Page Twenty
DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE
Israeli 'War Heroes on Tour of U. S.
Friday, October 1, 1948
became more and more attached
to her. I did whatever sh e
asked. At night I didn't eve n
get up with the other childre n
to crowd around the window.
dren played in the
be sig
before. But there was a fearfu
l
silence in the air and there wag
no song, no laughter, no dancing.
At night the children would
go to bed and I would sit near
the window and wait for Chana.
Sometimes she wouldn't come
for days. But sometimes, like to-
night, I would see twelve blurry
I like to think that Chan a figures, guns
slung over their
began to unbend because' of me • shoulders, and Chana, her long,
But maybe it was more because blonde braids lighting the dark-
of Itzhak.
ness, leading the way.
Itzhak was a tall, good-looking
fellow with greenish eyes and
dark hair always covered by an
embroidered skull cap. He
watched Chana just as I did
and he worried about her, too.
Chan,, sensed it. At first she
JERUSALEM (WNS) — The
shunned him but couldn't resist Jewish Nationalnd has an-
his gentle smile and winning flounced that the fund will curi.
ways for very long. He made tinue to carry on its land pur-
her change to short-sleeved chasing program and soil recla-
dresses. He made her laugh and mation work as an autonomous
sing and it was wondrous to body, which will cooperate with
but remain independent of the
see Chana happy and joyful.
State of Israel.
It was sweeter to hear Chan a
call me a good girl, to kno w
that if I obeyed she would hu g
me and say "bati" (My daugh
ter).
JNF Will Remai n
Independent Unit
Five of the nineyoung Israeli war heroes who are on a three-month coast-to-coast tour of
the U.S. for the the United Jewish Appeal are received in New York by Israel's consul gen-
eral, Arthur Lowrie. Left to right, Lt. Shula Friedberg of the CHEN, Israeli counterpart of the
WAC; Sgt. Maj. Nira Harari Goldstein, army welfare officer; Lt. Itzhak Ben Menahem, twice-
wounded platoon commander; Capt. Alexander Albala, veteran
of the Jerusalem-Tel Aviv
highTay battles; and Cpl. Aliza Pnueli, Palmach wireless operator during the
Jerusalem siege.
• •
It was the opinion of its hoard
THEN THE SHOOTING start-
that it is essential to maintain
ed. We could hear the constant
and safeguard the autonomy (if
her day's work in the library thunder of shelling from our the fund, through which Jewish
village.
Sometimes
we
even
saw
and go to her room. When we
communities in all parts of the
watched the dancing figures at the trucks with guns and am- world have contributed more
the campfire, hers was always munition rolling past on the than $126,000,000 during the past
missing.
road. We were not disturbed by
47 years and which faces the gi-
By LIBBY ZARITSKY
Arab attacks but the men were
She was.so reservoiii, so moody.
gantic task of providing the
called
to
duty.
I WAITED FOR THEM to come back. All the other children were She always wore dark dresses
land for the settlement of new
Just like today, they would set immigrants in Israel.
fast asleep. I could hear their even breathing and now and then with long sleeves, even when
a muffled cry.
The night was dark. No moon. No stars. Just the sun beat down upon us and out to fight and return, a few
a misty endless stretch of black-
the sweat rolled, like streaming days later, battle-weary, to plow
ness.
the fields. Itzhak was their
water, down our backs.
I pressed my ear against the would be scolded, maybe
leader and Chana joined the
I heard the women whispering unit.
cool pane of the window and I spanked, and tucked back into
that Chana was ashamed, that
heard what I was waiting for- bed.
She was magnificent in demo-
she was afraid to show the mark lition work. More than once she
a quiet shuffling of weary feet.
When Chana came everything
on
her
arm,
that
the
Nazis
had
I stared fiercely through the changed, at least for me. She
placed mines under the wheels
glass.
was beautiful with . her 4 1ong done horrible things to her. And of trucks loaded with armed
I couldn't understand.
Arabs.
There they were. Twelve blonde hair and her grey,
How could anyone hurt Cha-
blurry, heavyset figures, guns dreamy eyes. Her figure, too,
The Arabs knew of her and
slung over their shoulders, and was different, thin and graceful na? She was so pretty.
feared her. They called her "the
One day one of our "mothers" girl with the golden braids" and
Chana, her long, blonde braids —not at all like the stocky wo-
took sick, and Chana came to placed a price on her head,
lighting the darkness, leading men who worked the fields.
the way.
take care -of us. She taught us dead or alive.
She came from Europe, they
to draw and even smiled a little
I 'tiptoed slowly back to bed, said; and I remembered
The women still worked the
1931 E. Jefferson
a
dark, when our trees and flowers fields all day long and we chil-
slid noiselessly onto the sheets loathsome land where I had been
and closed my eyes.
looked so grotesque. When bed-
-
beaten and starved, and I felt time came,
she sat near my bed
Pretty soon Chana would come sorry for her.
and told us stories of faroff fairy
in. She would bend over me,
Greetings from . .
• • •
lands. Her voice was smooth
kiss me long and, often; I'd feel
and musical.
the heat and salt of her tears.
BUT CHANA DIDN'T let me
• • •
It was always like that, ever
feel sorry for her. She din't
Fire Insurance Adjuster for the Assured
since she came to our village,
even let me love her. I would
THEREAFTER
CHANA
was
in
1420 Dime Bldg.
ever since the war began.
D. Gross
come over to her and throw my charge of the nursery and I
A. Mackey
• • •
M. M. Mackey
arms around her and she
would
IN THE OLD DAYS we didn't shudder. I would it at her side
know what fighting was. The and stroke the softness of her
men and women worked all day hair and she would look blankly
LE SHONO TOVO TIKOSEVU
long on the fields and we chil- at me, start to cry and run away.
dren played in the village,
Best wishes on the New Year
She didn't even mingle with
studied our lessons and waited
to the officers and members
the grownups. She would finish
for the evenings.
of the Northwest Hebrew
Then we would all gather
Congregation, to the officers
around the window and watch
and members of the Men's
the bright, red flames of the
Club and the Sisterhood of
Rosh Hashoneh Greetings
campfires. There was song and
the Northrwest Hebrew Con-
laughter and dancing.
gregation and to the Jewish
•
Black supple bodies, arms en-
Community of Detroit.
twined, jumped round and round
and the fires cast an eerie glow
on the moving figures.
We, who were supposed to
be asleep, imitated the elders. Paint
Glass
11 e formed a circle and with
Electrical Appliances
`are feet stomped around the
BUILDER'S HARDWARE
'spotless barracks floor. Then the
15738 Livernois - UN. 2-7303
women would rush in and we
'Girl With the Golden Braids,'
a Story of the Women in Israel
Happy New Year
Wm. H. Belter
Tires
THE MACKEY CO.
Happy New Year!
United Cut Rate
Hardware
13513 Fenkell . VE. 7-9490
Mr. and Mrs.
Morris Hadricli
and Sou
17542 Sazuta Rosa Drive
Lerner-Linden
Construction Co.
9940 Roselawn
WE 3-5178
Rosh Hashanah
Greetings to All
osh' Hashonah Gectings to All
Season's
Greetings • . .
Central
Felt, Co.
and
TEXTILE
SUPPLIERS, INC.
2620 - 2626 JOHN R ST,
Detroit
LANE BRYANT
Wayne
Laundry
And Dry
Cleaning Co.
1520 Woodward Avenue
' •
12641 Woodrow Wilson
TO. $-2330
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