This is one of countless stories regarding the second World war. From personal accounts of Canadians it's a beautiful story. I'm going to share it with you now. getting to Jerusalem It's not one of these Hollywood propaganda, it's a personal oral history getting to Jerusalem I didn't want to go to war.

why should I join up, get myself killed off by some German guy who didn't want to be in the war either, didn't know me like I I didn't know him or vice versa. You get what I mean except for one thing. I'm Jewish And while my old man doesn't want me to go to join up like why don't I go to the University of Toronto to be a doctor, a lawyer, something, keep out of the whole business. My mother, she's a battleship.

that woman she wouldn't hear of it iser isar is isar Isar is going to go when his time comes and when he gets to Jerusalem he's going to go to the Western Wall and he's going to take out his Psalm book and he's going to read the 83rd Psalm Mom sort of had the war all twisted up in her mind. She'd been reading the headlines about the British a army fighting near Cairo and she looked that up on the map. Holy smokes, it's only 2 Ines from Jerusalem 2 Ines on the map. like maybe 250 miles.

One of her sons is going to pray at the wall You Bet Your Life So while the old man is against it, there's my mom practically pushing me out the door on my 18th birthday, down to the recruiting station. Join the Army my boy and you'll get there faster. Look where they were on the front page of the Toronto Star last night not that far from Jerusalem. It doesn't fit her thinking that the whole idea of the Eth Army is to get away from Cairo over to the West as far from Jerusalem as it can.

she was one woman with tunnel. Vision I join up. So a year in Canada 4 months in England then France Germany home again about 2 and a half years home and my folks meet me at the Union Station brothers, sisters, brother-in-laws their kids and cousins. A real big Jewish reunion right in the center of the station.

God When I think of it, mom gets to me first and I get hugs and kisses and everybody is around. and finally she says he did you use the book I ask what book The Book of Psalms I gave you on your last leave. Then it hits me. the Western Wall Jerusalem The 122nd Psalm The 83rd Psalm standing up there with all those old men crying and weeping the kind of Jew I just don't like I tell her mom I didn't get to Jerusalem I didn't get anywhere near it.

Our army wasn't going going that way. We turned right instead of turning left. Now that was the wrong thing to say. Making fun of something like that.

She stops me cold with that look in her eyes and she's a little woman but solid steel And she says one word she says schlepper, Just schlepper. That's what I am a schlepper for Mom I Don't fight the war for democracy in Canada I fight it to go to Jerusalem so she can tell the neighborhood woman Mrs Moser down the street and all the rest about her son iser isar. The crazy thing is, later when she calmed down I told her I was sorry and then my War career hadn't worked out the way that she wanted it. She came up with a beautiful line.

She said to me isar, you just didn't try hard enough.