Page 42 of Who We Think We Are

“ W elcome, everyone!” says Kate. Four generations of the combined Hathaway and Kantor families are present for the first day of Chanukah feast.

“It’s handy that the first day of Chanukah is on a Sunday this year, so we all have the day off,” says Suze to the family group. “As always, Kate, Jake, Paige, and Kelli have done a beautiful job decorating their house for Christmas and Chanukah.”

“Kelli called and said she would be a little late for dinner,” says Kate. “We’ll wait for her, but in the meantime, I got Chanukah gifts for everyone while I was in the Netherlands this fall. Paige, will you hand them out, please?”

Paige sits at the tree and slowly starts gathering the gifts to hand out.

Jake kisses Kate. “I’m going to slip back into the kitchen and get the first course into serving dishes.”

Anne stands up. “I’ll help you, Jake,” she says and follows him into the kitchen.

Luella says, “I still don’t see why you were going back and forth to Holland and Germany so much, Kate. What on earth was all the fuss about?”

With the impeccable timing of a Shakespearean actor, Kelli throws open the front door and bursts into the house. “Mom! Look who I found!”

Kelli moves to the side. Standing there are Bertrun and Ingrid.

“I didn’t let it be, Mom. I kept digging.” Kelli is grinning from ear to ear.

Kate jumps up, shouts, and rushes to the door. “Bertrun! Ingrid! Come in! Come in! What a wonderful surprise!” She reaches out to shake Bertrun’s hand, but instead, Bertrun gives Kate a big hug and kisses each cheek.

“Come, have a seat.” Kate takes their coats and hands them to her dad, then leads them to the sofa. They all sit down. Bertrun and Ingrid sit on either side of her.

“May I have everyone’s attention?” Kate says, although all eyes are already on her. Kate takes Bertrun and Ingrid’s hands and holds them.

“This is Bertrun and Ingrid from Germany. Mother, you asked why I was traveling to Germany and the Netherlands and what all the fuss was about. Well, this is why. Bertrun is the daughter Oma had during the war before she met Grandad, and Ingrid is Bertrun’s niece.

We have a new sister, daughter, aunt, and cousin.

Oh my God, I can’t believe you’re here! Welcome to the Canadian part of the family!

” Kate looks up at Jake, who is standing at the kitchen door. He smiles and winks at her.

Grandad stands up with Paige’s help and approaches Bertrun.

With trembling hands, he hands her a small velvet bag.

She opens it and pulls out a lock of red hair tied with a pink ribbon.

“Your Mama always loved you and never forgot you. You were her little angel, always. I’m sorry she’s not here to meet you, but this would mean the world to her, and you are very welcome here with us. ”

Bertrun stands up, hugs Grandad, helps him back to his chair, and sits on the arm, holding his hand. Paige is handing out tissues because there is not a dry eye in the house.

Kelli stands behind Grandad’s chair with her hands on Bertrun’s shoulders.

“Remember when we all did DNA tests a few years ago? In November, I got an email telling me I had a new DNA relative. It turned out to be Bertrun, so I reached out to her and Ingrid. Sorry, Mom. I went through your phone to get Ingrid’s contact info.

We talked and agreed that they should come for a visit. ”

Not letting go of Grandad, Bertrun reaches out with her other hand to Kelli.

“I knew we were family, Kate. I felt it in my heart when we met in Winschoten. We all knew, yes?” Kate and Ingrid both nod.

“But Martin wanted proof, so I did a DNA test. Imagine my surprise when, the very day I got my results, Ingrid called to tell me Kelli had reached out to her. Ingrid and I got on a Zoom call the next day with Kelli, Paige, and Jake. We decided that this week was the perfect time because of Chanukah and the celebration of life for my birth mother.”

“And you managed to pull this off without me finding out!?”

“It wasn’t easy, Mom!” says Paige. “You’re a hard person to surprise!”

“You were all in on it? I don’t know what to say …”

“Yup, pretty much everyone knew but you,” says Paige.

“And me. I didn’t know either. No one tells me anything,” says Luella, sounding like Oom Cor.

Then Paige says, like Kate wishes she could, “That’s because you make such a fuss, Grandma. But we love you anyway.” She puts her arm around Luella and kisses her on the top of her head.

Bubbie stands and speaks quietly, commanding the entire room’s attention.

“I have something I’d like to say. The fact that this particular configuration of people is gathered here is nothing short of a miracle.

Oh dear, I’m sorry, but I need to sit.” Paige helps Bubbie back into her chair.

“I would like to honor the people who made this gathering possible but aren’t here to reap the rewards of their efforts: my parents, Saul and Sarah, who would be beside themselves with joy that Jewish and non-Jewish Germans are becoming family; Flo, Grandad’s mother, without whom we would be family at all; and Oma.

She had two babies she loved with all her heart.

First, a girl, her red-haired angel, whom she couldn’t keep.

And then a son who has been loyal and loving and who, in turn, gave us Kate.

“And you, Kate. Without your persistence, some might call it stubbornness—”

Everyone laughs.

“—and your fearless pursuit of the truth, these two branches of our family tree would not even know about each other. Oma would be thrilled. I, too, would like to welcome you, Bertrun and Ingrid.”

Jake, who had returned to the kitchen during the speeches, now emerges carrying a huge tureen of the matzah ball soup that Kate made, followed by Anne carrying a basket of freshly baked challah.

“Come and get it! Time for the first course,” he says.

They all make their way to the dining room.

Doug takes one of Bertrun’s arms and says, “I always wanted a sister.”

Kate takes Bertrun’s other arm, Suze and Bubbie take Ingrid’s arms, and Paige and Kelli take Luella’s arms and show them to their places at the table.

Once they’re all seated, from the window, where the Chanukah menorah stands, Suze and Anne’s daughter, Esther, says, “As the youngest person present, it falls on me to run this part of the show. We are a crazy, eclectic, interfaith, and international family. For us, today is the first day of Chanumas. We’ve mixed together the traditions of Chanukah and Christmas as we see fit.

” With that, she lights the shammash candle, which she then uses to light the candle at the far-right side of the menorah, and the family sings the three Chanukah prayers.

After, Jake dishes out Kate’s matzah ball soup.

Her heart full, Kate’s eyes well up as she looks around at everyone she loves sitting around GG’s table . These are my people . She can almost see Saul, Sarah, GG, and Oma smiling at them from just out of the line of sight.

THE END