Special Offer Why The Nazis Avoided A Prague Synagogue ELIZABETH APPLEBAUM ASSOCIATE EDITOR the Golem as a symbolic being; during the 15th century, it came to be regarded as real. The Golem, usually created out of clay, came to life when one uttered a combination of the holy names of God. It has been a popular subject in Jewish literature. One of the earliest works fea- turing the Golem was The Miraculous Deeds of Rabbi Loew with the Golem, published after the 1890 blood libels in Russia. Here, the Golem serves as a defender of the Jewish community of Prague against the anti-Semitic mob motivated by false ONLY $40.00 REGULAR PRICE $83.00 Call for Appointment 626-1231 Ca: What was the Golem? • The Golem was a mythical man formed A • through magic. The Talmud mentions RECEIVE A FULL FACIAL TREATMENT, PEELING TREATMENT, WAX ARCH AND MAKEUP APPLICATION ALL FOR accusations that Jews used the blood of Christ- ian children to make matzah. The most famous book about the Golem was Der Golem, by Gustav Meyrink, published in 1915 in Bavaria Featuring eerie, haunting lithographs, Der Golem was the inspiration for several silent films and an opera. One legend has it that a Golem was stored in the attic of the Altneuschul synagogue in Prague. Among those who heard this story were the Nazis, who apparently took the myth quite seriously. Though they destroyed much of Jewish Czecho- slovakia, the Nazis left the Altneuschul alone. Gift Certificates Excluded Limited Time Offer Permanent Make-up Available / Crosswinds Mall • Orchard Lake at Lone Pine • West Bloomfield MAKE IT EASY FOR YOU TO BRING JOY INTO SOMEONE'S DAY WITH FLOWERS. IZI: What is the role of the "Shabbos goy"? • The term refers to a gentile who, because • he is not obligated to observe the laws of Shabbat, can perform activities like turning on a light, which is forbidden to Jews. Contrary to popular opinion, however, one is not allowed to specifically ask a gentile to perform one of these deeds. Instead, one is supposed to make a suggestion, such as, "It's really dark in here. I wish I had some light," that would lead him to the act. Full Service Florist Providing only thefreshest flowers, silks and delivery service for all occasions. The services of a gen- tile are not required in case of an emergency. Because of the Jew- ish emphasis on the sanctity of life, one is allowed to do anything — from phoning a doctor to driving someone to the hospital — on Shabbat if it means saving someone from death. Call 553-7699 or visit us at 33238 W. Twelve Mile, Farmington Hills 39050 Schools raft Rd., Livonia Sing Along With The Signatures... • The Neturei Kar- • ta (Aramaic for "Guardians of the City") are a group of extreme, right-wing Orthodox Jews whose number totals be- tween 5,000 and 10,000. Most live in New York and Israel. Members of the Neturei Karta believe there can be no independent Jewish state until God decrees it. Hence, they do not recognize the legitimacy of the State of Israel. They do not regard themselves as citizens of Is- rael, do not vote and do not recognize the courts and any laws of the state. They are so opposed to political Zion- ism that some have been known to cooperate with Is- rael's enemies. ONLY OMATIC ISIS I RNS PHOTO/Richard T. Nowitz Who are the Neturei Karta, and why are they opposed to Zionism? The Neturei Karta origi- nally was affiliated with the Agudat Israel, the Union of Orthodox Jews, but it resigned in 1935 when the Aguda did not voice support for an hide- pendent Orthodox communi- ty, separate from the Zionists, in Jerusalem. (The Aguda to- day recognizes the State of Is- rael). One of the most interesting figures in the movement was Amram Blau (1894-1976), head of the Jerusalem group, who founded the anti-Zionist Chevrat Chayyim, which lat- er became the Neturei Karta. The late Mr. Blau in 1965 took the spotlight for another rea- son: he married Ruth Ben- David, a convert from Catholicism. 44: Why aren't Jews cremated? • Most rabbis oppose cremation on grounds A. • that it constitutes a desecration of the human body, which Jewish law forbids. In fact, the rabbis blamed a three-year famine in the time of King David on the decision by res- • Bar/Bat Mitzvahs Karaoke Parties • Weddings • Corporate Parties • Private Parties (any size) Bloomfield Hills • 642-3034 VIDEO SPECIAL Only $ 595 Mack Pitt ( AND HIS Completely Edited Video of Your Party ORCHESTRA Call 358-3642 Ken Pritz (313) 548-9628 Combo • Big Band idents ofJabesh-Gilead to burn Saul's corpse. A number of Jews today also find the idea of burning Jewish bodies, in view of the Nazi death- camp crematoriums, especially offensive. Send questions to "Tell Me Why" c I o The Jewish News, 27676 Franklin Rd., Southfield, MI 48034 111