For Openers
'cha
Don't Know
A Lifetime With Toddlers
son and a real team player," says Pont, who is now the syna-
arrying on a conversation with
gogue's membership director. "She is so much of a calming
Miriam Meyers when she's at work
influence on the parents," Pont says. "Usually what you see at
is a real challenge. If she's called to
the beginning of the school year is a lot of tears, both from
the phone, someone only 30 inch-
the kids and from the parents. That is what I'll always
es tall is liable to tug at her pant leg and
remember
about her — making everybody feel comfortable
demand, "Who you talking at now?"
and
happy."
Meyers, 75, is retiring at the close of the
Rena Cohen, who leads the Southfield Beth Hayeled, says
school year, after a record 50 years of teaching
Meyers
"gives a lot of hugs and kisses, and she never loses her
DIANA
at Beth Hayeled, the nursery school of
temper. She feels the most important thing at that age is that
LIEBERMAN Congregation Shaarey Zedek. For the past
the children love coming to school because, if they love it, the
Staff Writer
few years, her class at the school's Southfield
parents
are happy. And that's what our parents want: happy,
branch has been composed of 2-year-olds —
well-adjusted
children."
her favorite age.
Meyers
and
her husband, Charles, will celebrate their 55th
"When they come to me, they're usually
anniversary
in
August. "It's hard for me to imagine I'm 75
still in diapers, still sleeping in a crib," Meyers
years
old,"
she
says.
"I still have plenty of energy."
says. "There's nothing more gratifying than seeing them utter
Although
she
won't
be at Shaarey Zedek every morning at
their first half-sentence."
8
a.m.,
Meyers
has
no
intention of sitting around the house.
A graduate of Detroit's Central High School with a bache-
She's
already
begun
working
part time at Nibbles & Nuts in
lor's degree in education from Wayne State University, Meyers
West
Bloomfield,
whose
owners
are old friends. "So many
began working at Shaarey Zedek when the synagogue's
times
I'll
recognize
people
when
they
come in or even a voice
branch school was located on Seven Mile Road in Detroit.
on
the
phone,"
she
says.
She lived only four blocks away at Hartwell and Vassar.
And she can't avoid bumping into her former students —
"Half the salary went to me,
thousands of them — around
half to the babysitter," she
town.
says. "I figured, 'Why not try
"I've had time to see a lot of
it for a while?"'
kids
grow up," she says. "If I
Meyers worked through her
can
place
a youngster with
pregnancy with her third child
another
youngster,
I can usu-
— who is now 43 years old —
ally
remember
them."
❑
and came right back after her
maternity leave.
"Sometimes, you just find
your niche," says Meyers, who
now lives in Southfield. "I've
never taught anywhere else."
Former Beth Hayeled direc-
Shaarey Zedek will
tor Janet Pont has known and
honor Miriam Meyers
admired Meyers for 44 years
with a reservations-only
"as my daughter's teacher, a
Miriam Meyers with three of the 12 members of her final
luncheon at its Southfield
colleague and a member of
class at Shaarey Zedek Beth Hayeled: Estee Brown of
building on Saturday, May
my staff."
Southfield and twins Katie and Joey Wolberg of Huntington
31, immediately after
"Miriam is a wonderful per- Woods. All three are 21/2 years old.
Shabbat services.
C
© 2003
0
f the six fasts that occur
during the Jewish year, only
one sometimes falls on erev
Shabbat, in effect causing
those fasting to have to cook the
Sabbath eve meal while hungry.
Which one?
— Goldfein
1DADI JO TO I Dip Jo
:get atu
:.1AASTINT
Quotables
"A Palestinian state is not my life's
dream. But looking to the future, it is
not just or right to continue ruling
over 3.5 million Palestinians, of which
1.8 million are living off humanitari-
an aid. It is a situation that we need
to get out of . . .Will we forever sit in
Jenin?"
— Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon,
endorsing the internationally brokered
Mideast peace plan known as the road
camp, in remarks broadcast over Israel
Radio.
Yiddish Limericks
Miss Muffet one day gets a shreck.*
A vance** makes its way past her neck.
It lands in her whey.
She shries*** out, "Oy vay!****
"It's trayl***** now!" un layft zee
aveck.******
— Martha Jo Fleischmann
Shabbat Candlelighting
"As I light my Shabbos candles this week, I have an extra prayer in my heart.
Together with millions of women and girls, I pray for peace for our brothers and sis-
ters in Israel. May God bring an end to the terror that has reigned for too long, and
bless the Jewish people with everlasting peace and serenity."
— Miriam Amzalak, mother, Oak Park
Related cover story on page 50
Sponsored by Lubavitch
Women's Organization.
To submit a candlelighting
message or to receive
complimentary candlesticks
and information on Shabbat
candlelighting, call Miriam
Amzaletk of Oak Park at
(248) 967-5056 or e-mail•
manzzalak@juno.com
Candlelighting
Candlelighting
Friday, May 30, 8:43 p.m.
Friday, June 6, 8:48 p.m.
Shabbat Ends
Shabbat Ends
Saturday, May 31, 9:55 p.m.
Saturday, June 7, 10:01 p.m.
terrible fright
bedbug
cries
Dear me!
not kosher
and she runs away
Yiddish-isms
shmatte
A rag; cheap, shoddy, junk.
Source: From The New Joys of Yiddish
by Leo Calvin Rosten, edited by
Lawrence Bush, copyright 2001, by
the Rosten Family LLC. Used by per-
mission of the Rosten Family LLC.
5/30
2003
7