Americillt 'apish Periodical Cotter
CLIFTON AVENUE - CINCINNATI 20, OHIO
April 23, 1943
DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE and The Legal Chronicle
JEWISH SOLDIERS ATTEND A SEDER
those who were also from New
York. They came over to me
By MARTIN SILVER
and wanted to know about the
Editor's Note—A soldier's mother tells how one community con- weather and where I lived and
worked, and some who came from
ducted a Seder for 500 boys. Hundreds of other communities, the same section spoke about the
both large and small, are cooperating with the National Jewish
places we knew, the business sec-
Welfare Board in bringing Sedarim to thousands of soldiers tions, and Broadway. How de-
away from home.
lighted they were to have me
In a little town in Oklahomal can say is that I don't know. there—I reminded them all of
last year eight women, led by All , I know was that I had my their mothers. I promised that
one soldier's mother from New son s cake with me and that we when I went back I would see
their mothers and tell them I
York, prepared a Seder Service would soon be together and would saw their sons. I decided to stay
celebrate his birthday.
and supper for 500 Jewish sol.
another day.
Biers stationed in a nearby camp.
"Finally I arrived and called
"Then I was asked to a meeting
Typical of 200 community Seders the training center and got in of mothers from town the next
in the Passover program of the touch with my boy. And when morning. There are only about
he answered and said he would eight Jewish families there. They
National Jewish Welfare Board meet me in a little while, nobody
were planning what they could
it reflected the true spirit of in the world can know how won- do for Seder night for the 500
derful
and
excited
I
was
to
hear
Passover—holiday of home and
Jewish men in the adjacent camp.
my boy's voice after an absence I just sat and listened to them
family.
of two months, I got there Fri- planning and what they intended
"We have a small business of day, his birthday was on Sun- to do. The more they spoke the
our own which needs constant day, but as we could not wait so
attention at all hours," says this long, we met sonic of his bud- guiltier I felt. Those Lawton
mothers got $150 among them-
mother, relating the story of her dies and went to a restaurant on selves, towards the total expense
eventful trip. "Our boy was Saturday. We had two tables'and of many hundreds of dollars con-
with us in business and made it had his cake in the center. It tributed by the Jewish Welfare
a practice to get home earlier as looked beautiful. Everyone in Board. One said, we need chicken
he studied music. Every night the restaurant had some, even fat for matzo balls, and another
whe we got home we could see a the waitress. We had a grand piped up and said I have plenty
light in the window and hear him time. Next day my boy and his of that for everything. So it
play. How proud and thrilled I friends took me to the camp and went with everything else—every
was to hear that music.
showed me where they sleep, eat, woman in the room volunteered to
"When our country called our play ball and so on. Sunday was do and give more and more.
boy, we encouraged him to go. supposed to be - my last day and
"I thought what a glorious
The first time we came home and then back home to my shop and feeling it is to know that they
found no light in the window and work. But when I got to the can make so many boys happy,
no music to greet us, our hearts USO, I met the JWB-USO worker and then I said I'd stay and help
sank. It all seemed so empty. I and his wife—the Big Brother them with whatever they wanted
made up my mind that I would and Sister to the boys. Some me to do. Those eight mothers
try not to worry and work harder people were there talking about and the JWB worker got meat,
than ever before.
making a Seder night. I just sat fish, matzos, fruit, nuts, maca-
"Now my boy's twenty-second and listened to my conscience roons,. B— is a dry town, but
birthday was near. It was the began to bother me and to say, they got wine for the Seder night.
first birthday away from home. what have you been doing for the They got a rabbi from a nearby
We had always celebrated to- boys who are willing to give even town to perform the ceremony.
gether and now he was a long their life to make it safe for you
"At first, there was no place
way from home. I finally de- to live in and enjoy all the privi- to make the Seder, until they ob-
cided that no matter what hap- leges? The JWB worker read my tained the First Methodist Church
pened I would go to celebrate my thoughts and asked me if I could with permisision from its Minis-
boy's birthday with him. I got stay for the Seder.
ter. May God bless him for such
a round trip ticket for B—,
I thought of my little shop in a wonderful deed, and made us
and had a nice big cake made New York, my family, and back feel proud to fight for men like
and went to my boy. Some again to the boys here. Then him and for our wonderful coun-
people ask me if it wasn't hard
try where all men and religions
to go by coach, and not have a the boys there learned I was from are respected. They have a big
place to sleep in for two nights New York. I wish you could have kitchen and two big stoves and
and one and one-half days. All seen the light in the eyes of also a steam table and a very
large dining room. Some women
from the church helped and sug-
SINCERE PASSOVER GREETINGS
gested how to seat the men. To
see that harmony gave me a great
thrill. They got dishes and sil-
INSURANCE OF EVERY KIND
ver and glasses from Kress. We
Representing 50 of the Largest and Soundest
got together and peeled potatoes.
Insurance Companies
onions and cleaned celery and
washed dishes, set the tables,
2ND FLOOR MAJESTIC BLDG.
roasted turkeys and chickens and
made soup, matza balls. gefilta
fish. Each one had a job and it
was done with so much satisfac-
tion.
BEST WISHES FOR A JOYOUS PESACH
"The Seder night I will never
forget. The long tables seating
about 500 boys were set beauti-
fully, bowls of fruit and nuts in
the center, celery, the new silver
and dishes and the boys even got
packages of cigarettes and col-
Builders - Designers
ored matches near each plate.
There were even two large can-
dlesticks with lighted candles.
Tools - Gages - Jigs - Fixtures
"We had the hardboiled eggs
Special Machinery
and the charoses (herbs), the
horse radish, matzas, wine. How
happy those 450 boys were! It
3 8 0 FAIR
ELMHURST (3130
was so thrilling to see them spick
and span and smiling and laugh-
FERNDALE. MICH.
ing. Each boy had an Haggadah
or Prayer Book in his hand.
When the Rabbi made the eery-
.% mony you could have heard a
pin drop. And I will never for-
get the beautiful sight when those
GORMAN AND THOMAS
9
450 soldiers stood up, each with church was giving a party the
the Prayer Book in his hand,
reading the prayers as if it were
meant only for him. Those faces
were so earnest and they really
and truly prayed to God from
their hearts. It made me feel
as if we were somewhere in
heaven and not in this war-torn
world. They were all my chil-
dren, and how beautiful they
looked—so strong, young and full
of life. They sang and their
voices rang like beautiful bell:;.
Never have I heard such music.
It came from within each boy,
singing and praying. They also
sang the Hatikva as it was never
sung before, and they finished
with America.
"The JWB worker and the
Rabbi made speeches and blessed
the boys. They prayed that this
would be the last time that our
boys should celebrate under such
circumstances and that by next
year all the boys should be home,
having won the war and enjoying
their holidays with their loved
Ones.
"After the Seder was over and
the boys went back to camp, my
son and some of his friends went
to the USO to write letters and
wait for me, because I wanted to
help clean the tables as the
next day and the dishes had to
be returned. I found I could not
keep on my feet—for all of us
women had stood for several days
straight and all through the
night before. An officer offered
to take me so I could say good
night to my boy.
"Next day I started home. I
had about 40 addresses and pic-
tures of the boys with me when
I left. I did keep my promise to
them and gave all the messages. •
It's those little things that mean
so much. Just like food—not
that they don't get enough to
eat, but anything that reminds
them of home tastes better. I
even tried to save a meal a day
and with that money bought jam,
crackers and candy for some boys
and the thrill I got when those
boys wrote home and told their
folks I gave them those small
things. It's not the price but
the thought that somebody cares
about them.
"I confess it was difficult to
say goodbye. I just said "so
long" to all and "my boys" prom-
ised me when the war is over and
they come home I would be in-
vited to their weddings. Oh,
God, please make this dream come
true.
A JOYOUS PASSOVER TO ALL
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Freedomn g
May the Festival of Passover, the anniversary of the
first popular demonstration for Liberty in the world,
9111 JOS. CAMPAU AVE.
Trinity 2-1313
find all of us ready to defend and cherish the
principles of Justice and Independence
with which we are blessed in
A Joyous Pesach to All
this great land!
•
Frank Fishman
IN THE SPIRIT OF THE SEASON, WE EXTEND SINCERE
WISHES TO ALL THE JEWISH PEOPLE
FOR A JOYOUS PASSOVER
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