Alright, so... even though it's not a good marriage they're trying to have a baby, so... maybe.

He's got good work, good pay, they're living in a country where no one is trying to murder them in their beds, so... maybe.

They're both good people, wouldn't you say? He's handsome, she's pretty, so... maybe.

But maybe not. After all, they come from a long line from Sarah, to Leia, to Jezebel, of preparing for a worse that usually comes.

Can these people be happy? They're so out of practice. These are chosen people, of course, "But what", you might ask, "have they been chosen for?"

When Haim goes to a cinema with some friends from the synagogue, they're told: "Gentiles only". And of course, of course, they sound Romanian and of course, with more pogroms there are more Jews fleeing to Canada. Haim sees it in the newspapers - in the Montreal Harold this morning: "Old Stock Canadians to be Overrun by the Semitic Hordes."

Standing outside the cinema, Haim thinks to himself: "This big cold country doesn't wanted him to see a movie? Okay, so, no movie."

And then a crack opens up, and from so many miles away he can see the smoke.

He gets off the train at Brașov. Snow's falling; there's no commotion. It must have happened hours ago. The butcher's shop is burned, and on one of the hooks hangs the butcher's son. Along a side street, a child lies face-down in the snow. In the town's square corpses are being laid out. Haim vomits a couple of times and then starts to run.

He sees the synagogue; its blackened beams have fallen in. Windows along his street are shattered, the front door of his house stands open.

In the front room, he finds his mother and two of his brothers. In the kitchen, he finds his father.

The backdoor is open. Haim goes towards it, but he hears a sound - it's his father moving. Haim goes back, pulls his father up, wipes his mouth, watches as his father points to the back door and says: "Your brother..."

Outside, Haim finds his smallest brother, four years old, curled up in the snow. His head is... Haim kneels down and touches him; he's still warm. Haim picks him up, turns, and looks into the eyes of God.
Haim blinks. The sun is bright; he looks around. He's standing on the sidewalk outside a cinema in Montreal.