By Donald H. Harrison

SAN DIEGO, Calif.— Our sharp-eyed friend Melanie Rubin contributed two more Jewish license plates to our on-line collection.  Above, "EMAFOR4" means that the car's driver is a Jewish lady with four children.  Sometimes, in Yiddish, parents like to add the diminutive "la" to their children's name as a sign of affection.  So "MINDULA." below, means "little Mindy."

Leslie Pebley, the production manager of the San Diego Jewish Times, to whom Yiddish is far from a native tongue, told me yesterday that thanks to our online license plate collection, she finally has figured out the meaning of a line of dialogue in the old Mel Brooks' movie,  Blazing Saddles.  

As she recalls the film, as some characters are taking leave of each other, one says: ABGZND.  Thanks to the caption below, she says, that scrap of dialogue finally makes sense to her.  We, in turn, need to thank Lucy Goldman of San Diego, who provided us with the translation.  And, of course, our thanks go as well to the motorist who paid for the "vanity" plate in the first place.

Our collection is growing for all of us to enjoy, but not as quickly as I had hoped.  If you have a Jewish-interest license plate—or if you know someone who does, or if you see one — please take a digital photo of it and send the photo to us at sdheritage@cox.net.

In the meantime, here's a conversation using the words from the 10 plates we have so far.  Maybe when we get up to 100 plates, we'll have a contest to see who can weave the most interesting tale, using all the vocabulary: 

Said A MENSCH to a BUBBE.  "How you must love having grandchildren!"  

"Well," the grandma responded, "first I was an EMAFOR4 and then my children grew up and went to college.  Finally, I thought, I can now live BSHALOM. But then my MINDULA married and now I'm a BUBBE2.  And, do you know what my husband said? 'OYVAYMA, now I'm a ZAIDE.'"  

The mensch cupped the bubbe's chin and with a twinkle in his eye, told her:  "ABGNDT, you and your husband should enjoy that little grandchild and both of you should live TILL120."  




        
Yiddish: Upright, outstanding person      Yididish:  For you, only good            Hebrew: In peace

     
Yiddish: Grandma                                                Yiddish: Grandma 2                 Hebrew & English: Mother for 4


      
    
 Yiddish: Little Mindy                      Yiddish: Woe is me, Ma                                       Biblical: A life as long as Moses'

 
    Yiddish: Grandpa