Tsirel Charlop of Brest-Litovsk was tall, dark, and held herself like the Spanish-Jewish aristocracy of her ancestors. They were descended from the Jewish exilarchs of ancient Babylonia. Tsirel was intelligent and freethinking, but as a rabbi’s daughter in the late 19th century she was not supposed to decide for herself to accept the attentions of Netl Feuerstein. Nevertheless, she allowed Netl to court her. His parents had a lantern store. Netl had little formal education but was lively and smart, and he captured Tsirel’s heart. It was said that their courtship amused the entire town of Brest-Litovsk. Netl took Tsirel bicycling in the countryside, and he documented their unchaperoned outings with one of the new box cameras that hung from the handlebars and could take 100 pictures.
After they were married, Netl and Tsirel decided to try their luck in America, where they came with their little son Morris. Netl’s extensive knowledge of Yiddish dialects came in handy in the bakeries, markets, synagogues, and delis of Cincinnati. A shopkeeper would say hello, how can I help, and Netl didn’t miss a beat, replying in the Yiddish dialect of the shopkeeper’s old country hometown. Netl always got the best herring. Before long he became a successful building contractor.
Tragically, Tsirel died young. Netl remarried quickly and became unreliable. He would disappear, leaving his three children with the stepmother they referred to as Horseface. She beat the two girls and made them iron clothing several hours a day until Morris threatened her. If Netl wasn’t home for several days, the children searched for him. He was often found in the apartments of other women, and the children would wait patiently at the door until it was opened. They loved Netl dearly and were always happy to see him.
By the time Morris was fifteen, he was doing the work of a grown man. Netl would contract for a building job and then disappear, leaving Morris to negotiate with the lumberyard, the workers, the suppliers of hardware and paint. Morris did the best he could so as not to shame his father and continued to love Netl fiercely.
Netl died before Morris’ son Evan was born. After Evan grew up and became a photographic artist, he knew that he should also be a good businessman. Art is a product, and the public must be charmed. Evan wished he’d known his grandfather Netl, especially after he got a gallery and was interviewed on TV. Evan didn’t know how to be loved by all. Instead, he described to interviewers his life in the wilderness among the hills, trees, and wildlife. Evan loved herring as much as his grandfather and other ancestors, but he ate it from a tin.
Copyright © Leora Freedman 2022
***If you have something to say, or a story to share, our comments page is the place to leave it!
Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2022 Leora Freedman 
