Thursday, September 22, 1$41
DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE
Todetiter at. Last
Joseph Berger, a native of Austria, embraces his wife and daugh-
ter on a New York pier after a 10-year separation. Brought to
the U. S. under the sponsorship of the United Service for New
Americans, Berger last saw his family in 1939, when he smug-
gled them out of the country. Berger himself was seized by the
Nazis and spent many years in a concentration camp.
A Boy Slays Ashmedai,
the King of the Demons
drop open as we stared at Uncle
in wonder.
• • •
HE WOULD TELL how King
Solomon struggled with Ashme-
dai. The King of Demons was
trapped by being tricked into
drinking up a well filled wine and
falling asleep. But Asmedai re-
venged himself. When brought
before King Solomon, he stretch-
ed his wings and threw Solomon
400 miles out of his kingdom,
Then Ashmedai disguised him-
self as the King, fooling every-
one. But Solomon finally over-
came him, and. with the aid of
his magic ring he forced Ashme-
dai and his demons to assist in the
building of the great Temple in
Jerusalem.
And then, much to our regret,
Uncle would tell us that his
stories would be continued on his
next visit.
Uncle finished his tea, and put
down the empty glass. He took
his knife and played with the
crumbs on the table cloth, just
as he had done when I was a
.child. The fingers were older
but the lines of crumbs were the
same.
Uncle looked at Davey and
smiled.
"Nu—would you like to hear
a story?"
• • •
MY YOUNG SON looked at me,
his brown eyes reflecting un-
certainty. He had never heard
one of Uncle's stories.
"Of course Davey wants to hear
a story, Uncle," I said. My wife
gave Uncle a smile of approval.
I too wanted to hear the story.
It had been so long since I had
heard a story from Uncle. Seeing
the old man again made me recall
vividly the warm charm of his
stories. I was going to have the
rare treat of reliving a cherished
memory.
Uncle carefully formed a tri-
angle out of the bread crumbs,
then looked at Davey.
I looked at Davey too, and was
annoyed. The child was squirm-
By BERNARD BRACIIYA COHEN •
VEN WHEN I was a child, Uncle had a sad face. And as
I
watched his gaunt body hunched over his glass of tea at the
head of our dining room table, I observed that the constant sadness
Was etched more deeply than ever
into his dark features. Uncle
had always seemed old, but now story?" he would ask suddenly.
Four small heads would nod
he was really an old man.
He was a rare and strange vigorously. Father chuckled and
guest and the maid removed the mother smiled. And the story
dinner dishes with extra caution. would begin.
• • •
NEW YEAR
We had all finished and the din-
SOMETIMES IT was about
ing room was quiet. Out of awed
GREETINGS
respect for Uncle, Davey sup- David, and how he fooled King
pressed his usual chatter. My Saul, or how Alexander the Great
MICHIGAN
wife and I suspended our coo- flew on an eagle. And then there
versation and we waited for were the stories about the de-
WINDOW
Uncle, who was slowly sipping struction of the wonderful Temple
in Jerusalem; how the swallows
his tea.
CLEANING
CO.
It was a visit from Uncle. I tried to extinguish the flames by
carrying
water
in
their
beaks,
and
tried to capture the full flavor of
3540 W. Fort
the occasion. I wondered if Davey how the priests, clothed in their
could in any way fathom its robes, stood on the roof of the
TA 5-8500
magnitude. And I knew he burning building and handed toe
couldn't. for Davey was far too keys back to God, who stretched
young. Uncle could be authentic- a mighty hand down from heaven
ally appreciated only through the to receive them.
GREETINGS FOR A HAPPY
perspective of time.
But the nest stories of all were
• • •
about Ashmedai, King of the
AND PEACEFUL NEW YEAR
"TONIGHT WE will have a Demons. • Uncle knew every ex-
visit from Uncle," my father ploit, every connivance. and every
used to say, rubbing his hands defeat of this legendary villain.
for the
together and smiling down at us. He would hold us in a frightened
My two brothers, my sister, and rapture as he recounted the awe-
I would look at each other with some adventures of the King of
knowing glances. A visit from the Demons.
for
"Ashmedai stretched his wings,"
Uncle was a treat. He always
brought us candy, but far more he would say in his soft voice:
exciting and permanent were the "One wing reached heaven, and
the other touched the earth."
at Denver
wonderful stories he told.
And four small mouths would
My father had a tender affec-
tion for his brother. Uncle's wife
s
had died in an accident less than
a year after their marriage and
ROSH HASHONAH• GREETINGS
he had remained a widower for
the rest of his life.
We would sit about the long
table and listen silently as my
father and Uncle discussed fa•n-
ily problems and world affairs.
Soon the meal would end. We
sat, waiting expectantly. Then
Custom Tailors & Clothiers
Uncle would take his knife and
play with the bread crumbs on
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MAdison 2734
the table cloth, carefully hoeing
them into one line, then another.
Om General Motors Bldg.
"Nu—would you like to hear a
E
Detroit Letqw
National Home
Page 25
ing in his chair. I remembered
the eagerness and wrapt atten-
tion that always greeted Uncle's
offer to tell a story. And even
now, more than 20 years later, I
was still as anxious as ever to
hear one of his stories, and that
wonderful feeling of anticipation
was being reborn within me.
• • •
YET DAVEY was restless. He
was twisting his small body with
obvious annoyance. Uncle look-
ed at my little son and there was
puzzlement in his soft eyes.
I glared at Davey. He caught
my silent rebuke and stiffened in
his chair.
"Uncle is going to tell you a
story," my wife said, smiling
down at him. She ran her fingers
through his littel brown ringlets.
But he refused to nestle back in
the crook of her arm, as he al-
ways did.
Uncle looked at Davey and still
there was puzzlement in his eyes.
"Nu—would you like to hear a
story?"
Davey hesitated for a fraction
of a second, then nodded his
curly head.
Uncle smiled. His smile was
(Continued on Page 32)
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GREETINGS FROM —
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3263 Elmhurst Avenue
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FOR A HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS
New Year
NEW YEAR
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