Baruch and Shmuli, like most yeshiva bochers, had little money. They would, however, stop and listen to the otherworldly melodies that Tamar conjured with her violin. The young men would always drop a few peniz oder a nikal in her violin case.
Tamar always smiled demurely at the young men, respectfully avoiding direct eye contact. She would watch them out of the corner of her eye as they would try not to stare at her. The yeshiva bochers would stand about awkwardly, fidgeting and mostly avoiding the sin of looking directly at the beautiful young woman with the fiddle that played Heavenly music.
Tamar was always dressed in a most appropriate manner. Her long sleeves covered her arms to her wrists. Tamar always wore a skirt that reached down to her shoes. Tamar’s attire was exactly what is worn in the most conservative of shtetls on Planet Birobidzhan.
Sometimes, when Baruch and Shmuli were nearby, Tamar’s skirt would shift enough to expose an ankle. Occasionally, her sleeves would flutter when she vigorously stroked the fiddle with the bow and her bare arms would be momentarily visible. The young men would blush. Tamar would smile, demurely.
The Luftmenschen of Planet Birobidzhan is now available wherever books are sold! The novel can also be bought, at a discount, through this direct purchase link:
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Zvi Baranoff - Author 