Zalman Kaplan explains to Itzhak Zarnitsky the location of the Zarnitsky Hat Store in Yurburg and later tells a story about his grandparents selling a hat to a poor Lithuanian farmer. He nearly had us all in tears.
Later Zalman told us that "When I pass on to the next world and I meet all the Yurburgers, I will be able to tell them that I met a group of Yurburg sons and daughters alive in Vilna."
Zalman Kaplan expressed his feelings in this way at having met our group of descendants of Yurburg in Vilna. He and we had tears in our eyes. This was clearly a monumentous day for both Zalman and us
At one point Joel asked Zalman if he remembered Yankel Chossid (aka Jack Cossid). Zalman just got this huge grin on his face. Joel asked him again and again why he was laughing. He finally replied that is was many many years since he had thought about Yankel Chossid. Clearly he had good memories associated with Yankel Chossid.
Zalman being forced to have lunch with us - we insisted, note that he could not escape his two bald headed body guards!
We were led down this hill by Chaim to a locked fence. Nancy then led us around the base on the inside of a fence to a point of no return. The only way out was either to retrace our steps all the way up the hill, or climb up a steep but short grade to a point where we could hop the fence to rejoin the original way. Esther loved it and thought it was great fun. Another member of the group went part way up the grade, and announced that "they could go no further." At this point one member of the group ahead tugged and another behind pushed, giving the person in between no choice. We all made it!
