Scene Around

Wow! May 20 was my mom's birthday. Happy Birthday in Heaven, Mom. I love you and always will!

Do you believe these names?...

Remember Eppie Lederer? (Of course you do!) Esther Pauline "Eppie" Lederer might have been known to you by her pen name, Ann Landers. AHA! See I told you!

Ann was born on the 4th of July in Sioux City, Iowa. She was a super-famous newspaper advice columnist and Jewish, of course!

(Okay, so I don't give advice, but I'm Jewish too!)

Ann Landers was a pen name created by Chicago Sun-Times advice columnist Ruth Crowley and taken over by Eppie.

Here's another name you should know ...

Pauline Esther "Popo" Phillips. WHAT?? Okay, relax. I think you'll recognize Abigail Van Buren, also an advice newspaper columnist and also the sister of Ann Landers! Her column became the most widely syndicated newspaper column in the world. Another surprise! She and her sister Ann were born on the very same day, July 4, 1918. (I guess they were twins. Who knew?)

(I write a column and I'm Jewish but I don't give advice. I NEED ADVICE!!)

And a comedian I just loved ...

Remember Sophie Feldman? Of course, if you are close to my age (32...oh shut up!) you do!

Okay, you may recognize her as Totie Fields, one of the funniest comics I've ever heard! (Sadly, you would have felt the same way if you ever got to see her but she died so young at 48.

Actually, Ed Sullivan gave her the first big break when he booked her on his show. She became very famous and appeared on the Mike Douglas show, The Merv Griffin Show and even the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. She also worked on the Carol Burnett show and with Lucille Ball.

(She was super funny and had a sharp wit. I feel lucky to have known her!)

The Simon Wiesenthal Center ...

I received a letter recently from Rabbi MARVIN HIER, dean and founder of the Simon Wiesenthal Center. I pass it along, in part, to you:

"Even as we gratefully welcome the waning of the COVID pandemic, we are still living through historic times. At the Simon Wiesenthal Center, our hearts and prayers are with the people of Ukraine, including our Jewish brothers.

But there is another scourge we must tackle closer to home, as Jewish communities face ongoing escalating anti-Semitic hate crimes, from violence on the streets of Jewish neighborhoods in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles, vandalism against our schools and synagogues, and hate spawning rhetoric 24/7 on powerful social media platforms. Indeed, in January 2022, hate crimes against Jews in New York were up 400 percent from January of 2021, according to the New York Police Department. (Oy vay! I'm a native New Yorker!) Against this backdrop, I know you would agree that keeping Jewish communities safe is job number one for us all.

We all know that words alone will never stop anti-Semitic hate crimes. There must be accountability for the anti-Semitic perpetrators and enablers.

As a dedicated defender of the Jewish people worldwide and as a trusted partner of law enforcement, interfaith leaders, and all Americans whatever their color or creed, the Simon Wiesenthal Center is uniquely positioned to act to defend the Jewish people and to combat this wave of hatred.

In the last few weeks, Center leaders have held meetings with top officials at the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security in Washington D.C., engaged with top law enforcement officials in Los Angeles, and conducted in depth consultation in New York and Chicago with both governmental and communal leadership.

In response to the onslaught of hate in our communities, Center leaders have been criss-crossing the country, demanding that our elected officials tackle this issue and redoubling our efforts to help law enforcement do more to protect our brothers and sisters.

Nationwide, The Simon Wiesenthal Center is in regular contact with thousands of law enforcement officials from across the country through our acclaimed "Tools For Tolerance for Professionals" program. We continue to build on our relationships with leaders in the African-American community and the Asian community, and our interfaith alliances are building bridges among the Jewish, Hindu, Christian, and Muslim communities globally."

Defining antisemitism and anti-Jewish bigotry ...

The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance is on inter-governmental alliance of 35 member countries committed to combating anti-Semitism and preserving Holocaust memory.

The IHRA 's general definition of antisemitism is:

A certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities. For instance:

Calling for, aiding or justifying the killing or harming of Jews in the name of a radical ideology or an extremist view of religion.

Making mendacious, dehumanizing, demonizing, or stereotypical allegations about Jews as such or the power of Jews as collective ... such as the myth about a world Jewish conspiracy or Jews controlling the media, economy, government, or other social institutions.

Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis. (Does Putin come to mind?)

Accusing the Jews as a people or Israel as a state, of inventing or exaggerating the Holocaust.

Just a word about Ukraine ...

We have seen the images of the devastation in Ukraine... the bombing of innocents, the destruction of homes, cities in shambles and more.

(These images are personal in a sense. My ancestry is Ukraine. Although my mom was born in Montreal, Canada, and my dad in the U.S.A., my maternal grandparents and children, uncle Jack and aunt Betty, fled from Odessa and Kerson to Canada because of Jewish hatred. Jack and Betty grew up, married and had families in Brooklyn, N.Y., and that is where my parents met and married and eventually had me. LUCKY ME!)

What's in a name?...

I had the good fortune of being treated to lunch recently at the Bagel King Restaurant in Casselberry. Of course the food, as usual, was delicious, but my waitress was fabulous! She was there in seconds when called and she was right on with the orders and much more. (The only problem I had with her is that she was too pretty. I can't stand competition!')

Her name is KAYLIN.

Also, the other day I went to "A Plus Nails" in Winter Park for a pedicure. (My toes were neglected for almost 2 years due to the pandemic.)

Also too pretty, was my attendant, KYLIE, who cared so much for me and my comfort that she must be given a shout-out!

(Hmmm...Kaylin and Kylie... what's in a name?)

Winter Park Playhouse ...

The Winter Park Playhouse is located at 711 N. Orange Ave. in Winter Park. The phone number is 407-645-0145.

The show "Pump Boys And Dinettes" is being performed now through June 12th.

The 'Pump Boys' sell high octane on Highway 57 in Grand Old Opry country. The 'Dinettes', Prudie and Rhetta Cupp, run the Double Cupp diner next door. Together they fashion an evening of country western songs that received unanimous raves on and off-Broadway. With heartbreak and hilarity, they perform highly entertaining toe-tappers such as "Drinkin' Shoes," "Farmer Tan" and "The Night Dolly Parton Was Almost Mine!" on guitars, piano, bass and yes, kitchen utensils.

(Sounds like "down home" fun. Wait... I was born in Brooklyn!)

One for the road ...

Two men came into a restaurant on the lower eastside of Manhattan. The first one asks for tea.

The second also asks for tea "and make sure the glass is clean" he tells the waiter.

The waiter returns with two glasses of tea. "Two teas: Who gets the clean glass?"