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RICKY

Rita does.

RITA

Since when?

RICKY

When she dances she seems to fly—from one nest into

the other.

Dori

On Passover there’s going to be a big celebration with parents and children. I love holidays.

In Canada Daddy was the leader of Camp Bilu’im. It was a summer camp for big people only and it really was fun, just like its name.31 Once when it was already dark everyone walked in a long long line to a huge campfire and while we walked we sang—

When Moses was in Egyptland

Let my people go

Oh pressed so hard they could not stand

Let my people go

Go down Moses! Waaay down in Egyptland!

Tell old Pharoah. To let my people go.32

Daddy carried me on his shoulders in the dark. We walked slowly because it’s important to remember slaves. I’m never going to forget that walk. I’m never going to forget anything.

I like the Moses song but the Joshua song is even better—

Joshua fought the battle of Jericho Jericho Jericho

Joshua fought the battle of Jericho

And the walls came a tumbling down

Well you can talk about the battle of Gideon!

You can talk about the battle of Saul!

But there’s none like good old Joshua

At the battle of Jericho. That morning!

We had a record with both those songs on Davaar Street. They’re both beautiful but the Joshua one hurts my heart.

Leonora/Lolo/Leah Previn

(1927–1959)

Older sister of André Previn;

worked with the poor of Los Angeles in her early twenties;

immigrated to Israel;

joined the founders of Eldar in 1949;

changed name to Leah;

invited Isaac Stern to visit Eldar before a scheduled concert in Haifa;

Leah remembered by Isaac as beautiful;

Eldar remembered as a military observation post;

members’ harsh living conditions and evident love of music prompted Isaac, with characteristic generosity, to issue an invitation to his concert at no charge;

concert was sold out;

Isaac refused to perform unless seats were found for the forty Eldar members who showed up;

barrels and crates set up for them in wings;

Leah is remembered by all who knew her as kind and gentle;

Naftali changed his name from Stavitsky to Satie in the hope of impressing her;

ploy failed;

at some point Leah returned to the United States;

was diagnosed with cancer at age thirty-two;

told André but not her parents;

died four days after André won an Academy Award;

André in New York at the time, working on a television special;

André told his biographer that he and Lolo were close though in many ways opposites;

photos of her are not included in Previn biographies/memoirs;

details of her life are now known only to those who knew her personally.

Dori

It’s the middle of the night and Skye is crying. Skye hardly ever cries but she’s sick. I say call the Night Guard but she doesn’t want to. I’m surprised. Skye is exactly the sort of person to call the Guard.

I decide to do it myself. I like being the one who gets up and calls the Guard. It means I’m big now and I can help.

I walk over to the loudspeaker on the wall and shout up Skye is sick!

I hear a voice coming out of the loudspeaker but it’s full of noise. I shout again Skye is sick! and the voice comes out again but I still can’t hear it.

There’s nothing more I can do. I go back to bed. I tell Skye I called the Night Guard. She isn’t crying as much now. She’s waiting for the Guard.

II

The World Below

Will it be a king or a non-king Who establishes a territory of dominion in the world below?

—UGARITIC BAAL CYCLE, C. 1300 BCE

Dori

I’m on my way to the Room when I see a game on the lawn. The bigger children are playing army. They’re using sticks for pretend rifles. A boy I don’t know is the commander.

I find a rifle and join the game. We do left right left attention at ease salute. I don’t really understand left right left. Everyone walks left right left. There’s no other way to walk.

A boy grabs my rifle. I don’t bother fighting over it. It’s not worth the trouble. Anyhow the game is boring. The commander is doing the same thing over and