January 5, 2018

HEALTH & WELLNESS

Volume XXIV, Issue I | www.jvhri.org Serving Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts

18 Tevet 5778 | January 5, 2018

Captain to make history as R.I. Army National Guard’s first Jewish chaplain

BY LARRY KESSLER

ILLUSTRATION | JTA, LIOR ZALTZMAN

This year’s heartwarming moments include a girl who helped decorate a vandalized cemetery, a dog who saved two lives, and an unlikely friendship between a monkey and a chicken.

The 7 most heartwarming Jewish stories of 2017

BY JOSEFIN DOLSTEN JTA – Political turmoil, terror attacks and natural disasters around the world: 2017 had plenty of people feeling down, for good reason.

But there were also notable moments of light. As this year draws to a close, here is a chronology of some of the more heartwarming stories JTA published this year:

An Orthodox Jew builds bridges with his Yemeni Muslim neighbors

After

President

Donald

Trump issued his fi rst executive order banning immigrants from seven predominantly Muslim countries, Alexander Rapaport, a Hasidic Jew, wanted to show his support for his neighbors in Brooklyn. So when New York bodega owners from Yemen went on strike in February in protest of the ban, Rapaport organized community members to put Post-it notes with messages of support on the front of a local store owned by

Capt. Aaron Rozovsky, 31, who has just been appointed the Rhode Island Army National Guard’s fi rst Jewish chaplain in its 380-year history, has deep Ocean State roots.

Despite being born in Nova Scotia, Canada, and not growing up in Rhode Island, the state is close to his heart. Rozovsky, who will be ordained a rabbi on June 2, traces his local roots to his mother Fay née Frank), a Rhode Island native who was among the fi rst women to graduate from Providence College.

He, too, earned a bachelor’s degree from PC, in history, in 2008, before earning a master’s in international studies from Central Connecticut University in 2012. Rozovsky most recently has been studying at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, in Cincinnati.

“No matter where I’ve lived, I have always considered Rhode Island to be home,” Rozovsky said recently. “My mom’s side of the family is from Rhode Island.” His family also includes his great-uncles, the late Charles and Albert Samdperil, and his uncle and aunt, Gerry and Ann Goldstein.

Capt. Aaron Rozovsky Rozovsky’s love of Judaism also was nurtured locally. “I spent a lot of my summers with my grandparents in Cranston and at my aunt and uncle’s farm in Greenville,” he said. “For many years, no matter where we were, we attended high holiday services at Temple Beth-El [in Providence], where we loved listening to Rabbi Leslie Gutterman.”

The Jewish Voice chatted with Rozovsky via email; an

PHOTOS | AARON ROZOVSKY

edited version of the interview follows: Q: When and why did you join the Guard?

A: I simultaneously enlisted in the Rhode Island Army National Guard and accepted an Army ROTC scholarship in 2006 at Providence College. I joined because I love everything this country stands for – our incredible religious, racial and CHAPLAIN | 5

STORIES | 16

2017 was a good year for Europe’s extremists

BY CNAAN LIPHSHIZ PARIS (JTA) – On the surface, at least, Europe has not changed much over the past 12 months.

In fact, when it comes to European politics, this year may appear mild in comparison to 2016, which saw several dramatic and shocking developments, such as Brexit, a refugee resettlement crisis and the terrorist attack in Nice on Bastille Day, France’s national holiday.

Across much of the continent in 2017, however, populists were blocked from reaching power by centrist parties.

To the relief of the continent’s estimated 3 million Jews, and other minorities with bitter memories of extremism, the European Union certainly saw no upset of the scale of President Donald Trump’s succession of Barack Obama, or that

of the liberal prime minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, over his conservative predecessor in 2015.

But a closer examination suggests that 2017 nonetheless has been a watershed year for the continent’s far-right and farleft movements. They have had unprecedented successes in a series of elections thanks to discontent, economic anxiety, nationalistic sentiment and xenophobia.

The fi rst upset came in March, when the Dutch antiIslam Party for Freedom for the fi rst time since its creation in 2006, became the country’s second largest, with 13 percent of the vote. Those elections also allowed the “DENK” party to enter parliament for the fi rst time in the history of that far-left movement, which was

founded by Muslim immigrants on a platform of resistance to integration and which Dutch Jews accuse of anti-Semitism.

In December, the Austrian Freedom Party, founded in the 1950s, by a former SS officer for the second time in its history joined the coalition government after garnering 26 percent of the vote in elections two months earlier.

In September, the populist Alternative for Germany entered parliament for the fi rst time with its best electoral result ever: 12.6 percent of the vote in the federal election. And in Bulgaria, the far-right Volya party entered parliament for the fi rst time in elections that also saw the successor to the Bulgarian Communist Party double its voters to become the country’s second-largest.

PHOTO | JEFF J MITCHELL/GETTY IMAGES

National Front leader Marine Le Pen addresses activists at the Espace François Mitterrand in Henin Beaumont, France, April 23, 2017.

But the real shocker came this spring in the two rounds of the presidential election in France, which is home to

Europe’s largest Jewish and Muslim populations.

In May, France’s National Front achieved its best electoral result ever when 34 percent of voters cast their votes for the far-right candidate Marine Le Pen in the presidential election won by Emmanuel Macron.

In the fi rst round in April, 19 percent of voters chose JeanLuc Melenchon, a far-left candidate and communist activist who is calling for rewriting the constitution and a “redistribution of wealth.”

Like Le Pen, Melenchon also seeks to take France out of the European Union and has been accused of fomenting racist hatred against Jews. The CRIF umbrella group of French Je branded him “just as bad” as Le Pen last year.

EXTREMISTS | 9

2 | January 5, 2018

INSIDE Business 18-20 Calendar 10 Community 2-6, 14, 16, 19, 22 D’Var Torah 7 Food 11 Health & Wellness 12-13 Obituaries 21 Opinion 8-9 Seniors 17 We Are Read 23 World 14, 16

THIS ISSUE’S QUOTABLE QUOTE “The work of creating a society in which everyone … can enjoy the blessings of freedom remains a goal toward which we must all strive …”

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The Jewish Voice

Overcoming obstacles for better health

BY FRAN OSTENDORF Rabbi Noach Karp has found what he calls an “out of the box” way to connect with people.

And he’s become a healthier person in the process. He’s even taken his family with him.

For the last year, Rabbi Karp has been training for obstacle race competitions such as the Spartan Race, the world’s leading obstacle race series with varying distances and difficulties. The challenge appeals to him, he said. And along the way, he is exercising more and leading a healthier lifestyle. The next competition is the Blizzard Blast in Lowell, Massachusetts at the end of January. This one is special to him because the fi rst race he ever ran was the Blizzard Blast a year ago.

He’s hoping others will join him in the training and see how much better they can be in the process.

Rabbi Karp’s journey might seem a little unusual. He is known in the Providence community for his day job as program director for Project Shoresh, the organization run by his brother Rabbi Naftali Karp. He’s married to Miriam, and they have five children.

Originally from Baltimore, he was raised in an orthodox family. He strives to make Judaism accessible to all Rhode Islanders, especially those with

young families.

And in addition to Project Shoresh programming, he’s found that sharing his exercise regimen is one way to do that.

“I’m breaking unspoken barriers across the spectrum of Judaism,” he said. He has found plenty of connections and said there are Jewish lessons to be learned from all the training, including tackling obstacles and struggles, as well as what it means to be strong. People in other parts of the country are fi nding this as well. For example, in St. Louis you can sign up for a training class called “Torah and Turf” which infuses the importance of Torah study with the game of flag football.

Rabbi Karp said what matters is he is a 30-year-old Dad from the East Side and it is good to be in a healthy place. “It’s good for the greater you and for your family,” he said. “There are life lessons to be learned from the races.”

He got started on these competitions when a friend introduced him to the events. Now, he admits that training has become a bit of an addiction.

“My energy is at a whole different level.” And he says he’s lost about 50 pounds.

Part of training is balance – fi nding time to train that doesn’t interfere with his job or his family. “I speed walk the

PHOTOS | RABBI NOACH KARP

Rabbi Karp and his team during a recent Spartan Race. boulevard while studying. Before I never would have considered that.”

He trains at night after the

children are asleep, which gives him new opportunities to be outdoors.

OBSTACLES | 19

ESTABLISH YOUR LEGACY TODAY.

Invest in our Jewish community tomorrow.

Creating your legacy shows the ones you love most just how important they are to you because you are committing to their future. A legacy gift—such as an endowment—promises that your generosity and vision will have an impact far beyond your lifetime.

With a Jewish Foundation Federation legacy, you guarantee that the most vulnerable among us know they are not alone. You support community programs and services that welcome everyone.

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And that is timeless.

Your investments should grow with you—and for you.

For more information on ways to leave your Jewish legacy, please contact Trine Lustig, Vice President of Philanthropy, at tlustig@jewishallianceri.org or 401.421.4111 ext. 223.

Let’s grow together.

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January 5, 2018 |

3

Alliance’s Annual Campaign mobilizes to help Jews worldwide with ‘100 Days of Giving’

BY STEPHANIE HAGUE More than 1,600 community members gave their dollars and time generously to support the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island’s 2017 Annual Campaign, which ended June 30.

Driven by the values of tzedakah (charity) and tikkun olam (repairing the world), the 2017 Annual Campaign provided funding for services, programs and organizations locally and around the world to ensure that children have enriching and safe learning opportunities, seniors age with dignity and respect, and Jewish families have the tools and resources they need.

For 2018, the Alliance has targeted its Annual Campaign around the theme of “100 Days of Giving.” The idea is to focus on fundraising in the first 100 days of the campaign year so community partners can quickly have funds available for their missions.

As The Jewish Voice went to press, the 2018 Annual Campaign, chaired by Susan Froehlich and Jamie Pious, had raised $2.59 million from 1,250 donors,

Thank

YOU

for making a difference

tracking well ahead of the 2017 campaign.

The 2018 campaign successfully kicked off with Super Sunday on Sept.

17, 2017, with 65 volunteers raising about $88,000 from 219 donors to benefit the Jewish community in Rhode Island and around the world.

On Nov. 5, more than 350 donors attended the Annual Campaign event featuring Jennifer Teege, author of “My

Grandfather Would Have Shot Me.” The Victor and Gussie Baxt Social Hall at the Alliance’s Dwares Jewish Community Center, in Providence, was filled to overflowing for the inspiring and thoughtprovoking evening.

At the end of November, 65 women joined together for the Alliance’s Rosh Hodesh program, featuring Rabbi Rachel Zerin of Temple Emanu-El, in Providence.

The 2018 Annual Campaign will conclude with two exciting programs. On May 2, internationally acclaimed chef Michael Solomonov will headline a culinary-themed event. An exclusive prereception, chaired by Donna Frank and Lezli Pious, will be held for Women’s Alliance members who donate a minimum of $1,000 annually.

On June 11, the Alliance’s 33rd Annual Dwares JCC Golf Classic, chaired by Jeanie and Wayne Charness, will take place at the Warwick Country Club.

Watch for additional programs, which will be scheduled throughout the year.

The 2018 Annual Campaign continues until June.

For more information about the 2018 Annual Campaign or the Jewish Alliance, or to make a gift by phone, contact Stephanie Hague at shague@jewishallianceri.org or 401-421-4111, ext. 127. You may also make your gift directly online at jewishallianceri.org.

STEPHANIE HAGUE (shague@ jewishallianceri.org) is the philanthropy officer at the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island.

4 | January 5, 2018

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The Jewish Voice

Mystery box from Israel provides a sweet lesson for Cohen School students

BY DORI ADLER EAST GREENWICH, R.I. – What’s more exciting than getting a surprise package in the mail? Getting it from Israel!

To strengthen our students’ connection to Israel, The Cohen School at Torat Yisrael participated in an interactive “What’s in the Box” Israeli program.

At my request, Providence native Rabbi Elan Adler, who now lives in Ma’ale Adumim, Israel, was sent on a mission, with school funds, to shop for Israeli treats and trinkets to mail to the school children. Adler purchased different kinds of Israeli candy and snacks, and Jerusalem-decorated pens. All of the wrappers and pens had Hebrew lettering and the box even had current Israeli newspapers that were used as packing material.

When the large box was shown to the students one Sunday School morning, they excitedly guessed its contents and where it came from. They were all smart investigators and quickly determined from the Hebrew words that the box was from Israel.

The students eagerly searched the newspapers for pictures. A student in the kindergarten/

first grade class found a photo of an Israeli soccer player wearing a kippah! Then, they found the items hidden in the newspapers and practiced reading Hebrew as they examined the packaging and treats.

The students received more than just candy and pens from this project – opening the box together enriched their understanding of Israel and gave them an opportunity to be menschen by sharing with one another. They also practiced their patience skills while their peers explored the contents, and, encouraged by their teachers, used what they have learned about Israel to imagine what was in the box. One student wondered if it held water from the Dead Sea! And there was an extra-sweet surprise for the school – in addition to filling the box, Rabbi Adler performed a mitzvah by donating the box and all its contents in memory of Wendy B. Adler, a Sunday School teacher, and his sister-in-law, who passed away in 1997.

DORI ADLER is education director at Torat Yisrael’s Cohen School, in East Greenwich.

CONTRIBUTORS Cynthia Benjamin Seth Chitwood Stephanie Ross Sam Serby EDITOR Fran Ostendorf DESIGN & LAYOUT Leah Camara ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT Chris Westerkamp cwesterkamp@jewishallianceri.org 401-421-4111, ext. 160 Karen Borger ksborger@gmail.com 401-529-2538

COLUMNISTS Michael Fink Rabbi James Rosenberg Daniel Stieglitz THE JEWISH VOICE (ISSN number 1539-2104, USPS #465-710) is published biweekly, except in July, when it does not publish.

Students from Torat Yisrael’s Cohen School, above, enjoyed unpacking the treats from the Israel box.

Rabbi Elan Adler, right, fills the box in Israel. Even the packing material provided a lesson in Hebrew, below.

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

MEMBER of the Rhode Island Press Association and the American Jewish Press Association

PHOTOS | DORI ADLER

COPY DEADLINES: All news releases, photographs, etc., must be received on the Wednesday 10 days prior to publication. Submissions may be sent to: editor@jewishallianceri.org.

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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.

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Capt. Aaron Rozovsky of the Rhode Island Army National Guard, gives the invocation at Brigadier Gen. Alicia TateNadeau’s retirement ceremony.

FROM PAGE 1

| CHAPLAIN

political and cultural diversity, the freedoms of religion, speech, press, and assembly.

These things are so precious that I believe they are worth fighting and dying for. I was 15 and a sophomore in high school when 9/11 took place. When I saw the planes hit the towers, I remember I had the same feeling that I experienced the fi rst time my parents told me that part of our family had been murdered in the pogroms. I felt called to do something, and I’ve never looked back.

Q: When and where did you serve?

A: I deployed to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, from October 2009 to October 2010. I served as the leader of a quick reaction force platoon. I deployed to Afghanistan from March 2011 to March 2012, where I served as a battle c apt a i n. Bot h deploy ments were transformative experiences. The greatest part of both Cuba and Afghanistan, however, was the honor and privilege of serving with men and women who cared so deeply about our country.

Q: How much did your faith keep you going?

A: Faith was a big part of my deployment experiences. I read a lot of the TANAKH, midrash, Talmud, Rashi and Rambam. I

served as a Jewish lay leader at both bases. I prayed a lot when I ran. Friday night Shabbat services were probably the highlight of my week [while] overseas.

Q: When and why did you decide to study to be a rabbi?

A: I decided I wanted to be a rabbi during my fi rst deployment. I realized I not only enjoyed helping and comforting people, but also that I loved the richness of Jewish history, text, theology, culture and philosophy. When one of my NCOs noticed this, he suggested I become a rabbi. I laughed it off, but after a couple of days, I realized how right he was.

Q: Were you religious growing up?

A: Religion was a big part of my life growing up. I went to Shabbat services with my family every Friday and Saturday, attended Hebrew school and was part of BBYO. My father [Lorne, who died in 2013] served as the president of our shul when I was in high school.

Q: What do you hope to accomplish in your new post?

A: What makes this a big deal is that while the Rhode Island Air National Guard dates to 1939 [and has already had a Jewish chaplain], the Rhode Island Army National Guard is

January 5, 2018 |

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Capt. Aaron Rozovosky of the Rhode Island Army National Guard, a Providence College graduate, is shown in Acre, Israel during his first year of rabbinical school. one of the oldest military organizations in the United States, dating to 1638. My goal will be to provide the best religious, moral, ethical, spiritual and emotional support I possibly can to all of our soldiers and their families. Finally, I hope to be given the opportunity to provide our Jewish servicemen and women with a rich Jewish life while deployed far from home.

Q: What advice do you have for anyone contemplating a similar career?

A: It’s never about you. It’s about the people and institutions you serve. In that sense, the rabbinate is very much like the military as they both promote selfless service.

Q: Many synagogues and temples are being forced to

merge as members dwindle.

Do you have any advice on how spiritual leaders can retain worshippers?

A: Being creative, innovative and adaptable are going to be the key. A rabbi can no longer expect people to come to synagogue ‘just because.’ Rather, you as the rabbi have to meet congregants where they are, at venues they are interested in and in modes they want. This is why programs such as Torah on Tap and Running with the Rabbi are so successful. At the Army Chaplain School, they always told us: ‘Get out of the chapel and the chaplain’s office. Go on PT [physical training] runs with your soldiers. Go on 12mile ruckmarches with them, carrying the same weighted packs they are. … This is how

you will earn their trust and confidence.’ I think the same thing applies in the rabbinate.

Q: What do you do in your free time?

A: I love running. I fi nd it not only good for my health, but also emotionally calming, spiritually uplifting, and mentally stimulating. I try to run at least five miles a day.

Q: Who was your biggest influence?

A: I’ve been blessed that I have had incredible friends, teachers, coaches and mentors throughout my life who have always been there to guide and help me. I think it would actually be unfair to pinpoint just one.

LARRY KESSLER is a freelance writer who can be reached at lkessler1@comcast.net.

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6 | January 5, 2018

The Jewish Voice

Hope High group collects ‘Dollars for Scholars’

Israeli government OKs $72M anti-BDS project

BY JEWISH VOICE STAFF

In 2011, a group of Hope High School alumni founded a scholarship fund to help Hope students pursue higher education.

As of today, close to 500 Hope High alumni and friends have donated Hope High School was founded in 1898 on Providence’s East Side. Its current building was completed in 1936, when it was a neighborhood school. Today, Hope High is a citywide school with more than 800 students, including many from around the world.

To date, 54 students have received scholarships totaling $152,000 from the Hope High Dollars for Scholars program.

Some are the first in their families to attend college. The alumni and friends who donate to the fund say they want to “pay it forward” to the new generation of Hope High graduates.

“Hope High is in my DNA,” said donor Rosalind Schwartz Hill. “I am a Hope graduate [Class of ’57]. My father, uncles, and cousins attended Hope – we all treasure our Hope years.”

The idea for the scholarships, which are awarded each spring, came from Jane Rosenbloom Bermont, Class of 1965.

“Winning a scholarship creates a special kind of magic,” she said. “The financial benefit is obvious – and greatly appreciat-

The twelve students who received scholarships in 2017. ed. The magic comes in the form of honoring a scholar’s accomplishments. Sending a scholar to college with confidence is truly magical.”

Says Hope Alperin Hirsch, ’63, “My husband and I both believe the way to change a person’s life is through education, and being able to support the Hope scholars enriches our lives.

The program is administered by a volunteer board and is part of the nationwide nonprofit Scholarship America organiza-

tion, which supports community programs like the one at Hope High.

Last May, 12 students received $52,000 in scholarships. The nonprofit is currently raising funds for the 2018 scholarships, according to Andrea Mattia, communications chair. For more information, email Mattia at andreamattia@gmail.com or call her at 401-602-1882. The scholarship program’s website is hopehigh.dollarsforscholars. org.

JTA – Israel’s government has approved a plan setting aside $72 million toward fighting the campaign to boycott Israel.

The plan would entail the largest monetary investment yet by Israel specifically toward combating the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign. It was announced last week to the cabinet ministers and approved as an executive order after none of them objected, the Ynet news site reported Dec. 29.

It calls for setting up a notfor-profit organization whose board will be made up of government officials and donors from abroad, the report said.

The board will oversee the fi rst major “civil-society infrastructure servicing the State of Israel and the pro-Israel community in the fight against the de-legitimization of Israel,” the notice sent to the ministers read.

The $75 million budget will come partly from the Israeli government and partly from Jewish donors and communities abroad, the report said. It did not say when the new organization would become operational or even established formally.

But the initial funding to the tune of $36 million will come from the budget of the ministry that includes Public Security, Strategic Affairs and Informa-

tion. At least 10 Jewish philanthropists have pledged to at least match that sum, with some promising to give $2 and $3 to any dollar put in by the Israeli government beyond the initial funding, according to the report.

The organization envisaged by its creators would operate on a regular basis to counter pressure applied to artists, performers and commercial enterprises who seek to engage with Israel.

But it would shift into high gear at sensitive periods such as fighting waves of terrorist attacks and anti-Israel votes at international forums.

The new organization’s avenues for action would include public campaigns, lobbying, arranging for solidarity visits to Israel by opinion shapers, establishing new and social media presence and interacting with pro-Israel organization worldwide for coordinated action with a focus on Europe.

While such activities today formally fall under the purview of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, spinning off the nonprofit would allow for quicker and more flexible action unconstrained by government bureaucracy and legal limitations on third party services. But the new organization will be subject to review by the state.

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D’VAR TORAH

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From Exodus to now, our social responsibilities are still the same Parashat Shemot Once upon a time, there arose a new ruler. This new ruler deliberately ignored the accomplishments of the foreigner who had made the country prosper in hard times. He impugned the loyalty of those who supported RABBI the man, who WAYNE was one of the FRANKLIN country’s immigrant ethnic minorities.

He sowed fear among his subjects and stripped the foreigners of their freedom.

Outwardly, the new ruler exerted great power. But relief from oppression for the strangers emerged, undetected, within the ruler’s own household.

His daughter had discovered a baby floating in a basket in the river and wisely guessed the child’s origins. She adopted the baby and raised him as her own.

Having learned the value and the dignity of freedom, the young man’s first recorded act was defending a fellow outsider from cruelty by killing the slave master.

You know the story – the

young “prince” flees to the desert, where he encounters a bush that is engulfed in fire but is not consumed by the flames. During this powerful experience, the young Moses comes “face to face” with God. When Moses asks for the identity of the being in the flames, he is told: “I will be what I will be”! The identity of God in this passage is fascinating and tantalizing. But the point of the encounter is not for Moses to dwell on the elusive essence of God. Rather, he is sent on a mission – to free the slaves in Egypt.

This week, we begin reading the Book of Exodus. In the opening chapters of this second book of the Torah, the spotlight shines clearly on issues of human dignity and social justice.

God assures Moses that he will not be alone in his struggle against Pharaoh, as he labors for his people’s freedom; God will be with him throughout the ordeal.

Pharaoh is stubborn; even when pressed hard by plagues, he resists releasing the slaves.

He cannot imagine a society in which his own economic wellbeing is not paramount.

Jewish tradition emphasizes concern for those who are dependent on those who are more

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powerful economically. It insists that those who have more must share their blessings with those who have less. Judaism teaches us to organize our lives and our societies around tzedakah, doing justice, the right thing, by our neighbors. Too many of us today have reduced our Jewishness to involvement solely with our ethnic identity, with little regard for our ethical responsibilities to our fellow human beings.

On Jan. 3, many leaders in the Jewish community, including several rabbis, planned to join with our Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, Hmong and other neighbors at the Rhode

Island State House to remind our state senators, representatives and other elected officials that all of our traditions unite in advocating for the welfare of those in need. We planned to plead for housing, food and medical coverage, for a decent education and for jobs for everyone in our state.

Without these basic elements of living, people are not really free. People who must constantly worry about finding the minimal basics of life cannot contribute to the strengthening of our communities.

It’s not enough to read a story about a young man who confronted a belligerent dictator

thousands of years ago. It’s a story we are called upon to reenact, year after year, for as long as some of us are not totally free.

If you were able to join in the vigil at the State House, thank you. But the work of creating a society in which everyone, native-born and immigrant alike, can enjoy the blessings of freedom remains a goal toward which we must all strive all year long. I hope we will all work together toward realizing this vision.

WAYNE FRANKLIN is the senior rabbi at Temple Emanu-El, in Providence.

Gal Gadot, Harvey Weinstein among top 10 most mispronounced words for 2017 JTA – The names Gal Gadot and Harvey Weinstein were among the top 10 mispronounced words of 2017, according to Babbel Magazine.

Gadot, who played Wonder Woman in the film by the same name and in “Justice League,” was fifth on the list put out by the magazine associated with the online language learning company.

Her name is often mispronounced with a silent “t,” according to Babbel, which consulted with the British Institute of Verbatim Reporters, the U.S. Captioning Company and Na-

tional Captioning Canada to ask their professional subtitlers about the consistently mispronounced words they noticed this year.

So, just for the record, Gadot is pronounced “gah-dott.” No word on whether her first name is mispronounced – it is “gahl,” not “gal” as in a girl.

Weinstein was 10th on the list. The disgraced Hollywood producer, who appeared frequently in the news in the latter half of 2017, pronounces his name “wine-steen,” which has led to debates among linguists who believe his name should

be pronounced “wine-stine,” rhyming with Einstein, the way it is frequently mispronounced.

Other words on the list include coulrophobia, pronounced “cool-ruh-foh-bee-ah,” the term for a fear of clowns and definitely related to the film adaptation of Stephen King’s “It,” and fibromyalgia, pronounced “ f a i- br oh -m a i- a h l-jya h ,” a chronic illness with symptoms such as widespread muscular pain. Lady Gaga announced this year that she suffers from the disorder to raise awareness.

8 | January 5, 2018

OPINION

It’s a wrap

I always looked forward to the end-of-the-year wrap-up stories and lists in the newspaper and on television. I relish those looks back on the year that was.

They remind me what an event-filled year we’ve just experienced. They remind us of all the ups and downs, the EDITOR positives and negatives.

It’s amazFRAN ing to me OSTENDORF the hours of work that go in to writing one of those pieces, whether for print, social media or broadcast.

I saw a particularly good one on “CBS News Sunday Morning,” on Dec. 31, called “Hail and Farewell,” that chronicled all the famous and some notso-famous people who died in 2017. What made it stand out?

Jane Pauley said a few words about what made each person special, and did a nice job tying together relationships between many of the people we lost. The viewer was not left to wonder who that person was and why he made the list.

I like to think that we’ve all done something important in our lives – in large and small ways. Many of the people on the list were very recognizable. But they highlighted some people who didn’t make any other lists, like Robert Blakeley, who designed the nuclear-fallout shelter signs.

Stopping for a moment to think about what we’ve accomplished and how we might be remembered is a good way to put things in perspective.

What a way to end the year.

In the Oct. 27 edition, The Voice ran a story about 11 inspiring Jews who died in 5777.

If you haven’t already read it, take a look. It’s also available on our website (www.jvhri. org).

This week, we’ve jumped on the wrap-up bandwagon with

W

a couple of stories written by the JTA that focus on world events in 2017. It’s our way of saying goodbye to last year.

In the Nov. 24 Voice, we ran our own account of important events around the world.

We’ve placed all our year-end stories and a link to the CBS piece on the home page of our web site, under “Year end reviews.”

At year’s end, there are lots of surveys taking stock of how people feel about the important issues of the day. I find this fascinating, too. It’s only natural to measure our own opinions against those of others.

For example, each December, the Gallup organization asks Americans about their predictions for the new year.

And generally we are pretty pessimistic, which surprised me. This year, Americans are particularly pessimistic about the prospects for international peace, and say that 2018 will be troubled. Eight in 10 feel that way in a poll taken Dec. 4-11, worse than usual. On the other hand, while Americans are generally pessimistic about the economy too, this year they are less so. Fifty-two percent of us predict economic prosperity. So that’s good.

What’s your outlook on 2018?

And what’s your game plan for making it better?

As we move on to 2018 with our annual health and wellness issue, we’re hoping you will consider working on becoming healthier in the new year. With no end in sight to this cold weather, perhaps it’s time for a new exercise routine at home or in the gym.

What else? Read a new book?

Organize a closet? Take a class? Study in a new group?

Prepare something different for dinner? The possibilities are endless. Let us know what you plan to do. Perhaps we’ll have enough responses to publish our readers’ outlook for 2018.

A happy New Year to all our readers!

Coming up in The Voice

eddings, weddings, weddings. It’s our annual weddings issue. We’ll have to some practical advice to help whether you’re planning a wedding or a simcha.

If you have a simcha to share, don’t forget to submit a photo to The Voice so we can pass it onto our readers.

Send via email to editor@jewishallianceri.org or mail to 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence, RI 02906.

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

The Jewish Voice

Jerusalem! Jerusalem!

The psalmist sings: “If I forget you, O Jerusalem, may my right hand forget its cunning!

Let my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth, if I do not remember you, if I do not set Jerusalem above my highest joy!”

(137:5-6) It is no secret that IT SEEMS the city of Jerusalem TO ME has occupied a central place RABBI JIM in the Jewish ROSENBERG psyche ever since King David, 3,000 years ago, made Jerusalem the capital of the united monarchy of Judah and Israel. For the past two millennia, traditional Jews, when reciting the Amidah, the central prayer of our daily liturgy, have called on God to return to Jerusalem and to restore it to its former glory.

In addition, the Birkat ha-Mazon, recited after every meal, includes a blessing that calls on God to rebuild Jerusalem, ir hakodesh, the holy city.

I visited Jerusalem for the first time during the summer of 1965, when I was a volunteer at Kibbutz Kfar Menachem, located an hour or so away.

Before I even laid eyes on the city, I was moved to tears as my bus ascended a curving road, on the side of which were rusting armored military vehicles; these heavily damaged vehicles, disabled by enemy fire during the 1948-1949 War of Independence, were left as memorials to the Israeli soldiers who fought to keep the supply lines open to the besieged Jerusalem.

During that first visit to Jerusalem, the capital of Israel since its founding on May 14, 1948, it was a divided city; West Jerusalem was Jewish, while East Jerusalem – including the ancient walled city with its Western Wall, the Kotel, sacred to large numbers of Jews – was in Arab hands. I can still remember peering into the crowded streets of the Jordanian-controlled Old City from my vantage point in the Migdal David, David’s Tower, feeling frustrated about not being able

to set my Jewish foot in it.

When I visited Jerusalem for a second time, in February 1972, I was with my wife Sandy. With the conclusion of the Six-Day War, in June 1967, Jerusalem had become a united city. Our tour guide was able to take us through the Old City, through the dark and twisting alleys of the Shuk, the Arab market, to the wide plaza in front of the Kotel, then into the Jewish quarter, which was in the process of being rebuilt.

I felt almost as if I were living inside the lyrics of the popular song “Yerushalayim shel Zahav (“Jerusalem of Gold”).

In the fall of 1995, my son spent the first semester of his junior year in high school in Jerusalem as a student in the Reform Movement’s Eisendrath International Exchange Program, which is housed in the movement’s Bet Shmuel, next door to the world-famous King David Hotel. When I visited him, in early November, we had the opportunity to spend some time in the mild autumn air among the crowds on Ben Yehuda Street, enjoying our shawarma wraps and the relaxed give and take between father and rapidly maturing son. I felt as if David was in the process of internalizing Jerusalem as his city, so comfortable did he appear.

But then, on Saturday evening, Nov. 4, Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated – and Israel has never been the same.

Those ominous words crawling across the TV screen: “Shalosh yeriot… Rabin b’vet cholim … matsavo kasheh: Three shots … Rabin in the hospital … his situation grave ….” Strange to say, never have I felt more closely connected to the Jewish people than during those fateful days of sorrow and pain. My heart and soul told me that Jerusalem was where I belonged.

I was last in Jerusalem in March 2002, during the height of the Second Palestinian Intifada, at the annual convention of the Central Conference of America Rabbis. Because of a string of bombings, including one at the Moment Café the night before most of us were heading back to the U.S., Jerusalem was almost devoid of tourists.

Despite the fact that family members and friends had tried to convince me not to go to Jerusalem at such a volatile time, I felt the need to be there out of a sense of loyalty and solidarity with my rabbinical colleagues and with the Jewish people as a whole.

Once again, as I studied and worshipped with my colleagues at our convention, and despite the threats from the Intifada – or, perhaps, because of the threats – I felt that Jerusalem was where I belonged.

Given my sense of the centrality of Jerusalem to the Jewish psyche and given my personal feelings of connection with the city, one might assume that I approve of President Donald Trump’s recent decision to move the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem by 2020. Nevertheless, I am profoundly disappointed by his decision. Why? Because we Jews are not the only people who inhabit the city. The city is also sacred to many of the Muslims and Christians who live there, as well as to their co-religionists throughout the world.

On the political level, the Palestinians hope to make East Jerusalem their capital as the culminating event of a two-state solution. Unless President Trump reverses his decision, he has precluded the possibility of our country being an honest broker in any future peace talks. That’s the reason that every former president has resisted the temptation to fulfill a campaign promise by throwing gasoline on the always smoldering embers in the Mideast.

We Jews do not need President Trump to tell us what we already know: that Jerusalem has been part of our collective understanding for 3,000 years, and that, of course, the city has been the capital of modern Israel since its establishment in 1948. It seems to me that our president’s actions will do nothing to hasten the day when Jerusalem will at last embody the very meaning of its name: Jerusalem, City of Peace.

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

COLUMNS | LETTERS POLICY The Jewish Voice publishes thoughtful and informative contributors’ columns (opeds of 500 – 800 words) and letters to the editor (300 words, maximum) on issues of interest to our Jewish community.

At our discretion, we may edit pieces for publication or

refuse publication. Letters and columns, whether from our regular contributors or from guest columnists, represent the views of the authors; they do not represent the views of The Jewish Voice or the Alliance.

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

OPINION

jvhri.org

FROM PAGE 1

| EXTREMISTS

Like nearly all of Europe’s far-right and anti-Muslim parties, the National Front has formally distanced itself from supporters and members who espouse anti-Semitism. But such declarations were generally met with suspicion by Jewish community leaders.

In France, where wartime collaboration with the Nazis is still the subject of acrimonious debate, the gains of the far right and far left were widely seen as signs of the breaching of conventions held in place after World War II and the growing polarization in society.

“We got lucky with Macron,” Pascal Bruckner, a well-known French philosopher, who has written extensively on antiSemitism, said during a panel discussion about populism at the Dec. 10 CRIF annual conference in Paris. “But this might not be the case next time, with potentially destructive consequences for France and Europe.”

To some observers, the growing popularity of the far right even among European Jews is indicative of the scope of the problem. In France, the National Front is believed to enjoy the backing of 13.5 percent of Jewish voters. The party was thought to have had few Jewish supporters before Le Pen took over the party from her father,

the avowed anti-Semite JeanMarie Le Pen, in a bid to rehabilitate its image.

In the Netherlands, Party of Freedom leader Geert Wilders polled 10 percent among Jewish voters despite his party’s support for a ban on the ritual slaughter of animals and his 2014 promise to make sure the Netherlands has “fewer Moroccans” – language that many Jews found racist and offensive.

Bruckner spoke of the French elections as “a warning sign in which extremists came closer than ever before after World War II to ruling France.”

“We’re seeing a breakdown of conventional politics,” he said.

“Half of the French population wants out of the European Union, and they almost had their way.”

Many blame the revival of far-right parties in countries where bitter memories of Nazism had kept such movements at bay on leaders who admitted into the European Union at least 2 million refugees from the Middle East since 2015.

Pinchas Goldschmidt, the president of the European Conference of Rabbis, said the farright renaissance in Europe “is a counterreaction” to the pro-refugee policies of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who took the lead in welcoming the

PHOTO | STEFFI LOOS/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

An AfD poster in Berlin, Sept. 26, 2017. immigrants.

“Strategically she did the right thing, but technically she might have made a mistake,” Goldschmidt, a frequent and fiery critic of Europe’s far right, told JTA. Germany’s negative birth rate and growing need for working-age citizens “explains why Merkel wanted to open the gates, but short term it created tremendous amount of troubles for her, her party and moderate forces throughout Europe,” he said.

The rise of the far-right Freedom Party to power in Austria “is a backlash against Merkel’s policy,” Goldschmidt said.

He said it has gained strength amid growing fears of Is-

lamist attacks in Europe and tensions connected to failures in the integration of secondand third-generation Muslim immigrants.

Meanwhile, Goldschmidt added, the issue is taxing the already uneasy relationship between the western and eastern components of the European Union.

Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic and Croatia have moved to close their borders to newcomers in open defiance of Brussels’ decision to welcome them. And this, Goldschmidt said, is bad news “for the European Union, which is the best guarantee for the continuation of the most tolerant environment that has existed in cen-

January 5, 2018 |

9

turies on the continent toward Jews and others.”

Fears of Muslim immigration this year were a main theme at one of the largest nationalist rallies in the recent history of Central Europe: On Nov. 11, some 60,000 people attended a march in Warsaw that featured anti-Muslim banners and antiSemitic chants. In nearby Hungary, the rightist government placed the immigration issue squarely at the center of a campaign against the Jewish and pro-immigration billionaire George Soros, which some critics said had anti-Semitic overtones.

Fear of Russian expansionism under President Vladimir Putin is further exacerbating the ultranationalist problem in countries with bitter memories of life under Russia’s rule, Dominique Reynié, a political science professor and founder of the Paris-based Fondapol think tank, noted at the CRIF event.

But that threat, along with radical Islam, is also having therapeutic effects on the ailing European Union and may be key to its survival, Reynié added.

“For the first time in decades, the European Union has enemies in Putin and jihadism,” Reynié said. And while those threats come with serious complications, she said, “they are also pillars for a disunited European Union to rally around.”

Lorde cancelled her concert in Israel. Here’s what 5 other artists did this year.

BY JOSEFIN DOLSTEN JTA – Pop star LORDE’s decision to cancel her scheduled concert in Israel has sparked some fierce reactions, even if most of them were expected.

The 21-year-old New Zealand native’s move earned praise from proponents of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, who said she was taking a stand for the Palestinians. Meanwhile, a range of Israel supporters – from a group of entertainment industry executives to Australia’s version of the Anti-Defamation League – said Lorde’s cancellation sends the wrong message and does not promote coexistence.

Lorde is far from the first art-

In the most recent Sandra Bornstein Holocaust Education Center (SBHEC) newsletter, under Education Committee News, there was some confusion with regard to the Education Committee of the SBHEC and the Holocaust and Genocide Education Committee charged with implementing and overseeing the recent law requiring Holocaust and Genocide education

ist to take political considerations into account when deciding whether or not to perform in the Jewish state. A multitude of musicians from around the world have faced criticism and pressure over their decisions involving Israel in recent years.

Here’s a look at how some prominent artists dealt with the issue in 2017.

“You’re not bringing people together. You’re not encouraging dialogue or a sense of understanding,” he told Rolling Stone in June.

Roger Waters urged others to cancel shows in Israel

Radiohead performed in Israel, despite calls not to do so

Radiohead was hit with a flurry of criticism from both fans and high-profile artists when they scheduled a concert in Israel. But the English rock band chose to disregard a letter signed by boycott movement leaders and ended up playing their longest show in over a

in middle and high schools.

To clarify: the SBHEC has an Education Committee charged with providing educational opportunities concerning the Holocaust to Rhode Island students and teachers. This committee is chaired by Barbara Wahlberg.

The recently passed law requiring Holocaust and Genocide education in middle and

Lorde decade at Tel Aviv’s Hayarkon Park in July. Thom Yorke, the group’s frontman, called those pushing a boycott “disrespectful.”

Letter Committee clarity

high schools, provides for a Holocaust and Genocide Education Committee (the Law Committee). This committee is made up of three task forces – Professional Development, Curriculum and Outreach – and is chaired by Ezra Stieglitz. The Law Committee is NOT part of the Sandra Bornstein Holocaust Education Center.

The Law Committee has

The former Pink Floyd frontman is a leading proponent of the BDS movement, so he surprised few when he exhorted Radiohead not to perform in the Jewish state. In a response to Yorke in June, Waters said that the BDS movement “exists to shine a light on the predicament of the occupied people of Palestine, both in Palestine and those displaced abroad, and to promote equal civil rights for all the people living between the Jordan River and the Medi-

worked closely with the Rhode Island Department of Education to prepare a Holocaust and Genocide website that will serve as a resource to Rhode Island educators for planning and implementing instruction in Holocaust and Genocide studies. The website will be launched during the first part of 2018.

The Holocaust section of the upcoming website is available

terranean Sea no matter what their nationality, race or religion.

Nick Cave performed in Israel to take a stand against BD

The somber Australian rocker performed with his band, The Bad Seeds, in Tel Aviv in November. He revealed at a news conference that he was motivated to perform there after being asked to sign an artists’ pledge to boycott Israel. “[I]t suddenly became very important to me to make a stand against those people who are trying to shut down musicians, to bully musicians, to censor musicians and to silence musicians,” Cave said.

LORDE | 14

right now on the SBHEC website (BornsteinHolocaustCenter. org).

For further information or any questions, please contact me at the SBHEC at 401-4537860 or paula@bornsteinholocaustcenter.org.

Paula Olivieri Education Coordinator, SBHEC Olivieri also serves on the Law Committee

10 | January 5, 2018

Ongoing Alliance Kosher Senior Café. Kosher lunch and program every weekday.

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, 401-338-3189.

West Bay Kosher Senior Café. Kosher lunch and program every weekday.

Temple Sinai, 30 Hagen Ave., Cranston.

11:15 a.m. program; noon lunch. $3 lunch donation from individuals 60+ or under 60 with disabilities. Steve, 401743-0009.

Through March 8 Plein Air Artists. Bunny Fain Gallery at Temple Habonim, 165 New Meadow Road, Barrington. Wednesday and Thursday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Friday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. and by appointment. Annual exhibit of artists from the summer 2017 Lifelong Learning Collaborative Plein Air class. Information, 401-245-6536 or gallery@templehabonim.org.

Friday | January 5 Family First Fridays: Cozy Shabbat.

5:30-8 p.m. Bohnen Vestry, Temple Emanu-El, 99 Taft Ave., Providence.

Come in your PJs for an early Shabbat service and dinner with a hot chocolate bar. Information, Shoshana Jacob at shosh@teprov.org or 401-331-1616.

Kabbalat Shabbat Service. 7:30-9 p.m.

Temple Torat Yisrael, 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich. Shabbat service followed by an Oneg. Information, Stephanie Reinsant at stephanie@toratyisrael. org or 401-885-6600.

Saturday | January 6 Taste of Shabbat Service. 9-11 a.m.

Temple Torat Yisrael, 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich. 9 a.m. Torah discussion; 9:45 a.m. Shabbat service followed by a light Kiddush. Information, Stephanie Reinsant at stephanie@ toratyisrael.org or 401-885-6600.

Children’s Shabbat Program and Jr. Kiddush Club. 9:30-11:15 a.m.

Congregation Beth Sholom, 275 Camp St., Providence. Weekly program and Jr. Kiddush Club for children. Activities include prayer, parashah, play time and a special Kiddush. Three age groups: Tots, Pre-K thru 1st grade and 2nd grade and up. Located in Kids Room, Social Hall and Chapel on the lower level. Big kids of all ages and backgrounds are encouraged to join prayer services in the main sanctuary. Information, office@bethsholom-ri.org.

Sunday | January 7 “Infusing Judaism into Your Family’s Life.” 9-10:30 a.m. Temple Emanu-El, 99 Taft Ave., Providence. Do you want to raise your child in a nurturing Jewish environment but don’t know where to start? Are you unsure of how to meaningfully introduce your child to Jewish rituals, practices and ideas in ways they can understand? Explore how you can infuse Judaism into your family’s life, enriching your own Jewish experience as well as the experiences of your children and your family. Designed for anyone who plays an active role in a child’s Jewish life, whether a parent or grandparent, single or partnered, Jewish or not. Babysitting provided free of charge, but you must RSVP at www. teprov.org/form/jewishparenting for babysitting. Information, Rachel Zerin at

CALENDAR 401-331-1616 or rzerin@teprov.org.

Adult Ed: Cooking with Val. 9-10 a.m.

Temple Torat Yisrael, 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich. January theme: Salatim (Israeli salads and pickles).

Cost: $5 members; $10 non-members.

Information, Stephanie Reinsant at stephanie@toratyisrael.org or 401885-6600.

The David C. Isenberg Family Early Childhood Center Open House. 9-11 a.m. Dwares JCC, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence. Take a guided tour of the school, which serves children of families of all faiths ages 3 months old to Pre-K (4 years old by Sept. 1). Meet the teachers and learn about the exceptional programming. All are welcome.

Information, Jo-Anne Petrie at jpetrie@ jewishallianceri.org or 401-421-4111, ext. 180.

Torah Sprouts. 9:30-10:30 a.m. Temple Torat Yisrael, 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich. Preschool family program.

Children ages 3-5 sing songs, hear stories, create arts and crafts, and enjoy snacks. A parent must stay. Cost: $10 per session.

Kadima and Jr. USY Israel Event.

12:30-2 p.m. Goldberg Center, Temple Emanu-El, 99 Taft Ave., Providence.

Join Israeli Emissary Tslil for IDF boot camp exercises, Israeli food and Israeli games. Please bring a bagged dairy lunch. Cost: $5 per person. Information, Shoshana Jacob at usy@teprov.org or 401-331-1616.

(401)j Newish and Jewish Cookie Bake.

4-6 p.m. Dwares JCC, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence. New to Rhode Island?

Want to meet new people? Bake cookies, share recipes, sip hot chocolate, and meet members of the Jewish young adult community with (401)j, a group of dynamic young adults in their early 20s to early 40s who are dedicated to building a thriving Jewish collaboration in the “401.” We’ll even have a friendly cookie-decorating contest with prizes.

Ages 18+. Free. Information, Dayna Bailen at 401-421-4111, ext. 108 or dbailen@jewishallianceri.org.

Monday | January 8 Canasta. 7-8:30 p.m. Temple Torat Yisrael, 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich. Learn to play. Open to all; coed.

Free. Information, Stephanie Reinsant at stephanie@toratyisrael.org or 401885-6600.

The Jewish Voice Judaism, Mufti Ikram ul Haq – Reconciliation in Islam, Swami Yogatmananda – Reconciliation in Hinduism, Bishop Jeffrey William – Reconciliation in Christianity. Information, Temple Beth-El office at 401-331-6070.

Friday | January 12 Martin Luther King Jr. Shabbat Service.

Temple Beth-El, 70 Orchard St., Providence. Sabbath prayer service: Reconciliation as Expressed in FourFaith Traditions. Information, Temple Beth-El office at 401-331-6070.

Saturday | January 13 Children’s Shabbat Program and Jr. Kiddush Club. 9:30-11:15 a.m.

Congregation Beth Sholom, 275 Camp St., Providence. Weekly program and Jr. Kiddush Club for children. Activities include prayer, parashah, play time and a special Kiddush. Three age groups: Tots, Pre-K thru 1st grade and 2nd grade and up. Located in Kids Room, Social Hall and Chapel on the lower level. Big kids of all ages and backgrounds are encouraged to join prayer services in the main sanctuary. Information, office@bethsholom-ri.org.

Monday | January 15 Canasta. 7-8:30 p.m. Temple Torat Yisrael, 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich. Learn to play. Open to all; coed.

Free. Information, Stephanie Reinsant at stephanie@toratyisrael.org or 401885-6600.

Tuesday | January 16 Yoga. 6-7 p.m. Temple Torat Yisrael, 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich.

Cost: $30 for 3 sessions paid in advance; $12 per session at the door.

Open to all. Bring a mat. Information, Stephanie Reinsant at stephanie@toratyisrael.org or 401-885-6600.

Wednesday | January 17 Mah Jongg. 7-9 p.m. Temple Torat Yisrael, 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich. Open to members and non-members. Bring your friends and your Mah Jongg card. Free. Information, Stephanie Reinsant at stephanie@ toratyisrael.org or 401-885-6600.

Thursday | January 18

Thursday | January 11

Film “Screenagers: Growing up in the Digital Age.” 7 p.m. Dwares JCC, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence. Through poignant and unexpectedly funny stories, along with surprising insights from authors, psychologists and brain scientists, “Screenagers” reveals how tech time impacts kids’ development and offers solutions on how adults can empower kids to best navigate the digital world and find balance. Panel discussion after film. Film is appropriate for adults and children over 10. This free event is supported through the generosity of the Karel and Alan Gertsacov Memorial Fund at the Jewish Federation Foundation. Babysitting available with prior registration for $5 per family. If you already have a babysitting punch card, you can use that as well. Information, Michelle Cicchitelli at mcicchitelli@ jewishallianceri.org or 401-421-4111, ext. 178.

Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration.

7 p.m. Grace Church, 300 Westminster St., Providence. Reconciliation as Expressed in Four-Faith Traditions.

Presentations and reflections by: Rabbi Howard Voss-Altman – Reconciliation in

Shababa Friday/PJ Library Story Time.

10-11 a.m. Dwares JCC, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence. Welcome Shabbat with singing, dancing, jumping and

Tuesday | January 9 Yoga. 6-7 p.m. Temple Torat Yisrael, 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich.

Cost: $30 for 3 sessions paid in advance; $12 per session at the door.

Open to all. Bring a mat. Information, Stephanie Reinsant at stephanie@toratyisrael.org or 401-885-6600.

Wednesday | January 10 Mah Jongg. 7-9 p.m. Temple Torat Yisrael, 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich. Open to members and non-members. Bring your friends and your Mah Jongg card. Free. Information, Stephanie Reinsant at stephanie@ toratyisrael.org or 401-885-6600.

Friday | January 19

celebrating as a community. Children and their caregivers are invited to listen to music, gather for stories, play games, create a craft, eat a snack and make new friends. New-and-improved PJ Library Story Time incorporates more music and movement as Dayna Bailen, Shababa song leader, and Shlomo, the sloth puppet, entertain children ages 5 and under. Guest readers bring PJ.Library books, and open art studio time is available. All are welcome. Free.

Information or to RSVP, Dayna Bailen at dbailen@jewishallianceri.org or 401421-4111, ext. 108.

Annual MLK Day Shabbat. 7:30-9 p.m.

Temple Sinai, 30 Hagen Ave., Cranston.

Shabbat services feature a musical tribute to Martin Luther King Jr. and the prophetic challenge to continue the fight for civil rights. Information, Dottie at 401-942-8350.

T.G.I.F. Thank G-D It’s Friday. 5:45-7 p.m. Temple Torat Yisrael, 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich. Shabbat songs and story with Rabbi Aaron Philmus followed by a kid-friendly Shabbat dinner.

Donations welcome. Information or to RSVP, Torat Yisrael Office at 401-8856600.

Children’s Shabbat Program and Jr. Kiddush Club. 9:30-11:15 a.m.

Congregation Beth Sholom, 275 Camp St., Providence. Weekly program and Jr. Kiddush Club for children. Activities include prayer, parashah, play time and a special Kiddush. Three age groups: Tots, Pre-K thru 1st grade and 2nd grade and up. Located in Kids Room, Social Hall and Chapel on the lower level. Big kids of all ages and backgrounds are encouraged to join prayer services in the main sanctuary. Information, office@bethsholom-ri.org.

Shabbat Hallelu. 6:30 p.m. Temple Beth-El, 70 Orchard St., Providence.

Light refreshments and sangria served followed by 7 p.m. services. Experience the joy of Shabbat with Cantor Judy Seplowin and the Hallelu Band as we open the doors to worship through musical presentation and congregational singing. The food is sponsored by the Benefactors Fund. Information, Temple Beth-El office at 401-331-6070.

Kabbalat Shabbat Service. 7:30-9 p.m.

Temple Torat Yisrael, 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich. Shabbat service followed by an Oneg. Information, Stephanie Reinsant at stephanie@toratyisrael. org or 401-885-6600.

Saturday | January 20

Musical Bingo. 6-8 p.m. Temple Sinai, 30 Hagen Ave., Cranston. It’s Bingo and Name that Tune at the same time. Listen to tunes from many decades and play bingo to win great prizes. Cost: $10 per person, maximum $30 per family for food, drink and fun!

International Jewish students group launches anti-Semitism campaign JERUSALEM (JTA) – International Jewish student leaders will launch an international anti-Semitism awareness campaign on campuses worldwide and vowed to reject any attempts to deny the Armenian genocide.

The World Union of Jewish Students at its 44th World Congress, a five-day assembly that ended Jan. 1, also aimed to seek partnerships with organizations fighting for religious pluralism in Israel and committed not to work with members or affiliates of Austria’s populist Freedom Party, or FPO, which is part of the new government coalition. The group said it would boycott FPO officials.

Some 157 Jewish college students from 36 countries served as delegates to the congress.

The students came from Eastern, Central and Western Europe, North and South America, Australasia, South Africa, India, Turkey and Israel.

The group declared March “A nt i- Sem it i sm Awa reness Month” and laid the groundwork to coordinate its campaign in partnership with a number of government ministries and campus organizations.

At its general assembly, which was part of the congress, the WUJS elected a new president: Avigayil Benstein, 24, is completing her undergraduate degree in international relations and Middle East studies at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. She was born and raised in Israel, and served as a foreign

press liaison in the European desk of the Israel Defense Forces’ spokesperson’s office.

Benstein, the daughter of WUJS alumni from the United States and the United Kingdom, succeeds Yosef Tarshish, 26.

The American Union of Jewish Students voted in the election for the first time after being promoted to partial member from observer status.

The resolutions on FPO and the Armenian genocide were among a number of binding policy motions passed at the General Assembly. The one on Austria declares against the normalization of right-wing extremism in light of the formation of the new government in Austria that includes FPO. WUJS resolved to remember the Armenian genocide, and to condemn and reject any attempt to deny, distort or ignore its historical reality. Another resolution called to raise consciousness and encourage public discourse on matters of Jewish pluralism in the State of Israel, and to seek partnership with organizations fighting for religious pluralism in Israel.

WUJS is the international umbrella organization supporting independent Jewish student associations all over the world It was established in 1924 by Hersch Lauterpacht, and previous WUJS leaders include Albert Einstein, Chaim Bialik, Sigmund Freud and Chaim Weizmann, as well as David Ben-Gurion, and A.B. Yehoshua.

FOOD

jvhri.org

January 5, 2018 |

11

Forget the Oven: The best roast chicken is made in your crockpot

BY SHANNON SARNA (The Nosher via JTA) – The crockpot has never been my favorite kitchen gadget. I know people love their crockpots and their instant pots, but there have been limited things I have made in a crockpot that I loved, or actually found more convenient. When I am dinner prepping for busy weeks, I typically don’t make long-simmering meals that require my attention but rather just throw a bunch of stuff in the oven.

But on a recent Friday that was going to be particularly harried — with baby swim class, errands and a doctor appointment — I decided to try my hand at throwing an entire chicken in a crockpot. I fi rst read this guide from The Kitchn and watched its short video, which I found really helpful. Its tips included balling up some tin foil to raise the chicken up while cooking.

You can also place the chicken under the broiler after cooking to crisp up the skin, but I didn’t

PHOTO | JTA

fi nd this to be a necessary step to success.

I seasoned the chicken well and just plopped the bird in the crockpot. Off to swim class, the doctor and the supermarket we went, to arrive home to the most wonderful smell, and a perfectly cooked chicken. I threw together a salad and some rice, and had dinner ready for Fri-

day night. The most surprising part of this process was how much I loved the tenderness of the chicken cooked in the crockpot — it was moist, cooked perfectly and pretty much fell right off the bone.

I have spent countless hours reading up on the best way to make a roast chicken — tweaking my recipe bit by bit over the

years. But this easier, no-fuss method actually might be my new favorite. If you really want to be a superhero, add some cutup veggies and potatoes to the bottom of the pan for a simple, fast one-pot wonder. My own trick is to save the liquid and fat that collects at the bottom of the crockpot and use it to make fantastically crispy, fatty roast potatoes in the oven.

You can also use whatever spice mixture you prefer, add slices of lemon or orange, cloves of garlic, fresh herbs or some beer to the bottom of the pan to season. But crockpot chicken is a fail-proof, foolproof way to have delicious dinner ready for the busiest of days and the busiest of people. Or if you’re too lazy to turn on the oven.

Roast Chicken Ingredients

1 whole chicken 1 tablespoon paprika 1 teaspoon granulated garlic 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

Mix herbs in a small bowl with 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

Cover chicken all over with spice mixture, including inside the cavity and under the skin.

You can let it marinate overnight if desired, but this isn’t necessary.

Ball up three pieces of tin foil and place in bottom of crockpot.

Place chicken on top of tin foil.

Set crockpot on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours.

After chicken has fi nished cooking, cut into pieces and serve warm.

SHANNON SARNA is the editor of The Nosher. The Nosher food blog offers an array of new and classic Jewish recipes and food news, from Europe to Yemen, from challah to shakshuka and beyond. Check it out a TheNosher.com.

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Cranberry Orange Chia Granola Recipe courtesy of Chef Linsey, ALDI Test Kitchen

Ingredients

(Family Features) – For many people, the New Year brings the resolve to just say no to indulgent food and drink, to inactivity and to a host of other unhealthy habits.

However, you can also approach your reset with balance and positive thinking. This can be your year to say “yes” and rework the all-or-nothing mentality, which can be a more mindful way to reach your goals.

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2 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats 6 ounces shelled pistachios, chopped 1/4 cup chia seeds 5 ounces dried cranberries 1 tablespoon orange zest 3/4 cup organic wildflower honey 3 tablespoons organic coconut oil 1 teaspoon pure vanilla 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground sea salt

Directions

Heat oven to 325 degrees F. In large bowl, combine oats, pistachios, chia seeds, cranberries and orange zest. Toss until all ingredients are evenly distributed.

In separate medium bowl, combine honey, coconut oil, vanilla, cinnamon and salt. Heat in microwave 1 minute; stir.

Continue cooking in 30-second intervals until coconut oil is melted.

Add honey mixture to oat mixture. Toss until thorough-

ly coated. Transfer to parchment- or foil-lined baking sheet. Spread into even layer and bake in center of oven 20 minutes. Stir and continue cooking until evenly browned, about 10-15 minutes.

Remove from oven and cool to room temperature. Serve with yogurt or enjoy on its own.

Note: Granola can be stored in airtight container up to 3 weeks.

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12 | January 5, 2018

HEALTH & WELLNESS

The Jewish Voice

Relief for dry, itchy skin is at hand

BY FRAN OSTENDORF It’s winter and that means cold, dry weather and dry, itchy skin.

We asked Dr. David Pomerantz, of School Street Dermatology, in Pawtucket, for advice on how to combat this common complaint.

Dr. Pomerantz practices general dermatology for adults and children, as well as cosmetic dermatology. He’s been in practice for more than 20 years. He received a medical degree from the University of Maryland School of Medicine and was a dermatology resident at Brown University, where he is now an assistant clinical professor.

While answering our questions, he emphasized that he doesn’t promote specific products or companies.

Here’s some of what Dr. Pomerantz told The Voice: Q: Winter is dry in New England. How do you recommend people combat that dry, itchy skin problem that we all seem to have?

A: Dryness of the skin is certainly more common in the winter. The low humidity combined with long, hot showers contributes to dry skin. Dry skin is itchy skin.

For most people, simply using a daily moisturizer is enough to hydrate the skin and relieve the itch.

The best time to moisturize the skin is right after the shower, [on] wet or damp skin.

Some people do not want to dry

Dr. David Pomerantz off and then get “goopy” with emollients so I tell them to put the moisturizer onto dripping wet skin while still in the shower and then towel dry. While the towel may take away excess moisturizer, the skin is still hydrated and clothes do not get sticky with moisturizer. If dryness continues to be a problem, moisturizers can be applied twice a day [to wet or dry skin].

There are several things that can contribute to dryness that should be avoided. We tend to take longer and hotter showers in the winter, which removes oil from the skin. I recommend taking quicker showers that are warm [comfortable] but not hot. Oils from the skin are also

stripped away by soapy water.

Soap is a detergent and can be very drying. Ivory, Dial, Irish Spring are soaps that leave your skin feeling tight and “clean,” which usually means the skin has been dried out. I recommend non-soap cleansers or cleansing bars which are made by companies like Cetaphil, CereVe, Neutrogena and LaRoche-Posay. These hydrating cleansers do not contain soap and are less likely to dry out the skin.

Homes that are heated with forced hot air or baseboard heat tend to have drier air than homes with radiators. A humidifier may be helpful in these cases.

Q: What about young versus old? Differences in skin care?

A: As skin ages, the sebaceous glands [oil glands] tend to secrete less oil. So dryness tends to be a problem as we age. In addition, sun exposure tends to damage oil production.

A lifetime of sun will cause dryness later in life. Yes! Sun causes wrinkles, brown spots, skin cancers and dryness! My recommendation for everyone is to be careful in the sun, and the sooner you start protecting yourself from the sun, the better.

Q: Do we need to worry about sunscreen during the winter?

A: The amount of ultraviolet radiation is significantly less in the winter than the summer.

However, if you are outside for longer periods of time, skiing, shoveling, sledding, you should be protecting your skin. In addition, sun may reflect off the snow, giving you even more U V d a m a ge. I r e c om mend sunscreen along with several other strategies to limit sun exposure. Sun-protective measures include sunscreen, shade, choosing a time of day with less intense sun and covering areas with clothing or sunglasses.

Q: There’s a dizzying array of sunscreens. How do I choose the best one? Do I use the same one in the winter as in the summer?

A: I am generally happy if my patients use at least an SPF 30, but preferably 50. More important than the type of sunscreen is how much is applied and how often. Most people apply a thin layer of sunscreen and then expect it to work for hours. I recommend a thick layer and, if willing, a second layer 20 minutes later.

Sunscreens lose their effectiveness over hours after being applied and I recommend reapplying at least every two hours, if not sooner.

In addition, the active ingredients tend to degrade over time and in very cold weather.

I would not keep sunscreen in the car during the winter and would discard it if it is more than a year old.

Q: Do I need a separate product for my face?

A: You do not need a separate product for your face. If you are happy with your moisturizer for your body, by all means use it on your face too. The companies that sell these products are more than happy to sell you an eye cream, a face cream, a body cream and a hand cream. But there is no need for four separate products. However, there are times when you may need to fine-tune your treatment. If hands are an issue, you may need a thicker, heavier cream that would be too thick for the face. Hands, feet and body tend to require and tolerate thicker emollients than the face, eyelids.

In addition, many facial products have extra anti-aging ingredients, including sunscreen, retinol, anti-oxidants, alpha-

hydroxy acids and salicylic acid. These ingredients are not for hydration. If anti-aging is desired, than choosing a separate cream for the face is appropriate. But please be aware that these extra ingredients often irritate the skin, especially sensitive skin.

Q: I have really sensitive skin. What kind of products should I watch for?

A: Products designed for sensitive skin tend to have fewer chemicals and fewer ingredients. Avoid products with anti-aging ingredients that can cause redness and scale. Look for hypoallergenic, fragrancefree, preservative-free products. VaniCream is one such product with a line of shampoos, cleansers and moisturizing cream and sunscreen.

Q: Anything else?

A: Please be aware that this advice is aimed at those with dry skin only. There are several conditions that are exacerbated by dryness, such as eczema or atopic dermatitis. Patients often try to treat the dryness with emollients, but if a dermatitis [inflammation of the skin] exists, then the inflammation needs to be treated along with treating the dryness.

The same can be said for seborrhea, which is often mistaken for dry skin.

It is inflammation of the eyebrows, nasolabial folds [laugh lines from nose to around the corners of the mouth], ears, beards and hairline/scalp.

There is redness and a waxy scale in these areas and moisturizing alone is not sufficient to treat it.

Lower legs are also extremely prone to dryness, especially if there is swelling of the legs, resulting in venous stasis dermatitis. Moisturizers alone are not enough. Blood-pressure control, compression stockings, a low-salt diet and leg elevation are needed.

Scaling of the feet may be due to a fungal infection, requiring an antifungal agent.

If the dryness is accompanied by redness and not responding to emollients alone, I recommend seeing a dermatologist.

FRAN OSTENDORF is the editor of The Voice.

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HEALTH & WELLNESS

jvhri.org

Sleep offers us a daily new beginning Why do we sleep? That’s a question that Yanki Tauber examines in an article of that name posted at Chabad.org.

“If our active hours must always be preceded by what the Talmud calls the ‘minor death’ of sleep, there is a lesson PATRICIA here, a truth RASKIN that is fundamental to the nature of human achievement,” Tauber writes in his article.

He continues, “The Lubavitcher Rebbe explains: If we didn’t sleep, there would be no tomorrow. Life would be a single, seamless today. Our every thought and deed would be an outgrowth of all our previous thoughts and deeds. There would be no new beginnings in our lives, for the very concept of a new beginning would be alien to us.”

We don’t think about sleep when we are busy doing, running, meeting our schedules and those of our families. The schedules often take over our day and, before we know it, the day is done and we’re exhausted.

So many times, we do not stop until we simply cannot go on. It would be better if we paid attention to those signals of moving too fast, doing too much and overloading our system before

things start to break down. But, typically, when we get going, our warning signals get overridden by our activities.

Stress affects our body, mind and spirit and we need time to recuperate. Rest is crucial to rebuilding our reserves. As we go through our day, we can help ourselves by taking refreshing mini-breaks. We can calm our nervous system with soothing music, colors, sounds, food and people; with movies, books and programs that inspire and uplift us; with prayer and meditation; by appreciating who we are; and by making sure we are well-hydrated.

Yanki Tauber continues in the article, “Sleep means that we have the capacity to not only improve but also transcend ourselves. To open a new chapter in life that is neither predicted nor enabled by what we did and were up until now. To free ourselves of yesterday’s constraints and build a new, recreated self.”

Rest and sleep are gifts: They give us an opportunity to rejuvenate our bodies and minds.

PATRICIA RASKIN, president of Raskin Resources Productions Inc., is an awardwinning radio producer and Rhode Island business owner.

She is the host of “The Patricia Raskin” show, a radio and podcast coach, and a board member of Temple Emanu-El, in Providence.

visit us at www.jvhri.org to stay current with local Jewish news

January 5, 2018 |

13

Knowing your risk factors could save your life

BY CAROL ANN DONNELLY Researching your family’s genealogy has become very popular in recent years and people are now ordering DNA kits to fi nd out their ancestral background. But when it comes to fi nding out whether they carry a genetic mutation that could predispose them to cancer, people often shy away.

Genetic testing has come a long way in the two decades since the discovery of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations. These mutations increase the likelihood of developing breast and other cancers – and knowing your risk could save your life.

To understand your risk, it is important to understand the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes.

Normal BRCA1 and BRCA2 are tumor suppressors that help prevent the development of breast cancer. Every person has two sets of BRCA1 and BRCA2, one from their mother and one from their father. Any mutation in the genes is hereditary, meaning that there isn’t anything a person did or did not do to cause the mutation. A mutated gene is passed down from generation to generation.

Both men and women can carry the mutations and both can pass them on to their children.

In addition to breast cancer, BRCA mutations also increase the probability of other cancers. BRCA1 mutation carriers

have an increased chance of developing ovarian cancer and melanoma, whereas BRCA2 mutation carriers have a significantly higher incidence of pancreatic cancer in both men and women and prostate cancer in men.

Ethnicity also plays a role in genetic mutations. According to the Centers for Disease Control, about one out of every 40 individuals of Ashkenazi Jewish descent has a mutation in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene, compared to one out of every 400 people in the general population.

But, “Not everyone who has a genetic mutation will develop cancer,” said Maureen DiPiero, education and outreach manager for the Gloria Gemma Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

“Abstaining from tobacco, eating healthfully and regular exercise can be helpful in reducing the risk of a cancer diagnosis,” she said.

Since the fi rst BRCA genemutation test was created in 1996, scientists have discovered 180 genetic mutations related to breast cancer. Testing has also improved. Myriad Genetic Laboratories developed the fi rst BRCA mutation testing, and its testing methods continue to advance as new research unfolds. The lab has partnered with the Gloria Gemma Foundation to help educate the public about genetic

mutations and testing.

“People who were previously tested for a single syndrome, such as Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer and Lynch Syndromes, can have the myRisk® testing to be tested for additional genes known to be related to other hereditary cancer risks,” said Julie Powers, oncology product specialist at Myriad.

Myriad has also developed a questionnaire that people can take online, at www.hereditarycancerquiz.com, to fi nd out their risk of having a gene mutation.

“Everyone should take the quiz,” said Powers. “In about a minute, someone will know whether or not [he or she] should have further evaluation for a gene mutation.”

Powers wants people to know that just because the quiz may suggest further evaluation, it does not mean there is a genetic mutation. She encourages people who take the quiz to discuss the results with their doctors.

Knowing your family’s bloodline is a great way to learn about your ancestry, but knowing your family’s medical history and whether you are predisposed to a genetic mutation could save your life.

CAROL ANN DONNELLY is communications manager at the Gloria Gemma Breast Cancer Resource Foundation.

WORLD | COMMUNITY

14 | January 5, 2018 FROM PAGE 9

Uditsky 80th anniversary reunion

| LORDE

Boy George performed in Israel wearing a Star of David-emblazoned suit

The ’80s pop legend performed in Tel Aviv in November despite feeling the usual heat from BDS activists. At the concert, he wore a suit decorated with Stars of David and reportedly said: “When I go to Israel people say you shouldn’t go, you shouldn’t go. … I go where I like!” He also dismissed comparisons between apartheid South Africa and the Jewish state and tackled the issue through multiple tweets.

“I play for fans[,] not politicians,” he wrote.

Morrissey penned a song bashing Israel critics

The former Smiths frontman, never a stranger to controversy, didn’t play in the Jewish state this year (he last performed there in 2016), but he did show off some serious love for the Jewish state.

The 58-year-old rocker, who draped himself in an Israeli flag at a past show, also titled one of his new songs “The Girl From Tel Aviv Who Wouldn’t Kneel.”

The title is likely a reference to Etty Hillesum, a Dutch-Jewish diarist killed in Auschwitz, who referred to herself as the “girl who could not kneel.” After the album was released, multiple music writers took issue with Morrissey’s bold lyrics.

The Jewish Voice

Moishe Hirsh Uditsky was born and died in the Russian Empire. Despite pogroms and oppression, he never immigrated to the United States, but at least six of his nine children did, fi nding a life of freedom and success. They mostly settled in Fall River in the fi rst decade of the 20th century, multiplied and made their mark on the Fall River and Providence communities.

The seven generations that followed produced several hundred descendants, who now live in over a dozen states.

In 1937, the family organized a reunion in Fall River, which was attended by over 100 of Uditsky’s descendants. Today, his descendants are far-flung and have new family names, but that didn’t stop some of them from traveling to a family reunion in October.

Several of the family members are active in genealogy and family history. Two, sisters Lois (Silverman) Cohen, of Cranston, and Linda (Silverman) Winkleman, of Connecticut, (Uditsky’s great-greatgranddaughters), had the idea of holding this event, which they dubbed the “80th anniversary reunion.”

The group this time was smaller, but 16 family members came from as far as Maryland and Florida to meet in a Warwick restaurant on Oct. 28.

Stories were told, third cous-

PHOTO | LOIS COHEN

At the Uditsky family reunion on Oct. 28, 2017 in Warwick: Seated left to right: Karen Landesberg Steinfeld, Cathy Horowitz Saltzman, Esta Uditsky Jacobs, Lois Silverman Cohen. Second row left to right: Harlan Shabshalowitz, Linda Silverman Winkleman, Elaine Ballon Leipf, Arlene Silverman Landesberg, Howard Jacobs. Back row: Phil Goldsmith, Jack Winkleman, David Leipf , Mel Landesberg.

Not pictured: Rick and Marcy Cohen ins met for the fi rst time, precious old family photos were scanned and swapped Some couldn’t wait for this reunion – in March, Lois and Linda’s sister Arlene (Silverman) Landesberg, who lives in Delray Beach, Florida, contacted a dozen Uditsky cousins

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who live in Florida. They met for lunch, got to know each other and shared family stories.

Family research continues, but details about Eastern European ancestors are notoriously difficult to fi nd. Despite this challenge, the 1850 revision list (Russian Census) revealed to Arlene’s daughter, Karen (Landesberg) Steinfeld, of Maryland, and Linda Winkelman that the family was living in Moshny, Cherkassy, Russia, in 1850. The census also listed Moishe Hirsh’s siblings, father, grandfather and

great-grandfather. The data also included the dates of birth and two dates of death.

Another of Uditsky’s greatgrandchildren, Philip Goldsmith of Florida, is writing a book about the Goldsmith family, 1905 immigrants from Russia to Providence. By incorporating the research of his “newly found” Uditsky cousins, he’s now able to tell the story of his great-grandmother, Basya Uditsky, who remained in Russia.

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16 | January 5, 2018

WORLD | COMMUNITY

FROM PAGE 1

sleeping in their apartment above the store. Fortunately, the couple was able to make it out on time – but Daisy, who belongs to Gibson’s mother and whom the couple was taking care of, died of smoke inhalation.

“Daisy was our hero,” Gibson told The Jewish Chronicle.

“It was fate she happened to be staying with us that night. She saved both of our lives and our neighbors.”

STORIES Yemeni immigrants.

“I made a point of walking in there today – I actually live a mile away,” Rapaport, the executive director Masbia, a Kosher soup kitchen network, told JTA. “I just learned that they were Yemenite, and I was looking to do something in solidarity with the people affected by the executive order.”

A 6-year-old girl sends painted rocks to decorate vandalized Jewish cemeteries

When 6-year-old Ayel Morgenstern learned that her greatgreat-grandmother’s headstone was among the 100 toppled at a Jewish cemetery in St. Louis in February, she sprung into action.

Ayel, who lives in Florida, decided in March to paint rocks to decorate headstones at the St. Louis cemetery, as well as additional grave sites that were vandalized at a Philadelphia cemetery. In the end, Ayel painted more than 250 rocks, which she sent to the cemeteries – plus an additional 100 stones that she sent to the family of Adam Krief, a Jewish father of three who died after a highly publicized struggle with blood cancer.

A dog saves a couple from a fire at a Kosher supermarket

Daisy, a 3-year-old spaniel, helped avert disaster when fi re broke out at a London Kosher supermarket in June. The dog’s barking roused Alex Gibson and Charlotte Perren, who were

A Jewish woman comforts a distressed child with autism

During a transatlantic fl ight in July, Rochel Groner noticed an autistic boy crying and shrieking. The atmosphere on the fl ight grew increasingly tense, and and she felt she had to do something. Groner, a Chabad emissary in North Carolina, who with her husband runs two groups for young adults with special needs, approached the child and comforted him for about two hours.

“I put out my hand, and he took my hand. It was such a surreal moment, he just took my hand, and he stopped crying,” she said. “He kind of just followed me into the aisle. I walked to the bulkhead, and I sat down and I put him in my lap, and I gave him a gentle but fi rm hug and I just started to rock him. He calmed down.”

Social media users were touched by the story. Photos of Groner holding the boy, along with a post by her husband detailing the account, received some 6,700 likes and was shared 1,300 times on Facebook.

The Jewish Voice

In Israel, a monkey and a chicken become best friends

At the Ramat Gan Safari Park near Tel Aviv, Niv, an Indonesian black macaque, was having a bit of trouble fi nding a mate. So he got creative.

When a chicken wandered into his enclosure, the monkey cozied up to it – and an inseparable friendship was born. Niv has been hanging out with the bird on a regular basis, holding it, caressing it and sleeping next to it at night. The friendship, which was documented in August, appears to be mutual; after all, the chicken can easily slip out of the monkey cage but chooses to stay.

While 2017 wasn’t a year for forging lasting peace between Israel and its neighbors, at least this pair found a way to put their differences aside and live in harmony.

After surviving Hurricane Harvey, this woman distributes mezuzot to people in need

Houston resident Chava GalOr was lucky: Though flooding from Hurricane Harvey reached her door, her home survived the storm unscathed. But that wasn’t the case for many of the members of Temple Sinai, where she works. So Gal-Or wanted to do something to help those families in need – along with assisting scores of others who had been affected by recent natural disasters.

“I can’t rebuild their houses,” Gal-Or told JTA. “I don’t have the money to do much. There was this increasing awareness that there was nothing I could do.”

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Then she realized she could help by collecting mezuzot, the small scrolls traditionally affi xed to the doorposts of Jewish dwellings, and distributing them for free to Jewish people in need. She started the unofficial organization Door L’Door – a play on the biblical phrase “l’dor v’dor,” wh ich mea ns “from generation to generation” – raising money and soliciting donations for mezuzot, with the goal to to dispatch them to Jews in need.

Supporters raise over $1 million for an Orthodox fashion designer after her husband suddenly died

Tragedy struck Simi Polonsky, the Orthodox co-founder of a modest fashion label, when her husband, Shua, died in November from a condition he had

contracted only weeks before.

To help alleviate her suffering, supporters quickly came to her aid – and more than 9,000 donors raised over $1 million online for Polonsky and her two young children, with a third on the way.

Polonsky, who said she will continue working on The Frock NYC, wrote movingly on Instagram that the support helped her go on.

“I know no one will be able to heal my broken heart, but at the times when I feel like I just cannot keep my arms raised any longer, your love and support are the rocks that hold them for me,” she wrote. “My mind boggles, when I think about the unstoppable love that ushers unto my family on a minute-tominute basis.”

Memories of the deli down the street

As a kid, I remember that whenever a trip to the deli or bakery was necessary, it was my dad who did the shopping. I have no idea why it was his job.

We would go to the Star Delicatessen or “Dave & Julie’s,” as it was affectionMAY-RONNY ately known.

ZEIDMAN In those days, the North End had several delis, as did South Providence and, of course, so did the East Side. Nearby every deli were the Jewish bakeries. Vu den?

You had to put deli meat on Jewish bread or rolls. You needed bagels for your cream cheese, lox and other delicacies.

I imagine every family had its deli of choice. My dad went to Dave & Julie’s. My bubbe went to Davis. So I had the advantage of going to both places, if I was invited to make the trip.

Now, as an adult, I would really like to revisit those delis.

You can only imagine how large they are remembered in my mind as a child. Recently, I asked Mr. Davis some questions about the old store on Constitution Hill. He set me straight.

I thought there were pickle barrels in the center of the store. He said there were not.

But when I asked if there was sawdust on the floor and if the meat was on one side and the dairy on the other, he said that, yes, I remembered correctly.

The best part of talking to Mr. Davis is that he remembers my bubbe, my aunts and uncles and my cousins, and he tells me little stories about them. I enjoy being connected to them through his memories. Just last week, I asked him if he remembered Sparklet strawberries in the blue-and-white box. He looked at me and said that was a long time ago. Every now and then I remark how sad I am that there is no longer a deli meat called “rolled beef.”

My memories of Dave & Julie’s end as a young adult. As a child, I remember standing next to my dad as he ordered various items and kibitzed with either Dave or Julie. All the time I would be eyeing the chocolate-covered halvah or the jelly candy. Sometimes, I turned to look at the soda in an open container fi lled with water which had been ice earlier in the day.

I also remember that joyous feeling I had when my dad said I could have a soda or piece of candy. This did not happen every time, which is why it was always special.

Imagine!! The soda cost 5 cents and the candy 3 cents!!!

Ah, memories!

MAY-RONNY ZEIDMAN is the executive director or the Sandra Bornstein Holocaust Education Center.

SENIORS

jvhri.org

A look at the future of the Rhode Island Jewish Historical Association

BY RUTH BRIENDEL In the 10 years that I have been on the board of the Rhode Island Jewish Historical Association (RIJHA), we have had three offices at the Alliance’s Dwares Jewish Community Center in Providence.

First, we had two rooms, one of which was an archive. That room was then taken over by the preschool, so we moved down a room and settled into the “old” Bureau of Jewish Education library. Then, this fall, we moved into our new quarters, near the new back entrance of the building in part of the “old” Holocaust museum. As you can see, space gets repurposed at the JCC, but this new office was designed just for us – and will, we hope, be our permanent home.

This space is perfect for the RIJHA: two rooms, with a door between, so the archive and library can be kept at the proper temperature and humidity, and the office itself can have a climate better suited to humans.

We love it!

But, what to do with all the “stuff ” that we had accumulated in the old space? We do have an off-site storage unit, but it’s getting quite full. So the task was to decide what is needed in the archive, what can be safely stored and what we don’t need.

Obviously, anything that researchers use on a daily or weekly basis must be readily available. For example, City Directories are frequently used to fi nd out if someone lived at a certain address. I would like to have a set of maps on the computer that will show those streets, so people can plug themselves into the neighborhood they want to investigate.

This is especially important since many of the old neighborhoods have been torn down/redeveloped and whole streets are gone in the North End and University Heights, for example.

We also need to keep close at hand our oral history tapes, which were digitized a few years ago with money from the Bliss, Gross, Horowitz Fund of the Rhode Island Foundation.

These items are very popular, as is the old Jewish Voice and Herald (now The Jewish Voice) archive, which we are in the process of negotiating to have digitized. When something is digitized, the original is still kept, but it can be at our off-site unit.

Now, we must examine our VCR tapes, and other technology that is outdated, to figure out what should be preserved.

Then there was the issue of books, books, books. What do we need for our mission of collecting and preserving all

historical material relating to the Jews of Rhode Island? Do we need three copies of a book about Jews in Rhode Island, or is one copy sufficient? Are history books about the world before 1500 necessary? After all, the information is easily accessible on the Web (and I say this as a former Latin and Greek teacher!). How about information about Jews in other states? By the time we fi nished this task, we had managed to pare down our collection to books that really matter to our mission.

Then there are newspaper articles and clippings about Jewish life in R.I.: temples, organizations, businesses and people.

These are vital, and were all kept. Some go back to the 1950s (which doesn’t seem that long ago, but is really more than 60 years), and we add to them daily.

And there’s a gray area, such as plaques and commemorative awards. We just don’t have the space to keep them all, so they will be photographed and then returned to the families. We also have photographs donated by families, some from before World War I. We will digitize them all, keep the best as photos and return the rest.

How do we pay for all this?

We have just completed an extremely successful Capital Campaign, which brought in over $250,000 to pay for movers, outfit the archive and office space, design a new gallery wall and organize photographs and other collections. In addition, we are actively applying for grants. And of course, we ask you, our public, for any contribution that you can make.

We want to show off our new office and space. Please join us at our Open House on Sunday, Jan. 21, from 2 to 4 p.m. You’ll be able to see what we’ve done, and we can tell you more about our vision for the future.

RUTH BRIENDEL is president of the Rhode Island Jewish Historical Association.

January 5, 2018 |

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19

Neshama Carlebach responds to allegations against her father

The groups takes a photo during a recent Spartan Race.

FROM PAGE 2

OBSTACLES

Spartan Races and other obstacle course races include climbing walls, carrying heavy loads and navigating different kinds of terrain and conditions like water and mud. He runs on the hills around Providence; he bought sandbags from Adler’s Hardware in Providence to prepare for the carrying portion of the race.

“We take advantage of what we have,” he said.

The community has become an important social connection.

“Some of my best friends are

the people I train with,” he says.

He has had to overcome a few challenges. Many of the obstacle races are held on Saturdays.

Others occur on Jewish holidays. The Spartan Races, held around the world and can be expensive. But Rabbi Karp said he’s learned to keep going to master each obstacle and challenge.

Even his family has become more active. Every Sunday, the whole family participates in walking and other activities.

They’ve discovered new places

in Providence they might never have explored without getting out and moving more. Now his four-year-old says “Yes, I can do the monkey bars!”

In the fall, the Karp family were spectators during a race held at Fenway Park in Boston and got a chance to cheer him on.

If you are interested in training for the Blizzard Blast or one of the other obstacle races, Rabbi Karp (rnoachkarp@gmail. com) invites you to contact him.

FRAN OSTENDORF (fostendorf@jewishallianceri. org) is the editor of The Jewish Voice.

JTA – Neshama Carlebach, daughter of the late Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach, in her first public comments since the start of the #MeToo movement said she is angry with her father over allegations of sexual misconduct but that he was more than just his faults.

Carlebach in a blog post published Jan. 2 on The Times of Israel website also stated publicly for the first time that as a child she was sexually molested by “a trusted friend of my father’s, also a rabbi, a fixture in my home,” who she did not name.

The post was part of a larger movement in support of women who were the victims of sexual attacks by prominent men that started with reports of sexual attacks on young starlets and others by disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein.

“My sisters, I hear you. I cry with you. I walk with you,” Carlebach wrote. “I will stand with you until that day when the world commits to healing and wholeness for all.” she said.

The post follows new allegations of sexual misconduct against her charismatic father.

Carlebach chose not to comment on an extensive article on allegations against her father that appeared on The Times of Israel website last month.

“Our tradition teaches us that silence is consent, and I cannot remain silent in the face of so much pain. “I am in this conversation. I am also broken. I see, I hear, I witness.”

After Shlomo Carlebach’s death 23 years ago, several women came forward with allegations of sexual impropriety against him. Since the start of the #MeToo movement, more women reportedly have shared their stories.

Some synagogues also have begun to consider stopping the use of Carlebach melodies during prayer services, often called “Carlebach services,” The Times of Israel reported.

“I’ve watched the music of my father heal someone’s life in front of my very eyes,” she wrote, “and I’ve read of how that very same music has triggered deep pain for others.”

But Carlebach said her father was more than the sexual assault allegations leveled against him.

“I accept the fullness of who my father was, flaws and all.

I am angry with him. And I refuse to see his faults as the totality of who he was,” she wrote.

Carlebach recently announced that she will marry social justice activist Rabbi Menachem Creditor.

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BUSINESS

The Jewish Voice

Examining the taxpaying population: Where do you fit in?

Every quarter, the Statistics of Income Division of the Internal Revenue Service publishes financial statistics obtained from tax and information returns that have been filed with the federal government.

BARBARA Recently published reports KENERSON reflect data gleaned from 2014 individual federal income tax returns.

These reports offer a snapshot of how the U.S. population breaks down as taxpayers.

The big picture

For tax year 2014, U.S. taxpayers filed roughly 139.6 million individual income tax returns. Total adjusted gross income (AGI) reported on these tax returns was $9.71 trillion, resulting in a total income tax of $1.37 trillion. That works out to an overall average tax rate of 14.16 percent for all returns filed — the highest total average rate in the 10-year period represented by the statistical report.

If your 2014 AGI was $38,173 or more, you were in the top 50 percent of all federal income tax filers based on AGI. This group accounted for 88.7 percent of all AGI reported and paid 97.3 percent of total federal income tax for the year.

Top Filers (by Percentile) 0.001% 0.010% 0.100% 1% 5% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%

AGI Threshold $ 56,981,718 $ 11,407,987 $ 2,136,762 $ 465,626 $ 188,996 $ 133,445 $ 90,606 $ 66,868 $ 50,083 $ 38,173

A look at the top

How much AGI did it take to make it into the top 10 percent of all individual filers? Probably not as much as you think.

If your AGI was $133,445 or greater, you would have been one of the almost 14 million filers making up the top 10 percent. This group reported about $4.58 trillion in AGI (more than 47 percent of all AGI reported) and accounted for about 70.9 percent of total individual income tax for the year.

To make the top 5 percent, you would have needed $188,996 or more in AGI. You would have been among approximately 7 million filers who reported almost $3.5 trillion in total AGI and accounted for about 60 percent of total

Average Tax Rate 24.01% 25.92% 27.67% 27.16% 23.61% 21.25% 18.64% 17.19% 16.24% 15.52%

income taxes paid.

It’s also worth noting that the top 3 percent of all 2014 individual income tax returns based on AGI accounted for 52.9 percent of total income tax paid for the year.

The very, very top

For the 2014 tax year, 1.4 million returns had an AGI of $465,626 or more. These taxpayers make up the top 1 percent of filers, reporting almost $2 trillion in total AGI and responsible for just under a 40-percent share of the total tax haul.

The 1,396 income tax returns that showed $56,981,718 or more in AGI make up the top 0.001 percent (that’s the top one-thousandth of 1 percent) of 2014 filers. These filers together reported over $207 billion in

AGI and paid over 3.6 percent of taxes.

Not all high-income returns showed tax

Of the 6.2 million income tax returns filed for 2014 with an AGI of $200,000 or more, 10,905 showed no U.S. income tax liability (the number drops to 3,927 if you eliminate returns filed by individuals who were responsible for income taxes to foreign governments and had no U.S. income tax because of a credit for such taxes paid).

Why did these high-income returns show no U.S. tax li-

ability? The IRS report noted a variety of reasons, including tax credits and deductions, most notably miscellaneous deductions and deductions for charitable contributions, medical and dental expenses, and investment interest expenses.

A significant secondary factor was the deduction for taxes paid.

BARBARA KENERSON is first vice president/Investments at Janney Montgomery Scott LLC and can be reached at BarbaraKenerson.com.

Help us report on the Jewish community Do you like to write and would you like to join a small, dedicated publishing team?

The Jewish Voice is looking for freelance writers to cover the Jewish c om mu n it y and perspective in Rhode Island and Southern Massachusetts. We offer a professional experience with a flexible schedule. The work can be regular or occasional. Enthusiasm, enterprise, curiosity and inquisitiveness are necessary qualities. We cover

events and news as well as people and features.

Topics can range from weddings to bar mitzvahs; from gardening to parenting; and from cooking to book reviews.

Experience, training or a background in writing or journalism is strongly preferred. Ability to take photos (or video) is plus as is web and social media experience. Send resume, ideas and writing samples to editor@jewishallianceri.org

Happy New Year!

are many exciting things happening in the City of Pawtucket.

There Our downtown and surrounding areas continue to grow as more and more businesses relocate here. We have a strong and growing arts community, fine merchants and restaurants, and many activities for our residents and visitors, such as PawSox baseball, the Hope Artiste Village and farmers market, Pawtucket Arts Festival, theaters, breweries, Slater Park, Looff Carousel, and a soon to be developed train station.

Pawtucket has long been known as a family-friendly city with a rich diversity of cultures and neighborhoods.

We wish you a happy and healthy New Year.

Mayor Donald R. Grebien Pawtucket City Hall 137 Roosevelt Avenue, Pawtucket, RI (401) 728-0500 x281

VISIT US ONLINE: JVHRI.ORG

OBITUARIES

jvhri.org

Hannah Feibelman, 98

CRANSTON, R.I. – Hannah (Davis) Feibelman died Dec. 20, 2017. She was the beloved wife of Jack Feibelman for more than 71 years.

Hannah was the matriarch of her extended family, cared deeply about family and community, and had great compassion for others. Daughter of Jack and Sadie Davis of Providence, Hannah was the devoted sister of Ruby Kotler, Irving Kotler (Ann), Carolyn Zimmerman (Coleman), Rabbi Maurice Davis (Marion) and Albert Davis (Shirley).

In addition to her husband, she is survived by her son, Jeffrey Feibelman and his wife, Jaine Feibelman of Hollywood, Florida; daughter Barbara Feibelman and her husband, Kenneth Orenstein of Providence; daughter-in-law Caryl Feibelman of West Warwick; grandchildren Andrew Feibelman (Elaine), Marcy Feibelman, Matthew Orenstein, and Clare Feiner (Jake); and her greatgranddaughter, Harlyn Ray Feibelman. Hannah cherished her many nieces, nephews and their families.

Hannah was a lifelong member of Temple Beth-El, a found-

ing member of Temple Sinai, and a member of both Temple Sisterhoods. Hannah was an avid bridge player and an active member of the American Contract Bridge League.

Contributions can be made in Hannah’s memory to The Miriam Hospital Foundation, Development Office, P.O. Box H, Providence, RI 02901.

Eileen Rechter, 93

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Eileen Rechter died Dec. 21, 2017, at Berkshire place Nursing Home.

She was the beloved wife of the late Julius Rechter and the late Edward Dember.

Born in Providence, a daughter of the late Philip and Mary (Goldstein) Gitman, she was a longtime Providence resident.

She was a cashier at City Hall Hardware, Guttin’s Bakery, Outlet Company Department Store, Korbs Bakery and several other places.

She was the devoted mother of Mark W. Rechter and his wife, Kathleen, of Chepachet, and Steven A. Rechter and his wife, Candice, of Jackson, California. She was the dear sister of the late Max Gitman and Beatrice Chorney. She was the loving grandmother of Jennifer Thibodeau, Joshua, Justin,

Ben, and Daniel Rechter. She was the cherished great-grandmother of Talia and Jordan Thibodeau, Sergio Sanchez, Andrew and Wyatt Rechter.

Contributions in her memory may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, 245 Waterman St. #306, Providence, RI 02906.

Raymond Wasser, 94

WEST WARWICK, R.I. – Raymond Wasser died Dec. 22, 2017, at Rhode Island Veteran’s Home, Bristol. He was the beloved husband of Shirley (Epstein) Wasser for 71 years.

Born in P r ov id e nc e , a son of the late Solomon and Buzia (Kipnis) Wasser, he had lived in West Warwick for four years, previously living in Cranston for 61 years.

He was the owner of the Royal Crown “RC” Cola franchise in Warwick. Raymond was a WWII Army veteran, serving in China, India and Africa. He was a graduate of Bryant College with a business degree. Raymond was a member of Touro

London coroner under fire for delaying Jewish burials JTA – A coroner’s office in London has come under fi re after multiple families complained about delayed Jewish burials.

The London-based Jewish Chronicle reported Dec. 28 that one woman made 210 phone calls to the St. Pancras coroner’s office in central London before being assured that her father would be buried four days after his death. According to both Jewish and Islamic law, bodies of the deceased must be buried as soon as possible after death, ideally on the same day.

Mary Hassell, the senior coro-

ner at the St. Pancras office, told the family of Barry Davis last week that it would be two weeks before an autopsy could be performed and a funeral held. Several other similar cases have been reported.

Hassell also asserted in a letter to Jewish community leaders that “no death will be prioritized in any way over any other because of the religion of the deceased or family, either by coroner’s officers or coroners.”

She added in the letter that she would no longer allow Jewish bodies to be held at a local Jewish funeral home, instead of

the mortuary, to enable shemirah, or guarding by fellow Jews, until their burials.

Trevor Asserson, an attorney representing Stamford Hill’s Adath Yisroel Burial Society, told the Jewish Chronicle that Hassell has “shown a total disregard for, or ignorance of, the law in deciding never to give priority to ‘faith deaths.’ Her conduct demonstrates what I consider to be a gross disregard for the religious sensibilities, as well as the legal rights, of the Muslim and Jewish families whose deceased relatives come under her control.”

taking care of each other is what community is all about.

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January 5, 2018 |

Fraternal Association. He was an avid bowler and a ping pong champion at the Jewish Community Center. Raymond was also a devoted Cubs fan since Oct. 1, 1932.

He was the devoted father of Howard Wasser and his wife, Harriet, of West Warwick, Helene Pell and her husband, John, of Ashland, Massachusetts, Sandra Wallis and her husband, Richard, of Holyoke, Massachusetts, and Julie Parker of Bellingham, Massachusetts. He was the dear brother of the late Edward and Jacob Wasser and Celia Schleiffer. He was the loving grandfather of Jessica Wasser, Melissa Morgan and Michael Pell. He was the cherished great-grandfather of Ariella Morgan and Victoria and Maya Pell.

Contributions in his memory may be made to your favorite charity

ville formerly of Yonkers, New York, died unexpectedly on Dec. 19, 2017, at Bon Secours Community Hospital, Port Jervis, New York. She was born May 23, 1943, in New York City, the daughter of the late Leon Weissman and the late Sylvia Vogel Weissman. She was married to Frederick Witt for 50 years. She worked as a newspaper editor for Martinelli Publications in Yonkers.

In addition to her husband Frederick Witt, she is survived by her son Michael Alan Witt of Rio Vista, California, daughter Jennifer Nancy Oelbaum and her husband, Michael, of Providence; two brothers, Allan Weissman and his wife, Barbara, and Frederick Weissman and his wife, Barbara; and a granddaughter Sarah Caroline Oelbaum. She also had several nieces and nephews.

Memorial contributions may be made to Temple Emanu-El, 99 Taft Ave., Providence, RI 02906.

Sue Ann Witt, 74

CUDDEBACKVILLE, N.Y. – Sue Ann Witt, of Cuddeback-

For years I was privileged to serve the needs of your family at the funeral home.

Allow me to now help meet your needs for monuments at the cemetery.

21

Ira Jay Fleisher (401) 265-­‐2330 fleishermonumentco@gmail.com

22 | January 5, 2018

COMMUNITY

The Jewish Voice

Hanukkah aound town

The PHDS Choir sings at the Chanukah performance on Dec. 19.

PHOTOS | PHDS

Superlatives all around for PHDS Hanukkah performance

Hanukkah at the Rhode Island State House Several children enjoyed the dreidels during the annual R.I. State House Menorah lighting which took place in the rotunda in December.

The long-awaited PHDS Hanukkah performance, on Dec. 19 was a fantastic way to spend the last night of Hanukkah! The students showcased their talents in music and drama under the direction of teachers and parent volunteers.

The evening began with the lighting of the menorah. Firstgrader Yerucham Lapin did a wonderful job, assisted by his teacher, Rabbi Avrohom Jakubowicz. Then came the playing of the National Anthem and HaTikvah by the PHDS band, under the direction of Norman Rosenfield. The band

performed several Hanukkah songs to the delight of the audience.

A performance by the choir, conducted by Rabbi Jakubowicz and Shifra Yudkowsky, followed. Eighth-grader Meir Twersky accompanied the group. (Special thanks to Chary Greengart and Rabbi Yaakov Zimmerman for musical assistance.) The narrations were informative, the songs sounded beautiful, the children were adorable, and the costumes magnificent, due, once again, to

the talents of Rabbi Yechezkel Yudkowsky, assisted by the sixth-grade boys.

The music was followed by the performance of a play about Hanukkah directed by three parent volunteers. The girls did an amazing job. The final performance of the evening was the premier screening of the latest RY Productions music video directed by Rabbi Yudkowsky.

Needless to say, the program was enjoyed by all.

Submitted by Providence Hebrew Day School

PHDS First-grader Yerucham Lapin lights the menorah at the Chanukah performance on Dec. 19.

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WE ARE READ AT THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA – Reva Subar, of Providence, and her daughter Ilana, recently returned from a trip to China and Hong Kong. Ilana, who grew up in Providence, is a litigation attorney in Baltimore and a Governing Board member of Lexwork International, a global legal referral network of mid-sized law firms. Lexwork held its annual meeting in Hong Kong in October.

WE ARE READ IN PUERTO RICO – Carlos Spinola, a member of Temple Emanu-El in Providence was deployed for three weeks to work in Puerto Rico in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. This picture with The Jewish Voice was taken in San Juan.

WE ARE READ

January 5, 2018 |

23

RABBI JEFFREY GOLDWASSER of Temple Sinai in Cranston recently attended the Union for Reform Judaism 2017 Biennial at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston.

24 | January 5, 2018

The Jewish Voice

For Valeriya Kvasha, an engineer and mother of three who fled war-torn Eastern Ukraine: The Alliance, through our core funding of JDC (American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee), afforded her a lifesaving support system. Her family received relocation aid including rental assistance, mental health services and a stocked apartment.

This allowed Valeriya to stabilize her life and she now works to help other at-risk Jewish youth and families transition to safety.

Jewish Alliance 2018 Annual Campaign: Donate. Volunteer. Make a difference.

The Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island is dedicated to building a stronger and more inclusive community here at home, in Israel and around the world.

We are fueled by Jewish values and driven by tradition— reimagined for today’s world. Together, with your support, we are committed to strengthening lives and communities everywhere.

With your gift, we continue to bring renewed hope to those who experience hardship, vital assistance to those who have fallen ill, and compassion to those who suffer injustice. No matter our differences, what brings us together is the reality that everyone counts.

everyONE counts

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