Jewry's Role in Human Advancement To 14th Century Europeans the heavens were a mysterious void and the oceans were a fearful abyss. The form, shape and size of the world were equally as baffling. Rarely would vessels venture far beyond visible coast lines. But a few early Renaissance scholars, prominently joined by Jewish astronomers, mathema- ticians and cartographers, challenged the unknown and helped pilot the age of exploration, trade and conquest. Many great voyages of discovery which sailed from Spanish and Portuguese ports were guided by maps and instruments of Jewish handiwork. Abraham Cresques, an esteemed mapmaker to the Spanish court, drafted the most accurate geographies of the known world of his day. His son, Judah., employed with other Jewish astronomers and mathematicians by Prince Henry the Navigator of Portugal, helped plot the nation's nautical missions and secure its dominance at sea. The most eminent it ■ .*.-... - :ivi,,, Jewish philosopher of his time, Rabbi Levi ben Gershon, was an inventor as / l'1;–% well who in the mid-1300s / JACOB'S STAFF developed the Jacob's staff-- a device to measure the altitude of the sun and stars which was favored by navigators until the end of the 16th Century. As propagators of astronomical and mathematical systems into the Middle Ages, Jewish craftsman also improved the astrolabe--an essential navigational aid to ascertain latitudes and positions at sea by observing celestial bodies. Abraham Ben Samuel Zacuto, a Spanish astronomer and historian of ASTROLABE wide repute, is credited with fashioning the first metal astrolabe of high precision. He counseled Vasco da Gama before the adventurer's momentous voyage to India, and Christopher Columbus set sail with his greatly improved astronomical tables. The Columbus expedition brought more of Jewish vintage, other than Zacuto's tables, to the new lands. Among five crewmen of Jewish origin who served on board, interpreter Luis de Torres was the first in the fleet to set foot on American soil. Years before the Puritans arrived, de Torres was also the first white man to permanently settle in the New World. - Saul Stadtmauer U) UJ uu Cr) U-1 F— i— UJ • b e h 7- - U-1 32 COMMISSION FOR THE DISSEMINATION OF JEWISH HISTORY Founders/Sponsors: Walter & Lea Field III Me Why A Capital Idea Hey, how about we insist Romeo is capital of Michigan? ELIZABETH APPLEBAUM ASSOCIATE EDITOR Q: Someone recently told me the Ligonier Jews were leading par- reason most foreign embassies are ticipants in civic in Tel Aviv rather than Jerusalem life. They helped has do to with the fact that Tel Aviv established was Israel's first capital city. When public schools, the Israelis changed their capital sewer systems, to Jerusalem, almost no one rec- g the public library and served as ognized it, the guy said. Therefore, city councilmen other countries were justified in and committee sticking with what the Israelis s members. They themselves had said was their cap- -2- founded a con- ital. Does that make sense? gregation (Or- A: Someone recently wrote thodox, though it market in Tel Aviv — a nice enough city, but Tell Me Why and said that Bar- A it's bustling would become not Israel's capital. ry Manilow is the greatest Reform), and lat- singing talent in the history of Q: Can you tell me about the er built an impressive syna- mankind. Jewish connection to the town of gogue. Believe it or not, there are Ligonier, a small town in Indiana? The community reached its people who say things that just zenith in 1900, then gradual- From reader A.D. in Oak Park aren't true. This Tel Aviv thing ly fell into decline. By then, A: Like most Jewish com- is a case in point. most of the early generation First, sovereign states (and munities of the American Mid- were dead, and many of the Israel is indeed one) have every west, Indiana initially was younger sought their fortunes settled by Jews from Germany. in big cities, especially Chica- right to choose their own cap In the 1830s and '40s, there go. By the 1950s, the Jewish ital. city. Second, the justification that was great social upheaval in community was almost gone. Tel Aviv was the first capital Germany and many Jews em- By the 1970s, only three city, and therefore the real cap- igrated. When they came to the elderly Jews remained. ital, is nonsense. If such a no- United States, they often went The Ligonier Public Library tion were legitimate, then the to areas already settled by Ger- maintains a Jewish Historical United States of America man gentiles, among whom Room documenting the wide- would have foreign embassies they peddled and conducted ranging influence Jews had on all over the northeastern other business. the development of the city. The first-known Jews in seaboard. Third, Tel Aviv never was of- Ligonier were Frederick ficially the capital of Israel. The William Strauss and Solomon Q: I seem to remember that state's Provisional Government Mier, immigrants from Ger- an Israeli duo had a top hit in Eng- met in Tel Aviv almost 50 years many. They came to Ligonier ago, and then only as an expe- in 1854. At the time, Ligonier land during the 1960s. Is that was a village of 300, although right? dient. Here's the story. Jerusalem was the scene of the Lake Shore and Michigan A:It is right, and if you know much fighting, and its final sta- Southern Railroad built a sta- anything at all about Israeli tus was questionable. Israel's tion there. music you'll be surprised to Other Jews followed, and by hear that part of that duo was fledgling army, outgunned and outmanned, fought valiantly the turn of the century Ligo- one of the country's most for Jerusalem. Nonetheless, nier developed into a thriving beloved and respected singers, Transjordan's Arab Legion held city with a general population Esther Ofarim. much of the eastern — and his- of 2,200, out of which were 200 Today, Ms. Ofarim lives in toric — portion of the city. In Jews (55 families). The Jews France. Plagued with terrible December 1948, the govern- established their own institu- stage fright, she makes rare ment of Transjordan annexed tions: a synagogue with full- live appearances. When she the Arab-occupied portion of time rabbi, the Sabbath does perform in concert, her eastern Jerusalem. The mili- School, Cemetery Society, songs are traditional Israeli tary situation calmed down Ladies Benefit Society, and a and Jewish favorites — somewhat, and in February B'nai B'rith lodge. nothing along the lines of 1949 Israel's Knesset, held its Strauss soon brought other "Cinderella Rockefella," that first sessions in the Jewish members of his family from great rock number she and Agency headquarters in west- Germany to Ligonier. They her husband, Abi, recorded. It ern Jerusalem. went from peddlers to store- topped the British pop charts On Dec. 10, 1949, the Unit- keepers. Later, they branched in March 1968.0 ed Nations General Assembly into farm brokerage and bank- passed a resolution calling for ing. Solomon Mier and his sons the internationalization of followed the Strauss pattern Send questions to Tell Me Why, The Jewish News, 27676 Jerusalem. On Dec. 13, the Is- of retailing and banking. Franklin Road, Southfield, MI raeli government officially pro- Other German Jews came to claimed Jerusalem as its Ligonier and gradually formed 48034, or fax to (810) 354-6069. eternal capital. a monopoly in retail clothing All letters must be signed and in- Tel Aviv was provisional cap- and general merchandise, and clude the writer's address. Ques- ital from May 14, 1948, to Dec. as brokers of grain, livestock, tions answered in the column will feature only the writer's initials 13 1949, a total of 19 months.. land and farms. and city of residence. C N C