'...That we are trying our best
To be nice, that’s all'...'
27.7.24
Every night when I say goodnight to mum, she blesses ‘the little Jewish children that live in Israel’. I never understood why this thought, set deeply in her mind, was so important to her. Now I'm understanding why.
After the terrible war she and dad started making plans to leave the misery of anti-Semitic Europe so that their small family of three - mum, dad and baby Celina - could make a fresh start in another land.
It was 1947, and dad was still eager to follow his sister Madja and brother Stasiek to Palestine, but mum thought otherwise.
In her memoirs, she explains:
I wouldn’t say that I didn’t want to go to Palestine, but I preferred to go to a different country - not a Jewish one - so that I would be far away from the troubles and hatred that always seemed to follow my people.
Australia became her refuge; it felt far enough and safe enough.
The decades passed and she became stronger and the deep wounds inside, caused by her war experiences, healed. Australia nurtured her. She was no longer wary of ‘that land full of Jews’ - Israel - but slowly came to love the country. She was proud when Ronny and I moved there, knowing life wouldn’t be easy.
She knew it was a hard land, full of struggles and continuing war, yet also full of energy, strength and hope.
Six of her grandchildren were born and are growing up there. ‘The little Jewish children’ as she proudly calls them.
Mum’s unaware of the terrible war now raging in her precious Israel. People are leaving because they worry about their kids’ future. Maybe some of her family will also leave if things get worse. I know if she was 30 years younger — my age — she would be fighting for her little country’s survival, in some way.
Mum is also unaware of how much Australia has changed, especially in the past 10 months, since 7.10.2023. Jew hatred has exploded and most Ozzie Jews are struggling.
I am reminded of her description on first arriving by ship to Australia on the 9th of January 1949:
The Australian people were so friendly and Australia felt so safe compared with the three years we had lived in Germany in the shadow of terror.
That was 75 years ago. I wish we could flip back to those innocent years.
I am wistfully relieved that Mum has no idea that Australia, once her refuge, no longer feels safe for us (Gen 2), our children and grandchildren.
‘....Thanks God, that we are having our little Jewish children…who will be able to live in Israel…’
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