SIDEWALK SALE

JULY 21st, 22nd, 23rd

10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
JACKETS - COATS
SUMMER JACKETS .$1999-$2499
RAINCOATS AT BARGAIN PRICES
"WET LOOK" RAINWEAR $29$49
WINTER BARGAINS
BUY NOW FOR NEXT FALL
SWEATER COAT $49
DESIGNER RAINWEAR ZIP-OUTS $ 79
DOWN GROUP
JACKETS - FULL LENGTHS $29-$39
SPECIAL GROUP
STORM JACKETS -SHORT WOOLS
LONG DESIGNER COATS
NOW AT BARGAIN PRICES
SPORTSWEAR
SPECIAL GROUP!
SUMMER SPORTSWEAR $10 to $40
ASSORTED
FALL SPORTSWEAR. $5-$10
LINCOLN CENTER - 10 1/ 2 MILE & GREENFIELD
OAK PARK 968.2060 HRS. 10 A.M.-6 P.M.
COATS UNLIMITED
Tisha B'Av: A Faith
That Would Not Die
Imummumml.mmul TORAH PORTION
RABBI MORTON F. YOLKUT
Special to The Jewish News
T
his week's Torah
portion isalwaysread
in thesynagogueon
theSabbathprior toTisha
B'Av, theninthday of the
monthof Av. TishaB'Av isa
day of mourning and fasting
commemorating thedestruc-
tion of bothTemples in
Jerusalem, sad eventsthat,
ironically, occurred on the
sameday some600 years
apart.
In our pragmatic society,
TishaB'Av is perhaps the
most neglected and
misunderstood of our fast
days. In thisgeneration the
messageof theNinthof Av is
Shabbat Chazon,
Parashat Devarim:
Deuteronomy
1:1-3:22,
Isaiah 1:1-27
alsoblurred by thehappy
realization that theStateof
Israel hasbeen re-established
asour Jewishhomeland.
"What need isthere," I am
often asked by well-meaning
people, "tocontinuemourn-
ing and fasting?"
Theanswer tothisquestion
liesin thevery definition of
Jewishhistory and our
understanding of Jewishsur-
vival. All thenationsof the
world celebratetheir victories
withspecial national obser-
vances, parades and
festivities. However, their
defeatsand catastrophesare
usually ignored. Theonly na-
tion whichalso com-
memoratesitsdebaclesand
disastersistheJewishpeople.
On TishaB'Av werecall
ancestorswhohad seen their
land and Templedestroyed,
whohad been carried intoex-
ileand whosat by thewaters
of Babylon and wept. They
wept but they did not despair.
They experienced tragedy but
their spiritswerenot broken.
And becausethey refused to
succumb todespair thereisa
Jewishpeopleand aJewish
statetoday.
This week, on Shabbat
Chazon, weread thewordsof
theprophet Isaiahforecasting
theimpending destruction of
Israel. Next week, thehaf-
tarahfrom thesameprophet
will begin withthewords
"Nachamu, Nachamu Ami
Morton F Yolhut is rabbi of
Congregation B'nai David.
comfort ye, comfort ye, my
people." Despair never over-
took Israel; out of theashesof
destruction therearosea
hopefor abetter tomorrow.
Thisisthemessageof Tisha
B'Av indeed themessageof
Jewishhistory and survival.
When theHoly .Thmplewas
destroyed and theJewish
community wasdecimated,
theintuitiveresponseof our
peoplewasnot oneof death,
but hopefor renewed life.
And they sworeasacred
oath: "If I forget thee, 0'
Jerusalem, let my right hand
forget its cunning, let my
tonguecleavetotheroof of
my mouth, if I do not
remember thee, if I set not
Jerusalem abovemy chief
joy."
rib theseexiles, although
thestoneswerebroken, the
hopeof return wasnot dead.
As long as this hopewas
alive, neither they nor their
descendantswould ever ac-
cept defeat. Thedestruction of
abuilding, even national in-
dependence, did not destroy
themessageand destiny of
our people. What is this
destiny? Theexilewould not
bepermanent, and our people
would again, as wehave
begun todoin our own day,e
mbraceour ancient homeland
and re-establishour
sovereignty and
independence.
TishaB'Av isthusatribute
totheinexhaustibility of life
and atributetoapeoplewho
would not die. In thewordsof
our sages: "Hewhomourns
thedestruction of Jerusalem
will yet rejoicein its
reconstruction."
Jewish Agency
Topic Of Talk
Dr. Conrad Giles, president
of theJewishWelfareFedera-
tion of Detroit, will deliver
theaddressat Congregation
Shaarey Zedek during ser-
vices on July 30. Hewill
speak on his recent atten-
danceat and participation in
themeeting of theJewish
Agency, held earlier this
monthin Jerusalem. Giles'
topic will be"Israel and the
Diaspora: Challengeand
Response."
Formerly avicepresident of
theFederation, Gilesserved
aschairman of theFedera-
tion's human resources
development committeeand
was head of theJWF task
forceon servicestothenon-
institutionalized elderly.
T H E DET RO I T J EW I SH NEW S 33