December 5, 2014

Volume XX, Issue XLIII | www.thejewishvoice.org Serving Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts

HANUKKAH

13 Kislev 5775 | December 5, 2014

Don’t rely on miracles during Hanukkah Combine celebration with tzedakah for a meaningful holiday

BY IRINA MISSIURO imissiuro@jewishallianceri.org

A scene from “The Red Tent.”

‘The Red Tent’ gets new life in gauzy Lifetime movie

BY DEBRA NUSSBAUM COHEN JTA – Surely the Torah’s redactors never imagined that their Dinah — voiceless daughter of Jacob and Leah, rape victim avenged by her brothers — would one day be portrayed on the small screen as a lusty young midwife’s apprentice who takes her romantic fate into her own hands.

Anita Diamant’s 1997 novel “The Red Tent” took the shards of Dinah’s story, told in a fairly short chapter of Genesis, and recast them as a layered tale of sisterhood, friendship and love. The book sold 3 million copies and has been translated into more than two dozen languages. Now it’s been adapted into a Lifetime miniseries.

The two-part series, to be broadcast Dec. 7-8, stars the Swedish actress Rebecca Ferguson as Dinah, Minnie Driver as Leah and Morena Baccarin (Jessica Brody from “Homeland”) as Rachel.

The Scottish actor Iain Glen (“Sir Richard Carlisle on “Downton Abbey”) plays Jacob, and the Israeli actress Hiam Abbas bears a setting-appropriate accent in her RED TENT | 26

This Hanukkah, let’s celebrate in a meaningful way. True, kids expect presents, and marketers take full advantage of that fact by forcing parents to buy into the consumerism surrounding the holiday. However, a memorable observation of Hanukkah doesn’t have to be synonymous with spending. Why not engage your children by making them feel good about themselves while simultaneously helping others? This doesn’t mean that you should abstain from gifts altogether – merely that these gifts shouldn’t become the focus.

Rabbi Sarah Mack of Temple Beth-El suggests celebrating Hanukkah by exchanging presents during the fi rst four nights and giving back during the next four. If that’s too much for your little ones, you can reserve the eighth night for giving back. She says, “I think that the important thing is to fi nd a way to weave

What the shmita year can teach us about Hanukkah

BY DASEE BERKOWITZ JERUSALEM (JTA) – When the Maccabees climbed the stairs of the Temple in Jerusalem, they lit the menorah with the knowledge that there was only enough oil to last for one day.

Only a miracle could turn oil into a renewable resource. And the future of the planet urges us not to depend on miracles.

The faith and initiative shown by the Mac-

cabees can inspire us this year to take greater action, especially during a Hanukkah that falls during the shmita year.

Shmita is the biblically ordained law that has roots in agriculture and building a just society.

It’s a call for the land of Israel to rest every seventh year, for debts to be forgiven and for slaves to be released.

SHMITA | 20

COURTESY | R.I. JEWISH HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION

tzedakah and g’milut hasadim into the holiday in a way that is organic to one’s own family life so kids know that you can’t have one without the other.”

Rabbi Elan Babchuck of Tem-

ple Emanu-El agrees with that sentiment. He says, “There is no better way for parents to convey the importance of giving back than by pairing the MITZVOT | 24

And the winners are …

The Jewish Voice and the Touro Fraternal Association asked young people in Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts to draw or paint a picture (grade 1-4) or write a short essay (grade 5-8) on “My Family at Hanukkah” or “What Hanukkah Means to Me.” We had 90 entries from 10 cities and towns in Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachu-

setts for the 2014 Hanukkah Art and Writing Contest.

The judges are examining each entry. Read the Dec. 19 Voice for a list of the winners and photos of the winning entries. And check out gallery (401) at the Dwares JCC, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence, where some of the entries will be on display beginning Dec. 10.

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2 | December 5, 2014

The Jewish Voice

CHILDREN GET BRIGHT NEW SPACES

INSIDE Business 30-32 Calendar 10 Classified 31 Community 2-7, 11, 29, 38

Several groups are now using the bright, new classrooms in the David C. Isenberg Early Childhood Center.

The transitional nursery has moved into their new rooms with new cubbies for the children’s personal belongings and equipment perfect for the 2 1/2- to young 3-year-old age group.

Construction is progressing on other classrooms.

D’var Torah 7 Food 14-17 Hanukkah 18-26 Israel 36-37 Nation 12-13 Obituaries 34-35 Opinion 8-9 Seniors 33 Simcha 38

PHOTOS | FRAN OSTENDORF

World 12, 27-28

THIS ISSUE’S QUOTABLE QUOTE “Don’t rely on miracles … support the causes that are important to you.”

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December 5, 2014 |

3

Women’s Association of the JSA holds annual meeting

BY MYRNA LEVINE WARWICK – After more than a decade at the helm of the Women’s Association of the Jewish Seniors Agency, Co-Presidents Sylvia Brown and Marcia Gerstein ushered the Women’s Association into a new era at the Association’s annual meeting on Nov. 16. It was held at the Phyllis Siperstein Tamarisk Assisted Living Residence and was attended by more than 40 members and guests.

During the business portion of the meeting, participants celebrated the accomplishments of Sylvia and Marcia, approved a revised set of bylaws, and elected a new slate of officers, new directors and a nominating committee. JSA Executive Director Paul Barrette presented Sylvia and Marcia each with a Citizen Citation from Providence Mayor Angel Taveras, commending them for their “dedication and loyalty to the mission of the Women’s Association of the Jewish Seniors Agency of Rhode Island.” Rabbi Ethan Adler conducted an induction ceremony for the new officers and directors, after which outgoing Co-President Marcia Gerstein proudly passed the gavel to her daughter, incoming President Bernice Weiner.

The other newly elected officers and directors are: Marilyn Smith (Vice President), Myrna Levine (Recording Secretary), Seena Dittelman (Director) and Jane Jacober (Director). Marcia Gerstein will continue as Treasurer and Sylvia Brown will continue as Corresponding Secretary. The newly elected nominating committee will be

Outgoing Co-President Marcia Gerstein passes the gavel to incoming President Bernice Weiner.

Outgoing Co-Presidents Sylvia Brown and Marcia Gerstein present the report of the association’s work.

chaired by former president and permanent Director Estelle Klemer, and will include Marcia Gerstein, Jane Jacober, Marilyn Smith and Lila Winograd.

Following the drawing of the winners of this year’s raffle prizes, the meeting culminated in an afternoon of mah jongg, knitting, socializing and refreshments.

Last March, the Women’s Association hosted an evening of mah jongg, which drew close to 80 participants. That event, which was co-chaired by Maybeth Lichaa, Roberta Schneider and Marilyn Smith, was so popular that the association is planning a series of smallerscale mah jongg evenings in the coming months.

MYRNA LEVINE is the recording secretary of the Women’s Association.

PHOTOS | WOMEN’S ASSOCIATION JSA

Estelle Klemer, center, concentrates on mah jongg with Lila Winograd, right, Ruth Winograd, left, and Nancy Blackmun, back to camera.

A bit of history In 1912, several members of the Women’s Association (originally), a volunteer organization that provided aid to needy Jewish families, became aware of the predicament of elderly Jews in the community, and established The Jewish Home for the Aged in Providence. The home, supported by the fundraising and volunteer efforts of the Women’s Association, cared for the Jewish elderly and infirm of

Rhode Island for 80 years.

When the home closed in 1993, the Women’s Association maintained its commitment to the Jewish aged of Rhode Island by supporting Jewish Eldercare of Rhode Island (JERI), which was formed as an outreach program to meet the needs of former residents of the home. In 1999, the corporation that had run the home changed its name to the Jewish Seniors Agency

of Rhode Island (JSA). Today, through its ongoing volunteer work and fundraising, the Women’s Association supports the important mission of the JSA to provide a continuum of care for Rhode Island’s elderly.

Fun Fact: Outgoing Co-President Sylvia Brown is the granddaughter of Rachel Rosen, one of the pioneering ladies who established the home more than 100 years ago.

ask anne for pic of jewish home COURTESY | R.I. JEWISH HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION

The Jewish Home for the Aged in Providence.

When Jehan Berman saved the lives of his loved ones, we helped ensure he didn’t lose his own life in the process.

Jehan Berman was shielding his wife and son during a mortar attack in southern Israel in August, when he was critically injured by a piece of shrapnel. But thanks to Magen David Adom, Israel’s emergency medical response agency, Jehan got the lifesaving care he needed. “If it weren’t for MDA,” he says, “I don’t think I’d be here today.” As we celebrate the miracles of Chanukah, please join us in our Eight Days of Giving Campaign to help make more miracles possible in Israel.

Visit www.afmda.org/year-end-2014 to watch a video about Jehan and make a gift to MDA. Please donate today.

AFMDA New England PO Box 600714, Newton, MA 02460 Tel 617.916.1827 new-england@afmda.org www.afmda.org l

4 | December 5, 2014

COMMUNITY

The Jewish Voice

PHOTO | BROWN RISD HILLEL

PHOTO | RACHEL SIMON

Students watch as Annie Kosar, a staff member at the University of Rhode Island, reads a poem commemorating transgender lives lost to violence.

Joy Ladin keynote at URI transgender observance

BY RACHEL SIMON KINGSTON - Professor Joy Ladin presented a keynote address at URI’s observance of the Transgender Day of Remembrance. Professor Ladin is the David and Ruth Guttesman Chair in English at Yeshiva University and the first openly transgender faculty member at an Orthodox institution in the United States. Sponsored

by URI Hillel, the URI LGBTQ Center and the URI Gay-

Straight Alliance, Ladin’s talk described her struggle to live an authentic life and to balance faith with a transgender identity. The event united students, faculty and community members and was followed by a vigil memorializing individuals killed as a result of antitransgender violence.

Ladin’s audience filled the meeting room at the Norman M. Fain Hillel Center. Though she spoke to an audience of about 30 people, her presentation

was very intimate. The keynote speech followed the narrative from her autobiography “Through the Door of Life.”.

She described her own struggles with issues of suicide and her efforts to build a personal connection with God. A short question-and-answer session followed, in which some community members shared their own narratives blending faith and LGBTQ identities. One of the most pressing questions was how allies and friends of

Sam Rubinstein, head of JewQ (a confidential space for Jewish LGBTQ+ students at Brown and RISD to explore their identities) and Joy Ladin, following her talk at Brown RISD Hillel on Nov. 20. transgender people can best support a friend or loved one going through transition. Ladin stressed the importance of being understanding and patient, as it is a difficult experience that can be hard on supporters as well.

After the keynote, a candlelight vigil was held in the Hillel Center’s Sanctuary. The Transgender Day of Remembrance is observed each year to recognize transgender people killed because of hate or

bias. The vigil was marked by poetry reading and addresses from community leaders. Finally, Amy Olson, director of Hillel, led the vigil in a recitation of mi-sheberakh.

Ladin also spoke at Brown RISD Hillel later in the evening.

RACHEL SIMON, of Warwick, is a graduate student at the University of Rhode Island.

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December 5, 2014 |

5

Pitch perfect with Pastrami on RI

BY LINDSAY CHANCELLOR In this day and age college is no longer solely an academic experience. Students often opt for universities with vibrant on-campus communities offering the chance to mingle with like-minded people. Pair this with the constant flux of classes each semester, and it becomes clear just how easy it is to make friends. Instead of trying to fi ll their social calendars, students vie for the simple pleasure of having a day to themselves.

It is not until after college, however, that people begin to realize just how vital university life is in sustaining relationships. With friends moving to new cities and states for career opportunities, bonds begin to fade and eventually over time, counting the number of close friends on one hand becomes just one of the many realities new graduates face.

One of these recent graduates is Hillary Schulman. After moving to Rhode Island to take on the role of development associate for the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island, Schulman, a Brandeis University graduate and Florida transplant, began to engage with (401)j, a new statewide collaboration between the Alliance and local synagogues open to Jews in their 20s, 30s and 40s.

It was Erin Mosely, director of Arts & Culture and NextGen Engagement at the Alliance and one of the founders of (401) j, who suggested she team up with Maayan Harel to create a singing group. Together, they took Erin’s idea and ran with it, creating what now is Rhode Island’s fi rst Jewish, co-ed, postcollegiate a cappella group, Pastrami on RI. The group formed in February. Now with seven voices, they recently returned from a summer hiatus and have already played two gigs. One was for the Jewish Family Service of Rhode Island birthday cele-

COURTESY | HILLARY SCHULMAN

Pastrami on RI performs at the Jewish Family Service 85th Anniversary Gala, left to right, Hillary Schulman, Seth Finkle, Maayan Harel, Sara Goldenberg Toso, Joanna Korman, Jose Montanez. bration at the Ledgemont Country Club in Seekonk, Massachusetts. They also sang at Shabbat Shabbang at the Dwares JCC in Providence, where the group also led a workshop in a cappella singing.

To prepare for their performances, the group gathers once a week to study proper singing techniques, including diction and breath control, and to learn new songs, all of which have a Jewish spin. A resounding favorite of the group is Matisyahu’s “Sunshine,” an upbeat, reggae pop song laced with positive lyrics. Harel explains that for songs penned by non-Jewish

artists, the group simply revises the words to incorporate Jewish subject matter. A great example is their version of Katy Perry’s “Firework,” cleverly composed to be about Pesach.

Adam Cable, a graduate student studying social work at the University of Rhode Island, says, for him, meeting week in and week out is more than just about rehearsing. It is actually an out-of-the-ordinary fun way to socialize. In fact, like a few of the members, he actually grew up singing in his temple choir. Similarly, Sara Goldenberg Toso, a high school reading specialist, and Seth Finkle,

the Teen Program coordinator at the Jewish Alliance, met while singing in Kol Shofar, the University of Rhode Island’s Jewish a cappella group. After spending a few years away from performing, Toso says it’s nice to be a part of a group again.

“I sing because of the way it makes me feel. It’s very therapeutic and music just makes me feel good.”

Schulman says she hopes that Pastrami on RI will one day grow to become something more than an extracurricular enterprise and one that will permit the group to be able to perform out of state to reach

wider audiences.

Harel says with all of the new people joining the Providence Jewish community she is excited at the thought of expanding Pastrami on RI. Those in their 20s and 30s who enjoy performing with a group are encouraged to audition. Contact Hillary Schulman or Maayan Harel at pastramionri@gmail.com for more information.

LINDSAY R. CHANCELLOR is a freelance writer based in Riverside and is currently working in marketing and digital media.

Maayan Harel in concert at Temple Emanu-El Arts Emanu-El, at Temple Emanu-El Providence, presents “Maayan Harel: In Concert.”

Harel, a Boston-based, up-andcoming soprano, is Arts Emanu-El’s 2014 Guest Soloist. During her concert on Dec. 6 at 7:30 p.m., Harel will sing in seven different languages.

The public is invited to hear this exciting young soprano, whose voice has been described as full, lyrical and wonderfully expressive, as she sings in Hebrew, Yiddish, Ladino, German, Italian, English and Czech, and performs a variety of classical, Yiddish and Jewish solo pieces.

“I love music as a univer-

sal language,” explains Harel.

“When you sing in concert, you feel that special connection with everyone in the audience.”

To explain the power of music to make connections, Harel recalls singing to her elderly grandmother. “I started singing to her and she moved her hand to the beat. We were making a connection that was so unique for her at that time and so special to me.”

Harel’s program at EmanuEl will offer those special connections with melodic songs by Schubert, favorite arias from popular operas, European cabaret songs and selections from

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the Yiddish folk tradition.

Harel’s concert is the second event in Arts Emanu-El’s 2014-1015 season of programs in Jewish art and culture. The public is invited to Arts Emanu-El’s spring 2015 series, “The Tangled Legacy: Being a Jew in France,” which includes a documentary fi lm, a book discussion, a lecture and a major concert. See teprov.org/arts_ emanu-el.

To purchase tickets, $10, for “Maayan Harel: In Concert,” Dec. 6, go to teprov.org/maayan_harel_reservation_form.

Maayan Harel

Happy Hanukkah

6 | December 5, 2014

COMMUNITY

The Jewish Voice

Genealogist Meredith Hoffman returns to Temple Habonim

BY LOIS KEMP “Who the Heck is Ida Gerskill? The Challenges of Researching Jewish Names” is the topic of genealogist Meredith Hoffman’s presentation for the Adult Education series at Temple Habonim, 165 New Meadow Road in Barrington. On Dec. 7 at 3 p.m., noted genealogist Meredith Hoffman returns, by popular request, to offer strategies, techniques and tools for meeting the special challenges faced when researching Jewish family names and town names.

She will discuss issues, including name changes, spelling and

Warmest wishes for a Chanukah filled with light, love and laughter

translation/transliteration difficulties.

Hoffman, a graduate of the Boston University Genealogical Research Program and the Institute for Genealogical and Historical Research, specializes in researching Jewish immigrant ancestors and solving difficult Jewish name problems. Among her many accomplishments, she is the founding editor of the “Success! Stories” webzine on JewishGen.org.

This program is free and open to the community. For further information go to

Meredith Hoffman templehabonim.org or call the temple office at 401-245-6536.

Chabad of R.I. has plenty of Hanukkah events Chabad of Rhode Island plans three community events for Hanukkah including a candlelighting ceremony at the Rhode Island State House, a café and a children’s party.

On Dec. 18 at 7 p.m., community members and elected officials will light the Hanukkah candles at the Rhode Island State House.

On Dec. 20 at 7:30 p.m., the Grand Chabad Chanukah Cafe takes place at Chabad House, 360 Hope St., Providence. Come for the latkes, stay for the

speaker, a prominent Rhode Island immigration attorney who will discuss immigration for the nation and the lessons that can be learned.

The next day, Dec. 21, at noon, the kids can join in the fun at a Children’s Gala and Chanukah Pizza Party at Chabad House.

Dreidel tournaments, arts and crafts and a chance to decorate your own window decal as well as prizes are on the agenda.

Hanukkah candlelighting December 2012.

COMMUNITY | D’VAR TORAH

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The Jewish Alliance’s last phone-a-thon brings Hollywood to Rhode Island

BY HILLARY SCHULMAN hschulman@ jewishalliancreri.org You’ve seen it in the papers, online and throughout the community: Joshua Malina, star of “The West Wing” and “Scandal,” is coming to Rhode Island. Thirteen of our dedicated community members came to the Jewish Alliance on Nov. 24 to let the rest of the community know about this event, while raising $10,838 in the process.

The Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island’s 2015 Annual Campaign event, featuring Malina, will take place on Dec. 7, 2014 at 7 p.m. at Temple Emanu-El. The event will be preceded by a Pacesetter Reception at 5 p.m., and a Young Leadership Networking Reception at 5:45 p.m. Malina will speak about how to make it in Hollywood and remain a “mensch.” He will also speak about the importance of giving back to the Jewish community and connecting with your Jewish identity.

Event co-chairs, Mayer and Judy Levitt and Ed and Susan Odessa, helped rally our community to spread the word while providing the opportunity for the Alliance to help secure the community’s Jewish future through the Annual Campaign.

Alliance Board Chair Sharon Gaines, Vice Chair of Philanthropy Mitzi Berkelhammer and her husband Bob Berkelhammer, and 2015 Phone-a-Thon Chair Marc Gertsacov, as well as Cheryl Greenfeld Teverow, Barbara

Sokoloff, Susan Leach DeBlasio, Mayer and Judy Levitt, Susan Odessa, Gloria Feibish, Jamie Pious, Vince Mor and Bob Landau all made the many phone calls that resulted in the money raised.

You, too, can help the Alliance raise funds to secure a better future for the Jewish community! Volunteer on Super Sunday – January 11, 2015 – at the Alliance from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information visit jewishallianceri.org or contact Hillary Schulman: hschulman@jewishallianceri.org or 401-421-4111, ext.

127.

HILLARY SCHULMAN is development associate in Philanthropy at the Jewish Alliance.

7

Unexpected spiritual transformation What a difference a night made!

Parashat Vayishlach Genesis 32:4 – 36:43

BY RABBI CANTOR ANNE HEATH

Joshua Malina

December 5, 2014 |

“Jacob said: No, please, if I have truly found favor in your sight, take the offering from my hand, for to see your face is like seeing the face of God, and you have already shown me favor.” (Genesis 33:10) Jacob planned everything very carefully. By the fi nal night before his meeting with Esau he had, indeed, orchestrated events down to the smallest detail. With not much night left, alone in the camp, Jacob peered into a future he could no longer control. His arrangements, designed to present himself as Esau’s humble servant, awaited only the rising of a new day.

Suddenly, Jacob felt the grip of another plucking him from his solitude and wrestling him, not for just a little while, but until the dawn. Tired from transporting wives and children across the Jabbok, he struggled to overcome the challenge.

Overcome he did, but not without both physical injury and spiritual transformation.

Spiritual daylight arrived fi rst. Jacob comprehended that he had met God face to face. He would now bring to his meeting with Esau a multidimensional strength embodied in his new name – Israel.

Physical daylight arrived next. Enervated and limping, meeting Esau face to face, Jacob bowed seven times as Esau’s humble servant. With or without guile – you choose – Jacob told Esau that “seeing your face is like seeing the face of God.”

However, the Jacob bowing was no longer the Jacob of the previous day, or weeks, months and years, but the renamed Jacob, the transformed Jacob of whom God would speak through the prophets as being “Jacob, my servant, Israel, whom I have chosen.” It’s a cliché, but, what a difference a night made.

What about in our lives? We often plan, strategize and orchestrate our relationships with others. We await the big day, maybe a meeting fraught with difficult outcomes or the reconciliation that we hope goes well – or at least out of which we might come relatively unscathed.

Do we ever account for God? Do we ever give ourselves a chance to struggle with God about the situation? For more than just a brief time late one night?

Most of us don’t sit down one evening and decide: well, it’s time for me to be transformed!

We would probably prefer not to be suddenly wrestled to the ground, injured and then, maybe, transformed.

Rather than wait for an unexpected meeting with God, might we not initiate one of our own

and discover if there are spiritual changes that would make us more capable of reconciling?

Before we meet someone from whom we expect some kind of judgment and action, might we not judge or assess ourselves in prayer, conversing with God in the steadfast words of our tradition and the words of our own hearts?

With or without guile – you choose – could you arrive at your moment of reconciliation and say that “seeing your face is like seeing the face of God”?

Only you can answer.

And, so, each week we bring ourselves to Torah and pray for the discernment to have our lives shaped by the truths Torah teaches. Let this week be among them. Kein yehi ratzon – thus may it be so. Shalom.

RABBI CANTOR ANNE HEATH (rabbi.taunton@verizon.net), spiritual leader of Congregation Agudath Achim and the Jewish Community House, a 100-year old progressive, independent congregation in Taunton, Mass., is a member of the Greater Rhode Island and the Massachusetts boards of rabbis.

Candle Lighting Times

Greater Rhode Island Dec. 5 ............................... 3:55 Dec. 12 ............................ 3:55 Dec. 19 ............................ 3:57 Dec. 26 ............................ 4:01

Chanukah Events in West Bay

WarWick Mall

cranston city Hall

5:00pm Monday, December 22nd

5:00pm Tuesday, December 16th 869 Park Ave, Cranston

400 Bald Hill Road, Warwick • Music by Sounds of Simcha • Chanukah arts & crafts • Chanukah gift for each child • Chanukah supplies & gift shop Brought to you by • Lighting of giant ay sculptured iCe Menorah Chabad of West bay For information call • hot latkes and chanukah gelt

(401) 884-7888

Menorah lighting, arts & crafts, hot latkes and more

PAWTuxeT PARk

7:00pm Wednesday, December 17 th Narragansett Pkwy & Post Road, Warwick

Menorah lighting, www.RabbiWarwick.com Chanukah songs, hot latkes & gelt

8 | December 5, 2014

OPINION

You can’t beat a good cookbook After all the cooking and eating and visiting with family during the Thanksgiving holiday, I returned to the office to tackle the to-do lists. But, I realized that my thoughts are still turning to food.

Why? Suddenly, I’m receiving – and hearing about – cookbooks.

It seems to be the season for cookbooks. I EDITOR have to admit, I love a good cookbook. So, FRAN in honor of OSTENDORF a time when most of our thoughts have been revolving around big family meals, I thought I’d share some of what’s landed on my desk recently.

Three cookbooks that have landed on my desk stand out because of their historical roots.

Don’t go turning the page yet – even if you don’t personally like a good cookbook, I’ll bet you know somebody who does.

You can read about Israeli food writer Janna Gur’s beautiful new book, “Jewish Soul Food: From Minsk to Marrekesh,” on page 18 of this week’s paper. There’s an interview with Gur, editor of Al HaShulchan magazine, and two recipes from the new book.

Her first book, “The Book of New Israeli Food” received outstanding reviews. This second book, filled with 100 updated recipes from Jewish grandmothers, does not disappoint. Even if you don’t like a single recipe, the photographs are gorgeous.

If you’ve ever explored the Lower East Side of New York City, then “Eating Delancey: A Celebration of Jewish Food,”

by Aaron Rezny and Jordan Schaps (powerHouse Books, November 2014), will be a treat. Between the beautiful photos, the profiles of classic restaurants, the recipes and

the memories, your mouth will be watering. There’s even an introduction by the late Joan Rivers. For the non-foodies out there, the book is a pretty good trip down memory lane.

Another cookbook based on family memories and recipes is “Food, Family and Tradition: Hungarian Kosher Family

“There’s even an introduction by the late Joan Rivers. For the non-foodies out there, the book is a pretty good trip down memory lane.”

Recipes and Remembrances”

by Lynn Kirsche Shapiro (The Cherry Press, August 2014).

Part family memoir and part family cookbook, the book is filled with stories, photos and 150 family recipes. Kirsche’s mother and father, who were Holocaust survivors, founded Hungarian Kosher Foods in Skokie, Illinois, the l a r ge st a l l-ko sher super ma rket in the Midwest.

There’s a good number of uncomplicated recipes in this one.

Among the other items landing on my desk are the entries for the Hanukkah Art and Writing contest. A BIG thank you to all the children who took the time to send us entries. We will publish the names of the winners in the Dec. 19 paper. Stay “tuned.”

And just a shameless reminder. As you shop for Hanukkah gifts this year, remember to check out our advertisers, and tell them where you saw their ad. Our advertisers help us stay in business, and we like to return the favor.

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.

The Jewish Voice

Night of the Murdered Poets “The morning that Mendel Muskatev awoke to fi nd his desk was gone, his room was gone and the sun was gone, he assumed he had died. This worried him, so he said the prayer for the dead, keeping himself in mind. Then he wondered if one was alIT SEEMS lowed to do such a thing, TO ME and worried instead that RABBI JIM the fi rst thing ROSENBERG he had done upon being dead was sin.”

So begins the Kafkaesque story within the story, “The T wenty-sevent h Man” – the fi rst of nine tales told by Nathan Englander in his debut collection, “For the Relief of Unbearable Urges,” (Vintage International, 2000). “The T wenty-sevent h Man” is a thinly disguised imagining of the all-too-real atrocity known as “Night of the Murdered Poets.” On Aug. 12, 1952, at Stalin’s orders, a fi ring squad in Moscow’s Lubyanka Prison murdered 13 prominent Soviet Jews, among them five well-known Yiddish writers: David Bergelson, Itzik Fefer, David Hofshteyn, Leyb Kvitko and Peretz Markish.

Though Englander bends the historical truth to his artistic purposes, he offers the attentive reader a number of clues that his point of departure is the blood-soaked event of Aug. 12, 1952. His very fi rst paragraph anticipates the grim climactic scene, which Stalin, with utter indifference to the human suffering his orders will cause, has orchestrated from his private residence: “The orders were given from Stalin’s country house at Kuntsevo. He relayed them to the agent in charge. ...The accused were to be apprehended the same day, arrive at the prison gates at the same moment, and ... be sent off to their damnation in a single rattling burst of gunfi re.”

By stating that one of his characters was “a target of the

fi rst serious verbal attacks on the cosmopolitans back in ’49” and quickly adding that “[three] years later they came for him,” the author is letting us know that the year is 1952.

Yet another detail adds specificity to the historical context that informs Englander’s fiction: one of the characters claims that he was “a principal member of the (Jewish) AntiFascist Committee,” established in August 1941, not long after Nazi Germany invaded the Soviet Union on June 22, 1941; members of the Soviet Jewish Yiddish-speaking intelligentsia joined the group in an attempt to gain the support of fellow Jews the world over for the Soviet war effort. Years

later, Stalin chose to reward a number of members of the AntiFascist Committee by ordering their executions.

In Englander’s version of the Night of the Murdered Poets, the number of Soviet Jews gunned down has grown from 13 to 27.

Nevertheless, the author gives speaking parts to only four of the doomed prisoners; though products of Englander’s imagination, they are representative in one way or another of the actual Soviet Yiddish intelligentsia. These four Yiddish writers fi nd themselves in a small cell of Moscow’s Lubyanka Prison on the last night of their lives.

Vasily Korinsky is an arrogant man who greatly overrates his literary ability, a man with such limited self-knowledge that he fails to recognize the degree to which he has been collaborating with Stalin’s regime.

Moishe Bretzky is an undisciplined drunkard, glutton and womanizer. Nevertheless, he has the soul of a poet and the

uncanny ability to fi nd just the right words to express the beauty buried within his grotesquely fat body. By way of contrast, Y. Zunser is the 81-year-old “wise man” of the group. Despite receiving considerable recognition for his achievements as a Yiddish writer, Zunser manages to retain an admirable humility and self-restraint under the impossible conditions of a Soviet prison.

The central character in Englander’s story, the 27th man, is Pinchas Pelovitz, a talented Yiddish writer who has never published a single word nor earned a single cent, for that matter. A classic example of the head-in-the clouds Luftmensch, he subsists in a small room in a nondescript inn which his parents, once they were too old to continue managing it, sold “at a ridiculously low price – provided the new owners would leave the boy his room and feed him when he was hungry.” Clearly, since he had published absolutely nothing, Pinchas does not fi nd himself in prison for writing subversive material that would implicate him as being an enemy of the state. Rather, he is soon to be executed as a result of some minor clerical error, yet another casualty of the blind and savagely inefficient Soviet bureaucracy.

Throughout his long night in the cell, Pinchas continues to work on his story within the story: “The morning that Mendel Muskatev awoke ...;” since he cannot write down his words, he must keep composing and revising the text in his head. Just before he is led to his death along with his three cellmates, Pinchas recites his completed story to his fellow writers – an artistic triumph, but, ironically, “a tale to be extinguished along with the teller.”

The tale told by Pinchas Pelovitz just moments before his execution is an echo of so many tales that were extinguished along with their tellers on that fateful and fatal Night of the Murdered Poets.

JAMES B. ROSENBERG is rabbi emeritus at Temple Habonim in Barrington. Contact him at rabbiemeritus@templehabonim.org.

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).

OPINION

thejewishvoice.org

December 5, 2014 |

9

Jerusalem coexistence programs persist amid rising tensions

BY BEN SALES JERUSALEM (JTA) – Rawan Masalha and Inbar ShakedVardi were in their ninth-grade geography class earlier this year when a fight began over the name of their textbook, “Israel: Its People and Area.”

“The Palestinian students started saying, ‘Why Israel?

Why not Palestine?’ They didn’t want to use the book,” recalled Shaked-Vardi, 14, a Jewish student from western Jerusalem.

She and Masalha, also 14 and from eastern Jerusalem, recalled their Palestinian classmates changing “Israel” to “Palestine” as they read aloud from the text.

“Some of the Jews felt it’s Israel, it’s the land their grandparents helped build,” Masalha said. “But for Palestinians, it’s the place where 300 years ago their ancestor had his orchard.

The Jews said it’s the Land of Israel, the Arabs said it’s Palestine.”

Masalha and Shaked-Vardi are two of more than 600 students at the Max Rayne Hand in Hand Jerusalem School, Israel’s largest joint Arab-Jewish school and the only such primary and high school in the city.

Hand in Hand is the biggest and most intense of a handful of youth coexistence initiatives in the city, which has seen JewishArab tensions rise following a recent spate of violence.

At Hand in Hand, students attend classes in Hebrew and Arabic, celebrate Jewish, Muslim and Christian holidays, and engage in a weekly current events dialogue. They learn both the Israeli and Palestinian historical narratives.

The past year has been a challenging one for the school.

Classes have struggled to confront the effects of war in Gaza

this summer, the kidnapping and murder of three Israeli teenagers and the killing of a Palestinian teen in response, and recent deadly attacks in Jerusalem, including the killing of four Jewish worshippers and a police officer last week at a synagogue in the haredi Orthodox neighborhood of Har Nof. “You come to school charged,” said Tala Jbarah, 15, a 10thgrader from eastern Jerusalem.

Efforts to separate politics from her life at school, she said, have been “very hard.”

Located on a campus in western Jerusalem, Hand in Hand seeks to be an island of peace in a city riven by conflict. The goal, says middle and high school principal Arik Saporta, is to have students confront intolerance, not to isolate them from it.

“If I care about them and they care about me, what’s the problem?”

“We’re not a bubble, we’re a greenhouse,” Saporta said. “A bubble is shut off from what’s outside. A greenhouse brings the outside inside, but also holds the plants so they can grow outside.”

Beyond school, students face a difficult climate. Recent polls suggest that younger Israelis are more extreme than their parents.

One survey conducted ahead of last year’s national election found that among voters under 30, the most popular party was Jewish Home, which supports Jewish settlement in the West Bank and opposes a two-state

The Clore Neighbourhood Center– Arab-Jewish Coexistence is situated in the neighborhood of Ein Ha’yam whose population of approximately 2,400 is made up of 60% Christian Arabs and 40% Jewish new immigrants and Muslim Arabs. solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Jewish Home placed fourth in the election.

A poll conducted in 2010 found that the majority of Israeli high-school students preferred strong leaders over the rule of law and believed that state security concerns should trump democratic values.

Young people involved in coexistence projects say xenophobic attitudes have flared on both sides because of this year’s violence. Samia Nustas, 16, an Arab resident of eastern Jerusalem who sings in a Jewish-Arab choir at the Jerusalem YMCA, says that a friend chided her for associating with Jews.

“If I care about them and they care about me, what’s the problem?” Samia said. “I try to tell her, ‘No, they’re not like that.’ ” Students understand that when they become adults, they

LETTERS

will enter a largely separated society. Most Jewish students will enter a military conscription that could have them manning a West Bank checkpoint.

Michael Mintz, 14, is a participant in Heartbeat, an afterschool program where Jewish and Arab teens make music together that is supported by American rock stars Neil Young and Eddie Vedder. Serving in the West Bank, he says, is an opportunity.

“If they tell me to go to the territories, I won’t say no,” Mintz said. “I won’t refuse to serve my state. I’d rather go to the territories so there won’t be an idiot there who’s not nice to [Palestinians].”

Despite the challenges, teenagers and activists say the coexistence programs are succeeding in fostering mutual empathy across the ethnic divide. On Monday night, the

YMCA choir, which combines dialogue on current events with vocal training, sang a rousing cover of Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep” after a rehearsal led in Hebrew and Arabic.

“They can’t talk about everything all the time, but it’s in everyone’s hearts and minds,” said Noa Yammer, Hand in Hand’s communications coordinator. “If you’ve been with Jews and Arabs, and spoken Hebrew and Arabic since you were 4 years old, there’s something more natural about it.

You can weather these things.”

Though the coexistence programs do outreach to parents, visit other schools and take trips abroad, they remain relatively small, with fewer than 1,000 participants out of a total youth population in Jerusalem numbering in the hundreds of thousands.

A YMCA staff member says she has trouble recruiting Jewish participants to her programs because most of the interested Jewish kids already attend Hand in Hand. The YMCA, which has brought Jews and Arabs together in joint programs for decades, also has a Jewish-Arab kindergarten, a youth videography workshop and leadership training programs.

Those who do participate say the challenges of the past few months have only made them more resilient.

At Hand in Hand, the argument over the geography textbook continued throughout that day, Masalha and Shaked-Vardi recall. But the following morning, it was all but forgotten.

“We got there the next day, and all we saw were our friends,” Shaked-Vardi said. “We can forgive them and laugh.”

ERRATA – Nov. 21

Re: Letters (Nov. 7)

Having read David Leven’s letter and the earlier article relating to the Judy Ann Leven BBG also brought back memories to me.

Around 1955, when I was a newlywed, my husband’s cousin was active in the organization and told me they had lost their leader. She asked me to take over, which I did for a couple of years until pregnancy intervened. I still have a lovely piece of china they gave me as a part-

There are those within our Jewish community who insist that Israel is not doing enough to accomplish a “two state solution.” Let those activists answer the following questions: who is a partner for peace with Israel? Is it two Palestinian cousins who butchered innocent Rabbis at prayer? Is it HAMAS urging Palestinians to

ing gift.

During the time I led the group, I did not know the Leven family and knew only what the girls had told me about Judy Ann. I knew she was greatly missed. We tried to reach out to her parents, but apparently they did not feel comfortable to meet with us at that time. Ironically, about five years later my family moved to a new house diagonally across from David and Myrna Leven (Judy Ann Leven’s

Re: Terror in Jerusalem carry out more such murders?

Is it President Abbas’ official Facebook page of FATAH praising the murders of Jews while praying? Is it the Palestinian women singing and dancing for joy and distributing candy and other sweets to celebrate the murder of innocent Jews at prayer?

Negotiations can only suc-

brother and sister-in-law). Our families became friends and our children spent their early years together. Because of this, I finally had the good fortune to meet and get to know Judy Ann’s parents and to express much belated condolences.

As they say, “what comes around goes around.”

Joan Temkin Gray Cranston, R.I.

ceed when there is a true peaceseeking partner for Israel to deal with.

In the meantime, what happened in Jerusalem should make ALL people of true faith unite in condemning such barbarous acts.

Howard I. Lipsey Associate Justice (ret.)

Lincoln, R.I.

Yehuda Fishhaut’s name was spelled incorrectly on page 4 and page 9.

The FIDF event on page 4 took place on Oct. 30, not Oct. 31.

The Jewish Voice regrets these errors.

DO YOU HAVE A FAMILY HERO? Let us know about him/her, why that person is your family hero and perhaps include a photo. We may feature that person in an upcoming issue.

Send your information to:

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Enclose sel f- add re sse d envelope for photo return.

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You have a voice … and The Jewish Voice wants to hear it. This paper is only as vibrant and robust as our readers make it, with kudos, comments, criticisms and other contributions such as: online comments, letters to the editor and op-ed submissions.

Letters to the editor: 250 words or fewer and must be signed. Op-ed essays: 500 – 800 words and must be signed. Send to fostendorf@jewishallianceri.org, subject line: OPINIONS. Remember, The Jewish Voice is your voice. Write to us and be heard.

10 | December 5, 2014

CALENDAR

Ongoing

Sunday | Dec. 7

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. Hanukkah Party, Dec. 19. 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Festive meal; Jewish and Israeli folk music by Hava Galinah.

Neal or Elaine, 401-421-4111, ext.

107.

Humongous Hanukkah Sale. 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Everything you need for Hanukkah and things you didn’t know you needed.

Temple Beth-El, 70 Orchard Ave., Providence. Free admission.

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.

Through Dec. 5 Gold, Paper, Scissors. By Naomi Geller Lipsky. gallery (401). Naomi uses quilling, gilding, painting and other techniques to create artistic designs, inspired by her love for Jewish heritage.

Dwares JCC, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence. Information, Erin Moseley, director or Arts & Culture, 401-4214111, ext. 108, emoseley@jewishallianceri.org

Through Jan. 8 Encaustics, Prints and Photography.

Temple Habonim Gallery. Works by three artists in a variety of mediums.

Felicia Touhey, encaustic painter and printmaker, uses materials and manipulation in her creations. Brian Larkin, artist, musician and historian, has perfected the white (or black) line woodblock printing technique used

by Provincetown artists in the early 20th century. Richard Jacobs has a passion for travel photography. 165 New Meadow Road, Barrington. 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. Information, call 401-245-6536, or email gallery@ templehabonim.org.

Saturday | Dec. 6 The Wholesale Klezmer Band. 8 p.m.

Six musicians perform in Yiddish and Hebrew. Repertoire includes Yiddish folksongs, songs from theater, as well as dance tunes. Tickets, $20 in advance and $23 at the door. Advance tickets through Brown Paper Tickets, 800-838-3006. Doors open at 7 p.m. for a folk tailgate party. Bring a picnic basket. Common Fence Music Hall, 933 Anthony Road, Portsmouth. Information, commonfencemusic.org.

A Cappella Shabbat. 9 a.m. Greater Taunton Jewish Community at Congregation Agudath Achim, 36 Winthrop St. Family Shabbat service with Brown/RISD Alef Beats musical group. Free and open to all. Information, jewishtaunton.com

“Hanukkah Helper” – a learning experience to help interfaith families celebrate together. 2:30 to 4 p.m.

Enjoy a taste of Hanukkah – the story, the candles and the latkes. Congregation Beth David, 102 Kingstown Road, Narragansett. The program is FREE but please RSVP if you’re coming: Sally at 401-789-6044. “Hanukkah Helper” is a program of the Jewish Outreach Institute.

Right off the Runway. 3 p.m. Temple Beth-El Sisterhood presents professional fashion runway show with some of R.I. and Southern New England’s hottest up and coming designers.

Pop-up boutiques, silent auction and hors d’oeuvres. Tickets: $45-$180. 70 Orchard Ave., Providence. Information, 401-331-6070.

A “Scandalous” Campaign Finale. An evening with Joshua Malina. Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island 2015 Annual Campaign Community-Wide Event. 7 p.m. Temple Emanu-El. Keynote speaker Joshua Malina is known for his roles in the TV shows “Sports Night,” “The West Wing” and “Scandal.” He will speak about his background as a Jewish actor and his involvement in The Jewish Federation. A dessert reception follows. $18 couvert per person plus a donation of any amount to the 2015 Annual Campaign. RSVP to Michele Gallagher at 401-421-4111, ext. 165 or mgallagher@jewishallianceri.org.

Jewish Women’s Reaissance Project Israel trip information session. 7 p.m.

Next trip is June 2015. Please contact Elissa Felder at 401-241-9631 or email at elissafelder@aol.com for the location and for more information.

Tuesday | Dec. 9 Lunch and Learn. 12:15-1:15 p.m. Study a bit of Torah with Rabbi Naftali Karp over lunch in a one-hour session to explore relevant Jewish topics using ancient wisdom as the guide. Bring a brown bag lunch; be prepared for a lively discussion. Weekly sessions through Dec. 9. Dwares JCC, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence. RSVP 401632-3165. Drop-ins welcome.

HealthSource RI outreach and enrollment assistance. 5-8 p.m. Dwares JCC. Presentation from 5-5:30 p.m. followed by enrollment assistance.

Wednesday | Dec. 10 Drop-in Crafting. 4-5 p.m. Dwares JCC. Drop in at your leisure to create a special craft. Member price of $1 per child and nonmember price of $3 per child to help cover the cost of materials.

Calendar Submissions Dec. 19 issue, GENERATIONS & FAMILY HEROES – must be received

by Dec. 10.

Jan. 2, 2015 issue, HEALTH & WELLNESS – must be received by DEC. 24.

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.

The Jewish Voice RSVP to Michelle Cicchitelli at 401421-4111, ext. 178 or mcicchitelli@ jewishallianceri.org to ensure enough supplies.

Holiday Children’s Art Show. Gallery (401). Gallery opening from 5-6 p.m. for show that includes selections from The Jewish Voice/Touro Fraternal Association Hanukkah Art and Writing Contest, David C. Isenberg Early Childhood Center and J Space. Dwares JCC, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence.

Jewish Culture through Film: “The Dove Flyer.” Hosted by Israeli Shaliach Gilor Meshulam with guest speaker Sam Shamoon. 7 p.m. Dwares JCC. Based on the novel “Farewell, Baghdad” by Eli Amir, the film tells the story of the Jewish community of Iraq. Most of the Iraqi Jews in Baghdad in the 1950s did not want to leave the land where they and their ancestors had lived for thousands of years. Against this background, the coming-of-age tale of 16-year-old Kabi is told. Transformed from a studious lad, he becomes one of the central activists in the Zionist underground and thus enables the immigration of the Jews of Iraq to Israel. Admission $5, Members $3. Information or to RSVP, contact Erin Moseley at 401-4214111, ext. 108 or emoseley@jewishallianceri.org.

Friday | Dec. 12 PJ Library Hanukkah Storytime. 10-11 a.m. Dwares JCC. Enjoy a PJ Library story, songs, movement, crafts and a holiday-themed snack. All children age 5 and under are welcome. To RSVP or for more information, contact Michelle Cicchitelli at 401-421-4111, ext. 178 or mcicchitelli@jewishallianceri.org.

Sunday | Dec. 14 Humongous Hanukkah Sale. 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Everything you need for Hanukkah

and things you didn’t know you needed.

Temple Beth-El, 70 Orchard Ave., Providence. Free admission.

Hanukkah Family Fair. 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Join the Greater Taunton Jewish Community at the Jewish Community House, 133 High St., for kid crafting, shopping, storytime, short Hanukkah movies, raffles/giveaways, Rite-Aid flu shots, diaper collection for area shelter.

Free and open to all. Information, jewishtaunton.com Holiday Concert. 2 p.m. Shireinu, the community chorus of Temple Sinai, will perform Hanukkah songs and other favorites for the residents of Greenwich Farms in Warwick. 75 Minnesota Ave. This concert is open to the public.

Teen Hanukkah Bash. 5-7 p.m. Dwares JCC. Everyone in grades 8-12 welcome at this communitywide Hanukkah celebration including fun festivities, music and a latke bar! Bring a friend!

Admission $10 at the door, $7 if sign up by Dec. 12. To sign up or more information, contact Jana Brenman at 401-421-4111, ext. 181 or jbrenman@jewishallianceri.org.

Monday | Dec. 15 Jewish Philosophy Book Club. 8-9:30 p.m. Open to men women and teens.

Rabbi Dolinger leads a guided discussion engaging Judaism’s most important topics and questions. Participants are responsible to order the book, “God in Search of Man,” by Abraham Joshua Heschel, part two. Rabbi’s study at Congregation Beth Sholom, 275 Camp St., Providence. For information, 401621-9393

Tuesday | Dec. 16 Hanukkah Menorah Lighting. 4 p.m. Join the Greater Taunton Jewish Community and Taunton city and area officials at the Taunton Green for this annual celebra-

tion. Free and open to all. Information, jewishtaunton.com

Thursday | Dec. 18 Vodka Latke. 7 p.m. Foolproof Brewing Company, 241 Grotto Ave., Pawtucket. $18 per person includes 3 beer-tasting tickets, a complimentary Foolproof pint glass and a flight of latkes with dipping sauce. Must be 21+ to attend. RSVP by Dec. 15 for a chance to win awesome raffle prizes! Dietary laws observed.

Information, contact Erin Moseley at 401-421-4111, ext. 108 or emoseley@jewishallianceri.org.

Friday | Dec. 19 Shalom Friends - Hanukkah! A music and movement class at the Jewish Community Day School of RI. 10- 11 a.m. Shalom Friends is a monthly Jewish music and movement class geared toward children from birth to 5 years and their families. Sing, play with instruments, dance with scarves all while learning basic Jewish concepts.

JCDSRI Library. Free. Information, 401751-2470.

Friday Services. Shireinu, the community chorus of Temple Sinai, will participate in Friday night services during Hanukkah. Services are open to the public. 30 Hagen Ave., Cranston.

COMMUNITY

thejewishvoice.org

December 5, 2014 |

11

Teens get into the Hanukkah spirit Author and mah jongg historian Gregg Swain R.I. youth invited to a fun celebration Food, fun and festivities are on tap Dec. 14 for Jewish teens at #HanukkahBashRI. The celebration for those in grades 8-12 is a project of all the youth groups in greater Rhode Island, including USY, BBYO, NCSY, NFTY, PROFTY, CRAFTY, Camp JORI, Maccabi and Midrasha.

“This year teens from many youth movements collectively decided to plan a Hanukkah celebration and invite all Jewish teens from around the state,” said Jana Brenman, director of Teen Engagement and Education at the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island. “Meeting together throughout the fall, this teen committee worked out every detail with the support of

their youth group advisers and synagogues to create a party of their own.”

From 5-7 p.m., teens will get a chance to hang out with friends, grab a bite from the Chubby Chickpea food truck, take pictures in the photo booth and, perhaps, make some new friends. Activities take place at the Dwares JCC, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence.

Brenman says, “It will be a fun time for all with great music and cheer, fun games with prizes and latkes galore.”

Cost is $10, or RSVP by Dec. 10 and pay only $7. Information and RSVP to Jana Brenman at 401-421-4111, ext. 181 or jbrenman@jewishallianceri.org.

Bernhardt Foundation seeks applications for grants Are you affiliated with a Jewish nonprofit organization in need of grant funds? If so, you might want to consider submitting a grant request to the Helene and Bertram Bernhardt Foundation.

Established in 2005 under the wills of the late Helene and Bertram Bernhardt, the Foundation’s mission is to support nonprofit organizations, with a specific preference given to Jewish nonprofit organizations in Rhode Island and to nonprofit organizations that Helene and Bertram Bernhardt supported during their lives.

Since its founding, the Foundation has distributed almost $3 million to such nonprofit organizations as Temple BethEl, the Jewish Alliance, the Jewish Seniors Agency, Jewish Family Service, Hillel and many other agencies.

To receive the guidelines and application form for the grants, contact Samuel Zurier, secretary of the Foundation, at 55 Dorrance St., Suite 400, Providence, R.I. 02903 or sdz@ om-rilaw.com .

The deadline to submit applications for Fiscal Year 201516 is Dec. 31, 2014.

BY LOIS KEMP Author and mah jongg historian Gregg Swain will present an interesting and informative program on Dec. 14 at 3 p.m. at Temple Habonim, 165 New Meadow Road, Barrington, as part of its Adult Education series. Swain is the co-author, along with Ann Israel, of the recently published book, “Mah Jongg: The Art and History of the Game.” The book chronicles the early beginnings of the game and documents mah jongg sets from the most basic to the most outrageous and opulent. The

authors’ research includes vintage collections not only in the United States, but in places as far away as Africa and New Zealand. Swain, an art historian, will discuss mah jongg’s art and its symbolism as well as the tradition of mah jongg in the Jewish community. Her presentation will include historical photographs.

This program is free and open to the community. For further information go to templehabonim.org, or call the temple office at 401-245-6536.

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The Miriam Hospital wishes you and your loved ones a joyous Hanukkah. miriamhospital.org

12 | December 5, 2014

NATION | WORLD

The Jewish Voice

U.S. judge rejects inmate’s motions in kosher prison food lawsuit JTA – A federal judge in Connecticut rejected motions by a death row inmate who is suing the state for not providing him with kosher prison food.

U.S. District Court Judge Alvin Thompson in his ruling issued last week said Steven Hayes, who was convicted in the 2007 murder of a woman and her two daughters, receives meals that are certified by two rabbis who monitor the preparation of kosher food in the state’s prison system, The Associated Press reported.

In his lawsuit fi led in August, Hayes said that the state’s Department of Corrections was

not serving him kosher food.

Hayes had requested a trial by judge and asked for an injunction ordering the Department of Corrections to provide pre-packaged kosher meals to all Jewish prisoners in Connecticut’s prisons. He also sought $15,000 in punitive and compensatory damages for “intentional infl iction of pain, suffering and resulting weight loss from the deliberate denial of a kosher diet.”

An amended complaint fi led earlier this month said he has not eaten any non-kosher food since Aug. 24 and is now down to 120 pounds. In the lawsuit,

Hayes describes himself as an Orthodox Jew and says he has been asking for kosher food since May 2013.

He said that the prison’s kitchen is not certified to provide strictly kosher food and that the staff told him the food served at the prison is “kosherlike.”

Hayes accused the state of violating his First Amendment right to free exercise of religion by preventing him from eating kosher food and his Eighth Amendment right against cruel and unusual punishment.

Anti-Semitism watchdog sues Romanian mayor over Hitler haircut JTA – A Jewish watchdog group celebrating the haircut. The in Romania sued a mayor for allegedly inciting hatred by celebrating his Hitler-style hairdo.

The Center for Monitoring and Combating Anti-Semitism, or MCA Romania, fi led a criminal complaint last week against Radu Mazare, who leads the seaside resort town of Constanta, after he spoke to the media about his haircut, which resembles that of the Nazi leader Adolf Hitler. Mazare in 2009 was photographed wearing a Nazi uniform.

MCA Romania’s complaint to the prosecutor’s office of the High Court of Cassation and Justice accused Mazare of inspiring pro-Nazi sentiment by

complaint qualifies the mayor’s actions as an “outrageous, provocative and defiant” show of Nazi sympathies.

Five years ago, Mazare attended a fashion show with his son while wearing a fake Nazi uniform, which he said he bought because he liked how it looked. Mazare said he did not see the swastikas on the uniform. Critics disputed the assertion, as he climbed the stage with his son while marching in a military style typical of German soldiers.

In an interview published in the Adevarul daily newspaper, Mazare said he was surprised to learn of the criminal complaint fi led against him

THEY SEE COLOR WAR.

Radu Mazare

and claimed his new haircut – which he adopted shortly before the fi rst round of Romania’s presidential elections – showed his desire to keep up with current trends.

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NATION

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The courthouse in Clayton, Missouri, where the grand jury met.

Jewish groups call for civil discussion on race following Ferguson decision JTA – Jewish groups called for civil and serious discussion about race, democracy and justice in the wake of a Missouri grand jury’s decision not to indict the police officer who shot and killed an unarmed AfricanAmerican teen in Ferguson.

The Jewish Council for Public Affairs, in a statement issued Nov. 26, affirmed its support for peaceful demonstration and called for “locally led serious, civil and hard conversations on race, opportunity and representative democracy in America today.”

“When we face great injustices in our society, they must be confronted. We must turn our attention now toward bettering our society, toward working for social justice in eradicating poverty and economic inequality, mending race relations, working toward a fair criminal justice system, increasing the public’s faith in our government institutions and eliminating the perceived disconnect between these institutions and the democratic process,” JCPA President Rabbi Steve Gutow said in a statement. “Peaceful demonstration, democratic engagement and the rule of law are bedrock values of America and must be respected. However, violence is never the answer, and it will not heal the problems we face. In fact, it will exacerbate and add to them.”

American Jewish World Service President Ruth Messinger in a statement called the fatal shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson a “glaring failing” of our society. This failing of our system is not a personal foible or one-time event but is rooted in the history of racism which — despite all the progress we have made as a society — still diminishes our justice system,” she said. “As Jewish advocates for human rights, we must stand for justice at home and

around the world. We understand from our historical experience what it means to have our lives treated by government authorities as being less valuable than those of others.”

The Anti-Defamation League said in a statement that it respected the Missouri grand jury’s decision not to bring charges against Officer Darren Wilson in the shooting of Brown and called the tragedy a wake-up call, “reminding us that the problems we face as a nation transcend Ferguson.”

“Fifty years after the passage of the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964, our society is still not free from bias, racial prejudice and discrimination. AfricanAmericans are still the most

frequent targets of hate crimes in America, black students are suspended or expelled from our public schools at a much higher rate than white students, and there are many other examples that show the continuing racial divide,” Karen Aroesty, ADL St. Louis regional director, and Abraham Foxman, ADL national director, said in the statement.

Bend the Arc CEO Stosh Cotler said her organization was “deeply disappointed” by the grand jury’s decision, but added, “All Americans have a moral responsibility to honor Michael Brown’s life by helping to dismantle the systemic racial injustices underlying his death.”

Happy Hanukkah!

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December 5, 2014 |

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FOOD

14 | December 5, 2014

The Jewish Voice

Hanukkah is brewing at Shmaltz

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Please tell them you saw their ad in The Jewish Voice.

Break out the latkes, gelt, Hanukkah candles and He’brew Beer; it’s time to start prepping for the holidays! In November, 18-yearold Shmaltz Brewing Company rolled out three limited-edition releases straight from their newly expanded brewery in Clifton Park, New York. First up is the homage to the eight crazy nights: Hanukkah, Chanukah: Pass The Beer, a dark ale brewed with eight malts, eight hops and 8 percent ABV. Next in line is the anniversary beer, Jewbelation 18 (18 malts, 18 hops, and 12.4% ABV), which marks the birth of an entirely new take on the aw a r d -w i n n i n g Jewbelation series. Last, but certainly not least, the 5th Annual He’brew Gift Pack which hit stores at Thanksgiving.

Ranked in 2013 as one of the “Top 100 Brewers in the World” by RateBeer.com, Shmaltz won 9 Gold and 5 Silver Medals in the World Beer

Championships in 2012. A recipient of the “Distinguished Business Award” by the Brooklyn Chamber of Com-

merce, Shmaltz was also included in the “Top 50 Fastest Growing Bay Area Companies” by San Francisco Business Times.

Founder and owner Jeremy Cowan established the company in San Francisco in 1996 with the first 100 cases of He’brew Beer hand-bottled and delivered throughout the Bay Area in his Grandmother’s Volvo. He’brew is now sold across 37 states, through 40 wholesalers and nearly 5,000 retailers. The holiday brews are sold locally at High Spirits, Wines & More of RI, Nikki’s Liquors, Sandy’s Liquors, B & C Liquors, The Grange, Bridge Liquor and Bottles.

After 17 years of being an outspoken cheerleader for contract brewing, Shmaltz recently broke with tradition and opened its own New York State production brewery in Clifton Park, NY, 10 minutes north of Albany’s capital district. Shmaltz’s new home boasts a 50-barrel brewhouse with 20,000 barrels of annual capacity. The new brewery packages 12 and 22 ounce bottles and kegs of their diverse core and seasonal favorites, and hosts fans and beer tourists in their new tasting room for tours, barrel-aged previews and special releases.

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FOOD

thejewishvoice.org

‘Top your own’ party gives latkes a lift

BY SHANNON SARNA NEW YORK (JTA) – There’s nothing quite like that first night of Hanukkah: a platter full of hot, crispy latkes and the accompanying applesauce and sour cream. It’s classic, delicious and a beloved comfort food for so many American Jews.

But by the third or fourth night, I need a change of pace for my latkes. Or to be more specific, I crave some other toppings.

While I love dipping my latkes into a healthy serving of rich sour cream, I also relish serving meat with latkes, specifically pulled brisket. You can use any beloved recipe of choice. After the brisket has finished cooking and cooled, shred it with two forks.

Throw a “top your own” latkes party and make an array of creative toppings – like the brisket or spicy cranberry applesauce recipes offered below – or tell your guests to bring their favorites.

It’s fun to see how creative people can get.

Some other potential latke toppings: grilled pastrami and mustard, sauerkraut, salsa, pickled jalapenos, beef chili and caramelized onions. The sky’s the limit.

Classic Potato Latkes Ingredients:

12 medium-large Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks 4 small onions, or 1 medium-large onion, cut into large chunks 4 garlic cloves, peeled and left whole 3/4 to 1 cup flour 4 eggs, lightly beaten 1 1/2 tablespoons salt 1/2 tablespoon pepper Vegetable oil for frying

Preparation:

Using the shredding attachment of a food processor or a hand grater, coarsely grate potatoes, onions and garlic.

Place in a large bowl.

Add flour, eggs, salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly until completely combined.

Allow to sit 5 to 10 minutes. Drain excess liquid.

Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Using your hands, make a small latke patty and squeeze out excess liquid again. Fry for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Remove from pan and place on wire cooling rack placed on a baking sheet, which you can place in a warm oven until ready to serve. Makes 4 dozen latkes.

Pulled Brisket

This pulled brisket also makes for an amazing sandwich on a challah roll.

You can cut the proportions in half, too.

Ingredients:

2- to 3-pound brisket 1 tablespoon salt 1/2 tablespoon freshly grated black pepper 2 teaspoons garlic powder 2 teaspoons onion powder 1 teaspoon dried parsley 3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil 1 can beer

1 can ginger ale 1 bottle red wine 4 ounces tomato paste 4 medium carrots, cut into mediumsize pieces 2 onions, cut into quarters

Preparation:

In a small bowl combine salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and parsley. Spread dry rub on both sides of brisket evenly. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or pot on medium high heat. Sear the brisket on both sides “until the smoke detector goes off.” Remove meat and set aside.

Using the remaining oil and “good bits” on the bottom of the pan, sauté carrots and onions, scraping the bottom until the veggies are soft, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Add the tomato paste and stir until thoroughly mixed.

Put the brisket back in the pan, and cover with the bottle of red wine, beer and ginger ale. Place the entire pot with brisket into the oven, and cook for at least 3 to 4 hours, until meat is completely tender.

When the meat is fork tender, remove the meat and set aside on a large cutting board.

Let the sludge rise to the top of the pot liquid and skim it off. Strain out the carrots and onions and using a food processor, blend them with 1-2 cups of the cooking liquid, then return the blended mixture to the rest of the liquid and simmer to reduce slightly.

On the cutting board using two forks, carefully shred the brisket into small strands. Add 1 to 2 cups of the pureed cooking liquid to the pulled brisket for additional moisture and flavor.

Serve in a large bowl and allow guests to top latkes, or spoon small amounts of brisket on each latke for a more elegant presentation.

Spicy Cranberry Applesauce

Like it really spicy? Add more chilies or 1 tablespoon of Sriracha hot sauce for more heat.

Ingredients:

6 apples, peeled and diced 12 ounces fresh cranberries 1 cup water 2 tablespoons orange juice 2 tablespoons orange zest 1/3 cup sugar 2-3 small dried chilies

Preparation:

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan on medium-high heat. Bring to a low boil and cook for 3-4 minutes, until cranberries have softened and released juices. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15-20 minutes covered. Allow to cool slightly.

Place applesauce in a food processor fitted with blade attachment. Process until desired consistency. Serve chilled.

Makes about 1 1/2 quarts.

SHANNON SARNA is editor of The Nosher blog on MyJewishLearning. com.

December 5, 2014 |

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16 | December 5, 2014

FOOD

The Jewish Voice

‘Jewish Soul Food’ author Janna Gur wants to make vegetables ‘sexy’

BY SHANNON SARNA NEW YORK (JTA) – Janna Gur’s “The Book of New Israeli Food” has sat on my kitchen counter with my other favorite cookbooks for years, and I frequently pull it out for friends and family who are unfamiliar with Israeli cuisine, saying, “This is the book you need to buy to understand food in Israel.”

Gur’s newly published sequel, “Jewish Soul Food: From Minsk to Marrakesh” (Random House), is even more beautiful than its predecessor and more accessible to an American audience.

While in New York on a book tour, Gur took time out to chat with me at a Manhattan cafe.

(The interview has been condensed and edited.)

JTA: How did you become a cookbook author?

Gur: I got into this business by accident 22 years ago when my husband was working on a marine sports magazine, and I became very interested in the layout, editing and general production of putting out a magazine. We decided to expand the business together, and it was at that point we started Al Hashulchan (On the Table) magazine.

It was originally intended as a trade magazine for chefs and

Janna Gur’s caterers but quickly became popular with amateur foodies and home cooks.

Within a few months, food became my life. When we decided to work on an Israeli cookbook, I didn’t imagine myself actually writing it but thought I would just edit it. In the end, though, I couldn’t fi nd someone who would carry out my vision, so I decided to write it myself.

JTA: What was your vision?

Gur: I wanted to tell the story of what happened in Israel foodwise over the last two decades.

I wanted to talk about the mar-

kets, holidays, Shabbat, olive oil, wine. And I wanted to juxtapose traditional recipes with modern takes on them from Israeli chefs.

JTA: Israeli food is certainly having its moment – why do you think this is happening now?

Gur: I think the question of timing has been very important in this. In some ways, my fi rst book was a bit premature. But now [restaurateur and cookbook author Yotam] Ottolenghi has really done more to promote Israeli cuisine than all the tourism efforts combined.

We are still in the middle of a revolution, just the second stage. If the fi rst phase started in the 1990s, then we now have an entire generation of Israelis in their 20s and 30s who are foodies in a different way. They take great food for granted. For example, my daughter, even if she is on a budget, has to buy great bread, has to buy highquality goat cheese and has to raid our wine supply when she comes to visit.

JTA: We do that to my inlaws, too. Glad to see stealing good wine from your parents transcends the Israeli-Diaspora line.

Gur: Yes, exactly. Like Americans, younger Israelis want to feel connected to authentic food. It’s less about gourmet experiences. Young people are opening smaller food establishments, less expensive. We are

part of a global food phenomenon and also uniquely Israeli.

JTA: What gets you excited about food in Israel currently?

Gur: A good example is what Eyal Shani is doing at his restaurant Miznon in Tel Aviv. He is probably the most talented chef in Israel currently. We recently had these pitas there that were stuffed with liver, beef stew, baked potato – all different, exciting fi llings. It’s not Israeli fusion food; it’s Israeli food that is local and elevated.

JTA: Did you have any formal food training for your work?

Gur: No, because I didn’t need training. I am not a chef, and I never pretend to be one.

I don’t think most food editors were trained as chefs. By the very fact I had to go through so many recipes, texts and books – in the end you just amass a lot of knowledge. As I got interested in food, I got more and more interested in cooking and started cooking more myself. But even now I don’t regard myself as a cook; I am a food person.

JTA: What inspired you to write “Jewish Soul Food”?

Gur: I came to the realization that there is a whole world of Jewish dishes that are on the verge of extinction, and the only place they all still exist is in Israel.

If you are Italian and want to connect with your culinary roots, it is easy: You hop on a

plane and go to northern Italy or southern Italy and eat. If you are an Iraqi Jew and want to connect with your culinary roots, there is nowhere to go. At least not back to Iraq.

I wanted to preserve these recipes, and the only way is to cook them and make people want to eat them. So I wanted this collection of recipes to be dishes that are worth preserving and delicious. And not overly complicated.

JTA: When you are in New York, what do you love to eat? And what do you miss about Israeli food?

Gur: I love that you can have anything! Just the other day my husband and I stumbled upon a Vietnamese restaurant in Chinatown that was fantastic.

There is such a variety of foods.

You can wake up in the morning and say today I want Mexican, and you have 50 choices.

What I miss is sort of obvious: I miss my salad and lighter, more colorful food. You can fi nd this in New York City, but you have to look for it. In Israel I can go anywhere – right in my own neighborhood – to eat this way.

JTA: What do you hope Americans will take away from the way Israelis eat?

Gur: I want Americans to learn from the way Israelis treat vegetables. We know how to make vegetable sexy. For us, vegetables are not a punishment, they are something exciting.

continued

FOOD

thejewishvoice.org

VERA’S APFEL KUCHEN Apple Cake

Recipes from the book.

IJEH B’LAHMEH Herb and Meat Latkes (Syrian)

Makes one 17-by-12-inch cake

Makes 15 to 20 pancakes

From “Jewish Soul Food” by Janna Gur. Copyright © 2014 by Janna Gur. Excerpted by permission of Schocken Books, a division of Random House LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

From “Jewish Soul Food” by Janna Gur. Copyright © 2014 by Janna Gur. Excerpted by permission of Schocken Books, a division of Random House LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

Ingredients: For tHe doUgH:

Ingredients: For tHe panCaKes:

4 eggs 1 large onion, roughly chopped About 2 tablespoons matzah meal or breadcrumbs 1 bunch fresh parsley 1 bunch fresh cilantro 1/2 bunch fresh mint 3 to 4 scallions (white and green parts) 10 ounces (300 g) ground beef, or a lamb and beef mixture Salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 to 3 tablespoons pine nuts (optional) Vegetable oil for frying To serve (optional): Pita, bread rolls, or ciabatta Olive oil Slices red onion Chopped fresh herbs, such as parsley or cilantro Tomato slices Tahini spread

Preparation:

1. Prepare the pancakes: Put the eggs, onion, matzah meal or breadcrumbs, parsley, cilantro, mint and scallions in a food processor. Pulse until the herbs

2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast 2 teaspoons sugar 3/4 cup lukewarm milk 2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour 1 3/4 sticks unsalted butter, melted

For tHe appLe FiLLing:

are chopped. Transfer to a bowl.

2. Add the ground beef, salt, pepper and pine nuts (if using) and mix thoroughly.

3. Heat a little bit of vegetable oil in a large nonstick frying pan. With a large spoon, ladle in pancakes 3 inches wide and fry over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, until deep golden. Be careful not to crowd the pan (work in batches). Remove to paper towels to drain.

4. To serve: If desired, brush the pita with olive oil and toast in a hot pan or oven. Arrange

the pancakes on the bread (it will absorb the flavorful juices) and top with red onion, herbs, tomato and tahini spread. If not serving at once, store the pancakes in the refrigerator – they are delicious cold or at room temperature in a sandwich or as a light snack.

Variation for a vegetarian version: Skip the meat. Increase the amount of matzah meal or breadcrumbs to 5 tablespoons.

You might also want to add 1 to 2 chopped and slowly sauteed onions for extra flavor.

5 pounds tart baking apples, such as Granny Smith, peeled and cored 1 cup sugar 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 1 egg white (optional)

For tHe gLaZe:

1 egg yolk

Preparation:

1. Prepare the dough: Mix the yeast, sugar and milk in a bowl; let stand for a few minutes until the mixture starts to bubble.

2. Place the flour in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, add the melted butter and yeast mixture, and knead for 5 to 6 minutes to a soft, shiny dough. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours.

December 5, 2014 |

17

3. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and knead briefly by hand. If it feels sticky, add a little bit of flour.

4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 17-by-12-inch baking sheet.

5. Punch down the dough and knead briefly on a well-floured work surface. Divide the dough in half and roll one piece to a rectangle the size of the baking sheet. Line the pan with it.

6. Prepare the apple fi lling: Grate the apples on a coarse grater and squeeze out the juice. Add the sugar, cinnamon and lemon juice. Taste the apples and adjust the sweetness/ acidity by adding sugar and/or lemon juice. To make the fi lling a little more stable, stir in the egg white (if using).

7. Evenly spread the fi lling on the dough.

8. Roll out the remaining dough to a rectangle the size of the baking sheet and place it on top of the fi lling.

9. Prepare the glaze: Dilute the yolk with a little bit of water and brush the surface of the dough. Using a fork, make a crisscross pattern on the glaze.

10. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the cake is golden brown.

Cool and cut into squares. The cake will keep up to four days in a tightly covered container at room temperature.

SHANNON SARNA writes “The Nosher” blog on MyJewishLearning.

18 | December 5, 2014

HANUKKAH

The Jewish Voice

Celebrating Eric Kimmel’s Hershel, meeting new characters

BY PENNY SCHWARTZ BOSTON (JTA) – Back in 1984, when Eric Kimmel was an upand-coming children’s book author, he tried his hand at a Hanukkah story, one featuring goblins. Overly cautious Jewish editors rejected the manuscript, not knowing what to make of it, Kimmel recalled.

“It was strange. It didn’t look like any other Hanukkah books and didn’t fit into any neat category. It wasn’t a folk tale and it was kind of creepy,” he told JTA with his signature sense of humor and tell-it-like-it-is manner.

Kimmel tucked the story away in a drawer for a while.

Years later, some keen-eyed editors, first at Cricket magazine and later at Holiday House, took a chance on Kimmel’s offbeat tale, “Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins,” illustrated by the late acclaimed artist Trina Schart Hyman.

The book was recognized with a 1989 Caldecott Honor and went on to win a place in the hearts and homes of Jewish and nonJewish families, schoolteachers and librarians across the country. “Hershel” has been in print ever since.

Now, in time for Hanukkah, the eight-day Festival of Lights that begins this year on the evening of Dec. 16, Holiday House has issued its 25th anniversary edition of “Hershel and Hanukkah Goblins,” with a new afterword by Kimmel and Holiday House publisher John Briggs, who brought the book to light.

And Kimmel has a new Hanukkah tale out this year, “Simon and the Bear.”

As “Hershel and Hanukkah Goblins” opens, a wandering poor Jewish man named Hershel arrives in a Jewish village on a snowy day at the start of the holiday. For years, the townsfolk have been scared off by goblins from celebrating Hanukkah, they tell him. The evil doers blow out the Hanukkah candles, break the dreidels and throw the latkes on the floor, they bemoan.

But Hershel tells the rabbi he is not afraid.

“If I can’t outwit a few goblins, then my name isn’t Hershel of Ostropol,” Hershel says.

Each of the eight Hanukkah nights, Hershel outwits the goblins, one more menacing than the next. In the end, with clever maneuvers and quick thinking, he breaks their evil spell and returns the Festival of Lights back to the townsfolk with a triumph to match the holiday’s own miracle.

Growing up, Kimmel enjoyed hearing stories of Hershel of Ostropol from his storytelling grandmother. He sees the folk character as a hero among the people, the opposite of the fools of Chelm.

Hershel has street smarts, is practical and takes on the

mighty and powerful.

“He’s surviving day to day and using his wits,” Kimmel says.

The book was hailed as a perfect match between the master storyteller and Schart Hyman, whose vibrant paintings set the tone with darkened scenes illuminated by the golden glow of the Hanukkah candles and shiny gelt coins.

In addition to the strong pairing between art and story, “Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins” is considered a classic because of Kimmel’s ability to

“I am always flattered,” he says.

Kimmel says “Simon and the Bear” (Disney Hyperion; ages 3-6) may be his best work. It’s a charming, witty, feel-good adventure based on a sad story that Kimmel read about the sinking of the Titanic. The book was illustrated by Matthew Trueman.

Here are some other new Hanukkah books for children:

tell a mesmerizing story, says Anita Silvey, the author of “100 Best Books for Children” and “Everything I Need to Know I Learned From a Children’s Book.”

“Readers from different backgrounds learn about Jewish culture, but what pulls them along is a story,” Silvey wrote in an email.

Kimmel, 68, who was born and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y., has gone on to win two National Jewish Book Awards and the Sydney Taylor Award for Jewish children’s books.

He recalls a letter from a young reader with a Latino background who said Hershel was his favorite Halloween story. Kimmel says he receives many requests for permission to turn the story into theatrical productions.

by Jill Pinkwater Macmillan ($17.99), ages 3-8 A fun-filled collaboration between the Pinkwaters – the humorist Daniel and his artist wife, Jill – will enliven Hanukkah in this new Yetta the Yiddish-speaking chicken tale.

Yetta’s flown the coop from a Brooklyn poultry market and takes up with a cast of nest mates who jest in English and Yiddish translations. A lost kitten in need of care leads them to celebrate Hanukkah with a warmhearted grandmother.

The large-format pages sparkle with brilliant and entertaining color illustrations.

Beautiful Yetta’s Hanukkah Kitten Daniel Pinkwater, illustrated

The Dreidel That Wouldn’t Spin Martha Seif Simpson; illustrated by Durga Yael Benhard Wisdom Tales ($16.95); ages 5

and up In this beautifully illustrated tale set in the old world, the keeper of a toy shop offers a mysterious dreidel to a young boy from a poor family. The boy’s humility elicits a small miracle from the special dreidel. An author’s note explains the holiday, dreidels and how to play the dreidel game.

Here is the World: A Year of Jewish Holidays Leslea Newman; illustrated

by Susan Gal

Abrams Books for Young Readers ($18.95); ages 4-7 A lavish and brightly illustrated book by the award-winning writer Leslea Newman lyrically rhymes its way through the Jewish holidays, including Hanukkah. End pages explain Jewish customs and holidays and include recipes, including fried potato latkes for Hanukkah. A perfect Hanukkah gift for young readers.

Latke, the Lucky Dog Ellen Fischer; illustrated by Tiphanie Beeke Kar-Ben ($17. 95 hardcover; $7.95 paperback); ages 2-7 A newly adopted dog from a shelter is a family Hanukkah gift that delights a young brother and sister. Latke, the dog, feels very lucky to be living with the loving family, but in inno-

cence he gets into mischief and threatens to spoil the Hanukkah celebrations. The story, told from Latke’s perspective, will delight dog-loving kids.

The Night Before Hanukkah Natasha Wing; illustrated by Amy Wummer Grosset & Dunlap ($3.99); ages 2-5 This rhyming Hanukkah story for young kids is Natasha Wing’s newest entry in her bestselling series of “night-before” books. Rhymes and illustrations are lively as the story follows a

family celebrating Hanukkah and retelling a simple version of the holiday story.

Miracle for Shira: a Chanukah Story Galia Sabbag; illustrated by Erin Taylor Available on www.shiraseries.com ($12; also ebook through Amazon.com); ages 4-8 This entry in a series by Galia Sabbag, a longtime Jewish educator, features the spunky and curious Shira searching for a new unusual dreidel sent by her aunt in Israel that is lost at school. Hebrew words, written also in English, are sprinkled throughout the text. Erin Taylor’s large format, animationlike illustrations enliven the story that’s a good read for kids in Jewish and religious schools.

HANUKKAH

thejewishvoice.org

December 5, 2014 |

19

Continue family traditions with a little help from PJ Library Celebrate Hanukkah by reading about it with your children

BY IRINA MISSIURO imissiuro@jewishallianceri.org When you think back on your childhood, one of the fi rst memories that likely pops into your head is cuddling in bed with mom and dad while they read bedtime stories to you until you doze off. It’s the moment that little ones wait for the entire day – the parent’s attention is focused on them, undivided and whole.

Most of the time, it’s the parent who selects the books, subtly influencing the child’s tastes, steering him toward particular topics, authors and genres.

Often, parents deliberate the choice of book at length before deciding to share it – they know that they’ll probably be reading that same book more than once, or 10 times, to be realistic. After all, when children fall in love with a story, they want to hear it over and over, discovering novel nuances upon each reading. Sometimes, the parents learn as well, depending on how tired they are. But no matter how exhausted mom and dad are, they make time for the practice because reading to kids is their way of passing on traditions to the next generation – the same approach their parents used to instill love of reading and literature in them.

During Hanukkah, children are more attuned to rituals, so it’s particularly important to carry on the nighttime reading to your little ones. What if you

didn’t have to spend the time figuring out which selections are worthy of your child? Bonding with your son or daughter might be a better way to use those minutes. Luckily, PJ Library’s latest holiday offerings are terrific. In Rhode Island, 527 children look forward to opening their mailboxes every month to discover the stories and music to fall in love with next. Some Hanukkah favorites from recent years included Maxine Rose Schur’s “The Peddler’s Gift,” which won the 1999 Sydney Taylor Award for Younger Readers, and Eric Kimmel’s “Hanukkah Bear,” a recipient of the 2013 National Jewish Book Award for Illustrated Children’s Books. This season, Barbara Brown’s “Hanukkah in Alaska,” a 2014 Sydney Taylor Notable Book for Younger Readers award recipient, steals the show.

If your children are between the ages of 6 months and six years old, and you’d like to enroll them in this Jewish literacy and engagement program, you may do so at no charge. Email Michelle Cicchitelli, director of Jewish Life at the Alliance, at MCicchitelli@JewishAllianceRI.org or call her at 401-4214111, ext. 178. Or, you can log on to pjlibrary.org and fi ll out the enrollment form, making sure to select RI as your community (it includes parts of southeastern Massachusetts). Cicchitelli suggests that you also follow PJ

Library Rhode Island on Facebook and subscribe to their m o nt h ly PJ Library facts newsletter to Harold Grinspoon, Jewlearn about ish philanthropist, started PJ Story it in 2005.

Time hapIt’s made possible by local penings and donors and partner organifamily activizations, such as the Jewish ties throughAlliance of Greater Rhode out the state.

Island.

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20 | December 5, 2014 FROM PAGE 1

HANUKKAH

The Jewish Voice

SHMITA

Jewish environmental activists, communal leaders and educators (from Hazon, Siah, Teva Ivri, among others) have created robust platforms (conferences, papers, websites and synagogue task forces) to help us consider what shmita can mean for us today living in a mainly nonagrarian society.

They have confronted us to think about our mission as a people and how caring for God’s earth is central to that mission.

They have developed practical ideas that range from the personal and communal to the national.

On the personal and communal levels, they encourage us to create more energy-efficient homes and institutions, to place recycling centers at the entrance to our institutions that serve as eco-mezuzahs, and to get outside more (even in winter) to appreciate the majesty of the natural world.

On a national level in Israel, Knesset member Ruth Calderon and the minister for social welfare have created a financial recovery program to help needy families settle their debts, and others have created online time

banks that give volunteers an opportunity to contribute their time and skill to the needy in our community. All of these are a part of an initiative to infuse new life into an ancient (and sometimes seemingly antiquated) law.

How can a “shmita consciousness” during this Hanukkah help open up another dimension of the holiday? Here are some ideas: 1. Use less electricity: Different from Shabbat candles, we are not meant to use the light of the Hanukkah candles for practical purposes. Encouraged to “l’rotam b’lvad” (literally, “only see them”), we slow down and are fully present to remind ourselves of the miracle of the oil that lasted longer than it naturally should. While the Hanukkah candles are burning, turn off all the lights in your home and think about renewable energy sources as you view the small flame. Save electricity for those 30 minutes, and when the candles burn down and you turn on the artificial lights, have a greater consciousness about the kinds of energy you use and think about switching

to the miracle of solar power.

2. Consume less and celebrate more: Many analysts agree that one of the major problems with our ecological crisis is overconsumption.

Americans make up only 5 percent of the population of the world but consume 20 percent of its resources (food, water and energy). Affluence contributes to this trend. Instead of placing emphasis on the material – presents and more presents – let’s think about how we can celebrate in a more creative way. Songs, games, gestures of love and friendship are free.

Make these things the center of your Hanukkah celebration this year; it can be a model for moderation in consumption

that we exercise for the rest of the year.

3. Forgive debts: Whether you have actually lent money to someone in the last three months, this is the year to forgive these debts. But on a more spiritual level, consider how you can be more forgiving this Hanukkah. If there is anyone you hold a grudge against or think you are owed something from, forgive them.

4. Appreciate nature more: Especially in the winter, it is harder to appreciate nature when we are cooped up inside.

This Hanukkah, make a point to go for a walk (just dress warmly), breathe the air, take delight in a small part of your garden or a tree on the street.

5. Buy fair-trade chocolate gelt: A shmita consciousness considers what “releasing slaves” can mean for us in our day-to-day lives. And while we might have a Pavlovian reaction to those golden coins in a mesh yellow bag, the chocolate industry is known to use child labor in their production of chocolate.

This year, think about purchasing fair-trade chocolate.

6. Rest: The shmita year calls for the land to rest and can inspire us to think about what rest means for us on a personal level. Consider the difference between how we spend the holiday – rushing from party to party while balancing work/ family/friends/volunteer commitments. At the end of the day,

all we want to do is “tune out” (with Facebook, email and TV).

Think about “tuning in” to the kind of rest that will replenish you as shmita will replenish the earth. At candle-lighting, offer a short meditation that reflects on your day and sets an intention for the hours ahead, eat healthier food (bake your latkes, don’t fry them!), read and sleep.

7. Share: When land lies fallow during the shmita year, the fields are open for the needy to partake. This mitzvah is as countercultural as it gets for westerners living in a capitalist society as it confronts us with the notion that nothing really belongs to us. This Hanukkah, share with others who really need it. Cut down on your gift budget by half and increase your tzedakah budget by the same.

8. Publicize: One of the Hanukkah mitzvot is “persumei d’nisa,” to make the miracle of Hanukkah public by placing your hanukkiyah in your window (or even outside your home.) This Hanukkah, take your environmental awareness to the streets and share what you are doing with others to have a shmita consciousness.

So as the days get shorter and the nights grow longer, as we spend more time huddled indoors disconnected from the natural world that surrounds us, and as artificial light masks the darkness, let’s not forget about the majesty of the created world.

When we strike the match to light our Hanukkah candles this year, we are inspired by the spirit of the Maccabees to renew our energy to create positive change for our planet.

DASEE BERKOWITZ is a Jewish educational consultant and writer living in Jerusalem. She is a frequent contributor to JTA, the Forward and Kveller.com.

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HANUKKAH

December 5, 2014 |

Reader wants to find Hanukkah items Dear Wendy, My grandchildren are coming to visit for Hanukkah, and I would like to make our home festive for the holiday! Where can I fi nd Hanukkah decorations, gifts and goodies?

Sue, West Greenwich

ASK WENDY

Dear Sue, Thanks for writing – it is much easier WENDY and more fun JOERING to shop for Hanukkah goods than when I was growing up.

Now, you can walk into CVS, Target, Crate and Barrel, and even the Christmas Tree Shops, and you can fi nd Hanukkah decorations, candles, menorahs, books and more! Local markets including Eastside Marketplace, Stop and Shop, Davis Dairy as well as Books on the Square and Barrington Books carry many items, too. It is always nice to support our local agencies, synagogues, merchants and artists. Locally you can buy most anything from cards, to specialty Hanukkah chocolates to menorahs. Here are a few sales and shops that I am going to try and support this year!

Please call the synagogue for hours. Here is a link to all synagogues in the greater RI area: jewishallianceri.org/jewishresources/synagogues/ Temple Sinai 401-942-8350

P r ov i d e n c e H e b r e w D ay School 401-331-5327 Chabad of West Bay 401-884-7888 Touro Synagogue 847-4794, ext. 207 Meryle Cawley

ROW LIKE A GIRL

Temple Beth-El 508-728-1363 or 401-521-4998 Cheryl Greenfield or Elaine Dickstein Temple Habonim 401-245-6536 Jewish Alliance partners with the Hope Street Merchants Association. These merchants have let us know that they are carrying items from specialty chocolates to jewelry and cards.

Green River Silver Company has three locations: 297 Hope St., Bristol 735 Hope St., Providence 83 Brown St., Wickford The Camera Werks Custom Framing & Photo Boutique 766 Hope St., Providence Stock Culinary Goods 756 Hope St., Providence Here are two artists that I know of who have beautiful items:

CODE LIKE A GIRL

OPeN HOuSe • SATuRDAY, JANuARY 10, 2015 • 1-3 P.m.

RSVP: www.lincolnschool.org/openhouse 301 Butler Avenue, Providence, RI Co-ed: N-K; All-girls: Grades 1-12

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Naomi Geller Lipsky Art lipskyart.com Neal Drobnis Nealdrobnis.com WENDY JOERING is director of Member Services and community concierge at the Jewish Alliance. Send questions to wjoering@jewishallianceri.org.

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22 | December 5, 2014

HANUKKAH

Wishing everyone a Happy Chanukah with bright lights and tasty latkes.

Samuel D. Zurier Providence City Council

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wishes all of our readers, advertisers and board members a

Happy Hanukkah!

The Jewish Voice

Chocolatiers raising the bar when it comes to Hanukkah gelt

BY DEBORAH R. PRINZ NEW YORK (JTA) – Sharing their favorite Jewish chocolate experiences recently, a group of about 60 chocolate lovers didn’t even mention Hanukkah gelt.

That is, until one woman at the New Jersey get-together shared her thoughts on the subject.

“It is sucky,” she said, meaning that the chocolate is waxy, flavorless and should remain wrapped in its foil.

Francine Segan, an author and chocolate maven, echoed the feeling when she told me recently that her children, who were accustomed to high-quality chocolate, suggested that the Hanukkah gelt they sampled be recycled or given to younger children.

Several chocolate makers are bringing finer, tastier and richer dark chocolate to gelt.

Cookbook author Leah Koenig, who has done several gelt tastings, wrote in Saveur that artisan chocolatiers from all over the world have started creating top-notch chocolate coins.

Segan explains that “good chocolate needs to contain 100 percent cocoa product, without cheap substitutes, along with quality sugar and flavorings.

Just as we want to be feeding our children real food, we should be giving them real chocolate.”

Heather Johnston started making her “Kosher Gelt for Grown-Ups” just two years ago at her Chicago-based Veruca Chocolates when she and some friends bemoaned the horrible

quality of gelt. She felt called to remedy that by using a great tasting chocolate made by the C a l i for n i a-ba se d Gu it t a rd , which selects its own beans to create a luxury chocolate.

She offers two dark chocolate versions: with sea salt or with cocoa nibs.

Johnston also searched for the right design for her mold. “I wanted the coins to look old, so I explored ancient coinage,” she said.

Johnston selected an ancient Maccabean coin embossed with the Jerusalem Temple menorah similar to that issued by Mattathias Antigonus, a descendant of the Maccabees.

Lake Champlain Chocolates in Burlington, Vermont, packages its fine milk chocolate coins in festive Hanukkah boxes. Rich and enticing squares of chocolate-covered toffee and almonds or almonds with sea salt nestle in its “Be Kind, Be Fair, Be Conscious, Be Well” A Gift of Goodness box. They are fair trade, organic and kosher.

Divine Chocolate’s online store offers dark chocolate and milk chocolate coins produced through the farmer cooperative Kuapa Kokoo in Ghana. The phrase “Freedom and Justice” encircles the foil-embossed cocoa tree.

A collaboration among Fair Trade Judaica, T’ruah and Divine offers easy ordering and supports the two nonprofits.

“The gelt we eat on Hanukkah is a reminder of the freedom our people won many years ago,”

Ilana Schatz wrote at the Fair Trade Judaica website. “Young children are trafficked and forced into working on cocoa farms with no pay and in unsafe conditions in the Ivory Coast.”

Fair trade standards prohibit the use of child and slave labor, a problem particularly in West Africa.

Several resources offer discussion prompts for Hanukkah experiences. Lesson plans for adults and children (downloadable for free at Jews-onthechocolatetrail.org) assist educators in framing the issues of good Hanukkah gelt through conversations about Jewish values.

Hazon and partners have developed learning materials, titled “Spinning the Dreidel for Chocolate Gelt,” to encourage purchases of fair trade and kosher chocolate gelt.

A prayer, “Eating [Fair Trade] Hanukkah Gelt,” by Rabbi Menachem Creditor, recognizes the potency of chocolate with Hanukkah’s theme of enlightening the world’s dark places, an important spin on good gelt for Hanukkah, especially for children.

So say a prayer, then enjoy the improved chocolate gelt choices – they may not stay under wraps for long.

RABBI DEBORAH R. PRINZ is the author of “On the Chocolate Trail: A Delicious Adventure Connecting Jews, Religions, History, Travel, Rituals and Recipes to the Magic of Cacao.” She lectures about chocolate and Jews around the world.

HANUKKAH

thejewishvoice.org

December 5, 2014 |

23

What makes Hanukkah great in the United States?

BY DIANNE ASHTON CHERRY HILL, N.J. (JTA) – As Hanukkah nears, let the grousing begin.

Too much is made of a holiday that Judaism ranks as a minor festival – one whose rite takes no more than five minutes to complete each night – some American Jews will say. Some will complain about the season’s excessive commercialism or materialism.

Yet most Jews will also participate in at least one of the many customs developed by American Jews to augment the holiday’s simple rite and express the enhanced place of Hanukkah, which this year falls on Dec. 16, on the American Jewish liturgical calendar.

In addition to exchanging gifts (or giving them to children), they will decorate their homes, eat fried foods, sing songs, listen to holiday music and attend one or more of the many holiday festivities held at Jewish community centers, synagogues, Jewish-themed museums and Jewish schools.

At these and other venues, they will join in more elaborate versions of the domestic customs. They will light holiday candles or watch them be kindled, sing more songs than they do at home, snack on potato pancakes or jelly doughnuts, chat with their friends and neighbors, watch or participate in amateur theatricals on the holiday’s theme – generally have a good time.

Beneath the lighthearted celebrating, however, more serious meanings are often conveyed through the holiday’s songs.

The word Hanukkah means dedication, and the holiday has always highlighted occasions when Jews overcame challenges to their continued religious commitment.

Hanukkah commemorates the rededicating of the Jerusalem Temple in 165 BCE after a band of Jews led by the Maccabees retook it from the Syrians, who had conquered Judea.

Generations of Jews retold that story at Hanukkah and thanked God for helping their ancestors to prevail. American Jews found additional reasons to reaffirm their dedication at Hanukkah and often voiced those reasons in original songs.

Since 1842, American Jews have been singing Hanukkah songs that expressed the com-

plicated experience of being Jewish in the United States.

That year, a new hymnal for Congregation Beth Elohim in Charleston, South Carolina, included a special hymn for Hanukkah that reassured congregants that the God to whom they prayed forgave their sins and continued to stand by them. The hymn countered the energetic effort by local Christian evangelicals to convince them to worship Jesus.

Yet because it reassured Jews living anywhere in a largely Protestant America, the song appeared in hymnals used by both the Reform and Conservative movements as late as 1959.

“Hanukkah allows Jews to join in the national merrymaking occasioned by Christmas, but also to rededicate ourselves to Judaism .”

In the 1890s, two American Reform rabbis, in New York City and Philadelphia, wrote a new English version of “Maoz Tsur,” a song that Jews have sung at Hanukkah since the 13th century. Titled “Rock of Ages,” the new song kept the melody of its predecessor, which thanked God for saving Jews in the past, but in its shortened version substituted a homey image of domesticity bright with lights and joy and promised a future that would see “tyrants disappearing.”

“Rock of Ages” offered Jews an emotional link to past traditions through its melody while reminding them of the tyranny currently besetting their coreligionists in Eastern Europe.

As 2.3 million new Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe came to America in the next 30 years, the song grew popular. It became a fixture at American Hanukkah celebrations following the rise of Nazism in 1933, when the hope for a world free of tyranny seemed even more desperate.

Rewrites of older prayers or songs often appeared in the first half of the 20th century. One Hanukkah rewrite published during World War

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II offered a new version of an older prayer that described God’s saving power. The rewrite, offered in Hebrew as “Mi Yimalel?” and in English as “Who Can Retell?,” has a lively melody that fits its lyric, which aims to rouse Jews to act politically, militarily and philanthropically.

Although a “hero or sage” always came to the aid of needy Jews in the past, it says, the current problems facing Jewry require more. Now “all Israel must arise” and “redeem itself through deed and sacrifice.” The crises facing Jews during those years influenced the ideas and emo-

tions that they expressed in this Hanukkah song.

The experience of unity and strength that is felt in group singing may have assuaged Jews’ fears during those decades of disorientation and anguish. Hanukkah provided an occasion for singing songs that voiced old and new hopes while building new communal alliances and bonds.

And that, perhaps, helps explain the broad and continuing appeal of Hanukkah for American Jews. Hanukkah allows Jews to join in the national merrymaking occasioned by Christmas, but also to rededicate ourselves to Ju-

daism.

In homes, synagogues, museums, community centers and schools, it provides us with an occasion for gathering, singing, eating, lighting candles in the evenings of the shortest days of the year, exchanging gifts, voicing religious commitments and values, and enjoying being Jews.

DIANNE ASHTON is the author of “Hanukkah in America: A History,” which was published last year by NYU Press, and a professor of religion studies at Rowan University in Glassboro, N.J.

24 | December 5, 2014 FROM PAGE 1

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The Jewish Voice

MITZVOT

experience of receiving Hanukkah gifts with a hands-on volunteer experience.” Babchuck suggests that parents “work with their kids to create their own unique giving and volunteering traditions.”

Not sure to which organizations you should devote your time and funds? Read on to learn about the places our Rhode Island rabbis deem worthy. Below are eight possibilities for making every night of Hanukkah count. L’hayyim!

The Kesher Program, Jewish Family Service of Rhode Island, 959 North Main St., Providence.

Since 2007, in collaboration with the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island, this program has been connecting communities and providing support for congregations. Through partnerships with local synagogues, the program’s social workers offer their services – case management, information and referrals, classroom observation, workshops, short-term counseling, support groups and family life education – free of charge to staff, synagogue committees and members of synagogues with which JFSRI has established partnerships. They include Congregation Agudas Achim in Attleboro, Temple Torat Yisrael in East Greenwich and Temple Am David in Warwick.

To support the program, call 401-331-1244.

The Jewish Community Day School of Rhode Island, in partnership with the Alliance, PJ Library and Camp JORI, is throwing this special Hanukkah party on Dec, 17, from 4 to 7 p.m. to put “the miracle back in Hanukkah” by emphasizing the mitzvot, as their flier proclaims.

Michelle Cicchitelli, director of Jewish Life at the Alliance, explains that the purpose of the festivities is to help children realize that there is more to Hanukkah than just presents, while also remembering that performing mitzvot is always a good time. She says, “This event will provide families an opportunity to help a variety of people and causes in one location, while also rejoicing in the holiday of Hanukkah.” The fun will include eight social action activities for all ages, volunteer opportunities, glitter tattoos for a cause, Hanukkah foods, live music from JCDS parent Rabbi Aaron Philmus and a cappella sensation Pastrami on RI. To advance the cause, please bring non-perishable kosher

food items, clean, gently used coats and cans of cat/dog food.

The suggested donation is $5.

Mitzvahs and Miracles.

Dwares JCC, 401 1Elmgrove JVH_12/5/2014_Layout 11/24/14 6:03 PM Page 1 Ave., Providence.

The Fifth Night. Temple Beth

Shalom, 670 Highland Ave., Needham, Mass. or Temple Shalom of Newton, 175 Temple St., West Newton, Mass.

Rabbi Babchuck suggests this organization as an aide to families “to frame the holiday in the light of tzedakah and g’milut hasadim.” An annual event that teaches children to make a difference by donating

one night’s Hanukkah gifts to their chosen charity. By learning about the families who will be receiving the presents, kids understand

and appreciate more fully the significance of their mitzvot.

Also, because their tzedakah occurs in a group setting, their enthusiasm is greater and their act of kindness – more rewarding.

Started by Robert and Rachel Glazer and Amy Finn – Needham parents – the Fifth Night extends the spirit of giving beyond family. Children contribute to the benefit of their community. Now, other cities, such as Los Angeles and Chicago, have caught on to the idea, hosting their own events. If that sounds like something you’d be interested in, email the founders at info@fifthnight.org.

Ask your child to choose a gift for a child of the same age or gender and come to the free event. In Needham, it’s held on Dec. 18, 6:30-7:30 p.m. In Newton, it’s held on Dec. 20, 4-5 p.m.

Make sure you reserve tickets in advance. To register for either event, go to eventbrite.com and search for Fifth Night.

160 Broad St., Providence.

Founded as Travelers Aid of Rhode Island in 1894, the nonprofit changed its name in 2004.

Crossroads is the largest homeless services organization in the state. In addition to offering a place to sleep, the program ensures that folks in need gain independence as soon as possible.

Since holidays are a particularly difficult time for the homeless, now is especially important to help them look forward to a better future. Your support would facilitate the organization in assisting the homeless to secure stability. Out of every dollar you donate, 80 cents goes directly to the Crossroads’ clients. The funds are used for necessities such as transportation, shoes, operating expenses for the Family Center, services at the Women’s Shelter, showers and kids’ winter clothing.

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FROM PAGE 24

December 5, 2014 |

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MITZVOT

er to match it, volunteering, sponsoring an event, making a legacy gift or an in-kind donation (soap, detergent, cleaner, sponges, mops, brooms, buckets, towels). Call 401-521-2255 or contact Ronny Figueroa at RFigueroa@CrossroadsRI.org for more information.

Judy’s Kindness Kitchen.

Congregation Beth Sholom, 275 Camp St., Providence.

This 10-year-old Sunday soup kitchen is a nonprofit supported by grants and donations, providing warm kosher meals for Crossroads Rhode Island clients. Judy Mandelbaum, a family therapist at what was the Jewish Board of Family Services, who died in 1980 at the age of 56 and for whom the kitchen is named, was a legendary cook and a gracious host, according to the organization.

Both, her father Murray Weber and her son Dr. David Mandelbaum – a current major supporter, along with Vic Werber, – lived in Providence, nearly a hundred years apart.

Various groups collaborate on a joint goal – to ensure that people in need don’t go hungry.

Rabbi Barry Dollinger of Congregation Beth Sholom is proud to say that “Judy’s Kindness Kitchen is the most important program in our synagogue, actualizing the lessons of a God who kindly feeds us all by sharing the gift of delicious food with those in need.”

Volunteers prepare vegetarian soup, and tuna and peanut butter sandwiches at Congregation Beth Sholom from 8:30 until 10 a.m. They serve the food at the Crossroads’ downtown location from 10:30 until 11:30 a.m. The organization seeks to emulate patriarch Abraham, whose tent had four entrances, offering relief from every side.

If you would like to volunteer, please email the coordinator at JudysKindnessKitchen@ gmail.com. Those wishing to donate may send checks to Judy’s Kindness Kitchen c/o Congregation Beth Sholom.

Southside Community Land Trust.

109 Somerset St., Providence.

This nationally recognized leader in agriculture provides access to land education and resources to residents of Greater Providence, allowing them to grow food in environmentally sustainable ways. Local healthy and affordable produce is possible through urban production.

The organization succeeds by: teaching people to grow food, as well as locate, secure in trust and manage land; providing resources, skills and markets; offering support in a community that emphasizes sharing; modeling programs and practices. Through simple

Children of cocoa cooperative Kuapa Kokoo, Divine Chocolate partner technology and renewable resources, abandoned lots, parks, farms and landscapes are transformed into gardens. No spot is too small – even backyards and rooftops are used to grow food.

If you’d like to support SCLT’s initiatives, send a check to the address above. To contribute by volunteering, become an educator, translate content, perform office tasks, offer graphic design services, staff a table at an event or put up posters, contact Michelle at michelle@southsideclt.org or fi ll out a form on southsideclt.org/volunteering.

If you would like to be a climate hero, arrange your volunteering opportunity by calling Priscilla at 401861-6111 or emailing her at Priscilla@RIPower.org.

Fair Trade Gelt Campaign. kavana.org Rabbi Aaron Philmus of Tem-

ple Torat Yisrael suggested this cause. Since it’s customary for children to receive chocolate gelt as a Hanukkah treat, this time of year offers a great opportunity to familiarize them with fair-trade practices and make them aware that not all chocolate is produced in conscionable ways. This campaign is a reminder of hard-won freedom and a chance to prevent trafficking of young children who are forced to work on cocoa farms with zero pay in unsafe conditions in the Ivory Coast.

By supporting Kuapa Kokoo, a fair-trade cooperative in Ghana with 65,000 members, who are co-owners of Divine Chocolate, you would be sustaining the only fair-trade chocolate company owned by its farmers.

Its practices allow people to receive a better price for their cocoa, provide an additional fi nancial premium to invest in

their community and maintain improved working conditions.

If you would like to further the cause, you can write a letter to your local store, requesting that they sell fair-trade chocolate. For a large-scale project, organize a fair-trade chocolate tasting, during which you can show “The Dark Side of Chocolate,” a documentary that can be purchased on FairtradeJudaica.org, along with a comprehensive event-planning guide, handouts, resources, activities and contact information.

As Talmud instructs, don’t rely on miracles – support the causes that are important to you. Rabbi Naftali Karp believes that this is the essential idea of Hanukkah. He says, “A small group of people did not give up and did whatever they could, and God acted in response, and things worked out.”

IRINA MISSIURO is a writer and editorial consultant for The Jewish Voice.

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HANUKKAH

The Jewish Voice

RED TENT

HAPPY HANUKKAH SENATOR

FROM PAGE 1 portrayal of Queen Re-Nefer.

Lifetime’s vehicle draws heavily from Diamant’s wildly successful novel, which would ultimately help pioneer a new literary genre based on Bible stories.

The novel — named for the tent in which the book’s characters take refuge when they menstruate or after giving birth – “legitimized the kind of imaginative examination of women’s narratives that women had been writing and circulating [on a] small scale since the early 1970s,” said Susan Weidman Schneider, editor in chief of the feminist Jewish magazine Lilith.

And Carolyn Starman Hessel, the director of the Jewish Book Council, said that Diamant “opened the door” for other writers of biblical fiction. Although “The Red Tent” may not have been the very first historical novel written in the voice of a biblical woman, “this was the first one that made national headlines, that made best-seller lists,” said Starman Hessel.

Before hitting on the story of “The Red Tent,” and after writing four non-fiction books, Diamant, then working as a journalist, decided to try her hand at fiction. Inspired by what she was learning about Midrash, or stories that flesh out and analyze biblical narratives, she turned to the story of Rachel and Leah, but didn’t find much to work with and kept reading.

“Then I got to Dinah and it doesn’t say anything, but the prince doesn’t act like a rapist,” since he agrees to be circumcised in order to marry her. “I sort of meandered into it, but

that was a great story,” said Diamant, a founder of Boston’s nondenominational mikveh, Mayyim Hayyim.

When “The Red Tent” at first garnered few reviews and didn’t sell well, Diamant hit the book club and synagogue circuit, turning it into a New York Times bestseller.

“From the response I get from readers, the book hit a whole lot of chords,” the author told JTA, noting that she continues to hear from readers as varied as high school students and midwives – including one who set Diamant’s text to music and sings it to laboring clients.

In the 17 years since “The Red Tent” was published, many other novels based on biblical characters have hit the market.

Most of them, such as Jill Eileen Smith’s series “The Wives of the Patriarchs” and “The Wives of King David,” are by Christian authors and geared toward Christian audiences. Notable exceptions include Maggie Anton’s Talmud-inspired “Rashi’s Daughters” trilogy and “Rav Hisda’s Daughter” books – the second was recently published.

“I knew ‘Rashi’s Daughters’ would appeal to that same niche audience and because of [Diamant’s] example, I knew where to find them and how to reach them,” Anton said in an interview with JTA. Diamant herself, however, hasn’t been tempted to delve back into the Bible for its fiction plot potential since “The Red Tent.”

Once “it came out and became popular, I couldn’t think another way to do it that would be as

fresh,” she said.

But the Lifetime series indeed freshens the story, at times to the point of being overripe, while taking ample liberties with Diamant’s text, much as Diamant did with the Bible’s. For example, at the end of the miniseries Dinah returns with Joseph to reconcile with their dying father, Jacob, a scene for which there is no basis in either the novel or the Bible. And while “The Red Tent” novel speaks of the calloused hands of Dinah and Leah, in the Lifetime movie they and Rachel are all pale English roses speaking with British accents.

The miniseries provides Lifetime’s heavily female audience with gauzy love scenes that verge on soft porn. In one scene, light plays across the chiseled abs of a virile young Jacob as he beds his surprise-wife Leah on their wedding night. Instead of Shechem taking Dinah “by force,” as Genesis 34 recounts, in the miniseries Dinah and the Shechem character (Lifetime calls him Shalem) meet – glimpsing one another through sheer fabrics hanging in the marketplace – flirt and fall in passionate love.

Diamant, whose fi fth and latest novel, “The Boston Girl,” is to be published Dec. 9, declines to say much about how she feels about the Lifetime adaptation of her book, in which she had no role after selling the rights to it.

Her novel has just been reissued with the miniseries poster as its cover.

“I was worried [the main characters] would be really blonde, and at least they weren’t,” Diamant said with a laugh.

WORLD

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Symbol of Jerusalem’s progress, light rail becomes terror target

BY BEN SALES JERUSALEM (JTA) – It’s 3 p.m. on a Thursday, and the Jerusalem light rail is packed with secular and religious, Jew and Arab, as it heads east from the city’s Central Bus Station.

From there it passes some of the city’s most crowded venues, stops at the Mahane Yehuda open market and courses down Jaffa Street until it hits the city center, where the train cars empty out onto a thoroughfare loud with foot traffic.

By the time it reaches the station in the Arab neighborhood of Shuafat, the train is nearly empty and the scene is desolate.

The waiting area is missing a roof, and the ticket machines are boarded up – the result of riots that broke out there in July following the murder of 16-year-old Mohammed Abu Khdeir.

The first service of its kind in Israel, the Jerusalem light rail was intended as a symbol of a forward-looking metropolis, a sleek, efficient and clean mode of transportation that united the city’s disparate halves and connected Jerusalem’s far-flung neighborhoods to the city center.

But after two Palestinian drivers rammed their vehicles into crowds waiting at light rail stations in recent months, the train has become enveloped in the mounting tensions in Israel’s capital city. The attacks killed four people, including a 3-month-old girl, and injured 22.

“There’s a bad atmosphere in Jerusalem,” said Ozel Vatik, spokesman for Citypass, the com-

pany that runs the light rail. “The light rail is a microcosm of Jerusalem. It runs in the central spaces of Jerusalem. So what happens in Jerusalem happens in the light rail, for better or worse.”

When service began in 2011, the light rail aimed at easing congestion on Jerusalem’s ancient roads. Running down the central Jaffa Street, a thoroughfare once choked with bus traffic, the trains encounter few stoplights and run at an average speed of 15 miles per hour. The electric trains make less noise and consume less energy than buses and have reduced air pollution on Jaffa Street by up to 70 percent, Vatik said.

The one line traverses the full breadth of the city, from Mount Herzl in the west to Pisgat Zeev in the east, along the way passing the Central Bus Station, City Hall, the Old City and several Arab neighborhoods beyond the so-called “seam line” between the Jewish and Arab halves of Jerusalem. Citypass hopes to expand the existing route to reach Hadassah Medical Center in Ein Kerem in the west and Hebrew University in the east as well as the city’s southern neighborhoods.

The train’s eastern section has eased access to the city center for residents of poorer neighborhoods like Shuafat. But some worry the physical link between east and west will make the city harder to split under a future Israeli-Palestinian peace treaty.

“On one hand, it creates an illusion of a united city, and the recent events in the city prove that it is not,” said Yudith Oppenheimer, executive director of Ir

Amim, a nongovernmental organization that advocates for Arab Jerusalemites. “On the other hand, because they never dealt with transit in the Palestinian neighborhoods, it’s a transit tool that serves the Palestinians in the city.”

As unrest has increased of late in Jerusalem, the light rail’s crowds, central route and easy access from the street have made it attractive to terrorists. Police have responded with concrete barricades at some stations and increased patrols. The Jerusalem municipality has also launched balloons and unmanned aerial vehicles to conduct surveillance over the train’s route.

“It’s a relatively easy target in terms of a vehicle’s ability to drive into people,” Israel Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said.

“It has a large number of passengers. We’re talking about a central area with a lot of movement.”

After terror incidents, Jerusalemites are quick to carry on with their routines following the recent attacks, including packing the trains at rush hour and focusing mostly on jostling into the crowded cars. But the attacks have also reminded riders of the potential for danger.

Hadas Meshi, a 17-year-old Jerusalemite originally from England, said security forces are trying to reassure residents following attacks.

“But it’s not really safer,” Meshi said. “The next day, you see it on people’s faces. Something is always going on somewhere.”

December 5, 2014 |

27

Ukrainian Jewish leader downplays Jewish MP’s rise to parliament speaker JNS.org – The Ukrainian parliament’s decision to confirm a Jewish MP as speaker last week will not have major impact on the country’s Jewish community because in Ukraine “every person can get any position independent of his ethnic origin,” said Eduard Dolinsky, the executive director of the Ukrainian Jewish Committee.

The only nominee for the position was Volodymyr Groysman, who is from the Petro Poroshenko Bloc and has served as the mayor of the city of Vinnytsia, Regional Development, Construction and Communal Living Minister, and Deputy Prime Minister.

Dolinsky told the Jerusalem Post that “for the Jewish community it›s not much of a difference.” He also believes that

Groysman may not have “any connection to the Jewish community” and may be “halfJewish” on his father’s side.

However, Ukrainian Chief Rabbi Yaakov Dov Bleich, did declare him Jewish according to Orthodox law.

Meanwhile other individuals of Jewish descent have recently reached success in Ukrainian politics. Billionaire Igor Kolomoisky who heads the United Jewish Communities of Ukraine has been appointed as governor of the Dnepropetrovsk region and has been campaigning against pro-Russian separatists in the east of the country. Though he ultimately lost, Jewish oligarch Radim Rabinovich ran in the Ukrainian presidential election in May.

WORLD

28 | December 5, 2014

The Jewish Voice

Budapest Jews split on whistleblowing leader with colorful past

BY CNAAN LIPHSHIZ BUDAPEST (JTA) – An anticorruption whistleblower elected to head the Budapest Jewish community has sparked a crisis among the highest officials of Hungarian Jewry at a time of heightened tensions with the government.

The conflict, one of the fractious community’s most vociferous and colorful fights in years, erupted shortly after the election last month of David Schwezoff as CEO of the Budapest community.

Within days, Schwezoff announced that he had filed a police complaint alleging that hundreds of thousands of dollars had been embezzled from the Hungarian capital’s historic Dohany Street Synagogue, a claim denied by other Jewish leaders. He then proceeded to make an administrative change

that is said to threaten Hungary’s most popular public Jewish event, the Budapest Jewish Summer Festival.

Andras Heisler, head of the Mazsihisz federation of Hungarian Jewish communities, of which the Budapest community is the largest member, has called on Schwezoff to resign.

Meanwhile, the Hungarian media has uncovered some colorful secrets from Schwezoff’s past, including that he dressed as a woman and performed in a nightclub under the stage name Carol Hore Mohn.

“This is not a game anymore, as David Schwezoff is running amok and compromising the Jewish community’s honor and putting it at stake,” Heisler told the Nepszava newsweekly.

The dispute comes at a delicate moment for Hungarian Jewry. The community has been locked in a standoff with

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the government for months over the erection of a monument that the Jewish community says minimizes Hungarian complicity in the murder of hundreds of thousands of Jews during the Holocaust.

Also, the community is in talks with the government over an $11 million subsidy to renovate the Rumbach Sebestyen Street Synagogue, which is owned by the Budapest community, though Mazsihisz is doing the negotiating. Schwezoff has demanded that his community be represented in the talks.

“Without the owner, there is no point in having any kind of negotiation about the Rumbach synagogue,” Schwezoff told the Heti Valasz weekly.

Schwezoff, a 35-year-old economist and and opera enthusiast who also serves as cantor of his local synagogue, converted to Judaism after attending a Jewish high school. A skilled orator, his rise to power was helped by his close ties to leaders of the two main communities in Hungary: the Orthodox and the Neolog, a precursor of American Conservative Judaism.

He also enjoyed the support of Gusztav Zoltai, the former director of Mazsihisz. Until his retirement and fall from grace earlier this year, Zoltai was widely regarded as the most powerful figure in the Jewish community.

The support helped Schwezoff earn a temporary appointment as chief of the Budapest community in July. In October, Schwezoff was elected to a fouryear term.

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The new CEO’s complaint on the Dohany Street Synagogue, which has not been made public, reportedly alleges that unnamed parties skimmed about half of the $2 million collected as entry fees over the past two years to the landmark shul, Europe’s largest shul and a major Budapest tourist attraction.

After making the charge, Schwezoff canceled all community contracts with Vera Vadas, the owner of the firm that collects the fees at Dohany. Vadas also organized the annual summer festival, the Budapest community’s most popular program for the general public.

In a radio interview, Heisler warned that the abrupt termination of Vadas posed “a huge threat” to the festival because of her decade’s worth of experience as its organizer.

Schwezoff declined JTA’s requests for an interview. But the community’s spokesman, Balazs Csaszar, said his moves were part of a plan to implement “zero tolerance to unclear and invisible actions.”

Schwezoff’s past became an issue following reports in the local Jewish media in July. Szombat, the Jewish weekly, published an Op-Ed asserting that the cross-dressing rendered Schwezoff unsuitable to head the community. Still, he enjoyed wide support in Budapest.

“He is an active guy with good oratory skills, a natural-born performer with an impressive CV,” Rabbi Zoltan Radnoti of Budapest said of Schwezoff.

Tordai, on the other hand, “is a man in his 60s who does not exactly excel in making speeches.

So the voters went for the dynamic character, the one who made all the promises,” Zoltai said.

In an interview with Heti Valasz, Schwezoff spoke publicly for the first time about his cross-dressing, which he said was a result of depression brought on by a failed love affair with an American woman he met in Israel.

“My highly disciplined life fell into pieces, I ran loose,” he said. “Today even I myself do not understand how all these things could’ve happened.

“But even during those years of errors I longed for spirituality. I made some attempts to break out ... but I always felt ashamed whenever I entered into a Jewish community. I did not dare to look my own people in the eye.”

Csaszar said that Schwezoff has since “made a 180-degree turn” and “has been living according to the Torah, keeping Shabbat and kosher.”

Some Hungarian Jewish leaders say they will judge Schwezoff according to his performance now rather than his past.

“He is a young guy, very driven, speaks three languages and seems capable,” said Peter Feldmajer, a vice president of Mazsihisz. “He may be someone who is able to take the community forward. I’m waiting to see if it happens.”

Yet other Jewish leaders believe that regardless of his current practices, he is unsuited to head their community.

“Regardless of what one thinks of Schwezoff’s past, he needs to operate within the context of a relatively conservative Jewish community and a rightwing government,” Radnoti told JTA. “You won’t be taken seriously with online photos of you wearing pink lingerie.”

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December 5, 2014 |

WOMEN SCIENTISTS

Hedy Lamarr: Hollywood star, secret scientist

BY TOBY ROSSNER The annual German Inventors’ Day is held on Nov. 9, the birthday of Hedwig Eva Maria Kiesler, a.k.a. Hedy Lamarr.

Kiesler made her film debut in 1930, at age 17. Two years later she earned notoriety for her nude romp through the woods in the Czech film “Ecstasy.” Her arranged marriage to Austrian munitions dealer Fritz Mandl triggered another aspect of her right-brain personality. Sitting in on arms-design meetings at Mandl’s company, she came up with the idea of designing a radio-controlled torpedo, but the idea was rejected because the signal could be too easily jammed.

After the “Anschluss” in 1928, Kiesler left her husband and moved to London. There she met Louis B. Mayer, who signed her for MGM and changed her name to Hedy Lamarr. Even with her busy schedule making films that included “Algiers,” “White Cargo” and “Tortilla Flats.” Lamarr the inventor continued to think about the radio-controlled torpedo. But the inventor did not fit MGM’s image of Lamarr as a glamorous movie star and her creative side was a well-kept secret in Hollywood. Still, Lamarr was so passionate about helping the war effort that she seriously considered abandoning acting to join

Hedy Lamarr the National Inventors Council full time.

“Any girl can be glamorous. All you have to do is stand still and look stupid.”

Lamarr the inventor continued to think about the radiocontrolled torpedo. Working with composer George Antheil, she conceived the idea of using frequency-hopping to prevent jamming of the signals sent to guide the torpedo. Antheil drew on his use of synchronized player pianos in his composition “Ballet Mécanique” to design a frequency-hopping transmit-

ter. To signal, the transmitter would use a slotted-paper roll, like those of a player piano, using a pattern of 88 changing frequencies. The receiver mounted on the torpedo would contain a duplicate slotted-paper roll that would recognize only signals that matched those sent by the transmitter. Lamarr had hoped that this idea would help the war effort, and she donated the resulting patent to the U.S. government for this purpose.

It was not until the initial 1942 patent expired and electronics was substituted for the slotted paper rolls that the concept of frequency-hopping, known today as “spread spectrum,” was adopted.

Today most households employ a digital version of this very technology in a variety of electronic applications from cordless telephones to automotive navigation systems to suppress inadvertent interference with the signal (rather than the intentional interference, or jamming, of concern to Hedy Lamarr).

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is one in a series on Jewish women scientists.

TOBY ROSSNER (tobyross@ cox.net) was the director of media services at the Bureau of Jewish Education from 1978 to 2002.

Andrew Goodman’s mother remembers

BY TOBY ROSSNER On Nov. 24, the nation’s first African-American president awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest U.S. civilian award, to three civil rights workers who were murdered in 1964, Michael Schwerner, Andrew Goodman and James Chaney.

Dr. Carolyn Goodman, mother of Andrew Goodman, the civil rights worker who was murdered by the Ku Klux Klan in Philadelphia, Mississippi, tells her story in the book “Jewish Mothers: Strength Wisdom Compassion,” by Lloyd Wolf and Paula Wolfson (Chronicle Books, 2000): “Children learn from their parents. Even as a child, there was something that I felt inside – a feeling, a sensitivity to mistreatment, to prejudice. While I was at college I became involved with issues of social justice, just like Andrew. Andrew believed in the Constitution, equality and justice. These were his guideposts.

When the Mississippi Summer Program began recruiting for volunteers to organize civil rights efforts, Andrew came home from college and said, ‘Mom, I want to go.’ We discussed it as a family. Of course, my husband and I said yes, but my heart was in my mouth. We knew it was dangerous; we had

his early adulthood would have no meaning if I retired to some place and was so stricken by it that I couldn’t move forward,

“There are many young people doing great work throughout this country, many more than people know.”

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already seen on television the violence directed at the Freedom Riders.”

Andrew was in Mississippi for only 21 days when he, James Chaney and Mickey Schwerner were stopped for a speeding violation and taken to jail. They disappeared, and it took 44 days to discover their bodies. “It was a hard time. I couldn’t go to the trial. I had to think in my own mind how I could somehow or other deal with the people who murdered these three young men.” How did Carolyn cope?

“For myself, I know now that Andy’s commitment, Andy’s dedication and Andy’s death in

move with today’s young people. And I love them.”

Carolyn and Robert Goodman established the Andrew Goodman Foundation to support organizations that share Andrew’s diverse interests and concerns. Carolyn worked diligently on the Foundation’s video “Hidden Heroes, Youth Activism Today.” She notes, “There are many young people doing great, great work throughout this country, many more than people know. I hope my documentary will inspire others.”

TOBY ROSSNER (tobyross@ cox.net) was the director of media services at the Bureau of Jewish Education from 1978 to 2002.

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El Al Israel airlines announces nonstop service between Boston and Tel Aviv and a selection of Israeli wine will be provided in all classes of service.

“We are proud to provide the best flight options and excellent service to residents of Boston as well as neighboring communities and states wanting to travel to Israel,” said Danny Saadon, vice president, El Al Israel Airlines, North and Central America. “As the national airline, the Israel experience begins on El Al with warm Israeli hospitality, Israeli flight attendants who make you feel at home and the

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Three weekly round-trip flights to be launched in June 2015

New York – Nov. 11, 2014 – El Al Israel Airlines has announced the first-ever nonstop service between Boston’s Logan International Airport and Israel’s Ben Gurion International Airport, more firmly connecting Massachusetts and the New England area to the global economy.

The El Al flight schedule will include three weekly nonstops, departing Logan International at 9 p.m. every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday with an arrival the following day at Ben Gurion International at 3:05 p.m.. The return nonstop flight will depart Ben Gurion at 12:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday and arrive in Boston the same day at 5:45 a.m.

“Nonstop service to Tel Aviv will open up new commercial and economic opportunities for Massachusetts and the region,” said Gov. Deval Patrick. “This and similar service expansions are how we bolster the Commonwealth’s competitiveness.”

“I made the decision to launch the Boston/Tel Aviv route by the end of June 2015 with the trust and confidence that El Al will obtain maximum support from the local community,” said David Maimon, president and CEO, El Al Israel Airlines.

El Al will utilize Boeing 767300ER aircraft with a total of 218 seats on this route. Included are 22 new spacious bed-like Business Class seats with ergonomic support. An Economy Class Plus section will offer more legroom and additional seat recline.

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Airport stimulate our economy and our region,” said Thomas P Glynn, Massport’s CEO. “This new service helps open new doors and new possibilities.’’

The Boston-Tel Aviv market has grown 16 percent in the last three years. Massachusetts and Israel share strong ties in the high tech, life sciences, biotech, finance, clean energy and cybersecurity industries.

“Direct flights pave the way for further strengthening of U.S./Israel ties, both economically and culturally,” said Isra-

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32 | December 5, 2014

BUSINESS

The Jewish Voice

How women are different from men, financially speaking We all know men and women are different in some fundamental ways. But is this true when it comes to financial planning? In a word, yes.

Everyone wants financial security. Yet women often face financial headwinds that can affect their ability to achieve it. The good news is that women today have never been in BARBARA a better posiKENERSON tion to achieve financial security for themselves and their families.

More women than ever are successful professionals, business owners, entrepreneurs and knowledgeable investors.

Their economic clout is growing. Their impact on the traditional workplace is still unfolding positively as women earn college and graduate degrees in record numbers and seek to successfully integrate their work and home lives to provide for their families.

Some key differences

On the path to financial security, it’s important for women to understand what they might be up against, financially speaking: • Women have longer life expectancies. Women live an average of 4.8 years longer than men. A longer life expectancy presents several financial challenges: • Women are more likely to need some type of long-term care, and may have to face some of their health-care needs alone.

• Married women are likely to outlive their husbands, which means they could have ultimate responsibility for disposition of the marital estate.

• Women generally earn less and have less savings. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, within most occupational categories, women who work full time, year-round, earn only 82 percent (on average) of what men earn. This wage gap can significantly impact women’s overall savings, Social Security retirement benefits and pensions.

The dilemma is that while women generally earn less than

men, they need those dollars to last longer due to a longer life expectancy. With smaller financial cushions, women are more vulnerable to unexpected economic obstacles, such as a job loss, divorce or single parenthood. And according to U.S. Census Bureau statistics, women are more likely than men to be living in poverty throughout their lives.

Women are more likely to take career breaks for care giving.

Women are much more likely than men to take time out of their careers to raise children and/or care for aging parents.

Sometimes this is by choice.

But by moving in and out of the workforce, women face several significant financial implications: • Lost income, employer-provided health insurance, retirement benefits and other employee benefits.

“The dilemma is that while women generally earn less than men, they need those dollars to last longer due to a longer life expectancy.”

• Less savings.

• A potentially lower Social Security retirement benefit.

• Possibly a tougher time finding a job, or a comparable job (in terms of pay and benefits), when reentering the workforce.

In addition to stepping out of the workforce more frequently to care for others, women are more likely to try to balance work and family by working part time, which results in less income, and by requesting flexible work schedules, which can impact their career advancement (and thus the bottom line) if an employer unfairly assumes that women’s care-giving responsibilities will come at the expense of dedication to their jobs.

Women are more likely to be living on their own. Whether through choice, divorce or death of a spouse, more women are living on their own.

Women sometimes are more conservative investors. Whether they’re saving for a home,

college, retirement or a trip around the world, women need their money to work hard for them.

Sometimes, though, women tend to be more conservative investors than men.

Women need to protect their assets. As women continue to earn money, become the main breadwinners for their families and run their own businesses, it’s vital that they take steps to protect their assets, both personal and business. Without an asset protection plan, a woman’s wealth is vulnerable to taxes, lawsuits, accidents and other financial risks that are part of everyday life.

Take control of your money.

Create a budget, manage debt and credit wisely, set and prioritize financial goals, and implement a savings and investment strategy to meet those goals.

Become a knowledgeable investor. Learn basic investing concepts, such as asset classes, risk tolerance, time horizon, diversification, inflation, the role of various financial vehicles like 401(k)s and IRAs, and the role of income, growth and safety investments in a portfolio.

Plan for retirement. Save as much as you can for retirement.

Estimate how much money you’ll need in retirement, and how much you can expect from your savings, Social Security, and/or an employer pension.

Also, factor the cost of health care (including long-term care) into your retirement planning, and understand the basic rules of Medicare.

Protect your assets. Identify potential risk exposure and implement strategies to reduce that exposure.

Create an estate plan. To ensure that your personal and financial wishes will be carried out in the event of your incapacity or death, consider executing basic estate planning documents, such as a will, trust, durable power of attorney, and health-care proxy.

Women are the key to their own financial futures – it’s critical that women educate themselves about finances and be able to make financial decisions.

BARBARA KENERSON is First Vice President/Investments at Janney Montgomery Scott LLC and can be reached at BarbaraKenerson.com

China to send two giant pandas to Israel JERUSALEM (JTA) – The Chinese government has agreed to send two giant pandas to a zoo in Israel.

The gift will be conferred on the Haifa Zoo if Chinese panda experts agree that the conditions there will be appropriate for the animals, according to

Haaretz, including providing the appropriate food – a certain kind of bamboo. The zoo must also build a special habitat for the pandas.

A delegation from the Haifa Zoo must visit China to observe the rare animal, which is considered an endangered species.

Haifa and the Chinese city of Chengdu signed a sister-city agreement last week, according to Israel Hayom.

China has used “panda diplomacy” for hundreds of years to strengthen ties with other countries.

SENIORS

thejewishvoice.org

December 5, 2014 |

33

Creativity in the elderly Aging, it is widely believed, enhances one’s store of anecdotes, – while decreasing their accuracy – increases the numbers of hairs turned white and provides stand-up comics with yet another source of jokes.

Aging, in essence, is believed by most to be a stressful OF SCIENCE b i o l o g i c a l & SOCIETY p h e n o m enon that deprives STANLEY M. rather than ARONSON, M.D. adds to the richness of elderly lives. In Shakespeare’s immortal words, “When the age is in, the wit is out.”

Brown University has sometimes offered adult education exercises called Learning in Retirement. Truly, the words contradict each other: learning is certainly not an act of retirement; learning requires much work.

There are, in truth, few enterprises as remorselessly demanding as learning. Learning is not a form of accumulation like a savings account. Learning begins with the commitment to the task, hastened by a hunger to learn and an unyielding skepticism that demands the courage to discard cherished, old beliefs when confronted with compelling data.

Learning demands a constant reinterpretation of what we think we know.

Scientific and artistic creativity has been declared by many to be particularly evident in the younger decades of life – and specifically before the age of

thirty. And, certainly, a casual glance of the ages of the Nobel Prize recipients in the arts and sciences seems to verify this.

Isaac Newton, for example, lived to age 85 but accomplished most of the creative writings and laws that bear his name before the age of 30. His greatest contributions to the sciences (the concept of gravity) emerged when he was 43; at that time, this was considered to be an old age. At age 65, he began his labors in algebra and calculus; and, in his 80s, he commenced his investigations into the ancient hieroglyphics.

“The absence of the youthful years may diminish commonplace passions, but will enhance great ones.”

What about other spheres of creativity? Here, too, but only at first glance, creativity seems to dwell in the domain of youth.

But for those who believe that they still harbor new ideas or ways of defining beauty, retirement is an ugly word. For the elder citizen who has a compelling need to share his inner creativity, retirement is equivalent to solitary confinement.

In music, for example, many classical composers, including Bellini, Bizet, Chopin, Mendelssohn, Mozart, Schubert Schumann and Weber, died before 50. The exceptions, though, are notable. Handel composed “Messiah” at age 58; Haydn created great symphonies and oratorios after 65; Verdi, having retired at age 48, resumed

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his operatic labors in his 70s.

Moreover, his late works were more complex, darkly textured and with enhanced emotional content.

Among visual artists, Titian was still painting at 88 and Cellini was making magic with metal at age 71; Degas, Monet, Braque, Matisse, Rouault and Picasso were all vigorous artists beyond the age of 80.

Among writers, Goethe, Tennyson, Wordsworth, Pepys, Tolstoy, Ibsen and Carroll were all quite productive in their senior decades. Wharton, Ferber, Dinesen, Hellman and Christie continued their writing beyond their 70s.

What then is human creativity? It is a printed word made into a vision, a thing first seen and then made known; it is the immeasurable translated into terms of the measureable; it is the banal transformed into the uniquely beautiful. And this exercise of genius in the arts and sciences knows no age of enforced retirement, prospering beyond middle adulthood. And certainly, an enlarged prostate or an arthritic hip have never deprived one of a compelling need to create art.

So, the elderly should not despair if their understanding of celestial mechanics or sentential calculus seems inadequate.

For every nerve cell lost to aging, another ten will provide an elder scholar with vivid reminiscences, greater grandeur in his visions and, perhaps, even a revision of a standing theory thought to be set in concrete.

To misquote la Rochefoucault (1613-1680): The absence of the youthful years may diminish commonplace passions, but will enhance great ones. No individual is so old that he cannot live

yet another year or write yet another love letter.

STANLEY M. ARONSON, M.D. (smamd@cox.net) is dean of medicine emeritus at Brown University.

34 | December 5, 2014

OBITUARIES

The Jewish Voice

Audrey B. Bieder, 88 WARWICK, R.I. – Audrey Bienenfeld Bieder died Nov. 24 at Philip Hulitar Inpatient Center, Providence. She was the beloved wife of Bernard Bieder for 25 years. Born in Chicago, Ill., a daughter of the late Myron and Irma (Hesser) Benzion, she had lived in Warwick for 25 years, previously residing in Cranston. She was a travel agent with Fine Travel for many years, retiring 20 years ago. She was a member of Temple Beth-El and its Sisterhood and a founder and former member of Temple Sinai. She was a volunteer for Jewish Family Service’s Lifeline Program, the Providence Convention Center and a mentor for Warwick School System.

Devoted mother of Linda Cherney and her husband James of Chicago, Ill., Steven Bienenfeld and his wife Jean of Cranston and Carol Mitchell and her husband Thomas of Sarasota, Fla. Dear sister of the late William Benzion. Loving grandmother of Michael and David Cherney and Allison and Leslie Bienenfeld.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in her memory may be made to Jewish Family Service, 959 North Main St., Providence, R.I. 02904 or Home & Hospice Care of RI, 1085 North Main St., Providence, R.I. 02904.

Libby L. Brynes, 99 BOYNTON BEACH, FLA. – Libby L. Brynes, of Horizons East, Boynton Beach, Fla., died Nov. 15 at Bethesda Hospital.

She was the beloved wife of the late Leo Brynes. Born in Providence, a daughter of the late Meyer and Mamie Rose (Jampolsky) Jaffa, she had lived in Warwick before moving to Florida 35 years ago.

She was a graduate of Classical High School, Class of ’33. Devoted mother of Howard Warren Brynes and Eleanor Ann Brynes, both of Boynton Beach, Fla. Dear sister of the late Donald and Aaron Jaffa. Loving grandmother of Keith, Mitchell, Lauren and the late Lisa.

Cherished great grandmother of Blake, Bryan, Ari, Jared, Alexa, Jacob, Benjamin, Matthew and Marisa. Adored greatgreat-grandmother of Leo. In lieu of flowers, contributions in her memory may be made to Hospice of Palm Beach County Foundation, 5300 East Ave., West Palm Beach, Fla. 33407.

Nadine Engle, 66

NORTH DARTMOUTH, MASS. – Nadine (Alfant) Engle died Nov. 19. She was the wife of Carl Engle. Born in New Bedford, the daughter of Milton Alfant and the late Beverly Delores (Pernick) Alfant, she was a lifelong resident of New Bedford and North Dartmouth.

Mrs. Engle was a member of Tifereth Israel Congregation and a life member of Hadassah.

Besides her husband and father, she is survived by her children, Meredith Moore of Kennesaw, Ga., and Mindy Engle Agosta of Rye Brook, N.Y.; her brother Marc Alfant and his

wife Cathy of Indialantic, Fla.; her grandchildren, Alexander, Cameron, Luke and Bailey; her niece and nephews, Barnett, Zachary, Hilary and Craig; and her dear friend Lana Beloli.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the New Bedford Jewish Convalescent Home, 200 Hawthorn St., New Bedford, Mass., 02740.

Arline Feldman, 86 EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Arline “Bunny” Feldman of Tockwotton on The Water died Nov. 17 at Philip Hulitar Inpatient Center. She was the beloved wife of the late Morris Feldman.

A lifelong P rov idence resident, she was a daughter of the late Max and Bertha (Kolodney) Harriet. Arline was the owner of Arline Feldman Interviewing Service and a member of the Board of Licenses for the City of Providence. She was a member of Temple EmanuEl. Devoted mother of Harvey Feldman and his wife, Linda, of West Warwick, and Bill Feldman and his wife, Gail, of Cranston. Sister of Grace Hirsch of Florida. Loving grandmother of Lisa Bavaro (Keith) and Carrie Sarro (John). Cherished great-grandmother of Andrew, Lauren, Ryan and Avery.

In lieu of flowers, contribu-

OBITUARIES

thejewishvoice.org tions in her memory may be made to Home & Hospice Care of RI, 1085 North Main St., Providence, R.I. 02904 or Miriam Hospital Cancer Center, Att’n: Dr. Fred Schiffman, 164 Summit Ave., Providence, R.I. 02906.

David Greer, M.D., 89 FALL RIVER, MASS. – David Greer died Nov. 18. He was the husband of the late Marion (Clarich) Greer; they were married for 64 years. Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., the son of the late Jacob and Mary Greenberg, he had been a resident of Fall River since 1957.

Dr. Greer received his education in the New York City school system, Brooklyn College, the University of Notre Dame, the University of Chicago and Yale University. His education was interrupted during World War II when he served two years in the armed forces as an aviation cadet.

Dr. Greer came to Fall River in 1957 to practice medicine at the Truesdale Clinic. He was actively involved in a very large number of community and statewide activities, ranging from voluntary service with several Fall River agencies (the District Nursing Association, the Family Service Association and the Fall River Housing Authority) to membership on several gubernatorial commissions and the Board of Trustees for both Bristol Community College and U. Mass Dartmouth, whose board he chaired in 1973 and 1974. In the early 1970s, while he was president of the medical staff of the Truesdale Hospital and medical director of the Earle E. Hussey Hospital, Dr. Greer

founded Highland Heights Apartments, renamed Cardinal Medeiros Towers, which was the first hospital-connected public housing facility for the physically impaired in the nation.

In 1974, Dr. Greer joined the administration and faculty of the new medical school at Brown University as an Associate Dean. There, he founded and chaired the Department of Family Medicine, the Department of Community Health and the Gerontology Center. He was appointed Dean of Medicine at Brown in 1981 and served in that position until 1992. Upon retiring from Brown, he served as the Medical Director of the SSTAR Family Healthcare Center in Fall River until 1998.

Dr. Greer was a member of numerous prestigious organizations, including Mastership in the American College of Physicians and the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences. He was designated as a Kellogg Foundation Fellow in International Health. His many honors and awards included an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Southeastern Massachusetts University; the Cutting Foundation Award for service to religion in society from the Andover Newton Theological Seminary; the Bristol Community College Distinguished Service Award; the University of Chicago Medical Alumni Association Distinguished Service Award, and the Outstanding Citizen Award from the Jewish Veteran’s Auxiliary.

Dr. Greer was a founding director of the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, which won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1985.

He is survived by his daughter, Linda Greer, and her husband, Mike Tilchin, of Bethesda, Md.; his grandchildren, Ross and Carla Tilchin; his daughter-in-law, Nancy Smith

Greer; his sister-in-law, Joyce Greer Stern; and his brotherin-law and sister-in-law, Daniel and Eleanor Clarich. He was the father of the late Jeffrey Greer and brother of the late M. Philip Greer.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in his memory may be made to Family Service Association of Fall River, 101 Rock Street, Fall River, Mass. 02720.

Marilyn Hoffman, 88 CRANSTON, R.I. – Marilyn Hoffman, of Rangeley Road, died Nov. 27 at Philip Hulitar Inpatient Center, Providence.

She was the beloved wife of the late Jacob Hoffman. Born in Providence, a daughter of the late Samuel and Martha (Dolberg) Manekofsky, she lived in Cranston for 54 Years. Marilyn was the co-owner and operator with her husband of the former Marbil Cleaners in East Providence for 30 years, retiring 18 years ago. She was a graduate of Hope High School, Class of ‘45. Marilyn was a former member of Temple Torat Yisrael and of Temple Beth Israel. She contributed to many Jewish charities over the years. Marilyn was an avid reader and a lifelong word puzzle solver.

Devoted mother of William Hoffman and his wife Mildred of Cranston and the late Martha-Sue Hoffman. Dear sister of the late Irwin and Judith Manekofsky. Loving grandmother of Shayna and Joseph.

Adored aunt of Lisa Manekofsky and Cindy Gershin. Cherished great aunt of Jayden.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in her memory may be made to Home & Hospice Care of RI, 1085 North Main St., Providence, R.I. 02904 or Temple Beth-El Religious School, 70 Orchard Ave., Providence, R.I. 02906.

Edward “Eddie” Kramer

NATICK, MASS. – Edward Heath “Eddie” Kramer passed away on Nov. 11. He was just

December 5, 2014 |

35

over 18 months old. He leaves his best friend and sister, Talia, and his proud parents, Glenn and Allison Dressler Kramer.

He was the beloved grandson of Joel and Dana (Sochin) Kramer of Framingham, Mass.; Michael and Fredda (Samdperil) Korber, of Barrington; and Michael and Amy (Ferdinandsen) Dressler, of Seekonk, Mass.; and great-grandson of Esther (Goldstein) Sochin. He also leaves behind numerous uncles, aunts and cousins who he loved dearly.

Eddie’s engaging personality, infectious smile, and trademark blonde curls commanded attention everywhere he went - an intimate family gathering, a daycare classroom, or at a block party where he didn’t know anyone. He was wise and mature beyond his age and enjoyed everything life offered.

Donations in his name can be made to FIDO of Natick, a nonprofit organization dedicated to building a dog park in Natick, Massachusetts. The group is accepting donations online at https://www.youcaring.com/ EddieKramer. For mail donations please include “Eddie” in the memo and send to: FIDO of Natick, Middlesex Savings Bank, Natick Branch, 6 Main St., Natick, Mass. 01760

frey Stein and his wife Eve Colson of Woodbridge, Conn., and Shari Stein of Greenwich, Conn.; and her grandchildren, Rebekah, Joseph and Sarah.

She was the sister of the late Arnold Malmet.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in her memory may be made to the Temple Habonim Children’s Library.

Rita Stein, 86

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.

BARRINGTON, R.I. – Rita (Malmet) Stein died Nov. 18.

She was the wife of Alvin Stein.

Born in New York City, she was the daughter of the late Joseph and Sarah (Goldberg) Malmet.

A graduate of City College of New York, Columbia University and Pratt Institute, she was very dedicated to education.

She was a member of Temple Habonim.

Besides her husband, she is survived by her children, Jef-

Ann E. Zalk, 84 PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Ann E. (Allard) Zalk died on Nov. 23.

She was the wife of the late Milton Zalk. Born in Slatersville, R.I., the daughter of the late Albert Joseph and Helen C. (Tessier) Allard, she was a lifelong resident of Rhode Island. She was a former member of Temple Emanu-El. She is survived by her children, Matthew, Deirdre, Valerie, Bethany and Hillary; her sister Mary Allard; and 10 grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in her memory may be made to the Hope Alzheimer’s Center, 25 Brayton Ave., Cranston, R.I. 02920.

OBITUARIES

ISRAEL

36 | December 5, 2014

The Jewish Voice

In Eilat, tourism decline drives economic woes

BY BEN SALES EILAT, Israel (JTA) — Zili Grossman did public relations for “half the hotels” in Eilat, she says. She was the mayor’s press adviser. Her job took her to festivals, bowling alleys, theaters and miniature golf courses — the gamut of tourist attractions in Israel’s best-known resort town. After a career shift, she opened up a fashion boutique in the city center.

But now Grossman sits in a small office of a radio station here, splitting her time between taking calls from needy people and directing a small staff of aid workers. She is the executive director of Eilat Gives, an aid organization she founded in

2000. With an annual budget of $650,000, the organization provides food and medical assistance to the city’s underprivileged.

The transition had started earlier in 2000, when she was working at the women’s clothing shop she owned a few blocks from Eilat’s promenade and saw a man in poor health laying beside its entrance. She called City Hall to get help, but the man died before it came. Within weeks Grossman had turned her business from a store selling dresses to what she called a “welfare office.”

Eilat — located on Israel’s southern tip, hundreds of miles and a metaphorical world PHOTO | MOSHE SHAI/FLASH90

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away from the busy streets of Tel Aviv and the tense political climate of Jerusalem — is known as a destination with swanky hotels, swimming, snorkeling and suntanning.

But residents of the city say that behind the promenade, a faltering tourist economy and rising cost of living have made its atmosphere increasingly uncertain — and are driving some people to leave.

“There are many who make a lot, and there are the young people who make 4,000 [shekels, about $1,000] and pay 2,000 [shekels] in rent and become poor,” Grossman said.

She added, “Eilat is a special case because it looks like a sparkling city, but how much does a cashier at a hotel make?”

Nearly 8 percent of residents left Eilat in 2011, according to the Israeli news website Ynet, and the city saw a decline of 73 percent in direct foreign fl ights in October as compared to October 2013, according to the Israeli business publication The Marker. With an increasing number of low-cost fl ights available from Tel Aviv to Europe, Israelis are also choosing other vacation destinations.

Eilat is home to nearly 50,000 year-round residents. It was founded in 1950 as a outpost on the borders with Egypt and Jordan. It was declared a city in 1959, and at the time was populated mostly by fisherman and employees of the local port.

Today the city looks like an average peripheral Israeli town with a tourist strip tacked on. It has the same faded stucco houses, the same red-pitched roofs, the same rundown housing projects, the same new developments lined with McMansions.

But living a five-hour drive from Tel Aviv and Jerusalem comes with its differences. Residents don’t pay sales tax as an incentive for living here. They rarely mention addresses when giving directions: Just ask around, they say, and someone will show you where to go.

“The isolation makes us feel like we’re in the same boat,” said Oren Zadok, the city’s sole X-ray technician and someone who has lived here nearly all his

life. “If there’s a bar mitzvah or a wedding, there’s a thousand people there. The funerals are giant. Eilat is essentially a kibbutz.”

Indeed, there is a small-town mentality in which everyone seems to know each other by name. Grossman gets a free slice at the pizza place down the street from her office. She is friendly with the cab driver who picks her up at a busy intersection.

Residents worry, however, that young people won’t stay in the city. Four satellite college campuses have opened in the city, and socioeconomically, Eilat ranks above-average overall among Israeli towns. However, being so far away from Israel’s big cities means Eilat doesn’t offer the same educational and employment opportunities as Israel’s center.

“The fact that you can study here is wonderful,” said Eli Attias, 53, whose father moved to Eilat soon after it was founded.

The question now is, you study, and when you get your degree, what will you do? Will there be work? That’s the challenge.”

In the meantime, signs of distress are visible in Eilat. A large, crumbling housing project nicknamed “Sing-Sing” towers over one of the main streets crowded with migrants from Eritrea and Sudan, as well as poor Israelis. The town center, only a few streets behind the strip, looks faded — wiry neon signs are the outstanding feature on an otherwise unremarkable traffic circle. Grossman says her hands are full with requests from the city’s poor.

“There’s economic difficulty, and because most of the city is built on tourism, if there aren’t enough tourists, the shops and restaurants are hurt,” said Nora Bitton, a social service worker in Eilat. “We didn’t get missiles [during the recent war], but we were hit hard.”

To address the economic woes, the Eilat municipality wants to make the city a commercial and industrial center as well as a tourist hotspot.

EILAT | 37

ISRAEL

thejewishvoice.org

FROM PAGE 36

December 5, 2014 |

37

EILAT

A large international airport nearby that would offer more than the current small airfield is set to open next year. And plans are underway for a highspeed train from central Israel and an expanded port.

“It’s a huge infrastructure project that gives Eilat land, air and sea connections to Africa, Asia and Europe,” said Eilat Mayor Meir Halevi.

“The most challenging project is to build infrastructure to create professional workplaces.”

The mayor’s constituents say such projects are essential but are skeptical they will come to pass. Residents note that previous plans to lay train tracks to Eilat from Beersheba and Tel Aviv have failed for decades.

“We’re very doubtful,” Bitton said. “We’ve been talking about a train since Eilat was founded.

But if you don’t build it, you don’t attract people.”

Eilat is far from the poorest of Israel’s municipalities, but some data point to its challenges. As of 2010, one-quarter of Eilat families have a single parent as the head of household, the highest percentage among cities with more than 5,000 fami-

lies. And the average monthly salary per employee in the city in 2012 was the equivalent of $1,763 — 23 percent lower than the overall Israeli average.

“Conditions have been very hard in recent years,” said Toni Lis, a reporter for Yediot Eilat, a local newspaper. “The rise in cost of living didn’t pass over Eilat. More and more people are searching in garbage cans.

People have to choose between medications and food.”

Still, Eilatis say, even with the distance from Israel’s center, the limited jobs and a growing sense of uneasiness, they remain committed to their city.

Drawn in by the hot days and a warm community, the residents say what Eilat really needs is for the rest of Israel to see the city beyond the hotels.

“When I leave Eilat, I’m like a fish out of water,” said Alona Yosef, who runs the Eilat Gives soup kitchen. “I like the air here. There’s a lively atmosphere.

“Most people don’t know there’s a city here. They know there’s the hotels, but they don’t know there’s a city here, there are people here.”

“When I leave Eilat, I’m like a fish out of water, I like the air here, there’s a lively atmosphere.”

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The Jewish Voice

HONORED BY ASHA

PHOTOS | FRAN OSTENDORF

PRACTICAL CRAFTS – On Dec. 2, Professor Gizmo helped children at the Dwares JCC make usable oil-burning menorahs. Some of the menorahs will be on display along with other art from J Space and the Hanukkah Art and Writing contest in gallery (401) beginning Dec. 10.

Dr. Barry M. Prizant was recognized by the American SpeechLanguage-Hearing Association (ASHA) at their annual convention in November with an Honors of the Association award.

The Honors award is the highest recognition given by ASHA (membership – 150,000 professionals), in recognition of an individual whose “contributions have been of such excellence that they have enhanced or altered the course of the professions.” Specifically, this honor is in recognition of Prizant’s provision of “exemplary professional services, research and other contributions to persons with significant communication challenges and their families in the past 40 years.”

Prizant is a member of Temple Emanu-El, and serves on their Board of Trustees. He also serves on the Inclusion Committee, and participates in the monthly Koleinu Service for families who have children with special needs.

In his career, Prizant has served in many roles as a clinical scholar, researcher and consultant to persons with Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and related disabilities, and those with emotional/behavioral challenges and their families. He is a speech-language pathologist who has developed familycentered programs for newly diagnosed toddlers with socialcommunication disabilities and autism in hospital and university clinic settings. He consults to schools and agencies internationally, from early intervention through adult services.

Prizant was a tenured professor in the master’s and doctoral programs at Emerson College and Southern Illinois University, and served on the faculty of the Brown University Medical School.

Since 1998, Prizant has served as the director of Childhood Communication Services, a private practice, and as an adjunct professor at Brown University,

Dr. Barry M. Prizant currently affiliated with the Artists and Scientists as Partners group in the Department of Theatre Arts and Performance Studies. He currently writes a regular column for Autism Spectrum Quarterly Magazine. Prizant is co-author of The SCERTS Model, an educational/treatment model for individuals with autism and related special needs adopted in more than a dozen countries. In the past 20 years, he co-founded and co-facilitates an annual parent weekend retreat attended by parents of children with autism.

The retreat is conducted in collaboration with Community Autism Resources, a Massachusetts-based parent run family support center, and his wife, Dr. Elaine Meyer, a psychologist, nurse and director of the Institute for Professionalism and Ethical Practice at the Harvard Medical School. Prizant’s contributions have been recognized previously by a Princeton University-Eden Foundation Career Award in autism and the “Divine Neurotypical Award” of GRASP, the Global and Regional Asperger Syndrome Partnership.

Prizant’s forthcoming book “Uniquely Human: A Different Way of Seeing Autism” (with Tom Fields-Meyer) will be published in August 2015 by Simon & Schuster.

RIDOT launches winter weather page as snow season approaches The first snowfall of the year may have come and gone without much accumulation, but the R.I. Department of Transportation (RIDOT) is reminding drivers that winter weather is likely not far away. To help Rhode Islanders prepare, RIDOT launched a new webpage, dot. ri.gov/winter, offering valuable winter driving tips, statistics and links to other travel planning resources.

“With winter now upon us, it’s a good time to remind ourselves about safe driving practices as well as steps we should take to ready our vehicles for travel,” said RIDOT Director Michael P. Lewis. “Wearing a seat belt, reducing speed, outfitting vehicles with emergency supplies and sharing the road

with plows are all important – especially when traveling in inclement weather.”

The new webpage includes information for getting vehicles ready for difficult travel conditions. Links to RIDOT’s Twitter feed, traffic cameras and travel times are also included for upto-the-minute information on road conditions.

Visitors to the page will also learn about RIDOT’s approach to winter storm operations and recent steps taken to “green” these operations. For example, state plows are now equipped with GPS devices and more precise salt metering systems to better control and track the application of salt – the most costly component of winter storm operations.

December 5, 2014 |

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The Jewish Voice