Israel Book Shop presents Chapter 29 of a new online serial novel, Dance of the Puppet, by Esther Rapaport. Check back for a new chapter every week. Click here for previous chapters. 

Copyright © Israel Bookshop Publications. 

Rivi, from Team Mayim, was holding court backstage. “It’s a bit annoying to be the first to perform,” she declared. “After the three other teams finish, everyone will forget what we did.”

“No one will forget,” Morah Yael Braun said, suddenly appearing out of nowhere. “Don’t worry, Rivi, okay? We’re keeping track. Hurry up, girls, please. We want to start the program.”

Malka opened the chagigah by delivering a brachah from her mother to her beloved students. Yael was to close the program after the winning group would be announced. Yaffa, as expected, refused to even come up to the stage.

“I complained to Mrs. Levinsky this morning about us being drawn to go first,” Zehava whispered as she pinned the waistband of her costume skirt with a large safety pin. “She listened to me very seriously and promised to try not to forget anything. Can I tell you I think that’s going to help much?”

“Well, at least she’s fair,” Rivi grumbled, checking her gold vest in the mirror. “And there really is nothing to do about it. A goral is a goral.”

Shira, from 10a, walked into the backstage area just then. “Mayim!” she shouted angrily. “I want you at the door to the stage in one minute—is that clear? The audience is losing patience.”

“The audience will be fine,” Rivi muttered with two bobby pins stuck between her lips. “We’ll be there in a minute. No pressure, Shira, dear, okay? Your dance will start as soon as we’re all ready. Take it easy.” Keep Reading…

Israel Book Shop presents Chapter 28 of a new online serial novel, Dance of the Puppet, by Esther Rapaport. Check back for a new chapter every week. Click here for previous chapters. 

Copyright © Israel Bookshop Publications. 

After the shiur klali, Rabbi Weinstock discussed the material with an animated group of shiur gimmel bachurim who would not let him go. Dovi Brim was not one of them, but at least during the shiur he had sat in the first row, and given the impression of being focused and alert. The rosh yeshivah wondered what Mrs. Levinsky had said to him that had already had such a positive effect. He hadn’t been wrong about her. The high school had really gained from the situation, despite the unfortunate circumstances.

There was a phone call waiting for him in the office. “Levinsky,” the secretary said, raising his eyes.

“Levinsky?” Reb Yeshayahu took the phone. “Hello?”

“Shalom aleichem,” a male voice responded. “This is Elchanan Levinsky.”

Reb Yeshayahu was confused for a second, but then understood. “Aleichem shalom,” he said. “First of all, I have to say that Brim came to shiur today with renewed energy. It looks like your wife knew just what to say to him.”

Elchanan ignored the fact that his wife had abandoned the scene and left him at the forefront. “I really hope we succeeded,” he said politely. “I wanted to discuss the matter of Dovi’s music with you.”

“Music?” Keep Reading…

Israel Book Shop presents Chapter 27 of a new online serial novel, Dance of the Puppet, by Esther Rapaport. Check back for a new chapter every week. Click here for previous chapters. 

Copyright © Israel Bookshop Publications. 

Yaffa was late to school the next morning. Chaya had been urging her to go to the National Insurance Office for ages, and she’d finally gone to take care of it. It was pleasant to walk in the winter sun and remember the days when she’d been able to stroll for as long as she pleased. Strange; she hadn’t even appreciated it at the time.

She arrived at school at 11:05, quickly greeted the secretaries, and hurried into the principal’s office to call Mr. Shazar. She had a feeling he would deny his promise from the day before, but surprisingly, she was mistaken. A few long moments passed after the secretary’s “please wait and I’ll ask him,” and suddenly, Shazar’s hoarse voice was on the line.

“Yes, Mrs. Levinsky, good morning.”

“Good morning. I’m calling regarding those history tests for the twelfth grade at Shaarei Binah.”

He sighed deeply, and she could hear some noises through the line. Yaffa wondered if he was looking up some information on the computer, rifling through paperwork, or just eating something.

“I see…” he said finally. “Your school did not receive a formal announcement of the changes. Well, that is a different story entirely.” Keep Reading…

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

Copyright © Israel Bookshop Publications. 

On the day Sari Schreibman began working in the office, a letter arrived that threw Yael into a frenzy. The new secretary placed it on the principal’s desk, and Yael, who saw it there, asked for permission to open it.

“What do they want from us now?” she wondered aloud. “Can these be the results of the state tests already? I doubt it. It should be a much bigger envelope.”

Yaffa looked at the official envelope with the unfamiliar letterhead and shrugged. Yael pulled out a single sheet of paper and perused it closely.

“I don’t believe it!” she cried in a tone that even brought Chana running from the outer office. “Are they normal? Tell me, what was wrong? Chana!” she called. “Please get Naomi Bergsas, the history coordinator, this minute.”

Chana quickly checked the class schedules and then replied, “She’s in class.”

“So pull her out! Give this year’s class a retest?! They’ve gone too far!”

The issue must have been very urgent, because Chana suddenly sprang into action. Within a few seconds, Mrs. Bergsas was standing in the office; only now did Yaffa see who she was.

The teacher’s jaw dropped when she read the letter that Yael handed her. “That is so, so unfair,” she whispered in shock. “Total chutzpah, what they are doing there. They told us it would be fine!” Keep Reading…

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

Copyright © Israel Bookshop Publications. 

“Malky?”

Malka sat up, alert. Ima was calling her; of that there was no doubt.

“Yes, Ima,” she said brightly, as though it was five o’clock in the afternoon and not in middle of the night. Ima had spoken several times yesterday, just a little and very weakly, but she was talking, baruch Hashem. Real words. “How do you feel?”

“Baruch Hashem, okay.” Every word rolled heavily off Adina Kotzker’s tongue. “And how…are you?”

“When I hear you speaking, I’m wonderful. Should I straighten your pillow, Ima?”

Her mother waved her hand. “No…” she said with difficulty. “How are the children? You…are here a lot.”

“They’re managing. Mimi helps Michoel at home, and in the end they’re going to discover that they manage much better without me.”

“Mimi’s a good girl,” Adina said slowly. “And she’ll continue to be good, if…you give her the right guidance. How…is school, Malky?”

“Baruch Hashem.” Malka swallowed. “It looks like Yaffa Levinsky is doing fine, and things are running pretty smoothly.”

“Yes, she’s…” Adina paused, groping for a word. “Wonderful,” she finally completed her sentence. “And you and Yael?”

A flush rose quickly up Malka’s neck and settled in her cheeks. “Okay. Normal. Yael does more of the hands-on work than I do, but recently I’ve also started to get back into things.”

“What time is it…Malky?”

Malka glanced at her watch. “Four in the morning,” she replied. “Four-oh-six, to be exact.”

“So sleep, sleep,” Adina said, closing her eyes again. “You need energy.”

*** Keep Reading…

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

Copyright © Israel Bookshop Publications. 

“I’m sorry, Dvir,” Elchanan said. “I have to leave a few minutes early today.”

The employer frowned. “Again?” he asked tersely.

“Again.”

“Nu, what should I tell you? Go. Is everyone okay?”

“Baruch Hashem.” Except for the restlessness that had suddenly overtaken him and was giving him no rest. His sister Ruth was right. He could be a lot more than a bookstore employee. And if he could, then he had to try.

The interview, the sixth one since he’d begun looking for a new job two weeks earlier, was on the other side of Yerushalayim. Elchanan, who was using the buses to get around the city, had decided that the time had come for him to get a car. Why had his parents sent him for driving lessons? So he could observe the bus driver traveling so slowly and struggling to traverse the congested streets?

This time, he was interviewed by three people. The one on the right had glasses and a balding pate, and he seemed to be the boss; to his left were two others who stared Elchanan up and down but didn’t say a word.

“Resume, please.”

“What’s your family status?”

“Where have you worked in the last year?”

“What was your salary?”

“Do you know how to drive?”

“What is the maximum number of hours you are able to work?”

Elchanan answered the questions calmly, surveying the sleek, elegant office. The interviewers looked at each other.

“Look,” the boss said. “Our company has garnered a very reliable reputation as an antiques dealer in the religious and Chareidi sectors, and we’re trying to break in even more. In order to work here, you’ll need to develop a range of abilities and invest a lot of effort and time. Do you think that is possible for you?”

“Certainly,” Elchanan said confidently.

The interviewers exchanged looks again, and after a moment, the man on the right said, “Thank you. We will examine your candidacy, and if we find you suitable, you’ll receive notice in the next few days.”

“I see,” Elchanan said, suppressing his disappointment. “Thank you,” he added as he left. It looked like he was destined to remain at the bookstore for the time being. In that case, he’d better stop with the frequent absences and early departures that were making Dvir wonder; his normally congenial employer was liable to lose his patience, and then Elchanan would be left out in the cold. It was not a risk worth taking. Keep Reading…

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

Copyright © Israel Bookshop Publications. 

Quietly and nonchalantly, Elchanan circled the ad in the paper. Before leaving for work, he decided to call.

“Good morning,” he said politely. “You put in a help wanted ad that you’re looking for a sales manager?”

“Yes, indeed,” the voice replied. “Are you interested in the position?”

“I’m interested in hearing more details,” Elchanan clarified.

“It’s a position managing furniture sales, at Brunner Furniture, if you’ve heard of us. If you decide you are interested, we can set up an interview, where you can hear the rest.”

“I am interested,” Elchanan said hurriedly.

The interview was set for that evening. Elchanan told Yaffa he’d be home a bit late, without specifying why. He didn’t know exactly why, but he had no patience to tell her he was sick of working at Dvir’s.

The furniture factory was large and impressive, albeit rather quiet at this hour of the evening. The two Brunners, father and son, sat in the office. They asked the questions as though they had divided them up ahead of time. Elchanan wondered if there had been so many candidates interviewed already that they had the routine down pat. After the older man said, “Alright, we will decide if this is suitable for us and let you know,” Elchanan asked about the terms. He received half answers, as though they had decided that every minute spent with him was a waste of time. He was not wrong. Keep Reading…

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

Copyright © Israel Bookshop Publications. 

“Mimi, I’m…” Malka sniffed the air. Three pots stood on the stove, which was gleaming like it never had, even before her mother’s stroke. The counters, sinks, floor and tiles looked like they had just been cleaned for Pesach.

“Mimi, I…have no words. No words!” She took off her jacket and walked over to the refrigerator, where her daughter stood smiling shyly. The house was quiet. Well, that was to be expected: it was after eleven p.m. “Did you cook for Yom Tov? Yourself? How did you leave the kitchen like this? You know how my kitchen normally looks on an Erev Yom Tov. I don’t have to tell you.”

“I knew you’d come home tired and wouldn’t have too much time tomorrow,” Mimi said as she untied the apron she was wearing over a faded robe. “Do you want to taste something?”

“No, I’m just enjoying the smells,” Malka chuckled, and Mimi proudly uncovered each pot. Two roasts were simmering in the large pot, potato and sweet potato strips were sautéing in the skillet, and a large pot of soup bubbled on the back flame.

“This is wonderful, Mimi,” Malka gushed.

“Well, Abba did the soup. I did the rest.”

“And the kitchen just looks fantastic.”

“My friend helped me with that,” Mimi said. “She just left a short while ago. She’s great at this stuff.”

“Cooking and cleaning?”

“Both. She’s the one who cooks supper for her brothers three days a week and scrubs her house almost every day. She’s a real balabusta, Ima; I wish could get done half as much as she does. She’s really quick.”

“Who is it, Devorah?”

“No, Shuli Emmanuel.”

Malka raised a tired eyebrow. “I never heard that name.” Keep Reading…

Israel Book Shop presents Chapter 21 of a new online serial novel, Dance of the Puppet, by Esther Rapaport. Check back for a new chapter every week. Click here for previous chapters. 

Copyright © Israel Bookshop Publications. 

She really despised going to the Well-Baby Clinic, but it wasn’t like she had a choice; Bentzy needed to get his vaccinations. Yaffa felt wound up as tight as a spring as she walked into the clinic and surveyed the line.

“You’re here for Sophie, right?” the secretary asked affably. “You can go in. The woman ahead of you is finished already.”

There were two people in the room; Sophie, poking around as usual on the computer keyboard, and another strange woman who gazed expectantly at the doorway.

“Sophie, the next in line is here,” she said, smiling at Yaffa.

Sophie raised her eyes. “Oh, Yaffa, come in. This is Edna from the Health Ministry,” she introduced the stranger. “She does inspections at the clinics every so often. Is it okay with you if she’s here now?”

Yaffa nodded and took Bentzy out of the carriage. He squirmed restlessly, like he’d been doing for much of the past few days. The babysitter had told Yaffa she thought he was teething.

“Your sister’s not here with you today, I see,” Sophie remarked, her eyes on the screen.

“No.” Yaffa felt the spring wind even tighter, if that was possible. She was on the verge of snapping. Keep Reading…

Israel Book Shop presents Chapter 20 of a new online serial novel, Dance of the Puppet, by Esther Rapaport. Check back for a new chapter every week. Click here for previous chapters. 

Copyright © Israel Bookshop Publications. 

The last time they’d visited Elchanan’s parents, his mother had asked Yaffa to “keep an eye on him because he’s gaining an awful lot of weight.” Yaffa didn’t know how exactly she was supposed to watch her husband’s eating. She rarely joined his monthly shopping expedition to the supermarket. On the odd occasion that she did, if she saw him toss four bags of potato chips into the cart, was she supposed to take them out and declare unequivocally that they were fattening and that his mother didn’t allow him to eat it? Or when he smeared his eighth slice of bread with butter, was she supposed to grab the knife out of his hand and say, “That’s enough now”?

In any case, Chaya had once told her, incidentally or not, that she and her husband went out each evening for a brisk walk. Yaffa had liked the idea. Elchanan, except for the times that he was tired after an exhausting day at work, didn’t object, and their thrice-weekly evening walk became almost routine—if the two weeks they’d been doing it for could be called “routine.”

“You’re thoughtful tonight,” Elchanan said, as he kicked away a small stone that had gotten stuck between the wheels of Bentzy’s carriage.

“Right,” Yaffa answered, looking at the stone that rolled to a halt in the middle of the sidewalk. She bent over and moved it near the fence running along the sidewalk.

“Is something bothering you?” Keep Reading…