Out of the Darkness: Into a New Life

1st Place- Middle School Creative Writing

by Shira Rosenberg, 6th Grade

The lights came up just as I said my last line, and on cue, I thanked the audience. I retired to my dressing room on the third floor of the Broadway Theater when I heard a quiet knock on the door.
My granddaughter, Sarah, comfortably walked into the room as if she knew where everything was located, even though it was her first time there. She stood, gazing hypnotically at a small silver box to the right of the mirror. Sarah had been in many of my other dressing rooms, though it seemed she had never noticed the silver box.
As I peered over Sarah’s shoulders at the box of memories, I became lost in the long forgotten memories of my past, which brought tears to my eyes. Sarah opened the silver box and found letters. They were written in beautiful script and signed Abraham and Judith Kazakenstien. I began to tell the story of my past to Sarah.
It all started on a humid autumn night, September 9, 1938, the day that came to be known as Kristallnacht, the night of broken glass. I had been woken up by the sound of shattering glass outside my window. There were screams that could be heard from inside the buildings; screams of people being tortured by the ruthless German soldiers. Outside my window, there were men being forced to scrub all the years of dirt, grime, and blood off the stained pavement.
My parents had also been startled awake by the commotion, and they came in to check on me. By that time, it was already two in the morning. Our neighbor rushed into the apartment in a panic and informed us that our local rabbi had been killed, and that we should flee the country immediately.
I hurriedly packed up my most prized possessions, including the small silver box that had been given to me on my eleventh birthday, and we set off for the train station. As the train was about to leave, three armed Nazi soldiers approached us. They told all the Jews to get off the train, and one soldier even pointed a gun at me.
My family and I ran as far away from the station as we could, and soon stumbled upon a young couple. They saw our worried faces and few belongings, and offered to give us money, food, and shelter until it was time to leave on the boat for America.
We finally arrived at Ellis Island in June of 1939. I felt so scared and anxious, coming into a new country and not even being able to speak a word of the language! I remember looking up at the massive, beautiful statue with her hand raised, holding a torch that symbolizes freedom. Tears stung my eyes as I thought about the future ahead.
We arrived at the desk of Ellis Island, only to be told that our name had to be changed. Although shocked, my father decided to change the family name from Kazakenstien to Kay.
Once we entered America, we found a very small apartment that only had one bedroom for my parents and I to live in. I only could find a part time job as a seamstress for three days a week. One day, on my way home, I was singing a song, when a woman spotted me, and asked me to sing for her. She introduced herself as Madeline, and told me what a beautiful and angelic voice I had. She offered to train me as a singer in her house in Philadelphia. I ran home to tell my parents, and they were convinced that I would make something great of myself.
The next day, I packed up my belongings, and set out to start my new life. Once I arrived, I set the silver box on the table beside my bed. That night I dreamt of becoming an inspiration to people. I loved being able to sing and learn, but I missed my parents dearly. They wrote me letters, which were deposited in the silver box, and I kissed it every night before going to sleep. One day, all my hard work paid off. When I felt comfortable enough with performing, I auditioned for a Broadway show and was cast. I climbed my way up the ranks.
Thinking back to those days in Austria, and that horrific night, I often wonder if my parents hadn’t chosen to leave at that exact moment, would we have suffered the same fate as so many others. I never would have met Madeline or been given this new life in America.
As I finished telling my story, I glanced over at Sarah. She was still studying the silver box, and then, as I did so many years ago, she kissed it in the same place I did.