Summary

“Before” takes place when Aviva was nine. She and her mother, or “Ema,” got into a fight that she can no longer remember the contents of. Aviva was angry, though, and she wanted to provoke a reaction from Ema, so she decided to run away into the woods to see if anyone would notice, but only the “dybbuk,” a ghost in Jewish folklore who returns to complete a task, sees her go. By the time night falls, Aviva is cold and sad because Ema has still not arrived. She tries to find her back home on her own, but she realizes she is lost. Finally, Kayla Eisenberger’s mother, Nurit, and Mrs. Leibowitz from school, find her and take her home. Aviva notices the community patrol had come to look for her, but she was disappointed not to see her mother. Mrs...