THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS 24 Friday, January 5, 1919. I DISCO DISCO IS THE POPULAR WAY TO GO -Wedding-Graduation or Special Event. _ A Complete Program. including *Music *Lighting *Disci) JEWISH TRAVELOG by Bruce Baff Dance Demonstrations and Disco Dance Lessons By ARTA JAN . Guest teachers of the 1978 Dance Masters Convention of the state of Mich. call early for availabre open dates 852.8971 or 652-9736 MEN If You -Are A Size 40 or 42 In Clothing, or Size Medium In Sportswear, and you would like to buy wholesale, send us your name and address and you will be invited to our next manufacturer's sample sale. reply to: - The Jewish News 2157 17515 W. 9 Mile Rd. Suite 865 Southfield, Mich. 48076 - et e Lease Air Conditioned V-8, Auto, White With Red Leather Interior, Elec. Rear Window Defroster, Spt. Mirrors, Cruise Cont., TM/Tele- scopic Wheel, Raised Lettered Tires,-Am/FM Stereo, Pwr. Windows, Pwr. -Locks, Cony. Grp. Closed End Lease. 1 in Stock — Immediate- Delivery GLASSMAN LEASING, INC. 35 4.0570 28000 TELEGRAP H AT THE TEL-12 MA LL The "Jewish Traveler" has found a city where he feels as "at home" as he does in New York or Tel Aviv. The city is, of course, Rome. We were instantly "at home" in Rome, a city that is not only "eternal" but warm and friendly. The people are gracious and very attractive with a de- gree of sophistication that is hard to match. - The shops, especially on the Via Condotti, are filled with beautiful - things and even if you are not a shopper it's. hard not to be excited by the great array of merchan- dise, and even harder not to buy. The streets of Rome are a joy to walk. With an- tiquity all around, the mood is one of Old World charm. Everywhere you go you are confronted with fountains, monu- ments, or crumbling ruins that speak of the glory that was Rome. Since we were in Rollie on a Friday, we decided to go to services at the Chief Synagogue on the Lugote- vere Cenci. We reached the Chief Synagogue (in Italian, the Tempio Maggiore) and since it was Orthodox I entered on the ground floor and my. wife went up the stairs which turned out to be a five-flight climb. The synagogue is 77- years-old, very large, al- . most 100 feet to the top of POST HOLIDAY SALE 20.40% OFF ENTIRE INVENTORY Diamond& Pendants' Earrings Charms Watches Men's Rings. Ladies' Rings Bracelets the center dome, and quite ornate. It contains three arks in the main sanctuary because the temple was built on the site of five former synagogues and some of the original arks have been preserved in the new building. Inside the synagogue are two major plaques, one commemorating the Roman Jews who fought and died for Italy in World War I and the other in memory of the 73 Jews slain by the Nazis in 1944 in the Ardeatine Caves. The main synagogue also houses the Jewish Museum which is open every morn- ing except Saturday. The museum is filled with Judaica from the 18th Cen- tury synagogues which were originally on the cur- rent site. There are daily services in the synagogue. If you go to the first corner on the left outside the synagOgue, you'll find your- self on Via Portico d'Ot- tavia, the site of the original ghetto of Rome which was established by Pope Paul IV in 1556. At one time there were as many as 15 synagogues and 10,000 people packed-in to an area barely 1/3 of a mile square. While the narrow streets and old buildings of the ghetto have been preserved, the old houses are being re- novated into luxury apart- merits for the elite of Rome's business community. There are still- good Jewish restaurants in and around the ghetto area, including De Cos- tanza, Piperno, plus a small kosher restaurant on the Via Portico d'Ot- tavia. It's a short walk from the main synagogue to the cen- ter of old Rome with its Col- isseum, Roman Forum, and Palantine Hills. Across Jewish control of the Jewish from the main entrance to catacombs which contain the Colisseum is the Via the graves of 100,000 Jews buried almost 2,000 years Sacra on the Roman Forum. At the end of this short ago. The Vatican plans to turn street is the Arch of Titus which was built for the over the Jewish catacombs triumphant return of Titus to the Italian government to Rome after his victory who will in turn give control over Jerusalem in 70 CE. to the Jewish community Inside the arch are several headed by Rome's chief carvings which depict the rabbi, Elio Toaff. Vatican laborers have al- Jewish captives carrying the spoils from the sacked ready uncovered important city of Jerusalem including art works on the walls of the Jewish catacombs and have a large menora. It was tradition for many -found a burial ground for centuries that no Jew would rich Roman JeWs in the walk under the Arch' of Jewish catacombs on the Titus. However -, in World Via Appia Pignatelli, off the War II the Jewish Brigade Appian Way, south of Rome._ marched under the arch Roine's 15,000 Jews are after Rome was liberated as a -symbol that- the Jewish eager to welcome Jewish people who Titus sought to visitors from other coun- tries. So hop on a Pan Am destroy still lived. Not too far from the - 747, and enjoy_ the good life center of Rome is the of a Jewish traveler in Church of St. Peter in Rome. Chains (San Pietro in Vincoli) which contains a beautiful statue of Moses. by Michelangelo. In the By WARREN FREEDMAN same church under the Before World War II there altar there is a Jewish were 100,000 Egyptian grave which is said to contain the remains of - Jew's, and in May 1948, when the state of Israel was Hannah and her seven established, there were- sons. 64,500 Jews in Egypt. One of the main attrac- tions for all Jewish travel- Today there are, perhaps, ers to Rome has yet to open, 150 — all elderly and many • and that is the Jewish physically ill. These few catacombs that have long Jew's reside in Cairo and been under Vatican rule. Alexandria. Now a new Concordat is - . In recent months many being worked out by the Ita- lian government and the French Jews born in Egypt Vatican which provides for. have revisited their birth- places. They have been treated like any tourist — but tears came into their eyes as they viewed the Cairo stores and boutiques which still Carry their well-known Jewish names like Gattegno, Chemla, and Cicurel, but their owner- ship today is 100 percent Moslem. Creative Jewelers Master Charge &'Visa are Welcome 29173 Northwestern at 12 Mile, Franklin Plaza Southfield, 356-2525 - Rome's Jewish catacombs. w • -1 `11 • •4 • I Jews of Egypt •Shaar The Hashamayim Synagogue in Cairo is still open but not functioning. The old Jewish quarter, Haret el-Yahoud, once had seven , operating synagogues. (Rav Moshe Synagogue, in particular, is in rapid decay.) Many synagogues have been turned into mosques. Sale ends Jan. 20 Mon., Tues., Wed. & Sat. 10 to 6; Thurs., & Fri. 10 to 8 1 A kosher restaurant in the old Roman ghetto area. In Alexandria, the Eliahu-- Hanavi Synagogue, on the other hand, has been care- fully maintained, and is open for- religious services whenever a minyan is possible from Alexandria's 70 to 80 Jews. 1 4 • • •-o