high priest would wear. On this was a small pouch
1 filled with 12 precious stones, to represent the 12
Tribes of Israel, and the Urim and the Thummim
13. Under The Canopy
(Exodus 28:15, Leviticus 8:8).
When Abraham Lincoln's body lay in state at a
But what,exactly were the Urim and Thummim?
courthouse in Chicago, above was a canopy on
Here is what we do know of these intriguing
which was inscribed, in Hebrew, "The beauty of
1 items:
Israel is slain upon the high places."
• The high priest used the Urim as an oracle, in
service of the king, which explains its description
14. Rodin's Student
as "the breast piece of decision."
Among those who studied with famed French
• Only the high priest could understand the mes-
sculptor Auguste Rodin was Sir Jacob Epstein
sage given by the Urim and Thummim.
(1880-1959).
• Answers provided by the Urim and Thummim
Sir Jacob was born on the Lower East Side in
were final.
New York. He studied in Paris but spent most of his
There are writings showing that the Urim and
Thummim were used dur-
ing the time of King David,
but by the days of the
17:17)
prophets they seem to
I • Jews may not encour-
have disappeared.
1 age either Jews or gen-
Many of Judaism's
tiles to worship an idol.
greatest
scholars have
(Deuteronomy 13:12)
offered theories as to
• A Jew should marry
what
the Urim and Thum-
and have children. (Gen-
mim were and how they
esis 1:28)
worked. Nachmanides,
12. American Lead-
for examples, believed
ers, But Where
the Urim was a text bear-
Were They Born?
ing the various sacred
None of the three great
names of God.
American labor leaders
Placed inside the breast
was born in the United
piece, these would light
States:
up, he said. He said the
• Samuel Gompers
Thummim also comprised
A violin concerto for a friend.
(1850-1924), founder
a collection of God's
and first president of the
Inames, which the priest would place together to
1 life in England, where Queen Elizabeth II knight-
American Federation of Labor, was a native of
'receive answers to his questions. Others suggest
ed him in 1954. His works can be seen in
London. In 1850, the 1 3-year-old Gompers
ed the Urim featured some kind of marked stones
Hyde Park in London and at the Pere Lachaise
came with his parents to the United States. For
tor sticks used to find a Divinely inspired answer.
Cemetery in Paris.
his first job, he followed in his father's footsteps
'They could answer only "yes" or "no."
and made cigars.
15. Read All About It
1 18. A Tale Of Lauren And Andy
• Sidney Hillman (1887-1946), the man who
Two of Israel's leading — and competing
!Lauren Bacall, actress, wife of Humphrey Bogart
helped the Amalgamated Clothing Workers
newspapers, Yediot Achronot ("the latest news")
and cousin of Shimon Peres, is famous for her
Union become one of the biggest, and most
and Ma'ariv ("evening [news]") were established
deep, alluring speaking voice.
respected, unions in the country, was born in
I by the same man. @AP Regular Copy: Yediot
If you've heard her in To Have and Have Not, you
Lithuania. Once interested in becoming a rabbi,
Achronot was created in 1939 in Tel Aviv, with
might have admired her singing voice, too. Just
he came in 1907 to the United States where he I A. Carlbach as its first editor. Nine years later, he
one
problem. It wasn't her. In fact, the one doing
found work at a men's clothing factory in Chica-
left to found Ma'ariv.
the singing for Lauren was crooner Andy Williams.
go. He earned the hefty salary of $6 a week.
•
• David Dubinsky (1892-1982), president from
16. It's How Old?
i 19. Never On A Saturday
1934-1966 of the International Ladies' Gar-
Ashkenazi Jews have been speaking Yiddish for
Samuel "Red" Levine, a hit man during Prohibition
ment Workers Union, was born in 1892 in
more than 1,000 years.
days, was inarguably a mobster. But he did have
Brest-Litovsk, Poland. His first job was working in
his morals. After all, he said, he never "whacked"
, 17. The Mysterious Two
a bakery, where at 16 he organized a strike
:anyone
on Shabbat.
The Torah tells of an apron-like garment that the
— and was promptly sent for a year to

Siberia. He escaped on the way, then came to
the United States.

Dan iel M. Rosen

• A Jew may not execute anyone without his first
being convicted at a proper and fair trial (Numbers
35: 1 2), nor may he convict another on circumstan-
tial evidence alone. (Exodus 23:7)
• Jews may not eat animals that have died on their
own. They must be ritually slaughtered. (Exodus
22:30)
• A Jew may not go to Egypt to settle there perma-
nently. (Deuteronomy 17:16)
• A bridegroom may not be forced to serve in the
military during the first year he is married.
(Deuteronomy 24:5)
• A Jew must not hesitate to save another human
being from danger. (Leviticus 19:16)
• A king of Israel may not have an excessive num-
ber of horses, wives or
!wealth. (Deuteronomy

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2000

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