REB ISRAEL OSHER THE CAP MAKER

Whereas all provide blessings over the schnapps, Mike just isn’t neglected. That is his toast: “Right here is to Hitler. Might he bust this coming 12 months and should even the worms refuse to eat him.”

Mike touches a painful chord. All of the sorrow and grief of our struggling individuals are expressed on the faces of the few current.

Simon Wolff suggests, “Since our president is absent at the moment I would be the host and ask you to drink lechayim to the well being of our rabbi.”

A number of extra drinks and there are dancing, singing, and crying.

The policeman on the nook, conversant in Jewish life, to whom many of the residents of the neighborhood are identified, just isn’t stunned when he sees Simon Wolff staggering backward and forward, singing weepingly, and being helped alongside by Nathan Chavkin, who cries even louder than Wolff.

The policeman remarks, “My Irish mom of blessed reminiscence at all times stated the Jews and the Irish have their kidneys subsequent to their eyes, however by golly solely the Jews can dance and cry on the similar time.”

OLD WORLD

I KNEW THEM

REB ISRAEL OSHER, THE CAP MAKER

HIS white, alabaster face, black beard, and dreamy eyes made you neglect that his palms produced caps. For he reminded you of one in all our sages of previous. After he had fitted his buyer with a cap and stated, “Put on it in good well being,” you felt that God above had joined his blessing.

YEKE, THE TAILOR

On week days he sewed clothes for the peasants who lived close to our little city. Evenings he can be discovered within the synagogue, listening to the dialogue of talmudists, although he himself lacked information of the Talmud. As a matter of truth, he dressed like a talmudist and his Sabbath clothes had been finer than these of our rabbi.

He by no means left the synagogue till the congregation had partaken of his field of snuff.

When a cantor got here to strive for a place, Yeke had his say and his opinion was listened to.

On the Sabbath Day one who met Yeke wouldn’t consider that each one week lengthy he was busy making clothes for peasants.