Front Lines

NOTEBOOK

JNenline

Nice, Doggy!

This Week

T

www.JNonline.us

he word "ogre" usually conjures up a menacing
that poor little girl. (Of course, if she is so shortsighted as
green giant (sort of Hulk-like for those of you who
to ask a wolf for directions to begin with and not be suspi-
are out of touch with fairy tales but really with the
cious, then she pretty much deserves what she gets.)
world of comic books). This image has been recently been
When the wolf was kind enough to give her directions he
dispelled with the spate of Shrek movies.
was acting as a "wolf in sheep's clothing." His cruel inten-
The shudders produced by the term "witch" have been
tions were hidden by a gentle exterior.
mitigated by the let's-try-to-be-more-understanding of the
Why is it that when we are truly hungry and eat as
creature" in such productions as the musical Wicked.
if there were no tomorrow, we are said to be "wolfing it
With these attempts under way, why is nothing being
down"? Are there no other gluttonous animals to serve up
done to offset the bad rap given to the wolf? To personify
a strong metaphor?
Sy M anello
cruelty, hardship and just downright meanness, just say
If a man makes amorous advances, we say he's a wolf So
Edit orial
"Wolf."
how did this menacing creature all of a sudden get to be a
Assi stant
In fact, to "cry wolf" — to claim there is a danger when
heartthrob but with such a negative side? Are we not being
there is none — is quite a commonly used expression. Yes, I
inconsistent? And if a man recognizes beauty in a female
realize that it would be hard to conjure up danger by crying
and gives "voice" to it, we label the sound a wolf whistle.
"turtle" or "bunny rabbit." But surely there are other fearful animals
Feminists, arise!
out there; why pick on the wolf? Yes, it fits well in the fable of the shep-
There is even a mineral called wolfram, associated with tungsten.
herd; for what else might have attacked his sheep? But, in fairness, let's The name was thought to be contemptuous because it was considered
not be so glib with laying blame.
worthless as opposed to tin, with which it is usually found.
Superstitious folk are reduced to quivering masses with the mere
Even the wolf's kin fare far better than he. If you are clever, you are
thought of the werewolf and they begin to load their silver bullets at
"sly as a fox". If sounding off at the moon, we hear a coyote (though
the mention of the creature. It is second only to the vampire in this
I am sure that the wolf is in just as good a voice). And what of all the
category.
various aww-producing puppies in the pet shop? (No, I have not for-
If you wish to portray dire circumstances, impending financial
gotten reading Steven King's Cujo!)
doom, etc., just say you are trying to "keep the wolf from the door."
Well, I say the young Scouts have the right idea in restoring the
This expression, no doubt, has had a boost from such stories as "The
right image to the wolf with their dens and packs, etc.
Three Little Pigs:' with the wolf literally at the door, and "Little Red
From now on let's only hear of wolves given a bad rap by some hip-
Riding Hood" in which the wolf is already in and posing a threat to
hop "singers" — they rap, no? I'm so out of touch. ❑

((

Latest From Israel

Want the most current
news from Israel? Check
our streaming news from
Ynetnews.com for continu-
ous updates and longer news,
opinion and feature stories.
And look at the center of our
homepage for an Israel story
that changes twice daily.
Just visit JNonline.us and
click on a scrolling story on
the left.

E-Newsletter

Desire notification when
stories that interest you
in particular are posted on
JNonline? It's easy to des-
ignate the kinds of stories
you like when you sign up for
your personalized e-newslet-
ter.
Only at JNonline.us . Just
click on Newsletter on the
menu near the top of the
page.

Celebrations!

Aviv and Jerusalem. The Recycling Center, which spans 75 acres, is
located at the base of the "healed" mountain, and currently operates
the most innovative technologies for recycling waste.
"The Ayalon Park rejuvenation project is a true indicator of Israel's
efforts to put itself on par with some of the most environmentally
conscious countries in the world:' says Arie Sommer, comissioner of
tourism, North and South America. "The park will be a hotspot for
nature-seeking tourists and a 'front door' to Tel Aviv's amazing natural
landscape'
For more information about Ayalon Park, go to ayalon-park.org.il.

- Keri Guten Cohen, story development editor

Hiriya garbage dump become Ayalon Park

Israeli Trash Dump Goes Green
Israel has embarked on one of the world's most dramatic "eco-friend-
ly" initiatives, transforming the 2,000-acre Hiriya garbage dump on
the outskirts of Tel Aviv into a magnificent park and 24-hour recre-
ational hotspot.
•
Since Hiriya's establishment decades ago, the ecological blight exist-
ed as an eyesore on the edge of Tel Aviv, complete with waste-eating
pigeons and horrid stenches. Fast forward to 2008, the soon-to-be-
completed Ayalon Park will stand as one of the world's largest metro-
politan parks containing a vast number of trees, hiking and horseback
riding trails and tropical gardens.
The 230-foot Hiriya Mountain, a waste-mound located within the
park's center, has been transformed into an eco-friendly attraction
boasting an inner oasis of tilting terraces, ridge groves, shaded foot
paths and a two-layered canopy with benches and tables for rest or
picnics.
Atop Hiriya Mountain, travelers will have panoramic views of Tel

A8

November 20 • 2008 ;

Dec. 25 Mitzvah Day
Choose your mitzvah and share your day on Thursday, Dec. 25, when
the Jewish Community Relations Council and the Jewish Federation of
Metropolitan Detroit join together to present Mitzvah Day. Volunteers
of all ages are invited to sign up for the annual event and participate
in dozens of social service projects and holiday activities throughout
metro Detroit.
Families with children, teens, young adults and seniors are invited
to donate a few hours of their time to participate in a choice of activi-
ties, including visits to older adults in nursing care facilities, prepar-
ing and serving holiday meals, and delivering toys and gifts to fami-
lies in need.
Volunteers will meet for breakfast and a brief orientation at the Max
M. Fisher Federation Building at 6735 Telegraph Road in Bloomfield
Hills prior to departing for their volunteer project. New this year,

Mitzvah Day on page A10

Find weekly listings of births,
b'nai mitzvah, engagements,
weddings and anniversaries
as well as past simchahs all
online. They are all bundled

under each week's publica-
tion date.

Just visit JNonline.us and
click on Lifecycles on the
left.

Online Poll

This week's poll question:
Should the government bail
out the Big Three of the auto
industry?
Visit the JNonline.us
homepage, below the left
menu, to cast your vote.

Last week's question:
Have you contributed recent-
ly to the Jewish National
Fund?
Last week's poll results:
Yes: 30%
No: 70%

