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Question of the Week:
Which Israeli politician came under fire in
1972 when, while serving as ambassador to
Washington, he was accused of endorsing
Richard Nixon for president?
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Let's Play ... Jewish Geography!
It's not about Aunt Bertha in Brooklyn or Uncle Morris
in Missoula; instead, here are some Jewish connections
to places around the world.
everywhere pray in the direction of
Mecca, where they say God com-
manded Abraham to sacrifice Ish-
mael. But did you know that
Mohammed, the Arab founder of
Islam, actually wanted his followers
to pray toward Jerusalem? (And if
Elizabeth Applebaum
AppleTree Editor
1. Saddle up, pardner, and ride
with me on down to the Lone Star
stale — and I'm not Malkin' San
Antonio or Dallas. Nope. We're
gain' to Castro County.
So what is it, where is it, and
who was Castro? Located in the
Texas panhandle, south of Amaril-
lo, Castro County was named for
a Jewish immigrant, Henry Castro.
Born in France, Castro was a
longtime supporter of the Repub-
lic of Texas. Gen. Sam Houston,
the republic's president, named
Castro Texas' counsel-general to
France, where Castro worked
tirelessly to raise money for the
cause. He sure must have talked
a good game. When Castro
immigrated to Texas, he didn't
just bring his own family; 5,000
-,Thmen and children came
with him to make
lic their home. Many made their
new home there, thanks to
$150,000 of Castro's own
money, which he donated specif-
ically to help the settlements.
In addition to Castro County, the
state of Texas is home to Castro-
ville, a city located along the Med-
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Noah's Ark, fashioned from Kufic script, by Hafiz Othman,
courtesy Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
ina River that is also named for
Henry Castro. Incidentally, Castro
is one of only two Americaacoun
tic5 named for Jews. The other is
Levy County in Florida, named for
David Levy Yulee. He helped write
that state's first constitution.
2. How far do you have to go to
'i synagogue in North Dako-
ta? All the way io Fargo, which is
home to the state's only iwo Jewish
houses of worship. The fist is the
Fargo Hebrew Congregation,
which is Orthodox, and located at
901 S. Ninth Street, if you would
like to visit.
After that, why not stop by at
Temple Beth El, which is Reform, at
cargo.
rue o
Poo > 14,
3. Five times each day, Muslims
that sounds familiar, it's because
Mohammed was copying what
Jews have been doing for thou-
sands of years.)
So why the change?
Mohammed had hoped to con-
vert the Jews to Islam, but met
with no success. Furious, he
instead directed Muslims to turn
toward Mecca as a punishment.
4_ if
t you were an
maffeiTEr
American citizen, that your parents
had been American citizens, or
that your grandparents had been
You can learn a lot by learning a little. In Fact-A-Day, AppleTree
provides you with fascinating tidbits about any Jewish subject,
past or present. This month, you'll find a collection of 31 — one
for each day of August — facts about Jewish connections to
places around the world.
Do you have a suggestion for Fact-A-Day? If so, please drop us
a line at AppleTree Facts, 27676 Franklin Road, Southfield, MI
48034; fax (248) 354-6069; call (248) 354-6060, ext. 308
(voice-mail only); or e-mail philapple@earthlink.net
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8/2
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Detroit Jewish News
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