As Luck Would Have It

uck, be a lady
tonight." This
line from a
Guys and Dolls song is
an imprecation for
luck to behave, act so
that the "guy she
came in with" will
profit from her near-
SY
ness. And therein
MANELLO
hangs a tale.
Editorial
So many people are
Assistant
firm believers in luck
— chance happenings
that affect their fortune, their lot, their
fate. Many of these same people
would deny vehemently that they were
superstitious, but they pepper their
conversations with oft-repeated refer-
ences to luck. Consider:
• This is your lucky day. Of course,
if you are hearing this from a salesman
(snake oil or otherwise) you may want
to be wary. I have never considered
being parted from my money as being
very lucky.
• Don't push your luck. This is a

warning and should be heeded. It is
often used by a parent addressing a
child who has been making increasing-
ly difficult demands.
• He's down on his luck. This indi-
cates that the person described is
either poor, having a streak of hard
times or just a loser.
• If you luck out, something fortu-
itous has happened. This is to be pre-
ferred to being just out of luck.
• Try your luck. Be careful; here's
another ploy to separate you from
your earnings. Of course, those casinos
are doing great business from people
making such "trials."
Then there are examples from all
countries of what are considered to be
lucky charms. These "amulets" are
kept in close proximity because they
are perceived to be bearers of good
fortune, which will then descend on
the owner of the charm.
• Four-leaf clovers. These are consid-
ered rare and, therefore, if you were to
happen on one, it would be a sign of
your "good fortune." The fact that

they can be manufactured or even
grown specially for the good-luck-
charm market does cast a pall over the
"chance" happening of finding one.
• Horeshoe. This, I am told, must
be hung with the opening up or the
luck will all run out. The only thing I
can see is that I'd rather not be under
one when it decides to come loose
from the wall.
• Rabbit foot. I do not understand
this one at all considering that it was
not very "lucky" for the rabbit.
• Lady bug. To the English and
French, these creatures are signals of
good weather. (Well, since they usually
arrive with the springtime, duh!) If
one should land on you when you're
ill, the sickness will disappear. If one
should land on your hand or clothing,
good fortune is to follow.
• Gourd. The Taoists and Buddhists
see this vegetable as one that repre-
sents longevity and good fortune. To
Feng Shui masters, it represents good
health. (See there; maybe they're
responsible for bringing an increase of

happiness to Sukkot.)
• Frog. In Egypt, the animal was so
respected that they were often
embalmed when they died. In Rome,
they were thought to bring good luck
to the home. Many cultures regard
them as symbols of fertility (because
they lay lots of eggs), abundance and
inspiration. (Guess they weren't think-
ing of the plague in Egypt!)
• Beckoning cat. This is quite a pop-
ular charm in Japan and is seen most
often in store windows. If the right
paw is up, the owner is trying to
attract money; if the left paw is up,
customers. A black one is to ward off
evil; pink equals love; gold means
money; red is good health.
• Rake. Again for the Japanese, this
farm implement is a symbol of gather-
ing happiness for the owner and many
are seen as hanging decorations in the
home. (Sure, they don't have fall as we
know it!)
Well, if you made it this far, you're
in luck; I'm done. Bon chance. ❑

vehicle.
Jewish Family Service has been
using Charity Motors in Detroit as its
agent for three years. David Moss, JFS
director of marketing and develop-
ment, doesn't expect to see a drop in
donations because of the tax change.
"We feel people donate because they
want to help an organization, and
make a difference in the lives of those
less fortunate," Moss said. "The fact
that they get a tax deduction is a
bonus, rather than the sole reason for
the donation."
JFS received $3,000 in 2002-03,
$6,000 in 2003-04, and $8,000

between June and October 2004 from
car donations.
JARC, which aids more than 400
Detroit-area people with disabilities
and their families, has received $25,000
to $40,000 annually through car dona-
tions. According to Rena Friedberg,
JARC director of development, JARC
began using Charity Motors six months
ago because "they do all the work for
you. It made it much simpler for us.
We've been happy with the return and
[donors] feedback."
Charity Motors keeps 30 percent of
the proceeds from the sale of a vehicle
and gives 70 percent to the charity des-

ignated by the donor. JARC's Friedberg
said, "That's right in line with what we
had been receiving" and was typical of
all the brokers JARC had dealt with.
Rick Frazier, spokesperson for
Charity Motors, said the program has
distributed funds to more than 2,000
organizations. He also believes the new
law will not affect car donations.
The typical donated car is 10 years
old and has 100,000 or more miles, he
said. "Instead of trying to sell a 10-
year-old car," Frazier said, most people
will still donate it to avoid the hassle."
— Alan Hitsky, associate editor

Runs Like A Champ

You know that old car in your driveway
that everybody on the radio wants? If
you're serious about donating that car
to charity, you may want to do it
before the end of December.
On Jan. 1, new federal tax rules go
into effect that will lessen the
deductible value you can declare on
your income taxes. Instead of taking
the "blue book" value of used cars like
yours, in 2005 you will only be able to
declare the amount the charity or its
agent receives from the sale of your

t4

-ir-Tc2;17 L. 3 E.; 'cha

Don't Kno

2004

The Chabad Lubavitch movement, greatly
expanded by the late Rebbe Menachem Mendel
Schneerson, has branches in all but six of the
United States. Can you guess which are Chabad-
less?

Yiddish Limericks

Do You Remember?

Our Thanksgiving meal went awry.
The indite* was tasteless and dry,
The kids had a scuffle,
I burned the kartee". . .
I'm thankful, but not sure just why!

November 1964
Theodore Kollek, director general of the prime
minister's office in Israel, asked Prime Minister
Levi Eshkol to relieve him of duties so he could
devote full time to the completion of the
National Museum in Jerusalem.
He said he would continue to deal with
tourism duties. (Kollek later became mayor of
Jerusalem.)

— Martha Jo Fleischmann

— Goldfein

Asa

.2unuo/CIA. pu-e -eur!SnA
:Jamstry
e
uEluow
‘IdclissIssm
cs-elol-EG
‘-

— Sy Manello, editorial assistant

* turkey
** potato

2004

11

