Student, Rabbi, Musician & Lyricist Recite Their Poetry

By Eileen Wingard

LA JOLLA, California — Torah High School senior, Rebecca Leeman, launched the recent Jewish Poets—Jewish Voices program Tuesday evening, March 4, in the Astor Judaic Library of the Lawrence Family JCC.

This gifted young writer, a native of Cape Town, South Africa, prefaced every poem with an explanation of what inspired it. The first emerged from her meeting Holocaust survivor, Edith Eger, and reading her book, The Choice. Two poems connected with paintings, and another one used Leeman’s distaste for raisins as a metaphor.  She brought copies of the paintings, “The Picnic,” by Pierre-Auguste Renoir and a sad-eyed woman by Holocaust survivor, David Labkovski, to illustrate two of her works. She has participated in the David Labkovski project for several years, having served as a student docent for the exhibit when it was shown at the JCC Gotthelf Gallery.

The next poet was Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel, spiritual leader of Temple Beth Shalom in Chula Vista. Although he serves a Conservative congregation, he was ordained as an Orthodox Rabbi. Samuels has authored many books and is a regular columnist for San Diego Jewish World.

He read from the biography he is writing in verse about his Aunt Miriam, a Holocaust survivor. Among his offerings was a poem about his father and one inspired by the biblical story of Joseph.

The father-son song writing team of Aaron and Milo Wolpoff concluded the featured poet portion of the evening. Sitting side by side, the CEO of a marketing strategy firm and the high school senior collaborated in delivering the songs they wrote.

Below are examples of the original offerings by the featured poets and song writers.

What do I wear?
What do I want to eat?
Who should I sit with?
When should I study?

choices,
choices,
choices

The everyday luxury of making decisions.
The luxury of making everyday decisions.
But what if each day you needed
to decide to survive,

to keep going in the darkest times,
to remain strong facing the greatest tragedy,
to keep loving even when those you love are perishing,
to keep living even though you’re being set up to die.

How does one keep making the unimaginable choice to live?
the choice to share a slice of bread when your life’s on the line,
the choice to keep dancing when your body is in decline,
the choice to help others survive?

When freed, she fought the demons in her mind,
she took control to restart her life.
It’s no easy choice to persevere,
but she continues to confront the challenge, year after year.

Today her choice is to help,
it fuels her passion each day,
always so eager for her wisdom to relay.

She reminds us of the power we hold
and the gifts we possess,
the inner capabilities we store away.

Most importantly, our strength harnessed from the choices we make each day.

*

BETRAYED BY NEIGHBORS by Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuels

The Hungarian occupation marked a trying time,
My father lost his business, it’s a bitter rhyme.
A non-Jewish neighbor took what was ours,
While my brother and I sold bread to those with power.

Our home was taken, a military base,
And life as we knew it vanished without a trace.
The worst came in June, a day filled with dread,
When gendarmes and volunteers broke in, we fled.

“Pack up your things,” they said with a sneer,
They claimed it was nothing but a formality near.
But we quickly discovered the cruel, bitter truth,
Our lives were about to be robbed of their youth.

Oh, Miriam, that scene is etched in my mind,
As friends turned to foes, oh, how cruel and unkind.
Neighbors swooped in like vultures in flight,
“Let me take this; I’ll claim it,” they’d bite.

The bedroom was taken, the kitchen laid bare,
A frenzy of greed filled the cold morning air.
Shock and disbelief gripped my very core,
These were my friends; how could they ask for more?

We stood with our bags, our future unclear,
In my uncle’s yard, waiting in fear.
Rushed and chaotic, we packed on a whim,
There was no time for order; the chances were slim.

Then off to the station, on Shabbat, we went,
Crowded and anxious, our spirits were spent.
At dawn, more souls came from towns far away,
All waiting together, unsure of our stay.

The journey was long, agonizing and slow,
Through afternoon light into night’s afterglow.

In Poland, we landed, with hearts filled with doubt,
My father sought mercy, to find a way out.
He stepped to the general, standing proud and tall,
“See my rank,” he stated, “I’ve served through it all.”

But the chilling reply struck deep at our hope,
“A Jew is no citizen; you cannot elope.”
A broken man returned, his spirit now weak,
The weight of rejection left him unable to speak.

In that heart-wrenching moment, despair took its toll,

Under cold, hard disdain, it crushed us, our soul.

*

AUSTRONAUTS IN PERIL lyrics by Aaron Wolpoff, music by Milo Wolpoff

We’ve crash-landed on a barren landscape
Nothing to see but sand formations
Let’s set off in search of a drink of water
And figure out what this place has to offer

We’re castaways on a spinning planet
Better get used to it now
But who’ll keep the fire ablaze
When the sun goes down

Up ahead there’s a shining oasis
There’s fruit on the trees so we might as well eat it
We’ll catch the dawn of civilization
Disperse to the winds and speak a new language

We’re castaways on a spinning planet
Better get used to it now
But who’ll keep the fire ablaze
When the sun goes down

We’ll take in the fall of the Roman Empire
And muddle through the Middle Ages
Conquerors one after another
I’ve never seen so much destruction

We’re castaways on a spinning planet
Better get used to it now
But who’ll keep the fire ablaze
When the sun goes down

Industry and revolution
We’re now surrounded by a metal city
Let’s climb to the top of the highest tower
And watch the sky for a sign of rescue

We’re castaways on a spinning planet
Better get used to it now
But who’ll keep the fire ablaze
When the sun goes down

Who’ll keep the fire ablaze
When the sun goes down
Who who

*
Eileen Wingard is a freelance writer specializing in coverage of the arts.