Weekly Expressions #5 ~ BK

(Author’s note -- I had come up with my basic plot for this but still didn’t have reasons why. Then I read my daily email from chabad.org with my ‘Today in Jewish History” email and it all just fell together! Hope you enjoy!)

Today in Jewish History

Today is: Shabbat, Cheshvan 15, 5774 · October 19, 2013

• Kristallnacht (1938)

On this night in 1938 and continuing into the next day -- November 9 on the secular calendar -- the Nazis coordinated vicious pogroms against the Jewish community of Germany. Encouraged by their leaders, rioters attacked and beat Jewish residents, burned and destroyed 267 synagogues, vandalized 7,500 Jewish businesses, and ransacked countless Jewish cemeteries, hospitals, schools, and homes, while police and firefighters stood by. Ninety-one Jews were killed and 20,000 others were deported to concentration camps.

These pogroms, which collectively came to be known as Kristallnacht (“night of broken glass,” referring to the thousands of windows that were broken) were a turning point after which Nazi anti-Jewish policy intensified.

Rumors were intensifying. Gerhard’s father hit his fork on plate with so much force, Gerhard thought it would break. Anger boiled inside his father’s spirit and it was spilling over into his actions. His mother sat opposite of his father, quietly eating her meal. She was more peaceful than his father but he knew fear had gripped her soul just as it had gripped his and his father’s. Gerhard could not take the silence any longer. He threw his fork down, unable to to hold his tongue any longer. His mother jumped at the sound of his fork hitting the table. His father looked up, annoyed at the interruption.

“We should go to America now, while we still can.”

His mother’s eyes widened and she quickly went back to her meal. His father chose to ignore his remark.

“Father?” Gerhard insisted.

“You know my answer. It would be wise to drop it now while you still can.” He took another bite of his potatoes and washed it down with water.

“And it would be wise for us to leave now as well! Or are you that ignorant of what is going on out there?” Gerhard’s tone rose as he pointed to the front door.

His father curled his fists together as he looked up with rage. “What did you call me?” He growled as he stood to his feet.

His mother hid her face with her hand.

They had had this conversation only once before. Gerhard had learned about America in school and ever since then, it had latched onto his heart. But his parents, his father per say, were quite against the thought of leaving all they had. A stable home and work. To go to a new country, learn a new language and start from nothing. Perhaps it was Gerhard’s youth that made this desire so bold.

Gerhard stood to his feet, matching his father’s height. “I am tired of hiding my fear! The German’s hate us, you know it as well as I. It is only a matter of time before they finally act on that hatred.”

“WE are German!” His father beat his chest. “They would not hurt their own.”

“No, we are Jews. And that now automatically sets us aside from our nationality.”

“Those are campfire stories, son. Conspiracy theories that we will never see play out. Now sit down!” He spat out those last words.

Gerhard knew he had gone too far with this little outburst. He was almost eighteen. Almost old enough to make his own choices. Three months was too long to wait.

He obeyed and sat down, still unable to eat.

Dinner was cleaned up and Gerhard excused himself to his room. He lay on his bed, arms behind his head, unable to sleep. Just think.

A tap at his window brought him from his thoughts. He swung his legs over the side of his bed and knelt beside the window. He smiled as he saw Marta’s smiling face. He quietly opened the window and kissed her cheek.

“Hello, Marta.” He whispered.

“Hello, Gerhard Braus.” She giggled.

“What do I owe this most unexpected visit?”

She shrugged her shoulders. “Papa is talking about the German’s again and how they want to send us away.” Her father was the one who filled his head with these so called “conspiracy theories”.

Her smile faded and a sadness filled her face. “Papa is thinking about leaving Germany.”

“What?” He nearly yelled it and quickly looked over his shoulder. No sound came from outside his door. His parents were not supportive of his relationship with Marta, unlike her parents who loved to have him over. “You cannot leave.”

“I do not want to but if Papa says we leave then that is what I must do. Oh, Gerhard!” She wrapped her arms around his neck.

The emotions of the moment welled up in his eyes but he would not let one tear fall. He had to be strong.

“I am not eightteen yet, Marta. I...I just cannot...Ugh.”He released her and sat back on his floor. Frustration, anger and fear all boiled into one emotion raged inside him. He loved Marta. He spent his nights wondering how he would propose to her, how he would ask her father for her hand. Where he would go to school so that he could support her. How they could spend the rest of their lives together and now, a single fear was tearing them apart.

“Your father?” She asked.

“Still adamant that we are not to leave. Is there anyway you would wait three months tilI can join?”

She shook her head. “No, Papa is already packing up our home. Only enough to travel. Tomorrow he is going to sell the rest to help with our travel tickets. America here we come!” She tried to sound enthusiastic about leaving. He knew that deep down in her heart she was more excited than she could show in this sorrowful moment. He nodded, understanding.

“Well, I will just join you as soon as I possibly can.”

The next couple weeks dragged on and on. Gerhard had sold his favorite jacket in order to pay for his travel papers. He wanted to be completely prepared to leave as soon as he turned eighteen. Tomorrow was the day Marta and her family were leaving and his heart felt like it was breaking. He was so fearful that something would happen between now and when he was able to leave.

After an hour of laying in bed considering all the worst outcomes, sleep finally came to him. Noises of chaos intruded his sleep and he felt himself being shaken awake. He opened his eyes and was startled. His father was shaking him. Blood ran down the side of his father’s head.

“Get up, boy!” He yelled. He picked Gerhard up by his shoulders. “You were right. I am sorry I was such a blind fool. You must leave. Take this.” He shoved a small bag into Gerhard’s hand. “Be careful.” He kissed Gerhard’s forehead.

The sound of fists beating against their front door and rocks flying and shattering the windows.

He heard his mother shriek after the door was broken down. His father ran into the other room. Gerhard began to climb out of his window. Fear seized him but adrenaline coursed through his body. As he listened to his father fight intruders, Gerhard forced himself out the window. He reached back in and grabbed his secret stash of money and travel papers out from under his pillow.

He ran as fast as he could .He did not dare to stop. He ran and ran until he had reached Marta’s home. He was too late. He walked in the already broken down door. Shards of glass littered the rooms. He ran through her home, mortified by the possibility that something tragic lay in waiting for him in the next room. But finally he had run through the entire home and no one was to be found. In a way, he was extremely thankful. The Germans had done a number of damages to the home. What would they have done if Marta and her family were there? He thought back to his mother’s screams as he was escaping out his window.

He walked back into Marta’s room and sank on her bed. What would he do now? Where would he go? She was all he had left.

He laid his head on her pillow feeling hopeless. His head fell on something. He reached his hand back and pulled a folded piece of paper away. He opened it and hope filled his heart.

Gerhard,

I do hope you read this. My father heard about the attack and quickly made us leave. We are headed to the train station. I do hope you see this and follow. I do not want to lose you!

I love you!

Love,

Marta

P.S. Please find me!

Gerhard stuffed the note into his pocket and ran out the door. He ran past a bicycle and stopped. That would be faster than running by foot.

He made it to the train station within minutes. He ran up the steps after abandoning the bicycle on the street. The station was packed with bodies. Everyone was terrified and confused. He ran up the steps to the top level of the station and stopped short before the hallway. He could hear Officer’s speaking and their words sent a chill down Gerhard’s spine.

No Jew was leaving this building alive. He continued up the steps to face the German. He wasn’t thinking. He was acting on impulse.

The guard turned around and eyed him suspiciously. The man behind him turned around and left. His name read Albrecht. It was german enough. He looked around and took the officer by the arm and led him deeper into the dark hallway. The man was questioning him but he ignored him. He opened the nearest door and found a bathroom. He pushed the German in and bashed his head against the wall.

He fell to the floor unconscious. Gerhard had stripped the officer down and replaced his clothes with the german uniform. He was now Gerhard Albrecht. He prayed this plan would work. He needed to live if he was to find her and he needed to get her out alive as well. He made sure he looked alright before he walked out of the hallway. He ran to the balcony and scanned the large crowd of people.

For a minute he thought it was hopeless. He would never find her.

And then he saw her! Off to the side of the room, sheltered against the wall by her father and mother. He ran down the steps two by two and pushed his way through the crowd.

“MARTA!” He yelled out over the noise.

He finally made it next to her father who looked down on him and relief swept over his face. He patted him on the back as he stepped aside. Gerhard rushed into Marta’s embrace. He could feel her silent sobs shake her body. He buried his face into her neck, taking in the sweet aroma of her hair. He could never be parted from her.

He felt her father’s hand on his shoulder .He faced him. A tear fell down the intimidating man’s face. “Get her out of here, Gerhard. Get her out of Germany. Take her to America.”  He handed Gerhard his wallet and pulled Marta into one last embrace. Marta hugged her mother as they both sobbed uncontrollably. Both knew this would be the last they would see of one another.

Regrettably, Gerhard knew they had to leave. He hugged her parents goodbye and pulled her away through the crowd.

They made it to the front door, guarded by several military men. They eyed his uniform suspiciously as they looked from him to Marta.         

“Who is she?” One asked.

“I am Gerhard Albrecht, and this is my wife, Marta.”

“Why are you here?”

“In all the chaos of the night she went to check on her parents who are old and senile. They had fled their home. She thought they would be here but we have yet to find them.”

They appeared to have bought his story. “Hurry up. You don’t want to be caught in here in the next few minutes.” Gerhard thanked them and quickly pulled her away. They ran across the street and didn’t stop running until he heard the first shot. He immediately dropped to his knees and pulled her down. He wrapped his arms around her head and covered her ears.

He wanted to shield her from the sound of the continuing shots that echoed in the night sky. Her body shook violently from her wails that were drowned out from the shots.

He hoped that she could not hear the screams that drifted from the train station and reached his ears.

Finally the sounds stopped and left an eerie silence like a gaping hole in his heart. He let her  calm down before picking her back up and pulling her away.

~~

The sun was beginning to peek through the mountains as they climbed through. A german officer discovered Gerhard’s true identity. Gerhard sighed in relief as the officer looked the other way and gave them advice. It would be easier to travel through the small mountain pass beside their town. No german patrols would find them out. And so far, his words spoke true. Morning was now here and both he and Marta were exhausted, mentally and physically. He didn’t even want to think about the hunger that felt like it was tearing apart his stomach. It would take a long while for both of them to recover from last night.

The pass was becoming rocky, with huge boulders lying about. He stopped short and fell on his behind as a foot wide gaping hole was before them. Marta gasped as she held on to his arm tightly. He stood back up and quickly placed his other foot on the other side, standing above the hole. He took Marta in his arms and in that exact moment the sunrise beamed through the cracks of the mountains. For the moment, Marta and Gerhard were motionless, taking in the breathtaking colors of the sunrise. The beauty of the moment distracted them from the sorrow that had plagued their hearts all night long. Every aching step now washed away in the palette of color.

He looked down at her smiling face and could not help but smile back. He kissed her then.

The kiss was more amazing and passionate than he had ever dreamed it would be. He never would have dreamed his first kiss would be like this. But he never dreamed it would be as beautiful as this moment.

Hope filled his heart. They would make it safely through the pass and with the combined money from his and Marta’s fathers, they would make it to America and start fresh. They would escape this evil.

They would live.

Praise Yahweh for his unending mercy!