2018

Walter was born in the Czech Republic. When Nazis marched in, his mother made him leave. He never saw her again. He boarded a Mediterranean ship, bound for a port that might accept Jews. Every country rejected them until passengers disabled the ship with a bomb so they could get into Israel. Many were killed, including a couple who would have become Walter’s in-laws. Once allowed in Israel, he became a citizen & worked until the couple immigrated to New York where he became a graphic artist. Later, he moved to Marin Co. where I met him in a café. He posed for this pastel on the café patio where he said, “My life has been like a leaf floating on the current of a winding river."