September 2020 by Jewish Rhode Island

The Voice of Greater Rhode Island’s Jewish Community

JEWISH

SEPTEMBER 2020 | ELUL 5780/TISHRI 5781

JEWISHRHODY.ORG

RHODE ISLAND

Sound the shofar

L’shanah tovah! Daniel Stieglitz writes from Israel

High Holy Days in Rhode Island

Check out some new books for kids

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JEWISH

Rosh Hashanah in the time of pandemic

RHODE ISL AND

EDITOR Fran Ostendorf

EVERY YEAR, I take some time for reflection right about now. We are, after all, in the month of Elul, which leads us to the High Holy Days. Reflection and introspection are part of what many of us do at this time of year. As Jews living in a secular world, we have two opportunities for this reflection yearly – now and before the secular new year. I welcome both opportunities to look back and take stock. This year, we have plenty to reflect on. Last year at this time, we were planning for family dinners, days spent in the synagogue with fellow congregants and a new year full of promise. We were back to school, back to activities, back to routines. But life is different now. Every activity, from school attendance to shopping to entertainment, involves careful planning and thought. Now, because of the pandemic, this is a year like no other. ON THE COVER: Most of us will not be able to Cooper Sock experience our usual High Holy sounds the shofar Days. There will be no praying with Providence in large crowded groups. Holiin the background. day dinners are going to be a lot PHOTO BY GLENN OSMUNDSON smaller, or virtual, for most of us. Rituals previously observed as a community might look different and be celebrated on a much smaller scale. But several congregations are taking their shofars on the road so Jews all over the state can listen to them in person even if they aren’t worshipping together. And if a shofar doesn’t sound in your neighborhood, you might be able to catch its blasts online. There are even YouTube videos that teach how to blow your own shofar!

ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT Peter Zeldin pzeldin@jewishallianceri.org 401-421-4111, ext. 160 CONTRIBUTORS Cynthia Benjamin, Larry Kessler, Michael Schemaille COLUMNISTS Michael Fink, Geraldine Foster, Patricia Raskin, Rabbi James Rosenberg, Daniel Stieglitz

VOLUME XXVII, ISSUE X JEWISH RHODE ISLAND

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Many worship services will be available via Zoom or YouTube. Only a few of Rhode Island’s synagogues are allowing in-person worship. And when they do, the community will be small, masked and socially distanced, and you will have to register in advance. Some may look at all this with sadness. But, upon reflection, I’m taking a more positive view. We are resilient and we are accommodating. And by continuing to observe all the health advice and recommendations from medical experts, we are watching out for ourselves, our families and our neighbors. It is a mitzvah that we are helping keep those around us safe. We are practicing pikuach nefesh, preservation of life, the most basic of our principles. Furthermore, some good has emerged from the pandemic. For example, Jewish Rhode Island’s community calendar, at www.jewishrhody.org, has become a robust online tool for learning about upcoming events and making plans to attend – even virtually. After all, community members need to know that they can participate from home. This month, you will see almost a full page of things to do in our community. And while only a couple of the listings are in person, there really is something for everyone. Of course, all this looks quite different from what we did last September. But the point is that if we’re interested in services, an event or a learning opportunity, it’s still available in Rhode Island. We encourage all organizations and synagogues to use our community listings. No, it’s not the normal High Holy Days, but I’ve concluded that there is still plenty to celebrate – and plenty of ways to celebrate, perhaps more than ever. We at Jewish Rhode Island are looking forward to the new year, and we hope it’s a happy and especially sweet one for you, our readers! Shanah tovah! Fran Ostendorf, Editor

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UP FRONT

PHOTO | JTA

Cancel culture, restoring morality and Israel’s missed opportunities

The conversation appears here and continues online. It has been edited for length and clarity.

JTA: Your new book argues for moving from an “I” to a “we” mindset. What are some guidelines for engaging with those we love who also espouse views that we find harmful?

An interview with Rabbi Jonathan Sacks BY LAURA E. ADKINS

(JTA)

onathan Sacks, the former chief rabbi of Great Britain, has written dozens of books about religion and politics – but he believes that mixing the two leads to “terrible politics and even worse religion.” It’s a tough line to toe, especially when you’ve just written a book

highlighting the decline of fundamental values in society that for most of human history have been inextricably linked to religion.

In “Morality: Restoring the Common Good in Divided Times,” Sacks makes the case that society has undergone what he calls “cultural climate change,” in which individualism has eroded collective morality. As with meteorological climate change, he argues, there are forces fueling a dangerous shift – he points to social media as a leading one – but there is time to avert disaster. The way to become moral, Sacks writes, is both simple and a great challenge: “We need direct encounters with other human beings. We

have to be in their presence, open to their otherness, alert to their hopes and fears, engaged in the minuet of conversation, the delicate back-and-forth of speaking and listening.” The Jewish Telegraphic Agency spoke with Sacks, Great Britain’s top rabbi from 1991 to 2013, about how that vision squares with “cancel culture;” how Israel embodies the ethos he wants to advance (and how it doesn’t); the role of religion in morality and other issues raised in his book, which was released by Basic Books in the United States on Sept. 1.

Sacks: Dealing with people who espouse views different from our own – isn’t that the typical Jewish family? Other people have conversations, we have arguments. But with “cancel culture,” we’re losing a sense of being able to talk to the people with whom we disagree. I think this extraordinary thing that Judaism brings into the world – of course, nowadays everyone associates it with Christianity – but it’s Judaism who says God is our father, is a relative. Some people have God as a friend; we have God as family. The first thing that God tells Moses to say to Pharaoh is that Israel is his firstborn son. And God relates to us even though we have views that he regards as abhorrent. That is the existential nature of family – that there are certain loves that are unconditional, even while you reserve the right to argue strenuously against those views. It’s really disturbed me, you know, that people nowadays say the views are more important than the family. That’s a real error of priorities.

I’ve been thinking a lot about the idea of Jewish peoplehood. It doesn’t seem clear that there are so many things that unite the Jewish people today in terms of central values that all Jews can agree on. Does the Torah even have a clear, singular morality in your view, or some common threads we can all agree on from the beginning? When it comes to talking about Jewish

CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

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Looking forward to the High Holy Days essence of these sacred days. In his book, “The Sabbath,” Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel teaches: “Judaism is a religion of time aiming at the sanctification of time. Unlike the space-minded man to whom time is unvaried, iterative, homogeneous, to whom all hours are alike, quality-less, empty shells, the Bible senses the diversified character of time. There are no two hours alike. Every RABBI is unique and the MICHAEL FEL hour only one given at the moment, exclusive and endlessly precious.” Traditionally, this time of the year is specifically set aside to evaluate who we were in the past year and who we would like to be in the year to come. This sacred task is aided by teshuvah, tefilah and tzedakah. These precious processes can still take place, even during a time of physical distancing. Teshuvah (repentance): One can certainly still reach out to friends and family. The High Holy Days are the perfect time to reconnect with individuals and mend relationships that went awry during the previous year. Whether on Zoom, Skype, Facebook, Facetime, or even the phone, almost everyone is just a click or a call away! Tefillah (prayer): One can still make prayer a central part of the High Holy Days experience. Whether through online religious services, public-access television programming, a small-group in-person minyanim, or by taking the time to pray privately at home, there

are many ways to engage in meaningful prayer experiences. Tzedakah (charity): Finally, one can still make donations to worthy causes in our community and beyond. Spend time thinking about how you want to allocate your donations this year to make the greatest impact. I understand that there are a million reasons why this year’s High Holy Days might seem out of reach. But I believe that there are a million and one ways that each of us can rise to the occasion. Should you find yourself unable to even imagine what the new year might look like, I offer a meditation from “Mahzor Lev Shalem” as a place to start: “May it be your will, our God and God of our ancestors, that the year 5781 be one of balanced and mindful growth for us as individuals, for our families, and our communities. “May we return next year in good health and in appreciation of the year of greater peace, a year in which we deepened our lives through learning and the performance of mitzvot, a year in which we were conscious of the Divine Presence, a year in which we strengthened our shared commitment to the betterment of the world.” May we each find the inner strength to make real the goals of the High Holy Days season, so that, despite 5781’s differences, it will still be a time in which we can “sing a song of God” and bring in a year that we hope will be good and sweet. Shanah tovah!

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genocidal. And after half the evening, I said to myself, this is just plain boring. So I turned to him directly and I basically said, look if I had been born in the circumstances in which you were born at the time when you were born, I think I would have the same attitudes as you have. How can we take that anger and do the anti-fragile thing, turn those negative energies into positive ones? Let us see if we can think through from those attitudes toward a better future. Some individuals in the audience told me that there was a palpable shift in the audience at that point. They actually noted that instead of these two sides hurling abuse at one another, it was a little moment in which somebody showed he was willing to cross the divide and enter into the mindset of somebody who thought that I was a racist, a colonialist and a committer of genocide. So I just sensed the power of saying “OK, guys, let’s get beyond this. Let me try and understand the world through your eyes. And let us see if we can walk forward together.” And I don’t see enough of that being done in today’s world.

ate. They are a very, very brutal weapon, but sometimes you need that if you’re absolutely going to change attitudes. I think the response to the issue of sexual harassment was entirely justified, for example. I think the Black Lives Matter protest against the killing of George Floyd, apart from the rioting, which I think had all sorts of strange people getting involved, was justified. I think anger is sometimes a necessary weapon. The Rambam rules that anger is never justified, ever. But, he says, sometimes it is permitted to look as if you’re angry. [Laughs] Because that is the thing that makes an impact on people. When anger erupts in a body politic, there is quite often a justified cause. But then the political domain has got to take that anger and deal with it very fast. You have to acknowledge that there were certain cultures of systemic sexual harassment. You have to acknowledge that there were terrible instances of police brutality. Those things have to be acknowledged and then immediately dealt with through the political process. Because anger exposes the problem but never delivers the solution.

D' VA

I AM LOOKING FORWARD to ushering in the year 5781. There. I said it. Yes, I acknowledge the sadness of not seeing my friends at shul. Yes, I feel the loss of not sharing meals with family and friends. Yes, I will miss the communal singing and sitting in meaningful spaces. Yes, you are right, this year’s High Holy Days will feel different. And yet, in spite of everything, I am still counting down the days until we can celebrate Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur (and don’t forget about Sukkot and Simchat Torah!). Because the truth is, although I will not be able to completely re-create the past, I can still elevate and celebrate the most fundamental aspects of the High Holy Days. Ours is not the first generation to reconsider how to worship in light of troubling times. Roughly 2,500 years ago, our exiled ancestors, unable to worship at the Temple in Jerusalem, asked in Psalm 137, “How can we sing a song of God on alien soil?” Similarly, we ask: How can we fully celebrate the High Holy Days when we are unable to access the familiar or comfortable? How can we muster the strength to wish each other a shanah tovah um’tukah – a good and sweet new year – when many of us feel that our lives contain elements that are challenging and even a little bitter? The answer, my friends, is to remind ourselves of our goal as a people and the

TO R A H

unity or Jewish peoplehood, talk is cheap. I think you have to walk the talk. And that’s why, for instance, I’ve always had public conversations with people who really reject every single thing that I stand for. One of them was the late Amos Oz, the novelist. Another is Steven Pinker – Steven is the thinking person’s atheist, right? And I love Steven. We feel this bond of Jewishness between us. And I have that with David Brooks of The New York Times, or the American philosopher Mike Sandel, or Robert Putnam of Harvard. These are people with whom I have a real bond, despite the fact that their approaches to Judaism are often totally and absolutely different from mine. You have to have these conversations, in public as well as private, and show it can be done. And I think it makes an impact when it’s done. When Jonathan Haidt wrote “The Coddling of the American Mind,” his publishers asked me to help him launch the book. So we had a big event in the West End of London. And one of the panelists at the event, a professor of Black studies, kept saying, very adamantly, that Britain is built on and inextricably entwined with racism, colonialism and genocide. This is a fairly alienating thing to say. Most of the audience members knew that they weren’t personally racist or

You have written that cancel culture has gotten out of control. But it is often legitimate anger and grievances that motivate the impulse to suppress individuals or ideas. What is a better model for dealing with anger and grievances, especially when debate of the kind you described isn’t possible?

There are times when cancel culture-type attitudes are entirely appropri-

MICHAEL FEL is the senior rabbi at Temple Emanu-El, in Providence.

For the entire article, including Rabbi Sacks’ views on family, Israel and the coronavirus pandemic, got to: https:// www.jewishrhody.com/stories/rabbi-jonathan-sacks-on-cancel-culture-restoring-morality-and-israels-missed-opportunities,12340?

IN THE NEWS Israeli firefighters in Calif. to battle wildfires (JTA) – Israeli firefighters arrived in Sacramento, California, to assist with battling a wave of wildfires sweeping through the area. It marked the first time that Israelis have been sent to the United States to help fight fires, J. The Jewish News of Northern California reported. The delegation landed Sunday [Aug. 30] and is scheduled to remain for approximately two weeks. It includes 10 officers and firefighters from the Fire and Rescue Services, rescue and forest fire experts, and a Foreign Ministry representative, according to a statement from the Foreign Ministry. Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg greeted the firefighters’ arrival in the capital city with a tweet. “As a Jewish mayor, I’m particularly proud and happy to see them come to our aid,” it said in part.

Jews barred from Ukraine for annual pilgrimage (JTA) – Breslov Hasidim were barred from entering Ukraine for the annual Jewish New Year’s pilgrimage to Uman. Passengers on at least two flights from London and Paris were prevented from entering the country, according to reports. The flights were full of Israeli and American haredim. Another group of followers attempted to cross into Ukraine from Belarus but were detained. Ukraine last week closed its borders to foreigners until at least Sept. 28, which is Yom Kippur. The Israeli government is working to figure out how to allow some Israelis to make the trip, even as the country’s coronavirus czar says the pilgrimage should not take place amid the coronavirus pandemic and would-be pilgrims are protesting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over his efforts to minimize this year’s journey. Each year, tens of thousands of pilgrims, mostly from Israel, have gathered for the Jewish New Year in Uman, home to the burial place of Rabbi Nachman, an 18th-century luminary and founder of the Breslov Hasidic movement.

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Jewish Rhode Island | jewishrhody.org

COMMUNITY VOICES | OPINION Time for a Change (George Floyd’s Police murder sparked BLM’s call for state name change to Rhode Island and Providence Plantations)

Making sense of economics

Farrel Klein (August 2020) argues that raising minimum wage is unsound social policy because businesses must make a profit. Profits vary widely. The average net supermarket profit is 3-5%; Facebook’s net profit for the first half of 2020 was 31%. It’s supermarkets where people often work for minimum wage. Adjusted for 2020 dollars, the average 1965 supermarket cashier’s salary was nearly $44,000. In 2020, it’s $25,000. FB’s average salary is almost $122,000. Many chain stores keep employees’ hours below minimum benefit requirements; employees lack health insurance or paid time off. Their constantly shifting work schedules, made a week or two in advance, make it difficult to plan anything else. Cashiers, packers, truckers, farm workers, farm owners and slaughterhouse workers allow us to buy a variety of food cheaply. In a sense, these people are our servants. We don’t have to plant, harvest, slaughter and preserve our own food. Jewish rules governing servants are so strict that we are taught “Whoever buys a Hebrew servant buys a master for himself.” We no longer buy Hebrew servants, but should we treat our current servants less well? Even if they are not Hebrews, should we act like Egyptians? Klein asserts that “unemployment leads to crime ….” Maybe it’s people who hold down more than one minimum wage job and struggle to pay rent, food and medicine who resort to crime. When people have nothing to lose, they become desperate. Desperation leads to revolution, which often starts with attacks on people who have just enough: teachers, civil servants, small business owners. Too often attacks start with CONTINUED ON PAGE 8

“The ‘Red Death’ had long devastated the country. No pestilence had ever been so fatal, or so hideous. Blood was its Avatar and its seal – the redness and the horror of blood ….” SO BEGINS “The Masque of the Red Death,” a short story written by Edgar Allan Poe (18091849) in 1842. In the very next paragraph, we learn: “But the Prince Prospero was happy and dauntless and sagacious.” After the plague had depopulated half of his realm, the prince brought together “a thousand hale and light-hearted friends from among the knights and dames of his court,” took them into one of his well-fortified abbeys, filled it with bountiful provisions, and then sealed all the exits and entrances. Poe wrote, “With such precautions the courtiers might bid defiance to contagion. The external world could take care of itself.” Translation: Prince Prospero and his cronies would eat, drink and be merry within the safety of the Medieval abbey, while beyond its thick walls the Red Death would continue to devour the commoners. After five or six months had passed, the prince decided to entertain his thousand guests with a masked ball in the “imperial suite,” an odd configuration of seven rooms arranged so that the revelers could see only one room at a time. Each room was dressed in its own color, proceeding from east to west: blue, purple, green, orange, white, violet and – last of all – black. Against the western wall of the seventh, darkest, western-most room stood a huge ebony grandfather clock. The prince’s “plans were bold and fiery, and his conceptions glowed with barbarous lustre [sic]. There are some who would have thought him mad. His followers felt that he was not.” The night of the masked ball turned out to be a thrill of food and drink and music and dance. “There were much of the beautiful, much of the wanton, much of the bizarre, something of the terrible, and not

a little of that which might have excited disgust.” The one interruption was the hourly chiming of the grandfather clock, which brought the revelry to a brief standstill, only to resume a moment later with even greater abandon. By the time the clock struck 12, the Red Death had made its way into the abbey, dressed in a shroud and wearing a corpse-like mask. Within minutes, not a single reveler remained alive. The Red Death “had come like a thief in the night … and Darkness and Decay and the Red Death held illimitable RABBI JAMES dominion over all.” What most of us ROSENBERG remember about Poe are such horror tales as “The Tell-Tale Heart,” “The Cask of Amontillado” and “The Pit and the Pendulum.” These stories offer far more than a good scare; through the sheer intensity of their language, they force us to peer into the heart of the darkness of our own souls. Poe rips off the thin mask of our civility and demands that we confront our most malignant urges, our most paralyzing fears. His tales of torture and mutilation and savage revenge lead us to question the very meaning of our humanity. At the same time, these stories bring us to the edge of the abyss of our own mortality; Poe seems to be obsessed by the inevitability of his own death, and we who read Poe cannot avoid feeling this dread of the onrush of nothingness. While “The Masque of the Red Death” carries much of the horror and dread of Poe’s better-known tales, this story – in striking contrast to most of his journeys into the macabre – abounds with symbols that cry out for allegorical interpretation: the seven rooms in which the ball is held, each with its own color; the huge ebony grandfather clock that brings the merriment to a temporary halt with its ominous gong-like chiming every hour on the

S TO M

Swastika’s a good symbol in Hinduism, To Jews, it is Hitler’s Hated Nazism! Prov.’s Plantations: farms, not for slavery, In black history, word’s most unsavory! Black Lives Matter’s not superiority Over white lives, just equality. In the home of the brave; land of the free, Perception’s essentially reality! There’s no question, tradition has its place. But like Nazi symbol, it’s time to erase! Allan Klepper Barrington, RI

Edgar Allan Poe foretold COVID-19

IT S E

LETTERS

hour; the masks that the courtiers wear at the ball. The symbolism is, of course, ambiguous, so that readers will read their own lived experiences into Poe’s fiction. I first read “The Masque of the Red Death” decades ago, and would not have gone back to it were it not for a recent coronavirus phone conversation with my friend, Dr. Ronald Kurtzman. Just before we hung up, Ron, an English major in college, urged me to take another look at Poe’s short story, suggesting that it would offer me some profound insight into our nation’s ineffectual response to today’s plague, COVID-19. Poe’s “Red Death” is a made-up disease; nevertheless, the tale derives its dark power from the all-tooreal plagues that have periodically threatened humankind throughout recorded history. In this story, Poe taps into the buried fear of devastating disease that lies deep within our subconscious – or perhaps within the even-more-deeply-imbedded unconscious of us all. Writing this story back in 1842, Poe foretells how our current plague has divided Americans at a time when only unity can save us. Large numbers of our political leaders seem to see themselves as Prince Prospero, “happy and dauntless and sagacious,” walled off in their fortified abbey of ignorance and indifference. While many will call them mad, their followers do not think so. And thus we persist in our national folly of denial, long after the coronavirus has established itself as Public Enemy Number One. America is not some Medieval fiefdom. If we are to survive the multiple crises that could well undo our democracy, we must find a way to bridge the gap between “us” and “them” and affirm that we are each other. JAMES B. ROSENBERG is rabbi emeritus at Temple Habonim, in Barrington. Contact him at rabbiemeritus@templehabonim.org.

Poe rips off the thin mask of our civility and demands that we confront our most malignant urges, our most paralyzing fears.

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.

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COMMUNITY VOICES | OPINION

Voting is your right and your responsibility – now, more than ever BY STEPHANIE HAGUE WE ARE FACING a critical presidential election in just two months, on Nov. 3. You might be asking yourself many questions as the election approaches: How do I fulfill my right to vote while also staying safe? Can I mail in my ballot? Will my mail-in ballot be counted? Before addressing these questions, the first and most essential point is that voting is not only your right as an American, but also your responsibility. Despite the realities of COVID-19, there are safe and legitimate ways to vote. The power of the individual vote is crucial to ensuring the strongest American value, democracy. Throughout history, we have seen mass mobilizations to encourage Americans to vote, and we must not allow anything to jeopardize this, despite the tumultuous time we are living through. As we approach this presidential election, we are facing many challenges that might hinder us or raise concerns: chronic low voter turnout in America, which can be attributed to a number of factors; a global pandemic that has made many fearful of gathering at polling stations; and a historic wave of voter-suppression campaigns

that make voting harder for certain populations. Except for the pandemic, the other factors are not unique to this time. But there are currently many other concerns, making it more important than ever to make your voting plan now. According to the Business Insider website (www.businessinsider.com), approximately 138 million Americans voted in the 2016 presidential election. Although this may sound like a lot, that was only about 58% of eligible voters, well behind the typical turnout in other developed countries. In the U.S., unlike in many countries, Election Day is not a federal holiday, often making it difficult for people to get to polling stations. Partly to remedy this, many states are instituting early voting, mail-in voting and other strategies to get out the vote. Unfortunately, many of these efforts are being countered by voter-suppression campaigns, which include requiring more difficult and longer registration periods, banning early voting, purging voter rolls and toughening voter-ID requirements. This is what we face as we approach November. According to the Brennan Center

for Justice at New York University, there is no evidence that mail balloting increases electoral fraud; there are several anti-fraud protections built into the process to make it difficult to impersonate voters or steal ballots. Even so, to make sure your vote counts, you must request a ballot, mail it early, and ensure that it is postmarked by the deadline. If possible, request your mail-in ballot today – and then be sure to put it in the mail or drop it off at your local Board of Canvassers prior to the election. No matter how you do it, make a plan to vote. Also, check with your friends and family members to make sure that they have requested mail-in ballots or determined another way to vote. If you are planning to vote in person, wear a mask and be prepared for a slightly longer wait at the polls. If you have other concerns or questions, go to the Rhode Island Secretary of State’s office, at https://www. sos.ri.gov, for more information. STEPHANIE HAGUE (shague@jewishallianceri.org) is the director of Community Relations at the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island.

IMPORTANT DATES LEADING UP TO THE NOV. 3 ELECTION Rhode Island OCT. 4: Voter registration deadline OCT. 13: Mail ballot application deadline OCT. 14: Early In-Person Voting begins NOV. 3: All mail ballots must be received by the State Board of Elections, at 2000 Plainfield Pike Cranston, RI 02921 by 8 p.m. LINKS AND FORMS: Go to https:// elections.ri.gov

Massachusetts OCT. 24: Voter registration deadline OCT. 17–30: Municipalities must offer early voting during this timeframe. Check with local election websites for locations and the exact schedule in your area. NOV. 3: Ballots sent by U.S. mail must be postmarked by this date. NOV. 6: Ballots sent by U.S. mail must be received by this date. LINKS AND FORMS: Go to https:// www.sec.state.ma.us/ovr

THE CONVERSATION | HOW HAS RACISM IMPACTED YOU?

We shouldn’t have to live in fear BY LEXI KUTENPLON GROWING UP in Providence and Barrington with two white moms, I never thought there was anything different; Skin color never mattered in my family. But when I walked out in this world of ours, skin color mattered. My family would get looks in stores, on the street and even at temple. As a kid, I never knew how to respond to this. I would pretend my two white moms were my aunts. I’d deflect the topic of me being adopted because I didn’t know how to explain it. To people of color, I was white; to white people, I was Black. I never fully fit in. I would try to become the person I was with at any given moment. Now, as an adult in my 20s, I realize that I’ve experienced racism at moments in my life: being turned down for a job because they had enough Black employees; getting followed around in a store because of my skin color and the color of my friends; being stopped in an airport on my way to Poland and Israel for the March of the Living, when everyone else in my group sailed right through security;

being worried about my brothers every night they go out. I remember once driving home from a dinner with friends when a Barrington cop pulled me over – not because I was speeding, but because I had an air freshener hanging from my rearview mirror! He asked me where I was going this late. I stated that I was going home. He asked where home was. I looked at him and said down the street. I gave him my address and he followed me until I pulled into my driveway. Would a white person be pulled over under the same circumstances? Another time, I pulled into a church parking lot at night to talk on my cellphone, because it’s not safe to use a phone while driving. A minute later, a cop pulled in beside me to ask what I was doing. When I told him, he stated that I had to leave because the church parking lot was “closed.” Seriously? This is not how we are supposed to live. The world we live in now is dark and scary. I worry that when my brothers or I get pulled over, it will be the last breath we take. George Floyd should be alive today.

Breathing. We should all be able to go out and not be scared, no matter the color of our skin. I shouldn’t have to sit here, scared, knowing that my brothers would be the ones targeted in their group of friends because of their skin color. We should be able to look at one another and not see color, but see a person. A human being who is equal. We should be supporting Black businesses and Black Lives Matter right now – because all lives can’t matter until Black Lives Matter. Black Lives Matter doesn’t mean only Black lives matter; it means Black lives matter too. Unfortunately, that’s not a given in our society. In fact, everything suggests that Black lives don’t matter as much in the U.S. as white lives. Black men are twice as likely to die in police custody as white men. Black women are three times more likely to die of pregnancy-related causes, and Black infants are twice as likely to die as white women and infants. Black students are much more likely to be suspended or expelled from school, even when their misbehavior is no worse than their white peers’.

Black workers are twice as likely to be unemployed as whites, at all educational levels. And your chance of getting called for a job interview drops 50% if you have a Black-sounding name. The Black-white wealth gap in the U.S. is the same as it was in 1968, with the average white family having a net worth more than 10 times that of the average Black family. And in the age of coronavirus, Blacks are dramatically more likely to die of COVID-19 than whites. “I can’t breathe” takes on a whole new meaning now. I wear my mask out in public, and before I complain about wearing a mask, I remember George Floyd. He truly could not breathe. So if I can wear my mask and can breathe, there is no need for me to complain. In the words of Michelle Obama, “Right now, when we’re hearing so much disturbing and hateful rhetoric, it is so important to remember that diversity has been – and always will be – our greatest source of strength and pride here in the United States.” LEXI KUTENPLON is a paralegal who lives in the West End of Providence.

8 | SEPTEMBER 2020

Candle lighting times Greater Rhode Island September 2020

September 4 6:53 p.m. September 11 6:41 p.m. September 18 6:28 p.m. EREV ROSH HASHANAH

September 19 7:30 p.m. ROSH HASHANAH

September 25 6:16 p.m. September 27 6:13 p.m. EREV YOM KIPPUR

COMMUNITY VOICES

Many disappointments – and one bright hope IT’S TIME TO look backward and forward. Now, I am one who doesn’t like slogans, but I came across one I did like over the summer. “Love Where You Live” has a double meaning: Be patriotic, loyal to your country, state, or space, and, plus, maybe, find people to love close by, perhaps the neighbors you meet on your daily strolls. I kind of go for both messages. As I gaze in the rearview mirror of my recent moons, I find more than a few disappointments. We can’t travel much. My college reunion was canceled. My family rendezvous was impossible, and I missed seeing my children and granddaughters. But wait! Something wonderful came into my life: the arrival of my grandson, Noah Charles! In our Torah, Noah is told to save every living thing and the future of all lives, not just his own people. He was born to love where he was, and he was instructed to build a boat and trust the wisdom of the birds, like all sea voyagers. (When I was a boy, I would use a nutcracker to make the hull of an ark from a walnut shell. Then I would paste a

scapegoats like immigrants – and Jews. If we’re willing to pay for Alexa to operate gadgets for us, we can pay more for food so those who serve us can live well. I’d rather turn on electronics myself, pay more for food, and know that people who have risked their health and possibly their lives to provide that food are able to live decent lives. That’s a basic Jewish value. It also makes sense. Jane Arnold Pawtucket, RI

HAP

paper triangle on a toothpick to make a sail, install it, and float my wee work of art and dinghy design in the bathtub for the weekly ritual, along with my brother Charles, who was called Chick, or even Chicky.) So, my grandson’s mission will be, in a way, to work for a world worth saving for all Creation, not just for human profit and use. I look around here, within MIKE FINK the limits of my pandemic pathways, at Middlebridge Road and over Route 138 to Newport, and I see deer, otters, foxes, egrets, rabbits and chipmunks galore. They have lost their habitat as “developers” – really destroyers – have constricted the pursuit of happiness of the wild and free creatures blessed in Genesis. These creatures have become the foes of our gardens, the “pests” we poison or trap or run over in our rush to judgment. Hear that, Noah? Noah’s sister, 2-year-old Naomi, loves to visit our backyard and make friends with our toy statues, and to stare in admiring wonder at the hummingbirds, honeybees, “fake” hummingbird moths, and the yellow-and-orange butterflies at the purple bush that draws

BOOK

SKE

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Jewish Rhode Island | jewishrhody.org

them into a community of Creation. I had proposed a mini-cruise around our Bay to visit the dark rock called Despair Island, but it never took place – yet another item on my list of disappointments. But I look ahead with hope – may the moons ahead hold bright moments like candles, lighthouses, torches, to lead us along little pathways in the landscape of loving where we are and where we are going. MIKE FINK (mfink33@aol.com) teaches at the Rhode Island School of Design.

Mike Fink’s grandson Noah.

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COMMUNITY VOICES

Starting anew at Rosh Hashanah in the era of COVID-19

HEA

relaxation and a focus on problem-solving will make a big difference in our attitude, energy and motivation. • Take a news break. Constantly listening to the news can overwhelm and stress us, so limit your news intake. • Accept the “new normal.” Accepting and working through the loss PATRICIA we feel over “the way it was” will RASKIN help us to release and start again. Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year, is the perfect time to make these changes, as Rabbi Asher Resnick notes in his article, “The Meaning of Rosh Hashanah: An In-Depth Analysis,” posted at Aish.com. He writes, “The essence of Rosh Hashanah is specifically this point – that it is the very beginning of the new year. Just as God originally created mankind as a completely blank slate on the very first Rosh Hashanah, similarly He creates every one of us anew with a similarly blank slate at the beginning of each new year. “Rosh Hashanah is our once-a-year opportunity to establish a fresh new direction and reality in our lives. Don’t get stuck in the past. Ask yourself: ‘If I was born this very instant, without the constraints of my various past habits and patterns, what would I do? How would I ideally want to live this brand-new year?’ ” Shanah tovah!

Y L I VI

THIS HAS BEEN quite a year for all of us. It has been a year of transition and change, as well as several national and global crises. The coronavirus, of course, is the biggest problem, but there are four other big ones – the economy, race, politics and climate change. We have all had to make adjustments. These times call for adaptability and flexibility and resilience. Throughout our long history, Jews have faced many challenges and crises – and we have risen, survived and thrived. So, as the new year draws near, this is the perfect time to reset, and to choose how “the new normal” will be for us in the coming year. After presenting global webinars on dealing with COVID-19, and hearing from participants, I truly realize that we are all in this together, experiencing the same basic needs and emotions. In response to this, I have come up with five actions vital to moving through this challenging time: • Cultivate routines. There is a larger-than-usual gap between what we can and can’t control at the moment, and this brings us discomfort. The more we know, the more we have structure and routines, the safer and more secure we feel. • Hone your listening skills. This is a great opportunity to really hear our loved ones. This means listening with empathy, letting others speak freely, and hearing from their perspective, without judgment. • Practice self-care. During this time of crisis, we need to strive for balance. Exercise, good nutrition, mindfulness,

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PATRICIA RASKIN, owner of Raskin Resources Productions, is a media host, coach and award-winning radio producer and business owner. She is on the board of directors of Temple Emanu-El, in Providence.

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Memories of the 1938 hurricane BY GERALDINE S. FOSTER

MY COUSIN Gerry Allen, who lives in Israel, is a voracious reader. Recently, she called to tell me that she had just finished reading a book about the 1938 hurricane that decimated the Rhode Island shore communities, flooded downtown Providence, and cut a swath of destruction through the state, leaving tragedy and death in its wake. Gerry wanted to know if I had any memory of the catastrophic event. Many people have studied and reminisced and written about the Great New England Hurricane of 1938, arguably the strongest storm ever to strike Rhode Island. Their accounts are available in books, in articles and online. But since Gerry had asked for a more personal account, I offered her these vignettes from the memory banks of two very mature adults who were elementary schoolchildren when the storm hit. Sept. 21, 1938, seemed like it would be just another day in my fifth-grade class. There was nothing in the weather report to hint at what was to come. I began the mile walk to Arlington Grammar School, in Cranston, with Russell, who lived across the street. We always parted company along the way as soon as either of us encountered a friend, lest we be teased in the schoolyard. As usual, the school bell sounded when it was time for us to gather by grade and form two lines, one for boys and one for girls. And so the school day began. As the day progressed, the pupils became restive, as if sensing something was going to happen. Our teacher, Miss Buonano (whom I dearly loved) decided we needed a lesson in discipline. We would remain after school for 15 minutes, or more, if we did not pay attention. By the time we were dis-

missed, the sky had darkened and the wind was no longer just a strong breeze. Friends from other classes with whom I ordinarily walked home had long since disappeared. I began my trek home, and then I heard my name being called. A classmate, Gladys Long, was holding open the door to her father’s old Ford coupe. “Get in,” she said. The back seat was crammed with neighborhood children he had rounded up while waiting for Gladys. Somehow, room was made for one more. Though it was out of his way, Mr. Long delivered me to the door of my house, where my sister was anxiously waiting for me. She kept me occupied until my mother came home and my wet-and-bedraggled father arrived. We watched as tree limbs and shingles, someone’s dinner and garbage can lids swirled outside. That night, and for several nights after, until the power was finally restored, we ate dinner by candlelight, grateful we were together and grateful we had a box of Shabbos candles for light. The following memories were shared by my friend, Melvin Zurier. My parents moved to Mulberry Street, in the North End of Providence, in the early 1930s. They had heard that there was an excellent school in the area that accepted children from the neighborhood. My older sisters were old enough to enter elementary school. It was the Henry Barnard School, the laboratory for the Rhode Island College of Education. RICE, as it was familiarly known, was a “normal school,” a training school for teachers. I entered Henry Barnard School in 1933. RICE was located in what was known as the Capitol Hill district. Every school day, we walked to Smith Street, across Francis Street, to Park CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

That night, and for several nights after, until the power was finally restored, we ate dinner by candlelight, grateful we were together and grateful we had a box of Shabbos candles for light.

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jewishrhody.org | Jewish Rhode Island CONTINUED FROM PRECEDING PAGE Street, to get to school. On the afternoon of Sept. 21, 1938, we walked home, as usual, but we noticed that the trees were bending and swaying in the wind. Large branches had fallen from many of them. Some of the trees had been uprooted. My friend Bill Lewis and I spent the rest of the afternoon at his house during the storm. The next day, we saw many more large trees uprooted and tree limbs everywhere. A day or two after the storm, Bill and I decided to walk to Barnard to see if there was much damage to the school. We had heard downtown Providence was covered by a tidal

wave, and that some of the rivers connecting with the Providence River had overflowed their banks as a result. Barnard was near Promenade Street and the Woonasquatucket River. The river had flooded the lower floor of the school building, where the cafeteria was located. The cafeteria was now full of dead fish. The hurricane and the flood gave us two weeks of extra vacation, which we all enjoyed. GERALDINE S. FOSTER is a past president of the R.I. Jewish Historical Association. To comment about this or any RIJHA article, contact the RIJHA office at info@rijha.org or 401-3311360.

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Congregation Or Chadash Invites you to join us for High Holiday Service 5781 Officiated by Cantorial Soloist Jana Rachael Schachter and Rabbi Joseph Murray This year, we offer both limited in-person services & virtual services.

We will hold services in the social hall at 139 Ocean Avenue Cranston, RI 02905 To register or see our complete High Holiday Schedule, kindly visit our website: www.orchadash-ri.org Holiday donations may be made to Congregation Or Chadash 510 Algonquin Drive Warwick, RI 02888

14 | SEPTEMBER 2020

Jewish Rhode Island | jewishrhody.org

COMMUNITY VOICES

Your connection to the High Holidays!

At the area’s only Reconstructionist congregation, all services will be online. We invite you to join us for a physically distanced but spiritually close Shanah Tovah!

Congregation Agudas Achim

For more information: www.agudasma.org or (508) 222-2243 An energetic, warm, and welcoming synagogue community, serving southeastern Massachusetts and northern Rhode Island since 1911.

IT WAS JUST a few months ago, in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, that families had to come up with alternatives to big Passover seders. Now, with the High Holy Days approaching, many of those same families will have to devise workarounds to the traditional Rosh Hashanah family dinners and other new year gatherings. That planning is just the latest example of how much our world has been changed by COVID-19. Indeed, after months of being deprived of what were once considered “normal” activities, it’s easy to forget just how much has been taken from us. Beyond its most tragic and chilling effects – the nearly 200,000 deaths in the United States from the disease as of early September – the pandemic has transformed just about every aspect of our lives. To recall just how far-reaching our losses have been, close your eyes as you dip your Rosh Hashanah challah or apple into honey LARRY KESSLER and think about what may be in store for us in 5781. As you pray for better days ahead, try to imagine how vastly different the last six months would have been had we never heard of COVID-19. In that alternative reality, our lives would have unfolded like this: • Seders would start and end with warm hugs and would be enjoyed by several generations of families gathered together. • Students would have finished their school year in class, and remote learning would have been reserved for colleges that offer online courses. • High school and college graduations would have taken place in May and June, as usual, instead of in July and August and virtually, if at all. • March Madness would have referred to basketball, not to the world being thrust into chaos by a highly contagious virus. • Area colleges would be getting ready to welcome their students back to campus, and most of those schools would have fall and winter sports seasons – and they would not have permanently eliminated sports such as golf, cross country, tennis, volleyball and lacrosse, thus depriving their undergrads of a key component of college life. • Road races, including the 124th Boston Marathon and others to benefit charities, would have taken place, and we would never have known what it means to “run” a race virtually. • The Pan-Mass Challenge would have gone off without a hitch this summer, and the other major event to raise money for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute’s Jimmy Fund, the Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk, would involve participants covering the 26.2-mile Boston Marathon course, instead of being confined to their neighborhoods as part of yet another

K IN

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Here’s to a sweet new year filled with ‘normal’ activities virtual fundraiser. • Scores of small, independently-owned businesses, museums, theaters and restaurants would not be on the brink of collapse, a situation that has some cities in danger of turning into ghost towns. • Our economy wouldn’t be in serious danger of slipping into a depression – and our political leaders would have found things to bicker about other than trilliondollar relief packages. • My longtime barber, and not my wife, would be trimming my beard and mustache. • Masked people walking into banks, stores or service stations would trigger burglar alarms, instead of being viewed as a necessary requirement. • Taylor Swift would have been one of many entertainers to give concerts before 60,000-plus fans at Gillette Stadium this summer, and sports fans would never have heard of playing games in a “bubble” or with piped-in crowd noise. • Pawtucket Red Sox fans would have been savoring the team’s final summer at McCoy Stadium. • We’d have enjoyed an out-of-state summer vacation, and the seashores of Cape Cod, Rhode Island, Maine and New Hampshire would have remained popular destinations – instead of becoming flash points for governors and local officials to impose tighter restrictions aimed at keeping tourists away. • Parents would be focused on finding the best back-to-school sales, instead of wondering and worrying about how safe it is for their kids to go back to school. • A “hybrid model” would refer to the latest electric-gas car manufactured by automakers, not to a mix of in-school and online learning. • Long-established clothing-store chains wouldn’t be in financial trouble, or even bankruptcy, because people who work from home don’t need new clothes. • Those of us who raised kids in the 1990s and early 2000s would still think of “Zoom” as a popular PBS show (extra credit if you know the words to the “Zoom” theme song) and would be blissfully unaware of its meaning as an indispensable online crowd-sharing platform. Yes, we really did lose all that – and a whole lot more. It’s hard to believe we’ve been missing so many once-integral parts of our former lives. But that’s what happens when we’re forced for months to forgo many of the things that make us human. As we approach Rosh Hashanah this year, we’re praying for our loved ones’ health and safety, as well as worrying about how many more aspects of our lives that we once took for granted we’ll lose to this modern-day biblical plague that shows no signs of going away. LARRY KESSLER (larrythek65@gmail.com) is a freelance writer based in North Attleboro. He wishes you a sweet, healthy – and hopeful – new year.

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COMMUNITY VOICES

Hunkering down in Israel

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in Israel by finding and hiring people. And my career coaching is global, so I’m doing what I can to help people around the world. On a Rhode Island-esque side note, I saw a meme asking “What’s one thing you’ve said in 2020 that your 2019-self wouldn’t understand?” For me, it happened while I was listening to 92 ProFM (the R.I. radio station I won many prizes from in high school, such as CDs, concert and movie tickets) on a phone app, and hearing how a contest winner would get hand sanitizer. I thought, “It’s great that 92 ProFM is giving away hand sanitizer as a prize.” DANIEL But back to life in Israel. STIEGLITZ I’m fortunate to have been “trapped” at home with three amazing roommates. Over the last few months, we threw a mini-surprise party for one roommate who couldn’t celebrate with the rest of his friends. On Yom ha-Atzmaut (Israel’s Independence Day), the four of us celebrated together in our garden. And three of us did the Passover seder together – and while it broke from my lifelong tradition of spending the holiday with either family or close friends, it was still very special. I had hoped to be visiting my family in Providence as I write this. It was my light at the end of the COVID-19 tunnel. But in the end, I realized it wasn’t worth the risk of potentially exposing my parents. So now I’m trying to do the best I can during this virus resurgence in Israel. In the meantime, my 13th aliyah anniversary (the “Bar Mitzvah” anniversary) came and went, and I barely even noticed. I’m finding new outlets to enjoy myself as much as possible during these strange times. And it helps that sometimes I get my own taste of coronavirus-era kindness. The one and only time I forgot to wear a mask out of the house, I was speaking with a friend and debating if I should go home to get a mask, even though I was already running late. A stranger on the street overheard what I said and handed me a spare mask. Living in the moment and making the most of this situation is the best we can do. And being there for each other as much as we can only helps to make this difficult time more tolerable. In the meantime, hope to see you soon, Rhode Island.

S HOM

WHAT CAN I SAY about the last few months that hasn’t already been said? I think all I can do, as a columnist for Jewish Rhode Island, is to share my personal experiences as a Rhode Islander living in Israel. It’s been months since my last column. So what should I tell you? About how I spent yet another day in my home? At times, based on the rules in Israel, I wasn’t even allowed to go more than a few hundred meters from home unless it was for essential errands. When this all began, I discussed with my family whether I should fly back to Providence to wait things out. My family said they wanted to make sure I was safe. Given that understandable familial logic, I felt the best thing was for me to stay put in Israel. I honestly felt from the beginning that, if it were solely a matter of personal safety, I was better off in Israel. That’s still true, in my opinion. For the most part, Israelis adapted very well to the new restrictions. Masks were more-orless required, going more than 500 meters from your home was forbidden, and gatherings were all but banned. And our numbers showed that it was working. Israel was a model country when it came to dealing with the pandemic. Beyond this, heartwarming stories came out of hospital coronavirus wards. Stories of patients with moderate cases caring for the more severely afflicted in order to limit the nurses’ exposure. I heard of a rabbi in one of these wards who led a Passover seder for the strangers in quarantine with him. Sometimes, the best of humanity comes out during the worst of times. Eventually, it got to the point where Israel began returning to normal. Unfortunately, our virus numbers show that was not the case as of late August. Our government seems like a deer caught in the headlights, unsure about what to do, even though they pulled off successful measures just a few short months ago. I won’t comment on what’s different now, and why the government isn’t acting swiftly, since I honestly don’t understand why there is such hesitation in the face of a second spike. But I’m proud that, at least at the beginning of this, we were a model country, with examples like patients showing one another the utmost kindness and compassion in the face of their own illnesses. All I can comment on for now is what my personal experience has been. Fortunately, while many people lost their jobs, my workload increased. Both my jobs – a corporate recruiter for a specific company and a Career/Life Coach – started booming. I’m proud to say that I’ve helped to reduce the unemployment rate

DANIEL STIEGLITZ (dstieglitz@gmail.com) is a corporate recruiter and certified Life Coach who lives in Jerusalem. His collection of short stories, “Tavern of the Mind,” is available for paperback and Kindle purchase at Amazon. www.amzn.to/2Izssrz.

The writer and his roommates (left to right): David Gedallovich from Cali, Colombia, Jake Gillis from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Stieglitz, and Joel Mack from Leeds, England.

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HIGH HOLY DAYS

R.I. congregations offer options for High Holy Days worship BY JEWISH RHODE ISLAND STAFF Jewish Rhode Island asked several R.I. synagogue leaders about their plans for the High Holy Days during the pandemic. It turns out that the plans are as varied as the congregations. A few will meet outside. Most are offering virtual services. Several congregations, including Temple Emanu-El, in Providence, are taking their shofars around the state to give Jews an opportunity to hear its blasts. Here is a list of High Holy Days plans at several synagogues in Rhode Island. We urge you to contact your synagogue as the holidays draw closer since plans may change as the virus and health recommendations evolve. Temple Sinai, in Cranston, a Reform congregation, is offering virtual-only services for the High Holy Days. “We will be live and in-person only for a ‘drive-through’ shofar service and a socially-distanced tashlikh ser-

vice at Goddard Park Beach, both on Rosh Hashanah afternoon [Sept. 19],” Rabbi Jeffrey Goldwasser said. He said most High Holy Days services will be in a format similar to the weekly Friday night Shabbat services on Zoom. They will include traditional music, led by Cantor Deborah Johnson, and a professional choir. Only the Erev Rosh Hashanah service will be formatted differently. It will be conducted as a seder and participants will be encouraged to integrate the service into their festival dinner, as they do during Passover. A High Holy Days guide, “40 Days of T’shuvah,” has been distributed to temple members. The guide is formatted as a journal that congregants can use to prepare for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. The hope is that this will make the shortened services more meaningful. Digital tickets will be required for Rosh Hashanah morning services, Kol Nidrei and the Yom Kippur morning service. For more information, contact Rab-

bi Goldwasser at rabbigoldwasser@ templesinairi.org or Dottie Swajian at dottie@templesinairi.org. Congregation B’nai Israel, a Conservative congregation in Woonsocket, is planning in-person services, according to Judy Schoenfeld, congregation vice president. “We have a large sanctuary and can accommodate a specific number of people while still social distancing when seated,” she said in an email. Those interested in attending any High Holy Days service must contact the synagogue office, at 401-761-3651, so that an accurate count can be kept. “We have made arrangements for the building to be cleaned and will be restricting access to certain parts of the building. Signs will be placed around the building to encourage social distancing and hand sanitizers will be available. Prayer books, tallitot, and kippot will be used once and then separated to prevent reuse,” Schoenfeld said. Services will also be available via

Zoom. Contact the office for access or any additional questions. Congregation Miskon Tfiloh, an Orthodox congregation on Providence’s East Side, will have in-person services only for the High Holy Days. According to Rabbi Yechezkel Yudkowsky, these are “Orthodox services that are beginner-friendly. We have marked off areas to sit and require masks.” For more information, contact the rabbi at 347-968-7368. Temple Shalom, non-affiliated, in Middletown, will offer services via Zoom and Facebook Live, led by Cantor Fred Scheff and Daniel Berkman. Temple president Abigail Anthony reports that the services will last no longer than two hours. The congregation will gather for tashlikh at Third Beach, in Middletown, on Sept. 19. For more information, email templeshalomrhodeisland@gmail.com. Up-to-date information is also available at templeshalomrhodeisland.org.

Synagogues gear up for the High Holy Days BY JEWISH RHODE ISLAND STAFF Summer is winding down and we are gearing up for the High Holy Days. Our thoughts turn to the bright promise of the Jewish New Year! This will be a season like no other but that doesn’t mean we can’t answer the call of the shofar. Jewish Rhode Island does not list information regarding specific services and schedules. Below is a list of all the synagogues,

ORTHODOX Congregation Beth Sholom P rovidence 401-236-7536 bethsholom-ri.org office@bethsholom-ri.org Congregation Mishkon Tfiloh P rovidence 401-421-5074 mishkontfiloh@juno.com Congregation Ohawe Sholam Pawtucket 401-725-3886 dgpliskin@gmail.com Congregation Sha’arei Tefilla P rovidence 401-273-3923 shaareitefillaprov.org rds@shaareitefillaprov.org Congregation Sons of Jacob P rovidence 401-274-5260 sonsofjacobsynagogue.org congsons@hotmail.com

temples and congregational groups known to us, along with contact information that is current as we know it. A few congregations plan to hold in-person services with masks and social distancing in place. Most plan a robust calendar of on-line worship and programming. For more information on service schedules, please contact the synagogues directly or visit their websites.

Touro Synagogue (Congregation Jeshuat Israel) Newport 401-847-4794 tourosynagogue.org cji@tourosynagogue.org

CONSERVATIVE Congregation Beth David Narragansett 401-789-3437 cbdri.org eadler3@cox.net Temple Beth El of Fall River Fall R iver, M assachusetts 508-674-3529 frtemplebethel.org templebethel@comcast.net Congregation B’nai Israel Woonsocket 401-762-3651 shalom-cbi.org synagogue@cbi. necoxmail.com

Temple Emanu-El P rovidence 401-331-1616 teprov.org info@teprov.org Congregation Or Chadash Cranston 401-225-7194 orchadash-ri.org info@orchadash-ri.org Temple Shalom M iddletown 401-846-9002 templeshalomrhodeisland.org contact@templeshalomrhodeisland.org Congregation Sharah Zedek Westerly 401-345-1544 or 401-596-9951 congregationsharahzedek.org Email form on website Congregation Tifereth Israel New Bedford, M assachusetts 508-997-3171 tinewbedford.org ti@tinewbedford.org

Temple Torat Yisrael East Greenwich 401-885-6600 toratyisrael.org stephanie@toratyisrael.org

REFORM Newport Havurah Newport 401-423-0407 Newporthavurah1@gmail.com Temple Beth-El P rovidence 401-331-6070 temple-beth-el.org jmoseley@temple-beth-el.org Temple Habonim Barrington 401-245-6536 templehabonim.org office@templehabonim.org Temple Sinai Cranston 401-942-8350 templesinairi.org dottie@templesinairi.org, rabbigoldwasser@ templesinairi.org

RECONSTRUCTIONIST Congregation Agudas Achim Attleboro, M assachusetts 508-222-2243 www.agudasma.org office@agudasma.org

NON-DENOMINATIONAL Brown RISD Hillel P rovidence 401-863-2805 brownrisdhillel.org info@brownrisdhillel.org Hillel Foundation at the University of Rhode Island P rovidence 401-874-2740 urihillel.org amyolson@mail.uri.edu Chabad CHAI Center of West Bay Warwick 401-884-7888 RabbiWarwick.com rabbi@RabbiWarwick.com Chabad House of Barrington Barrington 401-247-4747 jewishbarrington.com rabbi@jewishbarrington.com Chabad of Rhode Island Jewish Hospitality Center P rovidence 401-273-7238 chabadriprovidence.com believeinprovidence@gmail. com Congregation Sons & Daughters of Ruth Block Island 401-466-2861 United Brothers Synagogue Bristol 401-253-3460 unitedbrotherssynagogue.org ubsbristol@gmail.com

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4 new children’s books to brighten up the Jewish New Year BY PENNY SCHWARTZ BOSTON (JTA) – SPARKLING STARS and the light of the full harvest moon comfort a young boy and his older sister as they fall asleep in their family sukkah. That’s a scene in “Night Lights,” an endearing new illustrated children’s book by Barbara Diamond Goldin, one of the country’s most highly acclaimed Jewish children’s book authors. It’s one of four new engaging books for kids to usher in the Jewish New Year at a time when holiday traditions are being upended due to the coronavirus pandemic. Having to deal with quarantine and perhaps school at home, families can take pleasure turning the pages of these crisp new reads. “Night Lights” was originally published 25 years ago. The characters of the mother and sister are featured more prominently in the new shorter, refreshed text, Diamond Goldin told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency in a phone conversation. Amberin Huq’s brightly colored illustrations are new, too. This year’s crop of newcomers also features the latest in the popular Sammy Spider series that has delighted kids for years. Earlier this year, the Rosh Hashanah middle grade novel “Rachel’s Roses,” by Ferida Wolff and illustrated by Margeaux Lucas, was named a notable middle grade novel in this year’s Sydney Taylor Book Award for Jewish children’s books. The heartwarming immigrant story, set in the early 20th century, is perfect for ages 7 to 10. Rosh Hashanah begins on the night of Sept. 18. Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, starts on the evening of Sept. 27. Up next is Sukkot, the seven-day fall harvest festival, when Jews build small huts at their homes to recall the ancient Israelites who wandered through the desert for 40 years after the exodus from Egypt. The fall holidays wrap up with the celebration of Simchat Torah, when the cycle of reading the Torah begins anew. A holiday with ancient roots, Sukkot resonates with many issues of the day, Diamond Goldin observed, from its environmental and nature themes to a reminder of the plight of those who live in temporary shelters today, including refugees, a point she makes in her author’s note.

coincides with Sukkot. Maybe their ancestors did have night lights in the desert, after all. The sweet story will strike a chord with many kids who fear the dark. Amberin Huq’s expressive illustrations glow with the golden hues of fall and glisten with the lights of the night.

“Hillel Builds a House”

“Sammy Spider’s First Book of Prayers” Sylvia A. Rouss; illustrated by Katherine Janus Kahn Kar-Ben Publishing; ages 3 to 8 Young kids are introduced to daily prayers like the Shema for going to sleep, to blessings for Shabbat and special occasions. Each blessing, explained in lively rhyming verse from the point of view of the friendly Sammy Spider, is written in Hebrew, transliteration and a simple English translation. The blessings recited over Shabbat candles, wine and challah are perfect for Rosh Hashanah, which begins this year on Shabbat. Kids will enjoy spotting Sammy Spider dangling from his web on the brightly colored pages that embellish the book.

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Shoshana Lepon; illustrated by Angeles Ruiz Kar-Ben Publishing; ages 4-8 Meet Hillel, an enterprising young boy who loves building houses – in trees and even under the basement stairs. But on Jewish holidays, his inventive houses seem to get in everyone’s way. Finally, as Sukkot approaches, Hillel finds his groove. In his orange overalls, standing on a ladder, Hillel is gleeful as he helps his family build a sukkah, where they will eat their meals for seven days. “‘Sukkot means hammers and nails and branches and fruits and lots of decorations,’” Hillel said happily.

“Night Lights: A Sukkot Story” Barbara Diamond Goldin; illustrated by Amberin Huq Kar-Ben Publishing; ages 4-8 At the beginning of Sukkot, a young boy named Daniel and his older sister, Naomi, get ready to camp out overnight in the family sukkah for the first time without their grandpa, who has a cold. Readers will soon figure out that Daniel is a little anxious. There’s no electricity, his sister teases him, so he can’t have his night light. He brings his teddy bear, but in the shadows, Daniel imagines scary faces in the squashes that hang as decorations. As the night grows darker, Naomi realizes she needs a little reassurance, too. Looking up through the sukkah’s branches, the siblings see the glow of the star-filled sky and the bright full moon that

“Worse and Worse on Noah’s Ark” Leslie Kimmelman; illustrated by Vivian Mineker Apples & Honey Press; ages 4 to 8 In this upbeat spin on the biblical story of Noah’s Ark, award-winning author Leslie Kimmelman infuses a kid-friendly Jewish sense of humor. The story imagines how bad things can get when Noah and his family shelter through 40 days of the biblical flood in the ark’s crowded quarters along with pairs of all their animal friends. The story of Noah is read aloud from the Torah in the synagogue two weeks after Simchat Torah. In “Worse and Worse,” the animals get seasick, peacocks bicker with the zebras and the skunks make quite a stink. As the troubles amass, Noah’s wife and sons complain, “Could things get any worse?” – a refrain that kids can repeat page after page. Just when readers think the kvetching will never stop, Noah gets the crew working together to fix a leak that threatens them all. They begin to cooperate and care for each other. Kids will dive in to Mineker’s cartoon-like illustrations of zebras, parrots, growling lions and sloths hanging upside down. An author’s note prompts conversation about empathy.

SEPTEMBER 2020 | 19

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HIGH HOLY DAYS

2020 Traditional 2020 Traditional 2020 Traditional 2020 Traditional 2020 Traditional 2020 Traditional Rosh Hashanah Menu Rosh Hashanah Menu Rosh Hashanah Rosh Hashanah Menu Rosh Menu Menu Rosh Hashanah Hashanah Menu

Must-know Rosh Hashanah Gefilte Fish_________________________________________$ 2.99 pc Gefilte Fish_________________________________________$ Fish_________________________________________$ 2.99 pc. pc. Gefilte 2.99 words and phrases Gefilte Fish_________________________________________$ Gefilte Fish_________________________________________$ Gefilte Fish_________________________________________$ 2.99 pc. 2.99 pc. 2.99 pc. Gefilte Fish_________________________________________$ 2.99 pc. Our Own Horseradish_______________________________$ 7.99 lb Our Own Own Horseradish_______________________________$ Horseradish_______________________________$ 7.99 7.99 lb. lb. Our 2020 Traditional Our Own Horseradish_______________________________$ Our Own Horseradish_______________________________$ Our Own Horseradish_______________________________$ 7.99 lb. 7.99 lb. 7.99 lb. Our Own Horseradish_______________________________$ 7.99 lb. Chopped Liver______________________________________$ 9.99 lb Chopped Liver______________________________________$ Liver______________________________________$ 9.99 9.99 lb. lb. Chopped Rosh Hashanah Menu Chopped Liver______________________________________$ Chopped Liver______________________________________$ Chopped Liver______________________________________$ 9.99 lb. 9.99 lb. 9.99 lb. Chopped Liver______________________________________$ 9.99 lb. BY MJL STAFF

FAR or SHOH-far (rhymes with “so far”). The ram’s (My Jewish Learning horn that is sounded via JTA) – Here are some during the month of Elul, important Hebrew words on Rosh Hashanah and at and terms you may encoun- the end of Yom Kippur. It is Chicken Soupand with noodles and carrots_______$ 3.49 pt./$6.98 q ter over the High Holy Day mentioned numerous times Chicken Soup Soup with with noodles noodles and carrots_______$ 3.49 pt./$6.98 pt./$6.98 qt. qt. 3.49 Chicken carrots_______$ season, which starts withChicken in theSoup Bible in reference toSoup with Chicken noodles and Chicken with carrots_______$ noodles Soup and with3.49 carrots_______$ noodles pt./$6.98 and qt. carrots_______$ 3.49 pt./$6.983.49 qt. pt./$6.98 qt. Chicken Soup with noodles and carrots_______$ 3.49 pt./$6.98 qt. Rosh Hashanah on the its ceremonial use in the Matzoh Balls________________________________________$ 9.99 d Matzoh Balls________________________________________$ 9.99 dz. Matzoh Balls________________________________________$ evening of Sept. 18. Temple and to its function Gefilte Fish_________________________________________$9.99 2.99dz. pc. as a signal hornMatzoh of war. Balls________________________________________$ Matzoh Balls________________________________________$ Matzoh Balls________________________________________$ 9.99 dz. 9.99 dz. 9.99 dz. Akedah: Pronounced ahMatzoh Balls________________________________________$ 9.99 dz. Roasted Brisket with Gravy___________________________$18.99 keh-DAH. Literally “bindTashlikh (also Tashlich): Roasted Brisket with Gravy___________________________$18.99 Gravy___________________________$18.99 lb. Roasted Brisket with Our Own Horseradish_______________________________$ 7.99lb. lb. ing,” the Akedah refers Roasted Pronounced TAHSH-likh. Brisket with Roasted Gravy___________________________$18.99 Brisket Roasted with Gravy___________________________$18.99 Brisket with Gravy___________________________$18.99 lb. lb. lb. to the biblical story of the Literally “cast away,” TashRoasted Brisket with Gravy___________________________$18.99 lb. Holiday Lasagna ____________________________________$ 9.99 l binding of Isaac, which is lich is a ceremony observed Holiday Lasagna ____________________________________$ 9.99 lb.lb. 9.99 lb. Holiday Lasagna ____________________________________$ Chopped Liver______________________________________$ 9.99 traditionally read on the Holiday on the afternoon of the first Lasagna Holiday ____________________________________$ Lasagna Holiday ____________________________________$ Lasagna ____________________________________$ 9.99 lb. 9.99 lb. 9.99 lb. Holiday LasagnaBoneless ____________________________________$ 9.99 lb. second day of Rosh Hashaday of Rosh Hashanah in w/spinach & roasted red pepper $ 7.99 Chicken Breast stuffed nah. which sins are symbolicalw/spinach roasted red redpepper pepperpt./$6.98 7.99 ea. ea. Boneless Chicken Breast stuffed w/spinach && roasted $$ 7.99 Boneless Chicken Breast stuffed Chicken Soup with noodles and carrots_______$ 3.49 qt. ly castChicken away into a naturalstuffed w/spinach & stuffed roasted red w/spinach pepper & $ roasted 7.99w/spinach ea. red pepper & roasted $ 7.99 redea. pepper $ 7.99 ea. Boneless Boneless Breast Chicken Boneless Breast Chicken Breast stuffed Chag sameach: Pronounced Boneless Chicken Breast stuffed w/spinach & roasted red pepper $ 7.99 ea. body of water. The term KHAG sah-MAY-akh. Carrot Tzimmi_______________________________________$ 8.99 l and custom are derived Carrot Tzimmi_______________________________________$ 8.99 lb.dz. Carrot Tzimmi_______________________________________$ 8.99 lb. Matzoh Balls________________________________________$ 9.99 Literally “happy holiday,” from a verse in Carrot the BookTzimmi_______________________________________$ of Carrot Tzimmi_______________________________________$ 8.99 lb. 8.99 lb. 8.99 lb. a common greeting on Carrot Tzimmi_______________________________________$ Carrot Tzimmi_______________________________________$ 8.99 lb. Micah (Micah 7:19). Kasha and Bows_____________________________________$ 6.99 l Rosh Hashanah and other Kasha and Bows_____________________________________$ 6.99 lb. lb.lb. 6.99 Kasha and Bows_____________________________________$ Roasted Brisket with Gravy___________________________$18.99 Jewish holidays. Teshuvah (also teshuva): ProKasha and Bows_____________________________________$ Kasha and Bows_____________________________________$ Kasha and Bows_____________________________________$ 6.99 lb. 6.99 lb. 6.99 lb. nounced tih-SHOO-vuh. Kasha and Bows_____________________________________$ 6.99 lb. Elul: Pronounced el-OOL Barley & Mushroom Pilaf_____________________________$ 6.99 Literally “return,” teshuBarley & Mushroom Mushroom Pilaf_____________________________$ 6.99 6.99 lb.lb. Barley & Pilaf_____________________________$ lb. Holiday Lasagna ____________________________________$ 9.99 (oo as in food). The final vah is often translated as Barley Pilaf_____________________________$ & Mushroom Barley & Pilaf_____________________________$ Mushroom Pilaf_____________________________$ 6.99 lb. 6.99 lb. 6.99 lb. month of the Jewish cal- Barley & Mushroom “repentance.” It is one of Barley & Mushroom Pilaf_____________________________$ 6.99 lb. endar, it is designated as Roasted Vegetable________________ __________________$ the central themes and Roasted Vegetable________________ __________________$ 7.99 lb. ea. 7.99 l 7.99 lb. Roasted Vegetable________________ __________________$ w/spinach & roasted red pepper $ 7.99 Boneless Chicken Breast stuffed a time of reflection, introspiritual components of theVegetable________________ Roasted Roasted __________________$ Vegetable________________ __________________$ 7.99 lb. __________________$ 7.99 lb. 7.99 lb. spection and repentance.Roasted Vegetable________________ Roasted Vegetable________________ __________________$ 7.99 lb. High Holy Days. Puree Parsnip with Dill & Onions _____________________$ 8.99 l Puree Parsnip with Dill & Onions _____________________$ 8.99 lb.lb. 8.99 lb. Puree Parsnip with Dill & Onions _____________________$ Het (also chet): Pronounced Carrot Tzimmi_______________________________________$ 8.99 Tishrei: Pronounced TISHKHET (short e). Sin, or Puree Parsnip with Puree Dill Parsnip & Onions Puree with _____________________$ Dill Parsnip & Onions with Dill _____________________$ & Onions 8.99 lb._____________________$ 8.99 lb. 8.99 lb. ray. The first month in the Puree Parsnip with Dill & Onions _____________________$ 8.99___________$ lb. wrongdoing. Potato Kugel (whole kugel is approx. 5 lbs.) 5.99 l Hebrew calendar, during Potato Kugel (whole kugel kugel isis approx. approx. 55 lbs.) lbs.) ___________$ ___________$ 5.99 5.99 lb.lb. lb. Potato Kugel (whole Kasha and Bows_____________________________________$ 6.99 L’shana tovah u’metukah: Prowhich Rosh (whole Hashanah, Potato Kugel Potato kugel Kugel is approx. Potato (whole Kugel 5kugel lbs.) (whole is___________$ approx. kugel 5 lbs.) is5.99 approx. ___________$ lb. 5 lbs.) 5.99 ___________$ lb. 5.99 lb. nounced l’shah-NAH toeYom Kippur and Sukkot all Potato Kugel (whole kugel is approx. 5(whole lbs.) ___________$ 5.99 5lb.lbs.)____$ 6.99 l Cheese Noodle Kugel kugel is approx. VAH ooh-meh-too-KAH. occur. Cheese Noodle Kugel (whole kugel is approx. 5 lbs.)____$ 6.99 lb.lb. 6.99 lb. Cheese Noodle Kugel (whole kugel is approx. 5 lbs.)____$ Barley & Mushroom Pilaf_____________________________$ 6.99 A Hebrew greeting for the Cheese Noodle Kugel Cheese (whole Noodle kugel Cheese Kugel is approx. Noodle (whole Kugel 5 kugel lbs.)____$ (whole is approx. 6.99 kugel 5 lb. lbs.)____$ is approx. 6.99 5 lbs.)____$ lb. 6.99 lb. Tzom Kal: Pronounced Cheese Noodle Kugel approx. 5 lbs.)____$ lb. High Holy Day season that Sweet(whole Potatokugel Kugelis weight (approximate weight6.99 1.5 lbs.)______$ 6.99 TZOHM KAHL. This greetmeans “For a good and Sweet Potato Kugel (approximate weight 1.5 lbs.)______$ 6.99 lb.lb. 6.99 lb. Sweet Potato Kugel (approximate 1.5 lbs.)______$ Roasted Vegetable________________ __________________$ 7.99 ing for Yom Kippur (and sweet year.” Sweet Potato Sweet (approximate PotatoSweet Kugel weight Potato (approximate 1.5Kugel lbs.)______$ (approximate weight6.99 1.5 lbs.)______$ lb. weight 1.56.99 lbs.)______$ lb. 6.99 lb. other JewishKugel fast days) Sweet Potato Kugel (approximate weight 1.5weight lbs.)______$ 6.99 lb. Apple Kugel (approximate 1.5 lbs.)_____________$ 6.99 l Mahzor (also machzor): means “may you have any Apple Kugel (approximate weight 1.5 lbs.)_____________$ 6.99 lb.lb. 6.99 lb. Apple Kugel (approximate weight 1.5 lbs.)_____________$ Puree Parsnip with&Dill & Onions _____________________$ 8.99 w/spinach roasted red pepper Pronounced MAHKH-zohr. easy fast.” Apple Kugel (approximate Apple Kugel weight (approximate Apple1.5Kugel lbs.)_____________$ (approximate weight 1.5 lbs.)_____________$ weight 6.99 lb. 1.5 lbs.)_____________$ 6.99 lb. 6.99 lb. Literally “cycle,” the Apple Kugel (approximate weightLiver________________________________$ 1.5 lbs.)_____________$ 6.99 lb. Unetaneh Tokef: Pronounced Vegan Chopped 10.99 mahzor is the special Vegan Chopped Liver________________________________$ 10.99 lb. Vegan Chopped Liver________________________________$ 10.99 lb. Potato Kugel (whole kugel is approx. 5 lbs.) ___________$ 5.99 lb. ooh-nuh-TAH-neh TOHprayer book for the HighVegan Chopped Vegan Liver________________________________$ Vegan Liver________________________________$ Chopped Liver________________________________$ 10.99 lb. 10.99 lb. 10.99 lb. keff. Literally “we shall Chopped Holy Days containing all Vegan Chopped Liver________________________________$ 10.99 lb. ascribe,” a religious poem the special liturgy. Cheese Noodle Kugel (wholefoods kugel is approx. 5 lbs.)____$ 6.99 lb. not Koshe recited during the Musaf All prepared Jewish-style areKosher** explicitly ** All All prepared prepared**foods foods are Jewish-style Jewish-styleare are explicitlydnot not Kosher** ** are dd are explicitly Selichot (also Selihot): (additional service) Ami** Alldah prepared foods ** toAllstrike are prepared Jewish-style ****foods All prepared dare areJewish-style explicitly foods are not dJewish-style are Kosher** explicitlyddnot are explicitly not Pronounced slee-KHOTE. that is meant AllSweet prepared foods are Jewish-style areKosher** explicitly notKosher** Kosher** Potato Kugel (approximate weight 1.5 lbs.)______$ 6.99 lb. Literally “forgivenesses,” fear in us. selichot are prayers for Please Yamim Noraim: Pronounced Please place place orders orders by:place orders by: Please by: forgiveness. Selichot refers Kugelplace (approximate weight yah-MEEM nohr-ah-EEM. 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This is th, th, th, Rosh Hashanah through th also the name of the serth, th th ** All prepared foods are Jewish-style d are explicitly not Kosher** Yom Kippur, which are also vice that takes place late th th th th known as the Aseret Yimei th th at night on the Saturday th Teshuva, or the 10 Days of preceding Rosh Hashanah th th th Repentance. th and consists of a longer Please place orders by: 165 Pitman Street, series of these penitential Yom Tov: Pronounced 165 Pitman Pitman Street, Street, 165 ProvidenceTH , RI 02906 prayers. YOHM TOHV or YON-tiff. Providence RI 02906 02906 Providence ,, RI 165 Pitman Street, 165 Pitman Street,165 Pitman Street, Phone (401)831-7771 This is a general term for 165 Pitman Street, Phone(401)831-7771 Phone Providence , RI 02906 Providence , RI 02906 Providence ,(401)831-7771 RI 02906 Shofar: Pronounced shohthe major Jewish festivals. Providence , RI 02906 Fax (401)831-7815 Fax (401)831-7815 (401)831-7815 Fax

2020 Traditional Rosh Hashanah Menu

Gefilte Fish_________________________________________$ 2.99 pc. __ _

Our Own Horseradish_______________________________$ 7.99 lb.

Chopped Liver______________________________________$ 9.99 lb.

Chicken Soup with noodles and carrots_______$ 3.49 pt./$6.98 qt.

Matzoh Balls________________________________________$ 9.99 dz.

Roasted Brisket with Gravy___________________________$18.99 lb.

Holiday Lasagna ____________________________________$ 9.99 lb. Boneless Chicken Breast stuffed

_$ 7.99 ea.

Carrot Tzimmi_______________________________________$ 8.99 lb.

Kasha and Bows_____________________________________$ 6.99 lb.

Barley & Mushroom Pilaf_____________________________$ 6.99 lb. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15 TUESDAY,TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15 SEPTEMBER 15FOR PICK15 TUESDAY, FORSEPTEMBER PICK UP UP ON ON7.9915UP FOR PICK Roasted Vegetable________________ __________________$ lb. ON

FOR PICK UP FOR ONPICK FOR UP ON PICK UP Thursday, 17 FOR PICK UP ON ON September Thursday, September 17 Thursday, September 17 Thursday, September September Thursday, 17 Friday, 17 September Puree Parsnip with Dill &Thursday, Onions 17 _____________________$ 8.99 lb. 20 Thursday, 17 Friday,September September 20 Friday, September 20 Friday, September Friday,20 September Friday, September 20September 20 Saturday, 19 Friday, September 20September Saturday, September 19 Saturday, 19 Saturday, September Saturday, 19Saturday, September September 19 19 Saturday, September 195.99 lb. Potato Kugel (whole kugel is approx. 5 lbs.) ___________$

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15

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HIGH HOLY DAYS

In a difficult time, welcome the new year with this easy chicken recipe Braised Chicken With Dates Serves 4

INGREDIENTS 1 cut-up broiler-fryer chicken 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 leek, chopped (1/2-3/4 cup chopped, or use one medium onion) 1 large clove garlic, chopped 2 teaspoons tightly packed chopped fresh ginger 2 teaspoons tightly packed grated fresh orange peel

1/4 teaspoon Aleppo pepper (or use 2 pinches cayenne pepper) 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg Salt to taste 1/2 cup chicken stock 1/2 cup orange juice 6-8 whole pitted dates, preferably medjool, cut in half Chopped chives or parsley for garnish

DIRECTIONS

Remove the chicken to a dish and set aside. Add the leek, garlic, ginger and orange peel to the pan and cook, stirring constantly, for about 1 minute. Return the chicken to the pan and spoon the leek mixture on top. Sprinkle with the cayenne and nutmeg.

Sprinkle with salt if desired. Pour in the chicken stock and orange juices. Stir the liquid, cover the pan and turn the heat to low-medium. Cook for 15 minutes. Add the dates and cook for another 10-15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Place the chicken and dates in a serving dish. Boil the pan juices over high heat for a minute or two to thicken the sauce slightly. Pour the sauce over the chicken and dates. Sprinkle with chopped chives or parsley.

We eat as best we can. For us this year, eating best means chicken. Chicken is celebratory. It is also available, relatively inexpensive, easy to cook and doesn’t take hours. Best of all, chicken is mild, so it takes on all sorts of flavors from what you cook it with and how you season it. Is it any

wonder that this lovable bird has been an enduring classic for Shabbat? This recipe includes leeks and dates, two of the symbolic ingredients for Rosh Hashanah. I’ll serve it with its savory pan juices over egg noodles and a green vegetable on the side. Shanah tovah. Be well and stay safe.

Rinse and dry the chicken and set aside. Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Cook the chicken a few pieces at a time until they are lightly browned, about 8 minutes. BY RONNIE FEIN (JTA) – Rosh Hashanah won’t be usual this year. Like many of you, my family won’t be getting together, so we’ll be setting the table for two, not 11. It’s disappointing because although we managed on Passover with a Zoom Seder, we figured all would be well by the High Holy Days. But all isn’t well. It’s been difficult to shop, what with waiting in line to get in and having to wear a mask and push a shopping cart that stinks of Lysol. Or I have to text with my Instacart shopper to pick

out the right bananas. I know I’m not the only person who can’t find all the grocery items I want (there isn’t a whole brisket to be had). And the expense! Oy! But then I think about what makes Rosh Hashanah so extraordinary. About hearing the shofar blast (virtually from our synagogue), how it thrills us and calls us to think about the past year and consider our future. I’m grateful the holiday has come. I look forward to another year ahead. On Rosh Hashanah we celebrate new beginnings, we pray for good health, joy and prosperity.

Honey and balsamic vinegar bring sweetness to these sprouts BY RONNIE FEIN (JTA) – In 2008, Heinz conducted a survey that identified Brussels sprouts as America’s most hated vegetable. Even people who never tasted them were naysayers, claiming Brussels sprouts were bitter and smelly. My mother never cooked them. She feared insects might be hidden among the tightly packed leaves. And when I got married, my husband refused to eat them and joked that if I cooked any he’d file for divorce. Years later a food editor asked me to write about – yes – Brussels sprouts. My kitchen became a Brussels sprouts extravaganza. I cooked the vegetable every way possible: roasted, stir-fried, steamed. I halved them, shredded them, left them

whole. I made them with lemon and with hazelnuts, olive oil, balsamic vinegar. I used them in hash and pot pie. I never imagined how versatile Brussels sprouts are.

My husband tasted every dish, loved most and became a “Brussie convert.” We’ve been feasting on the stuff ever since. It helped that there are health benefits: Brussels sprouts have loads of vitamins A, C and K; iron, beta-carotene and folic acid. Also, we discovered that despite the strong “perfume,” Brussies are worth cooking. Also, you get familiar with the odor. Brussels sprouts are sold loose or on stalks. The stalks are cheaper and last longer. You can cook the small ones whole, but it’s best to cut the larger ones. Because of the pandemic, we’ll just be two for dinner this Rosh Hashanah. Our menu is braised chicken, egg noodles and this blessedly simple dish of Brussels sprouts seasoned with balsamic vinegar and honey, which are lovely, sweet counterpoints the vegetable’s mild sting. Honey signifies the hope that the new year will be sweet.

RONNIE FEIN is a cookbook author, food writer and cooking teacher in Stamford, Connecticut. She is the author of “The Modern Kosher Kitchen” and “Hip Kosher.” Visit her food blog, Kitchen Vignettes, at www.ronniefein.com, friend on Facebook at RonnieVailFein, Twitter at @RonnieVFein, Instagram at RonnieVFein.

Honey-Balsamic Glazed Brussels Sprouts Serves 4

INGREDIENTS 1 pound Brussels sprouts 2 tablespoons olive oil Salt to taste 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 1 tablespoon honey 1 teaspoon finely grated fresh orange peel

DIRECTIONS Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Wash and trim the Brussels sprouts (if large, cut them in half). Place the vegetables on the baking sheet. Pour the olive oil over them and toss to coat them. Sprinkle with salt to taste. Bake for about 12-15 minutes, tossing the ingredients once, or until slightly browned around the edges tightly packed. Mix the vinegar, honey and orange peel, pour over the vegetables, toss and bake for another 10 minutes or until the Brussels sprouts are tender.

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HIGH HOLY DAYS

7 tips for staying healthy during the Yom Kippur fast BY DR. TZVI DWOLATZKY (My Jewish Learning via JTA) – There is a marked difference between the intended feeling of being uncomfortable with not eating or drinking for 25 hours and actually becoming ill as a result of not getting enough liquids and nutrients. Yom Kippur not only requires emotional preparation, but physical as well. A person can take several important steps before the holiday in order to achieve the best physical condition possible to perform better on Yom Kippur, which this year falls on the evening of Sept. 27. Here are seven tips to prepare you for an easy fast:

Ask your physician if your health allows you to fast

Many chronic medical conditions, such as high blood pressure, heart disease or arthritis, do not usually prevent you from fasting as long as your condition is stable. This is usually the case for pregnant and nursing mothers as well. Clearly an acute illness accompanied by fever, vomiting or diarrhea will prevent you from fasting. Before going any further, you should check with your doctor as to whether your health allows you to fast.

Prepare early

At least a week before the fast, you should cut down on the daily amount of coffee and caffeinated beverages. Also, take it easy with salty foods. Keep away from alcohol because it stimulates the loss of body water. The use of artificial sweeteners should also be kept to a minimum.

Drink a lot of liquids, but don’t overdo it

It is very important to be well hydrated before the fast. For at least two days before the fast, make sure

to drink adequate amounts of fluids. Remember that the healthiest thing to drink is water. Keep a bottle of water with you and note how much you drink – about half a gallon is generally sufficient. But don’t overdo it. Drinking too much can wash out essential salts from your body.

Eat regular meals before the fast

It is important to get your body into a routine before the fast. Make sure to eat regular meals on the days before the fast. And don’t skip breakfast, which is probably the most important meal of the day. Keep away from very rich and spicy foods. And eat in moderation.

cool surroundings as much as possible. This is certainly true on the day of the fast as well.

Have a light meal before the fast

When sitting down to the meal before the fast, a light meal is preferable. Eating extra amounts of food does not help to keep you going for 24 hours. Rather eat small amounts of carbohydrates (bread, potato, rice, pasta), some protein (fish,

chicken) and fruit (grapes and watermelon). Keep spices and salt to a minimum.

The break-fast meal

Well, you managed the fast very well, now it is time to eat. Go slow! Eat some carbs and drink some fluids. This article was printed with permission from Rambam HealthCare Campus, a 1,000bed academic hospital in Haifa, Israel.

Take it easy before and during the fast

On the day before the fast, refrain from strenuous physical exercise. Don’t run around too much doing chores – spoil yourself and take it easy. Keep out of the hot sun and spend the day in

SH A N A TOVA Wishing You a Happy, Healthy and Safe New Year

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COMMUNITY After 41 years, Shalom Apartments gets a new executive director SUSAN BAZAR has been named executive director of Shalom and Shalom II Apartments, in Warwick. Bazar is taking over from Bonnie Sekeres, who was the executive director for 41 years. “With the utmost integrity and keen fiscal prudence, Bonnie has overseen daily Housing and Urban Development [HUD] operations, and community and tenant relations here,” Bazar said. “A consensus-builder, Bonnie created and sustained a staff culture rooted in kindness and exemplary performance.” In addition to overseeing HUD operations, Bazar will serve as Jewish Collaborative Services’ community liaison statewide, also representing The Phyllis Siperstein Tamarisk Assisted Living Residence, in Warwick. Bazar is no stranger to JCS, a full-spectrum social services and housing agency. For the past few years, she has been the chief of administration and strategy, the management agent of Shalom and Shalom II. Prior to that, she was a longstanding board member of JSA and president of its Board of Trustees. She was also executive director of the Jewish Seniors Agency prior to the merger that formed JCS. In these positions, she became familiar with Shalom’s operations, as well as its reputation, both statewide and nationally, as a sterling HUD community. Bazar, of Narragansett, has a B.A. in sociology from Tufts University and a certificate in community health. With a background in community health, advocacy and business strategy, she brings to her new position a wealth of experience in navigating complex systems to meet individual and community needs. Jewish Collaborative Services serves Rhode Island and beyond, providing a single-entry point for the following programs: The Counseling Center, Case Management, The Kesher program, Lifeline RI, Partners in Care, Adoption Options, Jewish Eldercare of RI, The Louis and Goldie Chester Full Plate Kosher Food Pantry, Kosher Senior Café and Meals on Wheels. Housing options include The Phyllis Siperstein Tamarisk Assisted Living Residence, including Celebrations Adult Day Services, Respite, and Shalom and Shalom II Housing. Submitted by Jewish Collaborative Services.

OBITUARIES 35 | BUSINESS 32 | SIMCHAS 39

Rabbi Alex Weissman sees opportunities for spiritual growth during the pandemic BY LARRY KESSLER LIKE MANY CLERGY in the time of COVID-19, Rabbi Alex Weissman, the new spiritual leader of Congregation Agudas Achim, is facing the challenges of leading a synagogue in the midst of a pandemic, but with a twist: the post is his first pulpit. Weissman, 36, comes to Agudas Achim, in Attleboro, from Brown RISD Hillel, in Providence, where he was the senior Jewish educator. Like the synagogue’s previous rabbi, Leora Abelson, Weissman’s position at Agudas Achim is part time, said Howard Tinberg, a member of the ritual committee. Weissman said he believes that synagogues have an especially vital role to play during the COVID-19 pandemic. “We live in a world of isolation, hyper-individualism and division,” he said. “Synagogues have the potential to be an antidote to [help us] show up for each other, to learn from each other, to rejoice together and to grieve together.” Meeting that goal was recently made harder by a decision to make the synagogue’s High Holy Days services virtual – one more obstacle to

overcome in these tough times. “It’s a heartbreaking decision that we came to through a thoughtful process of considering the importance of our holidays and also the very real risk of gathering in person,” Weissman said. “Our tradition places tremendous emphasis on the value of human life, prioritizing it over so many other parts of our tradition, including Shabbat. If we can be part of flattening the curve and saving lives, even if it means living with the disappointment of virtual services, then that’s the choice our tradition demands of us,” he said. Weissman, who was ordained by the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, in Wyncote, Pennsylvania, in 2017, discussed several other topics in an email interview. Here are his comments, lightly edited for clarity:

Talk about your journey from educator to the spiritual leader of a congregation. In some ways, it’s not so different from the work I was doing at Hillel. I still teach, provide pastoral care, build community and lead services. The main thing that has changed is that instead of working with people

who are 18-21, I now serve people of all ages, which is one of the things I missed while doing campus work. Another difference is the shift from serving a pluralistic community to a Reconstructionist community, which takes a different approach to pluralism. There is religious diversity within the congregation, and we get to hold those differences within a Reconstructionist approach, grounded in Jewish wisdom and [a] democratic process.

In the congregation’s news release announcing your appointment, you said a synagogue can “build relationships across age, ideology, religiosity and so many other things that keep people apart.” How do you propose to put that goal into action, given how the pandemic has been keeping people apart?

That’s the question. In some ways, the pandemic actually makes this work easier. We are all facing the same challenge, albeit in different ways, so we have a shared experience that we are all up against. When we gather virtually, there are opportunities to connect around this and our human experience of it, even as CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

SEPTEMBER 2020 | 25

jewishrhody.org | Jewish Rhode Island

CONTINUED FROM PRECEDING PAGE we disagree about so many things. My hope is that if there is one spiritual change that emerges from this pandemic, we have an increased sense of k’vod ha’briyot, honor for living things. Can we grow in our capacity to cherish life in all of its forms? Rabbi Eliezer teaches in Pirkei Avot 2:10, “Let the honor of your friend be as dear to you as your own.” This is a moment to recognize the fundamental human dignity that all of us deserve. This is true regardless of who we are and what our beliefs are. If we can grow, even a little bit, in embodying this teaching, that will be worth celebrating.

What are the challenges in planning online High Holy Day services and sermons?

As we sit with that disappointment and loss that comes with this change, I think it will be necessary both to reflect on how to be with the uncertainty that we all face and also explore how we can find comfort. As we care for each other as a community in this way, we will also need to ask the question, “to whom are we obligated?” [Ovadia ben Jacob] Sforno, the [Jewish] Medieval Italian commentator, reflects on the verse from Deuteronomy, mah tovu, that synagogues are meant to be good for those that are a part of them, and

also good for the wider world. This is a simple but ambitious vision, but I think we are up for the task.

The Jewish community supported the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s; what role can you and the congregation play in helping to promote racial and social justice today?

This is a question the community has been grappling with. One of our members started a reading group for folks to learn more about race and racism, even as we are aware that reading about racism is only helpful in that it enables us to do the work of uprooting racism in the wider world. To that end, a group of members has gotten together to ask the question of how we can engage in the wider world. As a multiracial, predominantly white community that is politically diverse, the question of how we show up is not a simple one. There’s a tension that exists between being a moral voice and being a home for everyone. We’re sitting in that tension, as congregations have for years. The civil rights movement of the 1950s and ’60s was Black-led. Small segments of the Jewish community supported them. It wasn’t as universal as we like to tell ourselves. Yes, [Rabbi Abraham Joshua] Heschel marched with King, but that was not the norm. Most of the institutional Jewish world stayed out of it.

About Rabbi Alex Weissman NEW POST: Spiritual leader of Congregation Agudas Achim, in Attleboro.

I think we need to ask ourselves what the story we want to tell about this moment will be in the future. How did we live our values?

It’s hard. There have been ups and downs, and it’s all very blurry. I find my memory isn’t as sharp as it usually is because I experience everything in the same place – it’s hard to differentiate. What I miss most is hosting friends for Shabbat meals. Feeding people, spending hours talking, eating and singing. I look forward to being in an embodied community again.

2845 Post Road, Suite 105 Warwick, Rhode Island 02886 401-384-7251

Pray for Peace May it be Your will, G-d of our ancestors, that You grant my family and all Israel a good and long life. Remember us with blessings and kindness. Fill our homes with your Divine Presence. Give me the opportunity to raise my children and grandchildren to be truly wise, lovers of G-d, people of truth, who illuminate the world with Torah, good deeds and the work of the Creator. Please hear my prayer at this time. Regard me as a worthy descendent of Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel and Leah, our mothers, and let my candles burn and never be extinguished. Let the light of your face shine upon us, and bring true peace to Israel and the world.

BLESSINGS FOR SHABBOS

BLESSINGS FOR HOLIDAYS Select the proper ending for the appropriate Yom Tov:

BO-RUCH A-TOH ADO-NOI E-LO-HEI-NU ME-LECH HO-OLOM A-SHER KI-DE-SHA-NU BE-MITZ-VO-SOV VI-TZI-VO-NU LE-HAD-LIK-NER SHEL SHA-BOS KO-DESH Blessed are You, G-d our Lord, King of the universe, who has hallowed us through His commandments, and has commanded us to kindle the lights of the holy Shabbos. CAUTION FOR FRIDAYS: DO NOT light candles after sunset so as not to desecrate the Shabbos. It is forbidden to light candles after sunset.

Come to a “FRIDAY NIGHT LIVE” Shabbat Dinner at the Chabad House Jewish Hospitality Center 360-362 Hope St. Providence, RI 02906 Call: 273-7238

RESIDENCE: He moved to Providence in July 2017. MARITAL STATUS: Married Rabbi Adam Lavitt in June 2018.

– Larry Kessler

Greater Providence Hebrew Free Loan Association

LARRY KESSLER (larrythek65@ gmail.com) is a freelance writer based in North Attleboro.

WHERE HE GREW UP: Outside of Philadelphia.

IN THE COMMUNITY: The rabbinic organizer at T’ruah: The Rabbinical Call for Human Rights, a part-time position he holds in addition to his duties at Agudas Achim. He also serves on the advisory boards of Evolve: Groundbreaking Jewish Conversations and the Inside Out Wisdom in Action Project, and on the ethics committee of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association. He previously served on the social justice task force of the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island, and still supports its work.

Happy and Healthy New Year

How have you been handling the pandemic and what activity do you miss the most?

AGE: 36

EDUCATION/TRAINING: Graduate of Tufts University. Ordained in 2017 by the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, where he also earned a Masters of Hebrew Letters.

“More worthy is he who gives a loan than he who gives charity”

BORUCH ATO ADO-NOY ELO-HAY-NU MELECH HO-OLOM A-SHER KID-SHONU B’MITZ-VO-SOV V-TZI-VONU L’HAD-LIK NER SHEL (on Friday add — SHA-BOS V-SHEL) Pesach, Shavuot and Succot – Yom Tov Rosh Hashanah – Yom-Ha-zi-Koron Yom Kippur – Yom Ha-Kippurim Add this blessing following each of the above blessings except for the last holidays of Pesach. BORUCH ATO ADO-NOY ELO-HAY-NU MELECH HO-OLOM SHE-HEH-CHE-YONU V’KEE-MONU V’HEEGEE-ONU LEEZ-MAN HA-ZEH Special instructions for holidays (but not on Shabbat). It is forbidden to create a new fire by striking a match, lighter, etc., However, it is permissable to use a flame already burning since before the inception of the holiday, such as a pilot light, gas or candle flame. Candle lighting time for the second night of the Holiday is usually about one hour after the candle lighting time of the previous night.

5780–5781 (2020–2021) CANDLE LIGHTING SCHEDULE | Courtesy of Chabad of Rhode Island Times listed are for Providence, Rhode Island. Other areas around the region may vary by a few minutes. September 2020 4 11 18 19 25 27

6:53 6:41 6:28 EREV ROSH HASHANAH 7:30 ROSH HASHANAH 6:16 6:13 EREV YOM KIPPUR

2 3 9 10 16 23 30

March 2021

14 DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME RESUMES

6:37 6:44 7:49 EREV PASSOVER 7:50 PASSOVER

6:04 7:05 5:53 6:54 5:41 5:31 5:22

EREV SUKKOT

SUKKOT EREV SHEMINI ATZERET EREV SIMCHAT TORAH

1 DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME ENDS

6 13 20 27

2 3 9 16 23 30

6:52 7:57 PASSOVER 7:00 7:07 7:15 7:23

4:13 4:06 4:01 3:57

May 2021

April 2021

5 5:21 12 5:29 19 26 27 28

November 2020

October 2020

7 14 16 17 21 28

7:30 7:37 7:39 EREV SHAVU’OT 8:50 SHAVU’OT 7:44 7:50

December 2020 4 11 18 25

3:55 3:55 3:57 4:00

January 2021 1 8 15 22 29

June 2021 4 11 18 25

7:56 8:00 8:03 8:04

4:06 4:12 4:20 4:28 4:37

July 2021 2 9 16 23 30

Please do not deface or discard this paper, for G-d’s name is on it.

8:03 8:01 7:57 7:52 7:45

February 2021 5 12 19 26

4:46 4:55 5:04 5:12

August 2021 6 13 20 27

7:37 7:27 7:17 7:06

26 | SEPTEMBER 2020

Jewish Rhode Island | jewishrhody.org

COMMUNITY

Kenneth Stern knows the Israel-Palestinian conflict well BY LARRY KATZ One of the most divisive and toxic issues on American campuses is the conflict over Israel and Palestine. Some pro-Palestine students call supporters of Israel’s right to exist racist, and disrupt their events. Some pro-Israel students label pro-Palestine students terrorists, and call the Jews among them traitors. Lawsuits are filed. Legislation is proposed. Faculty members are Kenneth S. Stern blacklisted and receive death threats. Academic freedom is compromised and the entire academic enterprise is threatened. How did we get here, and what can be done? On the evening of Oct. 14, Kenneth S. Stern will present, on Zoom, his study of this conflict. Stern, the director of the Bard Center for the Study of Hate, is the author of “The Conflict Over the Conflict: The Israel/Palestine Campus Debate,” which chronicles what has been happening on campuses across the continent. In his passionate book, Stern examines attempts from each side to censor the other at a time when some say that students are being quarantined from difficult ideas, rather than being challenged to wrestle with them. He frames his examination on the theory that our ability to think rationally is inhibited when our identity is fiercely connected to a perceived social injustice. According to Stern, college campuses are the best places to probe this conflict and our intense views about it. In his Zoom presentation, he will discuss the conflict itself and suggest ways to navigate the issue on campuses. Stern is an attorney and award-winning au-

thor. For 25 years, he was the American Jewish Committee’s expert on anti-Semitism, and he was also the lead drafter of the “Working Definition of Anti-Semitism.” He has argued before the U.S. Supreme Court and testified before Congress, and is a frequent guest on television and radio. His work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Today and The Forward. Brandeis University Prof. Jonathan D. Sarna writes, “People on both sides of the Israel-Palestine campus debate will disagree with parts of [Stern’s] book, but everyone interested in the concepts of academic freedom and free speech should read it. A probing, provocative, and informative guide to clear thinking about divisive issues in our time.” The presentation will take place on Zoom. Realizing this, Stern was quoted in The Forward as saying, “I have mixed feelings about virtual book talks. I enjoy speaking in front of live audiences about topics that invoke curiosity and passion. My favorite part is the Q-and-A, especially when someone strongly disagrees with me. It’s an opportunity to examine their premises and my own, and bring the audience along to see an issue more deeply and from multiple perspectives.” Stern believes that virtual presentations allow more time for Q-and-A. There will be plenty of time on Oct. 14 for questions and answers following his presentation. To RSVP and receive a link to the Zoom, please visit jewishallianceri.org/stern. The program will take place Wednesday, Oct. 14, at 7 p.m. Stern’s book, “The Conflict Over the Conflict,” is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and the University of Toronto Press. This free presentation is part of the monthly Israeli Culture Series, held on the second Wednesday of each month, and Behind the Book: A Visiting Author Series. The event is made possible by a partnership with the Jewish Book Council. For more information, contact Or Cohen at ocohen@jewishallianceri.org or 401-864-3786. LARRY KATZ (lkatz@jewishallianceri.org) is the director of Jewish Life and Learning at the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island.

Summer Fun J-Campers at the Dwares JCC played with shadows on a recent sunny day as they tried out “shadow art” in the field behind the JCC. A good time was had by all. PHOTO | FRAN OSTENDORF

SEPTEMBER 2020 | 27

jewishrhody.org | Jewish Rhode Island

COMMUNITY R.I. teens elected to BBYO regional, local chapters PROVIDENCE – More than 35 area teens participated in the first virtual elections for the BBYO New England Region recently, electing two members from Rhode Island to the Regional Board and 11 R.I. teens to lead the two local chapters, Judy Ann Leven BBG and Dave Hochman AZA, through the 2020-2021 programming year. The newly elected Regional Board members are Reese Sock, 17, AZA regional president and a Classical High School student, and Jack Elice, 15, AZA regional vice president of Judaism and community service and a Moses Brown student. The newly elected board members for Dave Hochman AZA are Cooper Sock, 15, president (Classical High); Jonathan Kabessa, 15, vice president of programming (The Met School); Eric Ryvicker, 16, vice president of membership (Providence Country Day School); Ephram Cola-Jacquin, 17, vice president of Judaism and community service (Classical High); and Jared Weissman, 15, vice president of communication and fundraising (Classical High). The newly elected board members for Judy Ann Leven BBG are Milly Asherov, 16, president (Classical High); Esme Ginsburg, 16, vice president of programming (East Greenwich High School); Sasha Keizler, 17, vice president of membership (Barrington High School); Baya Ginsburg, 16, vice president of Judaism and community service (East

David Hochman AZA members.

Greenwich High); Samantha Shorr, 16, vice president of communication (East Greenwich); and Ella Johnsen, 15, vice president of fundraising (Cranston High School). Milly Asherov, president of Judy Ann Leven BBG, said, “BBYO has provided me with experiences and memories that have not only taught me about myself, but also connected me to working toward a better world. In my new position, I hope to inspire more teens to make a change in their community.” The 2020-2021 boards of both R.I. chapters were installed in a virtual ceremony in June. Board members will spend the year leading their chapters, mentoring their chapter members, and planning educational, spiritual and fun programming. With COVID-19 still active in the U.S., both boards are looking to schedule exciting online programs. “I’m incredibly excited to begin working with this talented group of incoming teen leaders and to seeing the impact they’ll have in our community,” said Samantha Walsh, regional director of BBYO New England. “Their energy and dedication inspires me, and I look forward to a successful year ahead filled with fun, unique and meaningful programs.” To learn more about BBYO in New England, including upcoming events and activities, contact Samantha Walsh at swalsh@bbyo.org.

Weave Your Story into Ours Explore Temple Habonim’s welcoming, inclusive community including our robust virtual offerings during COVID-19

Barrington • RI 401-245-6536 office@templehabonim.org Youtube.com/templehabonim facebook.com/templehabonim templehabonim.org

L’shanah Tovah! — Gina Raimondo

Submitted by BBYO New England.

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28 | SEPTEMBER 2020

Jewish Rhode Island | jewishrhody.org

COMMUNITY Touro Fraternal Association awards grants to 3 college students

Happy New Year!

CRANSTON – Touro Fraternal Association is proud to announce the awarding of $39,500 in student financial aid to young men and women who are pursuing higher education in the 20202021 academic year. After going through a rigorous selection process, conducted by Touro’s Student Financial Aid Committee, three applicants were each awarded a $5,000 educational grant to help pay for college. Additionally, seven applicants will receive $3,500 each in interest-free loans from the Leo Greenberg Memorial Scholarship Fund. The grant winners are:

Edith H. Ajello Representative, District 1

Paid for by the Committee to Elect Edith H. Ajello Jennifer Kiddie, Treasurer ● Elicia Ackerman, daughter of Barry and Mia Ackerman, of CumberTemple Torat Yisrael land. Elicia is a senior at Temple Torat Yisrael 1251 Middle Road the University of Rhode 1251 Middle Road Island, studying economEast Greenwich, RI 02818 Temple Torat Yisrael ics. Her interests include East Greenwich, RI 02818 1251 Middle Road www.toratyisrael.org Spanish language and culwww.toratyisrael.org East Greenwich, RI 02818 ture, mentoring younger (401) 885-6600 (401) 885-6600 students, and volunteering www.toratyisrael.org at sporting events and the (401) 885-6600 Cumberland Food Pantry. She hopes to use her degree in economics and her marketing skills to improve health-care access for vulnerable people.

May Your Your New Year May New Year May Your New Year be Filled with be Filled with Happiness and Good be Filled withHealth Happiness GoodHealth Health Happinessand and Good

● Alicia Blazer, daughter of Steven and Deborah Blazer, of Providence. Alicia is a senior at the University of Rhode Island, where she is studying pharmacy. She is a USY (United Synagogue Youth) adviser and was previously a USY chapter president. Most recently, Alicia participated in a study-abroad trip to Greece, which included traveling to several other countries to learn about their culture and Jewish history.

● Gabriel Cohen, son of Richard and Marcy Cohen, of Cranston. Gabriel is a freshman at Brandeis University, where he is studying chemistry and biochemistry. While at Cranston High School West, Gabriel played saxophone in the band and participated in Model U.N. and mock trial. He has volunteered weekly at Temple Beth-El, assisting teachers in the religious school, and is involved with NFTY. He hopes to be a researcher at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Touro has made financial awards to ease the cost of higher education since the student grant Programs for all ages, Pre K to 7 Sunday School. and loan program was established in 1981. Regular Touro members, their children and the We look forward to welcoming you to our community! Programs for ages, Pre Pre KKtoto7 7 Sunday School. Programs forus allatallages, Sunday School. children of deceased Touro members who are enrolled full time in an accredited institution Email welcome@toratyisrael.org. We look forward to welcoming you to our community! of higher learning are eligible to apply for the interest-free loans of $3,500. Regular Touro We look forward to welcoming you to our community! members and their children who are enrolled full time in an accredited institution of higher Email us at welcome@toratyisrael.org.

Email us at welcome@toratyisrael.org.

learning are eligible to apply for a $5,000 grant. For more information about the Touro Fraternal Association Loan and Grant programs, as well as other benefits for members, call 401-785-0066, send an email to info@tourofraternal.org or visit www.tourofraternal.org. Submitted by Touro Fraternal Association.

Masks for a good cause This summer, the counselors-in-training at the Alliance’s J-Camp spent time discussing and researching racism, LGBTQ+ rights, understanding anti-Semitism and embracing diversity/ anti-oppression. They decorated reusable masks to raise funds to buy books that promote understanding and acceptance. PHOTO | FRAN OSTENDORF

SEPTEMBER 2020 | 29

jewishrhody.org | Jewish Rhode Island

Joan, a Laurelmead resident, enjoys time in the garden

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30 | SEPTEMBER 2020

Jewish Rhode Island | jewishrhody.org

COMMUNITY

Marc Adler (center) presents personal copies of “The New Anti-Semites” to Rabbi Raphie Schochet (left) and Judge Ed Newman (right).

Despite pandemic, R.I. Coalition for Israel continues to battle anti-Semitism

L’shanah tovah. Wishing you a happy and peaceful new year. – Sheldon Whitehouse

Paid for by Whitehouse for Senate.

WHILE MANY COMMUNITY activities have slowed or stopped during the pandemic, that hasn’t been the case with the Rhode Island Coalition for Israel (RICI), a local grassroots organization of Jews and Christians who support America’s alliance with Israel and oppose anti-Semitism. RICI has continued its ongoing program of public education about anti-Semitism. According to new data from the ADL (Anti-Defamation League), the American Jewish community last year experienced the highest level of anti-Semitism since tracking began in 1979, with more than 2,100 incidents of assault, vandalism and harassment reported across the United States. The total number of anti-Semitic incidents in the U.S. in 2019 increased 12% from the previous year, with a 56% increase in assaults, according to the 2019 ADL Audit of Antisemitic Incidents. The audit found that there were, on average, as many as six anti-Semitic incidents in the U.S. on every day in the calendar year. “Public education is needed now more than ever,” stated Ken Schneider, RICI’s treasurer. “Anti-Semitism has grown quickly at all levels. There are several reasons: right-wing conspiracy theories blaming Israel and the Jews for COVID-19; radical leftist Jewish public figures, such as Seth Rogen and Peter Beinart, calling the legitimacy of the state of Israel into question; the anti-Semitic anti-Zionism of the BDS [Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions] movement; the mainstreaming of anti-Semitic political figures, such as Ilhan Omar and Al Sharpton, in the Democratic Party; and anti-Semitic statements and actions arising from the Black Lives Matter movement – to name just a few.” One arm of RICI’s program has sponsored a giant “STOP ANTI-SEMITISM” banner at the iconic Big Blue Bug on interstate 95. Not only did the banner generated community conversation, but the “likes” on RICI’s Facebook

page more than tripled since the banner was installed on July 13. Originally slated to come down on July 27, its stay was extended, courtesy of Blue Bug Solutions, until it was taken down before tropical storm Isaias struck. Furthermore, the Facebook posting of the banner also drew more than 300 comments. “The banner was a real coup,” said Ed Newman, president of the Sandra Bornstein Holocaust Education and Resource Center, in Providence. The other arm of RICI’s current program is the dissemination of information about the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s “working definition of anti-Semitism.” The working definition is an international standard by which actions and speech may be judged. It states: “Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.” In July, RICI also joined an international coalition of 128 nonprofit groups in formally calling on Facebook to implement a comprehensive hate-speech policy that incorporates the full working definition. At the same time, RICI has been involved in distributing a new study, “The New Anti-Semites.” The study, by StopAntiSemitism. org and the ZAHOR Institute, explains how the extreme right and left are converging, especially in the U.S., and makes the case for widespread adoption of the IHRA’s working definition. Individuals and community leaders may obtain a copy of the study by contacting RICI at ricoalitionforisrael@gmail.com. Submitted by the Rhode Island Coalition for Israel.

A DV E R T I S E M E N T

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Jewish Rhode Island | jewishrhody.org

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it worthwhile to take on the cost of the refinance in order to lower their monthly mortgage payment or to shorten the term (length) of the loan, such as from 30 to 15 years. If prevailing mortgage rates are lower than the rate you’re currently paying, it may make sense to refinance, JASON E. SIPERSTEIN provided that you can recoup the cost of the refinance over time. Lowering the monthly mortgage payment could also free up additional funds for other purposes, such as to invest toward retirement or a college education. Shortening the term of the mortgage may result in a higher monthly payment, but it enables the homeowner to get out from under the debt quicker. On the other hand, refinancing might not make sense if it means the homeowner will assume a longer mortgage term, or if the homeowner expects to sell the residence within a few years. If refinancing is believed to be a financially sound step for you, shop around to find the most favorable terms and other costs involved in the transaction. If you have an existing relationship with a bank or credit union, that relationship may yield a discount on the rate or on closing costs. Otherwise, sites such as www.bankrate.com and www.lendingtree.com post current mortgage-refinance rates from lenders across the country. A home equity line of credit (HELOC). A HELOC is another way to tap the equity you’ve built in your home. In this case, a lender provides a line of credit tied to the appreciated value of the home. The homeowner can then use this line of credit when and how they want (subject to certain terms specified by the lender), as long as they repay any amount they use, plus interest. Here’s an example of when it’s wise to use a home equity line of credit: Say the interest rate for the HELOC is 5% and you are carrying a credit-card balance with a 15% interest rate. Wouldn’t it make sense to take the HELOC funds, with its much lower borrowing cost, and

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OWNING A HOME provides you with much more than a roof over your head. Your home is a versatile asset, a kind of financial Swiss Army knife that can be used to help fund a college education or to pay down an onerous credit-card debt, for example, or to provide a steady income stream, or as an investment that adds diversity, growth potential and tangibility to an asset portfolio. Here are several ways to tap the value of your home: A mortgage refinance. Refinancing a mortgage essentially entails moving out of an existing mortgage loan to a new loan, a transaction that typically comes at a cost to the homeowner – 2-3% of the overall amount borrowed is a good rule of thumb, although costs can range higher or lower. Given the potential longterm financial implications, the decision whether to refinance should come only after carefully considering the costs, benefits, risks and tax ramifications. A financial professional can help you weigh those factors to come to a decision that’s in your best interests. To find a Certified Financial Planner in your area, check out the searchable national database at www.PlannerSearch.org. Many refinancing transactions occur because the homeowner wants to access a lower mortgage rate. In most cases, the homeowner (in consultation with a trusted financial professional) deems

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apply them to pay down the high-interest credit card? The same logic applies if the HELOC funds are used to pay for a home remodel, where the added value to the home from the improvements could easily justify the cost of borrowing to fund the project. Using your home as a rental property to generate income or purchasing a second home and renting it out for income. Either of these can be a viable option under the right circumstances. If you’re in a good enough position financially to either purchase a second home outright with cash or to take on a mortgage to buy it, and you’re willing to be a landlord for short- or long-term tenants, a rental property can provide a steady source of income and be an asset whose value could appreciate over time. For people with flexibility, there’s also the option of turning your current home into a rental property, then moving into another home that you either buy or rent. Given the financial ramifications, as well as the many moving parts involved in these types of decisions, be sure to first seek guidance from a financial professional you trust. Using a reverse mortgage for income later in life. Homeowners age 62 and older can convert the value of their home into income via a reverse mortgage, or HECM, short for Home Equity Conversion Mortgage. Essentially, the homeowner is borrowing against the equity in their home to obtain either a lump-sum payment or an income stream. People who expect that they will lack adequate income to cover their needs in retirement, or who want to use funds from a reverse mortgage strategically as part of their retirement income and investing plan, may be solid candidates to at least consider a reverse mortgage. It’s wise to consult a financial professional well-versed in the pros and cons of this specific type of transaction before committing to go down that path. JASON E. SIPERSTEIN, CFA, CFP, is the president of the Financial Planning Association of Rhode Island and president of Eliot Rose Wealth Management. He can be reached by email, at jes@eliotrose.com.

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34 | SEPTEMBER 2020

Jewish Rhode Island | jewishrhody.org

COMMUNITY

CALENDAR HIGHLIGHTS

Three local foundations seek applications for grants PROVIDENCE – Are you affiliated with a Jewish nonprofit organization in need of grant funds? If so, please consider submitting a grant request to the Helene and Bertram Bernhardt Foundation, the Gertrude N. and Seebert J. Goldowsky Foundation or the Pearle W. and Martin M. Silverstein Foundation. Established in 2005 through the estates of the late Helene and Bertram Bernhardt, the Bernhardt Foundation’s mission is to support nonprofit organizations, with a specific preference given to Jewish nonprofit organizations in Rhode Island, and to nonprofit organizations that Helene and Bertram Bernhardt supported during their lives. The Foundation also distributes a limited number of small grants (up to $250) to local charities that support the broader community. Since its founding, the Bernhardt Foundation has distributed more than $5 million to such nonprofit organizations as Temple Beth-El, the Jewish Alliance of Greater RI, Jewish Collaborative Services, Brown RISD Hillel, Hillel at the University of RI and The Miriam Hospital, as well as to many other agencies. Many of these grants support new initiatives and individual projects that are unable to attract support from more traditional funding sources. The Goldowsky Foundation was

established in 2006 through the estates of Gertrude N. and Seebert J. Goldowsky. Its mission is to support nonprofit organizations, with consideration given to those supported by the Goldowskys during their lifetimes, and with a focus on the local Jewish community, education, medicine, public health and history. After allocating funds to core agencies, the Goldowsky Foundation seeks to award grants between $250 and $1,000 to advance these funding priorities. The Silverstein Foundation was established in 1989 through the estates of Pearle W. and Martin M. Silverstein. Its mission is to support nonprofit organizations, with consideration given to those supported by the Silversteins during their lifetimes, and with a focus on the local Jewish community, education, the arts and social justice. After allocating funds to core agencies, the Silverstein Foundation seeks to award grants between $250 and $500 to advance these funding priorities. To receive the application forms and funding guidelines, contact Samuel Zurier, secretary of these Foundations, at 55 Dorrance St., Suite 400, Providence, RI 02903 or sdz@zurierlaw.com or at 401-8610200. The deadline to submit applications is Dec. 1, 2020.

FOR COMPLETE MONTHLY LISTINGS, VISIT JEWISHRHODY.ORG

Ongoing

Kosher Senior Café and online programming. Cold box lunch home delivery upon request while meal sites are closed due to COVID-19. Two lunches delivered on Mondays and Wednesdays; one lunch delivered on Fridays. Zoom programming includes yoga on Tuesdays from 11:30 a.m.-noon followed by lunch and a guest or discussion from noon-1 p.m. The second Thursday of the month is “Susie’s corner” with Susie Adler from noon-1 p.m. The third Thursday of the month is a book chat with Neal Drobnis from noon-1 p.m. Suggested donation: $3 per lunch. Information, Neal Drobnis at neal@jfsri.org or 401-6786464 or 401-331-1244. Music with Raymond Buttero via Zoom. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays 3-4 p.m. Temple Sinai’s pianist performs. Click on link on homepage of templesinairi.org. Information, Dottie at 401-942-8350. Temple Habonim Lunch & Learn with Rabbi Howard Voss-Altman via Zoom. Thursdays noon-1 p.m. Join Rabbi Howard for Torah study on Pirke Avot: A Modern Commentary on Jewish Ethics. Information, Adina Davies at office@templehabonim.org or 401-245-6536. Temple Sinai Morning Meditation via Zoom. Fridays 10-10:30 a.m. Rabbi Goldwasser leads this meditation that includes reflections on Jewish wisdom and mindfulness. No prior experience. Information, Templesinairi.org or Dottie at 401-942-8350. Temple Sinai Shabbat Services via Zoom. Fridays 6-7:15 p.m. With Rabbi Jeffrey Goldwasser and Cantor Deborah Johnson. Click on link on homepage of templesinairi. org. Information, Templesinairi.org or Dottie at 401-942-8350. Congregation Beth David Friday Night Services via Zoom. Fridays 6 p.m. Information including Zoom link, cbdri.org@gmail.com. Temple Beth-El Remote Torah Study. Saturdays 9-10 a.m. Zoom meeting led by one of Beth-El’s clergy. Information, Jenn Thomas at jthomas@temple-beth-el.org or 401-331-6070. Congregation Beth David Shabbat Services via Zoom. Saturdays 9 a.m. The unique Zoom link for each event can be obtained by sending an email to cbdri.org@gmail.com prior to each event. Temple Habonim Torah Study via Zoom. Saturdays 10-11 a.m. Rabbi Howard Voss-Altman leads a weekly Torah study on the current portion. Information, Adina Davies at office@ templehabonim.org or 401-245-6536. Temple Sinai Torah Study via Zoom. Saturdays 10-11:15 a.m. With Rabbi Jeffrey Goldwasser. Find Zoom link for these interactive discussions at templesinairi.org. Information, Templesinairi.org or Dottie at 401-942-8350.

Sunday | September 6

Back to school School resumed at Providence Hebrew Day School on Tuesday, Sept. 1. Students and teachers were so happy to be back in school despite the many COVID-related regulations. All students and teachers received welcome back balloons. Pictured is the Kindergarten class.

PHDS Virtual Amudim Dinner. 4-7 p.m. Pick up dinner at PHDS, 450 Elmgrove Ave., Providence, from 4-5 p.m. Virtual program at 6 p.m. will honor Avrohom Dovid Winter (Volunteer of the Year Award) and Reuven Yavner (Alumnus Award). Guest performance by singer Baruch Levine. Proceeds provide financial aid for needy families. Cost: $36. Information, Rabbi Scheinerman at pscheinerman@phdschool.org or 401-331-5327.

Tuesday | September 8

Little State Big Innovation, Rhode Island X Israel Monthly Webinar Series. Noon-1 p.m. Interactive session with some of Israel’s startup entrepreneurs. This month features Ronen Luzon of Mysize, Rachel Yarcony of myAir, Michael Mazur of Colu and Hilik Harari of Gaitbetter. The program is a collaboration of Rhode Island-Israel Collaborative (RIIC), District Hall Providence and RIHub. Information, info@districthallprovidence.org.

Wednesday | September 9

Israeli Culture Night: Comedy Night. 7 p.m. American-Israeli comedian Benji Lovitt performs his stand-up act via Zoom. Lovitt’s observations on Israeli society and Jewish culture create a hilarious narrative. Since making aliyah in 2006, Lovitt has shared his insights into the cultural differences he has experienced as part of life in Israel. Free. Information, Or Cohen at ocohen@jewishallianceri.org. Core Connects RI “The Gift of Mikveh” via Zoom. 8 p.m. Going to the mikveh prior to the High Holy Days helps prepare us both physically and psychologically for the spiritual experience of these great and joyous days. No charge for this class for women. Optional Mikveh Visit on 9/13 (see below). Information and RSVP, Elissa Felder at CoreConnectsRI@ gmail.com or 401-241-9631.

Saturday | September 12

Temple Sinai Selichot service via Zoom. 8-9 p.m. Link will be available at templesinairi.org. Information, templesinairi.org or Dottie at 401-942-8350.

Sunday | September 13

Core Connects RI presents Sephardi Cooking with Judy Jackson. 10-11:15 a.m. Conversation with and cooking demonstration by acclaimed chef and author Judy Jackson from England. Judy will share some of her Spanish Portuguese history and demonstrate one of her Rosh Hashanah family recipes. For Jewish women. Information or RSVP (required), Elissa Felder at CoreConnectsRI. com or 401-241-9631. Core Connects RI Providence Mikveh Visit. Noon-2 p.m. Mikveh behind the Dwares JCC, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence. Open to females of any age who want to immerse in the Providence Mikveh. COVID-19 safety protocols will be followed. Cost: $36 per person for an individual appointment. Information and RSVP, Elissa Felder at CoreConnectsRI@gmail.com or 401-241-9631. Project Shoresh Annual Night of Inspiration via Zoom. 8 p.m. Rabbi Mordechai Becher presents “Shofar Blasts of History.” An evening of inspiration and unity to usher in the new year. Shoresh package available for pickup to be enjoyed at home. $36 per person | $50 per couple. Information or RSVP, projectshoresh. com or Tzipora Purec at tpurecps@gmail.com or 410-340-3916.

Monday | September 14

Virtual Rosh Hashanah Cooking Class. 8 p.m. Featuring James Beard Award-winning Chef Michael Solomonov. Open to the community. This event will be recorded and available CONTINUED ON PAGE 35

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COMMUNITY | OBITUARIES CONTINUED FROM PAGE 34

to watch the following day. Free. RSVP (required by 9/10), jewishallianceri.org/solomonov-cooking/ to receive your Vimeo link and password.

Thursday | September 17

Temple Shalom’s Foreign Policy Lecture Series. 8-9:30 p.m. US Navy Lieutenant Evan Shallcross will lead a conversation on the strategic significance of Crimea to Russian security. A continuation of a series. RSVP and Zoom link, templeshalomrhodeisland@ gmail.com.

Friday | September 18

Temple Sinai Erev Rosh Hashanah Seder via Zoom. 6 p.m. Link will be available at templesinairi. org. Information, templesinairi.org or Dottie at 401-942-8350. Congregation Beth David Erev Rosh Hashanah Service via Zoom. For more detailed information and unique Zoom link, email cbdri.org@gmail.com.

Saturday | September 19

Congregation Beth David Rosh Hashanah Service via Zoom. For more detailed information and unique Zoom link, email cbdri. org@gmail.com. Temple Sinai Rosh Hashanah Morning Service via Zoom. 10 a.m.-noon. E-tickets are required to view the service. Information, templesinairi.org or Dottie at 401942-8350. Drive-through Shofar Service. 1-2:30 p.m. Temple Sinai, 30 Hagen Ave., Cranston. Congregants will be able to hear the blasts of the shofar as they drive through the temple’s driveway and parking lot. Information, templesinairi.org or Dottie at 401942-8350. Temple Sinai Tashlich Service. 4-5 p.m. Goddard Park Beach, 1095 Ives Road, East Greenwich. Information, templesinairi.org or Dottie at 401-942-8350.

Sunday | September 20

Temple Sinai Rosh Hashanah Meditation Service via Zoom. 10-11 a.m. Link will be available at templesinairi.org. Information, templesinairi.org or Dottie at 401942-8350.

Monday | September 21

Temple Sinai Family and Small Group Visits to the Sanctuary. Thru September 25. Call the Temple Sinai office at 401-9428350 to schedule time.

Tuesday | September 22

Temple Sinai Family and Small Group Visits to the Sanctuary. Thru September 25. Call the Temple Sinai office at 401-9428350 to schedule time.

Saturday | September 26

“The Art of Forgiveness” via Zoom. 7 p.m. Cape Cod Synagogue, Falmouth Jewish Congregation and Cape Cod Havurah-AmHaYam are offering this livestreamed production of the Jewish Women’s Theatre. Cost: $20 (includes service charge) with option to choose which of the three synagogues ticket purchase will support. Subsidized by Cape Cod Jewish Federation/Jewish Alliance of Rhode Island and Wendy’s. Information, capecodsynagogue.org, falmouthjewish.org or ahycc.org.

Sunday | September 27

Congregation Beth David Kol Nidrei Service via Zoom. For more detailed information and unique Zoom link, email cbdri.org@ gmail.com. Temple Sinai Kol Nidrei Service via Zoom. 7:30-9 p.m. E-tickets are required to view this livestreamed service. Information, Templesinairi.org or Dottie at 401-942-8350.

Monday | September 28

Congregation Beth David Yom Kippur Services via Zoom. For more information and unique Zoom link, email cbdri.org@gmail. com. Temple Sinai Yom Kippur Morning Service via Zoom. 10 a.m.-noon. E-tickets are required to view this live-streamed service. Information, Templesinairi.org or Dottie at 401-942-8350. Temple Sinai Yizkor Service via Zoom. 5-6:30 p.m. Information, Templesinairi.org or Dottie at 401942-8350. Temple Sinai Ne’ilah Service via Zoom. 6-7:30 p.m. Information, Templesinairi.org or Dottie at 401942-8350.

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Herbert Aiken, 95 BOYNTON BEACH, FLA. – Herbert Aiken of Boynton Beach, formerly of Detroit, Michigan, passed away on Aug. 16. He was the beloved husband of the late Sunya Aiken. He was the loving father of Marc Aiken and Maxine (Elliott) Freedman. He was the cherished grandfather of Zissy (Nuriel) Kramer, Levi and Moshe. He was the adored great-grandfather of Hadassa.

Bruce Fogel, 86 NEW YORK, N.Y. – Bruce Fogel, of New York City and originally of East Greenwich, passed away on May 28 in Narragansett. He was the son of Joseph and Lillian (Wine) Fogel. He is survived by his brother and sister-inlaw, Herb and Judy Fogel of Narragansett; nieces Jenny Fogel Miller of Warwick, Molly Fogel Fisher (John) of New York City; and nephew Jared (Kelly) Fogel of Rehoboth, Massachusetts. He was a great-uncle to Lucy and Lily Miller and Jax and Drew Fogel. Bruce was very proud to have attained the rank of Eagle Scout with Boy Scout Troop 2 in East Greenwich and to have seen his nephew Jared attain the same rank. After graduating from college, Bruce became a New York City hotel executive. In his retirement years he was a world traveler and a longtime winter resident of Bangkok, Thailand. Donations may be made to the East Greenwich Free Library children’s section.

David Gold, 73 NORTH SMITHFIELD, R.I. – David Marshall Gold passed away Aug. 27. Born Oct. 14, 1946, in Providence, David grew up in Pawtucket and lived in North Smithfield for over four decades. He attended Worcester Academy and graduated from Bryant College in 1971. David was the owner of Gold International Machinery in Pawtucket, founded by his father Victor in 1961. David, his wife, Marcia, and his son Daniel worked together in this third-generation business. David was an outstanding, successful businessman and he was involved in many community activities. Most recently, David was appointed president of the Pawtucket Business Development Corporation where he had been a

board member since 2011. He received the Nelson J. Gulski Service Award from Bryant University in 2017. David and Marcia, his adored wife of 53 years, enjoyed and supported theater and the arts. He was an accomplished photographer who began professionally creating innovative images and art in 1969. One of David’s photos is in the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. David was proud of his home, “The Gold Farm,” in North Smithfield, where he raised horses and realized his childhood dream of having a magical park and forest where he rode horses and ATVs with family and friends. Most important for David was his love of family. He was born to parents Victor and Josephine (Kortick) Gold. He met Marcia at age 13, and they married in 1967. His sons, Daniel R. Gold and the late Joshua M. Gold, were a source of pride and love, as were his grandchildren, Angelina Josephine and Kevin Gold of Florida, and Amelia Gold of Providence. David also leaves his beloved sisters, Jude Gold Barucha of New York, and Shari C. Gold-Gomez and brotherin-law Juan Fran Gomez, of Brookline, Massachusetts. Donations can be made to The Victor Gold Scholarship Fund at Bryant University, 1150 Douglas Pike, Smithfield, R.I. 02917.

Hilda Hanzel, 101 CHERRY HILL, N.J. – Hilda Hanzel died Aug. 28 in Cherry Hill. She was the beloved wife of the late Aaron Sack and the late Leo Hanzel. Born in Providence, a daughter of the late Nathan and Jennie (Ettine) Gilden, she had lived in Cherry Hill for 16 years, previously living in Warwick, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Providence. Hilda was a former member of the former Temple Am David, and a member of Hadassah. She was the mother of Rhoda Kelly of Arlington, Virginia, Roberta “Robbie” Hanzel of Cherry Hill, and Lynda Herman and her husband, Jeffrey, of Cherry Hill. She was the sister of the late Ruth Blustein, Sylvia Gordon and Charlotte Salk. She was the grandmother of Jillian, Emily, Jacob (Erica), and Scott (Karen). She was the great-grandmother of Sophia. Contributions may be made to your favorite charity.

Arthur Hurvitz, 94 PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Arthur Hurvitz died Aug. 26. When he was asked by one of his grandchildren to define the essence of a well-lived life, Arthur replied without hesitation: marry a wonderful woman, find a job that will support your family, and further a cause for which you have a passion. Born in New York to immigrant parents who instilled in him a love and appreciation for this country, he enlisted in the U.S. Army at 17 and was gravely wounded in the Battle of the Bulge during World War II. After recovering, he met the love of his life, Joyce, whom he married and spent 71 years of blissful marriage with. He earned dual degrees in industrial engineering and textile engineering from The Georgia Institute of Technology courtesy of the GI Bill and in 1951 moved to Pawtucket to join Health-Tex/The Standard Romper Company. Over a 27-year career at Health-Tex, he rose to president and led the company in becoming the foremost designer and manufacturer of children’s clothing and through its listing on the New York Stock Exchange. After retiring from Health-Tex, he started Heritage Color, a color separation and printing company whose skill earned it major printing accounts, including the covers of Harper’s Bazaar and other magazines. His passion was helping everyone he could: he served as a board member for numerous nonprofit organizations including The Miriam Hospital, Pawtucket Boy’s Club, Cumberland-Lincoln Boy’s Club, Planned Parenthood of RI, the Jewish Seniors Agency, the Jewish Federation of RI, and Jewish Family Service. He funded the high school education of underprivileged Black girls by providing scholarships to the Lincoln School. When staff at the Jewish Home for the Aged went on strike, he served meals to residents. His devotion to The Miriam Hospital spanned more than four decades, and included establishing the Hurvitz Nursing Scholarship Endowed Fund, co-chairing The Campaign for the Next Generation (which raised more than $30 million and led to the opening of the Victor and Gussie Baxt Building), receiving the status of honorary nurse, CONTINUED ON PAGE 36

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COMMUNITY | OBITUARIES CONTINUED FROM PAGE 35 and being awarded the 2009 Miriam Hospital Person of the Year for championing nursing excellence as well as overall advancement of the hospital. He leaves behind his wife, Joyce Hurvitz, of Providence; two children, Karen Hurvitz of Concord, Massachusetts, and Ellen Hurvitz and her husband, Barry Strasnick, of Needham, Massachusetts; four grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. Donations may go to the Hurvitz Nursing Scholarship Endowed Fund, C/o Miriam Hospital, 164 Summit Avenue, Providence, RI 02906.

Jack Indeck, 94 PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Jack Indeck passed away Aug. 10. He was the husband of the late Selma (Sherman) Indeck, “the most wonderful person that I have ever met in my life.” Born in Winthrop, Massachusetts, he was the son of the late Abraham and Sarah (Goldberg) Indeck. After high school he served

in the Army Air Forces, and then graduated from Northeastern University with a degree in industrial engineering. As a management consultant, mostly for shoe factories, he worked in 10 countries, 15 states and 110 factories. Jack grew up during the Great Depression, which ignited a lifelong passion for fighting poverty and injustice. He worked with the New Democratic Coalition, Coalition for Consumer Justice, Single Payer RI and the Rhode Island Forum on Aging, and became a founding member and chairman of the Senior Agenda Coalition of Rhode Island. He is survived by his daughter Ruth Indeck; his son Richard Indeck; and 13 nieces and nephews. He will also be missed by in-laws, neighbors and friends, as well as members of Senior Agenda Coalition of RI, his hospice bereavement group and the Rhode Island Memory Cafés. Contributions may be made to Senior Agenda Coalition of Rhode Island, www.senioragendari.org/donate.

Joan Jahoda, 95 MANCHESTER, ENGLAND

NOTICE! Lincoln Park Cemetery

Your Traditional Jewish Cemetery. The cemetery and its offices will be closed in observance of the following holidays: Sunday, September 20: Second Day of Rosh Hashanah Monday, September 28: Yom Kippur Sunday, October 4: Second day of Sukkot Sunday, October 11: Simchat Torah Lincoln Park Cemetery 1469 Post Road, Warwick, RI 02888 Telephone 737-5333 Fax 732-1293

– Joan Jahoda, formerly of Providence, passed away in Manchester, England on Aug. 15, a week shy of her 96th birthday. She was the mother of Naomi Jahoda (Anne) of Manchester, England; Susan Jahoda (Stephen) of Amherst Massachusetts; and Patricia Jahoda Stahl (Barry) of Newburyport, Massachusetts. She was the grandmother of Max, Emma and Gabriel. Born on Aug. 22, 1924, she was preceded in death by parents Ethel and Sam Morris; brothers Yaakov Morris and Bernard Morris; former husband Kurt Jahoda and daughter-in-law Anne Burroughs. Joan had an irrepressible zest for life, love, literature, writing and humor. She touched many lives and will never be forgotten. Services took place in Manchester, England. Donations can be made to her care facility at thefed.org. uk/donate-online/

Shirley Kessler KENNEBUNK, MAINE – Shirley Kessler passed away in Kennebunk on Aug. 15. A passionate educator, wife, mother, and friend, Shirley was a prominent member of the Block Island community and the Sons and Daughters of Ruth congregation. Born in Providence to Samuel I. and Minnie (Horowitz) Sassing, Shirley graduated from Hope High School and earned a B.A. at Rhode Island College, an M.A. from Boston University, and an Ed.D. from Walden University. Shirley began her career as a first grade teacher in

Attleboro, Massachusetts. After earning her master’s degree she began teaching at Rhode Island College, where she developed a holistic approach to evaluating children, a precursor to many of today’s methods of assessing students in need of special education support. From there Shirley moved to the East Providence school district, where she was an administrator, overseeing the district’s reading curriculum and programming while serving at various times as an adjunct professor of education at Salve Regina University, Providence College and Rhode Island College. Shirley’s lifelong affinity for Block Island, began when she first visited as an infant. Years later she introduced her future husband, Sanford, to the island. By the middle of the 20th century the two were spending summers there. In the 1970s they bought the building that had previously housed the Primitive Methodist Church, and when they retired in 1990 moved there permanently. Shirley was an involved citizen of the Block Island community who served on the school committee and tourism council for many years. She also began the “Friends of the Library” and regularly volunteered at the annual “Roll Call Dinner” at Block Island’s Harbor Church. Shirley’s husband of 52 years, Sanford B. Kessler, predeceased her in 2000. She is survived by two children: daughter Fran Kessler of Kennebunk, Maine, and son Samuel and his wife, Eve-

lyn, of Haymarket, Virginia. She is also survived by her cousin, Joyce Aaron, of Orleans, Massachusetts. Donations may be made to the Block Island Library, the Block Island Historical Society, and/or Block Island Medical Center.

Ruth Marks, 95 PAWTUCKET, R.I. – Ruth Priscilla Marks died Aug. 21 in Chelsea, Massachusetts. She was the wife of the late Isreal Marks. Born in Providence, a daughter of the late Abraham and Beatrice (Dressler) Lechtman, she was a lifelong Pawtucket resident. Priscilla was a member of Temple Emanu-El, Providence. She was the devoted mother of Leslie Marks-Hershey and her husband, Dr. Steven Hershey, of Pawtucket, Sheryl Ishai and her husband, Shmuel Ishai, of Beer Sheva, Israel, and Paul Marks and his wife, Barbara Gold Marks of Brookline, Massachusetts. She was the dear sister of Shirley Sallet of St. Michaels, Maryland, and the late Max Dressler Lechtman. She was the grandmother of seven. She was the great-grandmother of 13. Contributions may be made to the Myositis Association, 2000 Duke St., Suite 3000, Alexandria, VA 22314 or the charity of your choice.

Annamaria Pearlman, 74 RUMFORD, R.I. – Annamaria A. Pearlman died Aug. 6 at home. She was the wife of Marc J. Pearlman for 38 years, and mother of Riccardo Pearlman of Rumford and Gabriel Pearlman of Austin, Texas. She was the sister of Cynthia Fielden of Cranston; Sonia Stingo of Ashland, Massachusetts; and John Giovanni of Tampa, Florida. Born in Naples, Italy, a daughter of the late Raffaele and Luisa (Pezzella) Stingo, she had lived in Rumford for over five years and previously raised her family in Cranston. As she began her life in the US with her first son, she worked as a CPA for companies including Lippitt Aviation, where she also earned her private pilot’s license. After marrying Marc, they embarked on what would become a family business designing and building kitchens, baths and interiors across the U.S. Always a student, Annamaria had

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COMMUNITY | OBITUARIES also earned a bachelor’s degree in interior design from the Rhode Island School of Design to better serve her company and clients. In 1983 she had her second son, Gabriel. Although still running the company with her husband, she turned her attention toward being the best mother she could be for her children. She also took great pride in her Italian heritage. This was reflected in her masterful cooking, and her unending study of languages and history. Annamaria was through her life driven by her insatiable intellectual curiosity, and her deep belief in hard work and action. Though grieving, her entire family feels deeply proud of her life, which was full of achievement, pursuit, hard work and unending love. Contributions may be made to the Cure Alzheimer’s Fund in Wellesley, Massachusetts.

Herbert Schwartz, 73 PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Herbert Schwartz, of Providence, passed away on Aug. 22, his 73rd birthday. Mr. Schwartz, known as Herbie, was the only child of the late Bernard and late Esther Schwartz, also of Providence. Herbie was born in Brownsville, Pennsylvania, and moved with his parents to Providence in the early 1960s. He graduated from Hope High School and the Bryant College with degree in accounting. Upon graduation, he was employed as an accountant at Textron. Herbie was a devoted son to both his parents and dedicated his adult life to their well-being and care. He was strongly committed to his Jewish beliefs and the orthodox community of Temple Beth Shalom and the Providence Hebrew Day School in Providence, where he was a dedicated member of the congregation and community. Contributions may be made to Providence Hebrew Day School or Temple Beth Shalom.

Judith Spindell, 83 PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Judith Kay Spindell, of Providence, died Aug. 19 at The Miriam Hospital. She was the wife of the late Dr. Edward Spindell, daughter of the late Louis and Molly (Plotnick) Kay, and step-daughter of the late Anne Factor Kay. Judith was a graduate of

Tufts University, receiving both a B.S. in Education and a Certificate in Teaching from the Eliot Pearson School at Tufts. In 1979 she received an FCC third class operator’s license. From 1981-83, she was a research assistant in a national drug study for SEARCH (Health Data Services). For 27 years she taught at Temple Beth-El, having created a Family Life Curriculum centering on the social, cultural and personal aspects of middle school children, especially seventh graders. In 1994 she received a Judaic Teaching Certification from the Bureau of Jewish Education, and later received a Certificate of Appreciation for her dedication to the Religious School of Temple Beth-El. In 1998 she was awarded the Millman Prize for Excellence in Teaching. Judith was also a tutor at the International House of Rhode Island, a docent at RISD Museum, and a four-year volunteer at the Samaritans of R.I. Judith loved a good joke, a good book or movie, and a good friend. Prized above all was her family. She leaves behind her daughters, Dr. Faith Tobias, Julie Corwin and Pamela (Alex) Greiner; her son Chaim Cohen and his wife, Michal; her step-children, Ahvi Spindell and his wife; Jane Gabbert, Marcia Spindell Lentz, and Stephen Spindell. In addition, she leaves her grandchildren, Yonah, Shira and Yair Cohen, and Mason and Kaden Tobias, as well as her step-grandchildren, Joshua and Aaron Lentz, Jessica Spindell, and Simon Spindell, and extended family members Jon Lentz and Blanche Spindell. Contributions may be made to the Sandra Bornstein Holocaust Education Center, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence, RI 02906 or the charity of your choice.

David Tobias, 83 WARWICK, R.I. – David “Tobey” W. Tobias, a longtime Warwick resident, went to the great ballfield in the sky on Aug. 7. Born on April 15, 1937, in Forest Hills, Massachusetts, to Norman and Helen (Mazur) Tobias, he spent his youth in the Brookline, Massachusetts area, graduating from Brighton High School

in 1954. He moved to Cranston in 1965, after the birth of his second daughter. David was a salesman, working first in Boston for his father selling furniture. Upon relocation to Cranston, he started his career selling office supplies at Atlas Stationery. He worked for Paramount Office Supply for many years, and then moved to MacIsaac, which became Staples. David retired from WB Mason (Who But, as he fondly called it) after more than 40 years in the industry. However, he gathered pens wherever his retirement took him, and he always had one to share. Ever the sports fan, his passions were the Boston Red Sox and New England Patriots. He could also watch a Celtics or Bruins game. As long as the team was from Boston, he was a fan. David was a member for more than 20 years at Bonnet Shores in Narragansett. After retirement, he wintered for 10 years in Florida. David is survived by two daughters: Debbie, of Cranston; and Sharon, of Cary, North Carolina. He was the brother of Janet (the late Dr. Alvin) Morris of Sarasota, Florida, and the late Stuart (the late Lois) of Indianapolis, Indiana. He leaves two nieces and two nephews, and multiple four-legged furry grandchildren. Debbie would like to thank the staff at Greenwich Farms at Warwick for the great care and companionship they afforded David the past three years. Thanks also go to the staff at Beacon Hospice and The Cedars. Gifts may be made to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, P.O. Box 849168, Boston, MA

02284 (www.jimmyfund.org/ gift) or the International Essential Tremor Foundation, PO Box 14005, Lenexa, Kansas 66285-4005 (www.essentialtremor.org/about-the-ietf/ forms/memorial-donation/).

Maxine Weiss, 65 CHANDLER, ARIZ. – Maxine B. (Namerow) Weiss, of Chandler and formerly of Cranston, passed away Aug. 6. Born in Providence, she was the daughter of Doro-

thy (Newman) Namerow of Arizona and the late Ernest Namerow. Maxine taught special education in the Medford School Department for many years before retiring. In addition to her mother, survivors include brother Lawrence R. Namerow, of Riverside; sister Leslie D. Namerow, of Chandler; niece, Jessica Clar; nephew, Craig Namerow; and two grandnephews, Shane and Carter.

taking care of each other is what community is all about. we’ve proudly served our Jewish community with personal, compassionate care. As your Dignity Memorial professionals, we are dedicated to helping families create a personal, meaningful memorial that truly honors the life it represents. FOR MO R E T HA N A C E N T U RY, ®

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38 | SEPTEMBER 2020

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2020 ANNUAL CAMPAIGN

THANK YOU!

BECAUSE OF YOU, THE JEWISH ALLIANCE’S 2020 ANNUAL CAMPAIGN RAISED $3M TO BE REINVESTED IN THE JEWISH COMMUNITY LOCALLY AND GLOBALLY. To view the 2020 Donor Report, please visit jewishallianceri.org/2020-Donor-Report

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