Erev Tishah B’Av. We were two (mostly nice, mostly good) Bais Yaakov girls seeking the answer to a critical question: Could we still brush our teeth????
I tried to cry as silently as possible — I’m good at it. My grandmother turned to me and whispered: “We don’t get to choose”
Seeing the woman did not understand the expression, someone explained: “Gebetene — it means that the children were asked for”
“I eat cornflakes that come in a box,” he explained, visibly trying to control his exasperation. “These came in a bag. So I can’t eat them”
