Misha when he took this tone. The discussion was
over. “Yes, Misha, I will stay busy getting ready.”
The day he was
leaving Catherine had given him a small package. “These are a few toys for a
child his age and a book you can read to him on the ship, Misha. Travel safely
and bring our son back to me.”
Rebekah’s letters
had filled him in on all that was going on in her and Misha’s life. Of course
every time she called him “Samuel,” Misha would grimace and remind himself that
as soon as he got hold of him, he would be “Misha.”
It appeared that
both Rebekah and little Misha had adjusted well to life in America. It did not
surprise him that Rebekah was becoming successful as a seamstress. She was a
very creative, intelligent person. This, coupled with her natural independence
and straight-forwardness, would take her far in any endeavor. Her beauty, he
knew, would also open doors for her. Misha read all about the nice widow who
had opened her home to her and Samuel. He knew exactly where they lived.
From the two
letters of Rachael’s that his soldier had intercepted, Misha learned more about
Jacob’s store, Jacob’s involvement in the synagogue and the close relationship
between Rachael’s family and Rebekah. Once he got there, he would spend some
time watching all of them and learning their habits. He leaned back and relaxed.
There was no doubt in his mind that Misha would soon be his.
CHAPTER 16
March 1914
Jacob sat quietly
on the pulpit, or bema , as it was called in the synagogue. He always
enjoyed the connection he felt with God while sitting in this holy place. For
him it was a time of reflection. He was very grateful for all his success in
America, and he knew it was because of God’s will. Sitting on the bema was an honor
bestowed on those who gave of their time, and often money, to the synagogue. Jacob
had been instrumental in helping the synagogue grow. He also helped newly-immigrated
families by giving them fabrics and sewing notions for making clothes for their
new life in America. It was a part of Jacob’s makeup to want to do good for
people. In the old country, the religious or observant Jews wore what were
called tzitsi . This was a fringed shawl men wore under their shirts,
with knots along the bottom that hung out. These knots represented the number
of mitzvahs, or good deeds, one was supposed to do. “Remember,” Jacob used to
tell the children, “You don’t have to be wearing a tzitsi to perform a
mitzvah. Every day you should try to perform one.” And he practiced what he
preached. Sometimes at dinner one of the children would share a mitzvah they
had performed that day. One evening Leah declared, “I did two mitzvahs today. A
boy knocked my friend Ruth down on purpose and all her books went flying. I
helped her pick everything up.”
“That was very nice,” Rachael
interjected. “What was the second mitzvah?”
“I pushed the boy down
and grabbed his books. I told him I wouldn’t throw them around, but if he did
anything like this again, he would have to answer to Sollie. I taught him a
lesson.”
Everybody at the table
laughed. “Very good, Leah,” Jacob said smiling. “I hope Sollie is up to the
task.”
The service hadn’t
started yet, and as he looked around the congregation Jacob noticed a tall
gentleman taking a seat in the very back. “He looks awfully familiar to me,” Jacob
thought. When the man looked up, Jacob noticed his very light eyes. Then he
took off his hat, and revealed a mass of straight blond hair.
“Doesn’t look Jewish to
me,” Jacob thought. Halfway through the service Jacob heard the familiar
squeak of the door saw the gentleman get up and leave.
When the service was
over, Jacob chatted a while with some men and then
over. “Yes, Misha, I will stay busy getting ready.”
The day he was
leaving Catherine had given him a small package. “These are a few toys for a
child his age and a book you can read to him on the ship, Misha. Travel safely
and bring our son back to me.”
Rebekah’s letters
had filled him in on all that was going on in her and Misha’s life. Of course
every time she called him “Samuel,” Misha would grimace and remind himself that
as soon as he got hold of him, he would be “Misha.”
It appeared that
both Rebekah and little Misha had adjusted well to life in America. It did not
surprise him that Rebekah was becoming successful as a seamstress. She was a
very creative, intelligent person. This, coupled with her natural independence
and straight-forwardness, would take her far in any endeavor. Her beauty, he
knew, would also open doors for her. Misha read all about the nice widow who
had opened her home to her and Samuel. He knew exactly where they lived.
From the two
letters of Rachael’s that his soldier had intercepted, Misha learned more about
Jacob’s store, Jacob’s involvement in the synagogue and the close relationship
between Rachael’s family and Rebekah. Once he got there, he would spend some
time watching all of them and learning their habits. He leaned back and relaxed.
There was no doubt in his mind that Misha would soon be his.
CHAPTER 16
March 1914
Jacob sat quietly
on the pulpit, or bema , as it was called in the synagogue. He always
enjoyed the connection he felt with God while sitting in this holy place. For
him it was a time of reflection. He was very grateful for all his success in
America, and he knew it was because of God’s will. Sitting on the bema was an honor
bestowed on those who gave of their time, and often money, to the synagogue. Jacob
had been instrumental in helping the synagogue grow. He also helped newly-immigrated
families by giving them fabrics and sewing notions for making clothes for their
new life in America. It was a part of Jacob’s makeup to want to do good for
people. In the old country, the religious or observant Jews wore what were
called tzitsi . This was a fringed shawl men wore under their shirts,
with knots along the bottom that hung out. These knots represented the number
of mitzvahs, or good deeds, one was supposed to do. “Remember,” Jacob used to
tell the children, “You don’t have to be wearing a tzitsi to perform a
mitzvah. Every day you should try to perform one.” And he practiced what he
preached. Sometimes at dinner one of the children would share a mitzvah they
had performed that day. One evening Leah declared, “I did two mitzvahs today. A
boy knocked my friend Ruth down on purpose and all her books went flying. I
helped her pick everything up.”
“That was very nice,” Rachael
interjected. “What was the second mitzvah?”
“I pushed the boy down
and grabbed his books. I told him I wouldn’t throw them around, but if he did
anything like this again, he would have to answer to Sollie. I taught him a
lesson.”
Everybody at the table
laughed. “Very good, Leah,” Jacob said smiling. “I hope Sollie is up to the
task.”
The service hadn’t
started yet, and as he looked around the congregation Jacob noticed a tall
gentleman taking a seat in the very back. “He looks awfully familiar to me,” Jacob
thought. When the man looked up, Jacob noticed his very light eyes. Then he
took off his hat, and revealed a mass of straight blond hair.
“Doesn’t look Jewish to
me,” Jacob thought. Halfway through the service Jacob heard the familiar
squeak of the door saw the gentleman get up and leave.
When the service was
over, Jacob chatted a while with some men and then
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