Shabbat

"Jews, Go to the Synagogue!"
  Łosice, Poland

When I'm reminded about our birthplace, I can see before me the many Sabbath and holidays, when Łosice changed from its everyday self to celebrate the coming of Sabbath.

In my ears there still rings the words of the old melody: "Jews, go to synagogue!..." his would be called on Friday evenings by the elderly Shammash R' Welwel. A tall, healthy Jew, white-grey like a dove, he would walk through the small streets knocking on the stones of the bridge with his thick cane, "Jews, go to Synagogue!..." and as though under the operation of a magic stick, Sabbath would descend upon the shtetl. The shops would be locked up, the smoke from the chimneys would stop and soon the Sabbath light would begin to flicker from all the Jewish windows.