Quest for the Ancient Torah

By F. G. Wood

It’s 1942 in the occupied city of Prague. Jewish people are being transported out to Theresienstadt and times are hard especially when a high-ranking German SS Commander is assassinated. Karl Rozenburg realises his fate and seeks the help of the Novak family to procure a treasure that is of importance to the Jewish people. The Novaks embark on a quest which proves to be complicated, requiring skill and cunning to follow the trail.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers
• Release date: Mar 31, 2022
• ISBN: 9781398446397

F. G. Wood

Frances Gwendoline Wood is a former teacher and consultant. Much of her career has been spent in the Middle East, where in the last ten years she has devoted her time to Early Years education. Having gained a Master’s degree she developed a passion for inclusive education, and has worked setting up Achievement Centres within Nurseries. Now settled back in the UK, she devotes her time to writing where she encapsulates much of her experiences of her travels into her work for young children.

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About the Author

Frances Gwendoline Wood is a former teacher and consultant. Much of her career has been spent in the Middle East, where in the last ten years she has devoted her time to Early Years education. Having gained a Master’s degree she developed a passion for inclusive education, and has worked setting up Achievement Centres within Nurseries. Now settled back in the UK, she devotes her time to writing where she encapsulates much of her experiences of her travels into her work for young children.

Dedication

For James and Annabel, with love

Copyright Information ©

F. G. Wood 2022

The right of F. G. Wood to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by the author in accordance with section 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.

Any person who commits any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library.

ISBN 9781398446380 (Paperback)

ISBN 9781398446397 (ePub e-book)

www.austinmacauley.com

First Published 2022

Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd®

1 Canada Square

Canary Wharf

London

E14 5AA

Acknowledgement

My grateful thanks goes to my dear friend, Sally Bahia, who gave me confidence to believe that I could achieve whatever I set out to do.

My sincere thanks also goes to my good friend and travel companion, Marian Morley, who patiently toured Prague with me, and unwittingly gave me inspiration.

I would also like to thank Austin Macauley Publishers for their support in publishing this book.

Chapter 1

The beautiful city of Prague lays nestled in Central Europe. It is a magnificent city that has a fairy tale air about it with its cobbled streets and old gabled buildings. The river Vltava carves its way through its centre flowing under several stone bridges. This fine city is the capital of the Czech Republic and today it welcomes many visitors who revel in its hospitality and stunning facades.

That of course is now but like all cities, Prague has a history and there have been difficult times for this wonderful place. It borders amongst other nations, Germany and in 1939, the Germans took over Prague as it did with most of Europe. Then life was very different and it was during the German occupation that our tale began.

It is the spring of 1942, Adrianna, Ruth and their friend Stefana are playing in the inner courtyard of the building they live in. Two girls turn the skipping rope whilst the other one skips to the many rhymes they know. The girls are nine years old and they can only remember life in Prague with German soldiers who carry heavy guns and patrol the streets. Europe is at war and for them, life is not so free and easy.

Of course, there is rationing as some foods cannot so easily be obtained. These girls have never seen an orange or a banana for that matter and in the evening, there is a blackout so there are no streetlamps. The girls have never been out walking at night so have no idea of how pretty it looks under the mellow street lighting and the twinkling stars and silver moon above. During the day, the German flag with its dark swastika can be seen hanging from all the public buildings. There is no lively music to listen or dance to and many theatres and cinemas are closed, so life is, to say the least, a bit dull.

For Ruth, things have got increasingly more difficult as she is Jewish and as such is made to wear a badge in the form of a bright yellow star that reads Jude in Hebrew script. The Germans have forced all Jewish families to do this as they want them to be singled out. The girls have grown up together so see no difference in their families and they consider themselves Czech citizens regardless of the fact that the country is governed at the moment by the Third Reich of Germany.

Today the sun is shining even though it is a bit chilly and the girls are playing happily together taking it in turns to skip. They have long plaits in their hair which bob up and down around their heads as their feet jump nimbly over the taught rope. Suddenly, Stefana’s mother calls from the window.

Stefana, come inside at once, she shouts.

But Mama it’s too early, replies Stefana, I want to finish our game.

Stefana’s mother shuts the window with a bang and the girls continue their skipping game singing Stodola Pumpa an old Czech folk rhyme all about a frog sitting by an old water pump and croaking. Stefana turns the rope and sings away. They giggle as the rope swishes around and Ruth skips faster as the pace of the rhyme quickens.

Mrs Doubek, Stefana’s mother, suddenly appears and grasps Stefana by the arm pulling her away.

I said inside now, do you hear me, she yells, You are not allowed to play with Ruth again, I do not want you anywhere near her, do you understand?

Stefana was both shocked and upset.

Why do I have to come inside and why can’t I play with Ruth? she shouted.

Mrs Doubek raises her hand and gives Stefana a sharp slap across her face and pulls her inside crying.

Adrianna and Ruth stare in amazement.

Why isn’t she allowed to play with me? whispers Ruth. What have I done?

I don’t know, said Adrianna puzzled by what she has seen.

A cold wind whistles around the courtyard sweeping up dust and grit from the cobbled stones.

Come on let’s play upstairs I am feeling a bit cold anyway, she adds.

The two girls fold up their skipping rope and go inside. Adrianna is mystified by Mrs Doubek actions, she has never before seen her behave in such a way.

How do you think you would cope if your food was rationed and you couldn’t have some of the things you normally have to eat?

Young girls do not play at skipping nowadays, what sort of games do you play with your friends?

Do you think Stefana’s mother was very harsh with her? How do you think she should have handled the situation with her daughter?

Chapter 2

Up in the apartment, Adriana’s mother is in the kitchen making a vegetable soup for supper and her brother Matej, who is 14, is sat at the dining room table drawing. Adrianna doesn’t have to ask him what he is drawing as she already knows. Matej is crazy about cars and spends all his time and energy thinking about them, when he is not thinking about cars and their engines, he is drawing them.

Adrianna heads for the kitchen with Ruth to see if they can have a drink. Using the mint leaves she grows on the balcony, Adrianna’s mother makes a mint drink which can be drunk hot or cold.

If I am not much mistaken, I think you both maybe want ‘matovy napoj’? says Adrianna’s mother.

The girls smile with delight as Adrianna’s mother puts the kettle on the stove and starts to prepare the mint leaves.

Is it too cold for you outside? she asks as she reaches for two beakers for the drink.

It is a bit – Adrianna sighs – but Stefana had to go inside. Her mother was a bit cross and said that she was not to play with Ruth anymore and we don’t know why as she hasn’t done anything wrong.

Adrianna’s mother looks at the girls and sees the yellow Star of David stitched to Ruth’s woollen cardigan, I think I can guess why, she thinks to herself but does not let onto the girls, instead she says nothing. She pours the hot water into the two beakers containing the mint leaves.

Here you are, be careful, it is quite hot, she says as she hands each girl a tin beaker of warm greenish liquid that smells just heavenly.

The girls go through into the living room with their drinks and Adrianna gets her father’s Atlas which she loves to look at and they both sit together at the table trying to identify the countries on the African continent.

10 minutes later, the front door bursts open and Bedrich, Adrianna’s second older brother hurtled in.

Bedrich is nearly 12 and is somewhat like a tornado; he always rushes everywhere and is always quite loud.

Mum, he yells, guess what’s happened?

Adriana’s mother appeared in the kitchen doorway.

Whatever is it, Bedrich? For heaven’s sake, that is no way to come into the house.

Mum, Mum, there has been an explosion and Heydrich has been seriously injured.

What! Are you sure? Adrianna’s mother replied. She looked very shocked and worried.

Who is Heydrich? said Adrianna looking up from the Atlas.

He is the Nazi leader here in Prague, gosh you don’t know anything do you? said Matej disdainfully, barely looking up from his drawing.

How on earth do you know this? said Adrianna’s mother to Bedrich.

Gunther has just told me and that is why all the Germans have been told to patrol the streets and they can’t have any leave.

I don’t like you speaking to him, said Adrianna’s mother, it may be his job as a soldier to watch us in this building but he knows too much as far as I am concerned, he gives me the creeps.

You shouldn’t be talking to the Germans, said Matej looking up at Bedrich. They’re the enemy.

Well, I like him, he always has something funny to tell me, replied Bedrich.

And there is always something he wants to know, am I right? said Adrianna’s mother crisply, looking directly at Bedrich.

Bedrich sat down hard on the stiff horsehair sofa and took his shoes off, bending his head down and ignoring his mother.

Adrianna’s mother looked at Ruth and kindly said,

I think it might be best for you to go home now. This news of an explosion tells me that the Germans are going to be in a bit of a panic and I am sure your mother would want you to be at home with her.

Ruth drained her beaker and saying thank you to Adriana’s mother, slipped out of the door waving to Adrianna as she left. For her, home was one floor up and as she mounted the stairs, she could hear her baby brother Jacoba squealing from the apartment above.

Well, sighed Adrianna’s mother, This certainly does not look good. With that, she returned to the kitchen and the soup she was preparing. She was obviously worried about the news of this explosion.

Adrianna did not really understand what was going on and why her mother seemed so concerned. In a couple of hours or so, her father would be home and she knew he would be able to explain it all, until then, she carried on looking at the many countries that make up Africa. She decided that when she grew up, she would travel to Africa and see all the places that had exotic names like Kinshasa, Nairobi, Luanda and Addis Ababa. For her, they held a fascination and she longed to discover them for herself.

Have you ever tried mint leaves in boiling water as a refreshing drink?

How would you feel if you were made to wear a symbol like the Star of David to single you out?

Do you like to look at an Atlas or do you look up countries online? Adrianna obviously wants to see the world. Is that something you would like to do?

Chapter 3

It was well after eight o’clock when Adrianna’s father came home. The children were just about to go to bed having eaten their supper earlier. He looked tired and rather anxious; it had been a very long and tiring day. Pavel, or as his office colleagues knew him, Mr Novak worked hard at the council offices but today because of the explosion, everything had been chaos. He took off his hat and coat and sat at the table. Marta, Adrianna’s mother, placed a steaming bowl of vegetable soup in front of him. It consisted mainly of potatoes but there were some green leaves, onions, carrots and a handful of fresh parsley that Marta had grown on her balcony. To add to this, Marta had made Knedliky or dumplings which were boiled in water and sliced whilst they were hot.

Adrianna’s dad tucked in heartily. The children all sat at the