Christmas

24 December 1935:

“Luka, I am going out to the market!”

“Jawohl, Mutter,” he said from their lavatory, toweling off his dark hair still wet from the shower. “I am going out too, shortly.”

“Well don’t get into any trouble, my light!”

Gertrude walked over to the F-Markt, short for the Friedrichshain Market, to buy what she needed to make Christmas dinner for Lukas and Jacob. The market is a combination of open-air stalls and shops set into the interior of the courtyard. In summertime there are many vendors with stalls, however today on the cusp of Christmas, there only a few stalwarts manning their outdoor stalls in the chilly weather. She could see snow clouds gathering over central Berlin, off to the northwest.

Gertrude decided to start at the butcher’s first, hoping to find a solid main to build the rest of their dinner around. She went up to his counter and asked, “Herr Butcher, I am looking for something nice to put on the table for Christmas dinner, for my son and his friend. What would you suggest?”

“Well, if your son likes red meat, we have a nice roast beef imported all the way from the pastures of jolly-old England. If white meat is more to his taste, there is lovely fresh goose that has just come in from a local farm near Brandenburg. There is also Muscovy duck from Vienna. Over here is freshly snared rabbit and we also have some plump hams from southern Bavaria…”

Gertrude looked it all over but everything she saw was dearer than what she carried in her purse. “Danke, Herr Butcher, but I think fish might be more to his taste.” She said with a moue of disdain.

“Your son has delicate tastes, then Madame.”

Gertrude went over to the fishmonger next.

“Gooten Tag,” she said to him. “What can you offer me for a festive Christmas dinner?”

“Ah, Madame, but you have come to the right place. We have sole all the way from England’s Weiss cliffs of Dover. Here we have a nice filet of salmon fresh-caught off the coast of Hamburg.”

While the salmon was still pretty dear, she decided that it would be her best option. “I’ll take the salmon, then.”

“An excellent choice,” as the fishmonger wrapped the fresh fish in butcher paper and tied the package up with twine. She paid him and then perused the outdoor stalls.

With her dwindling marks she picked up some fingerling potatoes and a small red cabbage from the Chinese woman at the vegetable stall. A Dresden Stollen from the Patisserie would make a festive dessert for the boys, she thought. Carrying her bundles and packages she turned back towards her flat.

…

Meanwhile, while his mother is out, Lukas walked down to the Rowing Clubhouse. Smiling at Evan he said, “Merry Christmas!”

“The same to you Lukas!” The large boy smiled back. He had a red Kris Kringle hat perched jauntily on top of his blond head. He was smoking a Sturm Zigaretten.

“Look, I hear that you are selling Tannenbaums?”

Taking a drag on his cigarette, he said “Ja, we are trying to raise money for our youth group. Did you want one?”

“Jawohl, I would like to surprise Mutter with it this year. Jacob is coming for dinner also.”

“How nice for the two of you. Any special plans?” Evan winked mischievously at Lukas.

Blushing, he said, “Nothing like that.” He gave the boy a handful of groschen as a donation.

With thumb and forefinger, Evan pulled a stray tobacco fibre from between his lips, “Well, my offer still stands. It would be fun to get naked and try out a few things on each other.”

Lukas picked out a sad little fir tree from the bunch in front of the clubhouse. “I think this one could use some love.”

Evan stubbed his cigarette out with his heel. “Hey, what is your telephone number?”

“Er, Berlin 6-5000. Why?”

“I am going to be leaving Berlin soon. I will be back in the spring to get ready for the Olympic Games.”

Lukas smiled then. “You are certain that you and your mate will secure a spot on the German rowing team? We shall see, won’t we.”

“That we shall. Perhaps I will call you sometime.” Evan smiled back, showing his strong white teeth.

“Sure… Well, I should go. I want to set this up in the salon before Mutter gets home from market. I will think on your offer.” Lukas said over his shoulder as he headed back to the flat.

Setting the tree up in the salon, Lukas daydreamed about what he would do with Evan. His member began to shift in his dungarees. He scattered a handful of ornaments onto the tree and heard his mother open the door to their flat.

“Look Mutter, I brought you a Tannenbaum!”

Putting her parcels down, his mother strode into the salon. “Where did you get that from? Nein, don’t tell me, I can guess. Probably from someone at the Rowing Clubhouse.” The look on her son’s face tells her that her guess is right. She went into their kitchenette to put her groceries away.

…

25 December 1935:

Jacob took the U-Bahn over der Spree and got off at Warschauer station. Snow on the ground made slushy puddles in the street as he walked up to the flat.

Lukas greeted him at the door of the flat with a great big smile on his face. “Merry Christmas, Kiva!”

“The same to you, Luka!”

“Come in, come in, Mutter can’t wait to meet you.”

Gertrude met them at the door. “It is so nice to finally meet you, Jacob, I have heard so much about you!”

Jacob was not expecting Luka’s mother to have flame-red hair. “Same here…” he replied uncertainly.

“You may call me Gertrude, Jacob.”

“Then it is very nice to meet you too, Gertrude! Merry Christmas!”

“Come see the Tannenbaum, Kiva!”

The boys go into the front salon. “It is beautiful, Luka!” He put a couple of wrapped presents he brought with him under the tree. The room is warm from the coal stove.

“Dinner is almost ready, boys!” Gertrude shouted from the kitchenette. The aromas smell absolutely wonderful to Jacob.

Jacob and Lukas sat down to dinner at the small table in the warm kitchenette. Gertrude put plates of food in the middle of the table and poured each of them a small glass of Riesling. “Merry Christmas to one and all,” she toasted as they clink their glasses. Jacob took a sip of the white wine. It tasted cool, slightly minerally and very pleasant on the tongue.

“Well, don’t let it get cold, help yourself boys!” Gertrude said.

Both Jacob and Lukas reached for the salmon first. “After you Kiva, you are our guest,” he laughed.

The boys took heaping platefuls of everything and then Gertrude took her share. All three are quiet for a minute or two as they enjoyed their first few bites.

“Mutter, this is a wonderful spread. You really have outdone yourself this time!” His sentiments were quickly echoed by Jacob.

“Danke, boys!” She turned to Jacob. “So, Luka tells me that when you are not in school, you work at your father’s bookshop. Do you like to do that?”

“Yes, I enjoy minding the shop and meeting new customers.”

“Have any of your customers exhibited any… hostility towards you or your father?”

“Not that I have noticed, Gertrude.”

“Oh, that is good to hear then. And what about your rowing with the light of my life here?” She patted Lukas’ knee under the table.

Jacob glanced over at Lukas. “It has been great practicing with Luka. He has taught me so much. I look forward to picking it up again with him in the spring.” Was that a blush she could see rising faintly on the boy’s cheeks when he looked at Lukas?

After they finished eating, Gertrude put the leftovers away and asked “Do you like Kaffee, Jacob?”

“I have never had it before, Gertrude.”

“I will make us some tea, then.”

Gertrude made their tea and then brought out the stollen. Carving thick slices for them at the table she said, “I understand that you boys are training for the Olympic Games?”

“Ja, Mutter, I think we will be good enough to enter the coxless pair competition next summer.”

“That is… great to hear, my Luka,” she said with only a slight hesitation.

The boys put the dishes into the sink and carried their tea into the salon. Lukas put a record on the gramophone. Facing the little tree, Gertrude sang along in German:

O Tannenbaum, O Tannenbaum, how faithfully you blossom!

Through summer’s heat and winter’s chill, your leaves are green and blooming still.

O Tannenbaum, O Tannenbaum, how faithfully you blossom!

O Tannenbaum, O Tannenbaum, with what delight I see you!

When winter days are dark and drear, you bring us hope for all the year.

O Tannenbaum, O Tannenbaum, with what delight I see you!

O Tannenbaum, O Tannenbaum, you bear a joyful message:

That faith and hope shall ever bloom, to bring us light in winter’s gloom.

O Tannenbaum, O Tannenbaum, you bear a joyful message![1]

Jacob clapped excitedly. “You have a beautiful voice, Gertrude!”

“Danke, Jacob. Luka, why don’t you play something for Jacob on your schalmei?”

“I only know a few martial pieces, Mutter!”

“Well, play something for us anyways, it’s Christmas after all!”

Lukas picked up his schalmei, and moved to the music stand. He wet the single reed with his lips and then began a plaintive military tune. The notes skirled up-and-down, ta-rah, ta-RAH… ta-rah, ta-RAH… ta-rah, ta-RAH…REY, sounding almost like birdsong outside the window first thing in the morning.

“That is very nice, Luka. What is the tune called?” Jacob asked.

“It is a German navy piece called Reise, Reise![2]” It is used to wake up the sailors for first watch in the morning.”

“It is in the key of C-Major, is it not, Luka?”

“Jawohl, Mutter, they tell me at school that most music for bugles and other brass instruments is written or transposed into C-Major. It makes the songs easier to play.”

“Well, keep up the good work, my light.” Turning to Jacob she asked, “Shall we exchange presents?”

“Yes!” Jacob replied. Picking up a brightly-wrapped box from under the tree, he handed it to her. “This is for you, Gertrude.”

She took the present and very carefully began peeling back the shiny paper. Peeking inside she said, “Ah-ha! Belgian chocolates! My favourite.”

Jacob beamed at her. He went back to the tree and handed a small present to Lukas. Lukas tore open the paper. Inside was a scrolled box with a hinged lid. He opened the lid to find a silver pocket-watch tucked inside. “It is beautiful Kiva, Danke!”

“It is also a chronograph, Luka, so you can time us at rowing practice!” Jacob pointed out to him.

“How thoughtful of you, Kiva! I will wear it everywhere! Look, Mutter and I pooled our money and we bought this for you.” He pulled a large rectangular box wrapped in butcher paper out from under the tree and handed it to Jacob. The boys sat on the floor of the salon.

“What is it, Luka?”

“Well, open it and see, Dummkopf!” Gertrude looked over at the boys with a smile.

Jacob untied the twine and opened the butcher paper. “It is a game of some sort, is it not?”

Lukas flipped opened the lid of the box. “Ja, invented by an Américain. It is called Monopol.” He pointed to the tin pieces. “You roll the dice and then move your token around the outside track.”

Jacob peered into the box. In addition to the tin game pieces, he could also see tiny wooden houses. “But how do you win, then?”

“You make money by buying and selling streets and building houses upon them. Whoever has the most money at the end is the winner.”

“Ach, I see. It sounds like a fun game to play!”

“Ja, we should try it sometime.”

“Danke, Gertrude and Luka.” Jacob said and got up to put his teacup in the kitchen sink. “Well, it is getting late, Papa will be worrying.”

“It is dark, can I walk you to the station, Kiva?”

“Sure, I would like that.” Carrying his game, Jacob opened the door and a smoke-grey cat bounded into the house. “What is this, a cat?”

“Ja, that is Schatten. Mutter has a spot for him to sleep in her bedroom, when it is cold. With the leftover salmon tonight, he will eat like the old Kaiser!”

They walked to the station with snow lightly falling all around them.

“Luka, Papa told me to invite you to our lighting of the candles this Friday. Will you come?”

“Danke, I would be honoured to come to your house for Hanukkah.”

“Make sure to arrive before dark. That is when we light the menorah! And Papa will have some delicious treats for us too!”

Hanukkah

27 December 1935:

Just before dark, Lukas bicycled over from the flat in Horst-Wessel-Stadt to the bookshop in Hackesche Hofe, through the slushy snow. He had to avoid some pedestrian and automobile traffic on the Oberbaumbrucke, but it was relatively quiet in der Mitte shopping district at this hour on the holidays.

He tapped on the front door of the shop. Jacob had been waiting for him and motioned from the front window for him to go around the back. Walking his bicycle around the back of the bookshop, Jacob met him at the door.

“Guten Abend, Kiva!”

“Good evening, Luka!” Pointing to the bicycle he said, “Bring it in here so that someone doesn’t filch it.” Lukas knocked the last bits of melting snow from his bicycle and propped it just inside the door, beside Jacob’s basket bicycle. He could see that the back room of the shop was used to store odd bits of things, books needing repairs and an assortment of cleaning supplies on shelving units.

“Follow me upstairs to our suite. Papa has been baking up a storm. I have been smelling his sweet treats all day and can’t wait to try them!”

Lukas followed Jacob up a cramped set of stairs that curved right with a door at the top. Jacob closed the door behind them as they passed through. Lukas could see that they were in a large parlour with a carved fireplace. There was a cheerful fire crackling away in the hearth. Heavy furniture with rich fabrics dominated the room and impressionist landscapes adorned the walls. It was at that moment when Lukas realized that his friend was relatively well-off.

One painting in particular caught Lukas’ eye. “This is an odd painting to me, Kiva. Do you know what it is about?” he asked.

“Oh, that. Papa picked it up on a book shopping trip he made to Vienna a few years ago, I think. He tells me that it depicts the building of the Tower of Babel, one of the seven wonders of the world.” He pointed at the soldier in the painting, “That is Nimrud the Prideful, standing over them and supervising its construction. Angels look on from above and you can just see Yahweh’s all-seeing eye, peeking out from behind the clouds.”

“But what was the purpose of the Tower of Babel, then?”

“It is told that when Yahweh first created the world, all human beings spoke one language and followed the same customs. Nimrud, being dismissive of Yahweh in front of his people, ordered a tower built that would be tall enough to reach the heavens. Before his tower could be finished, Yahweh, in order to punish Nimrud for his hubris, scattered human beings across world. As a result, the one language diverged into multiple languages and customs. Human beings could no longer communicate clearly to understand each other, leading to many conflicts and strife.”

“That is a very heavy story, Kiva.” Lukas commented.

Jacob’s father popped his head into the room from the kitchen. “What are your boys up to? Oy, looking at my paintings? You must be Lukas,” putting out his hand.

Lukas grabbed it and they shook warmly. “Very nice to meet you, sir!” Jacob’s father’s grip was very strong.

“Bitte, as you are Kiva’s closest friend, call me Papa.”

“Papa it is, then.”

A narrow table had been set in the front window of the parlour, with a menorah in pride of place. Candles and other lighting paraphernalia were set alongside it. Going over to it Papa said “You are just in time for the lighting of the candles! Lukas, do you know what the festival of lights signifies to us?”

“Nein, Papa, I am not aware of its history.”

“Well then, Kiva, please tell your friend the story of Hanukkah, while I get things ready.”

“Yes, Papa.” The two boys sat on the plush chesterfield side-by-side. “We are told at synagogue that the Maccabees successfully revolted against Antiochus IV Epiphanes, who was a tyrant and would not let the Jews practice their faith. The faithful purified the Second Temple in Jerusalem, after it had been looted by his soldiers, and the wicks of the menorah burned miraculously for eight days, even though there was only enough sacred oil for one day’s burning. This, we believe, was a boon granted to us by Yahweh, for honouring them in all things.”

“Very good, Kiva.” Papa said in his deep voice. “Now we begin by lighting the shamash candle.” Both boys turned to look at him from where they were sitting on the chesterfield. Holding a flint in one hand and a tall candle in the other, he lit the sexton. With reverence, Papa placed the candles into the menorah, and lit them one-by-one, from the left to right, until all nine candles were glowing brightly in the menorah.

Papa intoned the first Hanukkah blessing in Hebrew:

Blessed is Yahweh, LORD our God, Ruler of the universe, they have sanctified us with their commandments and commanded us to kindle the Hanukkah lights.

Papa intoned the second Hanukkah blessing in Hebrew:

Blessed is Yahweh, LORD our God, Ruler of the universe, they who performed miracles for our ancestors in those days at this time.

Candles glowing in the window above a bookshop were noted by a large blond boy. Tossing his cigarette into the road, he turned and slowly walked back up the street.

Opening the Tanakh, Papa intoned Psalm 67, as a closure for the ceremony:

God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause their face to shine upon us.

That their way may be known upon earth, promoting harmony amongst all nations.

Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise them.

O let the nations be glad and sing for joy: for they shalt judge the people righteously, and govern the nations upon earth.

Let the people praise them, O God; let all the people praise them.

Then shall the earth yield her increase; and God, even our own God, shall bless us.

God shall bless us; and all the ends of the earth shall fear them.

AMEN.

Jacob echoed his father with an “AMEN.”

“Gut!” Turning away from the narrow table, Papa asked “Are you boys hungry, then?”

“Jawohl!” and “Yes, Papa!” said the two boys in unison.

“Well, then I had better get busy!” He said over his shoulder at them as he passed through the door to the kitchen.

Jacob got up to throw another log on the fire and looked over at Lukas. “Have you ever played at dreidel, Luka?”

“Nein, what kind of a game is it?”

“It is a traditional game that we play at Hanukkah.” Jacob picked up a wooden object and a small urn from the narrow table and sat down on the Turkish rug, facing Lukas. “A dreidel is a kind of teetotum, or top. It has four sides, each side bearing a single letter. According to Papa, many years ago the letters had different meanings, but at Hanukkah we understand them to mean,” pointing out each letter to Lukas, “‘A Great… Miracle… Happened… Here…’.”

“I see, representing the one-day’s worth of oil that ended up burning in that Temple for eight days?”

“Correct. You spin the dreidel and see what letter comes up, like so.” Jacob spun the dreidel. “Depending on what letter comes up you either do nothing, win everything in the urn, win half of what is in the urn or you have to put one of your tokens into the urn. You lose when you have no tokens left. So, would you like to try it out?”

“Sure,” he said and sat down beside Jacob on carpet.

Jacob dumped out the urn, counted out ten tokens each and then they began to take turns spinning the dreidel. Lukas spun a shin and Jacob laughed. “Shin, shin, put one in!” Grimacing, Lukas tossed one of his tokens into the urn.

As they played their game, they can hear Papa pottering around in the kitchen, singing scraps of a traditional Hebrew song in his deep voice.

He dropped a ladle of batter into the hot oil.

I am a latke; I am a latke.

And I am waiting for Hanukkah to come.

Every holiday has foods so special, I’d like to have that same attention too.

I do not want to spend life in this blender, wondering what I’m supposed to do.

Matza & choroset are for Pesach, chopped liver & challah for Shabbat.

Blintzes on Shavuot are delicious, gefilte fish no holiday’s without.

He dropped another ladle of batter into the hot oil.

It’s important that you have an understanding, of what you’re supposed to do.

You see, there are many who are homeless, with no jobs, no clothes and very little food.

It’s so important that we all remember, that while we have most of the things we need.

We must remember those who have so little, we must help them; we must be the ones to feed.

He dropped one last ladle of batter into the hot oil.

I am a latke; I am a latke.

And I am waiting for Hanukkah to come.[3]

The sounds and smells of frying food wafted towards Lukas from the kitchen. “What is that wunderbar smell, Kiva?”

“Oh, that? Papa is making latkes for our main dish. He will have other sweet treats for us, also.”

Looking at his pocket-watch, Lukas noticed that the candles in the menorah went out on their own after about a half an hour.

“Boys, please seat yourselves in the dining room, dinner is on the table!” Papa called from the dining room.

As they sat down across from each other, Papa sat at the head of the long dining table and asked them “So, which one of you won at dreidel?”

“Luka did, Papa! He was losing really badly to me and then he rallied near the end. I think it must be beginner’s luck!” Jacob laughed.

Lukas gazed around the table, which held quite the spread of food. There were the promised potato-and-onion latkes, of course, round pastries filled with chopped beef, as well as what looked like a plateful of small, cake-like donuts and a pitcher of cream. Arranged on a wooden chopping block was a wedge of hard, golden-coloured German cheese and a selection of flatbreads.

Papa poured Spanish sherry from a dark blue bottle into small crystal goblets for them.

“Mama always liked her sherry, didn’t she, Papa?” Jacob asked.

“That she did, my Kiva. L’chaim! To Life!” They all clinked glasses.

Lukas took a sip of his sherry. It tasted nutty and slightly sweet. As the alcohol worked its magic he began to feel slightly flushed, in a pleasant sort of way.

Papa passed the plates of food to each of the boys in turn and they each took their share. Lukas asked, “What exactly are these donuts, Papa?”

“These we call sufganiyot. They are filled with strawberry jelly!”

“Delikat!” Lukas exclaimed as he bit into one.

“Try some clotted cream on your latkes, Luka. It came all the way from jolly-old England!” Jacob told him.

As Lukas drizzled clotted cream on his latkes, Papa turned to him and asked, “and what is it that your mother does for work?”

“Mutter sings at the Kaftan cabaret. Actually, that is how I met your son for the first time. I was purchasing a record for her to try out.”

“Yes, I recollect that now. I myself have been to the Kaftan once or twice. Oy, it is a very interesting place,” he said sardonically, lifting his eyes skyward. “And what about your father?”

“Look, my father died in the pandemic of ‘19.”

“I am very sorry to hear that, Lukas.”

“It is alright, it was a long time ago. Before that Vati was a Colonel in the Kaiser’s Imperial Army.”

“I see.” He steered the conversation to more cheerful things. “And you have been rowing down at der Spree with my Kiva, here.”

“Ja, Kiva is a fast learner!”

Papa frowned slightly, noticing that both boys have been referring to each other by their familiar names.

“I can’t wait to start up rowing again with Luka, this spring.” Jacob said.

“I understand that rowing is very strenuous and a very good exercise for you boys.”

“Ja, and even more than that though, we hope to be good enough to compete in the Olympic Games next summer,” Lukas added.

“Oy, my Kiva must be a really fast learner, then!” Papa chortled.

Interrupting their dinner, they heard a commotion below them in the street. All three got up from the dining table and rushed back into the parlour. Looking out of the front window, they can see a group of unruly youths marching down the street. Clad in military gear and jackboots they are shouting, “Juden out of Germany! Juden out of Germany!”

“Der Hitler Youth!” Papa hissed.

As they march by, a boy stepped up to the shop window, painting something across it. As they moved past the shop, Lukas noticed that Evan was marching with them. He didn’t think that Jacob had recognized him.

After the unruly group passed onto the next street, all three go out the front of the shop and look at the window. The word ‘Juden’ had been spray-painted across the shop window in huge letters.

All three are in shock. “I will clean that up for you, Papa,” Jacob said. Papa went back upstairs in disgust. Jacob brought some cleaning supplies from the back room. Together, with soap, water, bucket, and cloths, Jacob and Lukas wiped the filthy slur off of the shop windows.

Returning together to the back door, Jacob with fear in his brown eyes, said to Lukas “The streets are not safe tonight!”

“Nein! Look, I will drag my bicycle onto the U-Bahn. Which is the closest station?”

“Kochstrasse, I think.”

“Thank your Papa for me, Kiva. I had a very nice time.”

“I will, come back soon, Luka!”

Jacob climbed the stairs to find his father looking out the front window. “What happened to Lukas?”

“That crowd could be anywhere. We thought it safest if he took the U-Bahn home.”

“Yes, it is probably for the best.”

“He wanted me to tell you that he had a really nice time.” They went into the dining room to put the dishes away.

Lukas kept to the side-streets as he made his way to the U-Bahn station, wondering what Evan has got himself mixed up in.

[1] O Tannenbaum, lyrics by Ernst Anschütz.

[2] Reise, Reise, author unknown.

[3] The Latke Song, by Debbie Friedman.

Next Chapter: Chapters 12 to 14 - A Book Burning