My Bridges of Hope (Pgs 152-198 )

Summary: 

This section of the novel begins with Eretz Israel being free and the British leaving the land. However, after a few days it has been attacked by Arabs. When this many people start to become part of the fight, and join secret associations. While this happens Elli gets a job in teaching but before she starts she has to do community service with other teachers for a couple of days. During these couple of days she meets a guy named Vilo, who say her during the time she ran into the streets and started to dance in the rain. They start to get closer and learn more about each other lives. the couple of days end and Vilo wants to keep this friendship to keep on going. Elli has to say no because it is against of her religion and even if he becomes religious she is still not going to be able to be with him. Vilo promises her that he will find a way to make everything work so that they will be with each other. The other reason why she does not want to date him is because she does not want him to find out about her work for Briha. 


A lot of people are starting to go to Eretz Israel. Elli tries to get a spot to get her an her mother to go to however, they told her that at this point they are not transporting older people. So no Elli is stuck with her mother while all her love ones are some place else. At last Elli decides to tell her mother that she is working for Briha and that they have to make the choice if they are going to leave and go to Vienna and find a way to go to America. Their day comes and they go to the screening. Even though she tries to hind from her co-workers, they notice her and play along with her plan so they would not get caught. During her journey she meets Vilo again. And the first thing she thinks about is how she is dressed and if she is wearing the latest style. When he truck comes she says goodbye to him and starts to cry, and her mother tells her everything will be okay and that she will see him again someday. They reach Vienna with no troubles, and are greeted by six boys that she helped a couple of days ago escape to Vienna. They were so thankful for Elli's help that they were on her and her mother's hand feet all day. It was the best day of her life and it seemed like she was in heaven. 

Quote: 
"Once again we are pulling up our roots and obliterating our identity. This time, in order to live. " (Jackson 176).

Reaction: 

When I read this quote I had to look it over twice because i was kind of confused because when I put this in my own words i see it as saying that they are destroying all traces of their identity again but this time for so that they can live. I think that the only other time that they destroyed their identity was during the holocaust. But I see it as the Nazis trying to destroy their identity in the concentration camps, so that there would not be any evidence of the names of those they have killed. Then i thought maybe another time they try to destroy all traces of their identity was when they might of been trying to pretend that they are German and not get caught by the Nazis. However they could of got caught and that might be how they ended up in the concentration camps. This quote rose up the question when was the other time they had to do this but not in order to live?. I think that this is a very strong quote because its the point in the autobiography when Elli takes responsibility and tells her mother the truth and her thoughts about what is going on. Her being the bigger person and trying to get them out of Czechoslovakia. At this point of the story i think that she does not seem like the little girl she was always but as a grown woman, who knows what she wants in life and will try anything to reach that goal.