Israel Book Shop presents Chapter 70 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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This note is personal—please don’t tell anyone else that you got it! The offer is for a small group of people for whom it is noge’a.

If you want to join a group to learn sefer Chovos Halevavos, under the guidance of the Rav, please tell Binyamin Schvirtz. The group will probably gather on Motza’ei Shabbos to learn. Binyamin has more details.

Binyamin swallowed a yawn and read his draft for the eighth time. He deliberated whether or not to erase the secrecy warning at the beginning. Maybe it was better not to make it too mysterious; on the other hand, when their meetings would become known—and they would—it wouldn’t be good for them to be something that was open to everyone.

Some would see it as haughty on his part; others would be offended that he had not chosen them for the learning group. But he hoped they’d forgive him soon. Especially when the day would come—halevai it should be soon!—and they would also understand what was really behind this handpicked group.

He copied the note over five times in his best handwriting and glanced toward the window. Gauging by the darkness, he should get ready to go to Shacharis. Then he would climb up again to his secret place from yesterday and call Hanter. Rabbi Schwartzbrod had also advised him, just to be safe, to try to raise some matters of Yiddishkeit in the phone call, just to make absolutely sure that they were indeed Yidden and this was not some type of trap.

Elimelech Yehuda Kush had entered the shul before him; he was one of the people on the list. The list also included Yidel, Aunt Chani’s husband. Daniel Landau. Baruch Hertzlich. Yosef Posen. If all of them would want to join, of course. It was safe to assume that they would at least come over to him to find out more details, so they could decide if they wanted to join, and then they’d hear that it wasn’t only about learning.

He didn’t count himself, David, and Zeide, who would be giving the shiur.

Or Aryeh.

“Excuse me, Reb Meilech Yehuda,” he said, patting the other man on the shoulder, and without another word, stuck the small note into his hand. Appearing as if he’d long been used to getting secret notes like this, Reb Meilech Yehuda slid it naturally into his pocket and continued walking further inside.

Slowly, the people gathered for davening, including the other four men on his list. One by one, Binyamin slipped them the notes. He purposely did not keep an eye on them after that, and hoped that something about the secrecy in which he’d cloaked his words would make it obvious to them that there was something here beyond a learning group.

After davening, he spotted Uncle Yidel trying to make his way over to him through the other people, but Binyamin did not wait for him. His time was short right now; he had to speak to the man from the spice factory!

Israel Book Shop presents Chapter 69 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 on the small cradle in the infirmary:

To Reb Mottel,

It does not appear that your son’s bris will be able to be on time. The baby is too small and weak. If he gets stronger in the next two days, we will reconsider.

Shimshon Schwartzbrod

“When was Rabbi Schwartzbrod here?” Mottel asked as he studied his tiny son worriedly.

“Late last night,” Elky replied. “And I want to go home.”

“How can you? If the baby is too small and weak…”

“He has to stay for observation,” interjected Dr. Annie Katzburg from the other side of the large room. “And you do too, Elky.”

She didn’t answer.

Mottel looked at his baby’s eyes, which were open a crack. “He’s looking at me,” he whispered. “I want…I want to speak to the rav. I didn’t think he was in danger!”

“He will be fine,” the doctor said in a loud voice. “But he has to be given the best conditions possible, so that he can grow and become stronger.”

Israel Book Shop presents Chapter 68 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. 

H-A-N-T-E-R

Binyamin’s finger etched the letters deep into the ground. After a minute, he shook himself, rubbed the letters with the palm of his hand until there was no trace of the incriminating word, and pressed the top button on the device. A long, monotonous tone came through the earpiece, and he pressed the buttons of the numbers that he remembered by heart. Then he pressed the phone to his right ear. Hashem, sefasai tiftach…

The tone became intermittent. On and off. But no one answered.

Should he try again later?

By then, the Wangels might be awake already.

***

“Is it possible that the phone in the office is ringing?” Bentzy, passing by the locked door with his tallis bag, tilted his head toward the sound.

“Maybe,” his father said. “Yes. That’s the phone.”

“Who is calling at this hour? The workday hasn’t started yet.”

Israel Book Shop presents Chapter 67 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. 

Binyamin,

This animal was wounded, and they weren’t able to take off the skin properly in the back and rib area. We dealt with it this way, but the soaking only made the tear worse, as you’ll see for yourself. Please check if it’s not better to divide it into two furs, a small one and a big one, instead of the strange shape it is in now.

Pinchas

Binyamin carefully removed the note attached with a pin to the shiny black fur resting on the low table to his left. It was a good thing that he had time until he had to decide what to do. It wasn’t really nice of Pinchas to throw this onto him. If Sherer would blow a fuse that they’d cut a good fur, slashing its value at once, why should he, Binyamin, be to blame that they hadn’t handled the animal better?

He wanted to speak to Pinchas, to gently probe about the details of what had happened, but Pinchas wasn’t there now. He had no reason to make up lost hours. He’d worked normally the week before.

“Chol Hamoed work.” Binyamin sighed to the wall in front of him. “That’s what your work is worth. Wouldn’t it have been much better had you taken off then, like all of us?”

Israel Book Shop presents Chapter 66 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. 

Permit to be outside for worker David Elkovitz

In order to complete lost work hours, David Elkovitz has hereby been granted permission to be outside of his residence after official work hours until 3:00 a.m. for the coming week. The permit is valid only for the area of the factory, the residential area, and the route between them.

Signed,

Leo Sherer

Foreman

“And your father-in-law gave me a permit to come early each day—and only that.” Toward the end of the meal in the communal dining room, Binyamin glanced at the paper that Elkovitz had put on the table. “I’m supposed to finish at the regular time with everyone else, and then I have to come back at three in the morning.”

“Yes, I heard him. That’s why I wanted to show this to you now.”

“I wonder if it’s intentional.”

“I’m afraid it is.” Elkovitz put the paper back in his pocket and picked up his soup spoon again. “He told me clearly that he doesn’t like our friendship.”

“And what did you answer him?”

“That it’s not a personal friendship, and that I’m just getting closer to your community in general.”

“So maybe it isn’t good that we’re sitting next to each other now.”

Israel Book Shop presents Chapter 65 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. 

Isru Chag Pesach

Binyamin,

We’d appreciate if you’d come on your personal break to change a light-bulb for us and to check if the connections are okay. The bulbs have been burning out very quickly lately.

Bring a bulb from the store, and write it down on our account.

Thanks,

Babbe

“You need to know how to do things,” Babbe said as Binyamin dragged a chair into the middle of the dim room. He looked at her, somewhat surprised.

“Yes,” he replied after a moment.

“If, for example, I would try to change this light-bulb myself, it would end with me falling from the chair, chalilah; the bulb breaking; and maybe even the whole building burning down. You see, when you start getting busy with something, you have to be very, very careful, and think about every step, because there’s no way to know where it will lead you.”

Binyamin looked at Babbe from his position on the chair, nodding.

“And even if you think you have all the knowledge you need, it’s always better to consult with experts who are older than you.”

Israel Book Shop presents Chapter 64 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. 

Child – Boy

Weight – 2.100 kg

Time of birth – 23:00

Health – Appears normal

“Mazel tov, Elky!” Naomi smiled carefully; she hadn’t exactly planned to meet the Hauptmann herself over here.

Katarina cast a light smile in Naomi’s direction and said, “Still friends, or what?”

“You could say,” a pale-faced Elky replied.

“So I’ll go, and I won’t disturb your wonderful, friendly conversation.” It was hard to discern if she was being cynical or serious. “In any case, I would have brought you our gift—as one of the best workers in the office, you would have deserved that—but because we received your apology note regarding the paper you threw on the floor of the camp grounds—”

Israel Book Shop presents Chapter 63 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. 

“Asher ga’alanu v’ga’al es avoseinu mi’Mitzrayim…

Kein Hashem Elokeinu yagienu l’moadim…l’shalom, smeichim b’vinyan irecha…

V’nodeh Lecha shir chadash al ge’ulaseinu v’al pedus nafsheinu”

Chani’s little house was the largest of the whole extended family. Her family had moved into it when their youngest child was born. So it was self-understood that the family Seder was regularly held there. The closet that served as a wall between the two rooms of the house was pushed aside before Yom Tov, and three medium-sized tables were pushed against one another to create one long, festive table.

Zeide, seated at the head, raised his Haggadah to show Meir that finally, it was just about time to eat the matzah, and the boy excitedly announced, “Rachtzah!”

“Let’s see when the poritz will come for his regular visit to Moshke,” Binyamin muttered on the left side of Zeide, and stood up. He pushed aside the black curtain that covered the window. “It’s just a shame they didn’t throw a dead monkey in through the window, with a few secrets in its belly.”

“Brrr…” Chani, Naomi, and Rechel all shivered in unison.

Israel Book Shop presents Chapter 62 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 in the office on Elky’s desk:

Elky, please come over to me as soon as possible. It’s urgent. Eva.

“What’s going on, Eva?” Elky fingered the note in her right hand.

Eva Sherer was to the point, as always. “Did you write something on the back of your hours report? Something about having to earn enough, even if you have no energy, because you can’t imagine being poor?”

Elky looked at her silently, neither confirming nor denying.

“I identified the note based on the huge number of hours in the report, and a bit based on your handwriting. I have no idea who you wrote it to, and what you planned to do with the paper, but it landed up in the Wangels’ garden, or near it, and they are very irritated.”

Israel Book Shop presents Chapter 61 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 note in the bottle of cleaning soap:

I spoke to someone; she is Jewish. And not only her… The conversation was very strange. I’m very confused. Everything we knew…may not be true.

It’s not clear who rules. Those who we thought did—have long been defeated. Including the leaders and the army.

Maybe they control only these areas nearby? I didn’t quite understand.

Another person listened with me for some of the time, and she’s also confused.

We need to be very careful. Even though I wrote this note in gematria, destroy it right away, and don’t speak about this subject for a few days.

Also, until we see that they are not looking for us, I don’t want to meet.

“Where was this hidden?” Binyamin asked his mother, who had taken a break to run home at exactly the same time as his personal break. He folded the note, keeping a neutral expression on his face. “Is this what was in the bottle Naomi brought here this morning?”

He glanced outside through a slit in the window shade. The area in front of their house was empty. His break would be over in a few minutes, and he’d go back to the factory.