ר ו ד ו ר ו ד ־ ל כ
ב In Every Generation
Crossings
Kaila Schwartz
They came from Shklov and Kruk Birzai and Ottynia B’ chol dor vador Villages and towns emptied of its Jews Within the years of war Chayav adam Borders crossed over and around them Hungary, Austria, Poland, or Russia It didn’ t matter Lirot et atzmo Life was hard and often double taxed Some traveled with their families Other families sailed in shifts Some traveled alone K’ ilu hu yatza mimitzrayim We left Egypt, free to become a people As a people, my family left to escape persecution refugees who have, for generations, lived as migrants, even after Roots stabilized in their depths When will it be time to leave again?
Kaila Schwartz runs an award-winning high school theatre program in the SF Bay Area. When she is not teaching, directing, or writing, she can be seen researching her family history.
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