Volume XX, Issue XXXVI | www.thejewishvoice.org Serving Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts
3 Elul 5774 | August 29, 2014
ROSH HASHANAH PLANNING
Reading for Rosh Hashanah New children’s books available for the High Holy Days BY PENNY SCHWARTZ BOSTON (JTA) – Fourteen years ago, sitting in her synagogue during Saturday morning services, Jacqueline Jules was browsing some Torah commentary when a story about a medieval poet struck an inspirational chord. “It was an ‘aha’ moment. This will be my next writing project, my next children’s book,” reRUSSIAN PRESIDENTIAL PRESS AND INFORMATION OFFICE called Jules, an award-winning children’s writer who at the time Russian President Vladimir Putin and Egyptian President was also working as a school liAbdel Fattah El-Sisi visit Russia’s brarian. Moskva missile cruiser on Aug. 12 The historical note that captured her imagination was a reference to Samuel HaNagid, a Jewish Talmudic scholar who in the early 11th century served as vizier, the highest adviser, to the Muslim royal court in Granada. According to the legend, HaNagid is said to have made friends BY SEAN SAVAGE terrorist organizations, forcing with a man who cursed him “by regional and international ac- tearing out his angry tongue JNS.ORG – With old alliances tors into new alliances to meet and giving him a kind one.” fraying and new threats emerg- this common threat. ing, making sense of the rapidly While the world was focused READING | 22 changing Middle East is increas- on Israel and Gaza or the threat ingly difficult for even seasoned of the Islamic State terror group observers and analysts. in the past month, new EgypDisgruntled by President tian President Abdel Fattah ElBarack Obama’s foreign policy Sisi quietly made his first visit to in the region, some long-time Moscow on Aug. 12. American allies such as Israel, “Moscow recognizes Egypt as Egypt and Saudi Arabia have one of the central regional powbegun openly criticizing the U.S. ers in the [Middle East], where approach to issues like the Gaza Russia will try to strengthen its conflict, with some even pivoting presence in the near future,” Dr. toward Russia. At the same time, Olena Bagno-Moldavsky, a rethe civil wars in Syria and Libya search fellow at the Institute for as well as instability in Iraq have National Security Studies (INSS) proven to be fertile breeding in Israel, told JNS.org. ground for new and more brutal MIDDLE EAST | 23
MAKING SENSE OF THE RAPIDLY CHANGING MIDDLE EAST
COURTESY | HAROLD GRINSPOON FOUNDATION
On pages 27-32 you’ll find information about candidates in some of the contested seats in the Sept. 9 Rhode Island primary election.
VOTE FOR EXPERIENCE MIRIAM ROSS
RI HOUSE DISTRICT 4 DEMOCRAT
Paid for by Friends of Miriam Ross • Armand Almeida, Treasurer
Real-World Experience and Substantial Accomplishments Business Attorney H Ethics Expert H Community Leader Award-Winning Small Business Champion H Accomplished Negotiator & Advocate H District 4 Taxpayer for 13 Years
SEASONED • EXPERIENCED • TRUSTED www.miria mro s s ri.co m
“THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR EXPERIENCE.”
nu-El, 99 Taft Ave., Providence. Everybody who’s interested can come and learn about the programs. Registration for the mini courses will be available. “We’re excited to expand our programming with our temple partners and youth groups,” said Brenman. All teens are welcome to participate, regardless of religious affiliation or synagogue membership.
Welcome to the Teen Engagement Programs at the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island! Dear Teens and Families,
Join us at our orientation on Sunday, September 7th at Temple Emanu-El at 10:30 am. We invite all students in Greater Rhode Island to participate regardless of religious affiliation or synagogue membership. All programs begin Sunday, September 14th.
ohfurc ohtcv
Shalom and Welcome!
March of the Living
“The benefits of a tolerant society… are infinite.”
A program of the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island
For more information, please contact:
THIS ISSUE’S QUOTABLE QUOTE
EXPLORE
To meet the needs of our busy teens, we have restructured our program, providing easy access to classes and experiences. Our unique programming provides a broad selection of choices for teens to select from. We encourage students to check out the varied and flexible options to fit students’ individual interests.
World 23
SOCIALIZE
Offerings include:
Simchas 39
SING
Harry Elkin Midrasha 5-week mini-courses
Seniors 33
All registrations must be completed by September 12. They can be mailed in, sent in by e-mail, or delivered in person. For assistance or any questions, please contact Jana Brenman, Director of Teen Engagement, Jewish Alliance, at jbrenman@jewishalliance.org or by calling 421-4111, ext. 181.
Rosh Hashanah 18-19, 22
5
Jana Brenman Director of Teen Engagement Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island 401 421-4111 ext. 181 jbrenman@jewishallianceri.org
Opinion 10-11
Trip to Washington, D.C. – Jewish Civics Initiative
Obituaries 36-37
TRAVEL
Community Service Trip to NYC or Philly
Nation 26
The March of the Living Trip to Poland and Israel (2016)
Food 15-17
Interfaith Exchange at Brown University
Elections 27-32
LEARN
Jewish Philanthropy Project
Community 2-9, 12-14, 20-21
Internships throughout Rhode Island
Classified 35
4
Opportunities Travel All across the country, the life continued of a teen is busy, busy, busy. Interfaith Exchange The teen engagement departHere are more opportunities to build on your connections Beyond Dialogue: Working Together ment of the Jewish Alliance of with Teens of Different Faith within and outside your community. Backgrounds Towards Social Change Greater Rhode Island has creJewish Civics Initiative in Providence Community Service Trip ated a variety of opportunities ■ Divya Bhatia Preteen trip to Jewish Newport for teens to get involved easily Teen trip to Boston The Interfaith Exchange is a unique opporJ-serve (community service projects) tunity for high school students to engage and that fit their individual inwith peers of different faiths in order to Stay tuned for more information and experience the power of Interfaith explospecific dates for these fun and educational terests. ration. Students of Christian, Jewish, Muslim, excursions. Students can choose to attend and other religious backgrounds will embark on a year-long journey together to work a five-week mini course offered Preteen across religious lines, answering a number of challenging questions: What is interon Sunday mornings or attend After-School faith collaboration? How can we use what we learn about different faiths to benefit a communitywide teen evening Offerings our communities? In the process of answerevent, created in cooperation Mondays and Thursdays, 4–5 pm ing these questions, members will develop and implement a year-long service project beginning September 15th with local youth groups. in Providence. The Dwares JCC has an after-school preteen Providence HaZamir choir, time commitment: 3 hours per week for and teen program that includes the use of the entire school year (most likely meeting a local chapter of HaZamir: the fitness center, gym, and pool. on Sunday afternoons): 1.5 hours of volunteering and 1.5 hours of group time (guest the International Jewish High Ivrit in Nature – Hebrew Language lectures, interfaith text study, processing ■ Rotem Goldshmid School Choir is a great choice and social activity) NEW – Hebrew Continue and strengthen language class for singers. The choir will meet your conversational for day-school Voice Teen Editor graduates! Hebrew in this experiweekly and participate in two Internship ential, environmental class. The topic of study is the changing The Jewish Voice is looking for teen editors. weekends in New York. of seasons and how it affects the environResponsibilities will include writing, solicitAfter-school programming is ment. Join Rotem, a marine biologist, as ing and editing content from teen writers throughout the state on topics of interest to she conducts this innovative class, outdoors! available, including a converFor grades 6–8 (advanced Hebrew level) teens and their families. A writing sample [ Dwares JCC] and interview are required. Work schedule is sational Hebrew language class flexible, but work is deadline-driven. Make sure to check the Jewish Alliance Program for pre-teens. Local internships Guide for a complete listing of after-school programs. and community service opportunities can be arranged for individuals. Interfaith exchange, a program run by Brown University students, and an SAT preparation That flexibility is key to the program this course are also included in the program. year. Brenman said that she hopes teens “There is a lot flexibility to our pro- will consider trying just one course or acgramming,” said Jana Brenman, director tivity. Signups will be available throughof Teen Engagement for the Jewish Alli- out the year. “If you play a fall sport, you ance. “There are many different ways to wait and sign up for a mini course in the be involved and meet other teens. We hope winter,” she said. “Everyone is welcome to there’s something for everyone. And we bring a friend.” hope the programs will help develop JewA general orientation takes place Sept. 7 ish identity.” at 10:30 a.m. in the library at Temple Ema-
HaZamir Providence Chapter: The International Jewish High School Choir
Calendar 8
BY THE VOICE STAFF
Afterschool Programming / Teen Membership at the Dwares JCC
Business 34-35
Teens have fresh new programming to try this fall
Philadelphia Trip
Arts 24-25
The Jewish Voice
Midrasha Graduation
INSIDE
COMMUNITY
You can be assured that all programs provide the opportunity to renew old friendships, meet new friends, share meaningful experiences, and learn in a relaxed, supportive and stimulating atmosphere!
2 | August 29, 2014
COMMUNITY
thejewishvoice.org
August 29, 2014 |
3
JCC as the social mecca for teens during the 1950s and 1960s Summer Canteen reunion sparks memories BY IRINA MISSIURO imissiuro@jewishallianceri.org What happens when you listen to the oldies station? Do memories from your teenage years of rocking to the Beatles and swaying to the Shirelles come flooding back? Do you, by any chance, reminisce about the Saturday night dances you attended at Providence’s JCC? First relationships, first kisses, first three-hour conversations that fly by in five minutes – for many, it all started during the Summer Canteen. In the late ’50s and throughout most of the ’60s, Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts teenagers looked forward to these evenings filled with music, friends and romance. Though they attended various youth clubs in the building throughout the year, the center was mostly quiet during the summer. The canteen was a welcome distraction from the scheduled days of school, as well as a reprieve from boredom during the long, lazy days of vacation. Unlike B’nai B’rith Youth and the Councilettes, the dances weren’t burdened by structure
Ellen Goldstein is sitting. L-R: Joan Friedman, Janie Bernstein, Shelley Weinberg, Barbara Stein, Marsha Chernick, Lynda Sandperil. On the far right is Judy Weiner White. and provided an opportunity to take it easy, have fun and enjoy the carefree environment in the company of friends. While JCC clubs such as ballet and modern dance were exciting, they weren’t as freeing as those Saturday evenings when young
people let loose and displayed their moves, unguarded by instructors. Mark Rechter, along with several others, was inspired to organize a reunion (held on Aug. 24 at the Dwares JCC) after reading Esta Rabinowitz Avedi-
sian’s article about the Summer Canteen in September of 2012 (“Fifty years of friendship add up to a lifetime of memories”). Rechter was excited about the return of The Ghost Riders and Jerry Chorney, who provided musical entertainment back in
the day. Once again, the “kids” were grooving to their tunes. Rechter says that the draw of the canteen was the chance to meet Jewish teens from other locations. The draw of the reunion was the possibility to reconnect with old pals. Jeffrey M. Feldman says, “The Summer Canteen in the 1960s was a center of activity on summer nights. It was a fun, sometimes noisy, occasionally romantic and always safe place to be. Even 40 years later, the warm memories of hanging out at the JCC during the summer, rock ‘n’ roll playing in the background, linger strongly.” While the canteen was the place to be in the summer, JCC’s youth programming offered numerous activities for teens to engage in throughout the year. The one common element was Charlotte (Goldenberg) Penn, the director of youth services who facilitated not only the clubs, but also the lasting friendships. Robert Sherwin says that, thanks to Penn, “a lot of us are still in touch with each other.” For him, the center was “a place we could all go hang out after school and share ideas.” Michael Schwartz, who, like his friend Sherwin, was SUMMER CANTEEN | 13
4 | August 29, 2014
COMMUNITY
The Jewish Voice
Washington’s letter resonates 224 years later BY SAM SHAMOON NEWPORT – On the morning of Aug. 17, 1790, George Washington arrived in Newport, accompanied by Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson. Exactly 224 years later, the President of Brown University, Christina Hull Paxson, gave the keynote address to a packed house in the same Touro Synagogue that President Washington had visited. Echoing Washington’s famous words, Paxson declared, “The benefits of a tolerant society – the kind of society George Washington and his colleagues mapped out when Brown and Touro were still new – are infinite.” The occasion was the 67th annual reading of the George Washington Letter. The event was attended by more than 220 people. Gary Naftalis, who was honored with reading the Moses Seixas letter, gave voice to the Warden of Yeshuat Israel, the first Jewish congregation in Newport, in an elegant expression of the Jewish community’s delight in Washington as leader and in a democratic government. Seixas wrote: Deprived as we heretofore have been of the invaluable rights of free Citizens, we now (with a deep sense of gratitude to the Almighty disposer of all events) behold a Government, erected by the Majesty of the People – a Government, which to bigotry gives
no sanction, to persecution no assistance – but generously affording to All liberty of conscience, and immunities of Citizenship: deeming every one, of whatever Nation, tongue, or language, equal parts of the great governmental Machine. In response, George Washington sent an eloquent letter to the Hebrew Congregation. Read by Donald Christ, chairman of the McBean Charitable Trust, the letter by President Washington, written one year before the ratification of the Bill of Rights, expressed what turned out to be the first expression of religious freedom by an American president. It is now no more that tolerance is spoken of as if it were the indulgence of one class of people that another enjoyed the exercise of their inherent natural rights. For, happily, the Government of the United States, which gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance, requires only that those who live under its protection should demean themselves as good citizens in giving it on all occasions their effectual support. In her keynote address, Paxson noted that Brown University dated its founding to 1764 and said, “Brown has embodied the ideals central to the founding of Rhode Island: tolerance, openness, and intellectual freedom. These are the very ideals that made it possible for the Touro Synagogue to flourish here in Newport, even
Top row, L-R: Newport Mayor Harry F. Winthrop; Master of Ceremonies Andrew M. Teitz; Rep. David N. Cicilline; Attorney General Peter Kilmartin; RI Sen. Majority Leader Teresa PaivaWeed; Rev. William O’Neill, St. Mark’s Church, Jamestown; Rabbi Dr. Marc Mandel, Congregation Jeshuat Israel; Saul Woythaler, co-president Congregation Jeshuat Israel. Second row, L-R: Donald C. Christ, chair of the Alletta Morris McBean Charitable Trust; Brown University President Christina Hull Paxson; and Gary P. Naftalis, co-chair, Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP before the establishment of the United States.” She said, “In 1770, the Corporation of Brown University was asked by a subscriber whether this religious openness applied to Jews. To clear up any doubt, the Corporation responded by passing a resolution stating that ‘the Children of Jews may be admitted into this Institution and entirely enjoy the freedom of their own Religion, without any Constraint or Imposition whatever.’” Paxson also noted, however, that while “universities are crucibles where new and sometimes conflicting ideas about social and political issues... They can produce tension within our communities,” such freedoms are compromised “when students
object to speakers who had ideas with which they did not agree.” She concluded with “the simple lesson that the cost of freedom of expression in a diverse society is that … people express themselves, sometimes in ways that rub their neighbors the wrong way. I am glad that the Touro Synagogue stands as a symbol of liberty and tolerance to which we continue to aspire.” On a lighter note, Paxson asked how “a Jewish woman named Christina” can speak in this venue. She revealed that although raised a Quaker, she converted to Judaism after she met and married Ari Gabinet. The lessons of George Washington’s letter came into sharp focus when the Alexander George Teitz Award was given to
the Southern Poverty Law Center and accepted by Alan Howard, the SPLC chair. It is clear that tolerance is a goal yet to be attained even in 21st century America. Using litigation, education and other forms of advocacy, the Center works toward the day when the ideals of equal justice and equal opportunity will be a reality. The event concluded with a festive reception in Patriots Park. SAM SHAMOON, a resident of Providence, is a member of the Touro Synagogue Foundation Board of Directors.
AARON REGUNBERG
the progressive Choice for state representative AAron is Committed to ethiCs reform First candidate to commit to restore the Ethics Commission’s power to regulate lawmakers -- Providence Journal, 4/24/2014 AAron fought for tAx fAirness >VU TPSSPVU MYVT )YV^U [V [OL *P[` HUK ^PSS ÄNO[ ¸[YPJRSL down” tax policy so we can pass property tax relief for all AAron helped Win sChool improvements Brought students, parents and teachers together to win real, positive changes in our schools AAron is the progressive ChoiCe That’s why he’s endorsed by so many progressive East Side leaders, and organizations including:
www.RegunbergforRep.com Paid for by Friends of Aaron Regunberg, Jill Davidson, Treasurer
COMMUNITY
thejewishvoice.org
August 29, 2014 |
5
JEWISH WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS
Tillie Lewis: World’s tomato queen BY TOBY ROSSNER In 1916, 15-year-old Brooklyn native Myrtle Ehrlich quit high school after one year to marry a wholesale grocer and to work in his business. When she noticed the high demand for the imported cans of firm-bodied, pearshaped Italian tomatoes (pomodoros) used by the best cooks to make spaghetti sauce, she had an idea — “Why not grow pomodoros domestically?” She consulted with the agriculture specialists at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, who advised that pomodoros could not be grown in American soil. Discouraged (and divorced after a short time), she moved on, studying business and briefly selling securities on Wall Street. In 1934, the federal government raised the tariff on imported tomato products by 50 percent. Once again Myrtle decided to pursue the possibility of growing the pomodoro domestically. An upcoming vacation to Italy provided the perfect opportunity. There she met Florindo del Gaizo, an Italian exporter who was worried about losing his American customers. Myrtle procured pomodoro seeds, and she talked Florindo into staking $10,000 to acquire appropriate lands and to establish a cannery in Stockton, California, although other sources put this figure at $50,000. They partnered to create the Flotill
Lewis (Myrtle Ehrlich’s adopted business name) was named “businesswoman of the year” by the Associated Press. In celebration of Women’s History Month 2010, Tillie Lewis’ biographer, historian Kyle Tobin Williams, pointed out that Tillie Lewis and Stockton weren’t always on friendly terms. “She was a woman in power, a Jew, and did many things that were revolutionary for her time. These practices included: employment and promotion of minorities, company day care and aid to her employees’ education. She was a great manager. She knew how to earn loyalty and did it so well that her retired employees are devoted to her to this day. She had a huge impact on Mexican-Americans and helped them achieve the American dream. She was brazen, dazzling, and brilliant!”
Tillie Lewis, America’s first woman in foods, explains the exclusive and patented process that makes Tasti-Diet Fruits sweet, delicious, firm – entirely unlike any other diet fruits. Foods Corp. and hired Stockton farmers to experiment. Needless to say, the experiment was a success — pomodoro tomatoes grew beautifully in California! Myrtle’s next step was to talk the Pacific Can Company into building a plant in Stockton with an option for her to buy it. On July 13, 1935, her 34th birthday, the first Flotill cannery opened in Stockton. Florindo died in
1937. Myrtle persuaded the Bank of Stockton to lend her $100,000 to buy her partner’s interest. By December 1937, she had paid back the loan and was the sole owner and manager of Flotill Foods – the first cannery owned by a woman. By 1940, San Joaquin County had become the top tomatoproducing county in the United States. Flotill diversified into
canned fruits and vegetables, baby foods and frozen juices. During the Korean War, Flotill was the largest canner of C-rations for the U.S. Army. In 1951, pear-shaped tomatoes made up about 10 percent of California’s crop. Flotill, renamed Tillie Lewis Foods Inc., was one of the five largest canning companies in the United States with a profit of $30 million. Tillie
SOURCE for Kyle Tobin Williams quote is his presentation, “From Pauper to Princess: Tillie Lewis, ‘Secrets to Making it Big in a Bad Economy.’ ” TOBY ROSSNER (tobyross@ cox.net) was the director of media services at the Bureau of Jewish Education from 1978 to 2002. EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the final article in the series on the history of Jewish women entrepreneurs.
SOMERSET AUTO GROUP Closer than you think- just 15 minutes from Providence The Jagolinzer Family
Quality Automobiles for 3 Generations 195 East • Exit 4, MA somersetautogroup.com
800-495-5337 FREE pick-up and delivery available
ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT Tricia Stearly tstearly@jewishallianceri.org 401-421-4111, ext. 160 EDITOR Fran Ostendorf CONTRIBUTING WRITER Irina Missiuro
Karen Borger ksborger@gmail.com 401-529-2538
EDITORIAL CONSULTANTS Irina Missiuro | Judith Romney Wegner
COLUMNISTS Dr. Stanley Aronson, Michael Fink, Rabbi James Rosenberg and Daniel Stieglitz
DESIGN & LAYOUT Leah Camara
MEMBER of the Rhode Island Press Association
INTERN Dana Cohen
THE JEWISH VOICE (ISSN number 15392104, USPS #465-710) is published bi-weekly, except in July, when it does not publish. PERIODICALS Postage paid at Providence, R.I. 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
COPY DEADLINES: All news releases, photographs, etc., must be received on the Wednesday two weeks prior to publication. Submissions may be sent to: editor@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 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 Voice or its publisher, the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island.
6 | August 29, 2014
COMMUNITY
A warm welcome to Israeli emissary Gilor Meshulam BY ELANAH CHASSEN echassen@jewishallianceri.org Gilor Meshulam is the 2014 Israeli shaliach (emissary) to the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island. Born and raised in Hertzliyya, Israel, he studied law, criminology and French in high school and enlisted in the IDF upon graduation. Gilor served for more than six-and-ahalf years in the infantry corps and Givati Brigade, among many other positions. After serving as an officer in southern Gaza, he was honorably discharged with the rank of captain. Since then Gilor has been a substitute teacher for history and bible classes. He enjoys the outdoors, hiking, boxing and cycling, but above all has much love for Hebrew and history. Gilor says he is thrilled and excited, but mostly honored, to be offered the opportunity to be the representative of Israel in the Jewish community of greater Rhode Island. He is proud to accept this great honor, with a great sense of responsibility, mission and promise to do his best to serve the interests of the community. As the community shaliach (emissary), he says he will engage all age groups in the community through synagogues, religious schools and youth groups. Gilor says he hopes to bridge the gap between Jews of different backgrounds and Israel, increase Jewish aware-
Gilor Meshulam
ness and pride within our community and promote an understanding of Israel and its ideals. Mark your calendars and stay tuned for Israeli Culture Nights with Gilor! These exhilarating events will highlight diverse pieces of Israeli culture and may include activities ranging from traditional Jewish life in Israel to movies, food and lectures, giving everyone a taste of Israeli society. Come by and meet Gilor at the Dwares JCC, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence, on Sept. 3 from 5:30-7 p.m. in the Parenting Center.
The Jewish Voice
Maor Mintz moves on BY THE VOICE STAFF J-Campers and the greater Rhode Island community said le’hitraot to Maor Mintz this week as he finished his summer as camp shaliach. Whether he was leading songs at camp for morning circle, helping the campers make challahs on Friday or speaking to the community about Operation Protective Edge and the situation in Israel, he really did make a difference in the community. And that was one of his goals, he said, at the beginning of the summer. And the community helped Maor feel comfortable a long way from his home near the
Gaza border. When his reserve unit was called for active duty in July, he new they needed backpacks. Members of the entire community, Christians and Jews alike, helped raise funds for the packs. “Thanks to the enormous help of the Jewish Alliance and people like Nitza Attali,” Maor told The Voice, Company B, Battalion 8116, could carry their personal belongings with them. The company finished its active duty at the end of July and returned to their homes. Maor plans to travel to the West Coast before returning to Israel.
PHOTO | FRAN OSTENDORF
Maor helps J-Campers braid challah.
ELANAH CHASSEN is education and planning association at the Jewish Alliance.
East Bay Center 1st Annual Public Health Award Presented to:
Company B and their backpacks
Michael D. Fine, MD
Director, Rhode Island Department of Health In recognition of his leadership in preventing disease and protecting and promoting the health and safety of the people of Rhode Island September 18, 2014
LEADERSHIP THAT IS WORKING for the East Side of Providence
Please Vote for Gayle in the Democratic Primary September 9, 2014
Effective Championed passage of law to create paid family leave Ensured child care assistance for parents in job training programs Advocated for marriage equality Worked to get illegal guns off our streets Experienced Career advocating to improve our health care system, child welfare services, and to create an equitable Rhode Island Master’s degree in Public Policy from Tufts University Progressive Leadership Endorsed by Clean Water Action, Planned Parenthood Votes! RI, RI NOW, RI Progressive Democrats, and Sierra Club Named RIPIN Legislator of the Year, received Congressional Angel in Adoption and Mental Health Association Bell of Hope awards Named a National Game Changer by Women’s Campaign Fund Family Values Gayle and her husband, Jeff Levy, live on the East Side with their two sons, Zack and Jonah. Gayle is also a board member of Temple Emanu-El.
For more information & to get involved call (401)340-5050 |gaylegoldin.com Paid for by Friends of Gayle Goldin, Rachel Colaiace, Treasurer
COMMUNITY
thejewishvoice.org
Road race registration underway The 12th annual Dwares JCC 5K Road Race takes place Sept. 14 on the East Side of Providence. Youth races start at 9 a.m. The 5K kicks off at 10. This is a USATF certified race with prizes awarded for the top male and female overall as well as awards by age group. Post-run activities include face painting for kids, raffles and healthy refreshments such as fruit, and bagels. Registration is available online at runrhody.com. Race day registration begins at 7:30 a.m. The race starts at the Dwares JCC, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence. Volunteers are needed and community service hours can be given to those who need them. Contact Angela Sullivan at 401-421-4111, ext. 149, for more information.
August 29, 2014 |
Temple Emanu-El to launch a new youth theater production Youth theater productions are being revived at Temple Emanu-El. This fall, teenagers from grades 6-12 are invited to participate in performing the play “13,” score by Tony Award-winning composer Jason Robert Brown and book by Dan Elish and Robert Horn. This is a story about “labeling,” fitting in and fi nding one’s own identity. There will be an informational meeting on Sept. 7 at 12:30 p.m. at Temple Emanu-El, 99 Taft Ave. in Providence. A light lunch will be provided. Auditions will take place on Sept. 14 at 12:30 p.m., and rehearsals will be
held every Sunday thereafter, starting at 12:30 p.m. The play will be performed the weekend of Dec. 13-14. Musicians to play in the band as well as stage crew, set designers and artists are also needed. All Rhode Island youth are invited to participate; you do not need to be a Temple Emanu-El member. In order to help defray the costs, there will be a nominal charge to participate. For more information, call Temple Emanu-El at 331-1616 and ask for Miriam AbramsStark.
Award-winning artists in new exhibit at the gallery at Temple Habonim The September/October show in the Gallery at Temple Habonim features works by three nationally recognized artists. There will be a wine and cheese reception and an opportunity to meet the artists on Sept. 14 from 1 to 3 p.m. The exhibit continues through Oct. 29. Lynne Mehlman focuses on the truth and beauty she observes. Following the tradition of the Boston School of Painting, she works in oils and pastels as she combines the colors of the impressionists with the accuracy of French academic
training. She has won many national awards, including the Arts Unlimited Award of Excellence for Oil Still Life. Bonnie Jaffe captures the moment in her outstanding photography. Her artist’s eye sees what most of us would miss. Her work makes permanent the instant and creates a fi nal product that is a well-designed work of art. Bonnie is the recipient of numerous national awards and has been included in noted juried shows. Marc Jaffe has had a passion for photography since childhood. His style is varied and
shows the uniqueness of people being themselves, often in solitary moments, often leaning toward humor. He has won several awards in recent years for his work. He couples his avocation with his day job as an OB-GYN delivering babies. The Gallery at Temple Habonim is at 165 New Meadow Road in Barrington. Gallery hours are Wednesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Fridays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and by appointment. For information, call 401-245-6536 or email gallery@templehabonim.org.
7
Friends, On September 9th, I will vote in the primary elections – a first for me. I will be voting for Gina Raimondo. Here’s why: During the 15 years I have lived and voted in Rhode Island, I’ve found voting to be an exercise in futility since election results are either clear in advance, the choices underwhelming, or both. Gina Raimondo changed all that with her integrity, her detail-oriented plan, and her limitless drive to fixing our state’s most pressing problems. Rhode Island has led the nation in unemployment for most of the past 2 years and that has to change. I believe Gina Raimondo is the only candidate who can make that happen. She will bring her business acumen and her experience as State Treasurer and – as she proved in reforming our broken pension system – take a huge problem that no one else could fix and get it done. I believe Rhode Island needs a turn-around leader. Families and businesses, both large and small, find it harder and harder to get by in Rhode Island, and if our economy doesn’t turn around soon we will dig ourselves into a hole too deep to climb out of. Gina understands and often speaks about how – as a small state – we can and must be nimble in responding to our challenges. With her vision and leadership, we will. I am reaching out to you in the Jewish Voice & Herald because this is where I think I can best reach my friends and like-minded people. I ask all of you to vote for Gina Raimondo in the Democratic Primary on September 9th. Our state’s future depends on it. Thank You. Amir Cohen – Rumford, RI
8 | August 29, 2014
CALENDAR | COMMUNITY
The Jewish Voice
CALENDAR Ongoing Alliance Kosher Senior Café. Kosher lunch and program every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Dwares JCC, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence. Noon lunch; 1 p.m. program. $3 lunch donation from individuals 60+ or under 60 with disabilities. Neal or Elaine, 401421-4111, ext. 107. Am David Kosher Senior Café. Kosher lunch and program every weekday. Temple Am David, 40 Gardiner St., Warwick. 11:15 a.m. program; noon lunch. $3 lunch donation from individuals 60+ or under 60 with disabilities. Elaine or Steve 401-732-0047.
Friday | Aug. 29 Shalom Kids – Ready, Set, Shabbat! 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the vestry (lower level) of Congregation Agudath Achim, 36 Winthrop St., Taunton. This special Shalom Kids and PJ Library program welcomes children ages 3 to 10 and their caregivers to a program of stories, music, crafts, food and fun all focused on getting ready for Shabbat. Walk down the left side of the synagogue to the first door for entry to the vestry. For more information contact Rabbi/Cantor Anne Heath at 781-9568673 or rabbi.taunton@verizon.net. Summer Party Featuring Providence Civic Orchestra of Senior Citizens. 11 a.m.–noon, Kosher Senior Café at the Dwares JCC. Lunch to follow noon–1 p.m., for 60+ and disabled. Suggested donation of $3. Lunch reservations required. Call Neal Drobnis at 401-861-8800, ext. 107.
Monday | Sept. 1 Shofar Factory. 10 a.m. Fashion your very own Shofar from a real animal horn as you learn the entire process from the cooking to the final polishing. Space is limited, RSVP. Cost: Admission $2, and $8 per Shofar. For more information and reservations, contact: rabbi@RabbiWarwick.com (401) 884-7888 Chabad of West Bay. 3871 Post Rd, Warwick
Friday | Sept. 5 End of Summer Celebration. Kosher Senior Café. 11 a.m.–1:30 p.m. Celebration at Goddard State Park Carousel Performing Arts Center. Transportation provided from the JCC, Providence, and Temple Am David, Warwick. Music by Jeannie Evans and Friends.
Sunday | Sept. 7
Temple Am David: Religious School Begins. 9:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. For more information, call 401-463-7944 South County Hebrew School Open House. 10 a.m.- noon, at Congregation Beth David, 102 Kingstown Road, Narragansett, contact Stephanie Malinow (sjmalinow@gmail.com).
Monday | Sept. 8 Shofar Factory. 5:30 p.m. Fashion your very own Shofar from a real animal horn as you learn the entire process from the cooking to the final polishing. Space is limited, RSVP. Cost: Admission $2, and $8 per Shofar. For more information and reservations, contact: rabbi@RabbiWarwick.com (401) 884-7888 Beth David, 102 Kingstown Rd, Narragansett.
Tuesday | Sept. 9
Annual Statewide Mah Jongg Tournament. 11:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m. Win a trophy for your center as well as individual prizes. You must be able to complete a game in 20 minutes. You may be asked to bring a set of Mah Jongg tiles. Those who don’t play, come join the fun and be a volunteer. Contact Carol Desforges at 401-942-9877 or johndesforges@verizon.net. Entrance fee $10 per person. At the Dwares JCC 401 Elmgrove Avenue Providence 02906. Hillel Gallery Opening: Shmattes. 7 p.m. An exhibition project that explores the issue of cultural Jewish identity through T-shirts. These T-shirts have been acquired from all over the contemporary Jewish world – eBay auctions, bat and bar mitzvahs, youth conferences, independent visual artists, among many other sources. The project’s goal is to “track” through these T-shirts the ways in which individuals and institutions deal with the question of Jewish identity when that identity is not about religion. 80 Brown St.
Thursday | Sept. 11 Leisure Club. 10-10:50 a.m. Lev Poplow will speak on Photograph as Art: Jewish photographers who had a major impact on the art form. 10:50 a.m. Miriam Abrams-Stark will speak on My Family’s Story of 9/11. 11:10 a.m. to noon. Kara Marziali, director of communications at the Jewish Alliance, will speak on “From Tom to Tennessee” Part 1, A Brief Examination of Tennessee Williams and the Autobiographical Elements in “The Glass Menagerie.” Temple Emanu-El, 99 Taft Ave., Providence. Monsters who don’t know they are monsters. Opening reception. 7 p.m. Gallery (401). Local artist Jason Freedman’s first solo exhibit showcases 50 colorful character portraits from his folio of more than 1,000 monsters… who don’t know they are monsters. Wine and light snacks served. Dwares JCC, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence. Information, call Erin Moseley, director of Arts & Culture, 401-421-4111, ext. 108.
Sunday | Sept. 14
12th Annual Dwares JCC 5K and Youth Races. 9 a.m. for Youth Races or 10 a.m. for 5K. Community event to promote The Alliance and its connection to the community. Volunteers needed. Contact Robyn Goldstein at rgoldstein@ jewishallianceri.org. 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence. Blast of Broadway. 5:30-9:30 p.m. To benefit the New Bedford Jewish Convalescent Home. RSVP by Sept 1. Valet Parking. 200 Hawthorn St, New Bedford, Mass. 02740
Monday | Sept. 15
Travels in Jerusalem and the West Bank. 7 p.m. Tom Padwa and Joanne DeVoe will talk about their trip to the area and show photos and maps. Weaver Library, East Providence. More information, Tom at tomp@qis.net, 401247-3004.
COURTESY | R.I. JEWISH HISTORICAL ASSN.
BBG members at an event. If you recognize these girls, let us know.
B’nai B’rith Youth Organization alive and well in New England Historic group still attracts teen participants
BY DANA COHEN For the first time since she began high school, Emma Margulies of Barrington will not be participating in BBYO, B’nai B’rith Youth Organization, activities. Since Margulies will be attending college, she is leaving behind her position as N’siah, or president, of her local BBYO chapter. However, there is plenty about BBYO that Margulies will carry forward with her. Margulies initially joined BBYO, a youth group accepting of any and all Jewish denominations, including nonpracticing Jews, because she saw that her involved friends were having fun. Since joining, she decided to stay involved with BBYO because of the sisterhood she found with the girls in her chapter. She says that the chapter was comprised of nice, welcoming people, including the older girls, which she found to be a “refreshing” change from school. In fact, Margulies says that, “you can really tell any of the girls anything.” Sometimes at chapter events, the girls hold a program called Sisterhood. This is a time when members each have a turn
Thursday| Sept. 18
Leisure Club. 10 – 10:50 a.m. Cathy Santaniello of the East Side YMCA will discuss “Exercise for Better Health.” 11:10 a.m. –noon. Kara Marziali, director of communications at the Jewish Alliance will speak on “From Tom to Tennessee” Part 2, A Brief Examination of Tennessee Williams and the Autobiographical Elements in “The Glass Menagerie.” An Evening on the East Bay. 6-9 p.m. The East Bay Center honors R.I. Dept. of Health Director Dr. Michael
to talk based on a prompt or question. Despite the orientation toward a specific topic, the conversation often turns into a time when girls share personal things they may need advice on or need to simply express. Often, members who meet each other through BBYO see each other outside of planned BBYO events. BBYO separates itself into a program for girls, BBG (B’nai B’rith Girls), and a program for boys, AZA (Aleph Zadik Aleph) for grades 9-12, however, there are opportunities for BBGs and AZAs to attend and plan events together. There is also a program available for children in grades 6-8, called BBYO Connect. Events are held in three tiers: chapters, regional, and national. Margulies’ chapter has held events including laser tag, tea parties and mall scavenger hunts. Their programming generally “includes elements of creativity, social action or recreation” to develop sisterhood. They also include Jewish programming such as discussions on identity, meal blessings, services and activities such as making hamentashen or holding a potluck Passover seder.
Though many events foster community within the chapter, all chapters have community service aspects and each chapter has a stand-up cause. Community service ties into BBYO’s mission: “More Jewish Teens, More Meaningful Jewish Experiences.” Margulies’ chapter’s stand-up community service cause is Crossroads Rhode Island, a local homeless shelter. In fact, Margulies says that playing with the children at Crossroads is one of the most meaningful things that she did while participating in BBYO. Regional conventions are held as a way to meet other Jewish youth in the area. There are also national conventions. Last year, 1,500 teenagers were in attendance at the national convention. Speakers included Sheryl Sandberg, author of “Lean In” and chief operating officer of Facebook, who sent in a video address. Reflecting on her experience with BBYO, Margulies says she gained many things, including self-confidence. Because she met so many friendly people, Margulies says it “helped me to talk to others without being really self-conscious.” She also gained leadership experience
Fine and Barrington Police Chief John LaCrosse. Blithewold Mansion, Gardens & Arboretum, Bristol. Tickets
$50. Order online at EastBayCenter. eventbrite.com.
BBYO | 9
Calendar Submissions
Sept. 12 issue ROSH HASHANAH GREETINGS – must be received by Sept. 3 Sept. 26 issue, FALL HOME & GARDEN – must be received by Sept. 17
SEND ALL CALENDAR ITEMS TO: editor@jewishallianceri.org with the subject line “CALENDAR.” Calendar entries may be edited for content, length and relevance. Please submit two weeks prior to issue of publication.
COMMUNITY
thejewishvoice.org
August 29, 2014 |
9
FROM THE FRED KELMAN COLLECTION HOUSED AT RIJHA
AZA boys meet in fall 1954. FROM PAGE 8
BBYO
because, as she got older, the younger members looked up to her. She says she learned “how to be a positive role model, especially how to lead by example.” Margulies feels she has gained a lot in the area of personal relationships. Since her fellow BBYO members were farther removed from situations (they often did not attend her school) and less judgmental, “I could talk to girls at BBYO about things that I couldn’t talk to my best friends at school about.” Founded in 1923 in Nebraska with a chapter of AZA, BBYO’s first permanent chapter of BBG was organized in 1927 in San Francisco. For 90 years, the
organization has brought leadership training, Jewish education, connection to Israel and positive identity in addition to community service opportunities to Jewish youth in North America and beyond. Currently, BBYO’s New England region is in a transitional phase as it looks for a new regional director. Josh Cohen, senior regional director of the Connecticut Valley region for the past seven years, is now the area field director for the northeast. Cohen says that he is looking to continue partnerships, grow programs and add chapters. There will be new training for all adult advisers who work with the teens. Cohen says the training will cover everything
from “program excellence to what happens when” scenarios. At the recent regional conference, which took place in late August in Connecticut, the members discussed what they want to focus on “and then those goals trickle down to the chapters.” Though it has not been done in the New England region, Cohen hopes to bring over a system from the Connecticut Valley region for this upcoming year that sets parameters surrounding topics that must be covered in a chapter meeting. Cohen says, “This is the coloring book I’m giving you. It’s up to you to fill it out. You can color inside the lines or outside the lines but at the end of the year I want it filled in.” Essentially, it
will add some structure into the program while continuing to allow each chapter to tackle the required programs in any way they would like. There are 11 chapters in the New England region – four are in Rhode Island. Providence has Achim Robbie Kahn AZA as well as Judy Ann Leven BBG. The Cranston/Warwick area
has David Hochman AZA and LeOlum BBG. Altogether, the chapters have approximately 100 active participants. New members can register online at www.bbyo.org. DANA COHEN is the summer communications intern at The Jewish Voice.
10 | August 29, 2014
OPINION
Don’t kid yourself, your vote is important On Sept. 9, Rhode Islanders go to the polls to vote in the 2014 primary. You’d have to be living under a rock, or outside the state, to not know this. If you are part of our circulation in Massachusetts or elsewhere, hang on. I promise this column’s for you too. Anyway, between the lawn signs and the media ads you can’t EDITOR miss the fact that there’s an election FRAN coming up in OSTENDORF Rhode Island. I hope you aren’t too tired of the coverage yet, because we’ve got a little coverage too in the back pages of our paper. We have got some statements and answers to questions by a few of the candidates. See pages 27-32 for more details on that. But I want to discuss the general issue of voting, something I think is important no matter where you live. Americans don’t vote that much, especially in primaries. And Rhode Island has a lower primary voting rate than many states. In fact, in 2012, the turnout rate in Rhode Island for the presidential primary was just 3 percent, according to George Mason University’s Election Project. That’s just 3 percent of all eligible voters. In that same election, the voter turn-
out in Massachusetts was 11.9 percent. Not great, either. Voting is an important right we have in the United States. And it’s one of our freedoms that I hope everyone will take advantage of on primary day, Sept. 9. Think about all the countries where we see photos of voting day violence, fingerprinting and reports of citizens denied the ability to vote. In other countries, where voting is a new privilege, people come out in droves despite real threats to their lives. But some take voting for granted and remain nonchalant. Can’t get to the polls? Oh well. Working too late? Never mind. And if you don’t like any of the candidates? Seems easy enough to walk away. But when you put the privilege to vote in perspective, that should never happen. Many of the problems around the world start with countries where voting and a peaceful transition in government has yet to be achieved. Your vote is precious. Not to be wasted. So make sure you vote. And make it a lesson for your kids, too. As soon as my kids turned 18, they went and registered to vote. They couldn’t believe that many of their friends didn’t care. That’s how we reared them. And that’s what I was taught. So before you complain about another election and being bombarded with information, consider the alternative. Then go out and vote.
LETTER
Re: Letter to the Editor (Aug. 15)
Paul Hoffman’s letter denounced Israel’s Operation Protective Edge launched on Aug. 8 against the Gazan Hamas terrorists, targeting rocket arsenals and terror tunnels in response to decadeslong rocket attacks. In 2005, Israel Defense Forces tragically dismantled the adjacent Gush Katif agricultural communities in hopes of achieving a cessation of relentless rockets currently firing at Israeli civilian populations and institutions. If American cities were rocketed, the U.S. government wouldn’t hesitate to respond to even one rocket attack! Israel agreed to five cease-fires initiated by Egypt; Hamas rejected all and replied with thousands of rockets fired at Israeli cities, towns and civilian populations. Hamas use of women and children as human shields in order to protect their rocket arsenals and elicit world condemnation upon Israel is a criminal violation of international law. To paraphrase Hamas’ charter: no two-state solution, no recognition, no conferences;
Palestine is ours, from the Jordan to the Mediterranean. We shall obliterate Israel and every Israeli man, woman and child. During 1944-1945, U.S. and British air commands bombarded Frankfurt and Berlin and bombed Hiroshima resulting in thousands of civilian casualties; no apology, no condemnation! Whereas, the IDF humanely floated airborne, text, phone and tech messages to warn Gazans to evacuate structures hiding rocket arsenals. Hamas brutally and intentionally ordered civilians to “stay in your homes!” Not J Street’s naive myopia nor its cohorts, but good people like Gov. Mike Huckabee, International Brotherhood of Christians and Jews and American Friends of the Israel Defense Forces, to mention a few, and a majority of the Israeli electorate have the great wisdom and insight to stand with Israel and advocate intensely for true justice and peace. Anne Schwartz Providence, R.I.
The Jewish Voice
Confessions of a liberal Zionist I confess that I am a liberal Zionist. I am proudly pro-Israel. Like almost all Israeli and American Jews, I am also propeace. Though I know that many of my fellow Jews disagree with me, I believe that a two-state solution to the I sr ael i-Pa le s tinian conflict is in the best interest of the IT SEEMS State of Israel, the world JewTO ME ish community and the comRABBI JIM munity of the ROSENBERG world at large. It seems to me that only a twostate solution will ensure Israel’s survival as both a Jewish and a democratic state. By way of contrast, a one-state solution means that Israel will have to maintain its Jewish character by limiting the rights of its Arab citizens, who in the nottoo-distant future are likely to become a majority in any proposed “greater” Israel bounded by the Mediterranean Sea on the west and the Jordan River on the east. On the other hand, if the one state of Israel is to remain democratic – one vote for every Israeli citizen – then Israel will gradually lose its Jewish character since, under inexorable demographic pressure, Jews will ultimately be in the minority. I am open to discussion with those who do not share my perspective. I certainly do not possess a monopoly on truth, nor do my opponents. As a person who believes that kol Yisrael areyvim zeh bazeh, that all Jews are responsible for each other, I have a responsibility to express my views regarding Israel; but as a non-Israeli, I affirm that only Israelis have the right to decide what is best for them. Gaza’s rockets are not raining down on my head. While I feel it is my duty to engage in open and civil discussion with my fellow Jews who take a more politically conservative approach to Israel-related issues, I call upon my opponents to refrain from unhelpful, unsubstantiated, ad hominem rhetoric. During the past several months, I and my fellow liberal Zionists have directly or indirectly been accused of a number of “sins.” We have been told that we are
“illegitimately” redefining the meaning of being pro-Israel, even as we “always” blame Israel for failures of the peace process and “never” blame the Palestinians. We have been berated for deliberately seeking to undermine American Jewish support for Israel; and, even worse, we are said to be working to weaken support for Israel among Jewish college students by trying to “universalize” our Jewish youth by teaching them to care more about the world at large than about our own Jewish family. Moreover, our opponents contend that we liberal Zionists are perverting true Jewish values by insisting that the liberal values with which we approach Zionism are also Jewish values. It is obvious that Judaism is not identical to liberalism; nevertheless, one would need to be deaf not to hear the loud voice of liberal values in the prophetic words of Amos, Isaiah and Micah.
“Who could have dreamed that Germany would become one of Israel’s most reliable allies?” It will take another column to answer these criticisms. My point for now is that distorting the arguments of fellow Jews in order to delegitimize their position is intellectually vacuous as well as socially and politically corrosive. We American Jews of all political stripes need to put our heads together and ask ourselves the hard questions: Is a land-for-peace approach still feasible? If not, what are the alternatives? What needs to be done about the settlements and the settlers who live in them? Is the occupation THE problem? Is Palestinian intransigence THE problem? How does each side learn to hear the narrative of the other? Most importantly, all of us – left, center, right – need to ask ourselves: how can we work together to help ensure the survival of the Israel we all love? Perhaps what most deeply divides liberal and conservative Zionists is our differing understandings of human nature. Conservatives accuse liberals
of having a naïve view of the character of our enemies; they remind us that asserting that our enemies are decent people, basically good at heart, does not make them so. We liberals often unfairly counter that our conservative adversaries are cold and calculating, incapable of seeing the humanity of the “other.” The truth is that most people are a complex mixture of good and evil intentions, what our ancient rabbis called the yetzer tov and the yetzer harah. We liberals must admit that Hamas is a dangerous, deceitful and determined enemy; nevertheless, we affirm that the overwhelming majority of Gaza’s 1.8 million residents are not infected by Hamas’ poisonous hatred for Jews. We liberal and conservative Zionists read history differently. We liberals believe that individuals and societies can and do change. Back in 1944, who could have imagined that today, 70 years later, both Japan and Germany would be among America’s closest allies? Indeed, who could have dreamed that Germany would become one of Israel’s most reliable allies? On the other hand, we liberal Zionists should not dismiss with a wave of the hand those supporters of Israel who maintain a more cautious reading of history, who harbor a profound distrust of the true intentions of our Arab neighbors. Arab nations can lose war after war and still survive. For Israel, to lose a single war spells extinction. I do not apologize for being a liberal Zionist, nor do I expect more conservative Zionists to apologize for the views they hold. What I do expect – if we are serious about becoming a healthier, better-functioning community – is for liberal and conservative Zionists to stop calling into question the integrity of the other side, to stop questioning their loyalty to Israel and to the Jewish people. We obviously see many matters from different points of view, but in the end we need to reaffirm that what divides us is not nearly as significant as what brings us together. In the end, we are still one. JAMES B. ROSENBERG, rabbi emeritus at Temple Habonim in Barrington, can be contacted at rabbiemeritus@templehabonim.org.
Retirement funds ruled ineligible for Madoff restitution JTA — Individuals who lost money from employer-managed retirement funds invested with Bernard Madoff are not eligible to receive money from the liquidation of the Ponzi schemer’s firm. U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Stuart Bernstein ruled Aug. 22 that only direct customers of Madoff are eligible for liquidation funds, The Wall Street
Journal reported. However, the judge ruled that those who lost in the employer-managed funds may be eligible for the liquidation money if the retirement plan administrators file claims. Irving Picard, the courtappointed trustee managing claims on Madoff’s estate, has argued that such claims are ineligible because the individuals cannot prove they entrusted
their money to Madoff’s firm. In 2009, Madoff pleaded guilty to 11 felonies for fabricating nearly $65 billion in profits to attract investors. He is serving a 150-year sentence at a federal prison in North Carolina. His Ponzi scheme hit numerous Jewish philanthropies and investors particularly hard.
OPINION
thejewishvoice.org
August 29, 2014 |
11
Have you had the talk about bullying with your child? BY IRINA MISSIURO imissiuro@jewishallianceri.org This summer, I’d always get heart palpitations from excitement upon seeing the thin envelopes with my kids’ handwriting poking out of my mailbox. Used to upbeat and positive messages, I looked forward to learning what else they’ve discovered about themselves and camp. During the third week of their stay, I received a letter from my son that gave me palpitations for a different reason. After telling me what kind of sweets he preferred to choose for snack, he wrote, “I’ve cried twice because [boy’s name] choked me and another time beat me up. I’ve learned to ignore.” He talked about how he felt after the boy made fun of him and swore at him. Instead of writing out the curse words, Andrew drew stars to stand for each letter following the fi rst. Horrified, I thought, “This is how an 11-year-old speaks?!” However, while I was shocked at the language of this preteen, I was much more disturbed by Andrew’s words. His phrase, “I’ve learned to ignore,” baffled and scared me. “Why doesn’t he talk to a counselor?!” I contemplated the reason as I frantically wrote emails to the camp staff. It was evening, and no one was answering the phone.
My husband and I felt helpless and considered driving over to camp to rescue Andrew. We settled on waiting until morning. While we waited, I answered my own question. I knew why he didn’t say anything. I was him … in the mid 1980s. Spending my summer at a camp for the children of The Kirov Factory workers, where my dad was an engineer, I was a happy camper until a popular girl – a daughter of my dad’s colleague – made sure that everyone was aware of my “nationality,” as Judaism was classified in the former Soviet Union. Soon, I became a four-letter word that starts with a “k” and rhymes with “bike.” Of course, the kids used the Russian version of it to taunt me and two other girls – Jewish twins whose friendship saved me during that month. We thought that the bullying would get worse if we talked to a counselor, so we kept silent. When the twins had to leave camp for a couple of days, they – unbeknownst to me – shared the news of our anti-Semitic ordeal with their mother, who promptly went to the offender’s mother, her friend at work. Outraged and shocked by her daughter’s behavior, the woman arrived in camp the following day. Since the twins were still away, she asked her daughter to get me so that she could apologize. When the girl approached me,
I felt perplexed and strangely proud. Instead of taunting me, she was friendly, smiling and acting as if the name calling never happened. She said that her mother was waiting for us in the gazebo. Then, she proceeded to act like my closest friend. Playing with a plastic orange bracelet she wore at all times, the bully nonchalantly asked me a series of questions as we
“If you haven’t had this talk with your kids yet, now’s the time.” walked. Like a flattered parrot, I answered “We’re buddies, right?” and “I’ve never been mean to you, right?” with whatever response the question’s formulation anticipated. Five minutes later, I repeated the routine with her mother, who seemed dumbfounded at my refusal to acknowledge that her daughter had been a bully. The next day, when the twins had arrived back in camp, I saw their tremendous disappointment and suppressed rage at me when they learned about my wimpy inability to stand up for myself. They couldn’t believe I would let them down like this.
Asking me why I hadn’t shared the truth with the Orange Bracelet’s mother, they weren’t satisfied with my answer that she was being nice, and I didn’t want to cause her any trouble. That day, I made a promise to myself that I would never be manipulated again. I kept it. Now it was Andrew’s turn to learn the lesson. Since he was suffering from physical, as well as verbal abuse, he had it worse. In the morning, we learned that “the catalyst of the problem [was] going home” and that Andrew was now fi ne. However, the assertions of the assistant director and the avowals of the camp advisor were not enough to assuage our fears. We wanted to hear directly from Andrew. The director granted my request to have a private phone conversation with my son. Andrew shared that he no longer felt scared since the bully, who broke Andrew’s bed in a fit of rage, had left. Not interested in dwelling on the abuse, he started telling me about how much he enjoyed kayaking. Ending our conversation with a plea to wrap it up because he didn’t want to miss swimming, Andrew hung up. I thought, this is exactly what I wanted to hear. Saving the lecture for when he arrived home, I made another promise to myself – to teach my children how to deal with bullies.
A week after Andrew’s return from camp, we attended an orientation for sixth graders entering middle school. The fi rst statement out of the assistant principal’s mouth was about bullying. She said that bullies’ parents are often stunned to discover that their well-behaved children can partake in such hurtful behavior, while the victims’ parents show disbelief that their innocent tweens can provoke someone to cause them pain. The assistant principal shared that the school has put together a teacher-staffed “task force” to deal with these occurrences, and to adhere to their zero-tolerancefor-bullying philosophy. I could see all the parents in the auditorium sighing with relief. I hope that when they went home, they all had a conversation with their children not only about dealing with bullies, but also about not joining them. I know that no mother wants to fi nd out that her child was locking himself in the camp’s bathroom to cry in privacy. If you haven’t had this talk with your kids yet, now’s the time. School’s about to start – prepare them for it. IRINA MISSIURO is a writer and editorial consultant for The Jewish Voice.
Who will live and who will die? Confront the ultimate question BY DASEE BERKOWITZ JERUSALEM (JTA) – My kids are the fi rst to tell me that God does not have a body. “But how can He write us in a book of life? God isn’t like a person, imma!” Indeed. The image of an anthropomorphic God is rife, however, throughout the machzor, the High Holy Days prayer book. God sits in judgment, counts our deeds and records them in a grand book that captures the narrative of our past year. And while the image is one that even our children may question, the metaphor is a daunting one. Particularly poignant is the Unataneh Tokef prayer, which we fi rst see in the Rosh Hashanah liturgy and then again on Yom Kippur. Allegedly written by the 11th-century sage Rabbi Amnon of Mainz, it begins, “on Rosh Hashanah it is inscribed, and on Yom Kippur it is sealed.” Next come the dreadful musings of the author: “Who will live and who will die? Who will rest and who will wander? Who by fi re and who by water?” The poem evokes a particular feeling of angst for synagoguegoers the world over, putting us in direct confrontation with our own mortality. And while we may fi nd the poem theologically problematic – the tension between our free will and God’s providence – it remains a focal point of our High Holy Days ex-
perience. In that moment, the curtain falls away and we are alone as we face ultimate meaning. Will we actually die this year? Will we become infi rm or impoverished, or have our lives degraded in another way? Will we lose those we love? Could we have imagined that one year ago, when we were last confronted with this prayer, that we or our loved ones would have encountered difficult trials? With the benefit of hindsight, would we have acted any differently, been more compassionate and loving? Since moving to Israel this summer with my family, I feel like a confrontation with ultimate meaning is not limited to the High Holy Days – especially when you move with your husband and three kids during a war. When I had made aliyah 20 years ago I was single. I lived through the hope of peace with the Palestinians and the Oslo Accords, which too soon gave way to despair when Yitzchak Rabin was assassinated. There were other painful interruptions to an otherwise carefree life of a young woman in her 20s – the second intifada, bus bombings, death of friends. While it was dangerous living here, uncertainty was something we faced daily and learned how to cope with. Friendships were stronger and
plans to go, to do, to experience and to love were a part of a daily calling to make meaning. The raw beauty of life was fully seized, in part because the fear of life’s end was all too palpable. With a family, especially during the most recent bout with Hamas, we face ultimate meaning by realizing how little is in our control. While we build a secure framework for our children of schools, play groups and enrichment activities, ultimately the future is uncertain. No Israeli will tell you otherwise. I might think that as a parent I have a godlike ability to protect my children, but I know in my heart that I am like a giant in their eyes only. The encounter with death makes our own lives so much more vivid. Ernest Becker knew this well when he wrote “Denial of Death” back in 1973. We put up so many defenses in our day-to-day lives to feel safe and secure, to think it will all last forever, and we deny the fact that at the end of the day, we are all ultimately very fancy worm feed. Becker wrote, “Man cuts out for himself a manageable world ... he doesn’t bite the world off in one piece as a giant would, but in small manageable pieces, as a beaver does ... he learns not to expose himself, not to stand out ... the result is that he comes to exist in the imagined infallibility of the world around him. He
doesn’t have to have fears when his feet are solidly mired and his life mapped out in a readymade maze. This is how so many of us behave during 11 months of the year. But in the month of Tishrei, as we prepare for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, we have an opportunity to take away the artifice of our manageable and prescribed lives and face our mortality directly. Like with the Unataneh Tokef poem, the answer to the question of “who will live and who will die,” as Rabbi Edward Feinstein notes, is “me.”
Having a death consciousness makes us healthier, more real, more daring. We stand up for what we believe in, we repair broken relationships, and we take risks – by caring about people and causes that need us. Your life is happening right now. The metaphor of God counting our deeds in the book of life during the High Holy Days enables us to make our lives count. DASEE BERKOWITZ is a Jewish educational consultant and writer living in Jerusalem.
COLUMNS | LETTERS POLICY 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, represent the views of the authors; they do not represent the views of The Jewish Voice or the Alliance. Send letters and op-eds to: The Jewish Voice, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence, RI 02906 or editor@jewishallianceri.org. Include name, city of residence and a contact phone number or email (not for publication).
OUR MISSION 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.
12 | August 29, 2014
COMMUNITY
The Jewish Voice
JCDSRI home visits ease back to school BY NAOMI STEIN Gabriella Rothman, who is a parent of three children at the Jewish Community Day School of Rhode Island (JCDSRI), remembers when her oldest son started Pre-K and his new teacher came to visit. “Andrea walked in and immediately sat down on the ground with Eitan. She allowed my son to show her his world, and she bridged the transition to a new school, making it easier for all of us.” JCDSRI Pre-K teacher Andrea Katzman has been conducting home visits before the school year begins since she started teaching at JCDSRI seven years ago. She says that these visits are one of the most effective ways to strengthen homeschool connections and allow us to welcome and engage the entire family. “The visits give both children and their parents the opportunity to share what’s on their minds with their new te4acher,” Katzman says. “It’s something wonderful for kids to show their teacher their home and space. When they walk into the classroom, they already feel like they know us, and they feel safe and connected. Our students know that we can be trusted because their parents have invited us into their homes.” Home visits aren’t only for JCDSRI’s youngest children. Fifth grade students also receive visits from their teacher, Jamie Faith Woods. Woods began conducting home visits five
years ago after her daughter was entering Pre-K at JCDSRI and had her own visit. Woods says she was curious, and that prompted her to read about the practice. She says that what she found supported her teaching philosophy, which is, “the better you understand the whole child, the more meaningful the learning experiences can be.” Woods intuitively thought it was a good thing and was eager to try it herself. Woods feels the benefits of her home visits in many ways. “Usually during the first six weeks of school, a teacher is trying to establish a classroom community and a culture of learning. Home visits accelerate that culture. During my home visits,” Woods continues, “I ask my students to tell me something about themselves that will help me teach them and thus help themselves as learners. Since we’ve had these conversations before school starts, it doesn’t take me months to uncover my students’ individualized learning styles. My parent-teacher conferences in October are a follow-up conversation — not a getting-to-know-you conversation.” While all teachers at JCDSRI reach out to their incoming students through letters and phone calls, only Pre-K and fifth grade teachers conduct these 45- to 60-minute visits. As a teacher of the school’s oldest children, Woods explains, “For some, the visit alleviates their fear of being the oldest students at school.
The visit helps prepare them for the additional responsibilities they hold within our school community as well as prepares them for the academic challenges of fifth grade.” Additionally, parents get information about what should be on their radar screen as their child begins applying to middle school and graduates from JCDSRI. Home visits reflect the values of JCDSRI, where teachers relate to every student as a whole child. The school also focuses on building a strong and supportive community, and these intimate visits strengthen the school’s mission. While parents and teachers clearly see the benefit of these visits, the children may be the most excited. Woods remembers when one of her students had welcomed her with something she had baked using ingredients from JCDSRI’s school garden (which Woods coordinates). Katzman also sees her students’ excitement. “First of all,” she says, “they can’t believe that their teacher has actually left the school!” The visit is very special to them. Throughout the year, Katzman’s young students will mention to her, “Remember when you came to my house and saw my room?” NAOMI STEIN is admissions director at the Jewish Community Day School of Rhode Island. She can be reached at 401-751-2470.
Temple Sinai revives youth group with new leader Temple Sinai’s NFTY-based youth group will be led by Adam Cohen, a native New Yorker who is currently a college student in Rhode Island. The youth group will be divided into two sections: Cranston Area Federation of Temple Youth (CRAFTY) Jr. (grades 6-8) and CRAFTY Sr. (grades 9-12). Throughout both sections, the common goal will be for Jewish teens/tweens to celebrate being Jewish together with programs and events they plan and organize themselves. Teens/tweens looking for Jewish experiences that are fun and draw them together in friendship will find a place in CRAFTY. CRAFTY Jr. will incorporate interactive programs that get the students “up and moving.” These programs allow the students to feel engaged with their peers. For example, a chocolate Seder for Passover is a unique experience that will allow the students to have fun while participating in a Jew-
Adam Cohen ish ritual. The senior youth group will also be focused on fun youth-driven activities. Cohen says he is looking forward to assisting them with planning
high-energy programs that may involve off-site outings. To form the youth group, Temple Sinai has turned to the National Federation of Temple Youth (NFTY), which allows students to celebrate their Judaism with peers from all over the United States. During the course of the year, NFTY offers regional events that include interactive services and hands-on programs. The NFTY regional board is driven by teen leaders. Teens plan and organize their activities and events with the help of the adviser. This allows the students to create programs they are interested in. For the senior youth group, the concept of “peer leadership” will be important. Discovering shared interests among the students will allow fun and effective programming. To learn more about the Temple Sinai Youth Group, contact Adam Cohen at ACohen01@ wildcats.jwu.edu.
COMMUNITY
thejewishvoice.org
FROM PAGE 3
SUMMER CANTEEN
a recipient of the I.S. Low Memorial Youth Award (given to students who showed leadership potential), also says that many of his friends are people he met at the JCC during his high school days. “The times spent at the Center Youth Counsel and at AZA [Aleph Zadek Aleph – a fraternity component of BBYO] meetings held at the JCC are memories that I will continue to cherish for the rest of my life.” Penn, who began overseeing the teenagers as a volunteer in 1962 and was hired two years later as director of youth programming – a position she held until 1972, says that she wanted to make the center a safe place for teens, “a place every Jewish mother will be happy to send her daughter.” Insisting that all the “kids,” as she still calls them, address her as “Charlotte,” Penn succeeded not only in creating “a clean, well-lighted place” for them to frequent, but also in fostering a welcoming atmosphere. She recalls that, by the end of her first summer at the JCC, more than 300 teens attended each dance. Penn fondly reminisces that she was known as “the mother who approves of everything.” Her accepting attitude might be one of the reasons why some teens rebelled when she asked for parents to chaperone the dances. Penn credits the parents for their dedication to their children, as well as for their
Charlotte Penn presents Michael Schwartz with his award. help at the center. She says that the parents were grateful that their children had a place to go to “feel important” because “we gave [the teens] credit for what they did.” While dances, skit nights, trips to Mt. Snow, Washington, D.C., and The American Shakespeare Theatre were fun
for the teens, Penn thoroughly enjoyed them as well. She recalls, “We really had good times, and I had the best time of all because I loved those kids.” IRINA MISSIURO is a writer and editorial consultant for The Jewish Voice.
August 29, 2014 |
13
14 | August 29, 2014
COMMUNITY
The Jewish Voice
South County Hebrew School has a new head teacher
OpenHouse
PM
Please join us on Friday, September 5, at 6:30 for an Open House at Temple Sinai to meet meet
our new clergy and to learn about our
congregation. Before our 7:30 service, we'll
share a light dinner as Rabbi Jeff ff Goldwasser
and Cantor Wendy Siegel talk about our
vision of a vibrant, inspiring
and supportive congregation
that brings our tradition alive.
Temple Sinai is a genuine community, filled with meaninful prayer, authentic Jewish learning, and connection to God. We share a loving environment for celebration and for life's momentous occasions. It's a place to call home.
R.S.V.P. to dottie@templesinairi.org
30 Hagen Ave, Cranston (401) 943-8350
www.TempleSinaiRI.org
Miriam Calore is the new head teacher of the South County Hebrew School at Congregation Beth David in Narragansett. Calore has been teaching Jewish studies and Hebrew for a decade throughout Rhode Island. Prior to joining the faculty of the South County Hebrew School, Calore taught at Temple Beth-El’s Hebrew School and the Jewish Community Day School. A native of Cranston, Calore attended Moses Brown and the University of Vermont, where she majored in religion and political science. After attending an intensive Hebrew language Ulpan Akiva in Netanya, Israel, she returned to Rhode Island. Calore says was excited to join the South County Hebrew School faculty last year and is looking forward to the 20142015 school year. She knows the students well and really enjoys customizing instruction for the different grade levels and in-
terests of the students. Under her leadership, she says, “The curriculum will emphasize the meaning and the story behind the rituals, what the prayers mean and why they are said.” Calore is dedicated to working with entire families and including them in the Hebrew School. As a Jewish woman whose husband is not Jewish, she says that she appreciates the different perspectives this can bring to a community, and she is thoughtful about integrating intermarried parents into the life of the congregation. Calore is looking forward to seeing all of the new and returning students and families at the Hebrew school’s open house Sept. 7 from 10 a.m. to noon at Congregation Beth David. Calore lives in South County with her husband. She says she loves the study of languages, and in addition to Hebrew, knows French, Greek and Latin. She raises money through
Miriam Calore fund-raising walks and running marathons for a variety of causes, including multiple sclerosis, leukemia and lymphoma. She enjoys spending time on the water in a boat or jet ski.
Taunton area Hebrew School begins Sept. 4 Congregation Agudath Achim and The Jewish Community House of Taunton, Massachusetts, invite children and their parents to attend September Hebrew School classes at 133 High St., Taunton, on Thursdays and Sundays in
September. Classes meet Sept. 4, 11 and 18 from 4-5:30 p.m. and Sept. 14, 21 and 28 from 9:30 -11:30 a.m. Contact Rabbi/ Cantor Anne Heath in advance at rabbi.taunton@verizon.net or by phone 781-956-8673. Host families are assigned to visiting
families. There is no charge for these get-acquainted classes. Attendance after September requires formal enrollment, tuition and synagogue membership. Learn more about the congregation at www. jewishtaunton.com.
Temple Am David finalizes religious school staff As the school year begins at Temple Am David, Susan Sugerman returns as Hebrew and Tefi llah teacher and assistant director. Also returning is Andrea Smith, teacher of the Eunice Zeidman (E-Z) Program. New to the staff will be Rebecca Dinerman, who will be teaching Jewish Holidays on Sundays. Rebecca is a full-time teacher in North Kingstown and is a homegrown graduate of the Temple Am David reli-
gious school program. Diane Cerep will be the new teacher of Jewish Lifecycle and Mitzvot on Tuesdays. She has educated countless Jewish children and teachers as the director of the Creativity Center at the Bureau of Jewish Education and the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island for 14 years. Diane has also taught at the religious school at Temple Beth-El. In addition, Ellen Shaw is
new to the program, teaching History. Ellen currently works as a substitute teacher in the Warwick school system. She is the vice president of programming at Temple Am David and a long-time temple member. Thanks go out to Dori Adler and Barbara Dwares for their many years of service to Temple Am David as they move on to new endeavors. School registration is happening now! Visit templeamdavid.org for more information.
FOOD
thejewishvoice.org
August 29, 2014 |
15
Rosh Hashanah’s symbolic foods BY IRINA MISSIURO imissiuro@jewishallianceri.org During High Holy Days, we do a lot of thinking. We reflect on our actions throughout the year; we seek forgiveness; we make amends; we worry about the fate God will inscribe for us in the upcoming year. All this pondering and questioning can make a person hungry! Since we, as a people, like to assign meaning to everything, we can’t just sit down to a bowl of spaghetti. No, our holiday food must be symbolic! This tendency to imbue even our desserts with significance goes back to the times of ancient Jews, who believed that apples are not simply sweet, but have healing properties, presenting them as a cure to those who were ill. For all we know, they were the ones who came up with the “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” theory. It’s more likely, however, that they established the symbolism of apples and honey, the foods we eat during the celebration to ask for a sweet year. Apples are not the only fruit we assign meaning to during Rosh Hashanah. We also bring new fruit – one that has recently come into season – to the table. For instance, we think that pomegranates are a suitable addition to the meal since their seeds represent our future good deeds, which will be just as plentiful. Abundance is a recurrent theme since fish is often a featured meal as it represents profusion and fertility. It complements the idea behind round challah, which symbolizes the continuity of creation. So
much more elaborate than the straightforward association of honey cake with sweetness! Enjoy the recipes. Judy Seplowin shared her Aunt Ruth’s apple cake recipe. She says that her aunt “lived a healthy 96 years, fueled by sassiness and nutritious, homecooked food.” Robin Homonoff sent in a recipe for apple studel
powder together. Mix with other ingredients. Divide pastry in two parts and put in refrigerator overnight or in freezer for an hour. Roll one part and line large baking dish. Peel and slice about 9 large apples. Add 1/2 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon to apples and juice of one orange (about 1/4 cup).
2 eggs 1-1/4 teaspoons vanilla 1/4 cup applesauce 1-1/2 cups chopped apples (various types) 1/3 cup packed brown sugar 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg 1 tablespoon butter
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 12-cup muffin pan (or about 30 mini muffins). In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a large bowl, beat together butter, sugar and eggs until
muffins she plans to serve after services. Here’s to a sweet new year!
Delicious apple cake (Ruth Lerner, z’l)
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 lb. butter, melted 2 eggs 2 tablespoons sugar 1-3/4 cups flour 3 teaspoons baking powder 9 large apples 1 teaspoon, cinnamon juice of one orange (1/4 cup)
DIRECTIONS:
smooth. Mix in vanilla. Stir in apples, and gradually blend in the flour mixture. Spoon the mixture into the prepared muffin pan(s). 5. In a small bowl, mix brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg. Cut in butter until mixture is like coarse crumbles. Sprinkle over tops of mixture in muffin pan(s). 6. Bake 20 minutes for the larger muffins (less time for the mini muffins). Keep an eye on these for 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Allow to sit 5 minutes before removing muffins from pan. Cool on a wire rack. Hide from family.
Place apples in the lined pan, dot with butter. Roll out other half of dough and put on top of apples. Sprinkle dough with a little sugar and cinnamon. Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees F. Delicious when served with ice cream!
Apple strudel muffins INGREDIENTS:
2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup butter (the real kind) 1 cup white sugar
Blend melted butter, sugar and eggs. Sift flour and baking
RAINBOW BAKERY 800 RESERVOIR AVENUE CRANSTON, RHODE ISLAND
401-944-8180 or 401-944-7171
Call Early! Open: September 24th until 2:00 p.m. Closed: September 25th and 26th Open: October 3rd until 1:00 p.m. Closed: October 4th
Stock wiSheS you a Sweet New year.
T HE H OLIDAYS A RE H ERE! W E C AN H ELP! O RDER N OW!
All Ingredients Kosher Appetizers
Chopped Liver - Herring in Wine & Cream Chopped Herring - Gefilte Fish - Stuffed Cabbage
To Complement Your Entree
Potato & Meat Knishes - Kugels (Apple, Traditional)
Breaking the Fast
Whole Whitefish - Nova Lox - Lox Bits Whitefish/Tuna Salads
Baked Goods
Challah - Bobkas - Kichel - Honey Cake - Wonder Cake Mandel Breads - Bagels - Breads - Rolls - Pastries
10am – 6pm, every day 756 hope St 401.521.0101 Stockpvd.com
16 | August 29, 2014
FOOD
The Jewish Voice
Wishing you a Healthy and Peaceful New Year from Quality Fruitland! Now open
In Bloom, The Flower Shop at Quality Fruitland Flowers for all occasions: Weddings, Bar Mitzvahs, Funerals and Everyday Our florists have over 30 years experience
Open 7 days a week 1487 Fall River Avenue (Rte 6) • Seekonk, MA
508-336-9111
Visit our website at www.inbloomatquality.com and on facebook!
Kosher dining at local universities Where can an observant student get a meal?
BY IRINA MISSIURO imissuro@jewishallianceri.org
If you recently tried hosting a dinner party, you probably know that it’s not as easy as it used to be. Creating a menu involves taking into consider-
"Helping to better the lives of others is the greatest of all achievements" – Alan Shawn Feinstein
ation everyone’s diet restrictions. Canapés must be made with gluten-free bread, additional vegetable dishes must be prepared for the vegan guest, and chocolate and strawberries must be substituted for cheesecake to accommodate that lactose-intolerant husband of your friend. Yes, it’s a lot to consider, but it’s better than serving food that no one will touch. Last year, a well-meaning acquaintance invited me to a party, where she served pork and beef, alongside two salads guests brought. When she noticed me eating only the salads, she was apologetic and realized she should have consulted about the guests’ dietary restrictions prior to the event. While inability to eat the main course at a party is not a big deal, imagine being unable to eat anything at your place of residence. That’s the issue many Jewish college freshmen face when they move into a dorm, only to discover that the cafeteria doesn’t offer any kosher options. Many give up their lifelong tradition of keeping kosher, while some attempt to bring about change. For instance, this year, the Jewish and Muslim students at University of California, San Diego, worked together on establishing a dining spot that would offer kosher and halal meals. They haven’t succeeded just yet, but are hopeful to bring their plan to fruition. Similarly, back in 2011, Max Gilbert, a staff writer at The Amherst Student, the Amherst College newspaper, wrote an article on the lack of dining options at Valentine Dining Hall for those who keep kosher (about 10 percent of the student body is Jewish). The Jewish students had to contend with kosher microwavable meals and no kosher microwave to cook them. Currently, students have the option to prepare their own meals in a kosher kitchen at The Cadigan Center for Religious Life. Some area schools ensure that their Jewish students don’t go hungry: University of Massachusetts Amherst has a kosher kitchen,
and the school’s Hillel House offers free Shabbat dinners and lunches. Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Maseeh Hall has a kosher station; those who live in other dormitories may have kosher meals delivered to them with a 24-hour advance notice. Also, MIT’s Kosher Dining serves Shabbat and holiday dinners at the Hillel in the Religious Activities Center. Boston University’s Florence and Chafetz Hillel House serves a kosher menu that includes free Shabbat dinners for students, as well as daily breakfast, lunch and dinner. Additionally, BU’s Granby St. Café offers kosher foods on the go, and Rhetty-to-Go provides bagged meals for lunch or dinner at Hillel House. Tufts University boasts a kosher deli with menu items – and prices – that rival those of Katz’s Delicatessen. Mount Holyoke College offers kosher meals at its Wilder Dining Hall. Brown University Dining Services has a kosher meal plan. However, a year’s worth of kosher meals (20 a week) costs $822 more than the same number of regular meals. In addition, Brown RISD Hillel serves Shabbat and holiday meals. During orientation, the university supplies kosher lunches and dinners using local caterers such as Divine Providence Kosher Catering. The Harvard Hillel provides bagged lunches for pickup, and its dining hall serves glatt kosher meals. Also, beside the fact that much of the food in its dining halls is certified kosher, every Harvard University dining hall has a Kosher Corner – a service that offers frozen meals and deli options that can be heated up in a kosher microwave and toaster oven. Brandeis University’s Sherman Dining Hall houses a kosher buffet. In addition to a kosher vending machine, Brandeis offers packaged kosher food items in its eateries and in a couple of stores on campus. Unlike Brown, Brandeis KOSHER | 17
FOOD
thejewishvoice.org
Nikki’s Kitchen: Zucchini Bread BY NIKKI HAMBURGER It’s that time of year … the time where either you or someone you know has an overabundance of zucchini. Well, do I have the perfect recipe for you! It’s my grandma’s zucchini bread recipe. Hope you enjoy. … I know I always have.
Grandma’s zucchini bread
3 cups flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 3 teaspoons (1 tablespoon) cinnamon 3 eggs 1 cup vegetable oil 2 cups sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla 2 cups grated zucchini Grease and flour two 8 × 4-inch pans. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon together. Beat eggs, oil, vanilla and sugar in a large bowl. Add dry ingredients to wet mixture, and beat well. Stir in zucchini and combine. Bake 40-60 minutes or until tester comes out clean. NIKKI HAMBURGER blogs for (401)j. She is married with a stepson and is a member of Temple Beth-El.
Kiwifruit: A delicious, nutritional snack STATEPOINT – One of the most nutrient-dense foods available – kiwifruit – are low-calorie, low-fat, high in fiber— and delicious. According to registered dietitian Rebecca Scritchfield, there are a few things to know about enjoying this tasty fruit: • Nearly 70 percent of Americans don’t eat the daily-recommended amount of fruit. Kiwifruit are a delicious and healthy way to boost fresh fruit consumption. • Kiwifruit are a great source of micronutrients including folate, vitamin E and antioxidants, which promote health and vitality.
FROM PAGE 16
• Kiwifruit are as versatile as they are flavorful. They’re perfect for everything from on-the-go snacks and smoothies to salads and salsas • The easiest way to enjoy kiwifruit is to simply cut in half, scoop out the fruit, and enjoy! New to produce sections this summer, Zespri SunGold Kiwifruit have golden yellow flesh and a sweet, refreshing, tropical flavor. Kiwifruit recipes and nutritional information can be found at www.ZespriKiwi. com. Zespri Kiwifruit are only available June through October.
KOSHER
does not charge extra for kosher meal plans. But many schools in Rhode Island and Massachusetts don’t provide kosher meals to their students. For instance, Aaron Guttin, Jewish Student Life coordinator at University of Rhode Island, said that to his knowledge, URI has no plans to offer kosher dinning. However, he says that the university Hillel provides kosher Shabbat dinners twice a month, kosher brunches once a month and meals for all holidays. Similarly, Bryant University and Providence College do not offer a kosher dining option, and – according to Stu Gerhardt, general manager for Sodexo, the PC food provider, – “there are no immediate plans to add this option.” Bryant has just changed its 12-year provider Sodexo to Aramark, whose mission is “to enrich and nourish lives.” But there is no information as to whether this includes a kosher meal option. Johnson & Wales University doesn’t have a kosher meal plan either, but the school’s executive chief of auxiliary services, Ken Watt, said “yes” the university offers kosher dining options.
He explained by saying, “we make every effort to accommodate the dietary needs or choices of every student.” When pressed to provide examples of how JWU “work[s] with suppliers to meet [their] student’s [sic] needs,” Watt did not reply. Rhode Island College’s dining services don’t have a kosher kitchen, but offers kosher-friendly options during Jewish observances and holidays. Arthur J. Patrie, associate director, Dining Services department, said, “We are in the initial stages of reviewing a line of prepackaged items which are kosher.” University of Massachusetts Dartmouth students who keep kosher are exempt from the regular meal plan and enjoy special choices in housing to enable them to live in dormitories with kitchens. Rabbi Jacqueline Romm-Satlow, director, Center for Religious and Spiritual Life, coordinator for Jewish Culture, said, “I have been working for several years to try to develop a kosher meal plan at UMass Dartmouth. So far we have been unsuccessful.” IRINA MISSIURO is a writer and editorial consultant for The Jewish Voice.
August 29, 2014 |
17
18 | August 29, 2014
ROSH HASHANAH
The Jewish Voice
Cool Bries: Trailblazing cheese whiz prepping special holiday fare BY HILLEL KUTTLER YONKERS, N.Y. (JTA) – If you’re going to Brent Delman’s home in this New York City suburb on the first day of Rosh Hashanah, don’t expect to see the typical meat menu. Delman and his physician wife, Patricia, plan to host a dairy lunch on the first day that features casseroles and quiches. The meal also will feature a cheese tasting with tropical fruits like guava, dates and figs. What do you expect from someone who dubs himself “The Cheese Guy”? Delman has plans, too, for the holiday’s most symbolic food. “When you drizzle honey over the cheese,” he said, “it’s just a beautiful combination.”
Delman, 51, will be using cheeses he ages in his cheese cellar three steps below ground level in his home in Yonkers, N.Y. He has 300 wheels and blocks of such varieties as havarti, provolone, cheddar, Swiss, gouda, Pecorino Romano and several variations of Parmesan. The cheeses he ages are certified kosher by the Orthodox Union. Those he cures in such solutions as oil, beer and wine are not yet O.U.-certified. With the High Holy Days approaching, Delman is preparing a line of Brie that he considers ideal for Yom Kippur break-fasts, when eager eaters look for what to slather on their bagels. Brie is a departure from his standard offerings of hard cheeses. Rabbi Avraham Gordimer, the
332 Farnum Pike, Rt 104, Smithfield 401-233-1800 Open: Tue - Sat: 11AM to Close, Sun: 12 Noon to Close, Closed Mon
rabbinical coordinator for OU Kosher, a leading kashrut-certification organization, called Delman a gastronomic trailblazer. “If not for him, – most kosher gourmet cheeses – would not be available,” said Gordimer, who specializes in certifying dairy products. “The face of the kosher cheese market is changing because of him.” Delman does it all in a 500-square-foot, $50,000 refrigeration unit installed six years ago. Many of the cheeses, including non-kosher varieties, are aged and cured in Delman’s warehouse in nearby East Rutherford, N.J., but he said he likes the hands-on convenience of the home unit. Delman said the cool, damp conditions, even before the refrigerator’s installation, evoked the environment of caves where some European cheeses have long been aged. “I like involving myself in something I’m passionate about. I’m very passionate about food,” he told JTA. Making cheese is “one way to be creative” and is tradition-based – much like Judaism, he said. “I enjoy living and practicing the best of our traditions,” said the kippah-wearing Delman, a father of four, including a 19-year-old son serving in the Israeli army.
“And since it’s in my home I’m able, six days a week, to go down and age the cheese – the French term is affinage, the process of aging cheese. I try to coax greatness out of each wheel of cheese.” Gordimer said U.S. kosher offerings before Delman were “run-of-the mill, standardized cheese,” primarily American and cheddar.
Most cheeses include rennet, an enzyme in animal stomachs that cannot be used in kosher products. The Orthodox Union has certified 84 of Delman’s offerings as kosher, including 15 aged in the Yonkers cellar, Gordimer said. Delman’s Pecorino Romano, made from sheep’s milk on the Italian island of Sardinia, might be the only one of its kind certified by the O.U., he added. At one Long Island store, a woman told Delman that she as a vegetarian and her Muslim husband buy his cheeses because of the certainty that they lack ani-
American & Middle Eastern Cuisine
mal by-products. Delman contracts with “creameries,” or dairy farms, in New York, Vermont, Wisconsin, Ohio and California – and several in Italy – that prepare his cheeses under O.U. supervision despite not being kosher themselves. The cheese wheels and blocks reach Yonkers relatively soft, mild and creamy. The subterranean aging process of one to two years breaks down their bacteria and molds, removes the moisture and develops the flavors and textures. Each aged wheel or block – some weigh 60 pounds – is taken to industrial facilities and sliced into smaller, retail-sized chunks, also under strict supervision. Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano didn’t have to buy his cheese. Last September, he received two Rosh Hashanah gifts from Delman – unusual given that he’s not Jewish – at his office. One was cheddar cheese shaped like a shofar. The other was a wheel of Pecorino Romano that Spano said tasted like the kind he enjoyed as a child. “I’ve got to see your cheese cellar,” he told Delman. Mr. Mayor, one piece of advice: Bring a coat; it’s mighty cold down there! EDITOR’S NOTE: Find Delman and his cheeses online at thecheeseguy.com
Cheese Rolls
Full Service Bar Food & Spirits
Falafel
Grape Leaves
Lamb Chops
Choice Platter
www.smithfieldcontinental.com
ROSH HASHANAH
thejewishvoice.org
August 29, 2014 |
No need to worry about holiday tickets Dear Wendy, We are empty nesters who do not belong to a synagogue. What are our options for getting tickets for the holidays? Leslie, Warwick Hi Leslie, Just about all of the synagogues in the greater Rhode Island area participate in the High Holy Day Initiative. For the past few years, this initiative has been very successful in letting people try out different synagogues. ASK People may WENDY only participate in the initiative WENDY for one year. If JOERING you participate, you may choose one synagogue to attend or a few different synagogues. For example, you may attend one on erev Rosh Hashanah, a different one for the daytime service and even another for Yom Kippur. This is a way to try different synagogues to see which one best meets your needs or your family’s needs. This initiative is open to: New community members Community members who have not been affiliated with a synagogue for more than four years
For those who are members of a synagogue and have family visiting, most synagogues have reciprocity if the visitors are members of a congregation in their hometown. If visitors are not members of a synagogue and are visiting for the holidays, synagogue members should call their synagogue directly to purchase tickets. Some additional ticket information: People over the age of 25 are encouraged to apply for their own tickets rather than requesting tickets jointly with their parents. Temple Habonim in Barrington and The Newport Havurah do not require you to purchase tickets, and there is no limit on the number of times you attend their services. URI Hillel offers High Holy Day Services, and community members are welcome. They do not require tickets but request a suggested donation of $125. Brown RISD Hillel offers a limited number of community tickets for $180. I encourage people to try out the synagogues not only for the holidays but throughout the year!! I am here to answer any additional questions anyone may have about the High Holy Days and tickets! Have a happy and sweet New Year!!
There is something very special about the High Holy Days It’s a time for you to nourish your Jewish identity - to connect to the community and feel welcome. The Jewish Alliance and area synagogues are partnering for the third year to open their doors for the High Holy Days.
Tickets will be available through September 22. For more information contact Wendy Joering at 401.421.4111 ext. 169 or wjoering@jewishallianceri.org.
Participating Congregations: Congregation Agudas Achim, Attleboro Congregation Beth David, Narragansett Congregation Beth Sholom, Providence Congregation B’nai Israel, Woonsocket Congregation Mishkon Tfiloh, Providence Newport Havurah* Temple Am David, Warwick Temple Beth-El, Providence Temple Emanu-El, Providence Temple Habonim*, Barrington Temple Shalom, Middletown Temple Sinai, Cranston Temple Torat Yisrael, East Greenwich Touro Synagogue, Newport United Brothers, Bristol
Please note: This offer is valid for family members residing at the same address. Individuals age 25 and older must apply for their own tickets.
*Temple Habonim & Newport Havurah provide access to all.
Tickets are now available for the following High Holy Days: Erev Rosh Hashanah, September 24 First day of Rosh Hashanah, September 25 Second day of Rosh Hashanah, September 26 Erev Yom Kippur, October 3 Yom Kippur, October 4 Who is eligible? • New community members • Community members currently unaffiliated with any synagogue and have not yet been affiliated to the synagogue they wish to attend for 4 or more years • Community members who have never participated in this program
שנה טובה
19
20 | August 29, 2014
COMMUNITY
The Jewish Voice
Everyone was dancing at the Tzofim performance. BY CINDY LAZAR The Kosher Senior Café came alive with 12 fantastic, very enthusiastic Israeli singers as the Tzofi m Friendship Caravan from Israel entertained at the Temple Am David meal site Aug. 11. The whole hour that they performed, they had so
much energy and sparkling costume changes. Everyone was dancing in their seats and keeping the rhythm of the music. It was toe-tapping music. The vegetable soup was so full of pasta and the stuffed cabbage melted in your mouth; it was wonderful. There was a great turnout for
the event – a wonderful Monday was celebrated with these scouts. CINDY LAZAR is volunteer at the Kosher Senior Café at Temple Am David and a Kosher Meals on Wheels driver. She is a long-time member of Temple Am David.
PHOTOS | STEVEN SHAPIRO
Everyone was dancing to the toe-tapping music at the Kosher Senior Cafe performance.
Give your child the gift of a lifetime...
the
of
Start a savings plan while your child is young, and we’ll help invest in their future. Enroll your child starting in grades 3 - 6 and you can give him or her an Israel experience later on in life. A $150 yearly contribution from you, plus a $250 yearly investment from your synagogue and the Jewish Alliance, results in the Gift of Israel. THERE IS NO BETTER INVESTMENT! Your return is 266% each year on your contribution, but the investment return is even greater on your child’s Jewish identity.
Learn more at jewishallianceri.org, or contact Elanah Chassen at echassen@jewishallianceri.org or 401.421.4111 ext. 140.
Touro officers are, left to right, Rita Slom, secretary; outgoing Chair Andrew Teitz; newly elected Chair Diane Hurley and Michael Pimental, treasurer.
Diane Hurley succeeds Andrew Teitz as chair of Touro Synagogue Foundation Newport, R.I. – The Touro Synagogue Foundation, a nonprof it, nonsectar ian or g a n i z at io n d e d ic at e d t o maintaining and preserving Touro Synagogue, the colonial Jewish cemetery, Patriots Park and promoting and teaching religious diversity, colonial Jewish history and the history of Touro Synagogue, held its annual meeting on Aug. 17, just prior to the annual reading of
the George Washington letter. At the meeting, the foundation voted to elect Diane Hurley, chair; David Brodsky, fi rst vice chair; Bernard Gewirz, vice chair; M. Bernard Aidinoff, vice chair; Rita Slom, secretary; and Michael Pimental, treasurer. Outgoing Chair Andrew M. Teitz stepped down after several years of service. Touro Synagogue is the oldest continuously operating syna-
gogue in America, and is recognized as a National Historic Site and a beacon of religious freedom for all Americans. The Touro Synagogue Foundation operates public programs in partnership with the National Park Service, the National Trust for Historic Preservation and is a project of Save America’s Treasures.
COMMUNITY
thejewishvoice.org
August 29, 2014 |
21
Mitzi Berkelhammer: Community philanthropist, devoted volunteer, doting grandma BY JENNIFER ZWIRN jzwirn@jewishallianceri.org Anyone who knows Mitzi Berkelhammer knows she is a loving wife and proud mother of three, an adoring grandmother of two and a true gem of a lady, sincere and committed to the Jewish community with her whole heart. She now adds her latest role as the 2015 Annual Campaign Chair for the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island to her impressive resume. A native Rhode Islander, Mitzi is proud of her local roots and continuously gives back to the community. “Bob and I do give to other charities but our main philanthropic priority is the Jewish Alliance. For us, it’s the right thing to do,” she says of herself and her husband, also active and generous within the community. Mitzi brings with her many years of philanthropic and lay leadership experience. She also brings a love of service and dedication to the position. “Our ongoing efforts and involvement in the Jewish Alliance enables us to give back, to help those in need, and to build a strong foundation for our support to continue to sustain the Jewish community in the years to come.” “I’ve always been involved in the Jewish community,” she says. Mitzi has served repeatedly on the Caring and Social Responsibility Committee of the Alliance’s Community Development Committee, a function of community planning and allocations. “It was an honor to serve on the board and raise money for the Annual Campaign, and in time, I became president of the Women’s Alliance. I felt it was important to also become a member of the Women’s Alliance Endowment Fund.” In preparation for her newest role, Mitzi recently participated in a Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) Campaign Chairs and Directors Mission to Greece and Israel, which emphasized for herself the importance of making a difference in her own backyard as well as around the world. While in Athens and Thessaloniki, Greece, Mitzi and Trine Lustig, Alliance Vice President of Philanthropy, visited a Jewish community that grew from the destruction of the Holocaust to a tight-knit group of 5,000
Greece, Russia, Ukraine and around the world, in addition to the sudden surge of anti-Semitism, we cannot forget about our overseas family.” Reflecting on her participation with the Lions of Judah April 2013 Cuba Mission, Mitzi shares that there is need everywhere. “We saw firsthand the needs of our Jewish brothers and sisters. When I went to Cuba, I realized there are people all over the world who need things a lot more than we do in here in Rhode Island. However, I want to ensure we have a strong local Jewish community because if there aren’t people who care about Jewish life here then we won’t be able to help anyone anywhere.” In September Mitzi will receive the Kipnes-Wilson/ Friedland Award at the International Lion of Judah conference in New York City. This award honors one Lion in each community exemplifying the spirit of Lion of Judah. Mitzi’s ongoing commitment to tzedakah and tikun olam, her many leadership roles at the Alliance and her decision to establish a Lion of Judah Endowment to sustain a vibrant Jewish future make her a clear winner for this honor. Now, as 2015 Annual Campaign Chair, Mitzi’s overarching goal is to increase giving and attend to those who can be touched through giving. “The focus for our campaign this year is increased dollars and donors,” she says, acknowledging the need for greater exposure to generate younger involvement. “We aim to touch the entire community of course, but our focus needs to be our future – young families, those who are able to really reap the benefits of the Jewish Alliance and all it offers, its programming and services.” And while times may be tough locally and around the world, Mitzi’s head and heart are focused on what needs to be done, reinforcing the ideals and values of Judaism today and every day forward.
Mitzi Berkelhammer today. Although this same community was deeply affected by the economic collapse of 2011, with support from campaigns like that of the Alliance in partnership with JFNA and the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) made a positive impact in Greece, and continues to make an impact worldwide. “In light of the current political situations in Israel,
The Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island presents the 2015 Campaign Cabinet
JENNIFER ZWIRN is in Grants, Planning and Endowment at the Jewish Alliance.
Mitzi Berkelhammer 2015 Annual Campaign Chair
Ronald C. Markoff Pacesetter Co-Chair
Ralph Posner Pacesetter Co-Chair
Cindy Feinstein Lion of Judah Co-Chair
Cheryl Greenfeld Teverow Lion of Judah Co-Chair
Lisa Shorr Jaffa Gate/Pomegranate Chair
Lawrence Davis Leaders Co-Chair
Lisa Davis Leaders Co-Chair
Maybeth Lichaa Women’s Alliance Community Chair
Richard Silverman Community Chair
Melvin G. Alperin At Large
Marcia Hirsch At Large
22 | August 29, 2014 FROM PAGE 1
ROSH HASHANAH
The Jewish Voice
READING
“I was smitten by the story,” said Jules, adding that she saw the tale as a powerful metaphor for turning a violent act into an act of kindness. Over the next dozen years, Jules discovered that turning the tale into a story for children was challenging. The author of “What a Way to Start a New Year!,” about Rosh Hashanah, and “The Hardest Word: a Yom Kippur Story” told JTA that she wrote as many as 20 versions of the tale. “Never Say a Mean Word, A Tale from Medieval Spain” (Wisdom Tales, 32 pp, $16.95, ages 4-8), illustrated by Durga Yael Bernhard, Jules has reimagined the tale into one about two young boys. It is among several new children’s books available for the High Holy Days season. The themes in the Jules book of forgiveness and starting anew resonate with those emphasized during Rosh Hashanah, the two-day Jewish New Year that begins this year at sundown on Sept. 24, and Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, which starts at sundown on Oct. 3. “Never Say a Mean Word” is a simple yet lyrically told story that has garnered a starred review from Publisher’s Weekly. In the opening pages of the book, set in medieval Spain, the young Samuel, an innocent, head-in-the-clouds fellow who is the son of the vizier, has one accidental encounter after another with Hamza, the tax
collector’s quick-witted son. Hamza refuses to accept Samuel’s apologies and taunts him with cruel names like “Donkey brain! and Stupid!” Samuel’s father refuses to punish Hamza. Instead, he gives his son a broad directive: “Make sure Hamza never says a mean word to you again.” As Samuel tries to exact a
stern lesson on Hamza, the story takes a surprising turn and misunderstandings give way to an emerging friendship. Bernhard’s simple yet expressive illustrations evoke the colors, landscape, architecture and patterns of the era. One full-page illustration depicts Samuel’s imagined scheme of a monkey perched on a stone wall while clamping Hamza’s lips. The book explores tough
12th Annual
questions, Jules says, such as what constitutes fair punishment and how do you get someone to stop calling you names. “I hope the book gives young readers and the adults in their lives much to think about and discuss,” she wrote in an email.
Following are some other new High Holy Days titles for children:
Apple Days: A Rosh Hashanah Story Allison Sarnoff Soffer, illustrated by Bob McMahon Kar-Ben, 32 pp ($17.95 hardcover; $7.95 paper; $6.95 eBook); ages 2-7 Katy, an eager, bubbly young girl, is counting down the days until she goes apple picking with her mother – a yearly family tradition at Rosh Hashanah. They will peel, chop and cook
5K sponsored by:
Dwares
JCC
5K
Road Race
Youth Races
September 14, 2014
Youth Races sponsored by:
East Side Pediatrics
register now at
runrhody.com
the apples with cinnamon and sugar to make applesauce for her favorite holiday. This year Katy is especially excited, she tells her classmates, because she is also expecting a new baby cousin. She also spreads the word to other friends, as well as her neighbors, shopkeepers and rabbi. But when the new baby arrives early and Katy’s mom has to leave town, the girl’s disappointment is palpable. With the help of her dad and a surprise from her friends, teachers and rabbi, Katy rises to the challenge. Soffer’s fi rst children’s book is an entertaining read that will delight young children who will share Katy’s enthusiasm. McMahon’s colorful, cartoon-like illustrations radiate high spirit and energy. This book is also a PJ Library book, Shira at the Temple: a Yom Kippur Story Galia Sabbag, illustrated by Erin Taylor CreateSpace Independent Publishing, 24 pp ($9.99 paper; $5.99 Kindle); ages 4-9 Shira is a spirited young girl who wants to participate in Yom Kippur, a day she learns is the holiest of the Jewish year. But Shira is not content to sit back and observe the grown-ups as they pray, mostly in Hebrew, through the long religious service. She wants to have her prayers count, but she worries that she does not know how to read Hebrew. At the blowing of the shofar, Shira becomes inspired to do
something, surprising the rabbi and the congregation with her own heartfelt prayer. Taylor’s cartoon-like illustrations are colorful and animated. This is one of a series of Shira books written by Sabbag, who was born and raised in Israel but now lives in Atlanta, where she’s been a teacher at a Jewish day school. The Shira character, Sabbag writes on her website, is a composite of many of her students over the years and reflects her desire to convey the joy children experience in Jewish ritual and spirituality. I Live With My Mommy Tzvia Ehrlich-Klein, illustrations by Dena Ackerman Menucha Publishers, 32 pp ($12.99); ages 4-9 This sensitive story is told from the perspective of Rochel, a 5-year-old girl from a haredi Orthodox family whose parents are divorced. She and her younger brother live with their mother; their father lives in a different house. The story traces the challenges facing Rochel as her family celebrates Shabbat and holidays, including Sukkot. Rochel is a believable, authentic character whose emotions, including sadness and anxiety, are universal. She is reassured by her mother’s message that the divorce is not her fault and God, referred to as Hashem, loves all children. Klein deserves high marks for writing honestly and authentically about a subject not often dealt with in children’s books for haredi Orthodox families.
About PJ Library The Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island offers the gift of PJ Library to you and your family – for children ages 6 months through 8 years old. Exposing children to literature starting as early as infancy has been proven to have lasting benefits on literacy development. Research indicates that Jewish exposure in a child’s earliest years establish the basis of a strong Jewish sense of self. Through PJ Library, parents can create a special time with
their children to learn and appreciate their Jewish heritage. PJ Library is a program of the Jewish Alliance of Greater R.I. in partnership with the Harold Grinspoon Foundation. Sign up for PJ Library and your child will receive a free high-quality children’s book or CD in the mail each month! FOR MORE INFORMATION, contact Michelle Cicchitelli at 401-421-4111 ext. 178 or mcicchitelli@jewishallianceri.org
VOTE SEPT. 9TH
WORLD
thejewishvoice.org
FROM PAGE 1
MIDDLE EAST It is no secret that the U.S.Egypt relationship has been strained in recent years. An extremely valued American ally since the 1979 Camp David Peace Accords, Egypt has received more than $1.3 billion in annual U.S. military aid, second to only Israel. But the U.S. supported the early ouster of former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak in 2011, which angered other regional U.S. allies – like Saudi Arabia – who felt that the U.S. abandoned its long-time partner too quickly. Adding to the complications, the U.S. also backed the Muslim Brotherhood government under former president Mohamed Morsi, who was elected in Egypt’s first democratic election. When Morsi was ousted in a popular military coup in July 2013 led by El-Sisi, then the defense minister, the U.S. temporarily suspended some of its military aid to Egypt over concerns related to democracy and human rights. Yet Russian President Vladimir Putin, in his dealings with Ukraine, has shown that he has little concern for issues relating to democracy and human rights. Like Putin, El-Sisi is a nationalist leader who values stability, especially in light of the growing threat of political Islam from the Muslim Brotherhood and other jihadist groups. Besides the countries’ shared political philosophies, Egypt is a big market for Russia in terms of trade and regional politics, said Bagno-Moldavsky of INSS. “Egypt is a desirable customer of Russia’s military complex (the contracts with Russia will be actualized with the financial support of Egypt by Saudi Arabia), cooperation can be potentially fruitful in the energy sector and
Secretary of State John Kerry meets with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi at the Presidential Palace in Cairo on July 22 to discuss a possible cease-fire deal. civil engineering,” Bagno-Moldavsky said. Despite El-Sisi’s trip to Moscow, U.S. State Department deputy spokesperson called the U.S.-Egypt relationship “strong and strategic,” downplaying any significant rift. “Egypt is free to have relationships with whoever it wants,” Harf said. Middle East Forum President Daniel Pipes told JNS.org that he believes Egypt’s gesture toward Moscow is a result of the U.S. position regarding Hamas-backing nations Qatar and Turkey in recent Israel-Hamas cease-fire negotiations. “El-Sisi is again signaling his anger at the U.S. government for cozying up to the Turkey-Qatar joint venture,” Pipes said. Indeed, Egypt, along with other U.S. regional allies Israel and Saudi Arabia, openly criticized U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry for holding Israel-Hamas cease-fire talks with Qatar and Turkey in late July, but not including them. At the same time, Qatar has been actively undermining its
It has been my privilege to work with Michael Solomon in City government for the past four years. He has led the City through its darkest hour with sincerity, wisdom and graciousness. Actions speak much louder than words, and Michael Solomon’s actions to bring our City Council and our City together provide him with a strong foundation for serving with distinction as our next Mayor. - City Councilman Sam Zurier
VOTE DEMOCRAT
MICHAEL SOLOMON F O R M AY O R www.SolomonForPVD.com
/SolomonForPVD
fellow Arab states by supporting the Muslim Brotherhood, which Egypt and Saudi Arabia have declared to be a terrorist organization, as well as its Palestinian offshoot Hamas. Pipes, however, cautioned not to read too much into Egypt’s newfound love for Putin, saying he believes it comes more out of anger towards the U.S. and is not a major geopolitical shift back to the Cold War days. “This is not the 1950s. It’s an Axis of Pique, not one of grand strategy,” Pipes said. Over the past several years, the Middle East has been traditionally divided into two camps in what Pipes referred to as the “Middle East Cold War.” Pipes said this conflict has pitted the “resistance bloc and its allies” of Iran, Syria, and Hezbollah, who are tacitly supported by Russia, against the “status quo” coun-
tries of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, and others – even auxiliary members like the Palestinian Authority and Israel – who are largely aligned with the U.S. “In the past two years, a third, smaller faction has emerged: the T u rk ish- Qatar i-Musl im Brotherhood one,” Pipes said. “This comes as a considerable surprise because the Saudis for decades supported the Muslim Brotherhood. Apparently, when the crunch came and they had to decide between Islamism and method of rule, they chose the latter.” Meanwhile, in Libya, the weak government there was recently aided in its fight against al-Qaeda-linked terror groups by secret airstrikes launched by the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, who have stepped up their fight against Islamic radicals. Israel has seen tensions with
August 29, 2014 |
the U.S. rise in the wake of the failures of the American-brokered Israeli-Palestinian peace process. This recently came to a head when the Obama administration, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal, tightened oversight of arms transfers to Israel amid Operation Protective Edge in Gaza. Adding to the complications, both Qatar and Turkey are longtime allies of the U.S., which has its largest Mideast airbase – AlUdeid Air Base – in Qatar, while Turkey is a valued member of NATO. Israel sees both countries as actively undermining efforts to end the Gaza conflict. Embattled Russian-backed Syrian President Bashar alAssad, meanwhile, has seen his fortunes rise once again as the new threat from the Islamic State poses a greater risk to regional and international security. With the U.S. launching airstrikes in Iraq against the Islamic State and considering hitting Islamic State targets in Syria, Assad has expressed his willingness to coordinate attacks on the terror group with the U.S. But Pipes cautioned against such moves, arguing that the U.S. should remain focused on helping its allies. “The outside world is best off when the monsters fight each other,” he said. “We should limit ourselves to humanitarian concerns and to helping our very few allies in the region – mainly Israel, but also now the Kurds.” “Like most developments in the Middle East, this is indigenous, with influences from the outside, to be sure, but driven by local passions,” he said.
Mutual Engineering Service Co.
A DIVISION OF THE PETRO GROUP
ert We conv s oil to ga
Complete heat serv gas ice & sales
Air Conditioning Specialists From tune-ups to new equipment! • Air Conditioning • Generators • Gas Heating • Heat Pumps • Roof Top Systems •
Want Comfort? The Feeling is “Mutual!” Keeping you comfortable since 1934! We Provide Complete Gas Heating and Heat Pump Service and Installation – Residential • Commercial
www.mutualengineering.net
A FULL IN-HOUSE DESIGN, INSTALLATION & SERVICE COMPANY @SolomonForPVD
Paid for by Friends of Michael Solomon. Treasurer Ken Richardson.
23
Call David Epstein at 401-351-3900
24 | August 29, 2014
ARTS
The Jewish Voice
Twenty years on, the real and radical legacy of Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach BY MAAYAN JAFFE JNS.ORG – “He was part hippie, part yippie, part beatnik and part New Age,” wrote Elli Wohlgelernter in a Jerusalem Post eulogy in 1994, following the Oct. 20 passing of Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach Twenty years later, more robust accounts of Carlebach’s life have come to the surface. Earlier this year, Natan Ophir published the book “Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach: Life, Mission & Legacy.” This past summer, Rabbi Shlomo Katz’s “The Soul of Jerusalem” hit the shelves. But even the authors will admit that this larger-than-life, soul-hugging rabbi’s legacy cannot be fully captured in black-and-white pages. “Shlomo did not seem to fit any restrictive, defi ning label,” Ophir told JNS.org. “Reb Shlomo was ... a charismatic teacher who combined storytelling, sermonic exegesis and inspirational insights into creating a new form of heartfelt, soulful Judaism fi lled with a love for all human beings.” Carlebach immigrated to New York from Poland in March 1939, just six months before the Nazis invaded. In 1945, the family moved to Manhattan so his father, Rabbi Naphtali Carlebach, could take over Congregation Kehilath Jacob on W. 79th Street. After his father’s passing, Carlebach assumed leadership of the synagogue, today known as “The Carlebach Shul.”
It was from his home base at The Carlebach Shul that Shlomo Carlebach set up the fi rst known Hassidic outreach program, Taste and See God is Good (T.S.G.G.). According to Ophir, the organization was based on the idea that, as Carlebach said, “You cannot begin to talk to people about God unless you have fi rst given them a taste of God is good.” In 1968, Carlebach established the House of Love and Prayer in San Francisco, the fi rst Jewish commune. “His empathetic approach toward the spiritual imports from the Far East was radical for an Orthodox rabbi,” said Ophir. Everything Carlebach did was radical. He traveled to Germany in the 1960s to teach people whose parents had murdered scores of Jewish people that the time for peace and forgiveness had come, recalled Ben-Zion Solomon, whose home is next door to the late Carlebach’s in the central Israeli community of Moshav Mevo Modi’in, also known as the “Carlebach moshav.” Carlebach was a scholar in his own right, studying at some of the most renowned American yeshivot. He later connected with the Lubavitch movement, whose leader at the time, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn, encouraged him to go into outreach. This mandate was the start of what became his calling, serving as the rabbi of the hippie movement. He had followers around the globe. Many young Jews re-
Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach turned to a Torah lifestyle as a result of their relationship with Carlebach. In 1963, philanthropist Michael Steinhardt, founder of Birthright Israel, set up a company called The Shabbos Express to help Shlomo channel his talents in a business-like manner. Steinhardt told Ophir, “I knew Shlomo quite well, and I was perfectly prepared to accept his eccentricities. … Shlomo, however, continued to travel the globe in altruistic style in disregard of conventional time and business.” Daughter Dari Carlebach said in a previous interview that her
Every Day Is Summer Vacation at
father was caught between two worlds – the religious/yeshiva world and the hippie world. She said her father had a huge desire “to love and heal the world,” and he did it with “such heart and grace and empathy.” Shlomo Carlebach’s unbridled passion might account for why it has taken this long to begin to canonize his legacy. Solomon recounts the way that his rebbe could focus on whoever needed him at the time, that “whoever he was talking to, he became their best friend.” Solomon and wife Dina met Carlebach in California. Carlebach encouraged Solomon to learn in Israel and eventually to make aliyah, and then handpicked his family to live on the Carlebach moshav.
Solomon recalled that when he arrived in Israel he was told by the Orthodox-affiliated Diaspora Yeshiva that his wedding to Dina was not valid, as they did not have a ketubbah (Jewish marriage contract). He called Carlebach in a panic. The rabbi told him to get some wine and cake and meet him at the Shabbos House in Jerusalem at 1 a.m. “We’re waiting for Shlomo and then we see him coming down the block with 300 people. … We were singing and dancing until daylight,” Solomon told JNS.org. Carlebach is best known for his Jewish music. “He’s universally accepted as the father of Jewish music,” said Rabbi Avraham Arieh Trugman of Mevo Modi’in. Leslie Pomerantz and Michael Hoffman are both Jewish song leaders. Pomerantz told JNS.org that Carlebach made Jewish music “accessible” and taught song leaders the value of using music for engagement. “For him, it was not a performance, but an inclusive process,” Pomerantz said. Hoffman said he was raised at Jewish summer camp, and when he became a song leader he envisioned Carlebach to be another Debbie Friedman, whose music had a significant influence on the liturgies of Reform and Conservative Judaism. He recalled that when saw a picture of the late rabbi, “I was like, ‘Wow!’” Hoffman described Carlebach’s music as “timeless” and noted how people have forgotten that many immensely popular niggunim (tunes or melodies) were in fact composed
Schedule your personal visit today. Vibrant seniors thrive in our communities, where worry-free days breeze by with fun activities and engaging programming that foster physical health, mental stimulation and rewarding social interactions.
EPOCH Assisted Living on Blackstone Boulevard
353 Blackstone Blvd. • Providence, RI
401-273-6565
www.EPOCHBlackstoneAL.com
EPOCH Assisted Living on the East Side
One Butler Ave. • Providence, RI
401-275-0682
www.EPOCHEastSide.com
(RI Relay - 711)
Assisted Living . Memory Care . Respite . Fitness Center
"PAID FOR BY FRIENDS OF JORGE ELORZA, AL MARCIANO, TREASURER"
ARTS
thejewishvoice.org
In the fall of 1984, Nechama Silver plays her autoharp with Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach at a concert near Tel Aviv. by Carlebach. For example, it was Carlebach who in 1965 invented “Am Yisrael Chai” for the Student Struggle to Save Soviet Jewry movement, which was later adopted for Jewish causes as a theme of resilience and perseverance. Other famed Carlebach compositions include “David Melech Yisrael,” “Od Yeshoma,” and “Esa Einai.” Recent books work to shed light on Carlebach’s Torah teachings, which followers say were the basis for his tunes. “It wasn’t music for music’s sake. It was a part of a bigger Torah vision he wanted to share with the world,” said Trugman. Author Shlomo Katz told JNS. org he fi rst connected with Carlebach’s teachings at the age of 14 when a classmate shared his headphones during recess. “I put on the earphones and
I was transported instantly,” Katz recalled regarding the music and teaching he heard. “I knew my whole world was about to change because my neshama (soul) was more alive than ever at that moment – and it never stopped.” Katz has devoted his professional life to collecting, transcribing, and teaching Carlebach’s Torah teachings, which can be found on tens of thousands of tapes and in hundreds of journals across the world. Solomon said he used to learn Talmud with Carlebach every morning at 5 a.m. “He said things a gaon (genius) would say,” said Solomon. “Those special mornings taught me a whole other aspect of learning Torah.” But Carlebach’s legacy is not without controversy. He faced
August 29, 2014 |
In June 1984, Sheva Brachot in Jerusalem for Nechama and Shmuel Silver together with Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach (far right). allegations that became public in a 1998 Lilith magazine article, claiming he routinely made sexually suggestive late-night phone calls to female acquaintances and that he physically molested numerous women over the course of decades. Such accusations naturally provoked fierce controversy about how to remember a man many considered a saint. “Can you imagine, in a period of a month, after one of his yahrzeits (anniversary of death), getting 50 phone calls about the same person from all over the world? He has victims in Israel, the U.S., Australia, South Af-
rica – any place he went, he had victims,” said Vicki Polin of the Awareness Center, a nonprofit with the mission of ending sexual violence in the Jewish community. “He did a lot of kiruv (outreach), but what about those who converted to other faiths –walked away completely – because of this assault?” Carlebach’s followers have rejected those allegations. And this generation, said Katz, is hungrier than ever for his message. “Today’s youth won’t compromise for anything less than something that touches the depths of their own souls, which
25
PHOTOS | JNS
is really what [Carlebach] does through his teachings – so mind-blowing and deep, but in the same instance … he puts the sweet inside, so it goes down in a way that resonates,” Katz said. Nechama Silver recalled meeting Carlebach in the 1970s at a coffee shop concert in Pennsylvania. She said he “turned me on to yiddishkeit (Jewishness).” “I remember saying, ‘Is this guy for real?’ ” she said. “He is the realest thing you will ever meet.”
NEW TRADITIONS with selections of great kosher wines Award winning wines from wine growing regions around the world, including several estates from Israel
Wishing you and your family health, happiness and peace 179 Newport Avenue | Rumford, RI 02916 | 401-434-4563
Town Wine & Spirits has the largest, “most thought out” selection of Kosher wines in New England ... yes, we also have the 2014 Vintage Manischewitz Concord
26 | August 29, 2014
NATION
The Jewish Voice
How to submit articles to
The Jewish Voice
The Jewish Voice is your community newspaper, your link to the Jewish community and everything Jewish happening around you. We welcome your valuable input and love to hear your VOICE added to ours. Our staff is small and cannot cover everything happening in the community. So, we ask that you send us information that you would like to share with readers of The Jewish Voice. Photos are always welcome.
Content you may want to contribute:
• Your OPINION about world, national, Israeli or community news • Letters to the editor • Arts • Business – news, awards, honors • Schools, education news • Local sports featuring Jewish athletes • Schmooze & News — things from synagogues and Jewish organizations • News on the Jewish Scene • Simchas – weddings, engagements, births, bar|bat mitzvah • Obituaries, for relatives, friends out of state with a connection to Jewish Rhode Island or southeastern Mass. • We are Read – share your travel adventures with us • Bucket List completions — have you done something on your “bucket list” we would all love to hear about it
Where and how to send it:
Fran Ostendorf
Send information and photos to: Fran Ostendorf: editor@jewishallianceri.org or Mail to: The Jewish Voice ATTN: Jewish Community News 401 Elmgrove Ave. Providence, RI 02906
For advertising information: Karen Borger, ksborger@gmail.com | 401-529-2538 or Tricia Stearly, tstearly@jewishallianceri.org | 401-421-4111, Ext. 160. The Jewish Voice reserves the right to edit and/or not publish any article that may be considered offensive or against publishing policy. Please send photos in JPEG format at high resolution (300 DPI). For questions contact: Fran Ostendorf, editor, fostendorf@ jewishallianceri.org or 401-421-4111, ext. 168.
David Gregory’s Jewish book plans BY ANTHONY WEISS LOS ANGELES (JTA) – David Gregory was just sacked as host of “Meet the Press” in public and humiliating fashion. And like so many before him, he will seek respite from the suffering of worldly scorn in the consolation of religion. This isn’t to say that Gregory will be retreating to a cave in the desert – on the contrary, according to Politico Playbook, Washington’s online political gossip sheet, Gregory is available, through the Leading Authorities speakers bureau, “to speak to associations and companies” about “the political landscape, the White House, Congress, the 2014 elections, and what’s ahead for 2016.” (In other words, what he used to speak about on “Meet the Press” before he was fired.) Rather, Politico Playbook brings us the news that Gregory is writing a book about “his Jewish faith.” That Jewish faith is an important part of his Beltway persona – Gregory studies Torah with David Brooks, Jeffrey Goldberg and Martin Indyk; he attends D.C.’s Temple Micah alongside Democratic Leadership Committee founder Al From; and his life as a Jew was even profiled in The Daily Beast, where he confided that his faith helps him “to work with more compassion and empathy” and “gives me a sense of perspective.” That sense of perspective will be useful as Gregory recovers from a rocky tenure on “Meet the Press,” which was characterized by plunging ratings, brutal reviews and a report that NBC had hired a “psychological consultant” to diagnose what ailed the show. (NBC argued that the consultant was a “brand consultant.”) Of course, one part of that perspective might be that Gregory helmed the show as ratings have faded for Sunday shows generally, and as they have become less culturally relevant amid the decline of the major networks and the rise of alternative news sources (as well as persistent criticism that the Sunday shows are more hospitable to conservatives and Republicans than liberals and Democrats). Another might be that Gregory was dealt a losing hand by stepping in after the sudden death of Tim Russert, master of the hardball interview. Gregory’s perspective may be aided as well by the reported $4 million severance that NBC is said to be shelling out for canning him before the end of his contract. His book on Judaism may perhaps draw quibbles from those traditionalists who will argue that he is not technically Jewish, given that he was born to a Jewish father and a non-Jewish mother. Those same quibblers will also likely argue that his three children are likewise not Jewish, given that Gregory’s wife, Beth Wilkinson, is not of the Tribe. (He will probably not encounter any such quibblers at his shul, however, which is Reform and therefore recognizes Jewish lineage through the maternal line and/or paternal line.) Given what he has been through for the last six years on “Meet the Press,” any such quibbles would likely be the least of Gregory’s problems. As for “Meet the Press,” it will not lack for yiddishkeit: Gregory’s replacement, Chuck Todd, also is a Reform Jew, the son of a Jewish mother and non-Jewish father. Interestingly, Todd had succeeded Gregory as NBC’s White House correspondent when Gregory was promoted to the “Meet the Press” gig. Does this mean that in a few short years, Todd also will be penning a book on his Jewish faith? Stay tuned. ANTHONY WEISS is a Los Angeles-based staff writer for JTA.
ELECTIONS
thejewishvoice.org
August 29, 2014 |
27
YOUR VOTE COUNTS Information about candidates for Rhode Island offices BY MARTY COOPER mcooper@jewishallianceri.org Rhode Islanders have a cadre of candidates to choose from in this year’s primary election, Tuesday, Sept 9. The list includes a who’s who in politics, from secretary of state to governor and mayor of Providence. It also includes a host of newcomers. The Community Relations Council of the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island has partnered with The Jewish Voice to provide the community with information about candidates in the most hotly contested seats this primary season. In some races, a candidate is running unopposed and therefore was not included. Two candidate declined to participate. The information found here was submitted by each candidate and has only been edited to conform with style. In
several cases, as noted, edits needed to be made for length. Our goal is for the community to learn more about the candidates seeking office this year. Candidates for governor, treasurer, secretary of state, House District 4 representative and mayor of Providence were asked to provide a brief biography and statement with a 250 word limit, concerning their candidacy. They were also asked to answer two questions pertaining to the office they are seeking. The responses had a limit of 185 words. Their website is also provided for you to learn more about them. Candidates for lieutenant
Ken Block (R) – Governor BLOCKFORGOVERNOR.COM/
M
y name is Ken Block, and I am running to be your next governor. My reasons for running are simple. I want my children, Sam (12) and Anna (10), to have the opportunity to fi nd jobs and start their lives here in our great state. The way things are going, they will probably be forced to leave. That needs to change. I own a home in Barrington and two businesses in Warwick. I’ve lived in Rhode Island for more than 20 years, and I want to bring real change to our state government. I am a small business owner with direct experience in identifying wasteful spending. Back in the 90s, my team saved Texas over $1 billion dollars in wasteful spending, and I have a specific plan to do that here in Rhode Island. We will use these savings to lower our taxes and make our state more economically competitive. This is how we create jobs, lower our unemployment rate and keep our children from leaving our state to fi nd better opportunities. I was a leader in eliminating the master lever, and as governor I will guide the state through the Constitutional Convention and bring real reform to the General Assembly. Rhode Islanders are tired of career politicians and political insiders. It’s time to reform our government and stop wasting millions of taxpayer dollars on corrupt special interests. My name is Ken Block, and I respectfully ask for your support.
Allan W. Fung (R) – Governor
B
FUNGFORGOVERNOR.COM
orn Feb. 25, 1970, in Providence, Allan W. Fung grew up working in his parents’ small business, a Chinese restaurant in Cranston. He graduated from Classical High School and Rhode Island College. He received his Juris Doctor from Suffolk University and completed the prestigious Leadership Rhode Island program. After working as an attorney and prosecutor with the Rhode Island Attorney General, he joined MetLife as Government Relations Counsel in 2001. Fung was elected to the Cranston City Council in 2002 and 2004. In 2008, he was elected mayor of Cranston, Rhode Island’s third largest city, making history as Rhode Island’s first Asian-American mayor, and he was reelected in 2010. In 2012, Fung again made history as the first Cranston mayor to have been reelected without opposition. Fung has accomplished a number of ambitious objectives, reforming government and boosting economic development by supporting existing businesses and bringing more than 1,000 new private sector jobs into Cranston. He reduced operational expenses through innovative cost-saving measures, such as consolidation of services with other municipalities. He reformed local pensions, saving taxpayers more than $6 million in one year and became the first mayor in R.I. to replace defined benefit government pensions with 401(k) style retirement plans for new municipal employees in two major public employee unions. For the third consecutive year, Fung has balanced the city budget with no tax increase and accumulated budget surpluses in each of those years.
governor provided only the biography and statement. As a 501(c)3 tax exempt organization, the Community Relations Council of the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island cannot endorse candidates. We can however endorse issues. This year we endorse the issue of voting. Please take the time on Sept. 9 and Nov. 4 to vote. Vote wisely and vote with information. To locate your polling place, visit the secretary of state’s website at http://sos. ri.gov/elections/. The Polls will open at 7 a.m. and most close at 8 p.m. To locate
your polling place call the local canvasser’s office. Like last year, you will be required to provide proper identification to exercise your right to vote. Acceptable identification includes: Rhode Island driver’s license, U.S. passport, R.I. or U.S. government–issued ID card, ID card for an educational institution in the U.S., U.S. military ID, governmentissued medical card or a voter ID card. The secretary of state’s website provides useful information about voting. Of particular interest is the “How to Register and Vote Guide.” You still have time to register for the general election in November. The registration deadline is Oct. 5. MARTY COOPER is the Community Relations director for the Jewish Alliance.
Questions posed to all candidates running for governor: 1. Unfortunately, Rhode Island has one of the highest unemployment rates in the country. Our social safety nets are strained beyond capacity. Our schools are failing to produce graduates for current and future job markets. Many who are working are paid below a Rhode Island living wage. What do you propose to increase jobs, prepare graduates to be job-ready, protect those who are not employable, and assist the working class without childcare and other support systems in place? 2. To create constitutionally required balanced budget, the State has had to slash and underfund much-needed programs important to the people and vital to the future prosperity of Rhode Island. Based upon current trends, deficits are projected in the coming year. As a leader, how are you going to lead us out of this situation?
Ken Block | Response To fi x Rhode Island’s worst-in-thecountry unemployment, we need to fundamentally change our state’s economic climate. As long as Rhode Island is a higher cost place to do business than Massachusetts, we will lag economically. To fi x Rhode Island’s underperforming schools, we need to identify the children who are at risk of falling behind in the earliest educational years and provide the resources necessary to assure that all fourth graders are independent readers – something that states like Florida and Ohio do better than Rhode Island. We cannot afford to graduate high school seniors into welfare. Over
70 percent of incoming freshman at CCRI requires remedial education. That is simply unacceptable. Over the next four years, our budget deficit is expected to grow from $150 million to about $400 million. This is a crisis. I am experienced in identifying waste and fraud in government programs – as well as using technology to make things more efficient. For example, replacing paper time sheets for state employees will save millions. The federal government estimates $140 million in waste in our Medicaid program – I will fi nd the waste and recover the savings.
Allan W. Fung | Response The greatest challenge now facing Rhode Island is getting our people back to work. I proposed a comprehensive tax reform plan to make our state the most competitive in the Northeast. To further reduce unemployment and create real opportunity, I also have pledged to work with business leaders to reduce the red tape that stands in the way of business and proposed a venture seed fund to encourage entrepreneurship and promote business development. We need innovation and accountability in education and modern workforce training to ensure that students and workers have the skills necessary to participate meaningfully in the 21st century
workplace. To help, I have offered a comprehensive plan to reform education and worker training to promote science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics. To control government spending and realign fiscal priorities, we must reform the way our government operates. I will stand up to insider politics and special deals, such as 38 Studios, which cast a dark shadow on the reputation of our state. I have proposed government reforms including term limits, voter initiative, and greater authority for the State Ethics Commission to bring added transparency and accountability to our state.
ELECTIONS
28 | August 29, 2014
Clay Pell (D) – Governor
C
CLAYPELL.COM
lay Pell’s vision and ideas are rooted in his unique experience in government and his strong belief in public service as one of the strongest forms of tikun olam. After law school, he joined the Coast Guard and had the privilege of leading men and women in uniform. Clay represented the government as a prosecutor in military courtrooms, as well as with international military personnel. Pell joined President Obama’s national security team, serving as director for strategic planning. It was Pell’s job to bring together stakeholders across the federal government – from the Department of Defense to the Department of Education – and look at opportunities for their engagement in foreign policy and national security. The president appointed him deputy assistant secretary at the Department of Education, where he led the government’s efforts to equip students with the language and international education skills needed to succeed in the world economy. Pell graduated first in his class from the Coast Guard Direct Commission Officer School, earned his J.D. from Georgetown University, and graduated from Harvard College. He continues to drill as a member of the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve in East Providence. He resides in Providence with his wife, Michelle Kwan. R.I. once grew because we were at the intersection of the movement of goods, people, and ideas – that is how we will grow again – by building on the unique assets of our state: the maritime and creative economies and our natural resourcesbased industries.
Gina Raimondo (D) – Governor
A
GINARAIMONDO.COM
proven problem-solver, Gina is running for governor to lead Rhode Island’s comeback. A former business owner, she worked with small businesses and helped create over a thousand jobs. Now, the centerpiece of her comprehensive jobs plan is a strategy to attract the manufacturing jobs that are coming back from overseas by building on our strengths and focusing on industries like food science, industrial design, marine science and health care technology. Gina is calling for equal pay for equal work, a raise in the minimum wage, a new scholarship fund to make college more affordable and a student loan forgiveness program for college graduates who stay in our state to work or start a new business. She is a staunch advocate for reproductive freedom and marriage equality and has taken on the gun lobby and the payday lending industry. As treasurer, Gina brought people together to take on the $7 billion pension shortfall and saved cities and towns from potential bankruptcy. She fi xed the Crime Victims Compensation Fund after inheriting a 900 claim backlog and expanded it to include relocation costs for victims of domestic violence. And under her leadership, an audit found $12 million dollars the big life insurance companies owed to Rhode Islanders, putting that money back in families’ pockets. Gina has been endorsed by Emily’s List, 10 unions including the Rhode Island Building & Construction Trades Council as well as Lt. Gov. Elizabeth Roberts and Myrth York. Born and raised in Smithfield, Gina is the mother of two children who attend the Providence public schools.
The Jewish Voice
Question posed to all candidates running for governor: 1. Unfortunately, Rhode Island has one of the highest unemployment rates in the country. Our social safety nets are strained beyond capacity. Our schools are failing to produce graduates for current and future job markets. Many who are working are paid below a Rhode Island living wage. What do you propose to increase jobs, prepare graduates to be job-ready, protect those who are not employable, and assist the working class without childcare and other support systems in place? 2. To create constitutionally required balanced budget, the State has had to slash and underfund much-needed programs important to the people and vital to the future prosperity of Rhode Island. Based upon current trends, deficits are projected in the coming year. As a leader, how are you going to lead us out of this situation?
Clay Pell – Response I have proposed a real plan, fi lled with new ideas and actions that I can begin my fi rst day in office, to take a more strategic approach to our economy and budget and make Rhode Island ready for tomorrow. I will restore funding to programs that help our most vulnerable people. I will establish Hope Internships, so every public high school student can take part in a career training internship. And I will create Hope Scholarships, inspired by Pell Grants, to tackle the debt burdening today’s students. I’ve proposed a comprehensive
Women’s Equality Agenda, to fulfi ll the promise of equal pay for equal work and ensure full access to reproductive care. I’ll fi x our crumbling bridges and roads, and build on our ports to take advantage of our unique geographic location and create jobs. It all begins by reforming the broken politics that have held back our state for too long – I am the only candidate for governor who has refused to take a dime from PACs and state lobbyists – because I don’t want to be their governor, I want to be yours.
Gina Raimondo – Response 1. Rhode Island is on the brink and the only solution to our challenges is economic growth. My approach is to create some jobs right away– getting people back to work rebuilding our roads, bridges and schools and by promoting tourism—but more than that we need a long-term manufacturing strategy that builds on our strengths. And we need to train our workforce to fi ll these high-skill, high-pay advanced manufacturing jobs. We need to turn our economy around in a way that doesn’t leave anyone behind and invest in critical social services. I’m running for governor to lead Rhode
Island’s comeback. 2. This is exactly why we had to do pension reform: As our payments into the pension system increased, critical government services were being crowded out, and often cut or scaled back. Instead made the tough choices to preserve quality government services. Too many politicians automatically raise taxes or cut services to pay for government programs; but we can’t cut and tax our way out of this problem. We need a government that works more effectively with the money it has; and focuses on outcomes.
Angel Taveras (D) – Governor
A
ANGEL2014.COM
ngel Taveras grew up on the South Side of Providence. He was raised by a single mother who worked second shift to support her family and give her children opportunities for success. Taveras went from Head Start to Harvard through Providence public schools. After graduating from Harvard and Georgetown Law, he returned home and established himself as a respected elections lawyer. As mayor, he eliminated Providence’s $110 million structural deficit, pulling the city back from the brink of bankruptcy. He took a voluntary pay cut because when he asked residents to try to do more with less, he made sure the government did too. Through leadership and collaboration with workers, unions, retirees, and universities and hospitals, Taveras protected city services and paved the way for economic development. His work to encourage innovation in education has gained national recognition, including the Bloomberg Philanthropies Mayors Challenge $5 million grand prize. As governor, Angel will continue to push for policies that help the middle class and everyone striving to build a better life such as closing the pay equity gap, raising the minimum wage, implementing universal pre-kindergarten and making college more affordable. He lives with his wife, Farah, and daughter, Farah Rose.
Angel Taveras – Response We need to build a diverse economy from technology to tourism. I have proposed plans that would improve our infrastructure, partner CCRI with prospective employers to help close our skills gap and get people back to work, and promote our tourism industry. I have also proposed comprehensive plans to improve education in our state which is essential to getting us on the right track. I also believe we should raise the minimum wage as quickly as possible. We need a comprehensive review of our budget. As mayor, I was able to close a $110 million structural deficit that was one-sixth the size of our
city budget in order to save Providence from bankruptcy. I brought people together and stressed that we needed new thinking and that “that’s the way things have always been done” was never the right answer. Providence now spends less on the city-side than when I fi rst took office and we have put the city on a path of fi scal sustainability while continuing to invest in our priorities. I am confident I can bring this same leadership to the State House. http://angel2014.com/issues/ http://angel2014.com/issues/education/ http://angel2014.com/issues/jobseconomic-development/
ELECTIONS
thejewishvoice.org
Jorge Elorza (D) – Mayor of Providence ELORZAFORMAYOR.COM.
T
he central theme of my campaign is “One Providence,” the idea that we all rise and succeed together. I want to build a vibrant, unified city in which everyone in every neighborhood has the opportunity to succeed. I was given those same opportunities and nothing is more important to me than preserving and strengthening them for the next generation. I was born in Providence, the child of Guatemalan immigrants who worked in factories. The Providence Public Schools provided me the pathway out of poverty. I almost didn’t graduate from high school, yet went on to graduate fi rst in my accounting class at the University of Rhode Island because people believed in me. That led me to a successful career on Wall Street, but after the murder of a close childhood friend, I returned home and have dedicated the rest of my life to serving the community. After attending Harvard Law, I again returned to Providence to provide free legal services to people living in slum conditions or facing eviction. I also specialized in housing law as a professor at Roger Williams University Law School, because safe, affordable housing is an essential building block of a better life. When I served on the Providence Housing Court, I pioneered a process to hold the big banks accountable for the abandoned properties in our neighborhoods. I am running for Mayor to build trust in government, to build on our economic and creative strengths, and to build a city that’s inclusive of our great diversity. That’s what “One Providence” means to me.
Michael Solomon (D) – Mayor of Providence
August 29, 2014 |
29
Questions asked to all candidates running for Mayor of Providence: 1. Providence schools are failing to produce graduates for current and future job markets. What steps would you take to assure students can meet the rigors of higher education and the demands of the competitive job market? 2. There is growing concern about gun violence incited by gangs, domestic violence, the late-night clubs scene and random shootings. What would you do to make Providence a safer city, especially related to gun violence?
Jorge Elorza – Response 1. I believe in full-service community schools and my approach to curriculum and assessments addresses this challenge head-on. We will create a system of multiple pathways that allow students to develop their full potential in ways that are aligned with their strengths and interests. We will offer more Extended Learning Opportunities so students can build the skills and experiences outside the classroom that will prepare them for life after graduation. Common Core will still be our benchmark, but we will put more focus on developing the creativity, critical thinking and relationship building skills that will meet the demands of the 21st century job market.
2. I will emphasize community policing and have officers literally walking their beats to build relationships and trust within the community, and engage the police department as a partner in community development. I will actively seek out every possible source of federal or other outside funding to put more officers on our streets. I will also engage business owners to return safety and order to our nighttime economy, enforce strict standards and hold violators accountable to the fullest extent of the law. For more about my ideas and policy proposals on these and other issues, please visit the “Issues” page of my website, www.ElorzaforMayor.com.
SOLOMONFORPVD.COM
I
love Providence. I was born here, raised here and built my businesses here. I started working in my father’s pharmacy at the age of 6, and I have been involved in small businesses ever since. I opened my own restaurant in Olneyville and purchased a catering company several years later with my wife Denise. Together we have raised three daughters in Providence and are now proud grandparents. In 2011, I was elected president of the Providence City Council. Immediately, Mayor Taveras and I worked together to address a $110 million structural deficit. Three years later – after many tough decisions – our city is on the mend. Our external auditors recently reported we closed the year with a $1.6 million operating surplus. Now we need to move forward with a bold vision for our city. I believe that vision begins with investing in our future. That is why I have proposed a $250 million plan to rebuild our schools. This proposal will provide our children with first-rate classrooms, create 2,000 jobs and revitalize our neighborhoods. I voted for the rehabilitation of Nathan Bishop Middle School, and I am amazed at what it has done for the surrounding community. I am running for mayor because I believe in Providence. I know we are filled with opportunity, because I was given so many opportunities here growing up. I want to be your mayor so we can continue the progress of the last three years and create a city of opportunity for all.
Michael Solomon – Response 1. Our students of today are our workforce of tomorrow. We can better prepare them for the diverse job market they face through autonomous schools. School autonomy means stakeholders are empowered to take greater ownership of their school community through shared decision-making, which provides many benefits – namely a more tailored curriculum. A move toward autonomous schools builds productively on the foundation for success that the Providence Public Schools have created through the implementation of criteria-based hiring, a unified curriculum and other changes. Autonomous schools represent not a shift in direction but
the next step in our school system’s evolution. 2. Our children need to learn at a young age that violence is not the answer. I will make non-violence training a part of our elementary school curriculum so our children can learn to mediate their differences through non-violence. My fi rst act as mayor will be to call for an additional police academy to train 40 officers. This will allow our police to be more flexible and actuate a true community-policing model. With a true community-policing model in place and neighbors looking out for neighbors, we can improve public safety in Providence.
Chris Young (D) – Mayor of Providence WWW.WHERETOVOTE.COM
T
ogether we can do this! I, Chris Young, have a strategic plan to bring companies, the state, and the city together for job training for students to obtain the jobs skills that employers want for hiring. Students need practical skills that are requested in the help wanted section of the newspaper such as programming in C, C++, C Sharp and other programming languages, and other software knowledge. Students should be able to get a CNA, electrician’s or plumber’s license while they study to get their high school diploma. This will be funded by reducing the city bond indebtedness and by taxing Brown University, which owns one-third of the city but pays no legislatively forced property tax. Together we will add 150 new police officers to the police department by 2017. We need to go to the root of crime in Providence by increasing the size of the gang, narcotics and organized crime task force as well as by restricting zoning. To reduce auto-related crime, we will build more parking garages and offer free citywide on-street parking for residents, and we will repeal the car tax. Chris Young’s website is WhereToVote.com Thank you, Chris 477-6178
Chris Young – Response Christopher Young has run for mayor of Providence four times and received 26 percent of the vote in the 2006 election. After each of these prior elections, property taxes went up in Providence and the city has maintained one of the highest unemployment rates in the country. Providence also now has $2 billion of unfunded debt. Chris is the national director of the National Civil Rights Coalition and is an electrical engineer. He went from being an orphan in South Providence to going to Classical High school and graduating from Boston University. In past elections, we have learned that candidates for mayor of Providence can say all the right words – making promises they do not keep. Let us to work together, and this time let us stop the deception.
I would have reduced property taxes and debt, created jobs, repaired the potholes, and reduced crime. Together we will reduce taxes in Providence through a comprehensive strategic plan. First, we must increase revenue by reducing the city’s bond indebtedness by having a state bond issued at a lower interest rate and refi nancing our bond indebtedness interest rates to the lower rate. This will save millions that will be used to repeal the car excise tax, reduce residential and commercial property taxes, and fund programs. Second, we must have those who pay no taxes and who own over $1 billion in property assets, like Brown University, to begin to pay their fair share of taxes, excluding constitutionally protected religious institutions.
ELECTIONS
30 | August 29, 2014
The Jewish Voice
Guillaume de Ramel (D) – Secretary of State
G
DERAMEL.COM
uillaume de Ramel lives where he grew up – Aquidneck Island – with his wife Molly and their two young children, Charlie and Elizabeth. For generations, through the Prince Charitable Trusts and later the De Ramel Foundation, Guillaume and his family have supported educational, environmental, health care and social needs in Rhode Island. Whether it’s providing funding for a collaborative effort between Rhode Island Hospital and Brown University’s Neuroscience Institute, Rhode Islanders United for Marriage, Ocean State Action, or serving on the Coastal Resources Management Council, Guillaume has dedicated himself to improving the lives of Rhode Islanders. Today, he seeks to continue giving back to his community by becoming Rhode Island’s next secretary of state de Ramel has started businesses and helped grow a small Newport construction company, generating jobs in aviation, construction and real estate. He has seen how the business climate in R.I. suffers from too much red tape and too little action. Every business starts with the secretary of state, and Guillaume is dedicated to implementing important reforms to make R.I.competitive. Protecting every Rhode Islander’s right to vote – from voters stranded in-line to cast a ballot or a service member stationed overseas – he is committed to instituting meaningful improvements to make our state a beacon of civic participation in New England. Whether starting a business, casting a ballot or seeking public information, Guillaume believes as the next secretary of state that he can continue to make a difference in Rhode Island.
Nellie Gorbea (D) – Secretary of State
Questions posed to all candidates running Gen. Treasurer and Secretary of State 1. What would you do to make Rhode Island a more business-friendly state? 2. What do you propose to increase voter turnout at the primary and general elections
Guillaume de Ramel – Response I’ve started businesses in Rhode Island and seen fi rsthand how difficult it can be for businesses to get things done in our state, let alone stay profitable. Small businesses should not need a team of lawyers or an army of lobbyists to navigate our 74 regulatory bodies to be successful. If elected, I will provide a roadmap of our state government, implement a uniform business identification code to ease communications and, above all, make Rhode Island an easier place to do business. The time has come to modernize the way Rhode Islanders vote, and
we must increase voter participation. Adopting methods that have been successful in other states, such as in-person early voting, online voter registration and sameday voter registration is a start. I also want to boost accountability on the Board of Elections, a body that holds so much power over how ballots are cast, counted or not counted. My plan (www.deramel. com/ModernizeElections) will give the elected secretary of state a seat at the table, apply the Administrative Procedures Act and update statutes to be consistent with federal law.
NELLIEGORBEA.COM
N
ellie has deep roots in Rhode Island. You can see her commitment to serving our community in the many organizations she has helped lead, including: United Way of Rhode Island, the Women’s Fund of Rhode Island, Salve Regina University, Providence Chamber of Commerce – Innovation Providence Committee, R.I. Free Clinic, Gateway Healthcare, Neighborhood Health Plan of R.I., and the R.I. Latino Political Action Committee. She is founding president of the R.I. Latino Civic Fund. Nellie’s leadership has been recognized by many: Providence Business News which awarded her one of the 2009 Women to Watch, she received the 2013 César Estrada Chávez Award Committee and the 2013 Latino Public Radio Community Excellence Award. Nellie has over 20 years in the private and public sectors. A working mom and former deputy secretary of state (2002 to 2006), Nellie is ready to lead that office on day one.
As secretary of state, Nellie will make sure elections are fair, fast and accurate. She will make sure that businesses fi nd it easy to start and thrive. Finally, Nellie will shine a light on government, how it works and who is trying to influence government.
Nellie Gorbea – Response 1. Nellie Gorbea will streamline starting a business in R.I. In 2003, as deputy secretary of state, she led the creation of Rhode Island’s fi rst online business application. A one-stop portal is her next goal. Businesses should be able to get the licenses required to operate online. The secretary of state currently collects data that is not easy to use nor easily accessible to the public. When elected, Nellie will ensure that Rhode Islanders are able to easily access the information collected by the secretary of state. Nellie believes if information is not easy to get and easy to use, we should not spend tax-
payer dollars on it. 2. She believes that democracy works best when people actively participate in voting. Her goal is that all eligible voters can and do vote. She has 20 years of promoting civic engagement. As deputy secretary of state, she simplified voter and candidate information, created the statewide voter registration system and enabled voters to fi nd their information online. Nellie has the experience and knowledge to increase voting levels through public education campaigns, developing online voter registration and election system reform.
THE RACE FOR THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY Rhode Island House Primary
Rhode Island Senate Primary DISTRICT 2
DISTRICT 16
Ramon A. Perez, D Juan M. Pichardo, D Ana B. Quezada, D
Elizabeth A. Crowley, D Christine Lachapelle-Miller, D
DISTRICT 3
Stephen R. Archambault, D David A. Fasteson, D
Gayle L. Goldin, D Christopher Wall, D
DISTRICT 6
Mario Mancebo, D Harold M. Metts, D
DISTRICT 7
Frank A. Ciccone III, D Doris Mayleni Delossantos, D
DISTRICT 9
Thomas K. Jones, D Adam J. Satchell, D Debra G. Tocco, D
DISTRICT 22
DISTRICT 24
Marc A. Cote, D Lewis J. Pryeor, D
DISTRICT 33
Frank Hyde, D Leonidas P. Raptakis, D
DISTRICT 35
Mark W. Gee, R Kimberly Ann Page, R
DISTRICT 1
DISTRICT 16
Edith H. Ajello, D Nathanael B. Hannah, D
Michael S. Imbruglia, R Robert B. Lancia, R
DISTRICT 4
Kirk McDonough, D Peter G. Palumbo, D
DISTRICT 7
Jennifer M. Siciliano, D Joseph J. Solomon Jr., D
DISTRICT 10
Joseph N. Allen, R Sherry Roberts, R
J. Aaron Regunberg, D Miriam A. Ross, D Heather P. Tow-Yick, D Maria E. Cimini, D Daniel P. McKiernan, D Anibal Perez, D Scott A. Slater, D Raymond A. Tomasso, D
DISTRICT 11
Grace Diaz, D Laura Perez, D
DISTRICT 12
Joseph S. Almeida, D Anthony J. Roberson, D
DISTRICT 22
DISTRICT 29
DISTRICT 35
Spencer E. Dickinson, D Kathleen A. Fogarty, D
DISTRICT 39
Michael J. Picillo, R Justin Price, R
DISTRICT 43
Edward A. Doyle, D Deborah A. Fellela, D
DISTRICT 45
Mia A. Ackerman, D Paul Simoes, D
DISTRICT 46
John J. Cullen, D Jeremiah T. Ogrady, D
DISTRICT 48 Michael E. Connolly, D Steven F. Gamache, D
DISTRICT 52
Thomas Kane, D Karen L. Macbeth, D
DISTRICT 56
Shelby Maldonado, D Agostinho F. Silva, D
DISTRICT 57
James N. McLaughlin, D Ruth E. Ricciarelli, D
DISTRICT 58
Joseph M. Clark, D Carlos E. Tobon, D
DISTRICT 59
John T. Arcaro, D Jean Philippe Barros, D
DISTRICT 68
John W. Hanley, D Kenneth A. Marshall, D
DISTRICT 75
Lauren H. Carson, D Gregory W. Larson, D
ELECTIONS
thejewishvoice.org
August 29, 2014 |
31
No questions were asked of candidates running for Lieutenant Governor
Frank Ferri (D) – Lieutenant Governor
Ralph Mollis (D) – Lieutenant Governor
FRANKFERRI.ORG
I
n my family, we call it community. Growing up in Providence, when a neighbor was sick, or out of work, the neighborhood rallied around them. My mother cooked a little extra and shared whatever we had. In the Jewish tradition, it’s called tikun olam. I am running for lieutenant governor because of my commitment to our community. I will work to solve Rhode Island’s many challenges. I will advocate for entrepreneurs and small business to revitalize our economy. I will also be commited to healthcare reform. We can build our economy and provide for the social justice needs of our community. Frank grew up working at his grandparents’ Modern Ice Cream Parlor. For the last 30 years, his family has operated Town Hall Lanes. Frank and his husband Tony have been together for 33 years. They married in Vancouver in 2006.They got involved in Marriage Equality Rhode Island so they could get married in their home state. Upon passage of legislation he co-sponsored legalizing same-sex marriage in 2013, he renewed his vows on the fi rst day it was legal, with hundreds in attendance. In 2007 he ran for state representative. He won with more than 50 percent of the vote. In 2012, his Good Samaritan Overdose Protection Act legislation was enacted; protecting people from liability if they administer medication to a person they believe has overdosed. Ferri is a graduate of Classical High School in Providence and received a B.S. from Bryant College.
MOLLIS2014.COM
I
am an everyday Rhode Islander who is seeking to be your next lieutenant governor. As the father of three adult children, and grandfather of three young grandchildren, I am personally acquainted with the struggle many families face when their children and grandchildren are forced to leave the state to fi nd work. This is why I will focus on promoting policies that will generate growth and create jobs in Rhode Island. As we approach the primary, I would like to thank you for your consideration. He is a graduate of North Providence High School, Saint Anselm College and attended Southern New England School of Law. He was vice president/director of operations of a national pension and investment advisory fi rm, He worked in the private sector before becoming mayor of North Providence, where he was labeled a hands-on, business-oriented leader and proven results. He was elected secretary of state in 2006 and has introduced e-commerce tools for small business, made government more open and transparent, and has overseen initiatives resulting in record voter registrations and record turnout(s). In his second term as secretary of state, he has served on national boards and received numerous honors during his years in public service. He hopes to use his experience to transform the office of lieutenant governor into a customer service-friendly and business-oriented office to stimulate Rhode Island’s lagging economy. This statement was edited for length by Marty Cooper.
This statement was edited for length by Marty Cooper.
Frank Caprio (D) – General Treasurer
F
FRANKCAPRIO.COM
rank T. Caprio is a lifelong Rhode Islander who resides on the same street in Providence where his grandfather first settled when he immigrated to America 95 years ago. Frank’s career has focused on finance, law and public service. He has represented small businesses and individuals as an attorney and also has led acquisitions for a multinational company. Frank served as Rhode Island state treasurer from 2007-2010, as well as a former Finance Committee chairman for the Rhode Island Senate. Caprio has a proven track record of fighting for Rhode Island taxpayers. While general treasurer, Frank drastically lowered the fees the pension fund paid to Wall Street money managers and Rhode Island paid some of the lowest management fees in the country while outperforming national leading funds such as the California and Massachusetts pension funds as well as both the Harvard and Yale endowments. Caprio is married to his wife Gabriella and has two children, Ashley and Frank II. “If I am returned to the treasurer’s office, my first act would be to immediately stop the flow of Rhode Island taxpayer money to Wall Street money managers. When I left the office in 2010, Rhode Island paid on average $12 million a year in fees while outperforming our peers. Today, four years later, close to $80 million a year is paid to Wall Street while our returns have underperformed our peers. This trend needs to stop, and if elected as treasurer, I will do just that.”
Seth Magaziner (D) – General Treasurer
S
SETHMAGAZINER.COM
eth Magaziner is from Bristol and lives in Providence. He began his career as an elementary school teacher in rural Louisiana in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. He was vice president of Trillium Asset Management, which manages more than $1 billion in assets. He is a graduate of Brown University, and holds a Masters in Business Administration from Yale. Magaziner is a Democratic candidate for General Treasurer. I’m running for treasurer because I have a Blueprint for investing more in Rhode Island, to create jobs here. As treasurer, I will use the office as an engine for economic growth and job creation. I will invest in rebuilding our infrastructure, putting people back to work fixing our roads, bridges and schools. I’m an investment professional, and I will bring a steady hand to our state’s finances, and ensure we never have to go through another painful pension reform. I have been endorsed by both business and labor leaders, as well as by former Rep. Patrick Kennedy and President Bill Clinton. I’m optimistic about the future of Rhode Island, and know that with new leadership and investment in our state, we can put Rhode Islanders back to work.
Questions asked to all candidates running for General Treasurer: 1. What would you do to make Rhode Island a more business-friendly state? 2. What do you propose to increase voter turnout at the primary and general elections?
Frank Caprio – Response 1. The treasurer’s office can be a catalyst for job creation and economic growth. I’ve proposed a Small Business Loan Program to help businesses get the access to capital they need to grow and create jobs. Currently, the pension fund makes loans all over the world, not necessarily in R.I. I will change this practice immediately. Our small businesses are too often bogged down in government red tape. My vision for the treasurer’s office is for it to be an advocate for all Rhode Islanders and businesses providing superior on-demand
customer-service, helping anyone who needs a guide through Rhode Island’s economic policies. 2. Low voter turnout happens because, sadly, many people feel they have no voice in how Rhode Island is operated at the State House. The only way of changing this trend is to elect the right people that get results for Rhode Islanders. Engaging with communities and showing them that positive change can occur is the way to re-engage the public by using their voices at the polls.
Seth Magaziner – Response I am the only candidate in the treasurer’s race with a plan to invest in Rhode Island and put people back to work. Our infrastructure is crumbling and our investment in education is shameful. Businesses want to relocate to states with the infrastructure to manufacture and transport their products. My Blueprint for Rhode Island invests in our state to create jobs here, now and in the future. I will also make a clean break from the insider politics and mismanagement that are holding our state back. Businesses don’t want government to pick winners and losers—that’s what
the private sector is for. Businesses want leaders who are committed to growing the economy and creating jobs. Rhode Island is facing some tough challenges. We have the highest unemployment rate in the country, and are plagued by a culture of insider politics and mismanagement. It’s time for fresh ideas and new leadership. People aren’t excited to vote for more of the same – they’re excited for new faces and new ideas. My campaign is rallying support from Rhode Islanders from Cumberland to Westerly and everywhere in between.
ELECTIONS
32 | August 29, 2014
Aaron Regunberg (D) – State Representative | District 4 REGUNBERGFORREP.COM
A
aron Regunberg is an education advocate who has a proven track record of winning real progress on critical issues in Providence. Four years ago, Aaron founded the Providence Student Union, a nationally recognized youth nonprofit that supports young people in civic engagement and has received the Rhode Island Foundation’s Best Practices Award and the ACLU’s Civil Libertarian of the Year Award. He has spent the last four years bringing students, parents and educators together to win real change in our schools, including healthier school lunch options, more bus services for our children, repairs for crumbling school buildings, more student-centered learning and more. Aaron graduated magna cum laude from Brown University with a B.A. in Political Science. While there, he led a campaign to successfully pressure Brown to pay $30 million to the City of Providence for tax relief. He believes that we’re all better off when we have a fairer tax structure, and as state representative he will fight to reduce property taxes on our families and small businesses by increasing state aid to cities and towns. Aaron fell in love with Providence the moment he moved here, and lives in the Mount Hope neighborhood. He serves on the board of directors of the Billy Taylor House, a youth enrichment and workforce development program in Mount Hope.
The Jewish Voice
Questions asked to all candidates running for State Representative | District 4: 1. Do you believe the minimum wage should be increased? If so, by what amount and how would it be implemented? 2. To create constitutionally required balanced budget, the State has had to slash and underfund much-needed programs important to the people and vital to the future prosperity of Rhode Island. Based upon current trends, deficits are projected in the coming year. As a leader, how are you going to lead us out of this situation?
Aaron Regunberg – Response As Jews, we have an obligation to carry out tzedekah. This doesn’t mean charity; it means justice, and I believe it is an injustice that fellow Rhode Islanders can work full time and live in poverty. Research shows that raising the minimum wage – by increasing low-wage workers’ spending power – also contributes to job growth. That is why I support raising the minimum wage to a living wage and tying this rate to infl ation. For the last decade our General Assembly has pursued tax policies
that have resulted in a more regressive tax structure. For example, the state cut income tax rates at the upper margins, and offset the revenue loss by cutting state aid to cities and town, forcing municipalities to raise regressive property and excise taxes on families and businesses. As state representative, I will fi ght for a tax structure that is fair for all Rhode Islanders and that allows our state to make the investments – in education, infrastructure, etc. – that are fundamental to a strong economy.
Miriam Ross (D) – State Representative | District 4 MIRIAMROSSRI.COM
M
iriam Ross is a seasoned, experienced and trusted business attorney, community leader, teacher and mother. Rhode Island has been Miriam’s home for 28 years; she met her husband, Gary Kaufman, here and together raised their two children, Josh and Rachel, in Providence. She worked as an in-house attorney for Textron and GTECH, negotiating domestic and international business transactions, drafting ethics policies, conducting confidential investigations and managing ethics programs in 83 jurisdictions on six continents. In 2004, she established her own law firm, providing legal services to women, minorities and small businesses. Ross also teaches courses on business ethics, governance and election law at Roger Williams University Law School. She has been and continues to be involved in, committed to and passionate about Rhode Island. Miriam received the U.S. SBA’s Woman in Business Champion of the Year Award for Rhode Island and New England in recognition of her work as an advocate on small business issues and as a trusted legal advisor and mentor to entrepreneurs and business owners. She has consistently volunteered in the legal, business and local community, serving on city and statewide task forces, including the Providence Economic Task Force, Continuing Legal Education and Business Organizations Committees and a co-chair of the U.S.-SBA RI Economic Summit. She is on the board of Jewish Family Service, Temple Emanu-El Finance Committee and the Rhode Island Interfaith Commemoration of The Holocaust. Miriam received her B.A. at the University of Michigan and earned her J.D. at Cleveland State University, College of Law.
Heather Tow-Yick (D) – State Representative | District 4 TOWYICKFORTOMORROW.COM
H
eather Tow-Yick grew up in Providence and is a fourth generation resident of District 4. She started her educational journey at the Jewish Community Center, later attending Henry Barnard and Moses Brown. After graduating with a B.A. from Brown University, Heather moved to New York, where she started her professional career through Teach For America as an English and Social Studies teacher in the Bronx. While in New York, she earned a Master of Arts in Teaching from Columbia University Teachers College. After several years training new teachers and serving as the special assistant to the chancellor of the New York City Department of Education, Heather earned an M.B.A. at M.I.T.’s Sloan School of Management. Heather moved back to New York City, integrating her passion for mission-driven work with her interest in business by joining the Bridgespan Group as a strategy consultant. After a few years, she returned to Teach For America, this time as a member of the Human Assets team. In 2010, Heather became the founding executive director of Teach For America – Rhode Island. Heather continues to serve as the executive director at Teach for America – Rhode Island. In 2011, she was recognized by Providence Monthly as “Top 10 to Watch,” and, in 2012, she was selected by Providence Business News as “Forty Under 40.” Heather lives in Providence in the same house where she grew up, and is married to Lt. Cmdr. William Clark, U.S. Navy.
Miriam Ross – Response I support raising the minimum wage to $10.10 by 2015 and indexing it to the cost of living consistent with what Rhode Island’s congressional delegation is advocating at the federal level. Economic growth is the chief solution to Rhode Island’s fi scal issues, which will boost our state’s tax revenue. A growing economy means more jobs and greater funding for cities and towns, especially for our schools and underfunded programs. I will advocate for: rebuilding Rhode Island’s infrastructure and renovating our public schools using local resources to create jobs; partnering RI businesses with CCRI and high schools to develop training programs for needed skills; restoring the historic tax credit to revitalize urban spaces; re-focusing state investments on RI small businesses; reducing/eliminating the $500 minimum tax on new businesses; keeping the personal income tax rate competitive; and supporting affordable housing, public transit and similar initiatives to build a sustainable community. Most importantly, I will champion pro-growth economic policies that facilitate and attract investment, business development and generate economic activity. I will advocate for rationalizing our business regulations to make doing business in Rhode Island predictable, straightforward, hospitable and efficient.
Heather Tow-Yick – Response Raising the minimum wage will improve the economic well-being of Rhode Islanders and strengthen the state’s economy. When we give working families a boost with an increase in the minimum wage, we know that these families will go out and spend their hard-earned money at local businesses. Overall, we also know that making a living on minimum wage puts families at a real disadvantage at or below the poverty line, so when we show a commitment to increasing this over time, we are showing a commitment to working families. The minimum wage should in increased on Jan. 1, 2016, to $10 per hour and on Jan. 1, 2017, to $11 per hour which mirrors the increases passed in Massachusetts during last session. Rhode Island wants to remain competitive with our neighboring states. However, beyond 2017, our minimum wage should be indexed to inflation to keep pace with increased costs for families. A legislator needs to know about how to manage budgets for the short and long term. In addition, knowing how to both raise revenue and manage ex-
penses are the two sides of the budget equation, and we must do both effectively. On the revenue side, we must find more ways to grow our economy. We can invest more in small and new businesses. We can restore the historic tax credits. And we should be investing in public education to ensure we have qualified workers in the state to fill positions. As for expenses, we should be asking questions about whether we are spending money on the highest impact activities. And, we should ensure we are doing whatever we can to show fiscal responsibility for the dollars that are spent so we know whether the intended impact is achieved. My own experience managing a budget of over $2 million in my role as an executive director with Teach For America to my responsibility at my first job matching the receipts with the cash register at my family’s restaurant business position me to effectively lead our state toward a financially sustainable future.
SENIORS
thejewishvoice.org
August 29, 2014 |
33
The limits of extenuating circumstance The English translation of the Bible, often referred to as the King James Version (KJV) of 1611, brought the noun, corruption, and particularly its verb, corrupt, into the mainstream of ethical discourse and community standards. Corruption had then arisen OF SCIENCE from nearob scu r it y, & SOCIETY been transformed into STANLEY M. a common ARONSON, M.D. human attribute and now represented an impediment to one’s spiritual health. Corruption, formerly defining an adverse state of affairs, further evolved into a synonym for man’s imperfect, corruptible nature. Corruption then reached into the marketplace becoming an occasional adjective for shady mercantile interactions, egregious manufactur-
ing schemes and even politics. Where corruption had once lingered at the margins of society, it now became central to the affairs of mankind, the embodiment of human evil. Corruption was then viewed as an inevitable event in the progress of an evolving society. Man, however, is not alone even when he is apart from others. He is a creature who interacts with the many others of his species, as well as with himself. But with the advent of monotheism, man’s flawed interactions with other humans came more to the fore; and divine judgment – once a prerogative shared by many gods, some more merciful than others – was now the unyielding task of but one. Judgment, rendered by a diverse committee, had sometimes been capriciously unpredictable; but now it was remorselessly vindictive and certain. “Thou art weighed in the balances, and found wanting.” (Daniel 5:27) And so, accepting the reality of human corruption, there are hopes for the return of a panel of very human judges: “Anticipating mercy where even the
innocent may get off.” Few humans lead lives untainted by moral corruption. Living alone in some remote cave or in an uninhabited desert isle may indeed remove all corrupting influences, thus leaving the hermit to confront the greater sin of aloofness from, and disengagement with, the messy chores of interacting humanity.
“Few humans lead lives untainted by moral corruption.” Accordingly, a human may be judged not so much by his righteous actions in the absence of human intercourse but by the ways his interactions with the few affect the welfare of the many. Judgment may be easy to reach in a traffic court or in a dispute whether a fly-ball is a foul or a home run since the declared rules are unambiguous and so free of nuance that even a computer can readily be made the presiding judge.
But consider a scenario where corruption of the soul is so intense and the human interactions so evil that the phrase “extenuating circumstances” has lost all meaning. Such a place was the World War II extermination camp in south-central Poland called Auschwitz (Oswiecim). During its tenure (1940-1945), 1.1 million Jews, and about 340,000 others of many ethnicities or religions, were killed, principally with the lethal gas, Zyklon B. Auschwitz was but one of many such concentration camps in Eastern Europe, yielding a documented murder of close to 10 million humans. Put aside for a moment any consideration of that vast evil called the Holocaust. Imagine yourself as a Jewish storekeeper in Brussels; you are arrested and, in 1943, shipped by freight train to Auschwitz. You arrive bewildered, frightened and separated from your family. You are then assigned to a barracks already crowded with refugees from many parts of Europe. Because you are healthy and conversant in German, French and
Yiddish, the SS guards select you for the grim duty of herding prisoners to the gas chambers. You have become a Sonderkommando; and in return for your services, your diet is supplemented and your murder is delayed. And so, after this place of horror has been freed of Nazi control, this former prisoner is brought to trial on charges of abetting the extermination of untold thousands. The prisoner contends that this court’s standards of justice examines but one link in an evil chain that culminates in a world indifferent to genocide. Accordingly, the prisoner refuses to defend himself or his actions, saying that there is no human tribunal so free of human corruption that it can, in unprejudiced conscience, render judgment of his specific behavior. STANLEY M. ARONSON, M.D. (smamd@cox.net) is dean of medicine emeritus at Brown University.
Chance meeting leads to a September song They cut a fine figure and make a handsome pair – like a couple from a classic play or movie. Patricia is a painter with a studio in the Hope Artiste Village and is a distinguished member of the Providence Art Club. Jim has been a Realtor around Rhode Island but is currently a Florida resident. They met at a party on a New Year’s Eve, and my wife recalls every detail of their encounter.
SKETCHBOOK MIKE FINK
On New Year’s, Jim reminded Patricia that he had always admired her, since Hope High. The wedding took place shortly thereafter in Las Vegas. He has a platinum or white-gold ponytail that totally matches and suits her latest look. They care for one another with devotion and dedication. It’s a great thing to see them at any affair! Like a ducal or even royal couple, they confer elegance on every occasion. Well, Jim grew up in the Jewish Orphanage on the site of the Miriam Hospital. More or less. His brothers were there, but he was first sent to a series of foster homes. Their mother was suffering from tuberculosis, from which she died. Their father had gone off to seek his fortune on the West Coast. Their wider family, in Poland, was wiped out completely by the
Germans and their collaborators. Profoundly homeless, Jim craved a place he might call his own, which explains, perhaps, how he came to be interested in real estate, in property. There were plenty of orphans in the world of his boyhood and a great abundance of childhood deaths, but Jim is a survivor and was a loyal brother. His siblings fought in World War II in American uniforms, and one brother, Ben, stayed on in Paris long enough to paint the Weiss saga. Jacob died shortly after victory, liberation, whatever term you might choose. Yes, briefly, on the West Coast, they met their father, but Jim and his brother Charlie stayed in California until the Orphanage brought them back, to Camp JORI and to foster families, and to the Summit Avenue facility. Jim was the youngest, most isolated, and final resident. He represents, to me, the solitude of the orphans of our shared generation. Jim also is an artist, in more ways than one. He makes images but also collects the work of others and, through his marriage to Patricia, he participates in the wider and more open world of artist colonies and concerns. Rhode Island, of course, was a place of real significance throughout the Duration. We know that submarines lay threateningly like strange sharks underneath Narragan-
direct quote, it’s just the jist of what she said, but the words were wise and warm. She knew all the fine points of his past as well as his present. Their coiffures may be current in color and style, but their faces tell the tale better than my sentences. She retains the very fine features and intelligent expression of her highschool years of social poise and thoughtful responsiveness. He seems to seek the same secure, bountiful and friendly qualities he has been searching for loyally and lavishly among his alliances, and he has found them supremely here in Divine Providence!
Patricia and Jim sett Bay and rivers because of the Kaiser Shipyard and also, of course, due to the Seabees at Quonset Point as well as the naval base in Newport. Those subs seemed to have been lurking since World War I, the one that was supposed to end military conflict and launch a world of poetry and peace. But Jim and Pat’s generation experienced the war within the intimacy of their imprinted early years. Jim can barely remember his mother’s face. Perhaps when he met Patricia he sensed that he could rely on her judgment, her integrity, as well as her beauty. He remembers her as a high-school girl, tall, stately and lovely. He had loved her at Hope and held out a dream that became a reality, like the lyrics to a lovely ballad. Jim has not found solace in
religion, but Judaism is a faith not based upon belief in magical miracles but in glimpses of gentleness and care in the midst of the ordinary. There is something Jewish about Pat and Jim, and I toast them and their alliance with friendship, respect, affection and the very highest and most grateful regard! I had a superb luncheon last month at the University Club with Patricia, and she narrated the details of their rendezvous, their shared destiny, and their seasons since their almost Biblical seven-year life together, first in East Greenwich and now at the Wayland Manor. “It’s almost as though it was our magnetic fate to meet again and help and protect each other and look out for each other’s welfare.” Not sure that’s a
MIKE FINK, mfink33@aol. com, teaches at RISD.
Cranston seniors meet Sept. 3 C R A N S T O N S E N I O R GUILD will meet at 1 p.m., Sept. 3 at Tamarisk Assisted Living, 3 Shalom Drive, Warwick. Author Adam Wasserman will be the guest speaker. Wasserman has written several books. He will be available to answer questions and sign books. There will be refreshments and a raffle. All men and women 50 years and older are welcome to join. (You do not have to be a Cranston resident.)
BUSINESS
34 | August 29, 2014
The Jewish Voice
Business and Professional Directory BAr/ BAr mitzvAh/ PhotogrAPhy
Attorney
Assisting with reAl estAte
Howard L. Feldman, Esq. Law Office of Stephen J. Dennis
Diane Lazarus, MBA, GRI
127 Dorrance Street, 3rd Fl., Suite 7A Providence, RI 02903
Group Leader | Broker Associate Cell: 401.640.1658 Email: lazawoman@cox.net
P: (401) 453-1355
Residential & Commercial
F: (401) 453-6670
CPA
CAmerA serivCes MST P F S
C P A MBA
Larry B. Parness Nikki M. Parness, CFP® Thinking outside the box
FOR ALL YOUR ADVERTISING NEEDS CONTACT:
Tricia Stearly
Full service financial firm providing Business/Individual Consulting Tax Preparation Financial Planning 401-454-0900 • parnessl@ix.netcom.com 128 Dorrance St. • Suite 520 • Providence, RI 02903 You’ve known me for your taxes... Now see us for the rest of your financial story.
401-421-4111, ext. 160 tstearly@jewishallianceri.org
Coins
generAl serviCes
WE BUY COINS & JEWELRY WE BUY & SELL RARE COINS, GOLD JEWELRY & BULLION NOW AVAILABLE
• GOLD COINS • RARE COINS • CURRENCY • STAMPS • GOLD JEWELRY & WATCHES • ANTIQUES, STERLING SILVER • COINS & BARS • US AND FOREIGN • PCGS-NGC authorized
BEST PRICES
PODRAT COIN EXCHANGE, INC. 769 Hope St., Providence SAME LOCATION SINCE 1969 • LC 8041
Eagle Silver Dollars, Gold Coin, & Estate Jewelry and Silver, Proof Sets, Coin & Stamp Albums
Serving banks, attorneys, estates and the public for over 40 years.
401-861-7640
heAlth & wellness Medi-Weightloss Clinics
home imProvement
Northwest landscape
®
V
Deep
Medically Supervised Weight Loss that Works! West Bay 80 Lambert Lind Highway • Warwick 401-739-7900
East Bay 1235 Wampanoag Trail • Forbes Plaza 401-433-1800
www.mediweightlossclinics.com
ADVERTISE in The Jewish Voice. You’ll be glad you did.
• Lawn Cuts • Spring Cleanups • Shrub Pruning • New Shrubs & Trees • Sod & Seed • Mulch Free Estimates
Bill | 632-1887
Tricia Stearly 401-421-4111, ext. 160 | tstearly@jewishallianceri.org
BUSINESS
thejewishvoice.org
August 29, 2014 |
35
The Jewish Voice Classifieds HELP WANTED
JOB WANTED
BABYSITTER: Looking for part-time babysitter in Barrington to pick up and care for 1 and 5 year old. Varied schedule. 2:308:30 p.m. or 5:30-8:30 p.m. Excellent driving record & references. Please call 646-942-0455.
Part-time or full-time home care, respite care, companion services, activity director, or teaching aide. Trained in Alzheimer’s management, CPR, nutrition training and respite care. Certified with clean BCI. References available. Please contact Harry at 434-1116 or 556-7241.
HOUSECLEANING
The Jewish Voice is happy to welcome the following to our family of ADVERTISERS. Please tell them you saw their ad in The Jewish Voice.
FOR THE CHAGIM AND ONWARD With years of domestic service in Israel, she’ll clean your home with a Hamish touch. Glowing references. Call Paz or Joel At 401-521-4014
EAST BAY MEDICAL CENTER FRIENDS OF CLAY PELL FRIENDS OF GINA RAIMONDO GUILLAUME De RAMEL
JOB WANTED Activities director, elderly services, respite care or companion. Friendly, caring and outgoing! Speaks English, Hebrew and Spanish and some French. Please call Harry at 401-556-7241.
TO PLACE A CLASSIFIED AD:
Contact Tricia Stearly, tstearly@jewishallianceri.org or 401-421-4111, ext. 160.
Business and Professional Directory paving
inSuRance
Jeffrey G. Brier
Watch RepaiR & SaleS Bob Knych
WE ARE THE BIGGEST IN RI BECAUSE WE ARE THE BEST
CLU, ChFC, CASL
Brier & Brier
245 Waterman Street, #505 Providence, RI 02906 jbrier@brier-brier.com | www.Brier-Brier.com 401-751-2990
Gem Paving and Seal Coating
Bus. (401) 725-6705 (401) 475-1010 NEW! – BrierTermQuote.com Pawtucket, RI 02860
Free Estimates Fully Insured Lic# 20547
Better Than a Billboard
FOR LESS THAN $29 PER ISSUE, YOUR BUSINESS CARD CAN BE HERE! PREPAID AT $675 FOR 24 ISSUES/ONE YEAR. Tricia Stearly: 401-421-4111, ext. 160 | tstearly@jewishallianceri.org
3 GENERATIONS SERVICING THE USA SINCE 1940
Factory Authorized Service Center for: Glycine, Luminox, Victorinox Swiss Army, Mondaine, Torgoen, Swarovski and more... OVER 1 MILLION WATCHES REPAIRED FREE ESTIMATES WHILE YOU WAIT
1024 Reservoir Ave Cranston, RI, 02910 401-946-0930
117 Swinburne Row Brick Market Place Newport, RI, 02840 401-789-0065
www.saltzmans-watches.com
OBITUARIES
36 | August 29, 2014
The Jewish Voice
Hasbro family matriarch called leader and humanitarian Sylvia K. (Kay) Hassenfeld, 93, international leader, human rights activist and philanthropist, died Aug. 15. She was the wife of the late Merrill L. Hassenfeld. Born in Pennsylvania, the daughter of Joseph and Sophie (Flieglman) Kay, she was a resident of Palm Beach, Florida, and had lived in Providence for many years. Mrs. Hassenfeld has been described as “one of the most significant leaders in the American Jewish community of the 20th century.” In her more than 50 years of national and international humanitarian leadership, she served as the first woman president of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC). As president of the JDC, she initiated the International Development Program (IDP), which provides nonsectarian aid in times of crisis. Begun in response to the needs engendered by the Armenian earthquake, the IDP continues to provide vital emergency aid throughout the world. Also during her tenure as president, she oversaw JDC’s return
to the former Soviet Union, the rescue of Jews and Muslims from Sarajevo, and Operation Solomon, which rescued more than 14,000 Ethiopian Jews via airlift in just 36 hours. At her funeral Aug. 19, Rabbi Leslie Y. Gutterman, of Temple Beth-El in Providence, described her life as dedicated to giving and philanthropy. “Sylvia Hassenfeld’s was one of the strongest and most persistent voices of our land that challenged our individual and collective Jewish conscience to the needs of the Jewish people, as well as the poor, the disenfranchised, the underdogs of all races, of all religions, of all nations,” he said. At the time of her death, Mrs. Hassenfeld was the president of the Hassenfeld Foundation, a trustee of the NYU Langone Medical Center (NYULMC), a member of the executive committee of the board of the Israel Museum, a director of the Society of the Four Arts in Palm Beach and a board member of Hospice of Palm Beach. A champion of children’s
CANDLE LIGHTING SCHEDULE 5774 -5775 (2014–2015) Providence, Rhode Island September, 2014
October, 2014
5 6:56 12 6:36 19 6:35 24 Rosh Hashanah 6:21 25 Rosh Hashanah (after) 7:22 26 6:16
3 Erev Yom Kippur 4 Yom Kippur 8 Erev Sukkot 9 Sukkot 10 Sukkot 15 Hoshanah Rabbah 16 Shemini Atzeret 17 Simchat Torah 24 31
November, 2014 6:04 7:05 5:56 6:57 5:52 5:44 6:46 5:41 5:31 5:21
7 14 21 28
4:13 4:06 4:01 3:57
Daylight savings time ends Nov. 2. 2014
5 12 19 26
December, 2014 3:55 3:55 3:57 4:01
2 9 16 23 30
January, 2015 4:07 4:13 4:21 4:30 4:38
6 13 20 27
February, 2015 4:47 4:56 5:05 5:13
Daylight savings time resumes March 10, 2013
March, 2015 6 13 20 27
April, 2015 5:21 6:29 6:37 6:45
3 4 9 10 11 17 24
June, 2015 5 12 19 26
Erev/Pesach
1st day of Pesach 2nd day ofPesach 7th day of Pesach 8th Pesach ends
May, 2015 6:53 7:58 6:59 7:00 8:06 7:08 7:15
1 8 15 22 23 Erev Shavu’ot 24 Shavu’ot (after) 29
July, 2015 7:56 8:00 8:03 8:04
3 10 17 24 31
7:23 7:31 7:38 7:45 8:58 8:59 7:51
August, 2015 8:04 8:01 7:59 7:52 7:45
7 14 21 23
7:37 7:27 7:17 7:17
28
7:06
The above times are for Providence, RI. Other areas around the region may vary by a few minutes.
Courtesy of Chabad Rhode Island
causes, Mrs. Hassenfeld served on the board of the Hasbro Children’s Foundation and was instrumental in establishing the Stephen D. Hassenfeld Children’s Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders at NYULMC. She was the driving force behind the current development of a dedicated children’s hospital at NYULMC; the Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital is slated to open in 2017. In addition, Mrs. Hassenfeld served as national chair of the Women’s Division of the United Jewish Appeal and vice-chair of the Jerusalem Foundation, as well as a number of other leadership roles at national and international Jewish organizations, including the board of the United Israel Appeal and the board of governors of the Jewish Agency. Board member emerita of Hasbro, Inc., Mrs. Hassenfeld served as a director on the company’s board for more than 20 years. As a leader in academia, she served as vice chair of the board at Brandeis University and on the advisory committee of the Hopkins-Nanjing Center, a program jointly administered by Johns Hopkins University and Nanjing University in Nanjing, China. She received an honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters from Brandeis University in 1998. Distinguished historian, former president of Brandeis and longtime friend, Jehuda Reinharz, who bestowed an honorary degree on Mrs. Hassenfeld, described her as a dynamic individual who was instrumental in getting things accomplished while on the board of directors. She was one of the “most remarkable women of our generation,” he said at the funeral.
Mrs. Hassenfeld has been recognized internationally by numerous educational, cultural and civic organizations for her diplomatic skills and her role in protecting human rights, promoting religious freedom, influencing social policy and assuring services to children in need. Among her many honors and awards, she was made an honorary citizen of Jerusalem in recognition for her lifelong efforts on behalf of Jerusalem and its citizens. She was also a presidential appointee to the United States Holocaust Memorial Council under three different presidents, awarded the Emma Lazarus Statue of Liberty Award by the American Jewish Historical Society for “contributions to improving the human condition” and honored by the National Conference of Christians and Jews. Mrs. Hassenfeld is survived by her two children, Alan Hassenfeld and Ellen Hassenfeld Block; three grandchildren, Laurie Block, Michael Block and Susan Block Casdin; two great-grandchildren. Kinsey and Blaisdell Casdin; and Vivi-
en Hassenfeld (wife of Alan) and Alexander Casdin (husband of Susan). She was predeceased by her husband, Merrill Hassenfeld and her son Stephen D. Hassenfeld. In lieu of flowers, contributions in her memory may be made to the Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital at NYULMC, One Park Ave., 17th Floor, New York, New York 10016, Attn: Grace Ko.
OBITUARIES Lester Chafetz, 84 SHAWNEE MISSION, KAN. – Lester Chafetz Ph.D., formerly of Overland Park, Kansas, died July 23 at Shawnee Mission Medical Center, Kansas. A native of Providence and a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, he was a distinguished research scientist who loved his family, chamber music, the University of Wisconsin and a good joke. He is survived by his wife, Jan Chafetz; two children, Jill Chafetz, Ph.D., and Glenn Chafetz, Ph.D.; two grandchildren; and many friends. He was predeceased by brothers, Joseph Chafetz and Prof. Sidney Chafetz. In lieu of flowers, donations to the American Lung Association can be made in his memory at http://lung.org/donate/memorial-honor-gifts/.
Sandra Cobden, 79
WARWICK, R.I. – Sandra Cobden died Aug. 23 at home surrounded by her loving family. She was the beloved wife of the
late Harry Cobden. Born in Pawtucket, a daughter of the late Jacob and Natalie (Turick) Crovitz, she had lived in Warwick for 49 years, previously residing in Cranston. Sandra was a teacher in the Warwick School District and in the Religious School at Temple Am David and the former Temple Beth Israel for 45 years, retiring eight years ago. She was a member of RIAFT/Retirees Local 8037. Sandra was a graduate of Rhode Island College of Education, now Rhode Island College, receiving a bachelor’s degree in 1957 and a master’s degree in 1964, both in education. Devoted mother of Andrew Cobden and his wife, Claire, of Newton, Mass., and Judith Cobden and her wife, Rebecca Laverriere, of Warwick. Dear sister of the late Herbert Cro-
vitz. Sandra loved her dog, Milo. In lieu of flowers, contributions in her memory may be made to Woman & Infants Breast Health Center Development Foundation, c/o Philanthropy or East Greenwich Animal Protection League.
Elijah L. Friedman, 28
WARWICK, R.I. – Elijah L. Friedman died suddenly Aug. 17 at his home. Born in Providence, he was the son of Sharon Kurtzer and Robert Sand, both of Warwick. A lifelong Warwick resident, he was dedicated to the field of addiction treatment and recovery. Elijah was a graduate of Rhode Island College and Toll Gate High School, and was a former counselor at Camp JORI. Dear brother of Mirah Sand of Boston, Mass. Loving grandson of Minnie Kurtzer of Warwick and Isadore and Dorie Sand of Mequon, Wis. Adored nephew of Steven and Donna White, the late Ellen Kurtzer-White, SteOBITUARIES | 37
OBITUARIES
thejewishvoice.org
FROM PAGE 36
OBITUARIES
ven and Ilene Sand, and Michael and Marcia Sand. Cherished cousin of Hannah, Dena, Tami, Beka, Sagalle, Ben, Mark, Miriam, Mitchel and Mathew. In lieu of flowers, contributions in his memory may be made to PONI Program – Miriam Hospital, c/o Michelle McKenzie, 164 Summit Ave., Providence, R.I. 02906.
Anne Kay, 103
PROVIDENCE – Anne Kay (Factor) of Providence died Aug. 17 at Miriam Hospital. She was the loving wife of the late Louis Kay, daughter of the late Sol and Tillie (Wenger) Factor and sister of the late Dr. Joseph Factor. Born in Boston, Mass., Anne received her R.N. degree from the Beth Israel Hospital School of Nursing, a B.S. degree in nursing education from Boston University and a certificate in public health nursing from Simmons College. She was the long-time and dedicated stepmother of Judith Spindell and mother-in-law of Dr. Edward Spindell. All three enjoyed many happy and companionable times together. She leaves her attentive and devoted grandchildren, Julie Corwin, Chaim Cohen and his wife, Michal, Dr. Faith Tobias and her husband, Peter, and Pamela Greiner, and dear greatgrandchildren, Yonah, Shira, Mason and Kaden. She is also survived by her caring nephew, Sol Factor and his wife, Charlene, and nieces, Eleanor, Sandra, Beverly, Gail, Sharon, and brother-in-law, Eli. She will be long remembered for her independent spirit, her wit, style and humor. Donations may be made to Hadassah or to a charity of choice.
Marion Cecelia Levy, 93
CRANSTON, R.I. – Marion Cecelia Levy died on Aug. 14 in San Rafael, Calif., where she moved in May. She was the youngest, and last surviving child of the late Morris and Sarah (Gross-
man) Tolchinsky. She was the wife of Robert R. (Uncle Bob) Levy from 1945 until his death in 1991. Her children, Raymond and Elaine (and husband, Tom McBirnie) live in the San Francisco Bay Area. Before she was a teenager, she became an aunt when her eldest brother, Harry Tolchinsky and his wife Minnie had a son, Stanley. They have all since passed away as have her other siblings and their spouses: Dorothy Shaw, Martin Tolchinsky, Sophie Pedlikin Horovitz, Gertrude Jacobson, and Freida Sperling. She was a 1939 graduate of Hope High School in Providence. In addition to raising her family, she was a bookkeeper for many small businesses in the Providence area. Her husband Bob was in the Army until 1956 and together they traveled widely during his military service and whenever they got a chance after that. She continued to enjoy traveling into her late 80s. She also enjoyed playing Mah Jongg and bridge with her friends, aerobics classes and other activities at the Cranston Senior Center, movies, plays and concerts and gardening. In her later years she developed a passion for the Boston Red Sox and the Boston Celtics. She was always a gracious hostess and family and friends spent many happy occasions around her table and in her backyard enjoying her homemade goodies. In the 1990s she survived both breast and lung cancer and was able to maintain an active life She is survived by her children and son-in-law and numerous nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews and their children – on both sides of the family. The only surviving family members of her generation are Bob’s youngest sister, Brenda Levy Hoffman, and her brother Martin’s ex-wife Ruth LaBush Tolchinsky. She was fortunate to have many close
friends of her generation, only a few of whom survive her. Her final hours were eased by the caring staff of Hospice by the Bay. She supported many charities, especially those that aided veterans or sought cures for diseases. With her husband, she had been a volunteer for Meals on Wheels and for some of the fraternal, religious and veterans organizations in which they were active. A strong advocate of education, she was generous to any of her student-relatives who needed extra money for their studies. She was a longtime member of Hadassah, B’nai B’rith, Hebrew Free Loan and Temple Sinai. The family suggests a memorial donation to your favorite charity. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Sept. 14 at Shalom Memorial Chapel, 1100 New London Ave., Cranston, followed by a reception at the Radisson Hotel.
Libby Morse, 102
DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA. – Libby Morse (Dinerstein) of Deerfield Beach, formerly of North Dartmouth, Mass., passed away on Aug. 24 after a long illness. She was the beloved wife for 65 years of the late I. Edward Morse. She was the loving mother of William B. Morse and his wife Riesha of Deerfield Beach, Fla., and Rosalyn B. Geller and her husband Alan of Scottsdale, Ariz., and West Newbuary, Mass.; devoted grandmother of Dr. Michael Morse and his wife Emy Louie of Raleigh, N.C., Lisa Oren and her husband Brian of Ridgefield, Conn., Dr. Michele Geller and her husband Robert Naftoly of Georgetown, Mass., and Jeffrey Geller and his wife Gabrielle of Arlington, Mass.; cherished great-grandmother to Amber Morse, Lindsey and Jessica Oren, Gabriel, Eliza and Rebecca Naftoly, and Nora and Henry Geller. She is also survived by loving nieces and nephews. For many years, she worked
with her late husband in the family business, People’s Super Markets. She was a member of Tifereth Israel Congregation and its Sisterhood, Hadassah, and the National Council of Jewish Women. Memorial contributions in her memory may be made to Tifereth Israel Congregation, 145 Brownell Ave., New Bedford, Mass. 02740 or to the charity of your choice.
Edith Perlow
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Edith Perlow of Summit Commons died Aug. 15 at the Commons. She was the beloved wife of the late Joseph Perlow. Born in Providence, a daughter of the late Harry and Jennie B. (Belford) Zakoff, she had lived in Pawtucket for 37 years before moving back to Providence two years ago. She was the devoted mother of Steven Perlow and his wife Gail of Lincoln and Sharon Ineson and her husband Alan of Raymond, Maine. Dear sister of Marcia Golden of Narragansett and the late Evelyn Gerstein and Estelle Hodosh. Loving grandmother of Jessie-Jo. In lieu of flowers, contributions in her memory may be made to your favorite charity.
Robert L. Winegard, 77
NORTH PROVIDENCE – Robert L. Winegard died Aug. 16. He was the husband of the late Ilene (Brodsky) Winegard. Born in Fall River, Mass., the son of the late Louis and Edna (Feldman) Winegard, he was a resident of Massachusetts and
August 29, 2014 |
37
Rhode Island. He was a proud store owner and a Freemason. He loved to kibbitz with people and was a friend to the Portuguese and Cape Verdean community. He was a loving husband, brother, father and grandfather. “Bobka” will be missed by all. He is survived by his sons; Adam and Michael Winegard, his sister; Carol Miller, and his grandchildren; Zev, Ari and Shira Winegard. In lieu of flowers ,contributions in his memory may be made to the Home and Hospice Care of R.I., 1085 N. Main St., Providence, R.I. 02904.
Evelyn Zimberg, 90
Evelyn Zimberg (Talan) died Aug. 10. Beloved wife of the late Philip Zimberg. Devoted mother of Caryl (Brian) Andersen and Frann (Charles) Wohlers. Cherished grandmother of Rebecca Ralston, Scott (Katherine) Wohlers, Dana Wohlers and great-grandmother of Kyleigh Wohlers. Loving sister of Gladys (late Harold) Jacober and the late Herbert Talan. Aunt and godmother to Alan (Jane) Jacober; aunt to the late Jeffrey (Karen) Jacober and the late Ellen Jacober. She was a former member of Temple Beth-El in Providence. A graveside service was held in Naperville, Ill. Memorials may be sent to Seasons Hospice Foundation, 6400 Shafer Court, Rosemont, Ill. 60018.
OBITUARIES
We print death notices of approximately 300 words for people with ties to our circulation area. There is no charge. We will print a photo if submitted and a small flag for veterans. Please submit obituary and photo to editor@jewishallianceri.org and indicate if a photo and/or a flag should accompany the obituary.
38 | August 29, 2014
WE ARE READ
The Jewish Voice
WE ARE READ WHERE? – Right, Where in the world is Marvin Wasser of Cranston reading The Jewish Voice? Seems to be a secret location. WE WERE THERE – Left, Manuela and Gary Golditch of Cranston, along with their daughter Tatiana in Lisbon, Portugal. This monument in Lisbon honors the 2,000 Jews persecuted, tortured and killed during the massacre of 1506. PHOTO | ELLIE WASSER
PHOTO | SHAI AFSAI
READING THE VOICE – In Kiryat Malakhi, Israel. Qessotch (Ethiopian Jewish priests) with a copy of The Voice, following a special meeting of the Council of kohanim of the Ethiopian Jews.
Get Your Tickets Today! #BDL UP 4DIPPM 5SBEJUJPO
4&15 o
%6/,*/ %0/654 $&/5&3 1307*%&/$& 281633
#VZ 5JDLFUT 5JDLFUNBTUFS DPN t t 7FOVF #PY 0GGJDF #DisneyOnIce
DisneyOnIce.com
WE ARE READ – Rabbi Michelle Dardashti (Rabbi of Brown RISD Hillel and associate university chaplain for the Jewish community at Brown), Amy Olson (executive director of URI Hillel), and Marshall Einhorn (executive director of Brown RISD Hillel) are pictured with The Voice at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem in July. The three Hillel professionals were participating in the Hartman Fellowship for Campus Professionals. The fellowship involves a year-long exploration of Hartman’s iEngage Israel framework, beginning and ending with a week of study at Hartman’s Jerusalem campus and continuing throughout the year with bi-weekly on-line seminars. As described by the Hartman Institute: “Recognizing the crucial role that campus professionals play in the development of the next generation of Jews and Jewish leaders, the Fellowship trains a select group of campus leaders to think in more sophisticated terms about Israel as a core element of Jewish life. It provides them with resources to cultivate substantive and compelling conversations about Israel in the college communities they serve, connecting students to a deeper understanding of themselves as Jews and as members of the Jewish people.�
SIMCHAS
thejewishvoice.org
39
COURTESY | JESSICA GREENBERG
MILESTONE ANNIVERSARY – Irwin and Carol Greenberg of Narragansett and Boca Raton, Florida, were married on May 24, 1964. Their four sons, along with their families, gave them a surprise 50th wedding anniversary party this summer in Lincoln. They were surrounded by their extended family and friends from near and far for this joyous event. This photo includes the happy couple with their four sons, four daughters-in-law and 10 grandchildren.
t s b J raising funds to raise the community 1. How does Jboost work?
Jboost.org—the crowdfunding website for Greater Rhode Island’s Jewish community. Crowdfunding /kroud•f ndING/: The collective effort of a group of people who pool their resources, networks, and ideas to benefit the greater good. e
SPECIAL ANNIVERSARY – Arlene and Howard Adler celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary on Aug. 16 at T’s Restaurant in Narragansett. The Adlers live in Delray Beach, Florida, and Narragansett. They had guests from California, Florida and Rhode Island. The party was given by their two children, Beth Fishman and Michael Adler. They have two grandchildren, Robert from Boynton Beach, Florida, and Andrew from Burbank, California.
August 29, 2014 |
Coming together to raise the community by growing safety net services, promoting self-sufficiency, and increasing access to Jewish life in Greater Rhode Island.
2. Browse projects created by local Jewish agencies and synagogues. Project I
Log on to jboost.org
3. Find ones you like and click “Fund this Project.”
Fund this Project
Project II
Project III
Click to learn more about the project and host organization.
4. Finally, share the project with your social media network.
Spread the word to help your favorite project get funding... It’s that easy!
Follow me to Jboost.org!
Commit any dollar amount — every bit helps. Proudly powered by
40 | August 29, 2014
The Jewish Voice