The Oppressed and the Oppressors

I learned more as a child growing up in this building at 1310 Avenue R in Brooklyn than anywhere else since. As in this tale of the Oppressed and the Oppressors.

I lived in apartment 2H across from Mr.and Mrs. Gold; two Orthodox Jews who left Germany just in the nick of time. The rest of their respective families were not so lucky. They did not survive.

Down the hall from us both lived the building's Superintendent and his wife; Mr. And Mrs. John Bucholtz. What makes this even more remarkable is that he was an ex Nazi soldier who was captured and imprisoned in North Carolina. At the end of the war he was allowed to stay, and bought his wife over. He became Superintendent of 1310 Avenue R. in 1961 when the building was just completed.

Every year at Rosh Hashanah the building, with it's 7 floors and 72 apartments, was filled with the smells of all the holiday cooking, which was all Kosher, as most of the building, with few exceptions, was Jewish.

Mrs. Bucholtz was an excellent cook herself, but not being Jewish was not involved in the preparations for any of the holidays. This story concerns the preparations for Rosh Hashanah when I was about 11 years old.

Mr. Gold was a wise man. He frequently took me on walks to the western side of Coney Island Avenue, which, even then, was heavily Orthodox. He did this for a reason. He would bring things, mostly envelopes containing cash, and point to a particular brick home and instruct me to ring the bell, hand the envelopes to whoever answered, and never divulge his name.

He explained to me that this was a Mitzvah, something his religion required him to perform. Charity without vanity if you will. At 11 years old this made no sense, but I enjoyed the walks, the talks, and of course the $1 he always gave me for my help. I now know better and should never have taken the money, but $1 back then went a long way at the candy store, where it was invariably squandered.

These Mitzvah's continued until I turned 13. After my Bar Mitzvah the walks, talks and deliveries continued, but without recompense. As an adult it was now expected of me to help perform these deeds, which were not very difficult. Besides, if you knew Mr. Gold, it was a pleasure just to be with him, walking and talking.

Now, back to Rosh Hashanah 1965 when I was about 11. The mercurial nature of the Hebrew calendar and the shifting dates of the holidays, make it impossible for me to tell you if it was before or after my birthday, which is also in the fall.

Mrs. Bucholtz was driven that year, more than ever, to help Mrs.Gold with the holiday preparations for the Rosh Hashanah feast. But Mrs. Gold was rigidly Kosher, and Mrs. Bucholtz was not. And so the wisdom of Mr. Gold entered the picture.

Taking Mrs. Gold aside he explained to her the torment that Mrs. Bucholtz endured from the exclusion she surely felt at each holiday of the year. He also explained that it was his duty, as a Jew, to relieve her suffering. What could Mrs. Gold do except to go along with her husband's plan?

He went down the hall and explained to Mrs. Bucholtz that, while she could not provide anything to help, she could use her hands as an instrument in helping Mrs. Gold in the kitchen. And so the miracle was performed. Cooked up might be a better way of saying it; pun intended.

And then it came to pass that Mrs. Bucholtz proudly entered the Gold's apartment, and Mrs. Gold's kitchen, an invisible barrier which even Mr. Gold respected, and he performed what I now know to be a "miracle" Mitzvah.

Lovingly taking Mrs. Bucholtz by the hands, the twinkle in his eyes in direct contrast to the aphrehension in Mrs. Gold's eyes, he lead her to the sink and washed her hands with that red and blue Kosher soap, which was used for the meat or dairy dishes, and recited a blessing in Hebrew. He explained to both women that Mrs. Bucholtz' hands were now as Kosher as Mrs. Gold's kitchen, thus allowing her to assist in the preparation of the holiday meal.

And so it came to pass, that on the first night of Rosh Hashanah 1965, the Oppressed and the Oppressor, became one. And to a boy of 11 the miracle of forgiveness was imparted.

Happy Chanukah 5773!

Last night marked the beginning of Chanukah, the Jewish Festival of Lights. I ran this piece last year for Chanukah and have decided to re-post it again this year. Partly because it’s a really good encapsulation of the holiday’s history, and partly because it gives me a day off. Hey, it is a holiday! May your dreidels keep spinning! (Note: The photograph above is of the 8th night of Chanukah last year. I wanted to show the candles in all their glory.)

Happy Chanukah! Tonight is the first of eight nights of celebration commemorating the Miracle of the Lights. Literally, Chanukah means a re-dedication. This always takes place on the 25th day of the Hebrew month of Kislev. The story behind the holiday is, of course, like Christmas, biblical in it's origins. The actual events took place over 2,000 years ago in Judea amongst the Hebrew people of the time.

The Jews were the first mono-theists, that is, they were the first to believe in one God. To honor him they built a temple on Mt. Moriah in Jerusalem. Inside were the scrolls of the Torah, which were housed in an Ark. That Ark stood on an Altar which also held a lamp of oil burning in God's honor. This was a symbol of the special relationship the Jews felt with their Creator.

At the same time as the Hebrew people were worshipping their God, Alexander the Great was busy conquering the entire Persian Empire, an area that includes present day Iran, Iraq and the surrounding states. Wherever Alexander the Great went he erected huge statues of the Greek idols. He also placed statues of himself in every important place to show that these countries were under his rule.

At first Alexander allowed the Jews to worship their God with little interference, but that soon came to an end. When the Jews were ordered to place a statue of Alexander the Great on Mt. Moriah, they were horrified! Alexander understood this and allowed the Jews an exemption to this rule, and grateful Jews everywhere named their first born sons Alexander in his honor.

When Alexander died, Antiochus came into power. He was an unforgiving and determined man, hell bent on putting the Jews in their place. He forbid the Jews to worship in their own way and outlawed the Sabbath. Things might have gone on in this way for a while longer had Antiochus not made one crucial mistake.

On the 25th of Kislev, he ordered his troops to bring a statue of Zeus to Mt. Moriah for placement inside of the temple. And then he did the unthinkable - he slaughtered a pig on the Altar, spraying the Torah with the blood of the animal as he did. He then set out in the countryside, erecting more statues and demanding that the people worship them. This was not to be.

A local villager named Mattathias, knocked the statues down and formed his 5 sons into a band of rebels he named the "Maccabees", which means hammer in Hebrew. Soon, more Jews joined Mattathias and his sons, attacking the soldiers and destroying the idols. Antiochus was in a full blown rage at this affront to his supremacy and gathered his army outside of Jerusalem, intent on destroying the Jews once and for all.

At dawn his troops attacked, and were ambushed by the waiting "Maccabees." The people took refuge in the Temple atop Mt. Moriah and repaired all the damage that Antiochus had done to the Altar. Three years later, on the same date, the 25th of Kislev, the Temple was re-dedicated to God. The only problem was, of course, a shortage of oil for the lamp. With a prayer, the Holy Priest poured one days oil into the lamp, and then prayed for the light to last until new oil could be obtained.

That one day's worth of oil burned for 8 days, sustaining the faith of a battered people. And that is why we commemorate this event every 25th of Kislev. There is miracle in light, as well as light in every miracle. Happy Chanukah to all!

Purim

Purim is one of the happiest of all the Jewish holidays in that it is an observance of a victory, rather than one of sorrow. Basically, as I am no Biblical scholar, the story, as I understand it, celebrates the deliverance of the Jews from the wrath of Haman in the book of Esther. One of my friend’s mothers had that name, and she carried herself with all of the elegance one would associate with the good Queen, who helped the Jewish people in their time of need.

In the Book of Esther, in the so-called "Old" Testament, the story begins when King Ahasuerus tells his wife, Queen Vashti, to come to him and his friends at a party and display her charms; which she refuses to do, as she is not sure of his intentions. Accordingly, he finds a new Queen; they were apparently readily available in the old days; and he does this by holding a beauty contest. Think of it as the Miss America pageant, about 3,000 years removed. Esther, a Jewish girl; presumably from Brooklyn; is selected to be his wife. She does not tell him that she is Jewish; only that she is orphaned. In reality she lives with her cousin Mordechai, with the tribe of Benjamin in Persia. Back then they still had Jews there.

Soon after she becomes Queen, Esther's cousin Mordechai angers one of the King's friends, Grand Vizier Haman, by refusing to bow before him. Why, I do not know. But Haman was somewhat taken aback, and in an act of retribution decides to punish him by convincing the King to kill all of the Jews, who have clearly gotten out of hand. The King assents to this plan, ordering the destruction of the Jews, "young and old, women and children", on the 13th day of the month of Adar. See Esther 3:13.

When Mordechai hears of this monstrous punishment he rends his clothes in mourning and sits by the city gate, awaiting the inevitable. Esther, hearing of her cousin’s state of mind, sends her servants to find out what is bothering him so. When the servant returns with a copy of the King's edict she is horrified, and at a loss as to what she should do. The Queen only appeared before the King at his pleasure, and it had been some time since they had last met. To demand an audience with him was punishable by death. This is a woman who clearly needed a pre-nup!

Her cousin Mordechai convinces her that she was made Queen by God in order to be there and save His Chosen People. Esther reacts by demanding that all her fellow Jews fast while she decides what to do. After 3 days everybody got hungry, and Queen Esther had hatched a plan.

She gets all dressed up in her finest robes and goes to see the King. Surprisingly, he is happy to see her and asks what it is that she desires. She asks that the King allow her to attend a banquet with him and Haman.

Haman is furious, and his family urges him to kill Mordechai by impaling him on a pole. Haman sets the pole up but has to stop short of killing Mordechai because the King has heard that it was Mordechai who had stopped a rebellion some time earlier, thus saving the King's life. In a show of gratitude, the King places his own royal robes about Mordechai, and then has Haman lead him, by foot, through the city, astride the King's own horse. In addition he is instructed to call out as he walks, for all to hear, "This is what is done for the man the King delights to honor!" See Esther 6:11.

Later on, at the banquet, King Ahasuerus asks Esther once again, what is it that she desires? Her answer is one of the most plaintive, and beautiful, quotes from the Bible; "If I have found favor with you; Your Majesty; and if it pleases you, grant me my life. This is my petition. And spare my people. This is my request. For I and my people have been sold to be destroyed, killed and annihilated." See Esther 7.

The King, realizing that Haman has tricked him into ordering the death of his own wife, Queen Esther, is rightfully outraged. When he finds out; from the maid by the way, just like in an old movie; that Haman has erected a pole to impale Mordechai upon, he is apoplectic! He then orders that Haman be impaled instead. He also awards Mordechai all of Haman's lands, as well as the signet ring which he is wearing at the moment. The King strips it from him on the spot, awarding it to Mordechai right in front of the stricken Haman. In addition he gives Queen Esther the power to overturn his orders concerning the destruction of the Jews.

In addition, she gives the orders necessary for the Jews to congregate and arm themselves against their oppressors. On the 13th day of Adar they were attacked and defeated their foes. The next day was a day of rest, and became known as Purim due to the meaning of the word "pur", which means "the lot", as in “all of them”, against the Jews, who emerged as the victors. And that is the story of Purim as I remember it. But, as I was very young at the time, I may have gotten some of it wrong.

The painting above is "The Triumph of Mordechai", painted by Pieter Pietersz Lastman.

Aaron Lefkowitz - Leaving Something Behind

Aaron Lefkowitz, the father of an old friend, passed away last Tuesday. I just heard about it this morning from his daughter, Lois. Aaron owned a hardware store in Brooklyn. It was called Coleman's on 5th Avenue and 50th Street, just a few blocks east from the upper portion of Bay Ridge Channel, which is just south of Gowanus Bay. I believe it was his second store, but I'm not really sure of that. At any rate, the store is secondary to the man I knew.

At the time I knew him I was a drunk, but mostly I liked to take pills and smoke pot. My own family, for whatever reasons, had little to no respect for me, and perhaps I had none for myself at the time. But Aaron, and his wife, never judged me on my flaws. They always did their level best to make me feel accepted, whether it was in the store, where Lois' husband Mark worked, or at their table on any given holiday. Aaron was always the first to ask Lois if I had anyplace to go, as in "No Jew should be alone on the holidays." Consequently, I spent several of the High Holy Days breaking fast at their table. Sometimes I was barely awake. But again, no one there ever judged me. They simply fed me and made sure I was not alone. I have spoken, over the years, to my wife and children about the wonderful kindness shown to me by this man.

Life is filled with lessons to be learned, you just have to be open to receiving them. And though I might not always have been at "my best" when in Aaron's company, his lessons came through. About 20 years ago, for a number of reasons, I began to light Sabbath Candles on Friday evenings. And I have continued to do so until this very day. And I have never lit one without thinking of the influence this one man had upon me. His demeanor, and joy of life, will be missed.

They say that a man is judged by what he leaves behind him in this world. That's his candle burning in the picture above. The candle will last only a day, perhaps a few hours more, but the light that Aaron brought to the world will remain forever.

Happy Chanukah!

Happy Chanukah to all my Jewish friends! Another year has past and there is another one ahead of us. This is a joyous holiday, often referred to as "The Festival of Lights." And as the days get shorter the brilliance of the candles warm us in a very special way.

We all know the story, the Temple was under seige for 8 days and there was only 1 day's supply of oil. And that oil lasted throughout the entire seige. It was a miracle. And life is like that, even today, filled with miracles. You may have to look for them, but they are there. So celebrate in whatever fashion you do, or don't. And from me to you, Happy Chanukah!

Yom Kippur - 5771

My Uncle Irving used to spend the evening of Yom Kippur at our house. He lived in a hotel in Manhattan and our apartment in Brooklyn was the only place where he really felt comfortable lighting a Yahrzeit (Memorial Candle). He would wear a Yarmulke for this occasion each year, which always underscored the solemnity of the day.

Like most Jews in New York at the time, Uncle I was largely secular. He was not a regular attendee of shul on Fridays, those evenings were spent with me. But Yom Kippur was a big deal. The only thing he did do that violated the sacredness of of that holiday was in his making the return trip to Manhattan after sundown, so that he would be present for morning services. For this purpose he would travel by subway.

The streets were always deserted on the High Holy Days, like Rosh Hashanah, but the effect was even more magnified on Yom Kippur. Even Christians stayed home! There was no place that was open for them to go.

It was to be years until I began lighting my own Yahrzeit, for my Mom, and even longer before I ventured into the prayer portion. I won't be found in Synagogue, electing to have my own time, here at home, alone with my thoughts. And, being so thin, I don't fast. But I do light the candle, just as Uncle I did, and I say the prayer in memory of my Mom, just as he did for his Mom and Dad.

The only difference is that now I say the Prayer for my Mom and my Uncle Irving and his Mom and Dad. I think it makes them feel good. And someday, my daughter will add my name to that list. It's kind of like a chain that keeps on growing. And that, makes me feel good, too.

Chanukah - Festival of Lights

For millions of the world's Jewish population, me included, this is the first night of Chanukah, our "Festival of Lights."

The holiday commemorates the rededication of the holy Temple in Jerusalem after the Jews' 165 B.C.E. victory over the Hellenist Syrians. Antiochus, the Greek King of Syria, outlawed Jewish rituals and ordered the Jews to worship Greek gods.

In 168 B.C.E. the Holy Temple was seized and dedicated to the worship of Zeus.

While many Jewish people obeyed the Greeks others began to fight. The fighting began in Modiin, a village not far from Jerusalem. A Greek officer and soldiers assembled the villagers, asking them to bow to an idol and eat the flesh of a pig, activities forbidden to Jews. The officer asked Mattathias, a Jewish High Priest, to take part in the ceremony. He refused, and another villager stepped forward and offered to do it instead. Mattathias became outraged, took out his sword and killed the man, then killed the officer. His five sons and the other villagers then attacked and killed the soldiers. Mattathias' family went into hiding in the nearby mountains, where many other Jews who wanted to fight the Greeks joined them.

Judah Maccabee and his soldiers then went to the holy Temple, and were shocked by the outrages they saw before them. Most of the religous items had been broken and some stolen, including the Golden Menorah. They cleaned and repaired what they could, and when they were finished they decided to have a ceremony to rededicate the Temple.

For the celebration, the Maccabees wanted to light the Menorah. They looked everywhere for oil, and found a small flask that contained only enough oil to light the menorah for one day. Miraculously, the oil lasted for eight days. This gave them enough time to obtain new oil to keep the menorah lit. Today Jews celebrate Hanukkah for eight days by lighting candles in a Menorah every night, thus commemorating the eight-day miracle.

So Happy Chanukah to all!