Price Busting News! $/a9 Nigh Quality Dry (leaning Each Item Is Only $2.89 Shirts Beautifully Laundered No Minimum Box or Hanger Must Be Paid For In Advance •Same Day Service For Only 8 9 ( each 7 If Not Paid For In Advance •Excludes: Suedes, Leathers, Formal Gowns, Wedding Dresses And Household Items •All Items Paid For In Advance Are $2.89 Otherwise 50t Extra Per Item Same Day Service s)89 16 DRY CLEANERS 26079 Southfield Rd. (at 10 Mile Rd.) Across From AM Lathrop Village 40 MasterCard 569-1440 AMERICAN EXPRESS CARD so" Forever Blowing Bubbles Some Jewish stars who got their start on soaps. ELIZABETH APPLEBAUM ASSOCIATE EDITOR Q: I know that a lot of big-name actors, like Demi Moore, got their feet wet on soap operas. Were any of them Jewish? A: Oh, yes indeed. Among gan holiday, in 615 Pope Boni- face IV declared Jan. 1 as the eighth day, or Octave, of Christ- mas. Meanwhile, in the mid-sixth century, Christians in Gaul al- the fabulous talents who be- ready were celebrating the gan their careers playing eighth day after Christmas as women or men married to the circumcision of Jesus (refer- someone who turned out to be ring to Luke 2:21 in the New Tes- a sister/brother or mother/fa- tament as proof that Jesus was ther-in-law, a sensitive immi- circumcised). From Gaul, the grant who came illegally to the Feast of the Circumcision spread United States, founded his/her to Spain, the Frankish Empire own multimillion-dollar in- and, finally, by the ninth centu- dustry then became a home- ry, to Rome. The Greek church less person, were Robby adopted the holiday in the Benson and Jill Clayburgh, eighth century. both on "Search for Tomor- row"; Charles Grodin on 'The Young Marrieds"; Judith Light on "One Life To Life"; and Hal Linden on "Search for Tomorrow." Q: My grandfather, who immi- grated to America from Lithuania, remained an observant Jew all his life. He hated to see Jews cele- brating the evening of Dec. 31 as the new year, which he called "Sylvester." The only Sylvesters I've heard of are Mr. Stallone and Tweety Bird's nemesis. So I asked my grandfather about it, but he just said, "Fig- ure it out. It's eight days after Christmas. What do they think they're celebrating?" I can't imagine anyone goes to a New Year's party thinking he's com- memorating Jesus' brit. Is there any historical basis to my grand- father's beliefs? A: There certainly is. The and 6:15 in the New Testament Book of Galatians which state that faith in Jesus, rather than circumcision, brings one into the covenant of Abraham. Circum- cision was to be replaced by the sacrament of baptism. Jan. 1 lat- er was commemorated as Jesus' baptism. In the seventh-century litur- gical books of the diocese of Tole- do, Spain, Jan. 1 bore the official title of Caput Anni, or "head of the year," a direct translation of Rosh Hashanah. Q: I couldn't believe it when, while recently sipping espresso at a hip coffee joint, I overheard someone make fun of author Tama Janowitz. (Gosh! Next peo- ple will be laughing about "Sud- denly Susan," surely one of the most profound programs ever aired!) This person said People magazine, my bible of good taste, mocked Tama. Could that be true? A: Indeed, I am happy to re- port that even People makes fun of Tama Janowitz, con- temporary of those other bas- tions of insufferable writing, Bret Easton Ellis and Jay McInerney. But hey, let's not stop there! Ms. Janowitz's Slaves of New York is just one of the nu- merous books by Jewish au- thors which People reviewers have labeled the most over- rated in history. Others in- clude: Ancient Evenings — Nor- man Mailer Any Woman's Blues, Para- fact that your grandfather chutes and lasses and Megan's was from Eastern Europe Book of Divorce — Erica Jong helps explain why he referred Doctors and Oliver's Story to New Year's Eve as — Erich Segal People had no scruples about criticizing Sylvester. On the ecclesiasti- Judith Krantz. Elvis — Albert Goodman cal calendar of the Roman Heartburn —Nora Ephron Catholic Church, Dec. 31 is the Maybe — Lillian Hellman Because Jewish boys are Feast of St. Sylvester. In many Pinball — Jerzy Kosinski named at their brit, the Chris- parts of Europe, especially Scruples — Judith Krantz eastern Europe, people com- tians reasoned that Jesus also Dance with the Devil.— Kirk received his name at that time. monly refer to the feast day Douglas simply as "Sylvester." The Thus, in addition to being the Metropolitan Life — Fran Octave of Christmas and the saint in question was a pope, Lebowitz ❑ Sylvester I, who served from Feast of the Circumcision, Jan. 1 also was declared the Feast of 314 to 335 CE, during the reign of Constantine I, the first the Holy Name. In 1914, Pope Send questions to Tell Me Why, Christian king of the Roman Pius X moved the holiday to the The Jewish News, 27676 Franklin Sunday between Jan. 1 and Jan. Road, Southfield, MI 48034, or Empire. In ancient Rome, Jan. 1 was 6 (Epiphany), or Jan. 2 if there fax to (810) 354-6069. All letters the start of the new year and is no Sunday. must be signed and include the Over the centuries, the Feast writer's address. Questions an- a major holiday, celebrated in the usual pagan manner with of the Circumcision was forgot- swered in the column will feature raucous and often lewd be- ten, especially when Christian only the writer's initials and city havior. To replace the old pa- theologians pointed to verses 5:6 of residence.