The following story is believed to have taken place in Prague in the year 1577. It was repeated orally for several centuries until the prominent Jewish writer Salomon Kohen (1825-1904) who was born and died in Prague, recorded it in German.
Kohen was a gifted writer whose dozens of books included “Prageer Ghettobilder,” “David Speier,” “Spiegel der Gegenwart” and “Alte und Nene Erzaehlungen aus dem Ghetto.”
A large number of Salomon’s stories appeared as serials in German Jewish periodicals such as the Mainz Israelite, Jeschurun and Juedische Presse.
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A non-Jewish soldier who was stationed in Prague was once approached by a Jewish family in the ghetto to kindle a fire for them on Shabbos. Soon after the non-Jewish soldier entered their home to serve as their Shabbos goy, he suddenly dropped dead on the floor of the Jewish home. The family was in shock and petrified that they would be accused of murdering him.
The Jewish community turned to an officer who was in charge of protecting the Prague ghetto and asked him to help them. The officer who was promised a huge reward if he aided them, advised them to put a liquor bottle into the pocket of the dead soldier and remove his body quickly and quietly and place it outside on the ground near a tavern.
“The rest, I will take care of,” he said.
The officer promised them that he would notify the chief rabbi when everything would be ok.
Until the Rav was notified by the officer that everything was ok, the Jewish community was anxious and nervous.
For several weeks, the Jewish community was afraid they were in mortal danger of being accused of killing the non-Jewish soldier. The community was told to fast every Monday and Thursday and recite special prayers in the shul. They were also instructed to give charity.
After a month the officer in charge of the ghetto appeared before the Rov and told him that there was no need to worry. Everything had been taken care of.
THe rabbi offered the officer many pieces of gold in appreciation for helping the community avoid a disaster..
The soldier refused the gift. He said that he wanted the gold to be distributed to the poor of the community.
“I do have a favor to request of you, though,” he stated.
He revealed to the Rav that he was in reality a Polish born Jew and with tears in his eyes described the terrible tragedies that he endured until he was forced to convert to Catholicism and join the army.
“I am a Christian now and observe all the commandments of the Christian faith. But I know that happiness can only be found in the true religion of my forefathers.
“In order to repay me for my service to the community, , I am asking you to please say Kaddish for me in the Altneu -Shul, every year before Kol Nidrei on Yom Kippur. I know that I am a meshumad, but I am asking you to do this for me because I was born on the night of Kol Nidrei..
The rabbi promised to fulfill the request on condition that the soldier promise to always help the Jews, especially if and when he would be promoted.
More than fifty years passed. The rabbi passed away and in his stead his son served as rav. One Motzaei Yom Kippur a strange man exits the shul and requests to speak to the rabbi in private.
In the home of the Rav he takes off his coat and reveals he is dressed as a general and decorated with many medals.
He relates to the Rav that he is the soldier who in 1577 was the guard for the ghetto of Prague. He fought in many wars and became very highly decorated till he was appointed general. He saved the lives of many.
Now that he was leaving the army he decided to visit the Alt-neu Shul. He was pleasantly surpsied to discover with his own eyes and ears, that the shul is still fulfilling the promise that the present rav’s father made to him. They still recite Kaddish before Kol Nidrei.
The general gave much money to the rav to distribute to the poor.
He stated that he was returning to Poland, his homeland to retire and begged the Rav not to forget to continue saying Kaddish for him.
The rabbi answered,” as long as the Altneu shul and the Jewish community will be in existence, Kaddish will be recited before Kol Nidrei.”
The promise was fulfilled but very few people were aware of the origin of this unusual custom.
Pearl Herzog