Yossi's Goal , livre ebook

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2006

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Yossi Mendelsohn works hard to help his family survive after they flee Russia to find a better life in Montreal. He sells newspapers and carries bundles from the garment factory. Yossi longs to play "le hockey" with the French boys, but he has no skates. When his father falls ill and his sister and her fiancé organize a walkout at the factory, Yossi's dream of lacing on skates seems farther away than ever.
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Publié par

Date de parution

01 septembre 2006

Nombre de lectures

2

EAN13

9781554697847

Langue

English

Poids de l'ouvrage

2 Mo

Yossi s Goal
Ellen Schwartz
Copyright 2006 Ellen Schwartz
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system now known or to be invented, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication
Schwartz, Ellen, 1949- Yossi s goal / Ellen Schwartz.
(Orca young readers) ISBN 1-55143-492-X
I. Title. II. Series.
PS8587.C578Y68 2006 jC813 .54 C2006-903145-2
First published in the United States, 2006
Library of Congress Control Number: 2006928084
Summary: Yossi, a Jewish immigrant boy in Montreal, longs to play hockey, but when his father becomes ill and cannot work, all Yossi s hard-earned savings must go to help the family, not to buy skates.
Free teachers guide available: www.orcabook.com
Orca Book Publishers gratefully acknowledges the support for its publishing programs provided by the following agencies: the Government of Canada through the Book Publishing Industry Development Program and the Canada Council for the Arts, and the Province of British Columbia through the BC Arts Council and the Book Publishing Tax Credit.
Cover design by Doug McCaffry Cover interior illustrations by Silvana Bevilacqua
In Canada: Orca Book Publishers Box 5626 Stn.B Victoria, BC Canada V8R 6S4
In the United States: Orca Book Publishers PO Box 468 Custer, WA USA 98240-0468
www.orcabook.com Printed and bound in Canada. Printed on recycled paper. 09 08 07 06 6 5 4 3 2 1
In memory of Elaine Zuker and Irving Bregman
The author would like to thank l onore Lebeuf-Taylor and Glen Taylor; Ruth and Bernie Rosenberg; James and Lynn Hill; Amy, Merri and Bill Schwartz; and the Jewish Public Library in Montreal.
Chapter One
Yossi took the stairs two at a time, racing up the three flights to his family s apartment in a rundown building. Night was already falling, and he was supposed to be in before dark. He knew that Mama and Papa worried when he was late-after all, they lived in Montreal now, no longer in a small village where everyone looked out for everyone else. But he and his new friends, Abie, Benny, Louie and Milton, had been having so much fun playing hide and seek, he d completely forgotten about the time. It was only when the gas lamps were lit that he had noticed the gathering darkness.
He burst in the door. Mama, Papa, I m sorry, I-
He stopped short. Everyone was crowded together in the tiny kitchen, and there was a woman Yossi didn t recognize sitting at the table.
Yossi, Mama said in a tense voice, come and meet Mrs. Belnick. She s from the landsmanschaft .
Yossi s first feeling was relief-he wasn t going to get in trouble, at least not in front of company. But then he began to wonder why Mama sounded so strange. He had no idea what the landsmanschaft was, but plump Mrs. Belnick looked perfectly pleasant.
Good afternoon, young man, she said with a smile.
Good afternoon, ma am.
Nothing wrong with her, Yossi thought. It was everybody else who looked odd, holding their tea cups stiffly, with grim expressions on their faces.
Yossi s family-Mama, Papa, Yossi and his seventeen-year-old sister, Miriam- shared the small flat with the Bernsteins- Daniel, Miriam s soon-to-be-husband, and Sadie, his widowed mother. Because they owned only four chairs, the women sat around the small wooden table, while Papa and Daniel leaned against the wall. Squeezing between the two men, Yossi tried to figure out what was going on.
There was a furrow in Mama s forehead as she poured tea for Mrs. Belnick. Could it be the teacups? Yossi wondered. He knew that Mama was ashamed of the chipped cups. They were all the family had been able to afford when they had arrived in Canada six months earlier, in the spring of 1891. They had fled Braslav, their Russian village, after Russian soldiers had started attacking Jewish settlements. They hadn t been able to take more than a few clothes and their prayer books with them. Now, every time someone came to visit, Mama fretted about serving tea in the secondhand cups.
But it couldn t just be the teacups, because everybody looked tense.
What was the matter ?
Meanwhile, if Mrs. Belnick noticed the tension, she ignored it, chatting away as if nothing was the matter. Now, the best place to buy eggs, as I m sure you know, is Litvak the greengrocer
Like the rest of them, she spoke Yiddish, the language that the Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe spoke among themselves. Yiddish at home, at work, in the market. Hebrew in schul and, for the children, at lessons. Scraps of Russian or Polish, Romanian or Czech, plus the odd new word of English and French, which the children picked up in the neighborhood and taught their parents.
Finally, Mrs. Belnick put down her cup. Now, she said, the season is turning, and it ll soon be freezing cold. Montreal winters- oy , the snow, the ice, the bitter wind! So I ve brought a few things from the landsmanschaft to help you through your first winter.
She opened a large cloth bag at her feet and suddenly Yossi understood. She was there to give them charity because they were too poor to buy warm things for themselves. That was why Mama had the furrow in her forehead. That was why Miriam and Sadie had the grim expressions. That was why Papa and Daniel were standing so stiffly.
We ve never accepted charity from anyone, Papa said. His face was like stone.
It s not charity, Mr. Mendelsohn, Mrs. Belnick said, it s tzedakeh .
What s the difference? Daniel growled.
Mrs. Belnick wagged her finger, though she continued to smile. A big difference. It s not a handout; it s simple justice. Those with more helping out those with less. There s no shame in it.
Except when you re on the receiving end, Daniel muttered.
So, Mrs. Belnick went on, when you get on your feet, it ll be your turn to help. That s what the landsmanschaft is for- to help fellow immigrants get settled.
Daniel grunted. Mrs. Belnick ignored him and reached into the bag. Now, for you, Mrs. Mendelsohn, a nice warm head-scarf. She pulled out a blue babushka and handed it to Mama.
Mama took it without looking at it and laid it in her lap. Thank you, she whispered. The expression on her face was so pained that Yossi looked away.
And I also have one for you, Mrs. Bernstein, Mrs. Belnick said, giving a brown babushka to Sadie. Yossi noticed that one edge was frayed. Sadie murmured her thanks in a low voice.
Now, for you, young Miriam, something to keep you toasty on those cold winter nights. Mrs. Belnick handed Yossi s sister a faded red flannel nightgown.
Part of the rick-rack trim was torn and hung loosely from the bodice. Yossi saw Miriam, then Mama, glance at the rip. Mrs. Belnick s eyes followed theirs. A small tear, she said apologetically.
Miriam s clever with her needle, Mama said tightly. Aren t you, Miriam?
Miriam nodded, her hands bunching the nightgown into a small ball.
Now, what s next? Mrs. Belnick said, reaching deeper into the bag. Oh, yes. For you, Mr. Mendelsohn. She handed Papa a gray wool winter hat. It had earflaps and was lined with flannel. The chin strap was broken.
Papa s face colored. I don t want it.
But Mr. Mendelsohn, just look at it, it s so warm, Mrs. Belnick said, sounding distressed. You need a warm hat to get you through the winter.
Papa opened his mouth to speak but coughed instead. It was a loose rumbly cough. Listening to the familiar sound, Yossi realized that Papa had been coughing for several weeks now. Before Papa could reply, Mama said in a low voice, Just take it, Avram. Papa clutched the cap, his mouth set in a line.
Now it s your turn, young man, Mrs. Belnick said, nodding at Yossi. His heart beat fast. He hated the idea of taking hand-me-downs, but still, he couldn t help wondering what she had for him.
His breath stopped when he saw it. A winter coat. Navy blue, hooded, with two deep pockets and wooden toggles that fastened up the front. One of the pockets was torn, and there were several tiny burn holes spattered over the coat. But it was splendid. It was the most wonderful thing he had ever owned.

Oh, Yossi! Mama gasped, and Yossi could see that even she was dazzled. Put it on.
It fit perfectly. Yossi fastened all the toggles and put the hood on and off and on again. He thrust his hands into the pockets and hugged the coat to himself.
Imagine casting off such a coat, Mama said incredulously.
Mrs. Belnick shrugged. Perhaps the child outgrew it. You know how boys grow. She smiled, and Yossi sensed that she was relieved that finally someone was happy to accept one of the donations. Happy! He never wanted to take the coat off, not even to let Mama sew the torn pocket.
Now, finally, for you, Mrs. Belnick said, nodding at Daniel, a nice warm sweater. She pulled a thick gold and green woolen sweater out of the bag. There s a hole in the elbow, she went on, poking her finger in, but nothing that a little darning won t fix-
I don t want it, Daniel said.
I m sure your mama can mend it for you-
I won t take it. Daniel folded his arms.
Now, Daniel- Sadie began.
No! Daniel snapped. No, Mama, he went on in a lower voice, you can call it charity or tzedakeh or whatever you like, but I m not taking it. You know where these things come from? From our bosses, the factory owners, and their wives and children. Let them pay us a decent wage instead, and I ll buy my own sweater. Until then, I m not wearing their castoffs!
Sadie looked mortified. Please, Daniel, don t make a fuss. <

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