October 1941: Yeruchum has an uncharacteristic outburst in shul and at Reb Leibush’s urging reveals that his daughter Chanaleh has announced that she wants to meet her long-lost aunt. Rav Leibush advises Yeruchum to let her go.
Private Moses Freed’s eyes darted back and forth back and forth. They gazed at the chaplain’s front tooth slightly chipped at one side; at his jawbone still sharply defined despite a slight thickening around the jowls. They fell on a rubber plant trying unsuccessfully to break the impersonal feel of the small whitewashed room. Out the small window his eyes glanced at three carpenters knocking together still another barracks and two officers grabbing a smoke before heading to drill.
His eyes looked everywhere — except at Major John William’s lapel. And especially at the small religious symbol pinned there.
Standing at ramrod attention Moe stood silently before the chaplain — a goy leader of goyim. He wondered why in the world he’d ever listened to Harry who’d urged him to discuss his problem of putting on tefillin with the officer in charge of the men’s religious life.
