In the Displaced Persons camp where you have gone after the French liberation, you receive a letter from a relative in Los Angeles, inviting you to settle there and become a partner in his construction business. It takes nearly two years to get all your papers in order – health records, police reports, visas, and immigration documents. Finally, you are permitted to travel to America and on to Los Angeles where your relative meets you.
The demand for housing after World War II is great, especially in the booming region of Southern California. You and your relative specialize in building small inexpensive homes. They are sold quickly, and you make a great deal of money, more than you ever dreamed of and more than you would ever need for yourself.
As you read through the machzor on a Yom Kippur afternoon,
you notice a quotation from Pirkei Avot: Who is a hero? One who
makes peace with his neighbor.
This gives you an idea. You
remember the kindness of the Catholics in Lyon and decide to create
a center for interfaith activities, a community center in which all
people will be welcome.
It is a proud day when the new community center is dedicated. At the mayor's invitation, you attend the ceremony in Lyon. He tells you that your gift will build a place of peace and understanding. You are proud of your decision, and you feel that you may have taken a small step toward preventing any future Holocaust.
END