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OPEN EVERY SATURDAY 11-4 PM DOD SAKS TOYOTA: 478-0500 35200 Grand River - Farmington Hills . , .......... • ,....,, ..., ----. • -_ ,........:.:.:.,. PRAY FOR PEACE i • •• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 56 FRIDAY, MARCH 15, 1991 aifa — Of all the tales to come out of Israel in recent weeks, the most extraordinary is that of the Sagorsky family. Shimon and Rachel Sagor- sky were an average low- income Israeli couple. He was a mechanic, but wound up as a truck driver, spending long, weary hours on the road. She worked in an office and in a kindergarten for a while, but finally devoted all her time to raising their four children. With the help of their parents they were able to ac- quire a small, three-room flat in a neighborhood housing project. Life was difficult; they were able to make both ends meet, but little more. Often they dreamed of a bet- ter future. Shimon was a soccer fan, and his one weakness was the purchase of weekly tickets for the football pool, in which participants try to guess the winners of the league games. There were big prizes. One could dream, couldn't one? Shimon turned on his radio one Saturday night and heard the results of the games. He had guessed them all correct- ly. The top prize that week was the highest in the history of the football pool — 7.2 million shekels. Since he had to share the prize with another winner, his share was 3.6 million shekels ($1.8 million). When the shock wore off they began to plan. They bought a new car, took a trip abroad, made a contribution to their synagogue, helped their children, who were now being married off one by one, invested a major portion for their future. But the main goal was at long last to have a fine home of their own. The Sagorskys saw many lovely villas in Ramat Gan, but most were too pretentious for their more modest tastes. They finally chose an old house, built by a German cou- ple, and now in run-down condition. When the couple died they had bequeathed the house to the Soldiers' Welfare Associa- tion, which now offered it for sale. It would need con- siderable refurbishing, but it was a solid, well-constructed building. Shimon had to submit a bid for it. He wanted the house, but did not want to offer too much. And so he resorted to his penchant for luck. He chose the first three numbers of his car license, 316, added three zeros, and bid $316,000. His was the highest bid. The next was $312,000. The renovations began amid a flurry of contractors, choice of materials, colors, tiles and interior decorations. This was to be their dream home, and they threw them- selves into the task with enthusiasm. The workmen installing new plumbing, and ex- cavating near the founda- tions, came across a small chest of foreign currency and a gold bar — a total value of about $100,000. The workmen, the Soldiers' Welfare Association and the Sagorsky family claimed the treasure. The matter went to court, and in January the Sagorskys won the case. They completed the renova- tions, handed their old flat They struck it rich twice, and then .. . over to their youngest daughter, now getting mar- ried, and moved in. They planned a house-warming. Everything was ready, just as they had dreamed, though the pictures had not yet been hung. There were sparkling ceramics and marble, picture windows, wall-to-wall carpeting, house plants, a gleaming kitchen. The old house even had a solidly built concrete shelter. It was late Friday after- noon. Rachel lit her Sabbath candles. Evening came on, and then the wailing of the air raid sirens sent them scur- rying to the solid concrete shelter. They heard a boom, but felt nothing in their solid refuge. When their radio brought them news of the all- clear, after what seemed like an interminable wait, they emerged to discover that the Iraqi Scud missile had land- ed next door, and the concus- sion had blown their house in- side out. The old solid walls had re- mained, but doors and win- dow casements were all gone, and the insides were a shambles. What the bomb did not do, the pouring rain completed. For the time being, they have moved in with one of their children, and are now laboriously beginning the painful process of starting all over again. ❑