor replied, blinking rapidly.

“She helped us a lot with our daughter, eleven years ago,” Irwin said. The meaning behind his words was in stark contrast to his ubiquitously accusatory tone, which was present now as well.

“She helped many people,” another one of the patients said, sitting up in bed.

The sad topic instantly took over all conversation in the clinic. Only Binyamin did not take part, both because of Irwin’s constant glares, and because he felt so empty inside. He didn’t know if this emptiness stemmed from Naomi’s betrayal, or the publicizing of the secret, or Wangel’s words. Or maybe it was because of the painful passing of the longtime teacher.

And what would this news do to Naomi?