JEWISH
RHODE ISLAND
EDITOR F ran Ostendorf
DESIGN & LAYOUT Alex Foster
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CONTRIBUTORS Bob Abelman, Ruth Marris Macaulay, Sarah Greenleaf, Robert Isenberg, Emma Newbery
COLUMNISTS Michael Fink, George M. Goodwin, Patricia Raskin, Rabbi James Rosenberg, Daniel Stieglitz
VOLUME XXXI, ISSUE IX
JEWISH RHODE ISLAND (ISSN number 1539-2104, USPS #465-710) is published monthly except twice in May, August and September.
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ON THE COVER : Campers climb on boulders during free time after lunch at Camp JORI in Wakefield. PHOTO | GLENN OSMUNDSON
The Olympics are in full swing!
I HAVE TO ADMIT IT. I am an Olympics junkie. I started getting excited about this summer’s games during a trip to Paris in March 2023. That was more than a year ago! And the anticipation has been building ever since.
I was quite excited to see the television replays of the opening ceremonies on the Seine. And I have eagerly looked forward to the nightly TV highlights of all the different sports. Fortunately, my work on the paper does not allow much extra time to watch the hours of competition during the day or I would be hooked on that, too.
Watching the boats filled with athletes, often from several countries on one boat, I couldn’t help but think how really amazing it is to see competitors from many different backgrounds come together and support each other on the playing field.
The athletes are generally competing in an environment that is peaceful and respectful. And perhaps that helps the athletes look at one another as the people they really are. In a world with too much hatred and conflict, the Olympics provide a hopeful, optimistic tone.
Sometimes, the Games are not so peaceful, especially in Munich in 1972. Even this year, we hear about protests outside the venues and extra security surrounding the Israeli delegation. And there have been protests before specific events and reportedly the national anthem was jeered before Israel’s first soccer match
This year’s Israeli delegation is 88 strong (54 men and 34 women). They will be competing in 16 sports and 66 events throughout the games, including soccer, gymnastics, swimming and archery. Yes, they have added security and
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Our Jewish community needs your help bringing news, people and events to life on the pages of Jewish Rhode Island. If you’ve worked in media or marketing; want to have a chance for a byline of your own; love writing and storytelling; love meeting people and exploring new things, we’re looking for a couple of freelance writers to help cover our diverse community –from Woonsocket to Westerly.
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reportedly there have been threats against both the athletes and even the Israeli spectators who come to cheer them on.
But it’s a delegation that we can be proud of even as we watch the United States with its more than 500 athletes and whatever other country you may be cheering on (Ukraine, perhaps?).
In addition to watching my favorite sport – gymnastics – I’ll be trying to get a glimpse of some of the sports I don’t usually see and perhaps some of the brand-new sports at this year’s Olympics. I especially like to watch the camaraderie and reactions of the teammates in the team sports and between the countries in the individual sports, like swimming.
I’ve been watching the Games for many years now. I remember the awe I felt as a young girl for some of the athletes and I know that while I am watching these games there are children around the world who will be so touched by what they see that they will drive themselves to become the Olympians of the future. Almost every athlete interviewed mentions how they themselves once watched the Games and were inspired by them.
The world could learn a lot from the Olympic model of competition, diversity, peace, teamwork and a shared commitment to winning with grace and respect. It’s refreshing to see.
Fran Ostendorf, Editor
the Jewish community in Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts, while adhering to Jewish values and the professional standards of journalism.
ALL SUBMITTED CONTENT becomes the property of Jewish Rhode Island. Announcements and opinions contained in these pages are published as a service to the community and do not necessarily represent the views of Jewish Rhode Island or its publisher, the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island. We reserve the right to refuse publication and edit submitted content
UP FRONT Hannah Pearlman is making art that feels authentic
BY SARAH GREENLEAF
If you’ve been in the lower lobby of the Dwares Jewish Community Center, have a child who attends the Jewish Community Day School of Rhode Island or have visited the youth lounge at Temple Emanu-El, there’s a good chance you’ve seen the bold, colorful murals painted by Hannah Pearlman, 39, an artist and Providence native.
WHILE SHE’S BEEN an artist since she was a kid, it wasn’t always clear to Pearlman that she could make a living as one. After a varied career in Jewish nonprofits, many moves, having her son, and a getting through a pandemic, Pearlman decided to go for it.
Pearlman’s style is vibrant and distinctive, but she didn’t always draw that way. “For a long time, I felt like I didn't have any style. I would kind of just be like, I'm going to try this thing, I'm going to try that thing,” she explained in a recent interview. “Experimenting is still, I think, really important.”
Though she read many books on how to develop her style and find her voice, in the end it was a mentor who helped her on the path to her current aesthetic. “I had this mentor who was like, ‘forget all that . . . you’re a designer, you’re going to design it.”
Pearlman did this by picking a limited color palette, specific textures, shapes and lines. She made herself a brand book and told herself, “You're gonna stick with this for six months, and just do this for six months. And that was kind of eye-opening.”
Much of the advice on breaking into the commercial art industry is about having a signature style that stands out. “If someone is going to hire you, they want to know what they’re going to get,” Pearlman explained. Finding her style turned out to be less a search and more a creative process.
Pearlman grew up a few blocks from where she now lives on the East Side of Providence in a family with roots in the area that go back gen-
erations. An art lover from a young age, she took art classes at the RISD Museum back before its expansion in the early 2000s and was allowed to wander the museum. Pearlman spent many years away, first in Montreal for college followed by stints in Boston, Denver and Seattle.
As a young person, she attended Temple Emanu-El in Providence, and was in a Shabbat group that would go from house to house and celebrate all the holidays together.
“You know, the funny thing is, growing up here, I think that, everywhere else I went, I was always trying to find this in other places,” she said.
While she studied religion as an undergraduate at McGill University, it was her time at Brandeis Univer-
sity studying Jewish Professional Leadership that led to her first career working for Jewish nonprofits. “I had one year of working after college before I went to grad school,” Pearlman said, “and I worked at a Hillel in Houston.”
This led to her interest in how the organization ran. “I started thinking, okay, maybe this is a way I could apply religious studies stuff to my own community.”
After graduate school Pearlman worked in fundraising at a synagogue, at an organization that taught community organizing and for Jewish music pioneer Rick Recht.
“I really liked working for him,” she said, “but at the same time I had this side hustle. I was learning cal-
ligraphy and at a certain point people started hiring me to do it.” She was doing wedding signage, place cards and envelopes when someone asked her to design a logo. “I was like, I don't actually know how to do that!” So, she took a class and, while in Seattle, went back to school for graphic design.
After a move back to Providence during the pandemic (“Turns out being a parent in isolation is really hard!”), Pearlman spent some time refining and figuring out her business. She moved away from graphic design and has transitioned to murals, illustration and some art licensing.
The first mural was in her own
Hannah Pearlman in front of the mural at the Jewish Community Day School of Rhode Island.
Chasing after emptiness
BY RABBI JEFFREY GOLDWASSER
We are now in the midst of the three weeks leading up to Tisha B’Av, the most sorrowful day of the Jewish year. These three weeks are called the t’lat d’furanuta, “the three weeks of affliction.” On each Shabbat during this time, we read a haftarah in which the prophets rebuke Israel for failing to keep faith with God but promise redemption for Israel if it returns to God.
IN THE OPENING of this week’s haftarah, God asks a rhetorical question. “What wrong did your ancestors find in Me that they distanced themselves from Me, went after empty things, and thus became empty themselves?”
(Jeremiah 2:5).
’VAR TO RAH
The image is clear. When we run away from things of real value in life and chase after illusions, we become delusional. Empty pursuits yield empty lives.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4
bedroom, painted with the help of her husband. “I don’t think it was fun for him,” Pearlman laughed admitting to being a bit of a control freak. “But it was cool!”
When they moved to Providence and bought their current house, she began painting murals on the walls. A whitewashed brick wall around the fireplace with a stain on it became a graphic mural of the ocean and sun. Another room has oranges painted on the walls.
“I kind of just started painting around the house . . . and they're just, kind of all over,” she said. “Then as I was trying to figure out what my art business was going to be, I realized that actually murals are kind of more lucrative. It's really hard work, but it's kind of like a big chunk all at once.”
Another benefit to doing mural work is being around other people. “I've done a couple of schools and . . . one camp, at the end of the day, I just like being there and talking to people,” Pearlman said. “It's great. It's really fun.”
People will come up to her with questions, especially in
That is a rebuke that should make each of us more than a bit uncomfortable. Who will deny that his or her life has more than its share of empty pursuits? I think about the energy I put into learning about the latest electronic gadgets and the time I spend following the ups and downs of sports teams. Is Jeremiah speaking to me? Is he reminding me that my time is better spent with family, community and mak-
school settings, which she loves. “The kids come up, and they're like, how did you get the picture so big? How do you do the line so straight? Why do you have a brush that looks like a triangle? Like, what's this? What's that?”
Pearlman’s inspiration for her work comes from everywhere. “I take pictures of lots of things . . . like we went blueberry picking and I took pictures of the blueberry bushes because they look really cool.” She finds inspiration in botanicals and florals in addition to vintage packaging and lettering. “I have a lot of reference books on typefaces . . . people used to be so much more expressive with typography,” she said.
She credits her husband with her love of puns, which frequently show up in her work and greeting cards. “I think it's all his fault!” she said with a laugh, “There's just something about it that I feel is relatable. It’s also a little whimsical, it's funny, but also it can express something authentically.”
Her stationery business was a natural extension of her art practice. “Over the years I just made so much art that like really lent
ing a difference in people’s lives? Is he saying that I am digging a hole of emptiness in my life? What is he telling you?
We know it’s true. We see it in others and, when we are being honest, we see it in ourselves. When people spend their time preoccupied with triviality, vanity and self-indulgence, they become trivial, vain, and…well…unhappy. When we look at our own lives, we realize that our greatest joy comes from moments focused on the things that are meaningful –building relationships, working for the good of others, sharing what we have, loving and being loved. You can toss the rest. Happiness is filling up our otherwise empty hours with things that matter.
Jeremiah tells us this is what it truly means to be close to God. It’s not about mouthing prayers or fulfilling empty rituals. God is what we experience when we connect with others – when we make our lives matter
itself to greeting cards,” she explained. “I love paper, and stationery and pens, and also just in terms of storing it in my house it was more doable.”
Creating artwork for a larger commercial market also means getting creative in certain categories to keep the work authentic. “I got some advice from an agent earlier this year, who was like, the number one selling category in commercial art is Christmas. And I was like, how am I going to do this? I really don't think that I can make myself draw Santa,” Pearlman said.
“How do you walk the line between being true to yourself, your style, your own history and your beliefs, and also making stuff that is, like, commercially accessible for lots of products and lots of different people,” she said. “It feels like showing up as a Jewish person and making stuff that is relevant to me, and maybe for a small community . . . it feels more authentic to me, and it feels important.”
SARAH GREENLEAF (sgreenleaf@jewishallianceri. org) is the digital marketing specialist for the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode
by doing things that matter. Then, instead of distancing ourselves from God, we draw close.
‘And Jeremiah reminds us that the rewards are very great.’
And Jeremiah reminds us that the rewards are very great. In the conclusion of this week’s haftarah (according to Sephardic practice), we read, “If you return, O Israel…and swear by the living God in truth, justice and righteousness, then nations will find blessing in you…”
(Jeremiah 4:1-2).
When we attach ourselves to God by acting truthfully, justly and righteously, we not only secure our own happiness, but we bring blessing to others too.
So try it. The next time you find yourself filling up
your time with things that don’t really matter, make a different choice. Turn off the screen, put down the video game, stop the preening and posing. Instead, make the choice to do something –something that matters and brings blessing to the world.
RABBI JEFFREY GOLDWASSER is the spiritual leader of Temple Sinai, in Cranston. This teaching originally appeared on his blog, www. rebjeff.com.
Island and writes for Jewish Rhode Island.
RABBI JEFFREY GOLDWASSER
CALENDAR HIGHLIGHTS
Ongoing
Kosher Senior Café and Programming. 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Monday – Thursday at the Dwares JCC, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence; Fridays at Temple Sinai, 30 Hagen Ave., Cranston. In-person (and on Zoom most Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays) programming from 11 a.m.-noon followed by lunch and discussion noon-1 p.m. 8/29: Field trip to Haffenreffer Museum on Brown University’s campus; bus will leave the JCC at 10:30 a.m. Every Wednesday is chair yoga with Neal 11-11:45 a.m. For seniors aged 60 and older as well as younger adults with a disability; all faiths and backgrounds are welcome. Suggested donation: $3 per lunch. The Kosher Senior Café is a program of Jewish Collaborative Services and is supported by the Jewish Alliance of Greater RI and Blackstone Health. Information and RSVP, Neal at neal@jfsri.org, Tyler at tyler@ jcsri.org or 401-421-4111, ext. 107.
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. Information, 508-775-2988 or capecodsynagogue.org.
Temple Beth-El Torah Study. Saturdays except second Saturday of the month 9 a.m. 70 Orchard Ave., Providence. In-person Torah study. Information, Jillian Brosofsky at jbrosofsky@temple-beth-el.org or 401-331-6070, ext. 100.
Temple Sinai Shabbat Breakfast & Torah Study. Saturdays 9:30-11 a.m. 30 Hagen Ave., Cranston. Breakfast followed by interactive discussion at 10 a.m. with Rabbi Jeffrey Goldwasser or others in the community. Breakfast RSVP and information, dottie@templesinairi. org or 401-942-8350.
Temple Habonim Torah Study. Saturdays 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 401-2456536.
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. Information, Cape Cod Synagogue at 508-7752988 or capecodsynagogue.org.
Temple Sinai Shabbat Morning Service. Saturdays 11 a.m. 30 Hagen Ave., Cranston. Meet in the chapel. Information, templesinairi. org or Dottie at 401-942-8350.
Friday | August 2
Temple Beth-El Kabbalat Shabbat Service. 5:45 p.m. 70 Orchard Ave., Providence. Throughout the summer, celebrate Shabbat with song, prayer and friends. Information, Jillian Brosofsky at jbrosofsky@temple-beth-el.org or 401-331-6070, ext. 100.
Temple Torat Yisrael Virtual Kabbalat Shabbat and Torah Services. 5:45-6:15 p.m. By Zoom only. Information, temple@toratyisrael. org.
Temple Sinai Shabbat Service and Potluck Dinner. 6 p.m. Allen Harbor Marina, 24 Bruce Boyer Road, North Kingstown. Meet under the pavilion. Please bring a dairy dish or fish dish to share. No service at the Temple and no Zoom
connection. Information, dottie@ templesinairi.org or 401-942-8350.
Saturday | August 3
Temple Torat Yisrael Saturday Morning Shabbat Services. 9:3010:30 a.m. 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich. In person with Zoom available. Information, temple@ toratyisrael.org.
Wednesday | August 7
Hadassah Southern New England Books on the Beach. 11 a.m. Sponsor reception; 11:30 a.m. Registration; Noon Luncheon and Program. Wyndham Newport Hotel, 240 Aquidneck Ave., Middletown. An afternoon with Allegra Goodman, author of “Sam,” and Jennifer Rosner, author of “Once We Were Home.” With host Lisa Hostein, executive director of Hadassah Magazine, and featured speaker Nancy Falchuck, past national president. Information, chapri@ hadassah.org.
Friday | August 9
Temple Beth-El Kabbalat Shabbat Service. 5:45 p.m. 70 Orchard Ave., Providence. Celebrate Shabbat with song, prayer and friends.
Information, Jillian Brosofsky at jbrosofsky@temple-beth-el.org or 401-331-6070, ext. 100.
Temple Sinai Shabbat Evening Service with Guest Speaker Rep. Seth Magaziner. 6 p.m. 30 Hagen Ave., Cranston. Seth Magaziner, representing RI’s Second Congregational District in the U.S. House of Representatives, will talk about U.S. support for the State of Israel, initiatives on gun control, reproductive rights and more. Join in person or on Zoom. Information, dottie@ templesinairi.org or 401-942-8350.
Temple Torat Yisrael Virtual Kabbalat Shabbat and Torah Services. 5:45-6:15 p.m. By Zoom only. Information, temple@toratyisrael. org.
Saturday | August 10
Temple Beth-El Shabbat Service. 9 a.m. 70 Orchard Ave., Providence. Join us for this in-person service. Information, Jillian Brosofsky at jbrosofsky@temple-beth-el. org or 401-331-6070, ext. 100.
Temple Torat Yisrael Saturday Morning Shabbat Services. 9:3010:30 a.m. 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich. In person with Zoom
available. Information, temple@ toratyisrael.org.
Temple Sinai Havadalah on the Beach. 6 p.m. Narragansett Town Beach North Pavilion, 39 Boston Neck Road, Narragansett. The group will meet near lifeguard chair 5. Bring beach chairs. Information, Dottie@templesinairi.org
Monday | August 12
Temple Sinai Tisha B’Av Service. 7:30 p.m. 30 Hagen Ave., Cranston. Meet in the Chapel. Information, dottie@templesinairi.org or 401942-8350.
Thursday | August 15
Splash into Summer with PJ Library and Temple Habonim. 4-5 p.m. The Splash Pad at Police Cove Park and Boat Ramp, 100-106 County Road, Barrington. Join Lyndsey from PJ Library and Rabbi Howard from Temple Habonim to meet other families for water play and a frozen treat. Information, Adina at office@templehabonim or 401-245-6536; or Lyndsey at lursillo@jewishallianceri.org or 401-421-4111, ext. 141.
Friday | August 16
Story Time under the Gazebo with PJ Library and Temple Sinai. 11 a.m.-noon. Garden City Gazebo, 100 Midway Road, Cranston. Join Lyndsey from PJ Library and Rabbi Goldwasser and Cantor Deborah from Temple Sinai to celebrate Shabbat with PJ Library books, songs and a craft. Information, Lyndsey Ursillo at lursillo@jewishallianceri.org.
Temple Beth-El Kabbalat Shabbat Service. 5:45 p.m. 70 Orchard Ave., Providence. Celebrate Shabbat with song, prayer and friends. Information, Jillian Brosofsky at jbrosofsky@temple-beth-el.org or 401-331-6070, ext. 100.
Temple Sinai Friday Night Shabbat Service. 6 p.m. 30 Hagen Ave., Cranston. Meet in the Chapel. Information, dottie@templesinairi. org or 401-942-8350.
Temple Habonim Shabbat by the Sea. 6:15 p.m. Barrington Beach, 87 Bay Road, Barrington. Bring a chair or blanket, and welcome Shabbat on the beach. In case of inclement weather, the services will be moved inside to Temple Habonim. Infor -
mation, Adina at office@templehabonim.org or 401-245-6536.
Saturday | August 17
Temple Torat Yisrael Saturday Morning Shabbat Services. 9:3010:30 a.m. 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich. In person with Zoom available. Information, temple@ toratyisrael.org.
Tuesday | August 20
Philip Eil in Conversation with Rabbi Howard Voss-Altman. 6:30-8 p.m. Dwares JCC, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence. Eil’s “Prescription for Pain” follows a journalist’s years-long investigation into his father’s classmate and high school valedictorian Paul Volkman, who once seemed destined for greatness and is now serving four consecutive life sentences in prison. Book signing to follow Q&A. Free. Information and RSVP, Devorah Phillips at dphillips@jewishallianceri.org.
Friday | August 23
Temple Beth-El Membership Picnic/Shabbat Under the Stars. 5:30 p.m. 70 Orchard Ave., Prov-
idence. Whether you’re thinking about joining Temple Beth-El or you’ve been a member for decades, join us for this annual picnic and service. Information, Jillian Brosofsky at jbrosofsky@temple-beth-el. org or 401-331-6070, ext. 100.
Temple Sinai Friday Night Shabbat Service. 6 p.m. 30 Hagen Ave., Cranston. Meet in the Chapel. Information, dottie@templesinairi. org or 401-942-8350.
Sunday | August 25
Temple Sinai People of the Book. 2 p.m. 30 Hagen Ave., Cranston. Discussion of “The Last Rose of Shanghai” by Weina Dai Randel. Information, dottie@templesinairi. org or 401-942-8350.
Monday | August 26
Temple Sinai 9th Annual Golf Classic. 8 a.m. Valley Country Club, 251 New London Ave., Warwick. The format is a scramble. Awards for “closest to the pin,” “longest drive,” “hole in one” and the “putting contest.” Cost: $760 per foursome (includes continental breakfast and lunch). Information, Greg Rosen at grosen@nes-group.com.
Friday | August 30
Jewish Alliance Hosts Blood Drive. 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Dwares JCC, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence. Register online for appointment using sponsor Code 1528. Walk-ins if availability permits at time of arrival. Donors entered into drawings to win Patriots tickets and a $100 e-gift card. A pint of beer coupon for donors 21+. Eat, drink and bring photo ID. Information, RI Blood Center at ribc.org or 401453-8383.
Temple Beth-El Kabbalat Shabbat Service. 5:45 p.m. 70 Orchard Ave., Providence. Celebrate Shabbat with song, prayer and friends. Information, Jillian Brosofsky at jbrosofsky@temple-beth-el.org or 401-331-6070, ext. 100.
Temple Sinai Friday Night Shabbat Service. 6 p.m. 30 Hagen Ave., Cranston. Meet in the Chapel. Information, dottie@templesinairi. org or 401-942-8350.
FOOD
A museum exhibit on Jewish food and humor puts the ‘borscht’ in Borscht Belt
BY ANDREW SILOW-CARROLL (NEW YORK JEWISH WEEK)
“We honeymooned at Kutsher’s in late October 1968,” Barbara Gelman recalled in an oral history for the Borscht Belt Museum. “When we ordered dinner, the waitress enumerated all the desserts, and my new husband simply said ‘yes.’ ”
GELMAN’S COMMENTS, on display in a new exhibit at the museum in Ellenville, New York, capture an entire Jewish culture in fewer than 30 words. Kutsher’s resort was one of the best known of the Jewish hotels in the Catskills, the region in upstate New York that flourished as a Jewish getaway from the early 20th century to the 1970s.
And while the Catskills were about many things, they were also about two big things: food and humor. Both were doled out in abundance: heaps of mostly Ashkenazi cuisine and gobs of entertainment rooted in Yiddish with an urban attitude that learned to let loose in the mountain air.
It’s a combination that’s been blended, if you will, in the exhibit, “And Such Small Portions! Food and Comedy in the Catskills Resort Era.” The exhibit takes its name from a classic joke (more on that later) and its inspiration from the nickname of the region. Its centerpiece is a large sculpture of a bowl of borscht by the artist Robin Schwartzman, which sits in a small gallery surrounded by photomurals of the hotels’ once-grand dining rooms, portraits of comedians like Jerry Lewis and Joan Rivers and even an image of one of perhaps hundreds of Jewish farming families who helped turn Sullivan and Ulster counties into a vacation destination.
The curators are proud of a recreated 1950s bungalow interior, complete with wood paneling, appliances and period ephemera, rescued by the museum’s archivist, and a recreation of a 1970s
Kutsher’s hotel room, done up in a groovy palette of greens and yellows. And menus –plenty of menus. A dinner menu from Kutsher’s might offer 11 “mains,” from Jewish standbys like boiled flanken and potted brisket to more exotic fare like chicken cacciatore and “barbacued [sic] ribs of prime beef, Mandarin.” The appetizers included “stuffed freshwater fish with red beet horse radish,” which sounds suspiciously like gefilte fish. For dessert, there was apple strudel, “sugar bow ties,” fruit sherbet and raspberry jello.
I dimly remember these choices from when my parents would take us to one of the b-list hotels in the waning days of the Borscht Belt, usually in winter. I remember the waiter offering a choice of chicken, beef or fish, and wise guys like Gelman’s husband saying, “I’ll try them all.” And the waiter would oblige. That kind overindulgence was both mocked and celebrated in the joke that gives the exhibit its title. The curators – Debra Schmidt Bach, Steven H. Jaffe and Mackensie Griffin – have tracked it down to a 1927 collection of songs and stories called “Bronx Ballads,” although Woody Allen offered a much leaner version in his 1977 film “Annie Hall”: “Two elderly women are at a Catskill mountain resort, and one of ’em says, ‘Boy, the food at this place is really terrible.’ The other
one says, ‘Yeah, I know; and such small portions.’ ”
In one way, that sense of grievance and entitlement was no laughing matter for a generation with living experience of the Depression and the Holocaust, said Jaffe, a historian who has also curated exhibits at the Museum of the City of New York.
“People stocking up on food when they didn’t really actually need it is something we would have called kind of neurotic, right? But it’s a cultural trait or cultural trope,” he told me in a joint Zoom interview with Bach. “Historians like Jonathan Sarna have addressed what was a fear of going hungry – that after you’ve become an ‘alrightnik,’ even though you live on the Grand Concourse [in the Bronx] and you own a small dress-making facility, you still have that immigrant’s sense that there’s never too much food.”
And as the old saying goes, tragedy plus time equals comedy. “So much of comedy is about discomfort or anger or frustration or anxiety,” Jaffe said. The exhibit includes a one-liner
from Joan Rivers: “We all mourn in our own way. I mourn with a good steak.”
It’s a joke about appetite, but also a variation on “living well is the best revenge.”
Bach, the curator of decorative arts at the New-York Historical Society, knows intimately about the connection between the Catskills, food and humor: Her grandparents owned and operated the Grand Hotel, a kosher resort in Parksville, New York.
“Everything that had to do with food at my grandparents’ place was infused with comedy in some way,” she recalled. “Usually, it was just the sort of back and forth thing in terms of getting meals out. But it just was so much a part of the culture that even as a small child, I was very aware of it.”
Her grandparents insisted that “nobody should go away hungry,” she said.
“They wanted it to be an atmosphere where people were happy and they were enjoying themselves, and that extended to the way that food was served. There was just a lot of humor that surrounded everything.”
That humor became as closely identified with “the mountains” as the food. A portrait of Danny Kaye is featured on a wall of “Legacies.” It recalls that the Jewish comic actor, like a slew of other comedians, started as a “tummler” in the Catskills – a combination emcee and social director whose job it was, according to Jaffe, to keep guests from heading home to the Bronx on rainy days.
The small exhibit, located in a part of the old bank building that the year-old museum hopes to turn into a full-sized repository of all things Borscht Belt, features various images and objects pairing the culinary and the comic. There’s a milk can invoking the Jewish farmers who would eventually convert their homes and barns into inns and boarding houses for Jews who wanted to escape the stifling city in the summer. There are grocery items that evoke the era: Savarin coffee, Breakstone cottage cheese. There’s even a bencher – a booklet containing the grace after meals – from the late,
PHOTO | BORSCHT BELT MUSEUM VIA YIVO AND JTA
A 1958 photo of Jennie Grossinger and the kitchen staff at her eponymous Catskills resort is featured in a new exhibit at the Borscht Belt Museum in Ellenville, New York.
COMMUNITY VOICES
Reflections on going back to school
BY PATRICIA RASKIN
Going back to school can be an important learning experience for both parents and children. There are roles, needs and benefits to both in this yearly transition.
IN THE ARTICLE “Being Engaged in our Children’s Education” at Chabad. org, Rabbi Nochum Kaplan writes, “I believe a parent’s role is somewhere between coach and cheerleader; neither as critically involved as the former or as benignly enthusiastic as the latter.
offered the opportunity to engage in academic studies as well as learn about how to engage in the kinds of human interactions that develop our emotional intelligence.
H EALTHY LIVING
He closes with “Being positively involved in our children’s lives means knowing what they are experiencing at school and what issues they face; it means listening and being there for them; it means offering encouragement and helping them develop self-confidence. It certainly means setting limits and assigning appropriate consequences for non-compliance. It may mean giving advice when asked and being a shoulder to cry on. It does not mean fighting their battles nor acting in their stead. Like training wheels on a bike, the child needs to know they are there, so he won’t fall but the less they are used the better the ride.”
ChatGPT offers some helpful additional insights for both parents and students about going back to school after the summer break and is able to look at this pivotal moment through the lens of Judaism .
The pursuit of knowledge and education is highly valued in Judaism. When we go back to school and back to academic learning, we are
As the the summer comes to an end we reflect on our past experiences and prepare for new learning and growth. This reflection helps us move forward with freshly minted goals and as sense of renewal.
Schools helps us to develop friendships and form bonds within the classroom and the school community. We also learn about collaboration and teamwork.
By aligning the experience of going back to school with the principles of Judaism, students can approach the new school year with a sense of purpose and dedication, infused with a degree of spiritual fulfillment as well.
Here are some questions for parents to reflect on:
• How does listening to your children help them grow?
• In what ways do you encourage your children to learn?
• How do you set limits with your children?
• In what situations is it important to give advice to your children?
Here are some questions for children and students of all
ages to reflect on:
• What do you look forward to learning at school this year?
• What school activities do you look forward to?
• Which friends do you look forward to seeing, working with, and playing with?
• What did you do this summer that you can “bring with you” to school? (e.g. excitement, energy, stories, lessons, new ideas)
Here’s to going back to school both mentally and spiritually invigorated!
PATRICIA RASKIN , owner of Raskin Resources Productions, is an awardwinning radio producer, business owner and leader. She has served on the board of directors of Temple Emanu-El, in Providence. Her “Positive Aging with Patricia Raskin” podcast is broadcast on the Rhode Island PBS website, ripbs. org/positiveaging.
PATRICIA RASKIN
COMMUNITY VOICES
Dear Stefano and his colleagues
BY GEORGE M. GOODWIN
Stefano Zirilli, my barber for about a dozen years, was a dear friend. Though aware that his health had been failing, I was deeply saddened by his passing on May 28 at 88 years of age.
NOT MERELY an excellent craftsman, Stefano was a wonderful human being. Yes, a mensch. He was a standout among the barbers I have known.
The most notable barber from my youth in Los Angeles was Murray. He probably cut my hair and my twin brother’s for at least a decade. Whether or not he was Jewish, or what his last name was, remained a mys tery. Murray, who sported a moustache, had two succes sive shops in the Brentwood
USINGS
neighborhood. After Theo and I entered high school, we could walk to his shop on San Vicente Boulevard.
My most vivid and shocking memory of Murray dated from grade school. One night my family went out to dinner, and there was Murray, with his wife, seated at a nearby table. He had a life beyond his shop? Much to my surprise, he even had a different wardrobe and, amazingly, ate regular food. But he was still friendly
enough to smile and greet us Goodwins.
I can’t recall when Murray officially retired, but his shop no longer exists. Yet, whenever I drive by its former location, I remember his kindness.
Helmut Lenz was the next barber who made an impression. A German or Austrian immigrant, he had his own shop in the small Chicago suburb where I went to college. Wow, did he hate college kids during the late Sixties! He imagined that everyone was a sloppy, angry or demented protester, and he dreaded seeing them in his shop. Though I trimmed my beard and moustache, I guess that he hated me too. A schmoozer he was not.
During the mid-1970s, after finishing graduate studies and returning to Los Angeles, I needed a new barber. My father suggested that I go see Salvatore “Sam” Stilo, his barber for perhaps two decades in Beverly Hills.
Sam, a native of Calabria, became my new “stylist.” He grew somewhat irritated with my constant questions about how often Ronald Reagan (a favored customer) dyed his hair. Sam insisted that he never even touched up the governor’s hair, but when I asked if I could drop by to see Sam working on Ronnie, Sam explained that, for security reasons, he customarily went to the governor’s house.
‘Stefano’s customers wanted him to work forever.’
Soon after arriving in Providence in 1987, I asked an acquaintance to recommend a barber. He directed me to a shop near Wayland Square, but I didn’t know if it was the one owned by Fred or Ed. So, I took a chance and went to see Fred, whose given name was Fiorentino D’Ambrosia. The son of a barber, Fred had grown up in Providence and graduated from Central High. We soon became friends, and I remained his customer until his retirement. My young son, Michael, who received his first haircut from Fred, also became a steady customer.
On more than one occasion, however, I felt I had to apologize for another customer’s behavior. Refusing to wait in a long line for Fred, this person would proclaim: “I’m a rabbi and am in a hurry; does anybody mind if I go first?” No customers objected, but this person would add, “Fred, could you put today’s bill on my tab?”
Fred quickly explained that there were no tabs. When I told Fred that he didn’t have to tolerate such nonsense, he said that he had great respect for this rabbi’s deceased father, a longtime customer and a distinguished rabbi.
Perhaps my most memorable experience relating to Fred’s shop was truly frightening. Once, when Fred went on vacation and I badly needed his services, I went to Ed’s shop on Wayland. Ed asked if I was new in town, and I explained, no, I was Fred’s customer, but he was away. Ed screamed, “Get the --- out of here.” I thought that he was joking, but he yelled
at me again, so I hit the road. Eventually my buddy, Mike Fink, suggested that I try his barber, Stefano, on Rochambeau near Hope Street. What a gentleman. He took great pride in his debonair appearance and courtly manner. I loved learning about his childhood in Sicily, and we soon talked about my own visits there. Stefano allowed me to speak a little Italian, which led inevitably to discussions about wine, olive oil and gardening. As time went on Stefano revealed that during World War II he did not have enough to eat, and that he began his full-time apprenticeship at 14 years of age. I was so grateful for Stefano’s kindness that I conducted some extensive research about his Zirilli ancestors, who had preceded him to New England. Stefano’s customers wanted him to work forever, but his declining health finally necessitated his retirement. I then became his son, Nunzio’s, customer, and we too became friends. I also became acquainted with his younger son, Stefano, who joined the family business.
I saw the elder Stefano a few times during his retirement, and I often asked Nunzio about him. Thus, I was not shocked when Stefano passed away. Although I did not attend his funeral, I was happy to send a note to his family and shed a few private tears.
Murray, Sam, Fred and Stefano had numerous Jewish customers. They treated all their customers in a dignified and kindly manner as they too sought to be treated. Yes, despite the amount of hair remaining on one’s head or face or the waiting time required, getting a haircut was and remains a ritual – a measure of brotherhood. I wish that Helmut and Ed had thought the same.
GEORGE M. GOODWIN , of Providence, is the editor of Rhode Island Jewish Historical Notes.
COMMUNITY VOICES
Sacred sand, wise hands, July musings
t’s the first week of summer 2024, and we are back safe and sound in our beloved little Rhody with its Jewish headquarters in Newport at the Touro synagogue.
OUR STATE PROMISED, of course, and famously, freedom of religion and freedom from religion. In his remarkable letter “To the Hebrew Congregation in Newport, Rhode Island” George Washington stated “the Government of the United States, which gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance requires only that they who live under its protection should demean themselves as good citizens, in giving it on all occasions their effectual support.” In the smallest colony of the brand-new nation, freedom of religion was guaranteed personally by the president himself.
that might have muffled the sounds of Hebrew prayer, while monarchies from Europe stripped those same islands of their treasures.
The words Washington wrote inspired me to visit the Caribbean countries where Sephardic Jews settled the sand-covered interiors of the various islands. The first probably came with Columbus’s 1492 expedition which set off a day after the Alhambra Decrees of 1492 either expelled Jews from Spain or forced them to convert. A number of those who traveled with Columbus were known to be conversos and Columbus himself is thought to have had Jewish heritage. The date of their departure from Spain was no accident. Whether British, French, Spanish or Dutch, European armies eventually established their rule over the native peoples of the islands with tragic results.
So, in the last week of June, we flew to Saint Lucia to join our daughter and her family for a week of glamor and glory in the sunshine. Well, if ya know me, I really prefer to imagine that I can learn by travel, not just relax, and in this case perhaps trace the origins of Rhode Island’s Jewish legacy. I visited the islands seeking the sand
I wanted to gain a sense of the footsteps that may link the Caribbean to our South County beaches with their sands, bays and rivers, and perhaps even follow the wings of migrating birds that fly from there to here, as I stroll our summer beaches between June and Septem ber. However, this time, in Saint Lucia, my favorite hour was spent in a spa, a clinic that offers pedicures and manicures, and a variety of magical muds from the local region. My magician, Lilia, plied her trade, and demon strated her skill, by first soaking my hands in a hot bath. So far, so good. Then she trimmed, my overgrown fingernails, and next, focus ing on my feet, noticed how overgrown they were. She seemed just a wee bit nervous about their condition (which probably explains why my wife made the appointment). But I was actually, surpris ingly, quite relaxed and confi dent in her skills. The gentle touch of her strong hands massaging my hands and feet furnished me with an hour of true happiness! It was as though the wisdom of the region and its magical mate rials of mud, shell and stone had, through her touch and wisdom, somehow summed up why I travel in the elusive pursuit of the past held in the history of the land itself. I like to find poetry in Bible study. Why did Moses take off his shoes? Because feet recognize holy ground. It was the holy ground of my Sephardic forbears that I found in the islands. Why do mothers in our faith light the Sabbath candles? Because
there is wisdom in work, with our hands. Lilia’s work on my hands and feet came from the wisdom she had learned in her practice. During my undergraduate education, what I learned of value can be summed up in a phrase used by my professor, the renowned Cleanth Brooks, designer of the then-titled “New Criticism.” In his famous southern accent, he offered, and I scribbled on my notepad, “On the Other Hand!” As I splash my toes and soles on the sandy shore or use my hands and arms to struggle with the surf, these are the thoughts that come to mind this July.
MIKE FINK (mfink33@aol. com) is a professor emeritus at the Rhode Island School of Design.
MIKE FINK
Summer showers don’t stop us!
On a recent Wednesday, the Trip 2 campers at Camp JORI were busy with morning activities despite the threat of rain. A downpour finally greeted campers on the walk to the dining hall for lunch, but it didn’t dampen spirits. Neither had the heat and humidity at the beginning of the session or in an earlier session. Afterall, the pool and waterfront are perfect for cooling down on those hot summer days at the overnight camp on Worden’s Pond in Wakefield.
JORI HAS BEEN a camp since 1937 when the Jewish Orphanage founded it as a place for the kids to spend time during the summer. As longtime donor Gloria Winston said during a camp tour, “It’s really an important place for Rhode
Island children.” And she observed how far the Wakefield property has come in its 20 years that the camp has been there. Before that, the camp had a property in Narragansett. This session, which started July 21 and ends Aug. 11 included campers from grade 2 - grade 10. The older group are Leaders in Training (LIT). The JORI Israel trip did not go this year. Camp director Kara Liberman said they hope to send a group to Israel next summer.
Fran Ostendorf, Editor
Crafting in the art barn is a great way to spend the afternoon.
Kickball is a serious game at camp.
Arrows help campers navigate the JORI grounds and beyond.
with a song. A camper relaxes in the shade before afternoon activities begin.
PHOTOS | GLENN OSMUNDSON
Beware misinformation about Israelis from Olympics
BY JACOB GURVIS—JTA
Sharing what he said was a video of Israel’s national gymnastics team performing a “Bring Them Home”themed routine at the Paris Olympics, former U.S. ambassador to Israel David Friedman had one piece of advice to viewers: “Watch until the end and have some tissues handy.”
The video shows a group of gymnasts performing a routine featuring Israeli flags, a large yellow ribbon and signs reading “Bring them home now” – all set to a song that was composed for a concert to raise awareness for the Israeli hostages taken by Hamas on Oct. 7. Friedman billed the video as showing “Israel’s Artistic Gymnastics team performing at the Paris Olympics.”
Friedman’s tweet, which he shared with his 59,000 followers, has been seen 630,000 times and shared more than 2,000 times, according to X, the network formerly known as Twitter. It’s also been shared widely on Instagram, the visual social network that does not make public information about the reach of posts.
But while the video is no doubt evocative, it is not Israel’s gymnastics team, nor is it from the Olympics. According to the Israel Gymnastics Federation, the video shows a performance from an acrobatics club in Mazkeret Batya, Israel.
Israel only has two artistic gymnasts at the Paris Olympics; its rhythmic gymnastics team, which competes Aug. 9, only has five members, while the video features dozens of gymnasts.
Friedman did not respond to a Jewish Telegraphic Agency inquiry about how he came to share the video with the description he did. But the post offers the latest example of how misinformation about Israel, an ongoing issue during the Gaza war, is affecting even seemingly lighthearted posts connected to the
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8
lamented Tamarack Lodge.
The bencher suggests the diversity of the mountains, which drew Jews from across the religious and ideological spectrum. Both curators noted that the third section of the exhibit is called “Choices, Choices,” referring not only to the variety of food, but to the diversity of the guests.
“I don’t know if there’s a comparable place where secular and religious, it doesn’t matter, could go and congregate,” Bach said. “That’s what separated the Catskills from being a member of a temple. You’re meeting a range of people who are Jewish, who may not be religious, but the cultural
Olympics.
Another widely shared visual ostensibly from the Olympics has been an image depicting Israeli swimmers arranged to spell out “Bring them home now!” with their bodies. According to one viral caption, the picture is of the Israeli team during a practice swim.
But the photo appears to show 58 swimmers – considerably more than Israel sent to the Olympics. And a closer look reveals that some of the swimmers repeat as the letters do.
In fact, the image is nearly as old as the hostage crisis, after being created and shared by artist Adam Spiegel on Instagram on Nov. 19. A note attached to some of its shares on X also suggests that the image may be digitally altered or made by artificial intelligence. Spiegel did not respond to a request for comment.
The picture has been used to amplify another viral claim that departs from the truth: that the Israeli national team has been uniquely prohibited from demonstrating during the Olympics on behalf of their country.
swimming team from forming these important words together with the & symbols during their practice in Israel.”
The claim that the Olympic committee “banned” Israel’s delegation from wearing pins is misleading.
The International Olympic Committee’s official charter lays out policies concerning political expression from all athletes; there is no specific policy for Israel.
Rule 40 of the Olympic charter says that “all competitors, team officials and other team personnel at the Olympic Games shall enjoy freedom of expression.” But later in
the charter, it clarifies, “No kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas.”
Olympic Village.
The charter also says athletes or teams that break those rules or subject to temporary or permanent disqualification, including forfeiting any medals.
While some Jews and pro-Israel voices see the yellow ribbons that have proliferated since Oct. 7 as politically neutral, the ribbons have been treated as partisan statements on the world stage, including when a handful of celebrities have worn them at international awards ceremonies.
On Sunday, another piece of misinformation began spreading: about Karina Pritika, who was murdered on Oct. 7. “Our fellow X user, and Israeli rhythmic gymnast Karina Pritika, might have been competing at the Paris Olympics right now, but she was executed by a monster for being a Jew while pleading for her life on her knees after watching him murder her best friend,” an Israeli named Saul Sadka tweeted alongside video from Oct. 7.
In fact, although Pritika had represented Israel in international competitions as a teen, she had retired well before Oct. 7, when she was one of hundreds of young people slaughtered at the Nova music festival. Sadka later acknowledged that Pritika had retired but said he would leave the tweet online – along with anti-Israel responses, some vicious, that his post had elicited.
As the posts have spread across social media, some Jewish users have called out the proliferation of misinformation – though, as tends to be the case online, their responses are being seen far less than the misleading posts.
“The Israeli Olympic team is NOT permitted to proudly wear their #BringThemHome pins during the #2024Olympics,” the Instagram account JewsofNY told its 162,000 followers, in one representative post. “But that didn’t stop Israel’s Olympic
and the ethnic bond is there.”
Talking to the curators, I thought about other connections between Jewish food and Jewish comedy, especially in the mid-20th century. For the guests of Kutsher’s, the Concord, the Nevele and Grossinger’s, the mountains represented an escape from the city, but also an escape into their comfort zone. The Eastern European food, like the Yiddish-inflected jokes, was heimish, or familiar, and kosher, even at hotels where it technically wasn’t. You didn’t have to make accommodations for your gentile neighbors or clients but could revel in the shmaltz and the shtick. At a time of institutional antisemitism, when
The IOC has clarified that athletes are entitled to share their views during interviews or other media appearances, but that such expressions are prohibited during official ceremonies, competitions and in the
even other Catskill hotels barred Jews, the Borscht Belt offered Jews a full belly and belly laughs, on their own unapologetic terms.
“It’s not quite the shtetl,” said Jaffe, “but you’re getting out of the neighborhood and meeting new people, and you’re doing it with a sense of freedom.”
“And not too far,” added Bach. “It was really only 90 minutes away from the city.”
“And Such Small Portions! Food and Comedy in the Catskills Resort Era” will be on exhibit through November 2024 at the Borscht Belt Museum, 90 Canal St. in Ellenville, N.Y. Museum hours: Thursday to
“Guys. Memes are fun. Misinformation isn’t,” tweeted rabbi and activist Shais Rishon, who goes by the moniker MaNishtana online. “Ppl keep sharing this but the image has absolutely zero connection to the Olympics.”
Sunday, 12 p.m.-5 p.m.
Learn more about the Catskills in a four-part online course from My Jewish Learning, taught by Andrew Silow-Carroll: “Borscht Belt and Beyond: The Lasting Legacy of the Jewish Catskills,” Tuesdays at 6 p.m. ET, Aug. 20 – Sept. 10.
ANDREW SILOW-CARROLL is editor at large of the New York Jewish Week and managing editor for Ideas for the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of JTA or its parent company, 70 Faces Media.
OPINION
LETTERS
How is Zionism taught?
IT WAS WITH profound sadness that I read the opinion piece in the July (2024) edition titled “We need to speak with candor.” The writer tells us that his children “feel estranged and ashamed” of Israel, despite the fact that they were given the gift of attending Zionist summer camps in British Columbia. Apparently, despite their summer Zionist experience, the children have allowed their political disagreement with the current government to overshadow their common cause with 8,000,000 endangered brothers and sisters at risk in Israel. I am left wondering if that is how Zionism is taught at summer camps like these.
Russell D. Raskin Pawtucket, R.I.
Significance of Chevra Kadisha
IN RESPONSE to the article in last month’s edition, I would like to offer some insights from my participation in the RI Chevra Kadisha (the “Chevra”), of which I have been a member for some 20 years. Our local Chevra has been selflessly serving the local Jewish community for over 40 years. It is vibrant and fully functioning. Every deceased person cared for and prepared by the existing Chevra is treated in the same loving, respectful, dignified and timely manner.
Some of the laws and other long-standing traditions of preparing Jews after death date back to the Second Temple period (597 BCE – 70 CE). Performing the ceremonial actions or “rituals” correctly is certainly very important. Beyond that, however, the entire process is very much predicated upon the belief that the soul exists beyond its life in the body. Ideally and historically, the members of the Chevra share these beliefs and translate them into mindful intentions and prayers as we do our best to aid the soul’s journey after death. There is a traditional Jewish belief in a future resurrection, when the body and soul will be reunited at the End of Days. Essentially, we are preparing the deceased for the future life, not just for burial.
For thousands of years, the holy society of men and women who prepare our fellow Jews for burial has consisted of those observant of the Torah’s commandments. When one explores the mystical sources, there are many reasons why this is the case. Participation in the Chevra does feel holy and special, however, the sole focus is necessarily on the well-being, honor and journey of the deceased in our care.
I pray that the sanctity and holiness of this mitzvah remain of the highest order and that all Jews in our area have the opportunity to be cared for by those who fully understand the gravity and significance of the Chevra Kadisha’s role.
Elissa Felder Providence, RI
Is peace possible?
My colleague, Rabbi Ronald Kronish, made aliyah to Jerusalem in 1979 and has been there with his family ever since. In 1991 Kronish founded the Interreligious Coordinating Council in Israel (ICCI), serving as its executive director until 2015. During those years, he worked at fostering understanding and cooperation among Israel’s Muslims, Christians and Jews.
KRONISH EMPHASIZES has come to emphasize that he and his colleagues have been engaged in building peace, not making peace. From his perspective, making peace is what politicians do; they sign agreements called treaties, which provide formal structures within which peaceful societies may – or may not – develop.
By way of contrast, it is for people like Ron – for social workers, educators, clergy, community organizers – to help build peace among individuals and communities; they seek to accomplish their goals through a variety of carefully chosen person-to-person activities in which Arabs and Jews learn to respect each other, to value the dignity of the “other,” to see the face of the “other.”
The ultimate aim of such activities is for the “other” to cease to be “other.” Though this work of building peace is often difficult and frustrating, it is absolutely necessary, if the efforts of the political peacemakers peace-makers are to yield sustained and tangible results.
change.”
In the June 17 issue of The New Yorker, staff writer Masha Gessen has written a penetrating profile of Wahat al-Salam/Neve Shalom, titled “A Semblance of Peace: How life in a co-living community changed after October 7th.”
The author first visited this community back in 2018 and then returned to it six months after the Hamas attack “to see what the war had done to the community and, more broadly, the Israeli peace movement.”
Nowhere in Israel is there a more intentional community of peace builders than the village of Wahat al-Salam/Neve Shalom, which lies midway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. The village, whose Arabic/Hebrew name translates to Oasis of Peace, is a community divided roughly in half between Palestinian and Jewish Israelis. Their school, which goes from Nursery through Grade 6, devotes equal hours of instruction to both Arabic and Hebrew.
To expand its influence beyond the small village population, the community has established a School for Peace, “a training center for activists, academics, and civil servants. Some 80,000 people have completed the School for Peace’s courses, which aims to turn citizens of Israel, both Palestinian and Jewish, into agents of
Perhaps the greatest –and the saddest – change at the village was what one of the Jewish residents called “this very loud silence” of the Palestinian residents, one of whom lost 40 family members in Gaza during the first month of hostilities and kept her silence. After Oct. 7, the Jews and Palestinians in Wahat al Salam/Neve Shalom were waiting for reactions from the “other” which never came: “The Jews wanted the Palestinians to denounce Hamas and its murders. The Palestinians felt that some Jews were indifferent to the devastation of Gaza.”
Dyan Rizek, a Palestinian who has lived with her husband Rayek in this Oasis for Peace for 40 years, runs an art gallery in the village: “Rizak tried to assemble a show that would address the war…but couldn’t find enough artists to share wall space with ‘the other side.’ She is still working on gathering pieces for the show. In the meantime, she has changed the name five times, from ‘My Existence’ to ‘Receiving our Humanity’ to ‘Our Humanity Demands Action’ to ‘Are We Together or Not’ to ‘Art in a Time of War and Destruction, for the Future’ to, for now, ‘Where To?’ ”
“Where To?” Yes, where to?? That is the question, the overwhelming question…not only for those Jewish and Palestin-
ian Israelis at Wahat al-Salam/ Neve-Shalom but a question that needs to be heard throughout the Middle East and throughout our entire broken world.
In the Dec. 1 issue of Jewish Rhode Island, during a time when the vast majority of Israeli and Diaspora Jews were in a state of shock and numbing mourning over the barbaric Hamas attack on settlements in southern Israel, I wrote:
“It is not surprising that many of us now harbor a visceral desire – no, more than that, an almost physical need – to seek unrestrained revenge. Some of us wish to see all members of Hamas wiped out, obliterated, exterminated; only then can we experience some form of relief, some sense of peace, some sense of shalom, some escape from our continuing nightmare.
“But at what cost? What cost to Israel’s soldiers? What cost to Israeli citizens? What cost to Gaza’s citizens? What cost today? What cost to future generations? Has anybody figured out what path will be opened after the last bomb falls? Is there any way out of here? Who dares to answer? Who dares not to answer?
“How many lives are yet to be destroyed in the onrushing tide of vengeance?”
At what cost? Here is the cost: Hostages who will never come home alive because they are already dead. Hundreds of IDF soldiers killed, thousands more, seriously wounded. The State of Israel falling apart socially, economically, politically. Tens of thousands of citizens dislocated from their homes near both southern and northern borders. More than 38,000 Gazan non-combatants, most of them women and children killed; thousands upon thousands maimed for life. Their infrastructure in shambles. The mounting threat of a crushing conflict with Hezbollah, even fullblown war with Iran’s most potent proxy, or with Iran itself. Not to mention Israel’s ultra-rightwing government broadening its efforts to subdue the efforts of those Israeli citizens who, despite everything, are trying to be true and earnest peace builders… Isn’t this cost high enough??
JAMES B. ROSENBERG is a rabbi emeritus at Temple Habonim in Barrington. Contact him at rabbiemeritus@ templehabonim.org.
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.
RABBI JAMES ROSENBERG
BUSINESS 19 | OBITUARIES 20
Resilient people offer a glimmer of light COMMUNITY
BY AMY OLSON
On July 4, 1976, as the US celebrated its bicentennial, I was in Jerusalem witnessing a very different kind of event. It was the day Israel launched the daring and successful raid to free the hostages being held in Entebbe, Uganda, after an Air France flight from Tel Aviv to Paris was hijacked and rerouted there by Palestinian terrorists.
FORTY-EIGHT YEARS LATER , I was in Israel again on July 4 and the mood was decidedly more somber. It was Day 272 since Hamas murdered 1,200 people in southern Israel and took 250 hostages. 120 of them – many now presumed dead – are still being held captive in Gaza.
I was on a one-week trip with 35 Hillel professionals from universities around the US. Our goal was to gather “Sipurim” (Stories). We wanted to gain greater insight into Israeli society post-Oct. 7, and to internalize and retell their stories as a way of grounding our work as Jewish campus professionals at this critical time.
Among those we met with were President Isaac Herzog; US Ambassador to Israel Jack Lew; journalist Haviv Retig Gur; peace negotiator and Israel’s representative at the International Court of Justice Tal Becker, as well as educators, Palestinian activists, soldiers, therapists, artists, poets, chefs, kibbutzniks, grieving parents and friends, and everyday citizens.
On the Fourth of July we spent the entire day in and around various communities along the Gaza border. Significant among them was the site of the Nova Music Festival – now a heart-wrenching memorial to the 360+ people who were massacred there, and where we heard from Hila, one of the survivors. We were able to enter the roadside bomb shelter where over 30 people who fled from the Nova Festival crammed themselves in as Aner Shapiro, 22, stood at the entrance tossing back seven Hamasthrown grenades. He was killed when the eighth one exploded. Some two dozen others were then shot dead by Hamas terrorists. It was from that shelter that Israeli-American Hersh Goldberg Polin and five or six others were taken captive. With blasts from Gaza
echoing in the background, we were given a tour of Kibbutz Kfar Aza by Chen Kotler, one of only 20 residents who has moved back since Oct. 7. Here over 60 people were murdered, 19 taken hostage and the dwellings of mostly young people were torn through and set on fire. Chen, a lifelong resident of the kibbutz, which had endured regular rocket fire from Gaza for many years before Oct. 7, is determined to rebuild her community there.
The next stop was in Ofakim, a town about 15 miles from Gaza, where 53 residents were killed on Oct. 7. We were graciously hosted there by Osi, a caterer who opens her home and prepares and serves food from her Moroccan and Iraqi ancestry to visiting groups. Her ebullient spirit belied the trauma she has endured. As she hugged us all, she said that our embraces recharged her battery. I bought her cookbook and will be inspired by her spirit each time I make a recipe.
In nearby Sderot we assembled at a new hilltop portico dedicated to Shiloh Cohen, a 24-year- old who lost his life valiantly trying to save the lives of the residents of Kibbutz Be’eri. We heard his story from his father, Aryeh Cohen, who has lived in Sderot for his entire 58 years. After Oct.
7, nearly all the population of Sderot was evacuated and only started to return in March. A contractor and developer, Aryeh will be rebuilding the police station that was destroyed on Oct. 7, and he dreams that the city of 37,000 residents will soon grow to 80,000. We concluded our Fourth of July sharing a meal and hearing from reserve soldiers on the Zikim army base just north of Gaza overlooking the Mediterranean. The stress of being away from their families for months at a time is taking its toll. They told us about the difficulty of distinguishing between combatants and civilians in Gaza and the agonizing decisions that are sometimes made as a result.
On Friday, July 5, we visited the military cemetery on Har Herzl, site of the many new graves of soldiers and reservists who lost their lives on or after Oct. 7. It was particularly moving to see Aner Shapiro’s grave adorned by his friends and family with photographs and memorabilia reflecting his life.
Strikingly, echoes of Entebbe continued to emerge.
We were required to take an alternate path to Aner’s gravesite because preparations were underway for the yahrzeit (anniversary of death) ceremony that day
for Yonaton Netanyahu, the hero of the Entebbe raid who was killed during the rescue. He was also the brother of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
By Saturday night we were attending the large rally in Jerusalem where hundreds of protesters have taken to the streets each week calling on the government to do more to secure the release of the hostages. More recently the protests have taken a political turn too, calling for new elections. One of the speakers was Ella Rosenkovich, who as a 5-year-old child was rescued from Entebbe. She drew a sharp contrast between the heroism of Yoni Netanyahu and the government decision-makers in 1976, and the dereliction of duty from Bibi Netanyahu that she feels today.
Today Israel is in a place of trauma that will not be healed by a miraculous raid. There are no quick solutions to a situation which goes far beyond the events of Oct. 7 and the current war. It is easy to become depressed, yet the resilience of the people we spent time with, and their hope and determination for a better future, is a glimmer of light.
AMY OLSON is the executive director of the University of Rhode Island Hillel.
The Jerusalem rally.
Osi, left and Amy Olson, right
PHOTOS | AMY OLSON
BY DORI ADLER
A NEW ISRAELI emissary (shlichah) is coming to Rhode Island at the end of the summer.
Gaya will work on behalf of the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island for the next two years and will be a community resource for Israel education and advocacy. She will collaborate with local synagogues, religious schools, youth groups and agencies throughout Rhode Island’s Jewish community to promote Israel-related activities and programs.
The 22-year-old lives in Tel Aviv and grew up in Karmiel with her parents and three sisters. She has participated
New emissary looks forward to exploring Rhode Island COMMUNITY Techniques to improve focus for all
BY RENA YUDKOWSKY
in the Diller Teen Fellows program in Pittsburgh and was also a part of the scouts movement, where she guided children from 4th to 12th grade.
Gaya writes that her hobbies and interests include volunteering, traveling and exploring different cultures. In her free time, she loves to watch movies and create arts and crafts projects. She is passionate about Jewish holidays, cooking, baking and preparing traditional Israeli dishes.
“I am excited to start my mission and get to know the members of the community in Rhode Island,” Gaya writes. “I look forward to collaborating and creating
special community events that will strengthen the sense of connection and belonging. Additionally, I am eager to explore the area, learn about the local culture, and enjoy the beautiful landscapes and nature of Rhode Island. I am also excited to learn about the Jewish history in the region and participate in local educational and cultural activities.”
As the new shlichah in Rhode Island, Gaya hopes that she “brings an authentic Israeli spirit and can strengthen the connection between the local community and Israel, and enrich community life with meaningful and exciting events. I believe we can create engaging
experiences together that will strengthen our sense of belonging and connection to Israel and our Jewish identity. My goal is to enhance mutual understanding and appreciation between the American Jewish community and Israel and to deepen social and cultural bonds.”
Members of the community are invited to welcome Gaya after she arrives. This fall, you’ll be able to “POP” in for some delicious flavored popcorn and you will be able to play some paddle Gaya/RI trivia to learn more about her as she discovers Rhode Island and the Jewish community
here. Look for details and the required registration form in the coming weeks at jewishallianceri.org.
DORI ADLER (dadler@ jewishallianceri.org) is the director of Jewish life and learning at the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island.
PEOPLE OFTEN SAY, “I forgot” when really they mean “I didn’t pay attention in the first place.” We are not even aware that we are not paying attention to what we are seeing or hearing, and therefore, we blame our memory.
Here are four techniques to improve your focus and a mnemonic to remember them.
TEAS
T: Task – one task at a time. That’s right, stop multitasking. It trips up your brain. It is a myth that you are more productive if you do more than one thing at a time. Research done in the workplace proved that people who multitasked made double the amount of mistakes, and it took them twice as long to do the task. Another example of multitasking that is dangerous is driving while talking on a cellphone, which is the equivalent of driving while drunk. Your reaction time is four times more likely to be involved in a crash, and you are half a second slower to hit the brakes! Multitasking can temporarily reduce your IQ by 15 points! It makes us less creative and causes us more stress.
Although we live in a very distracted world and we are so used to looking at several screens at a time, we lose large fractions of seconds every time we switch tasks. Our brains are sequential processors
which means that we do things quickly but not at the same time. Living more mindfully and aligning our brain to where our body is – is a very important part of focus.
E: Environment
If you are trying to do a task that you want to remember, your environment has to be conducive to remembering. If there are a lot of disruptions, background noises or clutter, you might find yourself having a hard time focusing. Lighting is also important to focusing if you are reading. If you answer the phone while preparing a recipe, you might “forget” the salt!
A: Automatically
Don’t do something automatically, without thinking about it. For example, don’t throw your keys on the table while thinking five other thoughts. If you do that without engaging your brain, you are not going to be able to find your keys later. Living more mindfully will help you feel calmer, and at the same time, improve your memory.
S: Senses
If you use all of your senses to encode the memory, it will be much easier to retrieve it. Your senses stimulate the brain. If you use one sense to encode a memory, you are 10% more likely to remember it one week later. But if you use four senses, you are 97% more likely to remember it.
Here are some examples of how you can use this technique to alleviate self-doubt and anxiety related to whether you did these tasks or not:
Did I lock the door?
Look at your hand turning the knob, feel the key in your hand, hear the click sound of the lock working, say out loud, “I am now locking the door.” So later, when you doubt yourself, you will remember hearing yourself say out loud that you locked the door.
Did I turn off the stove?
Watch your hand turn off the stove, move the pot, say out loud, “I turned off the stove.”
Smell the aroma of what is cooking.
Self-talk helps to anchor the memory. A few minutes later, think back to the newly minted memory and that will anchor it even more.
Looking for a great program to exercise your brain at your convenience?
Don’t worry about people who might think you are crazy for talking out loud, everyone does it, especially if they are on Bluetooth!
So, the next time that you think you forgot something, ask yourself, did I even pay attention to it in the first place? If not, use one of these techniques to help you. This awareness alone can help to alleviate the fear of getting dementia.
Want a checklist for “Is My Memory loss normal”? Sign up to my email list from my website wwww.renayudkowsky.com, put in your email, and get it immediately.
Check out Mpower, my daily brain training whatsapp group, see details here renayudkowsky.thrivecart.com/ mpower/
Memory Matters empowers mid-lifers (and beyond) to improve their memory and confidence through proven techniques and strategies. If you feel that you or a loved one could benefit from the help of a memory coach, please contact us today! Email rena@ renayudkowsky.com
New on Amazon!! “The Caregiver’s Advocate, A complete guide to support and resources.” This is a collaborative book including a chapter on memory enhancement.
Gaya
COMMUNITY
RICI builds partnerships
THE RHODE ISLAND COALITION FOR ISRAEL (RICI) is continuing to build relationships with the Latino faith community. RICI, in partnership with Vision Evangelica church, will host an Israel Vigil and Event on Sunday Aug. 4 at 1014 Broad St., Providence. The event is primarily in Spanish and is open to the community. Pastor Daniel Gonzalez, Latino Director of Christians United for Israel, will be the guest speaker. RICI has been key in bringing Pastor Gonzalez to speak about Israel at other Latino churches throughout the state as well during this weekend.
RICI is continuing to build an ongoing partnership with the Brown Alumni for Israel and the Brown Students for Israel in preparation for the Brown University vote on divestment slated for October. It is also working to counter antisemitism on campus. RICI is committed to working collaboratively with these groups, as well as with Brown faculty, to support Jewish students and their needs at Brown. StandWithUs has also been a part of this organizing.
Submitted by the Rhode Island Coalition for Israel
JCC aqua fitness classes more and more popular
WATER FITNESS is popular at the Dwares Jewish Community Center in Providence. So popular, in fact, that you now have to sign up to participate in the Monday morning Deep Water Workout as well as the Water Aerobics classes on Wednesday and Friday, all held at 9 a.m. This assures that you will have a place in these classes. The classes are limited to 25 participants. Sign-up sheets will be available at the Lower Welcome Desk beginning at 8:15 a.m. each Monday. The entire pool will now be used for the classes; no more lap swimming will be allowed at those times. According to the email from the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island, “Twenty-five people per lifeguard is the industry standard and takes
Israel Emergency Fund
into account the size of our pool.” Safety is the key factor in this decision.
Other water workout classes are available during the week. And the newsletter promises an additional Monday morning Deep Water workout in the fall.
“Very Straight forward with diagnosis expectations. Doesn't necessarily say what you want to hear, but what you need to hear.
The Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island stands with Israel and has opened an emergency fund to provide immediate financial assistance and relief to victims of terror and war.
100% of your donation will go toward supporting victims of terror and addressing the unprecedented levels of trauma caused by these horrific attacks.
To support the fund, visit JewishAllianceRI.org or scan the QR Code below.
Mark Feinstein.
The Israel Emergency Fund is chaired by Cindy &
Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island programs
don’t take a break in the summer.
AT THE FINAL CLASS of the spring session of pottery, instructor Sally Merino was treated to a party celebrating her retirement. Class members got a look at their beautiful, finished pieces in the art studio at the Dwares Jewish Community Center in Providence. Pottery continues in the fall with a new instructor.
In June, about 30 peo -
ple attended a young professional’s happy hour at the Hot Club in Providence, celebrating summer and making connections.
In July, local authors in the spotlight continued with Bob Abelman and his wife, Judy, discussing his novella “All The World’s a Stage Fright” at the local literary hub LitArts RI. And July ended with a challah bake in the JCC Social Hall as attendees of artist-in-residence Zo Baker’s Mindful and Sculptural Challah Bake learned thoughtful and creative perspectives on baking challah.
PHOTO | SHAINA WEINTRAUB
OBITUARIES
Joseph Chazan, 89
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Joseph A. Chazan, MD, son of the late Sidney and Yetta Chazan, died peacefully on July 26, 2024, in Providence surrounded by his loving family. He was predeceased by his beloved wife Helene and is survived by his devoted partner Vicki
of Physicians, RI Chapter. He received numerous awards and recognition for his work as a nephrologist, including The University at Buffalo Distinguished Alumni Award. In 2013, The American Kidney Fund honored Dr. Chazan with its national Caregiver of the Year award.
Joe was a member and supporter of Temple Beth-El for over 60 years, serving as President and on the Board of
Massachusetts. Dr. Chazan founded and was the longtime president of Nephrology Associates Inc.
Dr. Chazan served as Governor, American College
established a scholarship fund for University at Buffalo medical students.
In 2013, Joe was honored with the Pell Award for Outstanding Leadership in the Arts, and in 2015 he received an honorary doctorate in fine arts from Rhode Island College. In 2019, he received The RISD President’s Medal of Honor.
OBITUARIES
Known as Baba by his grandchildren and great-grandchildren, Joe’s greatest joy was being with his family. He was the much loved and cherished patriarch of the Chazan family, always present, always engaged and interested, generously sharing his wisdom, love and support. He spoke with his children and grandchildren daily and was often surrounded by his adoring family watching Buffalo Bills games, celebrating birthdays and enjoying sunny days together in Saunderstown. Joe always led by example, encouraging his family to strive for excellence, to give generously and fully to others, and to love, respect, forgive and always support each other. His warmth and kind heart will be greatly missed.
Donations ory may be made to Temple Beth-El of Providence, The Visual Arts Fund at the Rhode Island Foundation or WaterFire.
Arlene Cohen, 82 PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Arlene (Shube) Tofias Cohen, of Providence; Falmouth, Massachusetts; and Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, passed away on July 1, 2024, at her residence. She was the wife of David A. Cohen and the late Allan Tofias.
Born in Lynn, Massachusetts, she was the daughter of the late William and Sylvia (Jaffe) Shube and the mother of the late David Marglous.
A graduate of Marblehead High School, class of 1959, she went on to earn a bachelor’s degree from Boston University.
A longtime volunteer and board member of the Friends of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Arlene also spent many years volunteering at the Friends’ Corner Gift Shop at the hospital. An avid golfer, Arlene enjoyed skiing, reading and playing card games, like bridge and canasta.
In addition to her husband, she is survived by two daughters, Debra Maltzman, and her husband, Stephen, of Natick, Massachusetts; and Jennifer Marglous, of Atlanta, Georgia; a daughter-in-law, Linda Marglous, of Sharon, Massachusetts; four grandchildren, Jacob and Samantha Marglous and Allie and Ryan Maltzman; two brothers, George Shube, and his wife, Carol, of Mar-
blehead, Massachusetts; and Richard Shube, and his wife, Mary Anne, of Denver, Colorado. She is also survived by her beloved stepchildren, step-grandchildren, nieces and nephews.
Contributions may be made to Friends of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, David Marglous Fund, Suite 120, 450 Brookline Ave., Boston, MA 02215.
Martin Cooper, 71 NEW HAVEN, CONN. –
Martin
“Marty” E. Cooper died on July 15, 2024, at the Yale New Haven Hospital, in Connecticut. He was the beloved husband of Betsy (Albert) Cooper for 45 years.
Born in Cleveland, Ohio, a son of the late Theodore and Hannah J. (Markov) Cooper, he had lived in North Kingstown since 1986, previously living in Akron, Ohio.
He was a former Marketing & Communications Director for the former American Insulated Wire Corp. and a Community Relations Director for the Jewish Alliance, retiring in 2017. Marty was a dedicated member of the Jewish Council of Public Affairs, the RI Interfaith Coalition to Reduce Poverty and the RI Holocaust & Genocide Education Commission. He was a former member of Temple Am David.
He was the devoted father of Rachel Cooper, of South Burlington, Vermont; Leah Pisari (Edward), of Providence; and Ben Cooper (Dave McKinney), of Whitman, Massachusetts. He was the dear brother of Kenneth Cooper, of Cleveland, and Allen Cooper (Marcy), of Texas. He was the loving grandfather of Hannah. He was predeceased by his brother, Steven Cooper.
Contributions may be made to a charity of your choice.
Gilda Greenberg, 75 OWINGS MILLS, MD. – Gilda (Roman) Greenberg, of Owings Mills, passed away on July 4, 2024. She is survived by her beloved husband, Howard Greenberg; children, Alison (Brad) Walter and Mandi (Brett) Miller; grandchildren, Forrest Walter, Ivy Walter, Bentzi Walter, Spencer Mille and Emma Miller; sister-in-
law and brother-in-law, Linda and Allen Tennbaum; and nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her parents, Ida and Morris Roman.
Gilda was a devoted educator, spending most of her career as a special education and English teacher. Known as a sweet and kind person, she was a committed volunteer and gave freely of her time to the many causes dear to her. Gilda will be remembered fondly for her love of dogs, Starbucks, cycling at the gym, traveling the world with her family and her fierce devotion to her family.
Contributions may be sent to Beth Tfiloh Dahan Community School, 3300 Old Court Road, Baltimore, MD 21208 or Jewish Community Day School of Rhode Island, 85 Taft Ave., Providence, RI 02906 or Beth Israel Congregation, 3706 Crondall Lane, Owings Mills, MD 21117.
Dalia Harel, 67
BARRINGTON, R.I. – Dalia Harel passed away on June 20, 2024, at Rhode Island Hospital.
Dalia was the beloved wife of Zeev Harel for 44 years. She was the devoted mother of Ephat Russcol and her husband, David, of Newton, Massachusetts; Asaff Harel and his wife, Avital Mendelson, of New York, New York; and Maayan Harel and her fiancé, Bradley Silverman, of Brookline, Massachusetts. She was also the doting grandmother of Liora, Aviva, Rina, Ethan, Ilana, Benjamin and Eli.
Born in Romania in 1956, Dalia was the daughter of Miriam and Mayer Almagor, Holocaust survivors who instilled in her a sense of kindness, the value of hard work and a love of learning. Her parents struggled for many years to be allowed to leave Romania, as the Communist regime prevented Jews from leaving. She made aliya with her parents at the age of 6 and lived for many years in Haifa where she studied computer science at the Technion and earned a Master of Science degree. She was an avid reader, a film connoisseur and a talented artist.
In her early twenties, she met Zeev, and the two married in Israel in 1979. She welcomed her oldest daughter, Ephat, in 1982, followed by her son, Asaff, 15 months later. In 1990, now
the matriarch of a family of four, she moved to Montreal, Canada, where her youngest child, Maayan, was born.
After spending a few years in Cincinnati, Ohio, the family settled in Barrington in 1995. Dalia loved nothing better than helping proofread and edit (and occasionally write) her children’s papers and was always an active participant in her children’s and grandchildren’s educations. After her children were older, she returned to the world of science as a research associate at Rhode Island Hospital, retiring in 2013.
In recent years, although dealing with her own increasingly serious health concerns, she always put her family’s needs ahead of her own, even continuing to help plan her daughter Maayan’s upcoming wedding while in the hospital. Beyond strong family relationships, Dalia cultivated a close group of friends from all eras of her life. She continued to check in with them, despite some of them living thousands of miles away, even during her last months.
Dalia was a beloved wife, mother, grandmother and friend, and she is dearly missed.
Contributions may be made to Temple Emanu-El, the National Kidney Foundation,
or the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
Steven Karlin, 70 WARWICK, R.I. – Steven F. Karlin, formerly of Barrington and most recently of Pawtuxet Village, passed away on July 26, 2024. He was the husband of 34 years of Elizabeth Heiss and father of Sam and Amelia Heiss Karlin. He was the brother of Dr. Lawrence Karlin (Judith) of Weston, Massachusetts. He was the uncle of Ben, Jeremy and Daniel Karlin. He was the brother-in-law of Linda Heiss (Fred). His family, including numerous cousins, deeply loved him and his absurdist humor, warmth and unique perspectives.
Steve was born to the late Herbert and Edna (Feld) Karlin and raised in Union, New Jersey. He graduated from Brown University in 1975 where he studied art history and received formal studio training in painting. After Brown, he pivoted to medicine and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in 1982.
Dr. Karlin devoted his career in psychiatry to caring
Certified by the Board of Rabbis of Greater Rhode Island Jacquelyn Aubuchon, Funeral Director
OBITUARIES
for the severely mentally ill under the auspices of various community mental health centers in Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts. His compassionate and skilled care was appreciated not only by his many patients through decades of practice, but also by his extended community of colleagues, friends and friends of his children who gravitated to him for his kindness, wise counsel and generous acceptance of human frailties. Additionally, Steve devoted countless hours to helping other physicians struggling with behavioral, psychiatric and addiction troubles as a member of the Physician Health Committee
of the Rhode Island Medical Society.
Steve was a talented abstract artist — an accomplished painter and wood sculptor. He was tenacious in his creative pursuits and participated in the design and construction of the family’s remodeled home. A study in motion, Steve was an avid athlete, an active craftsman, and an engaging storyteller. Above all, he was unapologetically himself.
Donations may be made to the National Association of the Mentally Ill (NAMI), Rhode Island Chapter, 154 Waterman St., Suite 5B, Providence, RI 02906 or to HopeHealth Hulitar Hospice
Center, 1085 North Main St., Providence, RI 02904
Alan Pearlman, 86 BOYNTON BEACH, FLA. – Alan H. Pearlman passed away on July 28, 2024, at home. He was the beloved husband of Hope (Elkins) Pearlman for 55 years. Born in Providence, a son of the late Israel and Ida (Mines) Pearlman, he had lived in Boynton Beach for 12 years, previously living in Connecticut.
He was the owner of Pearlman & Wick, Attorneys at Law, Providence, retiring about 20 years ago. Alan was an Army veteran. He graduated from University of Michigan and earned his law degree at Cornell Law School. He volunteered for Big Brothers and was a member of Temple Torat Yisrael.
He was the devoted father of Sarah Pearlman of Boynton Beach and Adam Pearlman and his wife, Rebeccah, of Bethesda, Maryland. He was the dear brother of Mark Pearlman of Cranston, Adele Curham of Narragansett and Carolyn Leighton of California. He was the ;oving grandfather of Evan and Theo. I addition to his parents, he was predeceased by his siblings: Alice Mendel, Benjamin Pearlman, Lila Delman, Elaine Baron, Leonard Pearlman, Thomas Pearlman and Anna Shabshelowitz. Contributions may be made to The Papanicolaou Corps, 1191 East Newport Center Dr., Suite 107, Deerfield Beach, FL 33442.
Doris Reffkin
EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I.
– Doris (Gilstein) Reffkin died on July 19, 2024, at her residence in The Waterview Villa. She was the beloved wife of the late Burton E. Reffkin for 55 years and lived in Providence for most of those years. Born in Providence, she was the daughter of the late Aaron and Rose (Stoneberg) Gilstein.
She was a devoted wife and mother who cherished close family and friends. She was especially proud of The Gilstein Family Circle, which enabled the large family to remain close through the generations. She loved music and singing, and entertaining family and friends. She was a former member of the Temple Beth David Sisterhood. She was the devoted mother of Barbara Reffkin, of Cranston. She was the dear sister of the late Alton (Charlotte)
Gilstein, William (Rose) Gilstein, Benjamin (Lillian) Gilstein, Charles Gilstein, Cyrus (Edna) Gilstein and Evelyn Gilstein Weinberg. She was the loving grandmother of Benjamin (Iga) Sip, and the cherished great-grandmother of Lea. She was the cherished aunt of Vicki and Robert Weisman, grand-aunt to Andrea Russell and Carolyn Weisman, and great-aunt to Steven and Eliana. She was the proud aunt to her many nieces and nephews.
Contributions may be made to the Parkinson’s Association, P.O Box 114098, North Providence, RI 02911.
Sanford Reich, 81 PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Sanford Reich, age 81, of Providence, passed away on July 26, 2024, at Steere House Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. He was the husband of Linda (Rosenberg) Reich, with whom he shared 57 years of marriage.
Born in Cleveland, Ohio, he was the son of the late Nathan and Freida (Gordon) Reich.
Sanford earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Biomedical Engineering from Case Institute of Technology in Cleveland, before earning a Ph.D. from The Ohio State University. Sanford was a biomedical engineer for many years beginning his career at Medtronic in Minnesota, where he worked on the development of an implantable heart assist device. He then went to Arco Medical Products in Pennsylvania, followed by Intermedics in Texas. The last 20 years of his career were spent at Pfizer in the Biomedical Department where he helped develop the left ventricular heart assist pump and an implantable insulin pump. Throughout his career Sanford developed patents for 11 biomedical devices. An avid reader, he enjoyed doing jigsaw puzzles, woodworking, going to the theater, swimming, cycling, fishing and he especially enjoyed traveling.
In addition to his wife, Linda, he is survived by: three children, Naomi Reich and her partner, Mihaly Imre, of Medford, Massachusetts; Alisa Reich and her husband, Ryan Huckeby, of Missoula, Montana; and Daniel Reich and his wife, Ayako, of Sudbury, Massachusetts; four grandchildren, Eli, Cecelia, Amelie and Serafina and several nieces and nephews.
Contributions may be made to Temple Emanu-El, Rabbi’s
Discretionary Fund, 99 Taft Ave., Providence, RI 02906 or the Kosher Food Pantry, 1165 North Main St., Providence, RI 02904
Enid Ross, 89 DELRAY BEACH, FLA. –Enid Ross passed away on July 13, 2024, at home. She was the beloved wife of the late Henry Ross. Born in Providence, a daughter of the late Joseph and Lillian (Landesberg) Gold, she had lived in Delray Beach for many years. She was a customer service representative for RI Hospital Trust and then changed to Bank of Boston for 36 years, retiring in 1990. Enid was a member of the Jewish War Veterans Ladies Auxiliary. She was the dear sister of Sanford Gold, of Delray Beach; Trude Peake, of Henderson, Nevada; and the late Victor Gold and Greta Labush.
Contributions may be made to your favorite charity.
Rose Sagan, 85 BARRINGTON, R.I. – Rose Kadsivitz Sagan, of Barrington, passed away on July 10, 2024, at Tockwotton on the Waterfront, in East Providence. She was the wife of the late Lester N. Sagan. Born in Providence, Rose was the daughter of the late Charles and Sara (Aronavitz) Kadsivitz. She was a lifelong resident of Rhode Island.
Rose grew up with her seven brothers and sisters on Oakland Avenue, in Providence, and was a graduate of Hope High School, class of 1956. Rose later earned a bachelor’s degree from Johnson and Wales University and a law degree from Roger Williams University School of Law as a proud member of its first graduating class. Rose was a long-standing board member at Jewish Family Service of Rhode Island and a lifetime member of the National Council of Jewish Women, Hadassah and The Miriam Hospital Women’s Association. She served for many years on the board of Camp JORI, in Narragansett (where she had also been a camper as a child). Rose was also an accountant for the State of Rhode Island Governor’s Justice Office for sev-
OBITUARIES
eral years before retiring. Rose was a member of Temple Beth-El, in Providence, for 30 years and was most recently a member of Temple Emanu-El. An avid golfer her entire life, Rose also enjoyed painting, playing bridge and gardening. She was a member of the Handicraft Club, in Providence, and was a very skilled basket weaver, making baskets and purses for all of her family members and friends. Rose loved to gather with her friends and family, and she was known for hosting many wonderful parties over the years.
She is survived by her two children, Cindy Oken Feinstein, and her husband, Mark, of Providence; and Russell Oken, and his wife, Shara, of Brookline, Massachusetts; her four grandchildren, Michael Feinstein; Samuel Feinstein, and his wife, Jennifer; Hannah Feinstein and Addison Rose Oken; and her many nieces and nephews. She was the sister of the late Molly Granoff, Sylvia Greenfeld, and Betty, Samuel, Robert, Harold and Nathan Kadsivitz. Contributions may be made to Camp JORI at PO Box 5299, Wakefield, RI 02880 or https://campjori. com/donate/.
Elizabeth
Sandy, 101 PROVIDENCE, R.I. –
Elizabeth Sandy died peacefully on June 16, 2024. She always had a tremendous zest for life and for her family. She lost her father, mother and brother in the Holocaust. She survived by escaping from a forced
labor battalion march and finding shelter in the Swiss Consulate Annex, in Budapest, called the Glass House.
The murder of her immediate family and many close relatives made her value all the more those who survived and her new family, including her husband, Gabor (deceased), her son, Robert, her daughter, Carol, and their spouses, Elaine and Lenny, plus her grandchildren, Steven (deceased), Rachel, Matt (spouse Alison) and Alison, and her five great-grandchildren, Sol, Matilda, Jake, Benny and Mason. She died the day after Sol’s bar mitzvah, which she had dearly wanted to attend.
She had two treasured causes, Israel and Holocaust education. They sometimes overlapped. She gave talks about her experiences to student groups ranging from 5th graders to college students. In one talk to college students, she was asked what is different now than in the 1930s. She replied that the difference is Israel. In the 1930s, the Jews being persecuted had no place to go; now they have Israel.
In that regard, anyone wishing to honor Elizabeth can donate to a charity that cares for seriously wounded Israeli soldiers, https://fidv.org/, or to the Sandra Bornstein Holocaust Education Center, in Rhode Island, https://bornsteinholocaustcenter.org/ (photos of Elizabeth are featured on their website), or the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum at https://donate. ushmm.org/6hRw6kqugUOvJLNKCIbD1g2.
In 2019 the United States Holocaust Memo -
rial Museum interviewed Elizabeth about her life and her experiences during the Holocaust. You can view this interview at: https://collections.ushmm.org/search/ catalog/irn714922
Sybil Savit, 94 NEW BEDFORD, MASS. – Sybil (Krivoff)
Savit, of New Bedford, passed away peacefully and unexpectedly on July 3, 2024, at her residence. She was the wife of the late Herbert W. Savit and the sister of the late Lillian Lider.
Born in New Bedford, a daughter of the late Hyman and Miriam (Strolsky) Krivoff, she was a lifelong resident of the city.
Sybil faithfully read the New York Times and watched MSNBC daily and loved spending time with her family more than anything else. She contributed greatly to the fabric of the New Bedford Jewish community throughout her entire life. A wonderfully caring and loving wife, mother, grandmother, aunt and friend, she will be greatly missed.
She is survived by her two beloved sons, Michael Savit, and his wife, Jill Cohen, of Dartmouth, Massachusetts; and Jeffrey Savit, and his wife, Lori Barnet, of Needham, Massachusetts; her seven grandchildren, Lauren Savit, and her partner, Tess Ruderman; Matthew Savit, and his wife, Chelsea Papish; Hilary Perkins, and her husband, Max; Mollie Savit, and her fiancé, Derek Weisman; Chloe Savit, Alex-
ander Jacobs and Moriah Jacobs; and her nieces, Leslie Howard, and her husband, Jack; Joyce Black, Marlene Groner and Sandi Biggins, and her husband, Eddie.
Contributions may be made to the HWS Research Fund, c/o The Miriam Hospital, PO Box H, Providence, RI 02901.
Robert Shorr, 69 WARWICK, R.I. – Robert D. Shorr, of Warwick, passed away on July 14, 2024, in Kent County Hospital. He was the husband of Norma (Parente) Shorr. Born in Providence, he was the son of the late Albert and Beatrice (Namerow) Shorr.
Robert was the vice president of the former Albert A. Shorr Co. and focused for various agencies on taking care of people with developmental disabilities. Along with his wife, Norma, he is survived by their son, Jarred Shorr, of Coventry. He was the brother of the late Edward and Stephen Shorr.
Robert was a graduate of Roger Williams University, in Bristol, receiving a B.A. in political science. He was an avid fan of the Boston Red Sox and the New England Patriots. In addition to sports, Robert enjoyed watching all types of movie genres while reciting quotes with his son, Jarred. Along with Robert’s personal interests, he will forever be known for leading every conversation with a sincere and compassionate tone. If anyone gave Robert a minute of their time to bond
or share a conversation with respect and kindness, they instantly won his heart. Robert’s greatest joy in his life was the love that he shared for his wife, Norma, and son, Jarred. They were his best friends through thick and thin who kept him going through any life challenge. “Great men are not born great, they grow great,” Don Vito Corleone (The Godfather). Contributions may be made to Meals on Wheels of Rhode Island in honor of Robert’s and Jarred’s consistent volunteerism of delivering meals throughout Warwick.
Shirley Zier, 96
WARWICK, R.I. – Shirley Zier passed away on July 19, 2024, at Sunny View Nursing Home. She was the beloved wife of the late Stanley Zier. Born in New York City, New York, a daughter of the late Jacob and Elsie (Lipowski) Ableman, she had lived in Warwick since 1989, previously living in Cranston. She was an elementary counselor and a fifth grade teacher, retiring in 1989. She was the devoted mother of Richard Zier and his wife, MaryEllen, of Lowell, Massachusetts; and Leslie Ferrante and her husband, Vincent, of Warwick. She was the dear sister of the late Judith Goodman. She was the loving grandmother of Kellie (Tom) and Matthew. She was the cherished great-grandmother of Jackson and Penelope. Contributions may be made to American Heart Association, 1 State St., #200, Providence, RI 02908.
Torchbearer
NOT LONG BEFORE the Olympic Torch arrived in Atlanta, Georgia, the iconic flame made its way across Rhode Island. More than 12,000 people bore the torch on its long journey before the 1996 Olympic Games, and one of them was Mel Alperin, legendary local businessman and philanthropist. This photo was taken directly in front of the Dware JCC, then known as the Jewish Community Center of Rhode Island. While it’s hard to know for sure the identities of the two children pictured, this paper announced the Florida-based wedding of a Michael Richard Wolpert in 2015, and a David Santagata ran for a seat in the R.I. House of Representatives in 2018. Not pictured: a 25-year-old Snoop Dogg.
2021 Patron Honor PATRONRoll HONOR ROLL 2024
Beverly Abowi
Marsha Addessi
David A. Adelman
Quentin & Emily Anthony
Paul & Esta Avedisian, in memory of Ben & Hannah Rabinowitz
M. Charles & Elizabeth Bakst
Joyce Abrams Ball
Esta & Fred Barcohana
Howard & Nancy Bassel
Amira & Stephen Baum
Francine & Stephen Beranbaum
Peter & Hana Berman
A. Larry & Ellen Berren
Amy Dworman Bianco
Arnold & Ruth Blasbalg
Mrs. Sylvia Blazar
Stephan & Linda Bloch
Larry Bono
Rich Brandt
Bart & Elise Bresnik
Brier & Brier
Neal Bromley
Seymour & Marsha Brooks
Rhoda Broom eld
Dan & Lisa Brosofsky
Ida & Tom Brown
Je ey & Barbara Horovitz
Brown
Cantor Remmie & Marjorie
Brown
Sandra & Fred Brown
Michael Burk & Seena
Franklin
Edward & Maureen Canner
Vanessa Carlton & John McCauley
Drs. Nancy & Ralf Carriuolo
Deborah Josephson Catone
Leslie Stern-Charis & Philip Charis
Brenda A. Clayson
Lois Cohen
Marcia Cohen, in memory of Elie J. Cohen, M.D.
Marshall Cohen
Dr. & Mrs. Martin L. Cohen
Pauline Cohen
Dr. Donald & Terri Coustan
Franklin Curhan
Barry & Rosanne Dana
Michael Deae
Ms. Patricia Del Padre-Myers
Jane A. Desforges & Michael
J. White
Steven & Esther Dinerman
Sandra Bresler Dolan
Joseph L. & Sally T. Dowling
Cantor Steven & Myrna Dress
John R. Duhamel
Alexander & Mira Eides
Arline Elman
Helga Elsner
Bev & Jerry Engel
Janet H. Engelhart (z”l) & Rabbi Leslie Y. Gu erman
Barbara Feibelman & Kenneth Orenstein
Lo e J. Feinberg & Family
Arnold & Marcia Feital
Fred Felder
Cynthia Feldman
Jocelyn & Carl Feldman
Barbara & Edward Feldstein & Family
Dr. & Mrs. Sco Fertik
Seth Finkle & Ilana Fishman
Charles Fischer
Natalie & Melvin Fleischer
Dr. Norbert & Jeanne Fleisig
Henri Flikier & Ann Miller
Alan S. Flink
Judith Fogel
Joan & George Foley
Carl I. Freedman & Beverly Ehrich
Stanley L. Freedman
Alvin & Lauren Gabrilowitz
Ma hew & Heidi Gabrilowitz
Shelley Katsh & Mark Gabry
Harold Gadon
Howard & Sheila Galitsky
Michele D. Gallagher
Celia & Stephen Gamm
Kenneth & Sharon Garber
Joan & Stephen Gar nkel
Phillip & Sylvia Geller
Dr. & Mrs. Irwin I. Getz
Mrs. Alan Gilstein
Susan & Lawrence Ginsberg
Richard & Priscilla Glucksman
Esther M. Gold
Herbert & Ruth Gold
Sanford & Estelle Gold
Beverly Goldbla
Alice & Sidney (z”l) Goldstein
Burton Goldstein
Professor Richard & Donna Goldstein
Judith & Norman Goodman
Pearl Gorden
Mrs. Charlo e Gorodetsky
Lenore Gorodetsky e Graboys and Rudner
Families: Lois and George (z”l) Graboys, Angela and Lewis Rudner
Joan Gray
Livia Greenberg
Robert & Robin Greenberg
Dr. Samuel & Mrs. Judy Greenbla
David Greene
Alice & Ira (z”l) Gross
Gerald & Rhoda Grossman
Ronald & Roslyn Guarnieri
Gary & Jeane e (z”l) Gurwitz
Katherine Haspel & Paul Silver
Judith & Stephen Hay
Lawrence Hersho & Eleanor
Mulford
Dr. & Mrs. James K. Hersto
Eleanor & Robert Ho man
Robin & Burton Homono
Walter & Dodi Horowitz
Daniel J. Iam
Karen & Michael Isenberg
Dr. Charles Kahn in memory of Sue
Mr. & Mrs. Fredric S. Kamin
Lila & Kevin Kane
Rabbi Raphael Kanter & Ms.
Cindy Benson
Sanford & Esta Karp
Lawrence & Marilyn Katz
Trudy Katz
Norma & Bob Kaufman
W. Robert & Lois Kemp
Marty Kenner
Dr. Martin J. Kerzer
Donna N. Kimmel
Marsha (z”l) & Allen Kirshenbaum
Rabbi Andrew Klein & Adam
Mastoon
Helene Klein
Carol Knopf
Dr. Lon Kopit
Hope R. Krichmar
Sherry Kriss & Richard A. Saltzman
Bernice & Richard Kumins
Dr. Audrey Kupchan & Mr.
Sam Havens
Greta (z”l) & Bernard Labush
Tamara Labush
Je ey & Elaine Land
Ronald Lang
Jerrold L. & Barbara S. Lavine
Freda Lehrer
Dr. David & Peggy Leibowitz
Barry & Fran Levin
Mitchell & Shirley Levin
Ruth Paige Levin
Dr. Mayer & Judy Levi
Donna & Steven Levy
In memory of HaRav Eliezer
Yitzchak Levy
Maybeth & Jacob Lichaa
Moshe & Toby Liebowitz
Allen Litchman
Mrs. Henry Litchman
Michael & Jane Litner
Alan & Marianne Litwin
Toby & David London
Louis & Valerie Long
Jerome (z”l) & Frances Magner
Jamie & H. B. Manville
Shlomo Marcovich
Sandra Marcowitz
Dr. Ronald Margolin
Eugenia Marks
Ivy & Daniel Marwil
Howard & Sue Meyerson
Lewis & Janet Miller
Ms. Elayne Moe
Janis Monat
Sharon & Michael Monsour
Ann Moskol & Robert Ericson
Marion l. Myers
Dianne & Martin Newman
Linda Kassed Nieberg
Grace Beiser Novick
Seth J. Novick
Michael B. Nulman
Phyllis Oelbaum
Ruth Oppenheim
Sue Orenstein
On behalf of the Jewish Rhode Island team, I want to thank every contributor to the annual Patron Campaign. We are grateful for your generosity. Jewish Rhode Island relies on your support, along with advertising revenue and an allocation from the Jewish Federation Foundation, to stay strong and viable.
This year, 382 donors gave $30,046. We hope you like what you are reading. If you do, please tell your friends and relatives. If you have ideas and suggestions, let us know.
– Fran Ostendorf, Editor
Ronna Orleck
Tillie Orleck
Stephen Ostrach & Linda Eisenmann
Dr. Lawrence & Ruth Page
Laura Freedman & David Pedrick
Sheela Percelay
Sandra & Mitchell Pinsly
James & Lezli Pious
Bonnie Houle Piszcz
Miriam R. Pli
Dr. Roy M. & June Poses
Ellen & Lloyd Rabinowitz
Ried & Mindy Redlich
Sanford & Linda Reich
Maria Renear
Roberta Richman
Susanna Roberts
Susan & Michael Rodrigues
Dr. & Mrs. Neal Rogol
Professor William & Sandra Rosen
Rabbi James Rosenberg &
Sandra Ma ison Rosenberg
Judy Rosenberg
Mindy Rosenbloom, M.D. & Stuart Schwartz, M.D.
Fred & Marcia Rosenzweig
Gladys Rosofsky
Ruth B. Ross
Susan & Darrell Ross
Dr. Fred & Sally Rotenberg
David & Holly Rothemich
Edward & Lorraine Rotmer
Daved & Paula Rubien
Hilarie Rubin
Leon J. Rubin
Sandra L. Rubin
Noel & Amy Rubinton
Alan & Laurie Salk
Elaine & Robert Sandy
Robert Satlo
Dr. & Mrs. Sanford Schatz
Dr. Steven & Mrs. Naomi Schechter
Ellen & Harold Schein
Barry & Libby Schiller
Bill Schwartz
Dr. Ronald & Carol Schwartz
Bernice Schweber
Be y & Michael Seidman
Mr. & Mrs. Yehudah Selinger
Ellen Barnes Selya
Shalom Memorial Chapel, Michael Smith & Adam Smith
In Loving Memory of Laura B. Fixman, M.D. by Kenath J. Shamir, M.D.
Dr. Aaron J. & Rochelle
Shatkin
Arthur & Barbara Sheer
Ellen & Barry Shepard
Anne & Gerald Sherman
Peter & Jane Shuman
Linda & Richard Silverman
Arlene Simon
Adam Sinel & Mara Ostro
Joan Sloane
Rita Slom
Ronda & Robert Smith
William Snell (z”l)
Edwin S. Soforenko
Foundation
Ronald & Marcia Sohn
Mara Sokolsky & Don Kie er
Joan Solomon
Hilary Spatz & Max Levine
Wendy & Joel Spellun
David Spitzman
Selma Stanzler
Marvin Stark & Miriam Abrams-Stark
Joyce & Bob Starr
David Steinberg
Cli Stern & Karen Drucker-Stern
Dr. Ezra & Varda Stieglitz
Je Stolo & Freddi Faye Moskowitz
Martha E. Stone
Marie & Arthur Strauss
Daniel (z”l) & Rose Subotnik
Brian Sullivan & Justin Foster
Sylvia Strauss
Marcia Szymanski & Sharon Friedman
Deborah M. Tate
Cheryl Greenfeld Teverow
Stephen & Eleanor al
Jill & Michael aler
Rabbi Herb & Suzy Tobin
Mel A. Topf
Je ey & Deb Trust & Family
Mark & Zoya Tseytlin
Rosa & Victor (z”l) Tulenfeld
Moses Mordecai Twersky
Susan Vederman
Lynn & Bruce Vinacco
Joyce & Larry (z”l) Wacks
Ellis & Debbie Waldman
Dr. Alan & Carol (z”l) Wartenberg
e Bernard Wasserman
Family
David & Ann Weiner
Ruth, Audrey, & Deb Weinreich in memory of Irving Weinreich
David & Jing Weisberg
e Weiss Family: Howard & Elaine Weiss and Jonathan (z”l) & Aleen Weiss
Robin Weiss
James & Rosanna Wertheimer
Bernard Whitman
Phyllis G. Williams
Jerrold & Rita Winer
Henry & Arlene Winkleman
Sharon L. Yarlas
Stuart & Fredda Yarlas
Carol Yarnel
Professor Mel & Mrs. Cindy Yoken
Lisa Yorra
Rhoda Zaidman, in memory of Sherwin Zaidman
E a L. Zaslo
Charles & Rochelle Ziegler
Michael & Wendy Zucker
Faye Zuckerman
Robert & Carol Zurier
Anonymous (79)
z”l (of blessed memory)
Contributions received after July 12, 2024 will be recognized in next year’s Patron Honor Roll.