After the delivery, Jacob followed as the baby was taken upstairs to be weighed and measured, leaving me alone in the recovery room to be wheeled upstairs to the maternity ward. It was three in the morning, and there wasn’t anyone I could call yet. Restless, I started flipping through TV channels until I came across a Holocaust film, an obscure documentary titled “Among the Righteous.”
I’d always been reluctant to watch movies or read books dealing with the Holocaust. It just seemed too depressing and hopeless. This time, though, just an hour after giving birth to a healthy baby boy, I felt like I was given a sign.
The Holocaust was a terrible time, full of unimaginable sorrow and pain, and I will leave it to the experts to expound on the hidden meanings behind the tragedy. But sitting in the hospital bed, filled with joy and gratitude and excitedly sketching out the details of the shalom zachar and bris on a pad of paper, I was reminded that there is no need to feel bitter, or think God has abandoned us, because here we are today, the generations continuing, stronger then they have been in some time.
Once again there is another Yehuda, one who will grow up to be a strong Jew, immersed in Torah and mitzvot, just like his great-grandfather, b’ezrat Hashem.
This 12th of Tishrei, Joseph will celebrate his 97th birthday, a remarkable achievement for a remarkable man who spends his days reciting Tehillim and learning Ein Yaakov. May he be comforted and find joy in his many grandchildren and great-grandchildren, just as we are continually comforted and inspired by him.
Pnina Baim is a writer and nutritionist who is passionate about all things Jewish. She can be contacted at [email protected].