Stories

A Chanukah Lights Miracle in the Midst of a World of Darkness

A Chanukah miracle, based on a true story form December 25th, 1938.

The Hidden Orchard

24 Nov 2023 — 7 min read

Based on a true story of the Geier family, December 25th, 1938. Story taken from "New Chasidic Stories." Rabbi Aryel Nachman

In one night in November of 1938, throughout Germany and Austria, Jewish homes, synagogues, and businesses were attacked by Nazi Storm Troopers; destroying and stealing people's property, setting fires, and breaking windows, in what would become known as Kristallnacht, the Night of Broken Glass.

The message to the Jews was very clear "You are not wanted here, and if you stay you will not be safe!" Many Jews took the warning very seriously and began making plans to leave and go to places that were, at least for the time being, safer for Jews. They sold their household goods and property, took their money out of the banks and did all they could to get their families to safety.

Poppa decided that it was time to leave Berlin and Germany. Poppa and Momma talked it over and agreed; they wrote letters to relatives and friends in other countries about the situation for the Jews in each country. Finally, they decided on moving in with relatives in the United States. The first part of the journey would be to Holland and then by ship to the United States. So, Poppa and Momma began putting their plans in place to leave Germany.

Over the next weeks, Poppa bought the train and boat tickets, and then he spent almost all the rest of the money they had to pay off Nazi officials to get the passports, visas, permissions and papers that would allow his family to go to Holland and on to the United States.

Momma was busy selling the house and furniture, and anything that the family could not carry with them to help pay for the papers and give them some money that they would need in their new country. She packed the clothes and things they would need for the trip and to get started in a new city and home.

The children were allowed to each keep one small bag of toys; everything else was to be sold or given to friends. They were sorry to leave their home and friends, but, because of the bullying that had been happening to them, they were happy to go someplace where they could play and go to school again. The children thought this was going to be a great adventure.

Poppa tried to keep everyone excited about the trip, but Poppa also knew that the tickets and papers were not a guarantee that they would be allowed to board the train. He had been hearing stories of other families who, at the last minute, were not allowed to go, leaving them with no money and no place to go back to. But, Poppa had the papers and there was at least a glimmer of hope.

They finally got their official permission to leave Germany. Their papers gave them permission to leave on the afternoon train to Holland on December 25th, 1938 and they had to leave on that date or their papers would be no good. The week of their leaving was the week of Chanukah, and while Poppa tried to keep everyone in a festive mood, Momma sensed that Poppa was not in a very festive mood.

One night she asked Poppa what was the matter. "We will be on the train for the 8th night of Chanukah. In all my life, I have never missed lighting the lights of Chanukah, but the danger is too great. G-d forgive me for not fulfilling the mitzvah!" he said with a sadness in his voice.

It was sunny but cold that afternoon as their train bound for Holland pulled out of the Berlin station. The family shared their second-class compartment with two very stern-looking Germans. The children sat quietly with their parents. In a whisper, they overheard Momma reassure Poppa that G-d would forgive him for not lighting his menorah that night.

Poppa was a very devout Jew and had been a cantor for many years. Unknown to Momma and the children, Poppa had packed a small menorah and some candles in his briefcase.

It was after dark when the train finally slowed and chugged into the special railway station at the German-Dutch border. This was the most dangerous part of the journey. Many people made it this far only to be turned back for any minor reason, or no reason at all. The whole family braced themselves for the final encounter with the German police, Nazis and Gestapo. They were just a few miles from freedom, but it seemed like hundreds.

The train sat in the station for what seemed like a long time. No one was allowed to leave the train, or even their compartments. The Border Police and the Gestapo finally got on the train, and moved slowly from compartment to compartment, carefully checking people's passports, papers and names to a number of lists carried by the Police and Gestapo.

Poppa looked worried and broke out in a sweat. Momma and the children were afraid.

All of a sudden, and for what seemed like no reason what-so-ever, all the lights in the station and on the train went out. A number of people lit matches for light and that made people's faces look very strange and scary. The Police and Gestapo yelled through the train for everyone to stay in their places until the lights went back on.

Everyone waited for the lights to come back on.

After what seemed like a long time just sitting in the dark, Poppa reached down and picked up his briefcase. He opened it up and pulled out the eight small candles, leaving the menorah in the case. He struck a match and lit one candle. Using that candle he warmed the bottoms of the other candles and lined up all eight candles on the window sill of the compartment. Very quietly, in a whisper, he recited the Chanukah blessings, and lit the candles.

Momma and the children looked at Poppa, and, for the first time in a long time, a smile appeared on Poppa's face. In the darkness outside the compartment, someone shouted, "There's light over there!" The Border Police and the Gestapo men soon came to the compartment. They moved the two Germans to another compartment and used the compartment and the light of the candles to do their checking of the passports and papers.

One of the officers looked at Poppa and smiled, then he looked at the children and said "Your Poppa is a very smart man to think ahead and pack some travel candles." 'The children nodded and smiled at the men, and then hugged their Poppa.

About the time the men were finishing their checks, as suddenly as all the lights went out, the lights flickered back on again. The men finished and stood up. Poppa reached out the papers to them; the Policeman took the papers, looked at Poppa, Momma and the children, and handed the papers back to Poppa without even looking at them. The officers thanked Poppa and walked out of the compartment to finish their checks on the rest of the passengers. The men quickly finished their checks and got off the train. From the compartment window, the family could see the two men stamping the station master's papers so the train could continue its journey.

Poppa gathered Momma and the children around him. Looking at them he said "I want that you should remember this moment, just like in the time of the Maccabees, Nes Gadol Chaya Po, a great miracle happened here!"