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Marjorie Gottlieb Wolfe
Syosset, New York
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According to Steve Israel ("A History of the Canadian Jewish Community", Jews have resided in Toronto, Ontario since the early 19th century. Since the 1970s, the city has been home to the largest Jewish population in Canada.
The majority of Canadian Jews--114,000--live in Toronto, and more than 65,000 live in the municipalities. 70% of the GTA's Jews live within eight kilometres of Bathurst Street and more than 200 Jewish schools, synagogues, shops and community centres are within walking distance of Bathurst St. In Toronto. Around 40% of Jewish children attend Jewish elementary schools and 12% go to Hebrew HIgh Schools.
There have been two Jewish mayor, Nathan Phillips (1955-62) and Mel Lastman (1998-2003).
It has been a tumultuous week for embattled Toronto Mayor, Rob Ford.
The Ford saga continues to gain international attention. The Daily Show's
Jon Stewart devoted more than 6 minutes to the development, replaying
Ford's video tirade in its entirety. Jay Leno said simply, "God bless this
man. This is God's gift to comedy. I love this guy."
Perhaps the Yiddish speaking residents of Toronto would enjoy sharing the following quotes:
"mittelmessiker" (average man)
"perfekt" (perfect)
"I'm just an average guy. I'm not perfect."
"shikker" (drunk/drunkard)
"ongetrunken" (drunk)
"I'm not an addict. Why would I go and say I'm an addict when I'm not an
addict. I'm not an alcoholic. I'm not a drug addict."
"lign" (to lie)
"ligner" (liar)
"I didn't lie. I don't smoke crack. I haven't smoked crack in over a year."
"paskudne" (nasty)
"This, folks, reminds me of when Saddam attacked Kuwait and President
Bush said, ‘I warn you, I warn you, folks, if you think American-style
politics is nasty, you guys have just attacked Kuwait."
"shande" (shame)
While some spectators expressed their support of Ford, others chanted, SHAME. SHAME. SHAME.
"mistome"/"mashmoes" (probably)
[on driving/on whether he had indeed been reading a document while
driving on the Gardiner Epressway], "Yeah, probably."
"kinigl" (rabbit)
"diete" (diet)
[after losing 10 lbs. in his first week of dieting] "Basically i'm just running
a lot, lifting weights and not eating. Well, eating like a rabbit."
"genug" (enough)
"gezunt" (healthy)
[on his weight-loss campaign]
"Enough's enough. It's the heaviest I've ever been. And Doug and I went down to Florida and we just discussed it. I've got young children, and this is not healthy. You can't be running the city, you can't be doing all this, at
330 pounds. You guys know it, I know it, we just said, all joking aside, let's
do it."
"meshuge" (crazy/nuts)
[on his radio show]
"They're pathological liars, that's what drives me nuts."
"bahaltn" (to hide)
"farbay" (past/gone)
"I have nothing to hide. I would do anything, absolutely anything, to change
the past, but the past is the past and we must move forward."
"talant" (talent)
"talantart" (talented)
Jay Leno said, "Here's the greatest part of this story. Mayor Ford and
his brother, Doug, got their own TV show. It premiered early tonight.
Isn't that unbelievable? Finally, a TV show with people on it with less
talent than the Kardashians." (FYI: The show was canceled after its first
episode.
"prostitute"/"nafkeh"/"kurveh" (prostitute)
"The revelation yesterday of cocaine, escorts, prostitution has pushed me
over the line."
"krankayt" (illness)
Sarah Thompson said, "I think he's [Ford] got an illness and he's got to
deal with it and he's hurting Toronto and Toronto's beautiful city." FYI: Thompson alleges that Ford "grabbed her behind" at a Canadian
Jewish Political Affairs Committee event. Ford has repeatedly denied the
incident.
"fusbol" (football)
[After Councillor Pam McConnell was knocked own by Rob Ford as he
seemed to charge a heckler], "This is a seat of democracy, it's not a
football field." McConnell, a petite woman in her 60s, visibly shaken
after Ford ran her over, said she never expected the chaos that broke out.
"opshporn" (to save/put away)
[tells AM640 why he thinks city councillors are determined to kick him out
of office], "They don't like me saving money, that's the bottom line."
"redn" (to talk)
David Letterman's iconic top 10 list was devoted to going through Ford's
mind while he was considering his answer to a question about whether
he had purchased illegal drugs in the last two years.
#10 "Is he talking to me?"
"valn" (election)
[said during an impromptu phone-in appearance]
"If they want me out they should just call a snap election."
"narish" (silly)
"Security had called in saying that they just wanted crowd control,
because things were getting silly."
"yoysher" (integrity)
"When you attack my integrity as a father and as a husband I see red."
"komedye nakht" (comedy night)
[about being lampooned by late-night comedians]
"That's right, they can make fun of me...You know, they can laugh
all they want. They don't--they don't know Rob Ford."
"budzhet" (budget)
The City Council voted to cut Ford's budget by 60%. This means he
no longer heads the executive committee.
"ich vais nit" (I don't know.)
[ how to keep convicts out of the city]
"I don't know, and that's why I'm going to sit down with the Prime Minister
and find out how our immigration laws work. Obviously I have an idea, but
whatever I can do to get ‘em out of the city I'm going to."
"bruder" (brother)
"Anyone that was at the Argos game, [Rob Ford] was a rock star
there. He was more popular than the Argos themselves."
Doug Ford, Rob Ford's brother
"ganev"/"zhulik" (crook/thief)
"krum" (crooked)
"raykh" (rich)
"I'm the best father around...I'm going to explain what they're hearing. I'm
straightforward with my kids. I take my kids out, and I bring them to my
daughter's dance lesson. I'm teaching my son how to skate. I'm way
supportive. And my wife's had some issues. Well, you just dismiss them,
you just walk away? I don't walk away from any one, Bill, in life. I'm
sitting here and support people that are down and out. All these rich,
elitist people, I'm sick of them. I'm sick of them. No, they're perfect,
they don't do nothing. Get out of here. They don't do nothing,
they're the biggest crooks of all."
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MARJORIE GOTTLIEB WOFE will be speaking at the following S. Florida libraries this winter.
Delray Beach - Jan. 9, 2014
Okeechobee Library, West Palm Beach - Jan. 10
Lantana Road Library - Jan. 14 and Feb. 11
Hagen Ranch Road Library - Jan. 13
Greenacres Library, Lake Worth - Jan. 27 and Feb. 24
Gardens Library, PB Gardens - Feb. 19 and March 12
Glades Road Branch Library - Feb. 26
She will also be speaking at the Ross JCC on Feb. 5 and on March 5
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