August 15, 2014

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

19 Av 5774 | August 15, 2014

JEWISH WOMEN IN BUSINESS

Holocaust Memorial ready for building Next stage in development will bring project to completion

BY FRAN OSTENDORF fostendorf@jewishallianceri.org The proposed Holocaust Memorial, to be built in downtown Providence, is about to pass another milestone. Plans have been fi nessed, added to and finalized. A chunk of funding has been raised. Now, it’s just about ready to be built.

And Herb Stern is feeling pretty good about all that. The project that got its start about 10

years ago has had to scale many hurdles. The faithful supporters, and a committee that may be the longest serving group in the Alliance, are looking at fi nally seeing some return on their investment of time and money. “The perseverance of this committee is to be commended, and the committee is grateful for Jeffrey Savit’s support,” he says.

This is a cause that Stern is MEMORIAL | 6

GREETINGS FROM RI! An IDF soldier displays a letter sent from members of the Rhode Island Jewish community including campers at JORI. For an update from Israel, see page 31.

MIRIAM ROSS RI HOUSE DISTRICT 4 DEMOCRAT

www. m iriam rossri.com

Paid for by Friends of Miriam Ross • Armand Almeida, Treasurer

An artist’s rendering of the finished Holocaust Memorial.

For ‘hardcore’ Jews displaced by Ukrainian fighting, Israel beckons

BY CNAAN LIPHSHIZ JTA – Each time he dispatches a car into Lugansk, Rabbi Shalom Gopin readies himself for hours of anxious anticipation.

The scene of brutal urban warfare between Ukrainian troops and pro-Russian separatists, this eastern Ukrainian city now has no regular power supply, running water or cell phone reception. Mortar rounds can fall without warning. Much of the population, once 450,000, has fled.

But despite the risks, Gopin, the city’s exiled chief rabbi, has dispatched more than a dozen cars to Lugansk, each one intended to quietly ferry

Jews to a camp he runs for the internally displaced in Zhytomyr, near Kiev. More than 117,000 people are internally displaced within Ukraine, the United Nations reported earlier this month.

Over the weekend of Aug. 9-10, Gopin welcomed several cars to Zhytomyr carrying a total of 13 passengers. For Gopin, each arrival brings relief, but also sadness over the disintegration of a community he has spent 15 years building.

Initially intended to provide temporary shelter for Jews fleeing the fighting in the east, the facility, which functions mainly as a summer camp, is now home to 250 displaced

Ukrainians. Gopin says more than half have no plans to return.

“It’s a sad reality,” Gopin told JTA. “Many people are now realizing the bad situation may remain, so people who never even thought about making aliyah are going ahead with it.

The city, my home, is emptying of Jews as it slowly consumes itself out of existence.”

The Jewish Agency for Israel, the quasi-governmental agency responsible for facilitating immigration to Israel, is expecting more than 3,000 arrivals from Ukraine this year – a 33 percent increase over the 1,982 Jews who imUKRAINE | 13

SEASONED EXPERIENCED TRUSTED

“THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR EXPERIENCE.”

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2 | August 15, 2014

The Jewish Voice

Works by The Top Drawer at the Brass featured at Temple Habonim Gallery

INSIDE Business 23, 26-27 Calendar 8

The July/August show in the Gallery at Temple Habonim features 28 works by The Top Drawer at the Brass, a nonprofit visual art center providing programs for adults with developmental disabilities. Through their work, the artists show their creative expression, individuality and self-empowerment. Top Drawer is one of the many vocational day programs operated by L.I.F.E. (Living in Fulfilling Environments).

The exhibit includes a broad variety of medium and style, and emphasizes the voice of each artist. The use of color,

Classified 27 Community 2, 4-9, 12-13, 27 Food 14 Israel 31-32 Nation 3 Obituaries 28 Opinion 10-11 Seniors 24-25 Simchas | We are Read 30 Women in Business 15, 18-22 World 8, 27-29

composition and expression envelops the viewer as he or she enters. Each work is a creation of personal expression as well.

The exhibit continues through Aug. 28. There is a reception on Aug. 17 from 1 to 3 p.m.

The Gallery at Temple Habonim is at 165 New Meadow Road in Barrington. Gallery hours are Wednesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Fridays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and by appointment. For information, call 401-245-6536 or email gallery@templehabonim. org.

“Blue Heart” by Toni Vollaro

PHOTOS | TEMPLE HABONIM

THIS ISSUE’S QUOTABLE QUOTE “You have to love what you do.”

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August 15, 2014 |

3

The bimah of Congregation B’nai Israel in Butte, Montana.

BY ANNE SHERMAN Did you know that there is a synagogue in Butte, Montana?

Congregation B’nai Israel is the oldest synagogue in Montana still used as a house of worship.

At one time there were three synagogues, two Orthodox and one Reform, in Butte. But the very first synagogue in Montana was built in Helena, the state capital. Now that building is used by the Catholic diocese.

Today there are 1,350 Jews and five synagogues in Montana, a state that could hold the state of Rhode Island 192 times.

Jewish community was important to Butte businesses, beginning in 1875. Copper, silver and gold mining brought Jews to the area. The first mayor was German-Jewish immigrant Henry Jacobs, who served from 1879-1880. H.L. Frank was mayor from 1885-1886 and Sol Levy kept the jailhouse secure. A century ago, the total population of Butte was 100,000, including 1,000 Jews. Today the total population of Butte is 32,000.

Congregation B’nai Israel was organized on Aug. 10, 1897, and met in the Carpenter’s Union Hall and the Mountain View Methodist Church. In 1903, the building was constructed. It

with the Jewish Community Legacy Project, an organization that works with synagogues so that when the time comes, the doors are not simply closed.

The membership does not want the last person who walks out the door to have to deal with more than 100 hundred years of memorabilia.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION www.facebook.com/con gregationb’naiisrealbuttemont ana ANNE SHERMAN (rjhist@ aol.com) is the office manager of the Rhode Island Jewish Historical Association.

PHOTOS COURTESY | ANNE SHERMAN

The exterior of the building from the street.

This is a watercolor by Sonia Berman Ehrlich done in 1976. is on the National Register of Historic Places as the oldest synagogue in Montana. At the present time, the congregation has 14 families. It brings in a student rabbi for the High Holy Days, and occasional ser-

vices are led by lay members capable of reading the Torah.

Originally Congregation B’nai Israel had five Torahs; today it has two. Rabbis are brought in to lead life-cycle events.

The congregation is working

The tiny Montana synagogue is the oldest in the state.

COMMUNITY

4 | August 15, 2014

The Jewish Voice

PHOTOS | DANA COHEN

Book lovers of all ages enjoyed the program at this year’s Books on the Beach.

An entertaining afternoon at Books on the Beach

BY FRAN OSTENDORF fostendorf@jewishallianceri.org MIDDLETOWN – Nothing like a beautiful summer afternoon at the beach in Rhode Island.

That’s what about 160 people expected Aug. 12 at Hadassah’s fourth annual Books on the Beach event. And the event delivered. But instead of taking in

the sun, sand and waves, they listened to Jon Land, Tova Mirvis and Adam Braver talk about their latest books and their writing process.

Organizers of the event asked each author for a one-word description of their work. Land chose “thrilling.” Mirvis offered “thoughtful.” And Braver chose “delicate.”

Interesting choices all.

Land writes action-packed thrillers, more than 25 to date.

The best-selling author graduated from Brown University and lives in Providence. And he told the audience that they’ll recognize some of the venues mentioned in the latest books in his Caitlin Strong series because they are in Rhode Island.

There’s even a scene from WaterFire.

The two most recent books, “Strong Rain Falling” and the soon-to-be-released “Strong Darkness,” feature female Texas Ranger Caitlin Strong. Writing about strong female heroes and villains is fun, Land said as he walked through the crowd.

“You don’t write based on what

you know or experience,” he said “You write on what you imagine.”

Mirvis, author of three novels, told the audience that she immediately wanted to revise her one-word description. But, she says, she really is interested in getting inside the people BOOKS | 5

AARON REGUNBERG

the progressive Choice for state representative AAron is Committed to ethiCs reform First candidate to commit to restore the Ethics Commission’s power to regulate lawmakers -- Providence Journal, 4/24/2014 AAron fought for tAx fAirness >VU TPSSPVU MYVT )YV^U [V [OL *P[` HUK ^PSS ÄNO[ ¸[YPJRSL down” tax policy so we can pass property tax relief for all AAron helped Win sChool improvements Brought students, parents and teachers together to win real, positive changes in our schools AAron is the progressive ChoiCe That’s why he’s endorsed by so many progressive East Side leaders, and organizations including:

www.RegunbergforRep.com Paid for by Friends of Aaron Regunberg, Jill Davidson, Treasurer

COMMUNITY

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FROM PAGE 4

August 15, 2014 |

5

BOOKS

around her – to get to what they are thinking. “Fiction is a way to get inside a person,” she said.

A Newton, Massachusetts, resident with three children, she told the audience about the 10-year process involved in writing her third novel.

She started after moving from New York City to Newton. She missed New York so much that she thought she’d write a short novel about it and get back to writing other books. The result, “Visible City,” is set in New York and introduces a constellation of characters. How did she feel when the novel was published after so many years of living with all the characters?

“Oh my God,” she said, “I’m so glad it’s done.”

As the last author to speak, Adam Braver engaged the audience when he admitted that he took just seconds to come up with his descriptive word. “I really don’t like to write a lot,” he said. Writing is difficult, takes a lot of energy, a lot of mental energy and angst. “I’m always glad to be done with it.”

For him, words are a way to paint or draw a picture. Each word is important when he writes. He says he’s most interested in form.

The Rhode Islander’s most recent book is “Misfit,” about Marilyn Monroe. Why Mari-

Tova Mirvis

Andrew Braver

Jon Land

lyn? She intrigued him and the rest is in the book.

Books on the Beach is an annual fundraising event for Ha-

dassah. Proceeds support the work of the volunteer woman’s organization.

FRAN OSTENDORF is editor of The Jewish Voice.

CHRIS WALL : A Progressive, Energetic Reformer For The East Side

C HRIS

W ALL

DEMOCRAT FOR STATE SENATE As a reporter at NBC10, Chris Wall dug for the truth on behalf of taxpayers without fear or favor to political special interests.

As a senior staff member for the Rhode Island Secretary of State, Chris worked hard to make government more open, accessible and responsive.

As a small businessman and Realtor® on the East Side, Chris understands the disconnect between our high taxes and poor services. He will fight to fix it.

W HAT P EOP L E A R E SAYI N G : “Chris shares and lives our progressive values of equality, fairness, tolerance and inclusion. He is a strong supporter of women’s reproductive rights and equal pay for equal work.”

- Sally Lapides, Owner, Residential Properties “When my partner Ron died and the medical examiner refused to release his remains to me, Chris stepped up to help. He strongly supported my fight to give same sex couples burial rights and for marriage equality. He is a true friend of the LGBT community.” - Mark Goldberg, Community Activist “Chris is a great listener. He understands what people are going through. He is accessible and responsive: he reaches out to people and he gets back to them quickly. He is about uniting people, not dividing them.” - Libby Isaacson, COO, Residential Properties

VOTE TUESDAY, SEPT 9 www.ChrisWallRI.com Info@ChrisWallRI.com

ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT Tricia Stearly tstearly@jewishallianceri.org 401-421-4111, ext. 160 EDITOR Fran Ostendorf CONTRIBUTING WRITER Irina Missiuro

Karen Borger ksborger@gmail.com 401-529-2538

EDITORIAL CONSULTANTS Irina Missiuro | Judith Romney Wegner

COLUMNISTS Dr. Stanley Aronson, Michael Fink, Rabbi James Rosenberg and Daniel Stieglitz

DESIGN & LAYOUT Leah Camara

MEMBER of the Rhode Island Press Association

INTERN Dana Cohen

“I’m running for the State Senate because I know our community deserves better. We should be thriving in the 21st century, not falling further behind. If you share my belief we need new leadership to bring change and reform to put us on the right track, I would appreciate your vote on Sept. 9th.” - CHRIS WALL Paid for by Friends of Chris Wall, Chris Wall, Treasurer

“Without fear or favor” @CWallEastSide

THE JEWISH VOICE (ISSN number 15392104, USPS #465-710) is published bi-weekly, except in July, when it does not publish.

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

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

Phone: 401-421-4111 • Fax 401-331-7961

f ChrisWallRIStateSenate

COPY DEADLINES: All news releases, photographs, etc., must be received on the Wednesday two weeks prior to publication. Submissions may be sent to: editor@jewishallianceri.org.

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

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

6 | August 15, 2014 FROM PAGE 1

COMMUNITY

The Jewish Voice

MEMORIAL

passionate about. “I don’t think people understand the power of memorials,” he says. Memorials are evocative, provocative and they cause people to stop and remember.

That’s exactly what he’s hoping this memorial will do. “We have to remind people what hate leads to.” And he believes it’s an especially relevant cause today.

The memorial was Holocaust survivor David Newman’s idea. Stern jumped in to help when fundraising stalled. He says he embraced the need to memorialize the survivors, whose numbers have dwindled to fewer than 15 in Rhode Island as efforts to get the memorial built have continued.

But the plans, unveiled in early 2009, have been refi ned. The memorial will have Bluetooth technology built into it so that visitors can use a smartphone or tablet to learn more about the Holocaust at various points while visiting the site. It’s a new idea that will enhance the original plan. “But I believe this will become the paradigm for memorials,” says Stern.

This technological component was a collaboration with Johnson & Wales University.

Four students in a directed work experience class took on

the research and development of this innovative way to give life to the memorial. Eric Beltram, Hayward Gatch, Wil Hall and Brandon Sciancalepore developed the application.

morial r the me Plans fo a phone app. include The class was led by Jeffrey Teagen, who was coordinator of Academic Innovation at the time.

Via Bluetooth, visitors will connect to educational materials developed by the Holocaust

Education and Resource Center of Rhode Island as well as to websites and Internet materials on the Holocaust.

The memorial was designed by artist Jonathan Bonner of Providence. It will give people a permanent place to reflect and learn and complement the work being done by HERCRI. The site is in Memorial Park along North Main Street, near the river.

“The next generation doesn’t

get healthy | stay fit | live better

have the same attachment” to the Holocaust, says Stern. This will help people remember. “It’s really a broad humanitarian issue.”

Stern says the committee hopes to break ground in the next month and fi nish in time for Yom HaShoah 2015. The last $60,000 of the roughly $500,000 project is still needed for completion. Stern hopes individuals will come forward to make it happen.

“We get thousands of people

on a WaterFire weekend” in downtown Providence, he says.

“We want them to have this experience.”

FRAN OSTENDORF is editor of The Jewish Voice.

EDITOR’S NOTE: For more information, contact Michelle Cicchitelli, director of Jewish Life at the Alliance (mcicchitelli@jewishallianceri.org) at 401-421-4111, ext. 178.

J-Fitness at the Dwares JCC

Our team of health & wellness professionals is committed to providing fitness for everyBODY - people of all ages and abilities - in a friendly and approachable environment.

At J-Fitness, you have access to: • Certified Personal Trainers • Indoor heated pool • Water Fitness Classes • TigerSharks Swim Club • Cardio machines • Free-weight area • Fit Forever classes for Seniors • American Red Cross Learn-to-Swim program • Spinning™ • Zumba™ • Yoga • Pilates mat classes, and much more!

Visit jewishallianceri.org for membership information.

Already a member? Refer a friend and get one month free!

Contact our Member Services office for details.

Dwares 401 Elmgrove Avenue | Providence, RI 401.421.4111 | jewishallianceri.org

Rhode Island

COMMUNITY

thejewishvoice.org

August 15, 2014 |

7

Maidenform Company products included ‘brassiere for birds’

BY TOBY ROSSNER

At the BBQ are Andrew Liss (left) and Carlos Vizcarrondo.

PHOTO | JSARI

Family BBQ for the To Life Center The To Life Center Adult Day Services, a program of Jewish Seniors Agency of Rhode Island (JSARI), had its annual family

Rededication planned for renovated R.I. community mikveh Built in 1982, the local mikveh on the East Side of Providence was in serious need of renovation and plans for a major overhaul were proposed.

The mikveh is a ritual pool that has been an integral part of Jewish life since ancient times.

The mikveh is critical both for performing the mitzvah of taharat hamishpacha (Family Purity) and for the process of conversion to Judaism.

According to Jewish law, the mitzvah of building a mikveh takes precedence over building a synagogue. Since the role of the mikveh is vital, the rabbis ruled that a synagogue or Torah scroll may be sold to raise funds for the construction of a mikveh.

The renovation of the 32-yearold mikveh was completed thanks to local donors and a generous endowment from Mikvah USA, a New York based organization that supports the establishment and rebuilding of mikvaot nationwide.

The community is invited to an open house on Aug. 24 at 1 p.m. in the Board Room at the Dwares JCC, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence, to celebrate the rededication of the newly modernized mikveh and thank the donors who made it possible. There will be an opportunity to tour the mikveh facility and check out its updated look.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, please contact Ruchama Szendro for the rededication committee at 401-226-9830.

BBQ on Aug. 6. This is a time when family and friends of the clients come and enjoy a family oriented day together. JSARI board member Andrew Liss was our celebrity chef along with volunteer Alan Bernstein.

Liss also did a cooking demonstration with the clients of the To Life Center Adult Day Services.

The To Life Center offers daytime activities, meals and

health care to seniors in need of a caring, social environment.

FOR MORE INFORMATION about the To Life Center Adult Day Services, please contact Susan Adler at 401-351-2440 or email sadler-jeri@jsari.org. For general information about programs provided by Jewish Seniors Agency of Rhode Island, visit the JSA website at jsari. org.

Because raw materials were needed for the war, many companies were unable to obtain these materials for consumer goods and were forced to close during World War II. Not so the Maidenform Company, whose creative owners, Ida and William Rosenthal, met the challenge by designing lingerie and other products for the war effort.

One of t h e “ot her products” w a s a pigeon vest, dubbed the “brassiere for birds.”

W h e n Allied troops parachuted behind enemy lines in North Africa, they needed to bring carrier pigeons with them. But how were they to get these pigeons from their planes to the ground? The Rosenthals sewed a vest (khaki, of course) that fitted around the pigeon’s body and tied onto a device sewed onto the paratrooper’s jacket. The pigeon carried a tiny capsule attached to its leg.

The capsules might contain messages, blood samples or

even tiny cameras. Often, during World War II, pigeons were the only form of communication. Communication by homing pigeon was least likely to be intercepted. More than 95 percent of their messages were successfully delivered. Approximately 56,000 carrier pigeons were trained for war missions in World War II. Maidenform manufactured 28,500 pigeon vests.* Maidenform also supplied much of the underwear worn by the troops.

Sewed inside each item was the label Maiden Form Brassiere.

This was the source of so many jokes that the label was later shortened to MFB. *SOURCE: The Smithsonian National Museum of American History blog.

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

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the 11th in a series on the history of Jewish women entrepreneurs.

8 | August 15, 2014

CALENDAR | COMMUNITY | WORLD

The Jewish Voice

CALENDAR Ongoing Alliance Kosher Senior Café. Kosher lunch and program every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Dwares JCC, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence. Noon lunch; 1 p.m. program. $3 lunch donation from individuals 60+ or under 60 with disabilities. Neal or Elaine, 401421-4111, ext. 107 Am David Kosher Senior Café. Kosher lunch and program every weekday.

Temple Am David, 40 Gardiner St., Warwick. 11:15 a.m. program; noon lunch. $3 lunch donation from individuals 60+ or under 60 with disabilities.

Elaine or Steve 401-732-0047.

PHOTO | CHABAD OF RHODE ISLAND

Praying for peace

Avraham Goldstein with members of the Israeli community pray for peace in Israel and around the world. Goldstein is in Providence as part of the Chabad Summer Peace Corp.

Belfast plaque marking Herzog’s birthplace removed JTA – A marker commemorating the Belfast birthplace of the late Israeli president Chaim Herzog was removed following several anti-Semitic attacks.

The blue plaque honoring Herzog, Israel’s president from 1983 to 1993, was taken down in the Irish capital out of concern for the safety of those living nearby, the Belfast Telegraph reported.

“Attacks have included the scrawling of anti-Israeli graffiti on the building and items being thrown at the plaque and the house,” Brian Kingston, a local official, told the Telegraph. “Recently some youths were stopped in the

process of trying to remove the plaque with a crowbar.”

The removal of the plaque, which was mounted in 1998, came a month after a north Belfast synagogue was vandalized.

Born in 1918, Herzog immigrated to British Mandate Palestine in 1935 and served in the Haganah, later fighting in Israel’s War of Independence. He also fought in the British army during Word War II. Before being elected president, he served as Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations and as a Knesset member. He died in 1997.

Candle Lighting Times Greater Rhode Island Aug. 15 ......................7:29 Aug. 22 ......................7:18 Aug. 29 ......................7:07

Shalom Kids – Ready, Set, Shabbat!

Fridays through Aug. 29, 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the vestry (lower level) of Congregation Agudath Achim, 36 Winthrop St., Taunton. This special Shalom Kids and PJ Library program welcomes children ages 3 to 10 and their caregivers to a program of stories, music, crafts, food and fun all focused on getting ready for Shabbat.

Walk down the left side of the synagogue to the first door for entry to the vestry. For more information contact Rabbi/Cantor Anne Heath at 781-9568673 or rabbi.taunton@verizon.net

Friday | Aug. 15

Shabbat Services at Barrington Beach.

6:15 p.m. One Friday night each month during the summer hosted by Temple Habonim. In case of rain, outdoor services will be canceled. Please check templehabonim.org as well as the Temple Habonim Facebook page for cancellation information.

Sunday | Aug. 17

Temple Torat Yisrael Open House.

10 a.m.- 12 p.m. Meet our new rabbi and visit our beautiful new synagogue!

Registration is now open for our Sunday School Program Grades Pre-K through 7. Temple Torat Yisrael, 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich, RI, 8856600; toratyisrael.org.

67th Annual Reading of George Washington’s letter. 1 p.m. Touro Synagogue, Newport. Keynote address delivered by Brown University president, Christina Hull Paxson and reading of historic letter “To the Hebrew Congregation in Newport.” The program, organized under the auspices of the Touro Synagogue Foundation and Congregation Jeshuat Israel, celebrates George Washington’s 1790 letter, written during his first visit to Rhode Island as president of the United States. In the letter, Washington affirmed the new national government’s absolute commitment to the free exercise of religion, which he regarded as an “inherent natural right.”

Tuesday | Aug. 19

Calendar Submissions

Aug. 29 issue, ROSH HASHANAH PLANNING – must be received

by Aug. 20 Sept. 12 issue ROSH HASHANAH GREETINGS – must be received

by Sept. 12

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.

Temple Am David: Religious School Registration. 6-7:30 p.m. For more information call 401-463-7944.

JFS Night at Flatbread Company. 5-9 p.m. 161 Cushing St., Providence.

Enjoy delicious pizza and help support services provided to the community through Jewish Family Service. A portion of the sales from all pizza sold will be donated to JFS. All proceeds received by JFS, will go to support

a fall prevention program for the agency’s elderly and disabled clientele.

For more information, please contact Amy DePaiva at 401-331-1244 or visit jfsri.org.

Friday | Aug. 22 Temple Beth-El Shabbat BBQ. 5 p.m.

For current, new and prospective members. Activities for the kids and an ice cream social oneg. 70 Orchard Ave., Providence.

Temple Beth-El Shabbat Under the Stars. 7 p.m. Gather on the Julie Claire Gutterman Biblical Garden patio to greet Shabbat with song and stories.

70 Orchard Ave., Providence.

Congregation Beth David of Narragansett Service Under the Stars.

6:45 p.m.–8 p.m. Members and nonmembers, as well as family, friends, summer visitors and others are invited to join for a relaxing, beautiful Shabbat Service and oneg. BYOB (Bring Your Own Beach Blanket or Beach chair).

Beachwear is acceptable. Check the outgoing message at following phone number for weather adjustments.

Narragansett Town Beach, between chairs 5 and 6 (North End of beach).

Free parking after 5 p.m. Call (401) 789-3437; email Gary Engelson gary. engelson@gmail.com; or Facebook facebook.com/groups/Congregation.

Beth.David with questions. Learn more at cbdri.org

Sunday Aug. 24

| JCC Summer Canteen Reunion. 7-10 p.m. Everyone who attended JCC Summer Canteen dances in the fifties and sixties is invited. Entertainment by the Ghost Riders (Roy Cohen, Richie Cohen and David Katz) and our DJ (Jerry Chorney). Wine, cheese and fruit will be served. Dress is summer casual. $20 per person. Send checks payable to “Summer Canteen Reunion” to Summer Canteen Reunion, Box JJ, Chepachet, R.I. 02814. The Dwares JCC, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence.

Contact Mark Rechter at mrech48@ cox.net for more information and check out the East Side JCC Facebook page.

Dinner/Program/Dialogue. 6 p.m. Community event to support The Friends of Israel Defense Force/IDF. Kosher dietary laws observed. All proceeds will go directly to the soldiers in the IDF. Reservations. Send check for $36 by 8/14 to: Congregation Ohawe Shalom/IDF Event, 671 East Ave., Pawtucket 02860. Sponsored by rhodeislandfriendsofisrael@gmail.com 401-369-0045.

Back-to-Shul BBQ. Temple Emanu-El. 4 p.m. New Member Schmooze, 5 p.m.

BBQ. Rain or shine. Join us as we affirm the election of our new Temple officers. Adults, $10; Kids under 10, $5; under 4, free. Bring a prospective member and you’ll both eat free.

RSVP by Aug. 20 to lbeck@teprov.org or call 401-331-1616. 99 Taft Ave., Providence.

Monday | Aug. 25

Temple Am David: Religious School Registration. 6-7:30 p.m. For more information call 401-463-7944.

Friday | Aug. 29

Summer Party Featuring Providence Civic Orchestra of Senior Citizens.

11 a.m.–noon, Kosher Senior Café at the Dwares JCC. Lunch to follow noon–1 p.m., for 60+ and disabled.

Suggested donation of $3. Lunch reservations required. Call Neal Drobnis at 401-861-8800, ext. 107.

Friday | Sept. 5

End of Summer Celebration. Kosher Senior Café. 11 a.m.–1:30 p.m. Celebration at Goddard State Park Carousel Performing Arts Center. Transportation provided from the JCC, Providence, and Temple Am David, Warwick. Music

by Jeannie Evans and Friends.

Sunday | Sept. 7

Temple Am David: Religious School Begins. 9:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. For more information, call 401-463-7944.

Tuesday | Sept. 9

Annual Statewide Mah Jongg Tournament. 11:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m. Win a trophy for your center as well as individual prizes. You must be able to complete a game in 20 minutes. You may be asked to bring a set of Mah Jongg tiles. Those who don’t play, come join the fun. Be a volunteer. You must RSVP by Aug. 26 to register for this event. Contact Carol Desforges at 401942-9877 or johndesforges@verizon. net. Entrance Fee $10 per person.

At the Dwares JCC, 401 Elmgrove Avenue Providence 02906.

Thursday | Sept. 11

Monsters who don’t know they are monsters. Opening reception. 7 p.m.

Gallery (401). Local artist Jason Freedman’s first solo exhibit showcases 50 colorful character portraits from his folio of more than 1,000 monsters… who don’t know they are monsters. Wine and light snacks served. Dwares JCC, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence. Information, call Erin Moseley, director of Arts & Culture, 401-421-4111, ext. 108.

Sunday | Sept. 14

12th Annual Dwares JCC 5K and Youth Races. 9 a.m. for Youth Races or 10 a.m. for 5K. Community event to promote The Alliance and its connection to the community. Volunteers needed too. Jewishallianceri.org. Contact: Robyn Goldstein at rgoldstein@ jewishallianceri.org. 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence.

Blast of Broadway. 5:30–9:30 p.m.

To benefit the New Bedford Jewish Convalescent Home. RSVP by Sept 1.

Valet Parking. 200 Hawthorn St, New Bedford, Mass. 02740

COMMUNITY

thejewishvoice.org

Temple Emanu-El implements new dues structure

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“Gift of the Heart” On Monday, May 12, 2014, the Board of Trustees of Temple Emanu-El voted to implement a new “Gift of the Heart” sustaining contribution model, changing the fi nancial relationship of members and the synagogue.

Members will be asked to pledge the amount of financial support that is both comfortable and generous for their household.

They will receive persona l i zed pledge forms explaining how much it costs, per household, to run the synagogue.

This “sustaining level” is $2,300 for 2014-2015. Their pledge form also includes information about how much the member contributed last year and a suggested modest increase for the coming year. This annual pledge, made before the start of the fi scal year, will replace dues and annual fund solicitations.

After many hours of discussion over several years, the committee and board members voted unanimously to implement this new sustaining contribution. The membership committee spent more than a year studying and discussing possible models of fi nancial contribution to the synagogue including how other synagogues and faith communities support themselves.

The committee also learned how private schools, artists and non-profits are rethinking their relationships with customers, families and donors. After determining the best model for Temple Emanu-El, the synagogue moved forward with a one-year implementation process.

Through the transition, many Temple members expressed appreciation for the “Gift of the Heart” approach in its recognition of dignity, as opposed to the humiliation people may have felt when they asked for a reduction in their dues. Rabbi Wayne Franklin stated, “Through the implementation of ‘Gift of the Heart,’ we are seeing a change in the culture of connection throughout the Temple. The stories members shared at house meetings fostered a heightened sense of community. I am looking forward to continuing opportunities to build yet a stronger sense of community among the Temple’s members.”

Connection between the synagogue and other Temple members was a key factor in

the implementation of “Gift of the Heart.” Outgoing vice president for membership outreach, Rebecca Kislak Brown, explains that the Board considered many logistical considerations. However, “the individual relationships that were made between other Temple members, at Kiddush lunches, at h o u s e m e e ti n g s , and over coffee, were highlights for me during this past year. We have such a vibrant community, and it was energizing to hear stories from Temple members, old and new.”

Rabbi Elan Babchuck discusses the underpinnings of the implementation.

“By using the communitybuilding tools of community organizing, we built consensus and understanding about this major initiative throughout our broad and diverse constituency.” Communication and community building were integral to the success of implementation. The synagogue members met at one-toone meetings, house meetings and town hall meetings, all of which provided opportunities to strengthen existing ties across the community and create some new ones. According to Babchuck, “At its core, this process was about the power of storytelling, and as a result, we are richer today than we were a year ago.”

The early results gave the Board of Directors the confidence to move forward with implementation. About 50 percent of households returned their forms, pledging about 75 percent of the target.

“We think that we will collect about the same amount that we would have collected had we raised dues and sent out bills. But, through this process, we are changing the fi nancial relationship of our members and synagogue,” says Kislak Brown.

Temple Emanu-El’s President, Judy Greenblatt, explains, “The strong foundation for “Gift of the Heart” was built by much hard work.

It gives us a structure with which to continue. We must and will continue to provide opportunities to meet with everyone in the community, so that they all know they are an important part of the wonderful community that is Temple Emanu-El.” To read about and watch personal stories of some of

August 15, 2014 |

our members, visit Temple Emanu-El’s “Temple Tales” blog, at teprov.org/temple_ tales. To inquire about “Gift of the Heart” or to set up a visit, contact the Temple’s Advancement & Membership Coordinator, Meital Cafri at mcafri@teprov.org or 401-3311616.

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Introducing Our New Emergency Department The Miriam Hospital has redesigned emergency care, shortening visit times and improving patient privacy and comfort.

Critical clinical improvements include: • A new 13-bay patient care area • Private exam rooms • A more efficient triage area • A 64-slice CT scanner for quicker diagnosis To learn more about The Miriam Hospital’s emergency department, visit www.miriamhospital.org/emergency.

9

10 | August 15, 2014

OPINION

No more back to school for us!

For the past nine years, the second week of August has meant only one thing. Time to pack up the minivan and take one child or the other – or both – back to college.

Some years the van was packed tighter than others. One year, it was so stuffed that student and EDITOR husband drove in the van, and FRAN I got on an airplane to meet OSTENDORF them. I confess to being an occasional helicopter parent, but that was the first one going to college so indulge me.

There was a kind of ritual in all of this. Shopping for dorm supplies. Sorting through everything that returned home the previous spring and deciding which things would go back.

Stuff is important to the student going away from home. At my house, everything was piled in the living room, sorted, packed and then carried out to the car.

Sometimes, it seemed as if we’d just put it away and it was time for the return trip.

And the planning always involved negotiation. W hen would we leave? Who would make the trip? Where would we stay? Would we combine this with a vacation? Everyone had jobs, including the returning student, so final days and vaca-

LETTER

tion days were factors.

This year, for the first time, there is no back to school transition for our house. We have graduated. All of us. I say that because I’m a believer in the expression “it takes a village.” The Bed Bath & Beyond coupons are piling up on my desk because nobody needs to shop for dorm essentials. I don’t have to worry about logistics or vacation days.

Yes, it was the kids going back to school. But the whole family was always involved.

Now as I look back, it occurs to me that this is a radical change from the way I grew up. And I know other parents are saying the same thing. Our parents didn’t jump through hoops to get us to college. I went to school more than a car’s ride away from home. Freshman year, we packed everything in a trunk and got on a plane. My parents came with me and helped me get settled but that was it. Next year, I was on my own (and, by the way, all my stuff went into storage over the summer… at school).

Of course, I didn’t have the “things” that college students now expect to take to school.

And we had phones with cords in our rooms, so I guess that’s ancient history.

Do I wish that I could have just waved goodbye for all of these nine years and not gone through the planning and packing and transport?

Nope, not for a minute.

Re: Israel and Gaza

I feel it is important to realize that the Jewish community, here and in Israel, is not homogeneous. There are many rabbis and other intellectuals that stand against Israel’s continued occupation and destruction of Gaza; J Street, Jewish Voice for Peace, liberal journalists in the Israeli media, and Peace Now, to name a few.

Peter Maurer, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, recently said, “I’ve never seen such massive destruction ever before.” There have been almost 2,000 civilian deaths, over 10,000 homes have been destroyed, with another 30,000 damaged. Gaza’s lone power plant was hit by Israeli missiles July 29, affecting sewage treatment, communications, refrigeration, healthcare and almost every aspect of daily life. Hundreds of schools, mosques, factories and farms have also been destroyed or damaged. And even before this attack, Gaza was still rebuilding from the Cast Lead offensive in 2009 and Pillar of Cloud in 2012.

Before this crisis, Gaza had just 2,047 hospital beds. That’s roughly one for every five injured Palestinians. People are being discharged far earlier than they should be as even

more critical patients come in. Medical supplies – including pain medication – are in extremely short supply. And of course those returning home to recover often have no home to go to, and almost all of them, certainly, face the same water and power crisis as they try to heal.

Collective punishment is immoral, as well as illegal under international law. As Paul Waldman wrote in The American Prospect on July 18: “It has been said many times that no government would tolerate rockets being fi red into its territory without a response, which is true. But those rockets do not grant Israel a pass from moral responsibility for what it does and the deaths it causes, any more than prior acts of terrorism have. In this as in so many confl icts, both sides – and those who defend each – try to justify their own abdication of human morality with a plea that what the other side has done or is doing is worse. We’ve heard that argument made before, and we’ll continue to hear it.

But when we do, we should acknowledge it for what it is: no justification at all.”

Paul Hoffman E. Greenwich

The Jewish Voice

Yinglish: Jewish language of the New World Sholem Aleichem (Sholem Rabinovitch, 1859-1916), is best known as the man behind “Fiddler on the Roof,” the 1964 Broadway musical that – even after 50 years – keeps on keepin’ on.

Because of the worldwide success of IT SEEMS “ F i d d l e r , ” S h o l e m TO ME Aleichem has been embraced RABBI JIM as the Yiddish ROSENBERG writer who almost singleha nded ly created a warmly nostalgic vision – I should say “version” – of the “Old Country” as embodied in the fictional shtetl of Anatevka in 1905 Tsarist Russia.

In “Motl, the Cantor’s Son,” the author presents an equally compelling vision of Jewish immigrant life on Manhattan’s Lower East Side and in the Bronx. Part I, influenced

by Sholem Aleichem’s fi rst stay in America in 1906 and serialized in 1907-1908, concerns the efforts of the young Motl’s family and friends to overcome obstacle after bureaucratic obstacle on the way to fi nally booking passage on a ship to America. Part II, serialized in 1916, when the author was back in New York, begins on Ella’s (Ellis) Island. However, the book was not fi nished when Sholem Aleichem died on May 13 of that year.

Motl, whose father Peysi the Cantor dies in the “Old Country” between the fi rst and second chapters of the novel, is just under the age of 9 when he begins to tell his story; and he is a little more than 11 by the fi nal page. Throughout the narrative, Motl remains a clear-sighted, light-hearted,

LETTER It’s always refreshing, when our newspapers and other media are filled with tales of vicious crimes, terrorist acts and full-scale wars, that something which catches our attention in a positive way occurs most unexpectedly. Such a thing happened to me several weeks ago as a result of running some errands in the Hope Street area.

After stopping at several retail establishments and grabbing a light lunch, I realized that my briefcase did not contain my wallet. With the bewildered and reluctant approval of my waiter, I promised that when my wallet was found, I would come back to pay for my meal. I then made that all-too-familiar search of my automobile and briefcase and retraced my movements over the previous hour, without success.

I immediately canceled my

unsentimental observer of the human condition; he tells the reader what he sees with a minimum of emotional overlay. Motl’s almost obsessive curiosity makes him an excellent “objective” reporter: When his brother Elye is given a silver watch for a wedding present, Motl comments, “I’d give anything to own a watch like that.

What would I do with it? I’d take it apart to see what makes it tick.”

It is in Part II of “Motl” that Sholem Aleichem displays the full flowering of his exuberant celebration of what I am calling “Yinglish,” that rich amalgam of Yiddish and mangled English spoken by the huddled masses of Eastern European Jews struggling to fi nd their way in America during the fi rst two decades of the 20th century.

With the help of Hillel Halkin’s brilliant translation, the reader is treated to such marvelous linguistic inventions as tsobvey (subway), kerredshiz (carriages), moofink pikshez (moving pictures) and shooinkahm (chewing gum) We learn that “a rahlehskeyt is a shoe on four wheels. You put it on and roll away.” We also learn the correct pronunciation of furniture: “It turns out that the word is neither feinitsheh nor foinitsheh. It’s firnitsheh. Go figure.”

Motl describes in considerable detail the struggles of his family and friends in their hard-scrabble efforts to make a living: “A dzhahb (job) in a shahp (shop) is no treat. It starts at seven-thirty every morning, and you have to allow an hour for travel plus time for morning prayers and a bite to eat. You can figure out for yourself when that means getting up – and you want to be on time, because you’re docked a half day’s pay for each five minutes you’re late.”

Given the preoccupation of most Jewish immigrants with putting bread on the table, it is not surprising that Sholem Aleichem invents numerous work-related Yinglish terms like pahnshink deh klahk (punching the [time] clock); he creates such union-related Yinglish terms as dzhenril streik (general strike), awknahzayshn (organization), hiyeh vedzhehz (higher wages).

Nor is it surprising that Jews without money are frequently talking about Christians with money: Rahknfelleh, Kahnegi, Mawgn, Vendehbilt.

Beneath the surface humor of “Motl, the Cantor’s Son,” lies the profound sadness and frustration of millions of immigrant Jews who carry big dreams but are weighed down by their personal shortcomings and are shortchanged by the social and economic conditions they fi nd in America.

The world of their fathers is no more, and the world of their thoroughly Americanized sons and daughters is yet to come.

As Hillel Halkin states in his introduction, “The rapid encroachment of English on Yiddish is a central theme in Part II of ‘Motl.’ Put to comic effect there, it is nevertheless a reliable gauge of the speed with which Americanization is taking place.”

Halkin goes on to say that Sholem Aleichem “understood that America was something radically new: a truly gebentsht (blessed) land for its Jews, who in return for its blessings would gladly relinquish the rich ethnic particularity that all his writing was about.”

JAMES B. ROSENBERG, rabbi emeritus of Temple Habonim in Barrington, can be reached at rabbiemeritus@ templehabonim.org.

Re: Good deed credit cards. Twenty-four hours later, I received an envelope, postmarked “Pawtucket, R.I.,” with the left-hand corner containing, not anyone’s name and address, but the following language: “That which was lost, now found” followed by the all-toofamiliar smiley face, and signed “David.”

To folksong aficionados, particularly fans of Judy Collins, that reference, instead of a full name and address of the person who found my wallet, is based on an 18th century poem which became the popular 19th century Christian hymn titled “Amazing Grace”: Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, That saved a wretch like me, I once was lost but now am found Was blind, but now I see.

I immediately returned to pay my modest bill to a stunned waiter. I was absolutely floored to receive my wallet with credit cards, driver’s license, other documents and cash all intact, however, I felt cheated by not knowing who had found it and promptly returned it to me.

My visits to the post office to find out if I could at least determine which branch the package was mailed from met with no success, as did my return visits to the shops I had visited earlier inquiring about “David”.

So, now, I must publically thank David for his good deed, done with amazing grace.

Thanks, David. Hope you have as great a day as I did when I received your package.

Allan M. Shine Exeter, R.I.

OPINION

thejewishvoice.org

August 15, 2014 |

11

European governments must act to stem rising anti-Semitism

BY ROBERT SINGER NEW YORK (JTA) – The confl ict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza is spilling over into Europe, where in the past several weeks, Jewish communities have witnessed a chilling display of anti-Semitism, the likes of which has not been seen in many years.

European governments need to act decisively to stem this tide of hatred.

No longer content with cloaking hatred of Jews in the garb of anti-Zionism or opposition to Israel, demonstrators have marched through the streets of Berlin, Brussels and other European cities to the cry of “death to the Jews” and “gas the Jews.” In Paris and its suburbs, wild mobs bent on destruction have run amok, attacking synagogues and the Jewish worshippers in them. They’ve burned cars, looted shops and smashed store windows.

It wasn’t that many years ago when legions of storm troopers paraded through German streets chanting “Sharpen the long knives on the pavement; let the knives slip into the Jews’ bodies.”

The irony that most of today’s demonstrators are themselves recent migrants to Europe or descendants of newcomers cannot be lost on anyone. Sadly, however, this pathology is not only confi ned to European Muslims but to a whole host of rancorous elements in European society.

Of course, there is another side of the coin that is cause for cheer. Remarkably, all 28 foreign ministers of the European Union member states have called for the disarmament of Hamas and other militant groups in Gaza. Moreover, some Arab countries, most notably Egypt, are quietly rooting for Israel on the sidelines in the

hope that it will eventually succeed in neutralizing Hamas.

But that does not diminish the gravity of the terrible scenes being played out across Europe.

As much as we can draw attention to this worrisome phenomenon, at the end of the day it is the European governments, along with the people of Europe who must take a stand. Some of the governments have already begun to do so, but one can only hope that more will follow and act with vigor.

The World Jewish Congress has called on European governments to strengthen police protection of Jewish sites and to ban or disband violent rallies. Governments must stop the agitation and protect their Jewish populations or Jews will ultimately turn their backs on those countries.

Jews live in Europe by right, not sufferance. Their manifold contributions to the develop-

ment of what we call European civilization are too numerous to recall, even if they are not always recognized, and certainly not by those who have an antiEuropean agenda.

Given the present ambiance in Europe, it is understandable that some will eventually decide to leave the continent.

Thousands of French Jews have already done so, and more are on the way. We certainly respect their decision and will aid our brethren however we can.

Beginning at the end of the 1980s, with the fall of communism, Jewish life has been revitalized in many cities in which no one would have believed there was a Jewish future – places such as Warsaw and Vilnius, Bucharest and Sofia. At that time, no one questioned why Jews in Paris or elsewhere in Western Europe were living where they were.

That we have to do so today is

a sad commentary on where we have come since then – 70 years since the embers of the ovens of Auschwitz went cold. But we will never award Hitler and his modern-day disciples a posthumous victory by acquiescing to a Judenrein Europe.

Today’s fight is between supporters of Hamas and people who believe in decency, mutual respect and liberalism – all the best in European traditions.

But Europeans will have to reach that conclusion themselves. The most thoughtful among them already understand that a continent in which Jews do not feel comfortable is not a healthy place for anyone.

ROBERT SINGER is the CEO of the World Jewish Congress, which represents Jewish communities in 100 countries to governments, parliaments and international organizations.

‘The Anatomy of Peace’ particularly relevant for our times

BY BARBARA L. HOLTZMAN, MSW, LICSW Last year, I read a book that changed my life – by changing my perspective. It’s called “The Anatomy of Peace,” and it’s by the Arbinger Institute, a nonprofit organization that teaches conflict resolution.

I found the teachings in the book so simple and yet so profound that I went to the Institute’s website, found out that their two-month course was starting the following week and immediately signed up.

That says a lot. I have been been a psychotherapist for more than 30 years and have studied many different psycho-spiritual approaches to cultivating healthy relationships and peace of mind. This is one of the best I have ever encountered. And, it seems particularly apropos for our Jewish community at this point in time.

The premise of the book, and all the work from the Arbinger Institute, is very simple: conflict arises when we stigmatize and de-humanize those with whom we disagree; and in every moment, we have a choice whether to have a heart that is at war or at peace. It all depends on the lens through which we are seeing other people. They either count like we do or they don’t. It is our “way of being” or our regard for others that determines whether a relationship will be conflictual or whether negotiations are possible. When our heart is at war toward another, we don’t see their objections as relevant, obscuring the possibility of reconciliation.

The paradigm in “The Anatomy of Peace” is based on Martin Buber’s concept of “I-Thou and I-It.” In every moment we have the choice to see another

person as an “I” – a person like ourselves whose feelings and needs matter like ours do, or an “It” – an obstacle to getting what we want, a vehicle to getting what we want, or simply inconsequential.

“The Anatomy of Peace” helps us recognize how we create the conflicts we are trying to rectify when we get caught in “I-It.” It is written as a parable; a composite of true stories that takes place in a program for troubled teens. The parents are required to attend their own program, learning how they can effect change in their children: by recognizing that their view of their child (I-It) and his/her problematic behavior has served to perpetuate the struggle and ensured that the behavior would continue.

How do we know when we’re seeing the other person as an object? “The Anatomy of Peace” suggests that there are four common dynamics, or “boxes,” we get into when we are in an I-It dynamic. I may: See myself as better than the other person See myself as worse than the other person Believe I deserve something from the other person or Believe this person must see me in a certain way.

When we get caught in one of these boxes, we collude in creating the conflicts we were trying to resolve.

This paradigm led me to think about the division in our community over our love of Israel. Many of us not only believe what we believe; we are certain that we are right and the other views are wrong and dangerous. We often cannot have a civil discourse about what is happening in Israel, but instead attack or smear the other

person, organization or viewpoint. When we get stuck in our “better than” box, the other is wrong, misinformed and his position is dangerous. Communication is no longer possible.

We talk “at” each other instead of “with” each other. This is happening in our government and it is happening right here in our Jewish community.

“In every moment…we choose to see others either as people like ourselves or as objects. They either count like we do or they don’t.” *Arbinger Institute, The Anatomy of Peace: Resolving the Heart of Conflict

“The Anatomy of Peace” teaches that if we want to have influence with another, it is crucial to have a heart that is at peace – focusing on our “way of being” and seeing the other person as an “I” like ourselves.

When we feel seen and “felt” by another, as the parents in the Parents’ Circle do (the organization of Israelis and Palestinians who have lost immediate family members at the hands of the other’s group), we can let down our defenses and really listen, understand and be changed. This “way of being” can improve the relationships in our families, our workplaces and within and between nations.

In the most recent edition of The Jewish Voice, Rabbi Jim Rosenberg eloquently writes in response to the recent fight-

ing between Israel and Hamas: “In the long run, a continuing escalation of hostilities means that everybody will be losers” (and that) “ironically, the sanest voices in the recent outburst of violence have come from the bereaved families of the murdered teenagers.”

The family of an Israeli teen and the family of the slain Palestinian teen spoke by phone and comforted each other.

They “saw” each other – “IThou.” Like the families in the Parents Circle, they were able to relinquish the legacy of “an eye for an eye” because they could see their common pain and humanity.

I wonder how many of us are willing to do the same – to catch ourselves when we get into our habitual patterns of making others wrong or unimportant. I wrote that “The Anatomy of Peace” has helped change my life, but I won’t pre-

tend that this is easy for me or that I’m always successful, But I find it helpful to have the intention and a template. The irony is that, when I relinquish the anger and blame that has been protecting my heart from experiencing the depth of my sorrow, I not only see the other’s humanity, I more deeply experience my own.

I am reminded of a quote from Rabbi Hillel: If I am not for myself, who will be for me?

If I am only for myself, what am I? If not now, when?

BARBARA L. HOLTZMAN, MSW, LICSW, is a psychotherapist and lifestyle coach in Providence and Wakefield, Rhode Island. She is the author of “Conscious Eating, Conscious Living; A Practical Guide to Making Peace with Food & Your Body.”

COLUMNS | LETTERS POLICY The Jewish Voice publishes thoughtful and informative contributors’ columns (op-eds of 500 – 800 words) and letters to the editor (250 words, maximum) on issues of interest to our Jewish community. At our discretion, we may edit pieces for publication or refuse publication. Letters and columns, whether from our regular contributors or from guest columnists, represent the views of the authors; they do not represent the views of The Jewish Voice or the Alliance.

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

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

12 | August 15, 2014

COMMUNITY

The Jewish Voice

New JCC director of aquatics comes with experience and enthusiasm

BY DANA COHEN Heather Stearns is the Dwares Jewish Community Center’s new director of aquatics. Born in California, her last position was as program director at Boston Sports Club in Wellesley, Massachusetts.

Stearns started swimming early. She was a rambunctious child, so her mother signed her up for swim team at only 5 years old, in the hopes it would help her to burn off some energy. Stearns has been swimming ever since. She has 18 years of competitive swimming experience, eight years of water polo experience and more than 10 years working in the health and fitness industry. She has also coached several club and sanctioned USA swim teams,

and done open water coaching as well as triathlon training. In the past, Stearns competed as a sprinter in backstroke, butterfly and freestyle; she also swam anchor for the relays with her teams.

Stearns says she came to the Dwares JCC in search of a family environment. She hopes to create more opportunities for all ages and help the Dwares JCC become “a visible name within the community of Providence.” Additionally, Stearns says she hopes to “share with the community of Providence that all are welcome.”

When Stearns is not at work, she is often found with her family, training for an endurance race with her sister or traveling the world. She also enjoys exploring the city of Providence

PHOTO | JEWISH ALLIANCE

Heather Stearns and all of the food it has to offer.

DANA COHEN is the summer intern at The Jewish Voice.

Torat Yisrael hires new education director Dori Adler has deep roots in community Dori Adler is the new director of education for the Frederic G. and Lawrence G. Cohen Religious School at Temple Torat Yisrael.

A native of Cranston, Adler has a long history in Rhode Island’s Jewish community, especially with Torat Yisrael, first as a student and Bat Mitzvah, and later as a Judaics teacher.

She attended the Harry Elkin Midrasha Community High School and enjoyed many years as a camper and counselor at Camp JORI. Adler has been teaching in the Jewish community for the past two decades. She has been an instructor at Congregation Beth David’s South County Hebrew School, Torat Yisrael’s Cohen School and at Temple Am David’s Louis and Goldie Chester Religious School. She is a substitute teacher at the Jewish Community Day School of Rhode Island.

Additionally, Adler is an ac-

COURTESY | TORAT YISRAEL

Dori Adler tive member of her children’s school PTO board, serving most recently as vice president. She was the John Wickes Elementary School, Volunteers of Warwick (VOWS) coordinator for three years.

Adler is in the process of finalizing her staff and says she

looks forward to introducing the new faculty soon. She also is excited to work with Rabbi Aaron Philmus, as together they create new and meaningful educational programs to prepare the congregation’s children for life as Jewish adults. “I am looking forward to building a personal relationship between the Jewish community and its families. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to create an educational environment that will focus on Jewish learning through authentic personal experiences and hands-on learning,” she says.

Adler graduated from the University of Rhode Island with two bachelor’s degrees, one in psychology and one in women’s studies. She loves to read, travel with her family and volunteer at her children’s school. She also enjoys running and hiking with her dog, Cece. Adler lives in Warwick with her husband and two children.

State Arts Council announces call for artists The gallery spaces at the Block Island Airport and T.F. Green Airport are accepting art submissions for their 2015 exhibitions. The gallery program, which includes Block Island Airport Gallery and GREEN SPACE, is a partnership between the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts (RISCA) and the Rhode Island Airport Corporation that promotes outstanding work by artists living and working in Rhode Island.

The spaces will present art to an ever-changing audience of local,t national and international travelers.

Works in all media will be considered. Note that the Block Island Airport Gallery is best suited to moderately sized

works, while GREEN SPACE includes several large walls and open spaces that are particularly suitable for large scale works.

All participating artists must be RI residents. No students please. Deadline is Oct. 1, 2014.

Artists will be selected by a review panel that will include practicing artists, arts professionals and community members. Artists included in the 2015 exhibitions will receive a $100 stipend for participating in the program. Artists who have exhibited previously are ineligible for new consideration for a period of two years.

To apply, please submit the following via email: A link to your current website that includes images with captions (title, year,

media, size), a current bio and artist’s statement; or a link to a Flickr page showing images of one’s artwork with captions (title, year, media, size) and attach to the email a current bio and artist’s statement.

To apply to GREEN SPACE, please email submissions to riairart@gmail.com.

GREEN SPACE exhibits three group shows per year.

To apply to the Block Island Airport Gallery, please email submissions to biairport.risca@ gmail.com. Block Island Airport Gallery hosts four solo exhibits per year.

Address any questions to Molly Dickinson, coordinator, at mkdickinson@mac.com or 401845-0890.

COMMUNITY

thejewishvoice.org

FROM PAGE 1

August 15, 2014 |

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UKRAINE

migrated in 2013. More than 1,550 individuals have immigrated from Ukraine in the first five months of 2014 alone, more than double the 693 who arrived in the corresponding period last year.

Hundreds of the new immigrants hail from Lugansk, a city of 7,000 Jews. Many others come from Donetsk, a rebelheld city with more than 10,000 Jews that is under constant shelling as government forces prepare to storm it.

“My sense is that 80 to 90 percent of the Jewish population of Donetsk already emptied out of the city, including my own family,” said Sasha Ivashchenko, who fled the city last month and is waiting to make aliyah with his wife.

The couple married recently in a ceremony in Donetsk held with the background noise of bombardments by Ukrainian warplanes.

In Zhytomyr, Alexander, a refugee in his 50s who asked to be identified only by his first name, fled Lugansk after three men with rifles entered his small packing factory in the city’s industrial zone and informed him it had been “commandeered for the city’s defense.” One of the men asked him to leave.

“So now even if the fighting stops, I expect there will be very little for me to come back to,” Alexander said. “I stayed here because this was my place, my business. Now there’s no point.”

When Alexander left the city late last month, public transportation was still operating.

But rail traffic ground to a halt on July 26 following the shelling of the train station, effectively trapping much of the population – including hundreds of elderly Jews – in a city that many warn is the site of a looming humanitarian catastrophe.

Currently there are 47 urgent cases of Jews in need of rescue, according to Eleonora Groisman, the founder of a nonprofit that maintains a

database of Jews seeking rescue. Getting such people out is a complex and risky operation that requires traversing a circuitous route through Russian territory and greasing the palms of forces encountered along the way.

Using his contacts with rebel leaders, Gopin has established an escape route in which a driver picks up the evacuees in Lugansk, crosses the border into Russia and then returns to Ukraine farther north in an area not held by separatists.

“You have to understand, the rebel-held area and its surroundings are totally lawless,” Gopin told JTA. “So the car could get stopped and detained or turned back by rebels, suspicious government forces or even thieves preying on the helpless – complications that increase exponentially what is already a serious risk.”

To deal with such possibilities, Gopin provides his drivers with an envelope full of cash for bribes.

“Luckily, we’re talking about bribes at around the $50 or $70, so that’s still affordable,” said Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, founder of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, the Jerusalem-based organization that has spent millions providing relief to Jews in Ukraine.

To outsiders – and even to some Ukrainians – the decision by thousands of Jews to remain in a war zone seems incomprehensible. But it’s no mystery to Natan Sharansky, the Jewish Agency’s chairman, who was born in Donetsk.

“The Jews that stayed are the hardcore,” Sharansky told JTA. “They’ve watched friends and family leave throughout the 1990s and after, choosing every time to stay. But there comes a time when reality trumps even the hardcore.”

CNAAN LIPHSHIZ is JTA’s news and features correspondent in Europe.

First Row: Steven White, Nathan Lury, directors; Andrew Liss, director & president, Friendship Lodge; Lester Nathan, treasurer, Harmony Lodge; Michael Smith, director; Max Dinerman, inside guard, Harmony Lodge; Max Guarino, vice president, Friendship Lodge; Barry Schiff, director Second Row: Ried Redlich, director & faithful guide; Barry Shaw, director & Association inside guard; Alan Lury, vice chairman, Board of Directors; Jed Brandes, chairman, Board of Directors; Robert Miller, chairman emeritus, Board of Directors; Steven Waldman, director & Association treasurer; Richard Cohen, secretary, Friendship Lodge; Michael Levin, treasurer, Friendship Lodge. Third Row: Norman Dinerman, Andrew Lamchick, Adam Halpern, Stevan Labush, Jeffrey Davis, Bruce Weisman, directors; Marc Gertsacov, president, Harmony Lodge & Association secretary; Andrew Shuster, secretary, Harmony Lodge. Not Shown: Arthur Poulten, chairman emeritus, Board of Directors; Judah Rosen, Association chaplain; Barry Ackerman, vice president, Harmony Lodge; Andrew Gilstein, director

Touro Fraternal Association installs officers, board members

CRANSTON – Touro Fraternal Association, the largest independent Jewish fraternal order in New England, with more than 600 members, kicked off its 98th year with the installation of its officers and board members for 2014-15.

The newly elected lodge officers and board members officially assumed their leadership roles at the association’s annual installation dinner held recently at Touro’s headquarters, 45 Rolfe Square. They were led by Jed Brandes of Cranston, board of directors chairman; and Alan Lury of Sharon, Mass., vice chairman, both of whom

were elected to second terms.

Installation ceremonies were presided over by Robert D. Miller, board chairman emeritus, installing officer, and Andrew Gilstein, past president, master of ceremonies.

Incumbent board members installed for additional threeyear terms were Jeffrey Davis, Adam Halpern and Michael D. Smith. Andrew Liss was elected to his first term on the board.

On the lodge level where terms are one year, Marc Gertsacov was elected president of Harmony Lodge; Barry Ackerman, vice president; Andrew Shuster, secretary;

Lester Nathan, treasurer; Max Dinerman, inside guard, and Ried Redlich, faithful guide.

At Friendship Lodge, Andrew Liss is president; Max Guarino, vice president; Richard Cohen, secretary; Michael Levin, treasurer, and Ried Redlich, faithful guide.

The general elections were held at Touro’s annual meeting in May. At the board’s organizational meeting in June where Brandes and Lury were elected, the board named Gertsacov association secretary and Steven Waldman association treasurer.

Local team heads to Maccabi Games Good luck to the 2014 Rhode Island JCC Maccabi team, who is off to Detroit, Michigan, to participate in the 2014 JCC Maccabi Games and Artsfest.

This event offers Jewish youths a supportive environment that fosters mutual respect and sportsmanship, where they can interact in a fun atmosphere, cultivate a deeper understanding, instill an appreciation of Jewish values and enrich their Jewish identity in an informal setting.

During the week-long event they participate in games and arts as well as community service events and social events to meet and create lifelong relationships with Jewish teens around the country and the world.

FOR QUESTIONS regarding the JCC Maccabi Games and Artsfest, contact Angela Sullivan, asullivan@jewishallianceri.org 401-421-4111, ext. 149.

"Helping to better the lives of others is the greatest of all achievements" – Alan Shawn Feinstein

14 | August 15, 2014

FOOD

The Jewish Voice

Old Country food takes on a modern twist

BY JAMIE GELLER JNS.org – My grandparents really knew how to cook. It seems to me that everyone born in “the old country” (in this case, Transylvania) was born with built-in cooking intuition.

Somehow they could create the most scrumptious meals using no fancy equipment, and not even measuring spoons. I recall that they hosted every holiday humbly, turning out the expected delicacies with what seemed like the simplest, most relaxed effort. No exotic flavor profiles, nor any food combos and wine pairing, because when the food is that good – no, make that superb – there’s no need to reinvent the wheel.

But since recipes evolve with each generation, I present some of my favorite traditional recipes with a few of my own twists.

Poppy’s sour cream potato soup

My grandfather, Poppy, was nicknamed “Chefu,” Romanian for chef. A butcher by trade, he was amazing in the kitchen. He and my grandmother each had their specialties. Anytime we stopped by their house off Philadelphia’s Northeast Avenue, there was something tasty and fresh for us to eat.

I loved sitting at their tiny kitchen table enjoying sour cream potato soup. Poppy’s original rendition of this soup consisted simply of potatoes, water, salt, pepper, sour cream and small square luckshen. (It may sound like Chinese, but it’s Yiddish for noodles.) I’ve beefed up his recipe by replacing the water with vegetable broth and substituting small red-skin potatoes (eye appeal) for his peeled, diced russets. This rich soup immediately transports me back to his kitchen table with my legs dangling above the floor.

Prep Time: 8 minutes Cook Time: 30 minutes Makes 10 cups

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons butter 1 large onion, finely diced 1 quart vegetable broth, such as Manischewitz all-natural vegetable broth 1 pound very small red-skin potatoes, quartered 1 (16-ounce) container sour cream Kosher salt Ground white pepper 2-1/2 cups cooked small pasta (such as square noodles, ditalini or orzo) Heat the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring continually until translucent, about 10 minutes. Do not let the onion brown.

Add the broth and potatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are fork tender, 10-15 minutes.

Temper the sour cream by placing it in a large bowl and

Pictured is Jamie Geller’s father, the source of the Daddy’s mititei recipe for Romanian garlic meat sausages. slowly, so that it doesn’t curdle, whisking in 1 cup of the soup.

Pour the tempered sour cream into the soup. Mix well and heat through. Season with salt and pepper. Place 1/4 cup noodles in each of 8 bowls and ladle the soup over the top. Serve warm.

Quick tips:

Small square noodles by Manischewitz can be found in your local supermarket under the name Egg Noodles Flakes.

This recipe keeps the cooked noodles separate from the soup so they don’t get mushy. Portion the noodles into bowls and top with hot soup just before serving.

You can vary the recipe by serving it as a chilled soup.

Omit the noodles and puree with a dash of nutmeg until thick and creamy. Top with chopped chives.

For a fun twist, dress it up with Poppy’s Potato Soup Cups.

Make a spice rub to rim mugs for a fun presentation. Combine 2 tablespoons each paprika and celery salt in a small bowl.

Dip the edges of 10 eight-ounce mugs in water and then in the spice rub. Fill the mugs with soup and garnish with a dollop of sour cream.

This soup is perfect with fresh buttered pumpernickel rolls.

Daddy’s mititei: Romanian garlic meat sausages

I really should stop griping about being disadvantaged when it comes to cooking DNA. The fact is, Daddy is one of the best cooks on the planet. What gives his mititei authentically Transylvanian flavor is the loads and loads of garlic – not at all for the faint of heart.

Warning: If you don’t like garlic, this recipe is not for you. If you just kinda like garlic, this recipe is not for you. If you love garlic, you will hug this book, hug me when you see me, tear out this recipe and frame it on your wall, ask for my dad’s number so you can call him, thank him and arrange for a time to meet him in person, and hug him, too.

Tradition dictates that these are served with mustard, not ketchup.

Jamie Geller

PHOTOS | “JOY OF KOSHER: FAST, FRESH FAMILY RECIPES” BY JAMIE GELLER

Daddy’s mititei – Romanian garlic meat sausages.

Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: 15-20 minutes Marinate Time: 24-48 hours Makes 15 sausages

Ingredients:

2 pounds ground beef (not too lean) 2-1/2 teaspoons ground caraway 1 ⁄4 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 large garlic head 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 2 cups club soda or seltzer Canola oil Spicy mustard, for serving

Directions:

Place the beef in a large bowl.

Add the caraway, salt and pepper. Crush the garlic cloves with a garlic press and add them to the bowl.

Combine the baking soda with 1 cup of the club soda or seltzer in a small bowl and whisk to dissolve. Add to the meat and mix well by hand to fully incorporate. Once fully absorbed, mix in an additional 1/2 cup club soda or seltzer. Once that is fully incorporated, add the remaining 1/2 cup. Continue to mix by hand for 5 minutes.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours or up to 48 hours.

When you are ready to cook, preheat the grill to high.

Oil your hands, scoop 1/3 cup of the meat mixture, and form it into an oblong sausage about 3 inches long by 1 inch wide.

Place the sausage on a plate or baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining meat mixture to form 15 sausages total. Lower the heat to medium and place the sausages on the grill. Grill for about 15 minutes, gently flipping and turning them often so they don’t burn and are evenly cooked through, until an instant-read thermometer registers the temperature at 160 degrees F. (To cook on the stovetop, heat a grill pan over

high heat, brush the mititei with canola oil, lower the heat to medium, and cook as directed, or heat about 2 tablespoons canola oil until shimmering in a sauté pan or griddle over high heat, lower the heat to medium, and cook as directed.)

Serve with mustard.

Variations:

My dad says, ideally, for “real” mititei, use ground neck meat with 200 grams (in English that’s a little less than half a pound) of beef fat added in. Since I can’t even begin to go there, I just buy 2 pounds of ground beef for the pride of Romanian cuisine.

Dress it up by serving with peach salsa: Combine 4 ripe peaches or nectarines, pitted and diced (about 1-1/2 cups); 1 small red onion, thinly sliced; 20 cherry tomatoes, halved; the juice of 1 lemon; 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; 2 tablespoons torn fresh basil leaves or 2 teaspoons dried; 2 tablespoons torn fresh mint leaves (optional); 1 tablespoon honey; and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt in a medium bowl. Toss well and serve on top or on the side of the warm mititei.

Griz Galuska: Hungarian farina soup dumplings

Farina dumplings are the Hungarian version of matzoh balls. A wonderful addition to a chicken, beef or tomato soup, they are so tasty that you may find yourself working them into your regular repertoire. If not serving immediately, place dumplings and some of the broth (just enough to keep them moist) in a sealable container, and store in the fridge.

Prep Time: 4 minutes Ready Time: 4 minutes Makes 5 servings

Ingredients:

1 egg 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons farina 1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon olive oil 1 chicken consommé stock cube 5 cups water

Directions:

In a bowl, mix egg, farina, salt and olive oil until well combined. Let stand 30 minutes, either in refrigerator or at room temperature, until firm.

Place water and soup cube in a 4-quart stockpot and bring to a boil.

Using a tablespoon, scoop up farina mixture and drop in soup. Repeat, placing as many dumplings as you can in the pot without crowding.

Lower heat to a slow, rolling boil (too strong a boil will cause dumplings to fall apart).

Cook 15-20 minutes, or until a dumpling cut in half is no longer yellow on the inside. Repeat until finished with all the batter.

Place 2-3 dumplings in each bowl of your favorite soup and serve.

JAMIE GELLER is the only bestselling cookbook author who wants to get you out of the kitchen – not because she doesn’t love food – but because she has tons to do. As “The Bride Who Knew Nothing,” Jamie found her niche specializing in fast, fresh, family recipes. Now hailed as the “Queen of Kosher” (CBS) and the “Jewish Rachael Ray” (New York Times), she’s the creative force behind JoyofKosher. com and “Joy of Kosher with Jamie Geller” magazine. She lives in Israel with her husband and their five busy kids. Check out her new book, “Joy of Kosher: Fast, Fresh Family Recipes.”

CREDIT: “Joy of Kosher: Fast, Fresh Family Recipes” by Jamie Geller (William Morrow/ HarperCollins), “Quick & Kosher Recipes From The Bride Who Knew Nothing,” by Jamie Geller (Feldheim). Portions of text written by Jamie Geller on JoyofKosher.com were used in the introduction.

WOMEN IN BUSINESS

thejewishvoice.org

August 15, 2014 |

15

WOMEN IN BUSINESS

Mindy Wachtenheim is all about her newest special project

BY FRAN OSTENDORF fostendorf@jewishallianceri.org

S

he never thought she’d end up doing what she does. But when she talks about Merchants Overseas and her most recent project, Domaine Designs, Mindy Wachtenheim really shows her passion for the family business.

It’s aligns with her other passions – volunteering. And her family.

She’s been active in the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island for years and has held many volunteer jobs in the Federation and the Women’s Division. She and husband Stanley have three daughters, all grown now.

All together, it’s more than a full-time job.

She got into the family business, Merchants Overseas, started by her father-in-law Eugene, when she met Stanley during their college years.

They married and she’s been

Mindy Wachtenheim working on marketing, public relations and special projects for the company ever since.

“We’re the Super Stop and Shop of accessories,” she says.

Located in Providence’s Jewelry District, Merchants Overseas started out as a supplier of large crystal aurora borealis rhinestones to the jewelry

industry. They have branched out to supply other accessories and now are one of the largest wholesalers of Swarovski crystals in North America. Their offices are still in the 1960s building they moved into near the Imperial Knife Company factory. “You used to be able to feel the shaking when the factory was going,” Wachtenheim says.

Gradually Merchants has expanded to surrounding buildings, including a space in the Imperial building after the factory closed. No longer needed for offices, that space, now Domaine Designs Outlet store, is her latest special project.

Domaine is a fashion jewelry and accessories outlet. Everything in the store is moderately priced. And it’s fi lled with modern as well as vintage pieces, overstocks, samples and overruns. “It’s really three different stores, Wachtenheim says.

She explains that there’s vintage components for jewelry crafters. Then, there’s the vintage jewelry and overruns at extremely low prices, she says.

These might include returns.

And in the front is new fashion merchandise. “This is a happy place,” says Wachtenheim. And she means it.

The store started out opening just for a couple of weeks in December. Now it’s open

several days a week, yearround, as the neighborhood has fi lled with people looking for good stores and restaurants.

Nearby are Brown Medical School, Johnson & Wales University and Lifespan as well as many offices.

“You have to love what you do,” Wachtenheim says. “And the team is important. Everyone has to love working.”

FRAN OSTENDORF is the editor of The Jewish Voice.

It has been my privilege to work with Michael Solomon in City government for the past four years.

He has led the City through its darkest hour with sincerity, wisdom and graciousness. Actions speak much louder than words, and Michael Solomon’s actions to bring our City Council and our City together provide him with a strong foundation for serving with distinction as our next Mayor.

- City Councilman Sam Zurier

VOTE DEMOCRAT

MICHAEL SOLOMON F O R M AY O R www.SolomonForPVD.com

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Paid for by Friends of Michael Solomon. Treasurer Ken Richardson.

PHOTO | MARVIN WASSER

Havdalah on the beach Temple Sinai in Cranston recently held a Havdalah service at Narragansett Town Beach. About 40 people came out and enjoyed the service led by Rabbi Jeff Goldwasser and Cantor Wendy Siegel.

16 | August 15, 2014

The Jewish Voice

thejewishvoice.org

August 15, 2014 |

17

18 | August 15, 2014

WOMEN IN BUSINESS

The Jewish Voice

WOMEN IN BUSINESS

Brenda Bedrick, the ‘Me’ in Mel & Me

LEADERSHIP THAT IS WORKING

BY IRINA MISSIURO imissiuro@jewishallianceri.org

for the East Side of Providence

Please Vote for Gayle in the Democratic Primary September 9, 2014

Effective Championed passage of law to create paid family leave Ensured child care assistance for parents in job training programs Advocated for marriage equality Worked to get illegal guns off our streets Experienced Career advocating to improve our health care system, child welfare services, and to create an equitable Rhode Island Master’s degree in Public Policy from Tufts University Progressive Leadership Endorsed by Clean Water Action, Planned Parenthood Votes! RI, RI NOW, RI Progressive Democrats, and Sierra Club Named RIPIN Legislator of the Year, received Congressional Angel in Adoption and Mental Health Association Bell of Hope awards Named a National Game Changer by Women’s Campaign Fund Family Values Gayle and her husband, Jeff Levy, live on the East Side with their two sons, Zack and Jonah. Gayle is also a board member of Temple Emanu-El.

For more information & to get involved call (401)340-5050 |gaylegoldin.com Paid for by Friends of Gayle Goldin, Rachel Colaiace, Treasurer

B

renda Bedrick knows what moves her.

Working as a speech pathologist, she felt she was in the wrong field. The job didn’t allow her to be herself, to engage fully with her role. Since she always loved fashion, starting out selling bathing suits at Shepard’s Department Store, she began working for Mel Baker’s clothing store, where she shopped.

Eventually, she became a business partner, and Mel & Me was born.

Because Bedrick always signed her correspondence “Love, me,” the partners decided to use that for a clever and memorable store name.

There truly is a lot of Bedrick in Mel & Me. Working together since 1991, the two get along famously. Bedrick gushes about her admiration and respect for Baker, whom she considers to be her mentor. She loves the fact that he never stands in her way. When she is choosing the clothes for the store, she doesn’t have to worry about Baker disapproving – her partner has implicit trust in her judgment, she said. The only element Bedrick has to focus on is fashion.

Bedrick considers her collaboration with Baker a major accomplishment. After all, it’s not easy to run an upscale cloth-

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Brenda Bedrick ing store in Rhode Island for 23 years. In addition to succeeding in “maneuvering through [the state’s] economy,” she prides herself on taking her partner’s lead and treating their 12 employees the same way she likes to be treated – instead of micromanaging, she listens to their opinions and fi nds reasons to laugh together. That might be the reason why most of the store’s “fantastic sales staff ” has been with them for more than 20 years.

Her employees are not the only ones Bedrick pays attention to; she makes it a point to listen to her customers. Since the specialty department store carries a range of styles, the shoppers can get lost in the tremendous selection. The consultant’s job is to guide the client in the right direction, she said.

Sometimes, it involves gently pushing them toward a choice they hadn’t considered but end up falling in love with. Interaction with clients is her daily inspiration.

To buy the latest fashions, the partners travel to shows in Milan, Paris and New York.

They select clothing from a

wide range of designers. Right now, the store’s most popular designer is Jil Sander. Bedrick is hesitant to pinpoint her favorite article of clothing at Mel & Me, saying that it changes frequently since new merchandise comes in often. Currently, she loves cashmere dresses and jackets in a variety of colors. Bedrick says that, this season, richer hues are extremely trendy – when selecting your fall wardrobe, look for dark greens, burgundies and blues. She adds that black always works, too.

Another constant that always remains in style for Bedrick is her family. She relishes celebrating holidays and maintaining Jewish traditions with them. When she was a young mother, Bedrick had to sacrifice to have a career. She jokes that she made it work by hiring “a wife” for her husband and kids.

She and Gerry, her husband of 47 years, are both grateful for the help that allowed Bedrick to grow as a businesswoman.

Right now, she is glad to be observing Jody, her daughter-inlaw, who is building a career of her own, working alongside Bedrick at the store. What’s more, her daughter shops at Mel & Me, and her granddaughter has already expressed an interest in the store, despite being too young to shop there.

Offering some advice to young women, Bedrick says, “Do what you love, and you will never work a day in your life.” It’s a quote she heard that stayed with her because she profoundly related to the message. Bedrick never feels that her job is an imposition. When she arrives at the store, she’s glad to be there. Bedrick says, “I consider myself very lucky.”

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

WOMEN IN BUSINESS

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August 15, 2014 |

19

WOMEN IN BUSINESS

What’s in a name?

Marcia Gold on Gold International, culture and family

BY IRINA MISSIURO imissiuro@jewishallianceri.org

M

arcia Gold was working as a dental hygienist when she realized she wasn’t happy with the position. When her children started school 23 years ago, she began her career at Gold International Machinery Corp. Founded by Victor Gold, her father-in-law, and David Gold, her husband, the 54-year-old business specializes in selling machinery for jewelry and precious metals, industrial machine tools and lasers. Gold wanted a job that would not only challenge her and allow her “to expand [her] horizons,” but also let her meet people from all over the world.

She was looking for an opportunity to learn from other cultures and share hers with them.

Gold found the chance to do just that by running the import/export department.

She doesn’t manage other employees – she is the department. Gold is the one who deals with mishaps such as machinery damage during shipment.

She says that her ideal day at work involves no crisis. Ensuring smooth operation is not always easy, as shipping all over the world is a constant learning experience. Each country has its own rules and regulations. “The world has changed so much because of homeland security issues, economics and foreign customer understanding,” she says.

She shares the credit for

Marcia Gold success with the sales and accounting staff, freight forwarders, airlines, ocean shipping lines and customs clearance for their dedication and focus on details. Gold admits that some operations, such as international sales to factories, are extremely stressful. While “coordinating the shipment to the U.S. and post-sale shipping to all the international customers who participated is a daunting task,” she feels a sense of accomplishment when business runs smoothly.

The part of her job that appeals to Gold the most is traveling to the places where the machines are manufactured.

She considers this opportunity to be “one of the best perks.” In the past, exhibitions have taken her and her family to Italy, Germany, France, Spain, England and Switzerland. What’s even better is the ability to see these

countries through the eyes of the local suppliers. She says, “We had made so many lasting friendships.”

She has even opened up her home to some of her foreign friends during their visits to the United States. The family lives on a 155-acre farm in North Smithfield, and Gold loves the area. The setting allows her to watch her children and grandchildren appreciate nature. They ride horses and raise sheep, baby peacocks and rabbits. And she enjoys taking care of the gooseberry plants a great-grandfather brought to America in the 1890s.

On weekends Gold likes to unwind with dinners out, cooking, reading and theater. She says that her greatest personal achievement is her family, and treasures the fact that her sons Joshua and Daniel are multicultural and speak many languages. Besides collaborating in business and exploring new countries together, the family enjoys celebrating Jewish traditions.

Gold’s heritage is very important to her. She strives to emulate the family members she admires for their strength and perseverance during adversity. These individuals include Gold’s mother-in-law, who spent many years in a Jewish orphanage during the Depres-

sion. Also, Gold’s grandmother, who at 16 came to America by herself on a boat, has influenced her life deeply.

Inspired by her relatives and schooled by experience, Gold has learned what it takes to succeed. She believes in the importance of being a team player, listening to input and staying open to learning and improving

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yourself. Gold adds that it also helps to be able to laugh at and learn from your mistakes. She practices the tenets of her philosophy, saying that she discovers something new every day.

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

WOMEN IN BUSINESS

20 | August 15, 2014

The Jewish Voice

WOMEN IN BUSINESS

Sally Lapides works to build a better world Residential Properties president and CEO finds the balance between the family room and the office

BY IRINA MISSIURO imissiuro@jewishallianceri.org

S

ally Lapides says she has built her life and Residential Properties, the company she co-founded, to resonate with the key Jewish values she learned as a child. She adds that she strives to incorporate honesty, hard work, justice, acceptance, giving back to the community and equality in everything she does. She acknowledges her mentors – mother Myrna Rosen and grandmother Ethel Yale – and adheres to their advice and wisdom. They taught her to work hard for her beliefs, treat everyone with dignity and look for the good in everything.

Putting theory into practice, Lapides remarked she chooses to see each day as an opportunity for accomplishment.

Lapides shares that she stumbled onto her 40-year career by chance. Awaiting the start of a graduate program in art history, she found work in a gallery. When the place went out of business, her mother suggested she follow in her footsteps and obtain a real estate license.

Lapides’ foray into graduate school never materialized as, she says, she had found her calling. She reveals she absolutely loved what she was doing and

was thriving immediately after venturing into the new field.

However, Lapides’ ability to close a deal is likely not the only factor in her success. In addition to prizing honesty above all, Lapides chooses to stand out among competitors by favoring a different approach.

She says that Residential Properties has always prided itself in “thinking outside the box” when marketing the properties they represent. Pioneer in the use of Internet, the company continues striving to be a leader in technology. Lapides thinks that their current web, marketing and relocation plans demonstrate the extraordinary talent of their team.

Collaborating with these young professionals on novel ventures challenges and excites her. A huge believer in investing in relationships, Lapides is certain that they hold the key to success in the business. She fi rst learned that lesson from her father and uncle, Phil and Harvey Lapides, while working for her family’s clothing store, Harvey Ltd. Residential Properties’ growth from the fi rm she co-started in 1981 into the largest independent real estate company in Rhode Island indicates that their strategy has merit.

Lapides’ impressive career, however, did not just fall into

Sally Lapides her lap; she worked hard to be where she is. While dedicated to her job, Lapides sees the worklife balance as a challenge. She has been able to achieve that balance by devising innovative solutions that allow her to avoid sacrificing important aspects of her life to her career. One example is hiring a babysitter for her children when they were young.

Later, she became their house manager. Lapides says, “I can’t imagine being able to do my work without support from her.”

Another trick is combining business and pleasure. For example, lunch is a perfect oppor-

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tunity to catch up with a friend or have a meeting. Lapides says, “I never eat alone.” Always up for a creative solution to a problem, she fi nds the time to volunteer and be with her family by networking while traveling with her husband, Art Solomon.

In addition to referring friends and clients to real estate partners, Lapides participates in local politics and serves as the vice chair on the Board of Governors at the Rhode Island School of Design Museum. The former chair of the board at The Gordon School, a mentor at Year Up Providence and a member of the Head’s Advisory Council, she keeps busy. Her hobbies include biking, watching baseball and knitting.

In addition to her fi rst love, art history, Lapides is passionate about the radio. She discovered that she enjoys being the host of Real Estate Insight, the weekly radio show. In fact, her prowess in the role creates a competition for real estate.

Lapides says, “Had I known that I would be good on the air, I would have chosen that as my profession.”

Lapides says that the possibilities are endless when you are “smart, hungry, work more hours than you ever thought you were capable of working, invest in your community, have the need to be an expert in the field and understand the importance or the meaning or the expression ‘You get from giving.’ ” She devoted her life to tikun olam and feels inspired when she’s among people who are intent on making the world a better place. In fact, one of her favorite quotes, by Winston Churchill, pinpoints the crux of her message. “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.”

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

Women should consider whole investment picture

BY BARBARA KENERSON I’m about to get married.

Should I adjust the asset allocation in my 401(k) to take my husband’s investments into account?

That depends on several factors. Perhaps the first step is to make sure your existing asset allocation is appropriate for your circumstances; if you haven’t reviewed it in several years, you should probably take a fresh look at it, whether or not you intend to consider his assets in your investing strategy.

Assuming your allocation is appropriate for your current situation, you may want to make sure that any overlap between your accounts doesn’t create a portfolio that’s too heavily concentrated in a single position. For example, if you have received company stock as part of your compensation plan for many years, you might not have enough diversity in your portfolio; if both of you have worked at the same employer, the problem could be even worse.

However, you don’t necessarily need to make dramatic changes right away. No matter how compatible you might be, marriages have been known to fail, and sometimes they fail in a shorter time frame than anyone ever expected. If you do decide to make adjustments, remember that you can phase them in gradually to create an asset allocation strategy that

Barbara Kenerson includes both portfolios. For example, you might decide to simply allocate new money to a different investment or asset class rather than shift existing assets.

Explain to your husband why you’ve chosen to invest as you have; you may have a perspective he’s overlooked or information he hasn’t considered that could be helpful even if you manage your portfolios entirely independently. And since it’s your account, you have the final say. If there’s a difference in your investing philosophies, a neutral third party with some expertise and a dispassionate view of the situation may be able to help work through differences; that can be especially valuable in cases where substantial assets are at stake.

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

WOMEN IN BUSINSSES

thejewishvoice.org

August 15, 2014 |

21

WOMEN IN BUSINESS

Laurie Robinson on event planning, success and balance

BY IRINA MISSIURO imissiuro@jewishallianceri.org

challenges, Robinson says she is inspired. Seeing the end result of her hard work makes the effort worthwhile. She loves creating joyful memories and being part of clients’ happiest moments. “The highest compliment is when our clients say, ‘One of the very best decisions that we made was hiring you and your company.’ ” Robinson learned the teachings of the Torah as a young child and has incorporated respect, kindness and honesty into her life and her two children’s lives. She leads her life in a way that’s consistent with those values. When Rob-

L

aurie Robinson, owner of Event Planning Specialists LLC, loves her job. Had she never taken the chance on starting a company, she’d probably still be working in marketing and public relations, a field that shares many similarities with the one she has chosen.

Working as a vice president for a credit union, she was encouraged to venture out on her own by venues that would request that she work with their clients to plan and organize events.

In 2000, after planning events for seven years, Robinson finally formed her business. Her dedication and love of her craft made it easy. She says, “My greatest personal and professional achievement is to be true to yourself and follow your heart. If you are passionate about everything you do in life, the rewards will be endless.”

Robinson says that she knew she had the skills to succeed in the field after she planned a successful bar mitzvah celebration. After all, she possesses all the qualities that, according to her, are essential for someone in her profession: Robinson loves to work with people, is adept at multitasking and has the patience of a mother. Of course, there are other skills she considers vital, such as superb organization, outstanding leadership and excellent communication, to take into account. However, she believes that flexibility and being a good listener are crucial nonnegotiables. Robinson credits her

inson was in marketing, she implemented the CU 4 Reality Financial Education Program and Fair. For the past six years, she’s been assisting fi nancial institutions with sponsorship of the program that’s endorsed by the Rhode Island Department of Education. Its goal is to complement high school and middle school students’ fi nancial education. In July, Robinson was recognized for the program’s successful implementation and appointed to serve as ex-officio member of the America’s Credit Union Museum’s Financial Literacy Education Committee.

Despite a demanding career,

Robinson always considers her family a priority. She says she’s lucky that they’re supportive and understanding of the sacrifices she’s had to make to advance her career. A believer in balance between work and life, Robinson makes sure to carve out time for fun. She enjoys spending time with family and friends, dining out or entertaining. To burn off those calories, she walks between three and five miles every day.

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

Laurie Robinson mentors with instilling in her a great work ethic and the desire to strive, asking questions and learning from the experts. She follows her mentors’ advice “to keep setting the bar higher and higher.”

That means always being prepared. On the day of the event, Robinson shows up for work early “to have time on our side.”

She says her team expertly executes the celebration that’s been planned months and even years in advance. Of course, she also expects the unexpected to happen. Sometimes, it does. When disaster strikes, she claims she knows how to handle it with aplomb. For instance, during one wedding her company handled, a banquet manager at the facility had quit. Robinson had to step into that role. She aced her newfound responsibility, preventing the couple from learning about the problem.

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WOMEN IN BUSINESS

The Jewish Voice

WOMEN IN BUSINESS

Nikki Parness and her holistic approach to work, life and work-life balance

N

ikki Parness went into the family business – by choice.

Parness always had a “fi nance mind” – math and problem-solving came easily to her. She studied for an MBA (Masters of Business Administration), a CFP (Certified Financial Planner), and a CPA (Certified Public Accountant). While working on her CFP, Parness found income tax planning the most interesting because “that’s the basis for making decisions in all other areas of your life.”

She began her career in Americorps followed by a position as a budget analyst for the City of Eugene, Oregon, and then completed five years at Fidelity Investments, fi rst as an analyst, then as the principal/senior analyst. After beginning on a corporate path, Parness decided she wanted a change within the fi nancial realm.

In 2011, one of her mentors from Fidelity helped Parness make the decision to leave Fidelity and the corporate world to join her father’s accounting fi rm, Larry B. Parness. Parness and her mentor discussed being professionally successful

women while raising families.

Parness changed her career path so that she could spend more time with her two daughters and husband.

She considers her family to be her greatest personal achievement. Parness’ father, another important mentor, modeled the “work-life balance” that Parness strives to achieve. In fact, Parness’ biggest professional challenge is “living up to my own expectations.” She wants to be available for her clients and family while keeping a healthy lifestyle for herself.

In order to achieve that balance, Parness has had to make some sacrifices. She does not have time to do as much volunteering and community activism as she would like.

Even so, Parness upholds this value as a member of Providence Rotary. Parness’ family values were instilled through Judaism. Observing Shabbat is more traditionally important for her than spiritually, as it is an opportunity for her to “connect” with family “wherever [we] are.” Parness also enjoys frequenting the East Bay Bike path and the beach with her family. She says, “Not enough adults build sand castles, jump in waves and play in the sand.”

Parness also “embrace[s] the idea of giving yourself down-

time when Shabbat comes.”

She incorporates Jewish values into her work life through honesty. In fact, the best work advice Parness ever received was from her father: “Be honest. And follow up on what you said.”

Parness looks at accounting holistically. The most important quality of an accounting professional is the “ability to look specifically at a person’s situation and make a decision on that specific person.” She emphasizes that individualizing each client’s care is key and realizes that sometimes the best fi nancial decision is not always the best decision for the client.

Parness’ favorite projects are working with start-up businesses. She enjoys making different types of decisions with clients as their businesses grow and hopes to stay with them until the business closes or changes owners. She is doing well if her client comes to her with something that is not exactly accounting, therefore viewing her as their “general point person on holistic fi nancial plan[ning].”

One of Parness’ favorite days at work was at Fidelity while managing new analysts. Parness “enjoyed fi ghting for them to get the promotion ... and the recognition they deserved”

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Nikki Parness because encouragement is important when someone is new to a career. Ideal days include receiving calls from clients with questions and getting referrals that come from clients.

These events “let [me] know that [I’m] doing what [I’m] trying to do – serve [my] clients.”

To anyone who wants to follow in Parness’ footsteps and enter the same field, she says, “Go for it. If you are honest to yourself and honest to your clients, don’t be afraid. There are a lot of fi nancial profes-

sionals out there. Go for it, but be unique in how you do it.”

Parness clarifies that not all clients will be the right fit for all accountants and when you do fi nd a client that is a good fit, focus on them and forge a lifetime relationship.

Parness’ greatest professional achievement may occur in a few weeks when she hopes to receive her CPA. “Education and continuous learning are very important to me.” It is important for clients to know she is not “stale” and will continue to understand changes in tax and general laws that affect clients’ personal and fi nancial decisions.

If Parness were not an accounting professional, she would be a nurse because nurses “get to talk to people, work with people, fi gure out what’s going on in their life and how [I] can help them.” Essentially, this is what Parness does in the fi nancial world – helps people solve their problems.

Parness feels inspired when she sees that she has “made a difference” and “seeing that someone has followed a piece of advice [I have] give[n] and that they’ve found success with it.”

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PHOTO| RICHARD LOBELL

Giving a thumbs up to investing in Israel Bonds, from left to right, Stuart Garawitz, vice president for sales at the Development Corporation for Israel/Israel Bonds; Josh Mandel, Ohio’s state treasurer; Izzy Tapoohi, president and CEO, Development Corporation for Israel/Israel Bonds; and Tom DiNapoli, New York’s state comptroller. Mandel and DiNapoli, who combined have invested more than $200 million in Israel Bonds for their respective state portfolios, spoke as part of an Israel Bonds/Hampton Synagogue weekend on July 6.

Israel Bonds not just a charity anymore

BY DMITRIY SHAPIRO JNS.org/Washington Jewish Week Facing a constant barrage of rockets from Hamas terrorists in Gaza, Israel’s economy is proving just as dependable during the current crisis as the much-acclaimed Iron Dome missile defense system, helped in part by capital investments made internationally through the work of organizations like Israel Bonds.

A product of the Development Corporation for Israel, an American-run brokerage and retail firm, Israel Bonds has long been a financial boon for the Jewish state’s economy.

Now, the bonds are increasingly seen by both individuals and institutions as a sound investment, not just a charitable gift – on par with or better than sovereign debt securities of other well-known, financially stable countries such as the United States, Canada, Australia and European Union member states Israel’s dynamic economy and excellent credit rating – Standard & Poor’s in March affirmed the Jewish state’s A+ or stable, rating – has made even non-Jewish investors take notice, leading to vastly improved sales of Israel Bonds over the past couple of years.

“At the end of the day, we’re a brokerage firm with a Jewish heart,” said Izzy Tapoohi, president and chief executive officer of Israel Bonds. “Yes, we do have a Jewish community backing us and investing, knowing that it’s a good investment, but we shouldn’t forget that at the end of the day if there was a crisis in Israel and

we were sitting in bomb shelters, the only place that Israel can go to insure that it’s economy would survive would be to come to Israel Bonds.”

Israel Bonds is constantly working in the market, whether there is a crisis or not, to impress upon investors the new face of the Israeli economy and subsequently, its bonds appeal to younger investors who are more interested in making a good, secure, diversified investment than in the traditional pull of patriotism and sentimentality – though belief in Israel is still a motive for investment.

“If you look at the older generation, obviously even if they got negative 30 percent, they would be investing in Israel bonds [anyway] and in Israel,” Tapoohi told JNS.org. “When you look at the younger generation… the demographic is 35, 45, 55,” they see that it is a good investment, with reasonable return, with the principle and interest always paid on time.

On June 2, Israel Bonds received its largest-ever single investment when the state of Ohio – and its Jewish state treasurer, 36-year-old Josh Mandel – completed a $47.8 million investment.

This sum, added to the $42 million investment Mandel made in 2013, as well as the state’s previous investments, brings the Ohio Treasury’s total Israel Bond holdings to $105 million.

“This purchase is consistent with our strategy of making sound investments that prioritize the safety and security of Ohioans’ hard-earned dollars,” Mandel told the Cleveland Jew-

ish News. “Just four years ago, Ohio’s fiscal condition was ranked 43rd in the nation – and today we’re ranked seventh,” he added. “This improvement in Ohio’s financial health has been a team effort, and I’m proud to be doing our part from the state treasurer’s office.”

Mandel’s move was supported by both of Ohio’s state legislatures and is the largest Israel Bonds holding by any U.S. state.

Despite the instability that surrounds the Jewish state in the Middle East region, Israel Bonds has seen positive momentum over the past three years. A record was set last year when its total annual domestic bond sales topped $1.079 billion, “refuting the perception that Israel bonds only sell well in times of crisis,” a company fact sheet said.

As an investment firm, Israel Bonds has tried to shed its image as a charity, not wanting to take money away from actual charities and looking to be taken seriously by major investors.

Stuart Garawitz, corporate vice president and head of national sales at Israel Bonds, said a critical part of this move was modernization of its business model.

“For the first time ever, you were able to buy bonds online, and last year we sold $25 million of bonds online when three years ago it was zero,” Garawitz told JNS.org. “Zero to $25 million is pretty amazing.”

This article is exclusive to JNS. org.

August 15, 2014 |

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The Jewish Voice

Jewish retirement to South Florida: Behind the numbers

BY ROBERT GLUCK JNS.org – Is the age-old trend of Jews retiring to South Florida on the decline? It depends how you look at the numbers, according to demographer Dr. Ira Sheskin.

“Even though the percentage coming to Florida may be down, the number coming is probably not decreasing and it’s not going to decrease,” Sheskin, a member of the committee that completed both the 1990 and 2000-01 National Jewish Population Surveys, told JNS.org.

Why is that the case?

“Starting last year the baby boomers began to retire,” said Sheskin, director of the Jewish Demography Project of the Sue and Leonard Miller Center for Contemporary Judaic Studies at the University of Miami.

“There are 10,000 baby boomers a day in this country turning age 65.

Even though the percentage coming to Florida may be somewhat lower, because there is an increase now of people retiring in this country over the next couple of decades, the number coming to Florida will still continue to increase.”

Sheskin has completed in excess of 110 demographic studies for more than 80 synagogues, Jewish organizations and commercial entities. He said that according to the nationwide trend in elderly retirement, “Florida is still, to this day, the overwhelming destination for retirees.

“Having said that, it is somewhat of a lower percentage than it was 20 or 30 years ago,” Sheskin said. “We now see retirees, including Jewish retirees, going to places like North

“On the beach, for every ‘hard’ body today, imagine an elderly person, and no traffic.”

Carolina, even places like Arkansas, where the cost of living is considerably less expensive.

So the percentage [retiring to Florida] is down some.”

What Sheskin has seen in South Florida is that the Jewish population in Miami-Dade County has been decreasing since 1975. His last estimate of Jews in Miami, taken in 2004, was 113,000. Broward County in 2008 had 186,000 Jews, and Palm Beach County had 255,000.

Sheskin estimates that there are 555,000 Jews living in that three-county area – half of them 65 and over.

“Jews are continuing to come here, but they are more frequently settling in Palm Beach County than in Broward County, and probably more frequently in Broward than in Miami-

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Dade County,” Sheskin said.

“Miami has become this major metropolitan area.”

According to Marcia Jo Zerivitz, founding executive director of the Jewish Museum of Florida, two groups of Jews started the trend of coming to Miami Beach.

“Prosperous Jews began to winter on Miami Beach in the 1950s when the new hotels (such as the Eden Roc and Fontainebleau) had the ‘American Plan,’ ” she told JNS.org. “The poorer Jewish elderly on South Beach, which were largely teachers and garment workers, rapidly declined from 1977 to 1986.

South Beach was the last leg of a historic migration from the old world—the shtetls of eastern Europe, the Czarist pogroms and Nazi Holocaust—to this country, to the formidable years in the northeast, and at last, to the summer-in-winter climate.”

Zerivitz said that Miami’s South Beach, rather than the partying/nightlife destination it is known as today, used to be a prime spot for Jewish seniors.

“Today’s Jewish population on [South] Beach is Americanized and the non-Jewish population is largely Hispanic,” Zerevitz said. “It is a different world. For every 20-yearold today who cruises Ocean Drive, imagine an 80-year-old then pulling a shopping cart up Washington Avenue. Where the bars are today, imagine a makeshift synagogue. On the beach,

for every ‘hard’ body today, imagine an elderly person, and no traffic. The last elderly Jews of Miami Beach represented tenacity and conviction, a love of learning, and a fragile and unique culture.”

Sheskin has similar memories.

“I remember going to South Beach when my wife and I moved to Florida in the early 1980s,” he said. “I took my guitar and I sang Jewish songs sitting on a bench, and I immediately had about 200 elderly Jews standing around listening and singing along. At one time, there were as many as 70,000 Jews on Miami Beach.”

The demographer’s latest estimate for Jews in Miami Beach is 19,000.

“That is still a reasonably sized Jewish population for what is a four-zip code area, but the nature of South Beach has changed significantly,” Sheskin said.

Nevertheless, Sheskin’s figures show that many so-called “snowbirds” — seniors who travel to Florida seasonally, for a warmer winter — turn into full-year residents. He said this trend could be traced to World War II, when many New York Jews who were in the army were trained in South Florida.

“They came here, saw something they liked, and then after the war when they started their families, decided to move their families here,” Sheskin explained. “That led to a large

growth of the Jewish community in this area. The other obvious reason is the climate. As people aged, they could not put up with weather conditions, snow, and ice in the northeast.

Florida became a good alternative.”

Further contributing to this trend is what geographers call “chain migration.”

“In the 1920s and 1930s, Jews started to come [to South Florida],” Sheskin said. “Others would come down on vacation or visit relatives then return to New York, Boston or Philadelphia and think, ‘Wow, that’s a neat place, I’ve already got relatives or friends there,’ and they would follow. It’s called chain migration because you have an initial group of settlers, you then have another group that comes and sees, goes home, and then follows, with the fi rst group providing guidance to the second group as to where to live. Information then flows between South Florida and New York that leads to the continuation of that chain migration.”

According to Gary Monroe, who had a photographic exhibit called “Barely a Minyan” on the last Jews of South Beach, those Jews lived in accord with their old-world values.

“The ocean was therapeutic,” Monroe said. “The streets were lively with activity. Everything was in walking distance. Social agencies and neighbors met their needs. For Shabbat, card rooms were converted to shuls.”

Zerivitz said the ethnic community of South Beach became out of touch, and eventually, out of time.

“Crime soared with the 1980 Mariel boat lift and sunrise swims came to an abrupt end,” she said. “Then came the popular TV show, ‘Miami Vice.’ The preservation movement that propelled the restoration of the [Art] Deco buildings also propelled the movement out of the elderly.

In a rush to redevelop the southern shore, Holocaust survivors were told that they would be ‘relocated.’ The precious legacy of the culture they had established in South Beach came to the end of the line. The average age of ‘trendy’ South Beach’s population dropped by about 50 years within a decade.”

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August 15, 2014 |

25

The family that plays together Amusement was not on the required roster of life’s essentials for the tenement dwellers of New York City during the depression years of 1929-’39.

The word a mu s e ment was then applied narrowly, deOF SCIENCE s c r i b i n g parks in & SOCIETY such shady enclaves as STANLEY M. Coney IsARONSON, M.D. land. During a time when limitless access to diversions was but an electronic dream, self-generated family entertainment emerged as a vital element in ensuring domestic tranquility (“The family that plays together, stays together.”).

Imagine now a typical urban family in the America of 1935.

The father has a job that pays the rent and food expenses, but little else. The mother labors much of the day in managing her household chores. And their two boys, ages 12 and 15 years, keep the household less than serene, certainly animated and occasionally contentious. At nightfall, this family of four has completed supper, and they now face a handful of unassigned hours before bed-

time. The father may have his evening newspaper, the mother – her eternal knitting, but the two boys – beyond some nominal homework – have only their adolescent exuberance to contend with.

The middle-class urban apartment (more often called a flat) of 1935 had the usual amenities of the era, including radio, clock, wall calendar and artificial illumination but no television and certainly no handheld electronic devices for communication or amusement.

It then became a joint family responsibility to bring some form of intramural entertainment to its members, something that would be neither costly nor boisterous and yet manage to hold the attention span of two marginally civilized youths and two fatigued adults.

In a society bereft of television and other electronic miracles, what did the adults of the 1930s do to lessen the rigors and ennui of their lives?

Need remains the greatest stimulus to creative activity, and the era of the 1930s witnessed many inexpensive ways of lessening family boredom.

Board games simulating the competitive real estate market,

“… it should be light in weight, readily foldable and capable of being stored beneath a bed or behind a sofa. And so the bridge-table was born.”

Cemeteries Act becomes law WASHINGTON (JTA) – President Obama signed into law a measure that makes the desecration of cemeteries around the world a violation of religious freedom.

Obama signed the the Protect Cemeteries Act amending the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 Aug. 8.

The 1998 act was amended to include the vandalizing of cemeteries. The United States could penalize countries that obstruct religious freedom by cutting foreign aid, imposing trade sanctions, and canceling cultural and scientific exchanges.

“This new law makes it clear that that our society will not tol-

games patterned on sports competition or seeking a hidden treasure or even undergoing the perils of warfare became widely popular and occupied the early evenings of families not accustomed to more scholarly activities.

Card playing for personal e nt e r t a i n ment has, of course, been operative since the 12th century, particularly in China. But it has now moved from the oriental

erate the desecration of cemeteries whether motivated by antiSemitism, hate or greedy and uncaring developers,” Rep. Grace Meng, D-N.Y., who introduced the bill in the House of Representatives, said in a statement Aug. 12. “It will be a new and critical tool to combat the desecration of cemeteries, and provide a much needed boost towards promoting preservation, tolerance and respect for cemeteries across the globe.”

The Senate approved the bill in July – Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., helped lead the effort in the Foreign Relations Committee – following approval by the House in May.

smokef i l l e d ga mbl i ng parlors to the modest living rooms of the American middle class. In the minds of most first-generation Jewish immigrants to New York, gambling was merely another name for avarice and deceit. Games, such

as contract bridge – a direct descendant of a 13th century English pastime called whist – and the sundry rummies, however, downplayed wagering and emphasized intellectual prowess instead. This revised attitude of a more gracious form of competition thus brought the par-

ents and children to the same table.

But what table? The American household of the 1930s did not have an abundance of furniture of the flat-topped variety. There were the dining room and kitchen tables, generally rectangular but in such constant, utilitarian use as to make them ill-suited for card or board games. And so a new industry evolved to satisfy this expanding need.

Ideally, what characteristics should this piece of furniture provide? Certainly, it should be inexpensive, roomy enough to seat four people, and with an unadorned surface expansive enough to allow adequate space for a board game or a spread of playing cards. And space, too, for the inevitable ashtrays, and tea cups. Its surface should be smooth, thus allowing cards to slide and be of a neutral, dark color, preferably brown.

And finally, it should be light in weight, readily foldable and capable of being stored beneath a bed or behind a sofa. And so the bridge-table was born. Its advantages and purposes were many, stretching from a surface to bring the family together in a shared experience. It also served to do nightly homework, to pay bills and even to calculate one’s income tax.

In the 19th century, the hallowed family bed was an inherited treasure that became the family’s symbol of continuity and domestic peace. For those who survived the Decade of Depression in the 20th century, perhaps the bridge table – that utilitarian piece of minimalist furniture, shorn of any attempts at aesthetic embellishment – might have served as a bridge between generations.

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

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The Voice Classifieds Hebrew School Teachers Temple Torat Yisrael, East Greenwich, RI is seeking Jewish educators for 2014-15 school year for our growing K-7 Religious School. Candidates should possess strong Judaic knowledge, experience with children, creativity and enthusiasm. Sunday mornings. Compensation based on 4-5hrs/week (includes additional planning/meeting/training hours). Contact: Dori Adler at school@toratyisrael.org.

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COURTESY | TEMPLE BETH-EL

Committee members (left to right): Neil Benharris, Stuart Feldman, Rick Granoff, Jonathan Salinger, John Catania, Michael Kauffman, Andy Lamchick, Wally Menders.

Not pictured: Chair David Bazar, Susan Dressler, Alex Finkelman, Ryan Lax, Brock Manville, Layne Mayer, James Pious

$50K raised for Beth-El’s religious school

On Aug. 6, the golf committee at Temple Beth-El met in celebration of the Fifth Annual Golf Tournament that took place July 14 at Ledgemont Country

Club, Seekonk.

Chairs Neil Benharris and Rick Granoff announced that the committee met its goal of raising $50,000 in support of the

South Korea looking to buy Iron Dome TEL AVIV (JTA) – South Korea is interested in buying Iron Dome missile defense batteries from the Israeli weapons manufacturer Rafael Advanced Defense Systems.

South Korea expressed interest, according to Reuters, after Iron Dome achieved a 90 percent success rate in intercepting short-range missiles fi red at Israeli cities from Gaza

in Israel’s recent confl ict with Hamas. South Korea faces a threat across its border from North Korea.

Rafael CEO Yedidia Yaari told Israel Radio, according to Reuters, that Rafael representatives had traveled to Seoul, South Korea’s capital, to promote Iron Dome. “[South Korea] is very worried not only about rockets but

Pope Francis bringing soccer stars together for peace match

temple’s religious school. Plans are underway for the sixth annual tournament in 2015.

other things as well,” Yaari said. “You can certainly include them in the club of interested countries.”

Rafael developed Iron Dome’s technology, which is mostly funded by the United States.

Each interceptor missile costs $50,000.

Last week, Congress approved an additional $225 million for Iron Dome development.

JTA – Pope Francis has organized an exhibition soccer match with all-star players to promote peace between Israelis and Palestinians.

The “match for the peace” will take place Sept. 1 at the Olympic Stadium in Rome.

Among the top players, active and retired, scheduled to participate are Argentine greats Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi. Maradona told Argentine media that the pope called him personally and asked him “to play for the peace between Israel and Palestine.” Francis also called Messi to request his

participation.

Yossi Benayoun, an Israeli, also will participate, as will players from Russia, Cameroon, Italy, France and Brazil.

The match will be hosted by the Pupi Foundation, a charity founded by the Argentine soccer player Javier “Pupi” Zanetti, as well as the Pontifical Academy for Social Science.

In May, Francis hosted thenIsraeli President Shimon Peres and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas for a prayer summit at the Vatican.

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OBITUARIES

Alfred Elman, 83

WAKEFIELD, R.I. – Alfred Elman died Aug. 4 at home. He was the beloved husband of Janet (Bernardo) Elman for 35 years.

Born in Providence, a son of the late Samuel and Eva (Goldman) Elman, he had lived in Wakefield, previously residing in Warwick. He was the former owner of Mount Pleasant Hardware in Providence, founded by his father Sam in 1923. He was a Korean conflict veteran, serving stateside and in North Africa.

He was a member of Redwood Lodge of the Masons for more than 50 years. He had a pilot’s license and a Coast Guard sailing license.

Devoted father of Wendy Elman and her partner Carolyn Pittis of Hastings, N.Y., Darcy Elman and her husband William Gulland of Sunnyvale, Calif., David Elman of Palm Springs, Calif., and Tara Buonaiuto and her husband Brian of Wesley Chapel, Fla. Dear brother of Trudy Kramer of Avon, Conn., and the late Frances Israel and Barbara Gilson. Loving grandfather of Kaia, Ava and Jack.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in his memory may be made to the American Cancer Society.

Robert L. Erenkrantz, 90

WARWICK, R.I. – Robert L. Erenkrantz died Aug. 4 at Philip Hulitar Inpatient Center, Providence. He was the beloved husband of Lorraine (Benevides) Erenkrantz of Warwick. They

were married for 44 years.

Born in Providence, a son of the late Louis and Sarah (Matz) Eren k ra nt z , he was a lifelong Warwick resident. He was a clothing salesman for 40 years, working in several locations, retiring in 1986. Robert graduated from Central High School in 1942. He was a member of Touro Fraternal Association and the Providence YMCA. He enjoyed weight lifting, bodybuilding, ballroom dancing and watching the stock market program. He loved the Patriots and Red Sox. He was the brother of the late Arnold Wayne. Cherished uncle of several nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in his memory may be made to Home & Hospice Care of RI, 1085 North Main St., Providence, R.I. 02904.

Morris Katzoff

PHOENIX, ARIZ. – Morris Katzoff went to the center ring in heaven July 5 after a 7-month illness with pancreatic cancer.

Graduated from Pilgrim High School in 1973, he co-authored several books. He was also a talented stand-up comic with several puppets and character voices. He was a professional clown who also taught at Clown College. He was also a certified hypnotist at the age of 18 and a DJ on radio in Rhode Island.

OBITUARIES

We print death notices of approximately 300 words for people with ties to our circulation area. There is no charge. We will print a photo if submitted and a small flag for veterans. Please submit obituary and photo to editor@jewishallianceri.org and indicate if a photo and/or a flag should accompany the obituary.

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A very giving and generous person, he was active in various charities. He was involved in the Rhode Island CB club and a ham radio operator. He was an avid collector of antiques.

He was involved in the Rhode Island Red Cross.

He was the son of the late Norman and Marcia Katzoff and loving brother of MindyJill (Katzoff) Tolchinsky and her husband Jon Tolchinsky of Warwick. He’s survived by his loving wife and close friend Carol Katzoff, two children, Krista and Mark, and four grandchildren, Michael, Christopher, Seth and Briel.

A memorial was held in Phoenix. In his name, the family asks for “One Random Act of Kindness.”

Norman I. Levin, 80

WARWICK, R.I. – Norman I. Levin died Aug. 6 at West Shore Health Center. He was the beloved husband of Sylvia (Indyk) Levin for 54 years.

Born in Providence, a son of the late Charles and Mildred (Aptel) Levin, he had lived in Warwick for 53 years. He was a quality assurance engineer for American Insulated Wire for 39 years and later, was a fire inspector, retiring 18 years ago.

He was a Korean conflict Navy veteran serving in the Pacific Theater.

He was a special officer for the Warwick Police Department for 20 years and was a fire chief for the Oaklawn Volunteer Fire Department. He was a former member of Temple Am David. Devoted father of Harvey Levin and his wife Karen, of Saunderstown, Cheryl Glick and her husband Stanley, of Cranston, and Mitchell Levin and his wife Susan, of Warwick.

Loving grandfather of Kyle, Kathryn, Meredith, Rebecca, Collin and Christopher.

The family would like to thank the entire staff of West Shore Health Center and Fresenius Dialysis Center on Post Road for their kindness. In lieu of flowers, contributions in his

memory may be made to the American Diabetes Association or your favorite charity.

Albert Lichaa, 62

PORTSMOUTH, R.I. – Albert Lichaa, son of the late Lacey and Mathilde (Massouda) Lichaa, passed away at home on July 30 after a long and courageous battle with cancer.

For more than 30 years, he was the beloved husband of Phyllis (Goldstein) Lichaa and adored father of Andrew and Ariel. He was the cherished brother of Suzette (Dr. David) Marzouk of Boca Raton, Fla., Marlene (Dr. Fred) Chamuel of Miami, Fla., and the late Amin (Laurice) Leesha of Brookline, Mass. In addition, he was the beloved brother-in-law of Arthur (Cookie) Goldstein of Boynton Beach, Fla., and dear uncle to many nieces and nephews.

He graduated from the University of Rhode Island with a B.S. in Electrical Engineering. For 36 years, until forced to retire due to illness, he worked for the federal government in the Department of Defense.

During most of that time he lived and worked on Aquidneck Island in Newport and Portsmouth.

He was a quiet, honorable and kind gentleman who was respected by all. His greatest love and concerns were for his family, his beloved dogs Bentley and the late Charlie, and his cat Oliver.

In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the charity of your choice or Astra Zeneca Hope Lodge, 125 S. Huntington Ave., Jamaica Plains, Mass.

02130 or The Visiting Nurse Services of Newport & Bristol Counties, 1184 East Main Rd., Portsmouth, R.I. 02871.

Jacob “Jack” Modiano, 86

CRANSTON, R.I. – Jacob “Jack” Modiano died July 14 at Miriam Hospital, Providence.

Born in New Bedford, Mass., a son of the late Joseph and Miriam (Simmons) Modiano, he had lived in Cranston for more than

20 years. He was manager of the former Lad & Lassie Shoes, Providence.

He was a Korean conflict and World War II Army veteran, receiving six medals. He was a member of Tifereth Israel Congregation and a former member of Temple Torat Yisrael. He was a graduate of Bryant College and enjoyed playing cards at the Warwick Senior Center.

Devoted father of Rachelle Modiano of Cranston and Marc Lavik of Warwick. Dear brother of the late Lena Benlifer, Ruth Barash, Rebecca Feld, and Janet Feld. Loving grandfather of Rose.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in his memory may be made to Jewish War Veterans, P.O. Box 100064, Cranston, R.I. 02910.

Edwin J. Shatz, 80

WARWICK, R.I. – Edwin J. Shatz died Aug. 7. He was the husband of Eleanor (Spinks) M c C a r t h y.

Born in Providence, a son of the late Morris and Rena ( D ub ov ick) Shatz, he was a lifelong resident of Rhode Island.

He graduated from Classical High School and attended Brown University.

Besides his wife, he is survived by his children; Debra and her husband Peter, Timothy, John and his wife Gayle, and James and his wife Kimberly, his brother; Marshall, 11 grandchildren, and nine greatgrandchildren. He was the father of the late Patricia.

In lieu of flowers contributions in his memory may be made to, the Kosher Food Pantry, 100 Niantic Ave., Providence, R.I. 02907.

WORLD

thejewishvoice.org

August 15, 2014 |

29

Genesis launches ‘big ideas’ competition

BY ANTHONY WEISS JTA – It is now open season for those who would like a chunk of Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s change and think they have a big idea up their sleeves.

On Aug. 12, the Genesis Prize Foundation announced the launch of the Genesis Generation Challenge, a competition offering 10 awards of $100,000 each to teams that can successfully present innovative projects “guided

by Jewish values to address the world’s pressing issues,” according to a foundation statement.

Teams must have approximately 10 people and be led by someone aged 20 to 36.

The money for the prize, which originally was announced in May, had been awarded to Bloomberg as the inaugural Genesis Prize recipient. Bloomberg, a billionaire and the former mayor of New York, promptly regifted the money to Genesis. He set on the competition model after first pledging the money to encourage Israeli-Palestinian trade, changing his mind at the urging of the Genesis Prize Foundation.

The Genesis Generation Challenge is the latest in a series of prizes aimed at coaxing a “big Jewish idea” in some form or another.

In 2007, philanthropist Charles Bronfman launched a competi-

tion for an innovative Jewish idea, with the reward of a book deal and a two-year appointment as the Charles R. Bronfman Visiting Chair in Jewish Communal Innovation at Brandeis University, with a six-figure salary. The first winner, to great fanfare, was Yehuda Kurtzer for “The Sacred Task of Rebuilding Jewish Memory.” The academic position has since lapsed due to lack of funds.

In 2011, the Jewish Federation of Los Angeles started a competition to select the Next Big Jewish Idea, awarding the $100,000 prize to Batsheva Frankel for the LaunchBox, a toolkit designed to provide materials to encourage Jewish practice and exploration.

Frankel currently is attempting to raise funds for a second iteration of the LaunchBox via crowdsourcing.

Jonathan Sarna, a professor of American Jewish history at Brandeis University and the chair of the selection committee for the Bronfman “big idea” competition, said the recent focus on major transformative ideas in the Jewish world was elicited by the success of Birthright Israel – what he called “Birthright envy.” Sarna also argued that the focus on innovative breakthroughs was spurred by the modern culture of rapid techno-

PHOTO | HAIM ZACH/GPO/FLASH 90

Michael Bloomberg, right, receiving the Genesis Prize from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as Genesis Prize Chairman Stan Polovets looks on May 22, 2014. logical change.

“People got used to the idea that there are big things – a cellphone, the iPhone – that would truly change our world,” said Sarna. “I do think there is a sense that the world is changing faster than it used to change. It may not be true, but that’s the view.”

Wayne Firestone, president of the Genesis Prize Foundation, said the competition’s focus on big ideas came in part from looking at Bloomberg’s own experi-

ence in starting competitions to attract the attention of young talent. Firestone noted the Bloomberg-initiated NYC BigApps competition, which triggered the creation of smartphone apps.

“Bloomberg saw the benefit of reaching into the target population to come up with target answers,” Firestone told JTA. The Genesis competition also will focus on encouraging collaboration and communication among the competing teams, and

on offering mentorship, support and expertise to teams as they develop their proposals.

The Genesis Prize, which will be given out annually, is awarded to an accomplished, internationally renowned professional who is a role model in his or her community and can inspire the younger generation of Jews worldwide, according to the Genesis Prize Foundation website.

Although the prize was launched with the explicit purpose of inspiring young Jews, the Generation Challenge is open to applicants of all backgrounds, and teams are encouraged to address global problems. But Firestone was confident that the competition would nonetheless attract the interest of young Jews.

“When you go looking in the innovation space, you will find young Jews,” said Firestone, noting that the competition’s online portal already was attracting one of its strongest concentrations of visitors from Tel Aviv. “We think you’re going to find lots of Jewish individuals, but not only by asking people ‘are you Jewish?’ ” ANTHONY WEISS is a Los Angeles based staff writer for JTA.

Clooney’s fiancee turns down U.N. commission JTA – Amal Alamuddin, the British attorney engaged to actor George Clooney, declined her nomination to serve on a U.N. panel investigating Israel for possible war crimes in Gaza.

Alamuddin attributed her decision to “prior professional commitments,” she said, adding she “regrets that the commission will not benefit from her expertise in the field,” The Gulf Today reported Aug. 12.

Her nomination by the United Nations Human Rights Council to the three-person commission had been announced the previous day.

Despite rejecting the position, Alamuddin said there should be an “independent investigation and accountability for crimes that have been committed,” according to The Daily Mail.

The commission will be chaired by William Schabas, a Canadian international law professor who has been accused of bias against Israel.

Schabas has been asked to recuse himself by UN Watch, a nongovernmental organization that monitors the international body. Israel’s Foreign Ministry said his nomination “proves beyond any doubt that Israel cannot expect justice from this body, and that the committee’s report is already written.

In his defense, Schabas told

public radio, according to The Gulf Today, “I’ve frequently lectured in Israel, at universities in Israel, I’m a member of the editorial board of the Israel Law Review, I wouldn’t do those things if I was anti-Israel.”

Schabas said the investigation will examine both parties in the confl ict, Israelis and Palestinian militants.

MAKE A DIFFERENCE! Rhode Island area schools seek part-time Hebrew and/or Judaica teachers, as well as music specialists for the 2014/15 school year.

For more information contact Larry Katz at the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island at 401.421.4111 ext. 179 or lkatz@jewishallianceri.org.

30 | August 15, 2014

WE ARE READ | SIMCHAS

The Jewish Voice

WHAT NOW? The pain and anguish of the past weeks have been beyond belief for all who care about Israel and Palestinians.

Rather than let our emotions divide us or fuel the flames of hatred, let us turn them into energy to help bring this conflict to an end.

We urge renewed and proactive American diplomatic leadership to help achieve a comprehensive regional solution to the conflict.

We urge American Jewish leaders and institutions to put as much energy into supporting efforts to achieve peace as they have into supporting Israel while at war.

May we be as vocal about the need for a two-state solution as we are about rockets and terror.

J Street is the political home of pro-Israel, pro-peace Americans.

Go to the J Street website for daily updates. www.jstreet.org To get involved locally, email rhodeisland@jstreet.org.

JERUSALEM – Ilan and Samantha Rich, of Providence, children of Harlan and Bev Rich, brought along The Voice during a visit to Jerusalem. They were in Israel on a Taglit/Birthright Israel Outdoors trip.

WE ARE READ – Joan Cohen, resident of NewBridge on the Charles, Dedham, Mass., keeps up to date on Jewish community news and supports her granddaughter, Dana Cohen, The Voice summer communications intern.

RETIREMENT – Kevin Dwares of Cranston retired on July 31 after more then 30 years as a U.S. Department of Defense employee. Kevin spent seven years with the Defense Logistics Agency in Boston, then the next seven years as the manager of government contracts with the Naval Engineering Command (NAVFAC) in Newport, and the rest of his career with the U.S. Naval War College in Newport, as the Senior Contracting Officer in the Business Operations Directorate.

He graduated from Rhode Island College with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and then continued his studies and received a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Johnson and Wales University.

He resides in Cranston with his wife of 34 years (Barbara Gold Dwares). Nearby Kevin’s son Jake lives with his wife Maria and Kevin and Barbara’s granddaughter Maya age 2-1/2 who is named after her late Uncle Max. Kevin will enjoy spending time with his granddaughter Maya and enjoy traveling with Barbara in the years ahead. Kevin can be reached at: Kevindwares@gmail.com.

August 15, 2014 |

ISRAEL

thejewishvoice.org

31

Update from Gilboa-Afula In the beginning of August we had a few small farewell ceremonies with the long-term groups who were hosted in the Gilboa for over a month. These were mostly groups of families from Kfar Aza who stayed at Nir Haemek (Simcha Peer is the president of the high school), Kibbutz Nir Oz and Kibbutz Ein Hashlosha. We all had mixed feelings during the farewells and many emotions came up. Some of the families

felt scared and weren’t sure if it was really safe for them to go home and others felt it was time to leave Gilboa, but promised to come and visit.

The kids from Kfar Aza left us a lovely picture they drew for us. The kids also made Gili, our bus driver who took them to kindergarten every day, a shirt with a picture of all the children thanking him Unfortunately, the quiet was interrupted when the cease-

fi re broke and missiles were once again launched toward Israel. Twelve families from Ein Hashlosha were on their way home but decided to return to Gilboa. These families are waiting to see if this time the cease-fi re is really serious. We are all hoping quiet will resume and the families will soon feel safe enough to return home.

An update from Gilor Meshulam

COURTESY | GILOR MESHULAM

A Rhode Island connection Gilor Meshulam (right), the Jewish Alliance of Rhode Island’s new Israeli shaliach (emissary), and Providence’s Yehuda Fishhaut (left) together at Ein ha’Shlosha, near Kissufi m, which is one of the main checkpoints to Gaza, about 40 minutes from Sderot toward the Gaza strip area.

In the beginning of July, I began a Jewish Agency course studying about aliyah, the Diaspora, private and collective Jewish identity and, of course, about American customs.

A few days after I began this course “Protective Edge” began. It was very tough concentrating in the course, knowing some of my soldiers and fellow officers I was working with only six months ago were in the combat zone. Eventually I was called to serve in the Gaza strip with the Comm Battalion 481. During my short reserve service I encountered bravery, love for the land and the

people and most of all solidarity. I showed pictures from the Emergency Solidarity Rally held at the Jewish Alliance to my Colonel and some of the soldiers. They were amazed and said how incredible it was to see solidarity and support even across the ocean.

I feel my last few weeks in Israel were spent in the best possible way through serving in the army and learning about the wonderful community I will be living in. I look forward to meeting this community at the end of August when I begin serving as the shaliach, Israeli emissary.

Gilor Meshulam

HEATHER STATE REPRESENTATIVE - DISTRICT 4 MOUNT HOPE, SUMMIT & BLACKSTONE NEIGHBORHOODS

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32 | August 15, 2014

ISRAEL

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PHOTO | IDF VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Israel is developing a sensor system to detect tunnels dug by Hamas terrorists into Israel from Gaza.

Israel testing new tunnel detection system JNS.org – Senior Israeli officers are reporting that a sensor system is being developed that would be able to identify new tunnels being dug by Hamas into Israel from Gaza.

A senior officer told Yedioth Achronoth that the system, which could cost up to two billion NIS ($576 million), works via sensors that detect underground excavation and areas.

The system was already successfully tested in Tel Aviv-ar-

ea sewage tunnels. When fully operational, the system could be deployed all along the IsraelGaza border.

Meanwhile, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Northern Command Maj, Gen. Yair Golan said that while the threat of tunnels built by Hamas on the Gaza border continues, “the G eneral stressed that at the moment there are no known [Hezbollah] attack tunnels coming from Lebanon.”

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A $150 yearly contribution from you, plus a $250 yearly investment from your synagogue and the Jewish Alliance, results in the Gift of Israel.

The Jewish Voice is your community newspaper, your link to the Jewish community and everything Jewish happening around you. We welcome your valuable input and love to hear your VOICE added to ours.

Our staff is small and cannot cover everything happening in the community. So, we ask that you send us information that you would like to share with readers of The Jewish Voice. Photos are always welcome.

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• Your OPINION about world, national, Israeli or community news • Letters to the editor • Arts • Business – news, awards, honors • Schools, education news • Local sports featuring Jewish athletes • Schmooze & News — things from synagogues and Jewish organizations • News on the Jewish Scene • Simchas – weddings, engagements, births, bar|bat mitzvah • Obituaries, for relatives, friends out of state with a connection to Jewish Rhode Island or southeastern Mass.

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Send information and photos to: Fran Ostendorf: editor@jewishallianceri.org or Mail to: The Jewish Voice ATTN: Jewish Community News 401 Elmgrove Ave. Providence, RI 02906

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