June 19, 2015

Volume XXI, Issue XIII | www.thejewishvoice.org Serving Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts

2 Tammuz 5775 | June 19, 2015

‘More than I could have ever hoped for’: A conversation with Rabbi Leslie Y. Gutterman

BY GEORGE M. GOODWIN In July, having completed 45 years of service to Temple BethEl as well as the larger Jewish and gentile communities, Rabbi Gutterman will retire as senior rabbi of Temple Beth-El. Three years ago, he surpassed the record of his mentor, Rabbi William Braude, as Rhode Island’s longest-serving rabbi.

The following questions and answers are highlights from a conversation recently conducted in his study, looking at his life and career here.

Q. In 1970, before you became Beth-El’s assistant rabbi, had you ever been to New England?

A. No. I had only been once to New York City, when I was best

man at my best friend’s wedding.

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Q. Did you think that, after your ordination at Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati, you were headed to the Midwest?

A. Yes, I hoped so. It probably would have been Chicago, a great city. It wasn’t far from where I grew up, in Flint, Michigan. One of my HUC classmates, David Mersky, did go to a congregation in Chicago, which wanted a person who had more experience with youth programming. He did not stay there, however. Ironically, David’s daughter, Rachel, became a member of our congregation and now chairs our youth committee.

A. Probably three to five years, although Beth-El was different from most congregations because both of Rabbi Braude’s last two assistants had stayed six years each. I didn’t have any great career plans. I thought that after Beth-El I would have my own, probably a smaller, congregation. Size, however, was never a requirement for me. I had been a student rabbi in Rome, Georgia, and Alpena, Michigan, which were really wonderful experiences.

Q. How long did you think that you would remain here as assistant rabbi?

A. I knew what my strengths

Gussie and Victor Baxt had always been a team. According to Gussie, they did everything together, and that includes philanthropy.

“Victor believed in philanthropy,” she said, “and so do I. I’m trying to follow through on his wishes.”

“Victor and I talked about the needs of the JCC many times in past years,” she said. “We felt that the JCC should have a more uplifted facade on the outside as well as the inside of the building … that it should be more attractive and inviting.”

So it’s only natural that

GUTTERMAN | 6

BAXT | 21

Q. Before coming to BethEl, do you have a pretty good understanding of your strengths and weaknesses?

BY FRAN OSTENDORF fostendorf@jewishallianceri.org

Alliance holds 4th annual meeting

BY IRINA MISSIURO imissiuro@jewishallianceri.org PROVIDENCE – On June 10, the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island held its 4th annual meeting at the Dwares Jewish Community Center.

Hillary Schulman, development associate and member of Pastrami on R.I., opened the event with “The Star-Spangled Banner” and “Hatikvah.”

Jeffrey Savit, president and CEO, spoke enthusiastically and optimistically about the future of the community, saying that he has always believed in the success of the Alliance, even when all indicators predicted disappointment. “Four years ago, who would have ever dreamed that despite the very challenging economic climate in which we all live, we would have been able to sustain our $3.1 million annual campaign, launch

our $1.5 million Living on the Edge Initiative to help serve and meet the needs of our community’s most vulnerable, secure funding for and build a new Holocaust Memorial, and secure upwards of $5 million (with a fi nal $1 million plus capital campaign taking place this summer) to renovate our lovely home, the Bonnie and Donald Dwares Jewish Community Center?”

Savit stated that the Alliance enriches the lives of Jews in Rhode Island through philanthropy, volunteer recruitment and education. He said that the organization’s achievements are possible because of its warm and respectful collaboration with multiple partners, including donors, fiduciaries and members.

Savit said that what makes the Alliance strong is the community’s willingness to unite in the common goal – transforming Jewish values into ANNUAL MEETING | 15

Richard Licht, Cheryl Greenfeld Teverow and Janet Goldman after the program.

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INSIDE Books 27 Business 22-23 Calendar 11 Classified 23 Community 2-7, 12, 14-15, 21, 23, 28-30 D’var Torah 7 Food 13 Health & Wellness 17-20 Obituaries 26 Opinion 8-10 Seniors 24-25 Simchas | We Are Read 31 World 10

THIS ISSUE’S QUOTABLE QUOTE “Judaism and positive psychology have something in common.”

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The Jewish Voice

Welcome, Nave Gedj, summer Shaliach

BY ISRAEL FINEGOLD This year, Nave Gedj is the Israeli Shaliach (emissary) and a counselor for the summer J-Camp. Nave comes from a small kibbutz called Kibbutz Moran located in the northern part of Israel, near the city of Karmiel. She has two younger brothers and one older sister who is now on a trip in New Zealand.

Her father is an engineer, and her mother is a family therapist.

Nave loves to play the guitar and has been composing her own songs, from a young age.

Her dream was always to be a performer. With her talent as a guitar player, her dream has come true. She started performing in her hometown and ended up performing three times in the center of Jerusalem. She hopes that through her talent in music she will be able to teach children about Israeli culture, a channel between foreign Jews to the holy land of Israel.

Like any other Israeli, Nave joined the military when she was 18 years old. She served from 2012-2014 in the Heil HaHinuh VeHaNo’ar division, becoming a sergeant. This is the Education and Youth Corps where her job was to help teens who joined the army with a criminal history or who didn’t finish school and were not suited to be in the regular military. These teens were ready to go to the regular military ser-

Nave Gedj vice after they received proper training. Nave helped these teens to succeed, and they ended up in some high-ranking places in the military. She finished her military service one year ago.

Nave told the Jewish Voice that she “enjoys learning about different people from different cultures and to represent Israel.” She said it is important to educate Jewish children about Israel’s Jewish history and what Israel faces currently with its enemies.

After the summer in Providence, she plans to go to New York for a month, then return to Israel and attend Rimon School of Music, majoring in music studies.

After she graduates she wants to be a singer and composer.

ISRAEL FINEGOLD is The Jewish Voice summer intern.

Camp JORI’s Guttin to step down at end of season The Camp JORI board of directors announced June 12 that Ronni Saltzman Guttin will be stepping down as director after 20 years of devoted service to begin a new chapter in her camping career. Board President Deborah Salinger said, “Ronni has provided summers of loving support to thousands of our children, even raising her own four children at camp. We share this news with mixed emotions – gratitude for all that Ronni has given to JORI, happiness for her as she prepares to embark on a new adventure, and with full hearts, knowing she will make the 2015 season the best summer of her career to date.” Guttin will transition from her leadership role in October 2015.

Salinger, the executive committee and entire board will work with Guttin, assistant director Rachel Mersky Woda and JORI’s experienced and committed staff to ensure a smooth transition and conduct a national search for a director.

As director, Guttin grew JORI to serve more than 400 children each summer.

She successfully guided the camp’s move to a 72-acre modern waterfront campus on Rhode Island’s largest lake, Worden’s Pond, created its widely admired waterfront

Ronni Saltzman Guttin programming and spearheaded many initiatives, including leadership training, day camp, Israel travel and more. Guttin also shepherded JORI through the rigorous ACA accreditation process, and continues to serve as mentor for the Federation of Jewish Camping incubator camps.

Former JORI Board President Robert Stolzman, who currently serves on the executive committee, noted, “Ronni embodies the spirit, values and compassion upon which JORI was founded and will be sorely missed by the board of directors and the families she has served. This is not a goodbye, but a new beginning as her love of JORI will keep her engaged as an active alumna.

We wish her the very best in her future.”

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This Guide will be mailed to Jewish households in Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts with our September 18, 2015 issue of The Jewish Voice, the producer of this informative handbook.

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June 19, 2015 |

Community talks at Israel roundtable

BY FRAN OSTENDORF and ISRAEL FINEGOLD A microcosm of the Jewish community came together the night of June 9 to talk about Israel. Seated at eight tables of six to eight people each, men and women with opinions on Israel that spanned the political spectrum spent two hours listening to one another. The dialogue was directed by moderators who used pre-scripted questions as prompts to get discussions going on a wide range of issues.

In the end, everyone agreed it was an eye-opening experience.

“Can we talk about Israel?” was based on the successful “Israel Talks” program developed in New York by the Jewish Community Relations Council. Here, it was sponsored by the Israel Task Force of the Community Relations Council of the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island and The Jewish Voice. A pilot program was held here in February.

“While there is a genuine love for Israel, the Jewish community in our country over the years has become divided in regard to Israel’s actions to preserve it as a Jewish State. The result has been a mixed bag of opinions as well as the role we in the diaspora have in regard to Israel and its politics, including the means to bring peace to the region,” said Marty Cooper, community relations director for the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island.

This program was meant to begin a dialogue between the widely varying factions in the community and to bring people together. It turned out to be more popular than anticipated. Orig-

Betsy Cooper

Miriam Ladin makes a point. inally, there was to be room at the tables for 36. In the end, there were 50 participants.

Facilitator Betsy Cooper, a professor of Entrepreneurial Management and Law at University of Rhode Island, explained the rules of engagement to the group, including communication and dialogue guidelines. The room was to be a safe place for all opinions. Participants were reminded to listen to one another.

Each person had a pad of paper on which to write questions and disputes that would be addressed at the end of the evening. Even reporters from The Voice, who observed the event by wandering from table to table, put away their notepads.

At the end of the discussion, one representative from each table summed up their group’s findings for the room.

Among the points made were: • Groups were not homogenous, but the back-and-forth discussions were quite remark-

able. Despite important disagreements, there was a lot of respect at the table.

• The kind of dialogue fostered by the program is critically important.

• The depth and breadth of support for Israel could be seen even though the Jewish community shares mixed ideals and approaches to achieve peace in the region.”

• Everyone agreed the program should continue and be expanded.

Ultimately, what united participants was a passion about Israel and Israel-related issues. Whether they spoke about the survival of the country, a two-state solution, the future of Israelis, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, or the definition of true peace, the takeaway was a renewed ability to listen and respect every opinion in the room. And every speaker acknowledged the wide range of views in the room.

Clearly, support for Israel doesn’t mean uniformity of opinion.

Gilor Meshulam, Israeli shaliach (emissary), said he was happy to hear other people’s thoughts on the Israeli Palestinian conflict, quoting Genesis Rabba, “Just as two knives are both sharpened by being rubbed one against the other, so scholars improve and increase in knowledge when in touch with one another.”

After the event, Russell Raskin said the program “allowed us to share feelings of Jewishness and Israel with people with different approaches.”

Rabbi James Rosenberg, a moderator, expressed similar feelings. “Everyone sitting around the table understands we have differing positions, but we are trying to understand.”

FRAN OSTENDORF is editor of The Jewish Voice. ISRAEL FINEGOLD is the summer intern.

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The Jewish Voice

30th annual Dwares JCC Golf Classic a hole in one

BY HILLARY SCHULMAN

SEEKONK – June 8 dawned chilly and breezy. But that did not stop 108 golfers from teeing up for this year’s 30th Annual Dwares JCC Golf Classic.

The event, held at Ledgemont Country Club, raises money for programs and services at the Dwares Jewish Community Center.

Players were greeted with a giveaway prize, and enjoyed a barbecue lunch before heading out on the course. More than $85,000 was raised during the day – a record high in recent years for the Jewish Alliance.

This money will be used to fund programs and services such as PJ Library, J-Space programs, J-Camp scholarships, and ECC scholarships.

After the round of golf, participants met inside for a lively auction, emceed by Jewish Alliance President/CEO Jeffrey Savit, and dinner. Winners of the auction prizes were Michael Savit, Donald Dwares, Max Brickle and Rick Granoff. Also announced during dinner were the results of the day:

Green contest: Daniel Pritsker.

HILLARY SCHULMAN is a development associate in Philanthropy for the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island.

Stopping for a photo: Jeffrey Savit, Steven Woolf, Rob Sherwin and Sharon Gaines.

• The foursome winning low gross with a score of 68: Michael Savit, Jill Cohen, Alexander Jacobs and Jacob Entel.

• The foursome winning low net with a score of 53: Mehdi Khosrovani, Rosemary Khosrovani, Bob Greenbaum and Sheila Greenbaum.

• The foursome winning 2nd net with a score of 56: David Katzen, Scott Toder, Norman Gordon and Bob Loiselle.

Mindy Sherwin talks with Steven Woolf.

• The foursome winning 3rd net with a score of 56: Marc Gertsacov, Michael Friedman, Jordan Frank and Michael Walker-Jones.

• Winner of the drive: Don Caron.

longest

• Winner of closest to the pin at hole 12 for men: Dave McShane.

• Winner of closest to the pin at hole 12 for women: Mindy Sherwin.

• Winner of the 50/50 contest: Max Brickle.

PHOTOS | FRAN OSTENDORF

Enjoying the event (left to right) Back Row: Bonnie Dwares, Ina Wasserman and Sandy Bornstein; Front Row: Elaine Weiss, Francine Beranbaum, Susan Epstein and Patty Alperin

• Winner of the Hit the

David Odessa picks up his bag at check in.

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June 19, 2015 |

5

Jaime Kaye-Phillips finds success on Broadway

BY SETH CHITWOOD He may just be turning 27-yearsold, but Jamie Kaye-Phillips is already taking Broadway by storm. The former Providence resident and congregant of Temple Emanu-El is now the above-title co-producer for summer’s most recent Broadway hit, “An Act of God.” The play stars Jim Parsons of “Big Bang Theory” as The Almighty. He has been embodied to reveal the secrecies of the Bible and give answers to the questions scholars have been asking for years. The play was written by David Jamerbaum (“The Daily Show”) and directed by Joe Mantello (“Wicked,” “The Normal Heart”).

Kaye-Phillips graduated from Classical High School where he was captain of the USY Basketball Team while being involved with the Temple Emanu-El Youth Theater Group and other high school and local theater productions.

“It was like ‘High School Musical’ meets Jewish Theater,” Kaye-Phillips joked; “I was like Troy Bolten, that is, a less attractive, more Jewish Troy Bolten.” He started acting when he was 5 years old after participating in a Purim Spiel with his mother. Since then, some of his many performances include the role of Tevye in “Fiddler on the Roof,” Danny in “Grease,” and Warbucks in “Annie.”

He graduated from Duke University with a degree in Theater Studies. Shortly thereafter, he met with established producer Jeffrey Finn, who was looking

PHOTO | ANDREW ECCLES

Jamie Kaye-Phillips for an executive assistant with at least five years of experience on Broadway. Kaye-Phillips got the job anyway after a scheduled 15-minute interview turned into a two-hour lunch meeting.

“It’s a two person team; I’ve learned so much.” Kaye-Phillips added.

PHOTO |CHRISTOPHER MARING

Since being hired, Kaye-Phillips has been a part of such plays as “Seminar” and “Dead Accounts,” and this year the production company produced Tony-nominated “The Elephant Man,” starring Bradley Cooper and Patricia Clarkson. For that, he received an associate producer credit. “An Act of God”

is the fi rst play for which he received an above-title co-producer credit.

“You’re in charge of putting together the pieces behind an idea and fostering the positive environment in which everyone can pursue a common goal.

You’re also responsible for the fi nancing to make it all happen,” Kaye-Phillips said.

He is currently working on several new productions for the upcoming Broadway season.

One is a musical adaptation of the iconic TV series, “The Honeymooners,” which will star Tony-winner Michael McGrath (“Spamalot,” “Nice Work If You Can Get It”). “We’re really excited about it,” Kaye-Phillips said.

When he is not producing Broadway hits; he runs “Hot on Broadway,” a corporate entertainment division that produc-

es customized musical revues starring current Broadway performers. He also is a member of the Jewish choral group Zamir Noded, which offers high-level musical opportunities for adults ages 18-30.

As busy as he is, however, he says he never fails to come home for the High Holy Day services at Temple Emanu-El with his family.

Act of God” is playing at Studio 54 until Aug. 2. For ticket information go to: AnActOfGod. com or Telecharge.com SETH CHITWOOD is a graduate of R.I. College where he majored in Theater Performance and Film Studies. He is the creator of the LA Web Festival award-winning web series Family Problems and Lungs. More information at angelwoodpictures.com.

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| GUTTERMAN

were not. Scholarship was not my talent or gift. I never had the discipline that distinguished my mentors at HUC, who meant so much to me. My strength was the pastorate.

Q Did you ever have any premonition that Rabbi Braude would soon retire?

A No, I never sensed that I would be able to succeed him.

Q. Were you ready to become senior rabbi in 1974?

A. No, probably not. I was a good pastor, a good friend to people and I was kind. I knew that I was a mensch because that is how I was raised. I married Julie, a woman who reinforced those values. How I grew in character and in stature unfolded over the years. Yet, it wasn’t by chance that all my professors at HUC, my mentor Rabbi Samuel Karff and Rabbi Braude were great Jewish scholars. I had no doubt about their authenticity as found in Jewish tradition. I respected them.

The menschlichkeit, which may have won people’s hearts, was not seen as a great value within the rabbinate, however. It was a great value within human beings. Anybody should be kind, caring and sincere.

Q. You were the right person in a sense because you were not Rabbi Braude?

A. That is correct. I filled in gaps that did not always interest him. But he respected, nurtured and reinforced my abilities.

Q. Do you think of yourself as a Rhode Islander?

A. Rabbi Eli Bohnen of Temple Emanu-El once said that you think of yourself as being home when you’re ready to buy cemetery plots.

After my parents moved to Providence, we decided that there wasn’t anybody left in Michigan to visit graves. So my parents decided to sell their plots there and buy plots in Beth-El’s cemetery. We may have bought four plots at the time, in the mid-1980s. So, to answer your question: my daughters were born here, my parents and first wife were buried here, so I do think of this place as home.

Q. But are you a Rhode Islander?

A. The joke is, “One of these days you will be.”

Q. Many years after you became senior rabbi and felt secure in your position, did you ever consider moving to a larger congregation?

A. I once had an opportunity to interview with a much larger congregation in a much larger city, but I didn’t accept the invitation. It was very clear to me that this was home. Julie was happy, our kids were growing up here and this was a wonderful congregation. It was more than I could have ever hoped for or ever dreamed of. I once asked a friend what it meant when he received a life contract. He said, “My dreams are over.” I never felt that way.

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The Jewish Voice Q. Have you ever thought that God chose you to come here?

It is something that I have always valued. It has brought out some of the best in me.

A. No. It was stupid luck. Rabbi Braude was looking for an assistant.

Q. I think that you’re also a very private person.

Q. That’s it?

A. That’s it. I don’t believe in that kind of destiny. Somebody else could have perfectly filled the bill. I could have been happy in another community. But this did turn out to be providential. It’s been a rabbinate that has been truly blessed. There is essentially a lack of conflict, and there’s been an opportunity for me to be who I am. I am very grateful to God, but I do not think that this was particularly God’s plan. He had bigger fish to fry.

Q. Had you felt called to the rabbinate?

A. It had been suggested by Rabbi William Sajowitz, who officiated at my bar mitzvah, but that age is much too young to have any reasonable idea of what being a rabbi is all about. I clung to the idea sometimes very naively. It meant that I didn’t have to take the law school boards.

In those days I knew very few people who earned a Ph.D. in psychology, and even fewer men who became social workers. But these would probably have been professions that suited me fine.

When I was a junior or a senior in college, I knew that I would try for the rabbinate. I had been on the national board of the National Federation of Temple Youth, which spawned a number of rabbinic candidates.

Many of us decided to become rabbis before we decided to become Jews, however. Jewish commitment, Jewish teaching and rootedness in Jewish tradition all came later. But there was an emotional “X” factor that drew us to the rabbinate.

Q. Why do you allow and encourage everybody to call you “Les”?

A. I was able to be just me, which worked out great. As a young assistant rabbi, there was less of a tendency to take on a black robe of religiosity.

But it was a different age, when rabbis embraced such formality. I know of rabbis whose wives referred to them in public as “rabbi.”

Q. Do you ever deny yourself a sense of honor that you’ve earned?

A. No. I like it when people call me by my first name. It lowered the bar and became more accepted, at least in my peer group. I realized, however, that in a time of crisis or need, some folks who would normally call me by my first name suddenly called me “rabbi.” I learned that it was something that they needed to do, and it was fine. I would not correct them. Reverence can be a barrier, and it is not something I aspire to. Being approachable has its own merit.

A. Yes, I think I am much shyer than people assume. I’m not private in the sense that I’m reluctant to share of myself or of my own life or experiences that could be helpful to somebody else, but I’m not always eager to enter into a social situation.

It’s a comfort level sometimes. I do not ever mind when I spend an evening only with Janet or by myself. I do envy some people who have their own social group because I’ve never had that. But on the other hand, I have had many friends who are much, much older rather than much, much younger than I. Q. So what is the best part of being rabbi of Beth-El? A. Oh, the opportunity for me to have been part of generations of families and to have been privileged to help bring meaning and purpose to their lives at significant moments.

Q. So what is the worst part of the job?

A. I think the relentlessness.

There are a lot of tasks, administrative and otherwise, that you can’t say no to. You just can’t pick the things that you’re very good at. I often feel that I was on a public stage, and there’s a certain stress. Often, as you suggested, people’s reactions are overly generous and overly forgiving. There are also experiences when you have disappointed people, particularly when you’ve known them a long time. You don’t give them what you wanted or you made a mistake. I think that it’s hard for a rabbi when people don’t know how to resolve conflict. They may find it easier to cut off a relationship.

Q. Are you alluding to the tediousness of having to write a zillion thank-you and congratulatory letters?

A. No, I don’t find it tedious.

When I say that there’s a relentlessness, you can always visit someone more. You do what you can do.

Q. Do you feel guilty that you weren’t perfect?

A. Look, I’m realistic. I need to learn from and correct my mistakes, but you can’t do it all.

You have to find your own voice and be content with what your strengths are and be appreciative of people with different strengths.

Q. When you retire from your formal duties, what are you going to miss most?

A. Oh, it’s very clear. It’s the web of relationships that have nurtured me as I’ve nurtured others. If it doesn’t change somewhat, however, it will not be fair to my successor.

Q. What will you miss least?

A. The pressure of feeling that what I prepared is not good enough. I won’t miss spending an entire summer working on three sermons.

Q. Are you ready to retire?

A. Yes, I chose it. My original contract was until I was 70, but I asked to extend it by two years.

Q. What if the Temple’s leadership came to you now and asked for three more years?

A. No, I think that this is the right time. It’s better to go gracefully than burn out.

One area that has not weakened for me is listening to people’s stories and crafting eulogies that reflect a life. Those kinds of experiences are still meaningful to me. But if I never gave another sermon, I would not be unhappy.

Q. Do you see God in a different way than you did 20 or 40 years ago?

A. The question, honestly, does not speak to me. I have more of an appreciation of the lack of control that all of us have. I also have a better appreciation that most people are more resilient than they thought they were. Having grown older, I have seen terrible things but also people who rise to the occasion. They learn to walk with a limp or manage their lives quite nobly. Having seen life differently, I probably see God’s role differently. I’ve never been big on theology. I wonder, however, what I said to the congregation about Julie, before she died, or what my own kids went through before they moved out of the house and had their own struggles. What kind of rabbi am I now compared to then?

Q. Ultimately, does it matter whether God hears or listens to our prayers?

A. Whether God answers our prayers is a conversation about our part in them. Are our prayers worthy of God’s listening? What does it mean when we pray for something that we can help affect? On the other hand, some prayers are instinctive. The first payer in the Bible is Moses asking God to heal his sister, Miriam. Prayers heal.

His prayer wasn’t theological or well thought out. There is always a sense of reaching out in hope for the support that we can only imagine.

Q. Is God more than a beautiful allusion?

A. When I pray to God, I don’t think about a kind of theological construct. I also know that it is not a kind of soliloquy. I pray to God. GEORGE GOODWIN, a member of Temple Beth-El, has edited the “Rhode Island Jewish Historical Notes” for more than 10 years.

D’VAR TORAH | COMMUNITY

thejewishvoice.org

June 19, 2015 |

7

100 Blessings a Day

PHOTO | PHDS

Marc Diamond, Shammai Weiner, Marilyn Katz, Larry Katz, Frank Halper, Rabbi Peretz Scheinerman

Awards, memories highlight PHDS Amudin dinner On June 7, Providence Hebrew Day School (PHDS) held its annual Amudim dinner. The program was bittersweet, as it opened with a memorial tribute to Tichyeh Schochet. In the commemorative video, students, teachers and friends spoke of her tremendous dedication, care and support, even in times of great hardship. Tichyeh was a teacher par excellence, constantly giving of herself to her students at New England Academy of Torah (NEAT), where she served as Judaic Studies Principal, and at PHDS, where she taught in the middle school.

Her breadth of knowledge, passion for teaching, strength, understanding and love for every Jew profoundly impacted the entire community.

PHDS honored Lawrence and Marilyn Katz with the coveted Amudim Award. In the special tribute video, Jeffrey Savit, CEO of the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island; Frank Halper of Rosenstein, Halper and Maselli; Esta Yavner; Russell Raskin, Esq.; Miriam Esther Weiner, principal of PHDS; and Rabbi Peretz Scheinerman, dean of PHDS, spoke about the Katzs’ mentchlichkeit, kindness and giving nature, and of their staunch support of Jewish education. Larry has dedicated his entire career to enhancing the education of all the students in the Jewish day schools and congregational schools throughout Rhode Island by bringing in the most professional resources

and enabling them to utilize the Creativity Center and all of its resources.

Halper recounted the instrumental way in which Larry serves as the backbone of the Scholarship Granting Organization, which has brought in more than $5 million dollars to PHDS and JCDS since its inception. Families with a tax liability in the state of Rhode Island should call Frank Halper at 401-331-6851 to determine if this law can benefit them in a most meaningful manner.

In addition to the many ways in which Larry and Marilyn are active in the community, Marilyn served as a Cub Scout den leader for many of the students at PHDS. Indeed, the Katzes are well-deserving honorees.

PHDS also honored Nadav and Katie Minkin with the Young Leadership Award for their community service to the school and to Congregation Sha’arei Tefilla. Nadav has served on various board committees of the school and as president of the shul. Katie is an active volunteer on the school’s PTF committee.

In addition, the school presented the Alumni Award to the NEAT Class of 2008, a diverse group of ladies who have been very successful in school and in their chosen careers.

Special thanks to Tzippy Scheinerman, who chaired the dinner, and to her committee for all of their efforts in preparing this affair.

Candle Lighting Times Greater Rhode Island June 19.......................8:03 June 26.......................8:04 July 3...........................8:04 July 10........................8:01 July 17........................7:59 July 24........................7:52 July 31........................7:45 Aug. 7..........................7:37 Aug 14.........................7:27

Judaism is full of blessings.

Traditionally, Jews say blessings before we eat (a different blessing for each category o f fo o d). We say blessings after we eat.

There is a special blessing to say when one smells a flower.

D’VAR There is a blessTORAH i n g for he a r ing good news, RABBI and another JACQUELINE for hearing bad news. There is SATLOW a blessing for wearing new clothes. There is a blessing for lightning, thunder and rainbows. There is a special blessing for seeing the ocean. There is one for seeing anything especially beautiful (including people). We have another blessing for ugly or strange-looking people. (Perhaps they need it even more than the beautiful people?) There is also a blessing for when one meets a scholar.

One fundamental aspect of Judaism is for each of us to approach God’s world with a spirit of gratitude and appreciation.

Saying a blessing is meant to remind us to approach the world with that spirit. The ideal is to try to say 100 blessings each day, each one for something separate and specific.

Have you ever tried it? I have and it’s hard!

It turns out that Judaism and positive psychology have some-

thing in common. One of the suggestions that come out of positive psychology about how to live a happy life is to keep a gratitude journal. It is simple. Every day, write down the things for which you are grateful. You might be surprised to find out that writing down even five things every day might really make a difference in the way you feel. This works when things are going well in your life. It also helps tremendously when things are not going so well.

I was recently quite ill, now I’m better. (I’m grateful for that.) It did not make me feel better to search out what I might have done wrong that

“One fundamental aspect of Judaism is for each of us to approach God’s world with a spirit of gratitude and appreciation.” could have made me ill. It did not make me feel better to pretend that it wasn’t really bad, it was. It did make me feel better to search for blessings. How can a person possibly find gratitude in a serious illness? How about the following: I am grateful for the skill of my doctors.

I am grateful that we live in

a culture affluent enough that some people can afford to spend 35 years training to become specialty surgeons rather than having to go out and plough the fields.

I am grateful that years of expensive medical research went into developing ways to make me better.

I am grateful for all the people who prayed that I would be healed.

I am grateful for all the people who cooked dinner for my family when I could not do it.

(Friends cooked for us for five weeks!)

I am grateful for the people who organized all the community cooking.

I am grateful that I have a job with paid sick days.

I am grateful to the members of my union who donated sick days so that my family did not lose income when I ran out of sick days.

I am grateful for all of the people who sent cards or flowers or who called or visited to cheer me up.

I am most grateful that I have a family who loves me and who helped me through a long and difficult illness.

R ABBI JACQUELIN E ROMM SATLOW is the director of the Center for Religious and Spiritual Life and coordinator for Jewish Culture at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. This originally appeared as part of Soul Sightings in the UMass Dartmouth student newspaper, The Torch.

OPINION

8 | June 19, 2015

Our summertime slowdown: Tell us your plans

Just like many of us, The Voice takes a bit of a summer vacation. We’ve been following this – or a similar – schedule for a couple of years. It makes some sense. People go away. Advertising is more difficult to sell in the summer. And there just isn’t as much goEDITOR ing on in the FRAN community. A decision was OSTENDORF made to give the paper a little rest. But not the staff. OK, I will use up that last week of vacation. And I will admit to a beach day or two. But we will continue to be in the office during July.

So this will be our last paper until August.

What will we be doing?

Our biggest project will be putting together the next edition of the Guide to Jewish Living, our annual guide to Jewish organizations and institutions. The guide is full of advertising and places and ways to enjoy Jewish life in the area. Because of our frenetic schedule during the year, we don’t even start to produce this 60-page insert to the paper until the summer. Our intern helps out. So if you know of something that should be in-

cluded, please let us know by phone or email. We’ve been gathering information all year including updates and additions to last year’s guide. We’re taking suggestions for potential advertisers, too.

Other items on our July todo list? Getting a jump on articles for upcoming issues of The Voice. This gives us an opportunity to take a little extra time and work on topics that we just don’t have time to tackle during the rest of the year.

And we’re planning for the future. What would you like to see in The Jewish Voice? We ask that question around the community throughout the year. And we keep asking that question during the summer.

The difference now? We have a little more time to think about the answers and, perhaps, implement some of those ideas.

So, send us your ideas for articles, coverage, the paper. We will be in the office, answering the phone, responding to email, getting ready for another year and 24 new issues of The Voice. And, as you enjoy your July travels, don’t forget to send us those vacation photos, featuring a copy of The Voice, around the world. We never tire of seeing where you are enjoying the summer. Remember the deadline for our next paper is July 29.

Best wishes for a warm, pleasant July. See you in August!

LETTER Re: With a little help from our friends (June 5) I want to thank the JV for the article featuring the recent pro-Israel event co-sponsored

by SWU-RI and CUFI RI. My husband, Irving, was one of the speakers and, from the moment we crossed the threshold, we were enveloped with a spirit of kindness, helpfulness and generosity.

As the wife of a Holocaust survivor and the daughter of Holocaust survivors, I was heartened by the moral clarity and steadfast support demonstrated by these Christians

who are undaunted in their campaign to support Israel and the Jewish people. It is a Torah value to express Hakorat Hatov – Gratitude – and I would like to take this opportunity to thank these wonderful people from the bottom of my heart.

Their words and deeds are exemplary and give me hope for the future.

AM YISROEL CHAI. Regina F. Schild Providence

SEE YOU IN AUGUST Keep sending us your news!

Remember, deadline for the August 7 issue is July 29.

OUR MISSION The mission of The Jewish Voice 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.

The Jewish Voice

In the company of undying texts If all goes well, next May I will be attending the 50th reunion of the Columbia College class of ’66: half a century since my graduation! In preparation for this oncein-a-l i fetime event, I have recently reread the six diaries I kept during my undergraduate years – a process of self-exmination IT SEEMS awhich has conTO ME tinued on and off to this very RABBI JIM ROSENBERG day.

My first journal (Jan. 13Sept. 16, 1963) covers about eight months: the second half of my freshman year and the summer that followed. As one might expect from an 18-year-old, my writing at that time gushed with adolescent narcissism, an obsessive preoccupation with the emotions and perceived needs of that unholy trinity of me, myself and I. Nor is it at all unusual that many pages were devoted to the chaos and confusion of my immature love life; I had developed an uncanny ability repeatedly to label an increasingly unhealthy relationship “healthy” – as if calling the relationship healthy made it so.

Given my career choice, it should come as no surprise that a large number of my entries in that first diary concerned my relationship with God. However, my religious struggles in those days were colored – “contaminated” is probably a better word – by that same narcissism that defined most other aspects of my life: what could God do for me? Not, what could I do for God? What has surprised me in rereading my first diary is the almost total absence of any reference to the books I was reading, the courses in which I was enrolled – no mention of the intense classroom debates or the seemingly interminable dinner discussions of philosophy, history, art, religion and politics – each of us students eager to prove his intellectual superiority.

By the middle of junior year, my diaries reflected a sea change; my writing was stuffed with references to “the great books,” to movies and plays.

The very first entry in my fourth journal on Feb. 20, 1965, contains this instruction: “The

following books are required reading: The Bible, just about all of it; ‘The Brothers Karamazov’; ‘Moby Dick’; ALL of Shakespeare.” For 50 years these texts have been my companions: the Biblical Job (whom the rabbis say never existed), Dimitri Karamazov, Captain Ahab, Hamlet, King Lear – though fictional – continue to live with me and within me. Though Shakespeare has been dead for 400 years and the author of Job has been dead for two-and-a-half millennia, the characters they created are as alive to me as a close friend sharing a leisurely lunch. Over the decades my head and my heart have become ever more crowded with the words of innumerable authors, many of whom are still producing thoughtful and inspiring works.

I have gradually come to un-

“When we speak Hebrew, we literally stand in the flow of time with our backs to the future and our faces toward the past.” derstand that my ongoing companionship with living texts has helped shape not only my identity as an individual but also my identity as a Jew. In their brilliant book, “Jews and Words” (Yale University Press, 2012), the father and daughter team of Amos Oz and Fania Oz-Salzberger argue that Jewish continuity is dependent on our ongoing engagement with our foundational texts. On the very first page, the well-regarded Israeli author and his daughter, a professor of history at the University of Haifa, declare: “Ours is not a bloodline but a textline.”

Toward the end of their opening chapter, “Continuity,” they succinctly state: “What kept the Jews going were the books.”

Note: not the rituals, not the religious beliefs, not the bloodline, but the books. That is to say, for us Jews, our textline has been our lifeline. To add a personal word, what has kept me going as an individual and has established my sense of being a part of the vast sweep of Jewish history has been my dialogue with the texts I continue to read and reread, especially

the ancient words of our Tanakh, our Hebrew Bible.

Midway through their book, father and daughter discuss the privileged place of the Hebrew language’s role in both creating and preserving Jewish identity: “When we speak Hebrew, we literally stand in the flow of time with our backs to the future and our faces toward the past.

Our very posture is different from the Western view of time.”

The two authors go on to quote the essayist Shulamith Hareven’s interpretation of the great Israeli Talmudist, Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz: “Steinsaltz once defined Jewish time as if the speaker stands on the bank of a river, looking upstream, against the current.”

Our authors add: “The Hebrew word kedem means ‘ancient times,’ but the derivative kadima means ‘frontward’ or ‘forward.’ The Hebrew speaker literally looks frontward to the past.”

I applaud the Ozes drawing attention to the unique role that the Hebrew language plays in our Jewish sense of time. In a similar vein, I pointed out not long ago in one of my columns how the Hebrew-speaking Psalmists of long ago also played with the notion of time – as in Psalm 126, writing in a “tense” that is simultaneously past and future. The very nature of the Hebrew language, then, encodes certain Jewish insights that elude even the most gifted translators. Given the fact that father and daughter are both native Hebrew speakers, I find it somewhat ironic that they have chosen English as the language in which to first publish their extended essay on the connection between Jews and their words.

As it turns out, a Hebrew translation, Yehudim u’Milim, was published in Israel in 2014.

At birth, each of us is given a one-way ticket, stamped non-refundable, destination unknown. Without some sense of direction, our journeys can be most frightening. If, however, we choose to travel in the company of undying texts, we will find ourselves both comforted and enriched by the wisdom of generations.

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

COLUMNS | LETTERS POLICY The Jewish Voice publishes thoughtful and informative contributors’ columns (op-eds of 500 – 800 words) and letters to the editor (250 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 The Jewish Voice or the Alliance.

Send letters and op-eds to: The Jewish Voice, 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).

OPINION

thejewishvoice.org

Rhode Island Judges and Lawyers for Israel Recently, a group of Rhode Island judges and lawyers came together to form a new organization based upon a unifying theme – a concern for both the State of Israel and the rise in anti-Zionist/anti-Semitic rhetoric.

This new group, Rhode Island Judges and Lawyers For Israel (RIJLI), has brought together a diverse membership of almost 40 judges and lawyers and is steadily growing. RIJLI’s membership represents a demographically diverse cross section of the Rhode Island Jewish community with members from Westerly to Woonsocket who include: Democrats, independents and Republicans; women and men; Reform Jews, Conservative Jews, Orthodox Jews and all those in between; those who have been involved in other Jewish groups; as well as those for whom this is their first involvement with a “Jewish organization.”

Many of us have known each other through our involvement in civic and social activities, and some just through our professional and courtroom encounters, but we all share a love for Israel and a concern for the future of our people.

As judges and lawyers, we are trained to examine and weigh the evidence regarding any given issue before we commit to a position. Unlike the court of public opinion,

we base our positions on the relevant facts as well as the law. As a group, we are troubled over the anti-Israel rhetoric that makes its way into the media, onto our college campuses and into our public discourse, often without factual basis. We believe that a strong, factually based retort is necessary to respond to the anti-Israel positions, such as those calling for boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS), that are becoming more prevalent on college campuses and that are promoted in the media and in political institutions both domestically and internationally.

On March 2, Secretary of State John Kerry addressed this issue at a meeting of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva stating, “No one in this room can deny the bias against Israel in the United Nations Human Rights Council. … The Human Rights Council’s obsession with Israel actually risks undermining the credibility of the entire organization. … The United States will oppose arbitrary efforts to delegitimize Israel. … Not just in the United Nations Human Rights Coun-

cil, but wherever it occurs.”

As we know, anti-Israel and anti-Semitic rhetoric is not limited to the international stage. Many of us read about it or encounter it in our own daily experience.

In response, RIJLI is committed to our mission: To work with the established Rhode Island Jewish community infrastructure and pro-Zionist groups of all religions to educate the public about the true history, politics and importance of the Jewish State of Israel; to add our voice to the ongoing discourse, in a measured and judicious manner, by robustly defending the State of Israel and the Jewish people; and to aid and assist in responding to those who unfairly attack fellow members of the Jewish community and/or the State of Israel, and defend those who are unfairly attacked.

To date, we have been pursuing our mission by: writing fact-based articles in the Providence Journal and The Voice; supporting local pro-Israel groups with respect to Israeli programming and education; interceding on behalf of a local professor who

“As judges and lawyers, we are trained to examine and weigh the evidence regarding any given issue before we commit to a position .”

LETTERS Re: Who speaks for God? (June 5)

I read the D’var Torah from Rabbi Jeffrey Goldwasser with a troubled heart. There, he states in reference to same-sex marriage, “the Bible does not make any clear and indisputable statements about the issues that grab today’s headlines”.

However, the verses in the Torah that condemn homosexual actions are as direct as can be.

(See Leviticus 18:22, 20:13). To claim that there are no clear statements to the contrary is simply incorrect.

Furthermore, his invocation of Eldad and Medad is illogical.

To compare their unsettling and unexpected prophecy with the right to contravene and negate laws in the Torah due to one’s inner voice is not logical.

Finally, he encourages all of us to listen to our inner voice as our guide in lieu of the time-honored interpretations of the Torah. However, just as each science has its own methodology and framework with which to understand it, G-D gave Moses the tools with which to dissect, analyze and understand the Torah. In the words of Rabbi J.B. Soloveitchik, often considered the father of Modern Orthodoxy: “The truth in Torah learning can only be achieved through singular halachic Torah thinking and Torah understanding. The truth is attained from within, in accord with the methodology given to Moses and passed on from generation to generation…. One must join

the ranks of the sages of tradition… and must not try to rationalize from without the laws of the Torah, and must not judge the Torah in terms of the secular system of things.”

While this method allows for much creativity (as can be seen by the plethora of books adorning a classical Yeshiva library), it requires a self-negation that may even involve debating one’s inner voice.

I only hope that readers of this newspaper have the motivation to investigate our authentic tradition for themselves.

Rabbi Menachem Z. Weissmann Pawtucket

Re: Free speech and hate speech (June 5) Rabbi Jim Rosenberg in his last column seems to want to shoot the Messenger (Pamela Geller) while papering over the Message (the Quran). Geller’s attitude is given the name of “Islamophobia” as a kind of a disease. The same “disease” can be applied in world history to “Hitlerophobia,” “Stalino-

phobia,” “Fasciophobia,” “Tojoophobia,” “Pol Potophobia,” “Maoophobia,” etc., all of whom have the common denominator of working toward the destruction of the West through their special tyranny.

It is meaningless to say that the jihadists only represent a small minority of Muslims.

They are calling the shots.

They are making the gains while our headlines feature the antics of a Bruce Jenner and how much punishment should be rendered upon Tom Brady.

Sy Dill Providence

was being unfairly maligned for his pro-Israel position; meeting with and engaging our Jewish community leaders in continuing to promote a pro-Israel agenda; meeting with representatives from our local colleges’ Jewish organizations; writing an open letter to our congressional delegation regarding issues impacting the State of Israel; and responding to the BDS movement.

RIJLI members plan to contribute articles to The Voice on a regular basis that we hope will be informative and spark positive dialogue about the State of Israel both within our own community and in the greater Rhode Island community. Knowledge and education have been critical to the survival of the Jewish nation over the millennia.

Now is no different. The facts, both good and sometimes not so good, surrounding the issues facing the State of Israel are readily available and verifiable because Israel is an open society, buoyed by a free press and broad protections of the right of free speech. Israel is a vibrant, democratic, inclusive state, located in a tumultuous neighborhood. We look forward to sharing our insights, based on the facts, surrounding the successes and challenges of the Jewish State of Israel.

June 19, 2015 |

9

The following are the lawyers and judges for Israel: Hon. Edward H. Newman Hon. Howard I. Lipsey Russell D. Raskin, Esq. Steven E. Snow, Esq. Bruce W. Gladstone, Esq. Jeffrey H. Gladstone, Esq. Michael B. Mellion, Esq. Hon. Mitchell S. Riffkin Carl S. Levin, Esq. Joel S. Chase, Esq. Susan Leach DeBlasio, Esq. Matthew L. Lewiss, Esq. Allen Kirshenbaum, Esq. Steven J. Hirsch, Esq. Steve Linder, Esq. Joel K. Gerstenblatt, Esq. Michael B. Isaacs, Esq. Hon. Jodi M. Gladstone David L. Yavner, Esq. Paul Kessimian, Esq. Hon. Peter L. Lewiss Miriam A. Ross, Esq. Samuel A. Miller, Esq. Barbara Harris, Esq. Charles S. Sokoloff, Esq. Peter G. Berman, Esq. Hon. Marvin H. Homonoff Dan Chaika, Esq. Murray Gereboff, Esq. Sanford Gorodetsky, Esq.

U. of Illinois censured for canceling prof’s job over anti-Israel tweets JTA – A national professors’ organization voted to censure the University of Illinois for rescinding a job offer to a professor over his anti-Israel tweets.

The vote by the American Association of University Professors took place June 14 at its annual meeting in Washington, D.C. In April, the association released a report that found the university violated the principles of academic freedom and tenure in the case of Steven Salaita.

Also in the voting, Yeshiva University in New York was removed from the association’s censure list.

The condemnation, a relatively rare move by the professors’ group, can damage a university’s reputation in the academic world, according to The Associated Press. There are 56 institutions of higher learning on the association’s censure list.

Last summer, the university announced that Salaita would be joining the faculty.

Chancellor Phyllis Wise later

revoked the appointment, however, after being made aware of tweets by Salaita attacking Israel and its U.S. supporters in harsh language during Israel’s operation in Gaza last summer. The tweets appeared on Salaita’s personal Twitter account.

Donors to the university reportedly had complained about the tweets and called on the university to rescind the appointment.

Salaita has filed a lawsuit against the university, the board of trustees and several administrators claiming that they violated his constitutional rights, including to free speech and due process.

He also is suing for breach of contract and intentional emotional distress. Salaita is seeking compensation and the job as a tenured professor in the American Indian studies department.

Meanwhile, Yeshiva University was taken off the list after rectifying issues over some of its hiring and firing policies and practices.

10 | June 19, 2015

OPINION | WORLD

The Jewish Voice

Israel v. Israel: A Shame

BY GEORGE M. GOODWIN It is bad enough when two Jewish congregations seriously disagree with one another, but when they seek to settle their differences through legal means – indeed, in federal district court – it becomes even sadder. To some litigants and many observers, such an encounter is a shame.

The bench trial, which began on June 1 in Judge John J. McConnell’s courtroom on the second floor of Providence’s august 1908 courthouse, embodies a bitter rivalry between two of America’s most storied Jewish congregations. Newport’s Jeshuat Israel, commonly known as “Touro,” is a successor to Yeshuat Israel, British North America’s second oldest Jewish congregation, founded in 1658.

In November 2012 it sued New York City’s Shearith Israel, British North America’s mother Jewish congregation, founded in 1654.

Through various agreements with its landlord, Shearith Israel, Jeshuat Israel is required to uphold Orthodox Sephardic tradition. Although subtleties of worship are not in dispute, the New York congregation, the defendant, has countersued its sister congregation, the plaintiff.

The acrimony revolves principally around the ownership of a magnificent set of rimonim or Torah finials, which was crafted by Myer Myers, one of colonial America’s most distinguished silversmiths, who served five times as parnas or president of Shearith Israel.

Among a much larger medley of vessels and implements, including a trio of church basins, Myers and his assistants designed and executed three other sets of rimonim. One set is owned

by Mikveh Israel, Philadelphia’s colonial Sephardic congregation; another is owned by Shearith Israel; and a third set is also housed at Touro.

In November 2010, when Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts opened its glorious Arts of the Americas wing, the Newport congregation agreed to lend one set of Myers’ rimonim, which, except for use during High Holy days, is stored at a Newport bank. When displayed within the MFA’s gallery of colonial Newport art, a stunning ensemble of furniture and painting, the rimonim could not have looked more fetching. Two years later, when museum officials sought to purchase these Myers treasures, Jeshuat Israel agreed through its agent, Christie’s, to sell them for an astonishing $7.4 million.

As part of its confidential contract with the auction house, the Newport congregation could not contact any party, however. But after eight days of testimony, it appears that Jeshuat Israel never intended to inform its New York sister of its intentions. Although Newport leaders never conducted a detailed historical inquiry of their own or commissioned an expert to do so, they were thoroughly convinced that they held title to the rimonim as well as the rest of Touro’s precious contents.

Christie’s too never studied the set’s provenance.

Shearith Israel has submitted an overwhelming list of exhibits – more than 500 – to substantiate its legal claim not only to Touro’s contents, but also to the synagogue and the land on which it stands. The New York congregation has no interest in sharing in the proceeds of a sale, however. Holding aloft Jewish law, Shearith Israel’s leaders maintain that such holy objects can be sold only to ransom hostages or to fund purchase of a new Torah.

Additional bitterness is reflected through the gleam of the rimonim. Jeshuat Israel’s leaders, worried about their congregation’s survival, have argued that the proceeds of the MFA sale would be used to establish a $7 million irrevocable endowment. Its annual income would then be used exclusively for operating expenses. These leaders point out that over many decades, with assistance from the Touro Synagogue Foundation, Jeshuat Israel has heroically raised millions of dollars not only to restore the contested set of rimonim but to restore the synagogue and care for its community center, rabbi’s home, grounds and colonial cemetery.

The Newport leaders have also accused Shearith Israel leaders of offering negligible financial help or any other support or guidance. Speaking in theoretical, if not purely fanciful, terms, Jeshuat Israel leaders seek to replace Shearith Israel with another trustee.

Shearith Israel leaders have asserted, by contrast, that their Jeshuat Israel counterparts have sought little assistance;

indeed, the Newport congregation, its tenant, has failed on numerous occasions to pay the annual symbolic rent of $1.

The New York congregation asserts, moreover, that, despite its own financial burdens, it had agreed, before the lawsuit, to donate up to $75,000 per year for a decade. Shearith Israel’s witnesses also affirm that a few of its members have made some significant contributions, including for the rimonim’s restoration. Resorting to its own theoretical, if not purely fanciful, rhetoric, the New York leaders also seek to replace Jeshuat Israel with another Jewish congregation.

The full weight and intensity of this legal Armageddon is not fully demonstrated by a summation of major arguments, however. Jeshuat Israel has been represented in the courtroom

by Steven Snow, a highly experienced Rhode Island litigator, and by four accomplished members of a New York City firm.

Louise Ellen Teitz, a professor at Roger Williams University School of Law and a Jeshuat Israel member, has assisted with the plaintiff’s case. Shearith Israel, in turn, has been represented in the courtroom by a renowned Rhode Island litigator, Deming Sherman, and five equally accomplished members of a New York City firm. The defense team’s lead attorney, Louis Solomon, is in fact Shearith Israel’s current parnas. Each legal team has been fortified by additional staff members, including paralegals and digital technicians, during witness examinations.

Jeshuat Israel has called four witnesses, Shearith Israel only three. All have been thoroughly, if not relentlessly, cross-examined and questioned on redirect. Indeed, the qualifications offered and the conclusions reached by the defendants’ two expert witnesses, professors from the Jewish Theological Seminary and Brown University, have been mercilessly challenged.

So, after displaying his unbiased and cheerful manner, what will Judge McConnell do?

Rather than proceeding directly to closing arguments (and producing greater exhaustion among participants and spectators alike), he has asked both teams of lawyers to submit additional briefs. Closing arguments will be heard on Monday, July 20.

The sadness of sister congregations hurling accusations against each other is ironically contrasted by the Great Seal of the United States, a plaster relief sculpture of which hangs behind and high above the judge’s podium. Amid several motifs symbolizing the original 13 states, a “cloud of glory” floats above the bald eagle’s head. Enshrined within it is a six-pointed star, whose equipoise and symmetry should beckon and warn all Jewish observers.

was prevented by Muslim rioters from drinking from a public drinking fountain on the Temple Mount. A second man who drank from a fountain was arrested by police.

A Knesset committee meeting on June 16 to discuss allowing an increased Jewish presence on the Temple Mount was halted shortly after it began due to fighting among lawmakers. During the meeting, Arab-Israeli lawmaker Jamal Zahalka of the Balad party warned that “blood will flow” if the status quo regarding Jewish prayer is changed, and lawmakers called each other fascist and terrorist.

agencies announced June 16.

An indictment is expected to be submitted to the military court in the West Bank in the coming days, the IDF said.

Four Israelis were wounded, one seriously, in the incident, which took place on May 14 near the Alon Shvut settlement in the Gush Etzion bloc of the West Bank.

Arfaaya admitted during questioning to intentionally targeting Israeli civilians in the attack.

He also admitted to previously attempting terror attacks on several occasions. The attempts were unsuccessful, according to the IDF. The attack occurred near the junction where last November an Israeli woman, Dalia Lemkus, was stabbed to death and a Palestinian man drove his vehicle into three soldiers waiting for rides.

It also is the same junction where three Israeli teens were abducted in June 2014 and later murdered.

Recent months have seen a series of vehicular attacks on Israelis by Palestinian drivers in the Jerusalem area.

GEORGE GOODWIN, a member of Temple Beth-El, has edited the “Rhode Island Jewish Historical Notes” for more than 10 years.

NEWS BRIEFS IDF launching cyber branch JERUSALEM (JTA) – The Israel Defense Forces will establish a branch to oversee operations related to cyberwarfare.

The new branch announced June 15 by Lt.-Gen. Gadi Eisenkot, chief of the general staff, must still be approved by Minister of Defense Moshe Yaalon, the IDF said.

Functioning as a separate branch of the military, the cyber command will oversee all cyberwarfare operations: cyberdefense, cyberattacks, cyberintelligence gathering and operational planning.

It is expected to take two years to officially launch the cyber command, the IDF said.

“The IDF is required to excel in every aspect of war, including the cyber dimension, which is becoming more significant every day,” Eisenkot said in a statement. “This new command will empower the IDF to perform better in these fronts and will utilize the technological and human advantage that already exists in Israel.”

Palestinians given more Temple Mount access during Ramadan JERUSALEM (JTA) Hundreds of Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza will be allowed to pray on the Temple Mount on Fridays during Ramadan.

Israel’s Defense Ministry made the announcement June 16, a day ahead of the start of the Muslim holy month. The Palestinians will also be allowed to visit family members inside Israel and the West Bank, the ministry said.

Meanwhile, the Orthodox Union has encouraged its members to participate in a letter-writing campaign calling for an end to anti-Jewish harassment on the Temple Mount, a site that is holy to both Muslims and Jews.

In a statement June 16, the OU noted that it was “neither endorsing entry upon the Har Habayit [Temple Mount] nor addressing the dispute surrounding the halachic permissibility of ascending the Har Habayit.”

The campaign by the Jerusalem-based Temple Institute calls on lawmakers to “guarantee the basic freedom and dignity of all

citizens.”

“We call upon all Rabbis and Jews of conscience to stand-up and be counted as their people are attacked and harassed on our holiest site on a daily basis,” said Rabbi Chaim Richman, international director of the Temple Institute. “Had this type of anti-Jewish sentiment been expressed anywhere outside of the Jewish State, there would have already been outcry and thousands of people would have taken to the streets. The daily incitement and racism demonstrated to Jews has already led to bloodshed and its time that Jewish leaders worldwide take a stand, before more Jewish blood is spilt.”

Jewish visitors to the Temple Mount are not allowed to pray on the site. Jews are routinely harassed there, including by veiled Muslim women who shout insults at the visitors while following them around the site. Israel Police reportedly also hound the Jewish visitors to make sure they are not praying.

In a video spread on news websites, a Jewish visitor last week

Alleged Palestinian car rammer arrested JERUSALEM (JTA) – The Palestinian man who allegedly rammed his car into a group of people at a West Bank bus stop in May was arrested and will be indicted.

Muhammed Arfaaya, 22, of Hebron, was arrested a month ago in a joint operation of the Israeli army, the Shin Bet security agency and the police, the

CALENDAR

thejewishvoice.org

Ongoing Alliance Kosher Senior Café. Kosher lunch and program every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Dwares JCC, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence.

Noon lunch; 1 p.m. program. $3 lunch donation from individuals 60+ or under 60 with disabilities.

Neal or Elaine, 401-421-4111, ext. 107.

West Bay Kosher Senior Café. Kosher lunch and program every weekday. Note new location: Temple Sinai, 30 Hagen Ave., Cranston. 11:15 a.m. program; Noon lunch. $3 lunch donation from individuals 60+ or under 60 with disabilities. Steve 401-743-0009.

Through | June 25

Spring Watercolor Florals, Photographs from Nigeria. The Gallery at Temple Habonim displays Nancy Godfray’s and Toni Peterson’s watercolors along with Shai Afsai’s photographs from his trips to Nigeria to document the Igbo Jews. 165 New Meadow Road, Barrington. Hours are Wednesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Fridays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and by appointment. For information, call 401-245-6536, or email gallery@ templehabonim.org.

Friday | June 19

Temple Torat Yisrael Open House and Beach Shabbat. 5:30-7 p.m. Come experience Kabbalat Shabbat with an informal, interactive family service at Goddard Park in Warwick. Service begins at 6 p.m. with a potluck dairy picnic immediately following.

Monday | June 22 Golf, Cocktails, Dinner & Auction. Due to the inclement weather the Temple Beth-El Golf Tournament was rescheduled. It is not too late to RSVP and support the Religious School. Play golf or just join us for dinner! Bring the kids for their own special dinner and party. Sakonnet Golf Club, 79 Sakonnet Point Road, Little Compton. $75 adult; $25 child. More information, Ruby Shalansky at: rshalansky@temple-beth-el.org or 401-3316070.

Tuesday | June 23

Temple Torat Yisrael’s Lunch and Learn with Rabbi Philmus. Noon. T’s Restaurant. June Topic: “God Versus Pot? Jewish Perspectives on the Legalization of Marijuana.” Each participant orders from the menu, and we study Jewish sources addressing current issues. Everyone is welcome, bring a friend! T’s Restaurant, 5600 Post Road, East Greenwich.

Friday | June 26 Shabbat Service. 6 p.m. Goddard Park Sponsored

by Temple Sinai. More information, dottie@templesinairi.org or 401-942-8350.

Saturday | July 11 Havdalah at Narragansett Beach. 6 p.m. Sponsored by Temple Sinai. More information, dottie@ templesinairi.org or 401-942-8350.

Sunday | July 12

Ukuleles for Peace in Concert at Temple Torat Yisrael. 7-8:30 p.m. $5/person suggested donation. Temple Torat Yisrael, 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich. More information, 401-885-6600 or toratyisrael.org.

Friday | July 17

Temple Torat Yisrael Open House and Beach Shabbat. 5:30 – 7 p.m. Come experience Kabbalat Shabbat with an informal, interactive family service at Goddard Park in Warwick. Service begins at 6 p.m. with a potluck dairy picnic immediately following the service.

Saturday | July 18 (401)j Shabbat in the Park. 12:30 p.m. Lippitt Park, Hope Street and Blackstone Blvd. Come join us in Lippitt Park for a (401)j BYO picnic! (401) j is a group of dynamic Jews, ages early 20s to

mid-40s, who are dedicated to building a thriving Jewish collaboration in the “401.” For more information, contact Erin Moseley at 401-421-4111, ext. 108 or emoseley@jewishallianceri.org.

Dancing, Light Fare and More. 7:30 p.m. Temple Sinai Social Hall. 30 Hagen Ave., Cranston. dottie@ templesinairi.org or 401-942-8350

Saturday | July 25 Tisha B’Av Service. 7:30 pm Temple Sinai. 30 Hagen Ave., Cranston. dottie@templesinairi.org or 401-942-8350.

Tuesday | July 28 Eat Shop and Play. 11:30 a.m. Ledgemont Country Club. Sponsored by the Holocaust Education and Resource Center of Rhode Island.

Wednesday | July 29 Shopping Boutique. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. 600 Blackstone Blvd., Sponsored by the Holocaust Education and Resource Center of Rhode Island.

Friday | August 7 Visual T’filah. 6 p.m. Temple Sinai. 30 Hagen Ave., Cranston. dottie@templesinairi.org or 401-9428350.

Saturday | August 8 Havadalah on Narragansett Beach 6 p.m. Temple Sinai. dottie@templesinairi.org or 401-942-8350.

Tuesday | August 11 Books on the Beach. 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. The Rhode Island Chapter of Hadassah hosts its Fifth Annual Books on the Beach Author Luncheon in the Ballroom of the Atlantic Beach Club, 55 Purgatory Road, Newport. $50 includes lunch and author talks. Parking is free. Hank Phillippi Ryan and Rabbi Susan Abramson speak.

Sunday | August 16 Screen on the Green End of Summer Party. 5 p.m. Dwares JCC Fields. BBQ, a movie and a preview of fall programs. For more information, contact Erin Moseley at 401-421-4111, ext. 108 or emoseley@jewishallianceri.org.

Thursday | August 20 (401)j The Art of Martini Making. 7 p.m. Rhode Island Bartending School, 1395 Atwood Ave #208, Johnston. Join fellow (401)j-ers for a night out learning to make drinks at a fully stocked bar!

Nosh on appetizers and learn the art of martini and cocktail making. $35 per person (includes class, drinks and hors d’oeuvres). Pre-registration (via GrapeVine on the community calendar at jewishallianceri.org/jewish-resources/community-calendar) is required. This is a 21+ event.

Space is limited so RSVP early. Hosted by: (401) j, Temple Emanu-El Providence, Temple Beth-El, Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island, Congregation Beth Sholom (CBS). For more information, contact Erin Moseley at 401-421-4111, ext. 108 or emoseley@jewishallianceri.org.

Friday | August 21

Temple Torat Yisrael Open House and Beach Shabbat. 5:30-7 p.m. Come experience Kabbalat Shabbat with an informal, interactive family service at Goddard Park in Warwick. Service begins at 6 p.m. with a potluck dairy picnic immediately following the service.

Saturday | August 22 (401)j Shabbat in the Park. 12:30 p.m. Lippitt Park, Hope Street and Blackstone Blvd. Come join us in Lippitt Park for a (401)j BYO picnic. (401) j is a group of dynamic Jews, ages early 20s to mid-40s, who are dedicated to building a thriving Jewish collaboration in the “401.” For more information, contact Erin Moseley at 401-421-4111, ext. 108 or emoseley@jewishallianceri.org.

June 19, 2015 |

11

Calendar Submissions NO PAPERS ARE PUBLISHED IN JULY. AUGUST 7 issue, BACK TO SCHOOL – must be received by JULY 29 AUGUST 21 issue, JEWISH WOMEN IN BUSINESS – must be received by AUGUST 12 SEPTEMBER 4 issue, ROSH HASHANAH – must be received by AUGUST 26 SEND ALL CALENDAR ITEMS TO: editor@jewishallianceri.org with the subject line “CALENDAR.” Calendar entries may be edited for content, length and relevance. Please submit two weeks

prior to issue of publication.

12 | June 19, 2015

COMMUNITY

The Jewish Voice

TaglitBirthright trip was a learning experience

BY ELANAH CHASSEN

Robert Yaffe

Eve Stieglitz

Robert Yaffe and Eve Stieglitz honored by Congregation Beth Sholom Congregation Beth Sholom’s Annual Gala was held May 17 at the synagogue’s social hall.

Robert Yaffe, owner of Wildflour Bakery, Garden Grille and The Grange was honored for his hard work, devotion and contribution to the Providence and Jewish communities. Eve Stieglitz was honored for her advocacy and sacrifice on behalf of the State of Israel and the Jewish people. Both Yaffe

and Stieglitz received a Citizen Citation from Mayor Jorge O. Elorza and Certificate of Special Recognition from Governor Gina M. Raimondo recognizing their significant contributions and service to the community.

Rabbi Barry Dolinger presented the citations and certificates.

Catering by Andrew provided the meal and Fishel Bressler entertained with live music.

What would you say if you were offered a free roundtrip ticket to Israel for 10-days? You may ask what the catch is or perhaps immediately answer, “Of course!” More than 400,000 young Jewish people from 66 countries have received the gift of a free trip to Israel. If you’re between the ages of 18 to 26 or know someone who is, this trip may be for you.

One week after completing her freshman year at the University of Rhode Island, Lexi Kutenplon-Rayess, who grew up in Barrington, boarded an El Al flight with 39 other Taglit-Birthright participants, a New York rabbi, and an American leader. Once they landed in Tel Aviv, they met their Israeli tour guide, Israeli leader, and began their 10-day journey.

“We were regularly learning about Israeli history, the people and country as a whole.

Even though I visited some of the places on the 2014 March of the Living, I learned something new at each place. I also learned a lot about myself. You connect to your Jewish side and to Israel.”

One of the major highlights for Lexi was having Israelis in the group. Seven Israeli soldiers joined her group in their IDF uniforms, immediately standing out from the Americans. Despite their striking difference in appearance, the Israeli and American participants quickly learned they shared more commonalities than differences. Lexi’s experience was enhanced by forming friendships with the Israelis.

She learned about life in Israel from an Israeli perspective and gained a deeper understanding of the country. This also

Lexi Kutemplon-Rayess with one of the Israeli soldiers on her trip. sparked an interest in Middle Eastern studies, the communication major says.

Incorporating Israelis into the group is one of most essential parts of every Birthright trip. This engagement allows the American participants to develop a personal connection to Israel. For the Israelis, this is an opportunity to understand Jewish life outside of Israel.

According to Birthright, more than 80 percent of participants feel this engagement is the most important part of their journey.

Some participants on Lexi’s trip were exposed to parts of Judaism that were unfamiliar.

Lexi felt comfortable answering her peer’s questions. “For some participants, it was their first time experiencing things like Shabbat services, learning about kosher food and meeting someone who was Orthodox. I explained why our tour guide doesn’t wear pants and why she wears a wig. This is one of the reasons I love Judaism, you make it yours.”

In addition to the education-

al component, Birthright also gives you the privilege to form friendships with students at different colleges. Lexi looks forward to visiting friends at different schools, including visiting the Israelis next time she is in Israel. Without hesitation and with a smile, Lexi said, “On Birthright, you gain a mishpacha, a family.”

Even if you’ve been to Israel before, you may think Birthright is just another Israel trip, but it’s more than that. This free 10-day trip to Israel is like receiving an enormous gift with a lot of gifts inside. You’re immediately excited to receive the trip. Your excitement amplifies each time you unwrap another gift, another experience. Even after all your gifts are opened, they continue giving you pleasure, enhancing your life and impacting you. Birthright is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

ELANAH CHASSEN, is an Education and Planning Associate at the Jewish Alliance.

Temple Sinai offers no dues for six months CRANSTON – Temple Sinai is seeking new members. To attract them, the congregation is offering a chance for people to get to know the members without dues for the rest of 2015.

“There is no secret that congregations are finding it more difficult to attract new members, especially young families,” says Ellen Jordan, who was recently elected the Temple’s new president. “I understand that many people want a chance to get to know a congregation before making a big financial investment.”

The Temple’s Board of Directors voted at a meeting on June 7 to offer membership in the congregation to new members beginning July 1 without

dues for the rest of the secular year. The offer includes tickets to the congregation’s High Holy Days services. New members will still be required to pay tuition for Religious and Hebrew School from the beginning of the school year.

“We are living in a new era,” says Rabbi Jeffrey Goldwasser who became the congregation’s spiritual leader last year. “Once upon a time, Jews joined synagogues just because it was ’what you are supposed to do.’ Those days are over. Jewish families and individuals want to know that being a member is going to improve the quality of their lives. They want to experience being part of a real community, engaging in real learning

and attending services that are meaningful and fulfilling.”

The congregation is hoping that by making the experience of temple membership available to prospective members without upfront commitment, people will like what they see and stay on as members in 2016 and far beyond. It’s a gamble they think will pay off.

“It’s a leap of faith,” says Ellen Jordan. “We believe in our community and we believe that once people are part of what we have, they will want to stay.”

For more information, contact Temple Sinai at 401-9428350 or by email, dottie@templesinairi.org.

FOOD

thejewishvoice.org

June 19, 2015 |

13

Travel the world, leave the gluten behind

BY LAUREN DELEO One of the best ways to immerse oneself in a new culture while traveling is to indulge in the local cuisine. From Vietnamese Pho to Italian Squid Ink Pasta or Ghanaian Fufu, meandering out of your comfort zone and trying foods you would normally turn up your nose at can give you a sense of how locals live.

Armed with Pepto Bismol for the stranger dishes out there, travelers with no dietary restrictions can dive right into whatever their heart desires.

Those of us who do have aversions, allergies and intolerances, however, cannot so easily or light-heartedly dip our toes in unfamiliar dishes from countries whose languages we cannot speak.

I was diagnosed with celiac disease between studying abroad in Italy and participating in Semester at Sea, a program that brought me to countries in Europe, Africa and the Americas. During my first study abroad trip, I discovered the adventurous foodie in me. Trying something new and weird excited me to the core, and when I got home, I couldn’t wait to keep traveling and keep eating. When my doctor told me that I had to decide between constant illness and gluten, my decision was easy, but disappointing. While the understanding of celiac disease drastically improved worldwide between my two trips, it was still extremely difficult to eat abroad. Before I left for Semester at Sea, I had gone so far as to print out translations in every language of the

definition of the disease and descriptions of what I could and couldn’t eat. But while I ate my plain salad, I still had to watch begrudgingly as my friends indulged in whatever specialty was on the menu.

Aviva Kanoff’s “Gluten Free Around the World” cookbook (Brio, 2014) eases that bitter disappointment that gluten-free travelers often feel. In 231 pages, she provides gluten-free recipes for some of the best and most popular dishes in countries

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 1 cup diced buffalo mozzarella (optional)

Directions Heat oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Sauté onion and garlic until onion is translucent and garlic is golden brown, about 5 minutes.

Add spaghetti squash, tomatoes, basil, salt, and pepper.

Mix for 2 minutes then serve warm and top with mozzarella if desired.

How to Cook a Spaghetti Squash

such as Israel, Italy, Ecuador and India. The cookbook has a wide selection of salads, soups, sides, vegetarian, poultry, meat and dessert dishes that are sure to satisfy any traveler’s foreign cravings. Below are a handful of recipes that stood out to me, and that I excitedly sampled!

Spinach and Quinoa Fritters from Otavalo, Ecuador Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa, rinsed 1 large white onion, diced 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for frying 2 cups diced fresh mushrooms 2 cups chopped spinach Salt, freshly ground black pepper, and garlic powder to taste 3 large eggs 1/4 cup gluten free panko or breadcrumbs (I decided to

use panko…it added a great crunch!)

2 tablespoons shredded cheddar cheese (optional – I opted in, and the cheese lover in me wished I had used more! If omitted, adding a little more salt is recommended to supplement.)

Score the whole squash with a knife 8-10 times to help vent out steam. This will prevent your squash from exploding in the microwave.

Place the squash on a microwave safe dish and add a little water to the bottom, to help from having the squash dry out.

Microwave your squash in 5 - m i nut e i n c r e m e nt s u nt i l fork tender. Depending on the strength of your microwave, this could take anywhere from 5-25 minutes.

Once cooked, allow to cool for 10 minutes. Then, cut in half lengthwise and using a spoon, scoop out the seeds and discard.

Using a fork, scrape the flesh against the grain to create your spaghetti squash “noodle” strands.

crowave safe bowl and microwave in 30-second increments until fully melted. (I first tried melting the chocolate chips as the directions instructed, and after burning the batch, I added just a splash of milk and the smallest bit of butter.)

Using a rubber spatula combine melted chocolate, cream cheese mixture, and whipped cream. Fold together until evenly combined.

Spoon into small dessert dishes or glasses.

Allow mousse to chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight before serving.

Top with cookies and additional whipped cream.

Filet Mignon with fresh herb & garlic rub from Rosheim, France Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

4-6 garlic cloves, minced or more if desired 2 teaspoons minced fresh basil 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme 2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 4 (4 ounces) beef tenderloin steaks, 1-inch thick 1/4 cup olive oil

Directions

Prepare quinoa according to the directions on the package.

In a large frying pan, sauté onion in 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat until translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add mushrooms and spinach and sauté for 3 minutes or until fully cooked.

Remove pan from heat. Add quinoa to spinach, mushrooms, and onion mixture and mix ingredients.

Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

Transfer to a large mixing bowl and combine with eggs, panko or breadcrumbs, and cheese, if using.

Heat oil in a frying pan. Once oil is sizzling, cooking four pieces at a time, spoon 1 tablespoon of mixture into the frying pan.

Cook until golden, about 2 minutes on each side. Remove from pan and drain on paper towels.

Garlic & Basil Spaghetti Squash from Burano, Italy Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients 5 tablespoons olive oil 1 large white onion, sliced into rings 2-3 garlic cloves, chopped 2 cups cooked, shredded spaghetti squash (noted below) 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved 1/2 cup basil leaves or more if desired

Bailey’s Irish Mousse from Dublin, Ireland Yield: 6-8 servings

Ingredients 3 (8 ounces) packages cream cheese, at room temperature 1/3 cup granulated sugar 1/2 cup Bailey’s Irish Cream liqueur 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips 2 cups fully whipped cream, plus more for garnish 10-12 gluten free chocolate chip cookies, crushed

Directions In a bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add liqueur and beat until blended.

Place chocolate chips in a mi-

Directions Combine garlic, basil, thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Rub evenly over steaks.

In a large non-stick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat.

Add steaks to pan and cook 4 minutes on each side or until cooked to desired doneness.

LAUREN DELEO is an adventure-seeking middle school social studies teacher, eagerly waiting for her next opportunity to discover new parts of the world.

COMMUNITY

14 | June 19, 2015

The Jewish Voice

Ukuleles For Peace bring music and message to Rhode Island On July 12, Ukuleles For Peace, an orchestra of Arab and Jewish teens from Israel, will perform at Temple Torat Yisrael in East Greenwich.

The group is the brainchild of Paul Moore, a British ex-pat who came to Israel in the ’70s. A seasoned performer and strong believer in coexistence, Moore was moved by the events of Sept. 11, 2001 to do something to change the atmosphere of mistrust between Israelis and

Palestinian Arabs.

Beginning with ukulele lessons in two schools – one Arab, one Jewish – Moore went from holding group performances, to organizing visits to each other’s schools. That evolved into family picnics and even joint celebrations of each community’s holidays and festivals.

Before long, the group was performing at events around Israel.

Moore and his partner, Daph-

A heartfelt thank you, to our Congregation Am David family!

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na Orion, have sustained the orchestra by continuing lessons in the schools. Working on a purely volunteer basis, they have relied primarily on a network of musician friends around the world for donations of money and ukuleles to keep the program going. Their goal is that no child be turned away because of an inability to purchase an instrument.

Long term, they would like to reproduce the project in other cities and towns in Israel, and ideally into the Palestinian territories, to enlarge the circle of real coexistence in the region.

Having now performed several times in Europe, this is their fi rst visit to the U.S. A string of gigs in New England will help to subsidize their tour, which will culminate in an appearance at the annual Ukulele Festival in Honolulu.

The real stars of Ukuleles For Peace are the young muscians, who speak of how this program has affected their lives and shaped their experiences and views of one another. As the next generation of leaders in their communities, they will bring a different vision of what is possible. They are looking forward to sharing that vision with Rhode Island.

The performance begins at 7 p.m. at Torat Yisrael, 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich.

A donation of $5 per person is suggested, at the door. Call 401885-6600 for more information.

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The teens of Ukuleles For Peace.

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FROM PAGE 1

June 19, 2015 |

15

ANNUAL MEETING

action. Such lofty purpose, he went on, inspires collective support of meaningful initiatives such as JSA’s Kosher Food Pantry, JFS’s Kesher Program, Camp JORI and Alliance Isenberg ECC Scholarships.

Savit also mentioned the programs of partners, including HERC, URI and Brown Hillel, crediting the organization’s relationship with rabbis and synagogues for such accomplishments as the Alliance summer camp, afterschool initiatives and J-Fitness health and wellness.

His speech also addressed some challenges, including anti-Semitism, the fi nancial vulnerability of the Jewish population and the decreasing number of the annual campaign donors.

In conclusion, Savit saluted the board members and offered gratitude to his staff, acknowledging the milestones the Alliance celebrated in the past year. He said, “Being hamesh, being a mensch, acting smart and exerting your best effort…

This is what I demand from my staff and for everything we do at or for the Alliance, whether here at the Dwares JCC or anywhere across the state.”

Special guest speaker, Edward M. Mazze, distinguished university professor of Business Administration at the University of Rhode Island, took the podium next. He shared a speech he gave when a Speaker of the House asked him to address the legislature. Mazze said that he had studied all the states that were avoiding recession and observed that the successful ones had three elements in common.

First, all of them were business-friendly. Mazze encour-

Edward Mazze speaks to the crowd. aged Rhode Islanders to listen to business people, whose advice, according to him, has real meaning. Second, all thriving states supported education – an aspect that Mazze considers crucial to triumph. Third, the successful states illustrated a focused economic development strategy. He suggested that economic development only works if the community, individuals, businesses and educational institutions pitch in. Mazze encouraged the audience, “Our responsibility is to step up, whether you are a democrat, republican or an independent.

You are a Rhode Islander – make the state move forward.”

Barbara Sokoloff, a member of the Board of Directors, presented the Nominating Committee Report, and Doris Feinberg, installing officer, welcomed the officers for the 2015-2016 boards of Jewish Alliance of Greater R.I., Jewish Federation Foundation and Alliance Reality, Inc. Sharon Gaines, chair of the Board of Directors, provided the closing remarks. She promised to continue to work tirelessly to uphold the Alliance’s

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Barbara Sokoloff presents the nominating committee report.

PHOTOS BY FRAN OSTENDORF

Sara and Harold Foster before the meeting.

Jeffrey Savit salutes board members. strong set of values. Gaines admitted to having been guided by a strategic plan that was developed for an organization different from the one that exists today. To address this, she and Savit are convening a committee that will focus on the needs of the community. Gaines said, “The fate of the Alliance rests with us.”

Neil Beranbaum listens to the program.

16 | June 19, 2015

The Jewish Voice

Classic

30th Annual Dwares JCC

GOLF

THANK YOU TO THIS YEAR’S SPONSORS! Dwares Rhode Island

Special thanks to our Double Eagle Sponsors:

Eagle Sponsors: Bonnie & Donald Dwares | Allergy & Asthma Associates, Inc.

Patty & Mel Alperin Pamela & Jeffrey Vogel Skip & Sue Weingeroff: in honor of Bonnie & Donald Dwares

Birdie Sponsors: Since 1959

Kenneth & Wendy Joblon

Par Sponsors: Ralph & Clara Shuster Foundation

Additional Thanks To: AAA Northeast | Gamm Theatre | Marcy & Rick Granoff | International Tennis Hall of Fame | M & G Materials Handling Co. M.S. Walker | New England Marketing Consultants, Inc. | Pawtucket Credit Union | Providence Performing Arts Center Reliance Standard Life Insurance Co. | Linda & Dick Silverman | Jeff Sparr | TOR-SHAL Capital, LLC | Town Wine & Spirits

HEALTH & WELLNESS

thejewishvoice.org

June 19, 2015 |

17

Don’t diet – eat smart The virtues of Mediterranean cuisine

BY IRINA MISSIURO imissiuro@jewishallianceri.org We’ve all heard the adage, “You are what you eat.” Are we? Medical researchers think so. Does this mean that Marilyn Monroe was bitter during her self-imposed diet periods, when she ate nothing but grapefruit and coffee? Perhaps, but it’s more likely that the saying refers to our physical well-being. If we eat healthy foods, we will not only be in better shape, but also lead longer lives. And who doesn’t want to be strong, agile and fit, not to mention live to see his great-grandchildren?

People are willing to go to great lengths to achieve this goal. They sacrifice numerous pleasures, including white pasta and creamy dressing, in the name of health and wellness.

Yet, is giving up enjoyment of delicious foods necessary to gain years and lose weight?

Doesn’t the ability to bite into a crusty baguette mean anything to anyone anymore? If you are on a diet that forbids bleached flour, sugar and saturated fat, you will probably choose edamame beans for your snack.

Sorry, you can’t have your bread and eat it, too.

Is that right? Shira Hirshberg, MS, RDN, LDN, is a registered dietitian nutritionist who received her master’s in nutrition from the University of Rhode Island and completed her clinical training at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. She specializes in prevention, helping her clients reduce their risk of cancer, diabetes and heart disease with evidence-based counseling. This founder of All Foods Nutrition (allfoodsnutrition.com) disagrees with such rigidity. About allowing yourself to “cheat” once in a while, she says, “I still indulge in special treats on occasion, as I believe in my motto ‘all foods can be part of a healthy life.’ ” But

just because a nutritionist said, let them eat cake, you shouldn’t demolish the whole platter – remember to enjoy dessert in moderation.

While Hirshberg doesn’t recommend any particular diet, she does like the Mediterranean eating pattern because it reduces the risk of many major chronic diseases. She points out that a sizable body of research indicates that those who adhere to this regimen are less likely to die, get cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer. In fact, her own food choices closely resemble those of the Mediterranean diet. “I put a strong emphasis on vegetables, fruit, nuts, beans and whole grains, include regular eggs and fish and use olive oil as my fat of choice.” She’s on the right track, considering all the hype around the diet in 2014. Hirshberg admits that the encouraging evidence is compelling; however, she cautions that most studies don’t pinpoint cause and effect.

Hirshberg did fi nd strong evidence from a large randomized study that supports the health claims with hard numbers. It shows that people who followed a Mediterranean diet reduced their diabetes risk by half, compared with those who ate a lowfat diet. She says, “The good news is that these people were less likely to get diabetes even if they didn’t lose any weight or exercise more, so it’s likely that their food choices made the difference.” Despite the fi ndings, Hirshberg acknowledges that the study did have a caveat – it was conducted in Spain, where the typical eating pattern more closely resembles a Mediterranean diet, naturally predisposing the participants to certain ingredient preferences.

Last year, the Mediterranean diet was constantly in the news after Annual Reviews published a research-based study, which Dr. David Katz and

Stephanie Meller of Yale University’s Prevention Research Center conducted on the best diet. Their fi ndings indicated that those eating patterns that are composed of plants and allow few processed foods forestall disease and benefit health.

Hence, if cancer or heart disease runs in your family, you can help your genes by following your kids’ lead – become a picky eater. But instead of pushing the peas to the side of your plate, consider embracing the challenge and learning how to eat them before they roll off your fork. Who knows, maybe you will singlehandedly change the meaning of the expression, causing “picky eater” to become a compliment. So, if you like the principles of the Mediterranean diet and decide to teach the young by loading up

on fruits, veggies, healthy oils and wholegrain starches, – according to research – your body might be in better shape from the smart choices.

So what should you expect if the regimen’s principles sound intriguing to you? Yes, you will eat a great amount of fiber and antioxidant-rich foods on the Mediterranean diet, but you will also be able to indulge in a glass of wine with dinner.

Those with asthma or weight loss struggles will especially benefit from the eating pattern.

The great aspect of the diet is its flexibility. For instance, if you do give it a try, you don’t have to avoid carbohydrates – you can just choose the ones that are favorable to your health.

Those who decide to adhere to the Mediterranean diet should keep in mind that foods Mother

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Nature created are always preferable to manmade. In case you might appreciate some concrete examples for the times when it’s hard to settle on a healthy dish in a sea of indulgent options on a menu, consider the selections below. While numerous restaurants around Rhode Island offer dishes that illustrate the principles of the eating pattern, here are five to consider.

Mediterraneo Caffe, 134 Atwells Ave., Providence. 401331-7760 Insalate Caprese: Vine ripe tomatoes, homemade mozzarella and fresh basil drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil and aged balsamic vinegar.

Efendis Mediterranean Cuisine, 160 Atwood Ave., Cranston. 401-943-8800 Eggplant Napoleon: Marinated grilled eggplant topped with caramelized onions, black olives, roasted red peppers, roasted garlic, feta cheese, extra-virgin olive oil and fresh basil.

Andreas Restaurant, 268 Thayer St., Providence. 401-3317879 Haddock “Spetsai” Style: Fresh native Haddock poached in plum tomato, Kalamata olive, caper berry and Greek herb salsa.

Opa Restaurant, 230 Atwells Ave., Providence. 401-351-8282 Salmon Salad: Fresh grilled salmon resting on a nest of mixed greens, then tossed with garlic, cilantro and olive oil dressing.

Inter national Pocket Café, 52 East Main Road, Middletown. 401-849-8900 or Kingston Emporium, 99 Fortin Road, Kingston. 401-782-2720 Grape Leaves: Stuffed with rice, parsley, tomatoes and cooked in olive oil.

IRINA MISSIURO is a writer and editorial consultant for The Jewish Voice.

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18 | June 19, 2015

The Jewish Voice

Visit the invigorated J-Fitness Lisa Mongeau and Dori Venditti welcome everyone

BY IRINA MISSIURO imissiuro@jewishallianceri.org J-Fitness has experienced an epiphany. Turns out, in order to foster a sense of community, you need to focus on the individual. That’s exactly what’s in store for the members who arrive to work out. So, if you haven’t been honoring your New Year’s resolution, now’s the time to begin. Feeling sluggish?

Still, plan a visit to J-Fitness, if only to check out the changes and meet the newest members of the team, Dori Venditti, J-Fitness general manager, and Lisa Mongeau, consultant and founder of Body Soul Inspired Personal Training, J-Fitness’s new partner that will offer its services to Dwares JCC members.

Longtime members might remember Venditti from her stint as a part-time instructor at the center in 2001-04. She left for a full-time job in corporate fitness, working her way up to manager, a position she lost when she was suddenly laid off this January. That’s when she reconnected with Mongeau, who was in talks with the JCC to become a consultant. Now, Venditti is a manager for Body Soul, – “my right-hand person, an extension of me,” as Mongeau refers to her.

Venditti calls the timing “fateful,” saying that the cir-

PHOTO | IRINA MISSIURO

Lisa Mongeau and Dori Venditti in the “farmhand training room.” cumstances provided her with an ideal opportunity. A past college athlete who loves working with people, Venditti sees the position as a perfect fusion of physical (fitness) and emotional (relationships). The job is everything she had hoped for – in addition to managing, Venditti will have a chance to continue as a trainer (her “first love”) as well as teach classes and do nutrition consults. She has been staying current in the field by

keeping up with her certifications through American Council on Exercise (ACE).

Venditti says she grew up a tomboy – always playing sports, always outside. The more competitive she became, the more she exercised. When the time came to choose a major in college, Venditti selected human development, graduating with a bachelor’s of science from University of Rhode Island Straight out of college, she

stumbled onto a chance to work at a bank and decided to give it a try. Stressed out and unhappy, she felt frustrated about not having the power to correct inefficiencies. Nevertheless, Venditti doesn’t begrudge her time there. She says, “I needed to do it to know that it wasn’t for me.”

Managing a fitness center is much more Venditti’s cup of Gatorade. She says she has a good vibe with the team members, whom she trusts to make

the right decisions with their clients. She thinks that having a rapport with the team is important because it shows the trainers that they are valued, increases productivity and decreases stress. Venditti approves of trainers exercising or going on bike rides with members to learn more about them and to know how the machines work. In addition, when members see how interactive the J-Fitness staff is, they realize that the organization cares about them.

Asked about her preference with regards to workouts, Venditti admits to being partial to functional sessions that involve body leveraging. As an example, she mentions a workout that entails hitting a sledge hammer on a tire, and can be done in the center’s old racquetball room, which was initially transformed into a mind/body studio, and now has morphed into “a farmhand training room.”

Seeing a questioning look, she explains further, “It’s like working out in a barn. Nothing gives you a better workout. You are using your body the way it was designed to be used. You’re staying young.”

Mongeau chimes in, saying that such workouts are a great way to subscribe to a healthy

J-FITNESS | 19

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HEALTH & WELLNESS

thejewishvoice.org

June 19, 2015 |

19

ECC staff gather after painting the tires.

Tires CATCH a new life The David C. Isenberg Early Childhood Center teachers designed and painted tires June 16 during a staff training. The project was inspired by the JCCA Discover CATCH curriculum: healthy eating, gardening and physical activity, according to Nicole Katzman, director.

The teachers worked as teams to create their designs. There

are nine tire planters in all that will have flowers in them when completed. There was even tire created in the style of Jackson Pollock.

“We teach the children about tikun olam, repairing the world, and this project teaches recycling and taking care of plants,” she said.

D’Ambra’s Sunoco, located on Hope Street, donated the used

tires, and Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island facilities manager, Dave McShane, and crew assisted in purchasing materials, paints and disposable brushes.

The tire garden will remain in the front of the school for the children and families to admire.

PHOTOS | FRAN OSTENDORF

Painted tires await planting.

Once a month on a Friday, the seniors at the Alliance Kosher Café at the Dwares JCC have an opportunity to participate in a Tai Chi for Arthritis program. Led by Chris Carlow, the short lesson uses slow gentle movements to strengthen joints and to help balance, focus and agility.

FROM PAGE 18

| J-FITNESS

lifestyle that advocates fueling yourself right and training yourself for everyday living.

She brings up obstacle course races, which she believes to be so popular because they go back to the basics – crawling, jumping and running. “It’s a satisfaction you can’t get from a treadmill.” She prefers variety, saying, “There’s no one way to work out.” Yet, Mongeau concedes that the style really depends on the individual. That’s why trainers take their time to learn about their clients so that they can be certain of the best way to train them. She admits that many see the price of a session with a trainer as a

splurge, but adds that they also realize that it’s better to invest in health than in a box of fancy cigars. After all, Mongeau says, training is about quality of life, not your abs.

Mongeau knows what she is talking about – she has 20 years’ experience behind her belt. A past J-Fitness director, she realized that people needed her after receiving a call from Jeff Vogel, who motivated her to open a business. Mongeau credits her husband John, daughter Rachael (who picked out the colors for Body Soul’s holistic logo), sister Amy and parents, Jerry and Sue Cournoyer, with guiding her. She says, “I am

where I am today because of my parents.”

In fact, it was her mother who started her off on the fitness path. Concerned about her daughter’s weight, she brought her to a doctor, who instructed the eighth-grader to pick a sport. At 4’11”, Mongeau wasn’t deterred by height – she tried out and made the middle school basketball team – an accomplishment that inspired her lifestyle change. Mongeau went on to play the sport through high school and college. Ultimately, she added triathelons, Reiki and yoga to her fitness repertoire. Mongeau received certifications in multiple disciplines, including personal training and nutrition, attending nu-

merous wellness seminars to enhance her knowledge.

She believes that exercising is a balance between internal motivation and physical limitations. To achieve equilibrium, she thinks it’s important to see a fitness professional who keeps up with the studies and weeds out fads. When a potential client contacts Body Soul, she makes sure that she finds the right trainer for his particular style and workout preference. Starting July, all existing J-Fitness trainers will begin working for Body Soul out of Dwares JCC. Venditti says that the energy of Body Soul is contagious.

Because the trainers inspire through fitness, she envisions their vigor helping her to get

operations in order. Mongeau concurs, saying that when the Alliance reached out to her for personal training, she understood that they recognized the need for both parties to partner. Now, she says, “We are a high-quality, enthusiastic professional organization that’s here to help your life.”

Mongeau asks the community to consider the center again.

She’s urging everyone to visit Dwares JCC or call her (401714-7324). Mongeau is excited about the future. “If you’ve left, we invite you back.” When you return, she says, you will see quality, experience and passion. Mongeau sums up, “Hold on to your hats!”

20 | June 19, 2015

HEALTH & WELLNESS

The Jewish Voice

Chasing the dream

BY LINDA AMORE, RN Most people will spend about one-third of their lives sleeping – that is if they are fortunate enough to be able to sleep. Each year 60-100 million of us wake each day but do not feel rested.

A few years ago I became one of the countless victims to suffer from the oh-so-common disorder known as insomnia.

In response to this agonizing quest for somnolence, I, like so many others, began to search for the magic pharmaceutical that would restore balance to my wake/sleep cycle. It is likely that physicians will have no shortage of drug recommendations for us, as the market is flooded with various medications that claim to give us a good night’s sleep. Before electing to go that route, it is important that we understand some basics in an effort to end the torturous, long hours in bed trying to drift off to sleep.

Insomnia, defi ned as difficulty getting to and/or maintaining sleep – or waking up too early thereby losing sleep (which then affects daytime function) – is the most common sleep disorder. Other conditions such as narcolepsy, sleep apnea and restless leg syndrome have a biological component and may require a different treatment approach.

If these conditions are suspected, you may want to consult with your physician or a sleep lab at one of the local hos-

witness your wellness

pitals, where they are equipped to perform overnight or day nap studies.

Short-term insomnia, as a result of mental or physical stress, will surely affect all of us at some point during our lifetime. This can last from several weeks up to a few months.

When sleep issues drag on, however, occurring at least three times per week for three or more months, and they cannot be attributed to insufficient access to sleep or a poor sleep environment, the sleep problem is considered chronic.

“Sleep hygiene” as it has come to be known, or the ways in which we alter our lifestyle or behaviors to create an atmosphere conducive to sleep, is vital to obtain the sleep we need.

associated with poor sleep.

Our bodies are naturally programmed to sleep seven to eight hours per day.

“Cheating” on the number of hours we sleep has consequences to our emotional, mental and

insomnia you are experiencing as well as your age and medical history.

In recent years we have seen an increase in the number of medications on the market to treat insomnia. Some medi-

The following habits have been shown to improve sleep:

physical health. Furthermore, “catching up” on sleep does not provide us with the same benefits as a normal night’s sleep.

Repeated nights of poor sleep or no sleep will affect you the next day. You may be irritable, sluggish, impatient, forgetful and your job performance can suffer. You’ll be yearning to go home and what else … sleep!

That, however, is not the solution because a long afternoon nap will surely interfere with a good night’s sleep. Get the picture?

If your efforts fail to produce sleep, it may be time to consult your physician about a prescription. Selecting a medication will depend on the type of

cations are developed specifically for insomnia, whereas others are used for a primary purpose other than sleep (e.g., antidepressants, antipsychotics or antiseizure medications), but have the secondary effect of sedation.

I have often heard people express fear about using medications to sleep, thinking they will become addicted or not wake up from the induced sleep.

Fortunately, many of the newer medications are shorter acting, safer and do not leave you with a “hangover” the next morning.

It is wise, however, not to suddenly discontinue a medication that you’ve been taking for a long time. This abrupt cessa-

• Avoid stimulants such as caffeine products and tobacco which can keep you up for eight or more hours after ingestion.

• Avoid alcohol which interferes with normal sleep patterns.

• Avoid heavy meals or vigorous exercise five to six hours before bedtime • Allow about one hour before sleep to wind down – keep your bedroom cool, dark and quiet and avoid watching TV or using the computer at bedtime.

• Establish a set time to turn in and get up in the morning.

Every effort should be made to eliminate any bad habits

tion may cause you to experience withdrawal symptoms or even rebound insomnia.

All things considered, it is possible to fi nd a safe, effective medication to produce sleep – the alternative of not sleeping can certainly cause you to experience even more disagreeable consequences. Herbal products are also available but, like any drug, may contain ingredients that interfere with other prescription medications. The FDA does not regulate herbal products, so limited data is available. Some of the more widely used herbal remedies include valerian, melatonin and chamomile. Again, before trying one of these products it’s a good idea to run it by your physician.

Following are two sleep labs in Rhode Island where you may schedule an evaluation: Roger Williams Hospital (401-351-2747) and Kent County Hospital (401737-7010). Check to see if your insurance company requires a referral.

Also, the National Sleep Foundation @ sleep.org may offer some valuable information.

Pursuing a good night’s sleep is worth the effort; “when you have insomnia, you’re never really asleep, and you’re never really awake.” (from the movie “Fight Club”).

LINDA AMORE, RN is program manager of Home Care Solutions a program of Jewish Family Service.

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thejewishvoice.org

June 19, 2015 |

21

Gussie Baxt

FROM PAGE 1

| BAXT

Gussie continues the tradition as she makes a gift toward improvement of the Dwares JCC. Victor, who spent 65 years at Teknor Apex including as president and chairman of the board, passed away in 2012. Now, Gussie is making a $500,000 gift to “help complete the wonderful project of rejuvenation of the Dwares JCC… to make it part of the community and all that it offers,” she says.

At 91, the Providence native knows it’s important to bring in young families to the building.

Growing up in Providence, she remembers going to parties at the old Benefit Street building and the holiday celebrations.

“There was such a warm feeling of being welcome there,” she says. She wants that welcoming atmosphere to continue for Jews and non-Jews alike long into the future.

Gussie says that she was delighted to hear about the plans for the improvement to the Dwares JCC, spearheaded by a contribution from Donald and Bonnie Dwares.

Now Gussie’s gift will go toward the planned renovation of the Social Hall. Ceilings will be lowered, flooring, walls and lighting replaced. The result will be simple and elegant, a room that will welcome the entire community. Gussie says

The new social hall as seen from the stage in a rendering by the architects. she was excited to see the plans for the project, and they have her approval. “It looks good.

I’m very happy with it,” she said. “You’re doing something that you hope is going to last for many, many years.”

Gussie a mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, interviewed at her Providence home just a few minutes from the JCC, carries a quiet elegance about her. She met Victor after both were widowed and they married in 1967.

While they were very successful, she described both her and Victor as coming from humble beginnings. In talking with her, you get the sense of a person who wants to give back to the communities that wel-

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comed them, helped shaped the lives of their family and helped them succeed. And so Victor and Gussie have a long history of philanthropy to such institutions as The Miriam Hospital and the University of Rhode Island, where Victor earned his undergraduate degree. Gussie continues to contribute where she sees need in the community.

“We’ve been very fortunate,” she says.

Jeffrey Savit, president and CEO of the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island, describes Gussie as a wonderful human being. “Her gift to the

Dwares JCC and our community has not only inspired others to follow her lead and contribute to our Capital Campaign, but magnificently honors the legacy of her late husband Victor. The Victor and Gussie Baxt Social Hall will become an elegant, lovely, welcoming and inclusive gathering space, four characteristics which so perfectly describe Gussie Baxt herself.

The Baxt gift is part of a $6 million campaign goal to modernize and make the entire building secure and accessible for all community members. In

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addition to the social hall, renovations are envisioned for the front and back entrances, upstairs and downstairs lobbies, pool, Early Childhood Center, accessible elevators, locker rooms, and health clubs. So far, roughly $5 million has been secured and fundraising efforts are continuing. For more information about the Dwares JCC Capital Campaign, please contact Trine Lustig, VP of Philanthropy.

FRAN OSTENDORF is editor of The Jewish Voice.

22 | June 19, 2015

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June 19, 2015 |

$50,000 available to Jewish groups PROVIDENCE – Jewish community charitable organizations, synagogues and day schools from Barrington to East Greenwich have until June 25 to apply for more than $50,000 in grants from the Rhode Island Foundation through the Bliss, Gross, Horowitz Fund.

Proposals should develop connections between the Jewish community and greater Rhode Island, deepen the understanding of Jewish life and culture

through scholarship and historic preservation, or provide for basic human needs such as food and housing. In addition, funding can be used for capacity-building activities such as board development, strategic planning, nonprofit business development, fundraising or program evaluation.

Proposals should have clearly stated goals and objectives, measurable outcomes and a clear sustainability plan.

Grants typically range from $5,000 to $25,000.

Last year’s recipients include Camp JORI’s Performing Arts Camp program, the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island’s effort to archive Jewish life in South Providence, Jewish Family Service of Rhode Island’s Hope, Health, and Healing program; and Jewish Senior Services Agency of Rhode Island’s Jewish Eldercare program. The Rhode Island Foun-

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dation is the largest and most comprehensive funder of nonprofit organizations in Rhode Island. In 2014, the Foundation awarded $34.8 million in grants to organizations addressing the state’s most pressing issues and needs of diverse communities.

For more information about applying for a Bliss, Gross, Horowitz Fund grant at the Foundation, contact Toby Shepherd at 401-427-4008 or tshepherd@rifoundation.org.

Stolzman receives Dorothy Lohmann Community Service Award

On June 18, the Rhode Island Bar Association presented Robert I. Stolzman, Esq., the 2015 Dorothy Lohmann Community Service Award. The 2015 Annu-

al Meeting Awards Reception took place at the Rhode Island Convention Center in Providence. The award recognizes Rhode Island attorneys who do-

Calling all PC grads from the ’20s, ’30s and ’40s

Did you attend Providence College before 1950? Are you Jewish? If so, we want to hear your story!

Dr. Arthur Urbano of the Theology Department and Dr. Jennifer Illuzzi of the History Department are conducting research on the history and experiences of Jewish students at PC in the College’s early decades (1917-1950).

The purpose is to increase awareness of this fascinating aspect of PC’s early history as the centennial year approaches. Whether you graduated or not, we are interested in learn-

ing about your time at PC. We are looking for alumni and former students who are Jewish and are willing to be interviewed for the project. We’d also appreciate any information from families of deceased Jewish alumni and former students who attended PC in this period.

If you are interested in participating, please contact Dr. Arthur Urbano – by email: aurbano@providence.edu; by phone: 401-865-1351; or by mail: Theology Department, Providence College, 1 Cunningham Sq., Providence, R.I. 02918.

nate their time and expertise.

Named after Attorney Dorothy Lohmann, it reflects her dedication to bringing justice to the most vulnerable in society. In addition to providing legal assistance on matters including poverty law, landlord-tenant disputes and domestic relations, she volunteered at human service organizations and advocated for laws that would benefit the poor. The committee unanimously selected Stolzman as the recipient for his exemplary service to the Jewish Orphanage of Rhode Island (Camp JORI).

Stolzman’s longtime commitment to Camp JORI echoes L oh ma n n’s pr i nciples. For the past 25 years, he has volunteered legal counsel to the camp. During the last 16 of those years, Stolzman managed the legal issues associated with the conversion of the bankrupt Cards Campground.

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24 | June 19, 2015

SENIORS

The Jewish Voice

A story of a creative legacy “I was born in the Negev desert.

The Turkish Ottoman Empire was crumbling, but my family was busy rebuilding the Hebrew language,” she said.

Varda Lev asked me to her home in the vicinity of the

SKETCHBOOK MIKE FINK

statue of Roger Williams. She wanted to show me the work of her twin brothers, Ori and Ari Sherman, both now of blessed memory. Ori’s paintings are inspired largely by Hebrew scriptural passages. They illustrate sacred but also familiar excerpts, sometimes the lyrics of psalms or good words from Ecclesiastes. The calligraphy is incorporated into the woodcuts, the prints, the watercolors, the oil canvas paintings – landscapes and portraits. Perhaps the most impressive and remarkable aspect of this collection on the walls of her house is that Ori started his art career as a very young boy, continuing as a teen, as a scholarship student at the Rhode Island School of Design and through-

out all the chapters of his life.

Varda guided me from room to room – vestibule to parlor to dining room to kitchen to stairwell to upstairs chambers and even to the bathroom. Although she explained each piece (“Please note that Ori also designed, by hand, the frames!”), she added, “My brother would never answer my questions about what he was thinking, what the symbolism was, of the beast, or the face, or form. He claimed he couldn’t remember and also didn’t believe the maker should say in words what he already has expressed in color and line.”

I’m not great with tape recorder, camera or even the power of memorization. I can only wait until somehow the story of the day’s adventure comes out within my recall, as I tell the tale of the visit.

Ori was a twin, “two sides of a coin,” but they lived the breadth of the American continent apart. Since “Ari” means “lion” in Hebrew, the image of a fierce feline probably suggests that, despite their distance, they were also intimately and deeply bound together.

Ori cut quite a figure at RISD. I found the quails, skeletons and plants from the Nature Lab in pantry and bathroom.

Both brothers were not only

The face of Varda. immensely talented and intelligent, with multiple talents from linguistic to musical, clerical to diplomatic; they were also both homosexual.

“It broke their father’s heart. I believe the knowledge actually killed him.

He was a humble and practical man. He wanted them to earn their own livelihoods, didn’t approve at all of art for art’s sake. He wanted Ori to major in textiles, a useful craft, not painting. He worshipped the normal and ordinary. They were handsome young men, and liked women, who adored

COURTESY | MIKE FINK

This circus picture by Ori suggests the freedom of line, the almost dancing shapes. them each. By the end of their lives they had particular partners, and I considered them my own brothers. But life was tragic for them.”

I added that their incredible lives had meaning, and that every human soul has its destiny. I like to cite Shakespeare.

“There’s a Divinity that shapes our ends, rough-hew them how we will.” For now, I’ll leave it like that, with just a few glimpses into the fabulous legacy Ori’s work and Varda’s heritage add

up to. “I’d love to have a show in a gallery or within a museum, to celebrate this wonderful person and poet. I hereby invite your Bible class, come September, to visit and study these images of a century of Jewish visual thought and memory,” she said MIKE FINK (mfink33@aol. com) teaches at RISD.

SENIORS

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June 19, 2015 |

25

REMEMBER THE PAST From the Rhode Island Jewish Historical Association

Music, Music, Music

BY GERALDINE S. FOSTER When we moved to Rhode Island in 1936, we lived for a time with my Uncle Shaya, who owned a tall lacquered cabinet, strictly off limits to me. It housed his Victrola.

To operate this amazing (to me) device, you had to insert a crank into a niche on the side and rotate it until it could turn no more. Next came the tricky part.

You had to carefully place the stylus on the outer groove of the spinning disc. Missing the mark could send the stylus skittering across the record, causing irreparable scratches or even dooming it to the dustbin. Electrolas, or electric phonographs, were available then, but this was the Depression. Use it up, wear it out, only then replace it was the order of the day. Besides, why add to the electric bill?

I was in high school before I became aware that music other than classical or cantorial could be found on records at shops like Les Brown’s (later renamed Beacon Records) owned by Milton and Ruth Israeloff. After World War II, Ray Muffs opened Muffet’s Music in downcity, which became the “go-to” place for hard-to-find records and albums.

These memories came to the fore after an interview with Seymour Ladd. Before his retire-

ment, he owned the first chain of record shops in Rhode Island, promoted musical performances and managed performers. Along the way, he also initiated the first ticket agency for events in local venues large and small.

Ladd, who plays the clarinet, entered the music business after a stint as a theater manager and rack jobber. He got a taste of the record business while working at Muffet’s and decided to open his own shop.

The years following World War II saw the beginning of the boom in record collecting. “It was,” Ladd said, “a time of transition.”

Vinyl records replaced the heavier “shellacs.” The long-playing 33 would soon appear. Of particular appeal to teens were the singles recordings on 45s, 59 cents each, which could be played on a small phonograph built specifically for that size record, an ideal fit for a teen’s bedroom. The new hobby of collecting records caught fire.

Ladd opened his first record shop, Cranston Music Center, Feb. 18, 1954, four months to the day after he and Shirley were married.

Cranston, he felt, was an underserved area. The shop was located on Park Avenue across the street from Cranston High School (now Cranston High School East).

Ladd’s shop did not have the glass-enclosed listening booths,

Seymour Ladd in one of his record shops. into which, according to an urban legend, half a dozen teens would squeeze to listen to records. By that time the booths were passé.

“When school let out,” Ladd stated, “the kids made a beeline for Cranston Music Center. The store was loaded. They did not have cars to take them away immediately. Not all were paying customers, but they had a good time listening to the music I played for them. They were mostly polite.” He also dealt a great deal with mentally and physically challenged groups. They came

by special transport ostensibly to buy records, but mainly to listen. He enjoyed complying with their requests for songs because they enjoyed the music so much.

By 1973, Ladd had relocated the Music Center to Garden City in Cranston and opened Ladd’s Music on the East Side of Providence, in East Providence and in Wakefield.

Looking back on his experience, Ladd said before he entered business, he was still playing the clarinet and was interested in music of all sorts. His friend

Cantor Karl Kritz had a radio program – the Jewish Hour – on WRIB. “He and I sold the advertising and got the music together: some klezmer, some Yiddish pop songs, some cantorial. Klezmer is still a favorite of mine.” They also began promoting live performances.

The first was a benefit for Hebrew Day School in 1953 at Veteran’s Auditorium featured the famed tenor Jan Peerce. It was a prelude to his later enterprise, beginning in 1963, that brought big band music and celebrity musicians to venues like Loew’s (now Providence Performing Arts Center), the Albee Theatre and Rhodes-on-the-Pawtuxet.

Ladd closed his last store in 2003, a small shop in Warwick filled with records and cassette tapes that no longer attracted many customers. Newer ways of listening to music had brought about the demise of the record shop, but as the lyricist wrote: The song is ended, but the memory lingers on (lyric by Beda Loehner, music by Irving Berlin).

GERALDINE FOSTER is a past president of the Rhode Island Jewish Historical Association. To comment about this or any Rhode Island Jewish Historical Association article, email info@rijha.org

Jewish War Veterans honor the departed

BY IRA JAY FLEISHER Memorial day 2015 was May 25.

Traditionally that would have meant that the Jewish War Veterans would have held their annual memorial service on May 24.

This year would be different. The first day of Shavuot was the same day, so the observance was held on May 31. The change in date did not diminish the event.

Approximately 200 people came to Lincoln Park Cemetery to take part in the ceremony. The chairman of the event was the Hon. Sanford H. Gorodetsky, department commander. Remarks were offered by several dignitaries, and the principal speaker was Captain Howard Goldman,

commander, Naval Undersea Warfare Center Newport. A solemn event, 57 names of veterans who died in the past year were added to the memorial wall. The Rhode Island National Guard provided military honors under the direction of Brigadier General Charles E. Petrarca Jr., and religious observances were led

by Rabbi Richard Perlman and Cantor Remmie Brown.

IRA JAY FLEISHER is senior vice commander, Jewish War Veterans, Dept. of Rhode Island.

For information about membership in Jewish War Veterans, please contact him at ijinri@aol. com.

JFS Kosher Senior Café moves to Temple Sinai

On June 17, the Kosher Senior Café in West Bay, formerly at Temple Am David in Warwick, was relocated to Temple Sinai at 30 Hagen Ave., Cranston. Delicious kosher meals are served Monday through Friday at noon.

Reservations are required. Call Steve at 401-743-0009 for more information or to make a reservation.

On June 26 there will be a grand

opening celebration from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Lunch will be served at noon with music by Hava Galina and Like No Udder mobile nondairy soft serve. A bus will leave the Dwares JCC at 10:30 a.m., returning at 1:30 p.m. Program is free; a donation of $3 is appreciated for lunch. Lunch reservations are required. Call Neal or Elaine at 401-421-4111, ext. 107.

26 | June 19, 2015 Ruth Baker, 64 SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Ruth S. Baker of Smithfield died June 15 at PhilipA Hulitar Inpatient Center, Providence. Born in Providence, a beloved daughter of the late Benjamin and Sadie (Horowitz) Baker, she had lived in Smithfield since 1991. She was a nurse for numerous hospitals and facilities in Rhode Island and Florida.

Ruth served in the Army Reserve Nurse Corps from 1987-2001. Dear sister of Charles Baker of Redlands, Calif.

Contributions in her memory may be made to the American Diabetes Association, 146 Clifford St., Providence, R.I. 02903 or the American Cancer Society, 931 Jefferson Blvd., Suite 3004, Warwick, R.I. 02886.

Wini Galkin, 84 PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Wini (Blacher) Galkin died June 2.

She was the wife of Bob Galkin; they have been best friends and partners since 1952. She was born in Providence, a daughter of the late Benjamin and Esther (Gleckman) Blacher.

She was a Pembroke College (Brown University) graduate, majoring in Art, and she received an honorary Doctor of Humanities from R.I. College.

She was a part of the family business, Natco Products, which has now continued into the fourth generation.

She was appointed a Rhode Island Commodore and received a Laurel Award from the Preservation Society of Newport.

She will be remembered as kind-hearted, generous, philanthropic and courageous. She

OBITUARIES loved to travel, read, visit the beach and dance. Her interests included collecting, fashion and entertaining. She had a love of family and was a loyal friend.

She was full of fun and life and enjoyed her family and many wonderful friends.

Besides her husband, she is survived by her loving daughters Jane Litner, Debby Krim, Ellen Kenner, their husbands and families; 6 grandchildren; 1 great-granddaughter; and her sister Nancy Shuster.

Contributions in her memory may be made to Miriam Hospital, 164 Summit Ave., Providence, R.I. 02906.

Mimi Hanflik, 96 EAST GREENWICH, R.I. – Mimi Hanflik died June 3 at St. Elizabeth Home. She was the beloved wife of the late Joseph Hanflik. Born in Vienna, Austria, a daughter of the late Abraham and Rachel (Goldfarb) Gruner, she had lived in East Greenwich, previously living in Hallandale, Fla. and Flint, Mich.

She was a life member of Hadassah and was active in the Congregation Beth Israel Sisterhood. Devoted mother of Henry Hanflik and his wife, Nancy, of Flint, Mich., Linda Miller and her husband, Paul, of West Warwick, and Robert Hanflik and his wife, Susan, of Cranston. Dear sister of the late Fay Parnes, Stella Koenig, Max Gruner and Anna Berg. Loving grandmother of Robyn, Jessica, Andrew, Jason and Charles.

Cherished great-grandmother of Maya and Aviva.

Contributions in her memory may be made to Jewish Eldercare of R.I., 100 Niantic Ave., Providence, R.I. 02907 or Hadassah, 17 Pocahontas Dr., Middletown, R.I. 02842.

The Jewish Voice

Robert Alan Hochberg, 67 BRISTOL, R.I. – Robert Alan Hochberg died June 3. He was the husband of Sandy (Schnell) Hochberg. Born in Newport, the son of the late Jack and Antoinette (Weiss) Hochberg, he had been a resident of Bristol for eight years. He had been an attorney for 43 years. Besides his wife, he is survived by his children; Jay Hochberg (Chad Valadez) of Ketchikan, AK, and Ben Hochberg (Adi) of Avon, Conn., and his sister; Jocelyn Bernson (Norman) of Newton, Mass.

Contributions in his memory may be made to the East Bay Food Pantry, 150 Franklin St., Bristol, R.I. 02809 or the Bristol Animal Shelter, 10 Minturn Farm Road, Bristol, R.I. 02809.

Harold Koslow, 90 GREENVILLE, R.I. – Harold Koslow, from Village at Waterman Lake, died June 16 at the Village. He was the beloved husband of Harriett (Wiesel) Koslow for 70 years.

Born in Boston, Mass., a son of the late Franklin and Rebecca (Rubin) Koslow, he had lived in Cranston for many years before moving to Greenville more than three years ago. He was the owner of Colonial Pharmacy in Providence for 30 years and was a Hospital Pharmacy administrator for the State of Rhode Island for 20 years. He was a graduate of the University

of Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and received a master’s in Pharmacy from the University of Rhode Island. He was trained for war by the U.S. Navy at Notre Dame University. He was a WWII Navy veteran serving in the European Theater and was one of the youngest captains of a ship, at 19.

He was a past member of Temple Torat Yisrael and a past president of the Rotary Club. Devoted father of Franklin Koslow and his wife Kathleen of Foster and Linda Gershon and her husband Dr. Michael of Warwick. Dear brother of the late Herbert and Mitchell Koslow.

Loving grandfather of Jonathan (Melissa) Gershon, David (Lisa) Gershon, Jesse (Megan) Koslow and Evan Koslow. Cherished great-grandfather of Mia, Ava, Josh and Jake.

Contributions in his memory may be made to Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, 2348 Post Road, Ste. 202, Warwick, R.I. 02886 or Home & Hospice Care of R.I., 1085 North Main St., Providence, R.I. 02904.

Barbara A. Levine, 81 CRANSTON, R.I. – Barbara A. Levine died June 3 at Philip Hulitar Inpatient Center. She was the beloved wife of Bernard Levine for 59 years. Born in Providence, a daughter of the late Samuel and Mildred

(Kessler) Ress, she had lived in Cranston for 59 years. She was the owner of the former Antiquity in East Greenwich for 15 years, retiring many years ago.

She was a life member of Hadassah and a former member of Temple Torat Yisrael.

Devoted mother of Shari Lyn Levine of Cranston and the late Ronnee Ellen Levine.

Contributions in her memory may be made to Canine Assistants, 3160 Francis Road, Milton, Ga. 30004.

Cynthia H. Osit, 74 RAYNHAM, MASS. – Cynthia H. Osit died June 6. She was the wife of Craig Osit. Born in Providence, she was a daughter of the late Robert and Rose (Schwartz) Berlinsky. A graduate of Bryant University, she was a medical transcriptionist for many years.

Besides her husband, she is survived by her children, Lawrence Kirshon and his wife Annemarie of Norton, Mass., and Naomi Walton of Pepperell, Mass.; her siblings, Gloria Redlich and her husband Harold of Block Island, Socha Cantor and her husband Stephen, of Brighton, Mass., and Rabbi Ephraim Berlinsky of Providence; and her grandchildren Sofia, Amelia and Ethan.

Contributions may be made to the MS Society, 101 1st Ave., Ste. A, Waltham, Mass., 02451.

Bonna Devora Haberman, Women of the Wall founder, dies JTA — Bonna Devora Haberman, the founder of Women of the Wall, a group pressing for egalitarian prayer at the Western Wall, has died.

Haberman, a Canadian-born scholar, author and activist who lived in Israel and the United States, died June 16 of cancer, The Jerusalem Post reported.

Haberman taught at Harvard, Brandeis and the He-

brew University of Jerusalem, and was the author of “Israeli Feminism Liberating Judaism: Blood and Ink” and “Rereading Israel: The Spirit of the Matter.”

In addition to founding Women of the Wall in 1988, Haberman founded and directed Brandeis University’s Mistabra Institute for Jewish Textual Activism and co-directed, with the Palestinian

actor-director Kader Herini, an Israeli-Palestinian community theater project in Jerusalem called YTheater.

According to a post placed on Haberman’s Facebook page, she died at her Jerusalem home surrounded by family and friends.

She is survived by her husband, Shmuel Browns, and five children.

BOOKS

thejewishvoice.org

June 19, 2015 |

27

‘The Pope and Mussolini’

BY KARA MARZIALI kmarziali@jewishallianceri.org There are certain things you expect from a pope, and anti-Semitism is not one of them. In his latest book, “The Pope and Mussolini: The Secret History of Pius XI and the Rise of Fascism in Europe,” Pulitzer Prize-winning author and Providence resident David I. Kertzer exposes the lives of two men – Pope Pius XI and Italian dictator Benito Mussolini.

Their complex relationship, politicking and secrets changed the course of history.

Until the 2006 opening of the Vatican’s archives, much of Papal Rome’s association with Mussolini was speculative and controversial. Based on seven years of research in the Vatican and Fascist archives, Kertzer, a Brown University professor of Social Science and professor of Anthropology and Italian Studies, sheds light on the rise of Fascism and Natzism in Europe, as well as the alliance between the State of Italy and the Holy See. Pius XI and Mussolini are described as polar opposites. The

bespectacled pope, a former librarian, was erudite, pious, self-righteous, headstrong and reclusive. “Il Duce” (pronounced “eel DOO-cheh,” meaning “the chief” in Italian), Mussolini’s title for himself, was irreligious, egotistical, hot-tempered and a philanderer who came from peasant roots.

At times, Kertzer portrays the pope as an unwilling participant in the game of politics and Mussolini as a man who bullied his way to leadership in the Italian Fascist regime. However, the unlikely partnership between these two men served both the Church and the dictator for nearly two decades. They relied on each other to achieve their doctrinal and political objectives. “We have many interests to protect,” Pius XI said shortly after Mussolini gained control of the Italian government in 1922. Although the two men only met once, they communicated steadily via Catholic envoys, political ambassadors, representatives from the press, spies within the Church and surreptitious go-betweens.

The pope played a central part

PHOTO | BING.COM

Pius XI served as pope from 1922-1939 and supported the Fascist regime with certain stipulations. Benito Mussolini was Italy’s prime minister from 1922–43 and achieved notoriety as a Fascist dictator. in keeping the Italian dictator in power, and in exchange for Vatican support, Mussolini reestablished privileges the Church had lost, including mandatory religious education in schools and police enforcement of Catholic morality. Then in February of 1929, the signing of the Lateran Accords took place, sealing the fate for both men. The agreement, signed by the Italian Republic and the Holy See, recognized Vatican City as a sovereign and independent papal state with the pontiff as its recognized leader. In turn, the papacy declared neutrality in military and diplomatic conflicts of the world.

“To understand why the pope ended up embracing Mussolini you need to understand how embattled the popes of these years felt. … Mussolini promised to restore the Church and the clergy to a privileged position in Italy,” Kertzer told fellow author Jon

The Jewish Voice’s

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Meacham in an interview. “The pope dreamed of making Italy into what he called a ‘confessional’ Catholic state and planned to use Mussolini to help him accomplish his goal. [The pope’s] greatest fear was that the socialists and communists would take advantage of the multi-party chaos to come to power in Italy.

He saw Mussolini as the best bet for preventing it.”

Kertzer also uncovers that discrimination against Jews permeated the Catholic Church.

The Pope told Mussolini that the church needed to “rein in the children of Israel” and to take “protective measures against their evil-doing.” As il Duce developed a close political relationship to Hitler during the 1930s, a perfect storm was brewing.

Whether Pius XI could have changed the course of history by denouncing the Nazi party, condemning the mass murder of European Jews, excommuni-

cating Hitler or impeding Mussolini’s amassed power is subject for debate. What is known is that Europe would never be the same. As the Pope’s health failed and his trust in the European government diminished, Mussolini’s popularity grew to demigod status. For both pope and politician, their worldview was challenged, and each man was desperate to see his agenda carried out regardless of the cost.

Publishers Weekly called “The Pope and Mussolini” a “fastpaced must-read,” and the San Francisco Chronicle describes the book as “the real ‘Da Vinci Code.’ ” The Pope’s relationship with the Fascist leader is told in a historical and vivid way. Kertzer creates distinct biological sketches of Pope Pius XI and his chief cardinals, Mussolini and the men who helped enable the reign of Fascism in Italy; and the many women who dallied with Il Duce. With such a tremendous number of players, Kertzer includes a “cast of characters” section at the beginning of the book to reference.

The historical subject, scholarly approach and number of pages (592 total) may intimidate the average reader, but do not fret.

The book reads like a novel, with each page begging to be turned.

Kertzer magically weaves chronological context, hamartia, intrigue and even some sexual tension into this biopic gem.

KARA MARZIALI is the director of Communications for the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island and an avid reader.

28 | June 19, 2015

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The Jewish Voice

Learning-filled year at Cohen School

BY DORI ADLER The Cohen School at Temple Torat Yisrael, located in East Greenwich, celebrated its closing ceremonies and graduation on June 7 with many families in attendance. The program offered an opportunity for school leadership to express gratitude to all of the amazing people that helped the school have a successful year.

What a fast year it has been!

Last June, I attended the Cohen School’s closing ceremonies to present the Wendy B. Adler award in memory of my mother, and I was moved by the beauty of the temple and the friendliness of families. I felt in my heart from that day, that I wanted to be a part of this community and I am thankful that I was offered the opportunity to be the school director.

One of the most amazing lessons that I learned this year as a new school director is that the saying that “it takes a village” is true. On behalf of the Cohen School, I would like to thank the many people (the village) who have been instrumental in providing a positive, engaging experience with Judaism, while strengthening social connections and our students’ Jewish identities.

Andrew Sholes, Temple president, and Susan Smoller, head of personnel, have the passion to create a vibrant Jewish community and a school that pro-

Students stand under the tallit during closing ceremonies. motes Torat Yisrael’s values. To support this, any resource that our school has needed, they have happily provided.

Our school is very fortunate to have Rachel Silverman as the head of the school committee, an active and amazing parent committee. Under her stewardship, they have dedicated many volunteer, hands-on hours, doing whatever it takes to enable the Cohen School and its programming to be an engaging and meaningful experience.

The Cohen School community is blessed to have Rabbi Aaron Philmus who not only wants to participate in the programming of events but also wants to be in the middle of them and experiencing these learning

moments with the students.

Rabbi Philmus believes in the importance of having the students spiritually connected with their Jewish learning and wants to create lifelong Jewish memories and pride.

I am so proud of our amazing, hardworking and kind students. It is never easy to enter into a new environment, but the students were absolutely inviting and supportive. I can honestly say that I am impressed with the level of respect, kindness and cooperation that I have witnessed this year.

Members of our “village” include the unseen Cohen School community builders – our office staff – Anita Olinsky, Sheryl Ponder, Stephanie Reinsant and

Josh Ritz. They have always been there to happily support our school by providing all the resources that we need to be successful.

Most importantly, all of this would not be possible without our inspiring, encouraging and nurturing teachers. Ariel Marcus, Allie Robbio, Alyse Teitelbaum and Hillary Schulman.

Our teachers’ commitment, dedication, hard work and excitement each week created an experiential learning environment for our students. Barbara Dwares was an instrumental part of our Community Tzedakah curriculum and really has helped shaped this pilot program. This year the students made sandwiches to feed the

hungry, collected food for the Kosher Food Pantry and donated toiletries to the family shelter. Shirah Bergman was our great Pre-K Sprouts teacher who helped introduce Jewish values, holidays and songs to our little ones (ages 3-5) and their families once a month.

During closing ceremonies, all of the students were invited under the tallit on the bimah for a blessing and song lead by Rabbi Philmus. The K-1 students received the Aleph-Bet diplomas, the 2-3rd grade beat-boxed their Hebrew letter sounds, the 4-5th grade sang “Bakitah” and the 6-7th grade class performed Amidah Aerobics. Families and students then watched a photo slideshow about the fantastic experience that they had this year.

Our graduating class received certificates as we bestowed a mazel tov to Marcus Evans, Evan Hammer, Zach Hammer, Sydney Hammer and Brody Parris. Special awards were presented to Samantha Finder (Wendy B. Adler award), Evan Hammer (Anna R. Sholes award) and Marcus Evans (Michelle Pam Ross award).

At the Cohen School, we all look forward to another year of exploration, spirit, community building, hands-on learning and fun! Have a wonderful summer!

DORI ADLER is education director at Temple Torat Yisrael.

Students show off their certificates.

Some students with their beat-boxed Hebrew letters.

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Books on the Beach is back for a fifth year

June 19, 2015 |

Summers Sizzle at

BY TOBY ROSSNER The Rhode Island Chapter of Hadassah will celebrate its fi fth Books on the Beach author luncheon on Aug. 11 with authors Hank Phillippi Ryan and Rabbi Susan Abramson in the ballroom of the Atlantic Beach Club in Newport from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The authors will mingle with guests, make their presentations and sign purchased books. Proceeds will support the work of Hadassah.

Hank Phillippi Ryan Truth Be Told

“Truth Be Told” “packs a powerful punch!” It offers a clever mix of mystery, corruption and romance. Characters include a newspaper reporter, a homicide detective, a bleeding-heart banker, and an expectant mother. “You will want to drop everything and binge-read until its mind-boggling conclusion,” according to Library Review, which selected “Truth Be Told” as Best of 2014. It is also the winner of the Agatha Award.

Ryan is the on-air investigative reporter for Boston’s NBC affiliate. She has won 30 EMMYs, 12 Edward R. Murrow Awards, and dozens of other honors for her groundbreaking journalism. National reviews have called her a ”master at crafting suspenseful mysteries” and ”a superb and gifted storyteller”. She is a founding teacher at Mystery Writers of America University and was president of Sisters in Crime in 2013.

Luxury Apartments • Chef-Prepared Meals • Housekeeping 24-Hour License Care & Assistance • Scheduled Transportation Worry-free days breeze by with life enriching programming and fun events that keep our residents happy and healthy all summer long!

Don’t Miss a Thing This Summer – Schedule Your Personal Visit Today!

401-753-3988

www.EPOCHBlackstone.com 353 Blackstone Boulevard Providence, RI 02906

Assisted Living . Short-Term Rehabilitation . Long-Term Care Skilled Nursing . Memory Care . Respite

(RI Relay 711)

Rabbi Susan Abramson Challah: A Chewish Guide to the Torah

It’s a Cookbook.

It’s a weekly Torah guide.

It’s a colorful picture book.

It’s everything you knead to know to make tasty tidbits of Torah.

It’s a compendium of uniquely shaped, colorful challahs. It’s a family-friendly guide to Torah. It’s fun for all ages! The challahs in this book come to life. Some are biblical characters. Others are ancient animals. Some represent historically holy objects. Each reveals a mouth-watering secret about the weekly Torah portion.

The spread for each of the 54 Torah portions includes a color photo of sculpted challah art, an easy-to-read summary of the weekly Torah portion, and a “Food for Thought” column.

What a wonderfully amusing and creative way to bake your journey through the weekly Torah portions!

Female protagonists and general light-heartedness make Rabbi Abramson’s Rocketpower Family Series unique.

The Atlantic Beach Club is at 55 Purgatory Road, Parking is free.

Reservations for the Books on the Beach author luncheon are due on July 30. Mail your check ($50 per person), payable to RI Hadassah, along with your name, the names of your guests, table seating preferences, and menu choices for you and your guests (salmon or vegetarian), to Author Luncheon, RI Hadassah, 50 Cindyann Drive, East Greenwich, R.I. 02818.

For more information, hadassah.org/rhodeisland; 401-463-3636; rhodeislandchapter@hadassah.org.

VISIT US ONLINE AT:

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29

30 | June 19, 2015

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The Jewish Voice

Anthony Gluck with his parents.

Best Years of My Jewish Life PHOTOS | NITZA ATALI

The Religious School year ended at Temple Beth-El with the graduating seniors saying goodbye in May (above with school administrator Anita Steiman) and the 10th grade Confirmation ceremony on Shavuot eve. (class at left)

BY ANTHONY GLUCK The years 2014-2015 have been the best years of my Jewish life. I was going into my senior year and I wasn’t involved in PROVTY (Providence Temple Youth) nor had I ever been to an overnight Jewish camp.

My parents encouraged me to go to the URJ Kutz Leadership Camp this past summer and become active in PROVTY. Upon arriving at Kutz, I was greeted with a warm “Welcome Home.” This greeting washed away any concerns or worries I might have had. At camp, my major was “Creative Arts.” I always liked drawing, and I learned new ways to draw and do art. We also had minor and elective classes which were either fun, educational or both.

I liked every aspect that Kutz had to offer from praying, studying, singing, dancing, playing, attending concerts, etc. I experienced Shabbat as I have never experienced it before. I grew as a Jewish teenager and learned leadership and life skills. I became more independent and met people from all over the United States and Israel. I made wonderful friendships and connected with so many new people. I still have contact with them today.

Kutz showed me that what I learned here at temple was also true on a larger scale. Many of the customs I learned here were also known by others from as far away as Israel. From the simple greeting of Boker Tov and hearing familiar songs made Kutz feel like home. It was the greatest summer of my life.

I vowed I would return to it one day.

At camp, I came to the realization that this connection to other Jewish teens and the NFTY experience had been missing from my life. NFTY made me realize how much fun I was missing and how much more interesting my Jewish life could be. I became active too late and missed out on a lot of wonderful regional opportunities and events. So, I became active in PROVTY and attended NFTY regional events. I attended the Leadership Training Institute in the fall to learn about social action programs that PROVTY could do for our temple. I attended NFTY Institutes, Conclavettes, the Spring

Kallah, and the National Convention in Atlanta. Now, I find myself being a NFTY cheerleader advocating at regional events or at home. I tell my friends that they need to get their brothers and sisters involved in their temple’s youth groups, attend NFTY regional events and URJ camps so they too will be connected to other Jewish teens and will not miss out on this wonderful opportunity.

During February vacation, I went to NFTY’s National Convention in Atlanta, Georgia. At the Marriott Marquis, 1,300 teens and adults spent four days packed with social activities, services, singing and dancing and learning. Prior to attending, I chose the Social Justice track led by the Religious Action Coalition. Sunday was an offsite activity. NFTY assigned me to “How to Run a Jewish Film Festival.” I learned how they put together “The Atlanta Jewish Film Festival.” It was taking place while we were there. This session was held at Atlanta’s oldest and largest Reform synagogue, known as “The Temple.” We also toured this historic synagogue that had a major role in the civil rights movement.

Shabbat services were amazing. On Friday night we had a guest speaker who was a wheelchair-bound NFTY alumni. He spoke about his experience as a camper and how NFTY could be more inclusive to those who have disabilities. On Saturday, we had Regional Worship. Each region had brought its own Torah. After services, we had a Hakafah into the ballroom for Torah Study. It was awesome seeing the parade of Torahs.

My time with NFTY has now come to a close. A new chapter is about to open as I go to CCRI and URI. I hope to get involved with Hillel at URI and go to Israel through Birthright. I will miss coming to temple on Thursdays and Sundays. Perhaps I’ll have the time to be on the Social Action Committee. Thanks to everyone for a wonderful year.

Shabbat Shalom.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This speech was presented at the Temple Beth-El Religious School graduation. An edited version is reprinted with permission.

SIMCHAS | WE ARE READ

thejewishvoice.org

MARRIED – Clare Orenstein, daughter of Barbara Feibelman and Kenneth Orenstein of Providence and granddaughter of Hannah and H. Jack Feibelman of Cranston, and Jacob Feiner, son of Mildred Feiner of Coventry and Frank Feiner of Ottawa, Canada, were married on Saturday evening, May 30, at Glen Manor House, Portsmouth. The wedding was co-officiated by Clare’s cousin Rabbi Michael Davis of Congregation Emanu-El, Wichita, Kansas, and Rabbi Sarah Mack of Providence’s Temple Beth-El. The bride is the assistant director, Career Education Center, Simmons College, Boston, and Jacob Feiner is finance manager at TripAdvisor, Newton, Massachusetts.

CELEBRATING – Ida and Tom Brown of Hopatcong, New Jersey (Ida is formerly from Rhode Island), celebrated their 24th anniversary on an 11-day Countryside of the Emerald Isle Tour. Here they stand in front of Queens College in Belfast, Northern Ireland, with The Voice.

June 19, 2015 |

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IT’S A BOY – Stephanie (Steingold) and Jason Bressler of Los Angeles, California, announce the birth of Lincoln Emmett Bressler on May 11 at Cedars Sinai Hospital.

Grandparents are Joyce and Larry Steingold of East Greenwich and Susan Adler-Bressler and David Bressler of Alamo, California.

WE ARE READ – Michael Frank of East Greenwich went the distance to get authentic Chinese food. Here he is in the central square of Zhuzhou, Hunan Province, China.

Rhode Island connections

PHOTO | DUFFY PAGE

REUNION – (Left to right) Front row: Matt Cohen, Shireen Cohen, Ariana Cohen, Ramesh Radparvar Cohen, Duffy Page; Back row: Larry Page, Roohi Radparvar, Mansoor Radparvar

Duffy Page reports that even without a copy of the Jewish Voice to hold aloft, (sadly, it was left “aloft” in the Lan airplane that she and Larry Page of Providence took on their recent visit to Peru), the Rhode Island Jewish connection continues to span the globe, as does the peripatetic Jewish Voice.

Last winter, Duffy noticed on a Facebook post, that Ramesh Radparvar was living in Peru. Ramesh, as a high school student, had traveled to Poland and Israel, in 1998, with Duffy on the March of the Living, where Ramesh recalls, they celebrated Israel’s 50th birthday.

They reconnected and planned a visit during the time the Pages would be in Lima. Currently, Ramesh is living in Lima, with her

husband, Matt, a legal officer heading the South American office of the U.S. Agency for International Development. They have completed one year of their four-year placement in Peru. Previously, they spent four years in Kenya. Ramesh, a graduate of Alperin Schechter Day School and the Harry Elkin Midrasha, is a pediatric nurse, working with families of Americans posted there.

Their children, Shireen, age 4, and Araina, age 2 1/2, attend a Jewish Day S cho ol i n L i m a . C oi nc identally, while the Pages were on their two-week trek through Peru, Ramesh’s parents, Roohi and Mansoor, formerly of Providence and now living in Laguna Hills, California, were visiting. A

highlight of Duffy and Larry’s Peruvian adventure was the lovely dinner they had at the Cohen’s home, in the “Jewish neighborhood” of Lima. (In Lima, there are 2,800 Jews, two synagogues – Chabad and Sephardic – a Jewish day school and a kosher butcher.)

The evening was filled with wonderful reminiscences of life in Providence. Although the Cohens and Radparvars have settled into their new homes in cities far and wide, all agreed that there’s no community like the Rhode Island Jewish Community.

One degree of separation.

One small world.

Rhode Island’s Jewish Voice is alive and well, both literally and figuratively, and is still spanning the globe. Ole! Sababa!

32 | June 19, 2015

The Jewish Voice

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—Roberta Fox

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