"Pesach 1941" by Lady Amelie Jacobovits is the poignant story of how a child experienced her most memorable Passover, bereft of family, and all the accoutrements accompanying a normal family seder. Lady Jacobovits is the widow of the late Rav Lord Immanuel Jacobovits, Chief Rabbi Emeritus of the British Commonwealth. I had the privelege to hear her speak, as she described her experiences during the war years and the incredible faith she had which enabled her to survive and endure.
“Occasionally, one memory escapes from the vault that holds the terror of those years. One Passover, my three-year old grandchild looked up at me from his chair at the Seder table. I don’t even know what he said, because the rush of Passover 1941 blocked everything else. I was a young girl hidden in a dark cellar in central France. I was without other family - alone with four other children, all of us strangers. Today and in recent years, as I celebrate Passover surrounded by the comforts and luxury of our London flat and the security of more than a dozen relatives and friends, I realize that for all of their splendor, these holidays cannot compare in my heart to that unique event 62 years ago. 1941 was the most extraordinary Passover of my life."
To continue reading the story, click here. After reading her story, I am sure we will have an extra appreciation of being able to share a seder table with our extended family, something that is taken for granted, in this day and age.
No comments:
Post a Comment