14 Friday, September 9, 1983
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Lobbying Pact
Nine U.S.-based corpora-
tions reached agreement
with the American Jewish
Congress last February that
shareholders will be in-
formed of the extent of the
firms' lobbying efforts on
behalf of the 1981 AWACS
arms packege sale to Saudi
Arabia.
A number of these firms
said they will not lobby on
behalf of U.S. Mideast pol-
icy in the future.
A NEW APPROACH TO POETRY
"ADVENTURES IN POETIC PROSE"
For Sale at
I BROWSE
33086 Northwestern Hwy.
West Bloomfield
855-9353
Excesses of youth are
drafts on old age.
SPITZER'S
of Harvard Row
Your Headquarters For All Your Holiday Needs
Mr. & Mrs. Joseph Spitzer
and staff
Wish everyone a
HAPPY NEW YEAR
We Have High Holiday
MACHZORIM
For All Synagogues
In The Detroit Metropolitan Area
Just Arrived
ISRAELI
Esrogim & Lulovim
at reasonable prices
1
1
Super Special
1
6 Doz. Israeli Dripless
CANDLES
$ 2 59
SPITZER'S
Hebrew Book & Gift Center
11 Mile & Lahser, Southfield
Harvard Row
356-6080 Open All Day Sunday
Holiday Stamps Cite Synagogues
By ISRAEL I. BICK
President, Israel Stamp
Collectors Society
The year 5744 has been
distinguished as the "Year
of Courage" by the Israeli
government. This year's
special "Mo'Admin Lesim-
ha" (Happy Holidays)
stamps have the theme
"Synagogues." Their de-
nominations are IS 3.00,
12.00, 16.00 and 20.00. One
(IS 20.00) suggests a visit to
Beersheva where the Eli-
yahu Khakascni Synagogue
is located. The other three
depict synagogues in Mount
Carmel, Jerusalem and Tel
Aviv.
The Beersheva design
was inspired by verses
26:23-25 of Genesis: ".
and he went up from thence
to Beersheva . . . and
pitched his tent there." The
synagogue building is built
in a modern style, made of
cast concrete, in the shape of
a tent. It rises 18 meters, 18
symbolizing life or chai.
Construction is without
columns or partitions and
its base is in the shape of the
Mogen David.
In 1924, the Yeshurun
Society was founded in
Jerusalem. Among its goals
was the building of an im-
pressive synagogue in the
center of town, where serv-
ices would follow a standard
ritual. It took 10 years to
raise funds and the cor-
nerstone was laid in the
spring of 1934. The first
services were held in 1936
and the worship style has
been adopted by congrega-
tions around the world. This
synagogue is featured on
the IS 12.00 stamp.
Fifty-five years ago the
Ohel Moed Synagogue
was consecrated in Tel
Aviv. It is still regarded
as the most beautiful
synagogue not only in Is-
rael but in the entire
Middle East. Ohel Moed
is the central synagogue
of the Sephardi commu-
nity of Greater Tel Aviv.
The building is in Byzan-
tine style. The dome is in
the form of 15 polygonal
steps, mirroring the 15
Songs of Degrees in the
Book of Psalms. The
synagogue has become an
historic site and many
tourists visit Shabat serv-
ices each week. It is the seat
of the Sephardi Chief Rabbi
and also houses the Rabbi
Uzziel Yeshiva. The syna-
gogue is illustrated on the
IS 3.000 stamp.
A more recent synagogue
has been selected for the IS
16.00 stamp. Situated on
the campus of the Technion
on Mount Carmel in Haifa,
the Ohel Aharon synagogue
was consecrated in 1961. Its
design is in the traditions of
Israel as "a House of Prayer,
a House of Study and a
Meeting Place."
The interior is reminis-
cent of the Touro Synagogue
in Newport, R.I., or the
Spanish Portuguese Syna-
gogue of Amsterdam, Hol-
land, where the bima is in
the middle of the sanctuary
and surrounded by rows of
benches, all facing inwards.
The building itself is sup-
ported on four pillars — a
construction which provides
an open space underneath
for the holding of various
ceremonies and social ac-
tivities.
Halitza Ceremony Explained
By RABBI SAMUEL FOX
(Copyright 1983, JTA, Inc.)
"Halitza" is the name of
the ceremony that takes
place between a widow who
was left without children
and her husband's brother.
The ceremony consists of
the childless widow cere-
moniously taking off a spe-
cial shoe worn for the occa-
sion by her brother-in-law
declaring that he will not
marry her. Then she re-
leases some sputum in his
presence and in the
presence of a Rabbinical
court.
Originally, the brother of
the deceased husband was
obligated to marry his
brother's widow as
prescribed in the Bible
(Deuteronomy 25) so that
this new marriage would
bear a child to be named
after the deceased brother,
as the Bible says, "to estab-
lish his seed." Some say this
obligation was to keep the
brother's estate from falling
into the hand of another
who might marry her. The
Bible then prescribes the
ceremony of Halitza in case
the brother does not want to
marry the widow.
HOLIDAY GREETINGS
Audette Cadillac, Inc.
See The 1984 Cadillac
See The 1984 Cadillac
/ I
ZaY /L/ 1 /(' 7
West Bloomfield
7100 Orchard Lake Road
851-7200