(My thanks to Marcos Sokiransky from Buenos Aires for the true story on which this joke is based)
One Friday night I was in the synagogue and the Rabbi was giving his usual sermon. At the end of his speech, he told the congregation, “Before we continue, I would like to inform you that our synagogue has decided to collect goods for the most needy people in our area. It’s for a good cause and we need your help. Please bring us this Sunday anything you have lying around your house that you can spare or have no great need for. For example, I’m sure that you can all think of something that you have excess of.”
Behind me I heard the voice of an old lady saying to her neighbour seated next to her, “Yes, Tsuris.”
(Tsuris: A word referring to all problems, trouble, grief, aggravation and heartache. Examples: daughter pregnant with child of an unemployed Catholic bartender, adult son loses job and moves back home. Major tsuris: daughter and baby ‘Bridget’ move back home too.)
Credit: David Minkoff, A Word In Your Eye