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A Tale Of Two Margies
W
really afford dinner out?
hen I was a teenager,
It wasn’t always like this. My mother-
I could have written a
in-law recently introduced me to her
babysitting manual. I had
babysitter — not the one she paid $5
it down to a science: First play with
an hour to watch her kids, but
the kids (the more they love
the person who looked after her
you, the more jobs you’ll
when she was a baby, almost 70
get), then make sure they go
years ago!
to bed (parents love it when
My mother-in-law, Margie
their kids are sleeping). And
Burstyn, was born in a
then, finally, raid the kitch-
displaced-persons camp in
en, being super careful to
Bergen Belsen, Germany,
scrunch up cookie packages
to two Holocaust survivors.
so it looks like you never
Rochel Burstyn
In the same building as the
touched them.
young family was a 13-year-old
Fast-forward a few years
survivor, also named Margie
and suddenly I find myself
(now Burdowski of Commerce
in the role of one who pays
Township) and Babysitter
for a babysitter whenever
Margie used to babysit Baby Margie.
I go out. And it’s not a measly $5 an
I was fascinated to meet Babysitter
hour anymore. Oh no, in the years
Margie and I asked her: Where did
since I toiled at babysitting, that fee
the young parents go when you were
has quadrupled. The stock market
babysitting? What did you do with
may have taken a beating, the hous-
the baby? And, of course, the knuckle-
ing market may have crashed but, to
biting question of parents everywhere:
date, the highest paid laborers in the
How much did you charge?
land are teens who do nothing more
Babysitter Margie, now a great-
than arrange themselves comfortably
on the couch in the general vicinity of grandmother and with a memory
clear as a bell, shared that in those
your peacefully sleeping child.
days parents didn’t “go out” like we do
Remember those complicated old
today. The young parents in question
math problems from school where
weren’t off to the movies or dinner; they
you had to work out how fast the
were just doing stuff around the apart-
train was traveling? Suddenly its real
ment. But they had no family to rely
life, only the question is: If you’re pay-
on, so Babysitter Margie pitched in and
ing the babysitter a small fortune and
pushed the baby around in the stroller
you only earn a regular wage, can you
… After all, Baby Margie was a very cute
baby and it was her pleasure.
And charge? Nobody got paid! She
did it to help the young couple out. Just
a little chessed (kindness).
Eventually, Baby Margie reached
the shores of Detroit and Babysitter
Margie settled in Ohio. On a visit to
Detroit, Baby Margie’s mom introduced
Babysitter Margie to the man who
would become her husband.
Years passed and, in that time, both
Margies grew and built their respec-
tive families. Throughout the years,
the two Margies kept in touch and still
get together on occasion to reminisce
about an era long gone.
It makes you wonder, doesn’t it?
When so much money is involved, it
just somehow cheapens the interaction.
I mean, after forking over half my sal-
ary to a modern-day babysitter, I really
don’t want to see them too often!
It’s only chessed that lasts forever. •
letters
Immigration
Problem In Israel
It seems there is an immigration
problem in Israel, too, that has been
brought to the attention of Detroit
Jewry (“#Blacklivesmatter in Israel,
Too,” Feb. 1, page 5).
The State of Israel has a challenge
no other nation has — to maintain
a homeland for world Jewry, facing
the mostly hostile Middle East and a
mostly hostile world, represented in
the United Nations.
Israel, like the United States, is a
wonderful country with many out-
standing contributions to the world
but with problems achieving total
justice.
It is the responsibility of Israeli citi-
zens to work on their problems; it is
the responsibility of American Jews to
work on our problems.
There are two kinds of Zionists: citi-
zens of Israel and supporters of Israel.
raised largely with no parent at home
until dinnertime. Thus, they are so
dependent on social media. We need
to get everyone focused on this crisis.
One thing leads to another and before
you know it, you have $40,000 of
credit card debt. You’re not happy
about it, but you say to yourself,
“I can handle it. The minimum
payments are only $1,000/month and
each month I’m paying $500 extra
so it will go away.” The problem is
that it does not go away! When you
pay the $1,500 every month, you
leave yourself cash short; so when
you need to purchase something, you
charge it! The result – the balances
don’t go down – in fact they continue
to creep up until you’ve tapped out
your available credit. If the cards
are at 18% interest, you’re paying
$7,200 per year in interest. Over 20
years = that’s $144,000 toward your
retirement that you’ve forever lost –
plus the interest you would have
earned on that money while you were
saving it. Don’t Make this Mistake.
You need to get rid of the credit card
debt – and the sooner you do it, the
sooner you begin saving the $1,500
per month – for every month going
forward. Call us, we’ll show you
how it’s done.
Harvey Bronstein
Southfield
Shoshana Wolok
West Bloomfield
Teen Mental Health
Thank you for beginning the year-
long series on teen mental health. I
am relieved to learn of the massive
effort both by the Jewish Federation
and by the Jewish News. We can’t
solve this entirely, but we must do
everything that we can.
Todd Krieger’s column (“Anxious
Times, Growing Concerns,” Feb. 1,
page 6) touches on all of the causes
but one. Today our children are being
Financial
Cancer
CORRECTION
Jordyn Gudeman
In the story “Go Nuts
For No Nuts,” (Feb. 8,
page 46) the wrong
photo was used. This
is Jordyn Gudeman,
who owns Eddie G’s
Cookies, www.
eddiegscookies.com.
THAV GROSS has been solving
its clients’ business, tax and fi nancial
problems since 1982. Be sure to tune
in to the Law and Reality – Sunday
mornings at 11 AM on TV20.
thavgross.com lawandreality.com
30150 Telegraph, Suite 444
Bingham Farms, MI 48025
jn
February 15 • 2018
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