Free The Outsider by Howard Fast Page B

worst thing in the world. Do we have to go on forever pretending that God changes character every time some sect decides that they own the whole truth?”
    â€œWhat the devil are you talking about?” Joe Hurtz demanded.
    â€œCome on, come on,” Mel Klein said softly. “I know what David means, but that’s not the kind of a world we live in. The stink of Hitler’s gas ovens is still with us. I spend a day in the showrooms on Seventh Avenue and then come up here to the Ridge, and it’s like the rest of the world disappeared. Only it hasn’t. My father came here from Kiev, in the Ukraine, and he used to tell me what the nature of anti-Semitism was in czarist Russia, and I grew up on One hundred and fifty-ninth Street and Amsterdam Avenue, so I know a little something about anti-Semitism myself, but my kids grew up here in Leighton Ridge and they don’t know one damned thing. They feel comfortable in the old church, and I don’t want them to feel comfortable there.”
    David remained silent.
    â€œDavid,” Osner said, “I never asked you. But you come from German-Jewish people, don’t you?”
    David nodded.
    â€œCould I ask when they came here?”
    â€œMy mother’s family in eighteen forty-eight, my father’s family a bit before that.”
    â€œAnd Reform since then?”
    David nodded. “More or less.”
    â€œSo your family has a hundred years of the Reform movement behind it. For me, it’s my first step, and I think three quarters of the congregation are the first generation of Reform Jews. Those who are Reform. Just remember that we have a few Orthodox and Conservative as well.”
    â€œIn other words,” David said, “you intend to build the new synagogue, and nothing I say will stop you.”
    â€œOh, no. Positively not,” Mel Klein said. “You’re putting us in a hell of a position, David. We think this is a proper step — but if you’re going to set yourself in opposition to it, well, we’ll just drop the matter, or postpone it.” He turned to the others. “Am I putting it right?”
    â€œAbsolutely.”
    â€œWhy don’t you think about it, David?” Osner said kindly. “No great hurry. Meanwhile we’re having some drawings made, and you may find it’s not as inappropriate as you fear. If we decide to go ahead, we’ll put it at the other end of the property, about three hundred yards from the present synagogue. And suppose we meet again in a few days and talk about it? Will the drawings be done by, say, Monday?” he asked Hurtz.
    â€œThat’s what he promised, Colonel.”
    At home, Lucy looked at David and shook her head. “No fun with the boys?”
    â€œThat’s nicely put. If I weren’t a rabbi, I might say that those three guiding lights of our religious institution give me a pain in the ass, especially one, our beloved colonel.”
    â€œI can go with that. Are you hungry?”
    â€œNo.”
    â€œWhat is it this time?”
    â€œThey want to sell the church and build a new synagogue.”
    â€œWell, you know, Dave, Martin sold it to us, and what’s so terrible if we want to sell it?”
    He shook his head and remained silent, but as they were preparing for bed, he told Lucy that he had decided to go into New York the following day and talk to Rabbi Belsen.
    â€œSure. That might be a good thing, you worry so much, David.” Her voice was like honey, and David knew that meant she wanted to make love. It irritated him, and he stiffened under her touches; and then his guilt rose up, because she was loving and kind and a good mother, ran the house properly, painted and papered rooms by herself, found pieces of antique furniture for ten and fifteen dollars each and put up with the problem of being the wife of an underpaid country rabbi; and out of this rush of guilt, he entered into the lovemaking. But it