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Volume xiX, Issue XV | thejewishvoice.org Serving Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts

24 Elul 5773 | August 30, 2013

Special Issue: Rosh Hashanah

Kagan’s speech recognized as ‘among the finest given at Touro’

Mike Greenberg, of ESPN, will speak in Providence

Mike Greenberg, of ESPN fame, will speak at Alliance Campaign launch Be someone who makes a difference

By Nancy Kirsch nkirsch@jewishallianceri.org PROVIDENCE – Mike Greenberg, co-host of ESPN’s “Mike & Mike in the Morning,” will be the featured speaker at a community event sponsored by the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island.

The Tuesday, Sept. 17 event, at 7:30 p.m. at the Providence Biltmore Hotel in downtown Providence, is the Alliance’s official launch of the 2014 Annual Campaign. Neil and Randi-Beth Beranbaum and Alan and Marianne Litwin are cochairs of “An Evening with Mike Greenberg.”

After his wife, Stacy Ste-

ponate Greenberg, lost one of her closest friends to breast cancer, Greenberg, aka “Greeny,” wrote “All You Could Ask For,” a novel that depicts the lives of three women, all diagnosed with breast cancer.

The novel’s characters, he said, are only loosely based on three women he knows. However. he added, these women “don’t have cancer … but I wanted to create these voices, so I assigned an actual voice to each of these characters,” he explained.

In conjunction with the book’s April 2013 publication, OBLIGATION | 4

By Sam Shamoon Touro Synagogue Foundation Board Member and Linda Shamoon Special to The Jewish Voice NEWPORT – More than 400 people crowded into two venues in Newport – Touro Synagogue and the Newport Community Church next door – to hear Elena Kagan, associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, deliver the keynote address to celebrate the 250th anniversary of Touro Synagogue. Kagan, whose speech many attendees declared “among the finest given at Touro Synagogue,” spoke at Touro as part of the 66th annual reading of the George Washington letter – one assuring congregants of the Hebrew Congregation of Newport promising them, among other commitments, “to bigotry no sanction.”

Kagan, who is the Supreme Court’s 112th justice, fourth female justice, and one of three Jews currently serving on the bench, entered the synagogue about 15 minutes before the start of the letter-reading ceremony. Even at that early arrival time, most of the colonial-style chairs that fill the synagogue’s sanctuary were already occupied by synagogue officers and members, invited guests and a

SAM SHAMOON

COURTESY | ESPN

Supreme Court justice shares stories of success in America

Elena Kagen, associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, enters Touro Synagogue on Sunday, Aug. 18; a member of the Newport Artillery is at right. wide array of Rhode Island dignitaries, including, among others, Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse, Rhode Island State Senate President Teresa Paiva-Weed and Newport Mayor Henry F. Winthrop, as well as synagogue copresident Bea Ross.

Kagan and these dignitaries

came on Sunday, Aug. 18, to participate in the afternoon’s celebratory program and to declare publicly the crucial importance of the words in Washington’s letter. Those words – that the new government of the United States of America would give, “to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance” – are KAGAN | 18

2 | August 30, 2013 The Jewish Voice COMMUNITY

INSIDE Business 30-31

Talking with Jewish day school’s ‘Science Mom’ Kristin Rosler Alka-Seltzer and balloons are great science props

Calendar 10 Community 2–6, 8-11, 18-19, 23, 27, 37 D’var Torah 36 Food 16-17 Israel 15, 31 Obituaries 34-35 Opinion 12–14 Rosh Hashanah 20-22, 24-29, 33 Seniors 32 Simchas 38-39 We Are Read 38

THIS ISSUE’S QUOTABLE QUOTE “If you can do good things in the world, why wouldn’t you?”

By Michele Lang PROVIDENCE – Professor Kristin Rosler doubles as the “Science Mom” at the Jewish Community Day School of Rhode Island, a day school for pre-kindergarten through fifth grade students. Rosler has some suggestions for how to start a science education program at your child’s school.

Q: Tell us about your history and how you chose JCDS? A: My family and I moved to Providence from Seattle in 2009 just before our daughter was due to begin kindergarten. We moved for our jobs and to be closer to family. I am a biology professor at Johnson & Wales University and my husband works at Brown Univer- Alka-Seltzer and balloons: An eye-popping combo sity in neuroscience and engineering.

When we started looking at education project and how it kindergarten teacher at JCDS, she offered me a time slot a few the many school options in the got off the ground. times a month when I could do A: While I wish I could say area, we realized that we really wanted a school that would I started “Science Mom” with more.

I started off with basic, fun challenge our daughter, yet a lot of forethought, I did not. experiments that my kids enWhen our kids were in prelet her be a kid. We loved the joyed – anything with Alkaschool in Seattle, I occasionally idea that our daughter and her younger brother would grow visited their classes to do little Seltzer or balloons was always up learning two languages. Ad- experiments with the kids. I a big hit. As the years have ditionally, we liked that JCDS thought it was good for me to progressed, I have refined the integrates play and values into see their world and for them to experiments a little more – the be proud of mine. When I men- more interactive, the better. I all its learning.

Q: Describe your science tioned this to my daughter’s try to start with the basics –

phases of matter, temperature and motion – and then move into more complex topics as the year progresses – separation of particles, crystallization, acids and bases. Usually, we end the year with rocketry at a field, as it is quite dramatic!

I think the best thing that happens during these experiments is that I ask them to make hypotheses and think EXPERIMENTS | 6

COMMUNITY thejewishvoice.org August 30, 2013 |

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Books from Hadassah’s ‘Books on the Beach’ offer food for thought Readings from one memoir and two novels keep audience engaged

By Toby Rossner Hadassah Books on the Beach Committee Member MIDDLETOWN – One hundred seventy-seven Rhode Island Hadassah members, friends and book lovers – all dressed in their summer finery – gathered for an afternoon of renewing friendships, catching up on one another’s news and, yes, enjoying talks by Providence-based authors Hester Kaplan and Michael Stein, M.D., and Bostonbased memoirist Dale Stanten.

Authors Stein and Kaplan, husband and wife, read passages from each other’s works.

Asked why Stein chose a particular passage from “The Tell,” Kaplan’s newest novel, he pointed out her exquisite ability to set the scene using all five senses. Her characters are never people who are perfect, said Stein; she likes to report

PHOTOS | PHYLLIS ASHER

Special to The Jewish Voice

Books on the Beach Committee Co-Chair Karen Asher, left, and Sue Mayes, committee member, talk. on those areas of their lives and their marriages that people normally keep private.

Kaplan chose passages from

Stein’s new book, “The Rape of the Muse,” that demonstrated his sense of precision.

Stanten, author of “The

Authors Hester Kaplan and Michael Stein share more than a love of writing – they are married to one another.

A table decoration from “Books on the Beach”

Hooker’s Daughter: A Boston Family’s Saga,” spoke about the difficult childhood that she and her sister had to endure as they hid their mother’s prostitution from their father, something known to everyone else in their neighborhood. Ostracized by the community, Stanten and her sister were friendless at school; they were even asked to leave the Girl Scouts. They shielded their kind and sensitive mother; despite her chosen profession, she insisted that they not shame others. Nevertheless, her mother sacrificed her children to her own needs.

Stanten described her life as one of love, forgiveness and triumph over adversity.

Beverly Blazar, a past president of the Rhode Island chapter of Hadassah, called the Tuesday, Aug. 13 event at the Atlantic Beach Club a “terrific afternoon. It all went so smoothly … [with a ] great committee that is getting to be very professional.”

Karen Asher and Renee Kaminitz co-chaired this year’s “Books on the Beach” Committee. Its members are Blazar, Marilyn Cohen, Diane Ducoff, Ellen Fingeret, Deborah Ger-

stenblatt, Audrey Hirsch, Betty Ann Israelit, Jane Kondon, Sue Mayes, Fran Mendell, Evy Mittleman, Sally Rotenberg, Toby Rossner, Judy Schoenfeld, Judy Silverman, Rita Slom and Wendy Spellun.

“Her characters are never people who are perfect.”

This fundraiser was the third annual Hadassah “Books on the Beach”; the organization does not disclose fundraising revenue.

Stay tuned; the Hadassah “Books on the Beach” Committee is already beginning to consider authors for next year’s event.

Toby Rossner (tobyross@cox. net), a life member of the Rhode Island Chapter of Hadassah and “Books on the Beach” committee member, lives in Cranston.

Hadassah: rhodeislandchapter@hadassah.org or 463-3636.

PHOTOS | STACY STEPONATE GREENBERG

4 | August 30, 2013 The Jewish Voice COMMUNITY

Mike Greenberg, left, and his daughter Nikki, and Heidi Armitage (now deceased), with her son, Walker Green, in Aspen, Colo., in 2005.

from page 1

OBLIGATION

Greenberg and his wife created a foundation called “Heidi’s Angels.” Who were Heidi’s Angels?

Greenberg said that Heidi Armitage’s dear friends, Wendy Gardiner, Jane Green and Stacy, tirelessly supported Heidi through her valiant, yet ultimately unsuccessful, battle to beat the breast cancer that had spread to her bones. Through the foundation, all the author’s proceeds from the sale of “All You Could Ask For” will be donated to The V Foundation for Cancer Research specifically to combat breast cancer.

“When Heidi died, I just felt like I had to do something … felt an obligation to do something,” said Greenberg. “I felt that way more when I was sitting at a memorial service [and] staring at the backs of her children, 9 and 6 …going to live the rest of their lives without their mom.”

Asked what “take-away message” the book and his foundation offer, Greenberg said, “Don’t expect other people to do [something] for you … you have to do something … yourself.

Whether it’s getting involved in a hands-on way by volunteering or by donating – whatever the case may be – if you don’t, you may find yourself in a community where the federation isn’t all that vibrant.”

Heidi’s death inspired Greenberg to act. After considering, and then rejecting, the idea of running a marathon to raise money, he decided to write a book. He’d already written two nonfiction books, “Why My Wife Thinks I’m an Idiot: The Life and Times of a Sportscaster Dad” (published by Villard, May 2007) and, with co-author Mike Golic and contributor Andrew Chaikivksy, “Mike and Mike’s Rules for Sports and Life” (published by ESPN in April 2010).

“I admired Heidi … someone

needed to do something, and I was in a position to do something. Why wouldn’t I?” Greenberg said.

Although Greenberg describes himself as “fairly irreligious,” he credits mentors with instilling in him positive values. “If you can do good things in the world, why wouldn’t you?” he asked rhetorically.

Of mentor Dick Vitale, the legendary basketball coach and commentator, Greenberg said, “He’s so passionate about cancer research. I’ve seen his enormous passion and dedication. I was encouraged by him, but this [book initiative] really was more about Heidi.”

As for the focus of his comments at the Alliance’s event,

Heidi and “Heidi’s Angels”: Wendy Gardiner, left, Heidi Armitage, Jane Green and Stacy Steponate Greenberg Greenberg said that most of his presentation will be humorous. “I won’t be spending 40 minutes talking about cancer … [I’ll cover] sports, etc. and will talk a bit about Heidi, the feeling of gratitude.”

Just as he recognized he could – and should – “do something” about Heidi’s death from cancer, Greenberg encourages people to “do whatever they feel is important. Be that someone; wherever your passion lies, do it rather than wonder why someone else can’t do it.”

“An Evening with Mike Greenberg” Tuesday, Sept. 17, 7 p.m.

Providence Biltmore Hotel, 11 Dorrance St., Providence Dessert reception follows program Cost: $36 per person, $18 per person under 30 RSVP by Sept. 4: Michelle Gallagher, 421-4111 ext. 165 or mgallagher@ jewishallianceri.org.

COMMUNITY thejewishvoice.org August 30, 2013 |

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Editor to leave The Jewish Voice, effective Sept. 13

BRIAN LOWNEY

The Jewish Voice will continue publication, says publisher Jeffrey Savit

Rabbi Mark Elber and Cantor Shoshana Brown

Fall River synagogue welcomes husband-and-wife clergy team Cantor Brown and Rabbi Elber are synagogue’s new spiritual leaders salem and at the University of Pennsylvania and certification in the teaching of Jewish meditation from Chochmat HaLev in Berkeley, Calif.

Cantor Brown earned her B.A. in English from Smith College, an M.A. in Bible from the Episcopal Divinity School and an M.Phil. in Midrash from the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York. She also studied as a visiting graduate student at the Hebrew University and at Machon Pardes in Jerusalem.

Before coming to Beth El, both Rabbi Elber and Cantor Brown had careers in Jewish education on Long Island.

N.Y. Cantor Brown has served

FALL RIVER, Mass. – Temple Beth El of Fall River, an independent Conservative congregation, has a new husbandand-wife leadership team.

Cantor Shoshana Brown and her husband Rabbi Mark Elber began their tenure as the synagogue’s spiritual leaders on July 1, according to a press release from Temple Beth El. The couple was ordained as Jewish clergy from ALEPH: the Alliance for Jewish Renewal.

Rabbi Elber’s educational background includes a B.A. in philosophy from the University of Pennsylvania, graduate studies in Jewish mysticism at the Hebrew University in Jeru-

many congregations as a guest High Holy Days hazzan (cantor), including three nearby Conservative congregations – in Longmeadow, Gloucester and Northampton, all in Massachusetts.

Rabbi Elber, the author of “The Everything Kabbalah Book,” is a prize-winning poet.

Cantor Brown has been a contributor to “The People and the Book” column of The Jerusalem Report and is a contributing editor for The Journal of Synagogue Music.

Temple Beth El of Fall River: 385 High St., Fall River, MA, 508-674-3539

PROVIDENCE – Effective Sept.

13, Nancy Kirsch, executive editor of The Jewish Voice, will leave the paper. After Kirsch announced her resignation earlier this summer, Jeffrey Savit, president and chief executive officer of the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island – the paper’s publisher – sent an email to Alliance staff, Alliance board members and past presidents of the Jewish Federation of Rhode Island, the Jewish Community Center and the Bureau of Jewish Education of Rhode Island (the agencies that merged to form the Alliance in January 2011).

“Although Nancy will conclude her five-year tenure at the Alliance on Sept. 13, The Jewish Voice, however, will continue to be published moving forward.

“I have the deepest gratitude and appreciation for Nancy’s dedication and commitment to The Jewish Voice. Under her leadership, the paper garnered national and local admiration and received numerous awards. Most recently, the Rhode Island Press Association awarded Nancy second place in editorial excellence this past May,” Savit wrote.

“I know you will join me in wishing Nancy all the best in

Executive Editor Nancy Kirsch her future endeavors.”

Kirsch shares her thoughts and reflections in her column on page 12, “No longer an observer, a participant once again.”

Effective Sept. 13, community members and agencies, schools and synagogues sending obituary notices, press releases, news of simchas, calendar items and all other submissions should continue to send them to nkirsch@jewishallianceri. org; updated information may be available in the next issue of The Jewish Voice.

Minna Ellison, senior vice president of planning for the Alliance (mellison@jewishallianceri.org or 421-4111) will be the point person for questions and concerns, Savit said.

Israeli typographer Oded Ezer will teach at RISD have two exhibitions that will feature his work – one at RISD and another at the Brown RISD Hillel gallery.

Ezer’s time at RISD is made possible by the Schusterman Visiting Israeli Artists Program, an initiative of the Israel Institute that brings Israeli artists, including filmmakers, choreographers, musicians, writers and visual artists, to

residencies at top universities and other cultural organizations in North America. With a focus on fostering interaction between the artists and the communities in which they are based, the initiative intends to expose a broader audience to contemporary Israeli culture.

Ezer is one of 10 visiting artists who will be in residencies

COLUMNISTS Dr. Stanley Aronson, Michael Fink, Prof. Sam Lehman-Wilzig, Alison Stern Perez and Rabbi James Rosenberg

Executive Editor Nancy Kirsch • nkirsch@jewishallianceri.org 421-4111, ext. 168

Editorial Board Toby London, chair; John Landry, vice chair; Stacy Emanuel, Alliance vice chair; M. Charles Bakst, Brian Evans, Jonathan Friesem, Steve Jacobson, Rabbi Marc Jagolinzer, Eleanor Lewis, Richard Shein, Jonathan Stanzler, Susan Youngwood and Faye Zuckerman

design & layout Leah M. Camara

Editorial ConsultantS Arthur C. Norman and Judith Romney Wegner

Advertising representatives Ellen Goodlin • egoodlin@jewishallianceri.org 421-4111, ext. 160 Karen Borger • ksborger@gmail.com 529-2538

CALENDAR COORDINATOR Toby London contributing writers Nancy Abeshaus and Arthur C. Norman

throughout the country as part of the program, founded in 2008 by the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation, part of the Schusterman Philanthropic Network.

Ezer studied graphic design at the Bezalel Academy of Art

The Schusterman Visiting Israeli Artist Program

NEW YORK – Oded Ezer, 41, a critically acclaimed Israeli graphic artist and typographer, will bring his talents to the Rhode Island School of Design for a residency this upcoming fall semester, according to a press release from the Israel Institute.

At RISD, Ezer will be teaching a course on typography.

While in residence, Ezer will

DESIGN | 9

THE JEWISH VOICE (ISSN number 1539-2104, USPS #465-710) is published bi-weekly, except in July, when it does not publish.

PERIODICALS postage paid at Providence, RI. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: The Jewish Voice, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence, RI 02906.

PUBLISHER: The Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island, Chair Sharon Gaines, President/CEO Jeffrey K. Savit, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence, RI 02906.

PHONE: 401-421-4111 • FAX: 401-331-7961 MEMBER of the Rhode Island Press Association

Oded Ezer

Copy Deadlines: All news releases, photographs, etc. must be received on the Thursday two weeks prior to publication. Submissions may be sent to: nkirsch@jewishallianceri.org.

Advertising: We do not accept advertisements for pork or shellfish. We do not attest to the kashrut of any product or the legitimacy of our advertisers’ claims.

All submitted content becomes the property of The Jewish Voice. Announcements and opinions contained in these pages are published as a service to the community and do not necessarily represent the views of The Jewish Voice or its publisher, the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island.

6 | August 30, 2013 The Jewish Voice Community

EXPERIMENTS

for themselves. I’m pretty floored by what some of these 5-year-olds comprehend! Also, I make a big deal of the fact that they are scientists; we try to chant, “Science is cool!” at the end of each experiment. I am proud that they are having fun with science at such a young age and seeing themselves as scientists. As a college professor for many years, I have been saddened that 18-22-yearolds often say they hate science.

Typically, it is because the joy of science was lost in middle school. I hope that I have “brainwashed” them – in a positive way – so that they will continue to enjoy and not be intimidated by science as they go forward.

Q.: If another school wanted to create a similar program, what resources exist?

Any online links you can suggest? How would you recommend getting started?

A: I use stevespangler.com and often Google “kid-friendly science experiments” as a place to start. I pick things that young kids can do themselves as much as possible as they aren’t into demonstrations. I also take JWU’s science leftovers and recycle them; local colleges or universities might have supplies to donate.

I go to the dollar store every September and buy all the Alka-Seltzer, balloons and food coloring. I wish I had more time and could do more for other classes. Oddly enough, it has

A

“I’m pretty floored by what some of these 5-year-olds comprehend!” gone better with classes that don’t include my own children – who want preferential treatment or to sit in my lap!

Michele Lang (Michele@Michelelang.com) wrote this story for the Parent to Parent Blog, an initiative of the Jewish Education Project, in conjunction with the UJA of Greater New York.

JCDS: JCDSRI.org and 751-2470

JCDS

from page 2

RRIE: Recycling for Rhode Island Education, a resource for recycled materials (RRIE.org or 781-1521).

Parent to Parent blog: Stories about parents’ experiences with Jewish day schools: parenttoparent.kontribune.com/articles/1157.

Kristin Rosler, aka JCDS’ Science Mom, works with kindergarten students Ram, Aviv, Kelila and Ronan in March 2012.

Editor’s Note: An earlier story about Kristin Rosler ran in the Dec. 24, 2010 Jewish Voice & Herald.

thejewishvoice.org August 30, 2013 |

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8 | August 30, 2013 The Jewish Voice COMMUNITY

One woman’s genealogical journey International Conference on Jewish Genealogy draws hundreds to Boston BOSTON – Genealogy is like reading a detective story about your own family.

My first revelation occurred more than a decade ago when I searched census records for my father’s family. My father liked to say that Youngwood was originally Youngholtz, and had been changed at Ellis Island.

So count me surprised when I discovered that, no, it had never been Youngholtz and. no, it wasn’t changed at Ellis Island.

My name started out as Youngwitz and was changed between 1910 and 1920, decades after the patriarch emigrated from Warsaw. In fact, Ellis Island didn’t exist as an immigration center when Joseph Youngwitz landed in New York City in 1867.

I figured that Youngwitz was an Americanized version of the name, but I had no idea how to determine what it might have been before.

Then, while attending a session on Jewish surnames at the International Conference on Jewish Genealogy, held in early August in Boston, I opened a new chapter in my family sleuthing.

This conference attracted 1,200 attendees from all over the world. For six days, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., scores of workshops, lectures and sessions on every possible aspect of Jewish gene-

SUSAN YOUNGWOOD

By Susan Youngwood Special to The Jewish Voice

Providence-based Maureen Taylor, a “photo detective,” speaks at a genealogy conference in Boston.

alogy and history were held.

In just one time slot, for example, I could have attended sessions on Lithuanian research, Holocaust genealogical research, a history of Jews of New York City, Touro Synagogue and Jews of Newport, finding family history in Australia and

Haplogroups: What they are and what they mean for Jews.

Two companies competing to analyze individuals’ DNA dominated the exhibit hall. DNA tests are the latest thing in genealogy, and both ancestrydna. com and Family Tree DNA want your business. Armed with

DNA results, you could unearth distant cousins and discover your great-great-great-greatgrandmother’s roots. You could also learn that, despite your German last name, you actually have Sephardic roots.

Each attendee wore a badge identifying five family surnames and the places those ancestors came from. A binder, called the Family Finder, listed all of these. To my surprise, a man contacted me the first day – his great-grandmother Strauss came from the same German town as my grandfather Straus.

Our family trees reveal that we may be distant cousins.

Since he knows a genealogical researcher in Germany, we should be able to learn more.

Overwhelmed by the choices, I focused on attending seminars about Jewish names, German ancestry and historical lectures.

I learned a lot.

At a workshop called Organize-It, the speaker recommended we color code all of our files. Every family branch gets its own color – blue for the Rosenblatts, green for the Cohns, yellow for the Levines.

Brandeis University’s National Center for Jewish Film has a large collection of archival Jewish film, and is collecting home movies depicting Jewish life.

Zack Wilske, a historian with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, offered guidance on requesting records from the government. If I follow through, I might get a 1930sera photo of my grandfather, a copy of his birth certificate and correspondence concerning his

naturalization process.

At a session on the New York City censuses of the early 1900s, I learned that census workers earned $2 per day and a penny per name. I also learned how to search those censuses through a website run by the speaker, Steve Morse.

Maureen Taylor, a Providence-based expert in photograph identification and genealogy, described how she uses artifacts in a photo – clothing, backdrops and props – to determine when the photo was taken. Based on one straw hat, she pegged one photo from 1910.

As my mother’s side of the family all came from Bavaria, Germany, between 1841 and 1855, I inhaled Ekkehard Hubschmann’s lecture, “Jewish Emigration from Bavaria.”

My mother’s great-grandmother, Esther Yankauer, came with her four brothers from Burgkundstadt in the 1850s. According to Hubschmann, Burgkundstadt had restricted the number of Jewish families to 78. While Bavaria allowed Jews the freedom to practice their religion in the Jew Edict of 1813, Jews had to register, select a last name and pledge an oath of allegiance. This edict restricted the number of Jews in each community, and limited the number of marriages allowed.

So Jews had three choices – establish residency in another town through marriage, live with their parents and remain single or emigrate.

Add crop failures and famines, and the result was that, between 1840 and 1871, about 25,000 Jews left Bavaria.

Because emigrants had to go through a strict process to get permission to leave, there’s a good chance that somewhere in Bavaria are files with the emigration applications from Esther and her brothers, with valuable family history.

The session on Jewish names

by Warren Blatt, managing director of JewishGen.org, dispelled many myths about Ashkenazi surnames.

As I had discovered from my own research, names were not changed at Ellis Island. Blatt said Jews renamed themselves, typically when they applied for citizenship, went to school or got a job.

The history of surnames is remarkably short, he said. Most Jews have had their last names for only about 200 years. Before, Jews were usually named after their father (Chaim Schlomovitz’s son was called Moshe Chaimovitz). Edicts mandating surnames began in 1787 in Austria and Poland in 1821, for example.

Blatt said Jews hated these INVESTIGATING | 9

thejewishvoice.org August 30, 2013 | COMMUNITY

from page 8

INVESTIGATING

laws, and continued using the old system. They would forget their surnames. Two brothers might take different last names and two strangers took the same name. Names, said Blatt, were devoid of meaning and not taken seriously.

In fact, he said, “Spelling didn’t matter.

Consistent spelling is a 20th-century invention.”

Blatt noted comprehensive research by Alexander Beider, who has catalogued the etymology and lineage of thousands of Jewish surnames from Russia and Poland.

After his lecture, I visited the conference’s resource room and took out Beider’s books.

Since jung means young in German, maybe Youngwitz had been Jungwitz, I theorized. I flipped the pages to the J’s.

And there it was. Jungwic was a Jewish surname from Plock and Warsaw in Poland, and Pinsk in Belarus. It came from German, and means “young wit.”

Blatt said the derivation of Jewish surnames means nothing – Schneiders weren’t necessarily tailors and Berliners didn’t necessarily come from Berlin. But it’s hard to see that derivation and not imagine some Jewish council trying to come up with surnames for its community members, considering the class comedian and deciding to call my ancestors’ Jungwic. Or perhaps my ancestors, laughing in the face of the edict, came up with the name themselves.

Susan Youngwood (susanyoungwood@gmail.com) is a member of the editorial board of The Jewish Voice.

Genealogy research resources With thousands of genealogical research resources, I’ve listed only those referenced in the article.

JewishGen.org: The hub of Jewish genealogical research accessing numerous online databases and family trees.

Stevemorse.org: A barebones website with onestep searching of databases like the Ellis Island manifests and New York City census data. uscis.gov/genealogy: The place to request naturalization, citizenship and immigration records. maureentaylor.com: Author and speaker Taylor calls herself a “photo detective”; her website links to her blog, twitter and Facebook page. iajgs.org/2014.html: Information on the 2014 con-

ference, in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Jewishfilm.org: Nonprofit motion picture archive, distributor, resource center and exhibitor.

Beider, Alexander: Offers the most comprehensive scholarly studies of Jewish surnames in Eastern Europe, with these books: “A Dictionary of Jewish Surnames from the Russian Empire” (Avotaynu, 2008); “A Dictionary of Jewish Surnames from the Kingdom of Poland” (Avotaynu, 1996) and “A Dictionary of Jewish Surnames from Galicia” (Avotaynu, 2004).

Menk, Lars: His “A Dictionary of German-Jewish Surnames” (Avotaynu, 2005) includes 13,000 Jewish surnames from the area that was pre-World War I Germany.

from page 5

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DESIGN

& Design in Jerusalem.

In 2000, he established his own independent studio, Oded Ezer Typography, where he creates stunning typographic and font designs. In 2004, Ezer founded Hebrew Typography, selling his own typefaces to leading media companies and design studios. His work is showcased and published worldwide and part of permanent collections in museums such as the New York Museum of Modern Art, the Israel Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

Among his recent projects was

the design for the “New American Hagaddah,” translated by Nathan Englander and edited by Jonathan Saftran Foer.

“What makes The Schusterman Visiting Israeli Artist Program so effective is that it allows members of the host community and the visiting artists to connect in a variety of settings – from formal to informal, Jewish to non-Jewish – over a significant period of time, rather than the more traditional one-off experience,” said Marge Goldwater, program director, in a release. “[The] success of the

residencies has prompted host institutions to find ways to bring Israeli cultural leaders to their communities after the Schusterman artist has left.”

For more information about the visiting artist program, visit jewishculture.org/schusterman-visiting-artist-program/ For more information about the Israel Institute, visit israelinstitute.org.

calendar | COMMUNITY 10 | August 30, 2013 The Jewish Voice

Ongoing

Tuesday | Sept. 17

Alliance Kosher Senior Café. Kosher lunch and program provided every Wednesday and Friday. Alliance, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence. Program: noon; lunch: 12:45 p.m. A $3 lunch donation requested from individuals 60+ or under-60 with disabilities. Neal or Elaine, 421-4111, ext. 107.

Am David Kosher Senior Café. Kosher lunch and program provided every weekday. Temple Am David, 40 Gardiner St., Warwick. Program: 11:15 a.m.; lunch: noon. A $3 lunch donation requested from individuals 60+ or under-60 with disabilities. Elaine or Steve, 732-0047.

An Evening with Mike Greenberg.

Greenberg, of ESPN’s “Mike & Mike in the Morning,” and author of “All You Could Ask For,” is keynote speaker at the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island’s Annual Campaign kickoff. Providence Biltmore Hotel, 11 Dorrance St., Providence, 7 p.m. See story, page 1.

Dessert reception follows program; $36 per person, $18 per person under 30.

RSVP by Sept. 4: Michelle Gallagher, 421-4111 ext. 165 or mgallagher@ jewishallianceri.org.

Sunday | Sept. 1 High Holiday Fun Day. Bake and take home challah, honey cookies and create New Year cards. Refreshments. Chabad of West Bay, 3871 Post Road, Warwick; 10 a.m. – noon; $5 per child. RSVP to Shoshana Laufer, 884-7888 or mrslaufer@gmail.com.

Monday | Sept. 2 Shofar Factory. Fashion your own Shofar from a real animal horn. Chabad of West Bay, 2871 Post Road, Warwick, 10 a.m. – noon; $2 entry per person, $8 per shofar. RSVP: 884-7888 or rabbi@rabbiwarwick.com.

Wednesday | Sept. 4 Erev Rosh Hashanah

Thursday | Sept. 5 First Day Rosh Hashanah

Friday | Sept. 6 Second Day Rosh Hashanah

Sunday | Sept. 8 Memorial Cemetery Service. Congregation Agudas Achim, the Reconstructionist synagogue in Attleboro, Mass., holds annual memorial service at Dodgeville Hebrew Cemetery. Community is invited to attend service; 10 a.m.; cemetery is off Route 152, past the Dodgeville soccer fields, behind Hillside Cemetery, in Dodgeville, Mass. 508-222-2243.

Friday | Sept. 13 Kol Nidrei

Saturday | Sept. 14 Yom Kippur

Sunday | Sept. 15 Cyclovia Providence. A car-free event on Hope Street allowing people to walk, skate, bicycle, run and socialize.

Program features a farmers’ market, Zumba, yoga, street vendors and more, including an Alliance tent and J-Fitness activities. Free and open to the community. Hope Street between Lippitt Park and Rochambeau Avenue.

Visit providenceri.com/sustainability or contact Michelle Cicchitelli, 421-4111 or mcicchitelli@jewishallianceri.org.

Wednesday | Sept. 18 Sushi in the Sukkah/Pizza in the Hut. Temple Sinai, the Reform synagogue in Cranston, hosts Sukkot dinner and service. Dinner: 6 p.m., holiday service: 7 p.m. 30 Hagen Drive, Cranston. $10 per person, free for children grade 3 and younger. RSVP: 942-8350.

Friday | Sept. 20 Shabbat in the Sukkah. Temple Beth-El, the Reform synagogue in Providence, holds new member and family dinner.

All are welcome to attend. Services: 5:45 p.m.; sangria and appetizers in the sukkah: 6:30 p.m.; Middle Eastern vegetarian themed dinner: 6:45 p.m..

Members and community: $18 per person, children under 13: $10, new members and their families: free., RSVP: 331-6070.

Saturday | Sept. 21 Special PJ Shabbat Storytime. Guest storyteller Lisa Bergman will tell stories to children ages 3 – 8-years-old.

Siblings welcome; children must be accompanied by adult. Congregation Beth Sholom, corner of Rochambeau Avenue and Camp Street, in Providence; 10:15 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. Info: Elly Leyman, at elly207@gmail.com.

S’lihot Services with Music. S’lihot service with Shireinu, the community chorus of Temple Sinai, the Reform synagogue in Cranston, will participate in the service. A light “breakfast”: 9 p.m.; service: 10 p.m. No charge for this event; community is invited. Temple Sinai, 30 Hagen Ave., Cranston. 9428350.

Sunday | Sept. 22 The Sukkot Celebration. Storytime, crafts, snacks and more for children, 6 and younger. Co-sponsored by PJ Library, the Jewish Community Day School (JCDS) and Temple Emanu-El. JCDS, 99 Taft Ave., Providence, 9 a.m.

– 11 a.m.; free. Info: Michelle Cicchitelli at 421-4111 or mcicchitelli@jewishallianceri.org.

Be Safe This Fall. Fifth annual safety awareness health fair is co-sponsored

by The Miriam Hospital and the Jewish Alliance for Greater Rhode Island. 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., free and open to the community.

421-4111.

Calendar Submissions

Calendar items for our Sept. 13 Seniors Issue must be received

by Sept. 1. Send all calendar items to nkirsch@jewishallianceri. org, subject line: “CALENDAR.”

National Jewish Retreat includes lectures, workshops and kosher food

By Patricia Raskin Special to The Jewish Voice ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Yiddishkeit (Jewish feelings, attitudes) was front and center for participants at the eighth annual National Jewish Retreat in Alexandria, earlier this month.

Five simultaneous workshops every 90 minutes included academic, historic, spiritual, cultural and inspirational lectures, with such presentations as “How to Pray with Passion and Purpose,” “A Rabbi’s View on the BRCA Gene Mutation,” “Are You Living or Just Existing?” and “Helen Nash’s New Kosher Cuisine.”

The Aug. 6 – 11 retreat was coordinated by JLI (the Rohr Institute of the Jewish Learning Institute), the adult education arm of Chabad Lubavitch, the largest network of adult education in the world serving 660 communities across the globe. Offering Jews from smaller communities the opportunity to learn directly from many Torah scholars, the retreat included a Dudu Fisher concert and comedic entertainment.

The scholars were world class, the learning was interesting and engaging, the kosher food was delicious and the retreat’s organization was topnotch. I was honored to have the opportunity to interview several scholars through Torah Café, which is part of JLI.

JLI TORAH CAFE STAFF

CALENDAR

Sherri Mandell, keynote speaker at the Jewish Learning Institute’s National Jewish Retreat This year’s retreat also included an accredited track for medical professionals focusing on Jewish medical ethics, a Jewish Women’s Day on Rosh Hodesh (new moon) Elul and a symposium on the historical, psychological and halakhic (Jewish law) perspectives of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising on its 70th anniversary.

Sherri Mandell, a keynote speakers, talked about her son, Koby, who was murdered in Israel in 2001. Kobe, then 13, and his friend Yosef Ish Ran were hiking in a canyon

near the Mandell home when Arab terrorists stoned them to death. The Mandells later created the Koby Mandell Foundation, which provides healing programs for families struck by terrorism.

Patricia Raskin (patricia@ patriciaraskin.com), an East Greenwich resident, hosts and produces three radio shows and is an author, speaker and radio coach.

The Rohr Jewish Learning Institute: myjli.com.

thejewishvoice.org August 30, 2013 | COMMUNITY

11

AMUNDSON FAMILY

Temple Am David partners with PJ Library

Benjamin Amundson, left, and Rabbi Marc Jagolinzer, rabbi of Temple Shalom, stand before new signage in Middletown.

A scout with a message

By Arthur C. Norman Special to The Jewish Voice PROVIDENCE – Benjamin Amundson is a young man with a message – a message board, that is.

This Portsmouth High School senior, active in sports – football at school and club rugby with Island Rugby – has been involved in scouting for eight years. Earlier this month, he completed his Eagle Scout project, replacing both an old message board and a directional road sign at Temple Shalom in Middletown that were barely visible from the road. In fact,

they had fallen into such disrepair that visitors had difficulty finding the synagogue.

In order to get a new informational message board that would be easy for motorists to read from both directions, he contacted John Liptak, a sign maker from Portsmouth who is known for his handmade signs.

Ben, a son of Richard and Cindy Amundson, then sought to raise the funds necessary to complete the project; eventually, he raised more than $1,300 from the congregation.

He and his father rebuilt the old road sign from the ground

up, duplicating one that had been built and installed by a congregation member 30 years ago. Both new signposts are now surrounded by gravel and pavers to protect them from errant weed whackers or lawn mowers.

Ben hopes to continue developing his project skills as an engineering major in college next fall.

Arthur C. Norman (abcnorman@aol.com) is a contributing writer for The Jewish Voice.

WARWICK – Temple Am David is partnering with the PJ Library to bring your family even more programming through our Shalom Friends program.

PJ Library is a program of the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island in partnership with the Harold Grinspoon Foundation.

Shalom Friends, open to both members and non-members of Temple Am David, is a onehour music and movement class geared toward children from birth to 5, and their families.

Classes feature singing, instrument playing, dancing and interactive movement to original and traditional Jewish music, arts and crafts projects,

story telling, snack time and discussion time with parents on key issues and a group observance of Shabbat.

Everyone is welcome and there is no fee; no sign-up required. Classes will run 10 – 11 a.m., on the Thursday, Sept.

5, Rosh Hashanah; Saturday, Sept. 14, Yom Kippur; Sunday, Oct. 20; Sunday, Nov. 17; Sunday, Dec. 15. More dates will be added for the spring.

For more information, visit templeamdavid.org, call 4637944 or email rabbi@templeamdavid.org.

12 | August 30, 2013 The Jewish Voice OPINION

No longer an observer, a participant once again Reclaiming my life …

After five years of happily observing, recording, interviewing and photographing people, places and things for The Jewish Voice, I am going to start participating!

Readers may have Executive heard by now that Editor I have reNancy Kirsch signed as execut ive editor – effective Sept. 13.

After much consideration and deliberation, I realized that I needed to spend fewer hours observing, recording, interviewing and photographing others and spend more time living my own life.

“My labors would have been in vain without you, our readers.”

At one event I covered a year or so ago, a colleague chided me for not smiling enough and for not clapping when others clapped; it was, after all, a celebratory moment. I thought to myself, “But, wait, I’m not here to participate; I’m here to report the event – as impartially as I possibly can.”

So many people; so many events; so many interviews … I thank the people who allowed me to intrude – to poke around into their hearts, their homes, their psyches – as part of the interview process.

Domestic abuse, breast cancer, same-sex marriage, suicide, adoption, veterans’ traumas and poverty – I was fortunate to be able to interview people directly affected by these and other issues in my four years as editor and one as associate editor and then share those individuals’ stories with you,

our readers.

Hearing Elie Wiesel speak at Bryant University, covering Newark,N.J., Mayor Cory Booker (perhaps New Jersey’s next U.S. Senator), interviewing and then dining with author and NBC newscaster Martin Fletcher and visiting Israel on the January 2013 mission were highlights, as were the awards the paper earned during my tenure from Rhode Island Community & Justice and the Rhode Island Press Association.

As in any life experience, there have been bumps along the way – most notably the November 2010 death of Frank Zasloff, our lovable, charming and persuasive advertising sales representative. My clumsy maneuver that caused Leah Camara, our graphic designer, to fall and break her ankle was a bump, as was the concussion I received while covering Temple Torat Yisrael’s move from its building in Cranston. The production days that turned into 20hour marathon sessions, while not pleasant, offered abundant opportunities for improvement – in personal and professional decision-making!

Many colleagues at the Alliance, our editorial board and other volunteers have shared with me their wisdom and support over the years; I am grateful to each and every one of them.

However, my labors would have been in vain without you, our readers.

I have been sustained and nurtured by your phone calls, emails, texts and conversations – whether in my office, at the grocery store or elsewhere – about the paper. Both critical and laudatory comments matter; otherwise, what we’ve labored to deliver to you every two weeks is for naught. You cared enough to respond and that’s music to any writer’s ears.

I will have one final opportunity to share my thoughts and reflections through this ‘bully pulpit’ in the Sept. 13 issue.

An act of love Hershey Rosen’s book offers invaluable advice for couples and families Harris N. Rosen – “Hershey” to many of us – is known and respected throughout Rhode Island for his numerous acts of charity.

Just recently, Rosen has again demonstrated his communitymindedness by self-publishing an invaluable self-help book, “Creating A Guide So Your Loved Ones Can Go On Living!”

The book is available locally at Books on the Square, 471 Angell St., in Providence.

It Seems to Me Rosen, who, from 1993-1996, held the highRabbi Jim profile position Rosenberg of president of the Jewish Federation of Rhode Island (one of the precursor agencies of the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island), states in the book’s concluding chapter, “[My] purpose has been to prompt a family’s current financial and

“[D]emonstrate with our deeds that our care, concern and protection survives our death.” house ‘manager’ to commit to writing all the things in his or her head that a survivor or executor needs to know … I particularly hope that this book has deepened your concern about the future life of your partner.”

What sets his work apart from similar “how-to” books concerned with putting our affairs in order is that Rosen realizes that one size most definitely does not fit all; he emphasizes the obvious fact that every family is idiosyncratic, that every family has its unique needs, values, priorities.

Therefore, rather than presenting readers with ready-made charts and lists into which they must force-feed their particular facts and figures, he encourages each family to tailor-make its own guide for the surviving spouse, partner, children and grandchildren; and he does an excellent job of showing us how to create such a guide.

Rosen’s book is crammed with useful information that most individuals are likely to need as they face inevitable end-of-life issues:

funeral arrangements, detailed instructions as to what must be addressed shortly after the death of a loved one, additional required tasks in the weeks and months that follow, financial data, insurance considerations, continuing home maintenance concerns – just for starters.

His book also contains considerable information that will not necessarily apply to all readers. For example, Rosen devotes about 40 pages to downsizing. I am happy to report that my wife Sandy and I downsized more than six years ago, so I could breathe a sigh of relief as I read what he had to say about this onerous task of moving to smaller digs.

However, if you have not yet downsized, you could save yourself considerable time and energy by reviewing the 40 pages devoted to the subject.

In terms of my own family situation, Rosen’s book has been most helpful in prompting Sandy and me to first locate our important documents and then write down clear instructions as to precisely where they are located. He reminds readers that it is not enough to write that our will is located in the file cabinet in our den, nor is it sufficient to indicate that our will can be found in the top drawer of that file cabinet. Rather, we need to state that our will is located in the very front of the top drawer in the file cabinet in our den.

Rosen has had decades of experience in figuring out where things are. When he was president of School House Candy, then a candy manufacturer with 600,000 square feet of space spread over five factories, he had to be super-organized to be able to locate every single item in a vast stock.

Inspired by his book, Sandy and I have taken all summer simply to begin to bring the documents in our 1,750 square feet of condo space into some semblance of rational order.

Some readers of “Creating a Guide” might feel that the book contains too much information.

My brother Bill, for example, questions whether it is necessary to leave our survivors a list of paint

our mission

columns | letters policy

The mission of The Jewish Voice is to communicate Jewish news, ideas and ideals by connecting and giving voice to the diverse views of the Jewish community in Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts, while adhering to Jewish values and the professional standards of journalism.

The Jewish Voice publishes thoughtful and informative contributors’ columns (op-eds of 500 – 800 words) and letters to the editor (250 words, maximum) on issues of interest to our Jewish community. At our discretion, we may edit pieces for publication or refuse publication. Letters and columns, whether from our regular contributors or from guest columnists, repre-

colors in case touch-up work is needed in their residence. Rosen comments that “matching colors can be tricky” and one should “include the paint manufacturer and color name and/or number.” Both my brother and I feel that this is an excessive level of detail, but my wife insists that this is useful data and something she wouldn’t have thought of without Rosen’s advice.

It is no exaggeration to state that his book is, at its heart, an act of love. By insisting that we leave clear, precise, easy-to-follow instructions to our survivors, Rosen is urging us to demonstrate with our deeds that our care, concern and protection survives our death.

None of us lives forever. As we approach our High Holy Days, our Days of Awe, a central question of our Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur liturgy beats in our hearts and stirs in our minds: “Mi yih’yeh u-mi yamut?,” which means “Who shall live and who shall die?”

To make life easier for those who survive our death is an act of love that binds us in our death with those who live after us.

James B. Rosenberg (rabbiemeritus@templehabonim.org) is rabbi emeritus at Temple Habonim, the Reform synagogue in Barrington.

“Creating A Guide So Your Loved Ones Can Go On Living!”

Self-published, May 2013 Single copies are available only at Books on the Square.

To purchase 25 or more copies, contact Harris “Hershey” Rosen at survivorinfo@aol. com. To order bulk copies with the book’s title page customized, contact Rosen.

sent the views of the authors; they do not represent the views of The Jewish Voice or the Alliance.

Send letters and op-eds to nkirsch@jewishallianceri.org or Nancy Kirsch, The Jewish Voice, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence, RI 02906. Include name, city of residence and (not for publication) a contact phone number or email.

thejewishvoice.org August 30, 2013 | OPINION

13

It’s all a matter of perspective Dispassionate mediator is essential to breaking logjam This will not be a book review column but I’d like to start with the titles of several classics in the field of social psychology: “The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life” by Erving Goffman (Anchor, May 1959); “Deceit and S e l f- D e c e p tion: Fooling Yourself the Better to Fool Others” by Robert Trivers (Allen Lane, October 2011); Reflections “Why Everyof | in Israel one (Else) is a Hypocrite: Sam Lehman- E v o l u t i o n and the ModWilzig ular Mind” by Robert Kurzban (Princeton University Press, reprint edition, May 2012) and “Mistakes Were Made (But Not By Me): Why We Justify Foolish Beliefs, Bad Decisions, and Hurtful Acts” by Carol Tavris and Elliot Aronson (Mariner Books, reprint edition, March 2008).

In a nutshell, their general theme forms the basis of the central problem facing the Israelis and Palestinians in their peace negotiations. All individuals tend to view their own behavior as exemplary or, at least, “correct.” That’s good for our selfimage, but problems start when we are in conflict with another

person or group. At that point, the normally mild distortion of self-congratulation becomes a far greater one, to the point where “we” are always the “victim” and “they” are always the “aggressor.” This self-serving bias is what makes reconciliation so difficult between warring parties. The usual perceptual gap between people (“I’m right; she’s wrong.”) becomes a moralization chasm (“We’re the good guys; they’re the evil empire.”)

How to bridge this great divide? First, by understanding that just because your action wasn’t morally “wrong,” that doesn’t mean that the other side hasn’t (unjustifiably) suffered because of it.

The world is full of unintended consequences stemming from people’s actions; driving down the highway of life, there is bound to be collateral “road kill,” however safely we drive.

The Jews escaped Europe (antiSemitism in the early 20th century; the Holocaust several decades later) and because other countries were increasingly unwilling to take them in as the century progressed, many Jews made their way to the one place where their forefathers and foremothers had resided long ago and where they hoped to regain a measure of independence in that same land. But another group of tenants had already found abode there for

those who already lived there –the genetic (although not national or cultural) ancestors of today’s Palestinians? The bottom line: The two parties have to recognize that “historical” arguments can support both sides of the conflict!

The third step is acknowledging that all virtue does not lie with “me” and all iniquity with “you.” There are no absolute saints in the world and also few unadulterated devils.

Put another way: We all make President Barack Obama many centuries; in the ensuing melee, they, too, suffered tremendously. Some empathy

by Israelis for the Palestinian position is called for; so, too, is Palestinian empathy for the Jewish predicament in a virulently anti-Semitic world.

A second, and related, concept is this: One’s past is important, but the “past” is a dangerous place upon which to stake one’s position. How far back into the past do we want to go? A century (when there were few Jews in what is now Israel)? Thirteen hundred years ago, when the Muslims conquered this part of the world or 2,000 years ago, when the Jews lost their sovereignty? Three thousand years ago, when they began to rule in earnest or 3,200 years ago, when they entered the Land?

If that far back, what about

“The conflict has to change from a zero some game of revenge.” mistakes, and dealing with reality means owning up to them.

This is not to “concede” to the other side, but rather to admit that our side is not blameless either. Yes, the Arabs attacked Israel in 1948; yes, we forcibly evicted many Palestinian noncombatants from their homes in that war. (The litany of “they did this, but we did that” could easily fill an entire book.)

The fourth and final psychological step is to focus more on the future than on the past, i.e., less on who has the greater historical “right” and more on “what’s in it for both of us?” if an agreement can be worked

out. In other words, the conflict has to change from a zero-sum game of revenge to a win-win game of mutual advantage.

How to accomplish all these mental acrobatics? There are several approaches but they all have a common denominator – an involved mediator who is perceived as neutral can help both sides overcome their respective mental blocks. At times this demands the mediator be a psychologist (“Try looking at things this way”); other times a parent (“No, you can’t do that.”) Ultimately, at the end, the mediator must be a “sugar daddy” (“If you succeed, here’s a pot of gold waiting for you” – the gold being money or any other incentive, such as ironclad security guarantees, etc.).

From the looks of things so far, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is trying hard on several of these fronts, but there’s only one person who can successfully fill all these roles. The question must be asked of President Barack Obama: “For the sake of resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, are you really willing and ready to be psychologist-in-chief?”

Prof. Sam Lehman-Wilzig is deputy director of the School of Communications at Bar-Ilan University in Israel. This past spring, he was visiting professor at the Israel Studies Center, University of Maryland, College Park. Visit profslw.com.

RHODE ISLAND’S NEW VOICES

Israel is facing serious and timely challenges The only peaceful hope for stopping Iran’s nuclear program

By David M. Hirsch Special to The Jewish Voice As a preface to this op-ed, I wish to make it clear that the opinions expressed are entirely my own and do not reflect those of any organizations with which I may be affiliated.

The enjoyment of our New England summer may lull us into losing sight of the serious and timely challenges Israel is facing, despite the fact that it is the most vibrant, entrepreneurial and stable American ally in the Middle East; and this is despite the newly aroused hopes for renewed peace talks between the Palestinians and the Israelis.

Far-reaching sanctions on Iran have been biting; nonetheless, Iran continues unabated its nuclear weapons program.

The Obama administration and the U.S. Congress have spoken by clearly saying it is U.S. policy to prevent Iran from achieving nuclear weapons capability. A nuclear Iran will result in

a nuclear arms race in the Middle East, even greater regional instability due to Iranian support for terrorist entities like Hezbollah and a direct threat to Israel’s very existence.

“It is foolish to think that [Israel] will remain untouched by the surrounding upheaval.”

With Egypt looking like it could be following Syria into violent upheaval, and nearly two million Syrian refugees flowing into neighboring states, the region is becoming more volatile with each passing day. Though Israel has never been stronger, it is foolish to think that the country will remain untouched by the surrounding upheaval.

The goal of the pro-Israel community is a strong alliance

between the U.S. and Israel.

The tighter the bond between these two great democracies, the greater is the chance for peace, security and stability.

The single biggest threat to both Israel and the United States is Iran and its illicit pursuit of nuclear weapons capability. The only peaceful hope for stopping Iran’s nuclear program is to demonstrate a serious U.S. commitment to our publicly stated foreign policy.

The U.S. House of Representatives has introduced the bipartisan Nuclear Iran Prevention Act of 2013 (H.R. 850), which would strengthen enforcement of sanctions on Iran and expand sanctions to reach Iran’s human rights violators.

This, along with passage by a vote of 99-0 for Senate Res. 65 stating that America stands with Israel against Iran, is a good start. But we must do more. The United States must be creative in finding ways to show Iran that when President

Barack Obama says Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon, he means it.

We must implement enhanced sanctions on Iran, coupled with full implementation of the sanctions already on the books, and demonstrate a credible military willingness to support our policy.

Congress has been the bedrock of support for the U.S.-Israel relationship. For example, our Rhode Island representatives support foreign aid, helping stop Iran’s pursuit of a nuclear weapons capability, supporting Israel’s right to defend itself, and reinforcing American policy that a twostate solution with the Palestinians will only be achieved through direct negotiations.

As Rhode Islanders, we are fortunate that our members of the U.S. Congress are solid supporters of these efforts and they clearly understand the issues; moreover, they are most responsive to our opinions and

views. Please take a moment this summer to call them and thank them for their support and ask them to speak out in favor of a credible military posture to support the Obama administration’s policy of preventing Iran from achieving nuclear capability.

David M. Hirsch (dmh55@ juno.com) is a past president of the Jewish Federation of Rhode Island (now the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island) and the current Rhode Island state chair of AIPAC. He is a resident of Providence. This piece reflects Hirsch’s personal views.

Alison Stern Perez, whose column, “Alison on Aliyah Redux,” appears every other issue, is on vacation. Her column will appear in our Sept. 13 issue.

opinion 14 | August 30, 2013 The Jewish Voice

New Year’s Holy Days offer a universal message Observances mix awe and joy, in equal measures

By Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz JERUSALEM (JTA) – The start of the Jewish New Year is filled with holy days, among them four foundational celebrations: Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot and Simhat Torah-Shemini Atzeret.

They are quite different from one another. Yet we may also think of all four holidays as two pairs of two. The first two – a day of memory and accounting and a day of atonement – are awe inspiring and grave compared with the last two festivals, which are days of joy.

At the same time, the first three holidays do have a common denominator: As much as they are Jewish Holy Days, they carry a universal message. Embedded within them are three

of humanity’s cardinal touchstones: accounting and judgment; mercy and atonement; and the joy of life.

These attributes and qualities are essential to the lives of every human being. We mark the New Year by commemorating creation on the one hand and celebrating the Kingship of the Lord on the other. Both creation and God’s sovereignty pertain to all humankind and are not specifically Jewish.

The Day of Atonement, too, is relevant to every human being. Life is full of mistakes and transgressions. Without atonement, it would be unbearable to go on living with the unresolved and painful pieces of our past.

Sukkot at first glance seems to be far more connected with

Jewish history. Yet, at its essence, Sukkot is actually a festival of thanksgiving for what we have. We acknowledge the tranquility in our lives and express our gratitude for divine gifts.

Moreover, our sages teach us that during Sukkot – in the days of the Holy Temple – 70 bulls were offered to God in the name of the 70 nations of the world.

As the Prophet Zachariah foretells, in the days to come it is on Sukkot that all the peoples of the world will come as pilgrims to the Temple in Jerusalem (14:16-21).

This combination of the particular and the universal is not just one more interesting point; rather, it is the key to understanding the meaning of these three observances. In all our other celebrations, and perhaps

By Nurit Canetti

Passionate debate is good, not sweeping generalizations of Greater Rhode Island.) We should not be trapped into allowing hooligans, regardless of their external appearance, to define our relationship.

We should be able to debate passionately without stooping to sweeping generalizations, demeaning caricatures and thug-like behavior.

At the end of the day, let us remember that we only have one another. This is a philosophy I live by and so do the vast majority of Jews I know, regardless of their dress, affiliation or level of observance. I am sorry if your experience has been otherwise.

Rabbi Raphie Schochet Providence

Readers regret Kirsch’s pending departure The Jewish Voice has become a very interesting, informative and important VOICE of the Rhode Island Jewish community under its executive editor, Nancy Kirsch. Nancy has, through style and content, made The Jewish Voice an indispensable source of information for its growing readership.

It is with great regret that we understand Nancy will soon leave The Jewish Voice.

We urge readers to continue sending The Jewish Voice your letters. We will continue to publish and continue to

what is universal to all humankind within our own selves.

The fourth and last of these Holy Days, Shemini Atzeret (and with it Simhat Torah), stands in clear contrast to the first three.

As beautifully depicted by our sages, a king made a great banquet to which he invited all the citizens of his realm. At the end of these feasts, he called his most beloved friend and said now that all these big events are over, let us have a small banquet just for the two of us (Tractate Sukkah 55b).

Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz has written more than 60 books and hundreds of articles on the Talmud and kabbalah.

Tikkun olam bridges Diaspora-Israel gap

letters

This is an open letter to Edward Mehlman, D.D.S., in response to his Aug. 2 letter to the editor, “Writer disagrees with a rabbi’s perspective.” Thank you for taking the time to read my piece (“Every soul is precious”) a few weeks ago.

I am not going to debate who hates who more; in fact, that terminology makes me very uncomfortable and I feel it should be avoided. I will just ask, “What are you and I doing to change perceptions and preconceived stereotypes?”

My suggestion – please accept an open invitation to explore Jewish relations anytime. (My contact information is available from the Jewish Alliance

in Jewish religious life in general, we stress the specificity of Jewish existence. Most of our holidays and memorial days are deeply connected with our own history.

At this time of year, however, we focus on our fundamental humanity, on the fact that we are human beings with great problems. In this context, humanity is not defined as a group of human beings. Here we speak of our basic humanity – humanity as a quality. The very touchstones that we mark are what make us human. The essence of the universality of these holidays, then, is not in the point of sharing with others, it is in delving into ourselves in order to reveal and find some of the fundamentals of our existence.

We explore and acknowledge

Few people are indispensable, but the great success she has achieved in growing The Jewish Voice to its current status will be difficult to replicate.

We wish Nancy well in whatever she may elect to do in the future, but we sadly and fondly say goodbye to her as editor.

She was a masterful editor.

Alan and Renee Flink Providence

keep you, our readers and our vibrant Jewish community, informed.

(JTA) – Everyone knows that an ocean separates Israel and the United States. Yet after three days in New York recently, I realized how big that ocean really is.

Along with five Israeli journalists, I participated in a seminar organized by the Ruderman Family Foundation to help us understand the diverse U.S. Jewish community. But as we met with Jewish leaders whose Judaism is their passion – and for some their profession – I realized how absurd the gap is between American Jewry and Israel.

We met two kinds of Jews.

One group I call “classic Jews” – warmhearted Americans whose loyalty to Israel is unwavering, who believe the State of Israel is the national home of the Jewish people and who consider Israel’s scenic desert and parks more fascinating than the Grand Canyon.

Classic Jews love Israel and Israelis; if they have criticism of Israel’s policies or are offended by the arrogance with which some Israelis treat them, they will not let anyone know. They are loyal Americans with an extra Israeli soul.

The other type are Jews whose Jewishness may be an important component of their identity and personality but is not necessarily related to Israel. Israel is more or less important to these Jews. But the common thread is that Judaism is significant to their way of life.

Although I knew U.S. Jewry is no longer a homogenous community and that the consensus about the direction Israel is headed is coming un-

done, even among its U.S. supporters, it was surprising to discover how people in Israel do not understand what is going on with Jews in the Diaspora.

For most Israelis, Jews in the U.S. are the same as those who were living in America after the victory in 1967 or the Yom Kippur war for survival in 1973. Even now, after the seminar, I feel that U.S. Jewry “has our back” when necessary, especially if Israel’s security is threatened. But I also understand that if, for example, the government of Israel decided to attack Iran in opposition to the U.S. administration, I’m not sure that U.S. Jewry would have Israel’s back in the same manner.

Community, peoplehood, even support for Israel is decided upon by the individual Jew. U.S. Jews are no longer the “long arm” of the government sitting in Israel. The State of Israel is an important reference point but not central to their daily lives. Judaism and its ties to Israel have undergone a significant change.

What impressed me most were the social activists we met, people who attribute their humanitarian work to their Jewish upbringing and core Jewish values. Certainly in Israel this exists, especially in religious circles where gemilut hasadim (acts of kindness) and tzedakah (charity) are emphasized. But these Jews see their work in Africa or South America as a direct result of the words in the Torah that every person is created in the image of God. Their work is the clearest expression of their Judaism, but it does not manifest itself when Israel is discussed.

As the seminar progressed, it became apparent that Israel’s treatment of American Jewry remains stuck between 1967 and 1973, while American Jewry has and evolved.

Diaspora Jewry is important to Israel and Israelis, and vice versa. This seminar is a drop in the ocean in an attempt to connect the two worlds and understand each other; even Birthright Israel is insufficient in bridging this ocean.

I propose a model that can help bridge the gap. If tikkun olam (repair of the world) is the way to the hearts of young Jews, Israel should generate opportunities for Diaspora Jews who seek self-realization via humanitarian activities.

Israel could create a center to send young Jews on social missions around the world. It should not be institutionalized nor a government program, but should be centered in Israel. This can attract young Jews who otherwise may have no interest in Israel to come to Israel and join programs that already exist around the world or in their country of origin.

If Diaspora Jews see tikkun olam as a first-rate Jewish value, why shouldn’t Israel contribute and invite Jews everywhere to visit – not just for Birthright or Masa trips – and then join humanitarian missions around the globe?

Imagine what a wonderful contribution to the world it would be if Israel were to become a beacon of humanitarianism?

Nurit Canetti is a publicist, columnist and editor.

Ephraim Gopin translated this op-ed from Hebrew.

thejewishvoice.org August 30, 2013 | ISRAEL

Ahead of High Holy Days, Bennett unveils new platform for egalitarian prayer Women of the Wall call the platform ‘separate, and not nearly close to equal’

By Ben Sales TEL AVIV (JTA) – Naftali Bennett, Israel’s religious services minister, has unveiled a temporary platform for nonOrthodox prayer at Robinson’s Arch, the archaeological site adjacent to the Western Wall plaza used by egalitarian groups.

The platform, which will include Torah scrolls, prayer books and prayer shawls and be open at all hours, does not reach the Western Wall itself. A ramp leads from the 4,800-square-foot platform to a smaller area adjacent to the wall.

Bennett’s office described the new platform “as an interim but primary place of worship for Jewish egalitarian and pluralistic prayer services.”

“The Kotel belongs to all Jews no matter who they are and what stream of Judaism they come from,” Bennett said. “This new platform, built ahead of Rosh Hashanah, will help unify the Jewish people and enable all Jews to pray freely at the Kotel.”

The new platform was unveiled as face-offs continued at Judaism’s holiest site between haredi, ultra-Orthodox, protesters and the feminist group Women of the Wall, which conducts a monthly service at the women’s section of the Western Wall Plaza.

The women’s group has fought for the right to wear prayer shawls and read from the Torah at the wall, which the haredi Orthodox consider a provocation and an infringement on their religious rights. Egalitarian prayer, in which men and women participate equally, is permitted only at Robinson’s Arch.

Following several arrests of Women of the Wall members, the Israeli government promised a compromise solution – by last December – to be developed

by Jewish Agency for Israel Chairman Natan Sharansky. A detailed version of the plan is due shortly.

In the meantime, the fight has been a distraction for the government, sparking a conflict between Bennett, who favors reserving the main Western Wall Plaza for Orthodox prayer, and Justice Minister Tzipi Livni, who supports Women of the Wall. Bennett hopes to

institute a legal statute restricting the plaza to Orthodox prayer, but such a statute would require Livni’s approval.

Under the terms of Sharansky’s plan, first reported in April, the Robinson’s Arch area would be expanded and a unified entrance built offering access to both traditional and egalitarian places for worship.

Sharansky welcomed the temporary platform as “a gesture of goodwill.”

The months since the plan’s broad outline was revealed have seen increased haredi Orthodox protests at Women of the Wall’s monthly gatherings. In addition, a judge determined in April that the women’s group’s activities did not contravene a law prohibiting deviation from the wall’s “local custom.”

Since the ruling, no women have been arrested and the group has prayed with police protection in the Western Wall Plaza.

Given its legal victory, Women of the Wall considers the platform a step backward. The group released a statement Sunday calling it “the very definition of separate, and not nearly close to equal.”

“The plan will effectively exile women and all Jews who pray in a way that is not ultra-Orthodox tradition to Robinson’s Arch and away from the area of the Western Wall where Jews have prayed for generations,” the statement read.

American liberal Jewish groups were more reserved in their judgments. The Union for Reform Judaism called the platform “at best, a very small step forward in the implementation of the full plan for full Jewish equality at the Kotel.”

Rabbi Julie Schonfeld, executive vice president of the Conservative Rabbinical Assembly, told JTA that the plan leaves several key questions unanswered.

“A temporary platform does not in any way sway us from our struggle for full religious equality,” Schonfeld told JTA. “If the temporary platform makes prayer easier and better for more worshipers at Robinson’s Arch, that is positive.”

“The Kotel belongs to all Jews no matter who they are and what stream of Judaism they come from.”

Jordan, Israel to trade water in joint venture (JNS.org) – Jordanian Prime Minister Abdalla Ensour and his cabinet approved a new plan to trade water with Israel. In a new Red Sea desalination project expected to cost $1 billion, Jordan will sell part of the resulting water to Israel in exchange for water from the Tiberias Reservoir.

Middle East countries are known to face chronic water shortages.

“We will sell Israel water at a rate of JD1 per cubic meter and buy from them

at a rate of JD0.3 per cubic meter. This process will save us the effort and cost of conveying water from the south to the northern governorates,” Ensour said, the Jordan Times reported.

According to Jordanian Minister of Water and Irrigation Hazem Nasser, the agreement is legal based on Article 2 of the peace treaty signed with Israel in 1994, and is of “strategic national interest” to Jordan.

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16 | August 30, 2013 The Jewish Voice FOOD

High Holy Days Feature

Going to the source of Rosh Hashanah sweetness Beekeeping, like taking honey for granted, can be a dangerous business

By Edmon J. Rodman LOS ANGELES (JTA) – Here’s the buzz about Rosh Hashanah: Beyond a congregation or family, it takes a hive to have a holiday. You may have your tickets, new dress or suit and High Holidays app, but without the honey in which to dip a slice of apple, where would you be?

We wish each other shanah tovah u-m’tukah, “a good and sweet New Year.” To further sweeten the calendar change we eat honey cake – even Martha Stewart has a recipe – and teiglach, little twisted balls of dough boiled in honey syrup.

Little do we realize that to fill a jar or squeeze bottle containing two cups of the sticky, golden stuff, a hive of honeybees must visit 5 million flowers.

For most of us, the honey seems a somehow natural byproduct of the cute, bear-shaped squeeze bottle that we pick up at the store. But for beekeeper Uri Laio, honey is like a gift from heaven. His motto, “Honey and Beeswax with Intention,” is on his website, chassidicbeekeeper.com.

“Everyone takes honey for granted; I did,” says Laio, who is affiliated with Chabad and attended yeshiva in Jerusalem and Morristown, N.J.

Not wanting to take my holiday honey for granted anymore, I suited up along with him in a white cotton bee suit and hood to visit the hives he keeps near the large garden area of the Highland Hall Waldorf School, an 11-acre campus in Northridge, Calif.

After three years of beekeeping – he also leads sessions with the school’s students – Laio has learned to appreciate that “thousands of bees gave their entire lives to fill a jar of honey.” In the summer, that’s five to six weeks for an adult worker; in the winter it’s longer.

It’s been an appreciation gained

through experience – the throbbing kind.

“It’s dangerous.

I’ve been stung a lot.

It’s part of the learning,” Laio says. “The first summer I thought I was going into anaphylactic shock,” he adds, advising me to stay out of the bees’ flight path to the hive’s entrance.

Drawing on his education, Laio puts a dab of honey on his finger and holds it out. Soon a bee lands and begins to feed.

“Have you ever been stung?” he asks.

“A couple of times,” I answer, as Laio uses a handheld bee smoker to puff in some white s m o k e to “calm the h i v e .”

After waiting

a few minutes for the smoke to take effect, and with me watching wide-eyed, he carefully pries off the hive’s wooden lid.

Half expecting to see an angry swarm of bees come flying out like in a horror flick, I step back.

“They seem calm,” says Laio, bending down to listen to the buzz level coming from the hive. “Some days the humming sounds almost like song.”

The rectangular stack of boxes, called a Langstroth Hive, allows the bee colony – estimated

by Laio to be 50,000 – to efficiently build the waxy cells of honeycomb into vertical frames.

As he inspects the frames, each still holding sedated bees, he finds few capped cells of honey. The bees have a way to go if Laio is going to be able to put up a small number of jars for sale, as he did last year for Rosh Hashanah.

According to Laio, ants, mites, moths and a disease, bee colony collapse disorder, which has been decimating hives increasingly during the last 10 years, may all attack hives.

Pesticides contribute to the disorder as well as genetically modified plants, he says.

Underscoring the importance that bees have in our lives beyond the Days of Awe, Laio calculates that “one out of every three bites of food you eat is a result of honeybee pollination.”

Laio practices backwards or treatment-free beekeeping; so called because he relies on observation and natural practices SWEETNESS | 17

thejewishvoice.org August 30, 2013 | FOOD

SWEETNESS

and forgoes pesticides or chemicals in his beekeeping.

The resulting wildflower honey – Laio hands me a jar to try – is sweet, flavorful and thick, tastier than any honey from the store.

“Honey is a super-food. And it heals better than Neosporin,” Laio claims. “In Europe there are bandages impregnated with honey.”

He says it takes a certain type of character to be a beekeeper.

“You need to have patience.

Be determined. Learn your limitations. Be calm in stressful situations,” he says.

“People are fascinated with it.

I can’t tell you how many Shabbat table meals have been filled with people asking me about bees.”

On Shabbat, Laio likes to sip on a mint iced-tea sweetened with his honey – his only sweetener, he says.

“In the Talmud, honey is considered to be one-sixtieth of manna,” says Laio, referring to the “bread” that fell from the sky for 40 years while the Israelites wandered in the desert.

“The blessing for manna ended with in hashamayim, ‘from the heavens,’ and not min ha’aretz, ‘from the earth.’”

With the honey-manna connection in mind, especially at the Jewish New Year, Laio finds that “all the sweetness, whatever form it is in, comes straight from God.” Edmon J. Rodman (edmojace@gmail.com) is a JTA columnist who writes from Los Angeles.

Pomegranate-honey chicken

“This dish,” writes Susie Fishbein in “Kosher by Design Cooking Coach” (Mesorah Publications, published by ArtScroll/Shaar Press, Brooklyn, N.Y., 2012), “shouts Rosh Hashanah on a plate! Honey and other sticky ingredients are a cinch to measure. Just coat the measuring cup or spoon with

A sweet way to break the fast

By Ida Bochner Brown Special to The Jewish Voice

Kosher by Design Cooking Coach

from page 16

Pomegranate-honey chicken nonstick cooking spray and the honey will slide right out. Make sure to line your pan so cleanup will be a snap.”

Ingredients

12 chicken parts, bone-in with skin – legs, thighs and breasts ½ cup silan (date syrup) or honey ¼ cup dark brown sugar ¼ cup pomegranate juice ¼ cup teriyaki sauce 2 tablespoons cornstarch 1 teaspoon tomato paste ½ teaspoon dried thyme 2 cloves fresh garlic 1 tablespoon margarine fresh pomegranate seeds, for garnish

Method

Use foil to line a baking dish that holds the chicken pieces snugly. Arrange the chicken in a single layer. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a small pot over medium heat, whisk the silan or honey, brown sugar, pomegranate juice, teriyaki sauce, cornstarch, tomato paste, thyme and garlic. Bring to a simmer over medium heat for a minute or two until thickened. Whisk in the margarine.

Reduce heat slightly. Cook for 1 minute. Generously brush the

17

pomegranate mixture on each piece of chicken. Drizzle additional sauce over the top of each piece.

Bake uncovered, 45 minutes, until chicken is no longer pink at the bone. The dark meat may take a little longer; if so, remove the white meat to a platter and cook the dark until done.

Brush with the sauce in the pan every 15 minutes during cooking.

After 45 minutes, turn on the broiler and broil the chicken until the skin is brown and crispy; keep a close eye on it.

Transfer to a platter and baste again with pan sauce.

Garnish with fresh pomegranate seeds and some of the pan sauce.

Serves 12 people.

HOPATCONG, N.J. – Yom Kippur was the day we spent in temple reflecting on all the past year’s ups-and-downs. As we asked God to once again inscribe us in the book of life, we thanked God for good health and blessings that followed us in the past year.

We remembered those who had passed and let them know they are not forgotten. It is always a bittersweet time with which, I am sure, many can relate.

As the day of fasting and praying continued, the thoughts of breaking the fast with family and friends would bring a smile to our faces. My brother Morris and I would enjoy watching our mother, Celia, do her baking a few days ahead of Yom Kippur to prepare the “sweet treats” that would indicate the end of the old year and the beginning of a promising New Year. It was an open door as we lived just blocks from Temple Beth Israel in the Elmwood section of Providence. Of all her baked goods, the apple muffins, which were moist and full of flavor, were among our favorites.

To this day, I make those muffins every Yom Kippur!

Friends who have had the pleasure of eating them often ask me to make them when they come for a visit or “just because.” Last year, the muffins won second place in a local baking contest.

As the holidays approach, I have this recipe on the top of

my recipe pile. My mother’s apple muffins will once again be a part of our holiday tradition. I hope this recipe will make your “breaking the fast” a little tastier and sweeter.

Mom’s favorite apple muffins Ingredients

2 eggs ¾ cup sugar ½ cup oil 1 cup flour ½ teaspoon cinnamon, plus extra for apples 2 teaspoons baking powder 3 apples ( I prefer to use Red Delicious or Cortland, but any apple you like is fine!) peeled, cored and chopped into small pieces. Shake some cinnamon on top and toss the peeled and chopped apples to keep them from turning brown

Method

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Hand-mix all ingredients; do not use a mixer! Beat eggs with sugar. Beat in oil.

Mix together flour, cinnamon and baking powder. Add flour mixture to the wet ingredients and blend well.

Stir in the apples. Grease a 12-muffin pan or put muffin cups in the pan Fill each muffin cup to slightly more than ¾ full.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown and firm on top.

Remove from oven. Let cool on wire racks for ½-hour.

Makes 12 muffins.

Ida Bochner Brown (idatom@ optonline.net), formerly of R.I., lives in Hopatcong, N.J.

COMMUNITY 18 | August 30, 2013 The Jewish Voice

Justice Kagan delivers keynote address.

PHOTOS | FAITH DUGAN PHOTOGRAPHY

from page 1

Rita Slom, front row, left, Governor Lincoln Chafee, Justice Elena Kagan, U.S. Senator Jack Reed, Bea Ross and Saul Woythaler; Andrew M. Teitz, back row, left, Rabbi Albert Gabbai, Dr. Rabbi Marc Mandell and Mayor Henry Winthrop pose for a picture at Touro on Sunday, Aug. 18.

pic sent to home email

Shirley and Philip Mintz, residents of Newport, attend Touro’s events on Sunday, Aug. 18.

KAGAN

read every year at Touro Synagogue. Every speaker made reference to these words; for her part, Kagan addressed the meaning of these words from a personal perspective and a legal and historical standpoint.

Their speeches and the reading of the letters exchanged between Touro Synagogue’s Moses Seixas and Washington capped a weekend of celebratory activities. (See accompanying article by Sam and Linda Shamoon, “Two hundred fifty years and counting …”)

Kagan took the speaker’s podium immediately after the reading of the letters – one from Seixas, of the Hebrew Congregation of Newport, and Washington’s response to him.

She began by invoking the details, history and desires of the families who had founded Touro Synagogue – especially of their finding in Newport a place where they could live as Jews, publicly and safely, while pursuing their livelihoods and caring for their families.

Within this context, Kagan then shared details from her personal history. Her grandparents were Jewish immigrants from the ever-changing PolishRussian border region who had found in America a place where they could live as Jews and Americans with no conflict.

Her mother, she said, spoke only Yiddish until she started public school; eventually, Kagan’s mother became a public school teacher, her father a lawyer. And now, reflected Kagan, their daughter is a Supreme Court associate justice.

Kagan quoted her mother’s words: “Only in America.”

Kagan continued, with a focus on a particular kind of Jewish success in America. Jews have found in this country, she explained, a home where they could have “all the benefits” of being Americans and of being Jewish. On a recent trip to Israel, her sense of her American Jewish identity had been aroused and challenged when an Israeli asked her how she felt about living in the Diaspora.

Kagan reported that she was

taken aback by the question because she never separated her identities as an American and a Jew. In much of the world (other than Israel), she said, Jews are conflicted between their identities as Jews and their loyalty to their country of residence.

In turning to specific words and phrases in the letters written by Seixas and Washington and parsing them as a legal scholar, she agreed with other speakers who noted that Washington’s letter merely repeated Seixas’ words about tolerance and bigotry.

But Kagan added, “Then Washington did something astonishing.” He wrote, she said, that the mere absence of persecution and the indulgence of one class of people over another are not enough. The radical step that Washington took, explained Kagan, was to declare that every person has “inherent rights” to enjoy the “immunities of citizenship,” and “everyone shall sit in safety under his own vine and fig tree.” These were truly radical concepts in the late-18th century, explained Kagan, and Washington’s words, she said, are a “founding lesson” in what it means to be an American. The “equality guaranteed by citizenship,” said Kagan, ultimately inspired a single national community from among the people in spite of their differences.

After she finished her address, the audience rose as one with thunderous applause. The synagogue emptied slowly, as many people waited near the portico to speak to Kagan or take pictures with her. It was an ideal conclusion to a truly historic day in the life of Touro Synagogue.

Touro Synagogue: 85 Touro St., Newport, Tourosynagogue. org, 847-4794.

Sam Shamoon (sam.shamoon@gmail.com), of Providence, is a Touro Synagogue Foundation board member.

Linda Shamoon (lkshamoon@ gmail.com) resides in Providence.

19

PHOTOS | FAITH DUGAN PHOTOGRAPHY

thejewishvoice.org August 30, 2013 | COMMUNITY

Andrew M. Teitz, from left, Elizabeth Teitz (Andrew’s daughter), Rebecca Ackerman (Andrew’s niece), “George and Martha Washington,” Professor Louise Ellen Teitz (Andrew’s sister) and Dr. Stephen Groskin attend the Saturday evening celebration at Malbone Estate.

Two hundred fifty years and counting …

Oldest synagogue in America has much to celebrate

By Sam Shamoon Touro Synagogue Foundation Board Member and

SAM SHAMOON

Linda Shamoon Special to The Jewish Voice

Brandeis University Professor Jonathan Sarna leaves Touro on Sunday, Aug. 18.

NEWPORT – In 1763 in Newport, a lovely new building was dedicated to accommodate the growing Jewish congregation.

Today, 250 years later, that same building, Touro Synagogue, still stands as the oldest synagogue in America; yet, it is not a museum.

It is, instead, the home for an active local congregation and a

living symbol of religious freedom for all Americans. Those legacies were commemorated during the weekend of Aug. 16 – 18, through a series of inspiring events. In celebration of the 250th anniversary, hundreds of people attended a dizzying array of events: erev Shabbat and Shabbat morning services, a lecture by Brandeis University Professor Jonathan Sarna about Touro’s living legacy of religious freedom, walking tours of colonial Jewish Newport, a gala at the historic Francis Malbone Estate, Touro Synagogue Foundation’s an-

“Martha Washington,” Zal Newman, Barbara Epstein and “George Washington” celebrate in Newport.

nual meeting and the annual reading of the George Washington letter with United States Supreme Court Associate Justice Elena Kagan as the keynote speaker. (See “Kagan’s speech recognized as ‘among the finest given at Touro.’”)

On Saturday, Touro Synagogue’s Congregation Jeshuat Israel, which was founded in 1658, hosted services and Torah study. Later in the day, Sarna led further text study and fo-

“How do we top this one for next year?” cused on phrases in two of the most important letters in American religious history, namely the letter written on Aug. 17, 1790 by Moses Seixas, warden of Congregation Yeshuat Israel (better known as the Hebrew Congregation of Newport), and President George Washington’s response. These letters, Sarna declared, proclaimed the radical idea that religious freedom is an inherent right that cannot be taken away from any citizen in the newly formed United States of America. This specific notion, Sarna said, became embedded in the Bill of Rights in the U.S. Constitution.

After the lecture, the tour of colonial Jewish Newport included many sites where Rev. Isaac Touro, Moses Michael Hayes and other congregation members of the time pursued business, raised families and prayed as Jews and as American citizens. During the eve-

ning, many celebrants attended the elegant “Soirée under the Stars” at the Malbone Estate, which is owned by James Leach, a Touro Synagogue Foundation board member. The event, attended by nearly 200 people, included a supper buffet and a birthday cake to honor the synagogue’s 250th anniversary.

Characters playing George and Martha Washington and Isaac and Reyna Touro were dressed in colonial garb.

Of course, the main event of the weekend was the letterreading ceremony, which included Kagan’s speech. U.S. Senator Jack Reed served as master of ceremonies for the event and four teens received Slom Scholarships. The Judge Alexander George Teitz award was given posthumously to Noreen Drexel for her life of service to, and generous support of, those in need in Rhode Island. Following the main program, attendees gathered for a reception at Patriots Park.

Andrew Teitz, chair of the Touro Synagogue Foundation, asked, “How do we top this one for next year?”

But rest assured, the 67th reading of the George Washington letter will be held on Aug. 17, 2014.

Touro Synagogue: 85 Touro St., Newport. Tourosynagogue. org, 847-4794.

Sam Shamoon (sam.shamoon@gmail.com), a resident of Providence, is a board member of the Touro Synagogue Foundation.

Linda Shamoon (lkshamoon@ gmail.com) resides in Providence.

Rosh Hashanah 20 | August 30, 2013 The Jewish Voice

Reviewing 5773: Fighting over Jewish pluralism NEW YORK (JTA) – In 5773, the religious wars just would not go away.

In Israel, elections extending Benjamin Netanyahu’s tenure as prime minister delivered big wins to two anti-Orthodox-establishment upstarts, Yair Lapid and Naftali Bennett. For the first time in nearly two decades, Israel’s coalition government included no haredi Orthodox parties.

The Israel Defense Forces took steps to end the draft exemption for haredi men. Israel’s Ministry of Religious Services agreed for the first time to allow nonOrthodox rabbis to serve in communal positions with state-funded salaries.

And the Reform and Conservative movements finally broke through years of apathy to get the Israeli government to consider changes to the Orthodox monopoly over ritual and prayer at the Western Wall – but there’s been no movement beyond proposals.

In the U.S., Yeshivat Maharat, a New York school for women founded to train Orthodox female rabbinic authorities, graduated its first class of Orthodox clergy, known as maharats.

The Supreme Court granted federal benefits to samesex couples and struck down a California law banning gay marriage in the state.

While Jewish liberals seemed to have a good year, Orthodox leaders and institutions were on the defensive.

Yeshiva University, the flagship institution of Modern Orthodoxy, became the subject of a $380 million lawsuit by former students alleging that two rabbis who used to teach at the Yeshiva University high school for boys in the 1970s and 1980s committed hundreds of acts of sexual abuse. When YU’s chancellor, Rabbi Norman Lamm, announced he was stepping down, he apologized for mishandling the allegations when he was university president.

The Satmar hasidic community in New York lined up to support an unlicensed therapist from Brooklyn

White House

By Uriel Heilman

Before his overthrow, then-Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak meets with President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House. charged with the repeated sexual assault of a female teenager in his care.

Even after Nechemya Weberman was found guilty and sentenced to 103 years in prison, community support did not waver; Satmar leaders inveighed against the victim and her supporters.

But to extrapolate a storyline or trend from these disparate events could be folly.

For one thing, the Orthodox sex scandals might be more about the dawning of a new age of reckoning on sexual abuse than the prevalence of sexual misdeeds among Orthodox Jews.

And for all the triumphs that Jewish liberals saw this year, demographic trends suggest that Jewish commu-

nities in the United States and Israel are growing less liberal.

Data released in January from the 2011 Jewish population study of New York showed that two-thirds of the metropolitan region’s Jewish population growth over the last decade occurred in two haredi neighborhoods in Brooklyn. While there hasn’t been a national Jewish population study in more than a decade, data suggest that Orthodox Jews, with high birthrates, will represent an ever-larger proportion of the American Jewish community.

“The traditional population of American Jews has CHALLENGES |21

thejewishvoice.org August 30, 2013 | Rosh Hashanah

high fertility and the non-Orthodox population as a group is well below replacement level,” New York University sociologist Steven M. Cohen, one of the study’s researchers, told JTA. While fertility rates among non-Orthodox Israelis are not as low as those of American Jews, they lag behind those of Orthodox Israelis. The relative size of Israel’s haredi community as a share of Israel’s total population is expected to double by 2020, to 16 percent.

In Israel, the culture wars between haredi and non-haredi have focused on the haredi draft exemption and the Orthodox Chief Rabbinate’s monopoly over marriage.

In the U.S., the battle has been over Jewish values. Is it a Jewish value to support the right of gays to marry or does the practice contravene Jewish ethics? Should Jews press Washington to make a concerted push for Israeli-Palestinian peace or is such pressure now not in Israel’s best interests? The divisions among American Jews do not fall neatly along denominational lines.

Meanwhile, the American Jewish political divide appears slowly to be widening. Though Jews as a whole still skew heavily Democratic, in last November’s election President Obama dropped at least six points among Jews from 2008, winning an estimated 68 percent of the Jewish vote.

Divides over politics and religion stood in sharp contrast to the relative consensus that largely held on international issues.

There was practical unanimity that Syria’s civil war not spill over the border, that instability in Egypt not turn the Sinai Peninsula into a breeding ground for Islamic militants, that Iran be prevented from acquiring nuclear weapons capability, that the European Union enforce its decision to designate Hezbollah’s military wing as a terrorist organization.

But external threats did not dominate communal discourse in 5773. There wasn’t the same public urgency on Iran as in past years. The Egyptian coup in July was less concerning for Israel than the 2011 revolution that overthrew Hosni Mubarak.

The Israeli-Palestinian relationship was marked more by the absence of progress than anything else – until U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry coaxed both sides to the negotiating table in July. The mini-war in Gaza in November 2012 lasted eight days and resulted in the deaths of some 150 Palestinians and six Israelis; after that, Israel’s border with Gaza was mostly quiet.

It was tragedy in the United States that left the community with lasting scars. Late last October, a massive storm surge generated

by Hurricane Sandy battered communities, synagogues and Jewish schools up and down the Northeast coast. UJA-Federation of New York convened an emergency meeting to authorize $10 million for rebuilding efforts, many of which continue today.

Outside the United States and Israel, big stories included the banning of Jewish ritual slaughter in Poland, a new German law regulating ritual circumcision, a controversial exhibit in a Jewish museum in Berlin, a much-criticized deal between Argentina and Iran to investigate the 1994 AMIA Jewish community center bombing, sexual abuse scandals in Australia, concerns about far-right movements in Hungary and Greece and the appointment of a new chief rabbi in England.

The good news: None of these stories was about major Jewish calamities.

To be sure, Jewish people suffered tragedies in 5773 – from natural disasters, from Gaza rocket fire. But for a people obsessed with survival, the absence of mass casualty events in 5773 made it a remarkable year as much for what did not happen as for what did.

Tsafrir Abayov/FlaSh 90

CHALLENGES

An Israeli woman stands outside a damaged house hit by a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip in November 2012.

©Jüdisches Museum Berlin/Linus Lintner

from page 20

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The Berlin Jewish Museum’s “The Whole Truth” exhibit, in which Jewish men and women sit in a glass box and answer questions from visitors about Judaism.

22 | August 30, 2013 The Jewish Voice Rosh Hashanah

From the charts to your mahzor, festival prayer book A mélange of melodies for the High Holy Days In time for the 2013 High Holy Days season, JNS.org has compiled a list of the top five popular songs to put you in the mood for introspection, repentance, and renewal – and a few just to make you smile.

ambiguity of Abraham’s choice. The section of Genesis that contains the original story is read as the Rosh Hashanah Torah service.

• “Man in the Mirror” (Michael Jackson) Back in the time when Top 40 songs were still allowed to have simple moral

Jim Summaria via Wikimedia Commons

Britney Spears

Paul McCartney performs in 1976, with his wife Linda (now deceased).

Here is your High Holy Days playlist: • “Who By Fire” (Leonard Cohen) The consummate coffeehouse theologian lands in the number-one spot on our list, having borrowed the title and concept of this song directly from the emotional centerpiece of the High Holy Days liturgy, U-n’tanneh tokef (let us recount the sacred power of the day.) Another song of Cohen’s deserves honorable mention here: “The Story of Isaac,” a post-modern retelling of the famous near-sacrifice that highlights the moral

messages, the “Prince of Pop” reminds us that changing the world must always begin with changing oneself. As with the silent confessions of the Yom Kippur Musaf, the High Holy Days are a time to give our friends and family a break and turn our critical eye to the person looking back at us in the mirror.

• “Getting Better” (The Beatles) A golden oldie about turning things around: “Man, I was mean, but I’m changing my scene and I’m doing the best that I can,” sings Paul. Sometimes

we lose faith in our ability to grow out of lifelong patterns of getting hurt and hurting back, but the song insists that change is always possible when we open our hearts and truly listen to our loved ones.

• “Please Forgive Me” (Bryan Adams) This one’s about saying sorry for loving too much, rather than too little.

After all, don’t many of our conflicts come from holding on too tight? Not to mention the heart-wrenching power of Adams’ voice, which moves the listener like a good hazzanut (a woman who does liturgical chanting) should.

• “Unwritten” (Natasha Bedingfield) Here’s one for the millennials. A talented young British singer/songwriter, Bedingfield sings with conviction about the ever-present possibility of a fresh start. Her chorus offers an optimistic counter to the traditional image of the sealing of the Book of Fate: “Today is where your book begins, the rest is still unwritten...”

And a few more just for fun …

• “Oops! I Did It Again” (Britney Spears)

This song marked the original Spears’ transition from ingénue to femme fatale.

Perhaps it can inspire those of us who walk around feeling ethically spotless to remember that we all repeat the same mistakes.

• “On Bended Knee” (Boyz II Men) Those of us Jews who are not football players (so, all of us) only take a knee once a year – during the Yom Kippur Musaf service, when cantors, rabbis and often entire congregations bow down in unison to commemorate the ancient temple service.

• “Wake Me Up When September Ends” (Green Day) This one’s for the shul-shluffer (syna-

Marco Maas via Wikimedia Commons

By Binyamin Kagedan JNS.org

Bryan Adams performs at the Color Line Arena in Hamburg, Germany. gogue sleeper) in all of us.

Binyamin Kagedan has an MA in Jewish thought from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America.

community thejewishvoice.org August 30, 2013 |

23

Team Rhode Island scores some wins Maccabi Games are infused with competition, collegiality and pure fun

JCC STAFF

By Shannon Boucher sboucher@jewishallianceri.org

Shannon Boucher (delegation head), at rear, Sela Lutterbeck, Sonia Richter, an unidentified teen from another delegation, Gabe Mernoff, Jacob Hammarstrom, Natalie Westrick, Jackson Mayer, Daniel Rabin, Andrew Mattera (baseball coach and team chaperone), Julia Keizler, Nathan Reed, Noah Turner, an unidentified teen, Hannah Rossheim, Elias Eberman and another unidentified team from another delegation. Sandra Gamm, Lyndsay Goldstein, Julia Birnbaum and Tiasa Loignon (swim coach and team chaperone) are not pictured.

MACCABI OFFERS cAmaraderie

By Andrew Mattera amattera@jewishallianceri.org ORANGE COUNTY, Calif. – After being offered the chance to go to the 2013 Maccabi Games, I was extremely excited and kept an open mind about what to expect.

First Person Nothing could have prepared me for the fun I had, not only with my delegation, but also with coaches and kids from other Jewish Community Centers across the United States and around the world.

This is not some average competition, where egos and testos-

terone fill every sport but something on a completely different level; this is a competition filled with sportsmanship and camaraderie.

Every day was filled with sports, games and practices and eager teens willing to listen to coaches, with attitudes put aside. Evenings, we’d have a party for the kids, whether at a beach, an amusement park or bowling alley. Everyone mingled and made friendships – many that will span the miles even after the Maccabi Games ended.

I could write an entire book on my experience and the friends I made; I could go on and on about how much fun I had. Instead, I will tell you what

I brought home from the games: a relentless drive to get as many teens involved in this wonderful experience as possible. Everyone should have the chance to go to these games and I plan on doing everything I can to get as many kids as possible to go.

Andrew Mattera, the baseball coach for Team Rhode Island’s delegation to the Maccabi Games, works in J-Fitness at the Alliance JCC.

ORANGE COUNTY, Calif. – Team Rhode Island had a fabulous time at Maccabi in Orange County. We competed in sports, performed in theatrical and dance numbers, contributed through community service projects, partied and made friendships that will last a lifetime.

Here are the results for Team Rhode Island:

Swimming

Natalie Westrick: Did not place, but beat most of her personal bests.

Daniel Rabin: Gold medal, 200-meter medley relay and silver medal, 400-meter medley relay.

Nathan Reed: Bronze medal, 200-meter freestyle relay.

Sandy Gamm: Gold medal, 400-meter medley relay.

Lyndsay Goldstein: Gold medal, 400-meter medley relay and bronze medal, 200-meter freestyle relay.

Sela Lutterbeck: Silver medal, 400-meter medley relay.

Soccer

Noah Turner: Did not win any games with his mixed delegation soccer team that included teens from several California

communities and San Antonio, Texas, but he played well, improved throughout the week and had a lot of fun. Noah received a midot (Jewish values) medal for supporting his teammates whenever he had free time.

Baseball

Elias Eberman, Gabe Mernoff, Jake Hammarstrom and Jackson Mayer, with help from Andrew Mattera: Did not win any games, but their last game was very close. They, too, enjoyed playing on a team with teens from Orange County and Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Track and field

Sonia Richter: Took four gold, two silver and one bronze medal in track and field events. Our baseball team, which joined her on the last day for the pentathlon, was able to try new events, such as the discus throw and long jump.

Hannah Rossheim: Earning a bronze in lacrosse, she played on a mixed team with teens from Albany, N.Y., Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Orange County, Suffolk County, N.Y. and Virginia Beach, Va. Julia Keizler: Had several dance numbers during the COMPETE |27

Rosh Hashanah 24 | August 30, 2013 The Jewish Voice

Yom Kippur dances elicit fond memories

By Selma Stanzler Special to The Jewish Voice

too, choices of entertainment and recreation.

CHICAGO – Memory-sharing can be a fun activity. When I was growing up in Providence during the 1940s, a highlight of the High Holy Days season was the anticipation of attending the Yom Kippur night dance.

It was a stag affair at the Biltmore Hotel – no reservations necessary and no food – just good, live music for dancing. Several hundred people typically attended the event.

I believe it was sponsored by the Jewish Community Center, then at 65 Benefit St., in Providence, and was targeted for the over-17 crowd.

The other big dance event was the Purim Ball, again at the Biltmore Hotel in downtown Providence, complete with candidates running for Queen Esther.

As the suburbs began to thrive, car ownership more prevalent, the demographics changed considerably and so,

Selma Stanzler (sachem1953@gmail.com), formerly of Rhode Island, now lives in Chicago.

Editor’s Note: Despite our best efforts, we were not able to locate any pictures of these Yom Kippur dances. However, Anne Sherman, office manager for the Rhode Island Jewish Historical Association, recounted this story to The Jewish Voice: “My mother, Zelda Kotler Hanson, told me about Yom Kippur dances in the early 1920s. Young men and women would gather during the morning services on the steps of Congregation Sons of Zion (then on Orms Street in Providence – where the Providence Marriott is today). They were looking for dates for the Yom Kippur Dance.”

Sherman explained that she didn’t know where those dances were held.

A Rosh Hashanah activity for the toddlers Holiday dinners can sometimes be tedious for the youngest family members. Here’s something that may keep them occupied and entertained, at least for a few minutes!

Clip this out and tape it to a piece of cardstock and put your kids to work – let them help the honeybee find the jar of honey!

Editor’s Note: This material was provided to The Jewish Voice from the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island’s Creativity Center. The material was created by Mommzy@JewishHomeschool. blogspot.com.

Rosh Hashanah thejewishvoice.org August 30, 2013 |

The High Holy Days in Jewish cinema Films through the generations – from ‘The Jazz Singer’ to ‘Liberty Heights’ When cinema was still in its youth, Hollywood built a story around the High Holy Days. Its tale was a measure of Jewry’s ties to tradition, but also a gentle sign of its loss.

In “The Jazz Singer” (1927), America’s first feature-length sound film, Jakie Rabinowitz is a cantor’s son whose father expects him to follow tradition and stand by his side to chant Kol Nidrei. But as the eve of Yom Kippur approaches, the father is told that 12-year-old Jakie is singing in a saloon.

The cantor angrily fetches him home and gives him a thrashing. Jakie vows to leave home for good. As the father chants Kol Nidrei at shul, the son takes to the streets and embarks on a life singing jazz.

Years later, his career on the rise, his name now changed to Jack Robin (played here by the great Al Jolson, whose life had inspired the story), he visits his parents on his father’s 60th birthday, announces he’ll soon be starring on Broadway and hopes to make peace with his folks. Jack’s mother welcomes him back eagerly, but his father orders him to leave. Then, the cantor grows ill and hovers between life and death. Jack’s mother appears at the Broadway rehearsals and begs him to

Courtesy of The National Center for Jewish Film, jewishfilm.org.

By Joel Rosenberg JNS.org

A scene from “The Dybbuk” sing Kol Nidrei in place of his father. But Yom Kippur is also the show’s opening night. The film constructs a virtual morality play around this dilemma.

I won’t tell you the outcome, but the film would be incomplete without a Jolson version of Kol Nidrei. It sounds like Kol Nidrei – but in Jolson’s handling, the Aramaic-language lines are radically abridged and repeated, in effect, Kol Nidrei as jazz. The film portrays the passing of tradition into a creatively eroded form – symbolic of what New World Jews have done with the old.

In 1937, Jews in Poland did a film version of S. Ansky’s (pseudonym for Shloyme Zanvl Rappoport) acclaimed Yiddish play, “The Dybbuk.” In the film, two Hasidic Jews, Sender and Nisn, are longtime friends who meet infrequently during holiday pilgrimages to the Rebbe of Miropolye. Once, they pledge their yet-unborn children in marriage. Soon after, Nisn is drowned and Sender, preoccupied with money, forgets his promise.

Years later, an impoverished scholar, Khonen, makes his FILMS | 28

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rosh hashanah 26 | August 30, 2013 The Jewish Voice

Observing Yom Kippur in the shadow of death Unwavering faith, bravery and a bit of trickery kept Jews connected

By Rafael Medoff JNS.org Holocaust memoirs and eyewitness testimony record how Jews living under Nazi rule repeatedly took extraordinary risks to mark Yom Kippur in some way. Despite the grave dangers involved, and althou ” At the same time, because all public Yom Kippur observances had been outlawed, a debate ensued about whether Jewish shopkeepers should open their stores, lest the Germans accuse them of closing them in honor of the holiday.

Rabbi Huberband records the remarkable “honor system” scheme the Jewish shopkeepers devised to avoid doing business on the Day of Atonement while eluding the Nazis’ ire: “Jews’ shops were open. The ‘salesmen’ were all women. Actually, the women didn’t sell anything; people took merchandise, but without paying for it. The women didn’t take any money, but they did … give away money.

They took their tribute payments over to the [Judenrat] office, Yom Kippur being the last day, the deadline for the tribute.”

Prof. Yaffa Eliach’s book, “Hasidic Tales of the Holocaust” recounts the horrors endured by a Hungarian Jewish slave-labor battalion attached to a retreat-

ing German army unit in 1944.

Prisoners, routinely beaten and starved, were used as human mine detectors. On the eve of Yom Kippur, the German commanding officer, aware of the approaching Jewish holy day, warned them that anyone who fasted “will be executed by a firing squad.”

jackets.” Those who had memorized portions of the Yom Kippur prayer service recited them by heart until finally, as night fell, their work ended and they prepared to break the fast.

Just then, they were confronted by the German commander, who informed them he was aware that they had fasted, and instead of simply executing them, they would have to climb a nearby mountain and slide down it on their stomachs.

“Tired, soaked, starved and emaciated,” the Jews did as they

“The barrack was filled with an unbearable wailing.

The women again saw their annihilated homes.”

On Yom Kippur, it rained heavily along the Polish-Slovakian border region where they were working and the area was covered in deep mud. When the Germans distributed their meager food rations, the Jewish prisoners pretended to consume them but instead “spilled the coffee into the running muddy gullies and tucked the stale bread into their soaked

were told – 10 times “climbing and sliding from an unknown Polish mountain, which on that soggy Yom Kippur night became a symbol of Jewish courage and human dignity.”

Eventually, the Germans tired of this sport and the defiant Jewish prisoners were permitted to break their fast and live – at least for another day.

Isaiah Trunk’s classic “Jewish Responses to Nazi Persecution” cites a remarkable anecdote from an Auschwitz survivor about Yom Kippur in the women’s block in 1944.

Minutes before sundown, the FAsting | 27

rosh hashanah | COMMUNITY thejewishvoice.org August 30, 2013 |

from page 26

27

FASTING change of mind?” Trunk wondered. “One can only guess that, fearing the inmates would see how she was overcome with emotion by the solemn tones of Kol Nidrei, she would thus be seen in a state of weakness and would consequently lose the firm grip she had on them.”

To maintain her position as a barracks head, the Blokowa needed to forsake all Jewish connections and feeling – and for a few fleeting moments, the emotional power of Yom Kippur had threatened to touch even her iron heart.

ish women, yelling, ‘Enough!

You’ve had enough pleasure!’”

“What was the reason for the Jewish Blokowa’s sudden

Dr. Rafael Medoff, founding director of The David S. Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies, wrote, most recently, “FDR and the Holocaust: A Breach of Faith.”

JCC STAFF

Jewish barracks leader, or Blokowa, suddenly “put a white tablecloth over the barrack oven, lit some candles and told all the Jewish women to walk up and pray… The barrack was filled with an unbearable wailing. The women again saw their annihilated homes.”

Trunk’s book notes, “Froh Rohtshtat, the famous violinist from Lodz, was also kept in our barracks,” and the barracks leader “brought in a fiddle and asked Froh Rohtshtat to play Kol Nidrei. She refused, saying she couldn’t play because her heart was bursting. The Blokowa threatened to beat her … if she didn’t play. When Froh Rohtshtat began playing, the Jewish Blokowa suddenly lost control and started pushing us away and clubbing the Jew-

Nathan Reed, left, and Noah Turner play on the carousel at Boomers at the Maccabi Games.

from page 23

COMPETE final presentation, including one very expressive and interpretative dance.

Julia Birnbaum: Participated in the final musical theater presentation, which had everyone up and singing along to Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline.”

Although the 2013 Maccabi Games and Artsfest of Aug. 4 – 9 is still fresh in our memories, we are already planning ahead for the 2014 summer JCC Maccabi Games and Artsfest. We hope to bring 24 teens to Detroit, Mich., on Aug. 17 – 22.

The first informational meeting will be on Sunday, Sept. 29, 1:30 - 2:30 p.m. at the Alliance JCC. Contact Shannon Boucher (sboucher@jewishallianceri. org) or 421-4111, ext. 147, for more information.

Shannon Boucher is director of children’s programs for the Alliance JCC.

Why I read The Jewish Voice

“I love The Jewish Voice and I read it from cover to cover. Although I am not Jewish, I often see people in the paper who I know. I learn something new almost every time I read it.”

Catherine Gibran Barrington

28 | August 30, 2013 The Jewish Voice rosh Hashanah from page 25

FILMS

way to Brinitz, Sender’s town, where, as a Sabbath guest at Sender’s, he instantly falls in love with Sender’s daughter Leah, who loves him in return.

The father, unaware that Khonen is the son of his long-departed friend, is determined to betroth Leah to the richest suitor he can find. Desperate to win Leah’s hand, Khonen immerses himself in kabbalistic magic so he can conjure up barrels of gold. Intensely ascetic, Khonen grows ever more unbalanced, and when Leah’s engagement to a rich man’s son is announced, he calls on Satan for help, then keels over and dies. When Leah is later about to be married, she becomes possessed by her dead lover’s spirit. Her father takes her to Miropolye, where he petitions the rabbi to exorcise the wayward soul.

The film, one of the last great cultural products of Polish Jewry, is a rich portrait of premodern Jewish life and custom.

It opens with an impassioned sermon by the rabbi on the youthful days of the fathersto-be. The sermon deals with the Yom Kippur ministrations of the High Priest in ancient times – if an impure thought were to enter his mind in the Holy of Holies, “the entire world would be destroyed.”

The rabbi compares this to the precarious journey of some unfortunate souls, who pass through several lifetimes (these Jews believed in reincarnation) in striving toward their source, the Throne of Glory – only to be

cast down, just as they reach celestial heights. As this point in the sermon, Sender and Nisn inopportunely try to inform him of their pact.

When, a generation later, Khonen fantasizes a union with his beloved Leah, he refers to it as “the Holy of Holies.” In retrospect, the sermon becomes a prophecy of Khonen’s disastrous fall. But “The Dybbuk” never ceases to exalt the lovers’ bond, though the rabbi and his court try their best to undo it.

The holiest moment of Yom Kippur, though fraught with catastrophe, remains a symbol for the resistance of these lovers to a world enslaved by money and class.

A third film, Barry Levinson’s “Liberty Heights” (1999), is a nostalgic comedy about growing up Jewish in 1950s Baltimore, Md. It both opens and closes on Rosh Hashanah, when the Kurtzman family customarily attend synagogue. Nate Kurtzman (Joe Mantegna) has his own New Year custom of exiting early from shul to stroll to the nearby Cadillac showroom, where the coming year’s models are on display. Each year, Nate trades in his Caddy for a spiffy new one, which he can afford – not from fading profits of the burlesque house he owns, but because of his thriving illegal numbers racket. Nate is otherwise a solid citizen, a devoted husband and father, who has raised himself up from humble origins and, in his youth, proven himself a scrappy fighter against neighborhood antiSemites.

Most of the film deals with the adventures of Nate’s sons, Van and Ben (Adrien Brody and Ben

Foster, respectively) and their relations with gentile girls.

Levinson’s framing the story inside the Jewish New Year and Nate’s Cadillac ritual is important. The Kurtzmans are nominally observant Jews – perhaps even Orthodox, but in a laidback, assimilated way. Though Nate’s wife shows remnants of clannishness, the Kurtzmans are open to the winds of change.

While both the New Year and the “new car year” are equally important to Nate, their overlap seems a portrait of the tradition’s loosening grip since the days of “The Jazz Singer.”

Even “The Dybbuk,” flawless as its command of pre-modern tradition had been, was the creation of Jewish moderns: playwright Ansky had been a secularist and socialist revolutionary, folklorist, and humanitarian activist. The film’s creators were immersed in avant-garde theater and Expressionist idioms, and director Mihał Waszyski was a gay man who had left behind his Orthodox background and pretended he knew no Yiddish. But what unites these three films is not just their deep awareness (hidden in “The Dybbuk”) of the secular world, but also their willingness to invoke tradition as a yardstick. The High Holidays might be a site of fading cultural memory, but the theme still strikes a responsive chord among filmgoers, Jewish and gentile alike.

Joel Rosenberg teaches film and Judaic studies at Tufts University. His articles on the cinema of Jewish experience have appeared in various journals and collections.

thejewishvoice.org

rosh hashanah

‘sukkah city’ experience reconstructed in new film, which comes to Boston this fall An interview with ‘Sukkah City’ director

By JAcoB KAmArAS JNS.orG The Sukkah City exhibition in September 2010, much like the temporary dwellings that it showcased, came and went.

But a new documentary might make its legacy more permanent.

Director Jason Hutt’s “Sukkah City” chronicles the event in phases, including the “jury” debate on more than 600 creative sukkah designs, construction of the 12 winning designs, and a two-day exhibition in New York City’s Union Square.

Several years after Sukkah City, Hutt says his 67-minute fi lm provides a new angle for the event.

“This was only a two-day event, so there are people … [who] read about it, but didn’t get a chance to … see the event … The fi lm has a lot to offer to everyone.”

Screenings of “Sukkah City” are being planned for the fall in New York, Boston, Philadelphia, San Francisco and other cities in North America and Australia. Hutt discussed the fi lm in the following interview with JNS.org.

Q: why did you choose the Sukkah city competition as the subject for a fi lm?

A: “Basically I learned about [Sukkah City] as [competition organizers] were seeking out applications and entries, submissions and designs. I met [Sukkah City co-creator] Josh Foer in Park Slope [in Brooklyn] years back. It sounded like

it was going to be both an interesting artistic adventure in terms of trying to reimagine the traditional sukkah, and it also seemed like this dramatic experience: putting together this competition with a ‘jury,’ discussing and debating the merits of these submissions, and then the process of these architects building these structures and then having them exhibited to the public. With all of these different components, it seemed like [it] would make an interesting documentary fi lm.”

“I think it’s a film that on one hand is informative, and then also inspirational.”

Sukkah of the Signs by Ronald Rael, Virginia San Fratello

Q: what makes [Sukkot] appealing for the medium of film?

A: “The sukkah is something that is ascribed in the liturgy; it defi nitely provides a nice visual component to a fi lm. But for me it was more about this creativity, this process of the design community, the architecture community, the skill set of this creativity being applied to this tradition. The sukkah has become a very generic box structure, literally a pop-up tent.

“The fact that [Sukkah City]

alliance has reduced hours during high holy days PROVIDENCE – The Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island announced its holiday hours for the upcoming High Holy Days.

For Erev Rosh Hashanah, Wednesday, Sept. 4, J-Fitness will be open: 5 a.m. – 3 p.m., pool hours: 5:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.; Early Childhood Center and J-Cation: 8 a.m. – 3 p.m. and Alliance office: 8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m.

The entire building is closed on the fi rst and second days

of Rosh Hashanah, Thursday, Sept. 5 and Friday, Sept. 6, respectively.

On Kol Nidrei, Friday, Sept.

13, J-Fitness is open from 5 a.m.

– 3 p.m., with pool hours: 5:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.; Early Childhood Center: 8 a.m. – 3 p.m., JCation: 11:30 am. – 3 p.m. and Alliance office: 8:30 a.m. – noon.

On Yom Kippur, Saturday, Sept. 14, the entire building is closed.

was going to be a design competition to completely reimagine the way [a sukkah] was possible was defi nitely exciting to me.

And in the fi lm it does become a very interesting visual story, in the sense that you’re seeing these architects and designers – most of them not Jewish – applying their knowledge, intelligence, creativity and resources SuKKAh | 33

august 30, 2013 |

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30 | August 30, 2013 The Jewish Voice business

thejewishvoice.org August 30, 2013 | business | ISRAEL

Classifieds

cemetery plots for sale Four graves, Lincoln Park, central location 2G. Package deal, price negotiable. 954-473-6833, 815-975-2800.

To place a classified ad: Contact Ellen Goodlin egoodlin@ jewishallianceri.org or call 421-4111, ext. 160.

Children’s Service Leader (Part-time)

Temple Emanu-El, a Conservative synagogue on the East Side of Providence, is looking for a Saturday morning “Mini-Minyan” service leader for children between the ages of 6-11. The ideal candidate is creative, enthusiastic and knowledgeable about Judaism, enjoys working with children, and can design and lead Shabbat morning services for about an hour, three Saturdays per month.

This candidate should have experience working with children, having worked as a teacher, camp counselor or in a similar job. Compensation is commensurate with experience. There are 35 sessions per year.

For more information, please contact Meital Cafri (mcafri@teprov.org, 3311616 ext. 27).

31

News Briefs Israel slams U.N. agency for ‘one-sided political advocacy’ in refugee camp clash

JERUSALEM (JTA) – Israel’s Foreign Ministry took a United Nations agency to task for its “one-sided political advocacy” in condemning the deaths of three Palestinians during clashes with Israeli soldiers at a refugee camp.

“Israel regrets the fatalities that resulted from yesterday’s military operation to arrest a Palestinian terrorist suspect,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement released Wednesday.

Final airlifts of Ethiopian immigrants arrive in Israel

JERUSALEM (JTA) – The final two charter flights, carrying 450 Ethiopian immigrants, arrived at Ben Gurion Airport

on Aug. 28. A steady trickle of approximately 200 Ethiopian immigrants per month has been coming to Israel since 2010, when Israel launched Operation Wings of a Dove after checking the aliyah eligibility of an additional 8,000 Ethiopians.

The new immigrants are known as Falash Mura – Ethiopians who claim links to descendants of Jews who converted to Christianity generations ago but now seek to immigrate to Israel. They have been accepted to Israel under different rules than those governing other immigrants.

Ethiopian Jews also were airlifted to Israel during Operation Moses in 1984 and Operation Solomon in 1992.

Thank you NEW advertisers for your support Hadassah New EnglandNeedham Chapter Mass. State Rep. Steven Howitt Providence City Council President Michael Solomon The Veterans Memorial Auditorium Theatre

32 | august 30, 2013

the Jewish voice

seniors

Jascha, mischa and Yehudi, inc.

Jews and violins make beautiful music together has matured into the quintessential instrument of emotional expression. On most days, the violin is merely a musical instrument. But sometimes, but sometimes, in the hands of a virtuoso, it becomes transformed and exceeds its most promising self – it sobs, it beguiles, it murmurs, it sings with a celestial voice that would humble the angels. Its eloquent sounds become supremely sensuous, even vaguely erotic. It speaks as no other musical contrivance possibly can.

By the 19th century, the violin had become the leading folk instrument of Eastern Europe.

The family violin was a cherished possession that was quite portable in the event of forced migration.

It became the favorite instrument of the shtetl Jews, the Romani gypsies and the romantically inclined Hungarians.

Although some rabbis mildly disapproved of the instrument, the violin “spoke Yiddish” to make a grandmother cry.

And why did some rabbis object?

Because one of its uses was as the lead istrument in traveling klezmer groups composed of increasingly secular musicians who sometimes joined with Romani musicians to bring joyous entertainment to the stressed rural communities of Eastern Europe.

But beyond these klezmer

musicians, there was a Jewish tradition in the 19th century that every young person (primarily, but not exclusively, boys) be literate in Scriptures and, additionally, be able to play the violin. Not every family had a violin, and not every family passed along to their sons the manifold intricacies of fiddling.

But a sufficient number of Jewish mothers emphasized violin practice over daydreaming and so the world has been blessed with generations upon generations of amazing virtuosi, inspired musicians – predominantly, but not exclusively, men – who have brought the world to cherish fi ne fiddling.

Their names? Leopold Auer, Joshua Bell, Eta Cohen, Jascha Heifitz, Bronislaw Huberman, Alma Rose, Alexander Schneider, Gil Shaham, Isaac Stern, Mischa Elman, Ilona Fehér, Leonid Kogan, Yehudi Menuhin, Nathan Milstein, David Oistrakh, Itzhak Perlman, Joseph Szigeti, Efrem Zimbalist and Pinchas Zukerman. (These are some names that I recall.)

Why were there so many gifted violinists among the Jews of Eastern Europe? Some say that it was because grand pianos were too expensive and certainly too heavy to move when the family was confronted with an imminent pogrom. Then how

does this explain such gifted 20th-century pianists as Vladimir Horowitz, Emil Gilels, Arthur Rubinstein, Artur Schnabel and a battalion of others equally talented? Why are there so many Jewish concert artists, whether playing at a Minsk wedding, on ah roof or upon Carnegie Hall’s center stage? Neither geneticists, ethnologists, sociologists nor those who simply speculate for a living have a satisfactory answer.

In the words of my grand-

“So don’t complain; just enjoy.” mother: “So don’t complain; just enjoy!”

Stanley m. Aronson, m.d. (sm a md@ cox.net) is a Providence resident.

The front of a Stradivarius violin

Maureen McKenna Goldberg

Justice Maureen McKenna Goldberg to speak WARWICK – The Cranston Senior Guild will hold its fi rst fall meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 11, at 1 p.m., at Tamarisk on 3 Shalom Drive, Warwick.

The group’s guest speaker will be Rhode Island State Supreme Justice Maureen McKenna Goldberg. A raffle and refreshments will follow the meeting.

The Cranston Senior Guild always welcomes new members.

COMMONS.WIKIMEDIA.ORG

No ancient culture was without its musical accompaniments.

Music was central to the religious ritual of these many civilizations as well as companion to their recurring events – marriages, births, deaths, warfare and the periodic appeasement of their gods.

Stringed instruments such as the harp or the lute were clearly documented in the earliest accounts of these primitive civilizations.

The strings for these instruments were fashioned from the processed fibers Of Science derived from & Society the intestines of catStanley Aronson tle and then posit ioned in a parallel array with each string tightened to produce an assigned musical note. The art of constructing the stringed instrument now called the violin is said to have begun in the northern Italian city of Cremona with the creative labors of a 16th-century luthier (lute maker) named Andrea Amati.

His sons continued the family art and attracted many apprentices, including Antonio Stradivari and Andrea Guarneri, to their workshop.

Over the centuries, the violin

ROSH HASHANAH thejewishvoice.org August 30, 2013 |

33

Another creative sukkah – Fractured Bubble by Henry Grosman and Babak Bryan

from page 29

SUKKAH

to coming up with these amazing designs, 12 of which are realized in the film.”

Q: Which phase of the Sukkah City event represents the climax of your film?

A: “I think the different parts of the film are all equally interesting. The ‘jury’ section is fascinating because you get some of the most intelligent and creative architects, academics and critics in the architecture, design and art world, debating these submissions.

“Second, what you didn’t get by attending the Sukkah City exhibition were all these background stories from the architects on how they came up with the designs, what sparked their interest in even applying for this competition. They read the original rules from the Talmud on what the sukkah can and can’t be. These designers were all intrigued and inspired by different aspects of the rules.

“The third piece, the installation and the exhibition, that’s … capturing this event that was … in Union Square, one of the busiest spaces in North America.

Seeing the people of New York and elsewhere coming here and interacting with these structures, and with each other, learning about the sukkah and choosing their favorite.

“As a film, it’s offering these different pieces of this one project, and I think it’s really interesting from start to finish because of that.”

Q: You previously directed “Orthodox Stance,” the documentary on Orthodox Jewish boxer Dmitry Salita. What has drawn you to make films on Jewish topics?

A: “Jewish culture and Jewish life have always been important to me, ever since I was

a little kid. I grew up as an athlete, and hearing stories about [Major League Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher] Sandy Koufax was really important. Always knowing who is Jewish and involved in this film, or in this business, or in this baseball team – it’s something that we as Jews always do. We take pride in the accomplishments of fellow Jews, of Jewish life and Jewish civilization. As I got into documentary filmmaking, …I see some very interesting aspects, some characters, some subjects in the contemporary Jewish experience, it makes me want to learn more about them, whether it’s Dmitry Salita or the Sukkah City design competition and exhibition. It’s just me following my curiosity to learn about … interesting projects, and to ultimately share

them with an audience.”

Q: What insight do you hope viewers gain on Sukkot and the competition?

A: “The film is not just about the holiday of Sukkot, it’s not simply about the sukkah. It’s also about creativity. It’s also about how we as Jews continue to find meaning in ancient tradition and how Judaism is what seems like an endless desk for interpretation and reinterpretation. And sort of the ways that we can continue to draw meaning and inspiration and relevance, from a tradition that is thousands and thousands of years old. And that’s what I think people can get from this film. I think it’s a film that on the one hand is informative, and then also inspirational.”

“

A satisfied reader says…

I spend time every year in Baltimore, Md., and some time in Connecticutt. I read Jewish publications from Baltimore and New London, Conn.; they cannot compare with Rhode Island’s Jewish Voice & Herald. If you want real substance in your newspaper, The Jewish Voice & Herald is your paper.

“

Cliff Lander Fall River, Mass.

34 | August 30, 2013 The Jewish Voice Obituaries Grace K. (Kennison) Alpert, 83 PROVIDENCE – Grace Alpert died Aug. 22. She was the wife of Wesley Alpert for 45 years.

Born in Providence, a daughter of the late Samuel and Bertha (Sherman) Kennison, she was a lifelong resident of the city.

A 1951 graduate of Pembroke College, she received her master’s degree from Boston University. She was a clinical psychologist with the State of Rhode Island.

A member of the board of The Miriam Hospital, she was a member of Temple Beth-El, Hadassah and ORT. She was the sister of the late Bettye Gold.

Contributions may be made to Jewish Family Service, 959 North Main St., Providence, RI 02904.

Nicole Baum

ALBANY, N.Y. – Nicole Baum of Albany died Aug. 16. She was the wife of Henry M. Baum for more than 57 years.

Born in Metz, France, she resided in Long Beach, N.Y. for 50 years before moving to Albany.

She was an amazing woman, strong, determined and inspirational who made a difference in so many lives.

She was the mother of Sharon and her husband Alan Gaines of Cranston, Debbie and her husband Ron Zucker of Albany, and the late Doreen Randi and her surviving husband Philip Holmes of Vienna, Va. She was the grandmother of Benjamin, Alexander and Zachary Gaines, Cara Zucker and her husband Nick Henley, Evan Zucker, and Steven and Lauren Holmes.

What we learned from her was not how much was taken away but how much was left.

Contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society or the Jewish Alliance of Great-

er Rhode Island, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence, RI 02906.

Saby Gadol, 80 PAWTUCKET – Saby Gadol died Aug. 16. He was the husband of Joan (Strauss) Gadol for 51 years.

Born in Manila, Philippines, a son of the late Leon and Susanne (Crespi) Gadol, he had lived in Rhode Island since 1962. He owned and operated the former F & F Braid Co in Pawtucket and later in Fall River, Mass., before retiring in 1996.

He was a member of Temple Emanu-El and the Jewish Community Center.

He leaves his wife, his children, Alan (Sheryl) Gadol and Jim (Hui Tin) Gadol; and his siblings, Fanny Acriche (Leon), Ralph Gadol and Elsie Scheine.

The grandfather of Hayley and Ben, he was the brother of the late Jaime Gadol.

Contributions may be made to Home & Hospice Care of RI, 1085 North Main St., Providence, RI 02904.

Marvin L. Granoff, 87

WARWICK – Marvin Granoff died Aug. 27. He was the husband of Molly ( K ad s iv it z) Granoff for 62 years.

Born Dec. 10, 1925, he was the son of the late Jacob and Fay (Kadish) Granoff. He grew up in Providence and served in the U.S. Navy during World War II as a 20mm gunner on a merchant ship, the William Windon, and a tanker, the Fort George.

He was one of the founders of the Swiss Automatic Screw Ma-

chine Company in Providence.

He then created Eastern Wire Products Company.

He was a member of Temple Beth-El and was known for being a kind, fair-minded mentor who enjoyed being anonymously charitable.

He was the father of two sets of twins: Charles Granoff of Newton, Mass., and Rick Granoff (Marcy Granoff) of Cranston; and Faye (Granoff) Stolzman (Robert I. Stolzman) and Dr. Sara Granoff-Schor (Dr. Charlie Schor) of Providence.

He was the grandfather of Jonathan and Jamie Granoff of New York, and Nora Stolzman and Jenna Schor of Providence. He is also survived by his sister Evelyn Hornstein (Abner Hornstein) and many nieces and nephews.

Shivah will be observed at 183 George St., Providence, Thursday, Aug. 29, from 7 p.m. – 9 p.m., and Friday, Aug. 30, from 2 – 6 p.m.

Contributions may be made to Temple Beth-El, 70 Orchard Ave., Providence, RI 02906.

Samuel Granoff, 95 PAWTUCKET – Samuel Granoff died Aug. 21. He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Frances (Taber) Granoff.

Born in Providence, he was the second eldest child of the late Louis and Edith (Samdperil) Granoff.

He is also survived by his daughter Merle G. Shaer and his son Loren; his grandchildren Elana K. Shaer and Marc P. Shaer; his sister Beverly Satloff, his brother Leonard and many nephews. He was the brother of the late George Sidney and father-in-law of the late William H. Shaer.

For five decades, he was a

principal of S. Granoff Mfg., an innovator in the design and production of yarns and textiles. Thereafter, he was proud to work for Granoff Associates.

He served his country in World War II with a rank of sergeant. He saw action in the European Theatre and in North Africa with the 389th Bomber Squadron.

Upon returning from the service, he met, courted and married Frances Taber. Setting high standards, he led by example; he was intelligent, devoted and courageous.

The family thanks his caregivers Lucy, Melanie, Walter, Mae, Barry, Marco and Michelle.

Contributions may be made to the Minyan Fund at Temple Beth-El, 70 Orchard Ave., Providence, RI 02906.

Philip Greenberg, 80 WARWICK – Philip Greenberg died Aug. 26. He was the husband of Anita (Pollock) Greenberg of Warwick. They were married for 60 years.

Born in Providence, a son of the late Max and Fay (Glickman) Greenberg, he had lived in Warwick for more than 50 years.

He was involved in retail management and sales for more than 30 years, retiring in 1999.

He was a Korean Conflict Army veteran, serving in Korea.

A member of Temple Torat Yisrael and its Men’s Club, he also served on the synagogue’s board of directors. A member of Jewish War Veterans Post 23, Touro Fraternal Association, South Providence Hebrew Free Loan and Chessed Shel Amess, he volunteered for Meals on Wheels, Chaver, the Louis and Goldie Chester Full Plate Kosher Food Pantry and Jewish Eldercare of Rhode Island.

He was the father of Elaine Sher and her husband Richard

of Framingham, Mass. and Audrey Brisson and her husband Robert of Coventry. The brother of Leonard Greenberg of Warwick, Deborah Gordon of Harrisburg, Pa. and David Greenberg of Cranston, he was the grandfather of Matthew, Jared, Marissa and Lindsey.

Contributions may be made to Temple Torat Yisrael, 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich, RI 02818 or the charity of one’s choice.

Samuel M. Holtzman, 59 WARWICK – Samuel Holtzman died Aug. 17. He was the husband of Marilyn E. McKeever.

Born in Sharon, Mass., he was a son of the late Herman and Laura (Ventura) Holtzman.

He had been an adjunct faculty member of the math/physics department of New England Institute of Technology since 1986. An educator for the Warwick School Department, he was a science educator at Pilgrim High School from 1980 until 2001, science department head at Gorton High School until 2006 and science department head at Toll Gate High School and Winman Junior High School from 2008 until 2012, when he retired. He was a member of the Warwick Teachers Union and was its president from 2006-08.

A graduate of Barrington College, he received his master’s of education–secondary school administration from Providence College in 1991, and his master’s of science in labor and industrial relations from the University of Rhode Island in 1999. He was a saxophonist in the dance band, “New York Minute.” He was an educator, leader, friend, husband, father and musician.

He was the father of Laura M . M c K e e v e r - H o l t z m a n of Brooklyn, N.Y., Jessica L. McKeever-Holtzman of Warwick and Samantha OBITUARIES | 35

Obituaries thejewishvoice.org August 30, 2013 |

35

Life Cycles

Visiting the mikveh following father’s death Woman finds connections to ancient traditions

By Debra Rubin (JTA) – Susan Esther Barnes had had a rough two years.

Her father’s death in April 2011 came as a shock; she hadn’t even known he had been hospitalized. And his widow’s leaving town for a week complicated plans for his funeral and burial.

As executor of his will, Barnes discovered that the money in bank accounts that were to go to her and her sister had been transferred to someone else.

All in all, it was an extraor-

from page 34

dinarily difficult ordeal, said Barnes, who wrote about the experience on her Religious and Reform blog.

When she received a letter in May telling her that her duties as executor were completed, the Novato, Calif., resident was relieved.

“It felt like such a point of transition,” Barnes, a consultant for public agencies, told JTA. “When I got that letter, I wanted to mark the occasion.”

The mikveh sprang to mind.

The daughter of a Jewish fa-

ther and non-Jewish mother, Barnes had converted to Judaism about two decades ago but had never dipped in the ritual waters. “Twenty years ago, it wasn’t really something that came up in Reform conversions,” she says.

Nor had she visited the mikveh when her rabbi suggested it before her Jewish wedding in 2008 (she and her husband were married civilly in 2003).

“I don’t want some stranger seeing me naked,” Barnes, 49, remembers thinking.

OBITUARIES

E. McKeever-Holtzman of Warwick; and the brother of Joseph Holtzman, Stan Holtzman, Esta Barcohana, Virginia Holtzman, Reba Holtzman, Cynthia Holtzman, David Holtzman and Robert Holtzman.

Contributions may be made to Pancreatic Cancer Research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, 10 Brookline Place, West 6th Floor, Brookline, MA 02445.

Lola (Cohen) Schwartz, 83 PROVIDENCE – Lola Schwartz died Aug. 16. She was the wife of Irving Schwartz.

Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., the daughter of the late Moe and Sadie (Prinz) Cohen, she had been a resident of Providence since 1955. She was the former executive director of the Jewish Community Center of Rhode Island and a member of Temple Beth-El. Besides her husband, she is survived by her children Peter Schwartz and his wife Linda of Bedford, N.H. and Erna Schwartz Place and her husband Bob of Needham, Mass.;

and her grandchildren Ian Michael, Colin, Skyler, Camden and Chelsea.

Contributions may be made to the Jewish Community Center of Rhode Island, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence, RI 02906.

Marion Thornton Skelskie, 88 ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Marion Skelskie, formerly of the Boston and Cape Cod areas of Massachusetts, died Aug. 24.

She was predeceased by her husband of 54 years, Stanley Skelskie, and her brothers, Robert Thornton, Ronald Thornton and Roger Thornton. She is survived by her children, Barbara (Benjamin) Mer of Lincoln, Judi (Frank) Deming of Fort Collins, Colo., Cindy (Joe) DeFalco of Rochester and Arthur (Nan Molofsky) Skelskie of New York City.

She leaves her grandchildren Nadav (Dara Wald) Mer of Chandler, Ariz., Daniel

(Kristen) Mer of Warwick, Becky Mer of Lincoln, Andrew and Kara Deming of Fort Collins, Aaron (Angela) Stormo of Rochester, Leah (Will Soles) Stormo of Rochester, Ethan and Noah Skelskie of New York City; and great-grandchildren Zohar, Nathan, Collin and Audrey Mer, Elizabeth Stormo; siblings, Mary Lou Wittman of North East, Pa., and David Thornton of North East; and many nieces, nephews, greatnieces and great-nephews.

Marion touched many lives; she stood up for her beliefs and worked tirelessly to make her community a better place. Extending compassion to all, she was a dedicated volunteer and held leadership posts within the Jewish community.

Donations may be made to ThyCa, PO Box 964, Chesterfield, MO 63006 (indicate Medullary Thyroid Cancer Research Fund) thyca.org., or Southern Poverty Law Center, 400 Washington Ave., Montgomery, AL 36104, splcenter.org.

Dodgeville Hebrew Cemetery is site of memorial service ATTLEBORO, Mass. – Congregation Agudas Achim, the Reconstructionist synagogue in Attleboro, will hold its annual memorial service at the 104-year-old cemetery in Dodgeville, Mass., on Sunday, Sept.

8, at 10 a.m. The congregation will remember the names of congregants and family members who have died and recite memorial prayers on their behalf.

The days between Rosh Ha-

shanah (Sept. 5 and 6) and Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, (Sept. 14) are a traditional time for Jews to visit cemeteries.

“This time of year is … for remembering and holding close all of our loved ones, past and present,” said Rabbi Elyse Wechterman, in a synagogue press release. “Our relationships with people who have died never ends, they just change …

It is a bittersweet ceremony, but I emphasize the sweetness of

bringing back the memories of those who mean so much to us.”

This service is co-sponsored, in part, by Dyer Lake Funeral Home, which is providing seating and supplies for the event.

The community is invited to attend. The cemetery is located off Route 152 just past the Dodgeville soccer fields, behind Hillside Cemetery.

For more information, contact the synagogue at 508-2222243 or agudasma.org.

Sharon Memorial Park holds annual memorial service SHARON, Mass. – Sharon Memorial Park will host its 65th annual memorial service on Sunday, Sept. 8, at 10 a.m., at the Jacob Grossman Memorial Chapel in the Woods.

Rabbi Judith Kummer and Cantor Irving Spenadel will officiate.

According to information from the Memo-

rial Park, the event, which is open to the entire community, honors the memory of loved ones and the six million Jews lost in the Holocaust.

Sharon Memorial Park is at 120 Canton St., Sharon.

For more information, contact 781-828-7216.

But her rabbi, Michael Lezak of Rodef Sholom in San Rafael, Calif., often encourages people who are facing a transition or a traumatic time to visit the mikveh. It helps them “to realize they’re not alone, that the Holy One walks them into the water,” Lezak said. “The water has transformational power.”

Lezak accompanied her to a mikveh in San Francisco on July 19. Standing behind a slightly ajar door, Lezak talked to her prior to each blessing that accompanied her three immersions into the water.

He reminded her of their congregational visit to Israel, where they saw the mikveh at Masada, telling her she was connected to thousands of years of history. He emphasized that she was doing the conversion blessing solely for herself,

since she was “already unquestionably Jewish.” He also asked her “to look at the stairs leading out of the mikveh and to see them as stairs leading to the next chapter of my life.”

The mikvah attendant stood by, declaring “kasher” (kosher) after each dunk.

For Barnes, the immersion marked an end to dealing with the knowledge that she had missed her father’s final days and the ensuing difficulties involving his estate. “There’s definitely a clear line between then and now; I’m whole now.”

“I cried through the whole thing. I didn’t feel sad. It just felt powerful,” she said. “I felt connected to an ancient tradition.”

If you know of a lifecycle event that would make a great story, email lifecyclist@jta.org.

D’VAR TORAH 36 | August 30, 2013 The Jewish Voice

D’var TORAH

Days of Awe

Awe resonates in the Jewish soul

By Rabbi Amy Levin Special to The Jewish Voice We have two terms to describe the season of the Jewish year that will peak in intensity within days. We call it the “High Holidays” and the “Days of Awe” (yamim nora’im). I much prefer the latter term, the Days of Awe – because Judaism doesn’t really have a concept of a holiday being “high.” I’m not even sure how I would explain in Jewish terms what a High Holy Day is.

The concept of Days of Awe, on the other hand, resonates deeply in the Jewish soul. Awe has been an element of Jewish existence from the outset.

Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel teaches us that “Ultimate meaning and ultimate wisdom are not found within the world but in God, and the only way to wisdom … is through our relationship to God. That relationship is awe. The beginning of wisdom, says the psalmist, is awe of Adonai. Awe is the perceptual equivalent of climbing to the top of a hill in order to acquire a bird’s-eye view. Awe opens up to us the possibility of attaining the comprehensive perspective that would allow us to see the whole and not just the parts … the forest, and the trees.”

The range of memories, emotions, associations, experiences, sensations that is all part of our existence is impossible to take in all at once … unless we climb to the top of the mountain of awe and attempt to comprehend it through the wider perspective of our relationship

with God. A number of verses in Chapter 19 of Leviticus repeat the following phrase: “You shall be in awe of your God, I am Adonai.”

Before each such phrase is a mitzvah that establishes a standard of sensitivity to others: “You shall not defraud your fellow” (Lev. 19:13). “You shall not insult the deaf or put a stumbling block before the blind” (Lev. 19:14). “You shall rise before the aged and show deference to the old” (Lev. 19:32).

In each of these instances, the next words are: “You shall be in awe of your God, I am Adonai.”

The connection between awe and respect for every human being is profound. It is awe, it is knowing the world through the high ground of the perspective of God, that gives us the awareness to cherish every individual human being we encounter.

Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel writes, “The awe that we sense or ought to sense when standing in the presence of a human being is a moment of intuition for the likeness of God which is concealed in his essence.”

With awe as the dynamic of our relationship with God, it is fascinating that the Torah uses the same term for our relationship with our parents – “Each person shall be in awe of his or her mother and his or her father.” As children, it is our parents who have the big picture; it is our parents’ perspective of life and the world that give us a sense of security and a sense of belonging. As small children, we are thrilled to sit on our father’s shoulders and see the

world from his towering perspective. As adults, our awe of God can evoke similar feelings of trust and security.

In Deuteronomy 10:12 we read, “And now, Israel, what does Adonai your God demand of you? Only this: to revere Adonai your God, to walk only in His paths and to love Him.” As much as God commands awe in us, startlingly, God also seeks it from us.

In some contexts, the Hebrew root yod-resh-aleph can mean fear. We see this in Psalm 27, which we recite daily through the season of repentance that began on the first day: “Adonai is my light and my help. Whom shall I fear?” But the Torah uses the same Hebrew verb to exhort us to stand in awe of God, rather than to fear God. As Rabbi Heschel points out, “Awe, unlike fear, does not make us shrink from the awe-inspiring object, but, on the contrary, draws us near to it.”

Awe, taught Rabbi Heschel, is the sense of wonder and humility inspired by the sublime or felt in the presence of mystery. Awe is the acquisition of insights that the world holds in store for us. Forfeit your sense of awe, let your conceit diminish your ability to revere, and the universe becomes nothing more than a commercial marketplace. Awe is the key to wisdom and perspective. Awe is the key to helping us see the divine in each other. Awe is the key to understanding our world and our place in it. Awe is the key to our relationship with God. These are, indeed, our Days of Awe. We are going to practice what Jane Wagner – perhaps best known as Lily Tomlin’s comedy writer, collaborator and life partner – dubbed “awerobics.”

I pray that each of us in our respective communities will attain wisdom and perspective, mutual regard and a sense of belonging … and, most of all, a deeper relationship with God. Rabbi Amy Levin (ravlevin@ gmail.com) is rabbi at Temple Torat Yisrael in East Greenwich, the Conservative synagogue in East Greenwich. Rabbi Levin is president of The Board of Rabbis of Greater Rhode Island.

Editor’s Note: Rabbis from the The Board of Rabbis of Greater Rhode Island volunteer to submit a d’var Torah for nearly every issue of The Jewish Voice.

We appreciate their contributions and welcome hearing from other rabbis who might be interested as well.

thejewishvoice.org August 30, 2013 | community

37

The best of Camp JORI and Israel JORI launches new initiative with BBYO

By Noah Prizant Special to The Jewish Voice JERUSALEM – As a participant in Camp JORI’s Israel trip, I didn’t know what to expect. To my surprise, the program went far beyond my expectations.

The opportunity to spend four weeks in Israel was offered to teens, ages 15 and 16, who had “graduated” from JORI – we were too old to be campers and too young to be counselors. It was a way to extend our camping experience while doing something completely different.

The Israel trip was done through BBYO, a pluralistic movement for Jewish teens.

BBYO, which has been running the program for many years, now has it down to a science.

The activities were all planned well and very reliable.

Our group included 45 teens – 15 from JORI and the rest were strangers. Although at first it felt strange for me to be living with 14 of my closest JORI friends and 30 strangers in a foreign country, the awkward feelings quickly vanished. By the end of the first week, we all

Teens frolic in the Dead Sea. became close friends; although it didn’t seem that I could grow any closer to my JORI friends, I did. I soon realized that we had the perfect balance – spending time with camp friends and meeting new people, who were to become almost as close as if we’d been visiting them every summer for years.

In visiting the traditional tourist sites – the Kotel and Masada, the Dead Sea and Ein Gedi, and more – we saw much of the country. In addition, we had our share of active fun raft-

ing on the Jordan, doing water sports in the Red Sea and climbing sand dunes in the Negev. Every day was packed with something new to anticipate.

By the end of our four weeks, no one wanted to leave. Parting with our new friends was hard, but we knew that we would see our camp friends – who had stayed at JORI – again soon.

After a week or so at home, we headed back to Camp JORI to become counselors-in-training, CITs. Being in its infancy, the CIT

program initially felt awkward to me. But, we shared a strong bond from going to Israel and our time at JORI allowed us to reminisce and debrief. We weren’t campers and we weren’t counselors, we were stuck in between. However, as the 12-day program progressed, I started to love my position. I was assigned to one cabin and I helped with activities, but I could hang out with my CIT friends and have as much fun as I did as a camper. It became a perfect balance and I could

think of no better way to prepare myself to be a Canp JORI counselor next year.

This summer has been one of the best of my life and, for that, I can thank Camp JORI, BBYO and all the amazing people I met along the way.

Noah Prizant (Noah.Prizant@ wheelerschool.org), a Cranston resident, is the son of Barry Prizant and Elaine Meyer. He will be a junior at Wheeler School in Providence this fall.

WE ARE READ | SIMCHAS 38 | August 30, 2013 The Jewish Voice

Bob and Micki Silverman

Phyllis Solod, left, and Joan Coken SCOTLAND – Phyllis B. Solod and Joan Coken, both residents of Warwick, took a copy of The Jewish Voice & Herald (now The Jewish Voice)

with them when they visited Scotland, Wales and London, from July 29 through Aug. 8.

JUDICIAL APPOINTMENT – Susan Jacobs, of North Easton, Mass., is sworn in as an associate justice of the Massachusetts Probate and Family Court

by Robert Marchand, an attorney from Fall River, Mass., on Monday, Aug. 19, at the Colonel Blackinton Inn in Attleboro, Mass. Jacobs was previously a partner in the Attleboro-based Volterra, Goldberg & Jacobs law firm.

Susan Jacobs and Robert Marchand

ST. JOHN, NEW BRUNSWICK, CANADA – Bob and Micki Silverman, of Warwick, visited St John, New Brunswick, Canada, with their children and grandchildren on the Carnival Glory to celebrate their 45th wedding anniversary. The couple will celebrate their actual anniversary Sept. 15.

John Landry

BOARD APPOINTMENT – John Landry, vice chair of the editorial board of The Jewish Voice, has been named to the board of Jewish Outreach Institute, a nonprofit organization that reaches out to unengaged and intermarried Jewish families, and helps the organized Jewish community better welcome them.

Raised Catholic and a convert to Judaism, Landry, his wife Rochelle and their two sons belong to Temple Beth-El, the Reform synagogue in Providence.

An independent business writer and occasional contributor to The Jewish Voice, Landry is a resident of Providence.

SIMCHAS thejewishvoice.org August 30, 2013 |

Makayla Erica Lindberg BIRTH – Makayla Erica Lindberg was born June 18. Her parents are Meredith and Brian Lindberg of Warwick and her big sister is Samarah Elizabeth Lindberg, age 2.

Makayla is the granddaughter of Sanford and Fran Fink of Warwick, Richard and Francine Denerstein of Lincoln and Lake Worth, Fla., and Karen Lindberg and the late Eric Lindberg of East Greenwich.

BAR MITZVAH – Yonah Elisha Padowitz, of Ramat Beit Shemesh, Israel, became a bar mitzvah on June 12.

The son of Rabbi Joel and Shelly Padowitz and grandson of Dr. Michael and Andrea Kaplan Lieberman of North Bellemere, N.Y., Yonah is the eldest great-grandson of Esther Koffler Kaplan of Commack, Long Island, N.Y., formerly of Pawtucket, and the late Rabbi Philip Kaplan.

Guests came from Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Johannesburg, South Africa; New York and California for the three-day simcha.

Yonah Elisha Padowitz with his greatgrandmother, Esther Koffler Kaplan

Lauren Beth Friedman and Richard Scott Koblick

39

ENGAGEMENT – Carol and Alan Friedman of West Warwick are pleased to announce the engagement of their daughter Lauren Beth Friedman of Pompano Beach, Fla., to Richard Scott Koblick, also of Pompano Beach.

Lauren, a graduate of the University of South Florida, received her master’s degree in nonprofit management from the University of Central Florida.

She is director of membership and special events at the Adolf and Rose Levis Jewish Community Center in Boca Raton, Fla. Lauren is the granddaughter of Shirley and Murray Friedman of Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., and Phyllis Goldberg of West Palm Beach, Fla., and the late Norman Goldberg.

Richard is a graduate of Florida State University with a B.S. in finance. He is vice president of Feller Financial Services – ING Financial Partners.

He is the son of Janice and Mark Koblick of Coral Springs, Fla., and the grandson of Gloria Koblick and the late Mac Koblick, and the late Irving and Liza Ort. Lauren and Richard are planning an October 2014 wedding.

40 | August 30, 2013 The Jewish Voice