The Pin Cushion

Monday, May 2, is Holocaust Day this year in Israel

In the early summer of 1939, a mere two months before the Nazis invaded Poland, Kaila Burda said to her husband Gamaliel, "I'm at wit's end. Chasia wants to go to the summer camp with her girlfriends from school. Why not send her?"

"Kaila, these are troubled times. When will you understand that we can't stay here any longer. Chasia is the only Jewish child in her class. I'd prefer that she stays at home."

"But she has nothing to do but draw. She sits at home and draws pictures all day long! She needs to be outdoors and play with other children."

Gamaliel shrugged his shoulders, "It's not safe, but have it your way…"

Chasia went to summer camp. When her first day was over, she was a bloody mess, escorted home by one of the sixth-grade teachers. "We can't take responsibility for your daughter," she said in Polish to the appalled Gamaliel and Kaila on their front doorstep. "She's the only Jewish girl in our school, and the other little girls know it. They played a game of 'seamstress' and they made your daughter the pin cushion…"

After Kristallnacht in Germany, anti-Semitism in neighboring Poland was fast on the rise too...

Continue reading The Pin Cushion, the amazing story of my own mother, Chasia, may Hashem bless her with long and healthy days, in this week's issue of Breslev Israel web magazine.

Take time to remember our martyrs by reading your choice of dozens of additional moving articles about the Holocaust at Breslev Israel.

Also in this week's issue:

One of the most stimulating aspects of spreading emuna around the world is the people I meet and/or correspond with.

"Malia" was born in Hungary. An idealist, she became a Palestinian activist and married a Gazan. Needless to say, she wanted nothing to do with Jews. Eventually, her marriage soured and she decided to pursue a graduate degree in Islamic studies and comparative religion in Cairo. In her previous correspondence with Breslev Israel, she notes that her entire outlook on Jews has changed ever since she now understands what they really believe in. Since then, Malia and I have been maintaining a lively correspondence. We both agree that emuna is the only way from keeping the world from exploding into smithereens.

Here are some excerpts from our recent dialogs; Malia gives us her reflections of current events. Her updates are real-time and much better than anything that Reuters or CNN can provide. Judge for yourself:

Continue reading Reflections from the Nile also in this week's stimulating issue of Breslev Israel web magazine.

Hold on, there's much more this week:

My esteemed and beloved teacher and spiritual guide Rabbi Shalom Arush with Jacob the Worm.

Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach tells us about The Holy Banker from Odessa.

Rabbi Avrohom Yitzchak Kletzky: Rebbe Nachman's Unique Teachings

Dovber Halevi: Everyone Matters

Rivka Levy: Enough of the Fluff

Racheli Reckles: Round Three

Chaya Ovadia: Birth Pains

A New Dawn is the final installment of Rabbi Erez Moshe Doron's Warriors of Transcendence.

This week's Torah portion is Emor. Big and bright Beam blessings for a wonderful week and happy Month of May.