My Jewish Star

The officer found me sitting on the ground Shortly after I had been firmly knocked down. “Are you okay,” she asked, “should I make a call, To get you to a hospital?” “No, I’ll be all right,” I said, in words that were halted You see I had just been cruelly assaulted.

The police officer saw the bruise on my head “You’ve got a gash,” she winced, “and it looks very red.” She was visibly upset, so I said “thank you,” I appreciated such concern, as a world-wary Jew.

She said, “Tell me what happened, for the police report We will need all the details if this goes to court.” The officer was young, I saw distress in her eyes I thought this was an opportunity for me to apprise.

Yeah, I’ll tell you what happened, sadly it’s not bizarre The attack started when the thugs saw my Jewish star But if you really want to know what happened – how I got this cut? It goes back very far, it’s unfortunate.

You see, ancient peoples were very much taken To destroy my ancestors of the Hebrew nation The First Temple in Jerusalem, in its time was renown But the Babylonians came, and they burned it down.

The Jews built another one, such resilient people But the Romans destroyed it, the Second Temple The Romans struck again, at the fortress of Betar Slaughtered a hundred thousand Jews in this latest massacre.

The Spanish Inquisition followed, the dreaded torture racks Were used on the Jews, to break their backs But many of the Jews never even got that bad break Instead they were ruthlessly burned at the stake.

All through the centuries Jews were condemned Their presence alone would invite mayhem Kings and queens wanted to banish Jews from their lands And so the Jews had to flee their beloved homelands.

Then that monster Fuehrer took over Germany He was the incarnation of evil, that vile Nazi Devised a Final Solution, a Holocaust Six million Jews were tragically lost.

Shot them, gassed them, our poor Jewish kin Beat them, starved them, till they were living skeletons Stabbed them, murdered them in barbaric ways Little children too, it was the Nazi way.

Kristallnacht, Babi Yar, uprisings they subdued You see all they wanted was just to kill Jews Auschwitz, Buchenwald, Dachau, concentration camps to name just three Where they showered the Jews with Zyklon-B.

With much sadness I’ve summoned the strength to rue Some of the atrocities the Jews have been through But the Jews have survived in extraordinary ways Making it possible for us to flourish today.

My Jewish star was battered, indeed it was a wreck But I picked it up anyway and put it around my neck To know that hatred mangled it was surely very painful But just the same to me it is still very beautiful.

This attack on me was rooted in the past It happens every day, and it won’t be the last They knocked me to the ground, and snatched my Jewish star Banged it, bent it, and stomped on it very hard The punches that pounded me on this avenue Came from anti-Semitism that started very long ago.

But they can strike me, beat me As much as they can try It really won’t make a difference And I will tell you why.

I am a Jew, it is what I am It’s who I’ve always been, I’m sure you can understand If it’s a problem for others then it’s my revolution Because being Jewish is in my constitution.

It runs in my veins, it’s lodged in my cells It’s embedded in my fiber, it’s what makes me excel It’s the essence of my logic, the pith of my will The core of my emotions, my pride and goodwill.

It’s the beat of my heart, the oxygen I breathe, The fire of my soul, everything I need It’s my joy of joys, all my feelings that be It’s in every step that I take, it’s what makes me, me.

I rolled up my sleeve because I was feeling warm When the officer’s attention was drawn to my arm She said, “Sir, your arm looks very black and blue.” “Oh, no,” I said, “that’s just an old tattoo. Got it at Auschwitz when I was just a kid My family never made it out, I was the only one that did.”

Tears were now rolling down the officer’s face Then she smiled faintly and gave me a warm embrace She said, “In my official report of the crime today This is what I am going to say:

“It’s hard to believe that there still exists Hatred, oppression and prejudice After thousands of years there needs to be an end Of this terrible thing called anti-Semitism

“It’s time for the world to stop these attacks By coming together and staunchly fighting back The victim’s okay, because the victim is tough But this can’t go on, enough is enough”

And then the officer turned to me with a beam in her eyes I knew she was ready to say good-bye She said, “Thank you, you’re brave, you’re brave, yes you are And you will always be my Jewish star.”