THE DETROIT JEYVJSH.NEWS
NEWS
friday May
May 18 1984
1
..
43
DINNER THEATRE AT
HYATT REGENCY 0 DEARBORN
presents
JIMMY LAUNCE starring in
"TRIBUTE"
Israel prepares for Lag b'Omer Sunday
BY HERB KEINON
The 50 days between the
Exodus from Egypt and the
Giving of the Torah, be-
tween the ripening of barley
and the harvesting of
wheat, between Pesach and
Shavuot are, in Judaism,
commemorated by the
"counting of the Omer." Due
a number of tragic events
which befell the Jewish
people at t is season, this
period is traditionally one of
mourning. Weddings are
forbidden, haircuts and
shaving prohibited and fes-
tive celebrations are ser-
verely limited.
On the thirty-third day of
the Omer, however, nearly
everything goes. On Lag
b'Omer, music is played,
bride and groom are united,
and it is customary, within
the ultra-Orthodox com-
munity, to give a three-
year-old boy his first hair-
cut. Although shrouded in
mystery, a number of ex-
planations exist as to the
festive origins of this one-
day's joyous respite.
Some commentators
maintain that it was on this
day, over 1,800 years ago,
that the forces of Bar
Kochba, rebelling against a
tyrranical Roman regime,
pushed back Hadrian's op-
pressive forces, fortified
Jewish towns, and — for a
fleeting moment — re-
captured Jerusalem.
Others, including the Tal-
mud, attribute Lag
b'Omer's festive nature to
the belief that on this day
there was a brief cessation
of a devastating plague
which decimated the ranks
of Rabbi Akiva's disciples.
In Israel, however, Lag
b'Omer celebrations center
around the life and times of
yet another great Mishnaic
personality: Rabbi Simeon
bar Yohai. Tradition main-
tains that on Lag b'Omer
Rav Simeon, a central fig-
ure in mystical Jewish lit-
erature died. Though not
customary to celebrate on
the anniversary of a
Interfaith groups names
Wilma Naimark president
Wilma Naimark was
elected president of the
Women's Division of the
Greater Detroit Round
Table of the National Con-
ference of Christians and
Jews.
helped organize the parents
clubs, the KDB Teens for
the city of Detroit and the
Youth Film Forum of the
Greater Detroit Motion Pic-
ture Council.
"tzadik's" death, legend has
it that a great light and joy
surrounded Rav Simeon's
deathbed because on this
day he revealed to his disci-
ples the hidden and mysti-
cal meaning of the Torah.
The tomb of Rav Simeon,
situated on Mt. Meron, has
been the focal point of Lag
b'Omer pilgrimages since
the late 14th Century. With
increasing joy and fervor,
the tradition of a festive cel-
ebration on the slopes of this
Upper Galilee mountain
has continued,almost un-
abated, to the present day.
Meron on Lag b'Omer is
incredible. It's a "yiddishe"
Mardi Gras — a massive
Jewish carnival. Thousands
of people — Ashkenazi and
Sephardi, religious and sec-
ular, young and old —
gather at this usually calm
hillside for a night and day
of continuous celebration.
The walk up the paved
road to Rav Simeon's tomb
is a veritable showcase of
Jewish culture. Every
available inch of space is
lined with makeshift booths
manned by merchants sell-
ing miniature Sephardi To-
rahs, lambskin drums, pita
filled with spicey kabab,
candy, cassettes and
pocket-sized editions of the
Zohar, that classic of Jewish
mysticism traditionally,
but erroneously, attributed
to Rav Simeon bar Yohai.
Yemenite women in
colorful robes, T-shirt clad
youths, red fez and white
robe bedecked Moroccans,
Chasidim in their streimels,
soldiers in full uniform all
fill one with a swelling
sense of pride.
"THE CLUB"
2ND FLOOR
I
'WHOLE SLAB
DINNER FOR 2
•
CHEF JAMES LEHANE
Coupon Per Purchase
(125
RESTAURANT & COCICTAILS
GREENFIELD AT 10 MILE
967-3922
FINAL 2 WEEKS!
BILLY
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DANCING TUES. THRU SAT.
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Sun., Mon., Wed. & Thurs. 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
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HE SERVED THE KENNEDYS
Wychmere Harbor Club, West Harwich, Mass.
HE SERVED PRESIDENTS
THE F1TP1 PLACE and
ICE CREAM PARLOR
YOUR BEST STOP FOR
DESSERTS! •
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32
Wilma Naimark
O
Mrs. Naimark is a reci-
pient of the coveted Heart of
Gold award of the United
Foundation and has been
president of many organiza-
tions including the League
of Jewish Women's Organ-
izations, the Detroit Auxil-
iary of Alpha Omega Dental
Fraternity, Hanita Chapter
Pioneer Women, the
ayor's Committee to Keep
Detroit Beautiful, Inc., and
the Greater Detroit Motion
Picture and TV Council.She
has served on the Jewish
Community Council for
nine years, is a member of
Hadassa.h and is presently
vice president of the Michi-
gan Mothers Association of
the American Mothers, Inc.
In 1981, she was cited by
the Alpha Nu and Chi Par-
ents Clubs of Alpha Omega
"for dedicated and distin-
guished service." She
HE SERVED WITH OLYMPIC
CHEF STORE ANDERSSON
Captain U.S. Culinary Olympic Team
Flavors
ICE CREAM CONES, SUNDAES
AND HAND-PACKED
(CHEESE CAKE & PIES BY SLICE OR WHOLE
COUNTRY VILLAGE CENTER - EVERGREEN & 12 MILE
357-3490
NOW HE SERVES YOU!
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15831 FENNELL, 11311. E. OF GREENFIELD
273-8844
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25290 GREENFIELD North of 10 we Rd
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CATERING FOR ALL
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25226 GREENFIELD AT 10 MILE
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I 967-39991
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