" The Girl From Lisbon" / Guiora Barak from the book:"….Gracia saw that it was actually a large scroll of parchment with two wooden shafts attached to the ends. The scroll was carefully rolled open. It was full of writing such as Gracia had never seen before. The man standing next to the doctor began to sing what sounded like a prayer and said a blessing in a strange, alien-sounding language, mixed with another that rang a little like Portuguese. Gracia’s thoughts wandered for a few moments as people from the crowd, each in turn, approached to read from the scroll, then returned to their seats. Now and then she saw some of the people in the room raising their hands up. Others crossed their hands on their chest as a prayer she would one day be very familiar with sounded: Sh'ma Yisrael Adonai Eloheinu Adonai echad. Hear, O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is one.” In other parts of the prayer, the worshippers would cover their eyes with their left hand and place the palm of their right hand on their hearts, sometimes kneeling. The ceremony was conducted quietly. Periodically, one of the worshippers would leave the room and another, who had been waiting outside, entered to take his place. A voice suddenly sounded. “Arise, Hannah Nasi!” Gracia paid no mind, but her mother nudged her ribs. They were calling her!Her father came and offered his hand. He led her around his desk, brought her to stand next to the man leading the ceremony, and told everyone present in Portuguese: “This is my daughter Hannah Nasi. Last Sunday, she had her confirmation ceremony at the cathedral. This week she had her bat mitzvah. Today, she asks to join this holy crowd. Will you receive her?”Everyone rose to their feet and quietly, but with excitement, cried out, “A sister you are to us! A sister! A sister!” Her father placed his hands on the top of her head and said in that alien language, “Mi Sheberakh et Avoteinu Avraham, Yitzhak, v’Yaakov…” “May the one who blessed our ancestor