Page 231 - big friday
P. 231
The immigrants were incensed; they threw potatoes, tomatoes, and bottles – the only
"ammunition" they possessed. Many passengers jumped into the water and tried to reach
the shore. My parents were taken to the island of Cyprus, where they lived for a whole
year. Until, on 5th Iyar, 5708, the camp doctor turned on the radio, ran to my mother
(who had only just become my mother) in the next room, and told her, "Mazal tov!
(Congratulations!) You've borne a daughter for the state!" When I was a month old, my
parents brought me back to Haifa, in a small tin bathtub. This time all the policemen and
stevedores were Jews, and they received the immigrants with great joy. Meantime I've
grown a lot and I have a new, big bathtub."
Chaya, her parents and her younger sister live in a small room, containing a fridge and
kitchen utensils. The room serves as a bedroom and dining-room, but it is pleasant and
decorated with flowers. Chaya's father is handicapped, and her mother works hard. But
the family members share a happy and peaceful atmosphere, each willingly doing what
needs to be done. Chaya is a tidy and pleasant girl; she helps to clean the house and to
wash dishes. At school she helps her teacher, cleans the board, and is sometimes chosen
for duty. She is quiet and graceful, and is always ready to lend a hand to others. Her dream
is to have a nice home with a room of her own. "It was a long and difficult road until our
state was born," says Chaya, "and its early years weren't easy. Meantime I'm young, and I
can't do much. But I want to help the state and to do whatever good I can."
Born with a smile on his face
A broad smile was the first thing I noticed about Yehuda Ezri when I came upon him in
Petach Tikva, and throughout our conversation the smile never left his face. It wasn't a
contrived smile; rather, it was a beaming, warm one. Aliya, his elder sister, confirms this:
"Even when someone hits him, he cries and smiles at the same time…".
It seems that Yehuda was born with a smile on his face. Perhaps he sensed the good news
that his day of birth would bring to the Jewish People. But after the joy of the newborn
state, the Ezri family was beset with many troubles. Yehuda's father was far away, serving
in the army. "We had no money at home with which to hold a circumcision [celebration],"
says Aliya, who takes care of the younger children while her parents are at work. "We
had to postpone Yehuda's circumcision, and we were sad. But then a miracle happened:
Grandmother found a forgotten tin of biscuits, a neighbor brought a bottle of wine, and
the celebration was complete."
F rom earliest childhood Yehuda preferred physical exercise to mental exertion. Today
he's a real sportsman; he excels at physical training and plays a lot of football. When he
returns home from the football field on the Sabbath he gives the family an enthusiastic
account of the details of every game.
T he Ezri family is a large one, and they live in crowded conditions. Two or three
children share a bed, and Yehuda shares his bed with "crotchety" Yoav. Although the two
Other Perspectives 229
"ammunition" they possessed. Many passengers jumped into the water and tried to reach
the shore. My parents were taken to the island of Cyprus, where they lived for a whole
year. Until, on 5th Iyar, 5708, the camp doctor turned on the radio, ran to my mother
(who had only just become my mother) in the next room, and told her, "Mazal tov!
(Congratulations!) You've borne a daughter for the state!" When I was a month old, my
parents brought me back to Haifa, in a small tin bathtub. This time all the policemen and
stevedores were Jews, and they received the immigrants with great joy. Meantime I've
grown a lot and I have a new, big bathtub."
Chaya, her parents and her younger sister live in a small room, containing a fridge and
kitchen utensils. The room serves as a bedroom and dining-room, but it is pleasant and
decorated with flowers. Chaya's father is handicapped, and her mother works hard. But
the family members share a happy and peaceful atmosphere, each willingly doing what
needs to be done. Chaya is a tidy and pleasant girl; she helps to clean the house and to
wash dishes. At school she helps her teacher, cleans the board, and is sometimes chosen
for duty. She is quiet and graceful, and is always ready to lend a hand to others. Her dream
is to have a nice home with a room of her own. "It was a long and difficult road until our
state was born," says Chaya, "and its early years weren't easy. Meantime I'm young, and I
can't do much. But I want to help the state and to do whatever good I can."
Born with a smile on his face
A broad smile was the first thing I noticed about Yehuda Ezri when I came upon him in
Petach Tikva, and throughout our conversation the smile never left his face. It wasn't a
contrived smile; rather, it was a beaming, warm one. Aliya, his elder sister, confirms this:
"Even when someone hits him, he cries and smiles at the same time…".
It seems that Yehuda was born with a smile on his face. Perhaps he sensed the good news
that his day of birth would bring to the Jewish People. But after the joy of the newborn
state, the Ezri family was beset with many troubles. Yehuda's father was far away, serving
in the army. "We had no money at home with which to hold a circumcision [celebration],"
says Aliya, who takes care of the younger children while her parents are at work. "We
had to postpone Yehuda's circumcision, and we were sad. But then a miracle happened:
Grandmother found a forgotten tin of biscuits, a neighbor brought a bottle of wine, and
the celebration was complete."
F rom earliest childhood Yehuda preferred physical exercise to mental exertion. Today
he's a real sportsman; he excels at physical training and plays a lot of football. When he
returns home from the football field on the Sabbath he gives the family an enthusiastic
account of the details of every game.
T he Ezri family is a large one, and they live in crowded conditions. Two or three
children share a bed, and Yehuda shares his bed with "crotchety" Yoav. Although the two
Other Perspectives 229
