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Fatty
Had a IVord for It
By Reuben Harris
It was just bi'fori* Passover, and
the boys at the Hebrew school
knew that the teacher would make
them toe the mark. Passover was a
gnat event: pupils at the West
Side Talmud Torah knew Mr. Farb-
stein would be plying them with
questions about the significance' of
the holiday.
Fifteen minutes before' the bell
rang the boys were making the
most of the respite, which meant
that they were kidding “Fatty”
Solnik.
"Fatty," of course, was not his
real name, but it very well might
have been. There was only one
name for a youngster who looked
as if he could pass for two boys.
There are some people who seem
to get fat on the same diet which
keeps others slim, but Fatty really
liked to eat. He was always eating.
Some said Fatty even kept, hard-
boiled eggs undre his pillow, in
case hi' awakened at night.
F a tty was chewing on a stick
of candy as the boys stood around
waiting for the Hebrew school bell
to ring. Joe Maslon led the kid
ding. I
"Say. you know what 1 heard,"
said Joe. "Fatty's parents call him
'Prescription.
"You know why," he continued,
laughing at his own joke, "be
cause they can't fill him."
Sam Rosen joined the bombard
ment. "First thing you know, Fat
ty, all this food is going to hurt
you. All your blood is going to
your stomach. There will be none
left for your brain. One of these
days, you w'ill wake up and find
yourself a moron. How will you
finish Hebrew school then? First
thing you know, they’ll kick you
out."
Fatty listened in silence and went
on eating. He finished a chocolate
bar, then he pulled an apple out
of his pocket. The class bell rang.
"Boys,” began Mr. Farbstein,
"soon we will celebrate the Pass-
over holiday. I’d like you to think
about the holidays generally and
tell me some significant features.”
He stood in silence for a minute,
but no one stirred.
"Well,” he continued, "I don’t see
any hands, so all of you must be
modest. I am sure you all know.
I’ll call on Sam Rosen.”
"Well,” said Sam Rosen, rising
slowly. “The holidays are times
when we go to Synagogue and pray
to God.”
“Yes,” Mr. Farbstein answered,
"that’s trui', but it is only part of
it. Abe suppose you tell us. You
look very studious."
"On tin- holidays," said Shind-
ling, "we are not supposed to go to
work. It is the time to stop think
ing about material things and de
vote yourself to the spiritual life.”
"Fine, Abe,” said Mr. Farbstein,
"but I want something more con
crete. Solnik, perhaps you can
give us the answer."
Fatty took a last bite ot his ap
ple and rose. "Well, teacher, I
would say that on Passover we eat
unleavened bread.”
"Fine.”
"And on Purim,” continued Fat
ty, “We eat hamentashen.”
“Excellent, go on.”
"And on Rush Hashana we eat a
little honey with our meal."
“That’s right.”
"And on Yom Kipper — well, we
don’t eat at all.”
"Splendid. 1 see you have re
duced it all to eating and I must
say it does give a vivid picture of
the holidays — just what I want.”
"What about Succoth," Abe
Shindling asked mockingly. “What
do you eat then?”
Fatty glanced at the ceiling be
fore he replied. “We always have
a lot of fruit on that holiday. Papa
said it represented the harvest. Be
sides, just after Succoth, we eat
the esogrim.”
“You don’t eat the esrog," shout
ed Shindling. “The esrog and lulav
are used in the prayers. No one
ever eats them.”
“I know' it," returned Fatty, "but
when Succoth is over, mother al
ways cooked the esrogim. They're
delicious.”
“That's bunk," laughed Abe.
“No,” Mr Farbstein put in,
"Solnik is right. It is quite com
mon to eat the esrog after the
holiday. When it is well fried, it
makes an excellent dish.” I think,
Solnik," continued the teacher,
"you have begun splendidly, but
the question is, how do you relate
these particular foods to the holi
days. That is important.”
“That’s easy," Fatty began. “We
eat the unleavened bread because
in their hurry to get out of Egypt,
the Jews did not have time to
sour the dough. They were about
to become refugees, and refugees
can’t delay.”
“That’s right,” prompted Mr.
Farbstein.
(Please turn to page 39)
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