Naomi, The Rabbi's Wife

by Miriam Finesilver

  The first was from Anne. “Hi, Naomi. Happy New Year. I was wondering if we could work out a time for me to see my new living quarters. Thanks.”

  Naomi scribbled a note to call Anne and played her second message. “Hey cookie, you ready for this? Campbell Soup wants you for their next commercial. No audition, you already have the part.”

  Hurriedly she scribbled a note to call Rhonda and listened to her third message. Hearing Daniel’s voice, she moved closer to the phone. “Naomi, I’m looking forward to seeing you tonight. But for now I need to tell you there won’t be any new member classes. Rabbi Lehrer said you were the only one signed up. Last fall I had only two and one all of a sudden dropped out. You think I’m doing something wrong? Anyway, all you have to do is fill out an application form and then the Membership Committee will interview you. See you tonight.”

  Both Rhonda and Anne would have to wait, as would the starving cat. “Hi, can I talk to Rabbi Dan, please?”

  Daniel was soon on the line. “You’re freaking out, aren’t you?”

  “Interview me? Who? How many?” Naomi pictured a roomful of people all like Rabbi Lehrer, with all scrutinizing her as they peered through their identical eyeglasses. More like an interrogation than an interview.

  “There’s about five on the committee right now. Relax, My-omi.” Hearing his new pet name for her, Naomi’s heartbeat went thump thump. Continuing to calm her fears, he added, “One of them is Beatrice, who can’t wait for you to be a member knowing you want to volunteer in the kitchen with her. Except I told her hands off, you’re reserved for the youth.” From thump thump, the heartbeat went thud.

  “Daniel, I don’t know about working with the youth, I don’t think—”

  “After the Chanukah play, you have to . . . the kids love you. If you want, of course, you can also work the kitchen. When I see you tonight at shul for Shabbos, I’ll give you the form to fill out.”

  After finally feeding the cat, Naomi called her agent and learned the same producers who did the Mop & Glo commercials had now created a recurring character for another company. They wanted Naomi for “the Campbell Soup lady,” pushing a cart and calling out, “Hot Soup, get your hot soup right here.”

  “First thing Monday, you’ll stop by my office and pick up a script. I’ll give you the time and place for the shoot then. Next year this time, you’re going to be walking down the street and little kids will be telling their mommies, ‘Look, there’s the Campbell Soup lady.’ Told you you’d be a moneymaker, didn’t I?”

  Well, better than “Look, Mommy, there’s that wicked stepsister.”

  Zoey pulled back her lips, flattened her ears against her head, and gave out a loud hissing noise. For a moment Naomi feared she would swat at Anne—thankfully, instead the cat ran out of the living room, into Naomi’s bedroom, and whoosh under Naomi’s bed.

  “Good, stay under there,” Naomi yelled at the cat. “Anne, I’m so sorry. You just gotta give her time to warm up to you. The stupid cat used to do that to me, but now she’s my best friend—at least when I feed her.”

  Anne smiled. “Don’t worry. I probably was too aggressive with her. I’m going to love living here, and the view from my bedroom even—I mean, wow, trees to look at.”

  Both women laughed as Naomi passed a tray of cheese and crackers toward Anne. “You really like it then?”

  Anne’s grin widened. “This’ll be a nice way to start off the new year. Now, tell me about your new commercial. I’m dying to hear how it went.”

  “They’re already talking about a sequel to it. Can you believe it? It was the same director from the two Mop & Glo ads and he told me at the end of the shoot, ‘I like working with you. You’re very professional.’ I was so flattered. Course, the only thing is I always imagined the kids who picked on me growing up, when they one day saw me on the big screen, they’d eat their words. You know what I mean?”

  Anne scrunched her forehead and tilted her head. “I don’t get where there’s a problem here.”

  “I wanted to be like the new Natalie Wood and instead I’m like this frumpy Campbell Soup lady. Oh, forgive me, Anne. I’m such a jerk. Dad would yell ‘you ingrate you.’”

  “It’s true, you do have a lot to be thankful for. I can’t wait to meet your rabbi friend.”

  Naomi’s eyes went to several sheets of paper sitting in the middle of her coffee table. “Yikes. I have to fill out the new membership form by tonight. I’ve been kinda putting it off.”

  Anne stood and grabbed her down jacket. “Okay, I better go and let you do it.” Naomi walked her to the door. Slipping her gloves on, Anne pointed to the papers on Naomi’s table. “Why were you putting it off?”

  ‘It’s kinda intimidating.”

  “You just did your third commercial—if you can do that—”

  After laughing together and waving goodbye to Anne, Naomi went to the application form she had been trying to ignore.

  The preliminary questions were already filled out; she had answered them the very night she came home with the form. It was toward the bottom of the first sheet where she had stopped. With a grimace, she picked up the phone and dialed the synagogue.

  Daniel himself answered the phone. “Tribe? Daniel, they’re asking what tribe I’m from.”

  “You’re joking? You’re just now filling out the application? Naomi, you have the interview in less than two hours. Leave it blank. A lot of people do. It’s not a big deal. I’ll see you tonight.”

  She hung up and plunged into the five-page form. HOW DID YOU HEAR ABOUT US? My feet were simply velcroed to the cement in front of your place! How am I supposed to answer this? I write God led me here, and they’ll lock me away.

  She rushed past the next block of questions. NAMES OF THE APPLICANT’S CHILDREN AND THEIR BIRTHDATES. Naomi scrawled NA.

  PREVIOUS SYNAGOGUE AFFILIATION. Did it count where she went with her parents? Moving right along, she came to DO YOU WANT TO PURCHASE PLOTS IN OUR CEMETERY AT THIS TIME? Yikes, no!

  Finally, she made it all the way to Attachment B, a list of synagogue activities. PLEASE MARK THOSE AREAS YOU ARE INTERESTED IN. She checked Kitchen Support. In the next column was Youth Activities. Daniel wanted her to check this, and she thought of little Mindy Kaplan. She blinked away the tears and ran into the shower.

  Moments before, Naomi had bitten into a jelly doughnut and a gob of jelly oozed out. She now returned from the kitchen after having quickly wiped her white blouse with a wet rag.

  “I think I got it all off. You know, Anne, it’s weird. You’d think I’d be doing cartwheels because of things going so good with my career and all, but I’m more excited that the Temple accepted me as a member.”

  For Naomi it was also weird being in her old apartment. Daniel would soon arrive with the truck he rented to help with Anne’s move. She never asked, but he simply offered. His goodness took her breath away.

  Leaning over the back of the couch with her knees resting on its pillows, Anne peered out the window. “Is that him? There’s a truck, it must be him.”

  Naomi ran and leaned over the couch with Anne. “That’s him. And can you believe it? He found a parking space right in front.”

  Grabbing Naomi’s shoulders, Anne exclaimed, “He’s so cute. You didn’t tell me.”

  “I can’t wait to introduce you.”

  Anne ran to the door and flung it open while Daniel was still making his way up the stairs. As soon as introductions were made, Anne told him, “It’s so nice of you to do this for me. I really appreciate it.”

  With a wide grin, he said, “I’m glad to do it.” His eyes scanned the apartment. “All this?”

  “Don’t worry about the furniture. Anne sold it to the couple who’ll be moving in here. The only thing we have to worry about is the boxes.”

  Being a Sunday, traffic was light. However, Daniel did not have the same luck with parking in front of the brownstone in Brooklyn Heights. He took his chances and double-parked while they unloaded the boxes
in front of the building.

  He instructed them, “The truck rental place is only a block away. You both wait here while I return it.” He shook his finger at both women, chiding them, “Don’t start lifting them by yourselves, okay? Wait for me.”

  One hour later, all twenty-two of Anne’s boxes were safely transported to her new apartment. Both the old apartment and the new were walk-ups, and the threesome was ready to collapse.

  Naomi now shook her finger at Daniel. “We’re buying you dinner. No arguments, okay? You pick the place.”

  “You don’t have to do that. I enjoyed helping. Reminded me of my school days when I worked for Dad delivering furniture.”

  But Anne insisted. “Please, I’ll feel better if I can do something to thank you.”

  He smiled. “Okay. Teresa’s Restaurant. You know, Naomi, the one on Montague Street.”

  “No, we want to take you somewhere nice,” Naomi whined. “That place is more like a diner or something.”

  Looking at Anne, Daniel asked, “Didn’t she say ‘you pick the place’?”

  “But why that place?” Naomi demanded.

  “Look, lady, it’s the best Polish food in town. Better than my Mom’s.”

  Naomi shrugged. “Then let’s go.”

  Since Teresa’s was mostly known for their brunches, this Sunday evening they found the place pretty much all theirs. Menus were brought almost immediately upon being seated, but they largely ignored them—this was the first real opportunity for Daniel and Anne to get acquainted.

  Daniel smiled toward Anne. “I can’t wait to hear you sing. Naomi has told me what a beautiful voice you have.”

  Anne demurred, “She’s just being nice. I don’t think anyone else in this town feels that way. What I want to hear is more about Naomi and her career.” She turned to Naomi. “I’m sure your agent is sending you on more auditions. I can’t believe you haven’t told us anything about what’s going on.”

  “I’m working on talking about myself less. I have such a huge ego.”

  “Been meaning to talk to you about that,” Daniel said, “but haven’t been able to get a word in edgewise, because you’re always talking—about yourself.”

  After the second time the waitress came by their table and was told they weren’t ready to order, Anne suggested, “Let’s look at our menus for a minute. You have any suggestions, Rabbi?”

  “Just call me Daniel. I really like their stuffed cabbage.”

  “Anne’s a vegetarian, Daniel.”

  “Perfect.” Leaning across the table, he showed Anne, on his menu, where there was a vegetarian platter. And you can get their blintzes as well. Potato or cheese.” Turning to Naomi, he asked, “And you?”

  “Broiled kielbasa. I could absolutely never be a vegetarian, I need my meat.”

  After their orders were taken, Anne inquired, “You don’t keep kosher, I gather.”

  “No,” he acknowledged with a smile. “As of now I haven’t been, but I’m pondering it.”

  “Really?” Naomi asked.

  Rather than going further into this subject, Daniel explained to Anne, “You know I don’t have a television. If your friend over here keeps getting her face on it, I might have to buy one.”

  Naomi protested, “No, I think it’s kinda cool that you don’t watch television.”

  Anne’s potato blintzes arrived before the other food. When asked if they would like to share this golden crepe-like pancake with her, they declined. “It smells delicious,” she told Daniel.

  “Es gezunterheyt. That’s Yiddish for eat in good health,” he told her. “Would you like some sour cream with it? That’s the way we always ate it at our house.”

  Anne eagerly nodded and Daniel signaled for the waitress. “Could we please have some sour cream?” Turning back to Anne, he said, “Naomi has told me how you both met, but can I ask you something I’m curious about?”

  “Yes, of course.”

  “Alright, here’s what I was wondering. Why did you decide to come to New York City? Naomi told me you were from a small town in Ohio. So, had you visited here first? Or the first time you came here was when you moved here? What compelled you?”

  Naomi looked at Anne. “Isn’t he amazing? That is such a great question. I never even asked you that myself.”

  When Anne blushed, Daniel instantly apologized. “You don’t have to answer if I’m embarrassing you.”

  “It’s ironic, here I am trying to make it as an entertainer but when I get a lot of attention, I feel awkward.” She took a quick breath. “I came here on vacation with my parents and my older brother when I was thirteen. We went to see a Broadway musical and right then I knew what I wanted. It was magical, all these people dancing and singing together. I had always been told my singing voice was good and even did a few solos in our church’s choir.”

  The waitress arrived with the sour cream, as well as carrying Daniel’s stuffed cabbage and Naomi’s kielbasa. With steam engulfing their table, Anne gave a quick conclusion to her story. “After two years of college at Ohio State, I couldn’t wait—I was restless to move to the Big Apple and against my parents’ wishes, I did.” She inhaled deeply the meaty smell coming from Naomi’s dish. “I’m about to break my New Year’s resolution.”

  Naomi laughed, cut a generous piece from her sausage and placed it on Anne’s plate.

  In return, Anne plopped a potato blintz on Naomi’s plate. “Daniel, is it okay if I ask you a question?”

  “Of course.”

  “Naomi told me about your parents . . .”

  “You mean being in a concentration camp?” Anne nodded and Daniel gently told her, “Please, feel free to ask.”

  “I just wondered where they met. Did they meet in the camps? I mean, of course, there’s a lot of questions about all this, but I thought maybe you could tell me, you know, how they met.”

  “My parents’ story is rather incredible. Not completely a good kind of incredible, but I choose to believe I see God’s hand in it. They grew up in Poland, in a shtetl—that’s like a ghetto for Jewish people. Their little village was called Debica. Mom and Dad’s parents arranged for them to be married on Mom’s twentieth birthday. So, Mom’s birthday also became her wedding day. I have pictures of her from back then, and she was beautiful. I was told all of Debica turned out to celebrate.”

  Daniel turned his face away from the women and toward the window. His face averted from theirs, he reached for his water glass. When Naomi put her hand on his shoulder, he patted it, turned back to them and smiled.

  “Mom’s birthday and wedding day also became the day the Nazis destroyed Debica. Some were killed on the spot and others were shipped off in trains to Auschwitz. Mom and Dad spent their wedding night in one of those trains. The next day, after the train stopped, they were separated, the men herded into one camp and the women into another. Five years later they were both released. Mom had given up hope Dad was still alive, but my dad, well he’s a man who clings to hope. I love that about him.”

  Naomi and Anne, with all their attention on Daniel, had not touched their food. He playfully scolded, “Eat your food. Essen!”

  Naomi explained to Anne, “That means eat.” To Daniel she insisted, “You haven’t touched your food either. We’ll all eat, but please tell us how they got back together. I can’t believe I never asked you about this.”

  “You didn’t ask because you probably felt it was too sensitive a subject. That’s the way most people are. It’s a sweet story in its own way. Dad went from one refugee camp to another, and finally found Mom in Austria.”

  Naomi was ready to hear more. “What about the rest of their family—well, actually your family?”

  “The only one that seems to have survived is my Aunt Luba. Can’t wait for you to meet her. You’ll love her. And she’ll love you, too.”

  Daniel finally dug into his stuffed cabbage. “This is delicious. Almost as good as my Mom’s.”

  Anne bit into the meat Naomi had given her,
rolled her eyes, and exclaimed, “Oh, this is delicious, too.”

  Halfway through their meal, Anne looked over at Daniel. “Your parents must be so proud of your being a rabbi.”

  “Dad is. Mom, I’m afraid, is too bitter.” Daniel laid his fork down on his plate and leaned in to Anne. “It’s complicated. So many times people have tried to wipe out our people, and too many of the Jewish people our age, they just don’t treasure our Judaism. Mom says after all she saw, how can she believe in God? And Dad says even if there is no God, still it’s good to affirm ‘I am a Jew.’”

  “And Daniel,” Naomi told Anne, “makes it mean something. He really does.”

  “No, My-omi, don’t give me credit for what God Himself is doing in your life. God is the One gives meaning. Not me.”

  The One watching over me—yes, He is giving meaning to my life—and even bringing my life and Daniel’s together. Naomi watched and listened as Daniel and her new roommate became acquainted.

  What’s next? Hmmm, think I need to get to know Dana?

  “How long ago did your sister move to Staten Island?”

  “About three months ago—a little before you met her. Ed’s got a job there as a pharmacist. You sure you’re up to dealing with Dana? I mean Ed’s nice, but Dana . . .”

  After having followed the twists and turns of the walkway, Daniel and Naomi reached the front of the crowd. While forced to move swiftly, Daniel managed to ask, “Are you enjoying having a roommate?”

  “It’s an adjustment, of course, after living alone for . . . awhile. But, yeah, she’s great.”

  They finally descended the ramp and stepped onto the ferry as Daniel put his arm around Naomi’s waist. “Is this your first time on the ferry?”

  “Years ago we used to go to visit Dad’s brother who lives in Staten Island. Been a long time since we visited them though.”