Page 30 of The Righteous
IT WAS EVENING and the sun was setting, leaving a palette of colors in the sky over the Hungarian hills.
Theresa and Julia arrived at the Weissbach home, and Theresa smiled as she put her hand on the doorknob.
It wasn’t locked. Just to be polite, she knocked anyway.
Greta came to the door. She wore an apron with embroidered figures of children. Rich aromas emanated from the kitchen.
“Mmmmm,” said Julia and Theresa together.
“Is everyone here?” Theresa asked.
“Everyone but your father,” Greta answered. “I believe he is still at the synagogue. He told us to start without him, and he would be here as soon as he could.”
“I’m sorry that he’s delayed,” Theresa said, “but I know what they’re discussing, and there are no easy answers.”
Suddenly, there was an excited shout. “Terri? Terri, is that you?” yelled a voice from the living room. “Is that my brilliant big sister? Is that the Wolverine from Michigan?” A moment later, Becca Weissbach ran into the hallway and into Theresa’s arms.
With her arm around her sister, Theresa said, “Becca, this is my close friend Julia, and to corrupt a little Yiddish, she’s a Michigunah too.”
Becca laughed and reached over to shake Julia’s hand. “Did you meet my sister at the University of Michigan?”
“I did. We were classmates and very good friends.”
Then Becca leaned over and whispered, “Sammy and his new girlfriend are in the living room. And she is a looker.”
“Oh, really?” Theresa said as they walked into the room to see for themselves.
A tall, handsome young man who clearly carried the Weissbach genes rose off the couch and came over to exchange hugs with his younger sister.
“I have missed you,” Theresa said.
“Me too,” he answered. He gestured to his right to a strikingly beautiful blond woman who had been sitting quietly next to him. “And this is my friend Alana.”
“So nice to meet you, Alana,” Theresa said, and gesturing to Julia, she said, “Sammy, Alana, I want you to meet my best friend, Julia Powers. If it weren’t for Julia, I wouldn’t be in Budapest at all. She knew all the right strings to pull, she put it all together.”
Greta excused herself for a minute to check on the dinner.
The young folks sat in the living room, getting acquainted and catching up on what had happened over the past ten years.
They were all proud of Theresa for achieving the rank of assistant professor of history, but Becca waved it off, saying, “I don’t think that’s so unusual. All she did in Budapest was study.”
“Oh, you’re one to talk. You’re four years younger and you are already a registered nurse at Semmelweis University Hospital. In what department?”
Becca shyly answered, “Cardiac surgery. I am registered in the surgical department.”
As they sat there exchanging stories, Theresa inhaled deeply through her nose and shut her eyes. “My God, what magic does Anya have brewing up in that kitchen?” She stood and walked into the kitchen, followed by Julia.
“Anya, Anya, what hidden treasures do you have in your pots and pans? The smells are intoxicating.”
Greta walked to the stove and lifted the lid off a large pot. “That is my hen soup with galuska dumplings,” Anya said with pride.
Julia leaned over to look into the pot and saw small potatoes, large carrots, a large bulb of kohlrabi, and dumplings in the bubbling soup. “What’s in the dumplings?” she asked.
Greta answered with a shrug, “Just the usual. Farina wheat, peppercorns, butter, eggs, seasoning, and, of course, schmaltze.” She dipped a ladle into the soup and offered it to Julia.
“Mmm, heavenly,” Julia said.
Greta moved to the next pot, lifted the lid, and said, “Main course. Anya’s goulash with chopped meat.”
Becca stepped forward and said, “Come on, Anya, don’t keep me in suspense. What’s for dessert?”
A cloth was laid over a dish on the counter. Greta lifted it and Theresa shrieked, “ Aranyagoluska! ”
Greta nodded. “It’s been a long time since I made this dish, but this is a special occasion.”
Theresa turned to Julia and said, “It’s my very favorite dessert since I was a little girl.
It’s a Hungarian dish, very popular in the Jewish community, but no one can make it like Anya.
It’s pull-apart cake. It’s coated with cinnamon and crunchy nuts.
Everyone digs in, takes an individual piece of dough, and pulls it out. ”
“That sounds delightful,” Julia said, “but I suppose we have to wait until dessert to get our share?”
“I’m afraid so,” Theresa said. “Rules are rules.”
Julia looked at Becca, who stood still, like something was amiss. Her eyes scanned the kitchen for something. Theresa knew. Greta knew.
“Oh, I know what Becca’s thinking,” Greta said. “She’s thinking, You made Theresa’s favorite. What about my favorite? ” Anya shrugged. “I must have forgotten. Isn’t that a shame.”
“Aww,” said Becca.
Greta tipped her head toward the other counter and said, “But maybe, just maybe, if you looked at the plate sitting over there…”
Becca came alive in anticipation. She could feel it coming. “Is that what I think it is?” she said.
Greta lifted the cover to reveal a plateful of crescent-shaped rolled cookies. Becca shrieked, “Bubby’s cinnamon rugelach!”
The serving dishes were carried to the table, everyone took their seats, and Sammy led them all in a prayer thanking Almighty God for his blessings.
Julia cleared her throat. “If I may say a word or two, please. I want to thank you all, especially you, Anya, for inviting me to share this wonderful evening. It’s not only that I’m thankful for attending such a lovely family dinner, which I am certain will be delicious, but it’s the privilege of being allowed to experience Budapest’s rich Jewish culture.
To the extent that I am here and able to help support that culture is a privilege for which I am deeply grateful. ”
“We are the ones who are grateful,” Theresa said softly.
“For you, for Carl, for John, for the entire WRB, and for all those who stand courageously against the forces of evil. Our community represents centuries of Hungarian Jewish life, rich in tradition and love. It’s why our people don’t want to relocate somewhere else. Our roots are here.”
After dinner, after the last crumb of rugelach had been scooped up and the coffeepot was empty, the conversation turned to present endeavors.
Julia, being the newest and most mysterious guest, went first. She told her story, from following a bass player to Amsterdam, to being part of a rescue operation, to escaping from the Utrecht woods in a reconstructed airplane painted to resemble a Nazi Fokker.
“I returned home, and I really had nothing to do. The war was still happening, and I felt like I should be there. Truth is, I was bored. Then my college friend Theresa needed my help, so here I am in Europe again.” Julia turned to Sammy and said, “I understand that you are working for the Budapest Telephone Company.”
“That’s right. I got the job through my friend Joel Brand.
Do any of you remember him? He used to come to Budapest quite a bit when he was a teenager.
The Brand family lived in Germany, but his father’s business was here in Budapest. His father founded the Budapest Telephone Company years ago, and the family would come here often, but their home was in Erfurt, Germany, at least it was until ten years ago. ”
“I know Joel,” Theresa said. “I remember you telling me that he got married and finally settled down. He and his wife, Hansi, bought a knitwear and glove factory in Budapest that became very successful. You told me that his factory employs a hundred people.”
“Correct. He got married in 1935 while you were at Michigan. Joel and Hansi belonged to a group that was making plans to move to a kibbutz in Palestine. That was their dream, but before he could leave, his mother and his sisters were forced to flee Erfurt to escape the Nazis, and they moved to Budapest. Joel and Hansi had to forgo their kibbutz plans, and they stayed in Budapest to support the family. That was three years ago, and then, in 1941, Hansi’s sister and brother-in-law… oh well, that’s another long story.”
“Tell us,” Julia said. “If it’s about Joel Brand, I want to know. He leads an exciting life. I understand he has some involvement with a rescue organization.”
“Joel has a history of rescuing people, so when it came to his wife’s relatives, he didn’t shy away,” Sammy said.
“They lived in Poland, then immigrated somewhere else, and ended up in Slovakia. You know what happened there? Four years ago, Jews were facing mass executions after Germany overran the country. Tens of thousands of Jews were fleeing and many came to Hungary.”
“And they all settled here?” asked Julia.
“No. Many did, but Horthy and the Hungarian government would only accept a portion of those immigrating Jews, and eighteen thousand would-be immigrants, including Hansi’s relatives, were sent to Ukraine.
That ended up being a terrible mistake. Ukraine was under German control, and killings followed.
To get Hansi’s family out of Ukraine, Joel bribed officials with a lot of his money.
He got Hansi’s family out of Ukraine and brought them back into Hungary.
He also helped many other refugees. Rescue efforts became Joel’s focus, and he was very creative.
To save other refugees, Joel joined a Zionist group with Israel Kasztner.
Then they joined Ottó Komoly at the Aid and Rescue Committee, and he has been active there ever since. ”