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ALLANRA\LR
City: Northville
ANNE VO\DROW
City: West Bloomfield
Kudos: Memory Keepers
Staff hot;p,, i , -1n‘ie Baan
Each Monday morning
for the past year, Anne
Mondrow, 95, and Allan
Rauner, 52, have met in
the computer room of
Meer Jewish Apartments
in West Bloomfield as vol-
unteers with the Jewish
Historical Society of
Michigan's Yearbook
Project. Working with
project co-chairs Marc
Manson and Jug Cook,
Volunteers Rauner and
both of Farmington Hills,
Mondrow transfer names
they computerize students'
from yearbook to computer
names from donated local
high school yearbooks, public and private, where Jewish
students attended. The oldest donation is a 100-year-old
Central High yearbook.
Allan, with 600 yearbooks, how do you keep up?
"We expect it to take us five years. So far, we've
done 120, doing about one to two books a day."
What's the procedure each Monday morning?
'Anne takes out her magnifying glass and reads and
spells all the information. Then, I, with my hunt-
and-peck typing, input it all into the computer."
Could you use more help?
"Yes. And a really fast typist could get through one
of the smaller books in 30 minutes."
Tell me about the plan for the yearbooks to eventu-
ally be scanned for Internet access?
"It will be a great way for anyone doing their
genealogy to find not only a person, but their picture,
too."
To volunteer to help index books, set up a Web database
or to donate finds or old or new yearbooks, contact
Manson at (248) 661-0668 or Cook at (248) 851-
0517 or e-mail Manson at mdmcousa@aol.com
At A Loss
T
here are times when
each of us may feel at a
loss for words. It could
be we are stunned by
some news and cannot manage a
reaction. We may be so angry that
a meaningful reply is not accessi-
ble at that moment. And then
there is always the case of being
SY
MANELLO able to think, too late, of a great
comeback.
Editorial
When we are in command of
Assistant
the situa-
tion and
have been able to give
thought to our communi-
cating, why do many of us
resort to the use of such
big words that often
obscure our meaning?
A colleague recently
pointed out a discussion in
the New York Times by a
book reviewer. It contained
several terms that
impressed both of us as
being so obscure that the
meaning was lost. Neither
of us is exactly a slouch
when it comes to language;
but we had never encoun-
tered those terms before, nor could we guess at
meaning from context. Well, you counter, why not
look them up and add to your vocabulary? That is
not the point. This person was trying to convey
meaning and should have used the right word for
the right place.
All too often, people try to impress by their use
of vocabulary and end up losing their audience
of
because they convey a sense of
being "better than thou." The good writer should
not have to hold up a flag to say, "Look how smart
I am."
Often, word choice will lend color or show good
taste or an awareness of brevity: cadaver for dead
body, anthology for collection of writings, eluci-
date for make clear. Sometimes, there is an element
of fun to be had in using a term that will not be
understood, but serves your purpose. I remember
telling our daughter to counter a word bully at
school by calling him a pismire (an ant). This
sounded harsh and set the other child back (largely
because he did not understand) and gave much
satisfaction to our child in having the upper hand,
for once.
If, however, you obfuscate (cloud over) through
big words what you are trying to verbalize (say),
you could seem to denigrate (disparage) your lis-
tener and turn him off completely.
A workman once wrote to a government bureau
.to get reaction to his use
of hydrochloric acid to
clear plugged pipes.
The bureau wrote
back: "The efficacy of
hydrochloric acid is
indisputable. The liquid
may, however, cause
impermanence to the
metallic structure and we
suggest you desist from
the practice." The work-
man wrote back that he
was pleased that they
agreed with his proce-
dure. The bureau then
replied: "Do not use
hydrochloric acid — it
will eat the heck out of
your pipes."
Remember that in promulgating your esoteric
cogitations or articulating your superficial senti-
mentalities and amicable philosophical and psy-
chological observations, beware of platitudinous
ponderosities.
Let your conversational communications possess
a clarified conciseness. Eschew all conglomerations
of garrulity, babblement and affections. Let your
unpremeditated expatiations have intelligibility and
veracious vivacity without rodomontade or born-
bast. Sedulously avoid all polysyllabic profundity,
verbosity or vapidity. Shun double entendre, pruri-
ent jocosity and pestiferous profanity.
In other words, say what you mean; mean what
you say and don't use big words. El
Shabbat Candlelighting
"Shabbos candles are ammunition in instilling Jewish pride. When they are being lit, mothers and
daughters are thanking God for all He has given and for His continued blessings."
— Shelli Liebman Dorfman, staff writer
— Batsheva Bronchtain, West Bloomfield, a Friendship Circle coordinator
REPORT A DOER...
Know a Doer— someone of any age doing interest-
ing, meaningful things in their life outside of their
job? Share suggestions with Ken Guten Cohen, story
development editor, at (248) 351-5144 or e-mail:
kcohen@thejewishnews.com
5/28
2004
10
Candlelighting
Friday, May 28, 8:42 p.m.
Candlelighting
Friday, June 4, 8:48 p.m.
Shabbat Ends
Saturday, May 29, 9:53 p.m.
Shabbat Ends
Saturday, June 5, 9:59 p.m.
To submit a candlelighting message, call Miriam Arnzalak of the Lubavitch Women's Organization at (248) 548-6771 or e-mail.• mamzalakuno.com