This Week

For Openers

Field Of Dreams

PLEFii ET 'clia
Don't Know

W

hen Rabbi Joseph Krakoff
ed by reminders of his "night of a lifetime." The focal point
stepped onto the field at
will be the ball Rabbi Krakoff pitched — signed by Tigers'
Comerica Park, it took a minute
centerfielder Andre Torres who caught it — a videotape of the
for him to realize he was awake
pitch and the jersey, which Margolin later arranged with
— and not in the midst of a 25-year dream.
Bielfield to have autographed by the entire Tigers' team.
Actually, throwing the ceremonial first pitch
Regrets of the evening? Only one, says the rabbi — and it
at the Detroit Tigers-Cleveland Indians base-
wasn't that the Tigers lost to the Indians.
ball game was the realization of two dreams.
"I was hoping they'd keep me in the game," he said. "I was
"I wanted to be a rabbi since I was 10, but I
SHELLI
just warming up."
wanted to be a baseball player since I was 8,"
LIEBMAN
DORFMAN he said. And for one brief and fleeting
moment, my dream careers came
Staff Writer
Wg iffS M S'elV
together."
About 200 Congregation Shaarey
Zedek members came to the stadium to
be with their rabbi and chant his name. But first they
Aztsiall 4.p
4tia: ttagitt,
celebrated at a pre-game tailgate party at the synagogue
planned by the rabbi's administrative assistant, Kelly
: 1 111
Woerner.
Knowing of his good friend's first-pitch dream, Steven
Margolin of Orchard Lake shared the rabbi's request
"..•"4"‘
with Tigers' attorney, Jay Bielfield, who set the plans in
xioe4-
motion.
On June 18, Rabbi Krakoff entered the field to
another surprise by Margolin — a Tigers' jersey, printed
with his name and the number "613," representing the
number of commandments in the Torah. Tigers' man-
ager Alan Trammell presented the shirt, which the rabbi
was seen wearing under his tallit at the end of services
Filktearktitagil
the next Shabbat.
At the game, a Tigers' announcer read a tribute pre-
pared by synagogue members, including Margolin's line that
"the rabbi had a better chance of being called up by God than
the major leagues." After the pitch, "three umpires reassured
him that he had thrown a strike," Margolin said.
The treasured moment was also shared by the rabbi's wife,
Susan, and their children, Atara, 5; Micah, 3; and Elan, 1. The
rabbi's mother, Sharon Krakoff, scheduled a visit from Los
Angeles so she could watch her son's pitch.
A*.k g ait*IN ft
Each of the rabbi's fans went home with a souvenir baseball.
"I actually autographed several dozen — by request," he said.
Top: Rabbi Krakoff pitches the ball.
An upcoming basement renovation in the Krakoff home
Above: Micah, 3, Atara, 5, Rabbi Joseph
will include space for years of collected memorabilia, highlight-
and Susan Krakoff

© 2003

I

n Judaism, the day begins and
ends at nightfall; hence, lighting
candles on the eve before a holi-
day, breaking the Yom Kippur
fast at nightfall and considering the
Maariv (evening) service as the first
service of a new day. Why, then, does
the Maariv service on Saturday pre-
cede the lighting of the Havdalah can-
dle, signifying the end of Shabbat?

❑

.

ta

y,RA I(fIFF

613

— Goldfein

r.

Tpuqqrs 3111 Jo uorsnpuoD
renliJ DT SJEDTpLII JET DDT/LIDS ApEEW
luqqpiis alp Jo pup p-q-a piEmol pa
•-pnpui sr L1dEJ EIEd piDads V :Jamstry

-

Quotables

"Hibbing [Minn.] didn't have a rabbi.
When it was time for me to be bar
mitzvahed, suddenly a rabbi showed
up under strange circumstances for
only a year. He was an old man from
Brooklyn who had a white beard and
wore a black hat and black clothes.
They put him upstairs above the cafe,
which was the local hangout. I used
to go up there every day to learn the
stuff, either after school or after din-
ner. After studying with him an hour
or so, I'd come down and boogie."

— Singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, who
grew up in Hibbing, Minn., quoted in
"Sultans of Song" in the summer issue of
Reform Judaism magazine.

Yiddish Limericks

In spite of how famous Bill Gates is,
Or how ()Teat the wealth he creates is,
One thing is for sure:
We all would concur,

Shabbat Candlelighting

Der mentsh fort un Got halt di laytses.

"When I light Shabbat candles, I feel peace and serenity. I
reflect on my good fortune, and I am overcome with gratitude
and love.
— Wendy Stone, Farmington Hills, attorney

— Martha Jo Fleischmann

*Man rides, but God holds the reins.

Yiddish-isms

baleboosteh

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Women's Organization.

To submit a candlelighting

Candlelighting

Candlelighting

Friday, July: 8:52 p.m.

Friday, July 18: 8:48 p.m.

Amzalak of Oak Park at

Shabbat Ends

Shabbat Ends

(248) 967-5056 or e-mail•

Saturday, July 12: 10:03 p.m.

Saturday, July 19: 9:57 p.m.

message or to receive

complimentary candlesticks

and it fOrmation on Shabbat

candlelighting, call Miriam

mainzalak@juno.coin

An excellent and praiseworthy home-
maker; a female owner; a female man-
ager; a bossy woman.

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.

7/11

2003

9

