Mercer Island, WA – It’s an answered prayer more than 60 years in the making.
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A war veteran from Mercer Island has reconnected with a precious heirloom thanks to a boy from a small town in Iowa.
During his three years in the South Pacific, Ted Mogil always kept his military-issue prayer book close to his heart, carrying it in his breast pocket. He says the book helped carry him through the brutalities of World War II.
“It was just a feeling of being home. It was something that was close,” said Mogil, now a spry 85 years old.
After the war, Mogil returned home to his native Nebraska where he married his wife, Etta, 64. The couple moved to California in 1948, but the book was lost and left behind.
“I didn’t know where it disappeared to,” Mogil said.
The Marine’s prayer book was MIA for 61 years – until last week, when the phone rang. Twelve-year-old Wil Beach from Harlan, Iowa was on the other end. Mogil thought it was a crank call at first, but then heard the boy’s excited shouts to his dad.
“He turned to his father and said, ‘Dad, dad! This is the man!'” Mogil said.
The prayer book had ended up in a pile of books the Mogils had donated to their synagogue before leaving Nebraska. Young Wil recently bought it for $15 at a book fair while visiting Omaha, and made it his mission to find its owner.
“He did what’s called a mitzvah, a blessing,” Mogil said.
It’s a blessing that Ted Mogil says he couldn’t appreciate more.
“That book carried me through some really tough times. It was one of the things that really helped me a lot,” he said. “Now that I’m 85 years old maybe it will help me a lot right now.”
Beautiful story.
One question:
His wife, who he married over 60 years ago, is only 64 years old?
Perhaps it should read: “…he married his wife, Etta, 64 years ago”.
Okay, enough of my nitpicking.
Wonderful story.
I say this is proof that G-d directs the world. Why in the world would a 12-year-old Gentile boy get the idea to buy an old, useless book and then track down an old Jew to return it?
This makes no sense . . . except to say that G-d directs the world.
As it is written: “G-d has many messengers.”
Where in the article does it say that the boy is a gentile? Names such as Lake, Locker, Beach, etc. are often Jewish. Why would a gentile boy be interested in a book in hebrew?
Why does everyone always focus on the unimportant parts of every story?????? Grow up!
I live in Iowa.
I seriously doubt that there’s a Jewish boy named Wil Beach with that punim in Harlan, Iowa.
There are 4 Jewish families in our town of approx 5,000 people. We drive one hour to and from our synagogue for family school on Wednesday evening, services on Friday night and/or Saturday morning, and midrasha on Sunday morning. It’s a lot of time and cold sandwiches in the car, but our kids have never complained. I now realize the importance of our time and travel. Wil contacted Mr. Mogil to return his beloved siddur because he felt it was “the right thing to do”. Plain and simple, Wil Cory Beach is a mensch; always has been, always will be. He was born a Jew, experienced B’rit Milah, attends religious ed, and will be called to the Torah as a Bar Mitzvah next May. I hope this ends some of the confusion/speculation about small town, Iowa Jews with uncommon last names. Thank you for the kind comments about our son and his actions. P.S….We have 2 others just like him!