Stop straddling the fence and choose a ‘cide

March 13, 2005 - 9:12 PM by Israelity

At a Beer Sheva pub, a local dive with decent burgers, a new bartender has been hired. A student, like most everyone else working there, he’s young, in good shape, wears stylish jeans topped off with a black, long sleeved t-shirt and can pull a decent beer – hardly the description of a Holocaust survivor.

But, there it was, on his left forearm, made visible, having rolled up his sleeves. A number. An odd site, it demanded further inquiry.

I surmised it was the number of a grandparent and this, his memorial. After all, it couldn’t be recent. They stopped giving away free tattoos sometime in 1945.

My drinking buddy and I asked what it was, to which he replied, “Exactly what you think it is.” No shit, but then again, he probably gets asked a lot. Still, we wanted more information.

He confirmed that it was his grandmother’s number. A survivor, she was near her end. Having checked with her first, he received her blessings and had inscribed his indelible numerics.

Both my partner and I were mesmerized, impressed even.

Most folks I’ve mentioned this to seem to be appalled by this, even after learning of his grandmother’s acquiescence. But I really like it.

All those people with similar tattoos had it forced upon them, he chose his. This same imprint once meant unimaginable suffering, his probably gets him laid. In a small way he took back the night for his own family, for himself.

No longer a victim, that’s a damn fine way to live as a Jew.

Tags: • Category: General 

Comments

4 Comments on Stop straddling the fence and choose a ‘cide

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