| A | B |
|---|
| author | Karen Hess |
| Rifka read from a book by | Pushkin |
| year the letters began | September 2, 1919 |
| to whom Rifka wrote | Cousin Tovah |
| When Rifka's family left the Ukraine, where were they going? | Poland |
| Who helped Rifka and her family to the train station? | Uncle Avrum |
| Who is Rifka's grandmother? | Bubbe Ruth |
| Who gave Rifka the shawl? | Cousin Hannah |
| Who had to distract the guards at the train station? | Rifka |
| Why did Rifka's family hide in different places around the train station? | If the guards discovered only one of them, perhaps the others might still escape. |
| What had Cousin Tovah given Rifka? | the book of Pushkin |
| What special items are wrapped in Rifka's backpack? | Mama's candlesticks |
| Who knew that Rifka's family was leaving? | Uncle Avrum, Cousin Tovah, and Cousin Hannah. |
| brother who is always mean to Rifka | Saul |
| At the train station the guards were searching for what brother? | Nathan |
| Why were they searching for him? | He had deserted the Russian Army |
| What would his punishment be if he was found? | They bring him back and kill him in front of his regiment as a warning to the others. |
| Why had Nathan come home? | to warn Saul that he was about to be taken into the army |
| Who has sent for Rifka's family? | her brothers in America |
| What distracted the guards at the train station from looking further? | Rifka's curls |
| Once before, Papa had stood up to guards who wanted his | boots. |
| Why was Rifka chosen to distract the guards? | Because of everyone in her family, only she could pass for a Russian peasant. |
| Only Rifka can speak | Yiddish without an accent |
| What excuse did Rifka give for being at the train station? | Her mother had found her work in a home. |
| In what town does Rifka live? | Berdichev |
| How does Uncle Avrum help distract the guards? | He yells that his factory has been broken into. |
| Since Uncle Avrum was "only a Jew," why did the guards help him? | They knew he had important friends. |
| What must happen at the Polish border? | You must be inspected by a doctor. |
| What did the Polish guards steal? | Mama's candlesticks |
| Why was there a delay in Poland? | sickness |
| Who got sick first? | Rifka |
| Papa had a cousin in | Motziv. |
| Where did the family sleep in Motziv? | in the cousin's shed on the floor |
| What sickness did Rifka have? | typhus |
| What did the medical student say about Rifka's prognosis? | She would probably die. Don't say anything of her sickness to anyone. |
| Who is the only family member who did not get sick at that time? | Saul |
| Why did they have to leave the cousin's? | They had brought sickness and ate their food. |
| Saul found them a place to stay | at the inn. |
| What are market days like? | noisy |
| What day is Market day? | Wednesdays |
| How does Saul feel about the innkeeper? | He is a thief. |
| Who lives at the inn? | Saul and Rifka |
| Who is in the hospital? | Momma, Papa, and Nathan |
| What is breakfast for Rifka at the inn? | Saul brings a herring and two rolls and splits it evenly. |
| Why does Rifka save her food for Saul even though she is hungry? | She knows he is older, bigger, and working so he needs more food. |
| What did the innkeeper's daughter do? | steal Rifka's food |
| Why can Rifka visit in the hospital and not Saul? | She has had typhus. "Once you have suffered through the typhus, you cannot have it again." |
| What is Rifka's aunt's name? | Anna |
| Once everyone is over typhus, what is the next stop? | Warsaw |
| Who are Rifka's older brothers? | Isaac, Reuben, and Asher |
| What have Rifka's brothers done? | They have saved money from their work in America and have sent money to Warsaw for Rifka's family to buy steamship tickets. |
| How long have Rifka's brothers been gone? | 14 years |
| Has Rifka ever seen these brothers? | only in pictures |
| How did Rifka's family know the brothers were sending for them? | It was on the Red Cross board. |
| How does Rifka describe Poland? | flat and colorless |
| What does the little girl on the train talk to Rifka about? | her hair and if she likes babies |
| What does Rifka offer? | to fix the little girl's hair so she would look nice for her sister |
| Even though the girl's hair stank, why did Rifka keep fixing it? | She didn't want to insult her. |
| What is Rifka's last name? | Nebrot |
| What must you do before a steamship ticket is sold to you? | be examined by a doctor |
| What disease kept Rifka from getting to buy her ticket? | ringworm |
| What fruit does Rifka encounter for the first time? | oranges |
| How much does the orange cost? | all of Rifka's money |
| Of what does he accuse her? | stealing |
| What is the HIAS? | Hebrew Immigration Aid Society |
| What does the HIAS do? | help Jews with troubles like Rifka's |
| What did the lady from HIAS do? | gave Rifka food money |
| How old is Rifka? | 12 |
| According to the HIAS lady, why should Mama go to America and not stay with Rifka? | If she goes, she can work and raise money. If she stays she costs the family money. |
| Where is Rifka's cure? | Belgium |
| In what city will Rifka be? | Antwerp |
| Where does Rifka WANT to go? | Berdichev |
| Why can she not go there? | Her family has cheated the army out of five strong boys. |
| What did Papa give Rifka before he left? | his tallis (prayer shawl) |
| Who are Gaston and Marie? | The people who are keeping Rifka in Antwerp. |
| How does she feel about her accomodations? | She thinks it is the nicest place she has ever been. |
| Where have Mama and Papa settled, according to their letters? | New York City |
| What birthday does Rifka have? | 13th |
| Why does she not tell Marie and Gaston? | She had wanted to celebrater her birthday in America. |
| What did Rifka get for her 9th birthday? | a doll with a china head |
| Who gave her the doll? | Tovah and Hannah |
| Where is the doll? | They had to trade it for money for potatoes. |
| What does Rifka think she should have for her 13th birthday? | a mitzvah |
| What did Rifka do with the straws from the broom? | wove a star of David |
| What did Rifka say on her 13th birthday? | all the Hebrew prayers she could remember |
| Where did Rifka put her star? | in the Pushkin |
| What does Rifka dream of buying in America? | books |
| Who is the nun in charge of Rifka? | Sister Katrina |
| What did Sister Katrina give Rifka? | kerchiefs |
| Sister Katrina was teaching Rifka what language? | Flemish |
| What did Sister Katrina teach Rifka to do instead of scratching her head? | say a prayer |
| What does Papa send in his letters? | money |
| Where do Mama and Papa work? | in a clothing factory |
| Who was described as "like a fairy princess, so delicate and beautiful and sweet"? | Hannah |
| Who is described as " like an old rabbit, clever and funny and brave"? | Tovah |
| Why couldn't Tovah take piano lessons? | her back |
| How was Hannah on the piano? | awful |
| Why does Uncle Avrum give Hannah piano lessons? | so she can catch a good husband |
| What makes Rifka think she may be one of those girls who don't marry? | her lack of hair |
| Who was Lotkeh? | Uncle Zeb's horse |
| What was Uncle Zeb? | a milkman |
| When Sister Katrina finally got Rifka to explore Antwerp, what happened? | She got lost. |
| Who helped Rifka find King Street? | the milkman |
| What other fruit has Rifka found? | bananas |
| What food was Rifka talking about when she said if the people of Berdichev could taste it, they would give up eating everything else? | ice cream |
| What food does Rifka describe as "like biting off a little corner of heaven"? | chocolate |
| For what clothing item did Rifka want to save her money? | a hat |
| When Sister Katrina says Rifka is healed and can leave, how long has it been since Rifka left Berdichev? | one year |
| What does Rifka learn "democratic" to mean? | everyone equal--no classes |
| Who was Tom Mix? | a cowboy |
| Rika's friend | Gizelle |
| What does Rifka want to buy Sister Katrina? | flowers |
| Grunaplatz | shopping center |
| Pieter | sailor who Rifka met on her way to America |
| What Pieter called Rifka | treasure |
| saved Rifka during the storm at sea | Pieter |
| condition of the ship after the storm | dead at sea |
| Ellis Island | neither in or out of America |
| What happened to Rifka at Ellis Island? | They were not going to let her in until her hair grows. |
| detainees | immigrants who are not welcome in America |
| social responsibility | The officials were afraid that without hair no one would marry Rifka and they would have to support her the rest of her life. |
| Nurse Bowen | kind nurse at Ellis Island |
| How was Rifka helpful while at Ellis Island? | She interpreted Polish and Russian patients. |
| Ilya | Russian immigrant that Rifka helped |
| First relative who got to see Rifka | Saul |
| What did Saul bring her at Ellis Island? | a banana |
| greenhorn | when you are new |
| How long had Rifka been at Ellis Island before Saul could see her | 9 days |
| Where does Nathan work? | in a bakery |
| What does Saul do? | goes to school |
| Sadie Chenowitzes | Isaac's wife |
| Aaron | Isaac's son |
| What did Mama bring Rifka at Ellis Island? | a honey cake for her 13th birthday |
| Ilya's "crime" | wasting toilet paper |
| Rifka taught Ilya to read | the Pushkin |
| the reason Rifka's head is itching at Ellis Island | hair growing back |
| Doctor Askin saw this in the way Rifka treated the others | compassion |
