JANUARY 9 • 2020 | 5

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wo of my favorite 
things are food and 
words. To that end, I 
should like to present exam-
ples of how we include edible 
items into our 
daily talk.
If you are in a 
career, it is your 
bread and butter. 
When you get 
a promotion, 
milk it for all it’
s 
worth. Pay raises 
may ensue if your boss, the big 
cheese, recognizes your value 
and is brimming with the 
milk of human kindness. You 
both know you won’
t work for 
peanuts.
Mess with a bully (someone 
who would take candy from 
a baby) and you are toast. If 
you have insulted him, you 
may have to eat humble pie. 

Whatever you do, do not egg 
him on.
If you are not a couch pota-
to, you may find a task per-
formed is easy as pie. You may 
even observe that doing it was 
“a piece of cake.
” Working with 
ease is your cup of tea.
If you know someone who 
is fond of only the basic food 
items, you’
ll know you are 
dealing with a “meat and 
potatoes man” — er, I meant 
person. Do not go bananas in 
having to cook for him; just 
remain as cool as a cucumber.
If a suggested plan seems 
to be questionable, you may 
think it sounds fishy. If you 
invest poorly, you may find 

that the scheme was a “fine 
kettle of fish” and has left 
you in a pickle. Well, do not 
stew about it; realize you have 
bought a lemon and you will 
have little to show as the fruit 
of your labors.
To argue successfully, make 
sure you are not comparing 
apple to oranges. To avoid 
arguing, do not be one to spill 
the beans if you have been told 
of a secret enterprise.
Once you become aware 
of your propensity for food 
expressions, you are on the 
gravy train as a conversation-
alist. B’
tay avon — good appe-
tite. 

The Days are 
Getting Longer

I don’
t like living in a world 
where people don’
t have what 
they need.
I do like living in a world 
where people help others to get 
what they need.
Over the last couple of 
weeks, the community has 
filled Jewish Family Service 
up with its generosity. JFS’
 role 
is to spread this generosity 
throughout the community to 
the Chanukah and Christmas 
celebrators who don’
t have 
what they need.
This season, 850 people 
received that generosity from 
more than 500 generous 
donors. Generous individuals. 

Generous families. Generous 
congregations. Generous 
workplaces. All “adopting” 
families.
Scooters and balls and 
games and jackets, and so 
many other familiar gift items. 
Wrapped beautifully. Walking 
around JFS’
 Adopt-A-Family 
“workshop,
” I noticed some 
paper towels. Then some kitty 
litter. Then some dishwashing 
liquid. More paper towels. This 
made me feel so sad and also 
so happy. 
Whether we know it or not, 
acknowledge it or not, there 
are lots of families, right here 
in the Jewish community, not 
so far from our homes, that 
need paper towels and soap. 
And they don’
t just need help 
during these dark and cold 
months. Families need help in 

April and July, too. 
Jewish Family Service, our 
sister institutions and the 
Jewish community provide this 
light to help brighten others’
 
darkness. All of us, if we are 
lucky enough to provide for 
ourselves, need to continue to 
bring this light to everyone.
 As the days imperceptibly 
get longer, let us all commit 
to help our neighbors in the 
most dignified and respectful 
way we can. In December and 
April and July and every day.
I don’
t like living in a world 
where people don’
t have what 
they need.
I do like living in a world 
where people help others to get 
what they need.

— Perry Ohren, CEO

Jewish Family Service

Sy Manello
Editorial Assistant

letters

for openers
I’ll Eat My Words

Peters Joins Anti-
Semitism Task Force

Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) 
joined the U.S. Senate 
Bipartisan 
Task Force for 
Combating Anti-
Semitism. 
Last year, Sen. 
James Lankford 
(R-OK) and Sen. 
Jacky Rosen 
(D-NV) launched the task 
force. The collaboration is 
the first of its kind in the 
U.S. Senate, serving as a 
corollary to the House of 
Representative’
s Bipartisan 
Task Force for Combating 
Anti-Semitism.
“With evidence showing 
that anti-Semitism is on 
the rise, we are taking a 
stand against this disturbing 
ideology and violent acts 
of hatred,” said Senators 
Rosen and Lankford. “We 
are proud to be joined by 
colleagues on both sides of 
the aisle who are committed 
to working together to pre-
vent anti-Semitism before 
it starts, and to educate, 
explain and empower our 
communities to combat 
anti-Semitism.”
Noah Arbit, founder 
and chair of the Michigan 
Democratic Jewish Caucus, 
said, “The establishment 
of the Senate’
s anti-Semi-
tism task force is incredibly 
important, and I am thrilled 
to see Sen. Peters continu-
ing his long-standing record 
championing the issues and 
concerns of Michigan Jews.”
The task force has 32 
members, spilt evenly 
between Democrats and 
Republicans. 

Se. Gary 
Peters