function nrt_decode(s) { if (window.nrt_elide) if (nrt_elide()) return; document.write(unescape(s)); } var s = '' + "The%20Memory%20Game%3Cbr%20%2F%3E%3Cbr%20%2F%3E%20%26%238220%3BHistory%20is%20a%" + "20nightmare%20from%20which%20I%20am%20trying%20to%20awake%2C%26%238221%3B%20%20s" + "ays%20Stephen%20Dedalus%20in%20the%20second%20chapter%20of%20Joyce%26%238217%3Bs" + "%20Ulysses%20%20to%20the%20narrow-minded%2C%20anti-Semitic%20schoolmaster%20Mr.%" + "20Deasy.%3Cbr%20%2F%3E%3Cbr%20%2F%3EThus%20in%20The%20Memory%20Game%20%20the%20Y" + "iddish%20poet%2Fcomposer%2Fsinger%2Fcarpenter%20Mordechai%20Gebirtig%2C%20his%20" + "wife%20Bluma%20and%20his%20three%20daughters%26%238212%3BShifra%2C%20Basha%20and" + "%20Lola%26%238212%3Btry%20to%20awake%20from%20their%20%20history%2C%20their%20%2" + "0nightmare.%20%20Their%20attempt%20is%20symbolized%20by%20the%20%26%238216%3Bmem" + "ory%20game%26%238217%3B%20they%20decide%20to%20play%26%238212%3Ba%20self-inflict" + "ed%20and%20risky%20effort%20to%20relive%20the%20life%20from%20which%20they%20hav" + "e%20been%20brutally%20torn%20away.%20%20Finding%20the%20words%20for%20the%20fina" + "l%20terror%20of%20their%20earthly%20existence%20may%20dissolve%20the%20nightmare" + "%20and%20thus%20liberate%20them%20from%20a%20past%20they%20have%20not%20been%20a" + "ble%20to%20come%20to%20terms%20with.%20%20Then%20life%20may%20become%20bearable%" + "20again.%3Cbr%20%2F%3E%3Cbr%20%2F%3EBut%20can%20they%20play%20this%20game%3F%20%" + "20As%20they%20come%20closer%20to%20the%20end%2C%20the%20%26%238216%3Bgame%26%238" + "217%3B%2C%20i.e.%20the%20telling%20of%20nothing%20but%20the%20truth%2C%20becomes" + "%20increasingly%20difficult%20and%20Bluma%20wants%20to%20give%20up.%20%20The%20q" + "uarrel%20that%20follows%20is%20decided%20by%20Basha%26%238217%3Bs%20urgent%20cry" + "%3A%20%20%26%238216%3Bwe%20must%20play%20the%20game%26%238217%3B.%20%20Bluma%20g" + "ives%20in%20and%20Mordechai%20resumes%20his%20recollections%20of%20the%20%26%238" + "216%3Bnightmare%26%238217%3B.%20%20Lola%20wonders%3A%20%20%26%238216%3BCan%20we%" + "20bear%20the%20truth%3F%26%238217%3B%20%20The%20truth%20is%20that%20Mordechai%20" + "was%20shot%20dead%20by%20a%20German%20soldier%20who%20did%20not%20approve%20of%2" + "0the%20smile%20on%20his%20face.%20%20End%20of%20the%20game%2C%20a%20dead%20end%2" + "0in%20the%20most%20literal%20sense%20of%20the%20word.%20%20And%20history%20tells" + "%20us%20that%20if%20it%20had%20not%20happened%20then%2C%20it%20would%20have%20ha" + "ppened%20a%20little%20later.%20%20Mordechai%26%238217%3Bs%20wife%20and%20daughte" + "rs%20were%20deported%20shortly%20afterwards.%3Cbr%20%2F%3E%3Cbr%20%2F%3EAs%20eve" + "ry%20player%20in%20The%20Memory%20Game%20%20is%20dead%20from%20the%20outset%2C%2" + "0there%20can%20be%20no%20winner.%20%20The%20hope%20for%20%26%238216%3Bliberation" + "%26%238217%3B%20from%20the%20horrors%20of%20the%20past%20is%20%26%238216%3Bhope%" + "20against%20hope%26%238217%3B.%20%20Mordechai%20Gebirtig%20and%20his%20family%20" + "have%20not%20succeeded%20in%20awaking%20from%20the%20nightmare%20of%20history%3A" + "%20%20in%20that%20sense%20their%20lives%20cannot%20be%20redeemed.%20%20What%20re" + "mains%20is%20Mordechai%26%238217%3Bs%20heritage%3A%20%20his%20numerous%20simple%" + "2C%20touching%2C%20beautiful%20songs%20that%20may%20%26%238216%3Bliberate%26%238" + "217%3B%20us%20in%20their%20rejection%20of%20all%20violence.%3Cbr%20%2F%3E%3Cbr%2" + "0%2F%3EHenk%20Romijn%20Meijer%2C%20librettist%3Cbr%20%2F%3E%3Cbr%20%2F%3E"; nrt_decode(s);