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y grandparents' house
was a huge brownstone in
Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
The upper two floors were
rented to two rabbinical families. My
grandparents and their large family
(seven children still living at home)
occupied the lower two floors.
In those days—the 1940's — we
had no car and it took a bus and a
trolley car to get to Grandma's house.
We (my mother and I and my baby
brother, who is seven years younger
than I) would come there for all the
major Jewish holidays, as well as
many Sundays. We often came
weeks before a holiday and stayed
until weeks after. Momma was the
only daughter, the galley slave, the
one who helped Grandma cook and
clean. I can remember leaving for

12

HOME

I fondly remember every
nook and cranny of a
home filled with
warmth and love.

BY TOBY JOAN ROSENSTRAUCH

Art By De bra Barrett, rep rinted with permission fro m Lilith magazine.

4

Passover with the world all gray and
frosty and returning home to Boro
Park, Brooklyn, to sunshine and bud-
ding trees. My mother would take me
out of school for weeks on end. This
preparing for the holidays at
Grandma's — was more important
than school.
The house had three entrances
a high front stoop with an iron railing
that led to the second floor, a main
level door which was reached by
passing through a small fenced front
yard, and the back door that led out
to a large fenced yard with a grape
arbor, pear and cherry trees and wild
flowers.
The main hallway had no coat
closet, but large brass hooks — a
whole wall of hooks — which held
dozens of coats, jackets and