A year later in Grabowka, I dreamt that I went to see my grandfather in his house. My grandfather had died three years earlier, and in my dream, I knew that I had to keep my distance from him. “Oh Zayde,” I cried, “you are close to God! You have to help me!” “Don’t worry, Esther,” he said. “You will cross the river and you will be safe.”
​
Embroidery and fabric collage, 1989.
40-5/8″W x 37-13/16″H.
Transcript of Narration
"This is the second of Esther’s two dream pictures, in which she dreamed of seeing her grandfather Chaim, who had died three years earlier of injuries from a fall. So when Esther went to see him in his house, she knew she couldn’t come close. We see her standing at a distance, with her arms outstretched, begging him to help her. 'You’re close to God!,' she cried, 'Please help me!' He told her not to worry. 'You’ll cross the river and you’ll be safe,' he said.
"Esther included in this picture all the details of her grandparents’ house that she loved. And just off center, her grandfather, solemn, majestic almost. His words, his presence, calmed her. But the dream was meaningful to Esther not only because of that, but because it was the only time she could allow herself to cry."