You look at the globe. To you, the farthest place from Sweden appears to be Australia, and you make arrangements to go there. You don't know anyone there, but it's a new life, far distant from Europe and far from all those unbearable memories.
The ship takes you to Perth, a city on the west coast of the continent. There, you go to an employment service to see what jobs are available. The only employment they can offer you is as a sheep herder at a ranch in the Outback. You accept. What choice do you have, new in the country and without any money?
Once on the ranch, you find this new life suits you well. You impress your employer with your intelligence and willingness to work hard. He is an older man who teaches you all the aspects of the ranching business. When he dies, you discover that he has willed the entire ranch to you. You are now a prosperous ranch owner with large tracts of land, thousands of sheep, and dozens of people working for you.
Your ranch is far from Perth, but you make the trip into the city every
month. Your ranch hands think you are going on business, but that is only
partly true. You always stop at the synagogue to say two prayers: the
Kaddish
in memory of your European family who perished during the
Holocaust and the She'hech'eyanu
in thanks to God for your
good fortune in your adopted country.
END