88
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Friday, April 13, 1984
Rabbi's tomb in Israel source of marriage legend
Amuka, Israel — You
would need a very large
map of Israel to show
Amuka. There is no settle-
ment there, no village. But
you will be able to find it, if
you believe in miracles. For
Amuka is said to be the
source of many miracles,
and the reason that Or-
thodox Jews travel from all
across the world to come
here.
To reach Amuka you
must circumvent the beau-
tiful city of Safed in the
Galilee, and find the road
that leads to Rosh Pina.
Then take the opposite di-
rection along a narrow road
twisting and turning
through fragrant pine for-
ests.
Arrows thoughtfully pro-
vided by believers will lead
you towards the mountain
summit. There you will
come upon a deep valley and
see a lonely grave at the bot-
tom. You have found
Amuka.
These young Orthodox Jews are praying at the grave of
Rabbi Jonathan Ben-Uzziel a t Amuka, Israel in the hope of
being married within a year.
It is the grave of Rabbi
Jonathan Ben-Uzziel, born
in the First Century BCE,
Rabbi Hillel's most out-
standing pupil. Rabbi
Jonathan translated the
Prophets of Aramaic, and it
is said that a Heavenly
Intelligence, politicos' clash
topic of Hebrew U. meeting
Jerusalem — Friction
and even mutual hostility
exists generally in the con-
tact between professional
intelligence people and gov-
ernment policy makers,
said Prof. Yeshoshafat
Harkabi, director of the
Leonard Davis Institute for
International Affairs of the
Hebrew University of
Jerusalem, at a conference
on "Intelligence Evalua-
tions vs. Politicians' Percep-
tions" conducted by the in-
stitute on the Mount Scopus
campus.
with
dealing
In
intelligence-related mat-
ters, there is expertise
without authority, as far as
the intelligence community
is concerned, whereas the
politicians have authority
without expertise, said
Harkabi, a former director
of military intelligence for
the Israel Defense Forces.
The fact that the intelli-
gence presents evaluations
to the political echelon, but
that these evaluations may
not be accepted is a source of
the friction between the
two, said Harkabi. Addi-
tionally, he said, the intelli-
gence expert feels that his
advice is not sufficiently
sought.
On the other hand, policy
makers feel the intelligence
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people are lacking in politi-
cal orientation, said Har-
kabi. The political leader
bases his policy on overall
global perceptions, leading
to rather fixed policy lines,
and therefore the politician
uses intelligence informa-
tion more to support his pol-
icy rather than to change it,
Harkabi argued, whereas '
intelligence tends to be
rather pessimistic and to
stress problems.
In recent years, said Har-
kabi, the political echelon
has tended to rely less on
the intelligence community
than in the past, and indeed
gets much information from
the press.
One of the intelligence
community's tasks should
be to evaluate policy plan-
ning, said Harkabi, but the
politicians generally ref-
rain from asking for this to
be done, since this places
the intelligence people in a
position of judging policies
arrived at on the political
level. Even the intelligence
people themselves are re-
luctant to do this, he said.
In a specific evaluation of
Israeli intelligence and pol-
icy makers, in which four
former directors of Israeli
military intelligence took
part — Reserve Gens. Meir
Amit, Aharon Yariv,
Shlomo Gazit and Harkabi
— as well as the former di-
rector of the Mossad, Isser
Harel, it was generally
agreed that the intelligence
people should be involved in
a dialogue with the political
leaders, both before and
after policy decisions are
made.
Voice was heard demanding
to know who it was that had
revealed His mysteries to
man. Rabbi Jonathan an-
swered that he had done so,
"not for the sake of personal
honor, but in order that dis-
putes shall not multiply in
Israel."
And that's not all. It is
said that the words of Torah
were so sweet on the lips of
Rabbi Jonathan that bands
of angels gathered overhead
to listen.
How this learned man
came to occupy a revered
place in the minds and
hearts of many Orthodox
Jews so that his grave site
would be a destination of
hundreds of pilgrimages is a
story in itself.
It seems that because the
rabbi married very late in
life, he and his wife were
unable to fulfill the com-
mandment, "Be fruitful and
multiply." To compensate,
he told his disciples on his
deathbed that anyone who
fervently wished to marry
should pray at his tomb and
their petition would be
granted within a year.
I visited Amuka after a
young Australian told me in
Jerusalem, "I have been
wanting to marry for sev-
eral years, but somehow it
never happened. Then I
prayed at Amuka and two
days later I was introduced
to the young lady who will
be my wife before the end of
the year." He believes it is a
miracle made possible by
Falashas aided
Safed — The American
Association of Ethiopian
Jewry has shipped five tons
of winter clothing to Israel
for distribution to Falashas
who have been settled in
northern Israel.
Challenge grant
Wyncote, Pa. (JTA) — A
$200,000 challenge grant
has been presented to the
Reconstructionist Rabbini-
cal College.
his visit to Rabbi Ben-
Uzziel's tomb.
Who knows? It's hap-
pened enough times for the
legend to develop. Another
example. A few years ago, a
young girl praying for a
husband forgot her prayer
book at the tomb. It con-
tained her name and ad-
dress. A young man found
it, sought het out, and you
can guess the happy ending.
Marriage by miracle or
coincidence? Since then,
you'd be surprised how
many single men and
ecvomen forget their prayer -
books with their names and
addresses at the tomb.
When we reached
Amuka, it was early morn-
ing. At the top of the flight
of steps descending to the
grave, a Chasidic man
chanted Shacharit, the
morning prayers. His ca-
dences rose, fell, and were
lifted by the pine-scented
breeze towards heaven.
Birds sang as we descended
the stone steps between
avenues of olive trees, their
leaves glinting silver-green
in the warm sunshine, giv-
ing way to walnut trees as
we approached the
whitewashed stone tomb. -
It is a humble site. Over
the grave, a roof has been
built of asbestos sheet. A
small table holds prayer
books and there is a metal
stand with spikes to hold
candles.
It is easy to be caught up
in the magic of the site, in
this hidden valley of
enchantment high in the
mountains of Galilee.
Somehow you seem so close
to heaven and to the
Creator. The words of
Genesis return to mind,
"Male and female, created
He them."
Although it is very early,
David Karp
David Karp, retired
pharmacist and owner of
Karp Drugs in Detroit, died
April 6 at age 67.
A native Detroiter, Mr.
Karp was a former member
of Cong. Shaarey Zedek. He
was a past president of the
Detroit Retail Druggists
Association. Mr. Karp was
president for two terms of
the Michigan State Phar-
maceutical Association, and
while in office was its
youngest president.
He also was a member of
Mosaic Lodge of the Masons
and a founding member of
the Oak Park Lodge of B'nai
B'rith.
He leaves his wife, Julia;
a son, Fred, of Berkeley,
Calif.; two daughters, Bar-
bara and Nancy of Ann Ar-
bor; a brother, Aaron; a sis-
ter, Mrs. Saul (Adele)
Gaines of Margate, Fla.;
and one granddaughter.
people are already praying legend," Rivka said later,
there — a yeshiva boy in his surprised at such a ques-
teens and a family that has tion. "Why else would we
come especially from New have come from New York?
York to pray for a husband I know so many friends who
for Rivka, 20. Rivka's father were married within a year
has curled payess dangling of praying at Amuka —
in front of his ears and her how can you not believe?"
mother wears a sheitel, a Rivka's sister is also pray-
wig. Rivka's eyes are closed, ing for Rivka and perhaps
her forehead touches the also for her own chances.
United Jewish Appeal Press
cool stone of the tomb.
"Of course I believe the Service
J. Klein, helped survivors
receive reparation payments
Chicago (JTA) — Julius commander of the Jewish
Klein, former commander of War Veterans and led
the Jewish War Veterans of American Jewish efforts to
USA, died April 6 at age 82. win U.S. support for recog-
Mr. Klein, who attained nition of an independent
the rank of major general in Jewish state in Palestine.
He organized parades and
his military career, was
attending a college in Be- demonstrations of veterans
rlin when World War I of all faiths, and led "The
started. He was placed Shirt Off Your Back Cam-
under house arrest when paign," during which
the U.S. entered the war 100,000 uniforms were col-
but, with the help of a lected and shipped to the
friend, he got a Swedish Haganah in April 1948.
In 1948, at the request of
passport to France where he
joined the American army the U.S. government, Mr.
and became a war corre- Klein arranged a successful
spondent. He was 17 years meeting between German
Konrad
Chancellor
old at the time.
In 1933, Mr. Klein re- Adenauer and Israel's
entered the army as a pri- Prime Minister David
vate. His friend, Gen. Ben-Gurion to expedite re-
George Marshall (then a paration payments to
colonel) appointed Mr. Jewish survivors of the
Klein as chief of a secret in- Holocaust.
The Israeli government
vestigation of the German
American Bund. Mr. awarded Klein the War of
Klein's reports became the Independence Medal. A
basis for the FBI's efforts to month ago, the government
counter subversive activi- of Israel awarded him the
ties during World War II. Remembrance Medal corn-
During the war, Mr. memorating Jewish resis-
Klein served in the Pacific tance and combat during
Theater, receiving a World War II.
Mr. Klein also pursued a
battlefield promotion to col-
onel in 1944. He was successful career in jour-
awarded the Legion of Merit nalism and public relations.
with two oak leaf clusters, He served as an editor of the
the Bronze Star, the Hearst newspaper chain
Soldiers Medal for Heroism, from 1926 to 1933 and as an
the ribbon of the French executive of RKO Universal
Legion of Honor, and the Pictures from 1934 to 1939
Philippine Distinguished before establishing his own
Service Star. In 1946, Mr. public relations firm after
Klein served as special the war. In the famous play,
assistant to Secretary of "Front Page," the character
War Robert Patterson. named Dutch was modeled
In 1947, he was elected after Mr. Klein.
Ben Bonus , Yiddish actor
New York (JTA) — Ben which were warmly re-
Bonus, who made his repu- ceived by critics. The first
tation in the Yiddish thea- was "Let's Sing Yiddish," a
ter as an actor and a pro- revue in which he was a
ducer, died April 6 at age 63. star, producer, collaborator
Born in Horondka, Po- and, with his wife, co-
land, and brought to the director.
Mrs. Bonus said her hus-
United States in 1939, he
founded his own theater band spent almost his entire
group here in 1946, the Yid- life in the Yiddish theater
dish Mobile Theater. Later because of his love for it and
he organized the Farband also because of his knowl-
Players which toured the edge that the Nazis mur-
dered six million Jews, in-
United States and Canada.
He acted in and produced cluding his parents and his
more than 100 plays and family, and he felt he should
keep alive the songs, the
musicals.
Mr. Bonus brought sev- classics, the poetry and the
eral plays to Broadway, music of the Jewish people.
"Serving the Jewish community with traditional dignity and understanding"
543.1622
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