Under my Father’s Tallis

 

By; Vivianne M Schinasi Silver.(Montreal, Quebec Canada.)

 

In her introduction she writes

It is a very meaningful poem to me in that it encapsulates my recollections of a very special time as a young girl going to the Abraham Betesh synagogue

in Heliopolis

Heliopolis, City of Sun...

"Shem el Nessim", festival of Spring,

It is the time of orange blossoms...

Yom Kippur, nestled against my father,

Under his tallis,

I close my eyes...

The sound of Shofar,

Transports me to faraway lands,

Connects me to my people...

I feel loved, I feel protected, I feel special,

The Mena House, Sunday afternoon tea...

The pyramids and the Sphinx stand magnificently tall

against the timeless blue horizon.

Beni Ezra synagogue in old Cairo,

Passover’s ritual slaughter of a lamb to feed the poor.

Alexandria, wonderful warm summers,

Bathing in the blue Mediterranean sea...

Cleopatra, Stanley Bay, Sidi Bishr,

endless golden beaches...

The taste of freshly-lemoned sea urchins lingers on my tongue..

Warm honey and cinnamon "loukoumades", stick to my eager fingers....

At dusk, the scent of roasting corn and chestnuts fills the air..

Riding in the open horse and carriage, the "hantour" along the cornich,

Necklace and crown of fragrant jasmine, enfold me,

complete the magic of the moments. Shabbat, marble steps lead up to ..

the hallowed sanctuary of the Nebi Daniel synagogue.

Life is like a beautiful dream....

October 1956... the shrill of sirens pierces the land of enchantment...

Blackouts, bombings, taped windows, hushed whispers...

huddled in the cellar, the sound of army tanks rolls heavily on the pavement

Ugly strange signs appear: "No dogs, No Jews".

Darkness and terror replaces sunshine, flowers, and laughter...

Another life beckons....

Good-bye home... Good-bye friends.. Good-bye forever beloved grandfather...

Crossings, endless crossings of desert, sea, ocean,

clouds, crossings of time, of lives..

Pure, cold snow of freedom awaits..

I long for the warmth of my father’s tallis...