Page 185 - LEIBY

Chapter 24 185

Poland and want to emigrate to Eretz Yisrael, but the leaders?
As far as they’re concerned, nothing at all has changed. They
still wax poetically about Jewish-Polish culture, they still print
newspapers in Polish, and publish children’s Polish language
workbooks.

“Those leaders dominate the Jewish umbrella organizations
and try to channel the Joint’s budget to investment in Jewish
integration into Polish society.” Akiva turned aside and spat in
disgust. “Thankfully, the government also prefers right now to
see the Jews far away from Polish society, and so the Jewish
communists’ influence is quite limited, and anyone who wants
to leave before the Iron Curtain is closed, finds the door wide
open.”

Akiva fell silent, breathing heavily. He was unused to making
such long speeches, but the recent developments had caused
him no end of turmoil.

“But what are you doing here, Leiby?”he suddenly asked.“Aren’t
you supposed to be at the farm, near the Polish border?”

“This boy has lost his sister,” Leiby explained, pointing at Yosef.
“We’re trying to find her.”

“Right now, in the flood of refugees, you’ll be hard pressed to
find anyone,” Akiva was discouraging. “Sometimes, the public’s
good fortune proves to be the individual’s misfortune.”

Hersh approached them, holding several cans of sardines and
cups of warm milk. He offered them to the disappointed Leiby
and Yosef.

“I must continue on my way,” he told them. “I have to get to
America. I’ll go by myself and catch up with your group, Yosef,
and then I’ll try to investigate and find out any information about
your sister. Perhaps someone saw her before she disappeared, or
perhaps she somehow did leave with the group without you
realizing. It’s worth your while to join me.”

Yosef shook his head firmly. “No, my sister is definitely not with