Yeshiva University High School For Boys - Elchanite Yearbook (New York, NY)

Page 71 text:

THE ELCHJNITE Seventy-Three and a Jcw. Un a bed ot long: nccdlcs thc old Jcw lay st1'11g'g'li11g'. lirands of firc wcrc put to thc balls of his fcct. Phila could tcll that screams rt-nt thc air by thc agony on his bcardcd facc. Thc barc brcast hcavcd rapidly and his brcath bc- came shorter and shortcr. H1-iglit blood bcgan to gush in scarlct spurts from his wounds. Suddcnly thc body relaxcd and bt-camc limp and lifc- lt-ss... Another picture quickly flashcd. A smouldcring villagc in ashcs, a cavalry of rcd horscmcn riding' by, thc shricks of womcn, the scrcams of habcs and thc pilcs of dcad and woundcd showcd again F'ate's mcrcilcss hand... Still anothcr sccnc. A boy tlceingg' with a Se-ifer Torah in his arms... A Cossack pursuing' with a iicndish grin... A stccly bayonct... a quick thrust... and it was donc... Phila could stand it no longw-r. Hc Hung' himsclt at thc old philosophcr's 11-ct' sobbing' brokcnly. NVQ-t tcars dimmcd his cycs and fcll down his fair shocks. Hot and salty hc tastcd thc tcars on his lips. In vain he tried to stiflc thc sobs that shook his framc. lt sccmcd as if his hcart would brcak. Hut. :xt-ntly. thc old philosophcr took thc tcvcrcd brow in his hands and spoko: Nay, my son. do not cry. For at thcc, thc cldcrs of Isracl arc cast- ing' thcir cycs to scc whcthcr you will carry aloft thc torch of Life for gcncrations yct unborn. Go and disscminatc thy knowlcdgc to thosc who havc wandcrcd from thc straigght path that thcy may soc and undcrstand. Tha- 'll0I'Z1,ll has bccn thc guiding' light of Isracl for ccnturics past and that is why it still cxists and cvcr will cxistf' Just thcn thc sun camc into vicw of thc cavc and illumincd thc whole interior. W H YA? 77'l'7m1.' is -ygggqw y+,..J,:,. ,W v., JKT: :. flixatfz sqft, ters , -1'

Page 70 text:

Seventy- Two THE ELCHJ XI T15 upon my hcing, that I fccl faint. Loarning' thc Law as my religion dc- mands is-shall 1 call it clrudg'cry'? Thc hcautics of 'naturc which rctinc thc coarscr tihrcs of man arc dcnicd mc. Hath not music or art anything to play in man 's life? Arts-u1en's souls delight in. But doth a man's soul dcligght in studicsl? If so, do thosc studics last through thc agcs? If thcrc arc dclights in studies. wilt thou show thcln to mc? A silcncc cnsucd. Tho old man ls hrow puckcrcd and slowly hc ans- wcrcd: 'AI can show you. fair youth, whcrc Art and Music arc cast asidc hy artists and musicians thcmsclvcs. Thcrc arc circumstanccs whcre the strongcst hcart quails and thc might- iost, arm is faint, whither Satan's hcart of stonc crumhlcs at thc sight and angcls hury thcir cars in thcir hands from thc hcart-rcnding' scrcamsg whcrc Art and Music arc cast asidc likc t-,Qgs that arc addcd for thc sakc of clutching Lifc's slend- cr th rcad and holding' it. Como. Phila. and I shall show you. l'hila followcd wondcringly. Thc cycs ot' thc old philosopher soc-mcd to hc hurninu' pools of rag'in,Q' firc. I'ndcr his magnctic cycs, Phila had no choicc hut to go: and 20 hc did. Rcvcnus did not travcl far. llcforc a cavc of Stygian-likc darkness which causcd a cold chill to clutch Phila 's hcart, Rcvcnus pauscd. and hcckoncd to Phila hcsitantly. Phila allswcrcd. 'I llc not afraid, Phila. said Rcvc- nus kindly. 'thut cornea Phila followcd. Dccp down a rock- hcwn stairway thcy wcnt. Suddenly a largc room rosc hcforc thcm. illum- incd hy a tlickcring' candlc. Thc room was harc. savc for a woodcn. rickety tahlc. upon which thcrc was a crys- tal hall. Phila wondcrcd what it was uscd for. Hc watchcd thc movcmcnts of Rcvcnus cnviously. The lattcr carcfully cxtinguishcd tho light and thc room was shrouded in darkncss. Thc chicf factor in thc room, now, was thc shimmcring silvcr hall on thc tahlo. Rc-vcnus hcgan to speak. hut his voicc was hollow and hc sccmcd to hc in a trancc: Much havc thc childrcn of Isracl gricvcd ovcr thc loss of thcir tcmple. In cxilc. its picturc has hecn con- stantly hctorc thcir cycs and its rcha- hilatation was thcir constant hopc. Yct thcir lcadcrs wcrc consolcd with thc fact, that in thc spiritual world thcy would confcr and in that Hold thcy would hc thc rulcrs of thc carth. Thc study of thc liaw was pursued most vigorously to attain that cnd: and so thc rahhis dcvotcd thvinsclvcs to thc task of cducating' thc pcoplc. Thcy fultillcd thcir task nohly and wcll: and thc Torah hccamc thc spiritual sustcnancc of thc Jcwish pcoplc. Ccnturics passcd and thc Israclitcs adhcrcd strongly to thc rcligion of thcir forcfathcrs. Minor pcrsecutions charactcrizcd thc cvcnts down to thc cvcntful ycars of l1'crdinand and Isaht-lla's rcign. Then camo the suprcmc tcst. Thou shalt see whether it stood thc rcsult or not. Look! Thc silvcr hall ht-gan to spin rapid- ly, Phila gazcd at it fascinatcd. A pictnrc appcarcd snddcnly and in it Phila rccognizcd two Catholic pricsts

Page 72 text:

.Seventy-Four THE ELCHANITE The Revenge of Prince Yoshel PHILIP Bl'R.-XCK. RE the jade-eyed, feline creatures had ceased their horrible protests to the hard greyish heavens the myr- iad streets of the Ghetto were alive. Dirty clouds of factory smoke en- shrouded the labyrinth of streets in gloom. while far in the distance the metallic sun rose like a jack in the box from among numerous ash cans. And over all smoke-and dust-and pandemoniunr- Vaiber. vaiber. feesh. cheap. vai- ber. cheap. vaiber. feeshf' Corpulent women. fair women, wizened women stroll along. critical- ly surveying the broken. ill-smelling carts with the shrewed eyes ot con- noisseurs and with a manner strik- ingly akin to that of the more sum- ptuously clad Fifth Avenue promen- aders. XVomen are alike every- where. Here a. push-cart has been overthrown and the iishmonger is wallowing among the gasping fish in the pool. He had been a bit too poetical. He had only likened in a fit or passionate eloquence the eyes oif a dead fish to those of a prospect- ive tustomer. Noise-noise. Sudden- ly a vigrorous voice rises transfzend- ing the others ti smh -1 degree that it verily seems to come from the entire babbling. garrolous multitude -a voice still redolent, with youth and accompanying melody- 'tEast Side. Vest Side All avec from down townf' Yoshel skipped gaily along. his tobacco-stained moustache dancing joyously with the extremities of his careering beard. The silk hat that he had cajoled from Benkel. the junk-pedler. sat pertly askew on his head and seemed about to fall from its dangerous perch at every moment, but always changed its senseless mind. Yoshel sings-and why not? To- day is Friday! Collection Day! But why tell more of the famous charact- er. Yoshel the schnorrer of the East Side? Une need only look at the blazing bandanna so attectionately embracing his neck and at that long majestic beard on his leonine feat- ures to know that here is no common schnorrer: that here is a member of the schnorrer's nobility-a veritable prince. But even a prince has dreams and to-day Yoshel had his share of Utopian chimeras, of sweet cakes. dainty dishes. luscious puddings and other targrant dreams that invariab- ly preceded his weekly round. They swam in his brain until the very music which filled his head had to seek escape and flow through his open lips in a steady. pleasant stream of song. The reflection of lustrous coins was already in his flashing eyes and his beard danced still more joy- ously with the thought- of soon plunging itself in ineffable ecstasy into a plate of warm. light-greenish soup with thick streaks of fat shining and glistening with the rays of the lamp that shattered themeslves over