Lights go off at holy Jewish site
Source: Agencies |
April 8, 2011, Friday
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Print Edition
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IT'S a lesson that the rabbis who manage one of Israel's most popular Jewish pilgrimage destinations have now learned the hard way: Even holy sites have to pay the electric bill.
The tomb of Moses Maimonides, one of Judaism's pre-eminent sages, has been plunged into darkness because of a debt to the electricity company totaling US$11,500. Rabbi Israel Deri, one of the managers of the site in the Galilee city of Tiberias, admitted on Wednesday that the bill "fell between the cracks."
As a result, the tomb - where people come to pray around the clock - is now closed to night visitors.
"We accumulated a debt. We didn't pay. And we're working on it," he said.
Maimonides, known in Hebrew as the Rambam, was a 12th century Jewish sage and medical doctor. Born in Cordoba, Spain, around 1138, he wrote famous works of Jewish law, philosophy and medicine. He died in Cairo in 1204.
A spokeswoman for the Israel Electric Corp, Orna Vagman, said the company "had no other choice but to disconnect the electricity" at the site because of a debt accrued over "many months."
The tomb of Moses Maimonides, one of Judaism's pre-eminent sages, has been plunged into darkness because of a debt to the electricity company totaling US$11,500. Rabbi Israel Deri, one of the managers of the site in the Galilee city of Tiberias, admitted on Wednesday that the bill "fell between the cracks."
As a result, the tomb - where people come to pray around the clock - is now closed to night visitors.
"We accumulated a debt. We didn't pay. And we're working on it," he said.
Maimonides, known in Hebrew as the Rambam, was a 12th century Jewish sage and medical doctor. Born in Cordoba, Spain, around 1138, he wrote famous works of Jewish law, philosophy and medicine. He died in Cairo in 1204.
A spokeswoman for the Israel Electric Corp, Orna Vagman, said the company "had no other choice but to disconnect the electricity" at the site because of a debt accrued over "many months."
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