OLDSMOBILES FOR LESS
1990 CUTLASS CALAIS COUPE
SALE PRICE:
$9,050
First Time Buyer
$8,450*
Option II
Deduct $470
STK # 736
lease for $192
50
*
1990 CIERA SEDAN
SALE PRICE:
x11,325
First Time Buyer
$10,725 *
Peruvians proudly clutch the Torah in Elon Moreh.
52 Peruvians Convert,
Move To West Bank
MICHAEL JON VIGODDA
Special to The Jewish News
S
ome 52 Catholic-born
Peruvians from Lima
have completed a
three-year conversion to
Judaism and emigrated to
Israel, living in the West
Bank settlement of Elon
Moreh.
How they came to change
their religions and countries,
leaving behind friends, family
and familiar culture for the
hills of Samaria is a story
that begins in 1943.
Zerubabel Villanueva was
15 when he began to read
what he knew as the Old
Testament, which he had in-
herited from his father. The
youth studied it diligently.
After many years and com-
parisons, he became convinc-
ed Judaism was the natural
choice.
"Later, I brought my
brother into Judaism and we
found people we could get
close to so that we could try
to observe Jewish customs,"
says Zerubabel. "We joined a
commune of vegetarians so
we could keep kosher and
observe the Sabbath."
In 1961, they separated
from the commune. "We went
from home to home to gather
the believers. We felt like mis-
sionaries," he says.
With a band of 60
"believers; Zerubabel and the
rest of the community moved
to Cajamarca, in the Andes
mountains. "We started giv-
ing more attention to dietary
laws and Shabbat. All the
family members changed pro-
fessions so we would not have
to work on Saturdays as
salaried workers. We named
our group 'God's Israel.' "
In 1967, the group moved to
the Amazon jungle so that
they could "be free to live our
lives as Jews and farmers.
"All those years we tried to
get in touch with Peruvian or
Israeli rabbis in a search to
find someone to circumcise
us," says Zerubabel. Out of
fear of performing the ritual
operation on adults, many
rabbis refused.
In 1971, a doctor from
Lima, Reuben Cogan, agreed
to perform the operation. But
this created a schism within
the community; not everyone
agreed to be circumcised.
The group split in two.
"After the split, we came back
from the Amazon to Cajamar-
ca and started to work more
intensively for aliya.
"We met an immigration of-
ficial in Lima named Simcha
Netzer and with the Israeli
ambassador, Gidon Tadmor.
They advised us to write the
chief rabbi in Israel, who
adivsed us that it would be
much harder to perform the
conversion there. Eight
months ago, a rabbi in Lima
converted us. Then we decid-
ed to emigrate to Israel as
soon as possible."
An Israeli rabbi, Iliahu
Avichail, who heads an
organization called Amishav,
dedicated to returning the
lost tribes to Israel, was in-
formed of "God's Israel" by an
Israeli engineer returning
from Peru. He worked for
almost a year to bring the
families to Israel and make
sure they would have a
religious environment.
Rabbi Avichail went to Peru
to meet with the group last
summer and oversee their
conversion ritual, after they
had completed a three-year
veracity period under the
auspices of the Lima rabbi.
He agreed to conduct the con-
version. ❑
Option II
Deduct $648
STK # 608
lease for r$ 233.10
SAABS FOR LESS
1990 9000 CD TURBO 4 DOOR
SALE PRICE:
$29,578
WAS
$33,378
GLASSMAN DISCOUNT
$3,800
STK # SO46
leaser for $441
25
* *
1990 900 TURBO CONVERTIBLE
SALE PRICE:
$28,954
WAS
$32,454
GLASSMAN DISCOUNT
$3,500
STK # S187
OLDSMOBILE SAAB 354-3300
28000 Telegraph •Te1•12 Mall • Southfield
•plus tax, title & plates.
• •Closed end lease for qualified customers. Pymt. based on 48 months w/S1000 down for Oldsmobile models, 60 mos. w/S100 down for Saab models. First month
pymt. and 5225 security deposit (Oldsmobile), $450 (Saab). 60,000 ml. limitation (Oldsmobile), 75,000 mile limitation (Saab). 10' per mile over 60.000 (Olds), 15'
per mile over 75,000 (Saab). Lessee has no obligation to purchase vehicle at lease end but has purchase option at price to be determined, at lease inception.
Lessee Is responsible for excessive wear and tear. To get total payments multiply ma pymt. by 48 (Oldsmobile) or 60 (Saab). Subject to 4% use tax plus lic., title and plates.
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
3