THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS FOCUS Friday, April 20, 1984 I SAID SHOE REPAIR I COME IN FOR QUALITY WORK Harvard Row Mall, 11 Mile & Lahser 355-3628 M-F 9-7, Sat. 9-6 Elijah local boy made good BY CARL ALPERT Special to The Jewish News Haifa — We in Haifa take a special interest in Elijah, for he made his home here for many years. He has sometimes been likened to Santa Claus, so prominent in Christian consciousness • at Christmas time. Prof. Sol Liptzin notes, however, that unlike Santa Claus, "Elijah does not have to steal into homes through chimneys, even when bringing gifts. For Elijah, the front door is opened, the cup of wine is filled, and warm hospitality is extended, even if he enters as a beggar, and brings no gifts." When we first came to live in Haifa, I used to take our children for walks across the Carmel, which in effect meant our back yard. The little ones were deeply impressed when I pointed out that the stones they were kicking out of their path might have been the very ones which Elijah the Prophet had also kicked aside when he lived here. Though Elijah is gener- ally accepted as the legen- dary patron of Haifa, the only civic facility which bears his name is a very modest stone-stepped alley, leading from Abbas Street to Stella Maris Road. Better known, of course, is Elijah's ' Cave, but the local resident will at once ask which one you mean. There are two of them. That recognized by the Christians is the cave over which the Carmelite Monastery is built on top of the mountain. It is a rather small excavation in the rock, located just behind the church altar. The other Cave of Elijah, situated al- most at the foot of the Car- mel, where the mountain comes closest to the sea, is accepted by Jews and Mos- lems as the genuine site. Tens of thousands of "be- lievers" come here each year seeking miracles to solve some of their personal problems. Some of the supplicants camp out in the area. Perhaps the highest peak of the Carmel range is known by its Arab name, Mukhreka, the place of the burning. Legend marks this as the site of Elijah's famous duel with the false prophets of Baal. We visit the place often. Today a paved road leads all the way to the top, where another Carmelite Monas- tery is located. This one is truly isolated. Its only water supply is what is saved from the winter rainsp or trucked up the moun- tainside. It generates its own electricity. There is no telephone. The view from here is magnificent, commanding almost all of northern Is- rael. One of the guide books reports that the heroic statue of Elijah located in the monastery courtyard is new, since the original one had been destroyed by militant Arab forces in Is- rael's War of Independece. The Arabs believed that the Jewish prophet was defend- ing his people, and they were taking no chances. We queried Bishara Suida, who has for many years been the caretaker of the monastery. He had a different story. The old statue had been made of plaster, and after some 75 years of weathering the tourist assaults, it had sim- ply crumbled away. One of the loveliest of the Elijah legends (and there are many) tells of the hot summer day the Prophet went out for a walk on the Carmel. He became thirsty, and seeing a field of ripe, juicy melons, he asked the farmer if he could have one. Replied the farmer: "Me- lons? Those are just rocks!" "Very well," said Elijah. "Let them be rocks," and on the spot all the melons were transformed into rocks. Legend? Well, on our walks around the Carmel we have come across melon-shaped rocks which, when split open, look exactly like fossilized me- •ions inside. Scientists tell us that these are geodes, de- fined as hollow stones lined with crystals. Maybe! To us they are Elijah's melons, and we shall be happy to show them to visitors. I Expires 5-4-84 I II WITH THIS AD I INNINNIENININImilmoommemsommosommisom A STRICTLY KOSHER MEAT MARKET 13831 W. 9 Mile Rd., Oak Park 543-7092 GLATT KOSHER MEATS (at reasonable prices). WHOLE VEAL 60-10 VEAL .79 lb. $1.85 lb. lbs.• 1/2 WHOLE CHUCK OF BEEF 50-60 lbs SHOULDER OF BEEF ise lb. $1 69 lb. $ 1.79 lb. All cut & freezer wrapped. Our meat and store are kashered for Pesach Many More Specials In Our Self Service Counter Under Supervision of The Council of Orthodox Rabbis - 12 Mile & Southfield Open 1 Days Mon. thru Sat. 9-7, Sunday 10-5 THE QUALITY & THE PRICES ARE RIGHT Plenty of Free Parking 557-6820 -• Prices effective thru April 26 MIKE'S QUALITY FRUIT MARKET HAS ALL YOUR PASSOVER NEEDS: PARSNIPS, ROOT PARSLEY, DILL, HORSERADISH, FRESH FLOWERS, FRESH FRUIT BASKETS, AND MUCH MORE! SINAI or FEINBERG NEW FLORIDA KOSHER SALAMI or BOLOGNA TOMATOES 58c pound $025 dia pound , POTATOES ied or White (l 4 pounds for nc 9w WE REGULARLY CARRY MANY FRESH FRUIT 'AND FRESH PRODUCE ITEMS THAT OTHER MARKETS CALL "HARD TO GET" WE MAKE IT FRESH! NATURAL PEANUT BUTTER 99 EXTRA FANCY L te*Q 2 CALIFORNIA 4.4%,? . PISTACHIOS' cpound REMEMBER MIKE'S FRESH SQUEEZED ORANGE JUICE! $349 pound I I I I Ladies Heels .. $2.50 I I Men's Heels $3.75 $16 . 50 1 1 1 Half Soles & Heels I Full Soles & Heels /1.95 I I I I Ili ORTHOPEDIC SHOE WORK DONE 1 1 We fix zippers, handbags, luggage, I 1 suitcases and leather jackets MIKE'S QUALITY FRUIT MARKET VINE RIPENED 47 DELICIOUS YOGURT COVERED RAISINS $ 2 69 pound WE CARRY A COMPLETE SELECTION OF IMPORTED AND DOMESTIC CHEESE AT THE LOWEST PRICES.