“Mrs. Katz and Tush”
By Patricia Polacco.
Dragonfly Books, New York, 32 pages, 1992,
Grade 1-3 and adults.
Antisemitism is the hatred of Jewish people and the Jewish religion. Despite the fact that the Holy Family faithfully practiced the Jewish faith, over the centuries Jews have been subjected to violence and death. In the document Nostra Aetate, Vatican II condemns Antisemitism. Tragically, as the recent murder in Michigan of a Jewish leader demonstrates, this evil view has not gone away.
It is usually through interactions with those different than us that we can gain insights and reduce bigotry. Patricia Polacco, famed Ukrainian/American author, writes a tender, beautiful story of an elderly Jewish woman sharing her life with a young African American boy.
The lady, Mrs. Katz, addresses how the prejudices she encountered can be overcome with a loving heart. The title of this moving story is “Mrs. Katz and Tush.”
Mrs. Katz is a Jewish widow living alone. She mourns her husband’s death as she sits alone in her apartment. Larnal, a young African American boy lives in the same apartment building. He sees Mrs. Katz one day when his mother stops by the widow’s home for a visit.
Since Mrs. Katz has no one nearby, Larnal brings a baby kitten by one day. Maybe this could be part of the answer for her loneliness. Since the cat has no tail, the old woman names the cat Tush. Her spirits pick up as she talks with Tush and plays with the kitten. She always ends the playing with the cat by saying: “Such a person.”
Soon, Larnal comes by every day and Mrs. Katz explains her long immigration from Poland. Bigotry against Jews had forced the old woman to leave Warsaw and come to the United States. Larnal wants to learn more. Soon she tells him about the joys and sorrows she has experienced in life. In describing the feast of Passover, Mrs. Katz tells the boy that once the Jews were slaves in Egypt. The child understands because most African Americans were once slaves.
The relationship between Mrs. Katz and Larnal continues to grow. Each day, the older lady makes a sweet Jewish potato pancake, a kugel, for Larnal. She takes the boy to the cemetery to pray the Kaddish, the Jewish prayers for the dead, for Myron, her beloved husband. One day, Tush escapes from her house. Heartbroken, Mrs. Katz asks Larnal to help find the cat. It is pouring rain and getting dark. What does he do?
Do they find Tush? How does the relationship between Mrs. Katz and Larnal help each of them to understand a different culture? Why is love so much more powerful than hate? How does Mrs. Katz become the Jewish grandmother that the boy needs? To find the answers to these and other questions, go to the library and check out this tender, endearing story, “Mrs. Katz and Tush” by Patricia Polacco.
One cannot compliment Patricia Polacco highly enough for her many wonderful stories. Though she doesn’t shy away from writing about the painful parts of life, she is so positive that you will fall in love with her characters. At this time in history, when so many problematic events are happening, this book reminds us of the loving possibilities we can create. Then like Mrs. Katz, we can say: “Such a person.”
