For Openers

Where's Santa Claus?

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V'ii'i Know ©

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couple of years ago, our family was
relaxing over dessert of a yom toy
(holiday) dinner and my now young
adult children were reminiscing.
Each person's contribution sparked someone
else's recollection.
I found the conversation .
amazing on two levels. First,
it was more than enlighten-
ing to hear about events I
was familiar with from my
children's perspective, partic-
ularly the different impor-
tance we each placed on the
same incidents. But even
more revealing was the shar-
SHARON
ing of situations or events of
ROCKLIN
Special to the which I had not been aware.
Talk turned from Jewish
Jewish News
holidays to secular celebra-
tions, particularly those times
when the two cultures were
at odds. Christmas, of
course, evoked the most discusiion. We all
related to the stories of explaining to a class-
mate, coworker,. clerk or vendor that we were
not interested in purchasing any special "sea-
sonal" paper, cards, music or Honey Baked
Ham. And, each of us had had at least one
episode of explaining to someone that
-
Christmas was an important religious occa-
sion, not an American holiday; and we were
not of that religion.
"I remember how I stayed awake almost all
night on Christmas Eve, watching out the
window for Santa Claus," my youngest son
gleefully volunteered.
I thought I hadn't heard him correctly. "You
watched for Santa Claus?"
"So did I," his•sister agreed. "We did it for
years. "
My husband and I looked at each other with
matched bewilderment. All our children had
attended Hebrew day school until they were
about 13 years old. Santa Claus certainly was
not a concept they got from school.
"I thought we were very clear about not
expecting Santa Claus," I said. "What ever
made you want to watch for him?"
"We knew he wasn't coming to our house,"
came the response, "but TV and the stores all
told us he was going to deliver toys. So we
watched for him to come to the McGills'
house or the Mlosticks' or the Jacksons'."
Another lesson learned after the fact. When
explaining things to children, be very specific. ri

.

Sharon Rocklin is a Farmington Hills resident.

2002

ews in Corpus Christi, Tex.;
Asuncion, Paraguay; and
Sacramento, Calif, all have
something in common. What

is it?

— Goldfein

-luaurriaes kloti atp sroluaturciDus,,
.A.rujAi jo uorachunssu atp sr uorDtmsy„
Jo Apoci atp sr „risrito snclioa,
-satrucns u-ensrno Q111 U-101j SlCbDUOD
.ram pauruu sapp ur am /Cava LIWASITV

Quotables

The- 10-foot-tall menorah and spinning dreidel in the front yard of
Rabbi Mendy and Chaya Masha Stock's Oak Park home.

Shabbat Candlelighting

"When I light my Shabbat candle,
spirituality, emotions and peace over-
come me. I pray for peace and love
and for the needy and sick. I started
lighting at age 3 and never missed it
once!"

"After the tragic loss of Minnesota
Senator Paul Wellstone in an airplane
crash last month, Carl Levin, the senior
senator from Michigan, stands out as
the most prominent, outspoken and
unabashed Jewish liberal in the Senate."

— As quoted in "Forward 50
for 2002," in the Forward newspaper's
Nov. 15 issue.

"Terror has no religion and no race.
Terror should be condemned regardless
of its source... Turkey will continue its
ties with Israel on the basis of the com-
mon interests of both sides."

— Recep Tayyip Erdogan, leader of
Turkey's Justice and Development Par,
the winner in parliamentary elections held
in the strategically positioned Mideast
country as quoted by JTA.

Aidel Finman, age 13, Oak Park

Yiddish Limericks

Candlelighting

Friday, Dec. 6: 4:41 p.m.

Sponsored by Lubavitch
Women's Organization.
To submit a candlelighting
message or to receive
complimentary candlesticks
and information on Shabbat
candlelighting, call Miriam
Amzalak of Oak Park at
(248) 967-5056 or e-mail:
amzalakuno.corn

Things aren't always as they appear.
From this guy, you want to steer clear.
He's not what you wish.
This loser is fish,
Gezunt un meshuge,* my dear.

Shabbat Ends

— Martha Jo Fleischmann

Saturday, Dec. 7: 5:48 p.m.

*- (idiomatic) hale, hearty, but crazy;
(literal) fresh, healthy and crazy

Candlelighting

Yiddish-isms

Friday, Dec. 13: 4:42 p.m.

Shabbat Ends

Saturday, Dec. 14: 5:49 p.m.

lufimensh

Someone with his head in the
clouds; an impractical, but optimistic
fellow.

Source: The Joys Of Yiddish by Leo
Rosten (McGraw-Hill)

12/6
2002