Solomon’s Trains

Welcome to our family history archive. Join us and you will be journeying along the tunnels of time in our family train, in the story of the survival and unification of two branches of the descendants of King David, of blessed memory. These are the descendants of two of his sons, Nathan and King Solomon.

 

This book traces the history of two families that survived the Holocaust of World War II and rebuilt themselves. It is not a book replete with a plethora of horrors, though here and there are some mentions of what happened during the years of the reign of the Third Reich “berserkers” in Europe. I am happy to disappoint those who enjoy horror stories.

 

It is a lot more than a “oh those poor hunted Jews” story. It is a recollection of survival, a telling of the power of faith that carries an immortal nation into eternity, a story of faith that gives eternal life like that of the chol bird (phoenix). The chol bird received from Noah a blessing of immortality as his reward for his humility patience and faith.

 

We are here. Those great powerful empires, those fearsome gangs and hordes of marauders, who sought to erase us, are not. From king Nimrod to greatest and most powerful dynasty of ancient Egypt to Media and Rome to Atilla the Hun and the Cossacks to Hitler’s “Eternal” Third Reich; they are all now mere passages in history books. The story of the family whose history is the center of this book is a classic example of our nation's immortality.

 

There is also some recounting of the family’s early “roots” history from the days of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem and through the Golden Era of the Jews in ancient Spain and the Spanish Expulsion.

 

It is a book of struggle to survive, of living real lives, a book of faith, of hope and of rebuilding and joy. The book’s end which is only the beginning of the rebuilding shows this, as well as the train of continuum of family lines.

 

The book is based on actual facts, though conversions as well as some details in many cases are either partially or fully drawn from studied imagination. Some names have been changed to either protect certain individuals’ privacy or safety, or to insure the continued military/security secrecy that might still be of importance.

 

I hope and pray that this book speaks to you my dear reader, to bring some tears, and some joyous light. While it in no way at all “pushes” any religious statements, I hope it sets alight in you the knowledge and faith that there is indeed a Supreme Creator Judge Ethereal Father and King in the world.

 

May HE bring the ultimate renewal lovingly mercifully and speedily in our days, amen.

 

While it starts a bit slow like a steam train starting out, it picks up speed and passes much interesting scenery as it goes on. So hop aboard take a seat, the train is ready to pull out on its way. … ALL ABOARRRRD…

 

Yaakov Bar-Nahman; The Holy Land of Israel 5770 (2010)

 

Prologue

 

Woo woo woooooooo

 

“Solomon Solomon, come down out of your clouds, the train has gone. Let’s go, you told me yourself that we should leave the station as soon as the train goes. Nu Soli…”, called Becka his wife.

 

The middle aged couple was standing on the emptied platform of Berlin Central Train station.

 

The German Jewish merchants, who in their loyalty to their country and to Kaiser Wilhelm II, had spent millions of Duetsche Marks to build the most advanced railway system in Europe with the best locomotives and cars. Their patriotic goal was to rebuild Germany’s economic system, to save their country from collapse after the costly defeat in World War One.

 

The Berlin Central Train station was a large one for its time. Inside the hulking steel and concrete edifice there were four tracks and their platforms with high overhead bridge walkways connecting them.

 

Near the grand entrance were the ticket office and the schedule notice board for arrivals and departures. The building façade had the typical post World War One Germanic stern yet grandiose decorations.

 

Behind the building was a vast, but well organized, network of tracks, switch boxes, side tracks, work buildings, coal storehouses and all the regular equipment of a well built busy railway station.

 

Then there were the changes. Shortly after the beginning of the new war some seemingly small but important changes had come to this grand edifice. Outside in the open track area another “workhouse” had sprouted. But this was actually a barracks building for SS troops.

 

Inside the station the first thing the visitor was confronted with was a second notice board. This one bearing the infamous emblem of a spread winged eagle sitting atop a red disk with the black swastika. This notice board did not announce normal train schedules. It carried notices to the public from the Wehrmacht, orders to the general public, and notices specifically relevant to the station and train travelers.

 

Along with that was the ominous change of the once luxurious waiting room having been transformed into an in-place office and interrogation room of the dreaded Gestapo!

 

“Yes my precious Becka. You’re right let’s go. The childrens’ train has gone. Barukh Hashem another train to life”, Solomon said half absorbed in his thoughts.

 

“What are you talking about Soli?”

 

“Hmm, what did you ask Becka?”

 

“You said ‘a train to life’. What do you mean? I know you. You may be a dreamer at times, but when you say something it has meaning. Even if it’s a meaning most people don’t catch onto, don’t understand.”

 

“These days there are train rides that don’t lead to life, rather to …. You know all too well what I am referring to.”

 

Clang clang vrrrappp, clang …Waoaoao wawoaoao. “Achtung, all civilians are to evacuate platforms 2, 3 and 4 immediately. Seig Heil!”, called the coarse voice over the station’s announcement system.

 

“Becka, let’s get out of here fast! There’s a troop train coming in!”

 

To be continued.