“How very nice for you,” Eli said. “But, if you don’t mind, right now we’re busy trying to fill orders for your buddy, Commandant Zörner. Since he’s evicting Jewish families from their homes and forcing them into ghettos A and B, the Nazis want the streets repaved and the confiscated homes remodeled. Orders come in every day. So unless you want to help us fill orders, why don’t you just get in your fancy Nazi car, drive to Lodz, set up your Maximilian Company and leave us alone?”
“Have you forgotten Commandant’s orders? You are to accompany me, Eli, and your father is to stay. Sadly, Ernst doesn’t seem to trust my business acumen. He requires your expertise. And he wants us to leave as quickly as possible. Tomorrow morning.”
“Oh, it’s Ernst now, is it? I seem to recall that you previously described Zörner as a ‘fat slob and ill-mannered—nothing like us.’”
“That was then; this is now. Never underestimate my ability to impress the Nazi command. Three nights ago, Ernst and I enjoyed a lovely evening with wine, women and song. My treat, of course. And a lucky thing it is for you, since you’re all under my protection.”
Jakob stormed into the room and raised his voice. “Protected, am I? Protected? How did you protect me when the ORPO gave me twelve hours to vacate my home? Thankfully, my son has room for me at his home, but I had to pack up everything I could and move into his spare bedroom. I’ve lived on my own for fifty years, but now I’m my son’s permanent houseguest, thanks to Herr Zörner. You did a fine job of protecting me.”
“I hope you know that all of that was out of my control,” Maximilian said. “I did not design the ghettos. Be thankful that Eli lives in ghetto B and that you have a nice house to move into. Most do not.”
“I had a nice house. I raised my children there. It belonged to me and it was worth a lot of money. Your filthy Nazis stole it from me.”
“They aren’t my Nazis and it wasn’t my idea, Jakob. I’m only trying…” But Jakob walked out of the room before Maximilian could finish his sentence. Turning back to Eli, he said, “You Rosens make it so hard to help you. I came over today to tell you that I am going to drive to Litzmannstadt tomorrow and you will go with me.”
“No. I changed my mind.”
“Eli, you know I can’t set up a brickyard by myself. I don’t know the first thing about organizing a building supply business. Besides, it’s Zörner’s orders.”
“And if I refuse?”
Maximilian shook his head. “Why would you even pose such a stupid question? You’re not about to disobey Commandant Zörner. Besides, you’re leading a privileged life in an occupied city. Just go with me. We’ll be gone two or three weeks at the most. We’ll stay in a nice house.”
“A nice house that was confiscated from some Jewish family? You can’t get a construction business up and running in three weeks, Maximilian. It’ll take much longer, and I really don’t want to leave my wife and son. If I have to leave them, I’ll be very unhappy, and in my depression I’m bound to do a poor job of running the brickyard. Orders will get mixed up. Deliveries will fail. Deadlines will be missed. Zörner will be extremely unhappy, and you and your royal blood will fall into disfavor.”
“You wouldn’t do that to me.”
“Let me take Esther and Izaak with me.”
“You know I can’t get Esther released from Lipowa. No one gets released from that camp. We’ve been going around and around that subject for weeks. Izaak will be fine; he comes here to the office every day with your father, and now your father even lives in your house. Eli, if you foul this up, you’re going to put us both in jeopardy. Zörner is an impatient man, and he will take it out on you and everyone else. Besides, my reputation depends on it. You heard him; he thinks I am a foolish dandy strutting around Lublin. You can’t let me down.”
Eli shut his eyes and shook his head. “Isn’t it strange how the world turns? I want something in return.”
“What?”
“Esther.”
Maximilian sighed. Then an idea came to him. “Is Esther good at paperwork? Can she do office clerical work at the new brickyard?”
“Absolutely. She’s brilliant.”
“Well, when the brickyard is up and running, I will try to get her reassigned to Litzmannstadt. As long as the brickyard is doing well, Zörner will work with me. What’s one less seamstress? Do we have a deal? Will you go with me and not cause trouble?”
Eli nodded.
* * *
Eli’s solution did not sit well with Esther. “Litzmannstadt?” she said. “My husband, I love you, but I don’t want to move to Lodz. That’s like jumping from the kettle into the fire. Two hundred thousand of our people are packed into a squalid little ghetto. The Nazis cage them up like dogs in a kennel. I hear that most of them don’t have running water or indoor toilets. It’s a sealed ghetto, like Warsaw, behind barbed wire with armed guards. They only let people leave to work in the factories and then return at night. They march them out, they march them in. You don’t want us to live in that prison. We have a nice house here in Lublin.”
“True, but Maximilian says he might be able to get you released from the Lipowa camp. You won’t have to work like a slave in the sewing shop anymore. You can work with me at the brickyard. Maybe I can build a home for the three of us on-site at the new brickyard and not in the sealed ghetto. I’ve discussed it all with Maximilian.”
“I don’t trust Maximilian.”
“I don’t either, but in this case he needs me. He can’t organize or operate a construction company by himself. He was practically begging me to help him.”
“He’s begging you today, and tomorrow he will throw his hands up in the air and say it’s out of his control. We’ve seen that act before. Our situation is more secure here in Lublin. I’m able to endure the routine at Lipowa, and your father is now living with us. He’ll be happy to help with Izzie. You can go alone.”
“But, Essie, I might be away for long periods—weeks, maybe months. Who knows? It’s going to take time to get a new brickyard up and running. I don’t feel comfortable leaving the two of you. Things are unsettled here, and they get worse every day. Tomorrow some new edict will come down, and I won’t be here to protect you.”
Esther set her arms on Eli’s shoulders. “We’ll get through this, honey. You’ve said so yourself many times. Every time I wanted to give up, you counseled me to be patient, and I’ve come to believe that you are right. Sooner or later even the roughest seas calm. Floodwaters reach a level and then recede. This madness will pass. The Nazis are going to realize that imposing harsh conditions on the Jewish community is not in their interest, economically or otherwise. At some point, life in Poland will stabilize, the ship will right and things will return to normal. Who knows, maybe Germany’s incursions throughout Europe will falter. They failed in the first Great War. There are many reasons for us to adjust, accommodate and wait it out.”
Eli looked deeply into Esther’s eyes. “How did I get such a wise woman to marry me?”
“I’ve told you many times, you didn’t have a choice. I willed it to be so.”
* * *
Early the next morning, Maximilian pulled his car up to the curb and waited with the motor running. Eli had packed a small bag of clothes the night before. Esther was preparing to walk to Lipowa, and Eli reached out to kiss his wife goodbye.
“Please be careful,” she said. “You know that Maximilian is a snake. He’ll make promises he can’t keep. Don’t let him get you into trouble. You can’t trust a thing he says. People leave Lublin and they don’t come back. Please promise me, Eli, you’ll come back to me.”
“I will come back, that’s a promise. Don’t worry about me; I’ll be fine. I’ll try to get home in three or four weeks. If you or Izaak need anything, my father and my brother will help you.” His eyes filled with tears, and he hugged Esther as tightly as he could. “Take care, my girl. I love you more than life itself.”
“You will always be my sunny day.”
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
FÖHRENWALD
FÖHRENWALD DP CAMP
AMERICAN ZONE
DECEMBER 1946
Though it was early in the season, the bitter Bavarian snowstorm was unrelenting. Blasts of winter winds howled down from the Alps and rattled the windowpanes. Upon return from Garmisch and his meeting with Colonel Bivens, Eli discovered that Izaak had come down with a fever and needed immediate medical care. Eli knew he could not take his feverish child out into the elements, and he hoped that he could coax Dr. Weisman into making a house call. Fortunately, Adinah was at the house.
He was in panic mode by the time he reached the clinic. “Please tell Dr. Weisman it’s an emergency,” he said. “My son, Izaak, is burning up.”
The nurse was sympathetic, but she was tasked with serving several patients at once. “I’ll get word to him as soon as I can,” she said, gesturing to the crowded waiting room. “As you can see, there are a number of emergencies here tonight. This snowstorm has taken its toll on our little community.”
Eli paced the floor like a jungle cat. Finally, Dr. Weisman came into the waiting room. “Joel,” Eli said quickly, “it’s Izaak. He’s really sick—a very high fever; his skin is all flushed.”
The doctor nodded. “Calm down, my friend. Where is he?”
“At home, in bed. I was afraid to take him out in this storm. I’m really worried, Joel. Really worried. I’ve never seen him like this.”
“Who’s with him?”
“Adinah Szapiro.”
He nodded. “All right, let me finish up here. I have two more patients, and then we’ll go take a look at Izaak.”
It was almost midnight when Eli and Dr. Weisman arrived at the house. “He’s been asleep the entire time,” Adinah said. “I tried to give him a glass of water, but he wouldn’t take it. He says it hurts to swallow.”
“Has he been coughing?” Dr. Weisman asked. “Wheezing? Trouble breathing?”
“Coughing a little. Mostly he complains that his throat hurts. He was very tired when he came home from school, and he went into his room to rest.”
The doctor donned his surgical mask and handed one to Eli, who rejected it with a shake of his head.
“Put it on,” the doctor directed. “I don’t want both of you coming down with whatever Izaak has.” He followed Eli into the back bedroom. “Izaak, Izaak,” Dr. Weisman said loudly, trying to wake him up. “Can you sit up, son?”
Izaak’s eyelids were heavy, and he could barely raise them above a narrow slit. Eli helped him to a sitting position and watched as the doctor conducted his examination. When he was finished, he patted Izaak on the head, laid him back down on the pillow and motioned for Eli to join him in the other room.
“No minimizing this, Eli, he’s a pretty sick boy. His fever is over 102, but his lungs sound clear.”
“What is it, Joel? Is it tuberculosis? Does my boy have TB?”
The doctor’s lips were pursed, and he shrugged. “It’s too soon to tell. His throat is very red, and that may very well be an indication of streptococcus. Strep throat. If it is, I can treat it with penicillin.” He reached into his black bag, took out a bottle and poured a few pills into a small envelope. “I’m going to give him an injection and start him on these today. If it’s strep, we should see some improvement. The next few days will tell us a lot.”
As he prepared to leave, he added, “Aspirin may help keep the fever down. Give him plenty of fluids. Until we know for sure, I want you both to wear the surgical masks when you go into his room.”
“I can’t thank you enough,” Eli said as he clasped the doctor’s hand. “You’re a true friend to come out in this weather. And a godsend to our camp.”
The doctor smiled. “Quite the compliment, coming from you, Eli, a man who has devoted himself to the welfare of our community. I walked three blocks in a little snow; you drove a hundred miles through the storm today.”
“We all do what we can.”
“How did it go? Will the colonel help us arrest Max?”
“The colonel will do anything to please General Lucius D. Clay, and he assigned Major Donnelly to help me. The plan is for us to visit the nearby camps over the next couple of weeks. We were supposed to go to Landsberg tomorrow. But given Izaak’s illness, I’ll ask Daniel to step in for me.”
“I will stay with Izzie while you go,” Adinah said. “Go with the major to Landsberg, and I will care for Izzie.”
Dr. Weisman shook his head. “That’s not wise, Adinah. You’re very kind, but the longer you stay, the more you risk exposure. I don’t advise it. I’m sure you know that there are many sick people now in our sanitarium.”
She stood tall and defiant. “I have been with him all day. If he is contagious, then I am infected. And so be it. This family needs my help. Can you understand what that means to me? I survived the death camps. Almost everyone I knew or cared about in my life was taken from me. Sent to their deaths. I lived and they did not, and often I ask myself, Why? Why was I chosen to survive when much better people than me were killed? I keep asking God to give me a reason. Why me? And maybe now He answers: ‘It is for this, Adinah.’ Eli will go tomorrow, and I will stay here with Izaak. I will care for Izaak.”
The doctor smiled and nodded. “I will come and check in on him.”
“I don’t know what to say,” Eli whispered. “Thank you, Adinah. I’ll make up a bed for you.”
Dr. Weisman put on his heavy coat and wrapped his scarf around his neck and chin. He pushed the door against the pressure of the wind, turned and said, “Be careful going out into the community, both of you. You may now be carriers. Until we know for sure, don’t get too close to anyone.” Then he hesitated and smiled. “The world should only know the fellowship shared among our survivors. They should know how much compassion is rendered without a second thought by the good people in our camps.”
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
FÖHRENWALD DP CAMP
AMERICAN ZONE
DECEMBER 1946
Before leaving for Landsberg with Major Donnelly, Eli stopped by the sanitarium to visit Bernard. Eli was shocked to see how dramatically the disease had taken its toll in such a short time. Bernard had lost weight, his complexion had paled and his breathing was labored. He paused between phrases in order to swallow, clear his throat and moisten his lips. Eli stood patiently by his bedside talking to his good friend through a surgical mask.
“Moshe Pogrund is the director at Camp Landsberg,” Bernard whispered. “I know him to be a good man and a strong leader. He is usually counseled by Rabbi Hirsch. I made the introduction for you and Major Donnelly, and I scheduled a two o’clock meeting. Olga told me that her contact at Landsberg was a man named Shael Bruchstein. She and Mr. Bruchstein have acted together in a de facto partnership promoting the sale of Max’s visas. Bruchstein would attract interested prospects and then contact Olga. She was the pipeline to Max. Together, Bruchstein and Olga were supposed to split commissions. According to Olga, she and Bruchstein have brokered six visas for residents at Landsberg.”
“Were all of the six visas delivered?”
“No, only four. Max is due to deliver the remaining two visas sometime in the next two weeks, and that’s when we should arrest him.” He reached up and squeezed Eli’s wrist. “Eli, listen to me. We can’t let this opportunity slip away. Max must be stopped, and his U.S. supplier must be exposed. Be cautious; we don’t want any more stool pigeons tipping him off.”
“How sure are we of Bruchstein?”
“I don’t know him. I suggest we threaten Bruchstein with prosecution, like we did with Olga. Back him into a corner, Eli. Scare the hell out of him. Use Major Donnelly if you have to. He’ll cooperate or he’ll go to jail.” He clasped Eli’s hands. “Safe travels, my friend.�
�
Eli made a gesture of kissing the tips of his fingers and touching them to Bernard’s forehead. “Take your medicines, listen to the nurses and get back on your feet. We need you.”
* * *
Eli climbed into the passenger seat of Major Donnelly’s jeep and smiled. “Well, this is sure an improvement over the Camp Föhrenwald jalopy. You have a working heater. I’ll wager you have working windshield wipers as well.”
“I do indeed. Do you really think that Colonel Bivens wouldn’t have the latest equipment?” As he drove out of the camp and onto the throughway, he said, “Before we meet with Mr. Pogrund, tell me how you learned that Max was selling visas at the Landsberg camp.”
“Our director, Bernard Schwartz, learned about it at a camp committee meeting. It was Bernard who scheduled the meeting with Colonel Bivens, but sadly he took ill, and I became his less-than-qualified understudy.”
“What’s wrong with Bernard?”
“You may have heard; we have an epidemic in our camp.”
“Jesus, TB? He’s got TB?”
Eli nodded. “There are at least one hundred fifty patients here. We built a sanitarium.”
“There’s a sanitarium in Camp Gauting as well. Many believe that the epidemic originated in Dachau.”
“We’re all praying that Bernard recovers. Our camp doctor is a wonderful man, and he’s had some successes.”
Changing subjects, the major said, “Do you know the history of the Landsberg camp?”
Eli shook his head.
“It’s ugly. Before the war it was a German prison. Hitler himself was locked up there in 1924, and that’s where he wrote Mein Kampf. He dictated the whole thing to his buddy, Rudolph Hess. Hitler was sentenced to serve five years for treason, but he got out in nine months. He even ordered a new car while he was in prison.” Donnelly shook his head. “A gray Mercedes from a dealer in Munich.
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