This Week

For Openers

Celebration Time

y

ou don't have to break out
the balloons and paper
hats, but it's nice to know
that there are some really
great "holidays" out there worth not-
ing.
There are many governmental legal-
ly declared holidays, but sometimes
there is a long break in between. For
SY
those of us who are party animals or
MANELLO just like to have something special to
Editorial
look forward to, here are some cele-
Assistant
brations that may be of interest. Note:
Legal observances must be registered
and have an official sponsor; otherwise, they are just
silly holiday ideas created by someone for whatever rea-
son. The following caught my fancy, but I'm not vali-
dating their existence.
I now understand my friends who have a cement
creature with seasonal costumes on their front porch.
The inspiration must have come from Dress Up Your
Pet Day (Jan. 14).
To get in the mood for Valentine's Day, you may
consider celebrating Whisper "I Love You" Day on Jan.
19.
You may wish to really test your sensitivities and put
forth all efforts on Penguin Awareness Day.
For those of us who are food-aholics, please note that
two of my favorite discoveries are Pizza Week and
Chocolate Week. They deserve a monthly status as far
as I am concerned. My taste-bud prejudices dictate that
I pass on observing World Grits Festival Day (April
20).

Well before tax day rolls around, there is a Money
Day; the details of it still need refining (Is it income,
outgo or just appreciation?)
I'm not sure how one can schedule a Procrastination
Week. It would forever be on the way, no? One of these
days, I will get around to National Organize Your Files
Week, but I think that is tied in directly to the procras-
tination celebration.
Mirth Month definitely has my vote, unless it means
that I get an unusually heavy dose of very bad jokes via
e-mail.
A true sign of the times is Blah Blah Blah Day (April
17), but that, too, is so much like a regular day in our
lives.
Come clean! Are you observing the Anniversary of
the First Laundromat? (April 18)
TV-Turnoff Week is also set in April. It helps that
many programs go into reruns at that time, but for
those of us who need surgery to remove the remote
control, there will be some hardship.
This summer, while you gear up for Independence
Day, don't let the season wind down there. Save room
for National Smile Week (Aug. 6-12), National Elvis
Presley Week (Aug. 10-16) and National Religious
Software Week (Aug. 19-25). Do you think that last
one has a prayer?
We can also devote some celebratory activities to
Respect Your Parents Day (Aug. 1); this is an important
one that comes just at the time that new school clothes
and college tuition are due. How convenient. In addi-
tion, there are National Kool-Aid Day (Aug. 11) and
National Bad Poetry Day (Aug. 18).
May all your days be special; remember, if you get up
in the morning, you have something to celebrate. ❑

) %TN D'ige t

Selected nevts_and,.feature stories from
the D etroit Jewlih'Weuis
/ news
vvvvwcfaroitjewishnews

) What's Eat
Harry Hiiiiiaum?,

War Revisited: 35 yeas ag(i, the world became
small and - dangerous through the eyes of a kid.
It still is.
wvvw.detroitjewishnews.com/opinion

) Mideast Update

The latest news about the crisis in
the Middle East.
wwvv.jewish.com

) Visit The Store

For the best selection of Judaica, including
great gifts for Graduation and Father's Day!
www.jewish.com

Quotables

Yiddish Limericks

My dad breaks his diet a lot.
Last evening he sat down and got
Ts'plotzed un ts'shprungen*
On mi/tf* and on lungen***
And now he can't budge from the spot.

© 2002

f ancient Israel's four main enemies, only
one — Egypt — has a peace treaty with the
modern State of Israel. Can you name the
other three?

— Martha Jo Fleischmann

(idiomatic) filled to bursting
** spleen
*** lung

E!uoiAciEg puE (teii)

THE BEST OF GRAPEJEWZ

FRAM K, 7UST OEGAUSE 019 BROTHER
IS of3SERVAVT 1,0690 1 T MEAN
THAT JOU CAN' T UtoPERSTAMP OAJE-
A/WTI - 1ER. SO CUI - 0 Le I'M OUT
CJH DON'T THE TWO OF 200 T RH

To REALL(3 GETro KIJOcu EACH

OTHER?

wat,THeRe

'some-

QUESTiON I'vE

ALLJAS WANTED
To ASK AN
OBSERVANT SEW

O

By Mendel

"Eleanor and Saul Bluestone honor the memory of
their beloved son Bradley, of blessed memory,
through their dedication to Jewish education for
all our children. Their generosity is offered in a
humble and selfless spirit, and they are role models
for all of us in the Jewish community."
— Rabbi Daniel Nevins of Adat Shalom Synagogue
in Farmington Hills, referring to Hillel Day School of
Metropolitan Detroit's 2002 Dream Maker Award
winners.

welt_THERE Is ONE

QUEST-ION I'VE

ALAAJAa5 CVNUTED
TO ASK A AJO/V-

065ERVAMT SEW

O

e r

ODEJI)
c(upAs) EpAssv :Jamstry

"Immigrants were the most precious cargo of the
many ships arriving in New York City, although
they were rarely treated as such."
— Deborah Dash Moore, co-autho• of the new book
"Cityscapes: A History of New York in Image"
(Columbia University- Press), as quoted in the
"Forward"

c'

40 1

Q. \ 13

C)

"Imagine the feeling of accomplishment that our
students get when they are told that by the time
they graduate, they will be empowered with the
tools to analyze any biblical passage on their own
and by the end of the first year, they begin to see
that they actually do have that kind of power over
the text."
— Rabbi Lee Buckman, head of school, at the Jewish
Academy of Metropolitan Detroit's annual reception
in West Bloomfiela'. 6/7

2002

11