Volume XXIII, Issue XV | www.jvhri.org Serving Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts
17 Elul 5777 | September 8, 2017
ROSH HASHANAH
New group promotes business ties between R.I. and Israel BY FRAN OSTENDORF Building a business relationship between Rhode Island and foreign countries is not a new idea – but now there’s a group specifically seeking to strengthen and promote business ties between Rhode Island and Israel. The Rhode Island-Israel Collaborative (RIIC) was formed earlier this year to grow business between Rhode Island and Israel, promote academic exchanges and support research. Rhode Island business consultant Avi Nevel said he volunteered to try to build a board to start the nonprofit. “I was surprised at how quickly it happened,” he said. Nevel, president and CEO of Nevel International, is now the president and CEO of the 12-member RIIC board, while lawyer Adi Goldstein is vice president.
In addition, several Rhode Island companies are partners in the venture. “Israeli companies are looking for U.S. partners,” said Nevel, noting that Massachusetts has been promoting Israeli business partnerships for years. “We [were] missing out,” Nevel said. “We would like people to come to Rhode Island and invest in Rhode Island.” The new collaborative grew out of several trade missions from Rhode Island to Israel. The fi rst, in 2011, included eight Rhode Island businesses and had positive results, including a business partnership between Mearthane Products Corp., a Cranston polyurethane parts manufacturer, and Hewlett Packard in Israel. The R.I.-Israel Collaborative represents the BIRD Foundation in Rhode Island, RIIC | 17
PHOTO | THE JEWISH VOICE
Lined by luminarias, the pathway to the Life Stone at the Rhode Island Holocaust Memorial saw a constant stream of visitors during the Sept. 3 WaterFire.
Honoring survivors at the Holocaust Memorial
BY FRAN OSTENDORF Rhode Islanders gathered at the Holocaust Memorial on the River Walk in Providence twice in just six days to recognize another milestone in
the establishment of the memorial. The names of Holocaust survivors who settled in Rhode Island have been engraved on stones surrounding the memorial pathway.
On Aug. 28, a ceremony was held to honor the survivors and unveil the names. Some 150 people heard remarks by Herb Stern, chair of the committee, Adam MEMORIAL | 6
Rabbi leads a team of spiritual first responders in storm-tossed Texas BY ANDREW SILOWCARROLL JTA – It was a day before Hurricane Harvey was due to make landfall, and Rabbi Shira Stern knew she was headed for Texas. As a director of Disaster Spiritual Care for the
American Red Cross, she knew there would be people who would have other needs beyond shelter, beyond medical care, beyond a hot meal and a place to dry out. She met people just like them after floods devastated part of West Virginia in 2016, and when Superstorm Sandy
pounded her own state, New Jersey, in 2012. So after a circuitous two days of travel she found herself in Dallas, overseeing a team of chaplains in the shelters set up for families chased out of Houston by flooding that so far [Sept. 5] has claimed 46 lives
and destroyed tens of thousands of homes and businesses. She and her team of six volunteer chaplains are helping evacuees “access their own spiritual resources,” Stern said, speaking from the Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Center in Dallas,
which has beds for as many as 5,000 people displaced by the storm. “We don’t impose [our faith] on anybody. We meet people who are very religious or not religious at all or just atheist. We listen to their stories and affi rm what they have gone through.” HOUSTON | 16
COMMUNITY
2 | September 8, 2017
The Jewish Voice
Experience on display at Habonim gallery
INSIDE
The September/October 2017 show in the Bunny Fain Gallery at Temple Habonim features three outstanding artists with years of experience. The show opens Sept. 10 with a wine and cheese reception from 1 to 3 p.m. and continues through Nov. 2. Mary Snowden is known nationally for her fine art, having shown locally as well as on
Business 28-19 Calendar 10 Community 2-6, 17, 25 D’Var Torah 7 Food 13-15 Nation 16, 21, 27, 31 Obituaries 30 Opinion 8-9 Rosh Hashanah 12, 17-24
the West Coast. Her skills in many media will be evident in her wonderfully detailed watercolors included in this exhibit. Viewers say they feel that they are present, yet there is so much more. This is the expertise of her art. The wonderful oils of James E. Allen show his adept use of color and the brush. He captures the “personality” of the moment.
Seniors 26, 32 Simcha 34 We Are Read 34-35 World 11, 29
THIS ISSUE’S QUOTABLE QUOTE
Mary Snowden, “Geoff 1” watercolor
“Our individual successes are only possible because we are part of a community.” James E. Allen, “Home,” oils
His landscapes and “portraits” of people’s homes are much in demand in the art world. In her effort to defy definition, Roberta Segal works in a variety of media including glass. For this exhibit she will show her small two-dimensional works in print, oils, acrylics, collage, encaustic and pochoir. The Bunny Fain Gallery at Temple Habonim is at 165 New
Meadow Road in Barrington. Hours are Wednesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Fridays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and by appointment. For information, call 401245-6536 or email gallery@ templehabonim.org. Submitted by Temple Habonim
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Temple Emanu-El helps refugees resettle BY LEV POPLOW “When a stranger resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. The stranger residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were strangers in Egypt.” Leviticus 19:33-34 Imagine that your country has been engulfed by war. Bombs are dropping daily and you can neither trust the government nor the majority of forces fighting for control of your country. The economy has collapsed, famine abounds and you have been displaced and have lost relatives. What would you do? Millions around the world live that experience every day. Hoping to fi nd a better life for their families, many try to leave for a safe country. As an example, consider refugees from Syria who have few options. Trying to get to a better place, they pack what little they can carry and make their way to the border. Some end up in North Africa making the dangerous crossing of the Mediterranean Sea in an overcrowded, unsafe boat. Others end up in refugee camps in Jordan or Turkey hoping to get visas to safe countries. A visa to come to America has required a vetting process that can last up to two-and-a-half years. Now, with government plans to reduce immigration numbers and ban emigration from six nations altogether, no one knows what is going to happen to these people. Will they be allowed to immigrate to America? Will those who are already here be forced to leave? In light of all this uncertainty and because Jews know what it is to be strangers in a strange land, the Social Justice Committee at Temple Emanu-El decided to fi nd out what the congregation at large was willing to do to help refugees who had made their way to Rhode Island. The fi rst step was to educate the congregation about the issue. During the winter, a Shabbat Lunch and Learn was arranged. Board members of AHope came to the Shabbat service to educate the congre-
PHOTO | LEV POPLOW
Temple Emanu-El and AHope representatives working together collecting donations for refugee families. gation. AHope is a volunteer organization assisting new Syrian (as well as other) refugees coming to Rhode Island. It is dedicated to helping families integrate into American society and to helping develop prosperous Rhode Island communities. The most moving highlight of the Lunch and Learn was meeting a recently arrived family, and hearing their harrowing story. It became clear that many members of the congregation wanted to help these families. A survey was sent to the congregation to determine what members would be able to do. The response, and desire to help, was overwhelming. Based on community input the Social Justice Committee crafted a three-pronged action plan. First, a three-month fundraising drive was conducted that resulted in a significant contribution to AHope. This donation is being used to support recently arrived families. Second, a materials donation drive was organized, culminating in a “drop off ” day in late spring. Over the course of the day, Temple members brought hundreds of pounds of clothing, linens, toiletries and school supplies that were distributed to refugee families. And fi nally, for congregants able to give their time, opportunities to volunteer directly with refugee families were offered. As of this writing a number of Temple Emanu-El
families are working with refugee families. Members of Temple EmanuEl’s Social Justice Committee said they are overjoyed by the
community’s response and look forward to continuing to put Jewish values into action to make Rhode Island a better place for everyone.
LEV POPLOW is a communications and development consultant. He can be reached at levpoplow@gmail.com.
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4 | September 8, 2017
COMMUNITY
The Jewish Voice
Recent events spur Security Campaign Alliance to provide training and grants to community institutions BY JENNIFER ZWIRN In response to national and worldwide events, including events in Charlottesville, Virginia, the defacement of Boston’s New England Holocaust Memorial, and several local incidents, the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island will
kick off a Community Security Campaign this fall. In addition to the special campaign, funds have been provided by the Jewish Federation Foundation and an anonymous donor to support this undertaking. “The purpose of the campaign is to help keep our com-
munity safe during these perilous times. The monies raised will enable us to better protect that which is most sacred and precious to us,” says Harold Foster, chair of the Community Security Campaign and the Alliance facilities committee. The precise amount of funding available will be determined by the amount raised in the Community Security Campaign. A grants process is just one part of the comprehensive plan for strengthening security and safety community-wide. The strategy also includes offering no-cost risk assessments to participating community Jewish institutions, agencies, cemeteries and synagogues; MIR-3, a security communications system for communitywide use; a security liaison to foster relationships and coordinate ongoing communications with local and national law enforcement agencies; a community security consultant to provide regular trainings, education, and guidance to all agencies; and lobbying and attention to federal funding for ongoing maintenance of the security and safety measures. “This is an especially volatile time in this country and the world and these relationships and the communication they foster are critical. I have to say that we’ve always had a good re-
lationship with the Jewish community, but unquestionably it has never been better than our present partnership,” says Col. Hugh T. Clements Jr. of the Providence Police Department. Over the last year the Alliance has built a solid relationship with local law enforcement agencies, which have already conducted numerous trainings and risk assessments in the community. In addition, Doron Horowitz, director of national security at the Secure Community Network, a Jewish Federations of North America subsidiary, visited the community last spring to offer advice on bolstering security and to assess present security measures. He noted, “The influx in recent threats and anti-Semitic acts illuminated the growing needs of the Jewish community nationally. There is a need for increased infrastructure and training. Prevention and deterrence are crucial to discouraging future incidents.” Now, more than ever before – with anti-Semitic, neo-Nazi, and white supremacy propaganda on college campuses, with public schools and parks tarnished by swastikas and other graffiti, and with cemetery desecrations on the rise – is the time to ensure our Jewish institutions are appropriately assessed, equipped and prepared
for what may be next. “There is a very small leap between hate talk and action,” Horowitz said. As Horowitz and other security experts anticipate additional terrorist threats and attacks, the Jewish community must be ready. It is the Alliance’s goal to help with efforts that assure the safety of our community. Applying Jewish agencies are required to be 501(c)3 tax exempt charitable organizations within our greater RI Jewish community; participate in a mandatory facility risk assessment (at no cost to agencies); demonstrate an unmet security need; and provide a portion of the project funding. The Request for Proposal (RFP) will be made available on Oct. 1, 2017. All mandatory facility risk assessments must be completed upon submission of the RFP. Further funding details will be provided later this fall. For more immediate information, please contact Trine Lustig, vice president of philanthropy or Wendy Joering, director of community nngagement and security liaison: 401-421-4111. JENNIFER ZWIRN (jzwirn@ jewishallianceri.org) works in allocations and endowment for the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island. She also is the AccessJewishRI vocational services contact.
This Rosh HaShanah, make a healthy New Year a reality for millions of Israelis. Whether the emergency is a terrorist attack or a heart attack, the paramedics of Magen David Adom, Israel’s emergency medical response and blood-banking agency, save lives in Israel every day. As we enter the new year hoping for peace, we must continue to prepare for routine and terror-related emergencies. If you’re looking to make a difference for Israel and secure the nation’s health and safety for the coming year, there’s no better way than through a gift to MDA. Please give today. Shanah Tovah. AFMDA New England PO Box 812053, Wellesley, MA 02482 781.489.5166 • new-england@afmda.org www.afmda.org
CONTRIBUTORS Cynthia Benjamin Seth Chitwood Stephanie Ross Sam Serby EDITOR Fran Ostendorf DESIGN & LAYOUT Leah Camara ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT Chris Westerkamp cwesterkamp@jewishallianceri.org 401-421-4111, ext. 160 Karen Borger ksborger@gmail.com 401-529-2538
COLUMNISTS Michael Fink Rabbi James Rosenberg Daniel Stieglitz
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, President/CEO Adam Greenman Chair Mitzi Berkelhammer, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence, RI 02906. Phone: 401-421-4111 • Fax 401-331-7961
THE JEWISH VOICE (ISSN number 1539-2104, USPS #465-710) is published bi-weekly, except in July, when it does not publish. MEMBER of the Rhode Island Press Assn. and the American Jewish Press Assn.
COPY DEADLINES: All news releases, photographs, etc., must be received on the Wednesday 10 days prior to publication. Submissions may be sent to: editor@jewishallianceri.org. ADVERTISING: We do not accept advertisements for pork or shellfish. We do not attest to the kashrut of any product or the legitimacy of 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 R.I. We reserve the right to refuse publication.
COMMUNITY
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Cranston woman shares lessons from her Holocaust survivor friend BY LEV POPLOW Stephanie Stabile, of Cranston, shared the story of an unlikely friendship she has developed with Holocaust survivor Eva Kors during a presentation at the Sandra Bornstein Holocaust Education Center on July 14. Stabile’s interest in the Holocaust was kindled in English class at Cranston High School West. During her senior year, she was browsing Netflix and came across “Forgiving Dr. Menegle,” a documentary about Kors’ family being taken to Auschwitz and how she and her twin sister, Miriam, survived the medical experiments they were subjected to. On July 14, Stabile told an engaged group of middle school students from Central Falls that she was inspired by Kors’ journey to forgiveness. Stabile said she was intrigued by “this 4-foot-10 older woman with her charming Zsa Zsa Gabor-type accent.” She felt empowered by Kors’ spunky and triumphant spirit, and thought that “she would be the kind of person that would be so cool to have as a best friend.” Wondering if Kors was still alive, Stabile googled her – and found her in Terre Haute, Indiana, where she had opened CANDLES, a Holocaust museum and education center, and was offering summer trips to Auschwitz. Stabile says her parents did not approve when she told them she wanted to go to Auschwitz with Kors. They thought that going to a Nazi death camp would be depressing and overwhelming, and was not appropriate for a 17-year-old. They told her if she wanted to go, she would have to pay for the trip herself. Determined to make the trip, Stabile saved for seven years. During that time she kept up with Kors through monthly up-
dates from CANDLES, Kors’ tweets and her lectures on YouTube. Stabile said she was drawn to Kors’ personality, her story and her message of forgiveness. Finally, in 2016, and again in 2017, Stabile joined Kors on trips to Auschwitz. Since that first trip, Stabile wanted to share Kors’ story and get involved with the Holocaust center. Upon returning from her first trip, she was asked to speak at a retreat for Holy Apostles Church, in Cranston, on Kors’ journey to forgiveness. “The response and interest I received from the teens was overwhelming and inspired me to continue speaking and educating,” Stabile says. “My generation is one of the last that will be able to build relationships with survivors and hear their stories first hand, so it is, in turn, our responsibility to continue sharing these stories and lessons.” Stabile then contacted Paula Olivieri, the center’s education coordinator, about volunteering and sharing Kors’ story, which led to the July 14 presentation. Stabile said she thinks Kors’ three life lessons are inspiring and particularly worth sharing. First, never give up on yourself or your dreams. Second, stand up to prejudice and judge people only on their actions and their character. And finally, by forgiving, you can set yourself free. “We are not all going to have to survive Auschwitz or forgive the Nazis, so how can we use Eva’s story to better our lives and our community? To me, the answer is sharing and applying Eva’s lessons,” Stabile said. LEV POPLOW is a communications and development consultant who writes for the Bornstein Holocaust Center. Contact him at at levpoplow@gmail.com.
Stephanie with the group of Central Falls students.
PHOTOS | SBHEC
In Block 6 at Auschwitz with Eva in front of the liberation photo. Eva is pointing at her 10-year-old self, holding Miriam’s hand.
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MEMORIAL
Greenman, president and CEO of the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island, and Gov. Gina Raimondo. They spoke about the importance of the memorial, remembering the Holocaust and education. Rhode Island is now the eighth state to require Holocaust and genocide education. The crowd also heard the stories of survivors and survivors’ children, who spoke about their journeys to Rhode Island and the welcome they received. Then, on Sept. 3 during a full lighting of WaterFire, there was a community gathering at the memorial with a procession to light the luminarias that line the path during each WaterFire. The brief but moving ceremony was viewed by a crowd that then lined up to walk down the path and place a stone on the Life Stone at the end. More than an hour later, people were still joining the long line to walk past the Life Stone. For a list of known survivors’ names, go to jvhri.org. If you have a name you’d like to add to the list, contact Michelle Cicchitelli at mcicchitelli@ jewishallianceri.org.
On Sept. 3, during WaterFire, visitors waited in line to leave stones atop the Life Stone.
FRAN OSTENDORF (fostendorf@jewishallianceri. org) is the editor of The Jewish ! Voice.
PHOTOS | THE JEWISH VOICE
At the Aug. 28 ceremony, visitors had a chance to photograph survivor’s names etched in stones along the pathway. Gov. Gina Raimondo, far right, spoke to the crowd.
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D’VAR TORAH
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A better way to celebrate your successes BY RABBI RACHEL ZERIN It seems that when most people successfully complete a project, reach a personal milestone or accomplish something particularly difficult, their natural inclination is to be proud of all the work they performed and to do something nice for themselves. That certainly is what I like to RABBI do when I feel I RACHEL have done parZERIN ticularly good work, and I know I’m not the only one. And yet, if I pause to think about this reaction, I realize that it is very self-serving. Focusing on how hard I worked and what a good job I did only serves to feed my ego; going out to dinner because of my success means that I am keeping my good fortune to myself. But our celebrations do not have to be self-serving. What if, instead of boosting our own egos and keeping our successes to ourselves, we responded to our personal victories with humility and generosity? This is one of the lessons of our Torah portion, Ki Tavo. This parashah begins by describing the ritual of bikkurim, or first fruits. Each year, after the first
spring harvest, every farmer from across the land of Israel would come to the Temple in Jerusalem with a basket full of the first fruits of that year’s harvest. Each one would bring his basket to the priest and make a declaration: “I declare today unto the Lord your God that I came to this land which the Lord had promised to our fathers to give to us .… The Lord brought us out of Egypt with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, and with great awe, and with signs and wonders, and has brought us to this place, and has given to us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. And now, behold, I have brought the fi rst fruit of the land, which you, Lord, have given to me.” (Deuteronomy 26:3, 8-10) The wording of this declaration is very interesting. The Hebrew begins and ends with a fi rst-person declaration: “I came to this land ...” and “I have brought the fi rst fruit … which you, Lord, have given to me.” But the rest of the declaration is recited in the plural: “The Lord brought us out of Egypt … and has brought us to this place, and has given to us this land.” The farmer, who has worked so hard for a bountiful harvest, is forced to focus not on himself but on the nation he is part of. What is more, the farmer takes virtually no credit for himself in this passage. He does not refer to “my fruit” or “my harvest”; rather, he
speaks of the fruit and the land that God has given him. After making this declaration, the bikkurim ritual concludes with the farmer leaving the fi rst fruits with the priests as an offering to God, after which the farmer is commanded to “rejoice in all the good that the Lord your God has given to you and to your household – you, and the Levite, and the stranger who is within your midst” (Deuteronomy 26:11). In other words, the farmers are commanded to share their harvest with the Levites and the strangers, people who do not own land and therefore do not have a harvest of their own. It’s easy to think that what we find in this parashah is merely an outdated agricultural ritual that applied only in times when the Temple stood. However, what we find here is so much more. It is a guide to how one should celebrate when one enjoys a success. It is a reminder that our individual successes are only possible because we are part of a community, that the things we accomplish only come about because of the gifts we have been given, and that our celebrations are only complete if we rejoice by sharing what we have accomplished with those who do not have the same opportunities. As we prepare to begin a new year, let us commit ourselves to embodying the lessons of Ki Tavo. The next time you enjoy a success, try to acknowledge and
Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island presents our 2018 Annual Campaign Cabinet
Greater Rhode Island September 8 6:49 September 15 6:35 September 20 6:20 September 21 7:27 September 22 6:22
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Congregation Or Chadash hadash
Wishing you
L’ Shanah Sha h a na ha n ah a h Tovah Tov ovah ov ah h
139 Ocean Avenue venue C Cranston ranston www.orchadash-‐ri.org i.org A new light shines in Pawtuxet Village illage
James Pious
2018 Annual Campaign Co-Chair
2018 Annual Campaign Co-Chair
Faye Wisen, Lion of Judah & Jaffa Gate/Pomegranate Chair
Edward Rotmer Community Chair
RACHEL ZERIN is a rabbi at Temple Emanu-El, in Providence.
Candle Lighting Times
Susan Froehlich
Ralph Posner Pacesetter Chair
generosity, we will come a little closer to the vision that our parashah offers of a society fi lled with joy and blessings.
thank all the people who helped you along the way; instead of using your success as an excuse to treat yourself, use it as a reason to share joy with others. By celebrating our accomplishments with humility and
Richard Silverman Leaders Chair
Melvin G. Alperin At Large
Maybeth Lichaa Women’s Alliance Community Chair
Marc Gertsacov At Large
8 | September 8, 2017
OPINION
Of change and hope and a new year The temperatures have started to drop already. The last few days of August were unusually cool. Clearly summer is on the wane. In the Jewish calendar, we’ve reached Elul, which is the month of reEDITOR flection, and I’m certainly feeling that. FRAN At this OSTENDORF time of year, my thoughts turn to beginnings and change. Back to school. Change of seasons. The harvest season. Back to routines. It’s even a new sports season: football begins and baseball gets serious. It’s time to reassess the closet and bring out the coolweather clothes. Gone is the laziness of a more relaxed summer schedule, but the upcoming year brings new hope and promise. Even the paper has seen a new beginning recently: we have a new publisher as the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island welcomes Adam Greenman as its president and CEO. Outside the sphere of little Rhody, there’s change and hope too. Hurricane Harvey ravaged Houston and much of the surrounding area in Texas and Louisiana. But the selflessness of those who helped others brought together a country torn apart by the events in Charlottesville. Despite the terrible storm, there is hope in Houston, I’m told. That’s what helps people recover. And from my viewpoint, people are now focused on doing good and helping rather than arguing and fighting. That reflects on the
basic goodness in us all. When I was a teenager, we used the words to a famous Pete Seeger song in many of the alternative Shabbat services that our youth group wrote: “To everything, there is a season, turn, turn, turn.” This phrase, from Ecclesiastes (3:1-8), always seemed appropriate for just about any change in the calendar – and it still does today. The Byrds made the song a hit in 1964, and it’s been covered by many others, including Dolly Parton and Judy Collins, which speaks to its relevance. Every new season is an opportunity to make a turn. A fresh start. A new beginning. A different perspective. A healing. It has been a difficult summer. For the nation. For Texas. Even for the Jewish Voice, which is struggling to grow advertising sales and donations and to find enough staff to maintain our coverage. This is our annual Rosh Hashanah issue, which always has more than our usual number of advertisements. Many of our friends and neighbors in the business community place ads in this newspaper wishing us all a happy new year. Take a minute to look at the ads in this issue. And we hope you’ll remember to tell these businesses where you saw their ads. Advertisers want to know that they are getting something from the money they spend with us. In turn, our readers see businesses that care about our community. Many people come together to bring you this newspaper every other week. We are grateful for the village that makes this paper possible. L’shanah tovah!
The Jewish Voice
From generation to generation Lucy Rose Engels, my granddaughter, was born at 8:11 p.m. on Aug. 5, 2004, at Beth Israel Hospital in Boston. Lucy arrived approximately seven weeks early, and weighed in at just under three pounds – two pounds, 15.2 ounces, to be precise. (Having turned 73 in June, I have been IT SEEMS experiencing increasing difTO ME ficulty remembering details, RABBI JIM but the grandfather in me ROSENBERG remembers everything about my eldest grandchild.) Lucy more than doubled her weight during her first two months; if she had continued to grow at this rate, she would have been 192 pounds by her first birthday! Most of us have been told by one enraptured grandparent or another that grandparenthood is one of life’s supreme joys, a blessing beyond imagining. It is! Of course, we have all heard the joke that one of the joys is that we can give our grandchildren back to their parents at the end of the day. Moreover, we grandparents take a not-so-secret delight in watching our children go through what we had to endure with them – those seemingly endless stretches of sleepless nights, the whining, the worry, the constant struggle to strike an appropriate balance between the need for discipline and the urge to heal our children’s hurts. We all want to help our children learn to behave, but we are unprepared for the curve balls our sons and our daughters are forever throwing at us. As grandfathers and grandmothers, we can at last say to
our children: “Your turn!” There is, however, a far more profound aspect to being a grandparent. When I held infant Lucy in my arms – whether she was staring wide-eyed at my face, wondering who this strange “other” was, or whether she was drifting off to sleep – she was doing nothing less than teaching me the reason for my mortality. While I hope to live long enough to see Lucy thrive as a mature adult, I accept the fact that I and the members of my generation must one day yield our very lives so that Lucy and her contemporaries will have the physical, intellectual and spiritual “space” they need and deserve. That tiny girl, the first of my five grandchildren, who entered this world at just under three pounds, celebrated her Bat Mitzvah on Aug. 12 at Congregation Dorshei Tzedek, in Newton, Massachusetts. The sanctuary was crowded with regular Dorshei Tzedek worshippers, supplemented by family and friends. Looking around, I found it particularly poignant to see some members of my generation, Jewish and Christian alike, who, despite severe physical handicaps, managed to make their way to the second-floor sanctuary so that they could demonstrate by their very presence their love for Lucy. Lucy led us in many of the traditional Hebrew prayers at the beginning of our worship, and she was front and center for much of the Torah service. After the congregation had risen when the Torah was taken out of the ark, Lucy – now taller than her maternal grandmother, my wife – carried the scroll around the crowded sanctuary, beaming with pride, as if to say: “Our Torah and its traditions remain in safe hands.” As Lucy stood at the bimah,
chanting with self-assurance three sections from parashah Ekev (from Chapters 9-10 of Deuteronomy), I was filled with the gravity and the wonder of the Hebrew phrase l’dor vador, from generation to generation. My wife, Sandy, and I were privileged to hear our daughter Karen chant Torah at her Bat Mitzvah and to hear our son David chant Torah at his Bar Mitzvah; now Lucy, our eldest grandchild, was chanting from that same sacred text that binds us to our past and our future. Lucy, sister to Clara and Isaac, cousin to Charlotte and Joey, represents the first flowering of our five grandchildren, the first to take those tentative steps into the earliest stage of adulthood. Of course, Lucy’s Bat Mitzvah was not only about Lucy; her Bat Mitzvah was also about reinforcing the web of connections among family and friends, and about reaffirming those intangible bonds that bring together uncountable generations of the Jewish people. Lucy devoted her Bat Mitzvah talk to the theme of gratitude. With simple eloquence, she told us how thankful she is for her family, for the opportunities she has had, and for her desire to express her gratitude by helping those less fortunate than she. As she was speaking, Lucy reminded me how grateful I am to be a link in the great chain of Jewish tradition. I pray that Lucy and my four other grandchildren will have the good fortune to experience first loves, new hopes, new ideas, new achievements. I dare to dream that their tomorrows will be more beautiful, more peaceful than ours today. JAMES B. ROSENBERG is rabbi emeritus at Temple Habonim, in Barrington. Contact him at rabbiemeritus@ templehabonim.org.
Clinton says Sanders attacks led to Trump victory
JTA – Hillary Clinton blamed attacks against her by Bernie Sanders during the Democratic primary for president on her eventual loss in the general election to Donald Trump. In excerpts from Clinton’s forthcoming book “What Happened,” the former secretary of state wrote that the attacks
by Sanders, a Vermont senator, caused “lasting damage” and were instrumental in “paving the way for Trump’s Crooked Hillary campaign.” The book is scheduled to be released on Sept. 12, but Clinton supporters have posted photos of pages from the book on social media.
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Clinton also said that she appreciated that Sanders campaigned for her in the general election. “But he isn’t a Democrat – that’s not a smear, that’s what he says,” she wrote of the Independent. “He didn’t get into the race to make sure a Democrat won the White House, he got in to disrupt the Democratic Party.”
Clinton praised Sanders, a long shot for the nomination, for engaging “a lot of young people in the political process for the first time, which is extremely important.” Clinton also wrote that President Barack Obama counseled her to “grit my teeth and lay off Bernie as much as
I could,” according to the excerpts. She said that following that advice made her feel she was “in a straitjacket.” Sanders, who will turn 76 this week, has not said whether or not he will run in the 2020 race, but did say in July that “I am not taking it off the table.”
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BY ANDREW SILOWCARROLL JTA – I used to joke that I am not a self-hating Jew: It’s all those other Jews I can’t stand. Like I said, I used to tell that joke. In the current political climate, self-hatred is no laughing matter. Calling another Jew “self-hating” is pervasive and toxic – so toxic, in fact, that some observers can’t distinguish it from actual anti-Semitism. A lot of liberal Jews label Breitbart News anti-Semitic in part because of an article by right-wing activist David Horowitz that essentially called William Kristol a self-hating Jew. (Horowitz’s actual term was “renegade Jew.”) Similarly, the Washington Post explained last week that William Bradford resigned from the Energy Department over reports of his “racist and anti-Semitic tweets.” In the aftermath of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg urging followers not to vote for Trump, Bradford posted this tweet that the Post called anti-Semitic: “Who is this little arrogant self-hating Jew to tell anyone for whom to vote.” Pretty nasty, but it turns out Bradford himself is Jewish.
Self-hatred: It’s not just for self-haters! So is Horowitz, who explained that he called Kristol a renegade Jew because he felt the conservative pundit, in opposing Trump, had “betrayed the Jews.” Like Horowitz, Bradford apparently saw himself not as an anti-Semite but as a Defender of the Faith. Just like the Hungarian Jewish journalist who called financier and philanthropist George Soros a self-hating Jew. Or the Republican Jewish leader in Israel who called comedian Sarah Silverman a self-hating Jew. Or the JTA reader who called the late pundit Christopher Hitchens a self-hating Jew. Or the famous Jewish comedian (OK, Jackie Mason) who called Bernie Sanders a self-hating Jew. All of those who fling the charge would deny they are themselves being anti-Semitic. Here’s Mason justifying his use of the term to describe Sanders’ views on Israel: “If a non-Jew was saying it, people would call him an anti-Semite because he is an anti-Semite. Just because he’s a Jew doesn’t mean he can’t hate being Jewish because he obviously is a viciously self-hating Jew.” Got that? No doubt, there are Jews who are “viciously self-hating” – or
Letter
at least they base their worldview on what Leon Wieseltier has called “the internalization of the standpoint of the enemy.” We’ve had our traitors and kapos and turncoats. Postemancipation, the Jews who believed that the “mirage” of anti-Semitic stereotypes was the real thing, as the historian Sander Gilman once put, were the subject of communal fascination and disgust and the topic of serious scholarship. We know this because there are some really good jokes about self-hatred (look up the one with the punchline, “Is that all you people ever think about?”). But nowadays the charge is invariably political, pure and simple. Last month Naftali Bennett, Israel’s minister of education, used the term “auto-antiSemitism” – from a Hebrew term for Jewish self-hatred – to describe critics of a government-approved science textbook that included the prayer for rain. “Auto-anti-Semitism is a social-psychological phenomenon in which a Jew develops obsessive contempt and hostility toward Jewish tradition, Jewish customs and traditional Jews,” Bennett explained
on Facebook, according to The Jerusalem Post. Secular parents in Israel insist, meanwhile, that they don’t hate themselves or Judaism; it’s religious coercion that they can do without. Anshel Pfeffer, writing in the left-wing newspaper Haaretz, noted that the Jews who voted for Trump “aren’t self-hating Jews,” which of course suggests that some people think they are. On the flip side, The Jerusalem Post gave space to a 2,300-word essay arguing that “liberal Jews” who oppose Trump or criticize Israel are self-hating. In June, a writer for the The Daily Wire, the rightleaning news site, called Sanders (him again) a “self-hating Jew” because he gave a speech opposing the Israeli occupation. If you’re interested, this is what Sanders said to earn the honorific: “I know so many of you agree with me when I say this occupation must end. Peace, real peace, means security not only for every Israeli but for every Palestinian. It means supporting self-determination, civil rights and economic well-being for both peoples.” Describing Jewish liberals and Jewish critics of Israel as
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“self-hating” has become a reflex on the right, although occasionally the charge goes the other way, casting no more light on the issue at hand. Accusations of self-hatred are serious business not just because they shut down debate. They seek to excommunicate people based on political differences, and put the accuser in the position of Jewish Grand Inquisitor (and even Pope Francis has been known to say, “Who am I to judge?”). And they ascribe deep psychological motives to people based on flimsy evidence. If you plan on calling someone a self-hater, you have to be pretty sure of two things: One, that the opinions they hold are those of genuine anti-Semites and not just people with whom you disagree; and two, they came to their opinions via some sort of self-lacerating neurosis. Or just ask yourself this the next time you find yourself disagreeing with Bernie Sanders or Jared Kushner: What does “self-hater” add to your argument except a signal that you may not trust yourself to win the debate on its merits? ANDREW SILOW-CARROLL is editor in chief of JTA.
Shul shopping
It’s that time of year when people looking to join a synagogue go “shul shopping” and visit various synagogues. It’s also a time when synagogues hold open houses to recruit new members. There are a lot of simple things that temples can do to make visitors feel welcome. How many of the following does your synagogue do? 1. Does your spiritual leader/ rabbi greet new people and reg-
ular congregants as they enter the building or the Sanctuary? 2. Do other clergy, such as an assistant rabbi or cantor greet people? 3. Do executive board members greet visitors and make them feel welcome? 4. When there is a sit-down Oneg or sit-down Kiddush, do congregants invite visitors to sit with them? 5. If a visitor does sit at your
table does everyone introduce themselves? 6. Do people sitting at the table make an effort to include new people/visitors in the conversation? 7. When the visitor leaves, do people say things like, “It was nice to meet you. Please come again”? 8. If someone at the table leaves before the visitor leaves, do they say something similar
like, “Hope to see you again”? The above actions are simple things that anyone can do, and they go a long way toward making someone feel welcome. If visitors feel welcome and have a good experience, they will want to return. A little courtesy can go a long way, it costs nothing to do and is easy to implement. But the lack of such action can cost a synagogue potential members – and
even existing members. If all synagogues adapted these actions, perhaps there would be less “shul shopping” and fewer unaffiliated Jewish people. There’s always room for improvement and what better time than now – to decide to make a change and strive for improvment as we enter the High Holy Day season. Bob Schoenberg Cranston, RI
The 10 commandments of the Religious Reasonable BY YEKATERINA GINZBURG-BRAM I don’t much care for the socalled “religious right.” Not only has it influenced our nation and culture in many truly pernicious ways, it has done a great deal to hijack, and thus ruin, being a person of faith. It’s become difficult to say, “I am very (or even fairly) religious,” without conjuring images of Bible-based bigotry or fact-free fundamentalism within a listener’s mind. Of course, most people of faith (myself included) hold no such beliefs. The time has come for us to take religion back from a narrow-minded minority and come out in force as a new entity: the Religious Reasonable. I modestly propose the following list of 10… well, for
dramatic effect, let’s call them commandments; always did have a nice ring. • I can believe in a higher power without subscribing to simplistic or childish notions of the Divine (i.e., a bearded “Guy in the Sky” who’s going to punish me every time I mess up). • My faith does not require me to shut off my brain to embrace what I know to be false or nonsensical. I do not, for instance, actually believe in a talking snake. • Although my spiritual beliefs and emotions are authentic and powerful to me, I don’t confuse them with empirically provable facts. I accept such scientifically demonstrated realities as evolution and human-made
climate change far more firmly than such articles of faith as (for example) the possibility of prophesy. I can discern when to say, “I believe…” rather than, “I know.” • I treasure, and learn from, my holy book(s) without viewing them as indisputable historical sources, scientific textbooks or legal documents. • I am completely comfortable discussing my faith with anybody without seeking to convert them; I can conduct a religious debate calmly, logically and respectfully. No deity worth worshipping would ever tell me to hurt, oppress or discriminate against anyone. Ancient religious traditions often reflect outdated societal practices, such as homophobia and sex-
ism. When I encounter such practices in my own religion, I actively resist them. • I can love my faith and consider it the best path for myself without insisting it is the only truth and way. I do not judge people because their beliefs differ from my own. • I’m confident in my religion’s ability to thrive without a government propping it up. I also know that my religious freedom only exists when everyone else enjoys freedom of, and from, any faith they choose, including mine. Therefore, I will always vigorously defend the separation of church and state. One of the benefits of faith is that it keeps me from becom-
ing arrogant enough to think there’s nothing greater than myself, or meek enough to passively accept whatever happens without protest. I take charge of my life and work tirelessly to improve the world while understanding that some things will forever be beyond my control. If I know nothing else, I know that I don’t know everything. I can consider the possibility that I might be wrong without freaking out. I am a member of the Religious Reasonable. Are you? YEKATERINA GINZBURGBRAM, a resident of Providence, is a member of Temple Emanu-El and an elementary school art teacher in the Providence Public Schools.
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Ongoing Alliance Kosher Senior Café. Kosher lunch and program every weekday. 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, 401-338-3189. 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.
Friday | September 8 Open House. 7:30-9:30 p.m. Temple Sinai, 30 Hagen Ave., Cranston. Open house service to meet clergy and lay leaders. Oneg follows. Rabbi Jeff Goldwasser and Cantor Deborah Johnson will talk about the vibrant, inspiring and supportive congregation that brings traditions alive. Temple Sinai is a genuine community filled with meaningful prayer, authentic Jewish learning and connection to God that shares a loving environment for celebration and for life’s momentous occasions. Information or to RSVP, Dottie at dottie@templesinairi.org or 401-942-8350. Kabbalat Shabbat Service. 7:30-8:30 p.m. Temple Torat Yisrael, 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich. Service followed by an Oneg. Information, Stephanie Reinsant at stephanie@toratyisrael.org or 401-885-6600.
Saturday | September 9 Taste of Shabbat. 9-11 a.m. Temple Torat Yisrael, 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich. 9 a.m. Torah discussion and 9:45 a.m. Shabbat service followed by an Oneg. Information, Stephanie Reinsant at stephanie@toratyisrael.org or 401-885-6600. Children’s Shabbat Program & Kiddush. 10-11:15 a.m. Congregation Beth Sholom, 275 Camp St., Providence. Different programs offered every Saturday for the little ones and the older kids. Fun, games, storytelling, parashah, songs and goodies with experienced counselors at the kids’ Kiddush. Free. Information, office@bethsholom-ri.org. Teen & Tween Cupcake Wars. 8-10 p.m. Dwares JCC, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence. Roll up your sleeves and get ready for this fun and competitive cake decorating event. Teens and tweens work in teams of up to four to create the best cake design to be scored by a panel of guest judges. Prizes awarded. Cost: $5 per teen with two non-perishable Kosher food items or $8 per teen. Information or to RSVP, Seth Finkle at sfinkle@jewishallianceri.org or 401-421-4111, ext. 146.
Sunday | September 10 First Day Religious School. 10 a.m.12:30 p.m. Temple Beth-El, 70 Orchard Ave., Providence. Information, 401331-6070. Apple Picking Day with Congregation Beth Sholom. 10 a.m.-noon. Dame Farm, 91B Brown Ave., Johnston. All are invited to join CBS families and friends for apple picking. Meet at Dame Farm. Pay for the fruit you pick. Information, office@bethsholom-ri.org. Congregational Barbecue and Rock Wall Climbing. Noon-1:30 p.m. Temple
CALENDAR Torat Yisrael, 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich. Open to all. No charge. Barbecue sponsored by the Men’s Club. Rock Wall provided and sponsored by Rock Spot Climbing. Information or to RSVP (by Sept. 6), Stephanie Reinsant at stephanie@toratyisrael.org or 401885-6600. Ron Suskind Book Lecture. 7:30-9:15 p.m. Congregation Beth El, 660 Ocean Ave., New London, Conn. Suskind, whose political writing has garnered multiple awards, has a son affected by autism. The family’s quest to engage with their son through the medium of Disney cartoons is documented in his book “Life Animated: A Story of Sidekicks, Heroes and Autism,” which is the topic of this lecture. Cost: $18. Information, Mona Levin at monhead54@aol.com or 860460-3855.
Monday | September 11 Canasta. 7 p.m. Temple Torat Yisrael, 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich. We’ll teach you how to play. Open to members, non-members, men and women. Bring your friends. Free. Information, Stephanie Reinsant at stephanie@toratyisrael.org or 401885-6600.
Tuesday | September 12 Yoga. 6-7 p.m. Temple Torat Yisrael, 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich. Cost: $30 for three sessions paid in advance; $12 per session at the door. Open to all. Bring a mat. Information, Stephanie Reinsant at stephanie@ toratyisrael.org or 401-885-6600.
Wednesday | September 13 Car Seat Safety Check. 3:30-6:30 p.m. Dwares JCC back parking lot, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence. The Injury Prevention Center at Rhode Island Hospital offers free car seat safety checks. Information, Elissa Felder at efelder@jewishalliance.org or 401421-4111, ext. 134. Mah Jongg. 7 p.m. Temple Torat Yisrael, 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich. Open to members and non-members. Bring your 2017 Mah Jongg card. Free. Information, Stephanie Reinsant at stephanie@toratyisrael.org or 401885-6600.
Friday | September 15 Shabbaba Friday/PJ Library Story Time. 10-11 a.m. Welcome Shabbat with singing, dancing, jumping and celebrating as a community. On the third Friday of each month, children and their caregivers will be joined by the Shabbaba songleader and her trusted friend, Shlomo the sloth puppet. Guest readers will also visit to help PJ Library books come to life. Ages 5 and under. Free. Information or to RSVP, Dayna Bailen at dbailen@jewishallianceri.org or 401-421-4111, ext. 108. K’tantan. 5:30 p.m. Temple Beth-El, 70 Orchard Ave., Providence. Celebrate Shabbat with children ages birth to 5. Gather for joyful singing and a community dinner. All are welcome. Funded by The Frances & David Friedman Family Fund. Information, Temple Beth-El office at 401-331-6070. 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 followed by a kid-friendly Shabbat
The Jewish Voice dinner. Donations welcome. Information or to RSVP, Torat Yisrael Office at 401885-6600. Kabbalat Shabbat Service. 7:30-8:30 p.m. Temple Torat Yisrael, 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich. Kabbalat Shabbat service followed by an Oneg sponsored by Touro Fraternal Association in honor of its Centennial. Information, Stephanie Reinsant at stephanie@toratyisrael.org or 401-885-6600.
Saturday | September 16 Classic Shabbat Service. 9 a.m.-noon. Temple Torat Yisrael, 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich. Classic Shabbat service followed by a Kiddush luncheon. Information, Stephanie Reinsant at stephanie@toratyisrael.org or 401885-6600. Minyan Breakfast and Torah Study. 9:30-10:30 a.m. Temple Sinai, 30 Hagen Ave., Cranston. Weekly breakfast and Torah study in the downstairs chapel. All are welcome. Information, Dottie at 401-942-8350. Children’s Shabbat Program & Kiddush. 10-11:15 a.m. Congregation Beth Sholom, 275 Camp St., Providence. Different programs offered every Saturday for the little ones and the older kids. Fun, games, storytelling, parashah, songs and goodies with experienced counselors at the kids’ Kiddush. Free. Information, office@bethsholom-ri.org. Kids’ Night Out: Honey You’re Sweet – All about Honey. Ages 5-12: 5-10 p.m. Ages 2-5: 5-8:30 p.m. (extended times available). Dwares JCC, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence. Kids’ Night Out is a chance for children to spend the evening with their friends in a fun and safe environment … and a great opportunity for parents to have a night out, “kid free.” Once a month on Saturday evenings children are entertained with a variety of themed activities including sports, crafts, swimming and more. A pizza dinner and snacks are served. For ages 2-5, make sure to send your child with PJs as we end each evening with a movie. Don’t worry if your little one is sleepy; we have cozy cots where he or she can relax. Price: $35 | Members: $25 | Siblings: $15. Information for ages 2-5, Jo-Anne DeGiacomo Petrie at jpetrie@ jewishalliance.org or 401-421-4111, ext. 180. Information for ages 5-12, Shannon Kochanek at skochanek@ jewishallianceri.org or 401-421-4111, ext. 147. Touro Fraternal Association Centennial Gala. 5:45-11:30 p.m. Crowne Plaza, 801 Greenwich Ave., Warwick. Touro Fraternal Association celebrates its 100th anniversary with a dinner featuring comedian Tom Cotter, a finalist on “America’s Got Talent,” and dancing to Music Express. Information, Larry Berman at lberman55@yahoo.com or 401-447-2655. Selichot. 7 p.m. Temple Beth-El, 70 Orchard Ave., Providence. Meditative prayers led by the TBE clergy followed at 8 p.m. by the film “The Lives of Others” (Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film) and discussion. In 1983 East Berlin, dedicated Stasi officer Gerd Wiesler (Ulrich Mühe), doubting that a famous playwright (Sebastian Koch) is loyal to the Communist Party, receives approval to spy on the man and his actress-lover Christa-Maria (Martina Gedeck). Wiesler becomes unexpectedly sympathetic to
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Sholomo with Shabbaba songleader Dayna Bailen will appear at Shabbaba Friday/PJ Library Story Time on Sept. 15 at the Dwares JCC. the couple and then faces conflicting loyalties when his superior takes a liking to Christa-Maria and orders Wiesler to get the playwright out of the way. A beautiful meditation on teshuvah and seeing the humanity of one’s opponents. Information, Temple Beth-El office at 401-331-6070. Selichot. 7:45-11 p.m. Temple Emanu-El, 99 Taft Ave., Providence. Dinner, a short video, and discussion of forgiveness and responsibility. Service follows at 10 p.m. Free to the community; donation requested. Information, John Landry at johntlandry@icloud.com or 401521-9362.
Sunday | September 17 Super Sunday: Annual Campaign Kickoff. 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Dwares JCC, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence. Come together as a community and help raise money for the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island’s vital programs and services that help grow and sustain Jewish Rhode Island. Babysitting and snacks available. Information, Stephanie Hague at shague@jewishallianceri.org or 401-421-4111, ext. 127. Temple Torat Yisrael Memorial Service. 11:30 a.m. Lincoln Park Cemetery, 1469 Post Road, Warwick. Information, Stephanie Reinsant at stephanie@ toratyisrael.org or 401-885-6600.
Monday | September 18 Apples & Honey Tasting and Meet & Greet with Adam Greenman. 4-6 p.m. Dwares JCC, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence. It is a custom to eat apples dipped in honey on Rosh Hashanah to symbolize the hope for a sweet new year. Did you know that there are over 300 different varieties of honey? Stop by to taste a variety of different apples and honey flavors to help us celebrate the beginning of a new year. PJ Library stories at 4:30 p.m., and drop-in crafting at 5 p.m. You’ll have an opportunity to meet Adam Greenman, the new president and CEO of the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island. Free and open to the community. Canasta. 7 p.m. Temple Torat Yisrael, 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich. We’ll teach you how to play. Open to members, non-members, men and
women. Free. Information, Stephanie Reinsant at stephanie@toratyisrael.org or 401-885-6600.
Tuesday | September 19 Yoga. 6-7 p.m. Temple Torat Yisrael, 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich. Cost: $30 for three sessions paid in advance; $12 per session at the door. Open to all. Bring a mat. Information, Stephanie Reinsant at stephanie@ toratyisrael.org or 401-885-6600.
Wednesday | September 20 Rosh HaShanah Services and Dinner. URI Hillel, 6 Fraternity Circle, Kingston. Services begin at 6 p.m. and dinner at 7:15 p.m. Information, Yaniv Havusha at yaniv_havusha@uri.edu or 401874-2740.
Saturday | September 23 Taste of Shabbat. 9-11 a.m. Temple Torat Yisrael, 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich. 9 a.m. Torah discussion and 9:45 a.m. Shabbat service followed by a light Kiddush. Information, Stephanie Reinsant at stephanie@toratyisrael.org or 401-885-6600. Children’s Shabbat Program & Kiddush. 10-11:15 a.m. Congregation Beth Sholom, 275 Camp St., Providence. Different programs offered every Saturday for the little ones and the older kids. Fun, games, storytelling, parashah, songs and goodies with experienced counselors at the kids’ Kiddush. Free. Information, office@bethsholom-ri.org.
Sunday | September 24 Pilgrimage to the Cemetery. 11 a.m. Congregation Sons of Israel and David, Temple Beth-El Cemetery, 460 Reservoir Ave., Cranston. Memorial address by Rabbi Howard Voss-Altman. Information, Temple Beth-El office at 401-331-6070. (401)j Newish and Jewish Sunday Brunch. 1-3 p.m. Ogie’s Trailer Park, 1155 Westminster St., Providence. New to Rhode Island? Meet the Jewish young adult community, make new friends and learn more about (401)j. Food and drink not included. Ages 21+. Information, Dayna Bailen at dbailen@ jewishallianceri.org or 401-421-4211, ext. 108.
WORLD
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Israeli government must reinstate Western Wall deal or explain why it won’t, Supreme Court orders ners pressured Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to scrap the agreement. The government has said it plans to go forward with the expansion of the egalitarian section despite the freeze. “The court sent a clear message to the government that it is their responsibility to reconsider their position about freezing the Western Wall agreement,” Rabbi Gilad Kariv, executive director of the Reform movement in Israel, said in a statement. “We continue to be committed to the compromise and hope that the Prime Minister will understand the message of the Supreme Court judges.” Women of the Wall chair Anat Hoffman said, “As we were negotiating the agreement we felt at times that we were making history. Today proved that feeling to be right. That feeling proved itself right today. The Agreement is the guiding light in the Court’s path to a just solution to the Kotel dispute.” Last week, Israel’s Chief Rabbinate said in a brief fi led with the Supreme Court that the court lacks the jurisdiction to rule on the “intrareligious” struggle involving egalitarian prayer at the Western Wall.
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JERUSALEM (JTA) – Israel’s Supreme Court has ordered the government to either reinstate the Western Wall agreement with non-Orthodox groups or explain why it should not force the state to honor the deal. “One can’t help but ask ‘What exactly happened here?’” Chief Justice Miriam Naor said at a hearing Thursday [Aug.31]. “There was an agreement, they were working on it. But then the government came and said there isn’t one. It raises some questions.” The hearing was in answer to a petition fi led by the liberal Jewish movements in Israel and the Women of the Wall calling for the implementation of the agreement to expand and upgrade the egalitarian prayer section at the southern end of the Western Wall. The agreement puts the upgraded section on equal footing with the singlesex sections; it would be run by a special committee with no input from the Chief Rabbinate. In June, the Cabinet suspended the deal passed in 2016 negotiated by the Reform and Conservative movements, the Women of the Wall, the Jewish Agency for Israel and the Israeli government. The government’s haredi Orthodox coalition part-
September 8, 2017 |
The Miriam Hospital wishes you a happy rosh hashanah. miriamhospital.org
12 | September 8, 2017
ROSH HASHANAH
The Jewish Voice
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(Kveller via JTA) – As a kid, I didn’t live a particularly Jewish life. We were sent to Hebrew school on Tuesdays and Thursdays and got dropped off at Sunday school. We fidgeted through services occasionally – usually because we were attending a Bar Mitzvah or it was High Holy Days season. I went to Saturday morning services pretty regularly the year prior to my own Bat Mitzvah – only because it was a requirement. My parents were under no such requirements, so their weekends were filled with other things. They got their Judaism through osmosis, I guess – the act of taking us to temple, their proximity to the building, hearing us practice a prayer or a chant. That was Jewish enough for them. Don’t get me wrong, they took great pride in their Judaism. Not only did they occasionally drop into a service on Shabbat, they never missed attending High Holy Days services, enjoyed lox and bagels on Sunday mornings at the local deli (and the much less Kosher ribs on Sunday nights), followed all the “famous” Jews who made it into the news for good (ya!) or ill (oy!), and observed all the holidays (that they knew of), and by “observe” I mean mom cooked a huge meal and the extended family came to feast. The beginning of every holiday meant soup. Chicken soup, replete with lokshen (noodles), knaidlach (matzah balls, the harder the better), kreplach (think “Jewish ravioli” and you’ll be close). Even those occasional Friday nights when, for no discernible reason, mom got it into her head to “do Shabbat,” dinner started with chicken soup. And while her mother would make the noodles from scratch, along with the kreplach and knaidlach, mom was happy to start with the package variety of everything but kreplach. My mother visited her mother often. We lived in the south suburbs of Chicago; Bubbie was on the north side, our version of the shtetls of Poland and Russia, though made up of high rises and gorgeous lake views. Still, Tevye would have fit right in after a day or two. Every so often, her pilgrimage had a specific mission: replenish the kreplach supply. She stored them in the freezer until needed. I would come across the bag every so often as I searched for something else and I would seriously think of taking – just one! – to eat, but in the days before microwaves, I couldn’t come up with a way to do it quickly and, more important, stealthily. As my grandmother aged, though the quality never di-
minished, the amount of kreplach did. It was difficult for her to chop the meat by hand, in her wooden bowl and with an ancient blade. Somewhere my mother has that recipe for kreplach, as dictated by my Bubbie. There’s even a video of her, my mother, sister-in-law and niece learning the art of kreplach-making. Mom also has the recipes for brisket and chopped liver and challah and roasted chicken and kishke and every other food that has come to mean holiday and feast and family and love. Most are kept in her head. I told her years and years ago that she never needed to buy me another present, that for any birthday or holiday, all she needed to do was write down one of the recipes. She swears she’s doing this, but I’m not holding my breath. I know – I could look up the recipe for anything I would ever want to cook on the interwebs. But those recipes don’t taste the same as the ones from my mother, who got them from her mother, who got them from her mother, who got them from that long line of ancestors going back into almost forever ago. When I make my soup – as I did last year for Rosh Hashanah – I think back to my Bubbie, whom I called the first time I made her soup. Add some salt, she said. How much? Enough. You’ll taste it. But it’s water, Bubbie!! You’ll know. An exasperated sigh. Add the carrots after you’ve skimmed off the dreck that floats to the top. Dreck? Ew. Don’t forget the dill! How much dill? Enough. You’ll know. Oy. I was beginning to sense a pattern here. Finally: And five minutes before it’s done … Wait. What? How will I know when it’s done? You’ll know. I feel my grandmother with me whenever I make her soup. I feel her mother, and hers, and all of them – that long line of them back to forever ago. My kitchen is crowded with their presence, in the steam and the scent and the bubbling pot that holds so much more than soup. I got lost in that thought as I stirred and skimmed that day. My 17-year-old came into the kitchen. “Soup!” he said. I nodded. “You know, you have to write that recipe down for me before I go away to school next year.” I nod again, mostly because I couldn’t talk in that minute. “Is it done yet?” How will I know if it’s done? I’ll know. STACEY ZISOOK ROBINSON has been published in several magazines and anthologies. She is the author of the book, “Dancing in the Palm of God’s Hand.” She blogs at staceyzrobinson. blogspot.com.
ROSH HASHANAH FOOD
jvhri.org
September 8, 2017 |
13
Rosh Hashanah favorites from Tamarisk BY SUSAN ADLER and DEB BLAZER Traditions of the Jewish holidays are upon us here at The Phyllis Siperstein Tamarisk Assisted Living Residence. Traditions are important to all of our residents and their family members who have been helping us usher in the Jewish New Year for more than 14 years. Shalom Bayit – peace of the home – is something that we hold true to our hearts and value. Imagine the excitement of residents and family members who attend our Rosh Hashanah services and then join those around the holiday table. As we say the prayers over the candles, the Hamotzi and Kiddush we hungrily wait for the first bites of our challah and apples dipped in honey. The tradition of knowing that first bite signifies the sweetness of Rosh Hashanah brings a meaningful smile to everyone’s face. The meal we have together embodies each resident’s past, present and future. The aromas that fill the dining room remind them of their mother’s homecooked meals. The shared stoPHOTOS | SUSAN ADLER ries and the recipes filled with love and sweetness are carried Deb Blazer holds the fruited roast. for generations to come. From our family to yours tamariskri.org) is the marketThe recipes that follow – fruitL’Shanah Tovah Tikatevu, may ing and outreach director at ed roast, Moroccan cigars and you be inscribed (in the Book of The Phyllis Siperstein Tamahoney cake – are some of the Life) for a good year. risk Assisted Living Residence favorites served in our dining where DEB BLAZER is the exA_SSNE_RI_JewishVoice 08/22/17 SUSAN ADLER (susana@ room at the High Holy Days. ecutive chef.
Sweet treats include honey cake, left, and Moroccan cigars.
Fruited Roast Serves 10-12
Ingredients
3 large onions Olive oil 6 pound beef roast 9 cups dried fruit (2 1/4 dates, 2 1/4 figs, 2 1/4 apricots, 2 1/4 prunes) 4 1/2 cups red wine 3/4 cup honey 3/4 cup brown sugar 1 tablespoon cinnamon 1/3 tablespoon nutmeg 1 1/2 cups water
Directions
In a large pot, sauté onions in olive oil until golden, set aside. Add meat and sear the meat on all sides, including ends.
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FAVORITES | 14
ROSH HASHANAH TRADITION
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2
Pour the wine into the pot and scrape up any bits and pieces from the seared meat. Return onions to the pot. Add wine and bring to a boil over high heat. Simmer uncovered for 2 minutes until alchohol evaporates. Cover and put in the oven at 350 degrees for 2 1/2 hours. Turn the meat over and add the dried fruit, honey, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add the water and bake for another 1 1/2 hours. Remove meat and cover to keep hot. Simmer the dried fruit sauce until it has thickened and reduced, about 30 minutes. Slice roast and spoon sauce over meat to serve.
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ROSH HASHANAH FOOD
14 | September 8, 2017
The Jewish Voice
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Tasty chicken features pomegranate BY LIZ RUEVEN (The Nosher via JTA) – Pomegranates, or rimonim in Hebrew, are among the most recognizable and highly symbolic fruits in Jewish culture. Originating in Persia, these reddish, thick-skinned fruits (technically a berry) begin to appear in markets at the end of summer and are available for holiday
cooking by Rosh Hashanah. According to Gil Marks in “The Encyclopedia of Jewish Food,” the abundance of seeds, nestled into a white membrane and encased in a protective skin, is associated with the 613 commandments in the Torah. They serve as symbols of righteousness and fruitfulness, as expressed in the Rosh Hashanah expression, “May we be full of merits like the pomegranate (is full of seeds).” This ancient fruit, prized for its juice and seeds (called arils), is mentioned in the Bible as one of the seven most bountiful agriculture products of ancient Israel. It is associated with fer-
tility and sensuality, and is mentioned six times in the Song of Songs. In biblical times, pomegranates were used to add tart flavors to ancient dishes before lemons and tomatoes were discovered. Since then, pomegranates have been used to add unique and complex dimensions to Sephardic and central Asian soups, stews, sauces, chutneys and desserts. They may be juiced, dried, reduced, ground or pressed into pomegranate oil. Today, pomegranates are prized for their antioxidant and potent nutritional value, just as they were in ancient Egypt CHICKEN | 15
FROM PAGE 13
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Ingredients 25 egg roll wrappers 3 cups blanched ground almonds 2 1/2 cups sugar 1 egg 1 tablespoon orange blossom water Grated lemon rind from 1 lemon 2 cups vegetable oil 1/2 cup water 2 tablespoons honey
Directions
Cut egg roll wrappers in half. Combine the almonds, 1 1/2 cups of the sugar and the egg. Mix well and add the orange blossom water and the rind. Place 1 teaspoon of the fi lling in the center of each wrapper and roll up like a cigar. Moisten the ends to secure. Fry the cigars in 4 inches of oil. In a sauce pan bring the remaining sugar and 1/2 cup of water to a boil stirring until sugar dissolves. Add the honey, cook briskly, undisturbed, until a small bit dropped into water immediately forms a small ball. When the syrup cools to luke-
warm, dip the cigars. Drain on a cooling rack with a sheet pan under it. Then place on a platter and enjoy!
Honey Cake
From: Temple Emanu-El Cookbook/Ellie Elbaum Recipe Serves 10-12
Ingredients
4 cups sifted flour 4 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 8 ounces strong tea Juice from 1 1/2 oranges Grated orange peel from 2 oranges 3 eggs 2 cups light brown sugar 1 pound honey 1 cup oil 1/4 teaspoon allspice
Directions
Mix flour with baking powder and baking soda and set aside. On mixer’s slow speed, mix eggs, sugar, orange peel, honey, oil and allspice. Increase mixer speed and add flour mixture alternating with tea and orange juice. Line two 9 x 9-inch pans or 1 large pan with parchment. Bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Reduce heat to 325 degrees and bake an additional 30 minutes.
ROSH HASHANAH FOOD
jvhri.org
FROM PAGE 14
CHICKEN
when the seeds were believed to heal intestinal disorders. Juice, molasses (actually a reduction and thickening of the juice and sometimes called pomegranate concentrate or syrup) and arils are used in a wide range of applications including cocktails, glazes, sauces, and glistening toppings for green salads and vegetable dishes. In “The New Persian Kitchen,” author Louisa Shafia offers numerous pomegranate dishes, including a classic Iranian stew called fesenjan that is often served at celebrations. The chicken is cooked with beets and thickened with coarsely ground walnuts and pomegranate molasses. As in many Persian dishes, pomegranate seeds are used as a glistening, jewellike garnish. Shafia illustrates removing the seeds a few different ways, but I like the “water method” best. Simply slice off the two ends and quarter the fruit with a knife. Submerge the quarters in a bowl of cold water and pull out the seeds with your fi ngers. The pith and skin float to the surface as the arils sink to the bottom. Scoop out everything but the seeds and pour water and seeds through a mesh colander to collect them. Consider using pomegranates in your Rosh Hashanah meals when it is considered a positive omen, or segulah, to incorporate symbolic foods in our holiday menus. Whip up this easy chicken dish and you’ll have
1/2 teaspoon turmeric Salt and pepper to taste
both bountiful and sweet symbols covered. Holiday chicken is potent with pomegranates goodness as this symbolic fruit is used in three ways: juice, molasses and arils (seeds). The flavors are bold, tangy and slightly sweet – a Middle Eastern-influenced sweet and sour. Pomegranates are highly symbolic in Jewish tradition. By combining the tart flavors of pomegranates with honey here, the sweetness balances the tang and positive energy is imbued in this main course for Rosh Hashanah. Note: The simmer sauce may be prepared two to three days ahead and refrigerated until ready to prepare the chicken.
Pomegranate and Honey Glazed Chicken Ingredients 1 4-pound chicken cut in eighths (breasts cut in half if large) 4 tablespoons canola oil (separated: 2 tablespoons for simmer sauce and 2 tablespoons for browning the chicken) 1 large onion, chopped 3 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 cup pomegranate molasses 1/2 cup sweetened pomegranate juice 1/2 cup honey 2 cups vegetable or chicken broth 1 teaspoon cumin 1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger 1/8 teaspoon allspice
For the garnish: 2 tablespoons parsley 2 tablespoons pomegranate arils (seeds)
Directions
for 35-40 minutes. Remove from pan to a platter, garnishing with chopped parsley and pomegranate arils. LIZ RUEVEN blogs at Kosher Like Me and features restaurant and product reviews, tips on events where like-minded
September 8, 2017 |
15
eaters like her can actually eat, and news about folks in the food world. 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: TheNosher.com.
For the sauce Heat 2 tablespoons canola oil in a large pan (you’ll need a lid for later). Sauté chopped onion until soft and translucent. Add minced garlic and sauté for 2-3 minutes (do not brown). Add pomegranate molasses, pomegranate juice, honey, vegetable or chicken broth and spices. Stir and bring to boil. Reduce to an active simmer, and cook uncovered, for about 20 minutes or until sauce is reduced by about half the volume and slightly thickened. Taste sauce and adjust seasoning. Too tart? Add 1 to 2 tablespoons honey. Want more kick? Crack more black pepper. Remove sauce from heat and pour into bowl. Set aside. Wash pan. For the chicken Rinse chicken parts, pat dry, season with salt and pepper. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in pan and place chicken parts skin side down. Brown on one side and fl ip to second side. Do not crowd chicken in the pan, as this causes chicken to steam rather than brown. Lower heat, pour prepared simmer sauce over the chicken. Cover pan and simmer on low
L’Shana Tova!
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16 | September 8, 2017 FROM PAGE 1
NATION
HOUSTON
PHOTO | JTA, COURTESY SHIRA STERN
Rabbi Shira Stern of Marlboro, New Jersey, is a disaster spiritual care provider for the American Red Cross. The clergy of all faiths are spiritual fi rst responders, working with families as they arrive at shelters in Dallas and Fort Worth and partnering with local churches and faith-based organizations to do what Stern
calls a “seamless carryover for continual care.” “We are a crisis team, and during the long haul of rebuilding, Houston and Davenport and Beaumont and all these other places are going
The Jewish Voice to need long-term care,” she said. “In the process we are creating relationships with all of these faith-based groups.” Spiritual care is perhaps a lesser-known facet of relief provided by the American Red Cross and other organizations on hand, including the Salvation Army and the National Guard. And it can discomfit some people who worry that clergy are there to make converts among distraught people. But Stern insists the work they do has nothing to do with proselytizing and everything to do with giving people only the tools and comfort they ask for. All the chaplains sign the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster guidelines, which means no proselytizing, no missionizing and no pushing their own faiths. “Suppose someone says, as many do, ‘I am so distraught I want to die,’” Stern said. “The natural response is, ‘You don’t really mean that.’ Instead, we listen to that and we say, ‘tell me more.’ And by listening to the narrative we allow them to make sense of it and put it in its place, and at the same time we open the doors if they are inclined to open those doors and are inclined to enter the spiritual. We never say, ‘I will pray with you or pray for you.’ We say, ‘how can I be helpful?’” Some 1,500 people have arrived at the convention center, most telling similar
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stories of wrecked homes, flooded highways and uncertainty about friends and loved ones. Around the state, about 42,000 people were housed overnight at shelters in Texas, the American Red Cross said Friday [Sept. 1]. Some can’t get in touch with family members, and some know people who have died. “There are families that have been separated, not just husbands and wives and mothers and grandparents, but sometimes children and parents,” Stern said. “And we hear stories of agony, and when we get them together the potential tragedy turns into something wonderful. An 8-yearold was brought to a shelter an hour away and it took 36 hours for her parents to find her.” Stern’s Disaster Spiritual Care team is part of a small army of spiritual and mental health professionals who have mobilized for Harvey and its aftermath, as they have done in previous disasters. On the Jewish side alone, the Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies and the Jewish Family Service in Houston are launching an emergency support line to provide free telephone-based counseling. The Jewish Federations of North America sent a team of professionals to Houston to help its local federation and Jewish agencies locate community members, provide cash assistance and work with displaced families. Groups like Chabad and the NCSY Orthodox youth group are dispatching volunteers. But Stern knows from experience that communities must also prepare for the long haul, that the trauma of
surviving a disaster is “like a scar and remains in your soul.” When she is not volunteering with the Red Cross, Stern is the rabbinic associate at Temple Rodeph Torah in Marlboro, New Jersey, and director of the Center for Pastoral Care and Counseling there. She plans on staying in Texas another week before heading back and preparing for the High Holy Days. “I can’t get out of the sermon just because I am here in Dallas,” she joked. When Stern does head back, she will hand over her duties to another team of spiritual caregivers – they are already bracing for another storm, Hurricane Irma, that is gathering force over the Atlantic. She had nothing but the highest praise for her colleagues, who dropped everything and headed to Texas and for their troubles receive only a food allowance and a place to sleep. But Stern, who has performed bereavement counseling for 38 years, says she understands the spiritual rewards of this kind of work as well as the spiritual challenges. “When people ask, ‘Where is God in this?’ I tell them I try to find God in the people around me who are trying to help,” she said. “I never call these disasters ‘acts of God.’ I think that creates an immediate barrier between people and the divine. “I see God in – I don’t know why terrible things happen – but I do see God in the hands of the compassionate, giving individuals who up and leave their families and their work and whatever it is in order to come here and help people at the most critical crossroads of life.”
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FROM PAGE 1
17
Israel exports up
RIIC
which has already given three grants that encourage joint research and development between Rhode Island and Israeli companies, Nevel said. The BIRD Foundation was established 40 years ago by the U.S. and Israeli governments to promote and support industrial research and development that benefits both countries. It’s an acronym for IsraelU.S. Binational Industrial Research and Development. “For a small state, three grants is quite successful,” said Nevel. “Money for research can be hard to get. This is good and it connects Rhode Island with Israel.” The grants are fi nancing the following projects: • Hasbro, of Pawtucket, and an Israeli company, VivoText, are working together on text-tospeech technology. • An Israeli company, Timocco, that creates games for kids with autism is working with Rhode Island Hospital and Brown University to develop therapies through games. • SoftWheel, an Israeli company that “literally reinvented the wheel,” creating one with interior suspension that allows those with handicaps to use
September 8, 2017 |
(JNS.org) Israeli exports rose 6 percent – to $50 billion – during the fi rst half of 2017, according to the Israel Export and International Cooperation Institute. The jump in exports was driven by rapid growth in high-tech services and incoming tourism, the institute said. Exports of services totaled $21 billion in the first half of this year, boosted by the rising trend in exports of computer and software services, which grew 12 percent to $6.8 billion. Exports of tourist services were up 16 percent, to $3.2 billion, in the same period.
Exports in industrial sections – including drugs, chemicals, refined oil products and electronic components – grew 5 percent. “Increasing exports is a strategic goal of the Ministry of the Economy and Industry, because the export industries feature high productivity,” Israel’s Minister of the Economy Eli Cohen said, Globes reported. “We are continuing our efforts to attract international companies. With the help of incentives for exporters, we will cross the $100 billion mark, which is our annual export target.”
Avi Nevel it on stairs and other places where wheels aren’t usually used, is working with Crawford High Performance Composites, of Providence. RIIC is now endeavoring to raise money to fund additional trade missions. The group has received official backing from Israel as well as Rhode Island. Both Stefan Pryor, Rhode Island secretary of commerce, and Inon Elroy, Israel’s economic
minister to North America, have officially endorsed the group on its website, www. theriic.org. “… Nothing can substitute for a focused, local organization connecting Rhode Island’s businesses and government with Israel,” wrote Elroy. FRAN OSTENDORF (fostendorf@jewishallianceri. org) is the editor of The Jewish Voice.
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L’Shanah Tovah
Wishing you and your family a year of sweet blessings filled with abundant joy, peace, and happiness.
שנה טובה On behalf of the board and staff at the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island, we wish you a happy, healthy, and sweet 5778.
Mitzi Berkelhammer Chair of the Board
Adam Greenman President & CEO
18 | September 8, 2017
ROSH HASHANAH
The Jewish Voice
5 new kids’ books for the High Holy Days BY PENNY SCHWARTZ JTA – A challah-baking Jewish giant, a young baseball champ and an endearing boy in a pumpkin patch are among the stars of five delightful new books for kids published just in time for the High Holy Days. This year’s crop includes new stories by two of the country’s most prominent children’s book writers, David A. Adler and Eric A. Kimmel, who have entertained and informed decades of young readers. Three of the books are set during the holidays – Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year; Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement; and Sukkot, the seven-day fall harvest festival. Two others are uplifting, kid-centered stories about good deeds and repairing the world – themes that reflect the spirit of the holidays as a time for reflection as well as renewing commitments to do better in the year ahead.
Big Sam: A Rosh Hashanah Tall Tale
By Eric A. Kimmel; illustrated by Jim Starr Apples & Honey Press; ages 3-8 Samson the Giant, known as “Big Sam” to his friends, sets out to make a giant round challah in preparation for Rosh Hashanah. Big Sam begins by digging a big hole – the Grand Canyon – to use as a mixing bowl. Step by massive step, Big Sam crisscrosses the U.S., fi lling his bowl with a mountain of flour, a lake of oil, thousands of eggs and more. For water, he dams up the Colorado River and then whittles a giant California redwood into a spoon for stirring. But before he can celebrate the holiday, two bald eagles caution the giant
that he’s caused an awful lot of damage to the environment – flattening hills and threatening habitats. In the spirit of the holiday, Big Sam considers his misdeeds and sets about to make things right. When he’s fi nally ready to dig in to the huge challah, Big Sam welcomes in Rosh Hashanah with his American tall-tale pals – Paul Bunyan and Slue-Foot Sue among them.
Yom Kippur Shortstop
By David A. Adler; illustrated by Andre Ceolin Apples & Honey Press; ages 4-8 The story opens as a young boy named Jacob makes the winning catch in the last inning of his Little League game. If they win the next game, they’ll be the champions – but the fi nal game is on
Yom Kippur. After reminding Jacob that Yom Kippur is an important holiday, Jacob’s father says, “Think about what you want to do.” Over the course of the next few days, Jacob does just that. Will he go to the game or spend the day at synagogue with friends and family, observing the holy Jewish day? No spoilers here, but Jacob eventually realizes that he’s part of many teams: his family, friends, his people and Little League. This relatable, deftly told story taps into the reality facing many American Jewish families today – the confl icts between Jewish holidays and the secular calendar of school, sports, recitals and other activities. The story is, of course, inspired by the Jewish baseball legend Sandy Koufax, who sat out the opening game of the 1965 World Series because it was Yom Kippur. In his author’s note, Adler introduces the Hall of Fame pitcher to his young readers.
The Best Sukkot Pumpkin Ever
By Laya Steinberg; illustrations by
Colleen Madden Kar-Ben; ages 4-9 Micah can hardly contain his enthusiasm for picking pumpkins at Farmer Jared’s pumpkin patch. Micah and his family join others from their synagogue who are helping the farmer pick the last of the season’s pumpkins to donate to a soup kitchen. He thinks he’s searching for the perfect pumpkin to decorate his family’s sukkah, the temporary hut Jewish families build to celebrate the fall harvest festival of Sukkot. In this warm tale, Micah learns about generosity – he picks many more “perfect” pumpkins, turning them over to Farmer Jared to use to help feed the hungry. But what about Micah’s own sukkah? As the day at the farm comes to an end, Micah is unexpectedly delighted when he discovers that a pumpkin headed to the compost pile offer up seeds he can plant for next year’s “perfect” Sukkot pumpkin.
There is something very special about the High Holy Days It’s a time for you to nourish your Jewish identity — to connect to the community and feel welcome. The Jewish Alliance and area synagogues are partnering again this year to open their doors for the High Holy Days. Tickets are now available for the following High Holy Days: Erev Rosh Hashanah, September 20 First day of Rosh Hashanah, September 21 Second day of Rosh Hashanah, September 22 Erev Yom Kippur, September 29 Yom Kippur, September 30 Who is eligible? • New community members • Community members currently unaffiliated with a synagogue who have not yet been affiliated with the synagogue they wish to attend for four or more years • Community members who have never participated in this program
Tickets will be available through September 14 at 3pm. For more information call the AccessJewishRI.org warm-line and speak with one of our Community Concierges at 401.421.4111 ext. 411, or email them at concierge@jewishallianceri.org. Please note: This offer is valid for family members residing at the same address. Individuals age 25 and older must apply for their own tickets.
Participating Congregations: Congregation Agudas Achim, Attleboro Congregation Beth David, Narragansett Congregation Beth Sholom*, Providence Congregation B’nai Israel, Woonsocket Congregation Or Chadash, Cranston Congregation Mishkon Tfiloh, Providence Congregation Sha'arei Tefilla*, Providence Congregation Sons of Jacob, Providence Newport Havurah*, Newport Temple Beth-El, Providence Temple Emanu-El, Providence Temple Habonim**, Barrington Temple Shalom, Middletown Temple Sinai, Cranston Temple Torat Yisrael, East Greenwich Touro Synagogue, Newport United Brothers, Bristol West Bay Community Jewish Center, Warwick *No tickets needed: High Holy Day services are open to everyone. ** Temple Habonim has an open door policy without tickets or prior communication being necessary.
שנה טובה
ROSH HASHANAH
jvhri.org
Moti the Mitzvah Mouse
By Vivian Newman; Illustrated by Inga KnoppKilpert Kar-Ben; ages 2-5 Moti, a busy little mouse with a big heart, lives under the sink at the Bermans’ house. When the Berman kids – and the family cat – are asleep, Moti secretly wanders the house finding ways to be helpful. Each page finds Moti doing a mitzvah: He feeds the fish, he puts away misplaced toys, he collects loose
coins left around and puts them in the tzedakah box. Lively illustrations make this an engaging, interactive read that kids will want to read again and again.
It Only Takes a Minute
By Bracha Goetz; illustrated by Bill Bolton Hachai Publishing; ages 2-5 A young boy in a haredi Orthodox family discovers that small acts of kindness can make a big difference – when he remembers to do them, of
Paid for by Whitehouse for Senate.
5778
course. Throughout the book, the boy learns “it only takes a minute” to do good deeds, such as saying “thank you” or to thoughtfully say a bracha – a blessing – even when he is rushing for the school bus. At a soccer game, he takes a minute to appreciate the nature around him. While aimed at traditional religious families, the narrative touches a universal chord: that even young kids can, and should, make the effort to do what is right.
September 8, 2017 |
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ROSH HASHANAH
20 | September 8, 2017
The Jewish Voice
How the High Holy Days snapped me out of my mom boredom BY DASEE BERKOWITZ (Kveller via JTA) – A few nights ago, when I was cleaning up the kitchen after supper, it struck me.
I’m really bored as a parent. I have the efficiency thing down pat. A food schedule for each night of the week. The ease of an afternoon spent
with our three kids – snack, followed by craft, followed by dinner, bath, books and then bed. Sure, there are outliers: my
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Our open door High Holy Day tradition continues. Please join us; all are welcome!
May the new year be a sweet one. See our web site for our High Holy Day Service schedule.
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3-year-old who doesn’t conform to my plans, or the erupting feud between my eldest and middle child. “I’m on it� (or in Hebrew, “katan alai� – this is small stuff ), I say to myself, and handle whatever the issue is with aplomb. But at the end of the day, with a cup of mint tea in hand, I ask myself, “Is this all there is?� I joked with my son the other night when he inquired, “What awesome thing are we planning to do this afternoon?� I answered, “Nothing special.� His response was, “That’s so boring.� And then I said to him deadpan, “Let me teach you a little life lesson, son. Most of life is boring, except for occasionally when it’s not.� Was this really me talking? Who have I become? Manager mom. That’s who. It was bound to happen. Nobody can possibly keep this well-oiled machine called “our family’s life� going for eight years without falling into autopilot. It kind of says it all when you fi nd yourself at the gas station, and in the quick business exchange of the attendant asking for your credit card, getting it back and checking a text about the homework for your fi rst-grader, you think that the gas is already in the car and you start to drive away. But the yank of the gas nozzle, the spurting of gasoline everywhere, and the aforementioned attendant running frantically your way yelling “giveret, giveret!� (“madam, madam!�) becomes strong evidence to the contrary. And for the record, you know you have achieved manager mom status when you are called giveret, as opposed to “miss.� Just sayin’. Thank God the Jewish holidays are upon us and I can receive an enormous shofar blast in my ear to knock me out of my middle management stupor and inject a bit of vitality into me. Any milestone is an opportunity to take stock. And the Jewish High Holy Days put the idea of taking stock on steroids. Renewal. Judgment day. Life held in the balance. Starting over. The liturgy, rituals and customs of these days invite the big questions. Who am I? What and to whom am I responsible? How can I mend broken relationships? How will I spend the fi nite time I have on this earth? These are the big questions and they are triggered by simple, even childlike metaphors – God writing our deeds in a book of Life or Death, a shofar blast that, beyond all of the layers and layers of prayers uttered on Rosh Hashanah and
Yom Kippur, brings us back to a primal cry and beckons us to think beyond our day to day. But in all honesty, after years of observing these holidays, I never feel quite ready. And my cynical side often creeps in and says, “Is anything really going to change? After a couple of inspiring days, I will probably just go back to my old habits and old routines.� There was a moment last year that broke me out of the manager mom malaise. It happened for a few minutes right before the start of Yom Kippur. My husband and I bless our children every Friday night, but last year he reminded me of the free flow blessing that parents traditionally say to their children pre-Day of Atonement. Make it personal; feel free to go off script, he recommended. I placed my hands on their freshly shampooed heads and shared with each child what I hoped and dreamed for them, and a quality or two that I wanted to work on in myself so I could be a better parent to each of them. More patient with one, less distracted with another, better at following through on plans we agree on with the third. I took a good two to three minutes to clear away the part of me cluttered with extraneous thoughts, to be present for them (or as present as you can be when the 2 1/2-year-old starts to squirm away). With all the hours logged in synagogue for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, it was in that moment that I felt like I was encountering Ultimacy. The manager mom who had commanded them just a few moments earlier to get dressed in their new outfits and to put their shoes on gave way to mortal mom, the one who didn’t know what the year would bring, who would get sick or hurt, who would succeed, who would have good friends. All that this mortal mom knew for certain was that these relationships in front of me were real, alive, pulsing, and in need of my presence and love. I want to bring that awareness to my experience of the holidays this year, too. And if I’m lucky, I’ll be able to promote manager mom to fullyliving-in-the-present-mortalmom (try fitting that on a name tag). At least for the two to three minutes that it takes me to bless my children. DASEE BERKOWITZ lives in Jerusalem and works as an educational consultant, writer and mom of three kids. She also directs Ayeka’s Becoming a Soulful Parent project. To fi nd out more about Becoming a Soulful Parent, contact her at dasee@ayeka.org.il.
NATION | ROSH HASHANAH
jvhri.org
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Synagogues gear up for the High Holy Days BY JEWISH VOICE STAFF Summer’s end is upon us, and the fall is on its way. But, don’t fret! Throughout autumn, many great and positive changes occur. We begin to notice the beautiful amalgam of colors displayed on our foliage, the fresh, brisk air only this season can provide, a new academic year, and, of course, the High Holy Days and the Jewish New Year! The Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island is once again partnering with synagogues throughout Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts to provide eligible families with tickets to High Holy Day services. Eligible individuals/families must not be members of a participating synagogue and cannot have been members of a synagogue they wish to attend for the past two years. The program is free and the deadline to contact the Jewish Alliance for tickets is Sept. 14 at 3 p.m. For tickets, call 401-4214111, ext. 411. The Jewish Voice does not list information regarding specific services and schedules. Below is a list of all the synagogues, temples and congregational groups known to us, along with contact information. Some are participating in the High Holy Day initiative and some are not. Note: There are a number of synagogues in Rhode Island that do not require tickets for entry to their High Holy Day services this year. These include Temple Beth Sholom – $75 suggested donation (Providence), Congregation Sha’arei Tefilla (Providence), Newport
Havurah (Newport), and Temple Habonim (Barrington). Please note that Temple Habonim requires neither tickets nor prior communication before services and has an “opendoor” policy. For more information on service schedules, please contact the synagogues directly or visit their websites.
ORTHODOX Congregation Beth Sholom Tammy Laforest, office@ bethsholom-ri.org 401-621-9393 bethsholom-ri.org Providence Congregation Mishkon Tfiloh mishkontfiloh@juno.com 401-421-5074 Providence Congregation Ohawe Shalom projectshoresh@juno.com 401-722-3146 Pawtucket Congregation Sons of Jacob congsons@hotmail.com 401-274-5260 sonsofjacobsynagogue.org Providence Congregation Sha’arei Tefilla Rabbi Dovid Schwartz, rds@shaareitefillaprov.org 401-273-3923 shaareitefillaprov.org Providence Touro Synagogue (Congregation Jeshuat Israel) cji@tourosynagogue.org 401-847-4794 tourosynagogue.org Newport
CONSERVATIVE Congregation B’nai Israel synagogue@cbi.necoxmail.com 401-762-3651 shalom-cbi.org Woonsocket Congregation Beth David Lesley Engelson, Lesley.engelson@gmail.com, eadler3@cox.net 401-789-3437 cbdri.org Narragansett Congregation Tifereth Israel ti@tinewbedford.org 508 997-3171 tinewbedford.org New Bedford, Massachusetts Congregation Or Chadash Beth Veltri, bbeaches4@aol.com 401-225-7194 orchadash-ri.org Warwick Congregation Sharah Zedek Email form on website 401-345-1544 or 401-596-9951 congregationsharahzedek.org Westerly Temple Beth El of Fall River templebethel@comcast.net 508-674-3529 frtemplebethel.org Fall River, Massachusetts Temple Emanu-El info@teprov.org 401-331-1616 teprov.org Providence Temple Shalom contact@templeshalomri.org 401-846-9002 templeshalomri.org Middletown
Temple Torat Yisrael Sheryl, sheryl@toratyisrael. org; Stephanie, stephanie@ toratyisrael.org 401-885-6600 toratyisrael.org East Greenwich West Bay Community Jewish Center Paul Finstein, p.finstein@ juno.com 401-736-2200 wbcjc.org Warwick
REFORM Newport Havurah Newporthavurah1@gmail. com 401-423-0407 Newport Temple Beth-El Judy Moseley, jmoseley@ temple-beth-el.org 401-331-6070 temple-beth-el.org Providence Temple Habonim Jodi Sullivan, office@ templehabonim.org 401-245-6536 templehabonim.org Barrington, Temple Sinai Dottie, dottie@templesinairi. org, rabbigoldwasser@ templesinairi.org 401-942-8350 templesinairi.org Cranston
RECONSTRUCTIONIST Congregation Agudas Achim Rav Leora Abelson, leora@ agudasma.org , office@ agudasma.org 508-222-2243
www.agudasma.org Attleboro, Massachusetts
NON-DENOMINATIONAL Brown RISD Hillel info@brownrisdhillel.org 401-863-2805 brownrisdhillel.org Providence Chabad CHAI Center of West Bay Yossi Laufer, rabbi@ RabbiWarwick.com 401-884-7888 RabbiWarwick.com Warwick Chabad House of Barrington Email form on website or rabbi@jewishbarrington.com 401-247-4747 jewishbarrington.com Chabad of Rhode Island Jewish Hospitality Center michla48@gmail.com believeinprovidence@ gmail.com 401-273-7238 chabadriprovidence.com Congregation Sons & Daughters of Ruth 401-466-2861 Block Island United Brothers Synagogue ubsbristol@gmail.com 401-253-3460 unitedbrotherssynagogue.org Bristol Hillel Foundation at the University of Rhode Island Amy Olson, amyolson@ mail.uri.edu 401-874-2740 urihillel.org Providence
A Jewish ‘Dreamer’ is scared, but refuses to despair BY PENNY SCHWARTZ BOSTON (JTA) – At 15, Elias Rosenfeld became a “Dreamer.” At the time, the Venezuela native was attending Dr. Michael M. Krop Senior High School in Miami, where he had lived since he was 6 years old, when his Jewish family moved to South Florida from Caracas. His mother was a media executive and they traveled to the United States on an L1 visa, which allows specialized, managerial employees to work for the U.S. office of a parent company. But tragedy struck the family: When Rosenfeld was in the fifth grade, his mother was diagnosed with kidney cancer. She died two years later. In high school, Rosenfeld applied for a driver’s permit, only to find out that he lacked the required legal papers. He discovered that his mother’s death voided her visa. He and his older sister were undocumented.
“It was an embarrassing moment for me,” Rosenfeld recalled more than five years later. Within five months, in June 2012, President Barack Obama signed an executive order, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, granting temporary, renewable legal status to young unauthorized immigrants who had been brought to America by their parents as children. Known as DACA, the order opened up a world of opportunities for some 800,000 young people who were now able to apply for driver’s licenses, temporary work permits and college. “Dreamers” refers to a bipartisan bill, known as the Dream Act, that would have offered them a path to legal residency. “It was the power of one order that can so directly change one’s life,” Rosenfeld said. “That launched me. I became an advocate.” He launched United Student Immigrants, a nonprofit to assist
undocumented students that has been credited with raising tens of thousands of dollars for help with scholarships and applications. Rosenfeld, now a 20-year-old sophomore at Brandeis University on a full scholarship, spoke with JTA at a rally Tuesday [Sept. 5] outside of Faneuil Hall, just hours after President Donald Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced they would rescind DACA. The president gave Congress a six-month window to preserve the program through legislation. Or not.
The Boston protest was organized by the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition, where Rosenfeld is an intern. He shared his story with several hundred people at the quickly organized rally. He explained that DACA enabled him to drive, buy his first car, and apply for internships, jobs and scholarships. “Today’s news was cruel and devastating. Now is not the time of despair, however, but to put our energy toward effective action,” he said, urging the crowd
to work for protective legislation at the federal and state levels. There are some 8,000 DACA residents in Massachusetts. Several Jewish communal leaders attended the rally, including Jeremy Burton, executive director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Boston, and Jerry Rubin, president of Jewish Vocational Services. Representatives from the New England Jewish Labor Committee, which helped DREAMER | 31
22 | September 8, 2017
ROSH HASHANAH
The Jewish Voice
Fear and trembling about High Holy Days services BY JOSHUA RATNER (Rabbis Without Borders via JTA) – Fear and trembling make a triumphant return to the Jewish calendar with the month of Elul and the initiation of the holiday countdown that leads to Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. As a rabbinical colleague wrote, Elul itself carries spiritual significance as a time to begin soul-searching and stock-taking of our individual behaviors over the past year. Elul carries with it a particular sense of urgency, if not dread, for those officiating at High Holy Days services. Summer vacation is now officially over. The lists of details for the myriad services that will take place – who is leading each reading, getting each aliyah, opening or closing the ark – can be truly staggering. Searches begin in earnest for those pithy anecdotes or fascinating studies of human nature that were clipped from newspapers or dog-eared in books we have been reading over the past year. Rabbis in smaller shuls now must coordinate with guest cantors, synagogue choirs or brush up on their own chanting abilities. And, of course, there is the High Holy Days sermon. A recent Pew Research Center survey found that for those looking for a new house of worship, “Americans look first and foremost for a place
where they like the preaching and the tone set by the congregation’s leaders.” At 83 percent, the quality of the sermon was the single highest factor in determining Americans’ choice of congregation. So the pressure many rabbis feel, myself included, to craft and deliver sermons of high quality is tremendous. But if I am honest with myself, the sermon actua l ly is the easy part of transmitting mea ning and content on the High Holy Days. It is conveyed in the vernacular and crafted to connect, deeply and personally, with those in attendance. What is truly hard, and what really fills me with fear, is how to make the rest of the services resonate. There are (at least) three fundamental challenges posed by the Yamim Noraim (Days of Awe) services. (I will speak specifically about Conservative Jewish services because those are the ones I am most familiar with.) First is the sheer volume of Hebrew used during services. From Ma’ariv on Rosh Hashanah Eve through Neilah on Yom Kippur, worshippers confront a relentless onslaught of Hebrew poetry and prose. While there are opportunities
to inject English readings or inspirational messages (“kavanot”), these are usually the exception rather than the rule. Why do we inundate ourselves with so much Hebrew? Because the machzor, the prayerbook we use for the High Holy Days, simply has a ton of content and we know that most synagogue-goers only have a limited time span during which they will sit in the pews. This leaves two options: cut o u t some Hebrew and repl ac e
i t w i t h more En g l i sh translations, or chant our way t h r ou g h the Hebrew as fast as we can so we can finish the service on time. Since rabbis and ritual committees tend to decide on the content of the services, and simultaneously tend to be
the most conservative when it comes to modifying prayer content, we wind up with a very Hebrew-centric service. To make matters worse, the Hebrew is often from medieval sources and differs in content from the Hebrew some may be used to from Shabbat or daily worship. This makes it even harder to follow. Finally, when we do slow down for more melodic chanting, it often is done by a cantor or other prayer leader in a tune that is so stylized that it is difficult to join. The second major challenge of our High Holy Days services stems from the content of the liturgy. The key themes are repeated again and again to the point that it can be challenging to feel personal resonance the fifth time I decry my sins or proclaim God’s sovereignty. The liturgy is intentionally redundant to hammer home key themes (created at a time when liturgy was recited orally), but this redundancy raises the moral hazard of emotional boredom. Another major component of the High Holy Days liturgy is the use of liturgical poetry (“piyyutim”) that were comprised by skilled poets 1,000 or more years ago. Their poetry is subtle and relies upon an encyclopedic knowledge of biblical references and connections that are incredibly challenging for modern audiences to unpack.
With these raw ingredients, it is easy to see how the final prayer product often comes out dry and flavorless. Perhaps the largest impediment to meaningful services, though, lies in the gulf between life experience and contemporary sensibilities on the one hand and traditional rabbinic theology on the other. I am sure there are some who embrace the liturgical themes of the High Holy Days, especially the metaphor of God as King sitting in judgment on a heavenly throne. But for the many others who reject this outlook, how can they derive meaning from the High Holy Days while reciting a liturgy predicated on this very outlook? If we adhere to different metaphors of God and different theologies about our relationship with God, are we left with a choice between cognitive dissonance and a wholesale rejection of the liturgy we have used for hundreds of years? Conversely, if we preserve the traditional liturgy, are we doing anything more than enabling a superficial and shallow spiritual experience? Or, as I once wrote, do we intentionally seek out boredom to serve as a protective barrier during the High Holy Days, so that we don’t have to get introspective? I’m not sure how to resolve these questions, but I intend to spend much of Elul trying to do so. RABBI JOSHUA RATNER is the rabbi of Congregation Kol Ami in Cheshire, Connecticut.
ROSH HASHANAH
jvhri.org
September 8, 2017 |
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Embrace changes when your prayers are granted “The Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, actually means ‘head of the year.’ Just like the head controls the body, our actions on Rosh Hashanah have a tremendous impact on the rest of the PATRICIA year. … It is a RASKIN day of prayer, a time to ask the Almighty to grant us a year of peace, prosperity and blessing. But it is also a joyous day
when we proclaim G_d King of the Universe.” From the article “What is Rosh Hashanah?” at Chabad.org We all have goals and dreams and some of us spend a good deal of time focusing on them. There’s an adage that says, “Be careful what you ask for, because you might get it.” The question I ponder when my prayers are granted is, how do I show gratitude and keep the outcome alive? When your prayers are answered, you now have to live
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up to what you asked for. This could be something new, such as a move to a new home, a relationship change, a new family member, a new job, etc. It could also mean being grateful for what you have now and wanting that to continue. If it is something you have wanted, and you have received this new wonderful thing, it’s time to embrace it, give thanks and treasure it. That involves working with and through the changes involved, learning new
ways of thinking and acting, and using the past as a platform from which to spring forward. Another piece of this is being in the moment and enjoying what you have now without thinking about the past and future. Staying in the moment helps us to reduce fear, and appreciate and really experience what we have. As the article in Chabad.org states, “Rosh Hashanah is a day of prayer, a time to ask the Almighty to grant us a year of peace, pros-
perity and blessing.” That means being in the here and now with our gratitude and blessings. Shanah Tovah! PATRICIA RASKIN, president of Raskin Resources Productions Inc., is an award-winning radio producer and Rhode Island business owner. She is the host of “The Patricia Raskin” show, a radio and podcast coach and a board member of Temple Emanu-El, in Providence.
May Your New Year
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ROSH HASHANAH
24 | September 8, 2017
The Jewish Voice
Pray for Peace May it be Your will, G-d of our ancestors, that You grant my family and all Israel a good and long life. Remember us with blessings and kindness. Fill our homes with your Divine Presence. Give me the opportunity to raise my children and grandchildren to be truly wise, lovers of G-d, people of truth, who illuminate the world with Torah, good deeds and the work of the Creator. Please hear my prayer at this time. Regard me as a worthy descendent of Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel and Leah, our mothers, and let my candles burn and never be extinguished. Let the light of your face shine upon us, and bring true peace to Israel and the world.
Blessings for Shabbos
CANDLE LIGHTING SCHEDULE 5777-5778 (2017–2018) Providence, Rhode Island 1 8 15 20 21 22 29 30
September, 2017 7:01 6:49 6:35 Erev Rosh Hashanah 6:26 Rosh Hashanah 7:27 6:22 Erev Yom Kippur 6:10 Fast Ends 7:11
October, 2017 4 5 6 11 12 13 20 27
Erev Sukkot Sukkot Shemini Atzeret Simcha Torah
3 10 17 24
6:02 7:01 6:00 5:52 6:50 5:48 5:38 5:28
November, 2017 5:20 4:10 4:04 4:01
Daylight saving time ends Nov. 5, 2017
December, 2017 1 8 15 22 29
January, 2018
3:58 3:56 3:58 4:00 4:05
5 12 19 26
February, 2018 4:10 4:18 4:26 4:35
2 9 16 23
4:44 4:51 5:00 5:10
Daylight saving time resumes March 11, 2018
March, 2018 2 9 16 23 30 31
Erev 1st Day of Pesach Erev 2nd Day of Pesach
April, 2018 5:18 5 7th day of Pesach 5:26 6 8th day of Pesach 6:34 13 6:42 20 27 6:51 7:53
May, 2018 6:58 6:58 7:06 7:14 7:22
4 11 18 19 Erev Shavu’ot 20 Shavu’ot 25
7:30 7:37 7:43 8:52 8:53 7:50
BO-RUCH A-TOH ADO-NOI E-LO-HEI-NU ME-LECH HO-OLOM A-SHER KI-DE-SHA-NU BE-MITZ-VO-SOV VI-TZI-VO-NU LE-HAD-LIK-NER SHEL SHA-BOS KO-DESH Blessed are You, G-d our Lord, King of the universe, who has hallowed us through His commandments, and has commanded us to kindle the lights of the holy Shabbos
Blessings for Holidays Select the proper ending for the appropriate Yom Tov: BORUCH ATO ADO-NOY ELO-HAY-NU MELECH HO-OLOM A-SHER KID-SHONU B’MITZ-VO-SOV V-T ZI-VONU L’HAD-LIK NER SHEL (on Friday add — SHA-BOS V-SHEL) Pesach, Shavuot and Succot:.......................Yom Tov Rosh Hashanah: .........................................Yom-Ha-zi-Koron Yom Kippur: ...............................................Yom Ha-Kippurim
Check out the new fall classes at the Dwares JCC If you haven’t had a chance to see this year’s Fall Class & Program Guide from the Dwares JCC, make sure to stop by the Alliance’s Dwares Jewish Community Center in Providence to pick one up or check it out online at jewishallianceri.org. The selections offered are a mix of old favorites, such as Pottery and Sculpture, and some exciting new classes, such as Lego Robotics. Children’s enrichment classes offered during after-school hours feature the option of transition care. Staff can meet your child at his or her
bus stop and provide a snack and care until the class begins. New this year is an Open Art Studio, which provides a space for community members to come and get their artistic juices flowing. There will workshops and guided projects from time to time as well. If you don’t find what you are looking for, be sure to let the staff know so that community programming needs can be met in the future. For more information contact Michelle Cicchitelli at mcicchitelli@ jewishallianceri.org.
Add this blessing following each of the above blessings except for the last holidays of Pesach. 1 8 15 22 29
June, 2018 7:56 8:01 8:04 8:06 8:06
6 13 20 27
July, 2018 8:05 8:02 7:57 7:51
3 10 17 24 31
August, 2018 7:43 7:34 7:24 7:13 7:02
The above times are for Providence, RI. Other areas around the region may vary by a few minutes.
Courtesy of Chabad Rhode Island 360 Hope Street, Providence, RI 401-273-7238 believeinprovidence@gmail.com
The above times are for Providence, RI. Other areas around the region may vary by a few minutes.
BORUCH ATO ADO-NOY ELO-HAY-NU MELECH HO-OLOM SHE-HEH-CHE-YONU V’KEE-MONU V’HEE-GEE-ONU LEEZ-MAN HA-ZEH Special instructions for holidays (but not on Shabbat). It is forbidden to create a new fire by striking a match, lighter, etc., However, it is permissable to use a flame already burning since before the inception of the holiday, such as a pilot light, gas or candle flame. CAUTION FOR FRIDAYS: DO NOT light candles after sunset so as not to desecrate the Shabbos. It is forbidden to light candles after sunset.
Courtesy of Chabad Rhode Island
Candle lighting time for the second night of the Holiday is usually about one hour after the candle lighting time of the previous night.
Please do not deface or discard this paper, for G-d’s name is on it.
Come to a “FRIDAY NIGHT LIVE” Shabbat Dinner at the CHABAD HOUSE lom Jewish Hospitality Center a h S 360 Hope St. – Providence, RI
CALL: 273-7238
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LIVING WELL
Coping with change BY ERIN MINIOR Change is inevitable. We will all face thousands of changes in our lifetime. Some changes happen without much fanfare and others have a more dramatic impact. As September be gins, we face a change in seasons, students reLIVING turning to their classWELL rooms and b e ac hc o mb ERIN ers leaving MINIOR the shoreline. These changes are expected, and most of us adapt to them as part of an annual routine. September will also, inevitably, bring people together in marriage, while others will give birth, start new jobs, experience the loss of a loved one. These changes, or life transitions, both positive and negative, can create stress. However, short-term stress is not necessarily a bad thing if we can channel it into adaptation and personal growth. Why is change so difficult? Often, change takes us out of our comfort zone. Change also makes us feel insecure as we face something unfamiliar. How can we best adjust to life’s major changes? It is important to remember that when change occurs, we need to keep moving forward. Surround yourself with those who support and understand you. It is easier to move forward during challenging times when embraced by your family and friends. Whenever possible, plan in advance for the change. Start by researching the impending change. The better informed you are, the better equipped you will be to plan and take appropriate actions. For example, if you have loved ones who are seriously ill, you can help prepare yourself by understanding their current health status. The more you understand the expected course of the illness, the better prepared you will be for a loss. When anticipating a life transition, try not to make decisions that will bring about other dramatic changes in your life. For instance, avoid
starting a new job the same month you are getting married. Adjusting to change takes time. Try not to make significant back-to-back changes. During periods of stressful change, maintaining your physical and emotional health will help you cope. Eat balanced meals, avoid junk food, exercise, get adequate sleep and continue your regular healthy daily routines. Although most of us can adapt to life transitions over time, talking to a professional can prove beneficial if you are very depressed or anxious, or if
more than a month goes by and you are still having difficulty coping with the change in your life. A therapist can also help you prepare for a change that you anticipate, so that you can better cope with it. The Counseling Center at Jewish Family Service (JFS) has trained, professional therapists who can talk with you about your specific situation. For more information, call Clinical Director Meghan Cavanaugh at 401-331-1244. ERIN MINIOR, LICSW, is CEO of Jewish Family Service.
Help us report on the Jewish community Do you like to write and would you like to join a small, dedicated publishing team? The Jewish Voice is looking for freelance writers to cover the Jewish community and perspective in Rhode Island and Southern Massachusetts. We offer a professional experience with a flexible schedule. The work can be regular or occasional. Enthusiasm, enterprise, curiosity and inquisitiveness are necessary qualities. We cover events
and news as well as people and features. Topics can range from weddings to bar mitzvahs; from gardening to parenting; and from cooking to book reviews. Experience, training or a backg round in writing or journalism is strongly preferred. Ability to take photos (or video) is plus as is web and social media experience. Send resume, ideas and writing samples to editor@ jewishallianceri.org
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Bubbie lives in the path of Hurricane Irma. Now what? BY BEN SALES JTA – Beatrice Marks’ one-story home might flood this week. But she laughs off the threat. “It doesn’t faze me one bit. Not anymore,” said Marks, 86, whose community of seniors lies in the path of Hurricane Irma, which is set to make landfall in Florida at the end of the week. “As far as the actual fear of the hurricane, we all are afraid. But it’s a thing we know that can come and go.” Marks, who has lived in Florida for more than 70 years, is an outlier among octogenarians – living alone and driving with barely any assistance in everyday activities. But as a Jewish senior in Florida, she is far from alone. Long a mecca for Jewish retirees, South Florida has a disproportionate number of Jewish elderly. With thousands of local seniors in their areas, Jewish communal agencies are gearing up to prepare the elderly for Irma, which officials say could be one of the worst hurricanes in decades. “We’ve already been getting calls from people who are scared,” said Barbara Bailin, director of financial services for Goodman Jewish Family Services of Broward County on Florida’s east coast. “A lot of our seniors are in old condominiums. They might be living near the beach in things that are 40 years old, and a lot of people don’t want to leave.” Irma, which is predicted to hit the Caribbean on Wednesday [Sept. 6], has been designated a Category 5 storm and has the highest wind speeds recorded since the 1980s. Its current path, as The Jewish Voice goes to press, has it crossing Puerto Rico and Cuba before reaching southern Florida on Sunday morning – just two weeks after Hurricane Harvey devastated the Texas coast. Florida Gov. Rick Scott has declared a statewide state of emergency, and Jewish groups already are focusing on the state’s large population of Jewish seniors. In South Florida, more than a quarter of the population is seniors, according to recent population studies. Many of those seniors live independently or, like Marks, in a community where some housekeeping is taken care of, but a fraction are dependent on Jewish organizations for meals on wheels, medicine and transportation. Others turn to the agencies when other support runs out or in emergencies like these. Jewish service agencies hope to assist those clients by connecting them with relevant state agencies, helping them stock up on supplies and persuading them to get out of harm’s way. “Everyone’s taken a little bit aback by the latest turn of
PHOTO | JTA, COURTESY OF MARKS
Beatrice Marks has lived in Florida for 70 years and isn’t fazed by the arrival of Hurricane Irma. events,” said Alec Rosen, vice president of community engagement for Jewish Community Services of South Florida. “We’re calling clients, making sure they have adequate food and water.” Rosen’s organization delivers more than 100,000 Kosher meals annually to 665 homebound seniors, and is ensuring that they have three days worth of food, water and medication. And while most local buildings have hurricane protections like shutters and reinforced windows, Bailin’s agency will work to persuade seniors living in insecure areas to leave their homes for government-run special-needs centers, which will be safe from damage and able to provide the necessities now being cleared off of South Florida’s supermarket shelves. Local and state governments provide a share of the assistance, from ensuring buildings are safe to transporting seniors to the evacuation centers. On Wednesday, Miami-Dade County will begin evacuating special-needs residents. But Bailin said getting seniors to go to the shelters isn’t easy. “Seniors don’t want to leave their homes when they can’t take care of themselves anymore,” she said. “You hear, ‘I’ve lived here for 40 years and never had a problem.’” Previous storms – like Hurricane Wilma in 2005 – have taught Bailin to prepare as much for the storm’s aftermath as for the lead-up. People often hoard perishable food, she said – a likely power outage will render it useless. Better, she recommended, to buy dry staples that will last. Jewish Family Services also holds off on providing emergency food stipends to clients until the storm passes. “You’ve got to stop to realize the worst hurricane comes and goes within three or four days,” Marks said. “Why would you stock up on food when your lights are going to go out? You’re not going to have refrigeration. You buy crackers, you buy dry food, you’ve got cereal.” What can distant children and grandchildren do to help?
Not much, Bailin says, beyond calling service agencies to confirm that their relatives are located and have all the essentials provided. Florida’s Department of Elder Affairs has a hurricane preparedness guide. And it’s important, Bailin said, to make the call now. “Make sure mom and dad have a plan in place,” she said. “Encourage them to evacuate where they have emergency services. If they call us at the last minute, they can’t do anything then.” Marks doesn’t plan to leave her home, but if she does, she will join one of her sons, who both live nearby. But she doubts they’ll be able to do much she can’t do on her own. “As far as preparation is concerned, there isn’t too much we can do about that,” she said. “We all have shutters in our home. The water is a menace and always will be, I think.”
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When your child asks for a loan, should you say yes? Business and Professional Directory
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You raised them, helped get them through school and now your children are on their own. Or are they? Even adult children sometimes need financial help. But if your child asks you for a loan, don’t pull out your checkbook BARBARA until you’ve KENERSON examined the financial and emotional costs. Start the process by considering a few key questions. Why does your child need the money? Lenders ask applicants to clearly state the purpose for the loan, and you should, too. Like any lender, you need to decide whether the loan purpose is reasonable. If your child is a chronic borrower, frequently overspends or wants to use the money you’re lending to pay past-due bills, watch out. You might be enabling poor financial decision-making. On the other hand, if your child is usually responsible and needs the money for a purpose you support, you may feel better about agreeing to the loan. Will your financial assistance help your child in the long run? It’s natural to want to help your child, but you also want to avoid jeopardizing your child’s independence. If you step in to help, will your child lean on you the next time, too? And no matter how well-intentioned you are, the flip side of protecting your child from financial struggles is that your child may never get to experience the satisfaction that comes with successfully navigating financial challenges. Can you really afford it? Perhaps you can afford to lend money right now, but look
ahead a bit. What will happen if you find yourself in unexpected financial circumstances before the loan is repaid? If you’re loaning a significant sum and you’re close to retirement, will you have the opportunity to make up the amount? If you decide to loan your child money, be sure it’s an amount that you could afford to lose and don’t take money from your retirement account. What if something goes wrong? One potential downside to loaning your child money is the family tension it may cause. When a financial institution loans money to someone, it’s all business, and the repayment terms are clear-cut. When you loan money to a relative, it’s personal, and if expectations aren’t met, both your finances and your relationship with your child may be at risk. For example, how will you feel if your child treats the debt casually? Even the most responsible child may occasionally forget to make a payment. Will you scrutinize your child’s financial decisions and feel obligated to give advice? Will you be okay with forgiving the loan if your child is unable to pay it back? And how will other family members react? For example, what if your spouse disagrees with your decision? Will other children feel as though you’re playing favorites? If you decide to say yes: Think like a lender Take your responsibility, and the borrower’s, seriously. Putting loan terms in writing sounds too businesslike to some parents, but doing so can help set expectations. You can draft a loan contract that spells out the loan amount, the interest rate and a repayment schedule. To avoid playing the role of parent-turned-debt collector, consider asking your child to set
up automatic monthly transfers from his or her financial account to yours. Pay attention to some rules Having loan documentation may also be necessary to meet IRS requirements. If you’re lending your child a significant amount, prepare a promissory note that details the loan amount, repayment schedule, collateral and loan terms, and includes an interest rate that is at least equal to the applicable federal rate set by the IRS. Doing so may help ensure that the IRS doesn’t deem the loan a gift and potentially subject you to gift and estate tax consequences. You or your child may need to meet certain requirements, too, if the loan proceeds will be used for a home down payment or a mortgage. The rules and consequences can be complex, so ask a legal or tax professional for information on your individual circumstances. If you decide to say no: Consider offering other types of help Your support matters to your child, even if it doesn’t come in the form of a loan. For example, you might consider making a smaller, no-strings-attached gift to your child that doesn’t have to be repaid, or offer to pay a bill or two for a short period of time. Don’t feel guilty If you have serious reservations about making the loan, don’t. Remember, your financial stability is just as important as your child’s, and a healthy relationship is something that money can’t buy. BARBARA KENERSON is First Vice President/Investments at Janney Montgomery Scott LLC and can be reached at BarbaraKenerson.com.
Pioneering Israeli app helps visually impaired find their way
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(Israel Hayom/Exclusive to JNS.org) – A pioneering smartphone accessibility application launched this week seeks to help orient the visually impaired through crowded indoor spaces, such as malls, hospitals and universities. Ra’anana-based RightHear was founded by Idan Meir and Gil Elgrably and is billed as an app that “offers an innovative indoor orientation and mobility solution for people who are blind or visually impaired.” The RightHear app was developed almost accidentally,
as Meir and Elgrably had originally developed technology meant to offer virtual onthe-spot coupons to shoppers, the Israel21c website reported this week. They soon realized, however, that rather than marketing the application to end users, they could pitch it to the venues as a way of making their space accessible to the visually impaired. “We didn’t even know if blind people used smartphones or apps since they’re so visual,” Meir told Israel21c, adding that once the prototype was
designed – during a 2015 event in Ra’anana – the municipality put the app developers in touch with several blind people in the city to try it. “They were blown away. They were so excited about it, even though we didn’t have a product yet,” he said. Meir and Elgrably have spent the last two years developing RightHear, which is currently operational at 200 venues. The app is free for users, and RightHear charges the venues a fee based on the number of access spots that are deployed.
OBITUARIES
30 | September 8, 2017 Frances Abrevaya, 84 WARWICK, R.I. – Frances Parkin Abrevaya died Aug. 26 at Philip Hu l itar Inpatient C e n ter. She was the beloved wife of the late A l v i n Parkin and the late Abraham Abrevaya. Born in Elizabeth, New Jersey, a
daughter of the late Samuel and Lena (Singer) Dickler, she had lived in Warwick for 34 years, previously living in Cranston. She was a secretary in the Providence School department for over 25 years. Frances attended Brown Learning Community. She loved attending the theater and art events, wrote her own plays and was a member of various book clubs. Frances was a volunteer for the Israeli Army. She also enjoyed bringing her therapy dog to local nursing homes for the residents.
ASK THE DIRECTOR BY MICHAEL D. SMITH F.D./R.E. Shalom Memorial Chapel
QUESTION: Is it OK to have liquor at the meal of consolation when returning to the house of Shiva from the cemetery? P.G., Pawtucket Dear P.G., Wine or liquor may be consumed in moderation and should not be used as an attempt to avoid the reality of bereavement or feelings of loss. The meal is a mitzvah, not a social event. The meal of consolation is for the immediate survivors and their families and not for the community at large. The bereaved family should not feel obligated to furnish refreshments to consolers and definitely should not be serving anyone since it is the bereaved family that should be served by friends and relatives. 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 She was the devoted mother of Michael Parkin (Debbie) of Greenland, New Hampshire, JoAnne Murray (Bill) of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and Susan Venturini of Warwick. She was the dear sister of David Dickler (Eunice) of Boca Raton, Florida, Roslyn Mechlowitz (Bernard) of Toms River, New Jersey, and the late Shirley Goldfarb. She was the loving grandmother of Lauren (Sean), Vanessa, Justin, Ashley (Garrett), Benjamin, Brian (Melissa) and Rachel. She was the cherished great-grandmother of Avaleigh, Madelyn and the late Ethan. Contributions in her memory may be made to Hope Hospice & Palliative Care, 1085 N. Main St., Providence, RI 02904.
Marvin M. Greenberg, 88 WARWICK, R.I. – Marvin M. Greenberg died Sept. 2 at Saint Elizabeth Home. He was the beloved husband of the late Marjorie (Schwartz) Greenberg. Born in Boston, Massachusetts, a son of the late Nathan and Celia (Applebaum) Greenberg, he was a longtime resident of Marco Island, Florida, and Warwick. He was the owner of the former M & G for over 40 years. Marvin was a Korean Conflict Navy veteran, serving on the USS Atka and Wakamorey. He was a graduate of Durfee High School in Fall River, Massachusetts. Marvin was a member of the Masons, Touro Fraternal Association and Jewish Congregation of Marco. He was the devoted father of David Greenberg and his spouse, Dale Rundlett, of North Kingstown, Gail Keighley of Foster and Judi Greenberg of Barrington. He was the dear brother of the late Rita Levin and Shirley Lincoln. He was the loving grandfather of Jason, Ember, Evan, Seth, Cullen and Russell. Contributions in his memory may be made to the charity of your choice.
Barbara S. Kestenbaum, 86 KALAMAZOO, MICH. – Barbara S. Kestenbaum passed away Aug. 29. She was the wife of the late Joseph Kestenbaum, the love of her life. She was born in Petersburg, Virginia, daughter of the late Max and Anna (Kaplan) Shapiro and sister of the late Murray Shapiro. She was a graduate of James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Barbara called New Bedford, Massachusetts her home for most of her life. For the last six years she resided in Kalamazoo. She was a longtime educator in the New Bedford school system. Barbara received the Educator Hero Award for her longtime contribution to helping children. Barbara continued her work with children as she tutored
and volunteered in schools long after her retirement. Her family was her greatest joy especially her four grandchildren. She was a past member of the Tifereth Israel Congregation and its Sisterhood. She was an avid fan of the Boston Celtics, traveling to many away games. Barbara was an active bridge player and loved boasting about winning Bingo. She is survived by her daughter Sue Goldenberg and her husband, David, of Kalamazoo; son Bruce Kestenbaum and his wife Robin of Juno Beach, Florida; and grandchildren Matthew, Andrew, Jamie Kestenbaum, and Alexandra Goldenberg Contributions in her memory may be made to the Joslin Diabetes Center of Boston or the Schwartz Center for Children of Dartmouth, Massachusetts.
Richard Kotlen, 55 MIDDLETOWN, R.I. – Richard Frederick “Richie” Kotlen died Aug. 15 at home. Born in Providence, son of the late Robert A. Kotlen and the late Rita (Jaffe) Kotlen, he had lived in Middletown for 32 years. Dear stepson of Betty Kotlen (Basok), brother of Lisa Kotlen of Bristol, Lori Kotlen Stark and her husband, Drew, of Kibbutz Yahel, Israel, and David Basok and his wife, Corinne Myre, of Huntington Beach, California. Contributions in his memory may be made to The Potter League for Animals, 87 Oliphant Lane, Middletown, RI 02842.
Stanley Lipp, 89 BOYNTON BEACH, FLA. – Stanley Lipp of Boynton Beach, Florida, and Dartmouth, Massachusetts, died on Aug. 28 at his home surrounded by his family. Stanley was born in Berlin, Germany. In 1933 at the start of the Holocaust, he and his parents escaped Germany and emigrated to Palestine. After that, they lived in Italy and Latvia, before being granted admission to the United States in 1939. In the United States, they lived in Camden, New Jersey, for four years, before moving to New Bedford in 1944. Stan graduated from New Bedford High School and Boston University. He became a radio personality in New Bedford, after being introduced to the field while serving in the military. He was with WNBH for 13 years, and with WBSM for 37 years (19642001). He was well known for his program, “Open Line.” Stan was also the Cantor at the Agudas Achim Synagogue in Taunton for 50 years.
He will be greatly missed. Stan is survived by his wife Mae (Asser); children Lori Chase (Richard), Michael (Wendy Garf-Lipp); grandchildren Ezra (CarolAnn Kinzel), Carly Chase (Peter Kunze), Danny Chase; and great-grandchild Elan Lipp. Donations can be made to the American Cancer Society or a charity of your choice.
Faina Liskovich, 87 PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Faina Liskovich, 87, passed away Sept. 1. She was the wife of Leonid Stukalov. She was born in Gomel, Belarus, a daughter of the late Semon and Chaya (Gorkin) Liskovich. In addition to her husband, Leonid, she is survived by her sons Semyon and Michael Stukalov; grandchildren Regina, Ida and Ronit; and great-grandchildren Giuliana, Sophia and Ethan.
Rosella Shwartz 92
WARWICK, R.I. – Rosella “Cookie” Shwartz 92, passed away Sept. 1. She was the wife of the late Walter Shwartz and the late Myer Jarcho. She was born in Providence, a daughter of the late Morris and Etta (Bernstein) Jagolinzer. She was the sister of the late Belle Kotlen and the late Bertha Davis. Cookie is survived by many nieces, nephews, great nieces, great nephews, great-great nephews and the children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren of Myer Jarcho. Rosella was an office manager at United Camera until 1994. After her retirement she and Wally relocated to Boynton Beach, Florida. She was a life member of Jewish Hebrew Association of Rhode Island. She was a former member of Temple Sinai and its Sisterhood. Contributions in her memory may be made to the Jewish Congregation of your choice.
Norman I. Tobin, 67 WARWICK, R.I. – Norman I. Tobin, of Warwick, died Sept. 5 at Rhode Island Hospital, surrounded by his loving family. He was the beloved husband of Judy (Scavitti) Tobin for 47 years. Born in Providence, a son of the late Abraham and Ann (Schuster) Tobin, he was a lifelong Warwick resident. Norm was a dedicated elementary school teacher in the Warwick education system for over 30 years. He was a member of Touro Fraternal Association. He was the devoted father of Bradley Tobin and his wife, Lauren, of Hastings-on-Hudson, New York, and Meredith (Tobin) Daniels of Warwick. He was the dear brother of Paul Tobin and his wife, Roberta, of Massachusetts. He was the loving papa of Molly Hope, Leah Jane and Jacob Ian. Contributions in his memory may be made to the charity of your choice.
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DREAMER
spread the word of the rally, held signs in the crowd. Another Dreamer, Filipe Zamborlini, who came to the U.S. from Brazil when he was 12 and now works as a career coach at Jewish Vocational Services, also spoke. “We’re going to mourn today,” Zamborlini, 28, told the assembly. Rosenfeld said the Trump administration’s decision was disturbing and unsettling. “There’s a high level of fear and anxiety in DACA communities,” he told JTA. Rosenfeld recalls too well the sting and uncertainty of being undocumented. “It means you can’t do everything your peers and your friends are doing. You feel American, but you are suffering these consequences from choices you didn’t make,” he said. But he also sounded a note of optimism, pointing out that Trump called on Congress to act. “We hope Congress follows their president’s word now and
does the job of passing one of the many pieces of legislation” before them, Rosenfeld said. He readily admits to feeling scared and anxious. “But I’m also feeling empowered and motivated from seeing the outpouring of support,” locally and across the country, he said. To DACA opponents, including Jewish supporters of Trump, Rosenfeld asks them to look at the facts and the stories of people like himself. “I don’t think it aligns with our values, with Jewish values and the Jewish community,” he said of a policy that would essentially strip a generation of people raised here of official recognition. Rosenfeld cited the activism of a group called Torah Trumps Hate, which opposes policies that it considers anathema to values contained in Jewish teachings. Growing up, his family attended synagogue often and celebrated Shabbat and Jewish holidays.
PHOTO | JTA, JEREMY BURTON | JCRC OF GREATER BOSTON
Despite the hardships he faced following his mother’s death, Rosenfeld excelled in high school. He completed 13 Advanced Placement courses and ranked among the top 10 percent of his graduating class, according to a Miami-Dade County school bulletin. Rosenfeld was widely recognized as a student leader, receiving several awards and honors. During the presidential campaign, he volunteered for the Hillary Clinton campaign. Many students who were undocumented live in constant fear, even after receiving temporary legal status under DACA, Rosenfeld said. “There is fear behind the shadows,” he said. “We are always behind the shadows.” Earlier in the day, before the president’s announcement, Brandeis President Ron Liebowitz sent a letter to Trump urging him not to undo DACA. “Here at Brandeis University, we value our DACA students, who enrich our campus in many ways and are integral to our community,” the letter said. “Reversing DACA inflicts harsh punishment on the innocent. As a nation founded by immigrants, we can, should, and must do better.” Rosenfeld was attracted to Brandeis both for its academics and its commitment to social justice. He is studying political
Elias Rosenfeld, a sophomore at Brandeis University, speaking at a rally at Boston’s Faneuil Hall hours after President Trump announced he was rescinding DACA protections for some 800,000 young people, Sept. 5.
science, sociology and law, with plans to continue his advocacy work on behalf of immigrants. He hopes one day to attend law school and work in politics or practice law. With a full schedule of courses and volunteer work, Rosenfeld gets by without much sleep, he acknowledged with an easy laugh. The Brandeis administration has been supportive, he said,
September 8, 2017 |
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and there is a meeting later this week on campus to discuss school policy on the issue. Asked what America means to him, Rosenfeld does not hesitate. “It means my country. It’s my home. There’s a connection. I want to contribute,” he said. “I just don’t think it’s valuable to want to kick out people that want to contribute to this country.”
NOTICE! Lincoln Park Cemetery and its offices will be closed on observance of the following holidays: Thursday, September 21: First Day of Rosh Hashanah Friday, September 22: Second Day of Rosh Hashanah Saturday, September 30: Yom Kippur Thursday, October 5: First day of Sukkot Friday, October 6: Second day of Sukkot Thursday, October 12: Shemini Atzeret Friday, October 13: Simchat Torah Lincoln Park Cemetery 1469 Post Road, Warwick, RI 02888 Telephone 737-5333 Fax 732-1293
32 | September 8, 2017
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The good old summertime, Rhode Island style SKETCHBOOK MIKE FINK A tiny toad appeared like a living clump of good soil among the wildflowers under the porch gutter. It charmed us! A monarch butterfly zigged and zagged at the overgrown butterfly bush at the front door of our South County summer cottage. It amazed me with its regal beauty and poise. The ruby-throats joined us at breakfast and dinner, hovering at the special feeders by our windows. There was a single piping plover – or was it a lonesome sanderling? – at the shoreline. Not to mention the rabbits and doves and shy young deer, all the same tan hue and still and stately within the mere strips of tamed wilderness. And then, there is this biker – a very elderly, bronzed native of our “first nation” lying at his leisure on Moonstone Beach, among the rocks, behind the feathers on the supine handlebars waving lazily in the mild breeze. Once each summer, we cordially greet each other and brief ly talk of the history of his people and their wanderings (like the Jews?). I found, and swam in, a “new” lake this summer – one I had never before explored, not far from our humble retreat, at the site of “Treaty Rock,” where Roger Williams conferred with the sachems before King Philip’s War. And then, we took in the final show of this season, “The Producers,” at the renovated and renowned Theatre-bythe-Sea. Now there are elegant walkways at the theater and serenely groomed gardens to gaze upon as you dine at Bistro by the Sea or sip a cocktail by the central reception gazebo. The play itself, with its wellknown words by Mel Brooks, had splendid settings, fine songs and dances, superb costumes, dazzling lighting effects, and a receptive and appreciative audience. My wife took special notice of the refined violin performance of Rika Ikeda, a person we heard without seeing. Yes, it was a bit long under the confining and constricting rainstorm that dampened the delightful distraction under the barn roof. It made me think – with an ironic private smile – of the words
of the late Duke of Windsor, who interrupted Arthur Rubinstein’s passionate performance at the palace piano in London so long ago, saying, “Maestro, you have delighted us enough!” It left me with a few questions, both about the choice of the production and about my own take on it. Should American Jewish entertainers mock their co-religionists for laughs? Yes, of course they should … but in New York, the laughs are legit, whereas in rural Rhody, not so much. I think the roars and the claps were a touch too loud, almost coarse. (Of course, you are welcome to mock me for my snobbery and insecurity.) Are Jews mad about money and worried beyond reason, like the two partners central to the show? The friendly foes and rivals betray each other, but bond at the close of the twisted plot with a sudden restoration of good will. Well, not to be too ungrateful for an evening under the stars, with the human stars puttin’ on their Ritz, let me say, it’s been a grand summer escape from Independence Day until before Labor Day here in our Ocean State, as I cruised about in my little coffee-colored car with a license plate that reads “Conservation through Education,” decorated with a logo of the once endangered osprey – cruising, that is, along the roads and routes that are mostly labeled Post Road, with actual osprey nests high up on poles and happily sharing the good old summertime with me and mine. MIKE FINK (mfink33@aol. com) teaches at the Rhode Island School of Design.
PHOTO | LAURA FINK
Mike and Reuben Fink exploring the secret hidden ponds of South County.
September 8, 2017 |
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LOOK BEYOND THE LABEL. No matter how we label ourselves—we are all Jews. That’s what matters. Recognizing that our diversity strengthens us.
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SIMCHA | WE ARE READ
The Jewish Voice
Larry and Marilyn Katz visited Israel recently and caught up with past schlichim.
On the farm in Tel Adashim with Matan Graff.
Bruce Gabriel Kaufman and Marni Jill Loewenstern MAZAL TOV – Marni Jill Loewenstern and Bruce Gabriel Kaufman were united in marriage on July 3, during a 6:30 p.m. outdoor ceremony at the Commander’s Mansion in Watertown, Massachusetts. The ceremony was officiated by Rabbi Joe Eiduson. The bride is the daughter of Cindy and Gary Loewenstern of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The groom is the son of Ellen Ellin and stepson of Barry Ellin of Baltimore, Maryland, and the son of Allan Kaufman of Providence.
The bride graduated from Northeastern University in 2012 and received a degree in accounting. She is a CPA manager at Floyd Advisory. The groom graduated from Northeastern University in 2010 and received a degree in computer and electrical engineering. He is employed by Western Digital. The couple honeymooned in Mexico. They plan to go to New Zealand and Australia in December. They reside in Brighton, Massachusetts.
In Tel Aviv, Ziv Assor.
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WE ARE READ IN SOUTH AFRICA – Rabbi Ethan Adler and his wife Lori recently visited South Africa where they enjoyed many safari excursions. Pictured here is the vehicle they rode in while viewing the many animals in the reserve, including lions, elephants, giraffes, zebras, rhinos and hippos.
WE ARE READ IN PRAGUE – Hanna and Leonard Green, Sena and Robert Garber and Dona Goldman in
rainy Prague. “We read The Jewish Voice rain or shine around the globe.”
Traditions? We love to feature our readers and their stories in The Voice. Upcoming issues will focus on the Seniors and B’nai Mitzvah. What are your memories? What are your family traditions? Send us your stories. Post your photos to our website. You just might be featured in a future issue of The Jewish Voice. Email to editor@ jewishallianceri.org. Post to jvhri.org. Send by traditional mail to Editor, The Jewish Voice, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence, R.I. 02906.
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WE ARE READ IN POLAND – Ezra and Varda Stieglitz recently returned from a trip to Poland where they visited the Jewish Cemetery in Warsaw. Here they stand next to a monument dedicated to Janusz Korczak, a legendary Polish educator. When his orphanage was shut down by the Nazis, he led the 200 children through the ghetto streets to the train that took them to Treblinka.
WE ARE READ IN CANADA – Noam Spector, summer J-Camp shlichah, took a post-camp visit to Niagara Falls in Canada. She will travel to other spots around the United States before returning to Israel.
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