TRAVEL I L'SHANA TOVA FROM OUR METROPOLITAN DETROIT CONSERVATIVE SYNAGOGUES • MICHIGAN REGION UNITED SYNAGOGUE OF AMERICA 5075 West Maple Road, W. Bloomfield, MI 48322 (313) 855-5950 Larry W. Lando Alan J. Tichnor Michigan Region President International President Carol Tarica Rabbi Jerome M. Epstein Administrator Exec. Vice-President/Chief Exec. Officer Ann Arbor Farmington Hills Southfield Congregation Shaarey Zedek Rabbi: Irwin Groner Associate Rabbi: William G. Gershon Cantor: Chaim Najman Associate Cantor: Sidney Rube Congregation Shaarey Zedek - B'nai Israel Center Rabbi: Dr. Sherman P. Kirshner Cantor: Barry Ulrych Executive Director: Leonard P. Baruch Director Education & Youth: Michael Wolf Nursery School Director: Janet Pont President: Yale Levin 160 FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 1991 a1 (-\ N An Arab workman hand-chisels each individual stone. Jerusalem Of Gold Jerusalem Of Stone Special to The Jewish News Oak Park Congregation Beth Shalom Rabbi: David A. Nelson Cantor: Samuel Greenbaum Ritual Director: Samuel Semp Administrator: Sallie Jarvis Education Director: Cyril Servetter Youth Director: Faith Tam President: Gloria Ellis West Bloomfield Congregation Beth Achim Rabbi: Martin J. Berman Cantor: Max Shimansky Rabbi Emeritus: Milton Arm Rabbi Emeritus: Benjamin Gorrelick Ritual Director: Joseph Baras Executive Director: Beth A. Robinson Youth Director: Katie Price President: Dr. Eric M. Gordon W _/ PAMELA NOVAK Beth Israel Congregation Rabbi: Robert Dobrusin Administrator: Martha Oleinick Education Director: Aviva Panush Youth & Family Program Coordinator: Michael Pont President: Steven Klein Adat Shalom Synagogue Rabbi: Efry Spectre Associate Rabbi: Elliot Pachter Cantor: Larry Vieder Associate Cantor: Howard Glantz Executive Director: Alan Yost Youth Director: Polly Eini Nursery School Director: Dottie Levitsky President: Dr. Harry Maisel K Congregation Beth Abraham Hillel Moses Rabbi: A. Irving Schnipper Assistant Rabbi: Aaron Bergman Cantor: Ben Zion Lanxner Sexton: Joseph Mermelstein Executive Director: Joseph Tarica Education & Youth Director: Barry Levine Nursery School Director: Joyce Epstein President: Arthur Smith Congregation B'nai Moshe Cantor: Louis Klein Sexton: Shalom Ralph Executive Director: Steven Schneider Youth Director: Ann Kovsky President: Michael Grand For information regarding other Conservative Congregations, please contact the United Synagogue office. I t is one of the ironies of Jerusalem's complex his- tory that the city's trademark — her rosy-hued chiseled stone walls — comes from her former British oc- cupiers. Seventy years ago, the military governor of Palestine, Sir Ronald Storrs, ordered that all buildings in Jerusalem be built of natural stone. The British have gone, but Storrs' law still stands. Thanks to him, through the turmoil of the past 70 years, Jerusalem has kept her rosy golden hue. But nothing in Israel is without controversy, and the law on building with stone is no exception. Modern ar- chitectural designs often call for a lot of glass, and city planners have to decide how much stone it takes in order for a building to be considered stone. Recently an architect had to compeltely redo the design for a large office com- plex because the city planners ruled that the original design had too much glass. Even the swimming pools are not ex- empt from discussion — some charge that the inflatable plastic bubbles over hotel swimming pools violate the law on building with stone. "Every once in a while, an ex- ceptional project will start a new discussion about the law on building with stone," said D avid Kroyanker, a Jerusalem architect. "But I expect that stone will con- tinue to be used for most buildings in Jerusalem, even modern skyscrapers." Using stone is very costly. New buildings are generally constructed with a two-inch layer of stone over a six-inch wall of concrete, and the stone accounts for about 30 percent of the cost of the building, ac- cording to Jerusalem contrac- tor Avi Ben Giat. Every stone is chiseled by hand, and stone-cutting is a skill that takes years to learn. Most of the stonecutters are Arab. "Arabs are specialists in stone," Mr. Ben Giat said. "From the age of 15, boys are chiseling stone next to their fathers." Jerusalem itself is stone for Eddi Mor, a Jerusalem artist who has been carving art and ritual objects out of the red- dish stone for 20 years. "Stone is mentioned many times in the Bible — in New buildings are generally constructed with a two-inch layer of stone over a six- inch wall of concrete. reference to walls, burial places, altars, etc.," said Mr. Mor. "All the holy places in Israel are stone." Two-hun- dred years ago Yemenite Jews could be found carving Chanukah menorot out of stone, but no-one has really used stone, except for building, since then. Now there are perhaps three other Israeli artists besides Mr. Mor who work in stone. "Every piece of stone has its own story," Mr. Mor said. Because Israel was once covered by a sea, Mr. Mor finds pearls, agates and fossils of ancient shells in the N N