TRAVEL

MOTOR COACH TOURS:

* Star of Elegance

"PHANTOM OF THE OPERA"
* Toronto,
Best Seats!
* July 3-5, 17-19

AIRPORT SERVICE

, * * & Wknds Thru Sept... .$255 *

SEDAN OR
SMALL
LIMOUSINE

(Not A Van!)

$ 2 9 50

REG. $39.00

4

with this coupon
Some areas may be slightly higher

with this coupon
Some areas may be slightly higher

Nov . 27-Dec. 1
* * Shows,
Tours, Meals,
Sho

*
*
*
*

We monitor flights for correct
arrival times. Early or late,
we'll be there to pick you up!

* Ellis Island,

* Statue of Liberty ...Fr.

$439 *

:STRATFORD FESTIVAL "ROMEO * *
*& JULIET" & "HMS PINAFORE" *
$189 *
May 26-27
*2 Plays • Dinner • Tour*
*
,..
*May
*May 27 — "Pinafore" ... 45*
* Other dates available thru Oct. *

*

* * BRANSON, MO. &

EUREKA SPRINGS, ARK.
* Apr.
30-May 5; Oct. 17-22
* (Tours,
Cruise, Celebrity Shows -
*
*
Nelson • Louise Mandrel)
* • • Willie
Mel Tillis • Kathy Mattea
* Hotels, Caverns,
* Meals, Much More!) ....$599 *

*

*

PRICES P.P. DBL. OCC. CALL FOR GROUP

Photo by Rut h Rovner

PRIVATE STRETCH LIMOUSINES & SEDANS

(Not A Van!)
$ 3 11/ 50
REG. $49.00

*

"MISS SAIGON" NEW YORK *
* * May
15-19, 29-June 2 or

( 13) 5597723

4 TO 6
PASSENGER
LIMOUSINE

*

*

DISCOUNTS ON THESE & OTHER TRIPS

WE HAVE CONSUMER

Attention Families & Teens:

SPRING BREAK
SAILING

* BANKRUPTCY INSURANCE

* Protect Yourself & Demand *
* Proof Before Booking *
Any Trip!

HAPPY
:PASSOVER!:

April
11 - 18
1993

BERKLEY TOURS AND TRAVEL, INC,

7-Day Caribbean Cruise

5598620 or 1-800.875.TOUR (8687)

GREAT DISCOUNTS!!

DEDROOMS, ETC. . . .

Call Jan at:

Custom Bedrooms

World Class Travel of Michigan, Inc.

NES©N
TRAVEL AGENCY

at Factory Direct
Prices

Call Nancy

353-5811

at
399-2311

21720 Eleven Mile Rd. • Harvard Row Mall • Southfield, MI

Larry Paul makes

CRUISES...

FURNITURE
NEW.

Buy 1
get 1 Free
as low as $5 99'

Custom Restoration,
Lacquering,
Refinishing of new
or old furniture,
antiques, office
furniture, pianos.

HAPPY PASSOVER

Watch

HOURS:
9AN1,5:30N

Sat.10:30A.M, 2PM

apply

` ^S

next week for

special!

Alaskan Cruise

681-8280

489.5888

The Cruise & Vacation Shoppe
of Summit Travel.

Gail Chicorel Shapiro (Owner)

VEGAS

DEPART—SUN.. MON.. THURS.. FRI.

AM Departures

TPF4ILY FR. $ 1 9990

Complete packages from 5289"

28859 Orchard
Lake Rd. Betw.
12 & 13 Mile Rds.

ATLANTIC

DEPART 8:30 am RETURN 12 mid.

GET
S30 Quarters
S15 Food
S30 Deferred

Sin Transfers

TUES. & WEDS.

pa•:1 , ,p rrt C

RPclurod

CITY

BALLYS

From

$9990

Per Person
and Receive
1 85,', BONUS PAK.

CALL YOUR TRAVEL AGENT OR
HAMILTON, MILLER, HUDSON & FAYNE (313) 827-4070

60

For Free
Estimates

FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 1992

co tbeS

\t \ Mode elS 1C\
• •

iotec
Yo‘) Ge 358-4085

Franklin Plaza
29107 Northwestern Hwy.
2nd Entrance from 12 Mile, In Rear

Hours: Mon.-Fri. 10-4, Sot. 10-3

‘1

AMERICAN
CANCER
SOCIETY'

Help us keep winning.

Mikve Israel Synagogue

Curacao Is Dutch
With A Jewish History

RUTH ROVNER

Special to The Jewish News

C

uracao, the Dutch-
owned Caribbean is-
land that's just 40
miles north of Venezuela, has
more to offer tourists than its
year-round sunshine.
The
waterfront
of
Willemstad, its capital city,
looks like a Caribbean ver-
sion of Amsterdam, with
pastel canal houses, tiled
roofs and steep gables.
Beyond it is the Punda,
heart of the city, a delightful
maze of narrow streets with
Dutch names — and bargain
merchandise of all sorts.
Then there's the floating
market on Madurostraat near
the water. On schooners ar-
riving from Venezuela, sea-
men display their produce:
fresh mangoes, papayas,
coconuts and fresh fish.
Nearby is a well-known
landmark, the Queen Emma
floating bridge, a foot bridge
that connects the two sides of
the city bisected by a canal.
Over 30 times a day, the
bridge swings open to let
ships pass in and out of the
harbor.
For the Jewish traveler to
Curacao, the real sightseeing
highlight is a stately building
at Columbustraat. Mikve
Israel is the oldest synagogue
in continuing • use in the
Western Hemisphere.
So important is this land-
mark, which is also a func-
tioning synagogue, that it's
marked on maps and includ-
ed on general tours of the
island.
On the day I visited, our
tour group first saw the
synagogue as we entered a
black and white tiled court-
yard. In front of us was a
pastel yellow building with
gabled roof.
Inside, the sanctuary is im-

maculately restored, yet it
looks very much as it did
when the Jews of Curacao
consecrated their house of
worship in 1732.
A layer of soft, thick sand
covers the floor like a carpet.
We're told it symbolizes the
sand of the desert during the
Exodus and also is a reminder
of the times when footsteps
had to be muffled as Spanish
Jews fleeing the Inquisition
prayed in secret.

Mikve Israel is the
oldest synagogue
in continuing use
in the Western
Hemisphere.

Four massive brass
chandeliers are suspended
from the high ceiling. Each
one holds 24 candlesticks;
and on Yom Kippur or during
weddings, these chandeliers
blaze with candles. In the
center of the sanctuary is a
hand-carved mahogany
bimah, adorned with four an-
tique brass candlesticks.
In the gift shop next to the
synagogue, along with tiles
which depict the synagogue,
is a guidebook with a detail-
ed history of Mikve Israel and
a cookbook titled Recipes
from the Jewish Kitchens of
Curacao.
Next to the synagogue is
the small Jewish Cultural
Museum, with a collection of
ritual objects from Curacao's
Jewish community. Out in
the courtyard is an ancient
mikvah, which was unearth-
ed during extensive renova-
tion. Here we also see replicas
of tombs from Beth Haim
cemetery. It was founded in
1659.