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JEWISH
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Contemplating
Past And Present
Parshat Vayechi: Genesis 47:28-
50:26; I Kings 2:1-2:12.
L
ast June, I visited the
had taken the opportunity to
small city of Preili,
leave Europe when he did.
Latvia, and stood
\
Were it not for his courage
frj
in leaving his home, none
facing a monument to
the victims of a massacre
tit/It;
of the history of our fam-
ily in America would have
perpetrated by the Nazis in
-yr \
August 1941.
taken place, and my family's
My family had learned
life of freedom and comfort
only a few months before
would never have occurred.
I thanked my grandfather
that my grandfather's broth-
er and his entire family had
and I thanked God for having
been victims of this mas-
received this blessing I did
sacre and that their names
nothing to earn.
were inscribed on this monument. Until
In this week's Torah portion, we read
we had discovered this information, we
of the death of Jacob. Joseph and his
had no idea of the names of these fam-
brothers return to Canaan from Egypt
ily members or of their fate.
to bury their father.
For many years, I had wanted to
There is a legend that while on the
travel to Latvia to visit Daugavpils
journey back to Egypt, Joseph turned
(D'vinsk), the city in which my grandfa- aside and stood at the edge of the pit
ther was born and that he left to come
into which the brothers had thrown
to America. However, I never expected
him years before. While he stared at the
the journey would
pit, the brothers could
only imagine that he
include a visit to a
memorial of this
.s-1/ .
was plotting revenge.
iCf rre5). 6"//1
kind a few miles
fa, .s
They pleaded with
••
away.
Joseph not to be venge-
As I stood at the
ful, claiming that this
monument in mem-
was their father's dying
wish.
ory of the victims,
two completely
In fact, says the
different thoughts
legend,
Joseph had no
MAN ACU PRIEKSA
came to mind.
such plans when visit-
VISU NOSLEPKAVOTO SEJAS.
UN UEKAS VINI RAUD."
The first was the
ing the pit. Instead, he
HO SEWS GRAWAS DIENASGRAH
IIErTENES. KURU SETT KORA AR
was saying a prayer of
thought of what
MUSA 1941. DADA 9. AUGUSTA
the victims of this
thanks to God for hav-
"...THE FACES OF ALL EXECUTED
i ng brought him out of
massacre must
APPEAR BEFORE MY EYES.
IT SEEMS THEY ARE CRYING."
have endured dur-
the pit and brought him
FROM SHEIKA GRAYS DIARY WHO WAS sHr
ing that unspeak-
3 the blessings of his life.
HERE WIN HER FAH .Y ON AUGUST 9. 194
ably horrible time.
>4 We are fortunate
A portion of the Holocaust
While of course
if we can return to a
these thoughts arise memorial in Preili, Latvia
place in which we faced
whenever we think
struggles or difficulties
about the Shoah, they now were more
and realize how wonderful our lives
personal to me.
have become since that time. We are
In addition, I realized how terribly sad infinitely more fortunate if we never
it was that it took 70 years for a member
experienced those struggles or difficul-
of our family to learn of the massacre,
ties but know how close we came.
visit the spot and say memorial prayers
As I stood at the monument in Preili,
for our family members. As I stood
I realized, through my tears, the bless-
there, I sensed the impact of the family
ing of freedom and security that I had
history we had learned and mourned the been granted and for which I could
part of the family that had been lost.
never be thankful enough.
Then, I felt the need to say a prayer
Robert Dobrusin is a rabbi at Beth Israel
of thanks that came from deep within
Congregation in Ann Arbor.
my heart and soul that my grandfather
-
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Conversations
• How do you relate to the legend about Joseph returning to the pit?
• Have you, or someone you know, had a similar experience of returning
to a place of pain that has been left behind?
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December 12 • 2013
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