begins his
book by sharing the history of his parents with us. His mother was named Ruchel Dwajra Zylska
when she was born in Poland on April 1, 1921. When her parents came to America, they renamed
their daughter Rachel Deborah Shilsky. Rachel herself changed her name to Ruth after she left
Virginia in 1941.
Rachel's mother was named Hudis, and she was a 'gentle and
meek' woman. In her reminiscences, Rachel remembers her mother as a 'sweet Mameh.' However, due
to polio, Hudis was paralyzed on the left side of her body. Her left hand was bent at the wrist
and was useless to her. Almost blind in her left eye, Hudis also had a severe limp; she had to
drag her left foot behind her as she walked. Because Rachel's father, Tateh, often made fun of
Mameh's condition, Rachel had a poor role model to follow in terms of relating to those with
disabilities. So, Rachel often found herself embarrassed by her mother's disability; she
maintains that she did not really change her poor attitude until after she converted to
Christianity.
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