Rebecca Schenker asked about interruptions, both verbal and non-verbal, between netilat yadayim and ha-motzi. Even though I am not a posek, with the help of Rabbi Binyamin Forst's sefer The Laws of B'rachos, I can safely say that the following halachot apply: One may not be mafsik (interrupt) between a berachah and its subject. But the eating of bread is not the subject of netilat yadayim - the mitzvah of washing hands is the subject of the berachah. Thus interrupting between netilat yadayim and ha-motzi is less problematic than interrupting between (for example) he-eitz and eating the fruit. Nevertheless, it is preferable not to interrupt.
If it's a request necessary for the meal (for example, someone forgot to bring the knife to cut the challah), however, it is completely permitted to interrupt - to speak - and ask for the knife. Sounds like "shhh" and "nu" are equivalent to any other words: preferable not to say them, but permitted if necessary for the meal. Gestures are less problematic than speaking, but still not ideal. Regarding sign language - which are gestures that are also communicating - a real posek should be asked whether it's equivalent to words (more chamor) or to gestures (less chamor).
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