Israel Book Shop presents Chapter 49 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. 

A paper hanging on the wall of the rabbit cage:

Attention kennel children!

Anywun who finishes his choors by eleven in the morning can kum to a short, intristing shiur in the back room. It will be given by Binyamin Schvirtz.

It’s worth hurrying; he’s kuming for a very short time.

Yanku

“We need to talk, Yanku,” Binyamin said after he finished reading the note. He glanced into the back room, where about ten boys of various ages were waiting for him.

“About my spelling mistakes?” The boy scowled. “Everyone tells me about them. You want a pen to fix them?”

“No, that’s not the issue at all. Our conversation yesterday, about my father’s matzeivah, was too short.”

Yanku glanced around worriedly. “The boys are waiting for you, in case you didn’t notice. You promised a shiur. And I promised it would be interesting.”

“It will be very interesting,” Binyamin reassured him. “But listen, I spoke to my sister the other day. She found out that I wanted to clean something off our father’s headstone, and she wanted to know what it was about. So I told her that when I scraped off the ink, someone was watching me, and then I spoke to him.”

Israel Book Shop presents Chapter 48 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. 

A note, written in the secret code that Binyamin and Naomi had made up together years earlier, was waiting for Binyamin at home at the end of the workday.

________________________________________________________________

 “You just got here, Binyamin.” Rechel was worried. “Again you’re taking extra hours of work? Where are you going now?”

Binyamin lowered his gaze. “Naomi asked me to come,” he said quietly.

“Naomi? What does she want?”

Israel Book Shop presents Chapter 47 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 the paprika label, in tiny letters, in German:

This product was packaged with the highest standards of hygiene, quality, and freshness. But there is the rare possibility of insects getting into the product after it leaves the factory. Checking is necessary.

“Naomi?” Chani, her mother-in-law, noticed her strange position.

“Yes,” Naomi said as she slowly put the glass jar down on the shelf.

“Is everything okay? You…you weren’t offended by anything I said, right?” She fell silent because at that moment, her sons came back to the kitchen.

“What else should we take to the table, Mamme?” Eli asked, and before he finished the last word, the cloth napkins were placed in his hands, along with napkin rings and silver chargers.

“Everything should be folded very precisely!” Chani instructed, and the two boys scampered out again.

“Aren’t they tempted to sometimes taste the food?” Naomi asked, sounding as if she’d just woken up from an afternoon nap and was still groggy and confused.

Israel Book Shop presents Chapter 46 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. 

ALT – Alanine Transaminase

AST – Aspartate Transaminase

ALP – Alkaline Phosphatase

Total Bilirubin

Albumin

HB – Hemoglobin

RBC – Red Blood Cells

WBC – White Blood Cells

Glucose

Creatinine

“One who begins a mitzvah is told to finish it, Naomi.” Babbe didn’t expound much. She appeared at the preschool less than fifteen minutes after she’d left, when Naomi came back. Now she was holding a small wooden box and a hastily penciled note.

“What is this?”

“These are the vials,” Babbe said. “And here is a list of the tests we need. I would ask you to ask the Wangels to supply us with new vials, because these are our last ones. But right now, I don’t think you should do it.”

“She’ll think I’m asking for new tests, for someone else,” Naomi filled in.

“Exactly. So, are you going?”

“You’ll stay here in my place?”

Israel Book Shop presents Chapter 45 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. 

Nirtzach (Murdered)

Binyamin leaned over the headstone, nearly pressing his face to the ground, as he passed a finger over each letter. Nun. Reish. Tzaddi. Ches. The ink was long dry, and he had no way of knowing if the word had been written two days ago, a month ago, or more. The last time he’d been here, on Tatte’s yahrtzeit, it wasn’t there.

Who had taken the pains to write this on the side of Tatte’s matzeivah? Was it someone who wanted to convey a message of sorts and was afraid of it being discovered, or did it just express strong pain?

Binyamin sat down on the ground, leaning his head on the large, rectangular stone. He was supposed to be davening. Naomi had asked him to. But his lips were dry. Who knew what had happened to his father? Mamme, maybe. Her fear of speaking about it was telling.

Israel Book Shop presents Chapter 44 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. 

Sara Liba,

I’m afraid that his liver has been very damaged. In order to know how to treat it and which medications to prescribe for him, I need blood tests. I have nudged Wangel enough in the past few months regarding antibiotics and other medications. Can you ask them to send a blood sample to a private lab, like we did last year for Zuretzky’s son? Stress that we are asking for an urgent liver function test, and let them find a cover story for it.

Annie

“He was hospitalized last night. Don’t spread the news,” Babbe told Naomi in the classroom, showing her the note. “But liver problems need to be treated immediately.”

Naomi nodded, not understanding why her grandmother had come to show her the note in these early morning hours. The little ones were still playing calmly, even a bit sleepily, in the corner of the room. The older kids were heatedly discussing which jobs they should choose at the end of the winter, when they would leave the school framework.

Israel Book Shop presents Chapter 43 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. 

From the siddur that Chani Klein prepared for herself at age twelve:

The boys sing in shul, and the girls next to the candles:

Lecha Dodi likras kallah

Pnei Shabbos nekablah

“Time and again, I’m amazed at the creativity!” Naomi laughed as she returned the siddur to her aunt/mother-in-law.

Her mother-in-law smiled. “All the girls my age had such a siddur,” she said. “The idea, of course, was Babbe’s, she should be well. She announced a competition for ‘The Nicest Siddur,’ because lots of the girls our age didn’t really daven the whole tefillah. Siddurim were in shul, for the men, from the few things the Wangels were able to save from the Nazi plundering. And a few people had their own siddurim.”

“I heard about the competition,” Naomi said. “My mother told me about it. She also made a siddur, when she got older, but it was smaller, and not so fancy and decorated.”

Israel Book Shop presents Chapter 42 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. 

א ב ג ד ה ו ז ח ט י

Beneath the letters on the wall was a drawing of a child wearing a yarmulke, sitting and reading a book. Binyamin stared unseeingly at the drawing. “The idea to break into their house isn’t all that bad…” he said.

“Not bad.” Naomi’s lips curled cynically. “And can you lower your voice a little, Binyamin? There are children here, and as young as they are, their ears are huge. Anyway, like I said, bli neder I’ll run over to her after work today, okay? I can’t imagine there’s too much time left to your break now, in any case.”

“Fine.” Binyamin gave in. “So, what will you tell her when you go?”

“I don’t know—whatever Hashem puts in my mouth.”

“Okay, fine. Good luck. This picture is nice, by the way.”

“One of the mothers came and drew it.” Naomi nodded. The children were frolicking around them with mounting energy, and Binyamin glanced over at them and then sighed.

“It hurts me to think about what will be with the bigger kids here in a few months. I just saw the ones who are taking care of the lambs and the foxes. Believe me, they are babies, literally… When are they supposed to have time to learn to read from a siddur?”

Israel Book Shop presents Chapter 41 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. 

To the honorable Mr. Josef Wangel,

About half a year ago, I purchased a fur coat produced by your factory, ahead of a trip to London. It should be noted that throughout my stay there, I received countless compliments on the coat, which is unmatched in beauty and quality, and especially for its elegant finishing touches. I wish to offer you my blessings for this. I told all my acquaintances, both in London and in Austria, where I purchased the coat, and how satisfied I am with your exceptional work. There is no doubt that many years of family knowledge cannot be disputed.

Of course, going forward, I will purchase such items only from your unique factory.

Signed,

Victor Nissel, Head of the Social Democratic Party, Austria

The workers in the office read the letter with interest, smiled, as was expected of them, and complimented the Hauptmann standing at the door—also as was expected of them, even though the “family knowledge” mentioned in the letter was more their own than that of the Hauptmann, who was nevertheless glowing proudly and with satisfaction.

“I think all the factory workers will get a nice bonus for this,” he said. “I hope I’ll be able to get this letter published in the media. A bit of popularity among consumers won’t hurt us now. As you know,” he scowled suddenly, “people turned against us when we chased away curious eclipse tourists from the hillsides. And because neither I, nor you, want our sales to decline, we should all be working full force to ensure that such letters become a matter of course.”

He pointed to the letter. “This will hang here on the wall,” he noted, “so that everyone should remember what kind of output you are able to reach. Now, I want the young man Schvirtz here.”

“Can I ask why?” Leo Sherer asked submissively, but not before he motioned to one of the office boys to go call Binyamin from the factory.

Israel Book Shop presents Chapter 40 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. 

Abba comes home. Chana runs to Abba. Nosson also runs to Abba. Abba is happy.

Nosson gives Abba a date. Chana gives Abba a shoe.

Abba says, “Nosson is smart! Chana is smart! Thank you, children, thank you!”

“I’m already a reading expert,” Aryeh said with satisfaction as he put the paper down on the table. “I only had trouble with that last line, but I was able to figure it out.”

“I really wanted the father to tell them something else, but I couldn’t find something with the right nekudos,” Naomi said, taking out a small box of sugar.“If I would be more fluent in Lashon Hakodesh, maybe I would find better words with kamatz and pasach…” She smiled. “And maybe I would also find an idea for something else that Nosson could give the father… But my girls enjoy reading about a tamar,a date. The idea excites them even though none of them has ever seen the fruit.” She stopped and looked at her husband. She didn’t hear anything, but from experience she already knew that his sense of hearing was much sharper than hers, and clearly, he had just heard something.