Rosh Hashanah in the Killing Fields
On the evening of Sunday, September 20, Jews worldwide will gather in homes and houses of prayer to usher in the Jewish New Year, called Rosh Hashanah; literally the beginning of the year. The holiday is marked by prayer, the blowing of a ram's horn, called a Shofar, and the dipping of an apple in honey, symbolic of wishes for a sweet year. A festive meal includes kosher chicken and wine, making it a special day. This day is also known as a holy day for it is a day considered by Jews as a day for repentance, an auspicious time to make new resolutions.
This Jewish New Year I hope and pray that many of my Jewish brothers and sisters will find time to attend a Rosh Hashanah service, giving thanks to Almighty G‑d and to this great country where we can pray freely in our houses of worship.
Living in a free country where we can practice religion of our choice is one of our greatest assets. However, I am reminded of the times when this could not be done, when Jews would have to hide their religion in order to practice. Let me share a sad story I heard whilst growing up with post World War II refugees in Brooklyn, New York, New York. My teacher, a survivor, would tell us this most horrifying story.
In a small shtetl called Eisysky over 4,000 Jews gathered around their synagogue. There they met their Lithuanian neighbors who had joined the German tyrants in carrying out the Final Solution eradication of the Jewish presence in that area. The day was the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, September 1941.
Drunken Lithuanian guards packed the synagogue with as many Jews as possible. Families stood in fear as the guards formed groups. You could see a mother, father, son, daughter, grandson, granddaughter, and even some great grandchildren all huddled together. The groups were taken to open ditches near the Jewish cemetery and killed. Stripped of their clothing and standing naked at the end of the ditches, the Lithuanian guards took their time in shooting indiscriminately killing generations of people ending the 800 years of Jewish existence for the town of Eisysky.
Local neighbors, some of who had been friends of the unfortunate Jews, were caught up in the wholesale slaughtering of the pure and innocent. Some cheered while others robbed the homes of the unfortunate Jews. Yet there were the few that cried inwardly not knowing what do.
The volleys of the rifle shots felled family after family. Bodies of the dying and the dead would be rolled into the pit and soon a fresh group of people would be brought, stripped naked, and shot. Ostrovaks, the diabolic murderer, would dress in a immaculate uniform, covered with a starched white apron and matching gloves. He personally would give the order all day to shoot. When he saw the respected Rabbi Shimon Rovowsky come dressed in his Shabbos clothing together with the town cantor who was wrapped in a Jewish prayer shawl, holding the Torah scrolls, Ostrovaks announced that he must do the killing himself. He took great pleasure in shooting the holy Rabbi, the cantor and then the children. He loved shooting them as they were thrown over into the ditches. It was a strange and horrible time in the killing fields of Eisysky.
On this very sad day a young boy, Zevy, stood naked with his father at an open pit. Any second now the bullet would arrive ending all life. By the mercy of G‑d the sixteen year old Zevy fell into the pit alive. He fell upon a group of dead people not a moment too soon. The bullets rang out and a wave of bodies piled on top of him. Bodies under him were moving up and down in their last death's throes. Cries of anguish and pain were heard all through the night. Poor Zevy was completely surrounded and covered with blood and dead people.
In the middle of the night he cautiously climbed out of the pit dripping from blood, it was awful. The silence of the dead was deafening. As far as he looked were his dead fellow Jews. What had been a vibrant Jewish community, was now gone for ever completely devoid of any Jews. Naked and bloody he began his walk to the end of the Jewish cemetery. There were some good homes of friends. Arriving at a peasant's home he saw to his surprise piles of booty taken from the Jewish homes. Looking through the window he saw how the Lithuanians were eating and drinking his food. What could he do he thought. He banged on the door and yelled let me in Pavel. The door opened and Pavel stood there with his family. At first they were quite frightened but then they quickly slammed the door shut. The window opened and Pavel yelled out "Jew, go back to your grave, there is no hope." Each home refused him entry. Zevy knew that soon he would die from the cold and hunger. The blood was caked all over his body and being naked he had no place to go.
Being at his wit's end he came up with the following plan. At the end of the dark forest lived a very old religious widow. She would pray early in the morning and then would light the candles in the church on a daily basis. He came to the home, arriving at the doorstep looking more dead than alive. He tapped the door gently. The door cracked open and the old Christian lady looked up. He yelled out "I am your lord Jesus Christ. I have come down from the cross. I am in deep pain. See my blood for the sacrifices of the innocent. I must enter your home. I am on a special mission." The frightened superstitious religious widow uttered "Yes my lord." Looking at Zevy's blood-stained feet she quickly covered her eyes, crossed herself and ran to bring a basin of warm water. Incredibly the widow fed him, providing him with warm shelter, food and clothing. Portraying himself as Jesus, Zevy blessed the children, livestock and the household. "Remember," said he, "you must never tell anyone of my secret mission on earth. The Lord's missions are special during these times." It rains outside as Zevy leaves. It seems on this Rosh Hashanah holiday the heavens cry.
In heaven G‑d's ways are confounded. How macabre and eerie the Jew is saved as a suffering Jesus Christ. Zevy, celebrating his sixteenth Rosh Hashanah, eating bread at the home of a Christian. While Ostrovaks and his henchmen feast on kosher food and wine singing and dancing in Jewish homes. Dipping the apples in bowls of honey. Their hands stained with fresh blood from their New Years sacrifice.
On Rosh Hashanah Ill be in synagogue with my congregation. There I will remember the little towns and shtetls that are long gone and forgotten. I will resolve that besides repenting for my misdeeds I will promise to help make this world a better and safer place for all mankind. According to tradition Rosh Hashanah is also the day on which man was created. It would be wonderful if mankind will celebrate by inviting G‑d to enter their hearts. I wish all of mankind a happy birthday.