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Page • THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE September IS, 1978
The Rabbi’brings hope
to the Jews in Spain
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Israeli astrologer predicts
‘mixed bag’ of prophecies
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pain this year (the attack on the
coastal road bus was on March 11)
but we shall emerge with new
strength.
The Tel Aviv stock market will
go wild, and there will be public
hysteria (There was indeed, in
mid-winter).
The Geneva Conference will not
take place, nor any other
conference like it. Oil will be
discovered, or perhaps a vast
underground water supply—at
any rate, something liquid from
the depths of the earth.
Moshe Dayan will have one of
the most difficult periods of his
political career. Yitzhak Rabin will
receive an appointment of great
importance.
A critical, fateful period will be
October-November, 1977. (Sadat
came to Jerusalem on November
19)
Outside of Israel: King Hussein
will squabble with other Arab
states. Sadat's hold on his country
will weaken. The situation in
Lebanon will get worse and Syrian
intervention will concern us. Anti-
Semitism will increase in the
United States. Within Russia there
will be struggles for power.
In short, it will be a year of
dramatic events. Before the year is
up a great national personality in
Israel will die.
But finally: In September 1978,
there will be widespread rejoicing
in Israel, reminiscent of the spirit
which swept the country after the
Six-Day War and the liberation of
Jerusalem
Well, September’s not over yet.
by Carl Alpert
HAIFA—There is always great
interest in the predictions by seers
and astrologists who claim an
ability to read the future. The
forecasts are sometimes startling,
sometimes predictable by normal
standards of common sense. The
prophets run little risk, because the
public tends to forget the national
horoscope.
I decided to be different. Last
September, one year ago, I clipped
from the local Hebrew press the
widely featured predictions of one
llan Pecker, reputed to be Israel's
best and most reliable astrologist.
And today, for your benefit, I
review what Mr. Pecker thought
would happen in the period
between September 1977 and
September 1978. For guidance, 1
have inserted in parentheses cer
tain dates of interest.
Pecker took a grim view of
Israel’s future last September.
When he considered the
juxtaposition of Mars and Saturn,
which influence this country, he
foresaw a gloomy year, filled with
dark, dramatic events.
We would face a new military
confrontation with one or more of
our neighbors. It might not be a
full scale war, but it would be a big
operation, and violent. The critical
period would be February-March.
(Israel invaded Lebanon on March
14).
Saudi-Arabia would become
involved, either through a
revolution there, or by direct
participation in the clashes. When
the fighting was over, Israel's
borders would not be the same.
There will be many difficulties
and many hardships this year, but
thanks to planet Jupiter Israel's
population will be able to endure,
with high morale.
Israel will face the need to make
great decisions. There will be a
showdown with the United States.
Begin will take a daring and totally
unexpected step. It may seem
illogical, but will turn out in the
end to be wise and proper.
There will be great sorrow and
NEW YORK-To the over
9,000 Jews of Spain he is known as
“The Rabbi." Doctor Jose Faur,
associate professor in rabbinics at
the Jewish Theological Seminary
of America, is a prominent
spokesman for the Spphardic
tradition.
Recognition came earlier this
year from an unexpected source,
when Doctor Faur received
invitations from leading Spanish
universities to lecture on various
Jewish subjects. Between 1492, the
year the Jews were expelled from
Spain, and the repeal of the edict of
expulsion in 1968, the study of
Judaism was virtually non-existent
in Spain. Today, Jewish studies are
not completely unknown there,
but the offerings for such study are
few, especially when one looks
back a millenium and considers
that for over a century, Spain was
the heart of Jewish intellectual life.
Doctor Faur spent the latter
part of the spring touring the cities
of Madrid, Salamanca, Granada,
Seville, Valencia, and Barcelona.
At those cities, he had the
opportunity to lecture at Spain's
most respected institutions of
learning where he addressed
professional educators, scholars,
and students, as well as prominent
figures in the religious world. Even
the Oueen of Spain planned to
attend one of Doctor Faur’s talks,
but did not attend because of what
Spanish officials termed “security
reasons."
Topics of the talks included
Jewish theology, history, law and
phil osophy. Other subjects
centered on contemporary
Sephardic thinkers, the character
of Sephardic Jewry, and the
Sephardic presence in contempo
rary society.
During his time in Spain,
Doctor Faur was also able to meet
with thc > Cardinal of Madrid, the
Archbishop of Seville, and other
Christian dignitaries. He also
attended services at the various
synagogues in Spain where he
delivered sermons to the
congregations and worked with
Hebrew-school pupils. Groups
from the Jewish communities in
each of the cities Doctor Faur
visited welcomed his presence and
discussed a range of topics with
him.
Talking about the success of his
tour. Doctor Faur said “this was a
unique opportunity to present a
positive image of Judaism and its
spiritual and intellectual
tradition."
Doctor Faur, reflecting on his
endeavor, perceived it as a way of
“preparing the ground for better
understanding between Spain,
American Jewry, and hopefully
the State of Israel."
