March 3, 2017

Volume XXIII, Issue V | www.thejewishvoice.org Serving Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts

SENIORS

5 Adar 5777 | March 3, 2017

The JCC in Providence.

PHOTO | FRAN OSTENDORF PHOTO | H. PHILIP WEST JR.

Cy O’Neil, standing at right, and Jane Adler, standing at back, with villagers at a social gathering.

DWARES JCC TARGET OF BOMB THREAT

BY FRAN OSTENDORF fostendorf@jewishallianceri.org

The bomb threats targeting Jewish organizations around the United States caught up with the Dwares Jewish Community Center on Feb. 27.

At about 11 a.m., a call came into the JCC, located on the East Side of Providence. The automated call was similar to others received at JCCs around the country. Staff members who answer the phones have been schooled in how to react, and all went smoothly.

Children from the David C. Isenberg Early Childhood Center were immediately evacuated, as was the rest of the building, which includes the offices of the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island and The Jewish Voice, and the J-Fitness fitness center.

Providence police responded.

The building was checked by the K-9 dog Kyra and her partner. It was declared clear after noon, according to police.

“I could not be more proud of my staff ’s response, as well as the Providence police,” said Jeffrey Savit, CEO and president of the Alliance. “They worked to ensure the safety of our children and members, as well as our staff.”

Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza said in a statement, “I am deeply saddened by the hateful acts recently reported in the capital city which have targeted our Jewish community. I stand by those affected at … the Jewish Community Center and across the city, and offer my full support during these trying times.”

According to reports, at least THREAT | 11

Providence group gives new meaning to ‘it takes a village’

BY FRAN OSTENDORF

fostendorf@jewishallinaceri.org

Do you worry about what might happen to you as you get older?

Do you dream of a retirement home in Florida or, perhaps, Arizona? Do you think that downsizing now will make life easier as you age? Are you look-

ing at senior living complexes where assistance is available?

Do you fear nursing facilities?

Many of these questions are troubling. And many people long to stay in their lifelong homes, surrounded by their creature comforts and memories for the rest of their lives.

Now, thanks to a network of “villages,” living out life at home is easier, despite a global society where children move far from parents, extended families no longer live in the same neighborhood and people live VILLAGE | 17

Local faith communities say ‘Never Again’

A

multifaith, mult idenom i nat iona l vigil in solidarity against recent acts of hate will take place at the Holocaust Memorial on the River Walk, just off South Main Street, in Providence, on March 5 at 3 p.m. Organizers hope for “a massive show of strength” from the faith community.

At press time, the event, called “Never Again Means Never Again,” was gathering interest on Facebook. Organizers are Abraham’s Tent, A Hope (Americans Helping Others ProspEr), Islamic School of Rhode Island, Rhode Island Council for Muslim Advancement, the Sisterhood of Salam Shalom, More than my Religion, MAE Organization for

the Homeless, the Rhode Island State Council of Churches and the Interbelief Club of Wheeler.

“We are so grateful to the Muslim community and our other interfaith partners for their support in this dark moment,” said Rabbi Sarah Mack, president of the Board of Rabbis of Greater Rhode Island.

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2 | March 3, 2017

INSIDE Business 21-22 Calendar 10-11 Community 2-3, 6, 11, 22-23, 26 D’Var Torah 7 Food 12 Obituaries 24-25 Opinion 8-9 Purim 4-5 Seniors 13-20 Simchas 27 World 11

THIS ISSUE’S QUOTABLE QUOTE “A community [is] a circle to which you feel you belong.”

COMMUNITY

The Jewish Voice

An authentic Israeli experience

BY BEN GOODMAN I really enjoyed the five months I spent in Israel recently. I spent the fi rst month doing Ulpan (learning Hebrew), and the rest of the time studying at Tel Aviv University. My program was a 10-week semester at the university, where I took five classes, three about Israel and its history/politics, one about Judaism and one on the Hebrew language.

I really enjoyed my classes, and the actual school itself; the campus was beautiful. I loved that there were so many international students in the program, allowing me to interact with people from across the globe and develop friendships with people I never would have had the pleasure of meeting in Rhode Island. Because of this program, I now have friends across Europe, whom I will be sure to visit in the future.

Another cool thing about my program was that it offered free trips every other week to awesome places in Israel, like Haifa, the Golan Heights, Jerusalem and Eilat. The trips allowed me to travel throughout the country and truly experience Israel.

During the program, I stayed in nice dorms on the Tel Aviv University campus in Ramat Aviv, which was a great location because it was only a 15-minute

Ben Goodman enjoys Shabbat dinner with his family. bus ride to the heart of Tel Aviv.

I’m extremely thankful that I was given the opportunity to have this experience, both because it gave me the opportunity to see what college is like in Israel and because it allowed me to reconnect with my Israeli family members, whom I’d only seen a couple times in my life.

Almost every Friday night, I would go to my aunt’s house for Shabbat dinner; my favorite part of the week!

My time in Israel also included playing pickup basketball

with some local Israeli guys, exploring the different parts of Tel Aviv by foot, and fi nding and eating at amazing restaurants hidden throughout the country. It was really cool interacting with Israelis and getting to know Israel through them, because it made the experience so authentic.

I loved living in Tel Aviv for five months and I highly recommend others do the same - or at least visit.

BEN GOODMAN is a member of Temple Beth-El in Provi-

a world

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The first Good Deeds Day began in Israel with 7,000 participants. Since its launch in 2007, the annual tradition has spread globally, uniting people all over the world. Last year, 1.5 million people in 75 different countries choose to volunteer and help others, putting into practice the simple idea that every person can do something good—be it large or small—to improve the lives of others and positively change the world.

oi n

Let’s Do Good Together Sunday, April 2, 2017

dence. He is a 2016 graduate of Classical High School and is participating in a gap year program sponsored by BBYO. He received a subsidy for this program from the Jewish Alliance.

Any resident of Greater Rhode Island through the age of 26 who is interested in grants and/ or scholarships to attend programs in Israel should contact Jana Brenman at 401-421-4111, ext. 181. Applications are available on the Jewish Alliance’s website and are due mid-March.

This year, the Rhode Island Jewish community will host a series of good deeds (mitzvot) in various locations throughout the state on Sunday, April 2, 2017.

Programs and activities will include an e-waste recycling event, a nature preserve clean-up, students helping local families prepare for Passover, a community service brunch, bringing hand-made cards to the elderly, collecting Kosher foods for the needy, a panel discussion, and a blood drive—to name a few.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES & PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS E-waste Recycling at the Dwares JCC | Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island Collecting Kosher Foods | The Louis and Goldie Chester Full Plate Kosher Food Pantry Nature Preserve Clean-up | Barrington Land Trust and (401)j Community Blood Drive | Temple Beth-El Winter Mitzvah & Human Rights Day |Temple Habonim CBD Cleans the Beach | Congregation Beth David Kindness in the Kitchen | Judy’s Kindness Kitchen and Congregation Beth Sholom Rhode Island Welcomes Refugees | Dorcas International Institute of Rhode Island Passover Preparation | Providence Hebrew Day School Sentiments & Songs | Touro Synagogue Day of Jewish Youth Service | BBYO New England & J-Serve Community Service Brunch | URI Hillel

For details about each project, visit jewishallianceri.org/good-deeds-day

COMMUNITY

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March 3, 2017 |

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Author examines origins of Arab-Israeli conflict in talk

BY LARRY KATZ

lkatz@jewishallianceri.org

The seeds of the current confl ict in the Middle East go back a century, to World War I, when Britain and her allies overthrew the Ottoman Empire.

Britain’s clandestine allies in the region were the Jewish underground in Palestine and Arabs associated with Lawrence of Arabia.

Ron Florence, author of “Lawrence and Aaronsohn,” a dual biography of the clandestine leaders, will discuss the origins of the confl ict on March 26 at the Dwares Jewish Community Center, in Providence.

Florence’s book describes the struggles – and mutual antipathy – of Aaron and Sarah Aaronsohn, the leaders of the Jewish NILI underground, and Lawrence of Arabia. He deals with the political situation that resulted in the Sykes-Picot agreement, which carved up the Ottoman Empire into what we now see as untenable boundaries, and with the Balfour Declaration. The interests of American oil companies and Ottoman policies toward minorities are also covered in Florence’s book.

Now, exactly a century after these events, we can see how they sparked not just the Arab-Israeli confl ict, but also the larger confl icts in which the United States has engaged.

The book details how the lives of a well-known Jewish scientist and a lowly British second lieutenant became intertwined, and how they influenced the war effort as well as diplomacy in London and Paris. Sarah Aaronsohn’s leadership, capture and heroic death are also covered.

Numerous reviews testify that “Lawrence and Aaronsohn” is not a stodgy book of history – but it surely illuminates history. Booklist notes, “Florence’s well-written and frequently surprising work sheds light on usually neglected aspects of Middle Eastern history.” The New Yorker reviewer remarks, “Florence chronicles the birth of the modern Middle East by narrating the intersecting lives of two remarkable men…[and] skillfully blends geopolitical history and cloak-and-dagger tales....”

The Chicago Jewish Star writes, “there are so many fascinating stories in ‘Lawrence and Aaronsohn,’ and Ronald Florence has done marvelous work....Lawrence and Aaronsohn, their times and places, positively come alive....Masterful...history as drama, and it makes for compelling reading.”

The Jewish Book World proclaims: “Some books are called histories, but they are really spy novels in disguise. That is

Israeli drama scheduled for March 8 screening

BY TSLIL REICHMAN treichman@jewishallianceri.org “Gett: The Trial of Vivian Amsalem,” a 2014 fi lm featuring some of Israel’s leading actors, will be screened at the Dwares JCC in Providence on March 8, from 6-9 p.m. The movie focuses on Vivian and her struggle to seek a divorce from her husband, which proves to be more challenging than she would expect. The entire movie is set in a court of rabbis, as Israel does not recognize civil marriage.

Viviane Amsalem has been applying for a divorce for three years, but her husband Elisha will not agree. His cold stubbornness, Viviane’s determination to fight for her freedom, and the ambiguous role of the judges, shape a procedure in which tragedy vies with absurdity, and everything is brought out for judgment, apart from the initial request.

The movie includes some of

the leading actors in Israeli culture such as the late Ronit Alkabetz (who also wrote and directed the fi lm), Simon Abkarian, Gabi Amrani and Menashe Noy. The fi lm was selected as the Israeli entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 87th Academy Awards, but was not nominated. It was nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 72nd Golden Globe Awards. It did win best fi lm in 2014 by the Israeli Film Academy and numerous awards at various international festivals.

Variety magazine’s Jay Weissberg praised its “beautifully modulated script, ripe with moments of liberating humor.”

The cost is $5; $3 for members of the Dwares JCC. Refreshments will be available. For more information, contact Tslil Reichman at treichman@jewishallianceri. org or 401-421-4111, ext. 121.

the case with ‘Lawrence and Aaronsohn,’ a well-documented and readable work...superb work.”

Ron Florence lives in Providence. He was educated at Berkeley and Harvard; taught at Harvard, Sarah Lawrence and SUNY Purchase; ran a foundation; raced sailboats; and raised Cotswold sheep before settling on writing full time. He is the a u thor of twelve books, i ncluding novels (“The G y p s y M a n , ” “ P r o v e n a n c e ,” “ F a m ily Werth,” “Zeppelin,” “The Last Season”) and nonfiction (“The P e r fect Machine,” “Emissary of the Doomed,” “Blood Libel,”

of Rabbis of Greater Rhode Island, Kollel: Center for Jewish Studies, PJ Library, and Project Shoresh.

Brunch will be served at 10:30 on Sunday morning, March 26, when participants in the book initiative will be recognized.

Ron Florence will speak at 11.

Admission is $5, or free for participants in the initiative, who have committed to reading a nonfiction book with Jewish content.

RSVP to Lynne Bell, at LBell@jewishallianceri.org or 401-421-4111.

Ron Florence “Fritz,” “Marx’s Daughters”).

Copies of “Lawrence and Aaronsohn” are available at a discount from the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island.

Florence’s discussion will interest everyone, regardless of whether they have read his book. His presentation is the culminating event of this year’s Jewish book initiative, sponsored by the Jewish Alliance, the Board

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

WHAT:

Discussion about “Lawrence & Aaronsohn” SPEAKER: Ron Florence, author WHEN: Sunday, March 26 WHERE: Dwares Jewish Community Center TIME: 11 a.m.

COST: $5

Women’s Alliance

of the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island

Rosh Hodesh

Tradition tells us that Rosh Hodesh, the marking of the new moon, was once celebrated by both Jewish men and women. In later years, Rosh Hodesh became primarily a women’s holiday – a day for women to be together to enjoy meaningful introspection, dialogue and study.

Celebrate Rosh Hodesh with us!

Tuesday, April 4, 2017 | 8 Nisan 5777 12:00 - 1:15pm Temple Beth-El 70 Orchard Avenue, Providence Miriam: A Study of Courage and Controversy Featuring Rabbi Howard Voss-Altman Senior Rabbi at Temple Beth-El The cost to attend Rosh Hodesh is $10 and includes lunch.

For more information or to RSVP, contact Danielle Germanowski at 401.421.4111 ext. 109 or dgermanowski@jewishallianceri.org or visit jewishallianceri.org/rosh-hodesh

PURIM

4 | March 3, 2017

The Jewish Voice

This is why Purim is the original interfaith holiday

BY DANA MARLOWE

JTA – When I explain Purim to those less familiar with the holiday, I tell them it’s kind of like Jewish Halloween. Not so much because of the history and story behind each (Purim has no ghosts), but related to the joyful spirit, costumes, food and fun.

Full disclosure: My neighborhood doesn’t celebrate Halloween in the way other areas decorate with cobwebs and spiders.

In my little suburban neighborhood nestled in Silver Spring, Maryland, the population is predominately Orthodox. I might be a bit of an outsider with my cultural Jewish upbringing and unaffiliated interfaith family, but luckily our “hood doesn’t check your synagogue membership at all.

The arms of the community are always open.

In our community, we cel-

ebrate Purim with hundreds of kids running from house to house. Bedazzled with costumes of Batman and Mordechai, they load in and out of cars, dropping off and picking up mischloach manot, holiday gift baskets. We have a street in the neighborhood that closes off to have a “Purim on Fulham” festival that is driven by the folks who live on that long block.

The celebration doesn’t stop

Celebrate Purim

Saturday Night, March 11, 2017 • 7:15 p.m.

Chabad House • 360 Hope Street • Providence Saturday night, March 11, 7:15 p.m.

Megillah to stir your soul…

Yankel & thePurim Shpielers

to stir your heart…

Drinks & Hamentashen to stir your kishkes!

Magillah Reading and Hamentashen at Chabad House 8:30 a.m. also at Alliance Board Room 12:30 p.m.

401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence

Sunday, March 12

Music & Dancing

Sunday, March 12, 2017 – Purim is the time to…

LISTEN to the reading of the SEND a gift of at least two kinds of GIVE charity to two or more people.

Megilla (Book of Esther) this year prepared food (pastry, fruit, beverage, If you cannot find poor people, place Saturday eve, March. 11, and again etc.) to at least one friend. (Each item at least two coins in a charity box. In RABBI on Sunday, March 12, thereby of food should be at least one ounce the Megillah this is called “Matonos EATJEFFREY the festive Purim meal and recounting and reliving in our own or more. 3-1/2 oz. for liquids.

L’Evyonim”. rejoice in the Purim spirit.

GOLDWASSER day, the great miracle of Purim.

The above Mitzvos should be done on the day of Purim

More Purim information FAST OF ESTHER Because Purim in on Sunday this year, we therefore fast on the Thursday before (this year, March 9) This commemorates the day of prayer when Jews fasted before victorious battle.

It is customary before the Mincha prayers on this day to give 3 half-dollars to charity. This commemorates the yearly contribution by all Jews to the Temple in the Hebrew month of Adar.

AL HANISSIM Remember to add in the Amidah prayer and in Grace After Meals, the special part for Purim, beginning “Al Hanissim.

INVOLVE THE CHILDREN As in all Mitzvot, encourage young children to fulfill the Purim Mitzvot.

Boys and girls past Bar/Bat Mitzvah are obligated, as are adults to do all Purim Mitzvot.

PURIM ON SUNDAY The Purim Mitzvos (Precepts) So as not to desecrate the Shab- demonstrate the unity and togetherbos, all Purim activities should begin ness of the Jewish people. The more only after the conclusion of Shabbos charity and Purim presents one gives Saturday, March 11 at 6:45 p.m. if in the better. There is no greater joy Providence than to gladden the heart of the poor, the orphans and the widows.

Courtesy of: Chabad R.I. • 360 Hope Street, Providence Telephone: (401) 273-7238 • email: believeinprovidence@gmail.com

ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT Chris Westerkamp cwesterkamp@jewishallianceri.org 401-421-4111, ext. 160 EDITOR Fran Ostendorf CONTRIBUTORS Leah Charpentier BouRamia Cynthia Benjamin Seth Chitwood Stephanie Ross Sam Serby DESIGN & LAYOUT Leah Camara

Karen Borger ksborger@gmail.com 401-529-2538 VOICE ADVISORY GROUP Melanie Coon, Douglas Emanuel, Stacy Emanuel, Rabbi Jeffrey Goldwasser, John Landry, Mindy Stone COLUMNISTS Michael Fink Rabbi James Rosenberg Daniel Stieglitz

there. There are countless carnivals and events held nearby.

My kids love assembling the mishloach manot, handing them out to a neighborhood in a candied frenzy state. My husband, the engineer, marvels at the endless creative themes of the mishloach manot, ranging from international food to play-onwords baskets, along with Lego groggers and gourmet hamantaschen. The excitement mounts in my house as my children stuff the paper bags and draw on the outside of the sacks – and it’s only matched by the myriad of moon bounces that pop up on street corners.

For us, it’s a fun day. The fact that we don’t do the more observant part of the holiday – like attend a Megillah reading or fast beforehand – is inconsequential.

People welcome us regardless, but like any neighborhood, it’s a two-way street in respect. We are careful to make sure the mishloach manot include the diverse food items needed for differing blessings and that everything has clear Kosher labels. Purim is a joyful holiday.

Our joy is increased by bringing Kosher wine to the meals we are invited to and by our friends’ translating the blessings into English for us.

In addition to Purim, while my husband and I often work on these holidays that are deemed of the utmost significance in Judaism, our Orthodox friends don’t judge us or make us feel wrong. There is such a deeply rooted understanding that we all celebrate our Judaism and other holidays in our own respective ways.

Purim by nature is an interfaith holiday: Esther saves the Jewish people by teaching tolerance to Ahasuerus to save her people and have them coexist together in Shushan. I feel that same spirit of inclusion daily in our neighborhood.

In a conventional neighborhood, people are united simply by geography. Literally, of course, we share a ZIP code, a garbage day pickup schedule, and the same unfortunate power grid in winter storms. But a neighborhood can be so much

THE JEWISH VOICE (ISSN number 15392104, USPS #465-710) is published bi-weekly, except in July, when it does not publish.

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

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

Phone: 401-421-4111 • Fax 401-331-7961 MEMBER of the Rhode Island Press Assn. and the American Jewish Press Assn.

more than a regional district.

It’s a shared identity.

In a close-knit community, people are united by common goals, collective activities and group events that give the residents a sense of true belonging.

Nowhere was this more apparent than in the countless instances witnessed over the past years and the holiday season.

My neighbors have opened their homes, hearts and kitchens to us during the holidays and for Shabbat meals.

When someone has a sick family member, the neighborhood provides food. Neighborhood Facebook pages exist for toy and costume swaps as well as “I just need one thing from Costco,” which comes in handy more times than you can count. One such helpful example was when I needed to bring my older son to the emergency room when my husband was out of town for business. I posted a message and within minutes, friends showed up to babysit.

I recently heard a community described as a circle to which you feel you belong. If you’re away, that circle will miss your presence; it reaches out to you when you’re absent, and you long for it when you’re not there.

We are happy to celebrate another Purim here. Our minivan will brim with hamantaschen and smiles. As we drive up the streets sharing in the festivities, we celebrate in our own way, and our neighbors in another.

And I know that just as we get pumped up to celebrate Purim, our friends and neighbors will be excited to see my interfaith family’s Easter egg hunt just a few weeks after we put away the groggers and masks. Because that’s how we, as a community, roll.

DANA MARLOWE champions people with disabilities in the workforce and for accessible technology innovation as the principal partner of Accessibility Partners, LLC. She is the creator of Support the Girls, a charitable organization that accepts donations of bras, tampons and maxi pads for homeless women.

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

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

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

PURIM

thejewishvoice.org

March 3, 2017 |

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Purim preparations

PHOTO | PJ LIBRARY

Children under age 5 gathered Feb. 24 at the Dwares JCC in Providence to learn about Purim with a story and fun activities including a craft. A snack was also provided.

BY JULIE WIENER JTA – With costumes, spiels and lots of drinking, Purim is one of Judaism’s most raucous holidays. You might know about beautiful Esther thwarting evil Haman’s plans, the custom of getting drunk and what hamantaschen are. But we’re guessing there are a few things about Purim, which this year starts at sundown March 11, that might surprise you.

1. Esther was a vegetarian (or at least a flexitarian).

According to midrash, while Queen Esther lived in the court of King Ahasuerus, she followed a vegetarian diet consisting largely of legumes so that she would not break the laws of kashrut (dietary laws). For this reason, there is a tradition of eating beans and peas on Purim. (After all, you’ll need something healthy after all the booze and hamantaschen.)

2. You’re supposed to find a go-between to deliver your mishloach manot, the gift baskets traditionally exchanged with friends and family

The verse in the Book of Esther about mishloach manot stipulates that we should send gifts to one another, not just give gifts to one another. As a result, it’s better to send your packets of goodies to a friend via a messenger than to just give them outright. Anyone can act as a go-between, so feel free

9 things you didn’t know about Purim

to recruit the postal service or even that nice guy in the elevator to help you deliver your gifts.

3. The Book of Esther is the only biblical book that does not include God’s name.

The Book of Esther also makes no references to the Temple, to prayer or to Jewish practices such as kashrut (keeping kosher).

4. Hamantaschen might have been designed to symbolize Haman’s hat — or his ears or pockets. Or something a little more womanly.

Some say these cookies represent Haman’s ears (the Hebrew name for them, oznei Haman, means just this) and refer to a custom of cutting off a criminal’s ears before his execution.

Another theory is that the three corners represent the three patriarchs whose power weakened Haman and gave strength to Esther to save the Jews.

Yet another theory: Because the German word tasche means “pouch” or “pocket,” the cookies could signify Haman’s pockets and the money he offered the king for permission to kill the Jews. Finally, in recent years, some feminists have suggested the cookies, which after all are not dissimilar in appearance to female reproductive parts, were meant to be fertility symbols.

5. In 1945, a group of American soldiers held belated Purim services inside Nazi propagandist Joseph Goebbels’ confiscated castle.

According to JTA coverage at the time, the Jewish chaplain “carefully arranged the candles over a swastika-bedecked bookcase in Goebbels’ dining room,” and Jewish soldiers explained to their Christian comrades “about Haman and why it was fitting that Purim services should be held in a castle belonging to Goebbels.”

6. The Book of Esther, which many scholars theorize is fictional, may be an adaptation of a Babylonian story.

Some scholars argue that the Book of Esther adapted stories about these pagan gods – Marduk becoming Mordechai and Ishtar transformed to Esther – to reflect the realities of its own Jewish authors in exile.

7. The Jewish calendar has a regular leap year with two months of Adar (but only one Purim, which falls during the second Adar).

To ensure that the holidays remain in their mandated seasons, the Jewish calendar was ingeniously adjusted to accommodate the 11-day difference between the lunar and solar years. In the fourth century C.E., Hillel scheduled an extra month at the end of the biblical

year, as necessary. The biblical year begins in spring with Nissan (Exodus 12: 1-2) and ends with Adar. Hillel, in conjunction with the Sanhedrin (Jewish supreme court), chose to repeat Adar (Adar I and Adar II) every third, sixth, eighth, 11th, 14th, 17th and 19th year over a 19-year period.

8. Purim is celebrated one day later inside walled cities than it is everywhere else.

The Book of Esther differentiates between Jews who lived and fought their enemies for two days within the walled capital city of Shushan and those who lived in unwalled towns, where only one day was needed to subdue the enemy. The rabbis determined we should make that same distinction when memorializing the event. Accordingly, if a person lives in a city that has been walled since the days of Joshua (circa 1250 B.C.E.), as Shushan was, Purim is celebrated on the 15th of Adar, a day referred to as Shushan Purim.

9. Just after the 1991 Gulf War, Israel’s most popular Purim costume was of the Israeli army spokesman whose face appeared on TV every time a Scud missile alert sounded – and people snacked on “Saddamtaschen” instead of hamantaschen.

Spokesman Nachman Shai’s “reassuring tones earned him the sobriquet ‘National Valium’” while Israel was being pelted with Iraqi missiles, according to a JTA report at the time. That year, while many costume-makers avoided the temptation to make Saddam Hussein costumes (it would be like a Hitler costume, one vendor told JTA), bakeries hawked “Saddamtashen,” which “look and taste exactly like hamantaschen.”

6 | March 3, 2017

COMMUNITY

The Jewish Voice

Delving deeper into Jewish history

BY JOHN LANDRY Study is a central practice in Judaism, and in many ways there has never been a better time to approach Jewish texts and traditions. Yeshivas have expanded, online resources abound, and many universities now offer Jewish studies courses. Yet for adults in secular occupations, study is often difficult. Synagogues typically offer only short-term, introductory courses, while online programs lack the interaction and social dimension of in-person classes. Some in-depth adult learning courses do exist, such as the Meah and the Melton programs, but these require at least a one-year commitment and are offered only intermittently on a regional basis.

To fi ll that gap, Temple Emanu-El in Providence has partnered with four other congregations – Agudas Achim, Beth Sholom, Temple Sinai and the West Bay Chavurah – to offer “Delve Deeper: A Program of Intensive Jewish Study.” Supported by a grant from the Jewish Alliance’s Local Innovation

Fund, the program will run for at least four semesters through 2018. It starts this spring with a 10-week course, hosted at Temple Emanu-El. “Rabbis, Mystics, Philosophers and Poets: An Introduction to Medieval Judaism” begins on March 8 and runs most Wednesday nights, 7-9 p.m., through May 24. The fee is $200, but full and partial scholarships are available.

The instructor is Alan Verskin, a Temple Emanu-El congregant and assistant professor in history at the University of Rhode Island. Verskin specializes in medieval Judaism and Islam, and he points out that this time period was when practical Judaism developed.

“The compiling of the Talmud was an amazingly transformative process. But we forget that those discussions took place mainly within the academies. It wasn’t until the later centuries that rabbis and ordinary people started applying those insights and practices to daily life. In the process, they initiated another outburst of innovation and creativity that guides much

of what we do and think today, from the formation of prayer books to Kabbalah.”

The class will be a mix of lecture and discussion. No prior knowledge of Jewish history is required, but each session will have readings beforehand. The goal is for people to learn as much from each other as from the instructor.

“We’re delighted to offer this course,” said Rachel Zerin, associate rabbi at Temple Emanu-El, who worked with her congregation’s adult education committee to develop the program. “We’ve set it up to bring together people representing a range of Jewish and educational backgrounds. And we see it as the beginning of a group of advanced learners who will help to design future courses and deepen their study of our tradition.”

To register for the course, please go to teprov.org/institute/delvedeeper.

JOHN LANDRY lives in Providence and serves on the adult education committee at Temple Emanu-El.

Annual Purim parade March 12

The annual Providence Purim parade and celebration kicks off March 12 at 10:30 a.m. outside the Jewish Alliance’s Dwares Jewish Community Center, 401 Elmgrove Ave. Sponsored by the New England Rabbinical College, Project Shoresh and the Kollel, the parade also features a costume contest, train rides, cotton candy, hamantashen and hay rides.

For information, contact provpurimparade@ gmail.com.

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Chani Schochet, right, with Rivka Kaila Jakobowicz.

‘Dare to Trust’ enjoyed by all New England Academy of Torah’s annual production took place recently and according to all reports, “Dare to Trust” was a major success. The acting, singing, dancing were outstanding. Each girl made her part come alive in the drama, led by Mrs. Raskin.

The choir was headed by Rochel Weiner and Chava Gittel Yudkowsky, and the dance heads were Bracha

Leah Rosenthal and Chani Schochet for the Doll Dance, and Miriam Naftali and Chaya Leah Fine for the Police Dance. The song dance heads were Rivka Kaila Jakubowicz and Ayala Bielory. Production heads were Shevy Taitelbaum and Hadassa Twersky. Goldie Taitelbaum was in charge of it all.

– Information submitted by Rabbi Peretz Scheinerman

The entire cast gathers for the finale.

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D’VAR TORAH

March 3, 2017 |

7

Do Jews believe in angels?

We are used to seeing angels in Christian art and hearing about them in Christian spirituality, so we may think they are a Christian idea. Since Jud a i s m hol d s firmly to a single, incorporeal God, Jews may assume there is no RABBI place in JudaJEFFREY ism for other GOLDWASSER heavenly beings.

Well, of course, there are angels in Judaism. Angels are directly mentioned in several important stories in the Hebrew Bible.

Jacob dreamed about angels ascending and descending a ladder between heaven and Earth (Genesis 28:12). The prophet Isaiah, had a vision of angels surrounding God and shouting, “Holy! Holy! Holy!”

(Kadosh! Kadosh! Kadosh!) back and forth (Isaiah 6:1-5). There are many other examples.

In this week’s Torah portion, Terumah, there is a description of the image of angels that decorated the Ark of the Covenant, in which the stones of the Ten Commandments were stored in the Tabernacle. They are described in elaborate, if inscrutable, detail: Make two cherubim of gold – make them of hammered work – at the two ends of the cover.

Make one cherub at one end and the other cherub at the other end; of one piece with the cover shall you make the cherubim at its two ends. The cherubim shall have their wings spread out above, shielding the cover with their wings. They shall confront each

other, the faces of the cherubim being turned toward the cover.

Place the cover on top of the Ark, after depositing inside the Ark the Pact that I will give you.

There I will meet with you, and I will impart to you – from above the cover, from between the two cherubim that are on top of the Ark of the Pact – all that I will command you concerning the Israelite people. (Exodus 25:18-22) The two angels on top of the Ark appear to have great importance in this text. They were the protectors of the holiest object, kept in the holiest place.

They formed the throne upon which God’s presence appeared to command the Israelites. This raises difficult questions about the possibility of idolatry right in the Holy of Holies. How do we reconcile the cherubim with the clear prohibition in the Torah against worshipping other divine beings and against worshipping images sculpted by human hands?

Maimonides, the great Jewish medieval philosopher, argued that the prohibition against idolatry is only against images that have been devised by human beings. Since the cherubim on top of the Ark were commanded by God, they are not forbidden (Guide to the Perplexed, book 3, chapter 45). That argument may seem circular, but it makes some spiritual sense.

The reason for prohibiting idolatry is to prevent human beings from thinking of themselves as gods. As soon as we begin revering the things we have made for ourselves – our wealth, power or status, for example – we have committed a form of idolatry. The cheru-

bim, in contrast, reminded the ancient Israelites that the only images permissible in the Tabernacle were those specifically commanded by God. Another rabbinic view states that the cherubim on the Ark were a concession to a human need. God recognized that we need something concrete to behold with reverence. The cherubim fill that need, but with the understanding that the true place of holiness is in the emptiness between their wings. God does not reside only in objects – God is in the spaces between.

We have not outgrown our need for something material on which to focus our reverence. Despite our prayers that declare, “All the earth is filled with God’s glory” (Isaiah 6:3), we still build houses of worship and imagine that God is, somehow, more present in them than in the ordinary places of our lives. We still regard the ark that holds our Torah scrolls as a sacred place, like the Ark of the Covenant in the Tabernacle of the desert. We do need to have sacred spaces, but they also should serve to remind us that sacred space surrounds us everywhere we go.

So, yes, Jews do believe in angels. However, as the two angels on the Ark of the Covenant remind us, we do not believe in them as divine beings separate from God. Rather, they are symbolic reminders of God around us all the time. They are a physical representation of a Pres-

ence that we, otherwise, could not differentiate from reality itself.

RABBI JEFFREY GOLDWASSER is the spiritual leader

of Temple Sinai in Cranston. He is the author of the blog “Reb Jeff,” from which this d’var Torah is adapted.

Record $1.1 billion in Israel Bonds sold in US in 2016 JTA – A record $1.127 billion in State of Israel Bonds was sold in the United States in 2016.

The Development Corporation for Israel, also known as Israel Bonds, issues debt securities by the government of Israel.

Israel Bonds also are sold to investors in the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Belgium.

Israel Bonds also announced this week that it has sold more than $40 billion globally since the corporation was launched.

Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon said in a statement that Israel Bonds are “a cornerstone

of Israel’s economy.”

“Crossing the $40 billion mark exemplifies the organization’s dedication to Israel, and the way in which its message of economic support has resonated on a global scale,” he said.

Israel Bonds’ president and CEO, Israel Maimon, added: “Israel Bonds’ historic sales clearly show that throughout generations, the idea of demonstrating confidence in Israel through investing in Israel has touched a response chord with individuals from all walks of life.”

Candle Lighting Times Daylight saving time resumes March 12 Greater Rhode Island March 3 March 10 March 17 March 24

5:20 5:28 6:36 6:44

OPINION

8 | March 3, 2017

Help us move to the future by completing our readership survey When I took over as editor of The Voice just about three years ago, I found a paper steeped in tradition and well-respected in the community.

As I met w it h p eople w h o c a r e d about the paper, and those who create and manage EDITOR it, I got many suggestions FRAN for what could OSTENDORF be done, what had been done and what should be done.

And as I tried to learn a little more about you, our readers, I got my information from talking to you and reading about you.

Tucked into our media kit, aimed at advertisers, was a page, titled “About our Readers,” that explained our demographics: who reads us, including information such as age, income and education. There was a section about the Jewish community, another with household statistics. The information came from surveys completed in 2010 and 2012.

That wasn’t so bad; the year was 2014.

That was then and this is now.

In this fast-changing world, it’s three years later and those surveys are now out-of-date. The roles of the paper, our website and other outlets need to be refined.

It’s time to learn a little more about you, our readers. And we want to know about your friends and neighbors who might not read us. We also want to include those folks we missed in prior surveys.

If you haven’t already received an email about The Jewish Voice 2017 Readership Survey, you will soon.

This is it, folks! It’s your chance to offer your input for a modern Jewish Voice. We hope

D

you will take a little more than 10 minutes out of your busy schedule and answer the questions. It’s easy, anonymous and very important to our future.

The more responses we get, the more reliable our data will be. We plan to use the results to build a more reader-centric newspaper, website and other products, tweaking our coverage to reflect what you want to read and adding advertisers you patronize.

With the data collected from the survey, we will have more information on the types of news and features you want to read and how you’d like to receive that news. And we’ll learn about the stuff that you feel is outdated. The result? More relevant coverage for you and better access to the information you want.

Today’s advertisers want more information about a publication’s readership before they spend their dollars. After this survey, we will have the current facts and figures to help attract a wider range of muchneeded advertising to our newspaper and website Please give us your responses to the survey and encourage everyone you know to complete the survey. Share it. This is an online survey. If you’d like to start now, visit jvhri.org and click on the link at the top of the home page to begin. If you do not use a computer but want to complete the survey, please contact me at 401-421-4111, ext.

168. Leave your name and telephone number, and I will get back to you.

As I begin my fourth year as editor, I’m excited at the possibilities that I will have to make the Jewish Voice you already know into something you love or love even more. I look forward to reporting to you about the survey results. Stay tuned.

We should have some new insights about you and The Voice later this spring.

We haven’t forgotten your pets!

on’t worry. Our annual pet issue has moved. Look for it May 26. Deadline for photos is May 17. But you don’t have to wait. We keep your photos in our files, so feel free to send them to us when you have them.

Email editor@jewishallianceri. org.

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

Leonard Cohen: Psalmist for our time When Leonard Cohen died this past Nov. 7 at his home in Los Angeles at the age of 82, he was eulogized throughout much of the world as a talented singer and song writer; but he was also a poet, novelist, and painter. Born and reared in an English-speaking Jewish neighborhood in Montreal, he was honored in his native country with numerous awards for both his IT SEEMS m u s i c a l and literTO ME ary achievements.

RABBI JIM I purchased Cohen’s first ROSENBERG LP, “Songs of Leonard Cohen,” shortly after it came out in1967 and listened to his mournful voice and his darkly mysterious lyrics over and over again…as I do now, 50 years later. My appreciation for his work was reinforced when I saw Robert Altman’s 1971 masterpiece, “McCabe & Mrs. Miller,” and heard the haunting sound of Cohen’s voice in the background; three of the songs from his first album – “Winter Lady,” “The Stranger Song,” and “Sisters of Mercy,” – run through the entire movie, a sad and persistent undercurrent of word and melody mirroring the depressed mood, which Altman evokes. In “Sisters of Mercy” we hear, “If life is a leaf that the seasons tear off and condemn…;” all the major characters in “McCabe & Mrs. Miller” are driven leaves whom the winds of autumn and winter have cast off and condemned.

I confess that although 13 albums have followed “Songs of Leonard Cohen,” I have neither purchased, nor listened to, a single one of them. Cohen’s music faded from my

consciousness as I fell ever more deeply under the spell of Bob Dylan’s prodigious, ever evolving repertoire.

Toward the end of my career at Temple Habonim in Barrington, in the early 2000s, I quite by accident came upon a tape of Cohen’s 1969 “The Story of Isaac.” I found the song to be an excellent teaching tool for helping my bar/ bat mitzvah students enter into the Akedah, the story of the binding of Isaac: Genesis, chapter 22, read every Rosh Hashanah.

The specificity of the lyrics has inspired any of these seventh-graders to imagine themselves as 9-yearold Isaac climbing up Mt. Moriah with his father, Abraham: “Well, the trees they got much smaller,/The lake a lady’s mirror,/We stopped to drink some wine./Then he threw the bottle over./Broke a minute later/ And he put his hand in mine.”

With his death, Cohen’s “Hallelujah” has enjoyed a rebirth. While first released in his 1984 album, “Various Positions,” the song did not enjoy widespread popularity until John Cale’s 1991 cover, followed by Jeff Buckley’s cover in 1994. As of this date, almost 200 different artists have performed this classic. Though I was unaware of “Hallelujah” until this past summer, I have heard many different versions of it since then. Indeed, at some Friday evening services at Temple Habonim, Lecha Dodi is sung to the melody of this song.

Though Cohen was attracted to Zen Buddhism, he was ordained a Buddhist monk in 1996, his profound sense of Jewish identity never wavered.

“Hallelujah,” like many of Cohen’s lyrics, is rooted in our Hebrew Bible.

The opening verse refers directly to King David in his traditional role as author of the Psalms: “Now I’ve heard there was a secret chord/That David played, and it pleased the

Lord…/The baffled king composing ‘Hallelujah.’”

Just as the 150 Biblical Psalms express both the darkness and the light of human experience, so, too, does Cohen’s “Hallelujah” express this “doubleness”. The very last verse sings both the melancholy of regret and the joyful hope captured in the Psalmist’s word “hallelujah.”

“And even though/It all went wrong,/I’ll stand before the Lord of song/With nothing on my tongue but Hallelujah.”

Leon Wieseltier’s nuanced appreciation of his good friend, Leonard Cohen, appeared on the op-ed page of “The New York Times” this past Nov. 14, just one week after Cohen’s death. In his column, Wieseltier points to the lyrics of his friend’s 1992 “Anthem:” “There is a crack in everything./That’s how the light gets in.” Wieseltier comments, “He once told an interviewer that those words were the closest he came to a credo.

The teaching could not be more plain: fix the crack, lose the light.”

On Nov. 10, 2016, Leonard Cohen, Eliezer ben Natan HaCohen, was buried, in keeping with traditional Jewish practice, in a plain pine box in a family cemetery plot on Montreal’s Mount Royal.

Though his voice is silenced, Cohen’s songs and poems will continue to echo the Psalms of old – the aching, the yearning, and the jubilation of human existence. In the end, despite the frequent darkness in Cohen’s lyrics and melodies, his life’s work embodies the most triumphant word found in the Book of Psalms – indeed, in the entire Hebrew Bible: Hallelujah! Praise Yah, Praise the Lord.

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

Natan Sharansky to stay extra year

JERUSALEM (JTA) – Natan Sharansky, chairman of the executive for the Jewish Agency for Israel, will head the organization for an extra year.

The board of governors announced Feb. 28 that Sharansky had agreed to its request that he stay a year past his second four-year term ending in June.

Sharansky said in September that he would not remain past June, despite a request from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

His recent efforts include trying to secure a compromise

for an egalitarian plaza at the Western Wall and calling for wider recognition by the Israeli Chief Rabbinate of conversions done by rabbis outside the Jewish state.

“Although I was skeptical of the value of remaining for an additional year, what has taken place in recent months has convinced me that it is important that I remain,” Sharansky said in a statement. “Our ongoing discussions with the government on the Western Wall and related matters have reached a sensitive point, and I will do everything necessary

to ensure that the successful negotiations of recent years bear tangible fruit.

“Additionally, the events of recent months have resulted in a deep polarization between some Jews in America and some in Israel, and it is imperative that we do whatever we can to unite our people. That will be our task in the year to come.”

Sharansky was a Soviet prisoner of conscience who was able to immigrate to Israel in 1986. He has served in the Knesset and in various ministerial roles.

thejewishvoice.org

OPINION

March 3, 2017 |

9

4 Jewish takeaways from Trump’s big speech to Congress studies developments overseas, but Jewish groups worry that its elimination would suggest that the administration is not taking the issue seriously. The American Jewish Committee on Feb. 27 asked its activists to write the president and urge him to preserve the office.

Cardin told JTA, walking out of the commission meeting, that if anything the office of the anti-Semitism monitor needed bolstering.

“Strengthen it, elevate it, give it more resources,” he said.

BY RON KAMPEAS WASHINGTON (JTA) – President Donald Trump’s speech to a joint meeting of Congress is getting rave reviews for the subdued, “presidential” style of his delivery, and positive feedback from the Jewish community for opening remarks denouncing anti-Semitic acts as examples of “hate and evil.”

But there ensues the inevitable Trumpian conundrum: What did he actually mean?

Here are four takeaways from the speech and what it says about bias and the Jews: 1. What did he condemn exactly?

From the very first paragraph: “Tonight, as we mark the conclusion of our celebration of Black History Month, we are reminded of our Nation’s path toward civil rights and the work that still remains. Recent threats targeting Jewish Community Centers and vandalism of Jewish cemeteries, as well as last week’s shooting in Kansas City, remind us that while we may be a Nation divided on policies, we are a country that stands united in condemning hate and evil in all its forms.”

That second sentence – the one that’s been getting the plaudits – gets thorny once it’s held up to the light. According to the logic of the sentence, it is the “recent acts” that “remind us that ... we are a country that stands united in condemning hate and evil in all its forms.”

But what actually reminds us that we are united are the responses to such acts, like the thousands of dollars raised by Muslim activists to rebuild a

LETTERS

vandalized Jewish cemetery, a labor union’s pledge to pitch in to fix damaged gravesites, a strongly worded statement from the White House.

It was the lack of the last item that had riled Jewish groups in the weeks after the first spate of JCC bomb threats and the first cemetery attack. In both instances, combined with Trump’s failure to comment for six days on what appears to be the bias killing last week of an Indian worker in Kansas, it was Trump’s failure to respond at first – indeed, his hostility to reporters who asked him to respond to the spike in antiSemitic incidents – that raised hackles.

2. What’s not in the passage A mosque near Tampa, Florida, was set ablaze last week.

Another in Texas was burned down in January and one in

Florida, where the killer in the Orlando massacre had occasionally worshipped, suffered a similar fate in September.

Why not include a reference to bias crimes against Muslims? It would be especially apropos given Trump’s overarching theme of unity because Muslims have indeed raised funds to refurbish vandalized Jewish cemeteries and Jews are contributing to the rebuilding of the Tampa mosque.

(Speaking of the Orlando massacre, why not a reference to the LGBTQ community?

Trump at the time held up the massacre as emblematic of the protections that gay Americans needed and he would bring as president.)

A reference to the mosques may have allayed concerns that his travel ban is aimed at Muslims, although it targets seven

Impressive response to bomb threat

To the staff and teachers of the Alliance Day Care Center: As a neighbor of the Alliance, I unfortunately was witness to the evacuation that you all suffered through because of the bomb threat that you received yesterday [Feb. 27]. I can only imagine the sense of fear, panic and urgency that you all felt as you left the building. I was

amazed to see the calm and loving way that you handled the children in your care, despite the turmoil that you most certainly felt inside. The kids were safe, their hands were held, there were eyes on them at all times. You spoke in soft gentle voices, sang songs with them and even tried to laugh. Certainly none of the kids experienced fear, because of the way

that you handled them. In a world of violence and hate, you showed the opposite to these children. I was so impressed with all of you. The true nature of people is often evident during times and of adversity, and you all glowed!

May we all live in peace together, Chana Twersky Providence, RI

In support of Ambassador choice I am in full support of David Friedman as the next Ambassador to Israel from the United States. David is one of America’s most respected and accomplished attorneys, David is held in the highest esteem by the New York Jewish community as an example of the American and Jewish virtues of education, erudition, philanthropy and communal commitment.

In addition, David has vast exposure to, and knowledge of the Jewish state and its history.

He has a gift for listening, respecting, and showing deference to all he meets.

David has been a lifelong defender of the values Israel upholds – liberty, the rule of law and a passionate commitment to human rights – in the world’s most terrorized region.

He has shown courage and conviction in speaking out forcefully on America placing its embassy not in Israel’s commercial capital, Tel Aviv, but in Israel’s eternal capital, Jerusalem.

David Friedman understands that that real reason there is no peace is the Palestinian rejection of the very concept of a Jewish state, He understands that direct dialogue will be needed to achieve to peace.

I encourage Senators Whitehouse and Reed to support the confirmation of David Friedman as the next Ambassador to Israel from the United States.

H. Russell Taub Providence, RI

(or, as of this week, six) Muslimmajority countries, as well as refugees.

Further along in the speech, Trump mentions Muslims in a positive way, as allies against radical Islamic terrorism. But he was talking about moderate Muslims in the Middle East – an alliance that is far afield from the highways and byways traversed by American Muslims.

3. What’s the plan?

Jewish community statements praising the president for his remarks condemning antiSemitism were almost uniform in asking for a specific government and law enforcement response to anti-Semitic and other hate incidents.

“I was very pleased, that was an important message,” Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., said at a March 1 meeting of the Helsinki Commission, the body that monitors human rights overseas and in the United States.

“But we need to do more.”

“Powerful for @POTUS to note anti-Semitism at top of speech,” tweeted Rabbi Rick Jacobs, president of the Union for Reform Judaism. “Key now is to investigate and end terror campaign.”

Calls for a plan came as Bloomberg News reported that the Trump State Department was considering doing away with the post of anti-Semitism monitor. Granted, the position

4. The other stuff • Trump mentioned Iran and Israel: “I have also imposed new sanctions on entities and individuals who support Iran’s ballistic missile program, and reaffirmed our unbreakable alliance with the State of Israel.”

He did not mention the Iran nuclear deal he once reviled, nor did he speak of the Israeli-Palestinian peace deal he has said he would like to achieve.

• He did go into some detail on his plans to expand school choice: ”I am calling upon members of both parties to pass an education bill that funds school choice for disadvantaged youth, including millions of AfricanAmerican and Latino children.

These families should be free to choose the public, private, charter, magnet, religious or home school that is right for them.”

That’s a proposal he campaigned on, and it has raised concerns among Jewish precincts that favor church-state separations, but also has garnered praise among Orthodox groups and other supporters of Jewish day school education.

On March 1, the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America welcomed Trump’s call for federal policy to support school choice.

“We believe there are several ways in which parental empowerment should be pursued to achieve educational opportunity, in the tax code and elsewhere, and we look forward to working with the administration on this priority issue for our community and American society at large,” the O.U.’s Washington director, Nathan Diament, said in a statement.

COLUMNS | LETTERS POLICY The Jewish Voice publishes thoughtful and informative contributors’ columns (opeds of 500 – 800 words) and letters to the editor (300 words, maximum) on issues of interest to our Jewish community.

At our discretion, we may edit pieces for publication or refuse publication. Letters and columns, whether from our regular contributors or from guest columnists, represent

the views of the authors; they do not represent the views of 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).

10 | March 3, 2017

CALENDAR

The Jewish Voice

Ongoing

“We Were The Lucky Ones” by Georgia Hunter. A reading and conversation with the author followed by a book signing. Suggested membership $36.

Information or RSVP, MFerreira@ lifespan.org or 401-793-2520.

Alliance Kosher Senior Café. Kosher lunch and program every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Temple Emanu-El, 99 Taft Ave., Providence.

Noon lunch; 1 p.m. program. $3 lunch donation from individuals 60+ or under 60 with disabilities. Neal or Elaine, 401338-3189.

Friday | March 10 Kabbalat Shabbat Service and Oneg.

7:30 p.m. Temple Torat Yisrael, 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich.

Shabbat Service followed by an Oneg.

Information, Stephanie Reinsant at stephanie@toratyisrael.org or 401885-6600.

West Bay Kosher Senior Café. Kosher lunch and program every weekday.

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, 401743-0009.

Through April 27 Three Creative Approaches. Temple Habonim’s Bunny Fain Gallery, 165 New Meadow Road, Barrington.

Works by Bunny Fain, Barbara Grace DeCesare and the religious school Mural 5777. Gallery is open Wednesday and Thursday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Friday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and by appointment. Information, call 401-245-6536 or email gallery@ templehabonim.org.

Friday | March 3 URI Hillel Shabbat Services and Dinner.

5:30 p.m. URI Hillel, 6 Fraternity Circle, Kingston. Shabbat services begin at 5:30 p.m. and dinner at 6:15 p.m. Free for URI students, $15 for community members. Information, Yaniv Havusha at yaniv_havusha@uri.edu or 401-8742740.

Shabbat Chai. 6-8:30 p.m. Temple Emanu-El, 99 Taft Ave., Providence.

Musical instruments combine with traditional and spirited Kabbalat Shabbat melodies. After the service, stay for Shabbat dinner. All ages, with children’s activities available throughout the evening. Free – although contributions are welcome before or after Shabbat.

Information, Paul Stouber at pstouber@ teprov.org or 401-331-1616.

Saturday | March 4 Miriam Gedweiser, Scholar-inResidence at CBS. 9 a.m.-noon.

Congregation Beth Sholom, 275 Camp St., Providence. Gedweiser is a faculty member at Drisha Institute for Jewish Education in NYC. She earned a B.A. from University of Chicago in History & Philosophy of Science and a J.D. from NYU School of Law. She completed a judicial clerkship in the Southern District of New York. She will speak on Purim. Schedule: Friday night services, Shabbat morning: “Not According to the Law (Rules & Rule-breaking in Megillat Esther),” and during Seudah Shlishit: “Parashat Zachor: What Are We Remembering?” Free. Information, officebethsholom-ri.org.

Taste of Shabbat. 9-11 a.m. Temple Torat Yisrael, 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich. 9 a.m. Torah Discussion.

9:45 a.m. Shabbat Service followed by a light Kiddush. Information, Stephanie Reinsant at stephanie@toratyisrael.org or 401-885-6600.

Saturday Morning Junior Kiddush Club.

9:30-11:15 a.m. Congregation Beth Sholom, 275 Camp St., Providence.

Shabbat morning activities include prayer, parashah, play time and a special Kiddush just for kids. Age groups: Tots, Pre-K-1st grade, 2nd grade and up. No fee. Information, office@bethsholom-ri.org, call 401-

The Zumba class at Temple Torat Yisrael meets on Thursday.

621-9393 or see Facebook page @ BethSholom-RI. Minyan Breakfast and Torah Study.

9:30-10:30 a.m. Temple Sinai, 30 Hagen Ave., Cranston. Breakfast and Torah study in the downstairs chapel.

Warm breakfast followed by study of the Torah portion. Everyone welcome.

Information, Dottie at Temple Sinai, 401-942-8350.

3rd Annual Congregation Agudas Achim Wine Tasting Fundraiser. 6:30-9 p.m. Holiday Inn, 31 Hampshire St., Mansfield, Mass. A night of wine, food and friends in support of Congregation Agudas Achim. The evening will feature a tasting of eight different organic wines selected by Campus Fine Wines, Providence. Wines may be purchased at the event or at the store through March 11 with 15 percent of the proceeds supporting Congregation Agudas Achim.

Atrium at the Holiday Inn, Mansfield, where there will be hors d’oeuvres and other tasty treats. Remember this is a fundraiser and a party, so don’t just sign up, bring some friends too. $40 per person. Information, Jessica Kopecky at office@agudasma.org or 508-2222243.

Teen Purim Party. 7-11 p.m. Dwares JCC. Swimming, hamantashen baking and more. Come and make some noise.

RSVP to sfinkle@jewishallianceri.org.

Sunday | March 5 OROT Classes Winter & Spring 2017.

8:45-9:30 a.m. Congregation Beth Sholom, 275 Camp St., Providence.

Led by Rabbi Barry Dolinger. Continue study of Rav Kook’s revolutionary seminal work, a collection of challenging and moving essays that describe the religious significance of Zionism. Free.

Upcoming dates: March 26, April 2, April 23, April 30 and May 14 (siyum/ season finale). Information, rabbi@ bethsholom-ri.org.

Sprouts Pre-school Program. 9:3010:30 a.m. Temple Torat Yisrael, 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich. Singing, playing, understanding basic Jewish values and customs and arts & crafts.

Snacks provided. $10 per session.

Information, Stephanie Reinsant at stephanie@toratyisrael.org or 401885-6600.

Sunday Serenity. 9:45-10:30 a.m.

Congregation Beth Sholom, 275 Camp St., Providence. Meditation instruction for all levels. Engage in mindfulness practice to increase awareness, compassion and inner calm while reducing stress and anxiety. Thru April 2. Information, rabbi@bethsholom-ri. org.

Purim Family Funday. 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. JCDSRI, 85 Taft Ave., Providence.

Make a grogger, Purim mask and Purim signs; play Purim games and much more. Storytime with PJ Library.

Purim refreshments to be srved.

Decorate mishloach manot bags for Jewish Eldercare of RI. $5 per family.

Sponsored by Kollel Center for Jewish Studies, Project Shoresh, Jewish Community Day School of Rhode Island and PJ Library. RSVP requested but not required. RSVP or questions, rnoachkarp@gmail.com or 401-4298244.

Bagel Brunch. Noon-1 p.m. URI Hillel, 6 Fraternity Circle, Kingston. Eggs, coffee and more. Free for students. $15 for community members. Information, Yaniv Havusha at yaniv_havusha@uri.edu or 401-874-2740.

An Evening of Pre-Purim Laughs with Comedian Mordechai Schmutter.

7:30 p.m. PHDS, 450 Elmgrove Ave., Providence. Dessert reception sponsored by Tova’s Catering at 7:30 p.m. Comedy act at 8 p.m., followed by annual scholarship raffle drawing. $10 per person, $5 for students. Information, prepurimlaughsphds2017@gmail.com.

Monday | March 6 Conversion Class. 7:30-8:45 p.m.

Congregation Beth Sholom, 275 Camp St., Providence. Rabbi Barry Dolinger continues a broad-based exploration of the biggest topics in Judaism, designed to give an overarching but detailed appreciation for traditional Judaism.

This semester focuses on increased personal study for additional breadth of information while delving deeper through discussions during classes. We continue our study of Shabbat. Free.

Through May 22. No class: April 10, April 17, May 8. Information, rabbi@ bethsholom-ri.org.

Tuesday | March 7 Congregation Beth Sholom’s Lunch & Learn. Noon-1 p.m. Offices of Rosenstein, Halper, & Maselli, 27 Dryden Lane, Unit #4, Providence.

Engaging study, led by Rabbi Barry Dolinger, and great company for lunch. Study Mishpat Ivri – Jewish Civil Law – as it might be applied in the modern State of Israel. Five-part series.

Upcoming date: March 21. Cost: $15 per class, $72 for the semester. RSVP to Tammy Giusti at tgiusti@rhmllp.com.

Information, rabbi@bethsholom-ri.org.

Yoga. 6-7 p.m. Temple Torat Yisrael, 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich.

Cost: $30 for 3 sessions paid in advance; $12 per session at the door.

Beginner and intermediate levels. Open to all. Bring your own mat. Information, Stephanie Reinsant at stephanie@

PHOTO | ELAINE SHAPIRO

toratyisrael.org or 401-885-6600.

Chabad of West Bay presents The Campus Challenge. 7-8:30 p.m.

Chabad Chai Center, 3871 Post Road, Warwick. Discussion with Dr. Charles Jacobs, president of Americans for Peace and Tolerance, and Prof. William Jacobson, creator of the website www.

LegalInsurrection.com. Both speakers are tireless fighters against antiSemitism and anti-Zionism in public schools and universities. Includes RI premiere showing of “Hate Spaces.”

Cost: $5. Information, stop.iran.now.ri@ gmail.com.

Tuesday Night Talmud (TNT). 7:30-8:30 p.m. Congregation Beth Sholom, 275 Camp St., Providence. Study the Fifth Chapter of Berachot with Rabbi Barry Dolinger. Upcoming dates: March 14, March 21, March 28 and April 4 (semester siyum). Information, rabbi@ bethsholom-ri.org.

Wednesday | March 8 Jewish Culture through Film: “Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem” 6 p.m. Dwares JCC. (Please enter at 130 Sessions St.) After a lukewarm marriage of over 20 years, a woman appeals to her husband’s compassion to obtain the desirable divorce document in front of a court, which proves to be more challenging than she would expect. See story on page 3. To commemorate International Women’s Day, join us after the movie for a meaningful discussion about women in Israel today. Admission: $5 | Members $3. Information, Tslil Reichman at treichman@jewishallianceri.org or 401421-4111, ext. 121.

Mah Jongg. 7 p.m. Temple Torat Yisrael, 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich.

Open to members, non-members, men and women. Bring your friends and your 2016 Mah Jongg card. Free.

Information, contact Stephanie Reinsant at stephanie@toratyisrael.org or 401885-6600.

Moving from Stressful to Mindful Workshop. 7-8 p.m. Temple Torat Yisrael, 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich. Wellness Tools for Daily Life. Amy Small, LICSW, Kesher Social Worker for Torat Yisrael, will guide us through a variety of mindfulness experiences to help manage the stresses of daily life. Upcoming dates: March 15 and 22. Information, Stephanie Reinsant at stephanie@ toratyisrael.org or 401-885-6600.

Thursday | March 9 The Miriam Hospital Women’s Association Author Event. 6:30-9 p.m.

The Miriam Hospital, 164 Summit Ave., Providence. Rhode Island launch of

Saturday | March 11 Taste of Shabbat. 9-11 a.m. Temple Torat Yisrael, 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich. 9 a.m. Torah Discussion.

9:45 a.m. Shabbat service followed by a light Kiddush. Information, Stephanie Reinsant at stephanie@toratyisrael.org or 401-885-6600.

Minyan Breakfast and Torah Study.

9:30-10:30 a.m. Temple Sinai, 30 Hagen Ave., Cranston. Breakfast and Torah study in the downstairs chapel.

Warm breakfast followed by study of the Torah portion. Everyone welcome.

Information, Dottie at Temple Sinai, 401-942-8350.

Saturday Morning Junior Kiddush Club.

9:30-11:15 a.m. Congregation Beth Sholom, 275 Camp St., Providence.

Shabbat morning activities include prayer, parashah, play time and a special Kiddush just for kids. Age groups: Tots, Pre-K-1st grade, 2nd grade and up. No fee. Information, office@bethsholom-ri.org, call 401621-9393 or see Facebook page @ BethSholom-RI. K’TanTan Purim Party. 5:30 p.m. Temple Beth-El, 70 Orchard Ave., Providence.

K’TanTan is a wonderful way to celebrate Shabbat and holidays with children from birth to age 5. We gather for joyful singing and community dinner.

All are welcome. Information, Joie Magnone at 401-331-6070.

Dinner and Annual Purim Spiel: “Purim Pride.” 6 p.m. Temple Habonim, 165 New Meadow Road, Barrington. For Esther, Mordechai and the Jews – it’s a jungle out there. Written by Elana Sheinkopf and Joe Shansky. Join us for a mac & cheese dinner at 6 p.m. before the spiel at 6:30 p.m. $5 per person for dinner. (Reservations required; sign up on the temple website in early March).

Information, Jodi Sullivan at office@ templehabonim.org or 401-245-6536.

Purim Banquet and Karaoke. 6 p.m.

Temple Torat Yisrael, 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich. Celebrate Purim including the reading of the megillah.

Light dinner followed by karaoke. All are welcome with or without a costume.

RSVP to the TY office at 401-885-6600

by March 8. Information, Stephanie Reinsant at stephanie@toratyisrael.org.

Purim Spiel. 6:30 p.m. Temple Beth-El, 70 Orchard Ave., Providence. Megillah reading, spiel and Purim celebration.

Spiel is “Esther: A Shushan Musical.”

There will be songs; there will be dances; there will be laughter; there will be tears. If you want a revolution, we’ve got that. If you want a revelation, we’ve got that too. Come and experience the first story to turn the world upside down; a story of immigrants who got the job done. So don’t throw away your shot to make some noise, cheer and hiss, and CALENDAR | 11

thejewishvoice.org CALENDAR

FROM PAGE 10

CALENDAR

celebrate Purim in the spirit of joy and merriment. Information, Temple Beth-El @ 401-331-6070.

(401)j Purim Masquerade. 8 p.m.-12 a.m. Brutopia Brewery & Kitchen, 505 Atwood Ave., Cranston. Come in your best costume for drinks, light appetizers, hamantashen, games, and the first (401)j costume contest. 1st and 2nd place winners will win an Amazon.com gift card. Tickets are $18 and include food and one drink ticket. Kosher/ dairy food available. Register online at: www.jewishallianceri.org/401j-purimmasquerade. Space is limited. For more information, contact Dayna Bailen at 401-421-4111 ext. 108 or dbailen@ jewishallianceri.org.

Sunday | March 12 Sunday Serenity. 9:45-10:30 a.m.

Congregation Beth Sholom, 275 Camp St., Providence. Meditation instruction for all levels. Engage in mindfulness practice to increase awareness, compassion and inner calm while reducing stress and anxiety. Thru April 2. Information, rabbi@bethsholom-ri. org.

Providence Purim Parade. 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Street in front of the Dwares JCC. Family-friendly community event celebrates Purim. It’s a walking marching parade where the participants enjoy live music, cotton candy, roaming cartoon characters, a costume contest and much more. This free event brings together the entire Jewish community from across the entire Rhode Island and Southern Massachusetts areas. Information, Noach Karp at provpurimparade@gmail.com or 401429-8244.

Purim Carnival. 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Temple Sinai, 30 Hagen Ave., Cranston.

Temple Sinai’s CRAFTY youth group

FROM PAGE 1

students host the annual Purim carnival in the social hall. Students should bring money to participate in a variety of games and to purchase food. Prizes.

Open to all members of the community.

Information, Dottie at Temple Sinai, 401-942-8350.

Purim Carnival. 1-4 p.m. Congregation Agudas Achim, 901 N. Main St., Attleboro, Mass. Costumes, games, face painting, food and fun to celebrate Purim. All are welcome. Free.

Information, Jessica Kopecky at office@ agudasma.org or 508-222-2243.

Purim Carnival. 2-4 p.m. Temple Torat Yisrael, 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich. Games, food and fun.

Open to the entire community. Nominal charge. Information, Stephanie Reinsant at stephanie@toratyisrael.org or 401885-6600.

Chabad of West Bay Purim Feast. 4-7 p.m. Shalom One Apartments’ Social Hall, One Shalom Dr., Warwick. Annual Purim feast celebrates the joyous holiday with a full catered Kosher buffet dinner, live music, entertainment and lots of fun, including Precision Buffet dinner and dessert, explosive Megilah reading, grand bubbleology Show by Keith Johnson, alive music by Sounds of Simcha and controlled science activities. Donation: Adult $20, Child $10, Sponsor $100. RSVP by March 5 by emailing, calling or registering through the donate online page and indicate for Purim feast. Information, Yossi Laufer at rabbi@rabbiwarwick. com or 401-884-7888.

Monday | March 13 Conversion Class. 7:30-8:45 p.m.

Congregation Beth Sholom, 275 Camp St., Providence. Rabbi Barry Dolinger continues a broad-based exploration of the biggest topics in Judaism, designed

THREAT

29 JCCs, Jewish day schools, the AntiDefamation League in San Francisco and seven additional targets were targeted by bomb threats on Feb. 27. This was the fifth wave of threats in the last two months.

The JCC Association of North America urged federal officials to identify and

to give an overarching but detailed appreciation for traditional Judaism.

This semester focuses on increased personal study for additional breadth of information while delving deeper through discussions during classes. We continue our study of Shabbat. Free.

Through May 22. No class: April 10, April 17, May 8. Information, rabbi@ bethsholom-ri.org.

Tuesday | March 14 Lunch and Learn with Rabbi Aaron Philmus. Noon-1:30 p.m. T’s Restaurant, 5600 Post Road, East Greenwich. Each participant orders from the menu, and we study Jewish sources addressing current issues.

Open to all. Information, Stephanie Reinsant at stephanie@toratyisrael.org or 401-885-6600.

Yoga. 6-7 p.m. Temple Torat Yisrael, 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich.

Cost: $30 for 3 sessions paid in advance; $12 per session at the door.

Beginner and intermediate levels. Open to all. Bring your own mat. Information, Stephanie Reinsant at stephanie@ toratyisrael.org or 401-885-6600.

Tuesday Night Talmud (TNT). 7:308:30 p.m. Congregation Beth Sholom, 275 Camp St., Providence. Study the Fifth Chapter of Berachot with Rabbi Barry Dolinger. Upcoming dates: March 21, March 28 and April 4 (semester siyum). Information, rabbi@ bethsholom-ri.org.

Wednesday | March 15 Moving from Stressful to Mindful Workshop. 7-8 p.m. Temple Torat Yisrael, 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich. Wellness Tools for Daily Life. Amy Small, LICSW, Kesher Social Worker for Torat Yisrael, will guide us through a variety of mindfulness experiences to help manage the stresses of daily life. Upcoming date:

capture the perpetrator or perpetrators of the hoaxes.

“Anti-Semitism of this nature should not and must not be allowed to endure in our communities,” David Posner, the director of strategic performance at the JCCA, said in a statement. “The Justice Department, Homeland Security, the FBI, and the White House, alongside Congress and local officials, must speak

| COMMUNITY | WORLD 3/22. Information, Stephanie Reinsant at stephanie@toratyisrael.org or 401885-6600.

Mah Jongg. 7 p.m. Temple Torat Yisrael, 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich.

Open to members, non-members, men and women. Bring your friends and your 2016 Mah Jongg card. Free.

Information, contact Stephanie Reinsant at stephanie@toratyisrael.org or 401885-6600.

Thursday | March 16 Zumba. 7-7:45 p.m. Temple Torat Yisrael, 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich. $5 per person per class. Information, Stephanie Reinsant at stephanie@ toratyisrael.org or 401-885-6600.

Friday | March 17 T.G.I.F. Thank G-D It’s Friday. 5:45-7 p.m. Temple Torat Yisrael, 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich. Shabbat songs and story with Rabbi Aaron Philmus.

Kiddush and free kid-friendly Shabbat dinner. (Donations welcome.) Open to all. RSVP to the Torat Yisrael office at 401-885-6600.

Kabbalat Shabbat Service and Oneg.

7:30 p.m. Temple Torat Yisrael, 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich.

Shabbat service followed by an Oneg.

Information, Stephanie Reinsant at stephanie@toratyisrael.org or 401885-6600.

Saturday | March 18 Classic Shabbat Service and Bar Mitzvah. 9 a.m.-noon. Temple Torat Yisrael, 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich. Classic Shabbat service and Bar Mitzvah followed by a Kiddush Luncheon. Information, Stephanie Reinsant at stephanie@toratyisrael.org or 401-885-6600.

Saturday Morning Junior Kiddush Club.

9:30-11:15 a.m. Congregation Beth

out – and speak out forcefully – against this scourge of anti-Semitism impacting communities across the country.

“Actions speak louder than words.”

On Feb. 28, President Donald Trump addressed the spate of bomb threats, along with attacks on Jewish cemeteries and the recent shooting of two Indian men in Kansas City, in his address to a joint session of Congress.

March 3, 2017 |

11

Sholom, 275 Camp St., Providence.

Shabbat morning activities include prayer, parashah, play time and a special Kiddush just for kids. Age groups: Tots, Pre-K-1st grade, 2nd grade and up. No fee. Information, office@bethsholom-ri.org, call 401621-9393 or see Facebook page @ BethSholom-RI. Minyan Breakfast and Torah Study.

9:30-10:30 a.m. Temple Sinai, 30 Hagen Ave., Cranston. Breakfast and Torah study in the downstairs chapel.

Warm breakfast followed by study of the Torah portion. Everyone welcome.

Information, Dottie at Temple Sinai, 401-942-8350.

Kids’ Night Out: Hollywood. 5-10 p.m.

Dwares JCC. Children participate in a variety of themed activities including sports, crafts, swimming and more. A pizza dinner and snacks are served, and the evening ends with a movie. Price: $35 | Members: $25 | Siblings: $15.

Information or to register, Shannon Kochanek at 401-421-4111, ext. 147.

Sunday | March 19 Sunday Serenity. 9:45-10:30 a.m.

Congregation Beth Sholom, 275 Camp St., Providence. Meditation instruction for all levels. Engage in mindfulness practice to increase awareness, compassion and inner calm while reducing stress and anxiety. Thru April 2. Information, rabbi@bethsholom-ri. org.

Kollel Jewish Unity Live. 7-9:30 p.m.

Renaissance Hotel, 4 Ave. of the Arts, Providence. Annual signature event celebrating Jewish learning and community unity. Cost: $50 per person | $75 if you come with a companion.

Information, Raphie Schochet at Providencekollel@gmail.com or 401383-2786.

“Recent threats targeting Jewish community centers and vandalism of Jewish cemeteries, as well as last week’s shooting in Kansas City, remind us that while we may be a nation divided on policies, we are a country that stands united in condemning hate and evil in all of its very ugly forms,” the president said.

FRAN OSTENDORF is the editor of The Jewish Voice.

Hundreds of yeshiva, seminary students disrupt Women of the Wall service JERUSALEM (JTA) – Hundreds of haredi Orthodox men and women and religious Zionist female seminary students disrupted the monthly Rosh Chodesh morning service of the Women of the Wall group.

About 150 women who gathered at the women’s section of the Western Wall Plaza to celebrate the new Jewish month of Adar had to push their way through a chain of religious women attempting to hold them back. Police ultimately broke up the crowd to allow the Women of the Wall to get through.

Police also set up metal barriers around the women to protect them from the protesters.

The barriers were located a

distance away from the wall, so the women were not able to pray directly in front of the wall.

Rabbis from the haredi Orthodox and religious Zionist communities had called on yeshiva and seminary students to come to the Western Wall to protest the women’s service. Police estimated that between 1,000 and 2,000 female seminary students filled the women’s section.

Some of the Women of the Wall carried Torah scrolls. One girl, identified by the Women of the Wall as Noa Brenner, 12, of Hod Hasharon in central Israel, celebrated her bat mitzvah during the service. Students on the men’s side of the plaza attempted to drown out the women’s

service.

The group has held its monthly Rosh Chodesh prayer for the new Hebrew month in the women’s section for more than 25 years.

Last month, Israel’s Supreme Court ruled in favor of women being allowed to read from the Torah in the women’s section at the Western Wall, and put a halt to security searches of the women for items such as Torah scrolls, tallitot and tefillin. The Western Wall Heritage Foundation had prevented women from bringing Torah scrolls and religious items into the women’s section.

An agreement for egalitarian prayer at the site announced

a year ago would expand the egalitarian section at the wall and place it under the authority of a pluralist committee while solidifying haredi Orthodox control over the site’s traditional Orthodox section. Women of the Wall would move to the nonOrthodox section once the deal is implemented.

Later, however, the religious partners backed away from the deal and in June, a group of Orthodox Jewish organizations filed a petition with Israel’s Supreme Court to prevent the establishment of the egalitarian section.

The Reform and Conservative movements in Israel and the Women of the Wall in Octo-

ber petitioned Israel’s Supreme Court to order the government to follow through on the plan to create the egalitarian prayer area next to the Western Wall.

You can post your community calendar information to The Voice calendar online, accessible at jvhri.org or jewishallianceri.org.

It only takes a few minutes to register and fill in the form. Your listing will appear both on The Jewish Voice website and the Alliance website and selected items will also be published in the Voice.

Contact editor@jewishallianceri.org with any questions.

12 | March 3, 2017

FOOD

The Jewish Voice

Celebrate National Nutrition month by ‘putting your best fork forward’ (StatePoint) – Are you fi nding it difficult to keep up with your healthy New Year habits? Tackle those resolutions with renewed energy in March during National Nutrition Month and remember that small changes, made over time, can add up.

The 2017 National Nutrition Month theme, “Put Your Best Fork Forward,” encourages everyone to start small – one forkful at a time. Whether you’re planning meals to prepare at home or making selections when dining out, it’s crucial to develop a healthy eating style that you can maintain.

“To make lasting, healthful changes to your eating habits, it’s important to start small,” says registered dietitian nutritionist and Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics spokesperson Caroline Passerrello. “Regis-

tered dietitian nutritionists can help you develop personalized solutions that will keep you healthy and allow you to still enjoy your favorite foods throughout your entire life.”

Passerrello offers these ways you can “Put Your Best Fork Forward:” • Choose healthier options when cooking at home. “Eating a variety of healthful foods across and within all food groups helps reduce the risk of preventable, lifestyle-related chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and obesity,” says Passerrello. “Eat more vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fatfree or low-fat dairy, lean proteins and oils.”

• Find healthful options when dining out. “F inding healthful options at restaurants

is easier today than it ever has been,” says Passerrello. “Most restaurants offer healthful options. Look for items that are steamed or roasted, and ask for sauce, dressing and cheese on the side. To-go boxes can help control portions. Eat half your meal at the restaurant and take the other half home.”

• Set a good example for your children. Parents are the most important role models for their children. “Modeling healthful eating habits starts in the kitchen,” Passerrello says.

“Involving your kids in the cooking with age-appropriate tasks, serving balanced meals with a variety of nutrient-rich foods and enjoying dinner together as often as possible are among the many things you can do to help your family be mindful of their eating habits.”

• Consult a registered dietitian nutritionist. “A healthy lifestyle is much more than choosing to eat more fruits and vegetables. While that is important, it’s also essential to make informed food choices based on your individual health and nutrient needs,” Passerrello says. “A registered dietitian nutritionist can educate you and guide your food choices while keeping your tastes and preferences in mind. They are able to separate facts from fads and translate nutrition science into information you can use.” To fi nd a registered dietitian nutritionist in your area, visit eatright.org.

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ National Nutrition Month website, eatright. org/NNM, includes articles, recipes, videos and educational resources to spread the message of good nutrition and an overall healthy lifestyle for people of all ages, genders and backgrounds. You can also follow National Nutrition Month on social media using #Nation-

PHOTO | SKUMER - FOTOLIA.COM

alNutritionMonth.

This National Nutrition Month, keep up the good work

you began in January by recommitting to health and wellness in March.

An old favorite gets a healthy remake (The Nosher via JTA) – Kasha varnishkes is a much b e love d A s h ke nazi comfort food d ish. T rad it iona l ly m a d e w it h bow tie pasta, onions, shmaltz and k asha ( buckwheat), it is fi lling, comforting peasant food at its best.

I wanted to add a little bit of healthfulness into the traditional recipe, so we decided to swap out regular or egg pasta for some whole grain pasta and include some riced cauliflower into the mix for a serving of vegetables.

This recipe is based on a classic recipe for kasha varnishkes from celebrated food writer and cookbook author Adeena Sussman.

Lightened-Up Kasha Varnishkes Ingredients 1 cup cooked whole-wheat bow tie pasta 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 onion, diced 1 egg 1 cup kasha 2 cups vegetable stock, chicken stock or water 1 1/2 cups “riced” cauliflower (about 1/2 small raw cauliflower pulsed in food processor) Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Cook pasta according to directions in salted boiling water, around 10 minutes; can be pre-

pared a day ahead of time.

Beat 1 egg in a medium bowl.

Add kasha and combine until coated.

In a large skillet over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon olive oil.

Cook kasha and egg until kasha has separated and egg has cooked out. Add broth, bring to a boil, then cover and reduce on simmer for 10 minutes.

In another skillet, saute diced onion in olive oil over medium heat until slightly brown, around 7 minutes. Add riced cauliflower and continue to cook for 2-3 minutes.

After kasha has cooked, add onion and cauliflower mixture along with cooked pasta to pan.

Cook another 5-10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

SHANNON SARNA is the editor of The Nosher. The Nosher food blog offers a dazzling array of new and classic Jewish recipes and food news, from Europe to Yemen, from challah to shakshuka and beyond. Check it out at TheNosher.com.

SENIORS

thejewishvoice.org

March 3, 2017 |

13

REMEMBER THE PAST From the Rhode Island Jewish Historical Association

By any definition, we’re interested in your history

BY RUTH BREINDEL To the ancients, history was a blend of story, myth and deeds; facts were not really necessary, and were used only to add a bit of proof to the tale that was being told. Accordingly, Achilles was a real person who fought at Troy – and the gods could talk to people and direct their actions.

Greek historian Herodotus used stories to describe the peoples of faraway countries.

In the Middle Ages, magic had a large presence in history. In the medieval mystery “Play of Daniel,” an angel picks up the prophet Habbakuk and brings him to Daniel in the lion’s den, where Habbakuk gives Daniel lunch (which was supposed to be for Habbakuk’s workers!).

Even in the Age of Reason, Zacchia, physician to the pope in the mid-1600s, ascribed certain cures to miracles, while referencing Galen and Hippocrates.

In our modern age, history is a collection of “facts ” (although we know that much of what is on the internet is really fiction).

No matter your place on the timeline, history is anything that occurred before today. Julius Caesar, writing in the Gallic Wars, used the phrase patrum nostrorum memoria, “in the memory of our fathers,” to describe how far back personal history extended. For him, that was up to 60 years prior to his

What is history? Where is history? When is history?

life; for us, it can be even further in the past, perhaps 90 years ago.

With that defi nition, some of us view history as ending around World War I; for others, it might be the Great Depression of the 1930s or World War II. Our children and grandchildren might view the end of history as the Vietnam War, or even the Gulf War (it is interesting to note that we often date things from wars or other upheavals, not from pleasant events). Regardless of where we see history ending, we consider anything after that date as modern or current events.

But history is all around us.

Here in Rhode Island, we see history at every turn: From the Colonial period, in the Touro Synagogue in Newport; to the oldest Providence synagogue still in use today, the Sons of Jacob Synagogue on Douglas Avenue; to Temple Sinai, built in 1963 in Cranston. The Jewish cemeteries in Rhode Island, such as Mosshasuck in Central Falls and Lincoln Park in Warwick, are wonderful openings into the past.

At the Rhode Island Jewish Historical Association, we view history as everything that has happened up until today. Perhaps Judy Collins says it best in “Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow”:

Temple Sinai, Hagen Avenue, Cranston, Rhode Island. From July 1992.

Yesterday is gone, it’s all remember-when Yesterday is past, it never comes again ….For yesterday’s tomorrow has become today With that in mind, our mission at RIJHA is to keep knowledge of all periods alive and well.

When RIJHA was founded in 1951, history was the late 19th and early 20th centuries; what happened in the 1950s wasn’t history, but rather “today.”

For us now, in 2017, 1951 is history, as are the 1960s and 1970s, and, in fact, everything right up through yesterday.

We each have a unique role to play in preserving and honoring our history. If you have artifacts or papers from your family that relate to the Jewish experience in Rhode Island

PHOTOS | RHODE ISLAND JEWISH HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION

Congregation Sons of Jacob, Douglas Avenue, Providence.

From June 1992. from any period, we would love to see them. After all, very soon, today will be history!

RUTH BREINDEL is president of Rhode Island Jewish Historical Association.

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14 | March 3, 2017

The Jewish Voice

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thejewishvoice.org

March 3, 2017 |

15

LIVING WELL

The thrill – and challenges – of stormy times

SUSAN BAZAR

Those of you who know me will chuckle over this article. Those of you who don’t will either see yourself in these words or be reminded of someone you know.

Like my mother, I am a weather geek. If a forecast hints at a storm brewing, I get an adrenaline surge. Immediately, I start with the rituals of culling information from multiple websites and following the U.S. and European models. And – though I am still unsure of their differentiation – I get excited when the isobars resemble each other.

I take inventory at home:

You’re never too old for a good quality of life How we can extend our years and at the same time maintain our quality of life has always fascinated me.

In my book “Pathf i n d i n g ,” published in 2002, I PATRICIA wrote, “The RASKIN whole subject of positive aging has been a passion of mine.

In my thirties I read a book about the Hunzas, who have one of the longest centenarian success rates. They live at very high altitudes, eat the food they grow off the land, and walk many miles a day.”

A few years ago, I produced “Positive Aging in North Carolina,” a documentary for the North Carolina Division of Aging, which aired on UNCTV, their PBS affiliate.

One of the people I featured in that documentary was Harley Potter. At that time, he was a 102-year-old golfer who had won gold medals at local, state and national tournaments. His 73-year-old daughter, Leta Duffin, drove him to our on-location shoot and rode in the golf cart with him. Potter’s only major impairment was that he had only 25-percent hearing left in one ear, so we directed questions to that ear.

Potter was as happy as could be as long as he had a golf club in his hand. He said, “You are never too old to learn to play golf. I started when I was 92, and I never had a lesson.”

Of his golf game, Potter said, “My handicap was 44 when I started, but now it’s down to 37. The last game I played, my score was 100.”

I asked Potter his secret to long life. He said, “I don’t worry. Yesterday is gone and there is nothing you can do

about it today. I look forward to today and beyond that. I keep going. I watch my health.

I’ve never smoked. I eat three meals a day, but never eat too much, and I exercise.”

I asked his daughter what her father has taught her.

She said, “He taught me not to worry about tomorrow or about the past. Daddy didn’t teach me by telling me. He taught me by living it.”

Potter died peacefully at age 106 after being in a nursing home for two years.

The article “Growing Old,” posted at Chabad.org and based on the teachings of the Lubavitcher rebbe, states, “The Torah considers old age a virtue and a blessing.

Throughout the Torah, ‘old’ (zakein) is synonymous with ‘wise’; the Torah commands us to respect all elderly, regardless of their scholarship and piety, because the many trials and experiences that each additional year of life brings yield a wisdom which the most accomplished young prodigy cannot equal.”

The article describes Abraham as one who “grew old and came along in days” (Genesis 24:1): “His accumulated days, each replete with learning and achievement, meant that with each passing day his worth increased. Thus, a ripe old age is regarded as one of the greatest blessings to be bestowed upon man.”

For me, positive aging follows positive living. Quality of life is not dependent on age.

It’s dependent on how we live each day of our lives.

I like to compare aging to fine wine that improves as it matures. That’s one of my life goals.

PATRICIA RASKIN hosts “The Patricia Raskin Show” on Saturdays at 3 p.m. on WPRO, 630 AM/99.7 FM and on Mondays at 2 p.m. on voiceamerica.com.

Raskin is a board member of Providence’s Temple Emanu-El.

water, batteries and Sternos, just in case. I make mental notes: do the laundry and run the dishwasher before we lose power.

From the recesses of my basement, I retrieve an inherited Army-green battery-operated lantern that can illuminate a sizable campsite (although this is questionable since I have never actually gone camping).

Then, 48 hours before the storm is due, I watch and listen ad nauseam to multiple TV channels, websites, apps and tweets. I confess that I get super jazzed when a storm alert hits my phone.

Twenty-four hours before the actual “weather event,” I kick it up a notch and text my immediate and extended family messages like “8 to 12,” “gale force winds,” “shelter in place”… well, you get it.

Next stop, the market. It’s a sign of age I’m sure, but instead of getting upset about long lines, I revel in them. I delight in the frenzy, and take inventory of the number of carts around me – but only after making sure I’ve loaded up on my healthy storm-day treats, both sweet and savory.

When it is my turn, I remind myself to ask the cashier how he or she is holding up. I so appreciate a friendly, composed, competent cashier who puts

fruits and produce in one bag, and frozen items in another, and doesn’t drop my People magazine in with leaky perishables.

And, surely, I am not the only one doing all this.

During each storm frenzy, I am reminded of the appeal of independent and assisted-l iv i ng residences.

I think about how liberating it must be not to worry about shoveling the walk and driveway. I think of how great it must be to not need to be preoccupied with clearing the car before I start my day.

As I refresh the batteries in flashlights and an old transistor radio, I wonder what it would be like not to worry about power outages.

At times like these, I particularly value the notion of eating communally while nurturing friendships: Fireplace chats, sharing storm tales and marveling at the elements from afar with fellow residents is comforting, of that I am certain.

Until the end of time, I will

always be addicted to weather forecasts. Like my mother be fore me, I will continue to be a meteorologist wannabe. I will continue to be disappointed when would-be storms miss and go out to sea. I will continue to revel in the elements and wait with great anticipation for storms of historic significance.

Rest assured, with the green lantern by my side, I will be ready to utter the famous call to action for the weather-wary: “Charge your phone!”

SUSAN BAZAR (sbazar@jsari. org) is executive director of the Jewish Seniors Agency of R.I.

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16 | March 3, 2017

The Jewish Voice

At Jewish Seniors Agency RI (JSA), we are dedicated to enhancing the lives of elders living in our community.

To that end, we are asking for your assistance in identifying those in The Voice readership area who are isolated. They may be widowed, experiencing a change in physical or mental health status or they simply may be in need of kosher food.

JSA can connect the dots. As a caring community, we not only visit elders in assisted living residences and nursing homes, we also tend to the needs and cultivate friendships of those who are aging in their homes.

At JSA, our caring community is our signature and legacy.

PLEASE HELP JSA HELP OUR ELDERS. In doing so, we uphold the fifth commandment of “Honoring thy Father and Mother”.

Please call Susie Adler, Jewish Eldercare of RI* Outreach Program Coordinator at 401.621.5374, extension 107, or email her at ladler-jeri@jsa.org.

Thank you.

Susan Bazar, Executive Director

Putting Life into Living *JERI program partially funded by the Jewish Alliance of Greater RI

thejewishvoice.org

SENIORS

March 3, 2017 |

17

FROM PAGE 1

VILLAGE longer than ever before.

On the East Side of Providence, extending into Pawtucket, the Providence Village recently celebrated its first birthday. A diverse grassroots organization of more than 100 members, it is built on a model of volunteers who help members “age in place.” And many of those volunteers are members themselves.

“We are a community of mutual support,” says Cy O’Neil, president of the board of directors and one of the founders.

“There’s lots of opportunities to join us. We have a lot of great ideas.”

Members pay a fee to join the village and access its services.

The village grows according to its volunteer base and ability to help members who need assistance.

Currently there is a part-time staff member to help with administration, and the group has an office in Hamilton House on the East Side. But everything else the group does is volunteer-driven.

“Offering people the opportunity to volunteer and support their neighbors, that’s the joy of it,” said Pat Gifford, a retired geriatrician and volunteer.

“That’s what sets us apart from social service agencies and other social organizations.”

Gifford has learned a lot about the village concept and visited a number of them.

“If you have memories of neighborhoods and neighbors, they made you feel safer. That’s what a village does,” she said.

If you talk to members or volunteers, you’ll soon see why everyone benefits from their connections to a village.

Nan Levine is a longtime East Side resident. She heard about the Providence Village when she was in a “transition period,” she said.

“The fact that this was a community opportunity was appealing,” she said. “I felt there was such a need for this kind of thing.”

“To take advantage of the community and then give back”

Pat Gifford

Cy O’Neil talks to a group of interested people about the Providence Village. is important to her, said Levine, who volunteers as head of the team that makes friendly phone calls as well as relying on the driving service to get around, especially to doctors’ appointments.

“The drivers are the nicest, kindest group of people. It has saved my life,” she said.

The driving service is the most popular service offered by the Providence Village, according to O’Neil.

Tito Cohen is one of many volunteer drivers. A language teacher at Hope High School and Classical High School for many years before retiring, Cohen loves to talk and has a ready smile. He got involved with the Village with his wife, Nora. He’s been driving since the beginning.

“Driving is lovely,” he said.

He said he loves getting to know people, like Levine.

Members who need a ride call the coordinator, who enters the information about when and where the ride is needed into a computer program that goes out to the driving volunteers – you can even request a particular driver.

The Providence Village is still in its early stages. Currently, in addition to rides, members can get help with light home maintenance and housekeeping; participate in a social network that includes activities as well as a check-in phone service; and get assistance with small com-

puter problems or take computer classes in partnership with Hamilton House.

Gifford also leads a team of volunteers who aim to help people navigate the health care system, from helping with home safety to accompanying members on doctors’ visits to hear what’s said.

The ideas for all of these services come from other villages as well as members.

“We’re learning,” O’Neil says.

For example, they’ve learned that many members participate in the social activities – and that the new technology volunteers get more calls about printer connections than anything else.

Suzanne Goldfine, of Warwick, heads the technology group, which has seven volunteers. She became involved in

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the Providence Village because she was looking into starting a village near her home. For now, she’s helping in Providence.

“It’s nice to see a person’s comfort level [with technology] increase,” she said.

The “granddaddy of the village movement” is the Beacon Hill Village, in Boston, started more than 15 years ago. O’Neil said the Providence group looked to Beacon Hill’s model when they started.

There’s also a national village-to-village network (vtvnetwork.org), which offers assistance to local groups that want to start a village, runs a conference, and studies the movement. According to the network, there are currently more than 200 villages in the United States and 150 more in development.

PHOTOS | H. PHILIP WEST JR.

Cy O’Neil “We are getting calls from other parts of the state, from people interested in getting a village going,” O’Neil said.

For more information on the Providence Village, email Membership@ProvidenceVillageRI.org, call 401-441-5240, or go to providencevillageri.org.

FRAN OSTENDORF is the editor of The Jewish Voice.

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The Jewish Voice

More caregivers are no spring chickens themselves

BY PAULA SPAN Writer for The New Old Age

Gail Schwartz wants to keep her 85-year-old husband out of a nursing home as long as she can, but it isn’t easy Because David Schwartz, a retired lawyer, has vascular dementia he can no longer stay alone in their home. She tends to his needs from 1 p.m. to 11 p.m. every Monday through Saturday and all of Sunday.

When she dashes out for errands, exercise and volunteer work in the morning, she checks in by phone with the aides she has hired. “I’m always on alert,” she said. “At the grocery store, I’m thinking, ‘Is David O.K.?’ ” An aide now stays overnight, too, because Mr. Schwartz awakened so frequently, disoriented and upset, that his wife began to suffer the ill effects of constantly disrupted sleep. She has moved into the bedroom across the hall.

“I need my rest,” she said.

“I’m no spring chicken myself.”

Indeed, she is 78. While she thinks her husband does better at home – “he’s getting 24-hour attention, and you don’t get that in a nursing home,” she said.

She worries, too, about costs climbing as Mr. Schwartz’s health declines and his needs increase.

For now, though, she manages, part of an apparently growing phenomenon: the old taking care of the old.

Every few years, the National

Alliance for Caregiving and the AARP Public Policy Institute survey the state of American caregiving; their latest report, published last month, focused in part on caregivers over 75. They constitute 7 percent of those who provide unpaid care to a relative or friend, the survey found – more than three million seniors helping with the so-called activities of daily living (bathing, dressing, using a toilet), instrumental activities of daily living (shopping, transportation, dealing with the health care system) and a rising tide of medical and nursing tasks.

Almost half of them report caring for a spouse; the others assist siblings and other relatives, friends or neighbors, most also 75 or older. About 8 percent of these oldest caregivers still care for parents.

The aging of the population has thrust more seniors into this role, said Gail Hunt, president and chief executive of the National Alliance for Caregiving. “There didn’t use to be so many 95-year-olds,” she said, “and someone must care for those 95-year-olds.”

That’s challenging for anyone, though the extent of what’s called “caregiver burden” remains a subject of debate. For years, researchers have presented caregiving stress as a potential source of depression, compromised health, even premature death.

Some of those findings are be-

ing reassessed; a recent study in The Gerontologist, for instance, argues that the picture is “overly dire” and that several studies find benefits for caregivers – the “healthy caregiver” hypothesis.

People over 75 can find care-

giving particularly taxing.

They spend an average of 34 hours a week on caregiving tasks, the National Alliance for Caregiving report found, 10 hours more than caregivers over all, and they are less likely to have other unpaid help.

Because 46 percent take care of spouses, they are also more likely to be live-in caregivers, a known source of strain. “You’re responsible for their safety,” Ms. Hunt said. “You have to interact with the person all day long and maybe all night long, so your sleep is disturbed. It’s more stress than if you’re coming over periodically to help.”

The typical older caregiver in the study had been providing care for more than five years.

“Just the physical part of it, the lifting and bathing and all of that, can hurt you,” said Donna Wagner, dean of the College of Health and Social Services at New Mexico State University and a longtime researcher on family caregiving. Older caregivers, typically women, have their own health issues.

“My mother is a perfect example,” Dr. Wagner said, describing her as a 4-foot-10 woman who cared for her husband, an obese man with heart disease and diabetes, for seven or eight years. “I don’t even know how she managed,” Dr. Wagner said.

After he died at 85, “it didn’t take her long to slide right into dementia. It’s as if she put it off while she had responsibility for him. There are a lot of mysteries.”

There is no great mystery about the kinds of policies and

programs that could better sustain caregivers. Ms. Hunt rattled off several, including regular respite care, home aides covered by Medicare, tax credits for family caregivers and more subsidized adult day programs. When asked if she foresaw more government support for such efforts, she laughed. Other Western countries do a better job, she said.

Yet people like Alvin Vissers, 75, still shoulder the role. He retired from his job as a construction project manager two years ago to help his wife, Ronda, who is also 75 and in the late stages of Alzheimer’s disease.

Mrs. Vissers, a nurse, can no longer speak much and needs help with nearly everything – bathing, dressing, eating. She sometimes calls her husband of 54 years “honey,” but “I don’t think she realizes our relationship anymore,” Mr. Vissers says.

Spouses can be reluctant to seek help, even if they can afford it. Who else could possibly be as sensitive and steadfast as the partner who’s lived with this person for decades?

But Mr. Vissers, in generally good health despite elevated blood pressure, began having chest pains at night (from reflux disease, it turned out).

Another caregiving husband he knew from church had been hospitalized with heart failure, sending his dependent wife to a nursing facility.

“I won’t be any good to Ronda if I give her all this care and she outlives me,” Mr. Vissers said he realized. “The stress of caring for her 100 percent was too much.”

Last year, therefore, Mr. Vissers began driving his wife to an adult day program three days a week. “It worked out so well we went to five days,” he said. The couple’s youngest daughter, who had moved into an apartment in their home with her own daughter, makes dinner most nights. Mr. Vissers can find time to exercise, volunteer and attend caregiver support group meetings.

One day, he knows, his wife may become too immobile for a day program. He may need to hire home care or, eventually, find a nursing home.

But not yet. “I told her when this started, ‘Sweetheart, you’ve cared for me for 50 years; I guess it’s my turn,’ ” he recalled. “Now, I’m finding out what those words mean.

PAULA SPAN writes the “New Old Age” blog, and trains the next generation of journalists at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism where she was the 2009 Distinguished Teacher of the Year.

She lives in Montclair, N.J.

SENIORS

thejewishvoice.org

March 3, 2017 |

19

The light above them, through the generations We label Israel “a lamp unto the nations” and light our homestead candles for memory, for the sanctity of the Sabbath, on holy days.

For our private and personal dwellings, we purchase fixtures in electrical supply shops against the dark, or they come with the house.

SKETCHBOOK Since my boyhood family was in the home furnishings MIKE FINK business, we on occasion changed the overhead bulbs and their glass cases more or less for the fun of it.

Remember when the bulbs were shaped to look like flames? I liked that design. But such alterations in decorations more often than not upset me as a boy. I had a thing about it. I wanted everything to stay the same, fixed and permanent…eternal, even.

My mother, had a livelier and more creative interest in modern ideas, reflecting the times in which we were living. So She had the old-fashioned amber, sepia, beige, and somewhat somber, ceiling chandelier with its coppery fittings removed from above the dining-room table, and installed a crystal and silver model to brighten up the chamber.

She bought a sterling tea service and new dishes, and put the original art deco brass branches holding the large bulbs up in the attic.

There it remained for about six decades. If I mounted

The old chandelier. the stairs to the crawl space, I might stare down at the crate holding the frayed wires, the glass containers for the bulbs, the chain and the finials. Until one day, it caught the eye of my new son-in-law, who had a taste for moving things upstairs to the attic and down to the basement of his in-laws’ home.

My daughter asked if she might take the carton over the R.I. border to their place in Brookline, Mass. I said, okay, and away it went. But they did nothing at all with their acquisition for a number of years, and so I suggested they return my gift. I had found the perfect place for it: my new

college office. It would look quite appropriate and add a touch of stern splendor over my large desk. It would suit my professorial library realm, my salon, my parlor for students and colleagues, perfectly.

I made my request a few times and then gave up. ,Recently, my son-in-law showed me, on his pocket camera, a photo of what had become of my inheritance.

He had taken it to a repair studio and asked the proprietor to polish off the patina, thus releasing a bright golden hue before he planned to install it grandly before the fireplace of their hearth and home, which was undergoing restoration.

“No, you must keep it just as it is or you will destroy its unique beauty and meaning,” the proprietor had told him.

He took it to another store, where he received the same good advice. He accepted the counsel, left it as it was, and put it up.

And so, there it is! It looks just right, central in the rather elegant formal living room, where my three little granddaughters read their books among the paintings on the walls, the flickering flames in the grate, and the conversation of guests and relatives. It makes a pretty picture for a visiting grandfather.

The paintings were taken from the house on the other side of our family, and the single thing that represents my own long-gone parents’ domestic days is the light above them, a metaphor of blessing overlooking the scenery beneath. Not a lamp unto the nations, but instead a legacy lamp unto the little ones.

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

Grandparents can help bridge the college-cost gap For many families, a college education is a significant financial burden that is increasingly hard to pay for with savings, income and a manageable amount of loans. For BARBARA some, the KENERSON ace in the hole might be grandparents, whose added funds can help bridge the gap.

If you’re a grandparent who would like to help fund your grandchild’s college education, here are some strategies.

529 college savings plan

A 529 college savings plan is one of the best vehicles for multigenerational college funding.

These plans are offered by states and managed by financial institutions. Grandparents can open a 529 account on their own – either with their own state’s plan or another state’s plan – and name their grandchild as beneficiary (one grandchild per account), or they can contribute to an existing 529 account that has been established for that grandchild – by a parent, for example.

Once a 529 account is open, grandparents can contribute as much or as little as they want, subject to the individual plan’s lifetime limits, which are typically $300,000 and up. They can set up automatic monthly contributions or they can gift a larger lump sum – a scenario where 529 plans really shine.

Contributions to a 529 plan accumulate tax deferred, which means no taxes are due on any earnings made along the way,

and earnings are completely tax-free at the federal level (and typically at the state level) if account funds are used to pay the beneficiary’s qualified education expenses. (However, the earnings portion of any withdrawal used for a non-education purpose is subject to income tax and a 10-percent penalty.)

Under rules unique to 529 plans, individuals can make a lump-sum gift of up to $70,000 ($140,000 for joint gifts by a married couple) and avoid the federal gift tax by making a special election on their tax return to treat the gift as if it were made in equal installments over a fiveyear period. After five years, another lump-sum gift can be made using the same technique.

This strategy offers two advantages: The money is considered removed from the grandparents’ estate (unless the grandparent were to die during the five-year period, in which case a portion of the gift would be recaptured), but the grandparents still retain control over their contribution and can withdraw part or all of it for an unexpected financial need (but the earnings portion of such a withdrawal would be subject to income tax and a 10-percent penalty).

What happens at college time if a grandchild gets a scholarship?

Grandparents can seamlessly change the beneficiary of the 529 account to another grandchild, or they can make a penalty-free withdrawal from the account up to the amount of the scholarship (though they would still owe income tax on the earnings portion of this withdrawal).

Finally, a word about financial aid. Under current federal financial-aid rules, a grandparent-

owned 529 account is not counted as a parent or student asset, but withdrawals from a grandparent-owned 529 account are counted as student income in the following academic year. This can decrease the grandchild’s eligibility for financial aid in that year by up to 50 percent. By contrast, parent-owned 529 accounts are counted as parent assets up front, but withdrawals are not counted as student income – a more favorable treatment.

Outright cash gifts

Another option for grandparents is to make an outright gift of cash or securities to their grandchild or his or her parent. To help reduce any potential gift tax implications, grandparents should keep their gift under the annual federal gift-tax exclusion amount – $14,000 for individual gifts or $28,000 for joint gifts. Otherwise,

a larger gift might be subject to federal gift tax and, for a gift made to a grandchild, federal generation-skipping transfer tax, which is a tax on gifts made to a person who is more than one generation younger than you.

An outright cash gift to a grandchild or a grandchild’s parent will be considered an asset for financial-aid purposes. Under the federal aid formula, students must contribute 20 percent of their assets each year toward college costs, and parents must contribute 5.6 percent of their assets.

Pay tuition directly to the college

For grandparents who are considering making an outright cash gift, another option is to bypass grandchildren and pay the college directly. Under federal law, tuition payments made directly to a college aren’t con-

sidered taxable gifts, no matter how large the payment. This rule is beneficial considering that tuition at many private colleges is now over $40,000 per year. Only tuition qualifies for this federal gift-tax exclusion; room and board aren’t eligible.

Aside from the benefit of being able to make larger tax-free gifts, paying tuition directly to the college ensures that your money will be used for education purposes. However, a direct tuition payment might prompt a college to reduce any potential grant award in your grandchild’s financial-aid package, so make sure to ask the college about the financial-aid impact of your gift.

BARBARA KENERSON is first vice president/Investments at Janney Montgomery Scott LLC and can be reached at BarbaraKenerson.com.

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20 | March 3, 2017

The Jewish Voice

Finally, a book for Jews with Alzheimer’s

BY LISA KEYS NEW YORK (JTA) – The book is large and fits comfortably on a lap. The color photographs nearly fill each page. Each image depicts real people doing everyday Jewish things – a young girl eating matzah ball soup; a bubbe and her grandchildren lying in the grass; a man wearing tefillin, praying. The sentences are in large print; they are simple (“Mother says the blessing over the candles”) and easy to read.

But the book is not for young children learning how to read, nor is it for parents to introduce Judaism to their preschoolers.

Rather it is designed for those suffering from dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, a progressive type of dementia that causes a slow decline in thinking, memory and reasoning.

The book – a series of independent pictures and captions – requires no memory to read and follow along, allowing those with memory-loss issues to enjoy and engage with each image on its own terms.

“L’Chaim: Pictures to Evoke Memories of a Jewish Life,” by Eliezer Sobel, is probably the first book of its kind – a Jewishthemed book created explicitly for adults with Alzheimer’s or dementia.

“There’s such a richness to Jewish content and imagery and history and culture,” Sobel, 64, told JTA. “There are so many Jewish people in Jewish nursing homes, and Jewish families with loved ones who have dementia.”

Sobel’s family is among them.

The author took inspiration from his mother, Manya, 93, a refugee who fled Nazi Germany and has suffered from Alzheimer’s for 17 years. As her memory deteriorated, her language slowly disappeared with it, Sobel said. Eventually, a few years ago, it seemed gone for good.

However, “One day I walk into the living room, and she was thumbing through a magazine, reading the big print headlines aloud, correctly,” he recalled.

“I said, ‘Omigod! Mom can still read!’ “ Sobel, who lives in Red Bank, New Jersey, said he headed to the local Barnes & Noble to get her a picture book for dementia patients.

“It seemed like the most obvious thing in the world,” he said.

Instead, he learned that such a thing didn’t really exist. After unsuccessful trips to bookstores and searches online, Sobel called the National Alzheimer’s Association. He said the librarian he spoke with on the phone was stumped at first – she said that while there were more than 20,000 books for caregivers, she didn’t know of anything for the patients themselves.

Eventually the librarian turned up a few books for Alzheimer’s patients: Lydia Burdick has a series of three books for adults with the disease, including “The Sunshine On My Face.” In subsequent years a few more have appeared, such as those by Emma Rose Sparrow. Still, the market for such products is very small, even though some 5.8 million Americans have Alzheimers, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.

Inspired, Sobel – a writer (previous books include the novel “Minyan: Ten Jewish Men in a World That is Heartbroken”) and leader of meditation and creativity retreats – published his first book for adults with dementia, “Blue Sky, White Clouds: A Book for Memory-Challenged Adults” in 2012. Like “L’Chaim,” the book is a series of large color photographs of things like birds, trees and babies with captions such as “The baby is fast asleep” and “Snow covers the trees.”

“If patients see the pictures, say the names of the pictures, make some comments or are in any way affected by the books, that’s a good thing, period,” David Teplow, a professor of neurology at UCLA, told JTA. (Teplow provided a blurb for “Blue Sky”: “It certainly appears to be necessary to fill a

Cranston Seniors plan April meeting Cranston Senior Guild’s next meeting will take place April 5 at 1 p.m. at Tamarisk Assisted Living, 3 Shalom Drive, Warwick.

Vocalist Jeanne Sullivan Evans will provide entertainment, including songs from great composers such as Cole Porter, Jerome Kerns and Rodgers and Hart. Evans

has performed in musical theater, has sat on the board of Academy players and Community Players of Pawtucket.

A short business meeting along with refreshments and a raffle will also take place.

Men and women age 55 years plus are welcome to join the group. Cranston residency is not required.

void in this area of publishing, namely the realistic representation of images and ideas for people with memory and cognitive impairment.”)

Plus, Teplow added, “There are lot of Jewish people who have Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. Certainly it’s an important project for the Jewish community.”

For Sobel, having a Jewishthemed follow-up to “Blue Sky” was a bit of a no-brainer.

“It seemed natural to me,” he said. “It’s who I am; who we are. Especially my mother, the history of her Holocaust experience – it was a big part of my growing up, how she and her family got out, what they

experienced.”

Sobel’s mother arrived in the U.S. at age 14, shortly after Kristallnacht in 1938. Though she escaped Germany with her immediate family – her grandmother was left behind and died in a labor camp – she remained scarred by her experiences and raised her kids to be wary of outsiders.

“Fair Lawn, New Jersey, was kind of like ‘Leave It To Beaver’ – perfectly safe and lots of Jewish families,” Sobel said of his hometown in the New York City suburbs. “But my mom kept an axe under the bed when my dad wasn’t home.”

The family kept Kosher; they had Friday night Shabbat din-

ners and Sobel attended synagogue on Saturdays with his father.

“My mother’s idea of keeping Shabbat was she didn’t clean the house; she’d do something she enjoyed,” he recalled. “We’d drive – but not past the rabbi’s house.”

Sobel said that while he and his mother “were at loggerheads for a lot of my adult life,” when her Alzheimer’s set in, she was released from her terrible memories.

“It was almost a blessing to be around her; someone who radiated love and welcoming to everyone,” he said. “I was freed up to feel and express my love for her, which had been bottled up since my teenage years.”

The books, he said, seemed to provide her some comfort and – just as important – entertainment. Sobel’s father, Max, took care of his mother until he fell and suffered a traumatic brain injury himself three years ago, on their 67th wedding anniversary. (He died in November.)

“I watched my father, tearing his hair out, looking for things to do with her,” Sobel said.

“There are so few resources for that.

“If she enjoyed being with the book in the moment, we could do it again the next day, or the next hour. We could read it 100 times – it never got old.

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Women’s Alliance Endowment Fund welcomes grant applications

The Women’s Alliance Endowment Fund (WAEF) membership seeks proposals for the upcoming fiscal year, July 2017-June 2018, for programs and services that have the potential for positive long-term impact to benefit Jewish women and girls.

Educational, cultural and religious programs will be considered, as will services in the health and social services fields.

This year, the WAEF will make total grants of over $7,500, to be distributed by June 30, 2017.

Over the last decade, the WAEF has awarded 82 local and overseas grants, totaling more than $65,000 in grants, to a wide array of programs and service providers. All Rhode Island, Southeastern Massachusetts and overseas Jewish organizations, agencies and synagogues whose mission falls within the

purview of the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island are encouraged to submit grant requests.

“When the donors to the WAEF meet to decide the allocations, we are particularly interested in helping our local organizations.

I hope that we have more of these local groups submitting funding proposals this year than in any of the previous years,” said Margaret Lederer, WAEF chair.

Programs that have most recently received funding include supporting a social worker at the Jewish Community Day School to run empowerment and antibullying workshops; a multi-risk mother and child group therapy program with NITZA, the Israel Center for Maternal Health; therapeutic getaways for breast cancer patients through Rafanah Healing Holidays; and Camp JORI’s Strong Girls, Healthy Relationships program.

There are 112 WAEF members, each of whom is entitled to participate in the annual allocations process. WAEF membership requires a minimum contribution of $1,000 to the fund, payable over three years.

The WAEF request for proposals will be sent to local synagogues and Jewish agencies as well as Jewish organizations that have received funding from the Women’s Alliance in the past.

Grant requests must be received by Friday, March 17.

Funding recipients are identified at the WAEF annual meeting, which is scheduled to take place at the Jewish Alliance on May 23. Award recipients will be notified in June.

For more information about the WAEF grants available this year, contact Jennifer Zwirn at 401-421-4111, ext. 102, or jzwirn@ jewishallianceri.org.

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23

PHOTOGRAPHS OF AN OUTSIDER:

PHOTO | MICHAEL FIELD

Speaking at the recent program were (left to right) Russell Raskin, Pastor David Marquard, Jeff Gladstone and Rep. Ramon Perez.

Pro-Israel Christians and Jews air common concerns

BY HOWARD BROWN EAST GREENWICH – Nearly 50 people braved snowy weather on Feb. 12 for an open discussion of the potential for cooperation between pro-Israel Christians and Jews.

Organized by Dave Talan of Temple Torat Yisrael, a panel composed of Russell Raskin (Lawyers and Judges for Israel), Jeff Gladstone (StandWithUs-RI), Pastor David Marquard (Christians United for Israel/ Praise Tabernacle Church), and Rep. Ramon Perez (Dist. 13) spoke personally and for their communities regarding their support for Israel and the Jewish community in Rhode Island.

It was an opportunity for the Jewish community to openly ask Christian leaders whether their true motivation was to convert Jews to Christianity.

Likewise, it was a chance for Christian leaders to explain their commitment to the Jewish people and Israel as the ultimate bedrock of Christianity.

“Without Christians, you still have Judaism,” explained Marquard, “but without Judaism, there could be no Christianity.” Further, he spoke of the belief of pro-Israel Christians

that God’s promise to Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3 – “I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse those who curse you” – is an unchangeable eternal promise.

Perez spoke also of the bond between the Latino community and the Jewish community, created centuries ago when Spanish and Portuguese Jews were forced to convert to Christianity or be expelled from their home countries.

Discussion also centered on the common morality shared by the Jewish and Christian communities, forming the JudeoChristian values that are the basis for American democracy.

When questions were raised regarding Muslim immigration, it was a consensus of the panelists that while it is necessary to have compassion for refugees, it is of more importance to proceed with caution when evaluating potential immigrants who have been raised in anti-Western, anti-Semitic, anti-Christian cultures that have spawned terrorists. Characterizing such caution as “hate” or “anti-Muslim,” the panelists agreed, is a false argument.

Film tackles anti-Semitism, anti-Zionism on campuses

WARWICK – On Tuesday, March 7, a documentary fi lm that has been striking a nerve with audiences nationwide, “Hate Spaces,” will have its RI premiere at the Chabad of West Bay Chai Center, 3871 Post Road, Warwick. The fi lm exposes the epidemic of campus intolerance favoring Muslims and anti-Israel activists over Jews and Israel supporters when it comes to free speech, academic freedom and protection from abuse. It was produced by Americans for Peace and Tolerance (APT), a Boston-based nonprofit dedicated to raising public awareness about the increasingly hostile campus environment. The fi lm’s title refers to the concept of “safe spaces” that has been used to silence unpopular speech at universities across the United States.

The fi lm showing will be accompanied by a panel discussion led by Charles Jacobs, president of APT, and William Jacobson, clinical professor of law and director of the Securities Law Clinic at Cornell Law School. The discussion will focus on what can be done to reverse the tide of campus antiIsrael activity.

“Hate Spaces” is a story that has to be told,” says the fi lm’s producer, Avi Goldwasser, because “most people do not realize how the hostility is being institutionalized, made fashionable by a combination of forces. While many anti-Jewish incidents and the BDS [boycott, divestment and sanctions against Israel] campaign are reported by the media, few are willing to connect the dots and FILM | 25

AN EVENING WITH ISRAELI PHOTOGRAPHER, ADI NESS Acclaimed Israeli photographer, ADI NES, is the keynote speaker for URI’s Annual LGBTQ Symposium.

Nes’ dramatic photographs recall well known scenes from Art History and Western Civilization combined with personal experiences based on his life as a gay youth growing up in a small town on the periphery of Israeli society.

Wednesday

March 22

7pm

There will be a dinner before the presentation at 6pm.

FREE and open to the public For more information contact Amy at amyolson@uri.edu or Annie at anniem@uri.edu

URI Gender and Sexuality Center 19 Upper College Road, Kingston

(401) J This event is sponsored by the URI Hillel and the URI Gender and Sexuality Center with support from the Hinenu of Hillel International.

Additional sponsors include the URI Student Entertainment Committee, Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island,The Jewish Voice, and (401)j.

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OBITUARIES

24 | March 3, 2017 Richard Block, 71 FLORIDA – Richard A. Block, born in Providence, Rhode Island, on Nov. 13, 1945, died Feb. 6.

R i c h a r d served in the US Army USAR PVT E-2 (P) in Vietnam.

A resident of Florida since 1996, he worked for GTE/Verizon for 10 years as a financial analyst prior to retiring in 2009.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Millard and Stella Block, and his niece, Jennifer Rotondi. Many loving family members survive Richard, his wife of 16 years, Sandra Block; children, Adam (Miwa) Block, Jason (Jerilyn) Block, Cheryl (Michael) Spielberger and Kristen (David) Peninger. Grandchildren, Jacob Block, Jacob and Julia Spielberger, Courtney

Sweat and Breanna Peninger; Sister Susan (David) Epstein; sister-in-law, Kelly Moran and brother-in-law, Michael Moran.

Nieces, and nephews Jay (Jackie Epstein), Richard Epstein and Deborah Epstein; great-nieces and nephews, Ethan, Emma, Robbie, Jacob, Caitlyn, and Hannah Epstein.

Donations in his memory can be made to the American Cancer Society and/or LifePath Hospice, Central Hillsborough, Florida.

Adele Borger, 92 TAMARAC, FLA. – Adele Rita Borger, of Tamarac, passed away Feb. 26. Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the daughter of Esther and Aaron Levine, she was predeceased by her husband of 66 years, Samuel.

She leaves three children, Hara Borger Cohen (Michael) of Dix Hills, New York; Bruce of Fort Lauderdale and Karen (Mark) of Providence, as well as two grandchildren Benjamin Co-

ASK THE DIRECTOR

BY MICHAEL D. SMITH F.D./R.E. Shalom Memorial Chapel

Question: What is a K’riah ribbon?

W.S., Providence Dear W.S., A K’riah ribbon is a black ribbon which, when worn, is an outward sign of mourning and symbolizes a tear in your heart for the loss of an immediate family member. Some people choose to tear their outer garments instead of wearing the ribbon. It is a personal choice.

QUESTIONS ARE WELCOMED AND ENCOURAGED. Please send questions to: ShalomChapel@aol.com or by mail to Ask the Director, c/o Shalom Memorial Chapel, 1100 New London Ave., Cranston, R.I. 02920.

The Jewish Voice hen (Brooke) and Ashley Cohen (Aaron).

After graduating from Overbrook High School in Philadelphia, Adele worked in a shipyard during WWII. After marriage, she and her husband lived in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, before settling in York, Pennsylvania, for more than 35 years, then relocating to Harrisburg and eventually Tamarac.

Known affectionately as Ad ’n Sam, the Borgers’ legacy included a lifetime of community involvement and philanthropy.

She served as president of Ohev Sholom Sisterhood in York and was a lifetime member of Hadassah. She and her husband were founders of the Ben Gurion University in the Negev, members of the Circle of Founders of the Hadassah Medical Center in Israel and recipients of the City of Peace Award from Israeli Bonds. They received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Jewish Federation, were founders of the Miami Jewish Home for the Aged and members of the Legacy Society of the Anti-Defamation League.

They donated the Adele and Sam Borger Senior Residence at the Daniel Cantor Senior Center. In later years, their primary involvement was Jewish Adoption and Foster Care Options (JAFCO) in Sunrise, Florida, which provides services and care for abused and neglected children, as well as those with developmental disabilities in the Jewish community while working in partnership with families in the entire community. Their contributions included the lobby of the main building and, in 2013, The Samuel and Adele Borger Campus of The JAFCO Children’s Ability Center.

Adele was pre-deceased by her brother Frank and sister Nancy Lessin. Contributions in her memory may be made to JAFCO, Children’s Ability

Center, 4200 North University Drive, Sunrise, FL 33351 (https:// www.jafcoonline.org/donations/general-donation-form2-ver-cac) or to VITAS Hospice Care, 5420 NW 33rd Ave., Suite 100, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309.

Abraham Gershman, 92 EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Abraham Gershman died Feb. 17 at Linn Health Care Center in East Providence.

He was the son of Isadore and Jennie Gederman Gershman, he was born Sept. 21, 1924 and was a longtime resident of Providence.

Abe was a retail display designer for Filene’s in Boston as well as several local department stores and specialty shops in Rhode Island and Massachusetts for 47 years, until he retired in 1994. He served in WWII in the US Navy serving overseas in Cuba, as well as stateside.

Abraham was a devoted member of Temple Emanu-El, where he took great delight in helping to arrange and cater various events, as well as assisting at the Temple museum. He was a member of Kulanu. He was honored for his active support of the Rhode Island AIDS Quilt Project.

He was the dear brother of the late Harry, George, Paul and Edward Gershman, Anna Gerson, Edith Matusow and Ruth Kimel.

He was the beloved brother-inlaw of Ruth Davis Gershman of Warwick. Abraham also had many devoted nieces and nephews, great-nieces and nephews, and great-great nieces and nephews.

Contributions in his memory

may be made to The Museum Fund, c/o Temple Emanu-El, 99 Taft Ave., Providence, RI 02906.

Jacob “Buddy” Kenner, 69 PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Jacob “Buddy” Kenner, 69, of P rovidence died on Feb. 20 surrounded by family and friends.

K n o w n by many as founder and longtime owner of 3 Steeple Street Restaurant, Buddy was also a dedicated and respected teacher of theater and English at Nathanael Greene Middle School, the Rhode Island School of Design and Bryant University.

An avid enthusiast and supporter of theater, music and the arts, Buddy was an athlete, reader and chicken wing eater.

He was the wild-haired dude running the streets of his beloved East Side and found joy operating the scoreboard at Brown home football games.

His infectious spirit and deep love for community has always been a source of inspiration to all.

Loved by his wife and soulmate Maureen Farrell Kenner; his sons, Jesse and wife Ashley, Aaron and wife Rebecca, and Daniel Kenner. Buddy experienced great pride in his grandchildren Julia, Isaac, Judah, Clara, Ruby and Alice. He was a loyal son to Harold Kenner and Roselyn Slovin, brother to Martin and wife Liz, Alan and wife Laney, and Brian Kenner.

Buddy was a devoted son-inlaw, brother-in-law, uncle and friend.

Donations in his memory can be made to George Washington University Theatre Department, 800 21st NW, #227, Washington DC 20052 or Inspiring Minds, 763 Westminster Street, Providence, RI 02903.

OBITUARIES | 25

thejewishvoice.org

FROM PAGE 24

| OBITUARIES

Elaine T. Leiberman, 81 WARWICK, R.I. – Elaine T. Lieberman, of Tamarisk, died Feb. 17 at Kent Hospital. She was the beloved wife of the late Harvey Lieberman. Born in Providence, a daughter of the late David and Gladys (Levine) Kosofsky, she had lived in North Providence for more than 20 years before moving to Warwick over a year ago.

She was an assistant program manager at the JCC. She was the dear sister of Howard Kosofsky and his wife, Ann, of The Villages, Florida. She was the loving aunt of Ellen and Stephen Kosofsky.

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

Marvin Levine, 84 NAPLES, FLA. – Marvin Levine died Feb. 20 at home. He was the husband of the late Sandra (Schoenberg) Levine. Born in Providence, a son of the late Leo and Bella (Rappaport) Levine, he had lived in Naples, previously living in Rhode Island.

He was the father of Debra Weissman and her late husband, Paul, of Naples. Brother of Bernard Levine and his late wife, Barbara, of Cranston, and the late Irving Levine, Florence Mallot and Dottie Mierowitz.

Contributions in his memory may be made to Vitas Healthcare of Collier County at www. vitas.com/community-connection/donation-form.

Leonard Charles Mandell, 97 PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Leonard Charles Mandell died Feb. 15.

He was born in Providence. He was the son of the late Charles and Florence (G r e e n l e a f ) Mandell.

He grew up in South Providence and graduated from Classical High School. He graduated from the University of Alabama in 1941. He also earned two master’s degrees, one from M.I.T. and the other from the Harvard School of Public Health.

He practiced mechanical, thermodynamic, public health and safety engineering for 50 years in Providence. He owned his own business which began as Enginnaire, Inc., before becoming Leonard C. Mandell and Associates and finally, Safety Services, Inc. During the 1950s he designed the first air pollution control equipment used in factories in R.I.. He was a leading forensic scientist engaged in reconstructing fires and explosions.

He was a past Master of the Redwood Masonic Lodge.

He was a member of Temple Emanu-El, Temple Beth-El, the Jewish War Veterans of R.I., Touro Synagogue and the American Academy of Forensic

Scientists.

He was predeceased by his wife Frances (Friedman) Mandell and is survived by his special lady, Shandelle Kenler. He is also survived by his children Rabbi Howard A. Mandell of Andover, Massachusetts, Dr. Lynda R. Mandell of New York City, and Mark Mandell and his wife, Yvette Boisclair of Warwick; and by his grandchildren Joshua and his wife, Mary Virginia; Charlie and his wife, Marissa; Cassandra Karr and Jacob Karr, and Rachel, Zachary, Benjamin and his wife, Ana Mandell, and by his great-grandchildren Ella Frances, Mack and Abraham. He was the brother of the late Ruth Mandell, Ethel Lury and Frank Mandell.

Contributions in his memory may be made to the Leonard C. Mandell Music Funds at either Temple Emanu-El, 99 Taft Ave, Providence, RI 02906 or Temple Beth-El, 70 Orchard Ave, Providence, RI 02906.

Pearl Nathan, 103 PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Pearl (Gluck) Nathan died Feb. 20.

She was the wife of the late Ernest Nathan. She was born in New York City, the daughter of the late Henry and Martha (Kopps) Gluck.

She graduated from Barnard College, class of 1934, and married the late Ernest Nathan in 1937.

From 1963 to 1973, she taught English at Barrington High School, was active in Inspiring Minds, was a docent and volunteer for the Rhode Island School of Design for more than 62 years and was appointed by Sen. Claiborne Pell to the first Rhode Island Commission for the Arts.

She is survived by her children, Alan Nathan, and his wife, Virginia; Richard Nathan and his wife, Ilse, and Joan Nathan and her husband, Allan Gerson. She leaves grandchildren, Jeffrey Nathan and his wife, Jessica; Rob Nathan, Sarah Nathan Sullivan and her husband, Sean; Daniela Gerson and her wife, Talia Inlender; Merissa Gerson, and David Gerson; and great-grandchildren Alia, Asher, Effie, and Fischer Nathan and Charles and Molly Sullivan.

Contributions in her memory may be made to the Rhode Island School of Design Museum, http://support.risd.edu/ or Inspiring Minds, http://inspiringmindsri.org/donate/.

Leonard J. Sholes, 102 CRANSTON, R.I. – Leonard Sholes died peacefully at home, after a short illness, with his loving family at his side. He was the husband of the late Anna R. (Kohn) Sholes. Born in North Attleboro, Massachusetts, he was the youngest child of the late Morris B. and Nellie (Levingston) Sholes.

He was a graduate of Pawtucket High School, class of 1932, Providence College, class of 1936 and Boston University Law School, class of 1938. After law school he operated Sholes Hillsgrove Country Club, the World’s Finest Roller Skating Rink, on Post Road, Warwick, with his parents, the late Morris and Nellie Sholes, and then with his sons, from 1938 to 1999 when the rink was replaced with a hotel.

Early in his career, he operated the Lakeside Casino, a roller skating rink and dance hall outside Willimantic, Connecticut, where he met and made friends with many of the big band leaders of the 1930s and 1940s. He also owned and operated the Winter Garden Roller Skating Rink, on the Cranston-Warwick border, until it was converted into the Warwick Shoppers World. With his late brother Sampson, he also owned and operated the Sholes Riverview Ballroom and later the Sholes Riverview Roller Skating Rink in Dorchester, Massachusetts.

During his long career he developed several shopping centers and commercial properties.

Leonard and his late wife Anna were intrepid travelers and adventurers exploring five continents. After his wife died, Leonard maintained homes in Cranston and Boca Raton, Florida.

From 1966 to 1969, he served as president of Temple Beth Israel in Providence. During his presidency he was instrumental in building the Temple Social Hall and in rebuilding the sanctuary after it was destroyed by fire in 1968. During his second term in office in 1971 and 1972, as part of the 50th anniversary of the temple, he led a pilgrimage of temple members to Israel Leonard was a long-time member of and still served on the board of directors of Temple Torat Yisrael, a past member of the board of directors of the Providence Hebrew Day School which presented him with the Amudin Award in 1980 for outstanding contributions to the school and to the Jewish community. He was honored for his leadership and service by the State of Israel Bonds at the 25th anniversary of the State of Israel Bonds in 1976. He also donated a prayer garden at the Lincoln Park Cemetery.

He was active in community and civic affairs. He was a member of Redwood Lodge No 35, A.F. & A.M, the Aleppo Shriners of Newton, Massachusetts, Touro Fraternal Association, Knights of Pythias, among others.

Leonard is survived by four sons: Richard Sholes and his wife, Martha, of Cranston; David Sholes and his wife, Laurie, of Providence; Andrew Sholes and his wife, Trude, of Warwick and Steven Sholes and his wife, Dana, of Warwick. He was the grandfather of Nancy and Ross Gillman, Mi-

OBITUARIES chael and Elisa Sholes, Ethan Sholes, Samuel Sholes, Benjamin Sholes, Sarah Sholes, Adam and Lauren Sholes, Noah and Jackie Sholes, Hope and Charles Pinder, Joshua Sholes and the late Marc L. Sholes.

He was the great-grandfather of Kayla and Alexander Gillman, Robbie, Jacqui and Justin Sholes, Madaline and Caroline Sholes, and Charlotte and Maxwell Sholes. He is also survived by many nieces and nephews.

He was the brother of the late Bessie Lipson, Esther Harris, Bertha Aron, Evelyn Kagan, Alyce Guthart. Many thanks to his wonderful caregivers: Jean, Theresa, Alani and Christine.

Contributions may be made in his memory to Temple Torat Yisrael, 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich, RI.

Sally Ann Soren, 90 NARRAGANSETT, R.I. –Sally Ann Soren died Feb. 15 in Houston, Texas. She was the beloved wife of the late Robert Soren.

Born in Providence, a daughter of the late Charles and Dorothy (Diwinsky) Horenstein, she had recently moved to Houston, previously living in Narragansett. Sally was a life member of Hadassah. She could always be depended upon for her strong determination to take the lemons that life has to offer and make her own lemonade.

She was the devoted mother of Meredith Cole and her husband, Donald F., of Houston, and Andrea DeSpirito and her husband, David, of Cranston. She was the sister of the late Stanley J. Horenstein. She was the loving grandmother of Alexander Cole and Regina DeSpirito.

Contributions in her memory may be made to the American Cancer Society, 931 Jefferson Blvd, Suite 3004, Warwick, RI 02886.

FROM PAGE 23

FILM

report on the underlying ideology and extremist organizations that are inciting the hostility.”

Goldwasser describes the intended audience for “Hate Spaces” as “decent Americans, especially those in leadership positions.” He believes that “once they are educated about this outrage on campus, there is a chance that changes will be made. All we ask is that Jewish students be treated equally.”

Authenticated cellphone videos and recorded interviews transport viewers to hatecrime scenes where Jewish students are subjected to verbal and physical abuse, and intimidation. Recent events at schools like Northeastern University in Boston deserve scrutiny.

On that campus, Students for Justice in Palestine protesters have chanted, “Hey, hey, ho, ho, the state of Israel has got to go!”

March 3, 2017 |

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Bruce Werchadlo, 66 CRANSTON, R.I. – Bruce Werchadlo died Feb. 14, at home.Born in the Bronx, New York, he was a devoted son of the late Howard and Ida (Canetti) Werchadlo. He grew up a true New Yorker, and fan of all New York sports teams, especially the Yankees. Bruce often attended games with his father and brother – his favorite player was Mickey Mantle.

Bruce moved to Cranston in his teens with his family. A star tennis player, Bruce was a state champion in 1968. He was in the Navy reserves, serving stateside during the Vietnam War and attended college at CCRI. Bruce’s lifelong love and passion was tennis, which he turned into a career as an instructor. He taught hundreds of Rhode Islanders how to play tennis, and was a beloved member of the tennis community.

Friends remember Bruce as having a fantastic sense of humor on the court (and off it) and “the best volley they’d ever seen.”

He is survived by three children: Michael Werchadlo and his wife, Dessira, of Lincoln; Emily Schaible and her husband, Jeff, of West Hartford, Connecticut; and Alex Werchadlo of Cranston. He was the brother of Charles Werchadlo and his wife, Deborah, of North Scituate; Larry Werchadlo and his wife, Patricia, of Cranston, and Carol Hall of Boca Raton, Florida. He also had four grandchildren: Kacy, Joey, Luke and Nate.

Contributions in his memory may be made to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, 1500 Rosecrans Avenue, Suite 200, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266.

Statues of Jewish donors have been vandalized, while cruel sticker campaigns and “apartheid walls” are used to single out and shame individual Jewish students.

One of several well-known voices in the film, Jerusalem Post columnist Caroline Glick reflects on the outcomes of prolonged exposure to misinformation, saying, “Once you believe that the only democracy in the Middle East, the only human rights respecting government, the only place where Muslim women are given the rights and the full protection of the law is the worst oppressor, then you can believe anything.”

Co-sponsored by CAMERA and StopIranNow-RI, the showing at Chabad of West Bay begins at 7 p.m. Tickets may be purchased online at https:// chabadwestbay.eventbrite.com.

Submitted by StopIranNow-RI

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COMMUNITY

The Jewish Voice

Israeli Photographer to address URI’s Annual LGBTQ Symposium

BY JOSEPHINE MAIDA KINGSTON – The University of Rhode Island’s annual LGBTQ Symposium will include a keynote address by renowned Israeli photographer Adi Nes, whose captivating work is inspired by art history and social conscience. Free and open to the public, the featured lecture will take place on March 22 at 7 p.m. in the URI Gender and Sexuality Center, 19 Upper College Road, Kingston.

Nes’ meticulously crafted images are autobiographical and

attest to living in a country in conflict. His photographs are reminiscent of Renaissance or Baroque paintings, often based on parables and collective cultural memory. Sexual tension is ever-present in Nes’ work, as he delves into complex explorations of masculinity. In one of his best-known images, Nes recreated Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” but replaced the central figures with Israeli soldiers. This photograph appeared on the front page of the New York Times in 2008 and

helped establish the artist as one of Israel’s most acclaimed photographers.

URI Hillel Student Board President Naama Malomet of Highland Park, New Jersey, is excited to bring Nes to URI to share his work and his story.

“Adi Nes is an incredible photographer. I’ve seen his work at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem and the Tel Aviv Museum of Art. The way his contemporary photos reflect classic art is really cool and original, especially in the way that he incorporates

Israeli modern life. I’m excited to hear about how his life and experiences have influenced his work.”

Annie Kosar, coordinator of LGBTQ Programs and Services for URI’s Gender and Sexuality Center, is looking forward to the insights that Nes will share, as well as the opportunity to collaborate with Hillel.

“We are so thrilled to be collaborating with Hillel on such an incredible event for our annual LGBTQ Symposium. The rich kaleidoscope of program-

ming we produce together reaches a variety of students and allows for purposeful and powerful dialogue and interaction.”

Before the presentation, guests are invited to enjoy a meal together at 6 p.m. in the URI Gender and Sexuality Center.

The presentation by Nes is one of many events that will take place March 20-24 as part of the symposium. There will be a range of workshops and talks about different topics relevant to the university and broader communities today. Details about the symposium will be available online.

For more information, contact Amy Olson, executive director of URI Hillel, at amyolson@uri.edu or Annie Kosar, coordinator of LGBTQ programs and services for the URI Gender and Sexuality Center, at anniem@uri.edu.

Nes’ visit is co-sponsored by URI Hillel and the URI Gender and Sexuality Center with support from the Hinenu Department of Hillel International.

Additional sponsors include the Jewish Alliance of Greater RI, The Jewish Voice and (401)j.

JOSEPHINE MAIDA is a senior studying public relations and communication studies at the University of Rhode Island.

The New Jersey native is the PR intern at Hillel.

Don’t take medicines for granted The American Medical Association believes that we may be taking our medicine for granted with potentially dangerous results. One study showed that some 65 percent of all Americans take one or more prescription drug on a regular basis, says the Association of Mature American Citizens.

The study showed that 90 percent of those over the age of 65 take multiple prescription medications and are at risk of adverse drug interactions. In fact, the AMA says that that nearly 30 percent of all ER visits due to adverse drug events are seen in elderly patients.

It is recommended, therefore, that patients and their caregivers take measures to ensure medications are taken safely. Check with doctors annually regarding the need for the drugs you take. Make a list of your prescriptions and keep it at hand. And, verify the drugs you take are the ones that have been prescribed.

SIMCHAS

thejewishvoice.org

RABBI AMI HERSH, son of Kenny and Leah Hersh of Providence, will become director of Camp Ramah Nyack (New York) in October 2017. He has been at Ramah since 2000, serving as counselor, assistant director and associate director.

ENGAGED – Michael and Michael Fink announce the engagement of their son, Reuben Alon Fink, to Laura Nelson, daughter of Debra and Paul Nelson of Belmont, Massachusetts, and Moorestown, New Jersey. Reuben is the grandson of Morris Weintraub and the late Florence Weintraub and the late Moe and Betty Fink.

The future bride is a graduate of Bryn Mawr College and Brandeis University and is a teacher in the Belmont school system. The future groom is a graduate of Classical High and Boston University and is a vice president at Morgan Stanley in Boston. The wedding will take place July 2017.

Because she deserves a

JEWISH TOMORROW

that starts today

Jewish tradition teaches us that it is our responsibility to make the world a better place for future generations.

The simple truth is that without bequests and planned giving we cannot prepare for the future needs of our community.

Securing your gift now will ensure the education of our children, make certain our elderly receive the proper care, and promise that the Jewish traditions and culture we hold dear live on and flourish.

Leaving your legacy and caring for your loved ones has never been easier.

For more information on ways to leave your Jewish legacy, please contact Trine Lustig, Vice President of Philanthropy, at tlustig@jewishallianceri.org or 401.421.4111 ext. 223.

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ENGAGED – Elaine Arbor and the late Neil Arbor of North Kingstown announce the engagement of their son Eric to Sara Demers, daughter of Denise Demers and Chris Miller of Hatfield, Massachusetts.

A graduate of East Greenwich High School, Eric received a bachelor of arts degree in accounting and finance in 2007 from Tulane University and a master’s degree in fi nance from Tulane University in 2008. He is a business analyst at Tuft’s Health Plan in Boston.

Sara, a graduate of Deerfield Academy, received a bachelor of science degree in molecular biology and French in 2011 from Tulane University and a DMD from Tufts University in 2016. She is a captain in the U.S. Army Dental Corps, stationed at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.

Eric is the grandson of Shirley and the late Gerald Arbor of Pawtucket.

The couple plan a June 2018 wedding.

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