HAPPY AND HEALTHY NEW YEAR!

The Sabra
Becomes Popular

DANIEL ROGOV

SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

/-)

With their large, flat pads and
their thorny fruits and flowers
that blossom annually, the sabra
cactus is an escapable and charm-
ing part of the Israeli landscape.
Since the sabra cactus, which is
a member of the Opuntia, grows
easily in the sandy and limestone
soils of the country, and because
the direction of its growth is easy
to control, these sprawling cacti
are planted by farmers as wind-
breakers and field dividers.
It surprises many to learn that
even though there are 375 vari-
eties of cactus that are native to
the region in which Israel is lo-
cated, the sabra is not one of
them. The simple truth is that the
sabra, with its large, flat, oval
stem joints, barbed spines and ed-
ible fruits, was imported from
New Mexico and Arizona to the
Holy Land in the 19th century.
Despite its more or less recent
introduction to the land, the sabra
cactus and its fruits are very
much a part of the folklore of the
nation. For example, regional
stereotypes compare the person-
ality of native-born Israelis with
the fruits of these cacti. Accord-
ing to the image generated by this
stereotype, both are tough and
thorny on the outside but sweet
and soft on the inside. Both cac-
tus fruits and native-born Israelis
are known as "sabras." Even
more, the unique taste of the
sabra fruits, which are also
known as "prickly pears," is
known to nearly everyone who
has ever visited Israel. They are
sold mainly by young boys with
street-side carts who clean and
peel the fruits and hand them to
you to eat straight away on the
street.
As popular as they have been,
their tough skins and sharp
spines make them difficult to har-
vest and even more difficult to
peel, so the fruits of the sabra
have never become overly com-
mercialized. Agronomists and ge-
netic engineers working at the
Hebrew University Faculty of
Agriculture at Rehovot started,
several years ago, to explore the
possibilities of developing a cac-
tus fruit that would be free of
sharp spikes. ❑

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Sweeten Your
New Year ... With
A Cookie or
Candy Tray

MAY YOU BE INSCRIBED

IN THE BOOK OF LIFE

Through all the changes each year brings,
INF remains a constant:
Developing the land of Israel
on behalf of the Jewish people.

3543499 or 47403312

As we enter a New Year,
we extend to our friends and
supporters warmest greetings
for the New Year, 5757.

Dr. Samuel I. Cohen
Executive Vice President

• Cookie & Candy Trays
• Combination Baskets (flowers & candy)
• Hotel & Hospitality
Baskets
• Custom Orders
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Milton S. Shapiro
President

j1

Neal F. Zalenko
Edward Rosenthal
Regional President JEWISH Regional Director

JEWISH NATIONAL FUND
Ito49.7. §avt:ipW?, A1 7
0-517&

Witti

The Kramer & Raskin
Food Companies

CUSTOM SCREEN PRINTING
ADVERTISING SPECIALTIES
EMBROIDERY

Wish all their
friends and clients
a very
Happy & Healthy
New Year

extend their best wishes
for the new year.
May it bring abundant
blessings, good health
and peace.

(810) 477-TEES

KRAMER FOOD CO.
and RASKIN FOODS, INC.

i=r1nri rmv

AMERICAN RED MAGEN DAVID
FOR ISRAEL

Importers and Distributors of Specialty Foods and
Beverages, Including Kosher Foods and Wmes

Dr. John J. Mames Chapter

voiNat

MICHIGAN

REGION

Extends Best Wishes
For A Year of Health, Peace &
Prosperity To All Our Friends and
The Entire Jewish Community

Harold, Caryn, Jessica
and Shelby Rothenberg
and staff
wish all ourfriends,
family and customers
a Happy and Healthy New Year

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c)

SEPTEM BER

igration before the presidential
elections. With communists back
in or a fascist like Zhirinovsky,
who knows what will be."
The Kables may not know
Zionist history, but they are up
to date on current events, none of
which could sway them from
their intention to come to Israel.
"Believe me," says Michael, "Rus-
sia has far bigger problems than
Israel." 0

SHANA
TOVA

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