You Finish The Story Issue

Written by Liora Afilalo

Age 7

“You Finish the Story” Issue 10 December

It is thumping so loudly that I’m sure the person behind me can hear it. Slowly, I turn around. I see a man covered from head to toe in winter clothes: a hat, scarf over his face, gloves, and snow boots. He looks angry.

The man says “Why are you looking inside my car and clogging up the windows?”

I answer “I didn’t know you were in the car. I thought all these cars were empty and it was fun to see the shapes my breath makes on the windows.”

The man seems relieved by my answer. He says he thought I was a thief.

“A thief?!” I say? No, I’m just late for school.

He notices a lump in the pocket of my bag and asks me what it is.

“Oh, that’s why I can’t be late to school today,” I explain. This is a very special Mezuzah that my grandfather sent from Switzerland to put on the door of my new classroom. Everyone at school has been waiting and it finally arrived.”

The man suddenly looks very interested and not angry at all.

“You’re bringing it to the class today?”

“Yes, we’re going to put it up with the bracha and then have a special party after. We’ve been learning about Mezuzot.”

What happens next is very amazing. The man tells me he’s a Sofer!! I didn’t even know he was Jewish. He took off his winter hat to show me his kippah.

“There are some Jewish families starting to move into this neighborhood,” he explains. “I came here this morning to install some Mezuzot for a family that just moved in.”

And then, he adds with a smile, “You know, I can come with you to school and speak to your class about how a Sofer writes a Mezuzah. I even have parchment in my car that I can show.”

I can’t believe it. I can bring in not only a mezuzah but also a real Sofer who has written Mezuzot and can speak to the class?! All the kids and my teacher will really like this.

But just then, I remember that I’m running late to school. I tell the man that I’m in a rush, and he says he will meet me at the school after davening. I give him the address, and he tells me his own kids went to my school a long time ago, so he knows where it is. I start to make my way through the snow with a smile on my face, and then the man calls out again.

“I’m Rabbi Efraim Shapiro,” he says and gives me a business card to show my teacher.

When I get to school, I’m a few minutes late for davening, but so are other students because of the snow. I pray with extra Kavannah and when I get to my classroom, I tell my Rebbe about my morning excitement. He said he knows Rabbi Shapiro and what a great idea for him to come to school.

We are beginning our math lesson when all of a sudden, there is a knock at the door. It’s Rabbi Shapiro. My Rebbe says “Barukh Haba, Shalom Aleichem Reb Shapiro.” And then he turns to me and asks me to introduce our special guest.

All of my friends turn to me with a question mark on their face.

They are so curious to know who this man is.

“Well, it all started this morning, when I was making snow shapes on the cars,” I say with a smile.