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My Story

You Light Up My Life

A

s the words “Let there be
light” echo down to us from
the Bible, we become more
cognizant of the importance of light
in our lives.
Mythology gives
us the advent of fire/
light as Prometheus
steals it from the
deities on Olympus
to give to man. This
led to torches (coat-
ed with pitch or
other flammables),
Sy Manello
oil
burning lamps
Editorial Assistant
and candles. (One
“famous” lamp actu-
ally gave forth only a
genie; but there was
light at the end of Aladdin’s tunnel,
wasn’t there?)
Somewhere along that line, the
match was developed, which was
then used to light lanterns (both
kerosene and gas). Today’s campers

can use battery-powered ones.
The flashlight (still called a torch
in Britain) opened new vistas as min-
ers attached them to their helmets
and foolhardy young people found
their way in horror films.
Mr. Edison and his incandescent
bulb really brought us out of the
dark. Look now at the many develop-
ments from neon to energy-saving
bulbs. Thanks to those many deri-
vations, Paris is the City of Lights
and New York is the City That Never
Sleeps.
Party celebrants are always
delighted to get, and use, glow sticks
in their many permutations. We wear
them as head bands or necklaces;
we wave them at sporting events; we
use them as book lights at night or
as night lights to keep us safe from
things that “go bump” if we are not
otherwise shielded. Some folks have
even been known to use them when
deep-sea diving.

Of course, we should never ignore
light that we find in nature itself.
The beauty and awe that are inspired
by witnessing nature at work are
memorable. Take, for one example,
the aurora borealis; the light phe-
nomenon occurs when charged
electrons in the solar wind interact
with elements in the Earth’s atmo-
sphere. Also, there is St. Elmo’s Fire,
witnessed by many at sea. It happens
at times during thunderstorms and
there is an electric field and a dis-
charge into the atmosphere. (These
explanations are strong evidence
why Sy the Science Guy died a fast
death.)
If you get a chance to visit New
Zealand, be sure to visit the Waitomo
Caves to see the stalactites of glow-
worms; they truly are awe-inspiring.
Well, the next time you feel “in the
dark,” remember that we have much
more than Rudolph’s nose to light the
way. •

A Summer Limerick

S’iz zummer and it’s hays,
zayer hays, vay iz mir,
Ich can nisht believe that
summer is here.
So trink asach vaser, and try
to stay cool.
Gay to the beach or swim in
the pool.
Zummer, mein zummer, you
still are a dear.

S’iz zummer: it is summer
Zayer hays: very hot
Vay iz mir: an exclamation
of pain
Ich can nisht: I cannot
Trink asach vaser: drink a
lot of water
Gay: go
Mein zummer: my summer

— Rachel Kapen

As a child, Lori Pogoda learned
about Hebrew Free Loan from her
father, who served as an HFL Board
member. Her parents, she said, were
charitable and giving, and passed
that on to her, l’dor v’dor.
As an adult, Lori gave her time
and support to local causes, but was
looking for something more personal.
“I was on boards where my job was
primarily to help plan events and
raise funds,” Lori said. “I felt I wanted
to make a change in what I was doing
to work directly with people in need.
For example, I started tutoring children
in Detroit and having weekly outings
with JARC clients. When the oppor-
tunity came to join HFL, I jumped. It
fulﬁlls my desire to be hands-on,
help our community and see tangible
results. It’s heartfelt, and it’s why I’m
a volunteer and a substantial donor.”
Lori, a speech language patholo-
gist who worked with those who
suffered from strokes, has an interest
in helping area Seniors through
Hebrew Free Loan’s D. Dan and
Betty Kahn Older Adult Care Loan
Fund (KOACLF). “Older people
have so much to teach us,” Lori
said, “but it’s a tough time of life for
some of them. There is a lot of need
for KOACLF. People are living
longer, and when you care for an
aging relative, you want to do the
best for them. You say, ‘My Mom
needs this,’ or ‘My Dad needs that.’
A ﬁnancial boost to help with things
like stair lifts or converting home
doorways to allow for wheelchairs
can help keep their quality of life high.
“I am so proud and honored to be
a part of this agency,” Lori said. “It’s
about rachmones ﬁrst and foremost.”

Become an HFL Donor.
Click. Call. Give Now.
www.hfldetroit.org
248.723.8184

Health. A fresh start.
A good education.
The next great business idea.

Hebrew Free Loan gives interest-
free loans to members of our
community for a variety of
personal and small business
needs. HFL loans are funded
entirely through community
donations which continually
recycle to others, generating
many times the original value
to help maintain the lives of
local Jews.

6735 Telegraph Road, Suite 300 • Bloomfield Hills, MI 48301

Hebrew Free Loan Detroit

jn

@HFLDetroit

June 29 • 2017

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