January 29 — Happy birth-
day to Connor Sobol (1/31)
and Michael Feldman (2/4).
Happy anniversary to Jerry
and Lorraine Bogursky (1/30).
Reminder: Community
Lunch Program is Saturday
from Noon until 2:00 p.m. at
the Woodridge Village Hall.
Former Woodridge resident
Mort Laitner shared the fol-
lowing story (with my edits)
with me that I enjoyed and
thought you might too.
“I grew up with rabbits. In
the summer they hopped
through my life and into my
garden. They, like deer, were
part of our daily scenery. These
white furry mammals always
brought smiles to my face ex-
cept when I found them in my
garden munching on my car-
rots, peas and string beans.
“I, in my best Elmer Fudd
voice, raised my clenched fist
and yelled, “You darn wab-
bits. It’s wabbit season, and
I’m hunting wabbits.” They
feared Elmer, so they hopped
and hid in their rabbitat, only
to return in my absence. They
ate half of the fruits of my
labor but were always kind
enough to leave thank-you
notes in the form of tiny, per-
fectly round brown pellets.
“Each season they made
their appearances. In winter,
while schussing down “Pink
Cloud” at Davos, I spotted
them on the sides of the slope
camouflaged under snow-
laden trees. In fresh snow I
followed their tracks across
the ski trails and laughed re-
alizing that I knew why Pink
Cloud was a bunny slope.
“In the fall, while hiking the
woods near the Woods Pond
Rod and Gun Club, I’d
watched rabbits scurry across
the birches as if they knew
hunters were taking aim.
“In the spring I watched
them scamper around empty
bungalows. They played, frol-
icked and chased each other
as only lovers can. Their hare
brains totally focused on pro-
creation or recreation or
both. They had abandoned
their fear of rifles as they
hunted for carnal pleasure.
“Fifty years later, in Cooper
City, Florida, the suburbs of
Fort Lauderdale, in a land de-
void of rabbits. They can be
purchased in pet shops and
that’s where my neighbor buys
a pair of bunnies for his kids.
“December 1st eight rabbits
are touring my cul-de-sac
seeking freedom, after bur-
rowing under my neighbor’s
fence. These free-roaming
rabbits still bring smiles of joy
to my face as I recall my
country childhood.
“That afternoon, my wife
hung blue and white, Stars-
of-David Hanukkah lights on
our soffits, planted a four-
soffits, planted a four-
foot-high menorah covered in
red, green and yellow light
bulbs and secured a spinning,
blinking three-foot-high drei-
del into our front lawn. At
5:30 p.m. I plugged in the
cords to the dreidel, the stars
and the menorah. I watched
transfixed as the lights glis-
tened and the four-sided top
slowly started to spin.
“I was not the only partici-
pant enjoying the festival of
lights. One of the bunnies sat
transfixed, staring at the turn-
ing dreidel. As if experiencin
g
a religious awakening, this
Hanukkah Bunny spent the
next 30 nights on my lawn, in
front of my dreidel, as if he or
she, (I did not have a clue),
wanted to send a biblical mes-
sage. For a solid month this
biblical bunny returned ever
y
night to the same spot mes-
merized by the blinking, spin-
ning lights and spent the entire
night in the glow of the dreidel.
“It was the miracle of the
Hanukkah Bunny. A great
miracle happened there in
Cooper City. A bunny sent
a
message of awe, dedication
and love to those celebratin
g
this joyous season.”
WOODRIDGE
I
JOAN
