Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/895657
T he discovery of gold near San Francisco in 1848 sparked the "Great California Gold Rush," drawing thousands of prospective gold miners in search of fortune. The water main break last week on 14 Mile Road sparked the "Great Oakland County Water Rush," draw- ing desperate folks to the Meijer I was at in search of bot- tled water to flush their toilets with. Where were you and what were you doing when the boil water alert was announced a week ago Monday? I was reading about the water main break online while simul- taneously spitting out the coffee I had just made with unboiled tap water! My panic subsided "somewhat," when I remembered I had used our insta-hot water dispenser to make it. I conducted a Google search — because that's what a germa- phobe does — and learned that it heats water to 201-degrees. Though 11-degrees shy of official boiling water, I was "confident" I would remain microbe-free. To be certain, I Googled potential symptoms — because that's what a hypochondriac does. Alas, the shelves of cheap flats of bottled water at Meijer were bare. That's when I entertained the idea of at least buying a couple, large, expen- sive, flavored Fiji brand bottled waters to shower with, figuring it would act as a nice scented body wash. But that would be, if you will, scents-less. Off to Lowes, where I discovered "lots of flats of water on them thar shelves!" The only other customer "mining" for water was an assisted living apartment employee who was stocking up to help ensure the safety of the residents under his care. In hindsight, I shouldn't have pushed him out of the way. I'm kidding! I may have been lacking water, but not perspective. I've thought of what our fellow Flint citizens have been enduring. I've thought of the breath- taking devastation left by recent hur- ricanes. Not to diminish its impact — our hospitals, businesses and schools were greatly affected — but by comparison the water main break of 2017 was an unprecedented incon- venience and thankfully not a horrific catastrophe — and for that we should count our lucky stars … and empty water bottles. MUST-SEE EVENTS AT THE BERMAN CENTER Speaking of stars … Two great eve- nings of entertainment are coming up at the Berman Center for the Performing Arts. I'm honored to be the "opening act" at the Jewish Book Fair's Comedy Night on Saturday, Nov. 11, featuring two of television's funni- est writers. Susan Silver, author of Hot Pants in Hollywood — Sex, Secrets & Sitcoms, was one of TV 's first breakthrough female comedy writers. Among Silver's credits are the legendary Mary Tyler Moore Show, Maude and The Bob Newhart Show. Plus, Alan Zweibel, author of For This We Left Egypt? A Passover Haggadah for Jews and Those Who Love Them. Zweibel is a multi-Emmy award winner who was an original Saturday Night Live writer and whose credits include Curb Your Enthusiasm and The Late Show with David Letterman. On Thursday, Nov. 16, internation- ally renowned concert pianist David Syme will perform from Springsteen to show tunes at "An evening with Friends of Jewish Senior Life." Special guest performances by Temple Israel Cantor Michael Smolash and the Hillel Day School Choir are included. Your attendance will help the JSL continue to enhance the quality of life for older adults through programs and services that support aging with digni- ty and choice, and maximize indepen- dence. Nobody does it better than JSL! The evening will once again honor the memory and incomparable legacy of my dear friend and best-selling author, Jeffrey Zaslow. For tickets to both events, call the box office at (248) 661-1900 or visit theberman.org. • Alan Muskovitz is a writer, voice-over/acting talent, speaker, emcee and guest host on the Mitch Albom Show on WJR AM 760. Visit his website at laughwithbigal.com and "Like" Al on Facebook. November 2 • 2017 5 jn Alan Muskovitz for openers Water Woes views My Story My Story Health. A fresh start. A good education. The next great business idea. Hebrew Free Loan gives interest- free loans to members of our community for a variety of personal and small business needs. HFL loans are funded entirely through community donations which continually recycle to others, generating many times the original value to help maintain the lives of local Jews. Click. Call. Give Now. www.hfldetroit.org 248.723.8184 Hebrew Free Loan Detroit 6735 Telegraph Road, Suite 300 • Bloomfield Hills, MI 48301 @HFLDetroit Jordana Wolfson is a clinical social worker who worked for a long time in Jewish education. "I was a school principal, which was a wonderful experience, and I loved working with children," Jordana said. "Despite that, in the corner of my mind, I always wanted to go back and open a practice. Then, I was sitting in a workshop, getting continuing education credits to keep up my license, and one of the speakers said that social workers rarely think of themselves as entre- preneurs, and we should consider how we can build a business out of what we love. That spoke to me." Jordana launched Co-Parenting Solutions based on some of the interactions she saw daily with the school children. Certified in divorce mediation, Jordana works mostly with divorcing parents to adjust their personal dynamics and co- parent effectively, without going down a negative path. Jordana approached Hebrew Free Loan's Marvin I. Danto Small Business Loan Program for help with startup costs. "I was excited to get started, and my husband had just finished an expansion of his business, so the cash on hand just wasn't there. I knew it would be, but I didn't want to wait," Jordana said. "I'm impressed by HFL as a modern, relevant agency. The process was resp ect- ful, and they supported my idea. Because of HFL, I was able to put money and effort into marketing – logo, brochure, launch my website, get ads into different markets, and fund other things until I got going. HFL and my drive to succeed helped me take off quickly, and now I'm helping divorcing parents keep their kids developmentally healthy."