For Openers A Passion For Reading "I can normally read a book in a day and a half," she says. "I play cards once in a while, but I'd rather read." The DaVinci Code is slow going, she adds. "There's so much to learn." Born in Chicago, Gilman moved with her family to New York as a teenager. "We all loved to read," she says. "We had a lot of Shakespeare in the house, and my brother and I could do the balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet from beginning to end." Says Maza, who taught English and journalism at West Bloomfield High School before retiring last year, "I still call my mother when I can't remember a book's name or author, or the name of a piece of music." • Gilman worked both before and after her marriage — as a secretary on Wall Street, receptionist-teacher for a dance stu- dio, bookkeeper for her husband's business and much more. It was her own idea to sell the family home in New Rochelle and move to West Bloomfield to be near her daughter, two granddaughters and four great-granddaughters — just in case she ever needed their help. That time hasn't come yet, Maza says. El L illian Gilman of West Bloomfield has been reading The DaVinci Code, Dan Brown's convoluted thriller, for more than a week, and she still doesn't know the identity of the mur- derer. But Gilman, who will celebrate her 90th birthday Sept. 14, has learned several other DIANA interesting facts. For example, she says, "I had LIEBER- no idea the Louvre was three miles long." MAN A two-year resident of the Lillian and Staff Writer Samuel Hechtman Jewish Apartments, Gilman read more than 24 books over the summer — enough to earn her two gift cer- tificates for Borders Books & Music from the West Bloomfield Township Library. For her birthday, her Hechtman friends gave her more books, and another Borders gift certificate. "Lillian is a very intelligent, wise woman — she reads all the time," says Elaine Goldsmith, the library's coordinator of outreach and homebound services. Gilman was among the top readers in the library's summer reading program — but she rarely sets foot in the library. Instead, she's one of the increasing numbers of seniors who take advantage of West Bloomfield's traveling mini-library. Every month, Goldsmith brings an assortment of new and old books from the library's general collection as well as some special requests, including large-print materials and audio books, to 11 senior residences and nursing homes in West Bloomfield. She also sends out requested books to home- bound people of any age, all packed in a nylon mailing bag with return postage guaranteed. Gilman, who enjoys the works of John O'Hara, Rosamund Pilcher, Barbara Taylor Bradford and James Patterson, reads about the latest literary picks every week in the New York Times Book Review, delivered to her home by her daughter Harriet Maza of West Bloomfield. LgnV 5cha Don't Know © 2003 VIT bile it is traditional that a male take on the job of mohel (ritual circum- ciser of Jewish male babies), it is not a job forbidden to females. Can you name the first female mohel? — Goldfein 'nos JTQL11 , SUISIDLLMOITD `E.10cITZI `3JIM at i a Fetal samid!ips margall ccz: snpoxy uI :Jamstry SSOTAI JO MOTS notables "We are talking about saving people's lives. What's more important than that? To save one person is to save the whole world; everyone in Israel knows that. And that's exactly what we are trying to do." — Itay Balei, manager of security for the Dizengoff Center branch of Bank Leumi in Tel Aviv, quoted in "Lifeguards of the Land" in the late summer issue of Hadassah magazine. Yiddish Limericks Lillian Gilman, who turns 90 Sept. 14, was one of the top readers in the West Bloomfield Library's summer reading club. When all of the smoke finally cleared, The headlines in Baghdad appeared: "Saddam was no held.* With his regime felled, He took heat un fiss** and faleered.*** — Martha Jo Fleischmann hero ** (he took) hands and feet (literal) he took off in haste (idiomatic) *** left Shabbat Candlelighting "When I light the Shabbat candles, I pray for the health and happiness of my family and for the safety of my daughter and others in Israel. This week, I will add a blessing of thanks for the safe and Yiddish-Islas healthy birth of my new granddaughter. yekl — Shelli Dorfman, writer, West Bloomfield Sponsored by Lubavitch Women's Organization. To submit a candlelighting message or to receive Candlelighting Candlelighting complimentary candlesticks Friday, Sept. 12, 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 19, 7:18 p.m. Shabbat Ends Shabbat Ends Saturday, Sept. 13, 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 20, 8:18 p. and information on Shabbat candlelighting call Miriam., Amzalak of Oak Park at (248) 548-6771 or e-mail• manizalak@juno.conz A stupid person; a sucker; a "green- horn" — newcomer to the United States who is taken advantage of; a yokel. 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. 9/12 2003