End of October 1973, Tele Aviv Israel
Lyrics to the song Wildflower by Skylark
She's faced the hardest times you could imagine
And many times her eyes fought back the tears
And when her youthful world was about to fall in
Each time her slender shoulders bore the weight of all her fears
And a sorrow no one hears
Still rings in midnight silence in her ears
Let her cry, for she's a lady (She's a lady)
Let her dream, for she's a child (Child)
Let the rain fall down upon her
She's a free and gentle flower growing wild
And if by chance that I should hold her (If by chance that I should hold
her)
Let me hold her for a time (Let me hold her for a time)
And if allowed just one possession
I would pick her from the garden to be mine (I would pick her from the
garden to be mine)
Mm-mm-mm, mm-mm
Be careful how you touch her, for she'll awaken
And sleep's the only freedom that she knows
And when you walk into her eyes, you won't believe
The way she's always payin' for a debt she never owed
And a silent wind still blows
That only she can hear, and so she goes
Let her cry, for she's a lady
Let her dream, for she's a child
Let the rain fall down upon her
She's a free and gentle flower growing wild
Let her cry, for she's a lady (She's a lady)
Let her dream, for she's a child
Let the rain fall down upon her
She's a free and gentle flower growing wild
She's a flower growing wild
She's free
The song had been played on the radio station and it had brought Patti Weinburg and her son girlfriend Ruth to tears. They had just attended a military funeral for David Weinburg who had been killed in the Yom Kippur War. Ruth was 18 years old and just starting her first year of military service. The song had been the first song that Ruth and David had danced to back in the Spring.
Patti had known lost throughout her life. She had five children, three of whom died in war. Her boyfriend had been killed in 1948 for Israeli Independence. Her first husband was killed in the 1956 war in the Suez Canal and in 1967 her second husband and oldest son had been killed in the Six Day War. Her second husband died the first day of the war and her 17 year old son had died the last day of the war Both Patti and her husband had given permission for him to enlist earlier in the year and six months later in the third day of the war he was killed. The 1973 Yom Kippur War had taken her 19 year old son.
When she had gone to reform school, she had totally rejected her Jewish roots and considered leaving the Jewish community. She was required to attend a religious service at least once a week and decided to take up Mrs. Weinstein invitation to the synagogue. She had attended the Christian Service for several weeks. Hell and Brimstone were the messages given.
Her grandparents attended the same synagogue. She felt somewhat at home. People weren't sure what to make of her. Most people were nice to her. A few kept their distance. Everyone knew who she was and what she had done. She had said that she had no regrets of what she did.
She had headed to Israel in 1948 and had joined the army shortly thereafter. It was one of the few armies who accepted female soldiers. In January 1949 she got married and got pregnant shortly after that. She was forced to quit the army but it was temporary.
Until 1956 she and her first husband Joshua Stein worked for Israeli intelligence as a husband and wife team. This was not the norm but her husband was 10 years older than her and had come to Israel right after World War II. He had been a Holocaust survivor from Germany who hunted down Nazi War Criminals. His entire family had been wiped out. They went all over the world and spent a year in Argentina tracking down criminals. He had been raised in Germany so he knew the language and the culture and was able to blend in. They never suspected he was an agent for the Israeli government. He preferred that they be brought to justice and usually that is what happened. In 1956 he was forced to kill a Nazi War Criminal who recognized him (they came from the same town).
Within 24 hours the family was on a plane back to Israel. A couple of months later the 1956 war started and shortly thereafter Joshua was killed.
