SPECIAL COMMENTARY

IDoad
4460 Orchard I —ake —

'A Celebration Of Freedom

West Bloomfield, MI 48323

phone: 248.683.1010

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some of whom I knew or had heard
midst the nostalgic sight
about.
this year of the filled-to-the-
Walking around the little apart-
rim Elijah's cup, the sweet
ment as if in a deep trance during
sound of the youngest child
these harrowing days in 1961, I still
asking the four questions and the spir-
had my infant son, Gilead, who
ited singing of the beautiful hymns
forced me to face reality every now
from the Haggadah, another seder
and then.
comes to mind under
Jerusalem was swamped
entirely different circum-
with journalists from all
stances.
over the world to cover
It was exactly 40 years
\_
the sensation of a Nazi
ago on seder night that
war criminal kidnapped
the Warsaw Ghetto
and brought to justice by
uprising erupted, the
his former victims or in
ultimate in human strug-
their name. One day, a
gle for freedom and dig-
journalist wandered into
nity. But unlike the
our neighborhood, an
Hebrews under the great
earshot from Yad Vashem,
leadership of Moses, the
the famous memorial to
heroic figures of the War-
the Holocaust, and
\
,--->saw Ghetto could not
watched me hanging wet
hope for freedom or even
diapers on our front-
RACHEL CANAAN
for mere survival. For
porch clothesline. He
KAPEN
them, the redemption of
shouted questions at me
Sp ecial to
Jewish honor and dignity
about my reactions to the
The Jewish News
— even in death — was
trial.
a good enough cause to
I asked him to come
fight to the bitter end.
up and told him about
I was 4 years old when it all hap-
the family album and all the rela-
p,ened, growing up in far-away Eretz
tives whom I never knew who were
Yisroel — the Land of Israel — where
murdered, how only now I was
Hitler's murderous clutches did not
beginning to realize it really did
reach. However, it seems to me that
happen. He was visibly moved and
awareness of the Shoah was an integral
thanked me.
part of me since I can remember.
I repeated the story 22 years
There were all those faces staring at
later to my friend,
me from my mother's
Professor Walter Renn
family album, mur.:
of Wheeling College.
dered by Hitler as my
He was also moved
mother used to tell me
and asked to see the
again and again while
album. I told him it .
wiping away a tear.
was still in Israel with
Even so, it was not
my elderly mother,
until I was an adult, a
her only reminder of
wife and mother did
the beloved family she
finally realize what a
left behind in 1921
shattering experience it
when she went to
was.
Eretz Yisroel. It is
It was 1961 and we
actually the only
were living in
memorial to them.
Jerusalem. For hours on end, I was
He urged me to write their story,
glued to the radio, listening to every
but I rejected the idea at first. I
word of the Eichmann trial.
thought it would be too personal and
One after the other, witnesses
painful and I didn't know whether I'd
recounted the horrors to which they
find the right words to express my
were subjected by this man, who sat
feelings.
there expressionless in the bulletproof
The following night, at the seder
glass booth.
table, we all said in unison: "In every
These were everyday people like
generation, a person should regard
me, like my father and mother,
himself as if he personally came out of
Israelis, Americans, Europeans, who
Egypt."
spoke in Hebrew, Yiddish and other
I knew then that I had to write. For
languages. These were real people,
all the beautiful people in my family

The lessons
of the
Exodus are
invigorating.

Rachel Canaan Kapen is an Israeli
native now living in West Bloomfield.

album, for all the six million who can-
not. Li

Assisted 1k/in +

with catered

services

Studios and suites with private baths
Three well planned daily meals
Emergency call systems
Housekeeping and linen services
Round the clock staffing
Licensed Nurses 24 Hours Daily
Personal care assistance
Medical supervision
Spa with pool and exercise room
Scheduled activities
Game room
Library
Hair salon
Sundries shop
Transportation
Valet parking for residents

in beautiful surroundinqs

created especially

for olcler adults.

TOURS AVAILABLE DAILY

call 248.683.1010

.

I'd like my Sarah to`eve
home, but I don't know if I can
"
011
keep this up MU

"

,

The Jewish Community
Adult Day Care Program can help.

Older adults with Alzheimer's disease
and related disorders will benefit from:
• A safe, caring environment
• Therapeutic activities and socializing
• Personal care and health monitoring

• Kosher meals and snacks
Family members will receive respite and
support.

For information, call Peter Ostrow, (248) 559-5000

Locations: Opening soon: Rose and Sidney Diem BuildingjewishVocational Service,
29699 Southfield Road,Southfield.Opening late 1999: Peter and Dorothy Brown
Center, Jewish Home andAging Services,6710W. Maple Road,West Bloomfield

A program of the Jewish Home andAging Services and JewishVocational Service, in
collaboration with the Detroit Medical Center and theAlzheimer's Association-Detroit

Area Chapter.

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Detroit Jewish News

3/26
1999

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