Czech Republic series: Walter Ziffer Ends the Word-Fast

Across the street from his uncle’s former home, now totally remodeled and unrecognized, stands the only one of seven synagogues in Cesky-Tesin still standing. It now houses a Christian gathering called “Agape.” There is also a night-club on site. (For Christian groups to occupy former Jewish places is not uncommon in Europe. I ran into it often in Spain.)

In this packed former sacred space, Walter spoke of what it was like to be Jewish in this town, and to be the last remaining-alive Jew from the region. As far as we know, there are no Jews from that time still residing in the region.

It was an emotion-packed speech, about 45 minutes long, and ended with little-known or -read Proverbs 24:10-12 passage:

“If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small.
If you hold back from receiving those taken away to death,
Those who go staggering to the slaughter …

If you say, “Look, we did not know this –
Does not he who weighs the heart perceive it?
Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it?
And will he not repay all according to their deeds?”

[Standing ovation.]

Q & A afterwards, during which he said a couple of quote-worthy lines:

1)            Without freedom you cannot make decisions.
2)            It takes a long time to recover decision-making ability after one has been a slave.

These remind me of a third quote I like from him:

3)            If you don't ask questions, you are asking for trouble.

After his speech, designated people read aloud the names of all the Jews lost from the region. Sitting next to Walter, I heard him speak out: “My cousin … my aunt … my uncle … my friend, Wow! Ahhhh… My Hebrew teacher … I didn’t know he was there." Oh, the sighs.

An old man came forth at the last, one pictured in a slide show from this morning as the only Jewish person in the region. He claimed, and was believed, that he and Walter shared their first camp together.

I cannot tell which was the more important - the huge impact Walter has had on this small town's Christian population, as they realize their ancestors' bit-parts in the anti-semitic dramas of Europe...

or...

the huge impact upon Walter of coming here and bearing witness to his experience in front of his home-town.