the festive meal. The girls were in their Sabbath dresses, their hair neatly combed, and their cheeks rosy with anticipation. After Papa sang his
shalom aleichem
(peace unto you) and chanted
Kiddush
, the benediction said over the wine, the atmosphere would shift from solemnity to gaiety. While Mama served the meal, Papa would engage the guest in conversation, eager to listen to new
zmiros
(Sabbath songs). Papa would often give Shlamek a nudge as a reminder to sing along rather than dream.
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After a round of song, Papa would tell some funny stories for the benefit of the guest. One began with him humming, "
Ya, ba, ba, ba, ya
...
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"I sit me in the train on the way home from Katowice," he would go on, "and since it happened that I got no time to
daven minchah
[recite the afternoon service] before boarding, I turned to the east in front of the window and prayed, disguising my prayer with the little
nigun
[tune] '
Ya, ba, ba, ba, ya
...' Just when I'm in the middle of
shemona esray
, the silent prayer which can't be disturbed or disrupted, in walks a goy. He turns to me immediately and says, '
Zydku
, Jew, move your suitcase!'
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"When he gets no reaction from me, a strange, humming Jew, he becomes furious. 'Take your suitcase away!' he screamed.
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"My situation was impossible. So what could I do? I kept humming, '
Ya, ba, ba, bai
.'
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" 'You stinking Jew!' I heard him screech. 'I will throw your suitcase out of the window.'
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"When even this threat goes for nothing, the angry goy opens the window and he flings the suitcase out. Then he slams the window shut and sits down on the seat like a king from the cossacks, spreading his legs wide and swearing through his clenched teeth, 'You stubborn idiot. You don't talk; now you don't have your suitcase.'
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"I had just finished
shemona esray
, and with the
nigun
still on my lips, I tried to explain: '
Ya, ba, ba, ba
, the suitcase was not mine at all.
Ya, ba, ba, bai
, it belongs to
him
,' I say, pointing
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