Tedi smelled cumin and onions. “Shalom aleichem,” she cried.
“Aleichem Hashalom,” several voices replied.
The girls clapped and waved, and started to follow along on their side of the fences that separated the women’s and men’s quarters.
Tedi started the singing.
As long as the Jewish spirit is yearning deep in the heart,
With eyes turned toward the East, looking toward Zion,
The dark-eyed men threw back their shoulders and joined in.
Then our hope—the two-thousand-year-old hope—will not be lost.
Voices rose from inside the men’s barracks, where faces were crowded close to the windows.
To be a free people in our land,
The land of Zion and Jerusalem.
As soon as they reached the end of the song, they started over, but louder and much faster. By the third repetition of “Ha Tikvah,” the melancholy anthem had become a marching song, a hoarse demand for action. The last man to enter the barrack turned and raised his fist before a guard shoved him inside.
The singing stopped when the door slammed and the men inside the other barracks began calling out, “What is happening?”
“Nothing yet,” shouted Tedi. “But we are watching.”
After a short time, six soldiers marched in formation to Barrack G and took six of the new inmates to Delousing.
“Why are you so tense?” Leonie asked Shayndel as they waited for the men to emerge.
“I’m not tense.”
“Chérie, you are chewing your lip, tapping your foot, and drumming your fingers on your own arm.”
Shayndel could not think of a lie to cover up her nerves. She felt as though her senses were stretched to their limits, as keen as they had been in combat. But she was also unfocused and anxious to find out more about the escape plan. Luckily, the doors to Delousing opened before Leonie could press her any further.
All attention shifted to the clean-shaven men, their wet hair glittering like onyx in the sun.
“How handsome they are,” said Tedi.
“I wouldn’t have thought you’d find that sort attractive,” Leonie said.
“You think I’d go for that Australian fellow?”
“He’s tall and blond like you. And good-looking, you have to admit.”
“Not my type,” said Tedi.
“Don’t you two have anything better to talk about?” Shayndel grumbled.
“Not at the moment,” said Leonie.
“What should we be talking about?” Tedi asked, wondering why Shayndel suddenly smelled like burning leaves.
“Well, I’m going to go chop some onions before my mind turns into glue.”
The men waved and saluted as they were rushed back to the barrack. “Come tell me if anything interesting happens,” Shayndel said.