Previous Challenge Entry (Level 3 - Advanced)
Topic: Atonement (01/22/26)
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TITLE: The Yellow Star | Previous Challenge Entry
By Ellen Janson
01/29/26 -
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Now, eight hours later, his children were crying again and his own hunger had returned as if it never left. Replaced by an even worse pain - a scar on his soul that he feared he would never be able to atone for.
The soldiers had come so quickly to confront his neighbor, Nathan Frank. Nathan had been so brave, refusing to reveal his secrets, despite the Nazi’s brutal beatings. How David wished he was that brave!
Nathan had looked at him as the soldiers were hauling him away. Somehow his neighbor knew that David had betrayed him; that David was responsible for revealing his role in French Resistance. But David saw only love and a kind of pleading in his eyes. Nathan knew he might never make it back to his elderly mother; the Nazis were known for making people disappear. Maybe his eyes were begging David to take care of her.
The winter got colder, and food only got more scarce. Nathan Frank never returned, and David continued to frequently check in on his mother. Of course he had no food to spare, but he could at least offer her a kind word and some companionship. War was very lonely. Sometimes she just wanted to talk about “her Nathan”, never giving up hope that he would somehow one day return.
On Purim, Mrs. Frank invited David’s little family to her apartment to share in her meager celebration. Of course, there wasn’t much food between the two households, and she regretted that she couldn’t make the children some tasty Hamantaschen, but, she explained, with a twinkle in her eye,
“I have a gift for each of your little ones.”
There was a set of jacks for David’s oldest son, a beautiful antique mirror for his daughter and some warm mittens she had knitted with her last bit of yarn for his youngest.
The gifts were extravagant in this time of so little. She had scrounged together the last of what she had for his family, and David was overcome with emotion.
“But it is I who should be showering you with gifts,” he told her without revealing his secret.
”Nonsense,” she said. “Do you think I don’t know how difficult these times are? These Nazis have put us all in a terrible situation. I have no idea what I would have done if I had three young mouths to feed and was offered a loaf of bread.”
David was stunned. She had known all along what he had done, and she had still showered he and his children with love.
”You have made atonement for everything, David. You have kept an old lady company for all these months now, and blessed me with the companionship of your beautiful children. There is nothing more you could have done. I know that and my Nathan would say the same.”
David had no words. He still had an empty stomach, but he had been released of his guilt, and his heart was beyond full.
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Excellent view and take on atonement. I like how your story allows the reader to consider the aspects of the topic. I believe Nathan played an even bigger part on atonement than David did. Thank you for the good read ;)