Forgetting to Remember And Other Sins

yomhashoahFirst off, I need to admit here that Yom Ha’Shoah should have been a more thoughtful occasion around here, but we’ve been so preoccupied with the new home (I’m painting the kitchen a cheery shade called “green herb” — El Yenta Man thinks that’s just hilarious) that it sort of fell off the radar. Although I did walk through the rather gory multimedia exhibit at the JEA by the some of Savannah’s mostly non-Jewish high schoolers last week, dozens of dioramas of barbed wire and Jude stars and old photographs. As much as the public school system lacks, they’re teaching the Holocaust, bless their hearts.

Strangely, I don’t recall Rabbi Belzer mentioning it all at services Friday eve, though maybe he did when I was outside disciplining Little Miss Shpilkiss for sailing her brother’s yarmulke across the sanctuary like a frisbee. In any case, yesterday was Holocaust Remembrance Day, a day on which we are implored to “never forget.” Which, of course, I did. So I’m saying an extra kaddish this morning for the six million and all the other souls who died unjustly, without mercy, in Europe under Hitler’s evil reign. Heck, let it be said for everybody killed out of senseless prejudice, wherever and whenever.

Moving on. Many of you may be relieved to know that I got my mezuzah queries answered by a young rabbi visiting the Senior Yenta Lunch last week. Actually, it was his wife who told me to go ahead and place it between the screen door and the actual door into the house, because her husband wouldn’t even look me in the eye. Must’ve been the bare shoulders. Wish I could say it was the cleavage, but I don’t have any. His disregard kind of annoyed me, since here I am attempting to a mitzvah the right way instead on my usual slap-dash-God-forgive-me style, and this rabbi’s shining me on instead of providing guidance. His rebbitzin was maybe all of 20 or 21, really smart and adorable. I wanted to ask her all kinds of other questions about her frum lifestyle, like Is your hair really that red under the sheitel? Is your husband always so talkative? Do you ever put bubble bath in the mikveh? but I still felt like her old man was giving me the stinkeye. But I tend to be intimidated by the Orthodox, so maybe he was just shy, or just super into eating his chicken.

The good news is that the gorgeous turquoise enameled mezuzah I found online was twenty bucks cheaper at the syngagogue gift shop. It hasn’t gone up yet, since we’re still weeks away from moving in completely. Gotta wait for the green herb to dry.

9 thoughts on “Forgetting to Remember And Other Sins

  1. Hey Yenta — I want to put a plug in here for the talk being given by Dr. Kevin Spicer at AASU tomorrow (Tues) evening 7pm — at our Continuing Ed Center — that’s the place right on Abercorn that looks like a grocery store (’cause it used to be one).

    Spicer’s topic: “Father, what did you do during the Third Reich?” — Spicer’s a research fellow from the US Holocaust Memorial Museum.

    This is a (slightly late) Y-HS event — planned by yours truly.

  2. On my front door, the mezuzah is between the storm door and the regular door… but I have to say that after living here 9 years, I am still ALWAYS disappointed when I drive up to my own front door and don’t see a mezuzah on the outside. Just something to think about 🙂

  3. Is herb green anything like lime green? If
    so, inaugurate your new kitchen with a
    6 pack of Coronas – no good for kashering,
    but they’re great for one’s mood!
    Now then, Yom HaShoah. As the spawn of two
    Holocaust refugees (my patents and grand-
    parents got through Kristallnacht but thankfully got out before catching it upside the head with deportations to the camps – except my father’s father who was carted off, but was released when his entry visa to the USA came through), I don’t think you should sweat having missed
    yesterday’s commemoration – my mother the
    Holocaust refugee didn’t bother!
    – Schvach

  4. Hello again Yo! If you look at http://www.about.com, Yom Hashoah, you’ll find a
    ‘luach’ for the dates of commemoratation of Yom haShoah. This year it’s today, Monday
    April 16th. Same with the Chabad calendar.
    Nothing’s easy!
    -Schvach

  5. I am rather jealous you have bare shoulders in April. We still have snow on the ground. The weekend during Passover we had close to 3 1/2 FEET accumulation. It sucked. “Green Herb” sounds lovely!

  6. I don’t want to say I told U so about the Mezuzah. Next Step actually should have been the 1st step is/was get the house blessed to make it a real home.

    Mazel Tov
    May G-D bless U and Urs and Ur home with
    Love, Happiness, Health, Prosperity and
    HIS never ending Mercy.

    But don’t get too comfy, we all be on the move soon.

  7. Dan ~ Thanks for the heads up; I’ll try to make it!

    Babka, babe ~ Yes, but here in hurrican country, it’ll be good that it’s protected from the storms 🙂

    Schvach ~ Coronas it is!

    Ezer ~ Come move to the South! It’s 78 today, gorgeous!

    Jean ~ Thank you so much.

    Pelinke ~ Thanks for the blessings, but, um, where are we all going?

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