As part of my extensive interview with Republican mayoral hopeful Joe Lhota, I felt the following story might interest you:

On the first night of Shavuot as I was walking home from Shul, I came across a cousin of mine who asked me what I do for a living. When I told him I cover the race for mayor he started asking me this and that etc. A friend following him, interrupted my conversation by stating that out of all the candidates, �Yoely Lhota� stands the best chance.� �I am telling you, this Yoely Lhota knows what he�s talking about. He was already in government. He�s a fiscal conservative. I trust him,� the stranger said.

As I was walking home, I was thinking why would this guy call Mr. Lhota, who�s real name is Joseph,� Yoely? As I put in some deeper thought, I came to the conclusion that when uttered in one breath, Mr. Lhota�s full name sounds like Joel Lhota, especially among Hasidim, whose every second or third child, if born to a Satmar family in the 80?s and 90?s, is called Joel (Yoely in Yiddish slang).

When I recounted the story during my sit down with Mr. Lhota, he laughed. �Call me Yoely from now on,� he jokingly said.

(Jacob Kornbluh – YWN)