Dei'ah veDibur - Information & Insight
  

A Window into the Chareidi World

7 Nissan 5760 - April 12, 2000 | Mordecai Plaut, director Published Weekly
NEWS

OPINION
& COMMENT

HOME
& FAMILY

IN-DEPTH
FEATURES

VAAD HORABBONIM HAOLAMI LEINYONEI GIYUR

TOPICS IN THE NEWS

HOMEPAGE

 

Sponsored by
Shema Yisrael Torah Network
Shema Yisrael Torah Network

Produced and housed by
Jencom

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Home and Family
A Lacy Apron
by Yisca Shimoni

Introducing Yisca Shimoni, who writes for Yated's Bayit Ne'eman under her real name. In this autobiographical sketch, she hides behind a pseudonym. Can't you just picture this little Yerushalmi schoolgirl with long blond `tzepelach' (braids), whose cheeky older sister manipulates her to cause a diversion in school...

One hot midday, Bubbie, who lived not far from our home, called me over and asked me to bring a sandwich to my aunt in school. School had longer hours on that day, and Chana Etta, about two years my senior, though my aunt, as well, had forgotten to take anything along for recess. A scant five years old at the time, I felt proud to be chosen for such an important errand and readily agreed.

When I arrived at the school yard, I met my sister Chedva. "What are YOU doing here?" she asked in surprise.

"Bubbie sent me with some lunch for Tante Chana Etta." All of a sudden, I felt shy. "Could you go in and give this bag to her?"

"Now? In the middle of class? With her strict teacher? I wouldn't dare walk in now!"

Suddenly, a mischievous gleam shone in Chedva's bluish green eyes. I stood there, perplexed, waiting for instructions. She eyed me and scanned my attire, which was not satisfactory to her scrutiny. I was dusty and my hands and face showed traces of dirt. She took me over to the faucet, washed me off and smoothed down my blond hair. She was not yet satisfied with the results. She looked around the school yard and spied Penina.

"Oh, Penina, could you lend me your apron? Just for a little while! Please!"

Penina, a girl my age and an only daughter, always wore a lacy white pinafore over cute starched dresses; she looked and acted like a little china doll. She dutifully took off her apron and handed it over to my sister Chedva.

I donned it and was instantly transformed into a little doll, just like Penina. It felt good.

"Knock on the classroom door," Chedva instructed, "and politely ask permission to give the bag to Tante Chana Etta. Don't forget to say `please' and `thank you'." I had to repeat these words several times and make a curtsey, as if I were acting in a play. After rehearsing my part, I did as bidden.

The teacher of that class was Chava Landsburg, recently arrived from Europe, considered a very esteemed student of Sara Schenirer, and a stickler for decorum. She was shocked by the interruption to the lesson. "Yes?" she said to my knock.

"Please, could you give this lunchbag to my Tante Chana Etta? My grandmother sent it for her. Thank you!" I placed the bag on the table, bobbed my head and quickly strutted out the room.

I forgot my interrupted game and lingered on in the school playground, still wearing my lacy apron. I saw that Penina was enjoying herself without it. She was playing with the rest of the girls and actually jumping rope!

The bell rang and my aunt came out. "I was very proud of you, and so was my teacher. You were so cute and so polite! But, please, don't ever do it again. You disturbed the class and the whole lesson was disrupted."

I could see that Chana Etta was more amused than angry, but her words made me confused. What had I done wrong? I had obeyed my grandmother, my sister, my aunt, and had pleased everyone all around!

What, then, had gone wrong? What strange grown-up logic! How could I have disturbed the class if I had done something that had made her proud and her teacher happy? Truth to tell, I had been proud of myself, too. It had felt so good.

Perhaps it was all due to that nice, lacy apron...

 

All material on this site is copyrighted and its use is restricted.
Click here for conditions of use.