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)