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Self-Review – … And the Walls Came Tumbling Down Again

Published by Janet Gershen-Siegel on December 12, 2024

Due to the rise in antisemitic incidents since October 7, 2023, I decided to write … And the Walls Came Tumbling Down Again in order to, essentially, create a story with Jewish heroes and heroines.

Review – … And the Walls Came Tumbling Down Again

For this story, I dug back. Way back.

My idea was to treat the Hebrew Tanakh (the 5 books of Moses plus the rest of the Torah) as historical fact—and for those facts to be jeopardized by careless time traveling by bad actors.

I wrote this story during first quarter 2024.

Background

After the awful attack on October 7, 2023, I wanted to write a story where Jewish people in particular would be heroic.

Their power and heroism would not come from oppression. Rather, they would come from cooperation. And from smart, fast, out of the box thinking.

This meant digging back to a person in any of our ancient books who was at all like an action hero—Joshua.

Plot

It’s the December holidays, 3863. When a new guy comes to work at the temporal experience, change, travel control agency (TECTA), the Jewish employees take him under their wing. But while they’re meeting to shmooze and get to know him, time changes.

Suddenly, place names are changed. So are people’s names. The menorah (chanukiah), Kwanzaa candleabrum, and Christmas tree in the main reception area are gone. In their place, there’s a barbecue pit for animal sacrifices. And there’s a golden calf.

Can Rachel Shapiro and her team find the problem and fix it, even as their boss calls her Athena Arno and threatens the death penalty for daring to say that slavery is wrong?

Characters

The characters are Rachel Shapiro, Max Freedman, Chief Engineer Kevin O’Connor, Quartermaster Penelope Schulman, Cheri Nicolaev (an analyst), Dave Miller (in PR), Steve Bernstein (a historian), Diana St. John, their boss Victoria Chilton, and Mohammed Hamdi.

Rachel also refers to two other travelers on her team, Phil and Sharon. Sharon is Sharon Ensley, thereby neatly giving her more of a backstory.

Nicolaev is a direct link to the character Olga Nicolaev in Mettle

There are also characters on the planetary Senate committee, Chair Margaret Johnson, Michael Peterson, Jerome Simon, David St. James, and Elizabeth Angelini. Angelini is a direct link to a minor character in The Real Hub of the Universe.

But that reference is fleeting and I do not make it at all obvious.

Memorable Quotes

It was December 19, 3863. Offices were decked in all manner of holiday fluff. There was an enormous Christmas tree in the front reception area, plus a menorah, and a Kwanzaa candelabra. Along with my usual mezuzah on my office door, there was an electric chanukiah on my credenza. I was in the middle of dictating a report on a recent trip to 1976 Romania and had my door shut. There was a knock. “Computer, pause. Come in.”

The guy who had knocked was maybe in his twenties, a little nebbishy-looking and short, with the start of a beard. “Hi,” he said. “I hope I’m not intruding.”

“Not at all. Late-stage communism isn’t the most exciting thing to report on. What brings you here, stranger?”

“Oh, yes, I’m Max Freedman. I couldn’t help but notice your mezuzah, Ms…..” his voice trailed off as he checked the name plate mounted on the wall, just outside my office door, “… Shapiro. I’m hoping you celebrate Chanukah.”

“I sure do. I had sufganiyot sent over from a deli on Pluto, but I bet the break room already looks like a tornado went through it. Please call me Rachel. Come in and have a seat, Max.” As he sat down, I asked, “Which department are you in? I know you’re not a traveler, as I do the hiring for my team.”

“Mechanics, actually.”

“Temporal or tinkering with the hardware?”

“A bit of both.” He scratched the back of his neck for a second. “Rachel, I am so glad I saw your door. I was starting to think I was the only Jew working on TECTA.”

Rating for …And the Walls Came Tumbling Down Again

The story has a K+ rating. There’s a very small amount of swearing and a woman is murdered. But her killing takes place offscreen.

Takeaways for … And the Walls Came Tumbling Down Again

Unlike a lot of my other short stories from 2024, I like the ending. It conveys a sense of menace and opens up the storyline for sequels. This, easily, could become a series for Rachel Shapiro, but also for Sharon Ensley.

Want More of my Short Stories and Novellas?

If this story resonates with you, then check out my other articles about my shorter works.

Short Stories

Finally, for a complete list of my shorter works, please be sure to check out the Hub Page—Short Stories.

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