frontlines H istorical Society Issues 2012 Journal How Well Do You Measure Up? T y ears ago, we Americans were running scared: The metric system was on its way! Well, unless you are a die-hard soft drink consumer, who would use litres instead of quarts to measure their pur- chases, you are still with inches, pounds, etc. There are, however, still some interesting "units of mea- sure" being touted today. And their specificity, though color- ful, is in doubt. Consider being told that feelings are coming from the bot- tom of someone's heart? Is that really great depth or just a lovely figure of speech? Contrast it to something coming off the top of someone's head. That quick response is worth dismissing, no? I am glad to have the use of a GPS when travel- ing and no longer make myself subject to some- one who gives such directions as "A stone's throw from here "It's only a hop, skip and a jump:' or "It's not far, as the crow flies:' Have you ever heard of the baker's dozen? It means getting 13 units to the dozen and was once done regularly to safeguard against penalties for short measures. Here are some really unusual units of measure I have come across for the "modern" times: 1.The mickey This measure, coined by computer scientists, is defined as the smallest detectable movement of a mouse cursor on a screen. It is generally about 0.1 mil- limeters. 2.A Warhol This measurement of fame is 15 minutes. — — JN CONTENTS 3.The Smoot This term was coined after an MIT fra- ternity prank in 1958 involving pledge Oliver Smoot, whose height was 67 inches. His fraternity brothers used him to mea- sure the length of Boston's Harvard Bridge by having him lie down repeatedly, every 67 inches, and they made marks accord- ingly. (The bridge is 364.4 Smoots, plus or minus one ear.) 4.The Pinkwater This term was coined by NPR hosts Click and Clack as a measurement of seating comfort, named for writer Daniel Pinkwater. A 1.0 Pinkwater seat would be "pretty comfortable" whereas most car seats fall somewhere in the 0.7 Pinkwater range. 5.The Beard Second This is the average length a man's beard grows in one second. Experts disagree on what the exact length is. Some say 10 nanometers; others, including the Google calcula- tor, say it is five. 6.The Sheppey A herd of sheep can be picturesque from a distance, but the closer you get, the dirtier and more matted the wool looks. Writers Douglas Adams and John Lloyd (of the humorous dictionary The Meaning of Lift) give us a way to measure that distance, A sheppey is how far you need to stay from a group of sheep so that they resemble cute balls of fluff. One sheppey is equal to about 7/8 of a mile. The next time you hear of something being compared to the height of the Empire State Building or the length of a football field, realize that there are more colorful, though unscientific, units of measure. How well will you measure up? — — - — — ❑ theJEWISHNEWS Nov. 29-Dec. 5, 2012 I 15-21 Kislev 5773 I Vol. CXLII, No. 17 Ann Arbor 34, 60, 61 Around Town 20 Arts/Entertainment 69 Business 79 Calendar 30 Food 76 Health & Wellness 63 Israel 18, 24, 34, 36, 54 jewish@edu 60 Letters 5 Life Cycles 80 Marketplace 83 Metro 8 Next Generation Obituaries Out & About Points Of View Red Thread Sports Staff Box/Phone List Synagogue List Torah Portion World 52 89 70 54 39 66 6 58 56 34 Shabbat Lights Shabbat: Friday, Nov. 30, 4:43 p.m. Shabbat Ends: Saturday, Dec.1, 5:47 p.m. Shabbat: Friday, Dec. 7, 4:41 p.m. Shabbat Ends: Saturday, Dec. 8, 5:47 p.m. Times are according to the Yeshiva Beth Yehudah calendar. Columnists Danny Raskin 78 Our JN Mission The Jewish News aspires to communicate news and opinion that's useful, engaging, enjoyable and unique. It strives to reflect the full range of diverse viewpoints while also advocating positions that strengthen Jewish unity and continu- ity. We desire to create and maintain a challenging, caring, enjoyable work environment that encourages creativity and innovation. We acknowledge our role as a responsible, responsive member of the community. Being competi- tive, we must always strive to be the most respected, outstanding Jewish community publication in the nation. Our rewards are informed, educated readers, very satisfied advertisers, contented employees and profitable growth. On The Cover: Page design, Michelle Sheridan The Detroit Jewish News (USPS 275-520) is published every Thursday at 29200 Northwestern Highway, #110, Southfield, Michigan. Periodical postage paid at Southfield, Michigan, and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: send changes to: Detroit Jewish News, 29200 Northwestern Highway, #110, Southfield, MI 48034. he editor is not sure whether it is the compelling cover featur- ing a drawing of a 1906 Central High School athlete or the in-depth exploration of the former congregations of Ahavas Achim and Beth Aaron, but something inside of this year's Michigan Jewish History, the Jewish Historical Society of Michigan's annual journal, is sparking chatter. Published annually, Michigan Jewish History captures the stories behind Michigan's notable Jewish communities, citizens and events. Distributed to JHSM members, libraries and higher-educa- tion institutions, the journal typically evokes a few memories and comments from readers. But this year, says editor Wendy Rose Bice, -11 ,, VOW , MICHIGAN ILWN I 1 something different seems to be hap- pening. "I can't pin it down, but we have received more comments than usual about this year's journal; she said. "The con- tent ranges from Ezekiel Solomon's arrival in the 1700s to the creation of the American Arabic and Jewish Friends of Metropolitan Detroit in the 1980s. We profile two musicians — Joseph Silverstein and Marguerite Chajes — and we take a look at the life and service of Rabbi Blustein, the chap- lain of the former Sinai Hospital:' One article that has readers humming is "Motown Mensches," written by Jan Durecki of the Leo M. Franklin Archives at Temple Beth EL Durecki covers the trajectory of Berry Gordy's success, including the invaluable work of dozens of Jewish producers, advisers, agents, writers and singers who worked with Gordy. Durecki, in conjunction with the JHSM and the Henry and Delia Meyers Library and Media Center, is presenting a live version of the article Dec. 6 at the Berman Center for the Performing Arts. The lecture will be peppered with pho- tos and music and features a Motown musical afterglow. With many publications moving to a digital-only format, Michigan Jewish History remains a a nostalgic, paper- bound book. Memberships to the JHSM begin at $36. To join, call (248) 432-5517 or visit www.michjewishhistory.org . Tickets for Motown Mensches Live! are $8 for JHSM and JCC members and $10 for others. Tickets are available at www.theBerman.org . ❑ JN November 29 • 2012 3