The red suitcase (a Rosh Hashanah story)

By Clarita Dawidowski, our dear volunteer

I knocked on the old door and a child of about 8 years ran down with a kippah, who welcomed me with joy and helped me lift the suitcase.

The marble staircase is almost stately and other children, almost teenagers already, are waiting for me upstairs. We introduced ourselves: he appointed the youngest and the eldest my secretaries to help me prepare the class: they open the suitcase and take out paintings, trays, plates and cups…

Suddenly, more well-groomed children appear… They are waiting for the girls!

And finally, the girls arrive: the smallest is only three years old. They go through all ages up to the eldest that take care of some who are their biological brothers and others who are their brothers in life. Some do not speak, and you can see the scare and the history in their gestures…

And while the suitcase unfolds, so do the enthusiasm, the joy, the desires to share … Everyone paints with dedication, the little ones with the BUBALS, ending with their little fingers full of colors and sticking bees and rimonim. The elders paint with devotion and great neatness the letters in HEBREW: SHANAH TOVAH! And they decorate them with gold (GOLDEN LETTERS).

Finally, as a way of reward, I distribute figures of little animals, lions, elephants, fish and birds (prelude to the ARK OF NOAH).

In the meantime, I walk around and help each one, and they are able to express themselves in their painting: all different but equal…

Before saying goodbye, the eldest one tells me that he has a surprise for me: he leaves and returns with a SHOFAR and, upon a sign from the coordinator, everyone stands up with respect and emotion, and he stands in a chair and plays the SHOFAR very loudly, with the strength of faith and the hope of a better world for all yehudim lekulam, and especially for him and all his brothers in life.

SHANAH TOVAH!