October 2024

JEWISH

RHODE ISLAND

EDITOR F ran Ostendorf

DESIGN & LAYOUT Alex Foster

ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT

Peter Zeldin | 401-421-4111, ext. 160 pzeldin@jewishallianceri.org

CONTRIBUTORS Bob Abelman, Ruth Marris Macaulay, Sarah Greenleaf, Robert Isenberg, Emma Newbery

COLUMNISTS Michael Fink, George M. Goodwin, Patricia Raskin, Rabbi James Rosenberg, Daniel Stieglitz

VOLUME XXXI, ISSUE XII

JEWISH RHODE ISLAND (ISSN number 1539-2104, USPS #465-710) is published monthly except twice in May, August and September.

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The Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island, President/CEO Adam Greenman, Chair Harris Chorney, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence, RI 02906. 401-421-4111; Fax 401-331-7961

MEMBER of the Rhode Island Press Association.

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

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ON THE COVER : Jews attend a vigil at the Stephen Wise Temple in Los Angeles, Oct. 8, 2023. PHOTO | Barbara Davidson | Getty Images via JTA

Can we agree to come together as a strong community?

I AM GRATEFUL for the community we have here in little Rhody.

We are a group of individuals who hold each other together and keep each other going when we need to.

I am grateful for those who submit ideas and articles for each issue of Jewish Rhode Island. I am grateful to the advertisers who support our pages with their investment in advertising. I am grateful to those of you who choose to support our patron campaign with a contribution and those of you who take the time to write to the editor whether you like our content or feel it doesn’t hit the mark.

I am grateful to the Jewish Federation Foundation, which continues to support our mission to cover the community with a yearly grant. I am grateful to my colleagues at the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island, who contribute their words and expertise on any number of subjects from the Alliance to our Alliance partners to Israel and beyond.

I am grateful to the rabbis of our community, who take the time to write and offer their expertise to the paper.

Jewish Rhode Island is what we call a niche newspaper. We don’t cover topics unless they have a “J Factor.” And if there is relevance to the Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts communities, so much the better.

Jewish journalism is alive and well in the United States. But Jewish newspapers face the same challenges as newspapers everywhere. Advertising is down and reader skepticism is up. That is why we are so lucky to have both involved advertisers and readers.

As a small Jewish community in Rhode Island, we are diverse. We are secular and religious. We are Reform, Conservative, Orthodox and ultra-Orthodox. And we are unaffiliated. We are left, right and center and of all political affiliations. And, yes, we have a variety of feelings about global politics and Israel.

But we need to remember we are one people, and we are stronger when we are together. This has been true throughout our history. Let’s recognize our differences for what they are – minor in the scheme of our broader community’s bonds – and not condemn others in our own community.

Let’s remember that no matter how much we disagree, our common goals, experience and Jew-

ish values far outweigh what separates us. How about if we don’t quibble about who doesn’t support our causes and instead focus on the fellow members of our community who do support us. Within our community, there is and should be support for a wide range of causes and viewpoints that are often different and even in opposition to our own. How about not giving in to the temptation to attack each other for not being “good enough” or “right” when our faith and our community ask us to accept one another, differences and all.

Each voice in our community is important. Each insight inspires us to move forward or reflect. We don’t need to agree on everything when we already agree on most things. Together our voices make a strong and vibrant community. And that has kept us together as Jews for thousands of years.

Fran Ostendorf, Editor

UP FRONT

Miss Rhode Island wants to give pediatric cancer sufferers a glimmer of hope

BY ROBERT ISENBERG

On May 12, Ali Hornung was crowned Miss Rhode Island. Energetic, talkative and conspicuously stunning, Hornung is exactly the kind of 24-year-old torchbearer the organization loves to celebrate. She founded a nonprofit organization, Glimmer of Hope, which provides custom dolls and special events for children with pediatric cancer.

HORNUNG IS ALSO Jewish. She proudly wears a Star of David on her Miss Rhode Island sash. This is rare in the world of pageants; to date, there has only been one Jewish Miss America: Bess Myerson, who was crowned in 1945.

The North Kingstown native recently spoke with Jewish Rhode Island about her family, her charity work and the road to Miss Rhode Island.

She grew up in an interfaith family Hornung also grew up in the same childhood home as her mother. Her father’s family is Catholic, while her maternal great-grandparents were Jewish immigrants from Poland.

“I grew up hearing all about the Holocaust,” Hornung recalls. “[The stories] had a profound impact on me as a child. In school, I was usually one of a couple, if not the only, Jewish student.”

Her mother, a high school math teacher, regretted leaving Hebrew school after a short time and not having a Bat Mitzvah in her youth, so Hornung was encouraged to connect with her roots. Hornung became a Bat Mitzvah at Temple Sinai in Cranston, where she was a dedicated member. While she still celebrated Catholic holidays with her father’s family, Hornung went to Israel with her temple at age 11 – a profoundly moving experience – and

watched her mother give presentations about Hanukkah to her class. She would later join a Jewish sorority, Sigma Delta Tau, and conduct philanthropic work with Jewish Women International, an organization that works to empower women and girls, where her mother and grandmother had both been members.

Entrepreneurialism and service have always been her lifeblood

From her earliest years, Hornung was a precocious saleswoman. “I’ve always been very business-oriented,” she says. “When I was a kid, I was always starting little busi-

nesses and lemonade stands.”

When Hornung was 6 years old, she asked to volunteer at a soup kitchen. She was deemed too young to participate, so Hornung organized a drive for canned food instead. This became a formative experience and anticipated much of her future charity work.

At the University of Rhode Island, she triple-majored in Global Business, German and Human Development and Family Science. “It benefited me greatly,” says Hornung of Human Development. “It was my favorite major. I’m such an empath and love to help people. I’m like everybody’s therapist.”

She studied abroad in Europe

In high school, Hornung decided to participate in a foreign exchange program in Germany, where she stayed with a host family and studied the German language. “I had always heard these horrific things about Germany,” says Hornung. “I wanted to know how Germany is now. I’m a talker, so it made me a listener. It opened me up to being empathetic toward other cultures.” Hornung bonded with her host family and attracted friends, and she was impressed with how seriously Germans took the threat of

PHOTO ALI HORNUNG

Ali Hornung with one the many children she has helped.

We must do the right thing because it is right

Back in the fall of 1994, when I was a relatively impoverished rabbinical student living in Israel, I went to my local Bank Leumi branch to make a withdrawal. After the transaction, I asked the teller to print out my new balance, and when she did, I was startled to discover that, according to the bank, I now had $60,000 in my account. I went back to the teller to explain that there had been some sort of mistake, but she insisted that the money was now in my account and everything was “kol b’seder.” Despite repeated visits to the bank, the money stayed in my account for nearly two months before the error was cleared up.

AS THE MONEY came into my account just before Yom Kippur, I always believed it was a personal test. At moments such as these, I often think of the famous quote attributed to American author and philosopher, Aldo Leopold, who wrote, “Ethical behavior is doing the right thing when no one else is watching.” In Judaism, we take Leopold's words to heart, as our tradition emphasizes the importance of doing the right

thing not because it will profit us, but simply because it is the right thing to do.

D ’VAR TO RAH

Indeed, during this High Holy Day season of confession (vidui) and teshuvah, our Yom Kippur Torah portion, Nitzavim, challenges us to be better, more ethical, people, both in public and in private. In Deuteronomy 29:28, the Torah reminds us that “Concealed acts concern the Lord our God; but with overt acts, it is for us and our children ever

antisemitism. In college, she would spend five months studying in Vienna, Austria, putting her language skills to use.

Her fundraising to combat leukemia started with an unlikely friendship

Hornung was 16 when she met a girl named Ella, who was 11 years old and diagnosed with childhood leukemia. To help out Ella’s family, Hornung crafted and sold special hair bows, using her mother’s sewing machine. She eventually raised $1,300.

Two years later, Hornung competed in a seven-week fundraising contest through the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. She put together a sizable fashion show, hosted at the Quonset Club in North Kingstown. Ella participated as one of the models, wearing a sparkling pink dress. Hornung won the contest, after raising $43,000, and the event cemented her friendship with Ella. They started to refer to each other as “Big Sis” and “Little Sis.”

Hornung was very active during COVID

On Aug. 24, 2019, 14-yearold Ella succumbed to leukemia, and Hornung was devastated. “Big Sis” was now a sophomore in college – at

URI – and uncertain how to proceed after the loss of her young friend.

“I was really struggling,” she recalls. “I was not doing great in school. I was suffering from memory loss, and all the typical things that happen when you’re grieving.”

Then the pandemic hit, and Hornung felt a strong desire to help her community – by making protective wear. “I basically locked myself in my room for two days and sewed hundreds of face masks,” she says. “People started reaching out to me and said, ‘Hey, can I buy these?’ ” Hornung called the enterprise Miracle Masks, and she donated the money she made to childhood cancer nonprofits. She personally stitched together more than 3,000 masks. “That’s all I did during the pandemic,” she remembers with a laugh.

Glimmer of Hope started with Ella’s wish

Before her passing, Ella had written a letter to the American Girl company about her desire for a doll without hair, which might normalize the hair loss experienced during cancer treatment. When she later heard this posthumous anecdote from Ella’s family, Hornung felt renewed inspiration. She set up the Glimmer of Hope

responsibility. He notes the community's concern for the possibility that someone's private deeds - which cannot be known by anyone - may lead to God's collective punishment. Rashi then answers his own objection, explaining that covert deeds are solely within God's purview, and that any consequences will be limited to the individual only.

to apply all the provisions of this Teaching.”

This verse is traditionally interpreted as a warning that even one's private behavior – the deeds that no one else will ever know – will still be accounted for by God. In short, even when no one appears to be looking, even when it may not impact anyone but us, still, we must be accountable to our Creator. As the Yom Kippur liturgy reminds us, for our sins against God (the ones no one else can see) only God can accept our teshuvah.

But Rashi expands on the meaning of this verse, offering an additional ethical

Foundation to give hairless dolls to children battling cancer. The first doll given was named Hope. The name also speaks to the perseverance of cancer fighters and survivors, and as a bonus, “hope” echoes Rhode Island’s state motto.

The Foundation is now four years old, and Hornung has overseen the delivery of 600 dolls to date. She also arranges photo shoots with children and their families, along with “Best Day Ever” travel packages. Hornung herself has dressed up as a fairy godmother for Disney princess-themed events. Most of these take place in Southern New England, but Hornung is open to a much wider area. When diagnoses take a turn for the worst, the organization also prepares bereavement boxes.

A medium foretold her Miss Rhode Island crown

At 17, Hornung competed in Miss Rhode Island Teen. She was a natural fit for this kind of pageant, and although she didn’t place during that first attempt, Hornung went on to compete for adult Miss Rhode Island with astonishing success: She was second runner-up in 2019, fourth in 2021, and third in 2022. (The event wasn’t held in 2020, due to COVID, and Hornung

However, Rashi further explains that overt transgressions — deeds that the entire community is aware of — are often passively accepted and even condoned.

In Rashi’s own prophetic words, “but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children… and if we do not execute judgment upon them, the whole community will be punished.”

In this season of repentance, we are not expected to be responsible for anyone else's private behavior. But when those deeds are revealed to us - as

studied abroad in 2023). The pageants were also a practical pursuit: The Miss America organization is the largest provider of educational scholarships to young women in the United States.

“I’d been getting close [to winning Miss Rhode Island],” Hornung recalls. “I thought that it was possible. It was hard to envision myself winning. But you have to believe it’s possible.”

they so often are in this day and age - they now “belong” to us and to our children. Instead of turning away, or simply ignoring the person’s behavior, Judaism teaches that we are collectively responsible for these misdeeds, and accordingly, must condemn them. Such deeds may not directly impact our lives, but they surely impact the larger society in which we live. As our Torah teaches, in Deuteronomy 22, indifference is not an option.

May this new year of 5785 be a year of peace for all of us, for our nation, and especially for the State of Israel. Shanah tovah and Gamar Chatimah Tovah

RABBI HOWARD VOSS-ALTMAN is the spiritual leader of Temple Habonim, in Barrington.

Candle lighting times October 2024

October 2 6:05pm Erev Rosh Hashanah

October 3 7:05pm Rosh Hashanah

October 4 6:01pm

Still, the crown was not a foregone conclusion. By 2023 she started to wonder whether to continue with the competitions. In a surprising twist, Hornung turned to a medium – Cindy Machado, who has since become a close friend – and asked about her future. Machado predicted that Hornung should try one more time.

October 11 5:50pm Erev Yom Kippur Greater Rhode Island

work I was doing with pediatric cancer,” says Hornung. “Truthfully, it is astronomical how much [Miss Rhode Island] has helped with Glimmer of Hope. Winning was life-changing.” Hornung will compete in the national Miss America competition on Jan. 5, 2025.

Winning was an emotional event, and photographs show Hornung tearing up with joy. Yet again, Hornung is most pleased with the victory’s effects on her charity work: As Glimmer of Hope has grown, the Miss Rhode Island crown has amplified her message.

“I wanted a pedestal for the

To learn more about Glimmer of Hope, visit glimmerofhopefoundation.org

ROBERT ISENBERG is a freelance writer and multimedia producer based in Cranston. His latest book, “Mile Markers: Essays on Cycling.”

RABBI HOWARD VOSS-ALTMAN

CALENDAR HIGHLIGHTS

Ongoing

JCS’ Kosher Food Pantry 2024 High Holiday Food Drive. Thru 10/14. Drop off non-perishable Kosher items at many local synagogues or the Dwares JCC (401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence). Monetary donations can be made directly to the Kosher Food Pantry at JCSRI.org. Information, Kristany Jaycox at kristany@jcsri.org or 401-369-5052.

Kosher Senior Café and Programming. 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Monday – Thursday at the Dwares JCC, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence; no cafe at Temple Sinai on Fridays in October due to holidays. In-person (and on Zoom most Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays) programming from 11 a.m.-noon followed by lunch and discussion noon-1 p.m. 10/17 & 10/24: café closed due to holidays; 10/15: leave JCC at 10:30 a.m. for foliage tour in northwest RI; 10/31: leave JCC at 10:30 a.m. for field trip to Haffenreffer Museum at Brown University. Every Wednesday is chair yoga with Neal 11-11:45 a.m. For seniors aged 60 and older as well as younger adults with a disability; all faiths and backgrounds are welcome. Suggested donation: $3 per lunch. The Kosher Senior Café is a program of Jewish Collaborative Services and is supported by the Jewish Alliance of Greater RI and Blackstone Health. Information and RSVP, Neal at neal@jfsri.org, Tyler at tyler@jcsri.org or 401-4214111, ext. 107.

Delve Deeper: Tikkun Olam in the Kingdom of God: Abraham Joshua Heschel as a Relevant Prophet. Sundays 10 a.m.-noon. Thru 11/24. No class 10/13. In this Zoom course led by Dr. Dror Bondi, we will focus on the question of the connec-

tion between Heschel’s religious thought and his social involvement. Cost: $250 for 10 sessions. Tuition assistance available. Information, delvedeeper.org.

Hebrew Fall 1 Session. Tuesdays 6-7 p.m. thru 10/29. Temple Emanu-El, 99 Taft Ave., Providence. Join us for Hebrew conversation and improve your speaking skills. This fall we are offering three levels of in-person Hebrew conversation classes – beginner, intermediate and advanced. Cost: $100 per person (scholarship available). Information (including which level is right for you), Toby Liebowitz at tobyaane@gmail.com.

Teen Nights at Temple Beth-El. Thursdays 6 p.m. 70 Orchard Ave., Providence. Teens are welcome to Temple Beth-El’s Teen Nights for dinner, discussion and community. Information, Jillian Brosofsky at jbrosofsky@temple-beth-el.org or 401-331-6070, ext. 100.

Cape Cod Synagogue Shabbat Services. Saturdays 10:30 a.m. 145 Winter St., Hyannis, Mass. With Rabbi David Freelund. In-person and livestreamed on website, Facebook and YouTube. Information, Cape Cod Synagogue at 508-7752988 or capecodsynagogue.org.

Saturday | October 5

Temple Torat Yisrael Virtual and In-Person Morning Shabbat Services. 9:30-10:30 a.m. 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich. In person with Zoom available. Information, temple@toratyisrael.org.

Temple Sinai Breakfast and Torah Study. 9:30-11 a.m. 30 Hagen Ave., Cranston. Join us for breakfast followed by Torah Study at 10 a.m. Breakfast RSVP and information, Templesinairi.org, dottie@tem-

plesinairi.org or 401-942-8350.

Temple Habonim Torah Study. 10-11 a.m. Rabbi Howard Voss-Altman leads Torah study on current portion. Via Zoom. Information, Adina Davies at office@templehabonim.org or 401-245-6536.

Temple Sinai Morning Service. 11 a.m. 30 Hagen Ave., Cranston. Service will be held in the Chapel. Information, Templesinairi.org, dottie@templesinairi.org or 401942-8350.

“Picking Up Stones: An American Jew Wakes to a Nightmare.” 3-5 p.m. Channing Memorial Unitarian Church, 135 Pelham St., Newport. In this 90-minute one-woman/ many-voices play, Sandra Laub portrays diverse viewpoints including her response to the Israel/ Hamas war. Laub’s work received the “Artists 4 Artists” award at the Providence Fringe Festival. Cost: $20. Information, Sandra Laub at laubcho@aol.com.

Sunday | October 6

Jewish Community Day School of RI Parent Night Out. 7:30-9:30 p.m., 85 Taft Ave., Providence. A fun night out for JCDSRI parents. Information, Meredith Friedman at mfriedman@jcdsri.com or 401-7512470.

Monday | October 7

Remembering October 7: An Evening for Unity & Hope. 7 p.m. Dwares JCC, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence. Commemoration featuring prayers and speeches by those directly impacted by 10/7/23 events. Come together, grieve and renew hope that the hostages will be safely returned, and the war will come to an end. Information and RSVP, Dori Adler at dadler@ jewishallianceri.org or 401-4214111, ext. 179.

Wednesday | October 16

Temple Sinai Pizza in the Hut and Sushi in the Sukkah. 6:45 p.m. 30 Hagen Ave., Cranston. Following the Festival Service, join us in the sukkah. Cost: Adults $10; children $5. Information and RSVP (by 10/10), Dottie at dottie@templesinairi.org or 401-942-8350.

Friday | October 18

Cape Cod Synagogue Family Shabbat Services. 5:30 p.m. 145 Winter St., Hyannis, Mass. In-person and livestreamed services on website, Facebook, Cape Media, YouTube and Community Television Comcast channel 99. Information, 508-775-2988 or capecodsynagogue.org.

Temple Beth-El Kabbalat Shabbat Service. 5:45 p.m. 70 Orchard Ave., Providence. Celebrate

with song, prayer and friends. Information, Jillian Brosofsky at jbrosofsky@temple-beth-el.org or 401-331-6070, ext. 100.

Temple Torat Yisrael Virtual Kabbalat Shabbat and Torah Services. 5:45-6:15 p.m. By Zoom only. Information, temple@toratyisrael. org.

Temple Sinai Shabbat Service. 6 p.m. 30 Hagen Ave., Cranston. Service will be held in the Sanctuary. Information, Templesinairi. org, dottie@templesinairi.org or 401-942-8350.

Saturday | October 19

Temple Beth-El Torah Study. 9 a.m. 70 Orchard Ave., Providence. Join us for in-person Torah study. Information, Jillian Brosofsky at jbrosofsky@temple-beth-el.org or 401-331-6070, ext. 100.

Temple Torat Yisrael Saturday Morning Shabbat Services. 9:3010:30 a.m. 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich. In person with Zoom available. Information, temple@ toratyisrael.org.

Temple Sinai Breakfast and Torah Study. 9:30-11 a.m. 30 Hagen Ave., Cranston. Come have breakfast with us followed by Torah study at 10 a.m. Information, Templesinairi. org, dottie@templesinairi.org or 401-942-8350.

Temple Habonim Torah Study. 10-11 a.m. Rabbi Howard Voss-Altman leads Torah study on current portion. Via Zoom. Information, Adina Davies at office@templehabonim.org or 401-245-6536.

Temple Sinai Morning Service. 11 a.m. 30 Hagen Ave., Cranston. Service will be held in the Chapel. Information, Templesinairi.org, dottie@templesinairi.org or 401942-8350.

Sunday | October 20

Fall Plant Sale. 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Dwares JCC, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence. There will be flowers, pumpkins, bulbs, garlic, live music and delicious treats to get you ready for the season. Volunteers from the URI Master Gardener Program will be available to answer gardening questions and provide free soil pH testing. Information, Kendra at kdoe@jewishallianceri. org.

Monday | October 21

Young Professionals Sukkot Sip ‘n Paint. 5:30-7:30 p.m. Dwares JCC, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence. Enjoy a drink in the Sukkah and create a painting to add to your fall decor. Led by Zo Baker. No artistic experience needed. Cost: $35 (includes all painting materials, instruction, wine and

seltzer). Pre-registration required. Information, Dori Adler at dadler@ jewishallianceri.org or 401-4214111, ext. 179.

Pastor Chris Edmonds at Temple Sinai. 7 p.m. 30 Hagen Ave., Cranston. After watching the documentary “Following the Footsteps of my Father,” Pastor Edmonds will speak about the need today for courageous action against hatred. Pastor Edmonds’ father, Master Sergeant Roddie Edmonds, was posthumously given The Righteous Among the Nations Award by the State of Israel. Information, Templesinairi. org, dottie@templesinairi.org or 401-942-8350.

Tuesday | October 22

Jewish Community Day School of Rhode Island Community Sukkot Breakfast. 8:30-10 a.m. 85 Taft Ave., Providence. The entire community is invited to join us in our sukkah to nosh and celebrate Sukkot together. Information, Meredith Friedman at mfriedman@jcdsri. com or 401-751-2470.

Sandra Bornstein Holocaust Education Center Speaker’s Visit. 9:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m. McVinney Auditorium, 43 Dave Gavitt Way, Providence. Pastor Chris Edmonds, son of WWII Master Sgt. Roddie Edmonds who saved the lives of more than 200 Jewish American soldiers in a prisoner of war camp in Germany, will speak to students about his father’s heroism. Middle school presentation followed by high school presentation at 11 a.m. Information, bornsteinholocaustcenter.org or Giovanna Wiseman at gwiseman@hercri.org.

Temple Emanu-El Music Bingo in the Sukkah. 7-8 p.m. 99 Taft Ave., Providence. Information, Shoshana Jacob at shosh@teprov.org or 401331-1616.

Friday | October 25

Temple Sinai Shabbat Service. 6 p.m. 30 Hagen Ave., Cranston. Service will be held in the Chapel. Information, Templesinairi.org, dottie@templesinairi.org or 401942-8350.

Temple Beth-El Shabbat Service. 7 p.m. 70 Orchard Ave., Providence. Join us for Friday evening Shabbat service. Information, Jillian Brosofsky at jbrosofsky@temple-beth-el.org or 401-331-6070, ext. 100.

Cape Cod Synagogue Shabbat Services. 7 p.m. 145 Winter St., Hyannis, Mass. In-person and livestreamed services on website, Facebook, Cape Media, YouTube and Community Television Comcast channel 99. Information, 508-7752988 or capecodsynagogue.org.

CALENDAR

Saturday | October 26

Temple Beth-El Torah Study. 9 a.m. 70 Orchard Ave., Providence. Join us for in-person Torah study. Information, Jillian Brosofsky at jbrosofsky@temple-beth-el.org or 401-331-6070, ext. 100.

Temple Sinai Breakfast and Torah Study. 9:30-11 a.m. 30 Hagen Ave., Cranston. Join us for breakfast followed by Torah Study at 10 a.m. Breakfast RSVP and information, Templesinairi. org, dottie@templesinairi.org or 401-942-8350.

Temple Sinai Morning Service. 11 a.m.-noon. 30 Hagen Ave., Cranston. Service will be held in the Chapel. Information, Templesinairi.org, dottie@ templesinairi.org or 401-9428350.

Sunday | October 27

Temple Emanu-El Parshat Noach Ret Pet Party. 10-11 a.m. 99 Taft Ave., Providence. Pet party in the parking lot. Information, Shoshana Jacob at shosh@ teprov.org or 401-331-1616.

Temple Sinai People of the Book. 2 p.m. 30 Hagen Ave., Cranston. Join our book club

as we discuss “Violins of Hope” by James Grymes. Information, Templesinairi.org, dottie@templesinairi.org or 401-942-8350

Monday | October 28

Exclusive: Dor L’Dor Society Event. 4-5 p.m. Providence Public Library, 150 Empire St., Providence. Chefs Jordan Fleischer and Moshe Karlin will share their stories and modern take on kugel and demonstrate how to make an unexpected sauce. By invitation only. The Dor L’Dor Society celebrates donors who create planned gifts, bequests or permanent endowments to sustain our community. Information, Claire Uziel at cuziel@jewishallianceri.org.

Wednesday | October 30

Women’s Alliance Event. 6:30 p.m. Breaktime Bowl & Bar, 999 Main St. #1330, Pawtucket. Open to any community woman who has made an early gift to the community campaign. Information and RSVP (required), Jennifer Zwirn at jzwirn@ jewishallianceri.org.

Sweet memories of holidays gone by

Business & Real Estate Disputes

BY FRAN OSTENDORF

Most of us look back fondly on High Holy Days celebrated in the warm embrace of our extended families. And as young parents, we try to make those memories for our children with the hope that they will pass on that love of the holidays and one day share the memories with others.

WE ASKED several of the guests at the Kosher Senior Café to share their memories with the Jewish Rhode Island community. And once we got them strolling down memory lane, there was no stopping them!

Phyllis Solod and Harriet Priest have been friends since their days growing up in a thriving Worcester, Massachusetts, Orthodox community. Now, both in their 80s, they remember Shabbat as well as the High Holy Days as a time of good food and lots of family.

Harriet’s husband, Larry, grew up in Providence. They’ve been married close to 60 years. All three remember mothers and grandmothers who filled kitchens with delicious food

and smells on the holidays. They remember non-Jewish friends who wanted invitations to come to their homes after school on Friday afternoon, hoping a treat would be waiting.

“Certain friends would want to come home with us after school,” said Harriet.

“You opened the back door on a Friday, and it smelled so good,” Phyllis said.

Larry’s family had a slightly different specialty. “My family couldn’t wait for the chili and hot tamales!”

After more than 60 years, these three are still friends. Phyllis has become known among her friends for her honey cake and apricot bread among other specialties.

Sweet & Sour Meatballs

Phyllis B. Solod

INGREDIENTS

2 pounds hamburger

1 (8 ounces) jar chili sauce

1 (12 ounce) jar grape or currant jelly

1 teaspoon lemon juice DIRECTIONS

Mix ground meat with any seasonings you choose. Mix chili sauce and jelly and lemon juice in large

Bubby Mary’s Rum Balls

Neal Drobnis, Coordinator of Kosher Senior Café

INGREDIENTS

2 1/2 cups crushed vanilla wafers (about 75 wafers)

1 cup ground pecans

1 cup confectioners' sugar

2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons baking cocoa

1/4 cup rum

3 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons water

Additional confectioners' sugar or crushed vanilla wafers

DIRECTIONS

Mix together wafer crumbs, pecans, confectioners’ sugar and cocoa. Combine rum, honey and water; stir into crumb mixture. Shape into 1 inch balls. Roll in additional confectioners’ sugar or

Wild Rice and Chicken Casserole

Martin Resnick

INGREDIENTS

6 ounces long grain & wild rice mix

2 tablespoons butter

½ cup chopped onion

½ cup chopped celery

1 can (10 ¾ oz.) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted

½ cup sour cream

1/3 cup dry white wine or water

½ teaspoon curry powder

2 cups cubed, cooked chicken

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare rice mix according to package directions. Meanwhile, melt butter in

Suzanne Glucksman joined in this trip down memory lane well into the conversation. She grew up in South Providence but has similar memories. They seem to be universal. She remembers her mother-inlaw who was an excellent cook producing delicacies like gefillte fish, undaunted by a tiny kitchen. Be sure to watch the video of the group’s conversation at jewishrhody.com.

Here are some recipes the group and others from the Kosher Cafe shared with Jewish Rhode Island. Shanah Tovah!

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

saucepan and bring to boil. Make small meatballs, then add to sauce. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Enjoy!

wafer crumbs. Store in an airtight container.

NOTES: Make these ahead to allow the flavors to meld together. Substitute flavored vodka in place of rum. Roll half of the rum balls in powdered sugar and the other half in crushed vanilla wafers for texture and visual appeal.

large skillet over medium heat; cook and stir onion and celery until tender. Stir in soup, sour cream, wine and curry powder; stir in chicken and rice. Transfer mixture to a 2-quart casserole and bake 40 minutes or until heated through. Stir before serving.

FOOD

Munn cookies bring back memories

BY NEAL DROBNIS

ONE OF MY FAVORITE childhood memories is arriving at my Bubby and Zayde’s apartment to the smell of freshly baked Munn (from the German mohn –poppy) cookies. That smell reminds me of a wonderful time, because it would fill the air and surround me like a warm blanket on a cold winter’s night.

None of my siblings or cousins recall those cookies the way I did. Maybe because I was the youngest at the time. Sometimes my father and I sat and enjoyed the company of my Bubby Sarah as she set out a plate of fresh baked cookies and hot tea.

On the third Monday of the month our guests at the Kosher Senior Café and I meet an hour before lunch and whip up some delicious treats which call to mind good memories of spending time with our loving Bubbies. I was

surprised to find many of their mothers and Bubbies baked these same cookies. When hands are busy forming cookies and mixing dough, minds have a way of freeing themselves from the troubles of everyday life.

At the Kosher Senior Café we share memories and tastes from the past together. When I used to visit my parents in Florida, my wife, Peggy, always sent along a package of Munn cookies. After just a few bites, my father would start to share reminisces about his mom and days past sitting at her table. The tradition of food and sharing memories feeds both our bodies and our souls.

NEAL DROBNIS is the coordinator of Jewish Collaborative Services Kosher Senior Café. You can reach him at neal@ jfsri.org

Bubby Sara’s Munn Cookies

INGREDIENTS

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup poppy seeds

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup butter, softened

2/3 cup white sugar

1 egg, separated

2 tablespoons lemon zest

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/3 cup granulated sugar for decoration

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. (175 degrees C.). Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Stir together the flour, poppy seeds, baking powder and salt.

In a medium bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light; beat in the egg yolk, lemon zest and lemon juice. Fold in the flour mixture and mix well.

AS ISRAELIS FIND SOLACE IN THE SOUND OF THE SHOFAR, MDA IS PREPARING FOR THE WAIL OF THE SIREN.

Divide dough in half and roll each half out on a lightly floured surface until 1/8- to ¼-inch thick. Cut with cookie cutters and place cookies on the prepared baking sheet. Brush tops of cookies with beaten egg white and sprinkle with white sugar. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden; the edges should be light brown.

If you have a favorite recipe you would like to share with the Kosher Senior Café let me know; our guests are always interested in other recipes. All activities are free and open to the public. If you want to stay for lunch, reservations are required a day before.

With rising tensions in the Middle East and the accompanying threat to the health and safety of the Israeli people, we can’t ensure that this Rosh HaShanah will usher in a peaceful year. But with your generous support, Magen David Adom will be prepared — no matter what 5785 brings. Donate at afmda.org/give or call 866.632.2763.

COMMUNITY VOICES

The importance of tzedakah over the High

way, we will ultimately grow into our behaviors. We are our deeds much more than our thoughts. Therefore, in giving charity our emphasis is equally on the effect it has

PATRICIA RASKIN , owner of Raskin Resources Productions, is an awardwinning radio producer, business owner and leader. She has served on the board of directors of Temple Emanu-El, in Providence. Her “Positive Living with Patricia Raskin” podcast can be heard on voiceamerica.com.

COMMUNITY VOICES

That ‘Jewish thing’ I wear on my head

BY DANIEL STIEGLITZ

Ihad a daily routine during my first three years at Classical High School. As I was leaving the house, I left my kippah ( yarmulke/skull cap) next to the door. When I came home, I would put it right back on my head.

BACK THEN I was much shyer and afraid of what others might think of me. By my senior year, I got over that and began wearing my kippah to school every single day. Noone ever said anything negative about it or treated me differently.

Following two years of yeshiva (Talmudic study) in Israel, where I obviously wore my kippah every day, I continued my studies at Yeshiva University in New York – in the city that some may consider a Jewish utopia, at least at the best of times. Between studying, and eventually being employed at Yeshiva University, I lived in Manhattan for six years. I wore my kippah every single day – to movie theaters, museums and Central Park. I even wore it in subway

ETTERS HOME

stations, alone and late at night. Since my Aliyah (immigration) to Israel, I have become somewhat of a world traveler. I have visited places such as England, Ireland, Poland, China, Thailand, New Zealand, Australia, France and Dubai (UAE). Because of the way I overcame my initial fear of displaying my Judaism in high school, it became of major importance to me to proudly display my kippah everywhere. I never took unnecessary risks, even those completely unrelated to a display of Judaism. If I was told to not worry about how a particular place might treat Jews, then I had no concerns about wearing my kippah while there.

During my twomonth backpacking trip around New Zealand and Australia, not a day went by when someone didn’t ask me about the kippah on my head. This inquiry led to further discussions about Judaism with all kinds of people I met on my travels. One of them, a German chef, noticed I wasn’t eating any of the (non-kosher) food he was preparing and offering for free. When I explained why (due to kashrut) he said that he wanted to make something kosher for

me. And this is how we ended up eating an amazing chocolate souffle that we prepared together.

In Cairns, Australia, I mentally prepared myself on a Friday to have yet another lonely Shabbat without the company of other Jews who would observe it with me. And then, as I walked into the hostel’s lobby I saw someone wearing a kippahalthough I had a baseball hat on my head at the time. After I introduced myself as a fellow Jew, we connected instantly and ended up making the most of a Shabbat with just the two of us. All it took was just one of us to be comfortable about publicly displaying his identity.

Soon after the holiday of Shavuot this past June, I turned on U.S. news to see people demanding that all Zionists on a NYC subway car raise their hands and get out.

I loved the time I spent in NYC, and, as I said, always wore my kippah wherever I went. I would like to think that, despite being outnumbered and in danger, I would have had the courage to raise my hand. As the famous quote goes, “I Am Not a Jew With Trembling Knees.” Even if I decided that for my own safety, I should keep my hand down, I know for certain that my kippah would have been on my head, just like it aways was when I lived in NYC. A clear identifier

of me as a Jew, making it worthwhile to ask me questions about being a Zionist (which I am).

Immediately after Oct. 7, my mom told me she felt I would be safer in Providence. I asked her, “Would I be safer driving just five minutes from her home to Brown University, with a kippah on my head and an Israeli flag draped over my shoulders, or in Israel where I would have a country willing to defend me with the Iron Dome and the Israeli Army itself?” She agreed I was better off with the latter. Many people do not have the choice to simply shed their identities whenever they feel it is necessary or because they are in danger. I do have this choice! All I need to do is simply remove my kippah. But I refuse to do that in Providence or Manhattan, the two places in the US I call home. Among other places I have been to, especially parts of my native country of the U.S., places I hope to visit one day, I would like to not even think about whether or not I should wear a kippah. Where I currently reside, in the Land of Israel, it isn’t an issue.

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

THE RULES FOR Sukkah-building are pretty open-ended: You can construct one out of sticks, palm leaves, or bamboo, as long as they naturally grew up from the soil. To celebrate Sukkot in October of 1992, some 50 children from Temple Beth-El in Providence descended on Four Tower Farm in Seekonk to cultivate

corn stalks, which they would use to create their sacred hut. Then education director, Anita Steiman, would retire in 2016. The farm is still there, growing corn on its 150 acres that border Seekonk and Swansea, Massachusetts and Barrington and East Providence, Rhode Island.

STIEGLITZ

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COMMUNITY VOICES

Keeping the flame alive: Memories and blessings

I FOLLOW THE lunisolar Jewish calendar in which the rhythm of time is determined by both the sun and the moon. It creates both the dates of our holidays and of the yahrzeits that commemorate the deaths of our close family members.

I lit a yahrzeit candle for my elder brother and the first-born of the trio of us. I also held a match to the wicks of those candles for my late parents too, both mother and father. I honored their memories and invited them, after their journeys around the human universe to bless the family by living on in their children and grandchildren. This is how they remain close and infuse our lives.

rent life and household.

We also observe Shabbat, and I offer here how I list the events and persons we bless specifically. I lift up the names of each grandchild: Flo, Daphne and Eleanor, then Selma and Noa, and also Naomi Marion and Noah Charles (“Charles” was a gesture of inclusion for my middle brother, who dwelt in Newport).

My mother was born on an Aug. 2. She gave birth to my middle brother, “Chick” (Charles) on Aug. 2. And, by an amazing coincidence, she also passed away on a deeply saddening Aug. 2. In her case I used the date from the solar or Gregorian calendar that is fairly standard throughout the world to welcome her spirit, her soul, into my cur-

This year particularly, I added a special salute to friendship – by focusing on the name of a friend and modest hero, Rep. Ritchie Torres. To me, he stands out for his supportive speeches about Israel. He hails from and represents the 15th district in the Bronx in New York, the poorest congressional district in our country. His words from that 15th district are remarkable in their courage, bravado and eloquence.

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

MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

Rhode Island area schools seek part-time Hebrew and/or Judaica teachers, and substitute teachers for the 2024-2025 academic year.

For more information contact Dori Adler at the Jewish Alliance at 401.421.4111 ext. 179 or dadler@jewishallianceri.org.

MIKE FINK S KETCHB OOK

COMMUNITY VOICES

‘So where are you from?’

Within a few years of moving to Providence in 1987, I met a woman my mother’s age who was a longtime member of Temple Beth-El. I once thought that we would become better acquainted through our mutual interest in art.

At an Oneg Shabbat, both of us happened to be standing near a coffee urn. She probably didn’t want to speak with me as much as I wanted to avoid her. But I knew that I could be civil.

THEN SHE ASKED, “So where are you from?” I didn’t want to go into any details, so I simply said: “I grew up in Los Angeles, went to college and grad schools in many places, and Betsey and I lived in St. Paul before moving to Provi dence.”

She replied, “Oh, you’re a transient.” Nobody had ever called me that, and I had never said that to anybody. Then, for clarifica tion, I asked, “You said that I’m a transient?”

M USINGS

Tapping a finger on my chest, the woman replied, “Sonny, I’d like you to know that I’ve lived my entire life within a threemile radius of this spot.”

Still troubled by her devastating remark, I’d like to give a fuller explanation. I hope too that I have remained loyal to all my homes.

In fact, Betsey and I have now lived in Providence for 37 years—nearly half my lifetime—and far longer than either of us have lived elsewhere. I’m referring once again to my childhood home in Los Angeles, where I lived again after completing my graduate studies and where Betsey and I met in 1982. We lived there during the first two years of our marriage before embracing two other Jewish communities.

I guess that L.A. will always feel like home because it evokes so many happy memories. Four generations of my family have lived there, and this is where my siblings and I grew up.

My twin, Theo, and I

attended religious school at Wilshire Boulevard Temple from kindergarten through Confirmation. He and Susie were married there, and it is the spiritual home where our parents spent the rest of their lives.

Dad and Mom were buried by its senior rabbi, and our younger sister, Betty, and her family still belong to Wilshire Boulevard. Indeed, without my upbringing at the Temple, I would have never studied at the L.A. campus of the Reform seminary, Hebrew Union College, or undertaken a few years of Federation work or devoted so many decades to American Jewish studies. The Temple provided a kind of fulcrum, through which Betsey and I would go on to find friendship, peace, joy and solace at two other congregations.

Dad had already passed away, but Mom was too weak to come to our daughter Molly's wedding to Adam at Beth-El, so we sought an alternative. In a ceremony for immediate family, Molly and Adam were blessed on the Wilshire Temple’s bimah Betsey and I have been back to Wilshire to visit its colossal new social hall, which was designed by a hip architectural firm. Unfortunately, I simply can’t envision how this striking edifice will be used on a regular basis. But surely thousands of religious school alumni were far more disturbed when the Temple’s two

beloved camps, adjacent to and overlooking the Pacific in Malibu, were destroyed by a huge fire in 2018. No doubt, the camps, which have flourished at temporary locations, will eventually be rebuilt.

As kids, Theo and I eventually attended two other summer camps, but only one, in Northern California, survives. If I were ever traveling in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, I would happily stop by to take a look at it today, but in recent years Betsey and I are far more likely to find ourselves exploring Italian hilltops and vistas. As an undergraduate, I studied briefly in Florence, and the wonder and enchantment that experience instilled in me has stayed with me.

“EXCELLENT LIKE ALWAYS”

Perhaps this would not have been possible without my exposure to L.A.’s amazing number and variety of art museums. Indeed, during the mid1960s, while riding a yellow bus to and from religious school, we kids could glimpse the new Los Angeles County Museum of Art under construction on Wilshire Boulevard. But I also have much earlier memories of visiting its collection, when, located elsewhere, it was part of the County’s Museum of History, Science, and Art. I remember similar childhood visits with elders to small art museums, such as the Huntington in San Marino and J. Paul Getty’s home in Malibu. All this exposure prepared me for what I was to encounter in Italy later on.

“If you need a professional service with honest advice in case of repair needs, this is your place.”

–Thomas B., Providence, Porsche 911

collectors and benefactors. And more than a few of these magnificent museums would be designed by stellar Jewish architects.

I do miss many of L.A.’s sprawling, public beaches. I never played golf, as did my parents year-round, but I’m pleased that a few boulevards with wide medians still accommodate walkers and joggers. Southern California’s trees, shrubs, and flowers that blossom almost continually are still something I yearn for during a chilly New England winter.

Nevertheless, I happily acknowledge the multiplicity of places and things in New England that nourish, enchant and thrill me. What a bounty of beautiful blessings! This list would include the home in Andover, Massachusetts, where Betsey and her three siblings grew up and where she and I frequently visited with our kids and our first grandchild until only a few years ago. But I should also include a favorite seaside hotel in Maine, where, since 1993, we’ve visited nearly a hundred times.

I’m so happy, Oneg Shabbat lady, for your loyalty to the East Side. But perhaps I should con-

September 6, 2024 –High Holy Days Deadline - August 26, 2024 Submitted - May, 2024

In 1975, when I completed my doctoral dissertation about the educational uses and functions of art museums, Norton Simon had not yet taken over the new campus of the Pasadena Museum of Modern Art. Inevitably, when discussing the backgrounds of museum trustees and staffs, I commented on the relative scarcity of Jews (and other ethnic and racial minorities). At that time, nobody could possibly imagine how many new art museums would later arise and flourish in Southern California – thanks, in part, to an abundance Jewish

clude these observations by saying that Betsey and I have been so privileged to enjoy at least three homes where, we hope, our spirits will always reside. These are: Los Angeles, Providence, and Andover, but so many other places—near and far—where we have felt, perhaps naively, that we have also blessedly belonged.

GEORGE M. GOODWIN , of Providence, is the editor of Rhode Island Jewish Historical Notes.

“GREAT”

“Always feel like I am getting the best care for my car. Tracy is great. The prices are so much more reasonable than the dealer. Lucky to have German Motors so close as well.”

–David A., BMW XI

The Jewish Voice Rep: Peter Zeldin B&W spot ad: 2" X 3"

October 4, 2024 –High Holy Days/ Business & Philanthropy Deadline - September 25, 2024 Submitted - May, 2024

OPINION

Is this too much to ask?

Ireturned to the peaceful community of Barrington on Monday, March 11, 2002, after a roller-coaster ride in Jerusalem – an experience of frightening plunges and magical highs. I was part of a delegation of about 260 Reform colleagues from North America, 40 from Israel and Europe, as well as perhaps 50 spouses who attended the 113th annual convention of the Central Conference of American Rabbis.

WHEN I CAME back to my room in the Inbal Hotel on Wednesday afternoon, March 6, the light on the phone indicated that a voice message was waiting for me; it turned out to be from one of my fellow rabbis:

“Hello, Jim, this is Jeff Bearman. Susie and I would love to have you join us for dinner following the Kabbalat Shabbat service at Kol HaNeshamah (at the time one of Jerusalem’s two liberal synagogues). However, you need to know that we live on the last street in Jerusalem; what this means is that there will probably be shooting. We don’t want you to be alarmed. Please let us know what you decide.”

By pure coincidence I had just been on the Bearmans’

RABBI JAMES ROSENBERG

street, Rechov HaShayish (Marble Street), about a half an hour earlier. I had seen that the rear face of the apartment building was pockmarked with bullet holes from repeated nighttime shooting from the direction of Beit Jalla, an Arab village across the valley and right next to that little town of Bethlehem. An army officer explained to our group that the Israeli government had recently provided bulletproof glass to protect Marble Street’s residents.

I immediately returned the call to the Bearmans:

“Hi Susie, this is Jim Rosenberg. Of course, I’d be happy

to join you for dinner on Friday evening. As far as the shooting is concerned, eyn b’ayah; it’s not a problem.”

To which Susie responded most firmly: “Yesh b’ayah! There IS a problem! That’s why we are warning you.”

As it turned out, no shots were fired at the Bearmans’ townhouse apartment on that Friday evening. The reason for the relative quiet on that particular Shabbat was that an army reconnaissance drone was buzzing in circles in the starlit sky above. One of the other dinner guests happened to be a retired air force chaplain, and he explained to us that this unmanned plane was carrying electronic equipment that allowed the Israeli army personnel stationed nearby to direct lethally accurate fire against anyone foolhardy enough to start shooting at us from Beit Jalla, the Arab village.

Nevertheless, our dinner conversation was disturbed by occasional explosions which appeared to be coming from Bethlehem – “How still we see thee lie / Beneath thy deep and dreamless sleep!”

In addition, it was more than a little unnerving to observe the recently patched bullet hole in the Bearmans’ living room wall. The bullet came

hissing through the window one fine evening before the Israeli government had gotten around to installing the bulletproof glass. Jeffrey was sitting on his sofa reading the newspaper at the time. “All we want is some peace and quiet. Is this too much to ask?” he commented in little more than a whisper.

At our welcoming convention dinner on Tuesday evening, March 5 – now 22 years ago—Prof. David Hartman suggested that all of us were living in a time of moral ambiguity – an ambiguity reinforced by the mistrust, bitterness, and daily acts of provocation on both sides of the Arab-Israeli conflict. Ironically, the very next morning, the same day that I received that bizarre dinner invitation from the Bearmans, I witnessed the consequences of the disfigured sense of justice which some Israelis possess.

I traveled beyond the Green Line with a busload of colleagues to visit a Palestinian family whose home had been demolished by Israeli bulldozers the day before. The family was living in Issawiya, an Arab village that was incorporated into the northern reaches of the municipality of Jerusalem.

On Sunday evening it

appeared that the extended family of 22 individuals met all the requirements for obtaining an official Jerusalem building permit. When the bulldozers arrived on Tuesday morning, they were told otherwise. The family asked for a few hours to disassemble their primitive new dwelling, so that they might save their meager furnishings.

The Israeli army gave them just a few minutes. The Palestinian family raised the same question I heard Jeffrey Bearman pose after the Erev Shabbat dinner: All we want is some peace and quiet. Is this too much to ask?

More than 2 millennia ago, the ancient author of the Biblical book Kohelet commented: “Ein kol chadash tachat ha-shamash. There is nothing new under the sun.” (1.9)

And so the quest for peace in the Middle East continues. Is this too much to ask?

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

Tim Walz, JD Vance stand by Israel in VP debate but spar over Trump’s ability to contain Iran

BY RON KAMPEAS

(JTA) – Ohio Sen. JD Vance and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz both expressed unstinting support for Israel during a vice-presidential debate that took place just after Israel came under Iranian assault.

But the two men tussled over whether Donald Trump, the former president who is the Republican presidential nominee, would be as reliable a steward of the U.S.-Israel relationship as President Joe Biden has been. On Tuesday, Biden sent in reinforcements to help counter the Iranian onslaught and warned of “severe consequences” for Iran.

In their first question, the debate’s moderators asked whether the candidates would back Israel were it to strike Iran preemptively in an effort to set back its nuclear program.

Walz, the Democratic nominee and running mate to Vice President Kamala Harris, did not directly answer but emphasized that “steady leadership” from the United States would be essential in confronting the threat posed by Iran.

Walz pivoted to an attack on Trump. Referring to last month’s presidential debate, in which Trump dwelled on perceived personal slights, he said, “It’s clear, and the world saw it on that debate stage a few weeks

ago: A nearly 80-year-old Donald Trump talking about crowd sizes is not what we need in this moment.”

Walz quoted an array of Trump associates – including Vance, in remarks he made before he got close to Trump – as saying Trump was unfit to maintain diplomatic alliances because he was fickle. In Harris, Walz said, “We’ve seen a calmness that is able to be able to draw on the coalitions to bring them together, understanding that our allies matter.”

Vance, in his reply, defended Trump’s record in his first term and charged that policies advanced by Biden and Harris had emboldened Iran.

“Donald Trump actually delivered stability in the world, and he did it by establishing effective deterrence people were afraid of stepping out of line. Iran, which launched this attack, has received over $100 billion and unfrozen assets thanks to the Kamala Harris administration,” Vance said. It was not clear what he was referring to. Iranian assets held by Korea totaling $6-7 billion were released for humanitarian use as part of a deal releasing U.S. citizens held in Iran. Vance also directly answered the question about a preemptive strike. “It is up to Israel what they think they need to do to keep their country

CONTINUED ON PAGE 22

OPINION

It takes new ideas to solve old problems

BY MARJORIE DAVIS

Like any software developer, I know the frustration of sometimes writing code that doesn’t work as expected. When I am relentlessly trying to find the bug in my program, the building would have to be on fire before I will pry myself away, and most likely, I’d run out with my computer, debugging as I go.

OCCASIONALLY THE problem is not just a bug, but a flawed design that warrants a new algorithm. In that case, stepping away from the computer while I think it through is the best action. As with any problem, one must first acknowledge that if the current strategy won’t work, step back, and seek a new solution.

When it comes to the topic of the Middle East where failed ideas abound, all too often people lack the willingness to reassess their tactics.

John Maynard Keynes said, “The difficulty lies not so much in developing new ideas as in escaping from old ones.”

In 2020 Israel was able to normalize relationships with four countries, but only after flipping the conventional strength through peace narrative and embracing peace through strength instead.

Ignoring the fact that it has been tried unsuccessfully again and again for eight decades, many continue to tout the two-state solution. Former Prime

Minister Naftali Bennett bluntly said, “The truth is that a two-state solution is not possible if one side is pledged to kill you.” Polls reveal that Palestinians overwhelmingly reject any plan that would provide them with a state alongside Israel. It has been said that the Palestinians don’t want a two-state solution with Jews; they want the Nazis’ final solution for Jews.

Former Ambassador David Friedman noted that leaving the West Bank would not work because whenever Israel cedes territory, it leaves a vacuum that is later filled by terrorists. He suggested an approach modeled after the U.S. and Puerto Rico: Israel would claim sovereignty over the West Bank, giving local autonomy to the Palestinians who would not have voting rights. This solution would ensure that Israel remains both a Jewish and a Democratic state, while giving the Palestinians the opportunity to have better education, health care, and welfare services.

A fresh perspective on Gaza is sorely needed. We must change the narrative from: Israel has a right to defend itself, to: Israel has a right to win the war. Instead of saying: The war has to end, we should be saying: All of the hostages must be released, and Hamas must be eliminated.

Hamas, whose goal is to maximize civilian casualties, has been able to leverage the fact that Israel values life. This discrepancy has put Israel at a great disadvantage. Law professor Eugene Kontorovich suggested a plan that would get Hamas to free the hostages and end the war: “For every day Hamas does not give up the hostages, America will recognize 25 acres of Gaza as a permanent Israeli buffer zone. For every murdered hostage, 250 acres,” he wrote, adding that the war “would be over in days.”

Indeed, it takes innovative thinking to counter the unmitigated evil directed at Israel. The recent sabotage and explosion of Hezbollah’s pagers and walkie-talkies was a stunning and brilliant plan, enabling Israel to target terrorists while minimizing civilian casualties. Still, some politicians including N.Y. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez criticized the action.

Calling out Kamala Harris’ inadequate support for Israel, Alan Dershowitz proposed three criteria that she must meet to earn his vote, and the votes of many

like-minded Jews:

• Publicly repudiate the claim by some fellow Democrats that Israel is engaged in genocide in Gaza.

• State unambiguously that she will never allow Iran to develop nuclear weapons.

• Stop pandering to anti-Israel extremists.

Albert Einstein said, “If at first the idea is not absurd, then there is no hope for it.”

In the 19th century, Theodor Herzl, deeply troubled by the perpetual persecution of Jews, initially suggested that Jews assimilate and convert. After realizing that even those actions would not be enough to keep Jews safe, he dramatically changed course, concluding that Jews needed to be a free people in their own land. He believed that it was possible for Jews to fulfill their 2,000-year-old hope of rebuilding a Jewish state in their ancestral homeland.

In his diary, Herzl recounted the First Zionist Congress that took place in Switzerland in 1897. “At Basel I founded the Jewish State. If I said this out loud today, l would be greeted by universal laughter. In five years perhaps, and certainly in fifty years, everyone will perceive it.”

In 1948 David Ben-Gurion stood at a podium beneath a picture of Herzl and declared the establishment of Israel.

In 2018 I visited that room in Tel Aviv, listened to the

Trump pre-blames the Jews

BY MARK BINDER

That Donald Trump spoke before a gathering of Jewish Republicans wasn’t a shock. That Miriam Adelson is donating millions to his campaign isn’t surprising.

WHAT BLOWS my mind is that Trump had the audacity to pre-blame his election loss on the Jews – and the audience that was ostensibly there to fight antisemitism didn’t boo him off the stage.

Trump just armed a “huge” antisemitic timebomb. It’s set to go off on

Nov. 6, 2024, the day after the election.

“If I don’t win this election…” Trump said. “In my opinion the Jewish people would have a lot to do with the loss…”

This is from the same man who riled up his supporters on Jan. 6, 2021. And when

they marched on the United States Capitol, he sat in the Oval Office and did nothing to protect our democracy.

Time and again, Donald Trump has fed his cheering followers hatred and prejudice against Black people, Hispanics, Muslims, “migrants,” and women.

He just told those same followers that if he loses, it’s the Jews’ fault.

All while wearing the humble mask of “the best president, the greatest president by far,” and predicting that “Israel will be wiped off the face of the earth if I don’t win.”

national anthem - a song about the 2,000-year-old hope, and heard Ben-Gurion’s recorded speech. “The state of Israel will ensure complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion, race, or sex; it will guarantee freedom of religion, conscience, language, education, and culture. We extend our hand to all neighboring states and their peoples in an offer of peace and good neighborliness. The State of Israel is prepared to do its share in a common effort for the advancement of the entire Middle East.”

The next day seven countries attacked Israel.

The Jewish New Year is now upon us, turning the page on the worst year for the Jewish people since the Holocaust. My hope is that every hostage will be freed, the injured will be healed, and the bereaved will find comfort. Let this be the year when Israel’s neighbors finally grasp the simple, irrefutable fact that peace is better than war, and reach for the hand Ben-Gurion extended so long ago. May the sound of the shofar awaken us to turn away from the old, failed ideas, and like Herzl, embrace innovative ones that will bring our hopes to fruition.

MARJORIE DAVIS lives in Providence. Her blog can be found at https://blogs. timesofisrael.com/author/ marjorie-davis/

Trump has stacked the courts, never admitted that he lost the election, and promised to become a dictator on Day One. He has sown deception, hatred and chaos. Can you trust him to do anything other than what suits his whim and his ego?

If Donald Trump loses, he will blame everyone except himself, but he’s just pointed a fat lying finger at the Jewish people.

And he did it standing right in front of Jewish Republicans. Then he put their checks into his pocket.

He said to our faces, ‘If I lose, it’s the Jews’ fault, and

I’ve made sure everyone knows it.’

If you have supported Trump now or in the past, I invite you to reconsider. And then vote.

MARK BINDER is an author, storyteller and former candidate for the US House of Representatives. His latest novel for adults, Izzy Abrahmson’s THE COUNCIL OF WISE WOMEN has no mention of world politics, although it does touch a bit on the transformation of a patriarchy.

HIGH HOLY DAYS

We need High Holy Day prayers that meet the moment

BY ALEX WEISLER (JTA)

I’ve spent the last year traveling the world – two trips each to Israel and Ukraine, along with time in Bulgaria, Ghana, Hungary, the United Kingdom, Georgia and beyond – and I have new eyes for the situation we Jews find ourselves in.

WE FACE skyrocketing antisemitism, an agonizing war with Hamas and its allies, and the grim Whac-A-Mole of so many other pressing concerns. And in early October, we’re somehow meant to endure a Jewish New Year that will force us to confront the chasm between our prayers and our reality. Attempting to wrestle meaning from the daily pain so many of us have carried since Oct. 7, we’ll recite the Unetaneh Tokef, a medieval liturgical poem best known for the phrase “who will live and who will die” that also sneaks in an ancient formula for living through a spiritual hurricane.

“Prayer, charity and repentance can lessen the severity of the decree,” we belt out, but today, that age-old paradigm for how to handle hard times feels insufficient. With Jewish communities worldwide grappling with a discourse so black-and-white you could choke on it, we need more.

The father of two small children, I feel that imperative acutely. One year into this mess, my Jewishness, while lived proudly every day, feels smaller, sadder, more subdued. How can I raise my kids to be boldly and joyfully Jewish when we feel alone and unsafe in so many once-familiar spaces?

I began to find the answer in an unexpected place –the third floor of a lonely Khrushchev-era apartment building on the outskirts of Chişinău, Europe’s poorest capital.

I was in Moldova to meet

78-year-old Emilia Grosu, a widowed retired cook who ekes out a life on a meager fixed income with the assistance of my organization, the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC). She is among tens of thousands of poor and elderly Jews across the former Soviet Union we care for – people without anyone else to aid them.

As I cackled at her jokes and marveled at the exuberant hospitality of someone with so little, our powwow turned to prophecy when we spoke of her struggles.

“The most frightening thing is when you’re sick. It’s not like I can ask for help from my neighbors – there are seven bedridden people in my building alone,” Emilia told me, jabbing a finger into the air for emphasis. “My only hope is our Jewish community. We stick together here.”

Her words echoed later during my months in Israel – where I visited the besieged southern towns of Sderot and Ofakim, large cities like Be’er Sheva and Jerusalem, and communities in the north anxiously preparing for an escalation or full-scale war.

In Tiberias, the erstwhile tourist hotspot that’s absorbed more than 10,000 evacuees, I attended a JDC prenatal class for women living through the unimaginable – wrenched from their homes for nearly a year, some with husbands in the military, with no idea when they’d return.

It’s one of scores of emergency initiatives we’ve launched in the months after Oct. 7 to meet the

HIGH HOLY DAYS

From Hostages Square, prayers aim to transcend Israel’s fractured politics

BY DEBORAH DANAN (JTA)

TEL AVIV, Israel – The quavering sound of the shofar pealed through the small crowd gathered in Hostages Square on Sunday night for an evening of Selichot, the penitential prayers recited in the run-up to the High Holy Days.

THE SHOFAR BLOWER , singer-songwriter Kaley Halperin, reflected on what was going through her mind as she sounded it.

“I hoped that maybe somewhere in the depths of the tunnels of Gaza, someone would hear the sound and know that we’re calling them home,” she said.

Halperin was part of a five-person ensemble that had gathered to lead the musical ceremony, which combined popular Hebrew songs and traditional Selichot liturgies. Since Oct. 7, both religious and secular texts have become freighted with new meaning, she said, citing lyrics by iconic Israeli singers, including Shlomo Artzi, Naomi Shemer and Chava Alberstein, calling for loved ones to return home.

The evening was organized by Rabba Anat Sharbat, a Tel Aviv resident described by one attendee at the event as “the rabbi of Hostages Square.”

Sharbat, rabbinically ordained by the liberal Orthodox Yeshivat Maharat, began organizing weekly Kabbalat Shabbat services welcoming the day of rest, as well as Havdalah ceremonies days after Oct. 7, when a Shabbat table was placed in the square – before it was renamed Hostages Square – in anticipation of the hostages’ imminent return.

“We were naive then, we thought they would come back in a very short time,” Sharbat said. “But I saw the table and said, until then we need a Kabbalat Shabbat here. I felt like this place needed prayers.”

The following Saturday, Shelly Shem-Tov, whose 22-year-old son Omer is

among the hostages, asked Sharbat to lead Havdalah, the prayer to usher out Shabbat. “That night began a tradition that we hope will stop very, very soon, when they come home,” Sharbat said.

In recent months, Saturday nights have also become synonymous in Tel Aviv with protests calling for a ceasefire deal to secure the release of the hostages. While the rallies take place just a stone’s throw away outside the Defense Ministry headquarters, efforts have been made to maintain Hostages Square as a neutral space that is free of political content, out of respect for the families who span the political spectrum.

But as attendee Rena Egulsky pointed out, despite the best intentions, the square at times has turned into a forum where politics play out. “If a member of a hostage family gives a speech in which they say something against the government, nobody is going to stop them,” she said. “What was so unique about this event was that not a single word of politics was uttered.”

She continued, “Maybe it was the prayers and supplications, I don’t know. That’s not coming from a religious place, it’s more about the connection between people that was created through them. That was very powerful,” said Egulsky, who described herself as not religiously observant.

“You could see that

by the range of passersby –from haredi to as secular as you get – who were drawn to the event and who stayed until the end.”

Tehila, an attendee who appeared to be dressed in a religiously modest outfit and declined to share her last name, said the absence of politics was part of what made the event resonate with her. “I don’t always feel comfortable to come to things like this,” she said. “I don’t get involved in politics and often it feels like there’s no place for someone like me.”

Sharbat’s relative Varda Alexander, whose American grandson Edan was serving in the Golani infantry brigade when he was taken captive by Hamas, said that for the first time in her life, she was paying attention to the words of the liturgical

poems, known in Hebrew as piyyutim

“They have a lot of meaning for me during this time,” she told the crowd, adding that since his abduction, she has recited daily the Avinu Malkeinu prayer, a staple of the High Holy Days that is also said at times of distress. “For us, the High Holy Days never finished, they continued from Oct. 7 until today.”

Yelena Trufanov, who was released together with her mother in November at the request of Russian President Vladimir Putin, also addressed the crowd, expressing her hope that her son Sasha, who is still being held in Gaza, would be home in time for the holidays. She commented that she knew Varda Alexander from praying at the graves of righteous people. In a

RUSH HOUR: Friday, October 18 • 6:30PM

documentary with the Kan public broadcaster earlier this year, Trufanov, who is from the secular Nir Oz kibbutz, said that she had become more religiously observant since Oct 7.

“I’ve seen so many things that I can’t explain,” Trufanov said in the documentary. “I believe they’re not a coincidence.”

Hannah Katsman, whose son Hayim was killed on Oct. 7 in his kibbutz, Holit, has been very involved in the protests – both those that took place last year against the government’s plans to overhaul the judiciary and in their most recent, war-related iteration. Religious content is increasingly making its way into that scene, she said, despite the reputation of the

HIGH HOLY DAYS

We need High Holy Day prayers that meet the moment

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 16

spiking humanitarian needs of the hardest-hit Israelis. We’ve directly aided more than 450,000 people to date, but millions more who never needed social assistance before are now relying on it to survive.

There, in the basement of a community center overlooking the Sea of Galilee, I listened in awe as a roomful of brave young women described their clear-eyed choice to create new life in displacement. I was inspired by their rejection of the temptation to let today’s despair engulf them.

“I feel focused and calmer, like I know what I’m heading into,” said Hadar Elmakayes, a 33-year-old evacuee from Kiryat Shmona, less than two miles from the Lebanon border. “When each one of us shares what she’s going through, it unites us and lifts our spirits.”

As Emilia and Hadar reminded me, crisis demands community. We Jews require a minyan – a quorum of 10 people – for our holiest and

most tender moments. By ourselves, we can neither properly mourn nor read from the Torah, our most sacred text.

How much more so now, with our hearts aching under the shadow of existential questions we’d hoped were long behind us: What will be the fate of the Jewish people? Of Israel? And how can we return to a world – to social circles, friends, and others –who either can’t fully feel our pain or rejects it outright?

It was with all this on my mind that I met Oleksandr Kyrychenko, a young Ukrainian who only learned he was Jewish after Feb. 24, 2022, when his country was plunged into a brutal conflict with no end in sight.

Already 30, he recited his first Shabbat prayers during a 15-hour blackout. His inaugural Purim was celebrated in a bomb shelter with internally displaced Jews from battered Chernihiv. That first Hanukkah, he lit the menorah as the air raid siren sounded.

Now he serves as a counselor at our Superhero Camp

in the Carpathian Mountains, an opportunity for Jewish families to get some respite, recharge their batteries, and rediscover their optimism and resilience. Along with the activities Oleksandr connected with as he rediscovered his Judaism, the camp is one facet of my organization’s sweeping response to the Ukraine crisis – just like the tens of thousands of Jews on our aid rolls and the more than 800 tons of humanitarian assistance delivered to meet their needs.

my global Jewish community – the people I met at a Ukrainian island of peace amid ongoing devastation, in a wounded Israel facing

‘It’s a very difficult time to be a Jew, and tomorrow will be even harder’

a cruel anniversary on Oct. 7, and in the home of a poor Jewish woman with nowhere else to turn.

I asked Oleksandr what his trial by fire taught him about community. What do you learn about being Jewish when your only context is catastrophe?

“It’s a very difficult time to be a Jew, and tomorrow will be even harder,” he said. “But it’s also a privilege not to be alone. We can only overcome the darkness with the light and warmth we give each other.”

In that moment, I realized I couldn’t decipher a way forward alone. I’d need

From Hostages Square, prayers aim to transcend Israel’s fractured politics

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15

protests as being left leaning and secular.

“Everyone always talks about polarization but there is also a lot of cooperation you didn’t see before. Different groups that have become closer,” Katsman said. “I’m seeing people reclaiming Jewish traditions in their own way. They’re finding comfort in the sources.”

Katsman said she is picky about the events she attends, as a form of self-preservation. “I count every emotional interaction I have. As a mourning mother, I have to limit them,” she said.

She did not, for example, attend the funeral of American-Israeli Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who was killed in captivity last month, nor did she join the crowds in the streets with flags to accompany him on his final journey, despite living in the same Jerusalem neighborhood. Even events honoring her own son, an Israeli scholar whose research focused on religious nationalism, can be overwhelming and exhausting, which is why she chose to host an event

this week focused on studying ancient and modern texts from his research, rather than revisiting his life story.

A Selichot event, on the other hand, felt innocuous enough to attend alongside her visiting sister. In the spirit of the season, Katsman reflected on how remorse has shaped her emotions, recalling how she and her son used to argue about “anything and everything” while he was growing up.

“I think about my relationship with my son, which wasn’t always ideal, and how it affected my other children and the relations in the family, and what I could have done to improve things when he was alive,” she said.

said, was the lack of empathy from some of her fellow Israelis. There were those who implied that because her son was a secular peace activist from a kibbutz, that he “somehow invited Hamas into his house.”

She also singled out the Heroes Forum, formed by relatives of soldiers killed in

‘Sharbat is adamant that unity remains a central element of all the events she hosts at Hostages Square.’

Gaza, who she said use the deaths of soldiers “to justify continuing the war.”

That is the vital fourth element of the Unetaneh Tokef formula for today, the one we Jews must harness at this impossible moment: We are our own way out.

Yes, we must pray and continue to beseech the heavens for an end to all this suffering.

Yes, we must give and continue to donate our money and marshal our passion for worthy causes so Jewish communities and Israelis, under threat all over the world, not only survive but thrive once more.

And yes, we must repent, and grapple with how we got here.

But this new year requires more than just our individual actions. It demands that we never forget that mutual responsibility – the idea that all Jews everywhere belong to each other – isn’t a burden but a blessing.

This year, alongside the Unetaneh Tokef’s classic formula of tefillah, tzedakah and teshuvah (prayer, charity and repentance), we must add arevut – showing up for one another. Only then can we reckon with an unrelenting world so agonizingly transformed for our people, but still holding the promise for a better future we can only build together.

ALEX WEISLER is a former journalist and the JDC’s senior video and digital content producer. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of JTA or its parent company, 70 Faces Media.

It’s been a challenge to offer forgiveness to those in power, she said, as she feels they have yet to show any remorse – or even to acknowledge the situation. Like so many others, she has heard nothing from the government, apart from a generic letter sent four months after Hayim’s death. But more painful, she

“They’re basically saying, ‘Our children were killed and we’re asking everyone else to let their children be killed so that our sacrifice will have been worthwhile.’ Like a sunk cost fallacy,” she said.

Egulsky also berated what she sees as an increasingly intransigent right-wing, fueled, she said, by “propaganda” on Channel 14, a right-wing network widely

viewed as sympathetic to the government. Egulsky’s daughter, Lian, a former IDF surveillance soldier, was at the event holding a placard with the images of the five female surveillance soldiers abducted from the Nahal Oz military base.

Egulsky has long given up sharing photos from hostage-related events to her family WhatsApp group but she made an exception on Sunday night because of the nature of the event. Egulsky’s family, most but not all religious, are on the other side of the ideological fence when it comes to the issue of the hostages, firmly believing that a deal to secure their return would result in many more terror attacks in the future.

According to Egulsky, since the country’s inception, there had always been a consensus that bereaved families had a license to say whatever they want. “For some reason, this principle that we all held sacred isn’t extended to the families of the hostages, even though they deserve it more than anyone,” she said.

She had been careful to send her family only videos of

the piyyutim sung on Sunday night, believing that there was no way they could be considered offensive. “I was wrong. I got backlash,” she said.

“Just seeing the yellow chairs is an affront to them,” she continued, referring to the color used to symbolize the plight of the hostages. “How can you be triggered by such a pure, spiritual, religious, emotional event like this? I will never understand it.”

For her part, Sharbat is adamant that unity remains a central element of all the events she hosts at Hostages Square.

“It’s very important to me that this square is a place for people from both the right and the left to gather,” she said. “It can accommodate everyone. There isn’t one person who isn’t praying for the return of the hostages.”

How US Jewish communities are marking anniversary of Oct. 7

In Providence, on Monday, Oct. 7 at 7 p.m., the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island is holding an event at the Dwares Jewish Community Center to remember the Oct. 7 attacks and reaffirm the community’s hope for the future together. The gathering will feature prayers and speeches by those directly impacted by the day’s events. This is a chance to come together, grieve, and renew hope that the hostages will be safely returned, and the war will come to an end.

IN RALEIGH, North Carolina, a field will display 1,200 Israeli flags. In New Orleans, a local artist will paint silhouettes of hostages. In the Bay Area, a rabbi is leaving her synagogue’s sanctuary open all day so congregants can use the space for personal reflection.

These are just a few of the hundreds of Oct. 7 commemoration and memorial offerings that synagogues and Jewish communal organizations are planning to mark one year since Hamas’ deadly attack on Israel launched an ongoing war in Gaza.

Across the country, schools, synagogues, federations and other Jewish groups are hosting programs and memorial events with similar itineraries: speeches from local politicians, Oct. 7 survivors and hostage families; services honoring the victims; and various musical and artistic displays aimed at instilling themes of hope and resilience.

The events come amid a packed schedule already overloaded with High Holy Day services and programming, and with concerns high that the commemorations could attract protests – and even threats – from critics of the Israel-Hamas war. Some communities are obscuring the dates and locations of their events to diminish the likelihood of interruption.

For some, the anniversary demands a different framing than previous programming related to the Israel-Hamas war. In Brooklyn, for example, Congregation Beth Elohim, a Reform synagogue known for its progressive political bent, is taking an intentionally apolitical approach to the Oct. 6 Brooklyn Memorial Service it is hosting in partnership with

other local Jewish groups.

Cantor Josh Breitzer said CBE’s wider slate of events leading up to the Oct. 7 anniversary, like many of its offerings this year, are aimed at helping attendees “process in real time the pain and anguish that so many in our community are going through, hearing from different voices, offering different perspectives from the Jewish and political spectrums.” But the Oct. 7 service will focus on “mourning and memory,” he said, featuring prayer, music and other psalms and poems.

“All the different components of the service will be speaking directly about Oct. 7, not what happened afterward,” Breitzer told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. “There won’t be any language of revenge. There won’t be any language which in any way dehumanizes or reduces anyone’s humanity. And there will be no explicitly political statements about any government.”

Mostly, Jewish communities are aiming to strike a delicate balance as the one-year mark approaches – an exercise further complicated by the fact that for many, it feels as though Oct. 7 is ongoing. An estimated 97 hostages taken on that day remain in captivity in Gaza, and the war shows no signs of ending soon as fighting escalates on Israel’s northern border.

“Because the hostages are still in Gaza, and because the war is still ongoing, and the fear, anxiety, all the emotions – anger, shame, concern, panic – all of that is still ongoing, it’s hard to see it as an anniversary, rather than a sort of commemoration,” said Rabbi Hara Person, the chief executive of the Reform Move -

ment’s rabbinic conference. Jewish leaders have had to weigh the pros and cons of holding additional events during a busy High Holiday season, a time when tradition demands that Jews look ahead and not just to the past. Person said she has heard of countless different ways that her colleagues and their communities are marking Oct. 7 – from standalone events and programs on the day itself to High Holiday sermons and rituals that will be incorporated into Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur services.

“It’s hard because Rosh Hashanah, typically, is such a happy, sort of celebratory holiday,” Person added. “Yom Kippur has its somberness, although there’s also joy, but I think this year it’s going to be hard to really be celebratory.”

The Jewish Federations of North America, the umbrella organization for the nearly 150 local and regional Jewish federations across the continent, has created a website that lists more than 100 local commemoration events and offers resources for organizers, including memorial prayers, a letter-writing campaign for Israel and up-to-date information about victims and hostages.

Sixty day schools worldwide will join together virtually for a program commemorating the day, while the Jewish day school umbrella Prizmah has compiled resources on how to address the anniversary with kids of different ages. Offerings feature poetry, art, readings and online memorials.

After a year of rising antisemitism and protest over the war, Jewish groups hosting Oct. 7 memorial events are being especially attentive to security. Many programs – from Westchester County in suburban New York to Los Angeles – have limited the number of inperson tickets and will livestream the event to allow virtual attendance. At least one synagogue in northern California announced it would not hold an event at all because of “serious security concerns.”

But communities have learned from a year of vigils and protests.

Shira Hutt, JFNA’s executive vice president, noted that in the days and weeks following Oct. 7 last year, federations mobilized thousands of people across more than 200 community gatherings and vigils. She said JFNA heard from its member organizations that there was a hunger to bring people together once again on the anniversary of the massacre.

“We decided that that’s really the most appropriate way to mark this day, to encourage and support federations and other organizations to bring together the community – both the Jewish community and beyond, civic leaders and partners and allies – to stand together and to commemorate Oct. 7,” Hutt said.

JFNA, with support from eight Jewish foundations, offered a microgrant for Oct. 7 commemoration events. A total of $1 million was disbursed to support 400 events – out of more than 600 applicants – in 180 cities, including campus programs.

In Peoria, Illinois, the JFNA grant provided more than 80% of the funding for the local Jewish community’s event. The city’s two largest synagogues are partnering with the local federation to create a “Humans of Oct. 7” display, send handmade cards to their sister community in the Galilee in Israel’s north and bake cookies from a cookbook made by hostage families.

In Louisville, Kentucky, a commemoration event will feature a performance by an Israeli musician from the Gaza envelope as well as a dedication for a newly planted Nova Tree Grove, named after the music festival where more than 300 Israelis were murdered on Oct. 7.

“There have been times where this year has been about advocacy, or it’s been about fundraising,” Hutt said. “But really, this moment is about coming together and commemorating the ritual aspects of remembering, of honoring lives lost, of honoring the heroes and just gaining strength from each other.”

Editor’s Note: No signs, solicitations, handouts or large bags are allowed at the Jewish Alliance event. Bags may be subject to search. This event may not be suitable for children due to the nature of the topic.

An emotional vigil on Oct. 9, 2023.

PHOTO GLENN OSMUNDSON

JACOB GURVIS WITH JEWISH RHODE ISLAND STAFF

Community Beit Midrash of RI: Bringing Jewish education to more families

BY SETH CHITWOOD

Agroup of families in Rhode Island came together with a common goal – to provide their children with a Jewish education beyond the fifth grade.

THESE FAMILIES were looking for something to supplement their children’s education, or in some cases, fill the gap left by not having

a Hebrew school.

This led to the creation of the

Community Beit Midrash of RI.

“We wanted something to sup -

plement what was happening in people’s Hebrew schools, and other families didn’t have Hebrew schools,” said Aliza Krieger, the president of the organization.

“So we wanted to do something where their kids could be learning together and socializing together during the week and also on Shabbat.”

Alongside vice-president Rabbi Navah Levine, the organization offi-

cially started in the fall of 2019 with a lot of planning and collaboration with local organizations such as the Jewish Community Day School of Rhode Island (JCDSRI).

However, just as the program was gaining momentum, the COVID-19 pandemic hit, forcing the organization to put their plans on hold.

“I remember having a conversation with the head of JCDS saying,

ON THURSDAY, Sept. 12, the Sandra Bornstein Holocaust Education Center hosted its 36th anniversary celebration and concert at Temple Beth-El, in Providence. The event was dedicated to the Bornsteins, Sandra and the late Richard, who have been instrumental in supporting the work of the center. After a cocktail hour for supporting donors, guests were treated to a concert

and presentation by former Boston Symphony Orchestra violist Mark Ludwig and the Terezin Music Foundation, who performed pieces of music composed by those interned at the Terezin concentration camp. While the group performed, artist Jim Shantz, of the Pucker Gallery, in Boston, painted an abstract art piece alongside the musicians.

Students at a recent Beit Midrash session.

PHOTO ALIZA KRIEGER

PHOTOS GLENN OSMUNDSON

Sharing our goals and needs: The Strategic Planning Survey COMMUNITY

BY SARAH GREENLEAF

Right now, members of the Rhode Island Jewish community have the opportunity to tell the Jewish Alliance what matters most. The Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island is undertaking a community strategicplanning process. With input from the Rhode Island Jewish community, the Alliance will develop goals and strategies for the next three to five years.

COMMUNITY MEMBERS

still have time to take the Strategic Planning Survey online. The survey will remain open until Oct. 21 and should take between eight and 10 minutes to finish. Those who take the survey can choose to be entered to win one of two $200 Amazon gift cards. Who should take the survey? Anyone who considers themselves part of the Jewish community, whether you identify as Jewish or not.

“The plan has become our North Star because it is informed by the goals and

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19

‘You know, I think we’ll have school next week, but...’ and then we didn’t, and that was the end of it,” Krieger said.

While the pandemic put a halt to in-person learning, it also highlighted the need for a program like Community Beit Midrash as it became the only in-person social experience for many children during the first six months of the pandemic.

The organization started with just five families, and they remain heavily involved as their children have entered their high school years. Community Beit Midrash now serves students from 6th through 11th grade, and each year, they continue to pilot different experiences.

What started as learning sessions on Wednesday afternoons outside of JCDSRI has now moved to the Dwares Jewish Community Center and includes dinner and discussions. Currently, seven middle schoolers and six high schoolers are enrolled in the program.

needs of our community,” said Adam Greenman, Alliance president and CEO. “It helps us laser-focus on what matters most to the people we serve.” The more people who take the survey, the more likely it is to accurately reflect the community. This will help guide the actions prioritized by the Alliance in the coming years.

The previous strategic plan was undertaken in 2019, right before COVID. As a result of that strategic planning session the Alliance created new initiatives around community involve -

In addition to these weekly learning sessions, Community Beit Midrash also offers parent-child learning opportunities.

“Some kids were looking for a little bit of extra learning, maybe something a little bit more advanced in text,”

Levine said, adding that this led to the creation of a parent-child learning program that takes place on Saturday nights or Sunday mornings.

This year, the organization has moved from monthly sessions to quarterly ones, including breakfast for the families.

Krieger, of Providence, works as a behavioral consultant psychologist for the Department of Developmental Services, in Fall River, Massachusetts. She also runs a small private practice in the evenings. In addition to her work, Krieger is also a mother to two children attending a Jewish school and is personally involved in her local Jewish community.

Levine, also of Providence,

ment, safety and security, and collaboration. Some of those initiatives include the creation of the Community Microgrant Initiative

between community agencies.

The Alliance also conducted 20 security trainings for local synagogues and agencies and created the Antisemitism tracker. “Our community has faced so many new issues since our last strategic plan that this is an incredible opportunity for us all to come together in ways that are more meaningful and vital than ever before,” said Board Chair Harris Chorney. “By participating in the survey, you can be part of creating the community you want and need.”

‘By participating in the survey, you can be part of creating the community you want and need.’

which funds individual and collaborative projects that strengthen community relationships, including funding 15 collaborations

is a rabbi who serves as the rabbi in residence at a Boston synagogue and teaches introductory biblical Hebrew at Hebrew College. She is also a parent to a 16-year-old. Her work centers around transmitting the love of Torah through a Jewish lens and anchoring individuals in community and tradition.

Some parents organize food

‘We want our kids to value lifelong Jewish community and Jewish learning...’

for the weekly learning sessions while other parents and community leaders teach the high school program along with Rabbi Michael Fell, who led the middle-school program for the first quarter. Rabbi Barry Dolinger also holds sessions with a class. The curriculum covers a wide range of topics and can vary depending on the interests and expertise of

Once the data collection is complete, a strategic-planning work group, composed of community members, Alliance board members, volunteers, and staff, will go through the data collected and use it to cre -

the instructors. Krieger said that the organization tries to avoid being too prescriptive, instead allowing for open discussions and exploration of different ideas and perspectives.

One of the main focuses is to help individuals understand the meaning and value of prayer.

In addition to prayer, the organization also aims to engage and challenge individuals through thought-provoking discussions about Jewish texts.

“What we want is for kids to engage meaningfully with each other and with that text.... Our goal is to be able to give them Jewish tools for engaging throughout their lives,” Levine said.

As the organization continues to grow and evolve, Krieger sees it as an essential resource for families in Rhode Island. One of the unique aspects of Community Beit Midrash of RI is that it not only includes children but also their parents.

With plans to expand and enhance their offerings, Krei-

ate goals and strategies that reflect the current interests and concerns of the Rhode Island Jewish Community. Next, this data and suggested strategic next steps will be shared with the community. Outcomes could include new programs or services designed to meet specific goals, a new funding strategy, new collaborations, and other identified opportunities.

“This only works because it is reflective of our community,” said Greenman. “We want as many people to participate as possible, so we can create a plan that speaks to the real needs of the people we serve.”

SARAH GREENLEAF (sgreenleaf@ jewishallianceri.org) is the digital marketing specialist for the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island and writes for Jewish Rhode Island.

ger added that Community Beit Midrash is dedicated to providing a strong Jewish education for students in Rhode Island.

“We want our kids to value lifelong Jewish community and Jewish learning and recognize they’re going to go in their directions as adults,” said Levine.

“We’re trying to give them this grounding in the importance of ongoing Jewish learning.”

For information, contact Aliza Krieger, president, at aliza. krieger@gmail.com or visit cbmri.org.

SETH CHITWOOD (www. sethchitwood.com), of Barrington, is a features reporter for The StandardTimes, in New Bedford. He is also the creative director of the award-winning Angelwood Pictures production company.

COMMUNITY

Hasia Diner to discuss new book on IrishJewish collaboration Chris Edmonds brings powerful story to RI

NEWPORT – In collaboration with the Touro Synagogue Foundation, the Museum of Newport Irish History will host a lecture by Hasia R. Diner on Monday, Oct. 28 at 6 p.m. at the Wyndham Newport Hotel, 240 Aquidneck Avenue, Middletown, and livestreamed on Zoom. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Complimentary light hors d'oeuvres and a cash bar will be available.

DINER WILL SPEAK on her latest book, “Opening Doors: The Unlikely Alliance Between the Irish and the Jews in America” (St. Martin’s Press, 2024). Following the presentation and Q&A, copies of the book will be available for signing and sale.

Hasia R. Diner is Professor Emerita at New York University, where she was the Paul S. and Sylvia Steinberg Professor of American Jewish History, with a joint appointment in the History Department and the Department of Hebrew and Judaic Studies. She served as the

Interim Director of Glucksman Ireland House. Diner is the author of numerous books on Jewish and Irish history in the U.S., including the National Jewish Book Award-winning “We Remember with Reverence and Love,” and “Erin’s Daughter’s in America: Irish Immigrant Women in the Nineteenth Century.” Reservations are required for in-person and Zoom participation (free to Zoom, $5 fee for in-person). For a full talk overview and links to reserve, go to the “Lectures” page at www. NewportIrishHistory.org. For more information or assistance with reservations, call Ann Arnold at 401-841-5493.

BY JEWISH RHODE ISLAND STAFF

ON OCT. 21-23, Pastor Chris Edmonds will visit Rhode Island for a series of speaking engagements, sponsored by the Sandra Bornstein Holocaust Education Center, the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island and Temple Sinai. Pastor Edmonds is the son of Master Sgt. Roddie Edmonds, who saved the lives of over 200 Jewish soldiers when his unit was captured by the Nazis.

This remarkable story went untold for years until Pastor Edmonds discovered an old diary his father left behind. Today, Pastor Edmonds shares his father’s wisdom and bravery across the world, bringing inspiration to all who hear it. His message: take a stand for what is right. The community is invited to hear Pastor Chris speak. Please see the speaking engagements below, and how to RSVP for each.

On Oct. 21 he will speak at

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safe, and we should support our allies wherever they are when they’re fighting the bad guys,” he said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mulled a preemptive strike against Iran’s nuclear program more than a decade ago. Israel has said it plans to respond to Tuesday’s missile attack.

In his rebuttal, Walz defended the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, reached under President Barack Obama, which traded sanctions relief for restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program. Israel opposed the deal. In 2018, Trump abandoned the deal unilaterally in a move that he cites as evidence of his pro-Israel bona fides. Democrats say Trump’s quitting the deal accelerated the threat posed by Iran.

“We had a coalition of nations that had boxed Iran’s

Temple Sinai, 95 Hagen Ave., Cranston, at 7 p.m.

For more information or to RSVP contact Temple Sinai at 401-942-8350.

On Oct. 22, there will be a program for middle school students and a program for high school students, in the morning at McVinney Auditorium in Providence. Bus stipends are available.

If you are interested in bringing a middle or high school classroom, please email info@hercri.org

On Oct. 22, community leaders and elected officials are invited at 6 p.m.to The Met School, 325 Public St. Providence in the Founders Building.

For more information or to RSVP, contact SBHEC at info@hercri.org

On Oct. 23, Bryant University will host the final speaking engagement in Rhode Island, at 6 p.m., 1150 Douglas Pike, Smithfield.

For more information or to RSVP, please contact: sjablow@bryant.edu

nuclear program in the inability to advance it,” Walz said. “Donald Trump pulled that program and put nothing else in its place. So Iran is closer to a nuclear weapon than they were before because of Donald Trump’s fickle leadership.”

Walz barely alluded to the Palestinians and their dire circumstances in the Gaza Strip in the war that ensued after Hamas invaded Israel a year ago, instead focusing on the threat Israel has sought to crush.

“Let’s keep in mind where this started. Oct. 7, Hamas terrorists massacred over 1,400 Israelis and took prisoners,” he said. “Israel’s ability to be able to defend itself is absolutely fundamental. Getting its hostages back, fundamental. And ending the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.”

VP Debate

COMMUNITY

A new school year!

ON SEPT. 8, the Jewish Community Day School of Rhode Island welcomed back students through Grade 5 to a new year at the school on the East Side of Providence. After a half day in the classroom students had some outdoor first day of school fun.

Schiller offers insight into upcoming election

ON SEPT. 26, Wendy Schiller shared insights with member of The Miriam Hospital Women’s Association in a program titled “A Conversation on American Democracy in 2024.”

Schiller, the Howard Swearer Interim Director of the Thomas J. Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs, and Professor of Political Science at Brown University, also answered questions submitted by the audience. The evening was moderated by Rebecca Kislak, state representative for District 4 in Rhode Island.

“Thoroughly enjoyable novel, both moving and astutely farcical.” –Kirkus Reviews

A secret society, magical chicken soup, and a young girl wise beyond her years…

“A charming testament to Jewish traditions and the power of women." –Publishers Weekly

Izzy Abrahmson is the author of The Village Life series, and a pen name for RI storyteller Mark Binder

Schiller, who has presented this program for 10 years, once again reassured the audience that the country will survive no matter the results of the election. She told the audience that voting is important. This was the first program of the year put on by The Miriam Hospital Women's Association. There will be another program in the spring. For information on membership, contact Vickie Scott at 401-793-2520.

Submitted by The Miriam Hospital Women’s Association

Audiobook narration by Audie Award Winner, Kate Reading

bit.ly/council-book

Rebecca Kislak, left, and Wendy Schiller.

PHOTOS | JCDSRI

PHOTO MHWA

COMMUNITY

Beautiful gifts at Temple Beth-El’s Artisan Marketplace!

BY KATE BRAMSON

An attractive range of jewelry, block prints, photography, artisanal soap, Judaica (gift items, candles, gelt, menorahs, dreidels), and many more beautifully handcrafted gifts will be available to holiday shoppers at the Sisterhood of Temple Beth-El’s annual Artisan Marketplace and Scholastic Book Fair.

THIS YEAR’S marketplace, which is open to the public, will be held on Sunday, Nov. 10, from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Temple Beth-El in Providence, 70 Orchard Ave.

It is the second Artisan Marketplace/fundraiser since the Sisterhood transformed its Hanukkah sale of earlier years into this new and much broader event. Last year’s sale drew shoppers from beyond the Beth-El community, and the Sisterhood hopes that the newly configured event will become an annual draw for people from throughout New England.

The sale raises funds for Sisterhood initiatives, for which a percentage of the artisans’ sales are donated. Throughout the year, the Sisterhood raises funds for charitable organizations, projects that serve the community, and religious school students.

Marketplace co-chairs Judy Goldberg and Mona Goldenberg, who curate the Marketplace, have confirmed that about two dozen artisans will be offering their work to ensure a varied and exciting

Last year's Marketplace

collection of gift possibilities. New artists will be joining this year, and the Sisterhood welcomes back returning artists from last year. The Scholastic Books offered at the fair cover reading levels from preschool to eighth grade.

“We’re confident that shoppers will find just the right items for themselves and for those on their holiday gift lists,” Goldberg and Goldenberg said. “Please share the date and details about this event with all your family and friends. We look forward to seeing you there.”

Artists and artwork include: Neal Drobnis: blown-glass birds; Holly Wach: watercolor bird paintings; Meiera Stern: handmade artisanal soaps; Shelley Katsh: original mezuzahs and hamsas; and Sarah Hess, handmade

block prints. Additionally, the following Temple Beth-El congregants will also be selling their artwork: Lesley Bogad: ceramics; Amy Gaddes: napkins and wall hangings; Henry Goldenberg: photography; and Jonathan Kabak: woodwork items. Other offerings will include glass beadwork, whimsical pieces, and eclectic beaded, metal, and fiber jewelry.

The Sisterhood of Temple Beth-El is an active, inclusive group that is rooted in Reform Judaism. The group’s mission is to inspire leadership and intellectual, spiritual, and personal growth. Its commitment to tikkun olam and building friendships empowers it to embrace and enrich its membership, its congregation, and its community.

Members plan and host social action projects, family events, a

Women’s Seder, Sisterhood Shabbat services, community education events, and the annual Joanne Forman Film Festival, as well as the Artisan Marketplace on Nov. 10. The Sisterhood encourages anyone interested in becoming a member to attend the Marketplace to get to know the community. New members may join Sisterhood by paying electronically on TBE’s Sisterhood page or by mailing a check to TBE, payable to “Sisterhood of Temple Beth-El.” Anyone with questions about joining may email tbesisterhood70@gmail.com.

KATE BRAMSON is a longtime member of Temple Beth-El and its Sisterhood, where she worked on the cookbook committee that created “Recipes and Memories that Nourished Us Through the Pandemic.”

Meet the shlichah

RHODE ISLAND’S NEWEST community shlichah Gaya officially met the Jewish community at an event on Sept. 11 at the Dwares Jewish Community Center in Providence. At the gathering, participants were put to the test with Rhode Island trivia questions created by Gaya as well as questions about Gaya. Flavored popcorn was enjoyed by everyone.

Gaya, who most recently lived in Tel Aviv, will bring a taste of Israel to area schools, synagogues and other community gatherings around Rhode Island for the next two years as part of the program sponsored by the Jewish Agency for Israel and the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island.

COMMUNITY The Community Campaign and its reach worldwide

‘I’m proud of how our committee directs campaign funds to organizations that have a meaningful impact.’

– Sara Miller

BY BRAD SWARTZ

Because of the generosity of donors to the Community Campaign, the Jewish Alliance currently allocates support for critical programs and services to 18 partner organizations both locally and around the world.

AT ITS CORE , the Alliance’s longstanding mission and vision are the standards which the annual funding distribution processes follow, offering consistent and meaningful human and social services, formal and informal Jewish education, and community engagement and collaboration through its partners. The work its partners do collectively reaches well beyond Rhode Island’s border, helping the Jewish community worldwide including its focused regions of Afula-Gilboa, Israel; Warsaw, Poland; and Rosario, Argentina.

Twelve Alliance partners operate locally; six are overseas, and all partners regardless of location serve a range of human and social services and impactful programming. The Community Campaign has a global geographic and philanthropic reach. It offers food assistance, health care, and serves vulnerable populations. It combats antisemitism, offers formal and informal Jewish education in day schools, summer day and overnight camps and Hillels on college campuses.

In addition it provides arts and culture events for all.

How does the Community Campaign really work?

Every gift from nearly 1,600 community donors ultimately gets distributed to program providers. Each year, the Community Development Committee (CDC), supported by Alliance staff, and chaired by Alliance Board member Sara Miller with a group of 8 to 10 volunteers, carefully reviews, researches and reflects on all submissions. They determine the allocation and distribution of funds that meet the needs and priorities of the community. This process involves both passion for the community coupled with compassion for all in accordance with the Alliance’s mission and vision lens.

“As chair of the CDC, I’m proud of how our committee directs campaign funds to organizations that have a meaningful impact. Our work helps build a more vibrant and resilient community for everyone.” says Miller.

“The CDC’s role is crucial in shaping how our commu-

Theater Review: The first original American production of ‘Leopoldstadt’ at the Huntington

Tom Stoppard’s verbal virtuosity drives this absolutely breathtaking staging

BY BOB ABELMAN

BOSTON – “We are moving all too quickly from living history to historical memory,” notes the website for the National Jewish Theater Foundation, which serves as an archive for over 950 Holocaust-pertinent plays. “Each day, survivors and the moral authority they represent leave this earth, [but] theater production has an immediacy that can make their recollection come alive again.”

TOM STOPPARD’S new play – an epic drama about four generations of two intermarried, upper-middle class Jewish Viennese families, the Merzes and Jakoboviczes – will find a welcoming home in the archive.

“Leopoldstadt,” currently on stage at the Huntington Theatre, is very much a

memory play that sets its focus on how these families’ living history of the past becomes the historical memory of the future, albeit compromised by assimilation, complicated by interfaith marriage and

undermined by religious conversion. It is set into motion by societal complacency.

Early in the work, the Merz family matriarch (the magnificent Phyllis Kay) is looking through a family photo album. “Here’s a couple waving goodbye from the train, but who are they?

Rabbi discusses ‘Picking up the Pieces’

ON SEPT. 23, about 45 people listened to Rabbi Elan Babchuck discuss his new book with Rabbi Josh Bolton, executive director of Brown RISD Hillel, at the Dwares Jewish Community Center in Providence. Babchuck’s book, “Picking up the Pieces: Leadership after Empire,” written with Kathleen McShane, Rabbi Babchuck serves as the executive vice president at Clal, the National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership, and the founding executive director of Glean Network, an incubator and network for faith-based entrepreneurs. After the program, there was a small group discuss program in the first meeting of a joint community book group.

No idea,” she says. “It’s like a second death, to lose your name in a family album.”

The remainder of the play demonstrates the truth of this statement.

“Leopoldstadt” is very much a Holocaust story as well, although the huge ensemble of characters (there are 33, played by 23

CONTINUED ON PAGE 27

JEWISH RESIDENTS at Hattie Ide Chaffee Home, in East Providence, recently received mezuzot donated by the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island. The mezuzot were hung up with the help of Susie Adler, community outreach and medical records manager at Hattie Ide Chaffee.

PHOTO | LIZA VOLL

The cast of tom stoppard's Leopoldstadt.

Celebrate Alliance’s B’nai Mitzvah Dec. 7

BY BRIGITTE BAUM

Get ready to mark a historic and heartwarming occasion as the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island celebrates its B’nai Mitzvah on Dec. 7!

THIS SPECIAL event will commemorate 13 transformative years since the merger of the Board of Jewish Education, the Jewish Community Center and the Jewish Federation of Greater Rhode Island into the Jewish Alliance. It’s a celebration of a shared journey, and achievements and the vibrant community

that has grown stronger together.

This B’nai Mitzvah is not just a milestone; it’s a testament to our collective impact and dedication. When these three organizations united 13 years ago, they forged a partnership that has since amplified the ability to serve both the local community

and communities abroad. Through collaborative efforts, we’ve built a foundation of support, education and connection that has touched countless lives.

The celebration on Dec. 7 will be a festive affair, filled with reflection, celebration and a continued sense of community. We’ll be raising our glasses and toasting “L’chaim!” – to life, to unity and to the future. This celebration is more than a party; it’s a heartfelt acknowledgment of our past achievements and a joyous affirmation of the path ahead.

Our goal for this event is not just to celebrate but to

inspire and showcase the spirit of the Alliance and the impact we make together. The night will be an opportunity to share in the pride of collective accomplishments and to ignite the passion for all that is housed at the Dwares JCC.

Here’s to 13 years of incredible achievements and to the many more milestones we will reach together. We look forward to sharing with you this special night filled with joy, pride and the collective energy that makes the Alliance so extraordinary.

Let’s raise a toast to our past, present and future, and

continue to build on the legacy of success and community that defines us. L’chaim to all that we’ve achieved and all that is to come!

As we approach this significant anniversary, we look to you for sponsorship at a variety of levels. If you are interested in sponsorships or participating in the evening, contact Brigitte Baum at bbaum@jewishallianceri. org.

BRIGITTE BAUM is manager of donor engagement and events at the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island.

Review Campaign

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 26

extremely talented actors) is unaware that it is for most of the production, in much the same way that the characters in Stoppard’s “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead” have no idea that they exist in the middle of “Hamlet.” In fact, Hermann Merz (a proud but vulnerable creature as portrayed by Nael Nacer), who runs the family’s prosperous textile business in 1899, cannot imagine that such a thing would even be possible. “This is the promised land….We’re Austrians now,” he says to his confounded brother-inlaw Ludwig (nicely played by Firdous Bamji) in the first of the nine scenes that constitute this play. “We wept by the waters of Babylon, but that’s gone, and everything after, expulsion, massacres, burnings, blood libels, gone like the Middle Ages.”

If only he knew that the title given the play in which he currently thrives foreshadows his family’s fate, for Leopoldstadt is the name of the Viennese district where, in the 17th century, the Holy Roman Emperor Leopold I expelled nearly 1,600 of its Jews with the popular support of the local non-Jewish population. In the 20th century, it will be the place where the Nazis exile or murder all but a few of its 180,000 Jews. The tragic irony in Hermann’s commentary makes for some powerful storytelling as the Holocaust dramatically unfolds.

And by the final scene,

when the survivors try to make sense of the genocidal fallout of Kristallnacht (led by a riveting Rebecca Gibel as middle-aged Rosa), many of us in attendance will find ourselves similarly reflecting on our own precipitously pruned family trees.

“Leopoldstadt” received its world premiere production in London’s West End in 2020, where it won two Laurence Olivier Awards. In 2022, the play transferred to Broadway and won four Tony Awards, including Best Play. This Huntington production, directed by Carey Perloff, is the first original American production of the piece.

There will most certainly be others, for this play and this production of it are absolutely breathtaking.

The play was inspired by then-56-year-old Stoppard learning from a cousin the facts about his family’s Jewish heritage, the extent of their persecution in Czechoslovakia and the long list of relatives who were murdered in the concentration camps. He discovered that he was born Tomáš Sträussler and, in 1939 at the age of 18 months, took flight from the Nazis with his family. And so, this play is personal. Its mode of presentation –more realistically rendered here than in its London and New York stagings – is a departure from Stoppard’s intellectually esoteric and often absurdist tendencies.

Still, fans of the playwright and regular attendees at the Huntington – where Stoppard has been

the playwright of choice, second only to Shakespeare and August Wilson – will be able to identify many of his signature stylings in “Leopoldstadt.” Despite the play’s tragic tendencies, for instance, it is filled with his trademark wit and humor during particularly inappropriate times. And because of its tragic tendencies, his remarkable verbal virtuosity is front and center.

Director Perloff’s three-decade working relationship with Stoppard has given her a keen eye for the playwright’s theatrical markers and timing. And her own family history – her mother was a Viennese refugee who fled the Nazis in March 1938 – has clearly allowed her to relate personally to this story. The result is a production that is an extremely moving, very humane journey through time. And unlike the London and Broadway productions, this two hour and 10-minute staging comes with an intermission. It is a welcome addition that allows audience members to scan the family tree inserted into the playbill after struggling to recall who is who.

The entire production takes place in the same Merz family living room in Vienna, designed by Ken MacDonald. Its epic size and great attention to detail –wainscoting, delicate stenciling, and an inset bookcase decorating the walls, rich dark wood furnishings with a period chandelier hanging above it, a portrait of Hermann’s wife, Gretl (a

gorgeous performance from Brenda Meaney) hanging in the rear – match the epic and detailed nature of the play taking place within it.

The home decays over time, an effect accentuated by Robert Wierzel’s dramatic lighting, Alex Jaeger’s remarkable costuming, and Tom Watson’s wig and makeup design. And the progression of time is powerfully punctuated by Yuki Izumihara’s animated projections and Jane Shaw’s soundscape at the start of each new decade.

Autofiction like “Leopoldstadt,” whose theatrical narratives are built from historical truths, was referred to as “testimony’s ambitious sister” by the late South African Nobel Peace Prize recipient Desmond Tutu in regard to his nation’s own apartheid era. It not only provides a voice for ordinary, often underrepresented people who have lived through extraordinary circumstances, but does so with creative embellishment, dramatic flair and astounding impact.

And they tend to be written when needed most. With antisemitism on the rise and with two-thirds of Americans under the age of 40 not aware that 6 million Jews were killed in the Holocaust, the timing for “Leopoldstadt” is ideal.

BOB ABELMAN is an awardwinning theater critic who formerly wrote for the Austin Chronicle and Cleveland Jewish News.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 25

nity campaign funds are utilized. It’s incredibly rewarding to see how our grants foster growth and strengthen the bonds within our community,” Miller added. Campaign gifts matter most because the more we raise together, the more we can distribute to Alliance partners around the world. The impact of the Community Campaign significantly protects our shared Jewish future. The goal in this year’s Community Campaign is to raise $4 million. Accomplishing this means meeting even more needs, as well as deepening and expanding partnerships, and it sets up the community for greater success tomorrow.

Should you wish to make a difference and get involved in the allocations process, through committee membership or contributing to the Community Campaign, visit: https://www. jewishallianceri.org/support-us/featured/donatenow or contact Brad Swartz, fundraising and partnership manager: bswartz@jewishallianceri.org.

BRAD SWARTZ (bswartz@ jewishallianceri.org) is the fundraising and partnership manager at the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island.

togetusedtoallthecomplimentsyouwillcomeby.

OBITUARIES

Shirley Brandt, 93

CRANSTON, R.I. – Shirley Marion Brandt passed away on Sept. 13, 2024, after a brief illness. She was the beloved wife of the late David Brandt for 54 years. Born in Providence to the late Joseph and Rose (Less) Wilk, she lived in Cranston for most of her life.

While raising her family, she worked in various administrative positions, including for the Cranston School Department. Later, she and her beloved husband were co-owners of the Beau James Restaurant, in Providence. Nothing delighted Shirley more than greeting and kibbitzing with her regular customers on a nightly basis. She was an avid mahjong player, lifelong dog lover and dedicated Red Sox and Patriots fan. She was a former member of Temple Beth Torah (Torat Israel) and a current member of Temple Sinai. Along with her late husband, David, she was very active in establishing the Rhode Island Holocaust Memorial. She was certainly one in a million and will be sorely missed by all who knew and loved her. She was the devoted mother of Rich Brandt, of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts; Maxine Brandt, of Cranston; and Karen Brandt, of Brooklyn, New York. She was the dear sister of the late Betty Kriss and the late Sam Wilk. She was the loving grandmother of Rachel, Jordan and Ben. She was the cherished aunt of Sherry Kriss. She was the loving and loyal human to Stella the Pekingese. Contributions may be made to your favorite charity.

Alan Shawn Feinstein, 93 CRANSTON, R.I. – Alan Shawn Feinstein, of Cranston, passed away on Sept. 7, 2024. He was the husband of Pratarnporn “Pat” (Chiemwichit) Feinstein, MD, for 61 years. He was the son of Louis and Lillian (Pector) Feinstein; father of Leila Feinstein (Chaka Forman) and the late Ari and Richard Feinstein; grandfather of Louis and Arielle Feinstein, and Chaya, Sakai and Desmond Forman. He was the brother of the late Joel Feinstein and Sandra Gamm, and the uncle of several nieces and nephews.

Mr. Feinstein was a graduate of Boston University and Boston Teachers’ Col-

lege. He taught at schools in Mansfield and Newton, Massachusetts, and Bristol. He became concerned about world hunger in the 1980s, believing “No one should ever go hungry,” which led to his association with Brown University’s World Hunger Program after retiring from teaching. The Feinstein Foundation was founded in 1991 with an emphasis on community service in universities and schools. He encouraged students to do good deeds and help those in need.

He was awarded honorary doctorates by Providence College, Salve Regina University, Johnson & Wales University, Roger Williams University, Rhode Island College, University of Rhode Island and New England Institute of Technology. He was also the recipient of many Distinguished Service Awards for his philanthropy (The American History Society, The American Red Cross, The Rhode Island Hall of Fame, The President’s Medal at Brown University and Rhode Island College) and named Rhode Island Citizen of the Year by the March of Dimes.

Contributions may be made to The Feinstein Foundation, 37 Alhambra Circle, Cranston, RI 02905.

Gloria Jarcho, 87

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Gloria

R. Jarcho died on Sept. 16, 2024, with her loving daughters by her side at Heritage Hills Rehab Center, in Smithfield. A lifelong resident of Providence, she was the daughter of the late Sidney and Minnie (Kline) Perlman. Married for 67 years, she was the beloved wife of the late Samuel Jarcho. She was a graduate of Hope High School.

Gloria was a dedicated wife, mother and grandmother. Her family was the most important part of her life. Gloria was a member of the Temple Beth-El Religious School staff for many years, previously working for the Weight Watchers Organization. She was an active member of the Temple Beth-El Sisterhood, and as an adult, she celebrated her Bat Mitzvah.

She was the devoted mother of Sheryl Tareco and her husband, Joseph, of Florida, and Amy Deblasio, of Rhode Island. She was the dear sister of the late Murray J. Perlman. She was the loving grandmother of Sarah (Blake) Bjornstad, of Florida, and Andrea (Anthony) Caldwell, of Illinois. She was the cher-

ished great-grandmother of Coraline. She was the dear sister of the late Murray Perlman.

Contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association of Rhode Island, 245 Waterman Ave. #306, Providence, RI 02906.

Diana Lewinstein, 81 NEWPORT, R.I. – Diana M. Lewinstein, of Newport and Palm Beach, Florida, passed away on Sept. 14, 2024, surrounded by her family at her home in Newport after a brave, but mercifully brief, struggle against Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). She amazed everyone with her extraordinary courage, dignity, positivity, strength and kindness while facing this cruel disease.

Diana graduated from Lesley University and earned a master’s degree from Teachers College, Columbia University. She began her career as a teacher for the emotionally disturbed and neurologically impaired and subsequently worked as the Rhode Island Department of Education’s state consultant for the emotionally disturbed. For many years she devoted herself to the upbringing of her son, in Providence, while renovating family homes in Newport and Florida. In that experience she found her true calling and returned to school at the Rhode Island School of Design where she earned a certificate in residential interior design. She worked in the design field for several decades on her own projects and in concert with her husband, a real estate developer.

She had a passion for travel and spent decades savoring the world from the Arctic Circle to the Antipodes, from the mountain passes of Tibet and the markets of Southeast Asia to the pyramids of Egypt and the African bush, from the finest restaurants in Europe’s capitals to dining on witchetty grubs in the Australian outback. She embraced adventure, tracking gorillas in the Ugandan jungle and flying in light aircraft to remote outposts on Namibia’s Skeleton Coast. Closer to home, Diana could often be found happily working in her garden or preparing dinners, entirely unassisted, for over 80 people. Diana was devoted to the concept of simple elegance. She had an unparalleled love

for the arts and curated an exquisite collection of painting, sculpture and jewelry from across the globe, visiting cultural sites and scouring auction house catalogs with her niece. She was an accomplished cellist in her youth and conveyed her love of music to her family. She was also a fixture at Grand Slam tennis events with her husband; a proud member of the Boston Celtics ownership family with two NBA Championship rings to her name; and a devoted supporter of her son in all his activities, including traveling with him to Ironman triathlons and endurance races around the world as an active member of his support crew, cheering him on in all weather conditions for up to 17 hours.

The daughter of the late Sidney and Elizabeth Schaffer, Diana is survived by Stephen, her steadfast husband of over 58 years; cherished son, Marc; adoring daughterin-law, Xana; darling grandson, Alec, whom she was delighted to welcome into the world earlier this year; and loving grand-dog, Maalouf, all of Newport and New York City; beloved sister, Hilla Weiss, of New York City; and devoted niece, Jena Weiss, of Palm Desert, California.

Diana was a longtime member of the Society for the Four

Arts and the Kravis Center, in Palm Beach County, Florida, and the Redwood Library and Temple Emanu-El, in Rhode Island.

Contributions may be made to the Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS at Massachusetts General Hospital, 165 Cambridge St., Boston, MA 02114.

Robert

Mann, 76 PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Robert Barney Mann, a giant in the battle for the rights of criminal defendants and the civil rights of all, died on Sept. 9, 2024, in Providence, after a short illness from complications of his yearslong struggle with Parkinson ’s disease. For more than five decades, Bob was one of the foremost protectors in Rhode Island of the rights of the poor, the prosecuted and the pilloried. His clients were often among the most despised and notorious in Rhode Island, but he fought valiantly and courageously to ensure that their rights were honored.

The scope of Bob’s battle for civil rights and equality for all persons was not limited to criminal work. He sued RIPTA over access for the

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

OBITUARIES

disabled, and he sued the RI Department of Education for on-site services; he represented the family of Cornell Young, a Black police officer mistaken for a perpetrator and killed by the police department he worked for. Bob gave of himself to every client and to fellow lawyers. He was known for his accessibility and his willingness to always sit down and share his mighty intellect with others. Bob was born in Bremerhaven, Germany, on April 5, 1948, to the late Lionel and Miriam Mills Mann. His father was a lawyer for the Army, so Bob was raised largely on an Army base, and he always spoke fondly of his early days in Europe. At the age of 16, he enrolled

at Yale University, graduating in 1968. Although always opposed to the Vietnam War, he enlisted in the Army and was commissioned as a Lieutenant in Military Intelligence. He was posted to Vietnam in October 1969 and remained there until August 1970, earning a Bronze Star medal. He did not speak often of his days in Vietnam, but he was unfailingly proud of his military service and called his time in Vietnam his defining moment.

After his honorable discharge, he earned a J.D. from Yale in 1973, graduating with Bill and Hillary Clinton and immediately signing up for a year as an underpaid VISTA attorney with Rhode Island Legal Services. It was at RILS

that he formed a friendship with the late John M. Roney, and Mann & Roney opened for business on Wickenden Street, in Fox Point. Later, Lynette Labinger joined that practice. Bob left the practice to form Mann & Mitchell with his wife, Suzanna Mitchell, but his close friendship with John and Lynette lasted for the rest of his life. On the occasion of Bob’s receiving the RI Bar Association’s Ralph P. Semonoff Award for Professionalism, John, who chaired the selection committee, wrote to congratulate him, adding that the vote was unanimous and Bob’s name was at the top of the list: “You make me proud to be a lawyer,” he wrote, “and this is what this award is all about.” Like all lawyers, Bob had victories and defeats, but the strikingly common refrain by those he represented, as reflected in the slew of 5-star reviews posted online, was that he was “kind,” “honest,” “professional,” and “compassionate.” Bob was also notable in his never-flagging respect for the American legal system and his belief that justice would prevail. Bob’s achievements were recognized in his lifetime. Rhode Island Monthly called him a “quintessential good guy” and named him one of Rhode Island’s best lawyers multiple times. He is listed as a “Super Lawyer” from 2007 to 2024. In 2007 he received the Richard M. Casparian award from the RI Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. The next year, Justice Assistance awarded him its Neil J. Houston Award for dedicated service and citizen contribution to the Criminal Justice Profession and Public Interest.

In 2009, he was invited to the inauguration of Barack Obama as President. In 2015 he was given an Honorary Degree from Roger Williams University School of Law, which also honored him as a Champion of Justice in 2023. In 2022 he was the first recipient of the Olin W. Thompson, III Justice Award from the United States District Court. He was a Fellow with the American College of Trial Lawyers and member of the National Inns of Court. Among other Bar memberships, he was a member of the Bar of the United States Supreme Court, where in 1985 he argued the landmark case of Moran v. Burbine, persuading the liberal “greats,” Associate Justices Stevens, Brennan and Marshall, but losing to the majority on the

conservative Burger Court. Bob was known as a workaholic, whose office in the Turks Head Building was often his home. Even though his Edgewood house was featured in a Rhode Island Monthly article about the homes of the Rich & Famous (Bob’s house was the only one featured that lost value during the period of his ownership, something that would make those who knew him smile in recognition), Bob probably more often slept in his office. The loves of his life, though, were his stepdaughters, Susannah and Samantha Cotter, and his granddaughter, Eleanor, all of whom survive him. He is also survived by his wife, Suzanna J. Mitchell; his former law office colleagues, Dana Harrell and Camille McKenna, and Dana’s children, Saylor and Steel, who will miss him dearly. His sister, Elizabeth, predeceased him.

Donations may be made to the Robert B. Mann Memorial Fund at the Roger Williams University School of Law, 10 Metacom Ave., Bristol, RI 02809 or https://law.rwu.edu/ alumni/ways-to-give/current-campaigns/honoringrobert-b-mann-esq.

Arthur Rubin, 87 GREEN ACRES, FLA. –Arthur Rubin passed away on July 30, 2024, in Lake Worth, Florida. He was the beloved husband of Rochelle (Gladstone) Rubin for 60 years. Born in Providence, a son of the late Alexander and Leah (Silverman) Rubin, he had lived in Green Acres for over 20 years, previously living in Cranston.

A graduate of Hope High School, he was involved in his family trucking business for 37 years. Later, he worked in billing and collecting at Providence City Hall and the Port of Providence for over 20 years. He was a member of the RI Hockey Officials Association for 30 years; he served as a youth hockey coach for 20 years. Aside from his passion for hockey, he was an avid Red Sox fan and enjoyed fishing.

He was the devoted father of Eric Rubin and his wife, Dora-Lys, of Johnston; Mitchell Rubin and his wife, Veronica Capuano-Rubin, of Cranston; and Robert Rubin and his wife, Doreen, of John-

ston. He was the dear brother of Carl Rubin, of Cranston; Rose Gergle, of Cranston; and Marvin Rubin, of Pawtucket. He was the loving grandfather of four. He was the cherished great-grandfather of six.

Contributions may be made to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network [https:// secure.pancan.org/site/ Donation2?df_id=6701&mfc_ pref=T&6701.donation=form1].

Elaine Rubin, 93

CHICAGO, ILL. – Elaine Greenberg Rubin passed away on Sept. 21, 2024. She was the loving wife of the late Gerald M. Rubin. She was the cherished mother of Francine (Dr. Leslie R.) Cohen and the late David Henry (Joan) Brandwein. She was the proud grandmother of Daniel (Shana) Cohen and Andrea (Jared) Charrette, Michael (Allie) Brandwein and Mark (Jiwan) Brandwein. She was the beloved greatgrandmother of Eli, Zoey, Eliana and Arlin David. She was the dear sister of the late Dr. Janice Greenberg Herz.

Elaine was an active volunteer with The United Order of True Sisters, and twice was a president of her chapter. She was a life member of Hadassah; active through her 50s, a Brownie and Girl Scout leader, active in PTA and ran the Children's Theater series in District 68/Skokie. She volunteered and worked with The Smithsonian Museums from 1994-2001.

Elaine spent her last 14 years near her daughter Francine and son-in-law Les Cohen.

Donations may be made to The Ark Chicago, 6450 N. California Ave., Chicago, IL 60645, www.arkchicago.org or Sarah Reed Senior Living, 227 West 22nd St., Erie, PA 16502, www.sarahareed.org.

Charlotte Rubinoff, 78

Charlotte Gail Rubinoff passed away peacefully on Sept. 10, 2024, with her loving family close by.

Born in Providence, Charlotte was the beloved daughter of Samuel and Dorothy Nulman. She grew up with her loving brother, Leonard (Lenny) Nulman, and her identical twin sister, Elizabeth (Liz) Cohn. She was a devoted mother to her daughter, Pamela Ramsbott, and son-in-law, Stefan Ramsbott. She was also a devoted and loving Bubbe to her granddaughters, Sadie and Lena Ramsbott, who remember her

OBITUARIES

as a source of support and encouragement.

Charlotte was known for her positive spirit and easygoing personality. Over the years, she connected often with her community of neighborhood friends, and she enjoyed shopping and dining with her sister, Liz, where they were often asked about being an identical twin. She got such great joy from these interactions and always loved to share a story. In her earlier years, Charlotte was an avid knitter and made beautiful sweaters and afghans that we still cherish today. She also enjoyed playing mahjong with her sister and her Arizona community of friends.

She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Pamela and Stefan Ramsbott; her granddaughters, Sadie and Lena Ramsbott; her sister, Elizabeth Cohn; her sister-in-law, Cindy Nulman; and many beloved nieces, nephews and cousins.

Donations can be made to the National Breast Cancer Foundation or the Arthritis Foundation

Paul Schweitzer, 95 PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Paul Schweitzer, of Providence, passed away on Aug. 30, 2024. Born in Modry Kamen, Slovakia, he was the son of Arpad and Gizela Schweitzer (Pataki). When the Nazis rose to power and occupied Slovakia during WWII, the family’s lives were endangered because of their Jewish heritage. They survived the Holocaust by hiding with friends and family. Paul followed in his father’s footsteps and became a physician. He met his first wife, Viera (Brncova), in medical school, and they were married for 46 years. They had one daughter, Jana (Rice).

In 1968, Paul and his family emigrated to the United States. He recertified in his medical training and practiced cardiology at several New York City hospitals and institutions, reaching the rank of full Professor at both Mount Sinai and Albert Einstein Medical Schools. He was a beloved mentor, teacher and colleague. He won many teaching awards over his 60 years in practice, finally retiring at age 85. Some years after the death of his first wife, Viera, he married Magdalena, and they spent 14 years together until her death in May 2024. He was a kind and generous husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather and uncle. He was a loyal

friend to many.

He is survived by his daughter, Jana Rice, and her husband, Louis, of Providence; three grandchildren, Paul Rice and his wife, Kim, Ellen Rice and Julia Stacey and her husband, Jack. He is also survived by Magdalena’s children, Katerina and Jana Eisingr. He was the brother of the late Katarina Szabo.

Kelsey Silverstein, 32 WARWICK, R.I. – Kelsey Silverstein died unexpectedly on Sept. 18, 2024.

Kelsey was driven in her pursuit of justice and adventure and always charted her own path with much success throughout her life. From an early age she loved animals, possessing a special connection with dogs and horses. She excelled academically at Mount Holyoke and Savannah College of Art and Design. On the side she was a talented artist. Following college, she traveled and then co-founded two businesses: Music City Rickshaw and Orbital Outdoors. Orbital Outdoors was a leader in vintage outdoor wear, with a global customer base.

She always savored fi nding the latest vegan delicacies in Providence and beyond. Kelsey enjoyed travel and bouldering. She was a warrior for injustices in our society for animals and humans alike and dedicated a signi ficant effort to combating the troubled teen Industry.

Kelsey was loved and adored by many. She is survived by her parents Mark and Heidi, sister Abigail and brother Jackson. She had a wide group of good friends who care and support one another. Maybe most important were her dogs and horses over the years: Chauncey, Chase, Wes, Maddie, Rocky, Ollie, Ripple, Ziggy and Cici. Donations may be made to Unsilenced Project Inc. or Stand Up for Animals.

Roberta Van Der Molen, 81 PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Roberta Van Der Molen, age 81, of Providence, passed away on Aug. 30, 2024, at HopeHealth Hulitar Hospice Center with her loving daughter by her side.

Born in Chelsea, Massachusetts, a daughter of the

late Samuel and Ruth “Rose” (Cohen) Van Der Molen, she had lived in Providence for over 50 years.

A graduate of Rhode Island School of Design, class of 1964, she studied in Rome as part of the honors program at RISD and was a student of the plein air painting method. Ms. Van Der Molen was a devoted art teacher in the Providence School Department for over 20 years before retiring. A lifelong, gifted and talented artist, print maker and painter, Roberta was a longtime member of both the Providence Art Club and Wickford Art Association. She enjoyed spending time in Cape Cod, painting outside, hiking, camping, cooking and baking, and she especially loved spending time with her family.

She is survived by her daughter, Samantha Hirsch, and her husband, Joseph Traynor, of Providence; two grandsons, Vaughn Zealand Traynor and Paxton Rae Traynor; her former husband, Carl Hirsch; and her cousin, Rona Davis, and her husband, Mike. She was the sister of the late Peter and Eileen Van Der Molen.

Contributions may be made to National Kidney Foundation, 30 East 33rd St., New York, NY 10016.

Herbert Weiser, 93 PORTSMOUTH, R.I. –

Herbert M. Weiser passed away on Sept. 16, 2024, at the Silver Creek Rehab & Healthcare Center in Bristol. Born in Providence, a son of the late Phillip and Rose (Norman) Weiser, he lived in Bristol for 46 years. Herbert was a graduate of Hope High School in Providence and was able to connect with everyone he met through his great sense of humor. He was a lifelong avid fan of New England sports; he was unwaveringly loyal to the Boston Red Sox. His greatest pleasure in life was good company and good food, whether surf and turf or a matzo ball soup, he was happy to share a meal and a laugh with any one of his many friends.

Herbert was a Korean Conflict Army veteran, serving overseas in the early 1950s. He served with distinction and earned an honorable discharge, decorated with the Combat Infantry badge, Korean Service Medal with a Bronze Service Star, the United Nations Service Medal and the National Defense

Service Medal.

He was an installer for a local flooring company which served the entire state for many, many years; later he became involved in local real estate. These paths encouraged him to be the eccentric and extroverted man that his family knew and loved. It was not often that Herbert could go out anywhere without knowing and stopping to catch up with at least one person. When he relocated to an assisted living facility, he was quickly referred to as “the mayor,” seeming to know everyone who came into the building. “Herbie,” as he was affectionately known, had a zest for life and loved every minute he spent with his people and his community. He leaves behind many, many friends from all over Rhode Island and world.

He was the devoted father of Melissa Weiser-Rose and her husband, Michael, of Denver, Colorado. He was a warm and loving presence to his nephew, Paul Schwartz, of Cumberland. In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by his siblings, Milton, Harold and Florence Weiser. Contributions may be made to a charity of your choice.

Rita Winer, 96 YARMOUTH PORT, MASS. – Rita L. “Peachie” (Kramer) Winer, of Yarmouth Port,

Massachusetts, passed away peacefully on July 30, 2024, with her beloved husband, Jerry, by her side.

Rita was born in 1927 in Greenfield, Massachusetts, to Rubin and Minnie Kramer, and grew up as the adored youngest sibling of a sister and two brothers. She graduated from Greenfield High School, class of 1945. She then went to Beth Israel School of Nursing, in Boston, and friends introduced her to Jerrold Winer, from Malden. They fell in love and were married on June 26, 1949, shortly after her graduation. Rita and Jerry had four children and settled in Springfield, Massachusetts. Rita worked the 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. hospital shift so she could always be available for their children. She worked full time, managed a busy household of kids and pets, and made it all look effortless. She later specialized in geriatric nursing and became director of nursing at nursing homes and retired as director

of one of the first adult day care programs in Massachusetts.

After retirement, Rita and Jerry enjoyed many years of winters in Palm Desert, California, and summers at Cape Cod, Massachusetts, happily hosting family and having fun with the grandkids at their Bass River Cape home. Rita’s love of baseball led them to become longtime volunteers and committee members for the Cape League Y-D Red Sox.

Rita enjoyed Cape Cod beaches, the Palm Desert southwest lifestyle, driving her sporty convertibles, finding antique “treasures,” playing mahjong with her bag of quarters, playing tennis, cooking family favorites, watching Red Sox games and making friends wherever they lived, including the last 11 years at Heatherwood. She was kind and thoughtful and kept a stash of cards to send family and friends on every occasion.

Rita and Jerry were fortunate to celebrate their 75th anniversary recently with the family. Rita deeply loved and was loved by her husband, children and grandchildren and their spouses, and great-grandchildren. She also had close relationships with her siblings and their families, and she will be greatly missed by all who knew her. Rita leaves her husband, Jerrold Winer; children, Russell Winer (Toby), James Winer (Debbie), David Winer (Phyllis) and Susan Winer Foner (Marc); grandchildren, Rachel (Matt), Jessica (Chris), Michael, Andrew (Christine), Josh (Sienna), Sarah, Stephanie (Mak) and Alex; great-grandchildren, Max, Claire, Sam, Oliver, Asher, Sadie, Eli, Sally and Levi. She also leaves nieces and nephews, and her sister-in-law, Leah Winter. She was pre-deceased by her sister, Celia “Dutchie” August; brothers, Judge Harvey Kramer and Jack Kramer, and their spouses, George, Gilda and Ruth; and brother-in-law, Bob Winter.

The family would like to thank Sheila and her caregiving team and VNA Hospice of Cape Cod for their compassionate care.

Contributions may be made to the Jewish Federation of Cape Cod, the Heatherwood Employees Appreciation Fund, the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox or VNA Hospice of Cape Cod.

L’shanah Tovah Happy New Year daeh dpyl

HIGH HOLY DAYS SERVICES 2024/5785

Reverse Tashlich Program: Sunday, Sept 29, 10:00 a.m.

Rosh Hashanah Evening: Wednesday, Oct 2, 8 p.m.

Rosh Hashanah Morning: Thursday, Oct 3, 10 a.m.

Rosh Hashanah Teen Service: Thursday, Oct 3, 10 a.m.

Rosh Hashanah Children’s Service followed by Family Reception: Thursday, Oct 3, 3 p.m.

Community Tashlich: Thursday, Oct 3, 4:30 p.m.

Rosh Hashanah Second Day: Friday, Oct 4, 10:30 p.m.

Rosh Hashanah Luncheon: Friday, Oct 4, 12 p.m.

Service & Cemetery Pilgrimage: Sunday, Oct 6, 10 a.m.

Senior Rabbi

SARAH E. MACK Associate Rabbi PRESTON D. NEIMEISER

Kol Nidre: Friday, Oct 11, 8 p.m.

Yom Kippur Morning followed by Musical Interlude: Saturday, Oct 12, 10 a.m.

Yom Kippur Teen Experience: Saturday, Oct 12, 10 a.m.

Yom Kippur Afternoon Service: Saturday, Oct 12, 1:30 p.m.

Yom Kippur Torah Study: Saturday, Oct 12, 3 p.m.

Yom Kippur Children’s Service: Saturday, Oct 12, 3 p.m.

Yom Kippur Devrei Beit El: Saturday, Oct 12, 4:15 p.m.

Yizkor/Concluding Service: Saturday, Oct 12, 4:30 p.m.

Break the Fast: Saturday, Oct 12, 6:30 p.m.

Rabbi Emeritus

LESLIE Y. GUTTERMAN Cantor

JUDITH A. SEPLOWIN

70 Orchard Avenue Providence, RI 02906-5402 Office: (401) 331-6070 info@temple-beth-el.org www.Temple-Beth-El.org