Sitting on the Stoop

While war rages in Europe and the Pacific, Janice sits on the stoop eavesdropping on adult conversations about sons fighting in the war. When the war is over, amidst a haze of smoke from Camels and Chesterfields, the discussions change to baseball, marriages, buying homes for the first time, and her Dad's "new" used Buick. The stories and poems in Sitting on the Stoop: A Girl Grows in Brooklyn, 1944-1957, comprise a vivid tapestry. Janice lives in a home with Orthodox...
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While war rages in Europe and the Pacific, Janice sits on the stoop eavesdropping on adult conversations about sons fighting in the war. When the war is over, amidst a haze of smoke from Camels and Chesterfields, the discussions change to baseball, marriages, buying homes for the first time, and her Dad's "new" used Buick. The stories and poems in Sitting on the Stoop: A Girl Grows in Brooklyn, 1944-1957, comprise a vivid tapestry. Janice lives in a home with Orthodox Jewish grandparents. Time is regulated by the Jewish calendar. Smell the chicken soup-intimate family gatherings at Friday Sabbath. Drop in for a delicious taste at a holiday gathering. She craves warmth and loving support. This young girl's emotional, and spiritual upbringing comes through her grandparents, particularly her grandfather. She calls him Zayda. He is at once a domineering, pious man with a booming voice, who attends synagogue twice a day. Observe him at his knitting store and how he conducts business. At her mother's insistence, Janice is enrolled in Hebrew school when she starts second grade. At first, it's a new adventure, but before long, oppressive. She expresses her dislike of it, young though she is. Her mother persists, insists. Janice continues, and her Jewish education becomes a point of contention between them. But independence is hers! She must take the public city bus by herself four days a week after school to get to Hebrew school. Classic mid-Twentieth Century in Brooklyn. People's lives are evolving. Jackie Robinson plays third base for the Brooklyn Dodgers, Yul Brynner stomps and struts on stage as the King in The King and I. Soon television sets replace conversations on the stoop, and guys stand in line to call their bookies in telephone booths at the corner candy store. Just imagine. Or remember.