I’m just fine.”
“Mr. Goralsky told me he had been doing it for seventy-five years, and it doesn’t appear to have hurt him any.”
“Gosh, I forgot all about the old man. Have you heard how he is? I haven’t seen Ben around.”
“I’m sure he hasn’t been here or I would have seen him.”
“That sounds bad, Rabbi. The old man must be very sick Ben would have come for Yizkor at least, with his mother dead only recently, within the year.”
“Not necessarily. They’re quite Orthodox and according to custom those recently bereaved, who are still in the year of mourning, do not attend the Yizkor service.”
“That so? Then, maybe that’s it. I certainly hope so.”
The rabbi regarded him curiously. “Are you really so sure of getting a large contribution from Mr. Goralsky?”
“I’ve talked to the old man informally, you know,” Schwarz said smugly. “No definite promise, of course, but I can tell he’s receptive to the idea.”
“And how big a contribution do you hope for?”
Schwarz looked at him in some surprise. “I told you about it last night, Rabbi. A memorial chapel.”
“You mentioned it, but I thought it was just by way of example. You mean he really is interested in building a Goralsky Memorial Chapel? What kind of money would be involved?”
“Oh, a hundred thousand dollars to a hundred and a half.”
The rabbi pursed his lips in a soundless whistle. “They’re in electronics?”
“That’s right, electronics and transistors. They’ve got a big new plant on Route 128. They’re loaded. Right now, I understand, they’re planning to merge with some big outfit out West, and their stock has been going up like a sky-rocket. It’s doubled in the last couple of weeks. And they started in the poultry business.”
“The poultry business?”
“The absolute truth. My grandmother used to buy fresh-killed chickens from their store in Chelsea, and the old man himself used to wait on her in a blood-smeared white apron and a straw hat. Then they got a little ahead of themselves and began to gamble in futures and made quite a bit of money. So they had spare money when a chance came to invest in a transistor company and they were on their way. They bought out their partner, the man who started the business, and after that they really began to expand. They were lucky enough to go public right at the boom, and the rest is financial history. Maybe you saw the write-up on Ben Goralsky in Time magazine?”
The rabbi shook his head.
“A column and a half plus picture. I tried to put him on the Board, but he said he was too busy.” He sounded gloomy.
“And do you think if you got him on the Board he might be inclined to favor a chapel over a chemistry lab?”
“At least it would get him interested in our organization and its problems.”
“But do we need a chapel? It seems to me we have plenty of room right now ”
Schwarz looked at him. “Rabbi, a growing organization never has plenty of room. If it’s enough for today, then it’s not enough for tomorrow. Besides, next to the high school, our sanctuary is the biggest auditorium in town. Once or twice in the past we’ve been asked for the loan of our facilities by outside organizations. Now, how does it sit with you to have a secular organization like Kiwanis, say, transacting their business right here in front of the Holy Ark?”
“Well ”
“But suppose we had a small chapel built right onto the wall behind us, a small jewel of a chapel that you could tell was a chapel and not a barracks or a light and power company office building?”
“You don’t like this building?”
Schwarz smiled condescendingly. “Remember, Rabbi, I’m an architect by profession. Look, are you and Miriam coming over tonight after you break your fast? Ethel is expecting you.”
“If Miriam is up to it.”
“Good. I’ll show you something that will knock your eye out.”
From where she was sitting, Miriam signaled her husband
“Mr. Goralsky told me he had been doing it for seventy-five years, and it doesn’t appear to have hurt him any.”
“Gosh, I forgot all about the old man. Have you heard how he is? I haven’t seen Ben around.”
“I’m sure he hasn’t been here or I would have seen him.”
“That sounds bad, Rabbi. The old man must be very sick Ben would have come for Yizkor at least, with his mother dead only recently, within the year.”
“Not necessarily. They’re quite Orthodox and according to custom those recently bereaved, who are still in the year of mourning, do not attend the Yizkor service.”
“That so? Then, maybe that’s it. I certainly hope so.”
The rabbi regarded him curiously. “Are you really so sure of getting a large contribution from Mr. Goralsky?”
“I’ve talked to the old man informally, you know,” Schwarz said smugly. “No definite promise, of course, but I can tell he’s receptive to the idea.”
“And how big a contribution do you hope for?”
Schwarz looked at him in some surprise. “I told you about it last night, Rabbi. A memorial chapel.”
“You mentioned it, but I thought it was just by way of example. You mean he really is interested in building a Goralsky Memorial Chapel? What kind of money would be involved?”
“Oh, a hundred thousand dollars to a hundred and a half.”
The rabbi pursed his lips in a soundless whistle. “They’re in electronics?”
“That’s right, electronics and transistors. They’ve got a big new plant on Route 128. They’re loaded. Right now, I understand, they’re planning to merge with some big outfit out West, and their stock has been going up like a sky-rocket. It’s doubled in the last couple of weeks. And they started in the poultry business.”
“The poultry business?”
“The absolute truth. My grandmother used to buy fresh-killed chickens from their store in Chelsea, and the old man himself used to wait on her in a blood-smeared white apron and a straw hat. Then they got a little ahead of themselves and began to gamble in futures and made quite a bit of money. So they had spare money when a chance came to invest in a transistor company and they were on their way. They bought out their partner, the man who started the business, and after that they really began to expand. They were lucky enough to go public right at the boom, and the rest is financial history. Maybe you saw the write-up on Ben Goralsky in Time magazine?”
The rabbi shook his head.
“A column and a half plus picture. I tried to put him on the Board, but he said he was too busy.” He sounded gloomy.
“And do you think if you got him on the Board he might be inclined to favor a chapel over a chemistry lab?”
“At least it would get him interested in our organization and its problems.”
“But do we need a chapel? It seems to me we have plenty of room right now ”
Schwarz looked at him. “Rabbi, a growing organization never has plenty of room. If it’s enough for today, then it’s not enough for tomorrow. Besides, next to the high school, our sanctuary is the biggest auditorium in town. Once or twice in the past we’ve been asked for the loan of our facilities by outside organizations. Now, how does it sit with you to have a secular organization like Kiwanis, say, transacting their business right here in front of the Holy Ark?”
“Well ”
“But suppose we had a small chapel built right onto the wall behind us, a small jewel of a chapel that you could tell was a chapel and not a barracks or a light and power company office building?”
“You don’t like this building?”
Schwarz smiled condescendingly. “Remember, Rabbi, I’m an architect by profession. Look, are you and Miriam coming over tonight after you break your fast? Ethel is expecting you.”
“If Miriam is up to it.”
“Good. I’ll show you something that will knock your eye out.”
From where she was sitting, Miriam signaled her husband
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