STORY
Leslie Epstein
A DECISION FOR THE JUDENRAT
Tha t summer there were more fli es than usual in the Suburb
of the Balut. T hey dropped, fin gernail-sized, into the tin bow ls of soup.
They banged like hailstones against the sides of the excrement wagons.
How awful it was when they whirl ed over the Ghetto in cl ouds,
touching down now and then like torn ados, making a roaring sound.
"And there came a grievous swarm of fli es," said Rabbi Wolf-Kitzes,
quoting his text by heart. H e tho ught the J ews were suffering the seven
plagues . But the other rabbi s answered him calml y. "The war is going
to end in a few mon ths," said T runk, of the Devout Butchers. " In
November. " This is how such true-beli evers reckoned: the new Hebrew
year, which fell in November, would be 5702; and was no t 5702 the
numerical value of the Hebrew phrase,
th e Sabbat h brin gs with it
peace?
Meanwhil e, in 194 1, the fli es hung in the air, like spots in front
of a sick man 's eyes, like ashes, like dust.
Because of these buzzing insects the windows of the Chancell ory,
Dworska Number 20, had to be shut, in spite of the hea t of the day.
Inside, the Judenra t members also were certain the war would soon
end. Not on account of the New Year, but because Russia was at las t in
the war.
It
was to celebrate tha t event tha t the Council , before the start
of its regul ar meetin g, was h av ing a p arty of sorts. Of course Sch ou er,
the humori st, had been invited . There was creamed herring and, in
wine gl asses, real purpl e wine. Popower, once a waiter, was speaking:
"Listen ! H orowitz has gone crazy! H e thinks he's Napoleon now !
That's why he invaded Russ ia on June 22nd. T he same date as the
Grand Armee! "
Margolies, another ex-waiter, Minister of Justi ce now: "But Kiev
has not fall en ! No, they won 't take Kiev!"
Schotter, thin , with few teeth: "They say tha t a t the start of the
Russian campaign Napoleon wore a red shirt, to h ide hi s blood in case
of a wound. H orowitz just put on a pair of brown drawers!"
