A Feast for Bedouin Mk, Sheikh Abu Robia
By MOSHE RON
Jewish News Special
Israel Correspondent
More than 1,500 guests ar-
rived in hundreds of cars
from Upper and Lower Gali-
lee, from the villages of the
East Bank, cities and villages
of West Bank and the Gaza
Strip. They were joined by
large numbers of sheikhs
and notables from the Negev.
All were heading for one of
the biggest feasts of the
Bedouin in the Negev since
the establishment of the state
of Israel.
Guest of honor at the feast,
which was given by the new
Knesset member, Homed
Abu Robia, was Deputy Pre-
mier Yigal Allon. On his ar-
rival his car was surrounded
by dozens of horse and camel
riders, who accompanied him
to the huge tent of the
sheikh. There were so many
guestg that many of them
had to remain outside the
tent.
Deputy Premier Allon, the
mayor of Hebron, Sheikh
Muhamed Ali Tabar, the
Druze Knesset member
Sheikh Jober Muadi, Beer-
sheba Mayor Eliyahu Nawi,
the police commander of the
southern district Haim Tab-
ori, the prime minister's ad-
viser on Arab affairs, Shmuel
Toledano, were sitting on
colored rugs. In the middle
of the tent were 40 notables
from Mt. Hebron, close by
sat the sheikhs and notables
from the Gaza Strip and
Sinai. All were gay, con4
gratulating and feasting
Sheikh Robia, the first Be-
douin representative elected
to Israel's parliament, the
Knesset.
After drinking the sweet,
bitter coffee according to
Bedouin custom, Sheikh
Robia addressed the as-
sembled. His words were
transmitted by loudspeaker
all over the area. He thank-
ed all for helping his elec-
tion-list and promised not to
foster his own personal aims
but to work for the interests
of the Bedouins, especially
for building new schools, in
order that each Bedouin child
gets the necessary education.
He said he would help
those Bedouin who wish to
study at universities and
who would assume respon-
sible leadership positions in
the future in the Bedouin
community.
In his speech he mention-
ed the fact that many Be-
douins had to cultivate leased
land: as they had been ex-
pelled from their own plots.
He said: "The question of
ownership of these properties
is very important for us and
I shall do everything possible
in the Knesset to find a
legal solution to it."
His faction is planning to
open information centers in
various parts of the country,
to deal with the special prob-
lems of the Bedouins.
After speeches by Knesset
member Sheikh Jober Muadi
and Arab mayors of villages
in Galilee, Deputy Premier
Allon said: "Sheikh Homed
is an honest man who loves
peace. I have known him a
long time and congratulate
him on his achievements.
These are the first indica-
tions of peace between Israel
and its neighbors. We are
on our first path to peace
and let us hope that we shall
succeed."
A group of Bedouin enter-
ed the tent with large plates
of lamb and cooked rice; 150
lambs were slaughtered for
the feast. Not everyday does
such a feast take place. Nor
is the election of a Bedouin
sheikh to the Knesset an
every-day affair.
Festival Defined Extensively 8 TI:r E idD uE y TRIT rctEIN1 951114:47Er
Be safe on your vacation
up and live.
in J PS 'Passover' Paperback trip—buckle
A source book with most
valuable information about
the festival has been issued
as a paperback by the Jew-
ish Publication Society of
America.
"Passover," by Mordell
Klein. the newest addition to
the JPS Popular Judaica
Library, provides an histori-
cal background, explains the
order of the seder service
and contains the very basic
data drawn from tradition,
legend, Jewish experiences.
Illustrated with color pic-
tures as well as black and
white drawings, the JPS
book traces history from
earliest times, takes into ac-
count the Christian aspects,
deals with the ages to the
present.
It touches upon ritual,' the
songs of the festival and the
manner of the festival's
observances.
For the Lord your God is
bringing you into a fine land,
a land with streams of water,
with springs and pools well-
ing up in the valleys and on
the hills.—Deut. 8:7.
IF YOU TURN THE
UPSIDE DOWN YOU WON'T
FIND A FINER WINE THAN
Milan Wineries; Detroit, Mich.
in BIRMINGHAM at
WILSON-CRISSMAN CADILLAC,
CALL BUS. MI 4-1930
RES. 642-6836
1350 N. WOODWARD, BIRMINGHAM )
See us first,
I you have to h i
e MA
Poet in Residence David Rosenberg
For the big occasions in your life,
Shifman's would like to introduce you to
Jacques Dupres. He isn't just your friendly
tailor down the street. He's the biggest
fashion name in Montreal, and is making
waves throughout the entire fashion world.
So when it comes time for the special suit,
or sport coat, for Passover, important
meetings, or just because you want to
feel good all over . we suggest
you treat, yourself to a Jacques
Dupres. The suit shown here cost
$200.00. Once you try it on and
look in the mirror, you'll know
it's one of the biggest bargain-
you've ever known.
All the folks at Shifman's
wish you and your family a
HAPPY PASSOVER. (OAK
PARK, LINCOLN SHOPPING
CENTER ONLY)
Gains New Inspiration from Psalms
David Rosenberg. son of
Mrs. Herman Rosenberg of
Southfield and the late Mr.
Herman Rosenberg, did not
go beyond his Bar Mitzva
studies in the United Hebrew
Schools. But the early inspi-
ration remained and he has
retained great respect for
the pioneering Zionist work
of his father who was an as-
sociate of Vladimir Jabotin-
sky in Revisionist and Betar
Zionist allegiance. (Herman
Rosenberg died four days
after delivering the material
for this article to The Jewish
News. See obituary Page 55).
The younger Rosenberg,
who was the only Univer-
sity of Michigan student
to win a double Hopwood
Literary Award, is now Poet
in Residence of the Connecti-
cut State School System. In-
spired by the Psalms, using
English and French transla-
tions, he is now working on
a series of his own interpre-
tations of the biblical works.
His rendition of Psalm 137
is presented here as an indi-
cation of the form his inspira-
tion is taking from traditional
writings.
PSALM 137
Into the rivers of Babylon
we cried like babies, loud
unwilling to move
beyond the memory
the flowing blood
of you, Israel
to an orchestra of trees
we lent our harps
silently leaning
where the enemy shoved us,
"asking" tender songs of
Israel
under heavy chains
"give us songs of Israel"
as if we could give our
mouths
•
to a strange landlord .. .
If I forget thee
sweet Jerusalem
let my writing hand wither
my tongue freeze to ice
sealing up my voice
my mind numb as rock
if I forget
your kiss
Jerusalem on 'my lips .. .
My Lord
remembers., you, Edomites
Jerusalem raped vivid as
daylight
you who screamed to strip
her
strip her naked
to the ground
0 Lady Babylon
Babylon the destroyer
lucky man who holds you
who crushes you
who opens your mind
to wither instantly in air
who holds up your crying
babies
as if to stun them
against solid rock.
Israel Banking Firm
Operating Funds Up
if
NEW YORK — PEC Israel
Economic Corp. reported a
21 per cent rise in net oper-
ating income (income before
net' gains on sale and dis-
position of securities and
loans) for 1973 to $1,401,972,
or $1.57 per share, from
$1,153,863, or $1.31 per share
in 1972.
Net gains from the sale
and disposition of securities
and loans during 1973
amounted to $25,066, com-
pared with $250,013 the pre-
vious year. The company
paid a cash dividend of $1
per share for 1973. PEC,
'which provides capital to
enterprises in Israel through
equity investments and loans,
is a subsidiary of IDB Bank-
holding Corp. Lt., Tel Aviv.
LINCOLN SHOPPING CENTER
10 1/2 Mile and' Greenfield
LIVONIA MALL •-,Y,t
Middlebelt and 7 Mile
MACOMB MALL •-•••••••••
Masonic and Gratiot
BRIGHTON MALL
Grand River and 1-96
CHERRY HILL PLAZA
Cherry Hill Road and Inkster
"Go and travel the length
and breadth of the land; for
I am giving it to you . . ."
—Gen. 13:17.
.