Chanukah On Leave
It's 1 pm on a brisk afternoon, in the 1940s, or maybe even 2010. A soldier on leave from Ft. Dix, New Jersey is outside his barracks, or a schoolhouse. He's got time, you can see from the one stripe on his uniform that he hasn't got much important to do in the army. A young mother with 2-3 children is there too. It looks like they're married. They are Beatrice and Lewis, and the children are Ena, Helen and Michael.
They're outside - it's a public Chanukah menorah, for people who don't have anyone to do it at home. The soldier is pointing out the menorah to the others. "Look, it's made in Jerusalem! And there's a bag with edible food." That food is there to attract the children to look up. It has cookies for Chanukah. They see that all the lights seem to have figures on them.
Michael's wearing a snowsuit and white socks, all bundled up. The girls hands are in their pockets and Beatrice wears a scarf. "Get your hands out of your pockets!" the parents say. "Listen! There are 8 nights of Chanukah. That's the story."
"Hoopy doo!" say the children, "Where are our presents?" They want dolls and noisy things - a very LARGE LOUD DOG!
It's cold. Time to go to Glen Echo amusement park and then go home and eat - potato pancakes - latkes! And sing Yiddish songs.
I left. Poochie boo! See you later!
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Created at Misler Adult Day Center, Rockville MD, through Arts for the Aging