10 minute read
The Wandering Jew
What About the Kids?
By Hershel Lieber
My son Mechel making a chess move at the Lauder Retreat in Poland in 1992 My daughter Chavi (center) with students of the Bais Yakov of Kishinev in 1996
Many people ask me questions about my travels during the years that my children were young. Where did your children stay when you were traveling? Did your children join you on those journeys? Did Pesi always accompany me on all my trips?
There really is no single answer that covers all the years, because personal circumstances changed over the years.
During our four-year delayed “honeymoon trip” to Israel in December of 1972, with stops in Rome and Munich, our only child was our daughter, Itty. She was well cared for during those three weeks by my mother and my mother-in-law, whom she took turns staying by. The same was true in April of 1979 when Pesi and I traveled to the Soviet Union, Czechoslovakia, and Hungary for two weeks. At that time, our mothers had to contend with all of our three daughters, Itty, Faigy and Chavi. The next time we asked our mothers to care for our children was in January of 1982. On that journey we traveled to the Soviet Union for two weeks as the first shlichim for the Vaad L’Hatzolas Nidchei Yisroel. The final time we imposed ourselves was only on my mother. This happened in May of
1986 when we again went to Israel for two weeks which included a stopover in Paris for a few days. By this time, our family included our three-yearold son, Mechel.
Between 1979 and 1989, I made another ten trips abroad where my main objectives were projects that I was involved in, either in the U.S.S.R. or Poland. On these trips, I went alone, and Pesi remained with the children. In 1989, I went alone to organize the first Ronald Lauder
Summer Retreat, but in subsequent summers, Pesi joined me both physically and by participating in the outreach activities. During those summer months, all of our children were in summer camps, and the timing worked out perfectly for us to be overseas.
In addition to our summer activities in Poland, I would travel almost every year before the Yomim Noraim to be the baal tefillah at the Nozyk Shul in Warsaw. During most of the 1990s I was there alone, while Pesi tended to our family at home. They would go for some seudos to our mothers, but she managed mostly on her own, with the help of our daughters. As our daughters got married and Mechel was learning in Israel, Pesi started to join me every year for the Yomim Noraim period as well. From 1996 and until 2006, I was involved with a yeshiva and a bais Yaakov that was formed in Kishinev, Moldova, in the former Soviet Union. During those ten years, I traveled to Moldova twenty-eight times, and Pesi joined me for four of those journeys.
What about the kids? Well, let me see if I remember. My oldest daughter, Itty, once joined me on Chanukah at a Lauder Winter Retreat in Poland. Faigy, her husband Moishy, and their children joined us for two consecutive
Spending family time in Amsterdam in 1992 which included my mother-in-law At Shaar Yafo in 1991
At the Kosel on Sukkos in 1991
Summer Retreats. Chavi came for one summer and again during one winter. Mechel came for two summers to the retreat, and we also took him the first time to Prague and the next time to Stockholm. Chavi and Mechel participated with Pesi and me for the duration of Pesach in Kishinev which also included stopovers in Budapest and Vienna. They also shared with us an inspiring Rosh Hashana in Warsaw.
Having our children with us during our kiruv activities in Poland and Moldova gave them an everlasting awareness of the importance of connecting with our brothers and sisters and bringing them closer to authentic Yiddishkeit.
Over the course of our children’s youth, we went on a number of memorable family trips. We and many of our close friends were spending our summers in a bungalow colony. This type of vacation was a perfect venue for our children to spend both structured time in day camp and ample free time with their friends. Yet, because of their extensive daily schedule, we felt a bit disconnected from our own children. One year, I proposed to Pesi that we rent out our bungalow for August and take our children on a family trip. And that is exactly what we did.
On Sunday, August 9, 1981, we headed south out of Brooklyn towards Cape May, NJ. After crossing by ferry to Delaware, we drove to Maryland and crossed the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, which was then the longest over-the-water span bridge in the world. The feeling of being surrounded by water as far as the eye can see was somewhat eerie, yet quite exhilarating.
We spent a relaxing Tuesday in Hampton, VA, before immersing ourselves the next day in the delights of Busch Gardens. The combination of six realistic-looking European villages, meticulously landscaped gardens and thrilling rides earned this attraction the title as the “world’s most beautiful theme park.” On Thursday, we spent an entire day in Williamsburg, VA. This colonial town and its authentic buildings also included costumed actors who serve as guides teaching visitors about early American history and demonstrating the lifestyles and professions of the early settlers. Our children enjoyed various segments of this tour but tuned out when the monologue became too detailed. I also remember that it was extremely hot that day.
On Friday, we headed to Silver Springs, MD, after stopping at Skyline Caverns which we all enjoyed immensely. Our Shabbos was really beautiful – both the davening in Shul, as well as our seudah. We shopped for readymade meals which we ate in our hotel suite. For the afternoon seudah, we were invited to my friend Asher’s sister, who adored our girls.
On Sunday, we headed north. We visited Baltimore, MD, and its harbor and strolled among the stunning flowers and plants in the world-famous Longwood Gardens. Then we continued on to Lancaster, PA. The next two days were a whirlwind of activities. We took a self-guided tour of the Amish country, we rode the Strasburg Railroad, visited the Amish Homestead, and watched the production line of the Anderson Pretzel factory, followed by a full day of attractions in Hershey Park.
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Mount Washington in 1982 Mystic, Connecticut in 1982 Pesi in Amish Country, 1981
At the Royal Palace in Stockholm in 1990
Poconos where we had two relaxing days. The kids went swimming, and we all went horseback riding. On Friday, we went hiking at Bushkill Falls where we were treated to stunning scenery, as we trekked over rocky paths and creaky wooden bridges. We then drove to Monticello and stayed in a motel near our bungalow colony. That Shabbos we ate our seudos with friends and family and had an opportunity to tell them all about our delightful trip.
The success of our first major family trip was the incentive that prompted us to do a repeat performance the following year. This time, we headed north. So, on Sunday, August 6, 1982, we packed our daughters into the backseat of our car and drove to Orient Point, Long Island, where we took the ferry to Connecticut and settled in near Mystic. We visited the Mystic Aquarium that very day, and on Monday we took tours of two stunning mansions, The Breakers and The Marble House. We also stopped at the historical Touro Synagogue. Since we had previously been at the Mystic Seaport, I went biking with Itty and Faigy for twelve miles to Woods Hole along a path lined with cranberry bogs on Tuesday. Then, all of us we went to see the quaint village of Sandwich.
The next day our itinerary included Plymouth Rock and The Plymouth Plantation. It was early Wednesday evening when we finally arrived in Boston. On Thursday, we confined ourselves to the Boston Commons area, where we took swan boat rides, toured Faneuil Hall, the Market Place, the Boston Tea Party boat, and topped off the day at the world acclaimed Children’s Museum. On Friday, we had a lighter program, and it included shopping and preparing for Shabbos. We davened in the shul of the Bostoner Rebbe on Shabbos, and the Rebbe invited our whole family up to his apartment for kiddush.
The following week we spent in New Hampshire and Vermont. Our activities were geared mainly for our children – swimming, boating, picnicking, and driving on scenic roads. We also spent a good part of a day driving up to the summit of Mount Washington where we got a bird’s-eye view of all the neighboring states. The ride was slow as the roads were narrow and steep but it was a lot of fun for the girls. On Friday, we headed to Albany where we toured the State Capitol and the NYS Museum. Then we spent a Shabbos at Oppenheimer’s Regis Hotel in the company of many nice people, some of whom we knew. On Sunday, as we headed home, we were privileged to visit the Bluzhiver Rebbe at his summer bungalow in Hunter, NY.
There were a few other trips that we took as a family. In 1984, we had an opportunity to use a house which was fully supplied with a Pesach kitchen in Los Angeles. Mechel was then a one-year-old baby when we spent that Pesach and an additional few days in California. We spent two weeks in 1991 during Sukkos with our three younger children in Israel, where we experienced a spiritual high as never before.
These trips were besides some smaller jaunts we took, like Niagara Falls, Washington, D.C., and overnight outings during Chol Hamoed.
As our children’s families grew, baruch Hashem, traveling together was really not feasible anymore. We remain with many good memories of the trips that we took together and with lots of exciting photos of those wonderful times.
Hershel Lieber has been involved in kiruv activities for over 30 years. As a founding member of the Vaad L’Hatzolas Nidchei Yisroel he has traveled with his wife, Pesi, to the Soviet Union during the harsh years of the Communist regimes to advance Yiddishkeit. He has spearheaded a yeshiva in the city of Kishinev that had 12 successful years with many students making Torah their way of life. In Poland, he lectured in the summers at the Ronald S. Lauder Foundation camp for nearly 30 years. He still travels to Warsaw every year – since 1979 – to be the chazzan for Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur for the Jews there. Together with Pesi, he organized and led trips to Europe on behalf of Gateways and Aish Ha-
torah for college students finding their
paths to Jewish identity. His passion for travel has taken them to many inter-
esting places and afforded them unique
experiences. Their open home gave them opportunities to meet and develop relationships with a variety of people. Hershel’s column will appear in The Jewish Home on a bi-weekly basis.
