The Denver Jewish news., 1920-02-04
The Americanization of
Becky Brodsky
BY FREDA CRONHEIM
(ErOm the Modern View


was taking its time. Beside the newly
shined stove rested the coal scuttle,
filled with the softest of soft coal. In
the oven, bursting with pride, rose
the perfectly formed loaves OF bread,
ihe tiny braided rolls, dotted with
poppy seed, and in a long narrow pan,
two thin-shelled strudel We're endur-
ing the intense heat AS best they
against the wall were lne implements
of Becky's art; rolling pin, small
army of knives and spoons and Il
formidable looking two-hladed chop
ping knife. In wooden bowl lay the
meaty sections of a fish, the carefully
fashioned outer skins of which were
patiently waiting ON the cracked white
platter for the return OF the insides,
SO camouflaged that only connois-
seur could recognize them. A plump
chicken lay perfectly naked in n
brown bowl, the bread dressing not
yet crammed into the waiting cavity.
The thermometer showed no dispo-
sition, either inside or outside the lit
tie kitchen to descend hut then it never
occurred to Becky that IL was too hot
day to prepare for tomorrow, to-
morrow being the long waited for oc-
casion of the Bar Mitzvah of Able, her
oldest boy. A few ambitious flies ven
tured every few minutes to taste of
the goodies only to be roughly brush
ed away by Izzy, who stood guard
against such marauders. This sentry
duty, after thirty minutes, was becom-
ing decidedly irksome to Izzy, whose
alert ears told him that in the paved
yard below was transpiring exciting
sport more appealing to his six years.
His mother, intent upon producing n
masterpiece, was too busy to bother
entertaining him. At two o'clock he
was to be relieved from duty by
Sarah, his eight year old sister, who
had gone to the grocery store, it seem
natural life. He watched the hands
of the clock religiously. but apparently
they had stopped thirty minutes ago.
After waiting. what must have been
at least n decade, Izzy heard gentle
rap-rap on the screen door. His hopes
fell. for such was never the coming
of Sarah. His mother, wiping her
flushed face with her checked apron.
stopped in her labors. Thru the screen
door they both saw a stranger. a lady
who looked like she was from up
town.
Becky Brodsky had forgotten that
the day was Tuesday and that several
weeks past she had promised to join
cinss for the purpose of learning
English; she had also forgotten that
she had promised to have five friends.
the same to be recruited from her
immediate neighborhood, at her house.
so that with the formal and even
Eumber of half u dozen, the class in
English could be started. For brief
second Becky felt like she had been
called upon to deliver the five ladies'.
including herself to the Germans. Mrs.
AdOlph ROsen, known to her intimates
as Peggy, stood without; in fact with
out knowing how to proceed. She
hesitated brief second, took courage
and opened the screen door. Becky
Brodsky was too frightened to open
her mouth and the newcomer had for
gotten whether Mrs. Brodsky could or
could not understand English. Be
sides. this was not the reception she
had expected. She had hoped that her
new class. properly armed with pen
ellis and paper, would be awaiting her
coming seated around table. 1t was
inconceivable that anyone, in such a
hcastly hot kitchen, could learn even
the rudiments of the language. 1zzy
saved the situation by asking abrupt
ly, "Wa-ja-want?" He meant to be
most courteous, but to Peggy's ears it
sounded rude.
''Why, isn't this Mrs. Becky Brod-
sky's, and isn't this two o'clock? p
questioned the teacher, glancing around
the room. Izzy knew too well that it
was two o'clock and nodded vigorous
ly. "Well. isn't there some mistake
You see I'm the new teacher and I'm
Just exactly on time" here she glanc-
ed at her platinum wrist watch for
corrobOration. "How long will 1T be
before we can start?" she questioned
further. ut the same time removing
her white silk gloves by the fascinat-
ing process of coaxing each finger sep
arately. Izzy glanced at his mother.
Peggy Rosen might as well have spoken
in Chinese for all the impression it
made on Becky, who went on will,