Lilia - Trutz Hardo

Three days after Maria had announced her decision to convert to the Jewish faith, the great moment had finally arrived. Even before the break of dawn, father and daughter are leaving the pastor’s house to walk towards the neighbouring village five kilometres away. As arranged, they will meet the rabbi and his wife at the bridge just outside the village. Pastor Heger will follow on later with his bicycle. Like his colleague from the neighbouring village, he insisted on attending this "parturition", but the great distance is far too tiring for him to walk on account of his artificial leg.

Father and daughter walk toward the bridge in silence. He has taken his only child by the hand. Today is the greatest day of my life. I am so excited. My wife must not hear about this, of course. She wouldn‘t be able to understand Maria’s decision and would forever bear me a grudge for having violated the written marriage contract and made her daughter adopt my faith. It’s a good thing that we all planned on setting off so early in the day. At least this way both we and rabbi Krakauer and his wife will avoid any awkward questions from the village constables.

The constable in my village knows me under the name of Altmann. As the pastor told him, I am his "wartime comrade" from the Great War and he has given me houseroom on account of my ailing heart. The Krakauers have not been discovered by the policeman in their village yet. He’s said to be a nasty snoop and we too have to hide from him. He has already twice hunted down and arrested people in hiding. Sadly, I expect that the rabbi and his wife will have to take to the road again soon, for even in the attic of the parsonage they cannot remain in hiding for too long. In villages, things get around quickly. That’s also why the Krakauers will have to remain hidden in the forest all day and not return until after dusk.

We secretly listen to the enemy radio station with Pastor Heger. England is teeming with American soldiers. They are probably getting ready to land on the shore. If only they come soon. I pray to God every day for this. Germany’s enemies are our friends, and our friends are their enemies. We expect them to deliver us from this nerve-racking situation. Every stranger is a potential enemy. A policeman may emerge from behind any tree and demand "papers please!" I had my first heart attack a few weeks ago. Who knows whether I‘ll survive the next.

But today, after my Maria has converted to our faith, I will thank the Lord for this miracle and I shall tell Him that I will now no longer fear discovery. And if it is meant to be, I will in exchange willingly lay my head to the slaughter if my beloved daughter will be forever freed from harm.

Through the fraught darkness they are finally able to make out the outline of the bridge. Suddenly a figure shrouded in mist steps forward from the bridge and begins to walk toward them. Frozen in terror, they hear the approaching shadow whisper to them through the darkness. "Is that you? This is Pastor Jacobi!"

Hirschfelder: Yes, it’s us!

The pastor approaches them, shakes hands and says: "Mister and Mistress Krakauer are already making preparations further down the river. Frau Krakauer will soon meet us here. Yes, I see a bicycle approaching. That’ll be our good pastor Heger."

Upon arriving, the pastor dismounts from his bicycle and greets his colleague - he had already greeted Maria and father Hirschfelder earlier at his own home. He has brought a basket and a wrapped bundle which contains - as the bystanders expect - some wonderful surprises.

Presently they see Mrs. Krakauer emerging from among the reeds lining the riverbank. They all walk along the path to greet her. After shaking hands, Pastor Heger hands over the bundle to the Rabbi’s wife who accepts it with a nod of her head. Maria realised that she must already be aware of the contents. They then follow the Rabbi’s wife through the reeds to a clearing. To the right lie reeds, to the left hazelnut bushes and towards the riverbank stand willows and poplars interspersed by more reeds. Behind them a meadow rises to nearby woods. The sky has now grown a little lighter and a glittering veil of dew flashes and sparkles at the human beings mysteriously gathered in the morning mist. They greet the rabbi, who with moistened but cheerful eyes, embraces Maria.

In the midst of this damp clearing, Herr and Frau Krakauer have laid out a two metre circle of willow branches. Facing the river, two greening boughs form a decorative entrance to the river. Near the centre of the circle lies a small rug behind which a row of seven white candles mark the width of the circle. Since Maria has already been initiated into the ceremony, no further words are needed. For the time being, each step is directed by eye and hand gestures.

Again, Maria shakes hands with the two pastors to bid them "farewell". She then follows the rabbi’s wife through the tall reeds towards the river. There, hidden from the view of the four men, she disrobes completely and lays her clothes upon the damp reeds which bend under the burden. She then steps into the fast-flowing water, her feet cautiously feeling for a foothold. Immersed in the river to her navel, she draws in her knees and disappears beneath the water’s surface as prescribed, allowing the water to wash every part of her body and so "cleanse" her Christian past. Three times she disappears beneath the water. Then, forcing her way through the gurgling current, she returns to the riverbank.

As she stands with her arms folded to shield her breasts, her dripping black hair flowing down to her elbows, Frau Krakauer approaches to help the "new-born" to dry herself. She takes fresh underwear out of Pastor Heger’s parcel which lies unwrapped upon the ground. Her eyes shining like flames, Maria is helped into a magnificent long blue dress embroidered with flowers in manifold colours. Pastor Heger had taken the clothes from his daughters’ wardrobe after securing his wife’s eventual consent. Maria looks at herself in her splendid gown. After offering Maria a comb to remove the water still lodged in her ample hair, Frau Krakauer signals that she should kneel down so that her hair may be parted to fall evenly upon each shoulder. Frau Krakauer then lays the cast-off clothes over her arm and picks up the shoes which Maria had refused to wear on the grounds that all God’s children are so born. Parting the reeds, the two clear a path back to the clearing.

On hearing the snapping of rushes, Rabbi Krakauer lights the seven candles and hastily places a black kippa on his head which his wife had made the previous evening. Walking over to meet the approaching couple, he takes Maria’s hand and escorts the "new-born" through the verdant boughs marking the entryway to the illuminated circle. Maria kneels upon the small soft rug before the candles and the rabbi takes his place facing her.

Closing his eyes, which have again become moist, he begins to sing a psalm of King David in a low voice to ensure he will not be overheard by the uninitiated. To the right of the circle stand the two pastors, to the left Herr Hirschfelder and Frau Krakauer. The witnesses stand solemnly with hands clasped or hands simply resting upon one another, their eyes filled with tears. Herr Hirschfelder has tears rolling down his cheeks.

Pastor Heger says a silent prayer: Lord, I know that Thou art present at this hour. Let Thy blessings rest upon Maria. Protect and preserve her for eternity. Let Thy face shine above her and grant her Thy peace. Amen.

Father Hirschfelder: Lord almighty, I thank You with all my heart for gladdening me with a newly risen daughter during the time left to me in this lifetime. May she remain devoted to You in everything and serve You and Your everlasting timeless love with all her heart. Amen.

The Rabbi lies his hands upon the head of the girl kneeling before him and says: "Lord! Embrace Your new-born child. Your daughter has found her way back to You as the one true God. She has found her way back to the religion announced through You to Abraham and Moses. My beloved daughter! Find your new mansion in our fathers’ creed. Henceforth you shall be called Miryam, for you have become a Sarah, a princess."

"Jewarechecha Haschem wejischm’recha

Ja’er Haschem panaw elecha wichunecka
Jissa Haschem panaw elecha w’jassim lecha schalom."

Leaning across the candles, Rabbi Krakauer kisses Maria upon the forehead and says: "Miryam, arise and walk out into your new life as a new-born!"

Taking the hand of the black-haired "princess", Rabbi Krakauer leads Maria to her waiting father, who, unable to restrain his tears any longer, clasps her to his bosom and sobs: "My beloved daughter! That I should be allowed to live to see this day makes me the happiest man in the world!"

Leaving her father’s side, the new Sarah is then embraced and kissed by Frau Krakauer. With her head proudly erect like a true princess, she walks around the circle toward the two upright and valiant churchmen. Bending down before them, she kisses their shoes. As she straightens, Pastor Heger takes her into his arms. Deeply aware of the presence of the divine and powerful, he is unable to utter a word and weeps like a child overflowing with deeply felt joy.

After Rabbi Krakauer has hugged her once more, Maria’s father takes the barefooted girl by the hand. Walking across the rising meadow, they head toward the protective woods to celebrate with a small but festive meal which Pastor Heger had brought along in his basket. Frau Krakauer clears away the telltale branches, extinguishes the seven candles and then hands them to her pastor. Removing his kippa and taking the rug beneath his arm, Rabbi Krakauer then joins his wife to follow the others. As the first rays of the sun appear, they are reflected by a thousand sparkling beads of dew, twinkling and glittering upon each blade of grass, each flower, blossom and twig.

Rabbi: There they go, the pair of them, as our Abraham may have once led his son Isaac back home. The child has been born to the father a second time. Praise the Lord!