Monday, September 17, 2007

ARRRHH (AGAIN)

Arrrhh

Strap on those cutlasses, Esteemed Readers (heh heh...he said strap on...heh heh) and get ready for International Talk Like A Pirate Day, Wednesday, September 19.

As a holiday, it makes at least as much sense as some of those lesser-observed Greeting Carrrhhd Holidays like Grandparents’ Day, or Bohunk History Month. Or Tishah b’Av, for that matter.

I broached the subject with the Minyan Boys this morning. Houston Steve, who with me endured a long weekend of Golf and Pirate Talk back in July, is already on board:

“If you’re a pirate, where are your buccaneers?”

“Under me buckin’ hat, matey!”

It wouldn’t require much of a change to our morning routine. I mean, we already daven Sharrrhhcharit every day, starting with Birkot ha-Shacharrrhh, continuing through Barukh she-Amarrrhh, the Arrrhhshrei, the Arrrhhmidah, and Arrrhhleinu. And this week, with Yom Kippur fast approaching, we add Arrrhhvinu Malkeinu.

And there’s even some historical resonance, for I come to find out that none other than Jean Lafitte, the Gentleman Pirate of New Orleans, was a Jew, having been descended from a family of crypto-Jews who converted to Roman Catholicism in the fourteenth century but who continued to practice their Judaism in secret. Lafitte’s maternal grandfather was later put to death by the Inquisition.

I can imagine Jean and his mother discussing his career choice. “What, you couldn’t be a dentist like your cousin Sidney? What kind of way is this to make a living for a nice Jewish boy?”

So marrrhhk your calendarrrhhs, Esteemed Readers...you don’t want to miss this Important Occasion! No! Farrrhh from it!

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