Humor, optimism resurface as 2021 nears

{Names in boldface type are those of known members of the Jewish community}

By Donald H. Harrison

SAN DIEGO — Perhaps it’s because vaccines developed by Moderna and Pfizer presage the end of the pandemic.  Perhaps because the awful year of 2020 is almost over.  Whatever the reason, humor and optimism are beginning to reemerge, and my mail box, and possibly yours too, are replete with examples.

An item related by Richard Lederer in the San Diego Union-Tribune criss-crossed the country.  Judith Rubenstein, Ed.D, forwarded it to Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin in Boca Raton, Florida, who in turn sent it on to me.  It tells of a sign in a French church, which when translated into English, reads: “It is possible that on entering this church, you may hear the Call of God. On the other hand, it is unlikely that He will contact you by phone. Thank you for turning off your phone. If you would like to talk to God, come in, choose a quiet place, and talk to Him. If you would like to see Him, send Him a text while driving.”

Hah! Hah! That story puts me in the mood to relate one that the late comedian Myron Cohen used to tell, and that my father, Martin B. Harrison,  the textile salesman, delighted in retelling:  Izzy Shapiro was a man of habit.  Every day at exactly at 12 noon, he took his seat in the same booth at his favorite delicatessen, and always, but always, ordered matzo ball soup.  For 20 years this has been his routine, to the point that at the instant he sat down his matzo ball soup was  immediately served.  But this day, Izzy didn’t eat the soup, as he normally did, with gusto.  He just stared at it.

“Mr. Shapiro,” asked the waitress.  “Is there something wrong with the soup?”

Shapiro didn’t reply.

“It is too hot?”

“Is it too cold?”

Alarmed at Shapiro’s silence, the waitress ran into the kitchen to tell the cook about the situation.  “Mr. Shapiro won’t eat your soup!”

The cook ran out to Shapiro’s table.

“Why won’t you eat my soup?” he asked.  “Are the matzo balls too hard?”

Shapiro still said nothing.

“Too soft?”

When Shapiro maintained his silence, the cook exploded:  “For 20 years, I’ve been making your matzo ball soup just as you like it!  You’ve never complained!  Now you’re not eating it, and I have a right to know why!  Tell me please, why aren’t you eating the soup?”

Shapiro looked up and said, “Taste it!”

“Okay,” said the cook, “I’ll taste it.  Where’s the spoon?”

“Ah-hah!” said Shapiro.

Myron Cohen had that kind of gentle humor, not like many comedians today who believe a joke isn’t a joke unless it contains at least one F-bomb.

I’m hoping that 2021 will be a far gentler year than 2020.

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Donald H. Harrison is editor of San Diego Jewish World.  He may be contacted via donald.harrison@sdjewishworld.com