Two Cups of Tea at Hope’s Café
In these tumultuous times, I find myself on the alert for heroes, those who have survived difficult times by virtue of their persistent and determined attitude. I came across the story of Tibor “Ted” Rubin, a Hungarian who was liberated from a concentration camp by American soldiers. He was 15 years old, the only remaining member of his family. He barely weighed 70 pounds. The soldiers fed him soup, bread, and chocolate. He determined he would one day become one of those American soldiers. And he did. By 1950 he was wearing the American uniform, despite being an immigrant who spoke broken English.
Unfortunately, his sergeant denigrated him in front of others and sent him on the most dangerous assignments. The pattern became obvious to the other soldiers, who would later testify that the sergeant seemed to believe that one of these assignments would eventually kill this Jewish immigrant. In the Korean war, alone on an exposed position, he was given the task of staying behind to provide cover for the withdrawing troops. North Korean troops were advancing. For nearly twenty-four hours Rubin moved constantly to give the impression there were more defenders. He would take ammunition from dead soldiers to keep going. When American forces at last returned they expected to find a body. Instead they found him still standing guard, surrounded by corpses. The teen who had survived the concentration camp, once again survived.
Then he was taken prisoner yet again. From the U.S. Army official website:
“When battle ended in Unsan, hundreds of Soldiers were taken prisoner by the Chinese. They were forced to march to a camp known today as “Death Valley.” Ill-dressed for winter’s freezing temperatures, exhausted and hungry, many of them grew sick with dysentery, pneumonia or hepatitis. Others died. “It was so cold that nobody wanted to move, and the food we got was barely enough to keep us alive,” said Sgt. Richard A. Whalen. “But Rubin was a tremendous asset to us, keeping our spirits up when no one felt good.”
Years in a Nazi concentration camp had taught Rubin ways of survival that most humans never need know. He knew how to make soup out of grass, what weeds had medicinal qualities and that the human body can sometimes prevail if a person’s mind is in the right place. What his comrades needed, Rubin knew, was hope — hope to keep them moving and hope to make them fight for their lives.”
At least forty men credited him with saving their lives.
On September 28, 2005, Rubin, the notable hero, received the well-deserved medal of honor. But there are many heroes we encounter every day. I think of a fellow I met only briefly years ago when a group of us were at the Tennessee capital in Nashville, rallying for a bill before the state lawmakers to expand health insurance across the state. Every day he deals with the many complications from the life-ending disease Multiple System Atrophy. I think of a friend who daily ministers to her husband who suffers from Parkinson’s and another friend who only recently learned of her own Parkinson’s diagnosis. I consider the medical heroes who devote themselves to the care of people in these kinds of circumstances.
That list doesn’t begin to encompass all the people who labor daily often against great odds, whether of the medical variety or of the type of challenges such as food insecurity, lack of adequate or any housing, inability to access healthcare, disabilities of many kinds to include mental health problems and addiction.
Last week Hope’s Café saluted the black community for their seeking to overcome disadvantages they experience. Today Hope’s Café would expand that affirmation to all those who day after day meet their challenges.
The invitation is open to share two cups of tea anytime at Hope’s Café or anywhere you share companionship and conversation.
May we be bearers of hope, the “wait staff” at Hope’s Café, for each other and all those we encounter. Shalom, Kate
Hope's Cafe 