The Shield: a novel (46 page)

Jacob smiled
. “That sort of makes sense. So what is included in basic training?”

“
You are close to 21, which means that you won’t get the same training as the 18 year olds. It will still be infantry training, but not as long and not as hard as for the youngsters. There are several basic training courses for older recruits, people with lower medical profiles and those that have professions the army is interested in who are not going to be infantrymen. It is quite certain that with the abbreviated training you won’t be accepted into a combat unit. Which will leave you with a number of choices, including attending army courses and becoming a technical specialist, like an auto mechanic.”

Jacob looked disappointed
. “I wanted to volunteer for one of the elite units,
like Golani or the commandos.”

“
Ah, I see that you researched the subject.” Ephraim shook his head. “I don’t think they will take you because of your age and limited Hebrew. But this is my opinion. You can try and see what happens.”

Jacob nodded: “Well, thanks for the information. I’ll think about this. Maybe I should go to the induction base in Tel Hashomer and talk to them.”

“That’s a great idea. Call them first and ask to make an appointment with captain Ezra Vilnai. If they make difficulties tell them that you‘re my relative. He will know the answers to all your questions.”

Jacob smiled. “Isn’t this nepotism?”

Ephraim smiled back. “Sure. A little, but it doesn’t count. If I asked them to actually do something it would have been unethical. This is just treating a relative well.”

***

Jacob got his answer from the army recruiting office in a couple of days. It was disappointing. After a long conversation with one of the personnel assignment officers he was offered a number of options, which boiled down to a simple answer to his question: he didn’t have a choice – all new immigrants under the age of 25 were inducted into the army for service periods that varied with age. In Jacob’s case he would have to serve at least six months.

After he reported to the base he would go through several weeks of basic infantry training and be assigned to a support unit. To serve with a combat unit he needed six month of basic training and then advanced training – longer than his whole service. There were provisions for volunteers
but an application would be considered only after he successfully finished basic training.

After mulling the problem over Jacob decided to wait until he was done with his basic training. It seemed to him that if he demonstrated good abilities and persisted in his efforts he had a chance to be accepted into a fighting unit.

It didn’t take Ze’ev and Noam very long to persuade him that while he was waiting for his induction into the IDF he could prepare for the possibility of continuing as a civilian after his short military service.

***

Two months later Jacob Hirshson had his surveyor’s license. The whole family had celebrated the opening of his new office in the central Sinai city of Refidim. His army service was still several months away. In the meantime he was being drawn into the new business. It seemed to him now that this may be as patriotic as serving in the armed forces. He also recognized that this perception might change after he was part of the IDF.

Uncle Chaim was working for Jacob as an operations manager. The new surveying business was in great demand as construction was booming.
Jacob had the business savvy to hire every qualified new immigrant he could find, even before he had his business license or an office. He paid them a salary while they got their licenses; now he had nine surveyors working for him. The funds had come from Ze’ev in the form of a loan and line of credit. He had no doubt that his money would be repaid soon. Chaim was still somewhat unhappy with the idea that his nephew employed him. Jacob’s father never worked together with Chaim and Jacob didn’t either. That was partly due to Chaim being observant and Jacob’s father an atheist, but also because of different interests. Chaim was settling in though, and his mood kept improving as he realized that Jacob really needed him.

Jacob’s mother Sara seemed happy keeping house, which was all she’d ever done. The f
amily lived in one of the new houses in Refidim. The city was a sprawling affair. Buses were ubiquitous and polluted the desert air with their fumes and noise. Everybody was looking forward to the numerous tram lines promised.

Sheina, together with her cousin Tzipora, was studying computer science at Beersheba University.
It was hard. They were busy all day long, five days a week and kept studying in their dorm on weekends. There was a lot of catching up to do both in Hebrew and in science studies. But they were happy and had even found time to go out and make friends.

***

Days after his paternal relatives had moved to Refidim, Ze’ev went to meet his mother’s family. They arrived at Haifa’s newly expanded port passenger terminal, which was barely coping with the tens of thousands of new immigrants arriving daily. Ze’ev walked for a long time, comparing the faces he saw to old pictures. He walked by them several times without recognizing them before deciding to ask one of the numerous volunteers for help. The three people approaching the counter in response to the public announcement didn’t look familiar. Ze’ev introduced himself.

“
Yes, yes,” the man responded. “I was told by the people in Brindisi that you would meet us here.” Nachman Frumin accepted that they were related but didn’t accept the relationship with his heart. His wife Tzila was just happy to have someone in this incomprehensible new land whether they were family or not. Their son Wolf, eighteen years old and proudly independent, didn’t worry about new relatives. He was interested in learning more about the amazing gadgets they’d seen. All three were relieved to hear that the seventeen year old girl connecting them to these new relations was safe.

Esther, the missing link, had been on a field trip with friends when the Germans attacked their small town near Vilnius.  Their guide, a Communist friend of Wolf’s, took the girls in his charge east, out of danger. In the history Ze’ev knew, Esther spent the war in Uzbekistan, returning to Vilna to meet and marry Jacob in 194
7.

Still unsure of the relationship, the f
amily settled in for the drive to Ze’ev’s house in Hertzlia. Nachman, a grain merchant and generous supporter of the Labor Zionist movement back in Belarus, was amazed that the state had actually come to be. Wolf had lots of questions about local politics. Tzila just seemed to enjoy the drive.

They communicated mostly in Yiddish, with a smattering of Russian. A road sign for Jerusalem excited them, it was in Hebrew and English, but apparently they could read both languages – knowing Polish meant that the Latin alphabet was f
amiliar to them. Even Wolf, the self-proclaimed communist and atheist, wanted to see Jerusalem immediately. Ze’ev had to disappoint them but promised a trip to the holy city later in the week.

The dinner at Ze’ev’s house was a crowded affair. Both Sheina and her mother attended. Jacob couldn’t come and promised to join the next clan gathering.

After dinner at his house Ze’ev got to the business of explaining their family tree to his new relatives. It helped that one of Tzila’s cousins used to own a photography shop and a number of pictures survived the war. It took several hours to convince the newcomers that Ze’ev was indeed their grandson. Wolf was slightly taken aback that Ze’ev was named after him – East European Jewish tradition prohibits naming a child after a living relative. He may have proclaimed himself a Communist, but this didn’t make him any less Jewish. Having someone named after him meant that he was dead. It bothered Wolf.

Ze’ev tried to explain to the Frumins t
heir daughter’s fate. All they knew was that she had left on a trip to a town east of Druya in Belarus, where they lived, on Friday. The war started on Sunday morning. They hadn’t seen her since. Several other girls from her class that had gone on the trip were also missing.

Ze’ev explained that
Wolf’s friend, the teacher on the trip, was an agent of the NKVD – the Soviet secret police. He knew more about the Germans than he let on while teaching history at their school in Druya. When they heard the first announcement of the German attack, he told the girls that by the time they get back home, the town will likely be occupied by the Nazis. He also explained that
judging by how they behaved in Poland the Jew’s chances of survival were bleak. He offered them a choice: those who still wanted to go back could take the horse and cart and go. He promised to take the rest into deep Russia, far away from the fighting and the Germans. The girls, who were all Jewish, debated their options for almost an hour – that was how long it took their teacher to make the necessary arrangements. When he came back most decided to go.

The teacher kept his word. In the general disorder of the Soviet withdrawal under German pressure
he used his NKVD credentials to get the girls on one of the last trains evacuating the families of Soviet military personnel to the east. He went on the train with them as far as Moscow. There he had the local office of the Ministry of the Interior provide the girls with valid Soviet documents and recommended that they keep going. They joined masses of refugees trekking east. The only advantage they had were the documents. Issued in Moscow they gave the girls a better chance of obtaining food on the way.

Esther Frumin, with a friend, kept going until they got to S
amarkand, the capital of Uzbekistan. She went to a nursing school there. The school offered some food to students, which was a major factor in her decision.

In the history Ze’ev knew, his mother only returned to her home town in 1944. There she found her aunt and cousin, who had been in Russia when the war began. Everybody else was dead. She met Jacob in Vilnius in 1947, marrying him several weeks later. They left the Soviet Union in 1956 and went to Israel. Ze’ev was their only child.

***

The Frumins stayed with Ze’ev and Linda for two weeks. They spent most of their time at the local immigrant absorption center studying Hebrew and getting acquainted with modern Israel. Benj
amin took the men shopping, while Linda had a grand time with Tzila.

Two weeks after their arrival and before the Frumins moved to their new house in a
n immigrant town in the Galilee Linda invited both sides of the family for a Sabbath dinner. She made sure that everybody would be there and arranged transportation from Refidim and Beer Sheba. Ze’ev had his doubts. His mother’s family came from a small town in Belarus and would, probably, feel uncomfortable with the more sophisticated residents of the big city of Vilna. But his fears were completely baseless. To his surprise Wolf and Jacob had a lot in common and Wolf also quickly zeroed in on his beautiful relative Sheina. Jacob seemed to approve and even switched seats with his sister so she could seat next to Wolf. The dinner was a success.

Wolf asked Sheina what she was doing.

“I’m a student at the University of Beer Sheba. I and my cousin Tzipora want to study computers. In the meantime are studying Hebrew, math and other subjects. Hopefully we’ll enroll in the Computer Science course next semester.”

Wolf was impressed. “I would have nothing against a college education. It makes life so much easier.”

“So enroll in college. It’s also fun. Lots of new people to meet, though we study hard.” Sheina smiled. “You could even apply to my university.”

Wolf frowned. “I wish I could but in t
hree weeks I have to report to start my Army service. Maybe after I’m done with that…”

How old are you?”

“Eighteen last month. I want to serve in the Jewish Army. We all felt helpless and defenseless when the Germans came. Even the stupid Belorussian police could do what they wanted with us. I never want to feel like that again.”

Sheina smiled again. “You’re brave. You know in what branch of the military you want to serve?”

“I really don’t know much about the Israeli armed forces but according to your brother there are a number of elite commando units. I’ll do my best to get into one of those.”

Sheina nodded. “Yes, Jacob wanted that too but he’s too old or something. Maybe he’ll succeed in getting in anyway. I still have a year before they call me up.”

“You’re seventeen?” Wolf’s eyes sparkled. “I see that the dinner is finished, would you like going for a walk?”

Sheina smiled. “I thought you’
d never ask.”

They
came back to the house well after midnight. Jacob was waiting up and met his sister at the door. ”You shouldn’t stay out so late. I know that this area is relatively safe but you never know.”

“I would have protected her.” Wolf responded.

“And who will protect her from you?” But Jacob could barely hide his smile.

After two weeks, the Frumins moved to a new immigrant town in the Galilee.
After having discussed his situation with Jacob, who could be his son but was also mature and had some experience, Nachman accepted Ze’ev’s offer of a loan and several weeks later was well on the way to setting up a wholesale business. His two brothers arrived a couple of weeks later and joined him in his new endeavor.

Ze’ev was slightly worried about his eighteen year old uncle Wolf. The boy was a hothead and an idealist, not well-suited or prepared for army service, or so Ze’ev thought. In the old history, Wolf had been one of the first in their
town to be shot when he came to the defense of a rabbi who was being beaten by a Nazi soldier. His parents were worried sick by his plans to join a commando unit. They still hadn’t heard from their daughter. She might be alive, but there was no way of knowing. Now their only surviving child was in danger. They were informed that their son, as an only child, would not be permitted to serve in a combat unit without their written authorization. Nachman, who had served in the Tsar’s army during the First World War, was suspicious of the promise.