January 11, 2019

The Voice of Greater Rhode Island’s Jewish Community

JEWISH

JANUARY 2019 | SHEVAT 5779 JEWISHRHODY.ORG

RHODE ISL AND

Getting fit and staying fit

Tips for keeping resolutions, healthy living Why eating Jewishly is good for you

Your Jewish Voice gets a new look

Passages 2018: People we’ll miss

2 | JANUARY 2019

Jewish Rhode Island | jewishrhody.org

Joshua Nelson

The Prince of Kosher Gospel

Sunday, January 27, 2019 3:00 p.m.

Temple Emanu-El 99 Taft Avenue, Providence Reception to follow tickets $18 in advance; $25 at the door

available at www.singingthedream2019.eventbrite.com

Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Supported by a grant from the Bliss, Gross, Horowitz Fund at the Rhode Island Foundation Sponsored by Temple Emanu-El and Central Congregational Church

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JANUARY 2019

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JEWISH RHODE ISL AND

EDITOR Fran Ostendorf DESIGN & LAYOUT Leah Camara ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT Chris Westerkamp cwesterkamp@jewishallianceri.org 401-421-4111, ext. 160 Karen Borger ksborger@gmail.com 401-529-2538 CONTRIBUTORS Cynthia Benjamin, Larry Kessler, Michael Schemaille COLUMNISTS Michael Fink, Geraldine Foster, Patricia Raskin, Rabbi James Rosenberg, Daniel Stieglitz

VOLUME XXVI, ISSUE 1 JEWISH RHODE ISLAND (ISSN number 1539-2104, USPS #465-710) is published monthly.

PERIODICALS Postage paid at Providence, R.I. POSTMASTER Send address changes to: Jewish Rhode Island, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence, RI 02906.

PUBLISHER The Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island, President/CEO Adam Greenman, Chair Mitzi Berkelhammer, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence, RI 02906.

401-421-4111; Fax 401-331-7961

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

ADVERTISING: We do not accept advertisements for pork or shellfish. We do not attest to the kashrut of any product or the legitimacy of advertisers’ claims.

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Today, we turn the page WELCOME TO A COLLECTOR’S item — the first issue of Jewish Rhode Island!

We have a new look and a different name, but we’re still the Voice of Greater Rhode Island’s Jewish Community.

As you can see, the new paper has more of a magazine format than the previous version of The Jewish Voice. We hope you will find it engaging and a little more modern. We’ve also moved the news around a little. Up front, you’ll see a feature on someone in our community — perhaps someone you know. This is where you’ll also find our question-and-answer with the rabbi series, the community calendar, the d’var Torah, ON THE COVER: Naama opinion pieces and food Gidron leads a yoga stories. class at the Dwares Each issue will continue Jewish Community to have a theme, and you’ll Center in Providence. find a lot of good informaPHOTO BY GLENN OSMUNDSON tion on that theme in the center of the paper. This month we focus on Health and Wellness. We often think of the gym as the domain of the young. But that’s certainly not the case at the Alliance’s Dwares Jewish Community Center where there is programming for all ages. This month, award-winning photographer Glenn Osmundson took a look at the JCC’s health and fitness offerings for seniors. You can see his photos in our center spread.

Throughout the paper, you’ll find news, events, information and photos from our community, along with carefully curated stories from around the world.

For example, take a look at page 24, where the Jew-

ish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) looks back on the inspiring Jews we lost in 2018. It’s a rather sobering list.

To make over a newspaper like this, it really does take a village. From the leadership of the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island to the Alliance and Voice staff and the community members we asked for advice and opinions, taking this paper from The Jewish Voice to Jewish Rhode Island has been a lengthy, painstaking undertaking. Readers responded to a survey, editors of other papers were kind enough to offer insights, and a talented local newspaper designer worked hard and long on the redesign.

The support of everyone involved has been invaluable and can’t be emphasized enough.

Now the work of making sure this paper reflects our community begins anew. In the coming months, you’ll see more stories about the community you call home.

Please make sure your synagogues, organizations, schools and groups are represented here by sending us your news, photos and information about events. You can send us your submissions through our website, JewishRhody.org. And speaking of JewishRhody.org, this is where you’ll find features and lots of news in between our monthly print editions. And make sure we have your email address so you get the newsletter that will start hitting inboxes in the middle of February.

Sign up at www.JewishRhody.org/register.html.

Be sure to check our website often. It’s easy to use and will keep you up-to-date on the latest news.

Finally, let us know what you think. Our email is editor@jewishallianceri.org, and we continue to welcome comments, questions, kudos and concerns about our newspaper and website. If you prefer, regular mail can be sent to Jewish Rhode Island, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence, RI 02906.

Fran Ostendorf, Editor

BOOKS AND MOVIES 10-11 | BUSINESS 26 | CALENDAR 6-7 | COMMUNITY 20-23 | HEALTH AND FITNESS 14-19 D’VAR TORAH 5 | FOOD 12-13 | OBITUARIES 24-25 | OPINION 8-9 | WE ARE READ 27 THE MISSION OF JEWISH RHODE ISLAND is to communicate Jewish news, ideas and ideals by connecting and giving voice to the diverse views of the Jewish community in Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts, while adhering to Jewish values and the professional standards of journalism.

ALL SUBMITTED CONTENT becomes the property of Jewish Rhode Island. Announcements and opinions contained in these pages are published as a service to the community and do not necessarily represent the views of Jewish Rhode Island or its publisher, the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island. We reserve the right to refuse publication and edit submitted content.

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UP FRONT flew out from Phoenix to visit the family in Chicago. She traveled to see her first great-grandchild, my sister’s newborn daughter. It was her first solo trip after my grandfather’s death.

Favorite Jewish holiday?

Holidays are a time to notice how you’ve evolved and grown.

I enjoy Passover. We are commanded to make the Passover story our own and find something in our experience to connect to our ancestors. Moving from a narrow place into a space of freedom is a powerful story to have at our fingertips.

Growing up, we’d have Passover with my mother’s parents.

They’re gone now, but the memories remain. In particular, I recall how my grandfather, a Holocaust survivor who hated rituals, would rebel during the 10 plagues. Instead of putting the wine drops onto his plate, he’d splash the wine onto the white tablecloth. My mother always had the salt ready.

Rabbi Adam Lavitt is all about spiritual wellness, social justice

BY IRINA HAWKINS As part of Jewish Rhode Island’s ongoing effort to introduce community leaders, Rabbi Adam Lavitt agreed to answer a few questions.

Favorite Jewish food?

I’d have to say it’s my grandmother’s brisket. It’s so tender — probably because she makes it with love. I don’t eat brisket a lot, but when I have it, it’s total bliss. My grandmother recently turned 90. I saw her when she

RABBI ADAM LAVITT, a Jewish spiritual director in Providence and at Hebrew College Rabbinical School in Newton, Massachusetts, offers an approach to Judaism that promotes spiritual wellness and social justice.

A transplant from Northbrook, Illinois, a suburb on the North Shore of Chicago, he earned a bachelor’s degree in religious studies and English literature from Kenyon College, and was ordained a rabbi at the Rabbinical School of Hebrew College. He also studied at Pardes, BINA’s Secular Yeshiva, Alma and the Conservative Yeshiva.

Lavitt has taught at Hillels, synagogues and Jewish communal organizations across the United States and abroad. A co-founder of the Movement Minyan, which explores Jewish liturgy through embodied practice, he served as a National Havurah Summer Institute liturgist in residence.

Lavitt is currently training as a prayer leader through the Davennen Leadership Training Institute, while pursuing board certification as a chaplain.

Favorite Jewish song?

I don’t have a particular song in mind, but I’m inspired by the new Jewish music, especially by a past teacher of mine, Joey Wisenberg, who teaches at Hadar, a Yeshiva in New York City. His nigunim — wordless liturgical melodies for prayer — and his teachings on leading intimate communal singing are renewing Jewish song as a spiritual practice. He focuses on nusach — traditional musical settings, or modes, that correspond to particular times of year and day, rooting you. For instance, the music you hear during the morning Shabbat service is different from the music you hear during the evening service.

I like that you don’t have to be a musician to empower Jewish communities to come together and sing. The service has become so performative lately — people feel they can’t sing along. I’m glad that folk singing is coming back; it allows the community to bang on the table and sing together.

Favorite Jewish celebrities?

I love Ilana Glazer [Broad City co-creator, actress, comedian and writer]. My husband and I got VIP tickets to see her on tour.

She was doing a show with Phoebe Robinson [actress, comedian and writer] in Boston. During the meet-and-greet, we wanted to stand out to them. I thought, how could we be memorable?

So I told her that we are rabbis who are married to each other.

We ended up not only chatting, but also taking selfies with Ilana and Phoebe on our backs. I love that Ilana is funny and totally fearless!

Favorite Israeli cities?

I lived in Jerusalem for a year and in Tel Aviv for a semester.

It was interesting to spend some time in each of those cities and experience how polarized Israeli society is. As a queer person studying to become a rabbi, I felt I didn’t totally belong in Jerusalem. As a religious person, I felt I didn’t totally belong in Tel Aviv.

I was at the 2005 pride march and witnessed the stabbing.

Seeing someone be rushed to the hospital in an ambulance made me feel scared. I heard religious people say, you don’t belong — get out of here! Even though Jerusalem has great, accepting organizations and communities, I never recovered.

I thought studying in Tel Aviv’s secular Yeshiva would be easier. I studied Song of Songs with artists who had no interest in religion, using the music as an inspiration for art, not as religious observance. While I felt safe as a queer person, I would have to defend myself to people who’d be flummoxed by the fact that I was studying to be a rabbi.

Israel’s image of the rabbi is one of an Orthodox person. Liberal Judaism isn’t thriving there, as it is in America.

Favorite Hebrew word and why?

I like the word emunah, which means trust or faith. In my religious practice, I’m trying to cultivate trust in something bigger than I see in the headlines.

There is something greater than all of us.

Favorite Yiddish word?

I wish I knew Yiddish. At Hebrew Senior Life, in Boston, I work with folks who spoke Yiddish all their lives. They always assume I understand what they’re saying. One word I really like is chutzpah [audacity]. I love people who have it, and I wish I had more of it.

Favorite part of being Jewish and being a rabbi?

For me, it’s connecting with a really old way of inhabiting time. Judaism really grounds me in the seasons and the way time unfolds. I love becoming a Jewish spiritual and religious CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

JANUARY 2019

jewishrhody.org | Jewish Rhode Island

Tu b’Shevat is more than fruits and nuts improve public policies. While these are worthy goals, the tikkun of Tu b’Shevat is something different. We are meant to be actors in the cosmic drama of linking heaven and earth.

We are meant to see our lives — complete with the personal shortcomings of our hard inner pits and our tough outer shells — as part of the drama that brings God’s presence (shechinah) into the world.

Tu b’Shevat is a day for each of us to know and feel ourselves to be a deeply meaningful and necessary part of the cosmos. Our intentions and actions help to gladden God’s presence and bring divine light and energy into the world. What an awesome thing to achieve by eating some apples, dates, figs and almonds!

On this Tu b’Shevat, I wish for you the blessing found in “P’ri Eitz Hadar”: “May it be Your will Adonai our God and God of our ancestors, that through the sacred power of our eating fruit, which we are now eating and blessing, while reflecting on the secret of their supernal roots upon which they depend, that divine flowing energy, favor, blessing, and bounty be bestowed upon them.

May the angels appointed over them also be filled by the powerful divine flowing energy of their glory, may it return and cause them to grow a second time, from the beginning of the year and until its end, for bounty and blessing, for good life and peace.”

(Translation by Miles Krassen.)

Chag ha’ilanot sameach! Happy Festival of Trees!

CONTINUED FROM PRECEDING PAGE

quote. Sheila Peltz Weinberg, a fellow spiritual director from Philadelphia, told me to ‘practice love and kindness toward myself.’ It’s really hard to do because I think about everyone else first.

Right now, I’m leaving on a silent retreat with Insight Meditation Society [a nonprofit organization for the study of Buddhism, in Barre, Massachusetts] to give myself the gift of time. I spend a lot of my life rushing around. I want to notice the little things — how it feels to drink tea, how the gravel sounds under my feet.

I am doing a lot of that on behalf of other people.

I’d love to have dinner with Adrienne Maree Brown, author of ‘Emergent Strategy: Shaping Change, Changing Worlds.’ I’ve been listening to her podcast, ‘How to Survive the End of the World,’ and really enjoy it.

We, as a species, have faced a lot of world endings at different times. She discusses what skills we need to be resilient in the face of deep change and uncertainty. Brown looks at the way all systems in the natural world are interdependent as a model for what we could be doing socially. I like that she sees interconnectedness as a source of strength. She’s speaking my language.

If you could have dinner with anyone, who would you invite and why?

IRINA HAWKINS is a writer who lives in Providence.

D’ VA

requires no protection from the corTu b’Shevat, which begins on the ruptive forces of the material world. evening of Sunday, Jan. 20, is a small These fruits and nuts are called gem of a Jewish holiday, coming as it “completely good.” does in midwinter, when there is not The second category is associated much else to celebrate. Many know it with the “World of Formation,” an simply as “Jewish Arbor Day,” intermediate realm between the and as a day for celebratdivine world and the world of ing the natural world material reality. The hard by eating fruits and seeds in these fruits are a nuts in a Tu b’Shevat token of the internal hardseder. However, its ness required to survive origins and spiritual in such a reality. significance are more The last category is the obscure.

“World of Making.” “P’ri Tu b’Shevat’s origins Eitz Hadar” explains are in the Talmud.

RABBI JEFFREY that we eat the inside Originally, it served as the GOLDWASSER and throw away the new year’s day for trees, the outside of these fruits day on which we add another year to and nuts because their outer shells the age of fruit-bearing trees to fulfill mitzvot concerning the ritual offering are the barrier between the profound mystical pleasures of the divine of fruit. With the destruction of the world and the dangers inherent in Temple and the end of the sacrificial our worldly reality, which is filled rites, this holiday might h ​ ave lost all with harmful urges and destructive of its significance, but instead it took temptations. on different and deeper meanings in “P’ri Eitz Hadar” says, “There is medieval Jewish mysticism.

Under the influence of 16th-century nothing below that does not correspond to something above.” The Kabbalah, Tu b’Shevat became a day trees of this world and their fruit are that marked the renewal of divine more than they appear. They are the energies through the metaphoric mirror image of the supernal tree tree that links heaven and earth. that links the material world and the The holiday came to be celebrated divine. The purpose of the seder, from with a ritual meal modeled after the the perspective of the Kabbalists, is Passover seder. The earliest seder for us to eat the fruits and nuts with for Tu b’Shevat is “P’ri Eitz Hadar,” the intention of reuniting them with a 17th-century mystical text. All their root in each realm. On this specontemporary seders for the holiday cial day of the year, our ritual eating have their roots in this anonymous of fruits causes divine energy to flow work. through the tree, like sap rising in a “P’ri Eitz Hadar” divides all fruits sugar maple. and nuts into three categories: those This is what Jewish mysticism without hard seeds or shells, those refers to as a tikkun. It is not just with hard seeds and those with outer “repairing the world” in the secular shells. The fruits of the first category sense. Today, “tikkun olam” is used are associated with the “World of as a Jewish catch phrase for anything Creation,” a realm that is so close to that helps clean the environment or the divine source of reality that it

R

TO R A H

leader. Right now, I work with rabbinical students as part of a team of spiritual directors. I listen for the way that a secret emerges in people’s lives, the way God may be calling people to become what they’re becoming.

I help them hear themselves into life. I call it ‘therapy with God.’ Judaism has such wisdom about how to build community and bring people together, as well as how to witness and support each other as we evolve, grow and go through different stages in life.

Greatest piece of advice someone has given you, and who gave it to you?

It’s telling that I keep forgetting this

RABBI JEFFREY GOLDWASSER is the spiritual leader of Temple Sinai, in Cranston. He is the author of the blog rebjeff.com, from which this d’var Torah is adapted.

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NEWS Tu b’Shevat in Rhody Celebrate the new year of the trees in Rhode Island. There are plenty of events around the state.

Here are a few.

Tree Birthday Party with PJ Library. Tuesday Jan. 15. 4:305:30 p.m. at the Dwares JCC, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence.

Author Jamie Korngold reads “Sadie’s Snowy Tu b’Shevat.”

Tu b’Shevat Seder and Wines of the World at Temple Emanu-El. Sunday, Jan. 20. 7-9 p.m. RSVP by Jan. 16 to teprov.org/form/tubishvat2019. $15 adults who preregister; $18 at the door; $5 under 21.

Tu b’Shevat Seder at Temple Sinai.

Tuesday, Jan. 22. 6-8:30 p.m. $5 per person, includes a pizza dinner.

Michigan synagogue vandalized for second time in 2 months JTA – A synagogue in Battle Creek, Michigan, was vandalized for the second time in two months.

A concrete carving of a menorah on the front of Temple Beth El was spray-painted with an unknown but deliberate symbol, and the word “lier,” presumably a misspelling of liar.

The vandalism was reported on Jan. 6, according to the local media.

On Nov. 23, an unknown vandal took a hammer and chisel to the concrete menorah, damaging the carving.

Candle lighting times

in Greater Rhode Island

Jan. 11 | 4:17 p.m.

Jan. 18 | 4:25 p.m.

Jan. 25 | 4:33 p.m.

Feb. 1 | 4:42 p.m.

6 | JANUARY 2019

Jewish Rhode Island | jewishrhody.org

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Ongoing

Alliance Kosher Senior Café.

Kosher lunch and program every weekday except holidays. Dwares JCC, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence. Noon lunch; 1 p.m. program. $3 lunch donation from individuals 60+ or under 60 with disabilities.

Information or to RSVP, Neal or Elaine at 401-421-4111, ext. 107.

West Bay Kosher Senior Café.

Kosher lunch and program every Friday except holidays. Temple Sinai, 30 Hagen Ave., Cranston.

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

Information or to RSVP, Steve at 401-743-0009.

Duplicate Bridge. Dwares JCC, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence. Mondays noon-2 p.m.: 0-20 masterpoint game. For less-experienced players. $5 per day. Tuesdays and Fridays 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m.: Open stratified game for players at all levels. $7 per day.

Thursdays 1:30-3:30 p.m.: Guided play. $6 per day. Information, Bart Buffington at abarton295@aol.com or 401-390-9244.

“Bridging the Gap” with Rabbi Raphie. 8-8:45 p.m. every Wednesday. Kollel Center for Jewish Studies, 450 Elmgrove Ave., Providence.

Explore the development and refinement of personalities through the eyes of the Mussar movement.

Text is “Bridging the Gap.” Free.

Information, rabbiraphie@gmail. com or 401-383-2786.

Children’s Shabbat Programs and Kiddush. 10-11:30 a.m. every Shabbat morning. Congregation Beth Sholom, 275 Camp St., Providence. Fun, educational programs, grouped by age, led by qualified teens, for ages 2 to 12. Kids’ Kiddush follows. Free. Information, office@bethsholom-ri.org.

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Saturday | January 12

Kids’ Night Out: Snow People.

Ages 5-11: 5-10 p.m. Ages 2-4: 5-8:30 p.m. (extended times available). Dwares JCC, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence. Includes sports, crafts and movie. Pizza and snacks served. Older kids enjoy free swim.

Price: $40 | Dwares JCC Members: $30 | Siblings: $20. Information and registration, Shannon Kochanek at skochanek@jewishallianceri.org or 401-421-4111, ext. 147.

K’Tantan Dinner and Shabbat.

5:30-7:30 p.m. Temple Beth-El, 70 Orchard Ave., Providence.

Celebrate Shabbat and holidays with children ages newborn to 5. Information, Joie Magnone at jmagnone@temple-beth-el.org or 401-331-6070.

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EDITOR’S CHOICE

Spend the Day at the J!

DAY-AT-THE-J RETURNS to the Alliance’s Dwares Jewish Community Center in Providence on Sunday, Jan. 28 from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. with a Family Science Day. Each month features a schedule of different opportunities in addition to any regularly scheduled programs such as open gym, group exercise classes and family swim.

January includes Cross Training (9:30-11 a.m.) featuring a 60-minute workout followed by fitness discussion.

Babysitting available. PJ Library Story Time (10:3011:30 a.m.) for ages 5 and under. Family Science Fun (3-4:30 p.m.) where ScienceTellers take us on a journey into the Wild West, using a variety of experiments.

Price for the science activity: $6 | Dwares JCC Members: $4. Family Max: $16 | Member Family Max: $12.

For information or to sign up, Michelle Cicchitelli at mcicchitelli@jewishallianceri.org or 401-421-4111, ext. 178.

Sunday | January 13

PJ Library Bookstore Tour.

1-2 p.m. Barnes and Noble, The Crossings at Smithfield, 371 Putnam Pike, Smithfield. Listen to PJ Library favorites and discover new PJ stories. Participate in related crafts and activities. Free. Information or to RSVP, Lyndsey Ursillo at lursillo@jewishallianceri.org or 401-421-4111, ext. 141.

Tuesday | January 15

A Tree Birthday Party. 4:30-5:30 p.m. Dwares JCC, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence. Celebrate Tu B’Shevat. Jewish Book Council author Jamie Korngold shares her book “Sadie’s Snowy Tu B’Shevat.”

Explore why this holiday about planting trees happens in the winter. Information or RSVP, Lyndsey Ursillo at lursillo@jewishallianceri.org or 401-421-4111, ext. 141.

“The Time is Already.” 6:30-7:30 p.m. Temple Beth-El, 70 Orchard Ave., Providence. 32-minute film documents the successful efforts of LGBTQ activists to pass legislation to ban conversion therapy in RI. Panel discussion follows. Co-sponsored by The Jewish Alliance of Greater RI and Temple Beth-El. Information or RSVP, Temple Beth-El office at 401-331-6070 or info@temple-beth-el.org.

Point Street Reading Series “Witness: Lessons from Elie Wiesel’s Classroom.” 7 p.m. Askew, 150 Chestnut St., Providence. Features Ariel Burger, author of “Witness.”

Information, Robin at robin.readingwithrobin@gmail.com.

Thursday | January 17

Shalom Baby Get-together.

10:30-11:30 a.m. Dwares JCC, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence.

Share successes and hardships of parenting, while little ones interact.

Learn about the Jewish community in R.I. Ages: 12 months and under.

Free. Information or RSVP, Lyndsey Ursillo at lursillo@jewishallianceri. org or 401-421-4111, ext. 141.

Friday | January 18

Debbie Friedman Shabbat. 7:30-9 p.m. Temple Sinai, 30 Hagen Ave., Cranston. Honor the late Debbie Friedman, celebrated singer and songwriter of Jewish religious songs and melodies, during Shabbat services. Shireinu, the chorus of Temple Sinai, will join Cantor Deborah Johnson in singing many of Debbie Friedman’s arrangements.

Information, Dottie@templesinairi. org or 401-942-8350.

jewishrhody.org | Jewish Rhode Island

JAN 17 - FEB 10 Saturday | January 19

“Crazy Jewish Family,� an Evening of Music and Laughter. 7-9 p.m.

Congregation Agudas Achim, 901 N. Main St., Attleboro, Mass. Onewoman show featuring Rebecca Schild, accompanied by Marilyn Whipple. Cost: $10 per person.

Information, Keri or Erin at office@ agudasma.org or 508-222-2243.

Sunday | January 20

Men’s Club Breakfast. 9-10:30 a.m.

Temple Torat Yisrael, 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich. Breakfast followed by speaker John DePetro, radio talk show host and member of the advisory executive board of the R.I. Coalition for Israel. Free. Information, David Talan at davetalan@ aol.com or 401-862-7519.

Tu B’Shevat Seder and Wines of the World. 7-9 p.m. Temple Emanu-El, 99 Taft Ave., Providence.

Seder and wine tasting. Cost: $15 in advance | $18 at the door | $5 for under 21 years of age. Information, Paul Stouber at pstouber@teprov. org or 401-331-1616.

Tuesday | January 22

Tu B’Shevat Seder. 6-8:30 p.m.

Temple Sinai, 30 Hagen Ave., Cranston. $5 per person. Information, Dottie@templesinairi.org or 401-942-8350.

Wednesday | January 23

PJ Library Story Time: Stay and Play at JCDS. 9:30-10:30 a.m.

Jewish Community Day School of Rhode Island, 85 Taft Ave., Providence. Listen to a PJ Library story, participate in a craft and share in music and movement activities.

Ages 5 and under. Free. Information or RSVP, Lyndsey Ursillo at lursillo@jewishallianceri.org or 401-421-4111, ext. 141.

Friday | January 25

PJ Library Challah in the House.

9:30-10:30 a.m. Dwares JCC, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence. Make challah dough to take home and bake for your Shabbat table. Enjoy stories and songs. Price: $5 per loaf | Dwares JCC Members: $3 per loaf. Information or to RSVP (required), Lyndsey Ursillo at lursillo@jewishallianceri.org or 401-421-4111, ext. 141.

Shabbat Hallelu. 6:30 p.m. Temple Beth-El, 70 Orchard Ave., Providence. Experience the joy of Shabbat through musical presentation and congregational singing with Cantor Judy Seplowin and the Hallelu Band.

Light refreshments and sangria served at 6:30 p.m. Services at 7 p.m. Information, Temple Beth-El office at 401-331-6070.

Martin Luther King Shabbat.

7:30-9 p.m. Temple Sinai, 30 Hagen Ave., Cranston. The RPM Gospel Choir and Shireinu, the chorus of

Temple Sinai, participate in services to celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Information, Dottie@templesinairi.org or 401-942-8350.

Sunday | January 27

JCDSRI and Teva PVD Learn in Nature. 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Richmond, RI. Guided by JCDSRI educators and Teva/Hazon educators. Second of three day-long events plus an overnight. For students in grades 6 or 7. Cost: $300 for all 4 events.

Information, Tiferet Rose at trose@ jcdsri.com or 401-751-2470.

Interactive Music Workshop.

11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Dwares JCC, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence.

New England Yachad sponsors a workshop with Fishel Bresler.

All ages and abilities welcome.

Kosher snacks provided. Cost: $5 per person. Information, Jordana Weisman at weismanj@ou.org.

Pop-up Kosher Deli. Noon-3 p.m.

Temple Torat Yisrael, 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich. Corned beef or pastrami sandwich with a half sour pickle slice and coleslaw or potato salad $16.99, hot dog $3.50, matzo ball soup $3.99 cup | $5.99 bowl, 2 rugelach $1.50 and more.

Sit down or take out. Information or to RSVP, Torat Yisrael office at 401-885-6600. “Singing the Dream 2019.� 3-5 p.m. Temple Emanu-El, 99 Taft Ave., Providence. Commemorate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Singers perform with guest artist Joshua Nelson, a Jewish African-American influenced by Mahalia Jackson. See story page 20. Information, Temple Emanu-El office at 401-331-1616.

Monday | January 28

“Coming Attraction� World Premier Staged Reading. 7-9 p.m.

Wilbury Theatre, 40 Sonoma Court, Providence. A musical play that imagines what might have transpired between Greta Garbo, movie star, and Ruth Harriet Louise (nÊe Goldstein), studio photographer and rabbi’s daughter, on the MGM lot during the silent film era. Supported by a RISCA grant. Optional donation. See story page 10. Information, Gray Horan at grayhoran@ gmail.com.

Tuesday | January 29

“What Does Judaism Say About....� 10-11:30 a.m. Temple Sinai, 30 Hagen Ave., Cranston. The Torah, Talmud and Midrash contain moral teachings that apply today.

Led by Rabbi Jeffrey Goldwasser, look at issues such as abortion, gun control, LGBTQ rights, poverty and racial justice and what Judaism has to say. Tuesdays thru 3/5. Information, Dottie@templesinairi.org or 401-942-8350.

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JANUARY 2019

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Jewish Rhode Island | jewishrhody.org

COMMUNITY VOICES | OPINION

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft wins $1 million ‘Jewish Nobel’ prize

The cost of denial

JTA – New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft is the winner of the $1 million Genesis Prize, the so-called Jewish Nobel.

Kraft, 77, will be giving the money “to initiatives combatting anti-Semitism and other forms of prejudice as well as attempts to de-legitimize the State of Israel,” according to a statement.

Genesis Prize chairman and co-founder Stan Polovets in the announcement Jan. 9 called the Jewish-American NFL owner and businessman “one of the world’s most generous philanthropists whose charitable giving reflects the Jewish value of tikkun olam — repairing the world.”

The award honors individuals who serve “as an inspiration to the next generation of Jews through their outstanding professional achievement along with their commitment to Jewish values and the Jewish people.”

Over decades, the Kraft family has given more than half a billion dollars to causes including health care, education, the Jewish community, Christian organizations and local needs.

With a net worth of $6.6 billion, Kraft is the 79th richest American, according to Forbes. Kraft, who grew up in an Orthodox Jewish family in Brookline, Massachusetts, is the chairman and CEO of Kraft Group, a holding company with assets in sports, manufacturing and real estate development.

“This award amplifies my ability to raise both awareness and additional funds to fight anti-Semitism, attempts to de-legitimize Israel and other forms of prejudices,” he said in the statement.

Kraft will receive the award at a gala in June in Jerusalem.

He joins artist Anish Kapoor, violinist Itzhak Perlman, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and actor-director Michael Douglas as previous winners. The foundation has sometimes been criticized for giving the prize to millionaires, but says the goal is to leverage the recipients’ influence and example to improve the world.

Last year, the foundation recognized Natalie Portman but canceled the ceremony after the actress said she would not travel to Israel to receive the award in protest of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s policies.

The prize, started in 2013, is financed through a permanent endowment of $100 million established by The Genesis Prize Foundation.

WHEN MY WIFE, Sandy, and I sat down this past fall to view the 2011 Israeli film “The Flat” (“Hadirah”) on Netflix, we had no idea that we were about to see a documentary of extraordinary power and complexity — a 93-minute detective story that uncovers family secrets arising out of overlapping and conflicting identities.

What the filmmaker had begun to shoot as a home movie evolved into a five-year project that came to involve German-Israeli artistic collaboration, including the participation of the independent Berlin-based production company, Zero One Film.

Shortly after its debut in July 2011, at the Jerusalem Film Festival, Israeli film critic Avner Shavit praised “The Flat” as “one of the best Israeli documentaries ever made.” Over the next couple of years, “The Flat” — in Hebrew, English and German, with subtitles — accumulated award after award in Israel, the United States and Germany, as well as in a number of other countries.

After Gerda Tuchler died, in Tel Aviv, in September 2006, at age 98, one of her many grandchildren, Arnon Goldfinger, at the time 43 years old, took it upon himself to preserve on film the contents of his grandmother’s elegant apartment (the “flat” of the title). His grandmother had lived in those very same rooms for 70 years, ever since she and her husband, Kurt, came to Israel from Germany in 1936. After Kurt died at the age of 84 in 1978, Gerda remained there by herself until her death 28 years later.

Goldfinger tells viewers that he always enjoyed visiting his grandmother’s apartment because it was like walking into a foreign country — specifically, the German city of Berlin.

The bookcases were lined with books written in German; Gerda had never learned to speak, read or write Hebrew.

To add to the sense that she had never really left Germany, Gerda had managed to preserve the atmosphere of her native land through her decorating style. It would seem, then, that among Goldfinger’s reasons for documenting his grandmother’s belongings was to preserve for his extended family not only memories of Gerda but also memories of her vanishing world.

“The Flat” begins innocently enough, with the uncovering and tossing out of bags full of old-fashioned shoes, gloves, pocketbooks, even those creepy fox fur scarves with head, tail and legs preserved intact.

But soon the process of emptying

EM

the apartment takes an ominous turn: a family member comes across a 1934 issue of a virulently racist Nazi newspaper, Der Angriff (The Attack), which details a two-month trip that a Nazi member of the SS, Leopold von Mildenstein, had taken the year before to what was then Palestine, along with his wife and a German-Jewish Zionist couple.

Ironically, in 1933-1934, Nazi and Zionist aims were briefly congruent: the Nazis wanted the Jews out of Germany, while the Zionists wanted to bring as many Jews as possible to Palestine.

What turns everything upside down for Goldfinger is the discovery that RABBI JAMES the Jewish couple ROSENBERG traveling with the von Mildensteins from Germany to Palestine were none other than his grandparents, Gerda and Kurt Tuchler!

As Goldfinger digs deeper into the relationship between his grandparents and the von Mildensteins, he discovers, to his dismay, that they had become good friends before the war and, even worse, continued their friendship after the war, even after the Holocaust had consumed his great-grandmother, Gerda’s mother, Susanna Lehmann.

Much of “The Flat” is a record of Goldfinger’s attempt to answer a series of deeply painful questions: How could his grandparents remain friends with a man who, it turned out, served the Nazi regime in Goebbels’ Department of Propagan-

S TO M

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— Josefin Dolsten

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IN THE NEWS

da? How could his mother, Hannah, maintain her professed indifference to her parents’ ongoing friendship with a Nazi — a man who bore responsibility, though indirectly, for the murder of her mother’s mother?

And how could von Mildenstein’s daughter, Edda, whom Goldfinger visits on two separate trips to her home in Germany, refuse to accept the fact that her father worked for Goebbels during the war, even after Goldfinger presented her with conclusive evidence from archives in what used to be East Germany?

Though Goldfinger attempts to answer these questions during the course of his documentary, he is, at best, only partially successful. In an interview with Cindy Mindell, which appeared in the April 1, 2015, online issue of the Connecticut Jewish Ledger, Goldfinger is still struggling to make sense of these troubling behaviors: “… I don’t see my grandparents as Israelis. My grandmother lived in Israel for 70 years; when she left Germany, she was 28 years old. But she was not an Israeli who was born in Germany. The one thing that became very clear was that she was a German who lived in Israel …. My grandparents and many other German Jews of their generation were Zionists; but, in many respects, they lived in Israel in exile. They couldn’t mix with the new Middle Eastern Israeli culture ….

“I think for them the relationship with the von Mildensteins could play this way: ‘… We’re Jews, they’re Germans, not all of the Germans were so bad — maybe not all of the Nazis were so bad.’ Of course, it’s a play of denial. The main psychological issue in the film is a search for this denial mechanism in all kinds of territories and characters.”

The last words in “The Flat” are spoken by Goldfinger’s mother, Hannah, as the two of them are wandering through an overgrown Jewish cemetery in Germany, searching for the grave of Heinrich Lehmann, deceased husband of Hannah’s murdered grandmother, Susanna: “There used to be many graves here, but now they’re all gone.”

Hannah’s words suggest that the cost of denial is that the truth of the past can never be recovered.

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

jewishrhody.org | Jewish Rhode Island

JANUARY 2019

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LETTERS

Behind and beyond the photo essay

BY GARY LEIB THANKS FOR PRINTING my photo essay in the Dec. 21 issue (“Adventures in Israel”). The photos were part of a much longer story about Israel. Two deleted impressions pertain to us in America today: On Thursday [while we were in Israel], we got a very comprehensive assessment of Israel’s security situation by Jordan Herzberg, a lieutenant colonel in the IDF Reserves.

His frankness and intelligence were most refreshing for us Americans.

He is one of thousands in Israel’s top echelons of decision-making. Their competence, intellectual flexibility and ability to deal with reality explain why Israel wins so often in business and on the battlefield.

Also, their philosophy for survival and living on the frontline every day forces the culture to have some unique thought processes. The future has its dire risks, but they will find solutions.

On Saturday, I went to the Israel Museum and toured the archaeology galleries. The curators’ words say it best: “The land of Israel has been the home of peoples of different cultures and beliefs for some one-and-a-half million years. It is to these people and their cultures that the exhibition galleries of the Archaeology Wing are dedicated, serving as primary showcase to the rich and fascinating local archaeological heritage. The display takes the visitor on a journey of unparalleled depth into the historical course of ancient Israel...”

You can see part of the exhibit and read fascinating details at: https://www.imj.org.il/en/wings/ archaeology/archaeology-land-israel As I looked at and read, the thought came to mind that these ancient artisans were our ancestors, both those who stayed and became part of the Jewish nation, as well as those who continued wandering and became the people of Europe, Asia and the Americas. Some came back, like the Greeks and the Persians, and intermarried. Some we went forth, and intermarried. (In a way, we are all hybrids of people who were in Israel 1.5 million years ago and since then.)

I am writing this for two reasons: A. Many in our nation have lost the ability to deal with reality and to make decisions in our government based on reality — both on the right and the left. For examples of that, see the essay that David Brooks recommended highly, by a conservative writer: “America’s New Religions,”

From Gary Leib’s photo essay: Many of us celebrated Shabbat at the Western Wall, in Jerusalem. Maybe it was the spring-like temperature and breeze that night. Maybe it was the light. Maybe the hush of 1,000 prayers. Maybe the imam from the mosque on top, whose plaintive chant melded with the prayers below.

It all blended into a special reverent and sad feeling for us that night.

by Andrew Sullivan, Dec. 7, 2018 (nymag.com/intelligencer/2018/12/ andrew-sullivan-americas-new-religions.html) Even oil executives and top generals admit that global warming is a reality that will probably cause hell on earth for our grandchildren, unless we deal with it now. But we are not. Our grandchildren will not be thanking us.

B. In Israel and here I have met countless people, Christian and Jewish, who avow with deep passion that all of life was created only 5779 years ago. Best friends believed that.

Last month on Shabbat, in a kibbutz, a Christian spent an hour trying to convince me. It is high time that we all believe the experts in Israel, who have demonstrated that we humans were there 1.5 million years ago. The

artifacts from those old caves prove it. Now, I am glad to believe that maybe 5779 years ago ha-Shem caused a change in us, opened our eyes and our minds, that forever put humans on the path to civilization and religious behavior — a mindset and a pattern of behavior in his image.

The sooner we deal realistically with our world and its problems, the sooner we will cure our ills. That means accepting science and believing experts. That means working together to create a world that our grandchildren will thank us for.

GARY LEIB retired as director of community development in Bristol for 30 years. Currently he is a volunteer for Providence Village and on its board. Also working with friends to create cohousing in Providence.

Jewish Rhode Island publishes thoughtful and informative contributors’ columns (op-eds of 500 – 800 words) and letters to the editor (300 words, maximum) on issues of interest to our Jewish community. At our discretion, we may edit pieces for publication or refuse publication. Letters and columns, whether from our regular contributors or from guest columnists, represent the views of the authors; they do not represent the views of Jewish Rhode Island or the Alliance.

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

Thanks for the memories of Providence I just want to commend and thank May-Ronny Zeidman for her articles, especially when she writes about her past and brings back so many wonderful memories we can all associate with. This last article (“Scenes from the Providence of my youth,” in the Dec. 21 issue) made me smile so much as I read it and brought back so many wonderful trips to downtown Providence by bus with my mom and sometimes with my bubbe. My bubbe would go to a hairdresser next door to the Loew’s Theater and give me 25 cents to go to the restaurant next door for a hotdog and soda while I waited for her.

I gathered from the article she [Zeidman] came from the North End. I came from South Providence. We both grew up in the 40s, 50s and 60s. This article brought back a wonderful memory of my dad taking me to the RKO Albee Theater [on Westminster Street] to see “Cinderella.” I must have been around 6 years old. Our memories fade as we get on in our senior years and then we read an article about the past and it all comes back. South Providence had Willard Avenue stores, where my family shopped, many synagogues and two or three Jewish Community Centers. So thank you May-Ronny Zeidman for taking us back to our past and all the wonderful memories in your articles.

Arline (Kushel) Cusick Warwick, R.I.

Better photos?

As a reader of The Jewish Voice, I waited until Hanukkah was over, and decided to respond to an article that was written in your Nov. 23, 2018, edition (“Guest speaker dishes on food choices).

On page 30, there was an article about Hadassah’s luncheon.

The two pictures were absolutely incorrect for a newspaper article.

The picture to the right had three women side posed (not facing the camera). The woman on the left should have had a smile on her face. She should have been standing for the photo that was taken afterward of those who missed the first one and it was not in the paper. Whoever this “mystery woman” is, she should have been standing with everyone now present. Instead, the paper showed off incorrect smile lines. What a shame. No names included! These “mystery women” we will never get to know.

Debbie Deletetsky Warwick, R.I. The writer is a life member of Hadassah and a past co-vice president of programming for the Rhode Island chapter.

10 | JANUARY 2019

Jewish Rhode Island | jewishrhody.org

BOOKS AND MOVIES

Jewish, feminist themes explored in new play about Greta Garbo

BY MICHAEL SCHEMAILLE A NEW MUSICAL, “Coming Attraction,” a semi-fictionalized look at the working relationship between actress Greta Garbo and her photographer, Ruth Harriet Louise, née Goldstein, will be performed as a live reading at The Wilbury Theatre Group on Jan. 28.

In a recent interview, playwright Gray Horan, who is Garbo’s grandniece, explained that her play “rediscovers an important Jewish woman who contributed to the iconography of [1920s] Hollywood.”

Louise was the only female studio photographer in Hollywood history, and she is

estimated to have taken more than 100,000 photos during her time at MGM Studios.

Horan said Louise and Garbo “created the iconography of the new, modern woman,” while author Robert Dance wrote that “Louise created Garbo’s face. She took Garbo from a pretty, frizzy-haired girl who was a bit gauche to the great siren of the 20th century. Others simply refined Louise’s work.”

Horan’s play looks into Louise’s background, and features the conflict between Louise’s first-wave feminism and the conservative values of her father, a London-born rabbi. To highlight this conflict, Louise’s big musical number is set at the bimah of

her father’s synagogue, Temple Anshe Emeth, in Brunswick, New Jersey.

The play’s treatment of the Louise/ Garbo partnership describes how the pair created the imagery of then-modern feminism, and it opens the door to questions of gender, sexuality and politics that foreshadow today’s debates on the same topics.

The play ends with Louise speaking about the rise of Nazism, providing another connection to current events.

Horan’s connection to Garbo led her to learn about Louise’s accomplishments and inspired the writing of “Coming Attraction.”

Writing the play was made possible by a grant from the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts, and Horan, a Rhode Islander since 2002, expressed her thanks for that gift.

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Horan’s sources in researching Louise’s life included the New York Historical Society, the Jewish Historical Society of Central New Jersey, and the Rosenbach Museum & Library, in Philadelphia. The play’s lyrics were written by Brown University graduate Sami

MICHAEL SCHEMAILLE (mschemaille@jewishallianceri.org) writes for Jewish Rhode Island and the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island.

It’s a great, astonishing movie, but I made so bold as to seek and purchase the book from which the material was derived, and ... surprise again! ... the film was much better than the book. It was the reversal of the obvious but misguided notion that a flick over-simplifies the text. Not so, not necessarily. This book was a bit pretentious, and even tedious, while the charm of Scotty in person IT USED TO BE that documentaries wins over any audience that is free didn’t draw crowds to cinemas, from prejudice against eccentricbut that’s changed. Now they’re ity. often the best surprises of the On the other hand, I was deepyear. ly disappointed by “The Wife,” This past year, I was caught for its prejudice against men. The off guard by “Scotty and the husband is a phony who exploits Secret History of Hollywood” his wife, a former student who — its humor and honesty totally MIKE FINK actually creates his career while charmed me. In the documentary, a he babysits and handles household Marine Corps World War II G.I. gets a job at a gas station on the West Coast and turns chores. He’s a real heel, with a former family — a wife and kids — he abandoned. it into a gathering place for his buddies. That This “politically correct” film is clunky and is, if they are willing and able to serve as “esmean-spirited, with unseemly close-ups of ancorts” for movie stars, guys or gals, either way. ger and disdain on the faces of the hard-workWhat was so endearing about the portrait ing actors. The concept is that men are no of Scotty was his total lack of self-pity, the damned good while women are admirable absence of complaints and propaganda, the achievers, a fashionable and profitable bigotry amorality, not immorality, and his sheer that passes for artistry. cheerfulness! He married (women) twice, Moving along to books, I was once again had a daughter he was devoted to until her astonished. I used to think that “self-pubuntimely and tragic death, and then bounced lishing” in a “vanity press” was the wrong back into his natural happy state, which way to proceed from idea to book, with only lasted into his late 90s! With curly silver hair a rare exception. After all, nobody bothers to and a good-natured grin, he digs through his fix your errors, discuss the tone of your apgarage, which is stuffed with souvenirs of proach, or correct your research in the world his multiple adventures in love, pleasure and enduring friendships of all kinds. It’s not even of self-publishing. But in 2018, two “vanity press” books came my way from a couple of “sentimental,” but more like just accepting accomplished writers. people as they are: strange, talented, lucky, doomed.

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Meredith Healy is the director of the performance at the Wilbury.

The reading will take place on Monday, Jan. 28, at 7 p.m. at the Wilbury Theatre Group, 40 Sonoma Court, Providence. Admission to the reading is free, but donations to the Wilbury are welcome. Since “Coming Attraction” is a work in progress, the audience is invited to join in a “talk-back” session following the performance.

A selection of Louise’s photos will be displayed onsite, thanks to the generosity of Providence Picture Frame.

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JANUARY 2019

jewishrhody.org | Jewish Rhode Island

CONTINUED FROM PRECEDING PAGE Paulette Cooper Noble has produced 26 volumes — most under the name Paulette Cooper — in many genres, from memoirs to collections of “pet” stories gathered from her columns. Her latest effort, “Battlefield Scientology” (subtitled “Exposing L. Ron Hubbard’s dangerous ‘religion’ ”), co-written with Tony Ortega, is a review of her victory over Scientology in the courts.

I knew this remarkable, elegant, delicate-but-sturdy lady years ago, and have since caught up with her on several occasions: she is a Holocaust survivor, eternally youthful, and earned the nickname “Miss Lovely.”

Her husband, Paul Noble, reviews his career as a producer of radio and television interviews in his autobiography, “My First 83 Years.” Co-written with his wife, it details meetings with such personages as Eleanor Roosevelt, Adlai Stevenson, Rodgers and Hammerstein, Basil Rathbone, Pope Paul VI, Dr. Ruth — you name any 20th-century celebrity, and chances are that Paul has wined and dined him or her. The book reads like a marvelous — if name-dropping — conversation. Actually, it’s quite delightful and unassuming. Charming, in fact.

These two brightly illustrated texts within nicely designed covers share a kind of happiness and an intimate quality of sincerity. Have you ever had a chat about how you met your partner? People seem drawn to this subject, and the Nobles reveal that they met, parted, and then, decades later, found each other again, wed and worked together. They look forward, as well as backward, with a style that gives the lie to the notion that self-publishing is a lesser path to follow than seeking success through established publishers.

As Paulette explains, while waiting for book manufacturers and distributors to make up their minds, the tide begins to ebb on a project. So she and her collaborator on “Battlefield Scientology” simply did the chores themselves.

It’s a refreshingly independent decision, and Paul and Paulette’s dedications to each other, in the other’s book, add a pleasant aspect to their estimable efforts. You can acquire these treats via polopublishingbooks@aol.com.

MIKE FINK (mfink33@aol.com) teaches at the Rhode Island School of Design.

Timely appearance of brown siddur

BY GERALDINE S. FOSTER THE ARTICLE scheduled for the Nov. 9 issue of The Jewish Voice was an homage to three men who served in World War I, designed to coincide with Veterans Day. Then came the tragedy at Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh. The timeliness of the Veterans Day article yielded to the urgency of addressing that terrible event in some way.

I chose to write a replacement article about HIAS because the vilification of that agency by the shooter and others of the same breed struck me in a very personal fashion — from my family’s history and also from my days as campaign chairwoman and then president of the Women’s Division of the former Jewish Federation of Rhode Island.

Soon after the original article was put on hold for a month (it ran on Dec. 7), my granddaughter Abby found a bit of Judaic flotsam of the kind dear to my heart. In the jumble basket at a flea market, she discovered a little brown siddur issued by the Jewish Welfare Board.

The board gave them to the men and women serving in the U.S. armed forces during World War II and the Korean War. As for the timing of her find — call it coincidence, serendipity or bashert — its appearance so close to Veterans Day reinforced the importance of that observance.

The copyright date of the little brown siddur was 1941. A revised edition, bound in black, was published in 1958. Our find was part of the first issue, a run of 50,000 copies from the Jewish Publication Society.

The Jewish Welfare Board gave them to the men and women serving in the U.S. armed forces during World War II and the Korean War.

The right-hand page facing the reader has the Hebrew text. The opposite page has the English translation. Just 3 inches by 5 inches, it was, according to the preface, made “small enough in size to be carried in a pocket over the heart, [to] bear the spiritual message of Israel’s ancient prayers to the heart of the American Jewish soldiers and sailors serving their country.” It was to be used when “the exigencies of life in the army or navy do not permit attendance at regular synagogue services ....”

The siddur was a cooperative enterprise, as were its progenitors. An abridged prayer book edited by representatives of Conservative, Orthodox and Reform Judaism was issued to American service people in 1917. Another source was the World War I British Prayer Book for Jewish

soldiers and sailors.

The three rabbis who prepared the little brown siddur took much of the text, Biblical passages and hymns from the “Union Prayer Book” and the “Union Hymnal of the Reform Movement.” Included as well were supplementary materials from Conservative and Orthodox sources.

The three rabbis were towering figures in American Jewish life — Solomon

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Freehof, Eugene Kohn and David de Sola Pool — learned, intellectual, charismatic leaders in their respective strands of Judaism who put aside their differences and came together for the common good.

The copy I have shows its age — yellowed pages, bent covers, broken spine. To whom it once belonged and when he/she served, we do not know. No name is inscribed on the inside of the back cover. No military branch is named.

Neither is there a specific tie to the history of the Jews in Rhode Island, save for the fact that similar prayer books accompanied generations of our community’s finest as they went off to war and offered comfort and hope for a future of peace.

GERALDINE S. FOSTER is a past president of the R.I. Jewish Historical Association.

To comment about this or any RIJHA article, contact the RIJHA office at info@rijha. org or 401-331-1360.

UPCOMING EVENTS

invites you to...

PJ Library Bookstore Tour Sunday, January 13 | 1:00 - 2:00pm Barnes & Noble, 371 Putnam Pike, Smithfield PJ Library Author Visit with Jamie Korngold Author of Sadie’s Snowy Tu B’Shevat Tuesday, January 15 | 4:30 - 5:30pm Dwares JCC, 401 Elmgrove Avenue, Providence

For more information contact Lyndsey Ursillo at 401.421.4111 ext. 141 or lursillo@jewishallianceri.org.

PJ Library Story Time: Stay & Play at JCDS Wednesday, January 23 | 9:30 - 10:30am Jewish Community Day School, 85 Taft Ave., Providence PJ Library: Challah in the House Friday, January 25 | 9:30 - 10:30am Dwares JCC, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence Price: $5 per loaf | Dwares JCC Members: $3 per loaf

You do not need to be a PJ Library subscriber, member of the Dwares JCC, or a family at JCDS to attend.

PJ Library is a program of the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island in partnership with the Harold Grinspoon Foundation.

12 | JANUARY 2019

IN THE NEWS The Jewish delis we said goodbye to in 2018 With offerings like the classic pastrami or corned beef sandwich and rich matzah ball soup, the deli has long provided our nation with a uniquely Jewish-American take on comfort food. In 2018, we said goodbye to a great number of Jewish delis, that, sadly, closed their doors and their kitchens.

Most notably for New Yorkers, Ben’s Best Deli in Rego Park, Queens closed down after 73 years of serving warm and comforting kosher Jewish deli food.

While the Jewish deli is an American invention, popularized by Jewish immigrants in New York, delis overseas are also closing. In 2018, London said goodbye to Gabi’s Deli, which closed after over 50 years in operation.

— By Lior Zaltzman

Trends for 2019: Faux Meat Whether it’s for health reasons, ideological reasons, or Kosher reasons, faux meat has been on the rise and is sure to gain even further visibility and popularity in 2019.

In 2018, the Impossible Burger made a splash among vegetarians and Kosher keepers alike, since it is considered to taste more “like meat” than other veggie burgers and even bleeds like real meat.

Several Kosher restaurants began carrying it in 2018 and many more are likely to add it to menus in the coming year.

Jackfruit has also gained popularity as a plant-based alternative to pulled pork or brisket. Whole Foods’ predictions for 2019 included fake meat snacks, saying, “Plant-based foods will continue to surprise and inspire — this year taking on the meat-based snacking world of jerkies and pork rinds you may associate with the corner store and road trips.”

Bring on the tofu jerky, we are ready.

Jewish Rhode Island | jewishrhody.org

FOOD & DINING

Three steps to a healthier you STARTING A DIET or diving headfirst into a workout plan may be the first steps to enhancing your personal health, but once you’ve started down the path to better fitness and nutrition, it’s important to find ways to stay on track.

Instead of burning yourself out on a diet that’s too stringent or workouts that are too intense, moderate your healthy lifestyle and use simple tricks to avoid falling into bad habits. Consider these tips from celebrity trainer and food coach Valerie Waters, author of “Red Carpet Ready,” to help ensure you stick to your plan.

BANK YOUR FITNESS. Interruptions in life happen. Travel, for example, whether for business or pleasure, can disrupt workouts and access to nutritious food.

To allow room for a missed workout or a special meal, put some fitness in the bank by tightening your diet a couple weeks ahead of your trip. You can also put some extra effort into workouts by adding intervals, additional weight or simply going a little longer.

STRATEGY OVER WILLPOWER. While willpower is certainly part of maintaining a diligent healthy lifestyle, strategizing can be of even more importance.

Planning a full day or even week of meals can help you curb cravings and avoid indulging in extra, unnecessary calories. Instead of white-knuckling through afternoon cravings at work, try bringing a go-to snack like Califor-

nia Figs, which are filling, portable, rich in antioxidants and fat-free.

EAT SIMPLY. Eating foods as close to their natural state as possible can help you avoid consuming excess sugar and fat. Plus, by incorporating more natural foods and snacks into your routine,

you’re less likely to eat items loaded with preservatives or ingredients you may not even recognize. Focus on lean protein, fruit, veggies and nuts available in recipes like this Farro and Fig Salad with Arugula and Feta.

— Family Features

Remove from heat and let rest, covered, 10 minutes.

In large bowl, whisk lemon juice, red wine vinegar, olive oil, shallot,

mustard, salt, pepper and turmeric.

Add farro, figs and arugula; toss well.

Crumble feta over top and toss again.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Farro and Fig Salad with Arugula and Feta Servings: 6

INGREDIENTS 1 cup semi-pearled farro 2 cups water 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 medium shallot, minced (2 tablespoons) 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1/4 teaspoon dried turmeric 3/4 cup dried golden or mission figs, stemmed and chopped (6-8 figs) 2 cups arugula 2 ounces crumbled feta cheese (about 1/2 cup)

DIRECTIONS In medium saucepan over high heat, bring farro and water to boil. Lower heat to simmer, cover with lid and cook until farro is tender, about 25 minutes.

JANUARY 2019

jewishrhody.org | Jewish Rhode Island

| 13

The miraculous healing power of ‘The Soup’

BY LARRY KESSLER Chicken soup is the mother of all cures.

— Rabbi Shmuel Tiechtel, of the Rohr Chabad at Arizona State University, quoted in the Arizona Republic With January ushering in the heart of what winter-haters fear will be another miserable, frigid season that goes on far too long, it’s time to chat about the one food that will provide us with guaranteed comfort over the next few months.

Hint: It’s been called Jewish penicillin, and we have fond memories of how good it felt going down when it was made by our mothers and grandmothers, especially when we were sick.

I’m talking, of course, about chicken soup, unquestionably the most medicinally beneficial hot meal ever invented.

This much-celebrated Jewish food recently received even more nationwide attention when the subjects of a story published in the Arizona Republic in September were featured on network telecasts. The story told about a program run by Rabbi Shmuel Tiechtel and his wife, Chana, of the Rohr Chabad at Arizona State University. The couple, who started the Rohr Chabad 15 years ago as a place for Jewish students to hang out, study and have Shabbat dinner, are now delivering chicken soup with matzah balls for free to sick students.

Similar efforts are being made by Hillels at other campuses nationwide, including at Brown University and the Rhode Island School of Design, the University of Chicago, Michigan State University, the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Michigan, according to a blog on the Hillel website.

These chicken soup “hotlines” have only added to the legend and mystique of the miracle-like elixir, which has been making people feel better for millennia. Interest in “The Soup,” in fact, is higher than ever today, with Google searches turning up over 61 million results for “chicken soup,” nearly 69 million for “chicken soup recipes” and 1.7 million for the “Chicken Soup for the Soul” books.

I started thinking a lot about the joys of chicken soup while dealing with what’s become an annual pre-winter “tradition” of mine: a stubborn sinus infection that causes congestion and a nagging cough.

Finding a cure this time required two rounds of medications and an inhaler, which eventually helped, but not quickly enough, and that’s where “The Soup” saved the day. The only thing that gave me instant relief was my wife’s version, which is loaded with bite-sized chicken pieces, vegetables (carrots, celery and onions), boiled potatoes and Kosher noodles.

Eating it with a couple of pieces of fresh challah made for an especially satisfying meal, and it tasted even better on the last night of Hanukkah, when my wife made both her soup and latkes.

There are plenty of reasons why people believe chicken soup makes us feel better, but as Rabbi Tiechtel said in the Arizona Republic article, the secret lies in not merely The Soup, but in the fact that someone has made it for you — and that’s the genius behind the soup outreach to college students.

Under the program at Arizona State, chicken soup is delivered to students’ dorms or apartments within a couple of hours of making a request.

“It does wonders,” the rabbi said. “This really gives them that sense that someone cares, that they are not alone.”

There’s a lot of truth to that, because let’s face it, when we’re sick, a trip to an urgent care center or a doctor’s office is an impersonal way to get treatment. But having a hot meal made just for you will almost always make you feel just a little bit better.

I still vividly remember how much better I felt one Thanksgiving in the ’70s, thanks to an unexpected delivery of food. I was single and living in Florida. I had come down with a nasty cold and was feeling pretty lousy, until there was a knock on my door. It was a friend surprising me with a loaf of freshly baked bread.

That’s why, even after three decades of marriage, my wife’s chicken soup tastes better when I’m sick than it does when I’m healthy. There’s no better way for her to say “I’m sorry you’re sick” than to make a pot of The Soup, which lifts the spirits and boosts the body, mind and soul infinitely better than any medication or over-the-counter cold remedy ever could.

LARRY KESSLER is a freelance writer based in North Attleboro. He can be reached at lkessler1@comcast.net.

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Jewish Rhode Island | jewishrhody.org

HEALTH & FITNESS

Get up and move W

Wendy Holmes, 77, of Providence, wraps up her workout with the aquatics class.

e should all be exercising on a regular basis. The Department of Health and Human Services recommends 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity a week. And sitting is a no-no. That advice is for all adults. Photographer Glenn Osmundson looked around the Dwares Jewish Community Center and found seniors engaged in a whole host of fitness activities. The folks on these pages prove exercise can be part your routine at any age. Whether you sit, stand, walk or swim, there is an activity for everyone.

And even brief amounts of exercise are better than nothing. So get moving and warm up for winter.

Walter Anthony Jr., of Providence, works out in an aquatics class.

Wendy Holmes, 77, of Providence, foreground, right, with the Deep H20 Workout class.

— Fran Ostendorf

Allie Tetreault, of Pawtucket, leads the class.

jewishrhody.org | Jewish Rhode Island

JANUARY 2019

| 15

Ronald Florence, 76, of Providence, works out in the fitness center.

Naama Gidron, an Iyengar yoga instructor, leads a class at the JCC. She is working with Pat Padula, 67, of Pawtucket.

The yoga class works out on their mats.

Diana Maher, 76, of Pawtucket, participating with the yoga class.

Naida Weisberg, 90, of Providence, right, and Pat Padula, 67, of Pawtucket, background, stretch in the class.

Naida Weisberg, 90, of Providence, rolls up her yoga mat after the class.

16 | JANUARY 2019

Jewish Rhode Island | jewishrhody.org

HEALTH & FITNESS each other,” says Morten Gregersen, one of the partners at Nord.

The goal of the village is to depart from the bleak and unwelcoming design of most senior-care centers and establish a positive and comfortable environment for those with dementia.

The first stone has already been laid at the village, which is expected to cost 28.8 million euros and open at the end of 2019.

The community in France should look like this, according to Nord Achitect’s website.

New models for senior living cropping up worldwide

BY NAOMI FINK COTRONE

“It is what it is.” You probably hear that a lot — I certainly do. All at once, the phrase means basically nothing and speaks volumes about our willingness to accept the status quo.

And I get that. It’s hard to think about how things could be different, and even harder (maybe impossible) to move the mountains often required to effect change. But sometimes it’s valuable to peek over the fence or around the corner to see what “it is” in other places. That perspective can sometimes shape the way we approach our own life.

Although my work centers on helping seniors age in place, for one reason or another, I often find myself in nursing homes and assisted living communities.

As you can imagine, some are wonderful, like Rhode Island’s very own Phyllis Siperstein Tamarisk Assisted Living, in Warwick, or even groundbreaking, like The Providence Village of RI. And others, well, they require a shrug and a mumbled “it is what it is.” And while these places are institutions in American society, and serve a critical purpose in our life cycles, some innovators around the world are rethinking the model entirely, with a potent combination of common sense and moxie.

Here’s a peek at a few refreshing se-

nior-living models in other nations: FRANCE: We begin our journey in southwestern France, where Nord Architects is designing a new city-like community to support memory care for the elderly. According to a recent article in Fast Company, Nord’s layout will be more town than nursing home. In this “Alzheimer’s village,” they’ve created neighborhoods that share services like hairdressing and shops, inspired by a gated Dutch dementia village on the outskirts of Weesp, in the Netherlands, where residents roam the village freely and are cared for by plain-clothed medical staff.

“You don’t use fences, but create an atmosphere where people take care of

“Nagano is unique in many ways, but there are lessons you can apply anywhere: Improve your diet, stay active, continue to work as you get older. The key is not just to live longer, but to stay healthy longer.”

Dr. Takuji Shirasawa, who teaches in the Department of Aging Control Medicine at Juntendo University, in Tokyo

ISRAEL: A hop across the Mediterranean, in Tel Aviv, David Mencher, one of the founders of Cohousing Israel, the country’s first cooperative living community for the elderly, aims to combat senior loneliness through a shared living experience.

“There are many kinds of community, but for us the key word is cooperative, a certain degree of mutual responsibility of the community toward each member.

Actually, community is the opposite of loneliness,” Mencher told Israel News.

The seniors living in Cohousing Israel can share their day-to-day life with the other residents without sacrificing personal autonomy. Their stated target member age is 50 to 75, and residents share amenities such as living spaces and kitchens. The communal kitchen is Kosher, and Shabbat can be observed in a variety of ways, depending on the residents’ preferences. The community was established last year.

JAPAN: Moving east into Asia, we find Japan, the country with the highest elderly population in the world. In September, the Ministry of Internal Affairs reported that an estimated 26.18 million Japanese citizens were over the age of 70. About 30,000 people celebrate their 100th birthday every year in Japan!

The Nagano region of Japan reports the longest life expectancy in the world.

According to an article by AARP, longevity in Japan is due in large part to the active Japanese lifestyle.

“Nagano is unique in many ways, but there are lessons you can apply anywhere: Improve your diet, stay active, continue to work as you get older. The key is not just to live longer, but to stay healthy longer,” says Dr. Takuji Shirasawa, who teaches in the Department of Aging Control Medicine at Juntendo University, in Tokyo.

And the Japanese are not just reforming elder care and related services — they’re adjusting their entire society to accommodate the aging population.

Stores, banks and hotels routinely offer reading glasses of varying strengths to accommodate all customers. The Japanese prime minister sends a letter of congratulations and a silver sake cup to each citizen for his or her 100th birthday. And Japan even celebrates the country’s aging population with a national holiday, Respect for the Aged Day, every Sept. 17.

So, to conclude: It is what it is. But it doesn’t have to be.

NAOMI FINK COTRONE runs Right at Home Rhode Island, where she works to provide the highest quality care to elderly and disabled adults. She hopes her teenagers are saving up to fund her eventual move to southwestern France.

jewishrhody.org | Jewish Rhode Island

JANUARY 2019

| 17

New book suggests eating Jewishly involves improvisation

BY IRINA HAWKINS RABBI JONATHAN Brumberg-Kraus, a professor of religion at Wheaton College and the author of “Gastronomic Judaism as Culinary Midrash,” has confessed to eating possibly non-Kosher chicken.

Before you gasp, though, hear him out. He strayed from his adherence to kashrut not only in the name of exploration, but also in the interest of communal peace — thus inadvertently proving his thesis that context, not the food, is what makes eating Jewish.

During a culinary tour led by Abbie Rosner, a food writer who lives in the Galilee, in northern Israel, Brumberg-Kraus was among those invited to visit the home of Balkis Khateeb, a Nazareth woman, to cook together. Before going, Brumberg-Kraus, his wife Maya, and other Jewish women in their group shopped for food in an Arab spice store, enjoyed the aroma of freshly ground bulgur, and picked up pancakes from a bakery to break the Ramadan fast.

At the woman’s house, they learned how to cook stuffed grape leaves, use a mold to make bread, and bake cheese pastries.

And then, even though Brumberg-Kraus and his wife always eat vegetarian when they’re out, they indulged in a soup that was made with chicken stock. He explains, “I wasn’t sure she used a Kosher chicken. I figured, if not, it was halal, since she was an observant Muslim. I had to make a choice. I’m Kosher, but flexible in certain situations where it makes sense to be open communally. A lot of Jewish eating is making choices.”

The rabbi says, “I still made a Jewish choice even though I didn’t eat Kosher. Kosher is not the only way to assert Jewish identity.”

WITH HIS NEWLY published book, the rabbi wanted to convey the idea that “there’s more than one way to eat Jewishly,” not only in the text of the book, but also in its title. Brumberg-Kraus intends to show that Jewish character can be expressed via means other than eating bagels, lox and brisket.

“The Jewish identity is always changing,” he says, emphasizing that we reinterpret old traditions and adapt new ones that are relevant to our time.

However, while the way Jews eat might have changed, the fact that “food is super important to Jewish identity” has not, the author asserts. Our Jewishness has always been rooted in food. Brumberg-Kraus points out that the book of Leviticus contains recipes that tell us how to serve God — what type of meat and wine to place on the altar.

He adds that our most important holidays

Rabbi Jonathan Brumberg-Kraus says, “Jews are dynamic people.” are celebrated by eating specific foods.

For instance, the dishes we eat during the Passover seder, such as matzah, come from rabbinic literature. But while haroset is still on our seder plates today, the ingredients in it often vary. Brumberg-Kraus points out that the Ashkenazi version contains apples and nuts, while the Moroccan one is made with dates and figs. Similarly, during Hanukkah, Ashkenazi Jews eat latkes, while Israelis often eat sufganiyot (fried jelly donuts). Italian Jews go a different route altogether, frying a breaded chicken instead.

Through stories about distinctive food experiences, the 220-page “Gastronomic Judaism” (Lexington Books, 2019) illustrates the maxim “we are what we eat” and shows how we, as Jews, connect with our roots through our culinary choices.

“We don’t all do it in the same way,” says the author.

By assigning Jewish meaning to foods for rituals, holidays and ceremonies, we transform them from ordinary dishes and ingredients into culturally significant ones.

Brumberg-Kraus grew up in a Reform family that expressed Judaism by keeping Kosher for Passover — the one time when most Jews adhere to the dietary laws, he says. He still approves of this open-minded approach to religion, saying, “Jews are dynamic people. We don’t do anything 100 percent of the time.”

In celebrating only certain holidays or following only some rules, Jews are accentuating their behavior to connect to their culture, he believes.

Brumberg-Kraus’ observation that people’s feelings about food are mostly ambivalent inspired him to focus on the positive aspects of cuisine, looking at it from a religious perspective. He seeks to demonstrate

PHOTO | GLENN OSMUNDSON

that eating could be “a powerful spiritual experience that brings us together with other people and makes us happy.”

After all, we have so many identities — religion, gender, sexual preference, color, geographic location, etc. No aspect needs to be denied.

“Identity is situational,” Brumberg-Kraus says. When we choose to celebrate Halloween, we do so to connect with other people.

Or when gentiles attend a Tu b’Shevat seder, they’re not just eating fruits and saying Bible passages — they’re participating in our religion to relate to us.

Brumberg-Kraus believes that when eating is done in a cultural setting, the meaning of the meal is enhanced and the pleasure we derive from it is greater. For instance, compare eating bread while browsing through social media to eating bread while celebrating Shabbat. He feels that it’s the occasion that makes the food rewarding, sustaining and uplifting. In other words, context is everything.

The rabbi is pleased that people now have a more flexible understanding of what Jewish food is. For example, when Jews go out for Chinese food on Christmas Eve, they are participating in a new tradition. Or when his family is visiting Austin, Texas, where it’s hard to find a good Chinese restaurant, they go to an Indian one; they modify the new tradition and construct their own one to adapt to the circumstances.

Brumberg-Kraus says that such eating can still be a deeply meaningful experience.

As long as our “worship through the body” (the Hasidic concept of Avodah Be’gashmiut) allows us to connect with the natural world and be spiritual, it’s not a lesser form of religious practice.

So the next time you’re craving some rugelach at midnight, don’t tiptoe. Instead, wake up your spouse and make it a meaningful, communal occasion.

IRINA HAWKINS is a writer who lives in Providece.

18 | JANUARY 2019

Jewish Rhode Island | jewishrhody.org

HEALTH & FITNESS

Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s personal trainer shares secrets of a healthy Supreme Court

BY RON KAMPEAS

WASHINGTON (JTA) – Bryant Johnson says pressure creates diamonds, and I think I just upped the carat level.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s personal trainer did not know that his two other clients on the Supreme Court — Stephen Breyer and Elena Kagan — are Jewish, too. Until I told him.

“I never thought about it that way,” he says when I tell him that he’s responsible in part for the health of the court’s entire Jewish contingent.

Ginsburg is 85, Breyer is 80 and Kagan is a spritely 58.

Where Johnson takes the conversation from there is interesting — he says he’s gotten pushback from conservative radio over his clients’ politics.

“Do you train conservative judges?” Johnson says he’s been asked in interviews. (Answer: He trains whomever asks.) Ginsburg is a liberal icon, and the other two Jewish justices also are part of the court’s liberal minority.

Johnson, who met me last month in his office here at the District Court, is acutely aware of his role in maintaining the well-being of Ginsburg, whose health status is tracked obsessively by court watchers. Johnson is voluble about Ginsburg, who speaks publicly about her fitness regimen, but will not volunteer much about Kagan and Breyer.

“She says she wants to stay on the bench for another five years,” he says. Left unsaid is the likely reason that Ginsburg

has made the commitment: She wants to outlast Donald Trump’s presidency if it should reach into a second term.

“Someone asked me, do I feel the pressure,” he says and laughs. “Pressure creates diamonds.”

By which Johnson means, yes he does, and has for a while.

“I help her with her quality of life,” he says. “This is not new to us.”

By “this” he means keeping Ginsburg fit, which he’s been doing since 1999 after she survived a bout of colorectal cancer.

Whatever its pressures Johnson, an Army reservist and a records specialist at the District Court in addition to running a personal training business, appears to relish his role as something of a health guru. When I arrive at his office, he is dispensing advice to a colleague who has come seeking the healthy munchies he leaves out.

Ginsburg wanted to get back in shape after her chemo treatments in 1999.

“You look like an Auschwitz survivor,” her late husband, Martin, told the justice, she has recalled.

Ginsburg asked her former colleagues on the D.C. District Court for a recommendation of a trainer who could accommo-

JTA PHOTO | RON KAMPEAS

Bryant Johnson, Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s personal trainer, in his office in the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., Dec. 19, 2018.

date a judge’s schedule. Judge Gladys Kessler (yes, also Jewish) recommended Johnson, who as a court employee had become popular among District Court judges. Johnson designed a program to build up the bone and muscle density that chemo costs a patient. In 2017, it became a book, “The RBG Workout.” (“How She Stays Strong … and You Can TOO!”) Since then, save for a deployment to Kuwait from 2004 to 2007, Johnson has met with Ginsburg twice weekly for an hour or so.

They don’t chat much during the exercise routine — Johnson was raised in Virginia by a grandmother who was deaf and did not know sign language, so he’s become adept at nonverbal communication. During their sessions, he has acquired a taste for Ginsburg’s favorite background noises: classical music and “PBS Newshour.”

Johnson was aware of Ginsburg’s role in advancing civil liberties as a litigant before the Supreme Court in the 1970s and ’80s, and then in protecting them since her appointment in 1993. It wasn’t until recently, however, that he internalized how important they were to him personally: Johnson, who is African-American, is an equal opportunity adviser in the Army Reserves.

Ginsburg, Johnson notes, cut her teeth on a Supreme Court decision in 1973, Frontiero v.

Richardson, that determined that servicewomen were entitled to housing allowances. He faces “similar challenges,” he says, in his Army Reserves work.

“I told a couple of soldiers ‘You wouldn’t have these rights’” if it weren’t for Ginsburg, he says.

Ginsburg over the years has given Johnson a number of books about her, and a table in his office is decorated with them (although pride of place is reserved for his RBG workout).

Johnson confesses to not having read the books, saying “She didn’t pay me to be her fanboy!”

(He won’t say how much he charges, but suggests that his fee for Ginsburg has not hiked much since 1999.)

Now, in this Ginsburgian moment fueled by liberal anxiety about whether Trump might have the opportunity to replace her, he is curious about the justice. He saw last year’s CNN documentary “RBG,” and the new Hollywood movie based on her 1970s breakthroughs, “On the Basis of Sex.” “It was amazing,” he says of

the documentary.

The documentary, while bordering on the hagiographic, is seeded throughout with concerns that Ginsburg is less than aware of her own mortality.

(She survived another bout of cancer — pancreatic — in 2009, and last month had malignant growths removed from her lungs.) She still pulls all-nighters, and it is clear the absence of her husband, who died in 2010 and was the only person capable of talking her away from the office, has unsettled those close to her.

“Bubbe, you were asleep during the State of the Union, you can’t do that,” her granddaughter Clara Spera recalls telling her in “RBG.” In Martin Ginsburg’s absence, Johnson appears to have become something of a rock for her.

“I am often consumed by the heavy lifting Supreme Court judging entails, reluctant to cease work until I’ve got it right,” she writes in a foreword to his book. “But when time comes to meet with Bryant, I leave off and join him at the gym for justices.”

Ginsburg asked Johnson to come with her to a swearing-in session for new citizens last month at the National Archives, and he called the session to order, temporarily establishing the archives as a court. He says his commanding voice, developed in the military, has led to him being asked to open court sessions.

In the documentary, Johnson is the man who nay says the naysayers.

“She’s like a cyborg,” he says.

“When I say cyborg, she’s like a machine.”

I get similar reassurances.

“She’s never used that four-letter word ‘can’t,’” Johnson says.

“She’s tough as nails.”

But then it becomes clear that he, too, is concerned. Johnson speaks of her fall last month that led to three broken ribs (and the discovery of the growths on her lungs).

“That was a result of her being tired,” he says. “If you know the justice and her relentless work ethic — sometimes I have to protect her from herself.”

Still, she has some limits.

Kagan likes to box, and Johnson once caught Ginsburg eyeing gloves that her high-court colleague had left in the gym.

“Are you into that?” Johnson asked Ginsburg.

“No,” she replied. “We’ll just leave that.”

JANUARY 2019

jewishrhody.org | Jewish Rhode Island

Stress management, ha-Shem and you

Bring in the brain factor  Find a mental activity that you enjoy and try new variations and challenges  Work something new in each day, whether it’s taking a different route to work or the grocery store or brushing your teeth with a different hand  Learn a new skill or hobby, such as advanced computer commands or golf

nature makes you feel better emotionally and contributes to your physical well-being, reducing blood pressure, heart rate, muscle tension and the production of stress hormones.  Share with friends. Cultivate strong networks, which has been demonstrated to help people live longer, healthier and more fulfilling lives.  See yourself rooted — with roots growing from your feet deep into the ground  Seek peace of mind  Count your blessings for everything that is working in your life.

Braverman closes her article with this: “Count your blessings. This is the most obvious tool, but in some ways the most difficult. In a good mood, this is a wonderful tool. In a bad mood (when we need it the most), we grumble about its ineffectiveness.

Do it anyway. Regularly. And make a spiritual accounting. How am I doing? Am I working at it?

“The most meaningful things in life are only acquired through tremendous effort (don’t you hate it when people tell you that?!). But who can imagine how great the reward …. It’s available. The Almighty is anxiously (pardon the pun) awaiting our return. Just close your eyes, lean back … and let go.”

Even more ways to de-stress  Volunteer for a worthy cause  Move — walk, dance, play a sport, do something that rids the body of tension  Get out in nature. Exposure to

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

anges and tomatoes are good sources of potassium.

It is hard to recognize your own hearing loss. It often happens slowly over time, and we tend to blame others at first for speaking softly, too quickly, or mumbling. Dr. Rubin suggests getting your hearing tested regularly to create a baseline, which can provide an early warning of hearing loss.

Get some hearing help. Once you know you have a problem, it’s time to explore a hearing aid.

One style is custom-made and fits in the ear only. This type can be so tiny that it is virtually invisible, sitting deep inside the canal, or it can be bigger and fill up the whole outside of the ear.

The other main type of hearing aid has two components, with one piece sitting inside the ear canal and a second piece sitting behind the ear, connected by a small wire or tube.

Which you choose will depend on your hearing loss, dexterity in your fingers, and lifestyle.

Both styles can be high- or lowtech, too. For example, some connect directly to smartphones to stream phone calls to both ears, and you can make adjustments with an app on your phone. Some high-tech hearing aids can also count your steps, translate language in real time, or alert a loved one if you have fallen.

An ear implant is called for in rare cases when the hearing loss is so severe that a hearing aid is not powerful enough to help. It those cases, a cochlear implant may be the only option.

To avoid worsening hearing loss, the key is not to wait for treatment. As hearing is lost, the auditory part of the brain loses stimulation. If the hearing loss remains untreated for a long time, the brain “forgets” how to process and understand sound.

Rubin also said that if someone you know doesn’t hear well, speak to them slowly and clearly. And don’t speak from another room. Ideally, you should be three to six feet away, so the person can focus on you.

Rubin, who grew up in Warwick, attended the University of Connecticut, where she discovered audiology.

She received a doctorate in audiology from Salus University, in Philadelphia. After several years in Philadelphia, she returned to Rhode Island to take over Dr. James Healey’s audiology practice.

“This was an opportunity I had hoped for,” she said in an email interview, “to merge my audiology background and my entrepreneurial spirit.”

Y L I VI

HEA

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Bring in the breathe factor  When you are aware of your breathing, you are focusing your mind. A simple breathing exercise is to take in a large breath on a count of three, hold it for another count of three, and then release it on a count of three. Breathing deeply and fully with great focus can energize and invigorate you. Using your breath fully adds joy, years and vitality to your life.

Bring in the joy factor  Find new things to enjoy  Adapt to change  Stay physically and socially active  Be connected to your community and loved ones Bring in the health factor  Find an activity that you like and that you’re motivated to continue  Exercise with a friend or family member  Consume fiber-rich foods, such as whole grains, fruits and vegetables  Put effort into making your food look and taste good  Drink plenty of fluids

Take care of those ears

BY FRAN OSTENDORF

HEARING IS IMPORTANT no matter your age — but you start to pay more attention to hearing problems and issues as you age.

We asked Dr. Kristen Rubin, of Keystone Audiology in Warwick, for some advice on hearing health. Here’s what she told us: When things get loud, wear hearing protection, such as foam earplugs, over-the-ear noise-canceling headphones or custom ear molds. Noise levels become dangerous around 85 decibels. The louder the sound, the shorter the amount of time you can safely listen. At 85 dB, sounds start to cause damage after eight hours.

A lawnmower can get up to 100 dB, which causes damage after one hour, and a concert can get up to 120 dB, which causes damage after only four minutes.

Drink your orange juice. A diet high in potassium can be beneficial, as potassium regulates the fluid in our inner ears. Bananas, potatoes, or-

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I FOUND AN ANCIENT Jewish solution to stress in the article “Stressed Out,”

by Emuna Braverman, at Aish.com.

Braverman writes, “It’s called Bitachon — trust in the Almighty, and it’s the only key to a truly stress-free existence, to real peace of mind. “… Since the Almighty is all good, everything in the world that happens is an expression of God’s goodness …. The implications of this are ultimately very freeing.

If we could really internalize this idea, we would revolutionize the way we live our lives ….”

Bitachon means recognizing that the Almighty is One, and the whole world is an expression of his will.

Using bitachon as the overriding principle, here are some things you can do to battle stress:

Bring in the laughs  Laughter stimulates deep breathing as well as strengthening the immune system and massaging your internal organs. Laughter also suppresses the stress-related hormones in the brain and activates the immune system.

PATRICIA RASKIN

FRAN OSTENDORF is the editor of Jewish Rhode Island.

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LIVING WELL

Make your New Year’s resolutions stick

BY PAULINE DWYER Every year on Jan. 1, people all around the world vow to change their life through what we call New Year’s resolutions. Whether we resolve to eat healthier, go to the gym, lose weight, get that degree, or something else, most of us fail at these attempts to change within a few short months — sometimes even weeks or days.

So, what can we do to change our physical and/or mental health to make our resolutions stick?

1

Your goal must be something you want and need — not what other people think you want or need.

It has to be something important to you. You have to “buy into it” to really make a change.

2

Design a plan for achieving your goals by making necessary changes. Writing down your goal(s), along with both your plan to achieve it and a schedule of when you are going to complete certain tasks, can be helpful. Keep it someplace where you can glance at it daily or weekly to see if you are on track.

3

Don’t set yourself up for failure with unachievable goals. Be realistic. Change is a gradual process. Set small, short-term goals. If you want to get that degree, start off with one class in a subject you would enjoy.

4

Set goals you can measure.

That way you can track your success along the way. For example, if you want to lose 50 pounds within a year, plan to lose four pounds a month. Track your incremental success on a calendar or chart so you can see how much progress you have made.

5

Define what success would look like as you work towards your goal. Celebrate small successes along the way. Readjust your plan if you find that your initial plan is not working or you are not enjoying the process. Ask yourself: What do I want to do? Where do I want to go? What do I want to see? With whom do I want to spend more time? What do I want to stop doing? What is missing in my life? And finally: What’s stopping me? Answer these questions, and you will be on your way to making a change and achieving that goal.

These are your plans, your goals, your changes, your New Year’s resolutions. Only you can make change happen for yourself.

PAULINE DWYER, LICSW, works in case management at Jewish Collaborative Services, in Providence.

20 | JANUARY 2019

Jewish Rhode Island | jewishrhody.org

COMMUNITY

OBITUARIES 24 | BUSINESS 26 | SIMCHAS & WE ARE READ 27

Rehearsing for Singing the Dream 2019: A soul-transforming experience

BY BETTY GALLIGAN AS THE NEWLY MINTED public relations representative for Singing the Dream 2019, I was simply there to do my job: get photos of the chorus and write a news release about the event. Little did I realize that I’d experience a soulful transformation. How could a WASP-bred, relatively new Catholic find herself so wonderfully immersed in a Jewish-hosted experience with people of all faiths?

There I was, sitting in the vestry at Providence’s Temple Emanu-El. I was shown to a seat and handed a thick packet of sheet music — how did Singing the Dream founder Miriam Ross intuitively know I was a soprano??

I missed the vocal warm-up because I was too busy eyeballing the delicious snacks spread out on a table. My stomach was growling and all I could think about was that after a few hours working here, I’d go home to a hot meal and the couch. I grabbed a plate of Oreos, pretzels and fruit, and then took my place among the singers.

Now, I must tell you that I’m a professional singer in a rock band. Yup — every weekend since 1989 I’m rocking some bar stage in Rhode Island as a lead singer and keyboard player. I’ve also been playing the piano since age 6. So, the first thing I did was scrutinize the piano player, Patrick Aiken.

Earlier, Aiken had pointed out to the music director that a note was missing on one of the handouts. I thought, “This guy is amazing with his detail and talent, and so into what he does!” I secretly mused that he reminded me of Barry Manilow, as I ate my snacks and had a sudden realization that not one other person was eating anything.

DETAILS: “Singing the Dream 2019” takes place on Sunday, Jan. 27, at 3 p.m. at Temple Emanu-El, 99 Taft Ave., Providence. Tickets are general admission and are $18 in advance and $25 at the door. To purchase tickets, go to www.SingingTheDream2019.eventbrite.com.

PHOTO | BETTY GALLIGAN

Members of the multifaith "Singing The Dream" chorus rehearse song selections for the concert event to honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. They were also not dressed like me — I came straight from the office and was way overdressed.

As I put down my plate and stood with the group in an admittedly 50-percent attempt to follow along and quietly sing (remember, that was not part of my job), I experienced the magic that is Cantor Brian Mayer. This charismatic and energetic music director said to Aiken, “Give me an A flat, please,” but before Aiken could touch the piano, Cantor Mayer was singing it with perfect pitch! What, I thought … is he a human pitch pipe??

This cannot be!

Cantor Mayer went on to lead the roughly 25 chorale members present through various phrases of the music, instructing us on the meaning behind the words, and guiding our vocal cords and lungs through the proper diaphragmatic breathing techniques to emote, properly time dynamics and sustain tone. “I lift my hands in total praise to you” went from simply being words on a page to a phrase sung with genuine,

heartfelt emotion as we were told to put down our music sheets and lift our upturned hands in front of us. It was part operatic performance, part religious experience, and part sheer brilliance.

My voice got louder and more confident as we jumped from phrase to phrase and from song to song, so it wasn’t boring and kept us sharp.

Soon, the harmonies from the altos, tenors and basses blended with the sopranos to create some of the most beautiful music I’ve been part of in awhile. In the process, I had found a new voice! The voice of a soul transformation, because this was not just something that was coming out of my mouth … it was the voice of a person being unified with others through songs that have meaning.

The words took on new life.

I felt connected to all of the others, despite our different appearances. Even more importantly, I felt connected to history — back to what the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. dreamed of: people of all ages, races and faiths coming

together in unity.

Ross had been telling me for months what this event was all about, but it didn’t sink in until this very moment. Here we were, strangers in harmony, smiling at one another, so happy in our human connection. Sharing a God-given talent, a love for music and the oneness of voice that can happen with a choral experience.

Dr. King once said, “In a sense, songs are the soul of a movement.” Imagine if that same harmony, that same movement toward peace and tolerance, can be experienced in our non-singing lives?

I hope you can attend the Singing the Dream 2019 concert on Jan. 27, to hear the many beautiful community voices of this most special performance chorus sharing the dream in song.

BETTY GALLIGAN is president of Newberry Public Relations and Marketing, Inc., an East Providence-based public relations, marketing, advertising, social media and digital marketing firm.

jewishrhody.org | Jewish Rhode Island

‘Fascination: Helena’s Story’ to be shown at the Wheeler School

BY JEWISH RHODE ISLAND STAFF “I survived by sheer willpower. I was beaten, I was tortured. I was starved. The will to live — no matter how difficult the instances were, the circumstances. I did not give up.”

These are the opening words in the documentary “Fascination: Helena’s Story,” about Holocaust survivor Helena Weinrauch. The film, which won Best Documentary at the New York International Film Festival in 2016, will be screened at the Wheeler School on Jan. 27, International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Weinrauch, who grew up in Drohobycz, Poland, lived through the worst atrocities of the 20th century. She was arrested in Krakow and survived three concentration camps: Krakow-Płaszow, presided over by the notorious Amon Goeth (the sadistic grandfather of Jennifer Teege, who spoke in Rhode Island last year), Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen. She endured the 500-mile death march from Auschwitz to Bergen-Belsen — and, miraculously, her life was twice saved at the last second as she stood in front of firing squads.

“I made this film because I want to introduce to the world an incredible human being,” said filmmaker Karen Goldfarb. “She [Weinrauch] is 94 now, and full of energy, joie de vivre and the passion to communicate her story. She is especially anxious to pass along her message that she does not hate — because hatred is what led to the Holocaust.

Her message, like so many Holocaust survivors I have encountered, is all about love — and seizing the day.

The importance of life.”

Goldfarb continued, “A few years ago, as a mere girl of 88, she decided it was time to finally pursue a longtime dream. To become a ballroom dancer.”

The film tells of Weinrauch’s miraculous survival, her healing and redemption.

DETAILS: “Fascination: Helena’s Story” will be shown on Sunday, Jan. 27, at 4 p.m. at the Wheeler School, 216 Hope St., Providence. The screening, in the school’s Gilder Center for the Performing Arts, is sponsored by Wheeler’s Unity & Diversity Department and Students involved in Cultural Awareness. Preregistration is not required.

Doors open at 3:30 p.m.

JANUARY 2019

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JEWISH DIS ABILITY AWARENESS, ACCEPTANCE & INCLUSION MONTH MEET THE AUTHOR PULLING BACK THE CURTAIN: The Good,The Ugly,The REAL of a Journey with Disabilities Tuesday, February 5 | 7:00pm Dwares JCC | 401 Elmgrove Avenue, Providence

No cost to attend

Whitney Ellenby dives fearlessly into sensitive topics so many experience but are afraid to speak aloud.

Rather than another “miraculous breakthrough” story, she provides an unflinching, real-time portal into the mind of a parent who adopted extraordinary and unorthodox methods to advocate for her child.

Copies of the book will be available for purchase.

Whitney Ellenby is a former US Department of Justice, Disability Rights attorney and proud parent of a son with Autism. She is the founder of “Autism Ambassadors,” a charitable venture which provides recreational events for over 600 families in Maryland.

While Ellenby’s story focuses on her experience parenting a child with Autism, her methods apply to all those impacted by disabilities.

For more information, contact Larry Katz at lkatz@jewishallianceri.org or 401.421.4111 ext. 179.

To RSVP, contact Lynne Bell at lbell@jewishallianceri.org or 401.421.4111 ext. 100.

22 | JANUARY 2019

IN THE NEWS

Jewish Rhode Island | jewishrhody.org

COMMUNITY

Alliance gets 4-star rating The Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island recently received a four-star rating by Charity Navigator, an assessment organization that evaluates charitable organizations in the United States. Four stars is the group’s highest possible rating. Charity Navigator awards stars based on a variety of factors related to transparency and whether funds are spent effectively and efficiently. A four-star rating signifies that the Alliance exceeds industry standards and outperforms most charities in its cause category.

According to the Charity Navigator website, the rating system helps donors learn how a charity compares on performance metrics with other charities throughout the country. Donors can be more confident that, in supporting those charities rated highly by Charity Navigator, they will be supporting organizations that are more financially healthy, accountable, and transparent. Charity Navigator is an independent organization that receives no donations or advertising from the organizations it evaluates.

Ripples Swim School coming to the JCC Beginning in February, the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island will partner with Ripples Swim School to provide children and youth swimming lessons at the Dwares Jewish Community Center in Providence. A locally owned and operated school, Ripples Swim School provides a swim lesson and water safety curriculum that offers additional benefits including moving from floating to kicking more quickly than other programs. Lesson times will remain the same and will include additional hours on Tuesday mornings. All other aquatics programming will continue to be run by the Dwares JCC, including the TigerSharks swim team, aquatic fitness classes and lap swimming.

Faith leaders renew poverty fight ON THE 55TH anniversary of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s “War on Poverty” speech, leaders from around Rhode Island gathered Jan. 8 at the State House in Providence to call on elected officials to address poverty in the state. The 11th annual Fighting Poverty with Faith vigil included a keynote speech by Rabbi Sarah Mack of Temple Beth-El in Providence, above. At right, an overall view of the event, held in the State House rotunda.

PHOTOS | GLENN OSMUNDSON

Pulling back the curtain on special needs

BY LARRY KATZ “PULLING BACK the Curtain: The Good, The Ugly, The Real of a Journey with Disabilities” is the title of a provocative presentation by Whitney Ellenby, who will speak on Feb. 5 at the Alliance’s Dwares Jewish Community Center.

Ellenby dives fearlessly into sensitive topics that so many people experience but are afraid to speak aloud, providing insight into what may seem like a private disgrace and cause self-blame for having a “defective” child. Rather than another “miraculous breakthrough” story, she provides an unflinching, real-time portal into the mind of a parent who used extraordinary and unorthodox methods to advocate for her child.

“My message about eschewing shame, disclosing the truth, etc. ... applies to all of us.”

Whitney Ellenby, author of “Autism Uncensored: Pulling Back the Curtain”

Ellenby is a former U.S. Department of Justice Disability Rights attorney, founder of Autism Ambassadors, and a disability advocate. She is the author of “Autism Uncensored: Pulling Back the Curtain,” which will be available for purchase at the program.

This is a true story that focuses in an immersive way on autism as Ellenby experienced it, from diagnosis to impact on her marriage, defeats, etc. Her methods of coping with the common feelings of shame for having a child who is conspicuously different from the norm applies to all those impacted by disabilities. She explores such topics as public disclosure, the burden the general public shares in meaningful inclusion of people with disabilities, and so on.

While a strong proponent of inclusion, Ellenby also advocates for giving a person with disabilities “a room of one’s own,” where they can be entirely themselves without fear of judgment or reprisal. She also strongly feels that we must make sure parents are imbued with a sense of confidence about their children, so they never succumb to apologizing tacitly or overtly for who they are, and instead proudly disclose their identities.

Ellenby says, “Keep in mind that although my book focuses on autism, my

discussion following the reading will relate to parents of all special-needs children, since so many of the struggles we face are intertwined, and my message about eschewing shame, disclosing the truth, etc. ... applies to all of us.”

This presentation is part of Jewish Disability Awareness, Acceptance and Inclusion Month. Last year’s JDAIM program in Rhode Island, the film “My Hero Brother,” about the interactions of Israelis with Down Syndrome and their siblings during a bonding experience in India, is now available for rental on Vimeo on Demand.

“Pulling Back the Curtain: The Good, The Ugly, The Real of a Journey with Disabilities” will be presented on Tuesday, Feb. 5, at 7 p.m. at the Alliance’s Dwares Jewish Community Center, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence, and is open to all. Parents of children with disabilities will particularly benefit from the presentation, as will educators, therapists, medical professionals and policymakers.

For more information, contact Larry Katz at lkatz@jewishallianceri.org or 401-421-4111, ext. 179.

LARRY KATZ is director of Jewish life and learning at the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island.

jewishrhody.org | Jewish Rhode Island

JANUARY 2019

| 23

Donor Advised Funds act as personal charitable accounts

BY SETH FINKLE AS 2018 CAME to an end, the Jewish Federation Foundation of Greater Rhode Island saw an upswing in the number of donors interested in creating Donor Advised Funds.

The use of DAFs remains a relatively small part of philanthropy, but their popularity has mushroomed in recent years.

A Donor Advised Fund is a charitable-giving fund created, at the JFF, with an irrevocable gift of $2,500 or more, which can be replenished at any time.

The money is added to the JFF’s $60-million endowment fund, which is invested with the Rhode Island Foundation. This allows the donors to recommend grants to their favorite Jewish and secular nonprofit organizations, or even to pay synagogue dues, from their DAF. Creating a DAF centralizes a donor’s charitable dollars in one convenient account, providing maximum tax advantages and flexibility in grant-making. The donor may be an individual, a family or a corporation. Funds are started with a simple letter of agreement, which can be completed in minutes.

DAFs are like personal charitable savings accounts, allowing the donor to pool his money in one place and decide where to donate it later. Among the many benefits and advantages of creating a Donor Advised Fund with the Jewish Federation Foundation of Greater Rhode Island:

Household benefits  Streamline your charitable giving: Your online DAF account enables you to minimize your donation receipts for tax records, download a copy of your contributions, view your account balances and recommend grants to any IRS-qualified 501(c)(3) organizations in good standing.

 Involve your whole family: By collaborating as a family to allocate your philanthropic gifts, you can start a conversation with children about values, financial responsibility and giving back. Some families, for example, have members of all ages research charities during the year, then come together during the holidays to decide which charities to support.  Donors have almost unlimited time to decide which charities to support.

THE P HYLLIS S IP E R S TE IN A S S IS T E D LIV IN G R E S ID E N C E

Tax benefits  Donate to your DAF this year to gain immediate tax benefits.  Avoid capital gains taxes on gifts of appreciated assets held for at least one year.  DAFs are not subject to any estate taxes.

And more  Leave a legacy: Your DAF can convert into an endowment fund upon your passing, so the fund will benefit your preferred charitable organization(s) for years. Or, you can assign successors, such as your children, to recommend grants from the fund into the future.  Minimal costs: The Jewish Federation Foundation charges a 1 percent annual fee to manage your fund, which benefits the Jewish community.  Retain anonymity: Rest assured that other organizations or individuals will not be informed as to your account’s assets, contact information, or to which organizations you donate.

Your fund can even be listed anonymously, if desired.

For more information on easy ways to establish a Donor Advised Fund with the Jewish Federation Foundation at the Jewish Alliance, contact Trine Lustig, chief development officer, at tlustig@jewishallienceri.org or 401-421-4111, ext. 223.

YOUR YEAR LONG JOURNEY WITH THE JWRP INCLUDES 8 DAYS IN ISRAEL JULY 29 - AUGUST 5, 2019

*Free Trip

APPLY NOW: JWRP.ORG

For more information contact Elissa Felder at 401.421.4111 ext. 134 or efelder@jewishallianceri.org.

*Free Trip

Momentum Trips are free for participants excluding airfare. Additional costs for participants include $75 for tips, a $99 acceptance fee, and some meals. Participants pay a $500 deposit, which is fully refundable upon returning from the trip. This trip is designed for women with children at home under the age of 18. The Momentum Year-Long Journey continues with monthly gatherings and Jewish learning.

24 | JANUARY 2019

Jewish Rhode Island | jewishrhody.org

Some of the inspiring Jews we lost in 2018

OBITUARIES

BY GABE FRIEDMAN

Barbara J. Block, 76

JTA – The end of every year brings the grim task of remembering the prominent Jews who passed away over the previous 12 months. But in doing so, we are able to pay tribute to their incredible lives and accomplishments, and revel once again in the talents and resilience of the Jewish community.

This year, we lost Pulitzer Prize winners, TV stars, scholars, Holocaust survivors, spiritual leaders and many more. Here are just some of those who inspired us the most.

Philip Roth — In the end, the giant of Jewish literature never won a Nobel Prize. But his legendary characters and stories, from “Portnoy’s Complaint” to “American Pastoral” (which helped him win numerous other prizes, including a Pulitzer, the National Book Award and a Franz Kafka prize), will live on the American Jewish psyche.

Rona Ramon — After her husband Ilan Ramon, the first and only Israeli astronaut to make it to space, died in the Columbia shuttle crash of 2003, she became a public figure and started the Ramon Foundation, which promoted academic and social leadership among Israeli youth. Her death this month, of pancreatic cancer at age 54, was especially heartbreaking for many in Israel and around the world.

Stan Lee — Few had as significant and enduring an impact on the comic book industry — and the international mega-blockbusters that it would eventually spawn — as Stan Lee, the genius behind Marvel comics. Among the characters he co-created with other artists are Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, Iron Man and Thor. He was born Stanley Lieber to Romanian-Jewish immigrants.

Neil Simon — There was arguably no playwright as popular or as astute at exploring the anxieties, and foibles, of middle-class Jews as Neil Simon, whose comedies dominated the Broadway box office for much of the second half of the 20th century. Among his most famous creations for the stage, silver screen and TV were “Barefoot in the Park,” “The Odd Couple” and “Lost in Yonkers,” which won a Pulitzer Prize.

Claude Lanzmann — Lanzmann’s “Shoah” — a nine-hour documentary from 1985 — changed public discourse and set the standard for Holocaust filmmaking. “Holocaust films of all genres changed after ‘Shoah,’” the visual director of Yad Vashem told JTA after Lanzmann’s death in July.

Anthony Bourdain — The renowned chef and daredevil travel show host’s Jewish identity — his mother was Jewish but he was never religious — was not widely known or talked about until he made an episode of his CNN series “Parts Unknown” about Israel. While sampling cuisine from Israel and Palestinian territories, Bourdain painted a nuanced portrait of the country’s social and political structures and his own conflicted identity. His suicide in June shocked the world, not just the food industry.

Elsewhere in the food world, Jonathan Gold — the first food writer to win a Pulitzer for criticism, who was known

for shedding light on lesser-known ethnic eateries in his native Los Angeles — passed away at 57 in July.

Shoshana Cardin — The iconic institutional leader broke glass ceilings at several of the largest and most powerful Jewish organizations — from her local federation in her native Baltimore to the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations (she was also president of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency from 1999 to 2001).

She passed away in May at 91.

Connie Sawyer — The “Clown Princess of Comedy” was also known as the oldest working woman in Hollywood when she passed away at age 105. Born Rosie Cohen to Orthodox parents, Sawyer had over 140 acting credits, mostly small roles, in films and shows ranging from “Hawaii Five-O” to “Seinfeld” to “Pineapple Express.”

Evelyn Berezin — We can thank Berezin, a child of Jewish immigrants from Russia, for the first computerized word processor, which she built and marketed in the late 1960s. “Without Ms. Berezin there would be no Bill Gates, no Steve Jobs, no internet, no word processors,” British writer Gwyn Headley said in 2010.

Mac Miller — Only 26 at the time of his death — the result of a drug overdose — Miller was somewhat of an unlikely star in the mainstream hip hop world.

Born Malcolm James McCormick to a Jewish mother and Irish father in Pittsburgh, Miller at times referenced his Jewish identity in public and in lyrics, and he had a Star of David tattoo.

Rachel Cowan — As a pioneer of the Jewish healing movement who was eventually stricken with an aggressive form of brain cancer — the same kind that afflicted the late Sen. John McCain — Cowan felt the need to speak out around the time of a crucial Senate vote on the fate of the Affordable Care Act in 2017. She made a video urging senators to uphold the law and wrote a letter to McCain that made headlines.

At the Jewish Life and Values Program at the Nathan Cummings Foundation in New York, she helped direct grants for programs that addressed the spiritual dimensions of serious illness, bringing Jewish wisdom on wellness to a wide audience.

Charles Krauthammer — Krauthammer was a first-year medical student at Harvard when a diving accident left him in a wheelchair for life. He became a psychiatrist, and then started writing — at first he tried speechwriting, then turned to political commentary. He rose to become one of the country’s most widely known and respected conservative columnists, remaining a staunch Israel supporter along the

way. His son Daniel recalled how his dad Charles helped untold numbers of Americans “orient themselves with the political landscape” through his weekly Washington Post column and his frequent appearances on Fox News.

Naomi Cohen — Cohen was one of the first female Jewish studies scholars, when the field itself was still new and emerging. Her research centered on the intersection of politics and religion in the 20th century and she taught at the City University of New York.

Connie Kurtz — The LGBTQ activist was best known for her lawsuit against the New York City Board of Education, which established domestic partner benefits for all city employees in 1994.

She married Ruthie Berman, in a ceremony officiated by noted LGBTQ Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum, in 2000, when it was still illegal for lesbians to marry in a civil wedding.

Charlotte Rae — The actress known for her popular role on “The Facts of Life,” and whose performances earned her Tony and Emmy nominations, was born Charlotte Rae Lubotsky in Milwaukee to Russian Jewish immigrants.

Clara Schwarz Kramer — During the Holocaust, Kramer hid in an underground crawl space in Poland for nearly two years. Her diary from that time is held at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., and her memoir further recounts the harrowing experience. With a group of other survivors, she co-founded the Holocaust Resource Center at Kean University in New Jersey.

Victims of the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting — On Oct. 27, an anti-Semitic gunman entered Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh’s quiet Squirrel Hill neighborhood and killed 11 Jewish worshippers. It was the worst shooting in American Jewish history, and it reverberated around the country and the world, spurring heartwarming tributes and calls to take action against rightwing anti-Semitism.

Here are their names: David Rosenthal, Cecil Rosenthal, Bernice Simon, Sylvan Simon, Daniel Stein, Jerry Rabinowitz, Richard Gottfried, Joyce Fienberg, Rose Mallinger, Melvin Wax, Irving Younger Scholars, rabbis and more — The list above is by no means exhaustive. In 2018 we also lost Walter Laqueur, a Holocaust survivor and scholar who wrote extensively about fascism, terrorism and the decline of Europe; Bernard Lewis, a Princeton University expert in the history of Islam and the interaction between Islam and the West; Rabbi Aaron Panken, the president of Hebrew Union College, who was killed piloting a small aircraft in the Hudson Valley area of New York state; Richard Siegel, an educator who co-edited the seminal “Jewish Catalog” series of “do-it-yourself” Judaism guides; Marty Balin, the co-founder of the iconic 1960s psychedelic rock band Jefferson Airplane; Aharon Appelfeld, the Holocaust survivor and Israeli novelist; and Blaze Bernstein, a 19-year-old Jewish student at the University of Pennsylvania was stabbed to death in an alleged hate crime while home in California for winter break.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Barbara J. Block, 76, passed away Dec. 19, 2018. Born in Providence, she was the daughter of the late David and Teresa (Hazen) Soren.

She is survived by her daughter Susan Fain (Domingo Baptista) and grandson Michael Fain. She was the mother of the late Gary Block.

Contributions in her memory may be made to the charity of your choice.

Patricia Coken, 87 CAMPTON, N.H. – Patricia “Pat” Coken, of Campton, formerly of Cranston, died Dec. 18, 2018, at home.

She was the beloved wife of the late Gerald M. Coken for 59 years. Born in Providence, she was the daughter of the late Philip and Freda (Pliner) Pokras.

She was a graduate of Hope High School, class of ’49 and Katherine Gibbs School class of ’50. A master seamstress, Pat taught sewing and was the owner of the Fabric Collection in Providence for many years.

She was an accomplished golfer and a former member of Quidnessett Country Club, Potowomut Country Club, Owl’s Nest Golf Club, the RI Women’s Golf Association, Temple Sinai and its sisterhood. Pat was an avid skier, artist, actress and model.

She adored her family and was the devoted mother of Lawrence Coken and his wife, Cynthia, of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, Jane Ryan and her husband, Christopher, of Spencer, Massachusetts, and Stacey Burns and her husband, Thomas, of Duxbury, Massachusetts. She was the dear sister of the late Elaine Stiegel and Donald Pokras. She was the loving grandmother of Samantha, Tyler, Cierra, Ryan, Jackson and Meagan.

Contributions in her memory may be made to your favorite charity.

Arline Greenberg, 81 BOYNTON BEACH, FLA. – Arline Joan (Konovsky) Greenberg, of Boynton Beach, passed away on Dec. 18, 2018.

She was the wife of the love of her life, the late Louis Nathan Greenberg, to whom she was married for 53 years.

She was the loving mother of Mark (Susan) Greenberg and Jeffrey (Sherri) Greenberg; she was the cherished grandmother of Jacquelyn,

JANUARY 2019

jewishrhody.org | Jewish Rhode Island

Philicia, Shea, Adrian and Katherine; she was the adored great-grandmother of Charlotte and Benjamin; she was the dear sister of Selna Deitch; she was a beloved aunt to many nieces and nephews.

Originally from Rhode Island, Arline was a highly respected elementary schoolteacher in the Warwick school system for over 25 years. She was dearly loved by her family, a multitude of friends and former students.

Contributions in her memory may be made to the Jewish National Fund or the American Heart Association.

Carol Rotkin 96 WARWICK, R.I. – Carol Szerina Rotkin died Jan. 1, 2019, at the Rhode Island Veterans Home. Born in New York City, a daughter of the late Sol and Irene (Gluck) Leeds, she was a longtime resident of Rhode Island.

She was a case aide for the RI Department of Children and Families for over 25 years, retiring in 1994. Carol was a WWII Navy veteran from 1943-45, serving at the Seabee Base, Rhode Island, and Brooklyn Navy Yard, New York. She was a graduate of

Jamaica High School in New York, class of ’39.

Carol was a member of Temple Emanu-El and its Leisure Club, and a life member of Hadassah, the National Council of Jewish Women and the former JHA. She was also past president and life member of National Waves Unit 118 (now called Military Women Across the Nation, Unit 118 RI), past Quarter Master of JWV Post 23, life member of the National JWV, first female president of the United Veteran’s Council, and member of the Veteran’s Wall Committee at Lincoln Park Cemetery.

Carol was also a member of the Cranston Senior Guild and the Cranston and North Kingstown Senior Centers.

She was the devoted mother of Shelley Regan of Scituate, Lawrence Rotkin of Georgia, and the late Bruce Rotkin.

She was the dear sister of the late Barbara Leeds. She was the loving grandmother of Michael Regan and Brian Regan, and his wife, Kim. She was the cherished great-grandmother of Elijah and Brody Regan.

She was the loving aunt of Betty, Mitchell, Molly, Harold, Marc and Gayle. She was the adored great-aunt of a plethora of nieces and nephews and their children.

Contributions in her memory may be made to Jewish War Veterans of the United States

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Phyllis J. Silverstein, 84 LINCOLN, R.I. – Phyllis J. Silverstein, 84, of Lincoln, and Kennebunk, Maine, passed away Dec. 23, 2018. She was the beloved wife of retired Rhode Island Superior Court Justice Michael Silverstein; they were married for 59 years.

Born in Boston, the daughter of Frances and Samuel Feer, she earned a bachelor’s degree in piano at Boston University School of Music. Her remarkable skills as a pianist garnered her the position of first piano, an unusual honor for a woman in the 1950s, in the Arthur Fiedler-famed conductor of the Boston Pops-all piano ensemble. In time, Phyllis chose to give up her concert touring opportunities to devote her life to being a wife and mother, concentrating instead on her lifelong values of devotion to love and family.

In addition to her family, she loved Maine, her Labrador retrievers, travel, good friends and the arts. She was known for her capacity to love and for her great sense of humor.

She is survived by her husband Michael; her son and daughter-in-law (she called her daughter), Marc and Helen Silverstein; grandchildren Emily Bradley and Jordan Richardson and their spouses Joseph Bradley and Tiffany Richardson; and great-granddaughter, Samantha Bradley.

Contributions in her memory may be made to the Guiding Eyes for the Blind, Shriners Burns Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, or Hope Hospice Rhode Island.

of 60 pounds and poisoned to the brink of death in Bergen Belsen, where Anne Frank perished — Joyce’s loving and forgiving nature was especially impressive… as was her survival instinct.

Her younger sister, Reisi Greenbaum, currently residing in Haifa, also had a powerful will to live. She survived Auschwitz, and then a 3-week death march to Bergen Belsen. She didn’t know Joyce was there. When the camp was liberated, Reisi was transported to a displaced person’s camp. There she felt compelled to help a sick and emaciated stranger. When the stranger became well enough to speak, Reisi fainted.

When those who revived her asked what happened, Reisi pointed to the stranger and

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said, “That’s my sister.” Reisi nursed Joyce to health and they both emigrated, though not without extreme challenges, to what is now Israel.

Joyce married, bore two children, and immigrated to Barrington in 1958. She worked in the costume jewelry industry for many years and retired to her lakefront home in Wakefield, where she lived for over 30 years until her passing. She is survived by her husband of 70 years, Kurt, daughter, Yaffa, son, Michael, and grandchildren, Zachary and Madeleine.

Memorial contributions may be made to The Holocaust Fund administered by The Jewish Federations of North America: jewishfederations. org/helping-holocaust-survivors.

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Joyce Willner, 93 WESTERLY, R.I. – Joyce Chedva (Kleinman) Willner passed away peacefully in her sleep on Dec. 30, 2018. Born in Nizhni Veretsky, Czechoslovakia (now the Ukraine), Joyce was a Holocaust survivor and, though she developed Alzheimer’s in her later years, had many periods of lucidity right up to her death. Throughout her long and eventful life, Joyce exemplified the essence of Judaism as espoused by Rabbi Akiva, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Despite the fact that she experienced the worst humanity has to offer — starved to a weight

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JANUARY 2019

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Simchas | We Are Read STARTING EARLY — At Jewish Rhode Island, we hope readers of all ages will enjoy picking up the paper like Will Guttin, son of Hillary and Aaron Guttin.

CELEBRATING IN MISSISSIPPI — Dan and Cindy Kaplan’s family joined them to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary at the Beau Rivage Resort in Biloxi, Mississippi, where their son was performing in an ice show.

WE ARE READ IN INDIA — Marcia Spindell Lentz was in India in November and visited the small Orthodox synagogue in Kochi. She met the only Jewish surviving woman in the town called Jewtown. That woman, right, is 95.

WE ARE READ IN TURKS AND CAICOS — Ida and Tom Brown of Hopatcong, New Jersey, recently shared a very special week celebrating with their family, nephew Marc Bochner from Cranston, daughter Jennifer Brown from Saco, Maine, and son Tom Brown, Jr. from Hopatcong. Making treasured memories is priceless. Ida is originally from Rhode Island and The Voice had a great time as well!

If we don’t take care of our future, who will?

When you create a Jewish legacy, you take an important step toward strengthening Jewish life for generations to come. Planning your gift now will help ensure your children and grandchildren can enjoy the same rich traditions and closeness of community that have given your life so much meaning and purpose.

The future starts with you.

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For more information about legacy giving, please contact Trine Lustig at 401.421.4111 ext. 223 or tlustig@jewishallianceri.org

ECC Because of your support of the Jewish Alliance’s Annual Campaign, the David C. Isenberg Family Early Childhood Center (ECC) provides an enriching and high-quality education to more than 100 children. Infused with Jewish values as a guiding principal, your generosity ensures scholarships to allow families of all economic backgrounds to attend the school.

At the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island we play many different roles for our diverse community: we nurture, partner, educate, enrich, serve, and convene.

Through the generosity of our donors to the Alliance Annual Campaign, we are able to support thousands of people locally and around the world through programs, services, and partnerships. We care for the most at-risk in our community, energize Jewish life, respond to critical needs, and inspire future generations.

Together, with your support, we translate Jewish values into wide-reaching impact.

everyONE counts 401 Elmgrove Avenue | Providence, RI 02906 | 401.421.4111 | jewishallianceri.org