It didn’t take long to convince Emma to take some time off with her husband in Israel. She was thrilled to be going there, but in truth she would have gone anywhere to have some time alone with Eitan. Except Ukraine, of course. After a couple of days of getting her wardrobe in order, she and Eitan boarded a midnight El Al flight at Miami International direct to Tel Aviv. The tickets were provided free of charge by the government of Israel, in exchange for services rendered.
At Ben Gurion Airport, Yehoshua was waiting patiently for Emma and Eitan. When they made their way through customs and passport control, he was there to offer Eitan a big hug, and his wife a warm handshake.
“Hello, Emma, I am Yehoshua.”
“Yehoshua Gruber, I have heard a lot about you. So nice to meet you. Eitan has told me how wonderful you have been,” Emma said graciously.
“He would be really wonderful if the seats he got us were in business class,” Eitan added.
“I’m an intelligence officer, not a miracle worker, Eitan,” Yehoshua said with a smile. “Come on, my car is right outside here.”
Emma hopped in the back of Yehoshua’s Citroen sedan, and Eitan jumped in the front. It wasn’t long before Emma had dozed off. Eitan was tired from the flight as well, but his eagerness to visit Kibbutz Nof Kinneret had his adrenaline pumping. It had been a place of special importance to the Groh family for decades, and he was excited to spend some time there with Emma. Quietly, Eitan wondered if any survivors from the Maharhash journey were still alive. He thought about how often his grandfather used to tell him about his visits to Nof Kinneret. Sam Groh loved spending time there and connecting with the survivors. He never stopped raising money to support them, and they loved him.
“Would you like to have a quick tour of the kibbutz before dinner tonight?” Yehoshua asked as his car sped northward.
“For sure, I can’t wait to see it. I am excited to hear what my grandfather has been telling me about all these years.”
“You will love it, but you know, this isn’t our grandfathers’ generation’s kibbutz anymore. It is like we have our own little city here. Beautiful villas, sports facilities, even a pub where everyone gathers to watch games and sing bad karaoke. How’s your singing voice, Eitan?” Yehoshua asked with a wry smile.
“It’s pretty terrible actually. I think the kibbutzniks will love it,” Eitan answered.
“We’ll see. Why don’t you get some rest? We won’t be there for a little while longer.”
Eitan wanted to stay up and take in the scenery of the road towards Tiberias. Yet, within a few minutes, he too was asleep. When they ultimately arrived about two hours later, Yehoshua had driven his car right up to the guesthouse where Eitan and Emma would be staying.
“Here you go, guys, home sweet home,” Yehoshua said as Emma and Eitan were wakening from their slumber. “I’ll get your luggage. Why don’t you guys rest up, and I’ll come get you in a couple of hours for dinner and a tour,” Yehoshua announced.
Eitan took a key from Yehoshua’s hand, and he and his wife thanked their gracious host. They headed into their nicely appointed cottage-style room. Eitan took a quick shower while Emma hopped in bed to finish off her nap. Within a couple of hours, they were both refreshed and ready for a nice night on the kibbutz. Like clockwork, Yehoshua arrived at their doorstep two hours later. Emma opened the door and saw an eager tour guide ready to roll.
“Shall we begin the tour?” Yehoshua asked.
“Please, lead the way. Thank you so much, Yehoshua. I have goose bumps just being here,” Eitan answered.
The tour began in the rectangular courtyard where Yehoshua and his friends used to play soccer. Yehoshua pointed out where the makeshift goals used to be. On the side of the field sat an old, beat-up wooden bench with several holes in it. Next to it was a row of three small orange trees.
“There used to be four benches here,” Yehoshua said, pointing to a spot on the ground adjacent to one of the orange trees. “Do you see this brown circle on the ground where no grass is growing? This is where a katyusha rocket landed during the Second Lebanon War. The rocket destroyed all the benches except for this one. We planted trees in the place of each bench that was destroyed.”
Eitan and Emma moved forward to take a closer look. It was a clear reminder that the fight for Israel’s independence never ended. When Eitan moved towards the bench, Yehoshua told him to look closely at the plaque attached to it. It simply read, “Ha-Saphsal shel HaRav Groh – Rabbi Groh’s Bench.” For Eitan, those few words brought back a lifetime of memories, visions of his grandfather, and the love that his family always had for Eretz Yisrael. Tears welled up in his eyes. This was a special place.
“This must have meant the world to my grandfather,” Eitan said. Emma was now holding his hand. She could feel the emotion coursing through his veins.
“It meant a lot to him, for sure. He did a lot for the people here. And you are following in his footsteps. I can only imagine how proud he is of you,” Yehoshua said.
“I am certain your ancestors feel the same about you,” Eitan responded.
“Thanks, Eitan. But come on, let’s get moving. I’m too hungry for all this sentimental stuff,” Yehoshua said, patting Eitan on the back.
The next stop was a small building attached to a large tent. This was where all large parties and events were held. Inside the building was a chapel that was considered the kibbutz shul. It was really only used for special occasions, such as Jewish holidays and life cycle events, but there was a ritual object inside that Yehoshua thought would be of great interest to the Grohs. They walked to the front of the room where a small, movable aron kodesh— Torah ark—housed two Torah scrolls, one with a maroon cover and the other in white and gold. Both were relatively ragged and had certainly seen better days.
Yehoshua pointed to the maroon cover. He explained that that particular Torah was from Poland. “It was brought to Palestine on the Maharhash by a young man who was hidden during the war and managed to bring his family’s Torah with him into hiding. His entire family was murdered, including his father, who had been his village’s rabbi. But this young man survived and managed to bring his Torah with him. For many years, he functioned as our kibbutz rabbi before he died about a decade ago.”
Yehoshua continued to give some of the background of the shul and its Torah. Meanwhile Eitan turned around to scan the interior of the little kibbutz shul. His eyes combed over the wooden benches and the biblical paintings on the walls. Turning back to the Torah table before him, he noticed another plaque. In Hebrew, it said, “In Memory of Jan Gruber.”
Yehoshua explained, “When my grandfather died, your grandfather strongly encouraged the kibbutz members to dedicate this Torah table in memory of him. He wanted every Torah reader to always remember how my grandfather never wavered in his faith, even after everything that happened. He used to talk for hours with your grandfather about it.”
Emma took Eitan’s hand. He was not usually an overly sentimental man. But when it came to his family and the survival of the Jewish people, his emotions ran very deep. This tour was about all he could handle, but he would not have missed it for the world.
“Beseder?” Yehoshua asked after the Grohs silently looked around the shul for a few more minutes.
Eitan nodded, “Yes, thank you. We are okay.”
“I have just one more place to show you before we head to dinner,” Yehoshua replied.
The Grohs once again followed Yehoshua out of the shul and beyond the event tent. They headed towards a field that seemed to lead to nowhere. In the distance he could see rows of villas, a playground, and a ball field where a few boys kicked around a soccer ball. He smiled. The sun was now beginning to set, and the only light guiding their path was some track lighting that illumined a narrow dirt path. About halfway down the path, a square fence marked by a large, wooden Magen David became visible. It was now clear to Eitan and Emma that they were headed for the kibbutz cemetery. Without saying a word, Yehoshua lead them several rows towards the center of the cemetery. Then he turned right and walked past three other graves. He stopped, reached into his pocket, and removed two stones that he handed to Eitan and Emma. As they each took a stone from his hand, they saw that the grave before which they were standing was the final resting place of Jan Gruber. The tombstone read simply in Hebrew, “Here Lies Jan Gruber, A Hero of Our People.”
Eitan and Emma each placed a stone on the grave, after which Eitan said tearfully, “Todah, Yehoshua. I will never forget this day.”