great value and needs to be
known. Here is the syn-
agogue historiography as
provided for us conceptually
by Dr. Birnbaum:
The synagogue, as a place
of congregational prayer
and public instruction, had
come into existence long
before the destruction of
the Second Temple and the
cessation of the sacrificial
worship. It is generally
assumed that the -syna-
gogue had its beginning
during the Babylonian
captivity in the sixth cen-
tury before the common
era, when the Jewish peo-
ple were separated from
their Temple and its cen-
tralized sacrificial system,
and was brought to Judea
after the restoration of
Zion and the rebuilding of
the Temple.
It has been estimated
that approximately four
million Jews of the
Diaspora had more than a
thousand synagogues by
the time the Second Tem-
ple was destroyed in the
year 70. The third-century
synagogue at Dura-
Europos was excavated in
1932-35. Biblical scenes
were painted on its walls.
During the Second Com-
monwealth there were
hundreds of synagogues in
Jerusalem and the rural
towns of Eretz Yisrael.
Egypt is known to have
had many synagogues dur-
ing the third century
before the common era.
The celebrated synagogue
of Alexandria, Egypt, was
a magnificent edifice in the
form of a basilica, in which
the most important crafts
were represented - gold-
smiths, silversmiths, weav-
ers - each having an ap-
pointed place. Inscrip-
tional evidence has reveal-
ed some 12 synagogues in
ancient Rome.
Throughout its long
history, the synagogue has
been the spiritual home of
the Jew; hence the various
titles by which it has been
known: house of prayer,
house of study, assembly
house, people's house, little
sanctuary.
As we keep sanctifying our
house of worship, on Rosh
Hashanah and always, we
are hereby provided with
history and tradition. Thus,
the synagogue is a great life-
protecting instrument for
our people. We embrace it
with great pride as we corn-
mence the New Year,
Tashnav - 5752. ❑
I NEWS I
Communique Seeks
Hebron Attacks
Jerusalem (JTA) - A
communique issued last
week by the so-called
Unified Command of the in-
tifada condemns recent
death threats made in the
administered territories
against the Palestinian
leaders who met with U.S.
Secretary of State James
Baker.
But the communique also
threatens death to Arabs in
east Jerusalem who sell
their apartments to Jews
and urges Palestinians to at-
tack Jewish settlers in
Hebron, to "turn their life
into hell."
Hebron has become the
target of firebombings and
other violent attacks in re-
cent weeks, since mobile
homes were set up for
yeshiva students at a former
bus station in the heart of
the predominantly Arab
West Bank town.
Jewish settlement groups
have also been active recent-
ly in trying to expand the
Jewish presence in the
Moslem Quarter of
Silvers
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Jerusalem's Old City. This is
often done by purchasing
buildings from Arabs who
own property there but do
not occupy it.
The communique urged all
Arabs from east Jerusalem
who moved to other places to
return immediately to their
homes, lest they be occupied
by Jews.
But the statement con-
demned death threats made
last month against Faisal
Husseini, Hanan Ashrawi
and Zakariya al-Agha, in
leaflets issued by the
Moslem fundamentalist
Islamic Jihad.
The threats clouded up the
possibility that Palestinians
would take part in the Mid-
dle East peace conference
the United States and Soviet
Union are hoping to convene
in October.
According to the com-
munique, despite differences
between various Palestinian
factions, "only a democratic
dialogue will unify the
ranks."
f.
Silver's it
151 W. FORT AT SHELBY, DETROIT • 963-0000
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THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
51