Another year

We had a wonderful start of Passover with three of our five grandchildren; the other two were with their other grandparents. Every year we conduct the same Sedarim using the same text and singing the same melodies with the same core group. But no two years are ever completely alike, particularly with young children who can change so much in one year’s time.

The first night went especially well: Joshua and Ella read a lot of the Seder, with Ella adding many commentaries she had learned in school. Even Julia had a good time – she surprised us all by staying awake and quite engaged until past 10 pm! Dina had invited friends for lunch each of the days so we were surrounded by children running around and having a great time. The second Seder was quieter, and Julia went to sleep long before we even got started.

We are in the process of trying to clean up the cooperative apartment that Barry’s parents (may they rest in peace) had owned. They had wood dining room and bedroom furniture that, although old, was in excellent condition and we wanted to keep. Yesterday it was all moved over to our house, so rooms that seemed somewhat under-furnished no longer appear so. Of course it is extremely dusty but the woman who cleans for us will be here tomorrow and I do not feel guilty giving her all that “extra” work since most weeks the house is nearly pristine with just the two of us here. There are now only a few pieces of furniture, made by Barry’s grandfather years ago when he worked as an upholsterer, sitting in our garage waiting for Barry’s cousin to pick up. Lastly, we have (hopefully) identified someone to take the old piano, now sitting in the kitchen of the apartment while the hardwood floors are being refinished.

Thanks to my friend Joanne for sending a link to a recently released documentary that we have not yet seen: “Persona Non Grata.” The film tells the story of Chiune Sugihara, a Japanese consul in Lithuania who issued travel visas to thousands of European Jews allowing them to leave Europe through Japan. In 1985, the Israel Holocaust Memorial Authority, Yad Vashem, named him one of the “Righteous Among the Nations.”  We will keep our eyes open for a chance to see what looks like a fascinating film.

How my grandmother’s chutzpah helped Japan’s consul save thousands of Jews: The story of Rachel Sternheim may answer a long-unsolved mystery surrounding the rescue of 6,000 Lithuanian Jews from the Nazis

Hopefully the weather will continue to improve and we are even talking about going to a Mets game next Sunday afternoon!

Love,

Rebecca