January 2023

R.I. community shines a light

Do a deli deep dive with M. Charles Bakst

JCS welcomes Pamela Morris as new leader

The Voice of Greater Rhode Island’s Jewish Community

2022 was a busy year for Jewish Rhode Island

2023 and me: Time to reconnect with family

IN DECEMBER , I went to a much-anticipated family wedding. It was a chance for relatives of all ages on my mother’s side to reconnect. For some, it had been years since we had seen one another.

What a gift this gathering was!

My extended family is scattered across the United States. From roots in Pittsburgh, where my grandmother and her two sisters and two brothers lived just blocks from each other, the children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren went on to scatter across the Midwest, the South, and up and down the East Coast.

My grandmother was the prime mover for keeping in touch. She brought everyone back to Pittsburgh for her yearly birthday celebration, but those ended in the early 2000s, and she passed away in 2010 (at the age of 104).

I had always hoped to see my cousins again. But after so many years, there was never a good time or an easy way to accomplish this. But the wedding created an opportunity!

The last few years have been difficult for everyone, as I’m sure you know. So there was no hesitancy about

attending this wedding, even though it involved hours spent on logistics and a flight to Ohio. What a wonderful treat to be able to gather together!

Yes, we all look a little different now. Time does that. But with family, no matter how much time has passed, conversation still flows easily and naturally. In our case, we talked about how our grandmother brought us together, and we reminisced about her wonderful birthday gatherings. I was even comfortable enough to be guilty of that embarrassing “I knew you when you were this big,” aimed at a 16-year-old I hadn’t seen since he was a baby.

There is just no replacing that sense of belonging.

But I will have to wait a little longer to see that first cousin who is closest in age to me; COVID-19 struck his family just before the wedding, and the whole crew was absent for the weekend. I was disappointed, naturally, but pretty much took it in stride – after three years of the pandemic, most of us have become adept in “managing our expectations.”

For years, I’ve wanted to

look into our family background. As the oldest grandchild, I’ve wondered about the details of where we are from and our ancestors.

My husband’s sister has done extensive research into his family background, and the results are fascinating. She’s encouraged me to jump on the search for our roots. But the business of daily life has always given me an excuse to put it off.

My mother has been helpful in relating family stories that offer insights into her childhood. But I have been lax in recording these moments.

During the wedding weekend, I learned that one relative has already started the search for our roots, so there is a foundation from which to work. This might have given me the nudge and inspiration I need to get started.

And there is one thing I definitely took away from the weekend: the inspiration to keep family connections going in the new year.

Here’s to reconnecting in the new year. And starting new projects. And following through with those projects (you heard it here).

Wishing you a happy, healthy and inspirational 2023!

Fran Ostendorf Editor

Story update: On page 20 of December 2022 Jewish Rhode Island, the bottom of the article on olive oil was cut off. Go to www.jewishrhody.com/stories/some-israelis-seeking-pure-olive-oil-for-theirmenorahs-are-being-scammed,23309? to find the remainder of the article.

THE MISSION OF JEWISH RHODE ISLAND 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.

JEWISH

RHODE ISLAND

EDITOR F ran Ostendorf DESIGN & LAYOUT Alex Foster

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VOLUME XXX, ISSUE I

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ON THE COVER : The Rhode Island State House illuminated for Shine A Light RI.

PHOTO BY MIKE COHEA

UP FRONT

Free-form artist makes Providence home

BY ROBERT ISENBERG

One day in 2008, Noah Lubin walked into an art gallery in Jerusalem. He was feeling “brazen.”

He knew the place, at least from the outside. He’d walked past the display window many times. But on this day, he happened to be carrying a portfolio of his artwork.

HE KNEW HE SHOULDN’T go in. This wasn’t how artists met art dealers.

So maybe it was no surprise that, when he offered to show his work to the owners, they curtly replied, no. “Well, too bad,” Lubin remembers saying. “Here it is.”

This was out of character for Lubin, who is now 43 and lives on the East Side of Providence with his wife and six children. But even for back then, when he was a single 29-year-old making aliyah, Lubin was in a rare mood.

Sure, he had spent time painting in the streets of Israel, and he’d personally

sold some of his work. But this was a big step for him – and, incredibly, it paid off. The gallery owners looked at his paintings. They conferred in a back room. When they came out, they promised to represent him. So began Lubin’s career as a professional artist.

“We created a kind of commercial arrangement,” Lubin recalled in a recent interview. “I worked with them professionally, full time, as a commercial artist, for numerous years.”

Today, Lubin is best known for large canvases caked in color and abstractions. Each painting is a jazzy blend of shapes and

figures. These are the works that wowed the gallery owners in Israel and eventually led to showings in New York. They also reflect the free-form nature of Lubin’s life. It is only in recent years that Lubin has diverged from this style, as he digs into his Jewish roots.

“The reason people loved [the abstracts] was the same reason they hated it,” Lubin says. “ ‘I hate it, anybody can paint that, it’s scribble.’ ‘Oh, I love it, it’s so free and vibrant!’ [But] I just went forward and forward.”

Lubin grew up on the North Side of Chicago. West Rogers Park is well known for its large Jewish population, but Lubin notes that it’s also one of the most ethnically diverse neighborhoods in the city. This was important to his mother, who was a teacher, artist and political advocate.

“My mother was promoting multiculturalism in the ’80s,” Lubin says.

Mostly, she promoted artists of diverse backgrounds, including recent immigrants to the United States.

They would hold meetings in the family’s apartment, and Lubin would often join his mother to tour art studios around town. Inspired, Lubin would come home and sketch.

“I tried to mimic the artists that I saw,” he says.

Lubin grew up in a busy household, with seven siblings and many pets. His father was a government employee, but he also performed in reggae bands and was deeply interested in Vedanta, a branch of Hindu mysticism.

Lubin has fond memories of his home, which overlooked a park and was always busy with meditation, music, art-making and visitors. Both his parents were Jewish by birth, and Lubin’s mother felt a kinship with Orthodox Judaism. She would make efforts to kasher the home, although Lubin says that rules were never his family’s strong suit.

“There was no denomination we fully fit into,” he says.

Lubin stands over 6 feet

tall. He speaks in rapid-fire bursts, followed by contemplative pauses. His default expression is dire seriousness bordering on physical pain. Yet he shows flashes of humor, followed by a self-effacing laugh.

Recounting his biography, Lubin knowingly jumps around, until it seems like he was pursuing three lifepaths at any given moment. One moment, he’s studying improv with Bernard Sahlins, the founder of Second City, the famous improv troupe in Chicago. Then he’s in the studio of legendary artist Ed Paschke. Then he’s getting into music, practicing guitar and cultivating a startlingly bluesy voice. At some point, he earns a master’s degree in education, and then he studies at a seminary in New York City. Everywhere Lubin goes, he’s trying something new.

“Life’s a canvas to me,” he says. “In college, I took as many courses as I could. I wanted to be near the teachers, and I wanted to learn things. And it was hard,

PHOTO | ROBERT ISENBERG Noah Lubin

Our ideals should fuel our future

VAYEKHI IS THE LAST parashah of the book of Genesis.

Genesis, as we all know, begins with the creation of the universe and culminates with the creation of human beings.

By the time the book of Genesis reaches Abraham, it begins to focus primarily on the patriarchs, matriarchs and their immediate offspring, ending with Joseph, who dominates most of the last four parashiot Vayekhi literally means “And he [Jacob] lived.”

’VAR

being the only one who doesn’t leave Canaan despite the famine in the land). At the same time, every generation longs to return.

At the beginning of Vayekhi, Jacob makes Joseph vow to bury him in the land of Canaan; he doesn’t want to be buried in exile in Egypt. At the very end of the parashah, Joseph also asks that his bones be taken back to the land of Canaan to be buried.

TO RAH

He truly believes that one day his descendants will return.

he asks, “Who are these?” Is this because they looked so Egyptian in their dress and manner or is it because his vision is so impaired? The text explicitly states that his vision is dim, but he nevertheless knows which boy is which. So, more than likely it is their dress and manner that is so Egyptian, so assimilated into the majority culture.

Jews with Israel has changed over the decades, especially in the United States.

articulates our wishes and aspirations for the next generation. In a concrete way, though, our blessings for them are the things we pass on that enhance and support their lives. We impart values, language, culture, customs, traditions and beliefs by the very way we live our lives.

D

Jacob is approaching death, and the Torah informs us that he has lived in Egypt for the last 17 of his 147 years, 17 also being the age at which Joseph was sold and brought to Egypt. The book ends with his extended family living in exile from the Promised Land.

At this point, things are relatively good for our ancestors in Egypt, nevertheless they are in exile from the Promised Land. The relationship and bond of our ancestors to the land of Israel is and remains a major theme throughout the Torah.

With all four of the first generations of our ancestors, there is a struggle to remain connected to the land of Israel (called the land of Canaan in the Torah – it is not referred to as eretz Yisrael, the land of Israel, until I Samuel 13:19).

Abraham is uprooted from his land, from his birthplace, from his father’s house, to go to this unknown land – the land of Canaan. Shortly after settling there, a famine forces him to go down to Egypt. The three successive generations have a similar relationship to the land of Canaan (Isaac

RABBI MARK ELBER

The remaining four books of the Torah end at the border of the land of Israel, with the people about to return to the land of their ancestors after 400 years of exile. Our ancestors dwell there for the next 1,300 years or so, before the destruction of the Second Temple and the expulsion from the land by the Romans.

For most of the next 2,000 years, our people have perceived themselves as living in exile from the land of Israel, but always with a fervent desire to return to the Promised Land.

Joseph is an interesting figure in part because he has been an enormous success in the diaspora, living the vast majority of his life there. Could he have returned to the land of Israel earlier in his life, had he so desired? Circumstances seem to keep him in Egypt.

When Jacob is going to bless Ephraim and Menashe, Joseph’s sons, he precedes the blessing by exclaiming to Joseph that these two boys are like Reuven and Shimon, his own first two sons. Then, surprisingly, when Jacob sees Ephraim and Menashe,

We are living in a time dramatically different from most of the last 2,000 years of Jewish history, a time in which there is a reborn state of Israel, a time when Jews can fulfill that 2,000-year dream, that hope of living in our ancestral land.

It’s true that during the course of our long exile, some Jews always remained in the land of Israel and individuals did return to the land. There were Jewish communities in Tzfat, Acco, Jerusalem, Tiberius, etc.

When Jews began to return in larger numbers, in the 1880s through the early 1900s, the conditions made it very difficult for them to survive on their own. In the late 1700s, a couple hundred Hassidim went to Israel from Poland/ Russia. Most of these communities relied on economic help from the diaspora.

But today Israel is a well-off country. Though it is still dependent on U.S. military aid, we are living in a time when, in contrast to the longings of our ancestors to return, most of us could consider the possibility, but don’t. We may go to visit, or even to live there for a number of years, but we more than likely consider ourselves at home in the diaspora.

Is that because the United States has mostly been a less oppressive diaspora for us than any other?

The connection of diaspora

The turning point was the Six-Day War. Until then, Jews around the world felt that Israel’s very survival was not secure. Many of us retain that feeling, but younger generations of Jews (those in their 40s and below) don’t necessarily have that sense. These younger Jews tend to be quite liberal, and the intractable problem of Israel’s occupation of the West Bank since 1967 makes them to a large degree either indifferent to – or turned off by – Israel. The results of Israel’s latest election have exacerbated that situation.

Our connection to Israel, in my opinion, should not be dependent on which political party (or, more accurately, coalition of parties) is in power, however challenging that might be.

There is the reality of Israel, the facts on the ground, so to speak, and there is the ideal of Israel, which helped bring about, at least in part, the modern state.

Of course, our ideals always end up coming up against forces out of our control, and nothing ever seems to live up to our ideals. But our ideals, nonetheless, should fuel our future. We bequeath our ideals, as well as the reality we leave behind us, to the coming generations.

A major component of Vayekhi is Jacob’s act of bestowing blessings on his descendants, beginning with Joseph’s sons, Ephraim and Menashe, and, later in the parashah, on his own sons.

How do we bless the coming generations?

We might formulate a verbal blessing that

Of course, we cannot control what they do with what we have bequeathed to them. The best we can do is try to live as closely to our ideals as possible, and make those ideals as life-enhancing, meaningful and inspiring as we can.

MARK ELBER is the rabbi at Temple Beth El, in Fall River. His recently published book of poetry, “Headstone” (Passager Books, 2022), won the 2022 Henry Morgenthau III Poetry Prize.

TV, film reveal religious spectrum in Israel

ISRAELI FILMS and television series shed light on the numerous ways in which Israelis act out their Jewishness. After many decades of distinctly secular Israeli cinema, in recent years a broad spectrum of characters and content has unfolded concerning Jewish identity, questions of faith and the religious space.

On Wednesday, Jan. 11, you will be able to view clips from some of these films and TV programs as Galit Roichman

uses the clips to explore the realities of what it means to be Jewish in Israel and to confront issues of the secular-religious divide. Clips from both cinema and TV series will depict the Jewish religious spectrum in Israel.

Sponsored by the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island, the free program is presented in celebration of Israel’s 75th anniversary.

Galit Roichman is a screenwriter and an ardent cinema lecturer. She holds a bache -

lor’s degree from Haifa University in Israel and a master’s degree in cinema studies from University of Tel Aviv. She lives and works in Tel Aviv and is a member of the Israeli Academy of Film and Television. Her presentations examine the changing face of Israeli society as depicted in Israeli films and television.

This virtual program is one of many this year presented in celebration of Israel’s 75th anniversary and is part of the Israeli Culture Series, which

usually is held on the second Wednesday evening of most months. It will take place on Jan. 11, at 7 p.m. on Zoom. For more information, please contact Elihay Skital, community shaliach/Israeli emissary, at 401-421-4111 or ESkital@jewishallianceri. org. Register at www.jewishallianceri.org/ics-jan11/

Submitted by Larry Katz, director of Jewish Life and Learning at the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island

Galit Roichman

CALENDAR HIGHLIGHTS

Ongoing

Kosher Senior Café and Programming. In-person lunches 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Monday – Thursday at the Dwares JCC, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence; Friday at Temple Sinai, 30 Hagen Ave., Cranston. No Café on MLK Day, 1/16. In-person and Zoom programming from 11 a.m.-noon followed by lunch and a guest speaker or discussion noon-1 p.m. The second Tuesday of the month is “Susie’s Corner” with Susie Adler. The third Thursday of the month is a book chat with Neal Drobnis. Suggested donation: $3 per lunch for those age 60 and older as well as for younger adults with a disability. Other adults may purchase a meal for $6.50. The Kosher Senior Café is a program of Jewish Collaborative Services, supported by the Jewish Alliance of Greater RI and Blackstone Health. Information and RSVP, Neal Drobnis at neal@jfsri.org or 401-421-4111, ext. 107.

Temple Torat Yisrael Jewish Literacy and Culture. Sundays 10:30-11:15 a.m. 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich. Taught by Rabbi David Barnett. Based on the idea that there are a certain number of informational items necessary for functional and cultural literacy, Joseph Telushkin put together a curriculum to apply this approach to the Jewish world. Individual class sessions will be distinct. Information and RSVP, deanna@ toratyisrael.org.

Project Shoresh Ladies’ Partners in Torah Night. Sundays 7:45-8:45 p.m. Providence Hebrew Day School, 450 Elmgrove Ave., Providence. Partner-based study group. On-site facilitators available. Free. Information, projectshoresh. com or Naftali Karp at naftalikarp@ gmail.com or 401-632-3165.

Let’s Talk Hebrew Winter Session. Mondays and Tuesdays. Mondays thru 2/13; Tuesdays thru 2/7. 6:30-7:30 p.m. Dwares JCC, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence. Four levels of Hebrew conversation offered in person plus intermediate level offered virtually. Cost: $100 per person (scholarships available). Information, Toby Liebowitz at tobyaane@gmail.com.

Project Shoresh: For Young Professionals – A Walk through Torah. Tuesdays 7-8 p.m. 132 Lancaster St., Providence. Explore the Five Books of Moses with Rabbi Chaim Yehuda and Mrs. Guta Shaps. RSVP (requested) or information, text or call Rabbi Shaps at 732-822-0028.

Temple Habonim “The Wisdom’s Literature.” Wednesdays 11 a.m.noon. Study the texts found in the Writings, the final section of the

Hebrew Bible. These texts offer perspectives on our relationship with God and the meaning and purpose of our lives. Via Zoom. Information, Adina Davies at office@ templehabonim.org or 401-2456536.

Temple Habonim Lunch and Learn. Thursdays noon-1:15 p.m. 165 New Meadow Road, Barrington. Join Rabbi Howard Voss-Altman in person for weekly Torah Study on Pirke Avot: A Modern Commentary on Jewish Ethics. Free. Information, Adina Davies at office@templehabonim.org or 401-245-6536.

Temple Torat Yisrael Men’s Club Game Night. Thursdays 6-8 p.m. 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich. Socialize and play games including table tennis. Information, www. toratyisrael.org.

Project Shoresh presents “Jew in 2022: Exploring a Meaningful Life” with Rabbi Eli Kasirer. Thursdays 8-9 p.m. Providence Hebrew Day School, 450 Elmgrove Ave., Providence. Rabbi Moshe Don Kestenbaum’s book “Olam Ha’avodah – A guide to understanding and achieving our purpose in this world” will be the basis for discussions. To confirm time and place for each class, Naftali Karp at naftalikarp@gmail.com or 401-6323165.

Project Shoresh Lively Kabbalat Shabbat. Fridays. Services will begin at the commencement of Shabbat. Be in touch for exact timing each week. Providence Hebrew Day School (side entrance), 450 Elmgrove Ave., Providence. Welcome Shabbat with a few inspiring words, melodious songs and traditional services. Open to all. Information, Naftali Karp at naftalikarp@gmail.com or 401-632-3165.

Temple Sinai Shabbat Evening Service. Fridays usually 6 p.m. 30 Hagen Ave., Cranston. Song, prayer and reflection offered in person or on Zoom. With Rabbi Jeffrey Goldwasser and Cantor Deborah Johnson. Zoom link at templesinairi.org. Information, dottie@templesinairi. org or 401-942-8350.

Cape Cod Synagogue Shabbat Services. Fridays 7 p.m., except second Friday of the month 6:30 p.m. when family Shabbat services take place. 145 Winter St., Hyannis, Mass. With Rabbi David Freelund. In-person and livestreamed on website, Facebook, Cape Media, YouTube and Community Television Comcast channel 99. Services are in-person with proof of vaccination; masks optional. Information, 508775-2988 or capecodsynagogue. org.

Temple Beth-El Shabbat Morning Service. Second Saturday of the

month 9-10:30 a.m. 70 Orchard Ave., Providence. Shabbat morning minyan with lay participation incorporating study, Torah and Haftarah readings. In-person or via Zoom. Information, Joie Magnone at jmagnone@temple-beth-el.org or 401-331-6070, ext. 100.

Temple Torat Yisrael Shabbat Services. Saturdays 9:30-10:30 a.m. 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich. Virtual and in-person. Led by Rabbi David Barnett. Information, Temple@toratyisrael.org.

Temple Sinai Shabbat Breakfast & Torah Study In-person and via Zoom. Saturdays 9:30-11 a.m. Temple Sinai, 30 Hagen Ave., Cranston. Breakfast followed by interactive discussion at 10 a.m. with Rabbi Jeffrey Goldwasser or others in the community. Zoom link at templesinairi.org. Information, dottie@templesinairi.org or 401942-8350.

Temple Habonim Torah Study. Saturdays (no Torah Study when there is a Bar or Bat Mitzvah) 10-11 a.m. Rabbi Howard Voss-Altman leads weekly Torah study on current portion. Via Zoom. Information, Adina Davies at office@templehabonim.org or 401-245-6536.

Cape Cod Synagogue Shabbat Services. Saturdays 10:30 a.m. 145 Winter St., Hyannis, Mass. With Rabbi David Freelund. In-person and livestreamed on website, Facebook and YouTube. Services are in-person with proof of vaccination; masks optional. Information, Cape Cod Synagogue at 508-775-2988 or capecodsynagogue.org.

Temple Sinai Shabbat Morning Service In-person and via Zoom. Saturdays 11 a.m. (10:30 a.m. when celebrating a Bar or Bat Mitzvah). 30 Hagen Ave., Cranston. Information, templesinairi.org or Dottie at 401-942-8350.

Friday | January 6

Temple Torat Yisrael Youth Shabbat Service and Potluck Dairy Dinner. 5:30-7 p.m. 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich. Family-led service followed by dinner at 6:30 p.m. This program is intended for families with children of Hebrew school age. Information and to RSVP for food planning purposes, Temple@toratyisrael.org.

Temple Habonim Pajama Tot & Family Shabbat. 5:45-7:45 p.m. 165 New Meadow Road, Barrington. Tot Shabbat (5:45 p.m.): interactive service designed for families with young children to experience the joy of Shabbat through music, story and prayer. Pizza Dinner (6:15 p.m.): $5 per person; email office@ templehabonim.org to sign up by 10 a.m. on 1/6. Family Shabbat Service

(6:45 p.m.): come in pajamas. Information, office@templehabonim.org or 401-245-6536.

Temple Beth-El Shabbat Service. 7-8:30 p.m. 70 Orchard Ave., Providence. In-person, via Zoom or on Facebook Live. Information, Joie Magnone at jmagnone@temple-beth-el.org or 401-331-6070, ext. 100.

Saturday | January 7

Temple Beth-El Torah Study. 9-10:30 a.m. 70 Orchard Ave., Providence. Delve into the weekly portion with Rabbi Sarah Mack and Rabbi Preston Neimeiser. In-person only. Information, Joie Magnone at jmagnone@temple-beth-el.org or 401-331-6070, ext. 100.

Sunday | January 8

Temple Beth-El Brotherhood Breakfast. 8:45-10 a.m. 70 Orchard Ave., Providence. Harvey Michaels Memorial Breakfast will feature guest speaker Brett Smiley, mayor of Providence. Cost: $5. Information, Barry Schiff at seal11@ aol.com.

Congregation Beth David Story Time and Crafts with PJ Library. 9:45-10:30 a.m. 102 Kingstown Road, Narragansett. Explore a variety of PJ Library books, and participate in crafts and games. No fee; synagogue membership not required. For ages 2-8. Hosted by Congregation Beth David in partnership with PJ Library. Information, Amanda Stevens at greenspan. amanda@gmail.com.

Temple Habonim’s Shoreshim Roots Pre-K Program: Shabbat. 10:15-11:15 a.m. 165 New Meadow Road, Barrington. Introduce your child to the sounds, sights and traditions of Judaism with a focus on Jewish holidays. An adult must stay with child. Led by PJ Library’s Lindsey Ursillo and Temple Habonim’s Educational Director David Perolman. Information and registration, Adina at office@templehabonim.org or David at eddirector@templehabonim.org.

Temple Emanu-El’s Boomers and Beyond Speak with David Cicilline. 11 a.m.-noon. 99 Taft Ave., Providence. Hear Congressman David Cicilline talk about Medicare, Social Security and other issues. Information, Shoshana Jacob at shosh@teprov.org or 401-331-1616.

Tuesday | January 10

Hadassah RI Discussion Group: Let’s Talk. 7 p.m. Peggy Shuker, deputy director of the New England Anti-Defamation League, will introduce the topic for our discussion on Rising Antisemitism. Everyone is welcome to participate

in this new monthly series of virtual discussions. Free. You do not have to be a member of our chapter or Hadassah. Information or RSVP, chapri@Hadassah.org.

Wednesday | January 11

Israeli Culture Series presents: Exploring through film what it means to be Jewish in Israel. 7 p.m. Israeli screenwriter and cinema lecturer Galit Roichman will use cinema and TV clips to explore this topic and to confront issues of the secular-religious divide. Free. Via Zoom. Information or RSVP, Elihay Eskital at eskital@jewishalliancri.org.

Thursday | January 12

Touro Foundation: “Architecture of Amsterdam’s 1675 Synagogue.” Noon-1 p.m. Explore the architecture and interior of the 1675 Portuguese Synagogue in Amsterdam, which directly influenced the 1763 Touro Synagogue in Newport, America’s oldest surviving Jewish house of worship. Presented by Dutch professor Dr. Pieter Vlaardingerbroek live via Zoom. Free. Information and RSVP, Meryle Cawley at meryle@ tourosynagogue.org or 401-8474794, ext. 207.

Great RI Challah Bake & Health Screening. 6-8 p.m. Temple Emanu-El, 99 Taft Ave., Providence. Educational resources, BRCA screening and testing offered by Myriad. Followed at 7 p.m. by dancing, wine and challah-making. $36. Co-sponsored by Core Connects RI, Touro Synagogue, Temple Emanu-El, Congregation Beth Sholom, Temple Beth-El, JCDSRI, Jewish Alliance of Greater RI, Temple Habonim, Temple Torat Yisrael, Brown/RISD Hillel, Bubbie’s Market, Ahava Catering and Hadassah RI. Information, Elissa Felder at CoreConnectsRI@gmail.com.

Friday | January 13

Temple Torat Yisrael Virtual Kabbalat Shabbat Songs & Torah Services. 5:45-6:30 p.m. Led by Rabbi David Barnett. Information and Zoom link, Temple@toratyisrael.org.

Temple Emanu-El Shabbat Chai. 6-8 p.m. 99 Taft Ave., Providence. Musical Kabbalat Shabbat service and dinner. Information, Shoshana Jacob at shosh@teprov.org or 401331-1616.

Temple Beth-El Shabbat Service. 7-8:30 p.m. 70 Orchard Ave., Providence. In-person, via Zoom or on Facebook Live. Social justice music in honor of MLK Day. Information, Joie Magnone at jmagnone@temple-beth-el.org or 401-331-6070, ext. 100.

Sunday | January 15

Temple Torat Yisrael Torah Sprouts: Tu B’shevat. 9:15-10:15 a.m. 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich. Learn about Jewish culture and holidays in this one-hour active program with Morah Leah. For children ages 3-5 and their parents. Open to all. You do not need to be a member of the synagogue. Cost: $12 per session. Information and RSVP, Temple@toratyisrael.org.

Temple Emanu-El Brotherhood goes to the Providence Bruins. 3:05 p.m. Amica Mutual Pavilion, One La Salle Square, Providence. Join the Temple Emanu-El Brotherhood to watch this hockey match. Fun for the entire family. $20 per ticket. Information, Shoshana Jacob at shosh@teprov.org, or 401-3311616.

Friday | January 20

Temple Torat Yisrael Musical Shabbat Service with Potluck Dairy Dinner. 6-8:30 p.m. 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich. Musical service led by Rabbi David Barnett with the help of the TTY band. Potluck Dairy Dinner follows at 7 p.m. Free. Information and to RSVP for food planning purposes, Temple@toratyisrael.org.

Temple Habonim Erev Shabbat Service & Wine and Dine. 6:15 p.m. 165 New Meadow Road, Barrington. In-person services followed by dinner. Proof of vaccination for those 5 and over. Vaccination is encouraged for those under 5. Services also offered virtually on the temple’s YouTube channel. Information and RSVP, Adina at office@templehabonim.org or 401245-6536.

Temple Beth-El Hallelu Shabbat Service. 6:30-8:30 p.m. 70 Orchard Ave., Providence. Abundant, filling hors d’oeuvres followed by an uplifting musical service featuring Temple Beth-El musicians and a short d’var Torah. Information, Joie Magnone at jmagnone@ temple-beth-el.org or 401-3316070, ext. 100.

Saturday | January 21

Temple Beth-El Torah Study. 9-10:30 a.m. 70 Orchard Ave., Providence. Delve into the weekly portion with Rabbi Sarah Mack and Rabbi Preston Neimeiser. In-person only. Information, Joie Magnone at jmagnone@temple-beth-el.org or 401-331-6070, ext. 100.

Temple Beth-El K’tantan PJ Havdalah Concert. 5:30 p.m. 70 Orchard Ave., Providence. Havdalah, Rock-a-Baby concert and pizza dinner. Sponsored by Temple Sisterhood. Hosted by Temple Beth-El in partnership with PJ Library.

Information or to register, Rachel Mersky Woda at rmerskywoda@ temple-beth-el.org or 401-3316070, ext. 107.

Kids’ Night Out – Superheroes Assemble! 6-10 p.m. Dwares JCC, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence. Kids have fun while parents have the night off. Activities include gym games/sports, art, board games, free play and a movie. Dinner and popcorn included. Cost: $40 members | $50 nonmembers. Siblings: $20 members | $25 nonmembers. Information and registration (required), Jimmy Rawl at jrawl@ jewishallianceri.org or 401-4214111, ext. 140.

Sunday | January 22

Temple Emanu-El Author Book Talk. 1-2:30 p.m. 99 Taft Ave., Providence. Historian and author of “Refuge Must Be Given: Eleanor Roosevelt, the Jewish Plight, and the Founding of Israel,” John F. Sears will speak about Eleanor Roosevelt’s advocacy for the Jews of Europe before and during World War II, her support for Israel and her patroness of youth aliyah. In person and on Zoom. Free. Sponsored by the Rosen Library Committee. Information, Donna Marks at dpmarks1@yahoo.com.

Friday | January 27

Temple Torat Yisrael Virtual Kabbalat Shabbat Songs & Torah Services. 5:45-6:30 p.m. Led by Rabbi David Barnett. Information and Zoom link, Temple@toratyisrael.org.

Temple Beth-El Shabbat Service. 7-8:30 p.m. 70 Orchard Ave., Providence. In-person, via Zoom or on Facebook Live. Information, Joie Magnone at jmagnone@temple-beth-el.org or 401-331-6070, ext. 100.

Sunday | January 29

Day-at-the-J. 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Dwares JCC, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence. Activities for the whole family featuring special activities in addition to regularly scheduled programs such as free play open gym, group exercise classes and family swim. For all ages. Free. Hosted by the Jewish Alliance of Greater RI. Information, Michelle Cicchitelli at mcicchitelli@jewishallianceri.org.

Temple Emanu-El Sinai and Synapses lecture. 10:30 a.m. 99 Taft Ave., Providence. Temple member Victoria Templer Rotkow will speak on “Habits and Awareness: A neuroscientist’s Perspective.” Information, Shoshana Jacob at shosh@ teprov.org or 401-331-1616.

Preparing for winter wellness

THE COLD AND DARK late afternoons of New England winters can be tough on our bodies and minds. Many people feel down or have “winter blues” during this time. Mood changes often begin and end when the seasons change. For some, the mood changes can affect our thinking and how we handle our daily life, and can evolve into Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), a type of depression. Here are some tips and strategies to stay healthy and happy during the winter months:

Move often. Walk, dance, play a sport, do something that rids the body of tension. When you move, serotonin is released in the brain, which produces endorphins, the happy chemicals.

Laugh more. Laughter suppresses the stress-related hormones in the brain and activates the immune system. Laughter also stimulates deep breathing and massages your internal organs.

Breathe for vitality. The oxygen that breath brings to your lungs is your life force. When we are aware of our breathing, we focus our minds. Breathing deeply and fully with great focus can energize and invigorate us.

Eat nourishing food. This enhances your energy. Also, focusing on the experience and sensations of eating can lead to heightened awareness.

Sleep. Getting enough sleep is essential for maintaining optimal health and well-being. When it comes to health, sleep is as vital as regular exercise and eating a balanced diet.

Get out in nature. Exposure to the natural world makes us feel better emotionally and contributes to our physical well-being by reducing blood pressure, heart rate, muscle tension and the production of stress hormones.

Pamper yourself. A massage

or a facial can restore and rejuvenate you. Pampering can also be just luxuriating in the simple beauty of your environment. This might include hot baths, long walks in nature, reading a good book, watching a feel-good movie, creating a healthy gourmet meal.

Share with friends. Cultivate strong social networks, which has been shown to help people live longer, healthier and more fulfilling lives Count all your blessings. Assess what is working in your life on a daily basis. Seek peace of mind. Peace of mind translates into good health because stress and burnout contribute so much to ailments.

PATRICIA RASKIN

On a spiritual note, Rabbi Yitzchak Ginsburgh writes in “The Kabbalah of Nutrition,” at Chabad.org, that “The Torah teaches us that, ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but rather man lives on the word of the mouth of God.’

“In the Torah, the word ‘bread’ refers to food in general, not just to bread. What the above verse is teaching us is that within the ‘bread’ we eat is invested Divine lifeforce, and, moreover, that it is important for us to know that this life-force is coming directly from God, the Creator and Sustainer of all life (and, indeed, of all reality).”

PATRICIA RASKIN , owner of Raskin Resources Productions, is an awardwinning radio producer, business owner and leader. She is on the board of directors of Temple Emanu-El, in Providence, and is a recipient of the Providence Business News 2020 Leaders and Achievers award. Her new “Positive Aging with Patricia Raskin” podcast is broadcast on the Rhode Island PBS website, ripbs.org/positiveaging.

COMMUNITY VOICES

WITH ANOTHER YEAR in the rearview mirror, I thought I’d take an unconventional look at 2022 by writing about five things I want to see much less of in 2023, and five things I’d like to resume or increase after nearly three years of limiting activities because of COVID-19.

In the new year, here are five things I’d like to see less of:

1. Selfishness: During the pandemic too many people decided against getting vaccinated or wearing masks and observing other health rules, but the selfishness that seems to dominate society has been widespread for way too long; it just worsened during the pandemic.

We must start showing more compassion for our fellow human beings, and should start putting the collective good ahead of our own needs, or our society will be forever fragmented.

2. Disrespect: It’s at an alltime high. I blame not only politicians at both extremes, who have demonized their opposition, but also us, for allowing ourselves to fall prey to such base instincts.

3. Mistrust: Few people trust anyone to do the right thing anymore, and an increasingly high number of us just don’t care about connecting with our fellow human beings. If we want to try to restore civility, we must start turning disrespect into respect and mistrust into trust. Otherwise, we’ll be stuck with the next two items.

4. Anger: Ever since the onset of the pandemic, too many people not only have become angrier than ever, but, unfortunately, they also think it’s perfectly fine for them to act on their anger –verbally, physically or both –no matter whom they insult or hurt.

Want evidence? People are losing their tempers faster than ever. We see that in stores, in public settings, and especially on the roads, where tailgating and road rage are no longer rare occurrences.

Don’t think so? Then you haven’t tried to go the speed

limit, including 20 mph in a school zone or 25-30 mph on side or local streets. I routinely adhere to these limits, and constantly find myself with a huge pickup truck uncomfortably on my tail. Sometimes, the tailgating is followed by the offending driver leaning on their horn, and that’s downright scary. But anger isn’t just on the rise on the roads. Too many people don’t want to listen to the word “no,” or follow the rules, or adhere to what was once called “common courtesy,” with the result that many store clerks, waitstaff and flight attendants have been verbally abused or physically assaulted. Such despicable actions must stop now.

5. Unfettered hate on social media and in everyday life: Hate has become so prevalent that it seems as though it boils over into violence more than ever. The shocking rise of antisemitism, which has become distressingly commonplace, is only part of the story. Attacks on people of color are also up nationwide. Asians have been particularly vulnerable since the start of the pandemic, when they were wrongly blamed for COVID19.

I don’t harbor any illusions that any of this will improve in 2023, but I do continue to hope and pray that the anger and hatred will decrease – and be replaced by tolerance.

Here are five things I want to do more of in 2023:

1. Social gatherings: On Oct. 29, when my wife and I celebrated our 34th wedding anniversary, we attended the biggest gathering we had been to since the pandemic’s onset: a friend’s daughter’s wedding. We both got our flu shots and Omicron boosters more than two weeks before the wedding, and felt good about going. Nevertheless, the event felt strange because I hadn’t worn a suit, dress shirt or tie since well before the pandemic.

The good news is that it felt wonderful to socialize with old friends. We

schmoozed during the cocktail hour, ate dinner at a communal table and joined dozens of people on the dance floor – the first dancing I had done in a long time. It felt good to be around people, and I vowed not to wait another several years before grooving to disco and rock again.

2. Travel: Back in August, a friend and I drove to Portland, Maine, for the day to have lunch with a friend we’ve known for 50 years, and that was the first time I had traveled out of Massachusetts or Rhode Island since the pandemic. That must change in 2023. I have a sister in California and cousins and a dear aunt and uncle in Ontario, Canada, whom I haven’t seen in too long.

3. Concerts: My wife and I haven’t been to an indoor concert or a large outdoor one since before the pandemic. I hope that’ll change in 2023.

4. More ballgames: Over the summer, I went to Polar Park four times to see the Worcester Red Sox and twice to Fenway Park to see the Boston Red Sox. I’ll definitely return to both stadiums in the new year.

5. Dining out: I resumed eating in restaurants in the summer of 2021, but I hope to feel even more comfortable dining out and shopping in stores.

It’s painfully clear that COVID-19 is never going away, which is a severe disappointment to people like me, who are not only fully vaccinated, but who also received three boosters, for a total of five shots, since March 2021. But I continue to hope that sometime in the new year, I can stop wearing a mask indoors.

LARRY KESSLER (larrythek65@gmail.com) is a freelance writer based in North Attleboro. He blogs at https://larrytheklineup. blogspot.com.

We are Read

This summer, Jeff Stoloff and Freddi Faye Moskowitz, were in Krems, Austria, on a mountaintop cafe overlooking the Danube River.

www.jewishallianceri.org/report-it/

At the Jewish Alliance, we believe all people should be treated fairly and justly. If you have experienced or witnessed an incident of anti-Semitism or extremism, please report it. Anti-Semitic activity includes overt acts or expressions of anti-Jewish bigotry and hostility. Many incidents are not crimes but are still considered anti-Semitic and should be reported.

This initiative is meant to help track anti-Semitic incidents in the state of Rhode Island. Experiencing any type of anti-Semitism may be traumatic for you or your loved ones. If you need additional support, please contact Jewish Collaborative Services at 401.331.1244 for guidance.

www.jewishallianceri.org/report-it/

LARRY KESSLER

The many splendors of trees

Tu b’Shevat or just “tu”: It’s known as the Jewish new year for trees and celebrated with first fruits.

THIS TOAST TO TIMBER has multiple meanings, which I will list here.

Our Arbor Day is one, of course. A symbol of ecology as well as Zionism. But for me, it was all about the poems by American artists that I learned by rote.

“Woodman, spare that tree!” and “He who plants a tree, he plants Hope!” Or even “The beauty of letting things go.” And then there’s that World War I poem by the doughboy Joyce Kilmer, which ends: “Poems are made

by fools like me, but only God can make a tree.”

osity of arbor days, and which began after all our human species, created by ha-Shem, came down from the high branches to walk the good earth on our hands transformed into feet.

bronze into breezy flights of fancy with this translation, fit for a grandpa like me: “Out of the mouths of babes.”

S KETCHB OOK

Now, my son likes to pester and torment me with the ultimate question: “What is the meaning?” I have to produce either something nonsensical and outrageous, or simply something simple and a bit stupid. He even grades me on my success or failure in this challenge!

Our Torah is called the Tree of Life. My family’s fortunes were based on the furniture business, which of course depends on the gener-

And Moses was told by a burning bush to take off his shoes and feel the rhythms of the soil. Which may even explain why some among our founders believed the natives of our hemisphere were a Lost Tribe of Israel, which led to the code contributions of the Comanche during World War II.

There is a sculpture/ statue in a local library that depicts Mercury, the Roman god most associated with Hermes, the Athenian god of theft and also wit, emerging from an infant’s mouth! What does this weird wizardry mean?

I would translate

Listen to the little souls and they will make much out of Tu b’Shevat throughout the brief hours but long shadows of winter, both in our Holy Land and wherever our soles and souls take us.

MIKE FINK (mfink33@ aol.com) is a professor emeritus at the Rhode Island School of Design.

Beautiful, searching, and insightful.

Dec. 7, 2022 | by greenlightnight on Apple Podcasts

Despite decades of progress, we still live in a Jewish community where people in interfaith relationships are banned from many forms of Jewish leadership. People still, upon hearing about a new romantic partner, ask "well are they Jewish?" before "well do they make you happy?" Grateful that this podcast can help move the needle and serve the creation of a world where interfaith relationships are seen as gi s to Jewish life — not as a threat to its (our) existence.

Dec. 5, 2022 | by LexRofes on Apple Podcasts

PHOTO | MIKE FINK Statue of Mecury.

MIKE FINK

A lovely and wise exploration of interfaith relationships, families, and love.

is is a sacred podcast, and so needed in Jewish communities today is podcast encapsulates, beautifully, the challenges — and also joys — of interfaith families navigating Jewish community.

Fashioning friendships on the East Side

BY GEORGE M. GOODWIN

If

see Julio Iannone at 193 Cole Ave. I’ve known him for 35 years, but he’s been in business there for half a century! And he doesn’t have any plans to retire. Fortunately, he still enjoys his calling – and so many of his customers enjoy him.

probably gone

HAVING SPENT HIS EARLY years in Fondi, a small city between Rome and Naples near the Gulf of Gaeta, he didn’t meet any Jews. Or at least he’s not aware of ever having done so. But Julio estimates that perhaps half of his regular Providence customers are Jewish. And he has become friendly with many of them.

After tailoring clothes for countless special occasions, such as B’nai Mitzvah, weddings and anniversary celebrations, he has been invited to more than a few. He also enjoys exchanging New Year’s and other holiday greetings with his customers-turned-friends.

Born in 1950, Julio launched his career when he was only 8. He was apprenticed to a tailor, and he spent afternoons after school learning how to sew. He was also required to learn some important life skills; his father, Gerardo, spent much of each year as a factory worker in Germany, so Julio helped his mother, Emma, care for his three younger siblings.

Julio and his family wanted to join his maternal grandparents, Giulio and Teresa Diamante, in America. But the Iannones had to wait nearly a decade for visas. They finally joined their relatives in Providence in 1966.

Once here, Julio attended high school only briefly. Instead, while living in his grandparents’ two-family home on Federal Hill, he got a tailoring job on Washington Street.

In 1970, Julio enlisted in the military during the Vietnam War. Why did he choose the Navy over the Army? Seeking clean linens, he dreaded the idea of sleeping on a jungle floor. Before beginning basic training at Great Lakes Naval Base, north of Chicago, Julio was required to spend a month there studying English.

When given a choice of specialized training, he chose to become a medic. Having been sent to Chelsea Naval Hospital, in Massachusetts, he helped care for severely injured sailors

in the orthopedic unit. No, he was not required to sew up their wounds; many patients had lost entire limbs.

While stationed in Chelsea, Julio also became further aware of racial prejudice. He had hoped to share an apartment with three other sailors, but his best friend, a Black man, told Julio that he would cause an unnecessary burden with landlords. Julio still seems ashamed for accepting his friend’s advice.

In the fall of 1971, while on leave, Julio met his future wife, Lois, a Providence native and a Providence College alumna. They had known each other only 10 days when he proposed to her. She replied, “You’re crazy!” But they did marry a few months later – and are still married 51 years later.

Immediately following his discharge from the Navy in July 1972, Julio sought a job. And what could be more “suitable” than a position as a tailor?

An acquaintance in Providence told him about a friend who had a shop on Cole Avenue. Within minutes of inquiring about an opening, Julio was hired as an assistant. Within a few months, he was invited to buy the business, and the owner helped him obtain a loan.

Julio figured that if he worked hard, did his best, was kind and considerate, and kept his sense of humor, the business would survive and possibly flourish.

During those early years, Julio also had a few other concerns. He had two young children, and his wife, Lois, commuted to Boston’s New England Law school, from which she graduated in 1987.

Over the years, Julio has been shrewd enough to listen carefully to his customers. For example, rather than creating from scratch a long white gown for my daughter’s high school graduation in 2005, he appreciated my wife’s suggestion: fashion one long dress out of two shorter ones. The result, in my humble

opinion, was a sartorial masterpiece.

Some readers of this article may wonder if, in accordance with the Italian tradition of la bella figura, Julio sees himself as a fashion plate. He doesn’t. He dresses quite modestly and his shop, Cole Avenue Tailor, is simply adorned.

When he’s not at work, Julio can often be found in his kitchen. He’s particularly fond of preparing traditional Italian dinners. He’s also a Patriots fan, and loves walking along country roads.

Julio also takes enormous

pride in his family’s educational and professional accomplishments. Lois practiced family law for 35 years before a serious illness led to her early retirement. The Iannones’ son, Jason, also became a lawyer. He married a Roger Williams University School of Law classmate from Minnesota, so the couple and their two children ended up living there.

The Iannones’ daughter, Christen, earned a doctorate in psychology and lives and works in Florida. Julio much enjoyed his former son-in-law, a Jewish physician, who remarried and

now lives, coincidentally, in Minnesota. Christen, too, has remarried.

Though reared as a Catholic, Julio never developed deep ties to his church. Indeed, his childhood priest actually warned him against developing beliefs that were too rigid.

“Doing good to others,” Julio says, “is what the Almighty wants.”

GEORGE M. GOODWIN , of Providence, has edited Rhode Island Jewish Historical Notes for 19 years.

Julio Iannone in his East Side shop.

PHOTO | GEORGE M. GOODWIN

OPINION

We’ve come a long way

I JUST WANT to say it’s amazing how far we’ve come in RI. I can still remember the pain of reading a letter to the editor in the Jewish Voice more than a decade ago from a reader who didn’t approve of the Voice celebrating interfaith marriages, etc. As a Jewish woman in an interfaith marriage, raising two Jewish children, who are now grown, it stunned me. It probably shouldn’t have, but it did. That was probably my first and only letter to the editor that I wrote in response. I’m excited to listen to the Breaking the Glass podcast. Just listening to the preview trailer brought tears to my eyes.

Laura Freedman Pedrick Newport, R.I.

LETTER IN THE NEWS

The legal system alone cannot solve the problems of a pluralistic society

ON DEC. 13, PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN signed into law the Respect for Marriage Act, which ensures that residents of all 50 states have the right to enter into same-sex and interracial marriages.

This act, in effect, repeals the Defense of Marriage Act, signed into law by President Bill Clinton back in 1996. DOMA had defined marriage as a union between one man and one woman, and it also affirmed the right of individual states to refuse to recognize the validity of samesex marriages from other states.

SEEMS TOME

our nation’s Supreme Court: Lorie Smith, a Colorado graphic designer, according to a Dec. 6 front-page New York Times article, sought to determine whether she “has a free speech right under the First Amendment to refuse to create websites celebrating same-sex weddings because of her Christian faith, despite a state law that forbids discrimination based on sexual orientation.”

the spiritual and sexual union of a man and a woman and … I would not preside over a same-sex wedding.”

Nevertheless, she argues that to preserve America’s pluralistic society, we need to enhance our “spirit of mutual love and honesty, a spirit of reaching however clumsily across differences to support one another; a spirit that doesn’t expect agreement and works for peace.”

The 15th annual Fighting Poverty with Faith Vigil took place Jan. 4 at the R.I. State House. Faith leaders and others gathered in the rotunda to help usher in the legislative session and remind legislators to fight poverty.

Same-sex couples can breathe a bit easier knowing that their marriages are now protected by federal law throughout our nation. The Respect for Marriage Act adds one more piece of armor to protect the social, cultural and religious pluralism that makes America America.

Following the close of the Constitutional Convention in September 1787, Benjamin Franklin is said to have quipped: “We have a republic, if you can keep it.”

Mindful of the big IF Franklin expressed 236 years ago, today we Americans are a complex, pluralistic, diverse society, IF we can keep it.

In her trenchant opinion piece in the Dec. 5 issue of The New York Times, titled “When Gay and Religious Freedoms Clash,” Tish Harrison Warren, a priest in the Anglican Church in North America, explores both the promise and the peril of pluralism in the United States.

Her discussion focuses on a complicated case recently taken up by

JAMES ROSENBERG

Smith insisted that her design company would continue to serve LGBTQ customers, except for a projected wedding-related service limited to heterosexual unions. She argued that requiring her to provide these services to gay and lesbian couples infringes on her constitutional right to free speech.

I have read and reread the reported comments on this case by such conservative justices as Brett Kavanaugh and such liberal justices as Sonia Sotomayor – and, to be honest, I find the arguments on both sides equally convincing … and equally unconvincing.

The reason I find Tish Warren’s column so edifying is that she points out that cases like Smith’s cannot be “solved” by a strictly legal action because the social tensions simmering beneath the surface of the legal arguments reflect the radical pluralism and diversity that defines today’s America.

Warren says of herself, “though I respect secular same-sex marriage, I am a priest in a denomination that understands holy matrimony to be

While Warren admits that it is a rare day when opposing sides on the clash between religious liberty and gay rights learn to hear the “other” with open minds and open hearts, she is convinced that this is what we must do to become a truly United States.

Tish Warren makes the difficult and nuanced argument that our pluralistic, diverse society – if we can keep it! – requires us to move beyond the letter of the law by embodying “a spirit that doesn’t expect agreement but that works for peace.”

The clash between gay and religious freedoms, emblematic of our country’s struggle with pluralism and diversity, which Warren explores with such elegance, sensitivity and grace, cannot be negotiated solely by the rule of law.

The Anglican priest concludes her essay by affirming the promise of pluralism in America: “It is a promise that different communities with conflicting narratives and ideologies are allowed in society and public life. It is a promise worth keeping.”

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

Vandals again desecrate Thessaloniki Holocaust memorial

BY RON KAMPEAS

(JTA) – For at least the fourth time since it was installed in 2014, vandals desecrated a Holocaust memorial in Thessaloniki, the Greek city that once boasted a Jewish plurality.

A photo appearing Dec. 29 on the Central Board of Jewish Communities in Greece website showed a red swastika daubed on a grave that symbolizes the tombstones

destroyed by the Nazis after they deported more than 90% of Thessaloniki’s population to death camps.

Additionally, a red Celtic Cross, a white supremacist symbol, defiled one of five historical markers lining the site at Aristotle University, on ground where the cemetery once was.

“We condemn the unholy act of the vandals, followers of intolerance and antisemitism that express their hatred

and fanaticism through the profanation of the memory of the Salonican Jews,” the news site quoted the city’s Jewish community as saying in a statement. “No tolerance to antisemitism!”

The statement called on law enforcement to track down and bring the vandals to justice. It was not clear from the statement when the vandalism occurred.

The monument, installed in 2014, features a metal

menorah and a star of David positioned slightly askew to symbolize the destruction of the ancient community. It was previously vandalized in 2018 twice and once in 2019.

Before the Holocaust, Thessaloniki was one of the most Jewish cities in Europe with a Jewish majority or plurality for much of the 19th century. The city’s Jewish community was primarily Sephardic, though it also included a small community of Romani-

otes, Judeo-Greek speakers from Greece and Turkey who predated the Sephardic migration to the area after their expulsions from Spain in 1492.

During the spring and summer months of 1943, almost all of Thessaloniki’s Jews were deported to Auschwitz, where most perished.

Jewish Rhode Island publishes thoughtful and informative contributors’ columns (op-eds 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 Jewish Rhode Island or the Alliance.

PHOTO | ROBERT ISENBERG

RABBI

OPINION

US Bishops emphasize recommitment to relationship with Jewish community

This statement was issued on Nov. 28, 2022 by the US Bishops’ Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs

WASHINGTON – In 1965, Pope Paul VI issued the Vatican Council’s declaration about other world religions, Nostra Aetate (“In our time”), marking a key milestone in the relationship between the Catholic Church and Judaism. As the 60th anniversary of this prophetic document approaches, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs has issued a statement urging all believers in Christ once again to decry all “hatred, persecutions, displays of anti-Semitism, directed against Jews at any time and by anyone.” (Nostra Aetate, 4).

The full Committee’s statement follows:

“More than ever, members of the Body of Christ must now become aware of their spiritual ties to the Jewish people chosen first to hear the Word of God. In his letter to the Romans, Saint Paul spoke of the Church as wild shoots grafted onto an olive tree, that is, the Jews. He cautioned: “you do not support the root, the root supports you.” (Rom 11:17-24)

As a result, the Church must take care to protect that same root from which she continues to draw sustenance as all await in varied ways the coming of the Messiah. (cf. Nostra Aetate, 4). The rising trend of antisemitic incidents has become even more painful in light of the Church’s relationship to the Jewish tradition and our connections to the Jewish people in dialogue and

friendship.

“Beginning with the leadership of St. Paul VI, who guided the drafting and approval of Nostra Aetate through the Second Vatican Council and continuing without interruption to the present day with Pope Francis, the Catholic Church has continually fostered and recommended ‘that mutual understanding and respect which is the fruit, above all, of biblical and theological studies as well as of fraternal dialogues.’ (cf. Nostra Aetate, 4)

“Over the last six decades, the USCCB’s Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs has been proud to build partnerships with the National Council of Synagogues, the Orthodox Union, and the newly established Modern Orthodox Group, promoting those positive relations so encouraged by the Council. In each of these exchanges, leaders in the Catholic and Jewish faiths have learned to encounter each other in a spirit of good will and a sincere desire to encourage our respective faithful to live together in a society increasingly diverse in its racial, ethnic, religious, and political makeup.

“Today, however, these same lessons are being challenged by the re-emergence of antisemitism in new forms. Outraged by the deeply hurtful proliferations of antisemitic rhetoric, both online and in-person, and the violent attacks on Jewish individuals, homes, and institutions, we wish to convey our sincere support to the Jewish people. As Pope Francis has stated, ‘A true Christian cannot be an

Free-form artist makes Providence his home

because when they showed me rules, I wouldn’t want to follow them. When they didn’t show me rules, I was irritated. I was like, ‘Show me some rules.’ ”

This hunger to learn took Lubin to Israel for more than three years. He became a fulltime artist and was increasingly drawn to Orthodox Judaism. The gallery owners he worked with were Hassidic, and he found himself at Orthodox shuls and seders.

One of his sisters had attended an Orthodox high school, and his mother had sent Lubin to an Orthodox summer camp. Slowly, he decided to commit himself to Orthodox Judaism.

“There wasn’t a single linear event,” says Lubin.

“[Orthodoxy] felt like home to me, in some ways. I just loved it. There were structures and frameworks to it. Even though it went against my more open upbringing, that had appeal. I only partly joke that Orthodoxy was my rebellion.”

Lubin met his wife, Batsheva, online. Batsheva lived in Boston, so Lubin decided to move back to the U.S., although he still hopes to return to Israel with his family. They lived for a time in Boston, but as housing prices skyrocketed, they sought a more affordable home in Providence. Here, they are happily raising their children.

“We fell in love with Rhode Island,” Lubin says. “It has all the amenities of Chicago. It’s just awesome. It’s beautiful.

antisemite.’ (Address to Members of the International Jewish Committee on Interreligious Consultations, June 24, 2013).

“We must remain ever vigilant of the various ways in which these dangers arise. In unequivocal terms, we condemn any and all violence directed at the Jewish people, whether motivated by religious, racial, or political grievances. We furthermore denounce any rhetoric which seeks to demonize or dehumanize the Jewish people or Judaism as a religious tradition. We continue to remind ourselves of the shared spiritual patrimony that remains the foundation of our relationship with the Jewish people. We affirm that the Jewish people cannot be held responsible for the death of Christ or be depicted as rejected or accursed in theological discourse. It must always be remembered that Jesus, Mary, and his apostles were all Jewish. Finally, we remain firm in our dedication to a just political solution – a secure and recognized Israel living in peace alongside a viable and independent Palestine.

“As partners and neighbors, we seek to foster bonds of friendship between members of the Body of Christ and the Jewish people. With this in mind, and in light of the upcoming 60th anniversary of Nostra Aetate, we recommit ourselves to broadening the implementation of the teaching found within that prophetic document. In the nearly six decades since the promulgation of Nostra Aetate, the relationship between the Church and the Jewish people has continued to grow

and strengthen with mutual respect and admiration. May God continue to bless us with a renewed friendship and a mutual understanding that one day will allow us to address the Lord and stand as brothers and sisters to serve him ‘shoulder to shoulder.’ (Soph. 3.19).”

Members of the Committee for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs:

Most Reverend David P. Talley, Chairman Bishop of Memphis

Most Reverend Joseph C. Bambera Bishop of Scranton

Most Rev. David D. Kagan Bishop of Bismarck

Most Reverend Denis J. Madden Auxiliary Bishop of Baltimore

Most Rev. Jeffrey M. Monforton Bishop of Steubenville

Most Rev. Wm. Michael Mulvey Bishop of Corpus Christi

Most Rev. Mitchell T. Rozanski Archbishop of St. Louis

Most Rev. Alfred A. Schlert Bishop of Allentown

Most Rev. Peter L. Smith Auxiliary Bishop of Portland in Oregon

The community is safe for raising kids. You just travel a little bit, and you can get to the ocean. I find the people to be kind.”

Lubin’s most recent project is, once again, a divergence from everything that came before. Around 2015, after the passing of his father, Lubin started to focus on portraits, specifically of people from the Jewish diaspora. After securing some private funding, he traveled to Europe to photograph passersby, and then used their images as the basis for a new series of paintings. He carved a path through Berlin, Prague, Budapest and Vienna, taking pictures as he went.

“We keep trying to find ourselves in these other faces,” Lubin muses. “I looked for people I wanted to paint. Even

though my paintings ended up looking quite different from the photographs, they were faces which inspired me to paint. Sometimes, of course, I would have the privilege of getting their names, and where are they are from, and their stories – and many times I didn’t.”

Most of these portraits stand at about 5 feet tall, which requires a lot of studio space.

When COVID interrupted Lubin’s work, he packed up his studio in Hope Artiste Village, in Pawtucket. Most of his series is now in storage, and he’s looking for a new workspace.

He imagines one day having a gallery show, or even continuing to travel and document the faces of the Jewish diaspora.

Like so much of Lubin’s life, this latest effort is a work in progress.

“I had that question, ‘Where do I go with this?’ ‘When does the project stop?’ ‘What am I going to do with the project?’ ” he says. “That’s been a little painful to me in some ways. It’s hard, because I love the world. I love different artistic expressions. Where to go with them? I don’t know. I just keep painting.”

Hear Lubin discuss his work at JewishRhody.org. To see more of Lubin’s work, go to www.noahsamuellubin. com.

ROBERT ISENBERG (risenberg@ jewishallianceri.org) is the multimedia producer for the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island and a writer for Jewish Rhode Island.

Did you Shine a Light in RI?

PHOTOS | ROBERT ISENBERG

Scenes from the Kosher Senior Cafe at the Alliance's Dwares JCC.

Menorahs displayed in local windows, part of an effort to shine a light on antisemitism.

PHOTO | JUSTIN FOSTER

PHOTO | BETH LLOYD

A Hanukkah Spectaculah

Noa Baer, of Providence, making a Hanukkah card at the Hanukkah Spectaculah in Providence on Dec. 18.

Sarah Joy, of North Providence, entertains the crowd.

Jeff Ingber frying latkes.

Elihay Skital, of the Jewish Alliance, serving donuts from PVDonuts.

PHOTOS GLEN OSMUNDSON

BY FRAN OSTENDORF

2022 IS LIKELY to be remembered as a year of contrasts, when we joyously welcomed the return of near-normalcy as the punishing pandemic waned, even while we deplored the spike in antisemitic speech and acts. Here are some of the highlights – and lowlights – of 2022 as reported in Jewish Rhode Island.

January

LOCAL JEWISH LEADERS reflected on opening up postCOVID, while also saying that online programming is here to stay. Some temples, like Congregation B’nai Israel, in Woonsocket, found that attendance grew substantially when services went online.

TWO YEARS AFTER the idea

Community Center, in Providence.

February

IN THE ANNUAL camp issue, readers learned about the impact and importance of Jewish camps on local leaders, including Preston Neimeiser, the rabbi at Temple Beth-El, in Providence.

NAPOLEON BRITO, the new director of community security for the Jewish Alliance, gave strategies and tips for staying safe, being prepared and passing on information about antisemitism and other forms of hate.

TEMPLE BETH-EL’S longtime executive director Judy Mosely stepped down.

JEWISH ATHLETES looked forward to the 2022 Winter Olympics and we read about them in a Jewish Telegrahic Agency story.

in JRI

yelled slurs and interrupted a book reading at the Red Ink Community Library. Several days later, a “Stop the Hate” rally was held at nearby Billy Taylor Park so that community leaders and members could denounce the demonstration and show support for the neighborhood and library.

March

WHILE THE WAR IN UKRAINE was still in its infancy, Rhode Islanders stepped up to help Ukrainians, including refugees from the bloodshed.

AT URI, transgender Jewish educator T. Wise gave the keynote speech at the annual LGBTQ+ Symposium.

April

RABBI BARRY DOLINGER and Naomi Baine told readers about their nonprofit Mitzvah Matzos and its mission

do we hate?” They offered healthy solutions to the problem. You can hear them speak on the podcast, “Breakout Sessions: Why Do We Hate?” at jewishrhody.com/stories/ breakout-sessions,14401?.

May

THE ADL announced that antisemitic incidents hit an all-time high in 2021.

NEW YORK TIMES opinion columnist Bret Stephens helped reopen the Dwares JCC to in-person programming with a speech on the impact of a changing world on Jewish communities.

June

ACROSS THE U.S. and locally, people were horrified by the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas.

HARRIS CHORNEY became the new chair of the board at the Jewish Alliance.

TIFERETH ISRAEL Congregation, in New Bedford, celebrated its centennial.

RABBI EMERITUS Wayne Franklin was honored by Temple Emanu-El, in Providence, with an event that included a concert by the a cappella group Six13.

July

CONGREGATION Sons of Jacob put out a call for friends and family of those memorialized on an old wall plaque in preparation for a celebration of the Providence shul’s longevity.

A POPULAR RESTAURANT in Tiverton issued an antisemitic post on its social media site that caused a storm of criticism – and an eventual apology.

August

TEMPLE TORAT YISRAEL installed Michael Katz as president.

TIVERTON PUBLIC LIBRARY hosted a well-attended Holocaust education program in the wake of July’s antisemitic social-media post by a local restaurant.

September

PROVIDENCE MAYORAL candidates talked up their platforms at a forum at the Dwares JCC.

THE RHODE ISLAND Israel Collaborative celebrated five years of fostering business alliances between Rhode Island and Israel.

RHODE ISLAND KOSHER CAFÉ seniors enjoyed a prom in the Dwares JCC Social Hall. There was music, dancing and attire so fancy that the photos made the cover of the October Jewish Rhode Island.

October

RHODE ISLANDER NINA KARLIN reported on her experience as part of a winning team at the Maccabiah World Games.

KANYE WEST set off a storm of criticism with the first of several antisemitic remarks.

November

ANTISEMITISM continued to be a problem in Rhode Island; the Alliance had 23 incidents reported on its tracker since June.

ALLIANCE PRESIDENT and CEO Adam Greenman reassured the community that the Alliance is vigilant against antisemitism.

POLICE INVESTIGATED 80 bags holding antisemitic messages that were dropped in yards in the Oakland Beach neighborhood of Warwick. Similar flyers were found in North Providence. Police said they believed those committing the crime were from out of state.

ABC’S “NIGHTLINE” co-host Juju Chang spoke to Alliance donors about hate, her Jewish family and the news.

HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR Ruth Oppenheim gave a powerful presentation on the horrors of Kristallnacht.

December

JEWISH RHODY MEDIA launched a six-episode podcast exploring interfaith marriage, “Breaking the Glass.” You can listen at jewishrhody. com/breaking-the-glasspage.

A COMMUNITYWIDE EFFORT to stand up to antisemitism saw readers decorate a menorah printed in Jewish Rhode Island and display it on a window or door.

FRAN OSTENDORF (fostendorf@jewishallianceri. org) is the editor of Jewish Rhode Island.

FOOD Doing a deli deep dive

The food is wonderful, the exhibition is fascinating

BY M. CHARLES BAKST

NEW YORK – I am in the world-renowned Katz’s Delicatessen on the Lower East Side with my friends Dave Reid and Lu Cribari. We’re here to do some serious eating, soak in the atmosphere and undertake a little research.

Actually, it is an annual ritual for this couple – fellow Providence Journal alums who now live in Manhattan –to join me in devouring Katz’s incomparable pastrami and fabulous brisket. But this visit takes on an extra dimension: We will be heading from here to an exhibition on Jewish delicatessens at the New-York Historical Society.

The exhibition, which runs through April 2, is called “‘I’ll Have What She’s Having’’: The Jewish Deli. The quote comes from a famous scene – set in Katz’s – in the 1989 movie, “When Harry Met Sally.”

Telling a skeptical Billy Crystal that women can credibly fake sexual pleasure, a moaning Meg Ryan loudly and convincingly portrays an orgasm.

Ooh…Oh, God…Yes!… Yes! Yes!

A lady at the next table tells a waiter, “I’ll have what she’s having.” (That lady was Estelle Reiner, mother of the film’s director, Rob Reiner.)

A sign dangles from Katz’s ceiling above the table where Ryan and Crystal sat. It announces “WHERE HARRY MET SALLY…HOPE YOU HAVE WHAT SHE HAD! ENJOY!”

If you’re talking about food, the answer is an unexciting turkey sandwich. On the other hand, Crystal was luxuriating in a pastrami sandwich.

Kevin Albinder, a top Katz’s manager, tells us that customers will zero in on that table and take pictures –indeed, over the years many have reenacted the scene.

Albinder says the moviemakers took over the restaurant for the day, and everyone you see in the scene, including customers, countermen and waiters, is an actor. You don’t see Albinder,

but he was working that day as an adviser, coaching the actors portraying the countermen on how to interact with the “customers.”

He says it took awhile for Ryan to perfect her performance. “Rob Reiner actually sat down in Meg Ryan’s spot to give her a little bit of a tutorial of what he really wanted for the scene. He actually was like yelling and banging on the table.” When Ryan then nailed it, people applauded.

There can be major lines to get into Katz’s. But pass by the long salamis hanging in the window. Stride into the dining room that at first glance looks as big as a football field, with photos lining the walls and neon signs highlighting the wares. Look, there’s an orange and green

ask the waiter to skip the corned beef and bring us half pastrami and half brisket. (By the way, “generous” is an understatement. Dave and Lu will bring home leftovers. Husband and wife each will build two more meals around them.)

The pastrami – not too fatty, not too lean – is the best I have ever had anywhere. To get better brisket you’d have to have my wife, Elizabeth, cook it for you.

The half-sour pickles are glisteningly green, so fresh you might think they leapt right out of their barrels and flew to the table. A stack of sliced rye bread. A pile of coleslaw. And cans of Dr. Brown’s Black Cherry Soda. This is civilization at its most cultured.

Now, over to the exhibition at the New-York Historical Society on the Upper West Side.

It is an amazing melange of pictures, posters, signs, postcards, matchbook covers, advertisements, TV and film clips – yes you can watch the “I’ll Have What She’s Having” scene – and such artifacts as an antique seltzer water bottle and an old meat slicing machine. Did I mention the molded models of such Jewish classics as kugel or a bowl of matzo ball soup?

1963 photo of folks picketing in protest of its refusal to serve Black customers. As a visiting college journalist, I actually was in Leb’s in early 1964 to watch a sit-in there.

“Dozens of Negro students filed into the establishment and occupied the booths,” I would write in the Brown Daily Herald. “Students from Brown who accompanied them downtown joined them inside too and began filling up on the pickles that adorned the tables until waitresses took them away along with the salt and pepper shakers.”

recall it less for its food than for an episode during the 1992 Democratic convention. I asked a taxi driver to take me to the Carnegie. He claimed not to know where it was, even when I reminded him it was near Carnegie Hall. He seemed to feel the ride wasn’t long enough to justify his time. I stormed out of the cab. One other thing about the deli exhibition:

one touting Dr. Brown’s soda! You immediately feel better.

TV foodie Adam Richman writes that the atmosphere and tradition are so evocative “you literally want to eat the air.”

True enough, though my first priority is to skirt the crowds who get sandwiches from carving stations and then scramble for seats. My goal is to find a section with waiter service and get down to business in a more leisurely fashion.

So here we are, in a side room, and we immediately focus on a $42.95 platter that the menu says feeds three tourists or one regular customer. It offers “generous” portions of hand-sliced pastrami, brisket and corned beef. But instead of one-third, one-third and one-third, we

Several of the famous Jewish delicatessens and markets, such as 2nd Avenue Deli, Russ & Daughters, and Zabar’s, are still around, but many more businesses have changed hands or left us, and the exhibition drives me further and further into my past.

Here are materials touting such storied purveyors of hot dogs and cold cuts as Isaac Gellis, Schmulka Bernstein and Zion that I used to buy at Providence’s Davis deli of sacred memory.

I spot a picture postcard of the former Wolfie’s Restaurant in Miami Beach and point out to Dave and Lu where I sat with my parents and my brother Arthur and ate corned beef sandwiches, circa 1956. And here’s a matchbook cover from the Stage Deli, where we would go in New York.

Here is an ad for Leb’s, which was a Jewish-owned New York-style eatery in segregated Atlanta, and a

Leb’s finally integrated after the Civil Rights Act was enacted later in the year. And here’s a picture of New York’s old Carnegie Deli. What a place that was, known for its gigantic corned beef or pastrami sandwiches and, well, perhaps you remember the old comedians shooting the breeze there in Woody Allen’s 1984 film, “Broadway Danny Rose.”

I loved the place, but I

The museum gift shop has an impressive number of goods you might like, including t-shirts and mugs, and books on Katz’s, Russ & Daughters, and Zabar’s. Maybe you’d be interested in the Newish Jewish Encyclopedia. There’s Fox’s U-Bet Chocolate Syrup and Gold’s Zesty Horseradish Sauce.

Or – wait for it – a Katz’s chocolate egg cream-scented candle. And yes, it smells like a chocolate egg cream.

CHARLES BAKST was Providence Journal political columnist.

Looking for deli in NYC?

KATZ’S DELICATESSEN is at 205 E. Houston St. 212-254-2246. katzsdelicatessen.com. It also ships.

Pro tip: While visiting Katz’s, stop in also at Russ & Daughters appetizing store at 179 E. Houston St. for luxurious lox, sable, herring…. 212-475-4880. This business also ships.

The “I’ll Have What She’s Having”: The Jewish Deli exhibition is at the New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West. 212-873-3400, nyhistory.org through April 2. Be sure to check ahead regarding ticket prices, timed entries, etc.

The exhibition originated at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles. After New York, it will move to Houston and then Skokie, Illinois.

M.

The writer, left, with Dave Reid and Lu Cribari and their excellent lunch spread.

A seltzer bottle from the exhibition.

Program to examine Eleanor Roosevelt’s advocacy for European Jews, Israel

BY ARLENE S. SIMON

Historian John F. Sears will lecture in person and on Zoom at Temple Emanu-El, in Providence, on Jan. 22, about Eleanor Roosevelt’s advocacy for the Jews of Europe before and during World War II, her strong support for the founding of Israel, and her work as World Patron of Youth Aliyah.

SEARS WILL BASE his lecture on his book, “Refuge Must Be Given: Eleanor Roosevelt, the Jewish Plight, and the Founding of Israel,” published in 2021. The event is sponsored by the Rosen Library Committee at Temple Emanu-El, and there is no charge to attend.

Sears received a doctorate in American Civilization from Harvard University in 1972 and has taught at Tufts University, Boston University and Vassar College. In 1986, he became executive director of the Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt Institute, in Hyde Park, New York, where he remained until 1999.

Sears and his wife, Jane Myers, a former member of Temple Emanu-El, divide their time between their homes in Hawley and Florence, both in Massachusetts.

In a recent interview, Sears spoke about his interest in Eleanor Roosevelt’s response to the persecu-

tion of Jews in the 1930s and 1940s, and her later support for Israel.

Q: How did you initially come to your interest in the Roosevelts, and to Eleanor Roosevelt in particular?

A: I was drawn to Eleanor Roosevelt when I directed the Eleanor Roosevelt Centennial Conference at Vassar College, in 1984, at which leading scholars discussed her life and the key issues she cared deeply about. This experience led to a job as executive director of the Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt Institute. Then, from 2000 until 2007, I served as associate editor of Eleanor Roosevelt’s public papers, which allowed me to explore [her] extraordinary contributions in many areas of American life.

Q: Much has been written about Eleanor Roosevelt and the way she used her position as first lady to advance humanitarian causes.

Although she is given credit for working to admit refugees to the United States in the 1930s and 1940s, no one has told the full story of her response to the persecution of Jews. How did you decide to research this area of her work?

A : When I was engaged in the editing of Eleanor Roosevelt’s public papers, I was struck by the letters she wrote to President Harry Truman and Secretary of State George Marshall in the winter of 1948, when she was a member of the American

delegation to the United Nations.

In these letters, she protested the Truman administration’s decision to seek the creation of a U.N. trusteeship for Palestine rather than enforce the plan approved by the U.N. in November 1947 that would have divided Palestine into an Arab and a Jewish state. She was infuriated.

I wanted to know how she had arrived at this passionate commitment to the Jewish people. I began researching her response to the persecution of the Jews before and during the Holocaust, her views on how to solve the refugee crisis after the war, and her warm relationship with Israel after its founding.

Q: Eleanor Roosevelt is considered by many to have had antisemitic leanings, stemming from her patrician family of birth but carried forward into her adult life. How do you explain her change of heart?

A : In the 1920s, when she became active in the League of Women’s Voters, the Women’s Trade Union League, the Women’s Division of the Democratic Party, and other organizations, she often worked with Jewish colleagues. She came to value their commitment to the social and political causes about which she cared deeply. Later, she would tell a Jewish friend that when she appealed for help with a social-justice issue, “Jews are among the first people in this country who come forward and offer help.”

Q: What sources did you use for your research that have not been used before? Did you find anything that surprised you?

A: I found new material on Eleanor Roosevelt in the papers of the American Friends Service Committee and the Hadassah papers. I was also fortunate to gain

access to the papers of Eva Lewinsky, which were in private hands. Lewinsky, a remarkable antiNazi activist who escaped from Vichy France, met with Eleanor Roosevelt in the White House in December 1940 and wrote a memo of conversation after the meeting. The memo reveals very clearly Eleanor Roosevelt’s views on the State Department’s obstruction of visas for refugees. It is the most valuable document I found.

One thing that surprised me was how shrewd Eleanor Roosevelt could be while maintaining a gentle and innocent manner. One State Department diplomat said of her, “Never has anyone seen naiveté and skill so gracefully blended.”

Q: What new insights did you gain about this aspect of her work? What is your unique offering on Eleanor Roosevelt?

A: One of the most significant contributions “Refuge Must Be Given” makes to the literature on the American response to the Nazi persecution of the Jews is my account of Eleanor Roosevelt’s partnership with Clarence Pickett, the executive director of the American Friends Service Committee. The two leaders not only worked to rescue and welcome refugees to the United States, but also sought to combat antisemitism in America and advocated for a more inclusive democracy.

The other untold part of Eleanor Roosevelt’s biography that I write about is her role in the debate on the future of Palestine,

her advocacy for the U.N. partition plan within the Truman administration, and her relationship with Israel. During her four visits to Israel as World Patron of Youth Aliyah, she became an ardent admirer of the way Israel integrated immigrant children from varied backgrounds into the new nation. Yet Eleanor Roosevelt’s leading biographer omits any mention of this part of her story. That is a striking omission considering the vital connection between Eleanor Roosevelt and Israel during the last decade of her life.

“Winter Book Discussion with Author John Sears” will be held on Sunday, Jan. 22, from 1 to 2:30 p.m., at Temple Emanu-El, 99 Taft Ave., Providence. To register and for the Zoom link, contact the temple, teprov.org.

For more information, contact Donna Marks, Rosen Library Committee co-chair at Temple Emanu-El, at dpmarks1@yahoo.com.

ARLENE S. SIMON is a member of the Rosen Library Committee at Temple Emanu-El, in Providence.

John F. Sears

RIJHA displays historical items from its archives COMMUNITY

BY CYNTHIA BENJAMIN

PROVIDENCE – Dozens of Rhode Islanders got a peek into the state’s Jewish past on Dec. 11, at the Rhode Island Jewish Historical Association’s “Afternoon in the Archives” event.

Attendees “ohhhed” and “ahhhed” as they gazed at the archival displays, which included the Victorian-era mannequin “Bessie,” decorative pins from the Silverman Bros. jewelry company, a Flink grocery store account book in both Yiddish and English, and a stunning scherenschnitte

RIJHA’s Beryl and Chaya Segal Archives are on a lower level of the Alliance’s Dwares Jewish Community Center; the event was held in the JCC’s Melvin and Patty Alperin Board Room.

Bessie, who is at least 130 years old, was not up to a public viewing, so RIJHA instead displayed photos of her and a model of what she will look like when she is restored to health and beauty, as the group plans. The photos show a mannequin that is looking its age – Bessie’s head, made of wax, sags on her chest, she’s missing a finger here and there, and her splendid silk-and-cotton outfit is ripped, worn and faded. But the pint-sized model of

the nearly 3-foot mannequin is beautifully dressed in a replica of Bessie’s original apple-green clothes, as created and sewn by RIJHA past president and current secretary Ruth Breindel.

Bessie is believed to have been modeled after Bessie Abramowitz, or Abrams, the

with his brother Charles, started the Silverman Bros. jewelry company on Eddy Street in Providence in 1897.

For the next 60 years, the company would produce “Cuff, Ribbon, Beauty, Veil Pins and Photo Frames,” as well as award-winning insignia for the Armed Forces and other decorative items. Colorful pins from the 1919 Silverman Bros. catalog were on display, including bluebird and cameo brooches and enamel bar pins.

ident of the Sons of Jacob Congregation, and is on loan to RIJHA from the congregation and the Rhode Island Jewish Museum.

wife of Abraham, who owned a tailoring business on Westminster Street in Providence from 1900 to 1905. RIJHA representatives are currently meeting with restoration experts.

Russian immigrant Archibald Silverman, along

The Flink grocery store moved from Fall River to Providence in 1899. RIJHA’s archives have an account book for the thriving business, which it displayed with notes that began: “This account book, dated 1898-1900, has entries in both Yiddish (made by Benjamin Flink, the founder) and in English by his son, Abe. The Yiddish entries are in the back of the book, the pages moving right to left, and the English ones are in the front, the pages moving left to right.”

Scherenschnitte is the art of cutting paper into designs, and the roughly 2-foot-square example on display was created by Samuel Shore, the first pres -

The scherenschnitte is a collage of paper, ink, tempera and graphite, and has been restored to show its colors and intricate design, which includes the signs of the zodiac, the Ten Commandments, Hebrew verses and more.

The Dec. 11 event was put together by RIJHA Program Committee members Ruth Breindel, Cliff Karten, Anne Sherman, Kate-Lynne Laroche and Jaime Walden.

Laroche, who is RIJHA’s executive director, said the archives hold “hundreds of thousands” of items, organized into collections, such as businesses, families, obits and Jewish organizations. RIJHA frequently gets requests to scour the archives for people, information and

things from Rhode Island’s Jewish past.

“It’s so interesting, you never know what you’re going to research,” Laroche said. “You never know the amazing discoveries you’ll find.”

Chartered in 1951, the Rhode Island Jewish Historical Association is the oldest Jewish historical society in continuous operation in the United States. To become a member or make a donation, go to rijha.org.

CYNTHIA BENJAMIN is the copy editor for Jewish Rhode Island, a writer and a chef. She is a member of Congregation B’nai Israel, in Woonsocket, and is on the board of the Rhode Island Jewish Historical Association.

NEAT seniors join 800 girls in Cleveland

BY SENIORS AT NEAT

NEW ENGLAND ACADEMY OF TORAH seniors took off on an exciting adventure in December to the national Bais Yaakov schools convention in Cleveland, with more than 800 girls attending.

Upon our arrival at Yavne High School, we heard about the convention’s theme of step-by-step growth based upon the story of Jacob’s ladder. We learned about the crucial responsibility we have as future mothers of the Jewish people to teach Torah to the next generation.

We joined in and watched performances by different schools, ending with a parade presenting banners made by students at many schools, including ours.

The program also included

inspirational messages motivating us to do mitzvot and charging us to climb our own spiritual ladders while remaining separate and elevated from the impurities around us.

At the Shabbat meals, we heard more Torah thoughts, and a choir, and had an opportunity to meet other girls. A panel discussion helped us understand the relationship between being an individual while contributing to the community. We also participated in a workshop that focused on how to strive higher and overcome our natural reactions during stressful everyday situations.

The Saturday night program opened with a humorous production by the host Yavne High School. The powerful message was the

importance of accepting whatever situations come our way. We danced away the rest of the evening with students from all over North America.

The moving, captivating final speaker was Rabbi Yehoshua Hoffman who became a quadriplegic after a devastating car accident. He spoke of the arduous process of growth he went through, emphasizing the meaning involved in his journey. Rabbi Hoffman taught us through his personal story that we are not bound by our disabilities; we can do so much.

The conclusion of this outstanding convention was an inspiring kumzitz (social gathering), where we sang along with 800 other girls. The entire convention was inspirational, exciting and geshmak (delightful)!

learned a lot, met hundreds of girls and had an amazing time. Thank you, Rabbi and Mrs. Goldberg, for chaperoning our trip.

New England Acad-

emy of Torah is an

Jewish girls’ high school (grades 9-12) in Providence. For more information, please call Marsha Gibber, principal, at 401-331-5327, ext. 15.

We

The

Orthodox

These seniors traveled to Cleveland.

PHOTO | NEAT

‘You never know the amazing discoveries you’ll find.’

This tzedakah box, from The Miriam Hospital, in Providence, is over 100 years old.

PHOTOS CYNTHIA BENJAMIN “Bessie,” who dates from the Victorian-era, is not looking her best these days.

COVID

BY JENNIFER ZWIRN

THE JEWISH ALLIANCE of Greater Rhode Island’s COVID-19 Emergency Relief

increased electric and heating bills; to try to offset the loss in learning that students have faced; and to fill shopping carts with fresh, healthy food.

were never lost.

Today, we at the Alliance continue to see needs and requests, but they have shifted. These days, some in the Rhode Island Jewish community need help to meet the costs of inflation; to pay their

strengthen it, contact Jennifer Zwirn, chief relationship officer at the Jewish Alliance of Greater R.I , at jzwirn@ jewishallianceri.org.

Judah Touro program to explore the architecture of Amsterdam’s 1675 synagogue

NEWPORT – The Touro Synagogue Foundation’s second program of its Winter 2022 Judah Touro Program Series will explore the architecture and interior of the Esnoga, a 1675 Portuguese synagogue in Amsterdam that had a direct influence on the architecture of the 1763 Touro Synagogue.

Dutch Prof. Pieter Vlaardingerbroek will present the illustrated talk, live from Amsterdam, at noon on Jan. 12 via Zoom. There is no fee to participate, but reservations are required to receive the Zoom login.

Most of the Jewish immigrants arriving in Amsterdam at the end of the 16th and beginning of the 17th century were conversos, or crypto-Jews, who, under the duress of the inquisitions in Spain and Portugal, had given up the practice of Judaism or practiced it secretly. They were attracted to Amsterdam for the Dutch policy of reli-

gious toleration, first articulated there in 1579.

For many whose lives in their homelands had been shattered by intolerance and persecution, Amsterdam offered a safe place to resurrect their religious identities. As a result, the city became an epicenter for a new version of Western Sephardic (Spanish/Portuguese) culture, architecture and religious practice, which strongly influenced Newport’s first Jewish settlers.

Pieter Vlaardingerbroek, Ph.D., an assistant professor of architectural history and conservation at the University of Utrecht, is a leading expert on Dutch architecture and material culture. He is an architectural historian for Amsterdam, having served in a similar position for the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands. Prof. Vlaardingerbroek is the author of many articles and books, and was

the editor of the definitive volume on the Portuguese Sephardic synagogue, “The Portuguese Synagogue in Amsterdam,” published by the city of Amsterdam in 2013.

Two more presentations in the virtual series have been scheduled.  On Feb. 9 at 6 p.m., Samantha Baskind, a distinguished professor of art and history at Cleveland State University, will give an illustrated talk, “Picturing Ashkenazi and Sephardic Jews in Seventeenth- and Eighteenth-Century Amsterdam (1675).”

The series closes with a special collaborative presen tation on March 30 at noon, hosted by the Rhode Island School of Design Museum. “Local Collections in Conver sations” will feature Touro Synagogue’s  nal light) and its Great Chandelier, and comparable

Interior of the Portuguese Synagogue in Amsterdam. Photo was taken in May 2014.

objects from the collection of the RISD Museum. Presenters

gious Freedom,” at tourosynagogue.org, or use this link:

contact Meryle Cawley at (401)

Submitted by the Touro Synagogue Foundation

welcomes new leader

BY JESSICA MURPHY

AS 2022 came to a close, Jewish Collaborative Services said farewell and congratulations to retiring President and CEO Erin Minior, and warmly welcomed Pamela Morris as JCS’ new president and CEO.

Morris is a highly experienced, successful and well-regarded organization leader. She holds a master of social work degree from Rhode Island College and a post graduate certificate in long term care administration from Iona College, in New York.

As a Rhode Island native with a long career in health and human services, particularly in serving older adults, she brings a wealth of knowledge to JCS.

“I am thrilled to join the JCS team,” Morris said recently. “I believe my experience, coupled with the perseverance of our seasoned

JCS leadership and staff, will move JCS successfully into this next chapter.”

The last 20-plus years of Morris’ career has been in the senior-living field in New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

In her most recent position, she was a director of senior living, leading teams in multiple settings such as assisted living, adult day health, memory support, residential care and independent living. In this role, she was also responsible for board relations, operational management, census growth and regulatory compliance.

Morris’ teams were recognized by the Boston Health Commission as examples of excellence in dealing with COVID in a congregate-care setting.

Patricia Harwood, JCS’ chief of programs, who was on the hiring committee,

PHOTO BY MICHAEL WALD (FROM ALAMY STOCK PHOTO)

Pamela Morris

JCS, day-school leadership get a lesson in diversity, inclusion

PROVIDENCE – Jewish Collaborative Services’ board members and its new executive director joined up with leadership at the Jewish Community Day School of Rhode Island for a day of diversity, equity and inclusion training.

Thanks to the generosity of the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island’s Micro Grant program, leadership from both boards were able to plan the training with skilled facilitators. The retreat was held at the school on a recent Sunday.

Two trainers came from Avodah, a national organization whose mission is to develop lifelong social-justice

Scenes from the training.

leaders, informed by Jewish values, who will inspire the Jewish community to work toward a more just and equitable world.

The day began with members of both boards working together to understand the deeply embedded roots of oppression and injustice that reside in our social systems and institutions.

Through intensive discussions across the two organizations, the groups planned ways to infuse our Jewish work with anti-racism and awareness of the LGBTQ+ community and the growing diversities in our community.

With a stage for open,

honest and sometimes challenging conversations, the 21 participants reflected on their own identities as individuals and members of larger communities.

Through the framework of Judaism and social justice, the daylong retreat opened the door for further dialogue and collaboration that is important to the missions of both Jewish Collaborative Services and the Jewish Community Day School of Rhode Island.

Submitted by Alison Walter, development director at the Jewish Community Day School of Rhode Island.

Win a family trip to Israel!

RETURNING THE SPARKS Foundation and Delta Airlines have partnered to create a contest for families with children ages 7-17, with a grand prize of four roundtrip airplane tickets to Israel and $5,000 in spending money.

Several New England communities, including the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island, along with the Consulate General of Israel to New England are sponsoring the contest, which aims to create connections to Israel through shared family history, values, innovation and art. In addition, the Jewish Alliance will celebrate local submissions with an extra bonus.

Families with at least one child ages 7-17 can apply by submitting a video of up to 5 minutes long or an essay or poem of up to 500 words. Each submission must answer one of the following questions: How does your family successfully integrate both tradition and innovation, like Israel and Israelis? How does Israel inspire you to make your dreams possible?

Creativity is encouraged, and there are also optional questions to answer.

Each community will choose its winners, who will go on to be judged for the grand prize. In the greater Rhode Island community, the top three winners will

also receive a prize from the Jewish Alliance, with the top prize being an additional $1,000 toward a trip.

For contest details, go to www.flywithus2Israel.com, or contact Elihay Skital, Israeli shaliach (emissary), at eskital@jewishallianceri. org.

The grand-prize winner will be announced on May 5, which is Yom ha-Atzmaut, Israel’s Independence Day.

Submitted by Larry Katz, (lkatz@jewishallianceri. org), director of Jewish Life and Learning at the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island.

COMMUNITY

Alliance forming partnerships with Jewish groups worldwide

BY TUVYA BERGSONMICHELSON

IN NOVEMBER 2022 , two representatives from the Bialik School, in Rosario, Argentina, toured the Jewish Community Day School of Rhode Island. While meeting with JCDSRI faculty and Alliance staff, they discussed plans for shared curriculum and professional development.

Their visit was part of a broader campaign by the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island to build meaningful partnerships with Jews around the world. Over the course of 2023, Jewish Rhode Island will take you behind the scenes for a glimpse of the Alliance’s partnerships with organizations in Argentina, Poland and Israel.

The roots of these partnership efforts were forged in 2020. The pandemic underscored the importance of people-to-people interactions, which can sometimes be overlooked in a federation’s traditional role as a funder of the Jewish community abroad.

But money is far from the only resource an organization can offer, especially one with connections to most institutions in local Jewish communities. For the Alliance, which is part of the Jewish Federations of North America, the partnerships are an opportunity to turn a weakness into a strength.

Throughout 2021, the Alliance worked closely with its largest overseas partner, the American Joint Distribution

Committee (JDC), to hone the list of potential partnership regions. The focus then turned to details: How could the Alliance deepen the connection between Rhode Island’s Jewish community and communities abroad?

An existing partnership with Afula-Gilboa, Israel, served as a potential model. The Alliance has worked with this region for decades through its relationship with the Jewish Agency For Israel (JAFI). Support has gone to a range of programs and services, including Youth Futures, Nativ and Core.

But there’s a human side to the partnership, too. If you’ve ever interacted with one of the Alliance’s shlichim, young Israeli emissaries educating Americans about their country, then you have seen it in action.

Elihay Skital, the Alliance’s current shaliach, says that it is important work.

“I regularly work with over 30 organizations – Hillels, Sunday schools, senior cafés – in addition to the Israeli Culture Series” and teaching community Hebrew classes, he says.

Skital sees his work as contributing to both the American and Israeli Jewish communities. He gives Israel a human face, showing Americans a nuanced, thoughtful picture of the country. (“When you go to Israel, you understand that it’s not all milk and honey,” he says.)

Skital is also an ambassador for an American Jewish community that is sometimes misunderstood.

“These are family from abroad,” he says of American Jews. “Look, their Judaism is a little bit different from what we grew up with. But it’s also beautiful. That doesn’t mean it’s not Judaism.”

Connections between Israelis and the diaspora are important for our shared Jewish future – and so are connections within the diaspora. Many Polish Jews hid their religion from their children after the Holocaust, but since the fall of Communism, a wave of Poles has rediscovered their roots, with some struggling to find their place in the Jewish world.

In 2013, community leaders founded a Jewish Community Center in Warsaw, which is the Alliance’s main relationship in this new region.

Last summer, the Alliance’s CEO, Adam Greenman, and its board chair, Harris Chorney, visited the Warsaw JCC as part of Ukraine relief work. They came away impressed with its interfaith and multicultural work, and especially its “come as you are” brunches that welcome Jews and non-Jews alike for conversation and community.

Moving ahead, the Alliance’s Dwares Jewish Community Center, in Providence, may develop similar programming, and the two JCC youth programs are looking at potential collaborations as well.

For a third partnership, the Alliance turned to Rosario, Argentina. At 1.3 million people, the city’s similar size to Rhode Island made the organization confident it could

make an impact. The Alliance’s giving in this region focuses on academic scholarship, which helped pave the way for a deeper relationship with its day schools.

During that November visit, JCDSRI and the Bialik representatives also discussed pen-pal programs or student-to-student Zooms.

The Alliance plans to reinforce these partnerships with its own programming.

For example, the organization hopes to complement its existing Hebrew and Spanish classes with one in Polish.

It’s part of an approach that prioritizes treating global partners as teammates moving toward the same set of Jewish values. Rather than a one-way street, the Alliance hopes to benefit from the knowledge each partner brings to the table from years of serving its local communities.

In the coming months, Jewish Rhode Island readers will be introduced to more specifics in each partnership region, and how they can become involved in this important work. In March, Jewish Rhode Island will feature Rosario; in late spring, Warsaw; and in early fall, Afula-Gilboa.

As the programs continue to grow and evolve, the Alliance hopes you will join in building a more globally connected Jewish world.

TUVYA BERGSON-MICHELSON

is a junior at Brown University and an intern at the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island.

JCS welcomes new leader

stated, “It was clear that Pam was the right choice to be the next leader of our agency. Her passion for and vast experience working with older adults was evident during the interview process, and she has hit the ground running in her first few weeks, with exciting ideas for improvements and efficiencies in operations.”

Morris is responsible for all business, finance and personnel operations for Jewish Collaborative Services. She oversees the agency and its professional staff in delivering the highest quality of services to the community and stakeholders. She also directs the planning process for the agency’s future development and growth.

Jewish Collaborative Services is a full-spectrum senior housing and social services agency serving communities in Rhode Island and nearby Massachusetts.

To read more on Erin Minior’s retirement from JCS after a 25-year career at the agency, go to tinyurl. com/4ah8xvs5.

JESSICA MURPHY is the marketing and communications senior manager at Jewish Collaborative Services.

Leaders meet to discuss antisemitism in R.I.

BY FRAN OSTENDORF

ON TUESDAY, DEC. 13, about two dozen local business and government leaders met to discuss the growing problem of antisemitism in Rhode Island and what measures can be taken to fight it. The conversation took place at the Alliance’s Dwares Jewish Community Center in Providence. The leaders, invited to the table by

Alliance President and CEO Adam Greenman, acknowledged the increase in antisemitic incidents over the last year and put their collective heads together to discuss how Rhode Islanders can join in the fight to counter this rise in hatred.

An opening presentation by Alliance Chief Policy Officer Stephanie Hague highlighted the growing number of reported incidents – 30 in the

last year with three recently – and noted that the incidents have turned more targeted and more frequent. Rhode Island incidents seem to be notably driven by groups such as the Goyim Defense League and NSC131.

Leaders voiced support for the Jewish community and suggested a wide range of steps that the broader community might take, including education on exactly how to

recognize antisemitism, hate and racism; defining antisemitism for those who do not understand it; including Judaism in future diversity, equity and inclusion trainings and bringing education on antisemitism into the schools.

“Fighting antisemitism and hate requires all Rhode Islanders to come together,” Greenman said after the meeting. “I was so pleased we

could convene leaders from the business, government and nonprofit sectors to begin a conversation about how we can stamp out hate in Rhode Island. It was a fruitful first discussion, and one that will lead to concrete actions that reduce antisemitism.”

FRAN OSTENDORF (fostendorf@ jewishallianceri.org) is the editor of Jewish Rhode Island.

OBITUARIES

Phyllis Beckenstein, 82 WARWICK, R.I. –

Phyllis Beckenstein, 82, died Dec. 16, 2022, at HopeHealth Hulitar Hospice Center, Providence. She was the wife of the late Irving Beckenstein with whom she shared 40 years.

Born in Worcester, Massachusetts, she was a daughter of the late Joseph and Anne (Sugarman) Minsky. She graduated from Commerce High School in Worcester.

She was the sister of Arline Porter and her late husband, Calvin Porter, of Peabody, Massachusetts, and Stephen Minsky and his wife, Kay, of Columbia, South Carolina.

She was the mother of Larry Beckenstein and his wife, Michelle, of Manchester, New Hampshire; Louis Beckenstein and his wife, Gilda, of Scituate; Brian Beckenstein and his wife, Alexandra, of Mansfield, Massachusetts; and Neal Beckenstein of Pembroke, Massachusetts. She was the grandmother of David, Jacob, Jessica, Joseph and Shana.

She lived most of her life in Warwick, raising four boys and enjoyed spending summers at Scarborough Beach and Ocean Beach. Phyllis always cared for her friends, especially her longtime friend from Worcester, Phyllis Solod. She enjoyed bowling and spent some time as a home health aid. She especially enjoyed walks through Roger William’s Park.

Contributions may be made to Alzheimer’s Association –RI Chapter, 245 Waterman St., #306, Providence, RI 02906 or a charity of your choice.

Carl Dubinsky, 86

GILBERT, ARIZ. – Carl Dubinsky, of Gilbert, passed away on Nov. 30, 2022. Carl was born on May 1, 1936, in Providence to Nathan and Bella Dubinsky. He married Bette Eisenberg in 1960.

Carl was a supportive family man, an avid traveler and an excellent cook. He loved his family and loved getting together to celebrate all occasions. His travels took him to all seven continents and all 50 states. Cooking was a passion he embraced and at times took it very seriously.

He went by many names including Dad, Papa Carl,

Uncle Carl and Buddy. He was proud of all the names given to him.

He is survived by his two sons, Kenneth Dubinsky and his wife, Erika Dubinsky, and John Dubinsky and his wife, Kelly Dubinsky. He is also survived by three granddaughters: Jordyn, Ava and Addison Dubinsky.

Norma Friedman, 94

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Norma Friedman passed away on Dec. 18, 2022, at Rhode Island Hospital. Born in Providence, on July 8, 1928, she was the daughter of the late Morris and Bessie Friedman. Norma was an employee of the State of Rhode Island where she served as the Administrative Officer of the state, and she supported the work of the Investment Committee responsible for the state’s retirement funds.

Norma was a life member of Hadassah and a longtime member of Temple Torat Yisrael where she served on the Building Committee during the critical time that the new building was under development.

She is survived by her sisters, Bertha Goldberg, of Delray Beach, Florida, and Dorothy Kramer, of Warwick. She was the loving aunt to Barbara Goldberg and Alan Goldberg. She was a wonderful great-aunt to Hannah Goldberg, Sarah Goldberg and Jaime Derringer and a great-great-aunt to James Curthoys.

Contributions may be made to Hadassah, 40 Wall St., New York, NY 10005 or Temple Torat Yisrael, 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich, RI 02818.

Janice Gadon, 90

CRANSTON, R.I. – Janice J. (Brosofsky) Gadon, of Cranston, passed away on Dec. 26, 2022. Janice was the wife of Harold Gadon for 69 years. Born in Providence, she was the daughter of the late Harry and Dora (Fineman) Brosofsky and stepdaughter of the late Bessie (Spigel) Brosofsky.

Janice graduated from Hope High School in 1950. She later attended the University of Rhode Island, earning a BA in English in 1972. She worked for many years at Katherine Gibbs, and she became a professional resume writer. She was also a volunteer with the League of Women Voters. Janice

was an avid reader, writer and enjoyed her monthly book club get-togethers. She enjoyed yoga, tennis and playing cards. She was an active congregant at Temple Sinai for over 50 years.

Her most enjoyable times were summer vacations on Cape Cod and ski vacations in Vermont with her family. She was a fabulous cook and enjoyed entertaining.

Janice was the mother of three children: Charles B. Gadon and his wife, Joanne, of Old Saybrook, Connecticut; Jane G. Breslau and her husband, Howard, of Needham, Massachusetts; and Brenda G. Lewis and her husband, Michael, of East Greenwich. She was the grandmother of Jake, Robert and Alice Gadon, Mitchell and Max Breslau, and step-grandmother to Gianna and Nick Cusano. She was the sister to Alan Brosofsky. She was predeceased by her siblings, Rebecca Brosofsky and Joseph Brosofsky. She was an aunt to many nieces and nephews.

Contributions may be made to Temple Sinai, 30 Hagen Ave., Cranston, RI 02920 or Tamarisk Assisted Living, 3 Shalom Drive, Warwick, RI 02886.

Robert Karten, 62

WEST WARWICK, R.I. –Robert D. Karten passed away at his home on Nov. 18, 2022. He was the beloved brother of Wayne Karten, of Providence. Born in Providence, he was a son of the late Morris and Dorothy (Kessler) Karten. Bob had lived at the West Warwick Manor for many years. He was always there to help and enjoyed the verses of the Bible. He was a valued member of the community and treasured the friends he made throughout his life.

He is survived by his four siblings, Wayne, Carole, Gary and Michael; a host of cousins, nieces and nephews as well as his friends.

Contributions in his memory may be made to a charity of your choosing.

Mae

Stanley Lipp.

Born in Brooklyn, New York, she was the daughter of the late Elias and Esther (Epstein) Asser and sister of the late Manny Asser and Rae (Asser) Blumberg.

Mae was an avid golfer and bridge player. She enjoyed listening to music, dancing and watching old movies. She loved entertaining during the holidays and spending time with her family.

Mae is survived by two children, Lori Chase and her husband, Richard and Michael Lipp and his wife, Wendy Garf-Lipp; three grandchildren, Ezra Lipp and his wife, Carolann Kinzel, Carly Chase and her husband, Peter Kunze, and Danny Chase; two great-grandchildren, Elan Lipp and Millie Kunze; two nieces and one nephew.

Contributions may be made to JGS Lifecare, Inc., 770 Converse St., Longmeadow, MA 01106.

Beth Mazor, 64 WARWICK, R.I. – Beth S. Mazor, of Warwick, passed away Dec. 6, 2022, at HopeHealth Hulitar Hospice Center in Providence.

Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, she was the daughter of the late Stephen and Sybil (Field) Mazor and sister of the late Jay Mazor.

Beth earned a bachelor’s degree from Rhode Island College and was a real estate agent for many years.

She is survived by a daughter, Alexandra Mazor, of Foxboro, Massachusetts; sister, Alisa Mazor, of Providence; brother, Brian Mazor,

of Studio City, California; and many cousins and friends.

Donations may be made to a charity of your choice.

Stuart Perlman, 80

WARWICK, R.I. – Stuart L. Perlman died Dec. 17, 2022, at his home. Born in Brooklyn, New York, a son of the late Louis and Jean (Trommer) Perlman, he had lived in Warwick for many years, previously living in Providence and Cranston.

He was a manager for the former Philip Wolfe Haberdashery, for 17 years, retiring in 1982. He later worked for Sam’s Club and URI Facilities for many years. Stuart was an Army Reserve veteran.

He was the brother of his twin Gerald Perlman and his wife, Linda, of Mapleville, and Sharon McNerney of Las Vegas, Nevada. He was the uncle of Keri and Stacey and great-uncle of Caleb and Cloe.

Contributions may be made to Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation, 386 Park Ave. S., 17th Floor, New York City, NY 10016-8804.

Dr.

Arnold Rosenbaum, 82

PORTSMOUTH, R.I. – Dr. Arnold S. Rosenbaum, of Portsmouth, passed away on Dec. 2, 2022. He was the husband of Judith (Balen) Rosenbaum, with whom he shared 58 years of marriage.

Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he was the son of the late Samuel and Esther (Stein) Rosenbaum.

Dr. Rosenbaum served as a surgeon and lieutenant commander in the U.S. Public

Lipp, 92

LONGMEADOW, MASS. –Mae (Asser) Lipp, of Longmeadow, formerly of Dartmouth, Massachusetts, and Boynton Beach, Florida, passed away Dec. 2, 2022, at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, Massachusetts. She was the wife of the late

OBITUARIES

Health Service during the Vietnam War and, later, as a general surgeon at The Miriam Hospital, in Providence, for more than 30 years. He was a clinical assistant professor of surgery at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, where he won the Distinguished Teacher Award.

Dr. Rosenbaum graduated as salutatorian from both Ursinus College and the Jefferson Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University. In medical school, he became a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society and won the Surgery and Obstetrics & Gynecology prizes upon graduation.

During his medical residency, Dr. Rosenbaum helped develop the heart-lung pump used in open-heart surgeries and created a synthetic aortic seal.

Dr. Rosenbaum was also a musical prodigy. When he was 13 years old, he played a trumpet solo with the Philadelphia Orchestra. He also played trumpet and percussion for The Monte Carlos, a Philadelphia band in the 1960s.

Dr. Rosenbaum loved to sail, hike, fish and ski. He especially loved skiing with his family in New Hampshire and traveling the world with

his wife.

Along with his wife, Dr. Rosenbaum is survived by his three children: Karen, Scott (wife, Wendy) and Lara; seven grandchildren: Rachel, Geoffrey, Brianna, Brennan, Hope, Matthew and Ellie; his sister, Nina Haydel (husband, Belmont); three nieces: Cindy, Robin and Valerie; and nephew, Rick.

Murray Rosofsky, 95

BOYNTON BEACH, FLA. –Murray P. Rosofsky passed away on Dec. 21, 2022, at Trust Bridge Hospice in West Palm Beach, Florida. He was the beloved husband of Gladys (Katz) Rosofsky for 64 years. Born in Brooklyn, New York, he was a son of the late Meyer and Pearl (Bernstein) Rosofsky. He had lived in Boynton Beach for 15 years, previously living in Fall River for the majority of his adult life. He was an owner and proprietor of Arkay Pants Co. in Fall River.

He served in the US Navy during World War II, earning a victory medal for his work as a Seaman 2nd Class. He was a dedicated member of many clubs and organizations. He was proud to be a member of Bakers Beach Club in Westport, the Masons and the Jewish War Veterans.

He was the former vice president of the Fall River Jewish Home and a former president of Adas Israel Congregation in Fall River. He was a member of Temple Beth-El in Fall River and the Anshai Shalom Temple in Delray Beach, Florida.

He was the father of Mark R. Rosofsky of Freetown, Massachusetts; Pearl G. and her husband, Stephen McCarthy, of Wayland, Massachusetts; Wendie and her husband, Mark Bilsky, of Gathersburg, Maryland. He was the grandfather of Dr. Claire, Dr. David, Lena, Joshua, Abbey, Lila, Yael, Avishai and Hadara. He was the uncle of Brian, Gary, Paul and Simon. He was a brother of the late Rosalyn Simon.

Contributions may be made to a charity of your choice.

Lewis Scoliard, 92

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Lewis A. Scoliard passed away on Dec. 20, 2022, at the Elmhurst Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center. He was the husband of Sandra (Malkin) Scoliard for 66 years. Born in Providence, a son of the late Elisha and Esther (Lubin) Scoliard, he was raised in Providence.

He received an undergraduate degree from Providence College and later attended The Ohio State University, receiving an LL.B. He was passionate about his work and served as an executive with a local trucking company for well over 40 years prior to retirement.

He was a devoted father who instilled a strong sense of independence and a firm work ethic. His memory is treasured by his sons and their spouses: John Scoliard and his wife, Mara and Peter Scoliard and his wife, Sarah. He was the brother of Sheldon Scoliard. His most treasured role in life was that of a loving grandfather to five grandchildren: Ted, James, Isabelle, Jackie and Nicholas.

Contributions may be made to a charity of your choice.

Helene

assistant at J&W University, Providence, for 20 years. Helene was an avid reader. She was the mother of Randy Shatz, of Narragansett, and Michael Shatz, of Worcester, Massachusetts. She was the sister of Herbert Marks and his wife, Joan, of Cypress, California, and Sheila Kaufman and her husband, Arnold, of Narragansett.

Contributions may be made to Alzheimer’s Association –RI Chapter, 245 Waterman St., #306, Providence, RI 02906.

Carla Silverman, 89 CHELMSFORD, MASS.

– Carla L. Silverman, of Chelmsford, formerly of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, passed away on Dec. 22, 2022, at The Atrium of Drum Hill. She was born on June 11, 1933, in New York, New York to the late Percy and Gertrude (Sonion) Newman. She was the wife of the late Ira Silverman for 66 years.

Surviving her are her daughter, Susan J. Miller and her husband, Chris, of Chelmsford; three grandchildren: Robert Royall and his wife, Leah, Rebecca Miller and Deborah Miller. She is also survived by her sister, Shadelle Kenler; brothers Charles Newman and his wife, Andrea, Louis Newman and his companion, Alice, Jay Newman and his wife, Elaine. As the oldest daughter, Carla had a special relationship with all her siblings and was always thrilled to see them.

Carla was a strong woman and a friend to all. Family came first to her – she and Ira never refused an invitation to visit with family, share in simchas or console the bereaved. They made the trek many times from Pennsylvania to MA/RI to stay involved in their children’s and grandchildren’s lives.

in-law, Richard Kenler and her sister-in-law, Barbara Newman.

Contributions may be made to the Silver Academy, 3301 North Front St., Harrisburg, PA 17110 or Ronald McDonald House Charities of New England, 45 Gay St., Providence, RI 02905.

Harriet Spivack, 76

ORLANDO, FLA. – Harriet Spivack passed away on Dec. 26, 2022, at Orlando Regional Medical in Florida. Born in Providence, a daughter of the late Max and Catherine (Lerner) Spivack, she lived in Pawtucket for 24 years and then gladly moved to the warmer weather. She lived in Florida for 18 incredible years, where she was a passionate member of the Deltona community.

She briefly worked in sales, retiring from that position in 2006. She was a homemaker who was an avid reader. She was focused on being a mother to her daughter with whom she shared her love of traveling, going on cruises and visiting the beach every sunny Sunday. She was a proud grandmother of Marissa, Krysta and Hannah and made sure that her granddaughters knew just how special they were to her by sharing her passions with them.

She was the mother of Stephanie and her husband Jason Vinacco, of Lake Mary, Florida. She was the sister of Richard Spivack of North Carolina.

Shatz, 78

WARWICK, R.I. – Helene E. Shatz died Nov. 29, 2022, at Westshore Health Center. She was the beloved wife of Frank Shatz for 55 years. Born in Providence, a daughter of the late Edward and Rose (Sacarovitz) Marks, she had lived in Warwick since 1967. She was an administrative

Community was also important to her. She was active in Beth El Temple and its sisterhood. She assisted with setting up shiva meals. She helped tutor individuals and develop their literacy skills. She welcomed immigrants and helped them integrate into the community. Carla and Ira volunteered with Kosher Meals on Wheels for many years.

Carla was preceded in death by her daughter, Lisa, her son, Steven, her daughter Sherry Royall and son-in-law David Royall, her brother-

Contributions may be made to American Heart Association by visiting their website: www.heart.org/ en/get-involved/ways-togive/mail-a-donation?sc_ camp=50BED006A38A464FA95A3C4FAD3395B3 Kenneth Steingold, 91 PROVIDENCE , R.I. –Kenneth “Ken” Steingold, of Providence and Narragansett, passed away on Dec. 17, 2022. He was the son of Charles and Rose Steingold. Ken graduated from Pawtucket West in 1948, Clark University in 1952 and received an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School in 1955. Following graduation from Wharton, he joined the Army,

Certified by the Board of Rabbis of Greater Rhode Island Jacquelyn Aubuchon, Funeral Director

OBITUARIES

serving honorably during the Korean conflict.

Mr. Steingold is survived by his wife, Ellen K. Steingold, their son Neal, his daughter-in-law Linda, and his grandchildren, Sarah and Benjamin.

Ellen was the love of Kenny’s life. They enjoyed 68 years of marriage. They traveled the world together. In later years, they were happiest sitting together at chair number 6 on Narragansett Town Beach watching their grandchildren play.

Ken was an avid gardener. He started all his vegetables in his greenhouse from seed, had an extensive orchid and amaryllis collection, and was particularly proud of his fig trees.

Ken excelled in both basketball and tennis, and was named captain of both teams during his senior year at Clark. When he was 18, Ken won the Rhode Island men’s doubles tennis championship, and was later inducted into the Rhode Island Jewish Athletic Hall of Fame.

Ken was a co-owner of Steingold Volvo established in 1932 by his father. He was a past president of the Aurora Civic Association, and served on the board of several local banks and credit unions.

Contributions may be made to the Kenneth ’52 and Ellen Steingold endowed scholarship Fund, c/o Clark University, 950 Main St., Worcester, MA 01610, attention University Advancement.

Janice Temkin, 93 CARLSBAD, CALIF. – Janice Temkin died on Nov. 11, 2022, while in hospice care at the La Costa Elder Care board and care.

Janice was born on Nov. 4, 1929, in Fall River, Massachusetts, to Myer and Belle Markell. She was the youngest of four children, who all predeceased her – Edward, Dorothy and Robert. She graduated from Joseph Case High School, in Swansea, and briefly attended Adelphi College, in Garden City, Long Island.

She was married to Jacob N. Temkin for 27 years and moved to San Diego, where she met and married Lester Irvin, who died in 2018. She worked as a bookkeeper for Jewish Family & Children’s Service, in Providence, for

many years as well as in San Diego.

Janice’s passions included playing tennis, playing piano, doing needlepoint and crocheting afghan blankets.

She is survived by a son, Alan Temkin, of Providence; a daughter, Liz Temkin, of Los Angeles, California; and a grandson, Nathan Sells, of Los Angeles.

Contributions may be made to Jewish Collaborative Services, 1165 N. Main St., Providence, R.I. 02904.

Martin Waldman, 87

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Martin Waldman died Dec. 6, 2022, at HopeHealth Hulitar Hospice Center, Providence. He was the beloved husband of Paula (Pickar) Waldman, with whom he shared 66 wonderful years. Born in Providence, a son of the late Morris and Dorothy (Villar) Waldman, he was a lifelong resident of Providence.

After graduating from Hope High School and Boston University, he was employed at Benny’s for 57 years. He was active in Cub Scouts as Cub master. He was B’nai Brith president and was on the URI Hillel board. Martin volunteered at Tockwotton on the Waterfront, all of which he enjoyed with Paula. He ran yard sales and donated the proceeds to his favorite charities. He was a member of Touro Fraternal Association, Temple Emanu-El and B’nai Brith.

He was the father of Steven Waldman, of Providence; Howard Waldman and his wife, Theresa, of Providence; Gary Waldman and his wife, Shari, of Bridgewater, New Jersey; and Lisa Waldman and her wife, Dr. Martha Lang, of Winston Salem, North Carolina. He was the brother of Irving Waldman and his wife, Lorraine, of Naples, Florida, and the late Larry Waldman and his surviving wife, Sandra, of Cumberland. He was the grandfather of Erica, Brooke, Brandon and Shawn.

Contributions may be made to your favorite charity.

Herman Wallock, 84

CRANSTON, R.I. – Herman Wallock died Dec. 25, 2022, at the VA Hospital, Providence. Born in Providence, a son of the late Samuel and Rebecca (Erenkrantz) Wallock, he was a lifelong resident of Cranston. He was the executive

director of Lincoln Park Cemetery, retiring in 1999. Herman was an Army veteran, serving stateside. He was a graduate of URI, Class of ’72, with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. Herman was a longtime member and past Commander for 13 years of JWV, Post 23, and member of the American Legion, Post 60. He was also former president of South Providence Hebrew Free Loan Association and former president of RI Cemetery Association. Herman was a member of the former Congregation Shaare Zedek.

He was the brother of Rochelle Wallock of Cranston. He was the cousin of Bruce and Susan Erenkrantz and Justin Ryan Erenkrantz. Contributions may be made to JWV Post 23, P.O. Box 100064, Cranston, RI.

Jeffrey Webber, 69

ARDSLEY-ON-HUDSON, N.Y. – Jeffrey Mark Webber died on Dec. 27, 2022. He was the devoted son of Lorraine Webber of Tarrytown, New York, and the late Harold Webber; brother of David Webber and his wife, Karen Jenkins, of Dobbs Ferry, New York; and uncle of Althea Webber, and her husband, Michael Gruen, of Manhattan, New York, and Jeremy Webber, and his wife, Jean Bingham, of New Orleans, Louisiana.

Born in Providence, Jeff was a graduate of Classical High School, Kalamazoo College and Boston College, where he earned an MBA degree. His long career as a financial and systems analyst took him to Ford Motor Company, Barnes and Noble and IBM. He moved to Ardsley-on-Hudson, New York, in 2000.

Jeff will be remembered by many for his empathetic nature and a willingness to listen to others. He loved chess and card games, Cape Cod and the Rhode Island shoreline, and frequent visits to his parents for long talks and favorite dishes from his mother’s kitchen. After retiring in 2015, Jeff enjoyed researching family history, serving as treasurer of his building’s co-op board and competing in online bridge tournaments, where he became a sought-after partner. He derived satisfaction from teaching English

to young Israelis, both online and in-person during annual stays in that country. At the time of his death, he was planning his next teaching visit.

Contributions may be made to the charity of one’s choice.

Janet Zurier, 92

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Janet R. (Rosen) Zurier, of Providence, passed away Dec. 15, 2022.

She was the wife of Melvin Zurier, with whom she shared 71 years of marriage.

Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, she was the daughter of the late Albert and Helen (Greenfield) Rosen and sister of the late Marvin Rosen and Phyllis Herman. The family moved from Philadelphia to Allentown, Pennsylvania, where Janet attended public schools.

After earning a bachelor’s degree and receiving academic honors at Penn State, Janet earned a master’s degree in education from Harvard University and a second master’s in education from Rhode Island College. She pursued a doctoral degree at Boston University’s School of Education.

Mrs. Zurier was a teacher as well as a learner. She was a respected professional in early childhood education and special education in the Providence Public Schools for many years, continuing past her expected retire -

ment date because she loved her work so much. On her retirement, she established a fund for the benefit of children at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School in Providence. She was a founder of Volunteers in Providence Schools (now Inspiring Minds) and served as a docent at the Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design.

Janet was a longtime member of Temple Beth El in Providence and was chair of the Career Women’s Affiliate of the Jewish Alliance of Greater RI. She was an accomplished gardener and a much-appreciated cook.

In addition to her husband, survivors include: four children, Rebecca Zurier and her husband, Thomas Willette, of Ann Arbor, Michigan; Samuel Zurier and his wife, Lauren, of Providence; Benjamin Zurier and his wife, Linda Movish, of New York City; and Sarah Zurier and her husband, Jonathan Bell, of Providence; eight grandchildren, Rachel Zurier and her husband, Daniel Fishman; Jack, Hannah, William and Joseph Zurier, Nathan and Aaron Willette, and Zachary Bell as well as many nieces and nephews. She was also the sister-in-law of the late Hilda Glickman and Rosalind Gever.

Contributions may be made to Inspiring Minds, 65 Pavilion Ave., Providence, RI 02905 (inspiringmindsri.org) or your favorite charity.

JEWISH RHODE ISLAND's

This Month in

History

Let My People Go

IN THE FIRST MONTH OF 1982 , demonstrators held signs in front of the Rhode Island State House in support of the minority Jewish population that faced oppression in their native Ethiopia and neighboring African countries. What began as an obscure humanitarian crisis sparked global alarm, largely thanks to rallies like this one. Though this group of demonstrators couldn’t have known it – as they sang “Am Yisrael Chai” in the winter air – a historic emigration was in the making: Starting in 1984, 8,000 Jewish Ethiopians were transported to Israel as part of Operation Moses.