CREEK ROAD GANG
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The Four Questions
by Leonard Gottesman
I am six.
The whole family, my mother, my father; my two year old brother Eddie; aunts Lily, Yolan, Elsie, and Bessie; uncles Ernest, Uhladar, Sam, Donald and Herman; cousins Bobby, Bernice, Rita, and Sally are all at Grandma’s house for our Passover celebration--our Seder.
Grandpa sits at the head of the table wearing his skullcap and chanting the prayer book. “Lenny," he says, looking up with a smile, “you are the first grandchild in our family. Are you ready to ask the four questions?” He pauses and says, “Stand on your chair, Lenny, so everyone can hear.”
I’ve been practicing for days. I stand on my seat and start. I open my mouth. Out comes--silence.
I move my lips and try again. “Out comes, “eeeeeeee!!” Nothing but a squeal. My face is red. Again, “eeeeeee!!”
Grandpa begins. “Why is this night different?”
“Ma Nishtana,” he chants in Hebrew and looks up. I am red and shaking. My eyes are wet. “eeeeeeeee!!”
“OK, Lenny.” Grandpa smiles. “Next year you will do it.”
Grandpa chants the four questions. The aunts, uncles and cousins smile.
I sit down.
The whole family, my mother, my father; my two year old brother Eddie; aunts Lily, Yolan, Elsie, and Bessie; uncles Ernest, Uhladar, Sam, Donald and Herman; cousins Bobby, Bernice, Rita, and Sally are all at Grandma’s house for our Passover celebration--our Seder.
Grandpa sits at the head of the table wearing his skullcap and chanting the prayer book. “Lenny," he says, looking up with a smile, “you are the first grandchild in our family. Are you ready to ask the four questions?” He pauses and says, “Stand on your chair, Lenny, so everyone can hear.”
I’ve been practicing for days. I stand on my seat and start. I open my mouth. Out comes--silence.
I move my lips and try again. “Out comes, “eeeeeeee!!” Nothing but a squeal. My face is red. Again, “eeeeeee!!”
Grandpa begins. “Why is this night different?”
“Ma Nishtana,” he chants in Hebrew and looks up. I am red and shaking. My eyes are wet. “eeeeeeeee!!”
“OK, Lenny.” Grandpa smiles. “Next year you will do it.”
Grandpa chants the four questions. The aunts, uncles and cousins smile.
I sit down.
copyright Leonard Gottesman
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Len Gottesman grew up in Cleveland, Ohio as the first grandchild from Grandma and Grandpa’s litter of 13 kids of whom 9 lived. He went on to be the first to finish high school, the first to go to college, and the only one of his many cousins to get a PHD. With a heavy load of expectations on his back, he had no choice but to become a psychologist! Now retired for many years, he is enjoying reviewing his life’s experiences.
