Saturday, February 25, 2012

Dov Ber -Go Viter!
We too have been charged...

For Chanukah my kids gave me the book, Out of the Depths:The Story of a Child of Buchenwald who Returned Home At Last. By Chief Rabbi Israel Meir Lau.  The last paragraph of the book repeated the theme that appeared throughout-the continuation of the Jewish people.

I came to Lakewood for the pidyon haben of my grandson, Dov Ber. (See picture) He was redeemed as commanded in the Torah.

Upon completing the Memoirs of Chief Rabbi Israel Meir Lau who emerged like a phoenix from the ashes of Buchenwald concentration camp, it seemed so right to be here with my children, and newest grandchild and my son in law's extended family (only) 40 of which were present at the seudah, the meal which accompanies the redemption ceremony; a real-life-time tangible continuation of the budding remnant of our people. As Rabbi Lau points out (quoting Mayor Ed Koch) that even those who did not experience the Holocaust were redeemed because had we been in Europe during the war, we would surely experience / witness its horrors. and even if we would have survived our psyches would surely have been wounded and filled with images too strong too forget. And although Rabbi Lau was only 8 years old upon liberation from Buchenwald, he and his brother Naphtali were charged by their father with the continuation of the family (Rabbinic) line.

I too feel so charged, and thank G-d have been blessed with 4 grandchildren  ...so far. As Rabbi Lau also points out while quoting an army offcer - Jews can only move forward. Go Viter..!

Amein!    

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