February 27, 2015 by Jewish Rhode Island

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

CAMP

8 Adar 5775 | February 27, 2015

The photo posted on Instagram by Miss Israel (far left), in which Miss Lebanon (second from left) also appears.

Like Queen Esther, modern-day Jewish women making a diﬀerence BY ALINA DAIN SHARON JNS.ORG – Most Jewish women have at least one childhood memory of wearing a Queen Esther costume for Purim. Esther’s image is ubiquitous in the collective Jewish con-

sciousness, not only as the character in the Purim story who outwitted the villain Haman in order to save the Jewish people from annihilation, but also as a symbol of a strong WOMEN | 12

PHOTO | CAMP JORI

Arts and crafts is one of the best places at camp.

‘A modern camp with an old soul’ celebrates its bar mitzvah BY IRINA MISSIURO imissiuro@jewishallianceri. org Camp JORI is celebrating its bar mitzvah this summer. It’s hard to believe that Rhode Island’s only Jewish overnight camp has been at the Worden’s

Pond location in Wakefield for 13 years already. Ronni Saltzman Guttin, director, shares that the transition from Clarke Road in Narragansett to the current site was a smooth one since the camp’s core values and traditions remained the same, despite the technological

advances and enhancements to accommodations. The biggest draw is JORI’s ability to unite the campers, who relish taking care of one another, the way they care for family members. After all, once the kids get to camp, they’re all JORI | 20

This high school may have predicted Israel’s election results BY BEN SALES RAMAT GAN, Israel (JTA) – When Isaac Herzog learned that his Zionist Union party had won the election with 32 percent of the vote, he posted a triumphant status update on Facebook. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had failed, Herzog wrote on Fen. 22, and vowed that his center-left party would change the government.

Herzog’s celebration may have been a touch premature – Israeli elections are still three weeks away. He was reveling in the victory by Zionist Union in the mock election at Blich High School, a secular public school in this Tel Aviv suburb. Students there placed the centrist Yesh Atid party in second place with 28 percent of the vote, followed by Likud with 14 percent.

High schools across Israel have held mock elections in the run-up to the Knesset elections on March 17. But when Blich students cast their ballots on Feb. 22, they held the country’s attention. Ahead of Israeli elections, Blich’s approximately 1,000 juniors and seniors engage in an intense curriculum on the campaign, studying the party platforms, holding a mock debate and meeting with candidates. And Blich students

in the past had often approximated the actual result. “This process is very important to the students,” said junior Tal Itzhaki, a Zionist Union supporter. “It gets us close to politics. It gives us space to express our opinions. [Students] take it seriously because they understand that Blich represents the people.” In 1977, Blich students correctly predicted the Labor Par-

ty’s first-ever loss to Likud. In 1992, they prophesied that Labor would depose Likud and return to power. In 2006, they correctly predicted three of the election’s top four finishers: Kadima, followed by Labor and Likud. And in 2013, Yesh Atid’s win at Blich preceded its surprising secondplace finish in the real election. It is this record that may exRESULTS | 15

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INSIDE Business 22-22 Calendar 10 Camp 16-20 Classified 22 Community 2-6, 11, 25, 28-30 Food 12 Israel 14-15, 30 Obituaries 26-27 Opinion 8-9 Purim 7, 13 Seniors 24

THIS ISSUE’S QUOTABLE QUOTE “The truth is in villains we see a little of ourselves.”

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The Jewish Voice

NaBSco performs at the DwaresJCC Let Debussy transport you to a summer afternoon BY IRINA MISSIURO imissiuro@jewishallianceri.org

Many of us are passionate about our craft, but musicians are some of the luckiest people because they are entirely enchanted by their noble pursuit. The members of the Narragansett Bay Symphony Community Orchestra have chosen a field that evokes much pleasure, which they would like to share with you, their audience. The community-based orchestra is excited to perform “French Impression” on March 8 at 3 p.m. at the Dwares JCC. Gail Agronick, a founding and board member of the orchestra, has played the violin since she was in the fourth grade, growing up in the Rhode Island Philharmonic Youth Orchestras. She says, “I really enjoy our performances at the JCC because our family spent a lot of time there as members of The Friday School. … It is quite rewarding to play in the same space that my husband, girls and I celebrated many Shabbats.” Amy Goldstein, also a found-

The Narraganset Bay Symphony Community Orchestra after their last performance. ing and board member – along with her husband Bruce Goldstein – plays the flute. She met her husband in the orchestra at Brown. Goldstein admits, “Playing in an orchestra again with him is very nostalgic.” Saul Woythaler is a bassoon player and a board member. A retired principal electrical engineer, he’s also a co-president of Touro Synagogue in Newport. Woythaler has been involved in music since the 6th grade; he says that it is his passion. “NaBSco provides [the opportunity to make music] to a unique group of skilled, dedicated, high-level amateur musicians who wish to continue to perform and learn.” In 2014, NaBSco (previously known as the Rhode Island

Philharmonic Community Orchestra) became a nonprofit 501c(3) group. Their move toward independence began when they formed a board, codified bylaws and found a new conductor and music director, Benjamin Vickers. Woythaler considers the organization to be fortunate to have Vickers as its leader. He says, “Ben is a skilled conductor who has the ability to extract the best from our group, making the whole greater than the sum of the parts.” Vickers took the time to respond to some questions about the pieces they will play, including “Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun” by Claude Debussy, “Noble and Sentimental Waltzes” by Maurice Ravel and

Let them be the

reason

“Symphony in D Minor” by César Franck. Here are some of his replies.

Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun: In your opinion, does Claude Debussy do justice to Stéphane Mallarmé’s poem? I do. Reading and experiencing the poem creates a remarkably similar psychological impression as being with the music does. What evidence of symbolism do you see in the musical piece? How did the movement influence Debussy’s composition? SYMPHONY | 25

Ensuring a Jewish future begins today. With educational and cultural programming, we build upon the very foundations of Jewish life and learning, safeguarding our Jewish tomorrows. When you leave a bequest or a planned gift at the Jewish Federation Foundation, you touch each one of us. You leave your children and grandchildren a precious inheritance and a lasting testimony to your love and values.

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

There are many ways to create your legacy. Let us show you a few.

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February 27, 2015 |

February activities included baking, above, and a trip to play Laser Tag.

Lots of activities at the Dwares JCC Teen Lounge BY SETH FINKLE sfinkle@jewishallianceri.org It has been very active in our new and improved Teen Lounge. Our Nintendo Wii is a huge hit with the teens competing against one another in all things Wii sports. The other big competition among our teens is at our Foosball table. The teens here at the Dwares JCC are really getting into challenging one another and keeping their winning streak alive! During February break and to help break the winter blues, we took a trip to Battlegroundz in Attleboro, Massachusetts, where everyone enjoyed playing Laser Tag against the other visitors

there. Our JCC team dominated in each game and won. A Special shout out goes to Francesca Binder who scored the highest individual score! To get ready for Purim, the teens baked hamantaschen from scratch. By far the favorite flavors were Nutella and peanut butter with chocolate chips. The Teen Lounge is becoming a great place for socializing and hanging out. I hope to see your teens come by to have fun, play a game or just say “hi.” SETH FINKLE is the director of Camp Haverim and the teen programming coordinator for the Jewish Alliance.

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The Jewish Voice

Watercolors, large acrylics at Temple Habonim

COURTESY | NAOMI GELLER LIPSKY

“Hineni (Here I Am),” is a limited edition lithograph by Naomi Geller Lipsky, a longtime member of the American Guild of Judaic Art.

March is Jewish Arts Month

Jewish Arts Month, an annual educational initiative sponsored by the American Guild of Judaic Art, takes place in March. Activities aim to promote a greater appreciation and understanding of the special significance of contemporary Judaica, Jewish art, and the meaning behind the Torah commandment, Hiddur Mitzvah, to beautify ritual objects or art for one’s home, the synagogue, a Jewish Community Center or similar institutions. Recently the AGJA launched its new website jewishart. org, its “virtual home”, a place to display AGJA member’s talents where events like its fourth annual online exhibition will be online for a full year starting on March 1 and where collectors, colleagues, and other artists can learn about a wide variety of what inspired contemporary Judaica and Jewish art is all about. Artist profile website pages give insights about how many AGJA artists approach their work with creative inspiration.

Member’s posted essays on this year’s theme, “Identify and discuss how your Judaic art has influenced or impacted the viewer’s feeling about Judaism” and a mentoring program for high school students with online dialogue and instruction are ongoing AGJA educational programs. In 1992, Rabbi Avi Magid, one of the Guild’s early members, initiated the idea of the guild hosting a “Jewish Arts Week” to coincide with the Torah Parshiot reading, when the artisan Bezalel was introduced and appointed by Moses to oversee the design and implementation of the Mishkan, the Holy Temple’s ark and sanctuary. The time of the reading occurred during the Hebrew months of, Adar or Nissan, or in the English calendar, during February and/or March. In 2011, Jewish Arts Week became “Jewish Arts Month” since there were six Parshiot describing the work of Bezalel and the English month of March was designated.

Shirley Koller, “Fire and Smoke” an acrylic The March/April show in the Gallery at Temple Habonim features works by two noted artists who work in very different styles. Paula Visnoski, an awardwinning artist, shows her versatility in her many mediums — watercolor, oil, graphic design, photography. “Like the weather in New England, I am always changing,” she says. Her work incorporates symbolism, imagery and a “oneness with the earth and all living things.” In her words, “my art helps me to release what my ‘mind’s eye’ is experiencing.” Shirley Koller, sculptor, painter, curator, recently moved from the Washington, D.C., area to Providence. Now living at Laurelmead, she works in two-dimensional art. Her large acrylics reflect her personality, making bold statements and encouraging visual conversations with the viewer. She is a master in the use of color. The exhibit is on view from March 4 through April 30, with an artists’ reception March 8 from 1 to 3 pm. The Gallery at Temple Habonim is at 165 New Meadow Road in Barrington. Gallery hours are Wednesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Fridays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and by appointment. For information, call 401-245-6536 or email gallery@templehabonim. org.

ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT Tricia Stearly tstearly@jewishallianceri.org 401-421-4111, ext. 160 EDITOR Fran Ostendorf CONTRIBUTING WRITER Irina Missiuro

Karen Borger ksborger@gmail.com 401-529-2538

EDITORIAL CONSULTANTS Irina Missiuro | Judith Romney Wegner

COLUMNISTS Michael Fink, Rabbi James Rosenberg and Daniel Stieglitz

DESIGN & LAYOUT Leah Camara

MEMBER of the Rhode Island Press Association

Paula Visnoski, “Amur Leopard” a watercolor from the Endangered Wildlife series

THE JEWISH VOICE (ISSN number 15392104, USPS #465-710) is published bi-weekly, except in July, when it does not publish. PERIODICALS Postage paid at Providence, R.I. POSTMASTER Send address changes to: The Jewish Voice, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence, RI 02906. PUBLISHER The Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island, Chair Sharon Gaines, President/CEO Jeffrey K. Savit, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence, RI 02906. Phone: 401-421-4111 • Fax 401-331-7961

COPY DEADLINES: All news releases, photographs, etc., must be received on the Wednesday two weeks prior to publication. Submissions may be sent to: editor@jewishallianceri.org. ADVERTISING: We do not accept advertisements for pork or shellfish. We do not attest to the kashrut of any product or the legitimacy of our advertisers’ claims. All submitted content becomes the property of The Voice. Announcements and opinions contained in these pages are published as a service to the community and do not necessarily represent the views of The Voice or its publisher, the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island.

Spiel Spiel COMMUNITY

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February 27, 2015 |

A new perspective on the Dreyfus Aﬀair

BY LINDA K. SHAMOON

History,” to access the real-life letters, eyewitness accounts, articles, cartoons and official documents that kept the case before the public for decades. The book discussion, from 10 a.m. to noon is the second of four spring 2015 events focusing on the history, achievements and contemporary lives of French Jewry, as told through fi lm, literature, history and music. The series, titled “The Tangled Legacy: Being a Jew in France,” is sponsored by Arts Emanu-El at Temple Emanu-El, and was prompted by recent alarming acts of violence against Jews and Jewish institutions in France, with concern about what some have called “the new anti-Semitism,” in Europe, with France at its center. “The Tangled Legacy” series endeavors to explore and understand these events by taking a comprehensive, long-term and cultural view of the French Jewish experience. The book discussion is open to the public without charge through the joint sponsorship of Arts Emanu-El and the Rosen Library Committee at Temple Emanu-El. The fi nal two events in the series will occur in May, with a French breakfast and lecture, and a major musical concert. At the breakfast on May 3 at 10 a.m., Prof. Maud S. Mandel, dean of the College, Brown University, associate professor of History, and former director of the program in Judaic Studies, will explain “Muslims & Jews in France Today: History of a Confl ict.” On May 17 at 7 p.m. the series closes with “The Jewish French Musical Connection,” the story of French Jewry told through music and narration. This concert will include special guest artists, including the world-renowned pianist Judith Lynn Stillman, members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and mezzo-soprano Cantor Lynn Torgove. Tickets for these events go on sale three weeks prior to the event date. For more information about the March 8 discussion of “An Officer and A Spy” at Temple Emanu-El Providence: Go to TEProv.org.

H 4, 2 015 Imagine a visit to Paris, France in 1894, the most exciting city in Europe, with dozens of new galleries to see, new music halls to visit, and a great new steel tower to climb. Paris: a wealthy city in a glorious republic that gave liberty, equality and fraternity to all citizens, including shopkeepers, laborers, ordinary soldiers and Jews. But if you visited Paris in November of 1894, you would have witnessed a roiling national crisis, prompted by the latest news: Captain Alfred Dreyfus, a young French artillery officer and a Jew who had been accused of passing military secrets to Germany, was found guilty and banished to Devil’s Island, forever. Today, we know that the charges against Dreyfus were trumped-up and believed because he was Jewish. Securing the guilty conviction – twice – involved corruption at every level of French government, among its politicians, its army officers and its news media. Today, we think we know all about the Dreyfus Affair, but author Robert Harris’ gripping account, which will be the subject of a discussion that is open to the community on March 8 at Temple Emanu-El Providence, sheds a unique, less familiar perspective on this terrible affair. Robert Harris’ “An Officer and a Spy” retells the story of the infamous Dreyfus Affair through the eyes and conscience of Colonel Georges Picquart, the French Army officer who, at fi rst, accepted Dreyfus’ guilt and yet who risked his career and his life to search for the truth among the messy evidentiary details and contradictions of the case. Harris’s account of Picquart’s crucial role in the Affair has been hailed as a “page-turner” and a spy thriller, but it is written with historical accuracy and shrewd insight into the pressures, prejudices and exigencies that enabled such injustices to occur. Furthermore, those who join in the book discussion will have the chance to match Harris’ suspenseful account with Michael Burns’ “France and the Dreyfus Affair: A Brief Documentary

P u ri m S P u ri mPuri Spiel m Spiel

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4

r a d i z e P u rifm Spiel o s i za red r a d i z W rd a i z f oA K'TANTAN oW “Toto, of s s fA PURIM we’res not PARTY

H 4, 2 015 W A

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 2 015

Spiel “Toto, we’re not in Shushan anymore”

K'TANTAN K'T ANTAN PARTY PURIM

PURIM PARTY 5:30 PM 5:30 PM

5:30 PM in Shushan “Toto, COSTUME “Toto, COSTUME P ARADE we’re not ARADE we’re not anymore” COSTUME6:30PPM in Shushan

in Shushan anymore” anymore”

6:30 PM PARADEMEGILLAH

6:30 PM

READING MEGILLAH followed by the Purim Spiel

READING

by the PM MEGILLAH6:45followed Purim Spiel READING 6:45 PM

K'TANTAN PURIM PARTY PM K'T5:30 ANT AN H 4, PURIM 2 015 PARTY followed by the Purim Spiel

6:45 PM

LINDA K. SHAMOON is co-chair, Arts Emanu-El at Temple Emanu-El in Providence.

“Jesus Christ: Superstar or Jewish Anathema” Jewish Perspectives led by Dr. Stephen Kaplan

BY LOIS KEMP “Jesus Christ: Superstar or Jewish Anathema” is the topic of the next program in the Adult Education series at Temple Habonim, 165 New Meadow Road in Barrington. On March 12 at 7 p.m., Dr. Stephen Kaplan, a temple member and researcher of Jewish history, will present the Jewish perspectives on the “Jewishness” of Jesus Christ. As Jewish scholars and spiritual leaders incorporate the secular education of the times, they consider the qualities of Jesus Christ and his Jewish roots. Kaplan will

discuss this topic and its special challenges for Jewish continuity in an open and multicultural society. Kaplan is a past president of Temple Habonim. For the past 25 years he has researched Jewish history and thought as his avocation. This program is free and open to the community. For further information go to www.templehabonim.org or call the temple office at 401-245-6536. LOIS KEMP is chairman of the adult education committee at Temple Habonim.

70 Orchard Avenue Providence, RI 02906 www.temple-beth-el.org 401.331.6070

The Purim celebration is funded by the BENEFACTORS.

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6 | February 27, 2015

The Jewish Voice

Rabbi Leonid Feldman Donald and Bonnie Dwares

Mel and Patty Alperin

Rhode Islanders gather in Florida to support the Alliance BY TRINE LUSTIG On Feb. 8, the Jewish Alliance gathered a group of Rhode Islanders for a cocktail party hosted by Stephen and Diana Lewinstein in Palm Beach, Florida. The participants were captivated by the story of Leonid Feldman, who was born in the former Soviet Union and experienced violent anti-Semitism from teachers, neighbors and government officials. In fact, he did not know he was a Jew until his fi rst day of kinder-

garten when his teacher called him a liar for telling the class that he was a Soviet citizen. As a young man he went on a hunger strike in order to escape from Russia, and after imprisonment with violent criminals, he was fi nally allowed to emigrate to Israel. He is now the rabbi of Temple Beth El in Palm Beach and has shared his story all over the world. Sharon Gaines, chair of the board, thanked the group for its generous support of the Alliance and its continued

loyalty to the Jewish community in Rhode Island. Mitzi Berkelhammer, vice chair of philanthropy, announced that the Annual Campaign has raised $2.75 million to date, but cautioned that the campaign is far from over. Jeffrey Savit, president and CEO of the Alliance gave an update on recent Alliance activities. To learn more about how you can support the Jewish Alliance, contact Trine Lustig, vice president of philanthropy at tlustig@jewishallianceri.org.

Temple Emanu-El Celebrates Purim! Temple Emanu-El Purim Carnival Sunday March 1 @ 10:15am

Purim Services and Megillah Reading Wednesday March 4th @ 6:00pm and Thursday March 5th @ 6:45am Family First Purim Program for young families: Purim Extravaganza – the 4 M’s of Purim! Wednesday March 4th @ 5:45pm Purim Spiel Performances “Into the Spiel” Wednesday March 4th @ 7:30pm and Sunday March 8th @ 1:00pm

Temple Emanu-El 99 Taft Ave | Providence, RI 02906 (401) 331-1616 | www.teprov.org

Joyce and Russell Robinson

PURIM

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February 27, 2015 |

What is our fascination with villains? BY EDMON J. RODMAN LOS ANGELES (JTA) — Who is the Haman in your life? The person who, like the bad guy in the Megillah Esther that we read on Purim, schemes to bring you down. When we get to the place in the Megillah where Haman is forced to lead Mordechai through the streets of Shushan while saying, “This is what is done for the man whom the king desires to honor,” might we insert ourselves — like a video game — into an updated version of the story? Imagining that a seriously negative person in our life is pushing our car down the street while we sit behind the wheel and wave? Not that your neighbor is Lord Voldemort or Dr. Moriarty, but what about that boss who is omitting your name from the organization chart? The relative who always leaves you off the guest list? That student spray-painting swastikas on your son’s fraternity house? Or just the forever interrupting “Rachel” from cardholder services? If we could only rid ourselves of them, then “Oh, today would merry, merry be.” Or would it?

In the Purim story, we have sweet Esther, wise Mordechai and foolish Ahasueras — a pretty light cast of characters until the heavy, Haman, adds the contrast of evil and stirs the action. Beginning with childhood, we intuitively understand how boring fairy tales would be without the witch, and in Oz, Dorothy would have no one to resist surrendering to. On Purim, Haman is the name we are supposed to blot out, yet clearly his name remains written in our minds. Could it be that in our own life stories, we need someone to mix it up with in order to progress? Does that explain our fascination, even attraction, to villains? Pirkei Avot, “Ethics of the Fathers,” tells us that the “crown of a good name is superior to all.” So why do we seem so at ease with those who wear a black hat — and I don’t mean the haredim. We hate what Gordon Gecko of “Wall Street” stands for, but why do we know what he had to say about greed? Is it that we like to see the bad guy get his comeuppance, or do we just like seeing him coming up? Either way, the series finale of “Breaking Bad,” featuring the

high school chemistry teacher turned methamphetamine dealing anti-hero Walter White, was watched by over 10 million viewers. In sports, when our team’s archrival comes to town, we get tickets to watch our heroes trounce the villains. But as we boo when their stars come to the plate or make a late hit or a flagrant foul, we hate them while at the same time we understand that without those bums, the fun would fade. In some of our favorite computer games, like “Grand Theft Auto,” we can even act out the ways of the villain. Watching my adult sons play one day, I was surprised to see how readily they took on the role of the evil protagonist. Trying it myself, driving my stolen car down the streets of Santa Monica, I soon became a regular Haman on Wheels, threatening the extinction of an entire population of pedestrians. Was that me grinning as I “accidentally” backed up over a man on the sidewalk? In Jewish texts, beginning with the snake in the Garden of Eden, we are tempted by the promises of the villain. At Passover, as we take a drop of wine for each plague, the heart-hard-

Celebrate Purim

Wednesday Night, March 4 2015 • 6:00 p.m. Chabad House • 360 Hope Street • Providence

Wednesday night, March 4, 6:00 p.m.

Megillah

to stir your soul… Music & Dancing to stir your heart…

Drinks & Hamentashen

to stir your kishkes!

Yankel & thePurim Shpielers

MAGILLAH READING & HAMENTASHEN Thursday, March 5 – 8:30 a.m. Chabad House – 360 Hope St., Providence

or Alliance Board Room at 12:00 p.m. 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence

Thursday, March 5, 2015 – Purim is the time to…

LISTEN to the reading of the SEND a gift of at least two kinds of GIVE charity to two or more people. Megilla (Book of Esther) this year prepared food (pastry, fruit, beverage, If you cannot find poor people, place Wednesday eve, March. 4, 2015 etc.) to at least one friend. (Each item at least two coins in a charity box. In and again on Thursday, March of food should be at least one ounce the Megillah this is called “Matonos EAT the festive Purim meal and 5 2015, thereby recounting and or more. 3-1/2 oz. for liquids. L’Evyonim”. rejoice in the Purim spirit. reliving in our own day, the great miracle of Purim. The above Mitzvos should be done on the day of Purim

More Purim information FAST OF ESTHER We fast on Wednesday, March 4 this year, This commemorates the day of prayer when Jews fasted before victorious battle. It is customary before the Mincha prayers on this day to give 3 half-dollars to charity. This commemorates the yearly contribution by all Jews to the Temple in the Hebrew month of Adar.

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

www.virtualpurim.com for everything about Purim Fun and Educational

INVOLVE THE CHILDREN As in all Mitzvot, encourage young children to fulfill the Purim Mitzvot. Boys and girls past Bar/Bat Mitzvah are obligated, as are adults to do all Purim Mitzvot. The Purim Mitzvos (Precepts) demonstrate the unity and togetherness of the Jewish people. The more charity and Purim presents one gives the better. There is no greater joy than to gladden the heart of the poor, the orphans and the widows.

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

ened Pharaoh fills our seder tables though afterward we ease the tension by singing about “frogs in his bed.” In synagogue, the words of the sorcerer Bil’am, whom the rabbis called “harasha,” “the wicked,” even begins our prayers with the words “Mah tovu,” “How goodly.” At Hanukkah, without the severe decrees of King Antiochus, we would not only be minus a dilemma in December but a holiday, too. The biblical anti-hero calls to us as well. In discussions about the Torah portion Korach, which is named for the man who rebels against the authority of Moses, I sometimes find it easy to take his side. Wasn’t he just a misunderstood nonconformist? And though I first heard the story of the Golem as a child, I am still confused: Was the Rabbi Judah Loew of Prague’s monster of mud hero or villain? Or a little of both?

The truth is that in villains, we see a little of ourselves. An idea in Jewish thought is that we are all born with both an evil inclination, “Yetzer hara,” and a good one, “Yetzer hatov.” Does this internal duality connect us to Haman? Perhaps so for the part of our psyches that conjures up ways to wipe out opposition before we consider how wrong it is. In terms of reconciling the villain inside, thankfully most of us don’t have Darth Vader as a dad. But we do imagine, and even know, what we look like in black. And on Purim, if you put a light saber in our hands, even if it is a toy, we know that somehow the force wouldn’t be any fun without the bad. EDMON J. RODMAN is a JTA columnist who writes on Jewish life from Los Angeles. Contact him at edmojace@gmail. com.

Candle Lighting Times

Greater Rhode Island Feb. 27.......................5:13 March 6 ........................... 5:21 March 13 ........................ 6:29 March 20...................6:37 Daylight saving time resumes Sun. March 8.

8 | February 27, 2015

OPINION

Thoughts of spring and flowers as temps dip below zero Several of my recent columns have involved the weather. It’s been a tough w i nt e r. A n d the relentless snow and cold and its accompanying ice aren’t letting up yet, so bear with me. The flower show last EDITOR weekend was a little breath of spring. When I FRAN heard that the OSTENDORF annual Rhode Island Spring Flower & Garden Show was scheduled for the weekend of Feb. 20, I couldn’t wait. In my mind, I could smell the flowers in the Convention Center. They ran an ad in The Voice. It positively screamed spring with its yellows and greens and a few flowers scattered around. I know it seems awfully early to think about flowers, especially with all this snow covering our lawns and gardens, but now’s the time to start planning. Those attending the flower show were certainly in the mood. Cellphone cameras were out; people were taking notes and discussing the displays. And it looked as if the lectures and demonstrations were well attended. I have to admit, I’m a wannabe gardener. I really want to plan carefully and tend to my garden, and I have the best of intentions. But my followthrough just isn’t there. I start out with enthusiasm in the spring, picking flowers and vegetables to add to the existing perennials. Getting everything in the ground is a struggle that involves the whole family. If the weeds take hold, it’s all over. Out of control. I must say I do like fresh-picked veggies. But a garden does not grow on the best of intentions.

My husband really got the bug last summer, planting lots of perennial wildflowers in the back of our yard last summer. But I just couldn’t keep up with the beds under my watch. Now I could blame it on lack of time due to this job. But the follow-through issues were there long before I signed on as editor of The Voice. And The Voice takes a break in July. So I have no excuses. I’m going to try again this year. I’ll give you an update after the July break as to whether or not I conquered the garden (or it conquered me). If you haven’t started thinking about the garden, our next issue should get you going. It’s our annual spring home and garden issue. And, it’s really not too early to start planning. I’m hoping that our articles and advertisers will get you dreaming about a better, more beautiful or productive yard or garden. Before you know it spring will be here. As of this issue, just 21 days till spring. (Hard to believe, isn’t it?) And not too long after that, it’ll be time for Pesach. Does your family have a particular Pesach tradition that you treasure? Perhaps it’s a Seder routine that brings family near and far to your house year after year. Perhaps it’s something that you remember from your childhood that brings a smile to your face just thinking about it. We’d like to hear about your traditions. What makes Pesach particularly special in your family? Please send me an email at fostendor f@jew i sh a l l i a nc eri.org. Or, put it on paper and mail it to me at The Jewish Voice, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence, RI 02906. Don’t wait! Our Pesach paper follows the home and garden issue. Think spring!

U.S. Jewish college students encounter anti-Semitism JTA – More than half of today’s American Jewish college students have witnessed or experienced an anti-Semitic incident, according to a new study. Some 54 percent of the participants in the survey released Feb. 23 by the Louis D. Brandeis Center and Trinity College said they had experienced or witnessed anti-Semitism within the past academic year. The survey was conducted in the spring of 2014. The online survey of 1,157 students, conducted by Trinity College professor Barry Kosmin and associate professor Ariela Keysar, found that the percentages of students reporting encounters with anti-Semitism were relatively consistent across gender, religious outlook

and region. Students who affiliate with the Conservative and Reform movements were more likely to report such experiences than Orthodox students, with 69 percent of Conservative students, 62 percent of Reform students and 52 percent of Orthodox students responding that they had reported anti-Semitic encounters. Those who said they were always open about their Jewishness on campus were about as likely to have encountered antiSemitism as those who said they were never open about their Jewishness, at 58 percent and 59 percent, respectively. The data came from the 2014 National Demographic Survey of American Jewish College Students.

The Jewish Voice

Remembering Stanley M. Aronson, M.D. For many years, an essential part of my Monday morning ritual had been reading Dr. Stanley M. Aronson’s wise and erudite words on the op-ed page of The Providence Journal. In his well over 1,000 weekly columns, his topics ranged IT SEEMS far and wide from mediTO ME cine to biography to reRABBI JIM ligion to the wonders and ROSENBERG peculiarities of our English language. Aronson was interested in everything! For example, this past Jan. 26, just two days before his death at the age of 92, his readers were treated to an exploration of our sense of smell, “Where are the aromas of yesterday?” – spiced with appropriate allusions to Samuel Coleridge (1772-1834) and Henry David Thoreau (18171862). Readers of The Jewish Voice have had the pleasure and the privilege of reading Aronson’s columns for the past 18 years. I have taken particular delight in the way he has frequently managed to draw both directly and indirectly from his childhood experiences of growing up Jewish in Brooklyn. Aronson does not mention Brooklyn in his Dec. 5, 2014, column, “Creativity in the Elderly.” Yet the love of learning, the passion for educational achievement so characteristic of the immigrant Jewish families who once crowded that borough, is almost palpable: “There are, in truth, few enterprises as remorselessly demanding as learning. Learning is not a form of accumulation like a savings account. Learning begins with the commitment to the task,

hastened by a hunger to learn bonim as well as to the larger and an unyielding skepticism interfaith community in Barthat demands the courage to rington. Though the event discard cherished, old beliefs took place about 30 years ago, when confronted with compel- I still remember his address ling data. Learning demands to an interfaith gathering at a constant reinterpretation of the Barrington Congregational Church on the subject what we think we know.” Aronson was as much a man of aging. Standing tall and of deeds as a man of words. In trim, Stan revealed his mildan editorial in the Feb. 1 is- ly subversive sense of humor sue of The Providence Sun- as he began his talk with his day Journal eulogizing Ar- deep and sonorous voice: “We onson as “[a] very dear friend elderly are considered nonof these pages,” the writer productive, nonreproductive, praises him as “a national and nonseductive...” I saw Stan for the last leader in medicine: the founding dean of the Warren Alpert time about two weeks beMedical School of Brown Uni- fore Thanksgiving. When I versity, a teacher phoned him to see who understood if he was up for a that humility as visit, he told me to well as excellence come on over but is important in to be prepared for medical praca bunch of wires tice, a champion and tubes; he was of hospice care, on oxygen about 20 an accomplished hours a day. During the course of neuropathologist our lively converwith 400 scientific papers to his sation, I told him credit and an auhow much I enthor of 12 books.” joyed his columns Speaking peron language. Ever sonally, I have the optimist, he known Stan for assured me that close to 40 years. Dr. Stanley M. Aronson there were many Though it would more such colbe presumptuous for me to umns to come. When I spoke to Stan’s widsay that we were close friends, over the decades we developed ow Gale the day after his fua relationship of mutual sup- neral, she emphasized that port and respect – especially Stan was “such a life force.” I with regard to our devotion would suggest that Stan conto the art and the craft of the tinues to be a life force and that with the passage of time written word. In the beginning, I knew his presence will be more proStan primarily in his role as foundly felt than his absence. an eminent physician, who It is no accident that one of his spoke elegantly and eloquent- last columns to appear in The ly on such interrelated topics Providence Journal carries as cancer and aging and hos- the title of a well-known poem pice care. For many years, we by the Welsh poet, Dylan served together on the board Thomas (1914-1953): “And of the Interfaith Health Care Death Shall Have No DominMinistries, a Providence- ion.” based Clinical Pastoral Educational (CPE) Center that JAMES B. ROSENBERG is rabbi emeritus of Temple HaStan helped to establish. On several occasions I in- bonim in Barrington. Contact vited Stan to speak to my him at rabbiemeritus@temcongregants at Temple Ha- plehabonim.org.

R.I. Senate passes resolution on passing of Dr. Aronson On Feb. 24, the Rhode Island Senate passed a resolution expressing sympathy on the passing of Dr. Stanley M. Aronson. It was introduced by Senators Gayle Goldin, M.

Teresa Paiva Weed, Donna M. Nesselbush, Paul W. Fogarty and Josh Miller. Calling Aronson “a brilliant, yet humble man” the resolution outlined the back-

ground and life accomplishments of the distinguished founding dean of the Brown University School of Medicine and Jewish Voice columnist.

COLUMNS | LETTERS POLICY The Jewish Voice publishes thoughtful and informative contributors’ columns (op-eds of 500 – 800 words) and letters to the editor (250 words, maximum) on issues of interest to our Jewish community. At our discretion, we may edit pieces for

publication or refuse publication. Letters and columns, whether from our regular contributors or from guest columnists, represent the views of the authors; they do not represent the views of The Jewish Voice or the Alliance.

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

OPINION

thejewishvoice.org

February 27, 2015 |

The cold hard facts surrounding February BY MARTY COOPER mcooper@jewishallianceri.org February made me shiver. Yes it was a cold month. But worse, it was a month of unneeded and unwarranted tragedies. While the world was calling actions in Europe anti-Semitic, a small out-of-the-way school in West Warwick was vandalized only because it serves the Islamic community in our state. And, the terror organization known as ISIS, brutally killed a number of people in Libya and Jordan. So much hate and heartless cruelty to fellow human beings. The Copenhagen terrorist attacks were reminiscent of what had happened in Paris in January. The Jewish community worldwide is concerned that Europe may return to the days of Nazism, leaving six million Jews dead as fears of anti-Sem-

itism spread on the continent. As such, Jews in Europe are considering packing their bags and moving to where they can live in peace. While anti-Semitism today is a major problem in Europe, it is also a problem in our country as well, including in Rhode Island. Schools and synagogues are defaced as are bus stops and commercial buildings. Most of us have been the victims of slurs that were anti-Semitic in nature. Some of us may very well have been bullied because of our Jewish faith. Our brothers and sisters in Europe are not unique. But Jews are not the only people being bullied and attacked in our state and country. Just over a week ago, the Islamic School of Rhode Island was the victim of hate. Disgusting words and slogans were painted on the building. The media

described the incident as “heinous.” They further reported that the FBI was investigating this possible “hate crime.” Upon hearing of this incident, leaders of the Jewish, Christian and Muslim leaders gathered at the school to condemn this Islamophobic act. Rabbi Sarah Mack, president of the Board of Rabbis of Greater Rhode Island, eloquently denounced the desecration of the school. Rev. Dr. Donald Anderson, executive minister of the Rhode Island State Council of Churches, expressed his outrage and along with Imam Farid Ansari and Mufti Ikram, leaders of the Muslim community, said that the defacement of the school brought our communities closer together. Jews living in the diaspora, in Europe and the U.S., know we are welcome in Israel. Sensing their fear, Israel’s prime min-

ister reminded the Jews of Europe that they are welcome to move to Israel where they can indeed live in peace. It was a gracious offer. We know Israel is a safe haven. And, we know it is always an option, especially when anti-Semitism erupts in our cities and countries. But, should we simply give up, and leave behind our lives, friends and history without first trying to rectify the situation? I do not think so. Nobody should have to run away. Anti-Semitism, Islamophobia and the hatred of other minorities is a civil rights issue. As such Jews, Muslims and other oppressed and marginalized people worldwide should react by voicing their concerns. Our voices must be heard. We need to tell our governments and community leaders to protect everyone from injustice. We all

have a responsibility to express our outrage to all governments and their leaders worldwide. We should contact the embassies of countries where anti-Semitism and other hate and prejudice are a growing concern. There should also be a call for worldwide action against this form of prejudice and hate. Of course this would take time and commitment. However advocacy against hatred and bullying will more than likely have positive results. All in all, February was a monstrous month for hate, bullying and prejudice. Sad. Sad indeed. We now have the opportunity and responsibility to let the world know this is unacceptable. MARTY COOPER is the Community Relations director for the Jewish Alliance.

Netanyahu ‘regrets’ partisan perception of speech; Rice calls address ‘destructive’ BY RON KAMPEAS WASHINGTON (JTA) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told top Senate Democrats he regretted that his planned address to the U.S. Congress is being perceived as partisan, as President Barack Obama’s top security adviser said the speech was “destructive.” Netanyahu wrote Feb. 24 to decline an invitation from Sens. Dick Durbin (DIll.), the second-ranked Democrat in the chamber, and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) the top-ranked Democrat on the Intelligence Committee, to meet privately with the chamber’s Democratic caucus in part to clear away bad feelings about his March 3 speech. “Though I greatly appreciate your kind invitation to meet with Democratic Senators, I believe that doing so at this time could compound the misperception of partisanship regarding my upcoming visit,” Netanyahu wrote in the letter. The Israeli leader had organized the speech with Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio), the House speaker, who did not consult with the White House or Democrats in issuing the invitation, which was made in the name of both parties. Obama administration officials are furious with

the invitation and Netanyahu’s acceptance of it, in part because the speech comes just two weeks before the Israeli elections. The speech is “destructive of the fabric of the relationship,” Susan Rice, the national security adviser, told television journalist Charlie Rose Feb. 24. “What has happened over the last several weeks, by virtue of the invitation that was issued by the speaker and the acceptance of it by Prime Minister Netanyahu on two weeks in advance of his election, is that on both sides, there has now been injected a degree of partisanship,” Rice said. Feinstein and Durbin in their letter had said they wanted to clear away the partisan taint of the speech affair. “I can assure you that my sole intention in accepting it was to voice Israel’s grave concerns about a potential agreement with Iran that could threaten the survival of my country,” Netanyahu said in his letter. Netanyahu, like many Republicans, rejects Obama’s depiction of nuclear talks under way between Iran and the major powers as constructive, and believes the talks are likely to result in a bad deal. Meanwhile, the Anti-Defamation

League urged lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to attend the speech while adding that Netanyahu’s acceptance of the invitation to speak was “ill-advised.” “While the original decision by Prime Minister Netanyahu to accept the invitation to address Congress without consulting the Democratic leadership was, in our view, ill-advised, now that it is happening, the speech deserves support from both sides of the aisle,” Abraham Foxman, the ADL’s national director, said in a statement. “The debate about the invitation should not obscure the profound issues at stake for both the U.S. and Israel, which have a common interest in insuring that Iran, the leading state sponsor of terrorism and a nation committed to Israel’s destruction, should not have the capability of building a nuclear weapon.” The ADL was the most prominent of Jewish groups to speak out against Netanyhu accepting the invitation to the speech. Some 30 Democrats have said they will not attend. The American Israel Public Affairs Committee, which during its conference March 1-3 will also feature a Netanyahu speech, is encouraging lawmakers to at-

tend the speech, as well. Criticism of the speech by Democrats intensified ahead of the date. On Feb. 24, Sen. Tom Udall (D-N.M.), addressing John Kerry during the secretary of state’s testimony on the State Department budget, said Netanyahu “has created a very divisive situation.” “I don’t know of any other time that the administration has been ignored,” Udall said. Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.), meanwhile, became the fourth Jewish lawmaker to say he would not attend the speech. His statement, blaming Netanyahu and Boehner equally for the tensions, was notable in that Democrats until now tended to place more of the blame on Boehner. “I believe, as do many conscientious members of Congress, that the speech is political theater by Prime Minister Netanyahu, the head of the Likud Party, just two weeks before the elections in Israel,” Cohen said. The Tennessee lawmaker urged Boehner to make it a condition of the speech that Netanyahu not use video of the address in political ads.

Excerpts from an open letter to the Rhode Island congressional delegation Dear Sens. Reed and Whitehouse, and Reps. Cicilline and Langevin: We are writing to you as members of a new organization of R.I. judges and lawyers – a group called “Judges and Lawyers for Israel.” This group, comprised of members of the Rhode Island Judiciary and Rhode Island Bar, recently formed due to shared concerns about the deteriorating relationship between the administration and the government of the State of Israel; the unfair double standard applied by many people to Israel, the only true democracy in the Middle East; and the rise of anti-Zionist and anti-Semitic speech and violence throughout the world,

including in our own community. We urge each of you to attend the upcoming speech of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on March 3 at the joint session of Congress, and to reject the unfortunate calls by some to boycott that address. We very much appreciate and recognize that each of you has, throughout your respective political careers, been stalwart friends and supporters of the State of Israel. We thank you sincerely for that support. It is because of your past support that we are confident that you will attend this important address by the leader of our longstanding ally. Our concerns, however, go

beyond the issues of protocol. The reports that the U.S. and Iran are close to a nuclear deal that would allow Iran to maintain a substantial portion of its uranium enrichment capabilities is unacceptable. The notion that the U.S. would enter into an agreement with Iran based upon a perceived ability to monitor and verify compliance ignores recent experience both with Iran and other nuclear powers. Historically, the U.S. intelligence agencies have been wholly unsuccessful at discovering nuclear breakout activities by proliferating countries in advance of their testing. The Soviets surprised us in 1949, as did the Chinese in 1962. We failed to discover

North Korea’s development of nuclear weapons, and were surprised at Pakistan’s unlawful proliferation. As for Iran, the Shiite clerics running that country have continually evaded IAEA monitoring activities and our intelligence agencies have repeatedly been surprised at Iran’s level of surreptitious nuclear activities. In light of this past experience, it would be irresponsible to wager our safety and that of Israel on monitoring capabilities that do not exist. It is clear that Iran’s nuclear intentions not only pose an existential threat to the State of Israel but to America and the West as well. Iran is not designing and building inter-

continental ballistic missiles (which, incidentally, are not even being addressed in the P5+1 talks) in order to destroy Israel. Those ICBM’s are being built to deter or, alternatively, to attack the United States. It is also clear that a weak nuclear deal will lead the Sunni States to either develop or acquire their own nuclear capability. On behalf of the committee: Jeffrey H. Gladstone, Esq. Steven E. Snow, Esq. Hon. Howard I. Lipsey Hon. Edward H. Newman

10 | February 27, 2015

Ongoing Alliance Kosher Senior Café. Kosher lunch and program every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Dwares JCC, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence. Noon lunch; 1 p.m. program. $3 lunch donation from individuals 60+ or under 60 with disabilities. Neal or Elaine, 401421-4111, ext. 107. Am David Kosher Senior Café. Kosher lunch and program every weekday. Temple Am David, 40 Gardiner St., Warwick. 11:15 a.m. program; Noon lunch. $3 lunch donation from individuals 60+ or under 60 with disabilities. Elaine or Steve 401-732-0047.

Through | March 5 21 Plein Air Artists. Temple Habonim Gallery. Thirty-six works by 21 artists, part of the summer Lifelong Learning Collaborative class. The show includes works from 2014 in oils, acrylics, pastels, pencil and ink. Instructors were Bunny Fain, Roberta Segal and Mary Snowden. 165 New Meadow Road, Barrington. Hours are Wednesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Fridays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and by appointment. For information, call 401-2456536, or email gallery@templehabonim. org.

Friday | Feb. 27 PJ Library Purim Storytime. 10-11 a.m. Dwares JCC. Enjoy a PJ Library story, songs, movement, crafts and a holidaythemed snack. All children ages 5 and under are welcome. RSVP or more information, contact Michelle Cicchitelli at 401-421-4111, ext. 178 or mcicchitelli@jewishallianceri.org.

Saturday| Feb. 28 Ace Aceto’s Royal Flush Comedy Show. 7:30 p.m. Presented by the Brotherhood of Temple Beth-El. Cost is $18 per person. Seating is limited. 70 Orchard Ave. Providence RSVP to Temple BethEl, 401-331-6070.

Sunday | March 1 Jewish Meditation. 9:30 a.m. Judaism has a long tradition of meditation and contemplation. Course is geared for beginners looking to try something new. Sessions are 30 minutes and will consist of education, discussion and 10-15 minutes of sitting as we build our practice together. Beth Sholom downstairs chapel. 275 Camp St., Providence. 401-621-9393. Purim Carnival. 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Fundraiser to benefit CRAFTY (Temple Sinai’s youth group). Prizes, games and food. Come dressed in a costume – there will be a prize for the best dressed. There will also be a tzedakah component – bring a jar of plain, creamy peanut butter and receive a free prize ticket (one per family). Tickets for games and food will be sold outside of the social hall during the carnival. RSVP to Adam

CALENDAR Cohen, CRAFTY adviser at crafty@templesinairi.org, or to Dottie in the temple office at 401-942-8350. Temple Sinai, 30 Hagen Ave., Cranston. Temple Habonim Purim Canival. 11 a.m. to noon. Games, prizes, activities and hamantashen. Fundraiser for Tzedakah. There will be raffle baskets – costumes are encouraged. 165 New Meadow Road, Barrington. Temple Torat Yisrael Purim Carnival. Noon to 2 p.m. Games, prizes, arts & crafts, face painting, food, hamantaschen. Raffles and fun. Admission $5 (Includes all games and activities). Food $5 (Includes hot dog, chips, drink and hamantaschen). 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich. 401-885-6600, toratyisrael.org.

Tuesday | March 3 TNT! (Tuesday Night Talmud). 8-9 p.m. Open to men, women and teens of all levels and backgrounds. This is a collaborative group study of the first chapter of Masechet Berachot, tractate dealing with blessings. Meets weekly in the rabbi’s study at Congregation Beth Sholom, 275 Camp St., Providence. For information, 401-621-9393.

Tuesday | March 4 Cranston Senior Guild meeting. 1 p.m., Tamarisk Assisted Living, 3 Shalom Drive, Warwick. Followed by bingo, refreshments and raffle. All men and women ages 55 years + welcome to join. You do not have to live in Cranston. Temple Habonim Purim Dinner & Schpiel. 6 p.m. Mac & cheese dinner followed at 6:30 by “Frozen – A Really Cool Adaptation of the Book of Esther.”Dinner is $3 per person. Reservations can be made at templehabonim.org. Temple Torat Yisrael’s Megillah Reading. 6 p.m. A light supper will be served. RSVP to the Torat Yisrael office at 401-885-6600 by Monday, March 2. 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich. 401-885-6600, toratyisrael.org. K’TanTan Purim Carnival. Celebrate Purim with children ages birth to 5. Gather for fun and games and a community dinner. 70 Orchard Ave, Providence., 401-331-6070, info@ temple-beth-el.org. Temple Beth-El Purim celebration. Costume parade begins at 6:30 p.m. followed by the Megillah reading at 6:45. After Megillah reading is the Purim Spiel, “The Wizard of Ahsh.” The Purim celebration is funded by the Temple Beth-El Benefactors. 70 Orchard Ave., Providence. 401-331-6070, info@ temple-beth-el.org.

Thursday | March 5

West Bay Jewish Community Megillah Reading and Purim Feast. Megillah reading with an interactive presentation. 4:45 p.m. Full Buffet Dinner. 5:15 p.m.

Calendar Submissions MARCH. 13 issue, SPRING HOME & GARDEN – must be received by MARCH 4. MARCH. 27 issue, PASSOVER – must be received by MARCH 18.

SEND ALL CALENDAR ITEMS TO: editor@jewishallianceri.org with the subject line “CALENDAR.” Calendar entries may be edited for content, length and relevance. Please submit two weeks prior to issue of publication.

The Jewish Voice Congregation Am David, 40 Gardiner St., Warwick. Join the community for the annual Purim Feast as we celebrate the joyous holiday with a full catered kosher buffet dinner, music & dancing, fantastic entertainment and lots of fun. The Animated Yo Yo Show. Music and dancing. Prizes and more. Adult $20 | Child $10. RSVP 401-884-7888 or rabbi@rabbiwarwick.com

Friday | March 6 Temple Torat Yisrael Services. 7 p.m. Celebratory Oneg immediately following the service. Join us for dinner at 6 p.m. before the service by reservation only. Charge for dinner: Adult $20, Child $10, Family Maximum $60. RSVP to the Torat Yisrael office at 401-885-6600. 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich. toratyisrael.org.

Sunday | March 8 Jewish Meditation. 9:30 a.m. Judaism has a long tradition of meditation and contemplation. Course is geared for beginners looking to try something new. Sessions are 30 minutes and will consist of education, discussion and 10-15 minutes of sitting as we build our practice together. Beth Sholom downstairs chapel. 275 Camp St., Providence. 401-621-9393 Chavurah Afternoon Under the Dome. 2-3:15 p.m. The little known URI Planetarium on the Kingston campus is the second smallest free-standing planetarium in the world! Seating 21 people, with a comfortable carpet for the younger set, it is both quaint and modern. Noted Rhode Island astronomer Francine Jackson will offer a private showing of a dynamic, visually stunning program, along with a tour of the nighttime sky over Rhode Island. Admission is $5. Meet at the planetarium at 1:45 p.m. or at Congregation Am David at 12:45 p.m. for those wishing to carpool. Call Mark at 401-248-5010 to register, indicate meet-up preference, and for directions. “French Impressions.” 3 p.m. The Narragansett Bay Symphony Community Orchestra, formerly the Rhode Island Philharmonic Community. The program will include “Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun” by Claude Debussy featuring flutist, John Curran, “Noble and Sentimental Waltzes” by Maurice Ravel and “Symphony in D Minor” by Cesar Franck. Tickets are available at the door. Admission is $15 for adults and $5 for students and seniors. Help support the Rhode Island Food Bank by bringing a non-perishable food item to the concert. Dwares JCC, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence.

emoseley@jewishallianceri.org.

Wednesday | March 18 Mothers Circle. 7-9 p.m. Dwares JCC. Join the Mothers Circle to learn about Jewish rituals, holidays, ethics and how to create Jewish family life at home. This free course began in Jan. and runs through May 13. Participants do not have to be affiliated with a Jewish institution. For more information, contact Sara Foster at 401-421-4111, ext. 184 or sfoster@jewishallianceri.org. Jewish Culture through Film: “When Jews Were Funny.” 7 p.m. Dwares JCC. Insightful and often hilarious, the latest from documentary filmmaker Alan Zweig surveys the history of Jewish comedy, from the early days of Borsht Belt to the present, ultimately exploring not just ethnicity in the entertainment industry but also the entire unruly question of what it means to be Jewish. The film features interviews with and/or performance clips of a wide variety of Jewish comedy performers and writers, including Howie Mandel, Rodney Dangerfield, Alan King, Judy Gold, Jackie Mason and Henny Youngman. Admission $5 | Members $3. For more information or to RSVP, contact Erin Moseley at 401-421-4111 ext. 108 or emoseley@ jewishallianceri.org.

Sunday | March 22 Jewish Meditation. 9:30 a.m. Judaism has a long tradition of meditation and contemplation. Course is geared for beginners looking to try something new. Sessions are 30 minutes and will consist of education, discussion and 10-15 minutes of sitting as we build our practice together. Beth Sholom downstairs chapel. 275 Camp St., Providence. 401-621-9393 Youth Improvisational Workshop with Providence Improv Guild. Ages 5-9, 1-2 p.m. Ages 10-13, 2-3 p.m. Ages 14-18, 3-4 p.m. Dwares JCC. Price per workshop: $10 | Members: $8. Participants will show what they have learned in the last 15 minutes of each workshop. For more information or to register, contact Seth Finkle at 401-421-4111, ext. 146 or sfinkle@ jewishallianceri.org.

Wednesday | March 25 Drop-in Crafting. 4-5 p.m. Parenting Center | Dwares JCC. Drop in at

your leisure to create a special craft. Member price of $1 per child and nonmember price of $3 per child to help cover the cost of materials. RSVP to Michelle Cicchitelli at 401-421-4111, ext. 178 or mcicchitelli@jewishallianceri.org to ensure enough supplies. Mothers Circle. 7-9 p.m. Dwares JCC. Join the Mothers Circle to learn about Jewish rituals, holidays, ethics and how to create Jewish family life at home. This free course began in Jan. and runs through May 13. Participants do not have to be affiliated with a Jewish institution. For more information, contact Sara Foster at 401-421-4111, ext. 184 or sfoster@jewishallianceri.org. Temple Torat Yisrael Sisterhood Yoga Program. 6:30 to 8 p.m. Free introductory yoga class at Torat Yisrael. Class is open to men and women. Led by Instructor Jeannine Margolis. Bring a mat if you have one and wear comfortable clothing. 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich. 401-885-6600, toratyisrael.org.

Thursday | March 26 Some Thoughts about Poland. A conversation with artist Alan Metnick. 7-8 p.m. gallery (401) | Dwares JCC. Ten days, one thousand miles, a camera and one hundred rolls of film. For more information, contact Erin Moseley, director of Arts & Culture, at 401-421-4111, ext. 108 or emoseley@jewishallianceri.org.

Friday | March 27 PJ Library Passover Storytime. 10-11 a.m. Dwares JCC. Enjoy a PJ Library story, songs, movement, crafts and a holiday-themed snack. All children ages 5 and under are welcome. To RSVP or for more information, contact Michelle Cicchitelli at 401-421-4111, ext. 178 or mcicchitelli@jewishallianceri.org.

Sunday | March 29

Early Childhood Center Heroes Dinner. 6 p.m. Dwares JCC. Join us as we honor our David C. Isenberg Family Early Childhood Center Heroes, David. C. Isenberg for his philanthropy and Judy Nagle for her 25 years of dedication. Dinner, dancing and auction. Sponsored by the David C. Isenberg Family Early Childhood Center Parent Committee. Admission $54. For more information, contact Nicole Katzman at 401-421-4111, ext. 180 or nkatzman@jewishallianceri.org.

Thursday | March 12

Gallery Opening Reception: “Silence and Stones/Captured by Memory: Photographs and Thoughts from Poland” by Alan Metnick. 7-9 p.m. gallery (401) | Dwares JCC. Exhibit dates: March 12 – April 16. What began as a simple one-time visit to Auschwitz evolved into a complex and nuanced relationship with a haunting locale. For 45 years, Alan Metnick has expressed many of his thoughts and feelings through images including drawings, stained glass, quilts and photography. Some of the images in this exhibit are drawn from an upcoming book of photographs and texts to be published later this year. Wine and light snacks will be served. For more information, contact Erin Moseley, director of Arts & Culture, at 401-421-4111, ext. 108 or

FILE PHOTO

Children had fun at a JCDSRI Puri celebration in 2012.

COMMUNITY

thejewishvoice.org

February 27, 2015 |

Chief rabbi of Poland speaks in New Bedford BY FRAN OSTENDORF fostendorf@jewishallianceri.org

PHOTO | RI HADASSAH

Gathered at the installation are (left to right): Lorraine Rappaport, Ronnie Sirotta, Judy Schoenfeld, Jane Kondon, Sue Mayes, Judy Silverman, Linda Flescher, Leah Ross-Coke

R.I. Hadassah installs new officers On Dec. 9, 2014, the Rhode Island chapter of Hadassah installed a new group of officers. The program began with a look back at the many contributions the organization has made in areas such as health information, hospital programming, education and youth programming through youth aliyah. New officers for 2015 are:

President – Sue Mayes; Treasurer – Judith Schoenfeld; Recording Secretary – Jane Kondon; Corresponding Secretary – Linda Flescher; VP-Fund Raising –Judy Silverman; VPMembership – Ronnie Sirotta; VP-Programs/ Education – Leah Ross-Coke. Hadassah, the Women’s Zionist Organization of America, is

a volunteer organization started by Henrietta Szold in 1912. Through its support of medical care and research at the Hadassah Medical Organization in Jerusalem, it enhances the health of people worldwide. For more information, contact Hadassah at 401-463-3636 or at rhodeislandchapter@hadassah.org

ECC set to honor heroes

BY JEWISH VOICE STAFF

Everybody has a hero. And the David C. Isenberg Family Early Childhood Center is no different. These ECC heroes share a vision for excellence in early childhood education. Plans are underway to honor two heroes, David C. Isenberg and Judy Ellen Nagle, on March 29. The evening will include dinner, dancing to live music and an auction. Isenberg is being recognized for his commitment, dedication and philanthropy. Nagle

is being honored for 25 years of teaching. The goal of the evening is to raise $18,000 to dedicate Nagle’s preschool classroom in her honor. The evening is hosted by the parent committee, chaired by Randi Simon and Montana Green. An event committee of current and former ECC parents is assisting: Emma and Jeffrey Sperling, Lauri and Michael Friedman, Amanda and Jeremy Isenberg, Rebecca and Joshua Taub, Cynthia Holzer Sparr and Glenn Sparr, Marisa Garber

and Daniel Gamm, Bethany and Richard Sutton, Victoria and Matthew Brier, and Susan and Marc Gertsacov. Nagle’s former students and parents of former students are welcome to attend the event and encouraged to leave messages on a Facebook page – ECC Heroes Event (facebook.com/ groups/833907063335634)– set up for this purpose. Contact Nicole Katzman, director of early childhood education, at 401-421-4111, ext. 180, for more information.

Temple Sinai fourth graders participate in Project Linus On Feb. 1, the fourth grade class at Temple Sinai participated in Project Linus. The project was organized through a joint effort of the congregation’s Sisterhood and the Social Action Committee. Project Linus is a national organization with local chapters in all 50 states. Volunteers make blankets that are collected locally and then distributed to children in hospitals, shelters, social service agencies or anywhere that a child might be in need of a big hug. The Temple Sinai children worked on precut fleece fabric and completed the knotting procedure for the fringes on each of five blankets. Also, the children wrote notes to the unknown children who would receive their blankets. The fourth graders had a rewarding and fun time completing the blankets and, at the same time, learned the importance of giving to those less fortunate.

Grade 4 students fringe blankets.

Shabbat across America will take on a global perspective in New Bedford when Rabbi Michael Schudrich, chief rabbi of Poland, speaks at Tifereth Israel Congregation March 13 and 14. Chief rabbi of Poland since 2004, Schudrich served as rabbi of Warsaw and Lodz before that, beginning in 2000. During his time in Poland he has been a part of rebuilding Jewish life in that country which had a large, thriving community before the Holocaust. During Friday night and Saturday morning services, the rabbi will offer his insights on two relevant topics. On Friday he will present “21st Century Anusim: Poles Discovering Their True Jewish Identity.” Saturday’s topic is “Halachic Challenges Facing the Chief Rabbi of Poland.” Schudrich’s involvement in Eastern Europe dates back to his student years in the ’70s when he would lead Jewish groups to the area and meet with remnants of the Jewish

communities. From 1983-89, he served as rabbi of Japan’s Jewish community, where he was involved with the recognition of Consul Chiune Sugihara, who wrote travel visas that facilitated the escape of more than 6,000 Jewish refugees from Lithuania to Japanese territory in 1940. The rabbi, brother of the congregation’s cantor, Nathaniel Schudrich, was born in New York City and educated in Jewish Day Schools in the area. He has a bachelor’s degree from the State University of New York at Stony Brook and a master’s degree from Columbia University. He did his rabbinic studies at Yeshiva University. The community is invited to attend Shabbat services at 7:30 p.m., March 13 and 9:30 a.m. March 14. At 6 p.m. March 13, there is a dinner (Members, $9; Nonmembers, $18). RSVP required. Contact Tifereth Israel office at 508-997-3171. The congregation is at 145 Brownell Ave., New Bedford, Mass. FRAN OSTENDORF is editor of The Jewish Voice.

12 | February 27, 2015

FOOD

The Jewish Voice

Purim change of pace: a chocolate dough BY SHANNON SARNA NEW YORK (JTA) – Hamantaschen talk is always about the filling: prune, poppy, apricot and strawberry, just to name a few favorites. I love being creative with the fillings, but this year I wanted to change up things with a flavored dough rather than just a fun filling. And what better ingredient to include than chocolate. Once you have made your chocolate dough, you can still be creative with the fillings, although I recommend two combinations below: triple chocolate, which is filled with Nutella and drizzled with white chocolate, and chocolate mocha. You could also try filling the chocolate dough with raspberry jam, peanut butter or even halvah. The key to making and working with this dough successfully is making it several hours in advance – even a day or two – so that it is properly chilled. It will feel sticky, so add flour as you roll it out to make sure it holds its shape. Most hamantaschen bakers know that one of the keys to making a cookie that doesn’t fall apart during the baking is to pinch the three points very carefully. Another tip is to lay out all the folded and filled cookies on a baking sheet and then pop them into the freezer for five to 10 minutes before

2 tablespoons sugar 1 tablespoon brewed espresso or coffee Pinch of salt For the white chocolate drizzle: 1/2 cup white chocolate chips 2 teaspoons vegetable oil Nutella or milk chocolate chips Chocolate covered espresso beans (optional) Instant espresso powder (optional)

PHOTO | HILLARY SCHULMAN

Delicious hamantaschen for Purim

baking. Chilled cookie dough simply bakes better. If you enjoy the custom of handing out mishloach manot, or Purim baskets, in your community, these chocolate hamantaschen would go great with a coffee-themed package: include a small bag of high-quality coffee, a little bag of chocolate-covered espresso beans and the hamantaschen inside a big mug.

Chocolate Hamantaschen For the chocolate dough: 1/2 cup butter (or margarine)

3/4 cup granulated sugar 1 egg 1 tablespoon milk (or almond milk) 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1/8 cup cocoa powder (I prefer Hershey’s Special Dark) 1/4 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon For the mocha cream cheese filling: 4 ounces cream cheese at room temperature

To make the dough: Beat the butter and sugar together until smooth. Add egg, milk and vanilla until mixed thoroughly. Sift together the flour, baking powder, cocoa powder, cinnamon and salt in a separate bowl. Add dry mixture to wet mixture until incorporated. Note: If the dough is too soft, increase flour amount by 1/4 cup until firm. Chill dough for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours To make mocha creamcheese: Mix cream cheese, espresso, sugar and pinch of salt together in a small bowl. Allow to chill 1-3 hours. To make the white chocolate drizzle: Place white chocolate and vegetable oil in a small glass bowl. Heat in the microwave

at 30-second intervals until melted. Mix until completely smooth. Use right away. To make the cookies: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Dust your work surface with powdered sugar or flour to keep from sticking. Roll the dough to about 1/4-inch thick. Using a round cookie cutter, cut out and place onto cookie sheet. To keep the dough from sticking to your cutter, dip in powdered sugar or flour before each cut. Fill cookies with Nutella, milk chocolate chips or mocha cream cheese filling. Bake for 7-9 minutes. Allow cookies to cool completely. To assemble the mocha chocolate hamantaschen, top with crushed chocolate covered espresso beans or a dusting of instant espresso. To assemble triple chocolate hamantaschen, use a fork or a small plastic squeeze bottle to drizzle white chocolate sauce back and forth on cookies. Allow to dry completely on a cooling rack before serving or packaging. SHANNON SARNA is editor of The Nosher blog on MyJewishLearning.com.

Rice Krispie Treat Hamantaschen BY REBECCA PLINER (The Nosher via JTA) – As a former chef and pastry chef, I had many delicious sweet and savory treats in mind to turn into hamantaschen for this year. But I wanted to keep it simple enough to recreate in a home kitchen, yet something different to also get people excited about Purim and hamantaschen, of course. Rice Krispie Treats on a stick are always one of the most popular items I sell from my des-

sert company, and so it felt only natural to turn these into a Purim delight for the whole family to enjoy. The best part about this recipe is that there is no oozing of filling, no seams of the dough breaking, and NO BAKING. This recipe may be different than your average Rice Krispie Treat since there is no fluff involved. The authentic way to make Rice Krispie Treats uses real marshmallows melted with a little butter to insure a

crunchy, not too sweet, and absolutely delicious dessert. To use these in your mishloach manot, or Purim gift baskets, I recommend heading to the craft store to get some cute treat bags to store them. Include a packet of hot chocolate mix, and you have yourself an easy and delicious s’moresthemed basket.

Ingredients:

6 cups Rice Krispies 10 ounces mini marshmallows, DO NOT substitute fluff 3 tablespoons butter or margarine Lollipop sticks 15-ounce bar of semisweet chocolate Sprinkles, candy or other decorative items

Directions:

Grease a large bowl and the spatula you will be using. This will help avoid too much sticking. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the margarine with the marshmallows at 30-second intervals at full power. Stir after each interval. When melted, remove and pour into bowl with the Rice Krispies. Mix well until all are coated with marshmallow. Spread mixture into a greased sheet pan. Using your hands, spread mixture evenly onto pan, then press together so the Rice Krispie Treats are

compact. Allow to sit for several minutes at room temperature to cool. Form the Rice Krispie Treat mix into hamantaschen shapes. Place lollipop stick into center. Over a double boiler, melt 3/4 of a large bar (15 ounce) of semisweet chocolate. Reserve the last 1/4. Melt chocolate, stirring gently until all is melted. Take chocolate CAREFULLY off the double boiler. Be careful not to let any water drip into chocolate. If this happens, you need to start over. Chocolate “seizes” when water gets into it. If this happens, the tempering process does not work. Add in the remaining choco-

late. Let it sit in the hot chocolate for 30 seconds, then stir. Dip hamantaschen into chocolate, tap stick lightly to remove the excess chocolate. Place on parchment to let dry. After 2-3 dipped pops, start decorating before that chocolate sets in! Use your favorite sprinkles, chocolate chips, Oreos or candy to add your own flair. Yield: 2 dozen treats. The Nosher food blog offers a dazzling array of new and classic Jewish recipes and food news, from Europe to Yemen, from challah to shakshuka and beyond. Check it out at www. TheNosher.com.

HEALTH TIP

Dark chocolate is good – in moderation

While chocolate is not usually considered a healthy snack, eating dark chocolate in moderation can be good for us. Dark chocolate contains a variety of antioxidants that prevent damage in your body caused by harmful waste products. Furthermore, these antioxidants may reduce your risk of developing chronic diseases such as heart disease and cancer. When choosing a dark chocolate, look for a cocoa con-

tent of 80 percent or higher; this contains the least amount of sugar. Chocolate milk also can cure your chocolate craving. Chocolate milk provides vitamins, electrolytes, protein for muscle repair and carbohydrates to replenish energy stores. EDITOR’S NOTE: A health tip from the employee wellness team at the Jewish Alliance: Angela Sullivan, Andrew McKeon and Caroline Casey.

PURIM

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February 27, 2015 |

WOMEN

and intelligent woman. No wonder so many little girls want to dress up as Esther. Like Esther before them, there are plenty of modern-day Jewish women leaving a strong mark on our society. Admittedly, the following list only scratches the surface of Jewish women making a difference, but here is a sampling of those who have made headlines for channeling their inner Queen Esther.

view with the British Observer newspaper that she was “aware of that particular factory before I signed [with SodaStream]. And it still doesn’t seem like a problem—at least not until someone comes up with a solution to the closing of that factory and leaving all those people [working there] destitute.” She added that the SodaStream factory, which employs many Palestinians and has an on-site mosque, is “a model for some sort of movement forward in a seemingly impossible situation.”

Doron Matalon and Yityish Aynaw: Miss Israels making a statement

Jennie Rosenfeld: trailblazing spiritual adviser

Jennie Rosenfeld, a native of Riverdale, N.Y., began a new role as manhiga ruchanit (spiritual adviser) in the Israeli community of Efrat. Rosenfeld officially began her position on Feb. 2, and she is the first woman in the history of Israel to fill such a role. Efrat’s decision to name a female spiritual leader has been met with controversy in Israel, whose government does not recognize women rabbis. But Rabbi Shlomo Riskin, the chief rabbi of Efrat, said he made the decision because Jews “are living in very special times in which religious education extends to women on a very high level.” “I am standing on the brink of something very exciting, and there is a sense of hopefulness that this will lead to good for the Jewish community and help bring people closer,” Rosenfeld, 34, recently told JNS.org.

Scarlett Johansson: principled actress

Jewish-American actress Scarlett Johansson took a principled stand last year when she stepped down as a global ambassador for the non-governmental organization Oxfam International, which had criticized her for serving as a pitch woman for SodaStream, the beveragecarbonation company that has a factory in Judea and Samaria. Johansson said in an inter-

This year’s Miss Israel, Doron Matalon, was accused of photobombing Miss Lebanon Saly Greige, who distanced herself from her competitor due to criticism of the photo in Lebanon. But Matalon denied wrongdoing and struck a more peaceful tone on the relations between enemy nations while lamenting, “Too bad you cannot put the hostility out of the game. “I hope for change, and I hope for peace between us and even just for three weeks, just between me and her,” Matalon told NBC News. “We need to remember that we represent the country and the people, not the government and not the political issues.” In 2013, Yityish Aynaw became the first Ethiopian-Israeli contestant to win the Miss Israel beauty pageant. A former Israeli army officer, Aynaw made aliyah with her family as a child. During the competition, she told the judges that civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is her hero and said King “fought for justice and equality, and that’s one of the reasons I’m here.”

The late Bess Myerson: only Jewish Miss America

The only Jewish Miss America, Bess Myerson, died last December at the age of 90. Myerson is known not just for winning the 1945 Miss America crown but also for defending her Jewish identity during the competition. Organizers asked Myerson to change her name to Betty Merrick, but she refused. Later on in life, Myerson campaigned against anti-Semitism for the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and was named ADL’s Woman of the Year in 1965.

Iris Yifrach, Bat-Galim Shaar, Rachel Frenkel: mothers turning tragedy to unity

After Hamas’s kidnapping and murder of Israeli teens Eyal Yifrach, Gilad Shaar and Naftali Frenkel last summer, their mothers, despite their overwhelming grief, decided to campaign for Jewish unity. Since then, Iris Yifrach, BatGalim Shaar and Rachel Frenkel, in partnership with Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat, have launched the Jerusalem Unity Prize in memory of their sons.

COURTESY | JERUSALEM UNITY PRIZE VIA YOUTUBE

From left to right, the mothers of the Israeli teenagers who were kidnapped and murdered by Hamas last summer: Irish Yifrach, Bat-Galim Shaar and Rachel Frenkel. The prize of up to 100,000 shekels (approximately $25,600) will recognize “the efforts of organizations and individuals in Israel and the Diaspora who actively work to advance unity throughout Jewish communities and Israeli society.” “For many years, Eyal talked about unity and connecting to others,” Iris Yifrach said. “The most appropriate way to pay tribute to his life is to commit ourselves to these ideals.”

Hessy Taft: ‘Aryan’ baby

Eighty years ago, 6-month-old Hessy Taft’s picture was selected by the Nazis, reportedly chosen by Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels himself, as the image of the ideal Aryan baby. The picture was distributed on postcards far and wide, and nobody – the Nazis included – ever discovered that this puffy-cheeked baby was actually Jewish. Perhaps the sweetest revenge of all is that Taft is still alive and still working as a professor of chemistry in New York. Taft, 80, never intended to be a symbol for the survival of the Jewish people, but she has become just that.

are usually not Jewish, but they are always invited to Shabbat dinner, lunch and even synagogue. She keeps accessible a bookshelf of Judaic wisdom – and books of other religions – to offer spiritual guidance to the youths. “The kids need a home, and we have one,” Marchick told JNS.org last year. “It’s no more complicated than that.”

Or Cohen: first female commander of an Israeli Navy vessel

Israel Defense Forces Capt. Or Cohen, who is currently a navigation officer on a missile boat, will become deputy chief of a patrol boat pending final confirmation by the Israeli Navy’s commander Maj.-Gen. Ram Rothberg, who gave the initial approval in November 2014. This is the first time a woman has been appointed as a vessel commander in the Israeli Navy. “My life’s dream is coming true,” Cohen said. “I’m very excited, and I’m grateful for the opportunity and the trust the senior command has in me. As an IDF officer, I believe in the integration of women into meaningful combat roles, and I’m glad that I’ve been given the chance to have influence.”

nounced three recipients for the 2014 Natan/NEXT Grants for Social Entrepreneurs. Among the winners was Leora Maccabee Itman, founder of TC Jewfolk, a start-up that uses social media and community-based journalism to connect, engage and inspire young Jews in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minn. TC Jewfolk promotes what it calls “a thousand ways to be Jewish” by bringing myriad Jewish voices together to reflect and forge diverse connections to local and global Jewish life. Itman is also an attorney at Maslon, Edelman, Borman & Brand, LLP.

Violet Spevack: author of newspaper column spanning five decades

Gillian Rosenberg: member of anti-Islamic State fighters

Rose Marchick: prolific foster mother

Rose Marchick is the biological mother of three and adoptive mother of two, but her maternal instinct extends far beyond that. As of last year, she had been a foster mother to more than 150 children over the course of nine years in Olathe, Kansas. Marchick’s foster home is one of the only homes in the area that will take in severely troubled children, and it’s the only Jewish-run foster home. The foster children themselves

Canadian-Israeli Gillian Rosenberg, 31, stunned the world last November with the announcement that she had joined Kurdish forces in their fight against the Islamic State terror, becoming the first nonIraqi woman to do so. Rosenberg later put fears to rest by denying reports that Islamic State had captured her. “[The Kurds] are our brothers. They are good people. They love life, a lot like us [Israelis], really,” Rosenberg, a former Israel Defense Forces soldier, told Israel Radio.

Leora Maccabee Itman: community-building social entrepreneur

In August 2014, NEXT: A Division of Birthright Israel Foundation and the Natan Fund an-

On Jan. 30, writer Violet Spevack announced her retirement after more than 2,500 columns over the course of 50 years for the Cleveland Jewish News. The 98-year-old Spevack’s “Cavalcade” column is believed to be one of the longest continuously published weekly columns in America. “I’ve had the time of my life covering our Jewish community through the lens of my society column,” Spevack wrote in her final column. “I can’t thank you all enough for reading my columns and most of all, for letting me into your homes every week.”

14 | February 27, 2015

ISRAEL

The Jewish Voice

Meet the voters transforming Israel’s political landscape BY BEN SALES RAANANA, Israel (JTA) – Chani Lerner-Mor’s political activism began on a street corner here in 1993. The landmark Oslo Accords, ceding parts of the West Bank to Yassir Arafat’s Palestine Liberation Organization, had been signed recently. The daughter of a Likud Party activist, Lerner-Mor, then just 9 years old, helped set up a local street protest against the agreement. By 18, she had joined Likud; she has voted for its candidate in every subsequent election. When this year’s campaign began, Lerner-Mor again hit the streets of Raanana. But this time she was handing out flyers for the right-wing, religious Zionist Jewish Home party and its leader, Naftali Bennett. “I was very disappointed, and I said maybe I’ll look in other places,” Lerner-Mor said. “I went to Bennett, read his platform. I was very impressed.” Israel’s fi rst three decades were controlled by one party – David Ben-Gurion’s Mapai, a precursor to Labor that won every election. For the next 30 years, Labor and the rightwing Likud dominated the polls, together accounting for about two-thirds of the vote in five straight elections. But in recent years, Israel has seen a dramatic increase in the success of newer parties. Current polls predict that three parties that didn’t even exist three years ago – Kulanu, Yesh Atid and Yachad – will together take about 20 percent of the

vote, or approximately 24 of the Knesset’s 120 seats, in elections scheduled for March 17. Likud, the party led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Labor would see their total share drop to just over one-third. The shift stems partly from a kind of personality politics unseen previously in Israel. In 2013, Yesh Atid, running in its fi rst Knesset election, fi nished second overall with 19 seats, driven in large part by the appeal of its charismatic leader, Yair Lapid. Israelis now talk about voting for party leaders, not slates or platforms. Jewish Home ads urge voters to “vote Bennett,” while Netanyahu tells Israelis that the choice is between him, Isaac Herzog and Tzipi Livni, the leaders of the centerleft slate calling itself Zionist Union. And Herzog and Livni have rallied under the banner “It’s us or him,” referring to Netanyahu. “People deal with parties in Israel as if it’s a choice between individual people,” said Hebrew University political science professor Gideon Rahat. “There’s a drop overall in trust in parties, and it’s directed generally at the old parties. Young, new politicians offer a new politics.” Longtime Likud and Labor loyalists are also feeling the change. Their ideological commitments have stayed constant, but the adult children of these staunch Likud and Labor voters are often choosing newer parties to represent their interests. Here are stories of three families that exemplify

this generational shift reweaving the country’s political tapestry.

The Lerner Family

It was a night of fear that made Lerner-Mor a Jewish nationalist. She was only 5, months away from moving back to her native Israel from Detroit, where her parents had moved for work. She remembers her drunken next-door neighbor trashing his house after his wife left him, then charging across their lawn with a pistol, banging on their front door and shouting, “You dirty Jews! You destroyed my house!” Lerner-Mor already felt out of place in America, uncomfortable when Christmas music played in the mall. But that night, when her family had to jump in their car and flee to her grandmother’s house, underscored the importance of a Jewish state. “This is our home,” LernerMor said. “We have nowhere else to go, so we need to keep it.” Lerner-Mor, 30, who spent her teenage years attending protests against the peace process, says that same philosophy used to animate the Likud. But she feels the party has lost its conviction in recent years, especially as Netanyahu has voiced support for a Palestinian state and agreed to negotiate with the Palestinian Authority. Her turning point came in 2012, when Netanyahu ended eight days of airstrikes on Hamas in Gaza without launching a ground invasion. In the next round of fighting two years

later, Bennett took a harder line. Lerner-Mor appreciated that Bennett opposed the release of Palestinian prisoners to jump-start peace talks in 2013 and vehemently rejects territorial compromise in the West Bank. “Bennett is the one who represents the nationalist camp,” Lerner-Mor said. “People are going to Jewish Home. There’s a clear voice coming out that we don’t apologize. With the Likud, we know what they say, but they stutter sometimes.” Lerner-Mor, now a voice instructor who has remained in Raanana, was reared by a religious father and nonreligious mother. Lerner-Mor calls herself “traditional” and appreciates Jewish Home’s emphasis on Jewish values and history. Her mother, brother and husband, she says, have also thought of switching to Jewish Home. But Lerner-Mor’s father is sticking with Likud. Aaron Lerner also became involved in politics after the Oslo Accords. He organized local protests and ran for the Likud Central Committee, the party’s governing body, whose meetings he found to be a cross-section of Israeli society. He describes one in which a woman in a short skirt argued policy with a haredi Orthodox man – a scene that to him showed Likud’s breadth. “The Likud is neutral territory,” Lerner said. “No one has the right to impinge on another person’s religious standing.” Such diversity, says Lerner, is why Likud will always be the right-wing’s standard-bearer. He dismisses suggestions that the party has drifted leftward and says Netanyahu’s declaration of support for Palestinian statehood comes with the sub-

text “if pigs could fly.” “Netanyahu paid his dues and delineated conditions on a Palestinian state that are either unacceptable to the Palestinians or are such that you don’t actually have a sovereign state,” he said. “I have my misgivings about the tactic, [but] I don’t see Netanyahu as someone who supports a sovereign Palestinian state.” While father and daughter disagree, Lerner-Mor says she doesn’t “shoot friendly fi re.” They both hope Netanyahu will win another term as prime minister and lead a right-wing coalition government. And Bennett? “Maybe next time,” LernerMor said.

The Nahum Family

The year before Israel was founded, Rafael Nahum’s father was already thinking about aliyah. A shepherd in Libya, he came as a tourist to British Mandate Palestine, where he managed to meet David BenGurion and obtain a permit to return with his flock. The family arrived in 1951 as part of a massive immigration of 30,000 Libyan Jews to the Holy Land. Like other immigrants, they lived in a tent in the newly founded development town of Or Yehuda while braving floods and subsisting on government rations. More than 60 years later, Nahum, 72, still lives in Or Yehuda, now a middle-class suburb of Tel Aviv. He remains grateful to Ben-Gurion for allowing the family to bring over its flock and for absorbing waves of new immigrants in the state’s early years. “Ma’arach started this state, it built it,” said Nahum, who POLITICAL | 15

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POLITICAL

works for the Or Yehuda municipality, using the name for another precursor to the Labor Party. “Ben-Gurion established this state, and everyone who accompanied him thought about what would be in 50 years. The governments today don’t think about what will be in 50 years.” Like many Israelis, the Nahums are skeptical about the chances for peace and accuse the Palestinian leadership of intransigence. But Rafael approaches the Palestinian issue with pragmatism. After so much war, he says, maybe it’s time to move toward compromise. “From the creation of the world there was war,” he said. “At a certain point there needs to be an end. You need to come talk to them.” The Nahums passed on their center-left politics to their son Momi, 47, who works in Israel’s high-tech industry, and like his parents was once loyal to Labor. Momi still places a premium on party leadership, but this year the leader he fi nds most appealing is Lapid, head of the 3-yearold centrist Yesh Atid party. “Lapid is making courageous decisions,” Momi said. “He had rare courage to assign the hardest ministries [to his party members]. The fact that he didn’t give up and kept going is a badge of honor.” Momi says his shift has little to do with ideology. Everyone from Likud leftward, after all, has declared support for Palestinian statehood. “The borders have blurred,” he said. “The choice is more personal because everyone is saying the same thing. There’s no reason for this scattering of so many parties.”

The Simantov Family

One month before Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated in November 1995, Danny Simantov could already sense trouble. Ever since the

Oslo Accords had been signed, tensions had been on the rise. Though he was only 10 years old, Simantov, now 29 and a developer in a computer programming fi rm, remembers the October rally in Jerusalem’s Zion Square showing a poster of Rabin in a Nazi uniform. “In the ‘90s, the state broke up in general,” he said. “The extreme right was there. I saw it as a kid. You walk around Zion Square, you see these things, and that gives you a political direction.” Though his mother was a staunch Likudnik, Simantov became a Labor activist while hoping that the party could restore the country’s social cohesion. For the 1999 election campaign, Simantov tried to expand the party’s base by canvassing streets in poor neighborhoods and setting up booths at busy intersections. Labor won that election, but it has lost every one since. By 2013, Simantov felt his mission had failed. “This party has a problem,” he said. “It can’t bring voices that aren’t from its own camp. To make a real change, you need to draw the nationalist people who vote for Jewish Home and Likud.” Simantov, a traditional Jew, believes that Kulanu, a new party founded by former Likud minister Moshe Kachlon, is better poised to attract low-income voters Labor can’t reach. Kulanu has eschewed talk of peace and war in favor of economic reforms to benefit low-income Israelis. Kachlon grew up poor, which Simantov thinks will enhance his appeal among Israelis of limited means. “It’s a party that will work for the weaker classes,” he said. “The idea of social mobility, to move from a low class to a high class, that’s how I see the party – a party that can talk to regular people, that can lower cost

FROM PAGE 1 of living, support education in development towns, that can attract that population.” Simantov’s shift to Kulanu pleases his mother, a longtime Likud voter who appreciates Kachlon for the same reasons as her son. But Esther Simantov is sticking with her old party. Raised in haredi schools, Esther grew up in a traditional home and was inspired by former Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin when his Likud beat Labor in 1977 by drawing the votes of Sephardic and religious Jews. Esther Simantov worked in Begin’s office after his victory and was in charge of his mail. She remembers his modest demeanor and his habit of greeting whomever he met in the elevator. “He really helped people,” she said. “He cared about the little guy. He cared about the whole people, not just one population.” Esther Simantov shares Netanyahu’s skepticism of the Palestinian leadership and believes Likud has maintained Begin’s mantle of caring for the lower classes. In supporting Kachlon, she says her son is embracing similar principles, especially because Kachlon once was a Likud member. After the ballots are cast, Esther Simantov expects Kachlon to partner again with his old party. “Kachlon is the Likud,” she said. “They’ll go together in the end. I don’t think you can break that connection. I appreciate what he did, and I think he needs to go back to the Likud.”

February 27, 2015 |

RESULTS

plain why Israeli party leaders take the mock election at Bilch so seriously. Leading up to the vote on Feb. 22, Herzog, Yesh Atid’s Yair Lapid, Jewish Home’s Naftali Bennett and Likud’s Gilad Erdan all gave speeches at the school. “Every child needs to know we’ll allow him to reach the next peak and create the next Apple, or cure cancer, or be the one who brings peace,” Lapid said in a Feb. 11 speech at Blich, where he unveiled his party’s education platform. “You are the foundation and the heart and the soul, and without you it won’t happen.” The election also gave students an excuse to party. Ahead of the vote, students mobbed a stage set up opposite Blich’s entrance as music pounded through speakers around the courtyard, often playing the jingles of competing parties. Two juniors wore shirts supporting the far-left Hadash party but their pants featured stickers for right-wing Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman. A group of dancers wearing Yesh Atid shirts performed. Outside the school, two rival politicians made a last-minute appeal. “There’s a great atmosphere,” said Adi Album, 18, a recent high-school graduate who returned to campaign for Zionist Union on mock election day. “People here are demanding a change, social justice, peace. The politicians think dancers will convince them. It kind of seems like a reality show.” The music and dancing culminated weeks of preparation by the students. Nearly

two months ahead of the vote, juniors and seniors became “members” of the various parties, with each group electing a chairman, secretary and spokesperson. They spent the next few weeks campaigning between classes and at recess, wallpapering the school with posters and handing out fliers. Each group studied their party platform and came together for a debate ahead of the vote. “I think a lot of people want Zionist Union because they want to take down Bibi,” said senior Abigail Raziel, a Yesh Atid supporter, using Netanyahu’s nickname. “We need someone new.” Despite its electoral record, the Blich election isn’t representative of the wider electorate in several key ways. For one, the school has no Arab students and few religious students. The Arab Joint List, projected to take 12 of the 120 Knesset seats in the March balloting, finished with zero percent of the vote. Haredi Orthodox parties also earned no support from the students. But while students recognized that the vote was little more than a school exercise, and appeared to take their moment in the national spotlight in stride, some expressed an awareness that the next time they vote, it could be for real. “We’re the future of the state,” said Roy Ben David, 14, one of the school’s few Likud supporters. “The media that’s here has a lot of influence on the state. In a couple of years, we’ll be the state.”

Mapping Rhode Island a love (sometimes) story in maps

“Maps are more about their makers than the places they describe. Map who you are. Map where you are. Fill the map with a story, or paint your favorite cup of coffee. Map the invisible. Map the obvious. Map your memories.”

Thank You To Our Advertisers! Please tell them you saw their ad in The Jewish Voice.

To learn more, and to download your map, visit jewishallianceri.org. To request a printed copy of the map, contact Erin Moseley at 401.421.4111 ext. 108 or emoseley@jewishallianceri.org.

Important Dates for Mapping Rhode Island Submission Deadline: April 13, 2015 Gallery Opening: April 23, 2015 @ 7:00pm The exhibit will be on display in gallery (401) through May 28, 2015

culture

401 ( y r e l gal

)

Submissions will be used to create the exhibit Mapping Rhode Island.

arts&

Inspired by the book Mapping Manhattan by Becky Cooper 401 Elmgrove Avenue | Providence, RI

16 | February 27, 2015

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The Jewish Voice

Jacks, jump shots and Judaism at camp BY WENDY ARONSON Ask any child what the best time of year is, and he will say summertime. For many, sum-

mer means spending time outdoors, and across North America hundreds of thousands of kids will do so at camp. Over 75,000 of them will attend a non-

rtists’ e XCHANGe

profit Jewish overnight camp. For these kids, Jewish camp is just plain fun, but it’s really much more than that – it’s camp with a soul. While they are racing down the zipline, singing under the stars, and making lifelong friends they also learn values like self-confidence, independence, and leadership that stay with them long after the last campfi re of the summer. At Jewish camp, campers explore their connection to Judaism in a fun and meaningful way while having the time of their lives. Choosing a Jewish camp can ease the often painstaking process of deciding what your child should do this summer. With options ranging from traditional sleepaway camps to specialty camps (including sports, arts, outdoor adventure, and more) to camps with special needs programs, there is one to fit every child and family requirement and spectrums of observance. Alumni cite Jewish camp as a place they matured, were free to be themselves, tried new things, and began to love and enjoy Judaism. As a study released by the Foundation for Jewish Camp (FJC) demonstrates, camp is an essential part of the formation of a child’s Jewish identity as well as an important component in building a strong Jew-

ish community. This research on the long-term effect of camp analyzed areas of adult behavior and attitudes including synagogue membership, observance of holidays, donating to Jewish charities, and connection to Israel. FJC found that, as adults, Jewish camp alumni are: 45% more likely to attend synagogue at least once a month 55% more likely to feel very emotionally attached to Israel 30% more likely to donate to a Jewish charity (as compared with adults who did not attend camp) More and more communities are realizing the power of Jewish camp and making it a priority by getting involved in FJC’s One Happy Camper program. This program provides families with need-blind grants of up to $1,000 for sending their children to one of over 155 nonprofit Jewish overnight camps for the fi rst time. Apply for yours today at OneHappyCamper.org. Since 2006 nearly tens of thousands of campers have experienced Jewish overnight camp thanks to the One Happy Camper incentive program. Almost 60 percent of these campers would have opted for a non-Jewish summer experience (including staying home) if not for this

witness your wellness First Functional Fitness class is free for members and guests!

At J-Fitness, you have access to: ® • Functional Fitness: TRX, Kettlebells, ! w ne Medicine Balls & Battle Ropes • Certified Personal Trainers • Indoor Heated Pool • Group Ex • Indoor Cycling • Zumba™ • Yoga ™ • Pilates Mat Classes • Cardio Machines • Free-weight Area • Fit Forever Classes for Seniors • Water Fitness Classes • TigerSharks Swim Club and much more!

pioneering recruitment initiative, and 62 percent of these families were not affiliated with their local Federation, thus One Happy Camper and camp are providing a portal to Jewish communal engagement. Plus, 82 percent of past incentive recipients returned to camp for at least a second summer! “Jewish camp gives children the opportunity to engage with the fun and joyous aspects of Judaism,” says Jeremy J. Fingerman, CEO, Foundation for Jewish Camp. “We are thrilled that Federations, synagogues, and other groups are seeing the power and importance of camp for the Jewish community in the long-term.” Find out more about Jewish camp and browse the Find a Camp feature at JewishCamp. org. WENDY ARONSON is currently the executive director for the Young Philanthropist Foundation, a Denver-based nonprofit organization dedicated to engaging youth in philanthropy by creating opportunities for kids and families to give back to their communities. This article was published when she worked at the Boulder (Colo.) JCC as the assistant executive director and is reprinted with permission.

Experience it here.

J-FITNESS

at the Dwares JCC

“TRX is completely modifiable. Anyone, regardless of fitness level, can benefit from the strength, balance, and core movements that can be done with TRX. It can be used for slow paced exercises like yoga and stretching to more intense workouts like push ups and planks.” —Andrew, J-Fitness Certified Personal Trainer

Functional Fitness is a premium class. To learn more, contact J-Fitness at 401.421.4111.

Dwares 401 Elmgrove Avenue | Providence, RI | jewishallianceri.org

Rhode Island

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Incredible Connections Unforgettable Moments

18 | February 27, 2015

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The Jewish Voice

Summer camps and happy campers BY JEWISH VOICE STAFF

ummers at Jewish overnight camps are packed with a wide range of ffun un activities. Campers are encouraged to discover new skills and interests they never knew they had. Jewish camp weaves Jewish values, culture and traditions into the fabric of camp, helping campers to connect to their

own identity and the larger Jewish community. At camp, Jewish and Israeli culture is celebrated through song, food, art and dance. The impact of Jewish camp is immediate – campers return home connected to a community and friends that will last them a lifetime. There are a variety of traditional and specialty overnight camps that span different denominations of Judaism, ac-

commodate special needs and interests, and offer unique programming, catering to each family’s needs. Through the One Happy Camper program, 40 Rhode Island campers experienced Jewish overnight camp for the fi rst time in summer 2014. Some of these happy campers and their parents shared their fi rst camp experience with us, and we are sharing them with you here. They are excited to

has ive experience bed a mass s is im be h T cl , to m a st we sw n intere enged u a ll a d e ch rk K h a a C c ic GLU ed lo lly rt sp tower wh ore involv our com fo BY ANTHONYer m f o e up, e m id co ts u e d, youth g ro to go o C amp games, hik d in my temple’s rn d tu e y re la e p y th m a e, zon Since thing h y . ed from Y er T v rn V E ed tu d O R c. re en P iism’s danced, et ave att I just This exper orm Juda camp, I h . ef ip ir R m a sh o f fl o er fr d h a n x is e L Unio ip E a Jew things: NF TY-N E p Leadersh New me many nge t ri h p th g S u in d ta n te a ce Kutz Cam k, en als stitu in Warwic Jewish ritu raining In usetts and the perience in col- T li fe skil ls, ch se a u ss a n a M c , I Camp field . g rew in formation fe York. I li l , stitute at a tz n In u so K er er g b p m in y d ce m e en I ary, plan By att nd- D y and lege and in der fu l frie . In Febru National n y, mentall er o ll n w a is e u d E ct a 6 e m ll e 19 I’ve inte NF TY l last a Besides th ttend the I hope wil have con- to a spiritually. s who attended ships which Atlanta. I re o in m n o el ti fe en v w er o n p Kutz o n m t C I a a also time. ers. work teen c the facu lty ed li fe d to other Jewish pe applied to , n o da h io o ls v a ss A se r t a ei it e this nect the Un I met er in th m s er d v m n o su ie ll t a fr ex e eir n was from e people A ll of th lved in th ram. Israel. Th c- camp were invo fa Leadership eir prog e h States and T th , . ff p a u st ro e g tz Camp’s positive li fe th u th m K u o o fr y e d et a tz ’s m a u m I I are dK as a e friends er attende perience w r me. u lty and th usive, nurtur- parents eith their Ex ortunity fo in p e p o iv g ct a in cl g e n in er a oro w D n ch , a ,” e en Z e iv i, wer as a te ard of O r, rabb support iz to a n W d a “ c n e a a th g s p s- In s no lace ing, lovin temples a temple pre s, “There’ y r, sa to ers a y. y c it u n th d u e s ish e A rt comm utz consid Jewish as Creativ r local Jew home.” K nd a e” m o H My major w onth. M inors ident or in thei glad that my like to be “ p m m m a al a c re I iv ti e . n rr th en pon a week- Federatio for the just as com everyone u s changed s re ” e a et e. iv s m re d ct o g n le H e ie E e I and es wer a m. new fr elcom daism as I y. The class saying, “W u y J b to d n d y a a te st it ly and dail a ff m to g. The st job at cial media fascinatin am using so h them. at re g a id d it w the facu lty classes, connected esides the teaching. B

J-Camp

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BY KARYN ROBBINS | parent

happycamper@jewishcamp. org or call 646-278-4520. Through BunkConnect, launched by the Foundation for Jewish Camp in 2014, families can fi nd spots at Jewish camps across the country at affordable special rates of 4060 percent off. This is open to fi rst-time campers of all backgrounds, including Jewish day school students. Access BunkConnect.org for more information.

L - R: New friends Dana Druin Bederson (Chevy Chase, MD), Anthony Gluck (Warwick, RI), Rebecca Shinkar (Larchmont, NY), Andrew Friedland (Morristown, NJ), and Rayna Luback (Boca Raton, FL) pose for a picture before leaving camp at the end of the session. By Jeremy Satlow Camper

Jennifer Liese | Parent

The JCC after-school program is wonderful. Opal, a fi rst grader, is always happy to go there, doesn’t want to leave and clearly feels very much at home there. The staff are caring, creative and responsive. The activities are always interesting and expansive. I especially love that you emphasize healthy cooking, gardening and teamwork. I also feel like you all model and teach the kids to be kind and respectful to one another in ways that are rooted in ethics as much as behavior. We’re lucky and grateful to be part of what you all do so well.

We had been talking about going to camp for a couple of years, but I was surprised when Asher and his friend approached me after a camp assembly at Temple Habonim, and they said (almost in unison), “we want to go to camp.” I asked them when they wanted to go and they said, “this summer. We want to go to Eisner.” They were very clear and excited. I wasn’t sure if it was going to be a passing interest or not, but it stayed around and was strong. After some discussion, we agreed to send him and got him registered for Camp Eisner with support from One Happy Camper. Despite growing up in a community where there are not a lot of Jewish children, Asher has always strongly identified as a Jew. He feels safe and comfortable at the temple. He likes religious school and Hebrew school. Attending a Jewish camp is something I wished for my kids and, with Asher, it was a shared wish. I was impressed with his bravery to head off for almost four weeks the summer before he en-

return to camp in summer 2015. If your child has never been to Jewish camp, FJC’s One Happy Camper program offers need-blind grants up to $1,000 to fi rst-time campers. Learn more at onehappycamper.org or contact Elanah Chassen. Russian-speakers who would like assistance selecting a camp and applying for the grant should contact the Foundation for Jewish camp at one-

Jeremy Satlow, Camp Yavneh (Northwood, New Hampshire)

tered fi fth grade. We did a camp visit “Last year, I asked my parents if in the spring with his friend and his I could go to Camp Eisner because I friend’s mom, and that really sealed thought it would be fun to be around the deal for us. so many other Jewish kids, saying For me, I realized that prayers together, going this was a camp that to services and having was prepared for all the fun together. I ended up care and love that would liking it even more than be requested by a bunch I thought I would and my of Jewish mothers. I expectations were high! felt like it would also be I liked the activities, great for him to live in meeting kids and adults the cabins with a bunch from Israel, England of boys and learn even and around the U.S. I more about community liked the strong commuand compromise. For nity. I felt so proud to be him, it was a beautiful a part of the camp comcampus with such a wide munity where you could variety of activities – a just be yourself and not climbing wall, two pools, worry about what othhiking, camping, a garCOURTESY | ROBBINS FAMILY ers say. Drop all of your den, a pottery studio and worries and have fun.” archery just to name a Asher Robbins in his bunk at While at camp, Asher Camp Eisner. few. There was clearly especially liked “the something for everyone Eisner bubble.” This (I wished I could go!). concept is about always treating othAsher’s experience exceeded our ex- ers as you would want to be treated. pectations. In his words: There is zero tolerance for bullying,

I loved camp! Everyone there was nice! The main thing I liked was the social aspect. The whole Jewish aspect was also fun like davening shacharit, the morning service every day. I also love Shabbat at camp because the whole camp comes together for services, and we get a whole day to relax.

and the children were kind to each other. Asher said, “We tried to make it so that no one felt like the odd person out. We included everyone. This made it easier to make good friends and to be a good friend. I have tried to take this idea home to my family and friends.” While there are lessons that kids learn in their everyday lives, it felt to me that having Asher spend almost four weeks at a camp that functioned with Jewish values as the guiding principles was incredibly special for him and for me to watch. I felt as if we had extra backup in showing the complexities of being Jewish in a secular society and in sharing all of the joys of being part of a Jewish community. He looks forward to returning this summer. THE ROBBINS FAMILY are members of Temple Habonim in Barrington. Camp Eisner, in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, is operated by the Union for Reform Judaism.

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Anya Baum Davis Parent I love J-Camp because it is offered during all my child’s school holidays, even the odd ones particular to his school, so I don’t have to miss work whenever he is out of school. I know that he is safe, having fun, exercising and learning good values. He’s also meeting kids who are part of his local community, but who don’t go to his school. This brings all of us closer together.

Matthew, left, with bunkmate Brett. BY LAURI FRIEDMAN Parent We were very happy to bring our son Matthew to Camp Avoda for his fi rst summer of overnight camp. Within minutes of unloading his stuff into Bunk 2, Matt was already asking about extending his stay. It is hard not to be impressed with Avoda; the camp’s compact size allows you to see the beautiful lakefront from almost everywhere. The energy of the returning campers was infectious. Counselors were welcoming their old friends and new ones like Matthew. He made a friend immediately, and they both ran off to join a game on the main field. As parents, we were excited for Matthew to be at a camp with strong Jewish

values and like minded children from across the country. What struck us most was not only how many campers returned year after year, but how many were the children (and grandchildren) of previous Avoda campers. These were kids and adults who have dedicated their lives to Avoda, and their connections built during the short two months each summer. (In fact, it is very common to hear campers asking their friends about their activities during the “offseason,” that inconvenience between summers where kids go to school and travel with their families.) From director Ken Schiffman on down through his entire staff, there was a strong focus on making sure the new campers felt welcome and not too over-

Ilan Davis: I love J-Camp because we get to play games! Ilan is in first grade

COURTESY | FRIEDMAN FAMILY

whelmed with being away from home. Matthew was signed up for this summer’s sessions at Avoda before he went back to school. He had learned important lessons about living with others in a communal environment. He tested his skills at sports he doesn’t encounter at home. And had magical experiences traveling to fun adventures with the whole camp. It was a great summer and one I believe Matthew will want to relive until he can’t any more. MATTHEW FRIEDMAN is in fourth grade at The Wheeler School. Camp Avoda, established in 1927, is a Jewish boys camp in Middleboro, Massachusetts.

Are you ready for a great summer at J-Camp? BY SETH FINKLE sfinkle@jewishallianceri.org I am thrilled to introduce myself to everyone. My name is Seth Finkle, and I will be the director for J-camp this summer at the Dwares JCC. When I moved to Providence a little more than two years ago, I did not imagine I would be in this position. I grew up in upstate New York and spent my summers at the local Jewish Community Center day camp and also attended Camp Eisner in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. I have spent most of my professional career working in a Jewish Community Center or with children. In Washington, D.C., I worked in the JCC’s professional theater, Theater J, on the Washington Jewish Film Festival and in their pre-school. Here in Providence I worked for two years at the Providence Children’s Museum as a floor manager before coming to the Dwares JCC. I am excited to say that I

think this summer will be the best one yet! We are going to continue to have a variety of activities for campers so they will be able to discover activities they enjoy. We will have theater taught by a local actress, Melissa Penick. Aim High Gymnastics will also return as well as all the favorites from last year. We will continue to have special guests on Friday. I am pleased to announce that award-winning Rhode Island performer Keith Munslow will perform as will Big Nazo. Don’t miss our Creepy Creatures week because Dave Machetti will visit with his snakes, turtles and alligator! There may be snow on the ground, but summer will be here before we know it. I look forward to meeting everyone and enjoying a fun-fi lled

THEY SEE COLOR WAR.

YOU SEE COLLABORATION.

Ziplining. Waterskiing. Shabbat under the stars. Jewish overnight camp is a chance for kids to explore who they are and who they want to become—while having the summer of their lives. Campers are bunkmates and team players, artists and athletes, creative problem-solvers and blossoming leaders. With more than 150 traditional and specialty options, there is a perfect Jewish camp experience for your child. First-time campers, get up to $1,000 off with OneHappyCamper.org or special rates through BunkConnect.org!

and exciting time here at the Dwares JCC! SETH FINKLE is director of Camp Haverim and teen programming coordinator at the Jewish Alliance.

For more information contact Elanah Chassen at 401.421.4111 ext. 140 or echassen@jewishallianceri.org.

20 | February 27, 2015

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The Jewish Voice

PHOTOS | CAMP JORI

Camp friends are the best friends.

FROM PAGE 1

JORI

part of one big . As Guttin puts it, “Camp is a great equalizer.” She means that no one has to worry about being of a different affiliation or belonging to an interfaith family. JORI doesn’t discriminate. Instead, it creates an environment where children have the same appreciation for Jewish life. Guttin and Rachel Mersky Woda, assistant director, accomplish this feat through meaningful, fun-loving Shabbat celebrations, activities focused on Israel, Israeli counselors, music, sports, art and language. Modeling their programs after those of other camps, JORI takes advantage of proven techniques to ensure that the camp provides a memorable summer experience. In light of contemporary time and money challenges, Guttin and Mersky Woda work hard to fit camp into families’ decision-making equation. Because Guttin believes that the Jewish camp experience is paramount for children, she says, “We take pride in providing financial aid. Finances shouldn’t be the reason a family doesn’t choose JORI.” They point out that BunkConnect, an affordability initiative built on the success of the Foundation for Jewish Camp’s One Happy Camper program, makes it easier to ask for financial aid. Mersky Woda encourages it, “If you don’t ask, you don’t get.” Guttin says that not too many people realize that their family income can be as high as $125,000 to be eligible to apply. Similarly, the directors rely on BBYO Passport – BBYO’s worldwide summer travel program for Jewish teens and their families – to handle all of the logistics regarding the CIT’s (Counselors in Training) four-week trip to Israel. For instance, Mersky Woda says that,

last year – with the war raging on – they found it a relief to not worry about the itinerary and other day-to-day concerns; “BBYO Passport saves us time and energy.” Guttin and Mersky Woda knew that their kids were safe and secure. Providing additional comfort, BBYO Passport even hires past JORI staff to run the trip as group leaders. The continuity is also evident in the effect the trip has on the campers back home; they are inspired by their peers’ adventures. Those on Worden’s Pond love watching the slides the travelers send to Rhode Island for the rest of the camp to enjoy on Shabbat. When the CITs return to JORI for the remaining 12 days of the summer, they bring t h e i r n e w l y acqu i red knowledge with them. M e r s k y Woda says, “It’s a gamechanger for how they see Israel.” Many become counselors the following year. Guttin recently returned from Israel, where she traveled courtesy of Lekhu Lakhem Fellowship, an educational program for Jewish camp directors developed by the Foundation for Jewish Camp and JCC Association. Guttin loved having an opportunity to see Israel through the eyes of camp directors and to talk to them about their experiences. In addition to discussing their daily activities, the group considered possible ways to improve camp. Asked to choose a project, Guttin decided to focus on music as a way to increase camp spirit. She says that she

loves traditional American camp music, folk songs from the 1960s and ’70s, as well as contemporary Israeli music. Because the camp celebrates Shabbat through music, Guttin would like to encourage further exploration and musical experimentation within camp, whether through song or instruments the kids bring from home, including guitars, drums and keyboards. Another takeaway Guttin brought from the trip is the realization that there are many additional ways to create connections to Israel. She’d like to incorporate the country’s events as a way to tie together information about Israel and the camp’s activities.

For instance, Guttin was amazed by the railroad system through the Izre’el Valley. The tracks run along the same path as they did during the Ottoman Empire. Since Guttin is a huge train fan, she came up with the idea to use train stop locations to discuss cultural differences, terrain and area growth. She’s thinking about creating activities around Israel Day, with each station representing a different town on the line. Guttin’s new inspirations will be in concert with JORI’s ongoing improvements. Those who send their kids to the camp might have noticed the latest facility and technological enhancements that have helped

Jordan Silversmith and Jason Ives. bring JORI into its prime. The gorgeous waterfront, with its recently built pavilion, is undergoing additional work to make the best use of the land. Roadwork is under way to reduce runoff to the pond. It’s important to the camp to protect resources and remain environmentally conscious. An additional waterfront building is planned for storage and staff living space. Also, this summer, a picnic grove will be created using some grant funding, and the kids will enjoy a new ropes course. While the camp boasts various upgrades, such as the website Mersky Woda redesigned with the assistance of th Foundation for Jewish Camp, its mission remains the same. Guttin emphasizes that JORI stays true to its origins. Mersky Woda chimes in, saying that she wishes more people would be aware of the camp’s history and how much it has informed their operations. Guttin agrees, clarifying that their aim is to take the legacy that has guided the camp since 1937 and apply it to modern life. She says, “Someone called JORI a modern camp with an old soul,” a description that’s proven apt. In the early 1900s, JORI was built to offer a great summer experience to the residents of the Jewish Orphanage of Rhode Island. Of course, now, its state-of-the art accommo-

dations differ greatly from the modest facility it once was. JORI’s website reminds us how much time has passed, “If the walls of Camp JORI could talk, they would tell the story of four generations of campers coming into our door as wideeyed youngsters, enjoying funfilled summers.” The kids have changed, as have the families’ needs. Yet, the camp’s strong values uphold. JORI retains its goodness and warmth that attra ct the campers year after year. Guttin concedes that certain elements remain traditional, while they embrace new ideas to attract today’s kids. A parent of a JORI camper sums it up, “JORI’s major strength is creating a camp community with Jewish values where kids can make friends, develop close connections with counselors, and develop important life skills such as independence, self advocacy and solving problems.” To provide the most flexibility, JORI offers many ways to experience summer camp, including day camp, a weekendlong trial program and sessions of different lengths. As Mersky Woda’s card reads, “We strive to provide a safe and supportive setting for campers to create life-long connections with the Jewish community.” IRINA MISSIURO is a writer and editorial consultant for The Jewish Voice.

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thejewishvoice.org

February 27, 2015 |

Camp JORI expands its motto to philanthropic endeavors BY HILLARY SCHULMAN hschulman@jewishallianceri.org

Anna with two campers.

PHOTO | CAMP JORI

The job of a counselor is filled with thanks BY ANNA ROSENFELD The pink and blue flowered comforter decorated the frame of the wire cot, but underneath it a squirming figure gloomily hid from the commotion that enveloped the cabin. From my alcove, where the counselors slept, I heard a faint whimper. Sara, a shy, introverted 12-year-old girl, had not only buried herself under the comforter but had also shut the world out. Each night, Sara cried into her pillow, adamantly refusing to communicate. Finally one night I woke up around midnight to Sara’s breathing heavily next to my bed. She whispered, “I’m ready to talk,” as she curled up on the edge of my bed. She began to talk, gasping for air between endless streams of consciousness. I tried to comfort her, though I felt helpless as she confided in me her deepest secrets about her relationships with her immediate family. I suddenly realized that at my Jewish overnight camp, not every child came from the same kind of family as I. Sara’s strength and courage inspired me: at such a young age, she already had experienced more challenges than I had in my entire life. I took Sara under my wing, working with her every day: I read her summer reading book, “I Am Malala,” aloud to her; I found other campers who shared her passion for tether ball competitions; I taught her how to make a string friendship bracelet decorated with hearts; and I sat on the edge of her cot every night until her eyes grew heavy and closed, allowing her misery to float from her mind. I became the mother figure that Sara so desperately needed, and in the process I learned how to take care of others besides myself. I began to appreciate what I have in life – a secure home and a loving family – from a more adult perspective. Before my experience with Sara, I had thought my bat

mitzvah, marked the end of my childhood. Or, perhaps, graduating from high school and living on my own at a large university might mark the turning point to maturity. But no, I needed just one little girl to inspire me. This past summer my focus shifted from concentrating on my summer math packet and becoming re-certified in first aid to caring for a child and providing her with a great summer. The first week I worried about checking off every item on my counselor bucket list, 50 activities to be completed before leaving camp nine weeks later. In the first two weeks I had scribbled out the first few items: kayak, see a snapping turtle in the lake, write a letter home, and construct a birdhouse. Before long, 49 of the list’s 50 items were crossed out. The last remaining item: “be a blessing.” On the final day of summer camp, one by one the cars full of loving parents and family members rushed to embrace their children, load their trunks with luggage, and return to their warm, welcoming homes. Finally, Sara’s aunt arrived, throwing her niece’s half-empty trunk into the backseat and dragging Sara unwillingly back to her reality. I stood in the middle of my barren cabin, feeling alone yet content that I had helped give Sara what might have been the best summer of her life. Suddenly my counselor bucket list, dangling from a pushpin on the alcove wall, caught my eye. The words “be a blessing” had been crossed out, with two words scribbled underneath: “love, Sara.” I couldn’t believe she was thanking me for just doing my job, when she had unknowingly given me so much more: the ability to care for others. ANNA ROSENFELD, a longtime camper at JORI, was a first year counselor in 2014. She is a senior in high school, and this is her college essay. It is reprinted with permission.

There’s a certain expression that is floating around on Worden’s Pond in Wakefield – T.a.C.E.O., or Taking Care of Each Other. That’s the motto of Camp JORI, a thriving summer home for children from all over the country that provides a safe and supportive setting for campers to create life-long connections with the Jewish community. Director Ronni Saltzman Guttin and Assistant Director Rachel Mersky Woda have extended the T.a.C.E.O motto from the way the staff and campers treat each other to include philanthropic endeavors. Approximately 35-40 percent of Camp JORI families receive financial aid each summer that allows their children to experience Jewish summer camp. Camp JORI scholarships range from about $400-$1,800 per session, though occasionally, a family with serious fi nancial and societal need is awarded more. Studies, such as those done by the Foundation for Jewish Camp, have shown that children who go to Jewish camp are more involved in Judaism as adults. For example, children who attend Jewish Camp are 30 percent more likely to donate to a Jewish charity and 37 percent more likely to light Shabbat candles. Based upon an allocation of $35,000 in the past two years, the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island has supported a substantial number of campers. Camp JORI has awarded approximately $300,000 in

scholarships in each of the past several years. Many JORI families would be unable to afford a Jewish summer camping experience without the fi nancial assistance provided by JORI and the Jewish Alliance. It is part of Camp JORI’s mission to ensure that families receive the necessary scholarship to make this happen. In one long-time JORI family, the grandmother provides a home and child care for her two grandsons on a daily basis throughout the school year. She considers a Jewish education and connection to the community to be essential for their growth. Her daughter is unable to sustain her family without help, and the grandmother registers the children for camp each year and pays for the portion that she can afford. JORI provides the remainder of the tuition assistance. In recent years, Camp JORI has been the summer home for children of several military families. Each of them is able to support their families while living frugally, but unable afford to provide summer camp for their children. This summer, one of JORI’s military families will have two children at camp and this will provide essential child care while the mother completes her military training out-of-state. Camp JORI serves all affiliations, including those families who are unaffiliated and do not participate in any part of the Jewish community until they come to camp. Many of those families have begun to join other groups in the Jewish community as a result of their camp experience, just as many

JORI campers fi nd their Jewish community at camp. Many campers join youth groups with their camp friends, begin to celebrate Shabbat with family and friends, and make use of the ceremonial and home objects that they create at camp, such as mezuzot and Shabbat candle holders. Campers enjoy the strong performing arts program that JORI offers, sailing on the waterfront and are even able to receive their lifeguard certification through the swim program. “JORI’s major strength is taking care of each and every camper, and being in a loving environment where long-lasting friendships are made.” These words are consistently heard among JORI families, furthering the motto of T.a.C.E.O. With the help of the Jewish Alliance, Camp JORI has been able to hone their other strengths, such as “fostering a fun and inclusive environment” and “creating a camp community with Jewish values where kids can make friends, develop close connections with counselors and develop important life skills such as independence, self-advocacy and solving problems.” However, Camp JORI still wants to be able to reach its full potential, and could do so much more with more campers and more dollars. For more information about this summer and to sign your child up for JORI, contact Ronni Saltzman Guttin at campjori@gmail.com. HILLARY SCHULMAN is a development associate in philanthropy for the Jewish Alliance.

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22 | February 27, 2015

BUSINESS

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BUSINESS | COMMUNITY

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February 27, 2015 |

BUSINESS BRIEFS CONGRATULATIONS – Sara Masri is the new director of development for the J. Arthur Trudeau Memorial Center in Warwick. The Trudeau Center provides services for children and adults with developmental disabilities. Masri has worked in other development roles in the community, most recently for Meeting Street and Jewish Family Service, as well as occasionally writing for The Jewish Voice. She lives in Providence with her husband and children.

PLO AND PA ORDERED TO PAY REPARATIONS TO U.S. CITIZENS JNS.org – A New York Citybased federal jury on Feb. 23 ordered the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and the Palestinian Authority (PA) to pay $218.5 million in reparations to American citizens who were targeted by terror attacks in Jerusalem, and to the victims’ families. The court ruled in favor of 10 American families who sued the PLO and PA for six different terrorist attacks that were linked to those groups during

the second Palestinian intifada (uprising). Thirty-three people were killed in those six attacks between 2002 and 2004, and 450 were injured. Since the lawsuit was filed in a U.S. court under the Anti-Terrorism Act, the reparation amount is expected to triple to $655.5 million.   “Now the PLO and the PA know there is a price for supporting terrorism,” said Nitsana DarshanLeitner, a lawyer for the plaintiffs and the head of Shurat HaDin, Israel Law Center.

The plaintiffs won the case after a 10-year legal battle in which the defense claimed that the PLO and the PA were not directly responsible for attacks, which were carried out by the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade and Hamas. The verdict is likely to bolster Israel’s longstanding claim that Palestinian factions such as Mahmoud Abbas’s PA – which many in the West consider to be more moderate than Hamas – support terrorism.

BANK OF ISRAEL SETS INTEREST RATE AT ALL-TIME LOW ISRAEL HAYOM/Exclusive to JNS.org – After a several-month period of keeping interest rates steady at 0.25 percent, the Bank of Israel on Feb. 23 lowered the rate to 0.1 percent, the lowest in Israel’s history. The new interest rate is 0.4 percentage points lower than it was during the height of the global financial crisis in 2009, when Stanley Fischer was at

the helm of the bank. “The decision to reduce the interest rate for March 2015 by 0.15 percentage points to 0.10 percent is consistent with the Bank of Israel’s monetary policy, which is intended to return the inflation rate to within the price stability target of 1 to 3 percent a year over the next 12 months, and to support growth while maintaining financial

stability,” the bank said in a statement. “The path of the interest rate in the future depends on developments in the inflation environment, growth in Israel and in the global economy, the monetary policies of major central banks, and developments in the exchange rate of the shekel.”

EL AL AIRLINES APPOINTS NEW ENGLAND MANAGER El Al Israel Airlines announces the appointment of Paul Dell’Isola as manager, Northeast Region. Dell’isola will be responsible for leading the sales and marketing effort on the newest El Al route, which will offer the only nonstop service between Boston Logan International Airport and Ben Gurion International Airport in Israel. Based in Boston, Dell’Isola

will liaise with the local community and travel industry to ensure the success of the new route, which launches June 28. Three weekly nonstop flights will offer departures every Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday evening. Dell’Isola has more than 30 years’ experience in the travel industry, of which half has been with El Al. Since 1999, he has

served in a variety of positions, including most recently EL AL sales and marketing manager in Rome. Prior to joining EL AL, Dell’Isola held managerial roles with other airlines and tour operators. Originally from Rome, Dell’Isola earned a master’s degree from University of Rome and is fluent in English and his native Italian.

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24 | February 27, 2015

SENIORS

The Jewish Voice

Almost happy in the adopted homeland I met Alexandra Broches at a marina cafe in South Kingstown. She has served as director of the Hera Gallery in Wakefield, where she has also shown

SKETCHBOOK MIKE FINK

her prints, photographs and paintings. She has taught at both the University of Rhode Island and Rhode Island College,

and has displayed her work at the Wheeler Gallery. Our rendezvous focused not so much upon her career as an artist and professor, but rather upon her endeavor to research her family’s history. It is not so much a conventional genealogical tree but instead a pilgrimage, in person and through the advantages of our technological gadgetry, to the tragic past of her family’s extended kin in their native Amsterdam in the Netherlands. The Broches – “It’s probably a reference to ‘baruch’ – ‘blessing’ in Hebrew, but spelled to disguise its meaning” arrived in America in 1939. They did not

Rosalind Franklin: The ‘X’ pattern in photo 51 BY TOBY ROSSNER James Watson, Francis Crick, and Maurice Wilkins received the 1962 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for the discovery of the structure of DNA. Absent from many accounts of their Nobel Prize-winning work is the contribution made by their colleague, Rosalind Franklin. There was scientific evidence that DNA was connected with heredity as early as 1944, but its molecular structure remained a mystery. An even greater mystery was how one of these molecules could carry a living thing’s genetic endowment and could precisely duplicate it. Researchers suspected that answering the structure question would clear up the function question. At age 30, London-born Rosalind Franklin had earned a Ph.D. in physical chemistry and was already a leading expert in the field of X-ray crystallography – the art of probing the inner structure of molecules with Xrays. In 1951, she accepted a post at King’s College London to study the structure of DNA with Maurice Wilkins. Franklin discovered two different forms of DNA and made detailed X-ray pictures of each type. Photo 51 was exceptional. Without Franklin’s knowledge, Wilkins showed Photo 51 to Watson, who, with Crick, was doing research on the structure of DNA. Watson recalled, “My mouth fell open and my pulse began to race.” The distinctive “X” pattern in Photo 51 proclaimed that the structure had to be a helix. Two weeks later Watson and Crick built a double helix — their soon-to-be famous model of DNA. Then they invited Franklin to Cambridge to

Alexandra Broches seek immigration but temporary student visas. They were not yet fully aware of the imminence of the catastrophe. They remained Dutch citizens and subjects throughout their lives on these shores. Alexandra is a fine-looking, slim, straightforward South County resident, but not a native Rhode Islander. “I came here from New York. My father had worked in Washington, D.C., and elsewhere. I moved

with my husband, the father of my daughter, who was ItalianAmerican, I guess I thought I was joining a jovial, established clan, but that was mostly and merely my dream.” Through a visit to Yad Vashem in Jerusalem, she began her quest for answers about what happened to her people in Holland. “Those who could escape their fate scattered far and wide, in South America and elsewhere, wherever they might find shelter and safety. Mostly, they were arrested, deported first to the camps near Amsterdam, and thence on to both Theresienstadt and Auschwitz.” She showed me lists and accounts of each relative who perished. She also narrated terrifying tales of particular tragedies. I tried to establish a connection by describing my own visits to the Hague, to Rotterdam and to the museums, synagogues and their memorials. “I know, although movies both at the time and later in the postwar world tried to emphasize the resistance movement, the par-

tisan activity, the rescue efforts, that in fact collaboration and betrayal were very much part of the story and history to be accounted, recounted, acknowledged,” I said. She answered, “My mother and father did not burden me with details about what had become of the kin left behind, but I felt it as a cloud of melancholy, of sadness. Now, I am compelled to find out everything I can and to write about my discoveries. I have visited whatever aunts, uncles, cousins, of all the generations are available to me, to dig out every detail. I have to admit, the computer helps. It’s a big job before me.” I think my only contribution was the reference I sent to the song, “My Sister and I” whose lyrics describe the silence, and the shadow of sorrow, of precisely the experience of the Broches. “We’re almost happy, over here, but sometimes we wake up at night and we cry!” MIKE FINK (mfink33@aol. com) teaches at RISD.

Returned Nazi-looted art donated to Boston Museum of Fine Arts Rosalind Franklin review the model. She never suspected that her unpublished research had been drawn upon to build it. “Ironically, Franklin might never have won even limited glory if not for her defamatory treatment by Watson in his 1968 bestseller, ‘The Double Helix,’ ” notes reviewer Frazier Moore. “Watson characterized Franklin as a hardbitten opponent, slamming her as ill-tempered, inc omp etent and unattractive — ‘a woman who had to go or be put in her place.’ Creating something of a backlash, this portrait of Franklin was disputed even by other veterans of the boys’ club culture that had undercut Franklin during her … Kings College years.” SOURCE OF QUOTE: Frazier Moore, Nova on PBS pays tribute to Rosalind Franklin, the unsung heroine of DNA. Canada.comNews, April 18, 2003. TOBY ROSSNER (tobyross@ cox.net) was the director of media services at the Bureau of Jewish Education from 1978 to 2002.

BOSTON (JTA) – Millions of dollars worth of prized art and objects once stolen by the Nazis and later forcibly relinquished to the Austrian government was donated to the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. The donation of 186 objects from the original collection of Alphonse and Clarice de Rothschild of Vienna of the famed Jewish banking dynasty was made by Bettina Burr, a granddaughter of the baron and baroness. Many of the works were seized in 1938 following the Anschluss, or annexation of Austria to Nazi Germany, according to the museum. As heiress to the collection, Burr’s mother, Bettina Looram, spent decades pursuing the art from the Austrian Ministry of Culture, which in 1999 reversed

its earlier decisions, returning the 250 pieces of art to the family. Many of the works were sold at auction, but some objects of personal significance were kept back, many of which have now been given to the museum. The gift includes European decorative arts, furniture, prints, drawings, paintings, personal objects and jewelry, including an emerald and diamond Art Deco brooch that Alphonse Rothschild gave to his wife as a 25th wedding anniversary gift. Among the paintings is “Portrait of Emma Hart,” later Lady Hamilton, by the English artist George Romney. “Through my mother’s tenacity and courage, 60 years after the 1938 Anschluss, these works were returned to my family,” Burr, a museum trust-

ee, said in a statement. “Now, as my mother would have wished, I am delighted that this collection will stay at the MFA for as long as I can envision.” Malcolm Rogers, the museum’s director, called the gift a transformation of the museum’s collection. “This gift allows us to tell, in a very moving way, one of the saddest stories of the Second World War, and the story of Bettina’s mother and her long pilgrimage to set history right,” he said. An exhibit of some of the collection goes on view from March 1 to June 21, and will include material that addresses how curators traced the provenance of the art.

Germany sued for return of collection sold to Nazis BERLIN (JTA) – The heirs of four Jewish art collectors filed suit against Germany to regain a medieval gold treasure they claim was forcibly sold to the Nazis in 1935. Alan Phillip and Gerald Stiebel filed their claim Feb. 23 against Germany and the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. They are demanding the return of a collection known as the Welfenschatz, or Guelph Treasure, whose value they estimate at approximately $227 million. The treasure, which a consortium of collectors bought in 1929 as an investment, originally included 82 pieces. The plaintiffs are seeking the return of the

portion sold to Hermann Goering, Hitler’s deputy, in 1935. In a statement issued Feb. 24 in Berlin, Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation President Hermann Parzinger said he was “astonished by this step” after his foundation had done extensive research that he believed showed “the property at issue was not confiscated by the Nazis. Nor was it part of a forced sale or transfer under duress or coercion by the Nazis.” Furthermore, he said that the plaintiffs’ attorneys had said they would abide by the advice of the Limbach Commission, a German advisory board for Holocaust-related claims, which one year ago rejected a claim by Phillip and Stiebel that the 1935

sale had been forced. “We are confident that any court ruling on the merits would reach the same conclusion that we and the Advisory Commission have reached,” Parzinger said. On Feb. 21, Parzinger announced that the state of Berlin had formally entered the Welfenschatz into the national registry of valuable cultural assets, which prevents it from leaving the country without permission from the minister of state for culture. The Linbach Commission recommended that the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation retain the treasure, which is on display at Berlin’s Bode Museum.

COMMUNITY

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FROM PAGE 2

SYMPHONY

The symbolist movement’s dream-like and bizarre imagery is reflected in the music – even not knowing that the piece is about a faun chasing nymphs and his feelings and desires for them on an oppressively hot afternoon, one can get a great deal of that from the music. … The flute solo comes from nothing, just as one’s awareness comes gradually from darkness after waking – the piece and the poem both continue in this quasi-waking state, and one feels the free flowing of thoughts and images without particularly attaching any significance to them, just as when one is in that state. Debussy was known for his defiance of the norm during his student days. Did he reject the rules in his creation of the Prelude as well? In the Prelude, he’s not rejecting rules for its own sake certainly; I think it is more that this piece has its own rules, which it actually follows pretty strictly. Its apparently very free and effortless existence is a result of careful construction. The piece is really spun out from a few very short, simple ideas – most of which derive in some way or other from the very opening flute solo. Why do you think Debussy chose the flute to represent the faun? I think it is a natural choice, because of the poem’s opening lines. … The completely unaccompanied flute solo at the Pre-

lude’s beginning is a quiet and gentle revolution as well – nothing quite like it had been done in symphonic music. Pierre Boulez wrote that this flute solo breathed life into modern music, awakening it. Does the omission of brass and percussion from the piece work in its favor? Well, there are horns, blended and used like woodwind instruments though. And at the end there are “antique cymbals” which we would call crotales. However, the omission of the other brasses and percussion absolutely works in favor of all that the piece is. That too is a quiet revolution of sorts; in 1894 late romantic, huge orchestras were rather the norm and expression on the grandest scale as well. Debussy really elevated the importance of instrumental color and timbre as an element of composition in the Prelude. The prominent roles played by the wind instruments and their careful combinations and blend create the piece’s famous atmosphere.

Noble and Sentimental Waltzes, Ravel:

How is Ravel’s impressionist style different from that of Debussy? To me they are very, very unlike. … Ravel was a complete classicist. He valued formal clarity and precision in all details. His scores have the meticulous touch of the gears in a Swiss watch. … In a sense, Debussy and Ravel share a great

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attachment to the importance of orchestral color and timbre as a primary feature in their works. I virtually don’t consider Ravel an Impressionist, but that is a little extreme point of view. What challenges do you face when performing the Waltzes? Like all Ravel’s music, they are very difficult to play. They demand virtuoso techniques of all the players – woodwind and brass challenges of balance, blend, finger work and rapid articulation – lots of percussion, which is great for us, and string techniques which divide the sections, who normally play one line all together or sometimes divide between two, into several more groups playing different music at once. The strings also have rapid changes in bowing style called for, and both natural and artificial harmonics very frequently. … We hope that a listener won’t be preoccupied with these difficulties because Ravel’s orchestration is so precisely calculated that it should sound like the most brilliant and lyrical set of waltzes you could imagine Ravel writing – with, of course, his ironic touches.

Symphony in D Minor, Franck:

Does the influence of Wagner and Liszt enhance Franck’s composition or hinder it, considering the difference between the French cyclic and the German romantic forms? In an altogether different way, the Franck and Debussy

have a great deal in common. This is not very evident on the surface, and in fact, the Franck reveals this connection quickly, with a little study or even just a few hearings. What the ‘this’ is, is motivic derivation. In the Debussy, it is not simple to find or to hear the connections between the whole and the part from which the whole is derived, namely the opening flute solo. That is because the derivation is all very much in the background, in the very slow moving structures and harmonic relationships that require searching out – but, they are there. The piece is very Wagnerian. The pace at which it unfolds and develops is very similar and influenced by Wagner’s music dramas. Wagner and Liszt were both very interested in creating psychological meaning through taking a theme or a motive and developing it into recognizable, although distinct, forms. Franck’s distinct fingerprint is in evidence strongly in several ways. The ease with which he develops his motives in mostly traditional, functional harmonic situations, and yet manages to go to very remotely related harmonic situations while doing so, is amazing. Franck was one of the great organists of his time, and the sound of the organ, its voicing, characteristically abrupt changes in registration and massive resonant sound are all in the symphony. It was actually Franck who devised the novel three-movement form that the symphony uses, based on its particular

February 27, 2015 |

sense of musical balance. The first movement is a significantly modified, but recognizable sonata form. The last movement is a conventional enough rondo-esque finale with the episodes one would expect – here, incidentally and naturally, is where the ‘cyclicism’ shows up. The slow movement and scherzo are where the formal modification is – the two are fused into one; an A-B-A form based on the same musical materials (the gorgeous, famous English horn solo), with the A’s being the slow movement and the B being the scherzo. What made you choose this musical piece, in view of how rarely it’s performed lately? I have always loved the Franck Symphony and wanted to work on it and perform it. It used to be performed very frequently and to be very popular, but it is not often performed anymore. I think it is a difficult piece to play well and to pace correctly. If all of its interconnections are not clearly brought out, it has the potential to become a not-good performance, and not to strike a listener as a profound journey of the spirit. It has a great finale, a massively impressive first movement, and one of the most touching, nostalgic and songful slow movements there are in the repertoire. You can actually leave the hall humming the English horn tune.

26 | February 27, 2015 Linda Barlow, 55 SWANSEA, MASS. – Linda Barlow died Feb. 14 after a courageous battle with cancer. She was born in Fall River, the daughter of the late Alexander Thomas and Edna (Sutherland) Barlow. She graduated from Wheaton College and Georgetown University where she received J.D. She worked for the Mass. Department of Mental Health for 28 years as a staff attorney. She was a member of Temple Emanu-El. She was an animal lover; she always had cats and supported animal rights. She is survived by her aunt Edith Sutherland; her cousin William Sutherland; cousin and caregiver Lisa Sutherland of Swansea; her very good friend William Kinnane of Somerset; and many other family and friends. She will be missed by all. Contributions in her memory may be made to the Swansea Animal Shelter, 68 Stevens Rd., Swansea, Mass. 02777.

Gerald Buckbinder, 77 NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. – Gerald “Jerry” Buckbinder, of Monroe, N.J., died Feb. 13 in New Brunswick, N.J. Born in Pawtucket, a son of the late Louis and Ida (Miezel) Buckbinder, he had lived in New Jersey since 1970. He was a printing officer for the National Park Service in Washington, D.C., for 43 years. He was the brother of Sanford Buckbinder of Providence, Marilyn Solomon of East Brunswick, N.J., and the late David Buckbinder. Loving uncle of many nieces and nephews and great-nieces and great-

OBITUARIES nephews. Contributions in his memory may be made to your favorite charity.

Stuart Michael Dickens, 75 NORTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. – Stuart Michael Dickens died Feb. 14. He was the husband of Beverly (Smith) Dickens. Bor n in Providence, a son of the late Irving and Bernice (Bookbinder) Dickens, he had been a resident of Rhode Island for the past 51 years. He was a journeyman plumber in the construction industry and the founder of BESTCO Ent., a manufacturing company. He was in the Air Force in the early ’60s, serving in Germany. He was an honorary member of the Rhody Fly Rodders and an avid fly fisherman. Besides his wife, he is survived by his children, Alisa Boisclair and her husband Guy of Palm City, Fla., and Michelle Dickens of North Kingstown; his sisters, Roslyn Dickens of New York City and Phyllis Dickens of Seekonk; his granddaughter Ashley; and his greatgrandson Justus. He was the father of the late David Scott Dickens. Contributions in his memory may be made to the American Heart Association, 1 State St., Ste. 200, Providence, R.I. 02908.

Bernice Doris Freed, 96 PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Bernice Doris (Temkin) Freed died Feb. 15. She was born in Providence, the daughter of Celia (Drier) and Max Temkin, on Nov. 24, 1918. She graduated from Hope High School and the Pembroke College (Brown University) in

The Jewish Voice 1940. In 2010, she was one of the oldest alumni marching down college hill in celebration of her 70th reunion. She met Shepard Justin Freed of Lynn, Mass., on a blind date and they married before he left for Europe to serve in the army. She worked as a social worker until the birth of her children. A lifelong resident of Providence, in her later years she lived at Epoch Assisted Living on the East Side. She enjoyed exercise classes, painting, jewelry making, and visits from her children and grandchildren. Her husband predeceased her in 2004. She is survived by her children Leslie Freed (Greg McEnary) of Stamford, Conn., and Stuart, Fla., Maxine Freed Cohen (Daniel Cohen) of Vienna, Va., and Peter A. Freed of Dobbs, Ferry, N.Y. She was blessed with three grandchildren Emily, Alden and Erica. Contributions may be made to Home and Hospice Care of R.I., 1085 N. Main St., Providence, R.I. 02906.

Phillip R. Glatt, 58 CRANSTON, R.I. – Phillip R. Glatt died Feb. 10. Beloved son of Evelyn (Fischer) Glatt of Cranston and the late Irving Glatt. Dear brother of Risé Siegel of Farmington Hills, Mich. Cherished uncle of Corey and Kaley. He was an avid airline photographer.

Robin A. Goldberg, 59 PROVIDENCE , R.I. – Robin A. (Tella) Goldberg of Providence died Feb. 11 at Rhode Island Hospital. She was the wife of Elliott W. Goldberg. Born in Anne Arundel, Md., she was the daughter of the late Anthony J. and Irene J. (Carreiro) TellaMaguire. She was a supervisor of the

Third Party Liability Unit at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of R.I. during the 1980s, worked at Tufts Health Plan and Citizens Bank. Besides her husband, she leaves two brothers, Tony Tella and Glenn Tella; a sister, Michelle Tella-Runion; and several nieces and nephews. Donations may be made to the Muscular Dystrophy Association, 931 Jefferson Boulevard, Warwick, R.I. 02886 in Robin’s memory.

Harvey E. Goldman, 84 WARWICK, R.I. – Harvey E. Goldman died Feb. 11 at Kent Hospital. He was the beloved husband of Faye (Tebrow) Goldman. They were married for 49 years. Born in Providence, a son of the late Daniel and Bessie (Dress) Goldman, he had lived in Warwick for 48 years. He was a driver for Goldman Trucking Co. and several other trucking firms for many years. After retiring, he was the owner of Ocean State Wholesale for 15 years. He was a Korean Conflict Marine veteran. He was a former member of Temple Am David, a member of Teamsters Local 251, Orpheus Lodge of the Masons, the VFW, Jewish War Veterans Post 23 and an avid fisherman. Devoted father of Michael Goldman of Warwick, Steven Goldman and his wife, Nava, of Brooklyn, N.Y., Lori Mallette of Warwick and her late husband, Don and Rhonda Goldman of Clearwater, Fla. Loving grandfather of Daniel, Karley, Moshe and Yehuda. Contributions in his memory may be made to Wounded Warrior Project, 150 Cambridge Park Dr., Suite 202, Cambridge, Mass. 02140.

Barbara Solomon Goldstein, 86 WOODLAND HILLS, CALIF. – Barbara Solomon Goldstein, of Woodland Hills, died after a short illness on Feb. 23, 2015. She moved from Cranston to Woodland Hills and worked for 20 years as a social worker for the Jewish Family Service of Los Angeles. After retiring in March 2012, she continued to work as a volunteer for the SOVA Community Food and Resource Center of Los Angeles. Born on March 27, 1928 in Providence, daughter of Max Samuel Solomon and Norah (Cohen) Solomon and sister of the late Stanley Solomon. She was married to the late Abraham Goldstein for 35 years, sharing a love of local politics as well as supporting Abe in his numerous campaigns. They raised six children: Glenn, Brian (Helene), Stuart (Lynn), Neal (Ana), Diane (Claire) and the late Rhonda Beth. Barbara enjoyed many happy occasions with her 10 grandchildren: Eric, Adam, Andrew, Ben, Douglas, Abbe, Ilana, Issy, Ronny and Tammy. Barbara also enjoyed 19 years of companionship with the late Sidney Hirsohn. She graduated from Hope High School in 1944 and from Pembroke College (Brown University) in 1948. At Pembroke, she was an Elisha Benjamin Andrew Scholar and was admitted to both Phi Beta Kappa and Sigma Xi. She went on to receive her M.S. in Social Services, (MSW) from Boston University in 1951, and worked in the field of gerontology until her retirement at the age of 82. Her love of adventure not only led her to a new life in California, but on trips around the country and around the world. To celebrate her 80th birthday, she climbed Diamond Head Crater in Hawaii and got the TOBITUARIES | 27

OBITUARIES

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OBITUARIES

shirt to prove it. Contributions may be made to the Rhonda Beth Goldstein Scholarship Fund, 53 Bittersweet Lane, Wakefield, R.I. 02879 or SOVA Community Food and Resource Program, 16439 Vanowen Street Van Nuys, Calif. 91406.

Mark David Broman Goldstein, 28 SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF. – Mark David Broman Goldstein passed away Feb. 18 in San Francisco. Born in Providence, he was the beloved son of Dr. Richard Bruce and Donna Lynn (Broman) Goldstein of Bonita Springs, Fla., formerly of Rhode Island. Mark was a musician who specialized in the bass guitar. Dear brother of Robert Goldstein of Warwick and Michele Meek and her husband Geoff of Providence. Loving grandson of Jerry and Rose (Cohen) Broman of Pembroke Pines, Fla., and the late Martin and Molly (Thaler) Goldstein. He is also survived by his uncle, Steven Broman of Warwick, his aunt, Laurie Goldstein of Edgewater, N.J., two nieces, Mirabelle and Amelia Meek and a cousin, Sydney Broman of East Greenwich. Mark cherished his family and he was a loyal friend. He loved his dogs Janie and Jimmy. Music was his life. Contributions in his memory may be made to Potter League for Animals, P.O. Box 412, Newport, R.I. 02840.

Edwin Gross, 72 CRANSTON,

R.I. – Edwin Gross died Feb. 12 at Philip Hulitar Inpatient Center. He was the beloved husband of Sandra (Schwartz) Gross. They were married for 43 years. Born in Providence, a son of the late Benjamin and Ida (Rakatansky) Gross, he had lived in Cranston for 43 years. He was a master sergeant, working full time at the Air National Guard, retiring in 2003. He was a Vietnam air force veteran. He was in the military for 35 years, serving 29 in the R.I. Air National Guard 102nd AC & W Squad. He was a member of the R.I. Philatelic Society, serving as a past treasurer. He was a member of the National Guard Retiree Association, R.I. Ret. Combat Communications, Temple Am David and the Cranston Senior Center, serving on its board. He was the devoted father of Mark Gross of Cranston. Dear brother of Irwin Gross of Boynton Beach, Fla., Paul Gross of Mandeville, La., and the late Gerald Gross. Contributions in his memory

may be made to the American Cancer Society, 931 Jefferson Blvd., Suite 3004, Warwick, R.I. 02886 or Home & Hospice Care of R.I., 1085 North Main St., Providence, R.I. 02904.

Evelyn (Granoff) Hornstein, 84 PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Evelyn (Granoff) Hornstein died Feb. 8. She was the wife of Abner Hornstein. Born in Providence, the daughter of Jacob and Fay (Kadish) Granoff, she was a lifelong resident of Providence. She was a graduate of Hope High School and worked at Brown and Sharp before marrying Abner “Bob” Hornstein. She had many friends in the Elmhurst area of Providence, where she was well-known as an amicable and kind person. Besides her husband, she is survived by her children Steven Hornstein and Fay Hornstein Pizer. She was the sister of the late Marvin Granoff. ContrIbutions in her memory may be made to the Jewish Seniors Agency of Rhode Island, 100 Niantic Ave., Providence, R.I. 02907.

Arlene R. Luber, 83

DELRAY BEACH, FLA. – Arlene R. Luber died unexpectedly Feb. 14 at Delray Medical Center. She was the beloved wife of Dr. Robert Luber of Delray Beach, Fla. They were married for 39 years. Born in Providence, a daughter of the late Martin and Ada (Schwartz) Bernstein, she had lived in Delray Beach, Fla., for 10 years, previously living in Cranston. She was a devoted teacher to her students. She was a member of Temple Beth-El, the National Education Association and Crestwood Country Club. She was an avid golfer, duplicate bridge player and bowler. She was the devoted mother of Richard Decof of Coconut Creek, Fla., Bethany DecofHazlett of San Francisco, Calif., and Lee Decof of Phoenix, Ariz. Dear sister of Jan Lamchick of Kendall, Fla. Loving grandmother of David Decof. Contributions in her memory may be made to The American Heart Association, 275 Westminster St., Providence, R.I. 02903, The American Cancer Society, 931 Jefferson Blvd., Suite 3004, Warwick, R.I. 02886 or Hadassah, 17 Pocahontas Dr., Middletown, R.I. 02842.

Roslyn Markoff, 84 CRANSTON, R.I. – Roslyn Markoff died Feb. 15 surrounded by her loving family at Philip Hulitar Inpatient Center. She was the beloved wife of the late Burton Markoff. Born in Providence, a daughter of the late Barnett and Katie (Sirk) Falcofsky, she had lived in Cranston for 15 years, previously residing in Pawtucket. She was a member of Temple Beth-El, the Jewish Historical Society and a life member of

Hadassah. She attended University of Rhode Island. She was kind and loving to all who knew her. Devoted mother of Susan Dressler and her husband Gary of Cranston, Caryn O’Connor of Peace Dale and Nancy Chodak and her husband Alan of Pittsford, N.Y. Dear sister of the late Etta Jane Schaeffer. Loving grandmother of Allison, Zoe, Adam and Gabe. Cherished great-grandmother of Isaac. Contributions in her memory may be made to Temple Beth-El.

Morton J. Pomerantz, 87 WARWICK, R.I. – Morton J. Pomerantz died Feb. 7 in Delray Beach, Fla. He was the beloved husband of Annette (Silverman) Pomerantz. They were married for 63 years. Born in New York City, a son of the late Jack and Rebecca (Schoenberg) Pomerantz, he had lived in Warwick since 1992, previously living in Cranston. He was an insurance salesman for Prudential, retiring in 1982. He was a WWII Army veteran. He was a member of Temple Sinai, the Jewish War Veterans and was on the board of directors for West Bay Residential Services. He was the devoted father of Paul Pomerantz and his wife, Judith, of Sharon, Mass., Jill Goodman of West Warwick, Lynne Pomerantz of Johnston and the late Sheldon Pomerantz. The dear brother of Sandra Diamond of Sudbury, Mass., and the late Florence Steiner. Loving grandfather of Lindsay, Reuben and Nathan. Contributions in his memory may be made to West Bay Residential Services, 158 Knight Street, Warwick, R.I. 02886.

Faye B. Rosen, 92 LINCOLN, R.I. – Faye B. Rosen died suddenly Feb. 12 at Miriam Hospital. She was the beloved wife of the late Hilton Rosen. Born in New York, N.Y., a daughter of the late Jules and Marcia (Goldstein) Schwarz, she had lived in Lincoln for 40 years. She was the devoted mother of Richard Fain and his wife Tina of Cranston and Sharron Brandt and her companion Jed Arkin of Hartsdale, N.Y. Grandmother of Bethany Lane and great-grandmother of Emma and Carly Lane. Cherished aunt of Roberta Arsac of Cranston. Contributions in her memory may be made to the American Cancer Society, 931 Jefferson Blvd., Ste. 3004, Warwick, R.I. 02886.

Helen Silverberg, 94 WARWICK, R.I. – Helen Silverberg, of Tamarisk Assisted Living, died on Feb. 10. Beloved wife of 59 years to the late Harold Silverberg. Predeceased by sister Selma (Bubbles) Mlawsky. Survived by son, Bert Silverberg; daughters Zelda (Robert) Sparks; Ann Silver-

berg (Terry Kelleher); Paula (Michael) Goldberg; Amy (Kevin) Olson. Grandchildren Martha Sparks (John McWhorter); Sarah Goldberg; Aaron Sparks (Natalie Blackman); Johanna Goldberg; Daniel and Shira Olson; Jia Kelleher. Great-grandchildren Dahlia and Vanessa McWhorter. American “mother” to Israeli “son”, Benny Mer. Aunt, cousin, friend, teacher and inspiration to many. Born in New York City to the late Berthold and Martha Mendelson, she lived in Cranston from 1955 until moving to Tamarisk Assisted Living in 2005. She was a graduate of City College of New York and earned a master’s degree from New York University in retailing. She was a buyer at Bloomingdales and then traded in retail for education, becoming a teacher in a one-room schoolhouse in Ledyard, Conn. She later earned a teaching degree from R.I. College and a master’s in library science from the University of Rhode Island. She taught first grade in both Cranston and Coventry and finished her career as a Coventry school librarian. She was famous for opening her home to all of her children’s friends and hosted many cast parties and New Year’s Eve celebrations, a tradition that continued after she moved to Tamarisk. Upon her retirement, she and Harold attended 166 Elderhostels and delighted in travel and learning. She was a former member of Temple Torat Yisrael. As a volunteer, she delivered Meals on Wheels and ushered at the Providence Performing Arts Center. Donations in her memory may be made to a charity of your choice.

Gloria J. Spivack, 86 WARWICK, R.I. – Gloria J. Spivack died Feb. 14 at Tockwotton on the Waterfront. She was the beloved wife of the late Herbert L. Spivack. Born in Boston, Mass., daughter of the late Samuel and Rose (Hart) Richmond. She had lived in Warwick for two years, previously living in East Greenwich and Cranston. She was a piano teacher, retiring, only two years ago, a homemaker and community volunteer. She was a member of the Schubert and Chopin clubs, Hadassah and Temple Torat Yisrael. She was the mother of Elaine Katz and her husband, Daniel, of South Orange, N.J., and Robert Spivack and his wife, Rachel, of Gilroy, Calif. Loving grandmother of Gabriel Katz and the late Benjamin Katz. Contributions in her memory may be made to Providence Hebrew Day School, 450 Elmgrove Ave., Providence, R.I. 02906 or Temple Torat Yisrael, 1251 Middle Rd., East Greenwich, R.I. 02818.

February 27, 2015 |

Sherwin Zaidman, 80 WARWICK, R.I. – Sherwin Zaidman died Feb. 24 at home. He was the beloved husband of Rhoda (Broman) Zaidman, for 56 years. Born in Providence, son of the late Abraham and Evelyn (Greenberg) Zaidman, he called Warwick his home for 53 years. He was an accountant and controller in the automobile business for 50 years, retiring 16 years ago. He was a graduate of Hope High School (Class of 1952) and Johnson & Wales College (Class of 1959). An Air Force veteran, he served in Okinawa during the Korean Conflict. Sherwin was a member of Temple Am David, South Providence Hebrew Free Loan Association, Post 23 of the Jewish War Veterans, Touro Fraternal Association, a board member of Camp JORI, a board member of Moes Chitim, and a former treasurer and board member of Temple Torat Yisrael. Devoted father of Helene Zaidman of Cranston, Debra Johnson of Providence and Gail Davidson and her husband Ken of Warwick. Dear brother of the late Norman Zaidman. Loving grandfather of Alannah Johnson. Contributions in his memory may be made to Temple Am David or Beacon Hospice, 1130 Ten Rod Road, Ste. C-104, North Kingstown, R.I. 02852.

Mary Zisserson, 100 WARWICK, R.I. – Mary Port Zisserson died on Feb. 23 at Kent Hospital. She was the daughter of the late Louis and Sadie (Chorney) Port and the wife of the late Sidney Zisserson. She is survived by her children, Shayna Pitt (Bruce) of Pittsburgh, Pa., Joel Zisserson (Francis) of Cranston, and Paul Zisserson (Leah) of Lake Frederick, Va. She was the sister of Ira Port and the late Esther Goldman, Anne Leventhal and Leonard Port. She is also survived by six grandchildren and 11 greatgrandchildren and many nieces and nephews. Mary was the quintessential woman of her generation: intensely devoted to husband, children and relatives, which made her circle of family and friends paramount in her life. She was always proud to declare herself “modern” in her ability to adapt to the changes that occur over a lifetime of a century. This past June, Mary celebrated her 100th birthday at a party attended by her many loving relatives and friends. Their devotion to and love for her was a way that they could reciprocate the years of love and devotion she had for them. Contributions in her memory may be made to Ronald McDonald House, 45 Gay St., Providence, R.I.

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COMMUNITY

The Jewish Voice

StandWithUs event attracts community to hear Prof. Lehman-Wilzig BY HOWARD BROWN

COURTESY | TEMPLE SINAI

Some members of the confirmation class make a stop at the White House: (left to right) Noah Levin, Jacob Meyerson, Nathan Kirshenbaum, Lauren Knasin, Becca Gupta and Rabbi Jeff Goldwasser.

Temple Sinai confirmation class takes weekend trip to D.C. Over the weekend of Jan. 30 to Feb. 1, Rabbi Jeffrey Goldwasser of Temple Sinai in Cranston took five confirmation students on a trip to Washington, D.C. During those 48 hours, they heard a briefing at the Israeli Embassy about U.S.-Israel relations, visited the Reform movement’s Religious Action Center, participated in Shabbat services and dinner at Georgetown University and attended an NBA basketball game. They also visited the White House, the U.S. Capitol, the Lincoln Memorial, the Martin Luther

King Memorial and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. It was quite a lot to pack into two days! Despite the busy schedule, the students who went on the trip said that their favorite part of the trip was just being together. They learned a lot at each place the group visited, but they also had the essential Jewish experience of being with other Jewish kids, sharing a special time together in an intentionally Jewish way. Rabbi Goldwasser said that this is an experience that is at the center

of Temple Sinai’s congregation for people of all ages. Goldwasser explained that at Temple Sinai the congregants learn, sing, worship and take action as a group. He further explained that the congregants also draw strength just from the experience of being together – intentionally spending time together with others who share an identity, a set of values and the joy of being Jewish. “When we journey through this life together, we draw strength and enjoyment from one another,” he said.

Taking advantage of a narrow break in otherwise snowy weather, some 60 members of the community showed up at the social hall of the Dwares JCC the evening of Feb. 18. Their reason for braving the weather was to hear what Professor Sam Lehman-Wilzig, chairman of the School of Communication at Bar-Ilan University, would have to say about “Why Israel’s Hasbarah has been so bad” and in particular, how American Jews can help in the effort. Lehman-Wilzig walked the group through Israeli history from pre-state to the present insofar as hasbarah (Hebrew for “explanation” or “diplomatic effort”) is concerned. As he explained, the early culture of the state dismissed the need for hasbarah and, in fact, ignored it. “Deeds over words” was the prevalent belief. In the early days, the government effectively controlled the Israeli press, and it wasn’t until many years later that the realization came that there was an international press that wasn’t subservient to the Israeli Prime Minister’s office. In addition, Israel’s positive international image began to erode in 1973 and has continued to do so, although the government has been slow to understand the change. Israel has also suffered from misperceptions stemming from international anti-colonial trends. Although Israel itself fought British colonialism to gain independence, over the years Israel took on a colonial flavor, not least due to the fact that every Prime Minister since the founding of the State has been an Ashkenazi, (i.e., white European) Jew, ruling over a multicultural population. Other recent trends in media and politics have only served to accentuate the problem. But recent years have brought about dramatic change, stemming from a belated recognition of the need to put forth a robust diplomacy. The 2014 Gaza War was a case in point. The IDF put drones in the air at least as much to gather video of Hamas war crimes as for military reasons. Similarly, new media has been embraced, and much of the Gaza video was immediately uploaded to YouTube for public inspection. Polling has become another tool, and it was the result of polling that led Israel to lead its hasbarah regarding Gaza

with the phrase “human s h i e l d s ” L e h m a n -W i l z i g posited that the hasbarah in 2014 was successful, as shown by the fact that Israel was able to wage its defensive was for 51 days without being stopped by international outcry. Structurally, an office of hasbarah has been created; it coordinates the diplomacy of the IDF, the Foreign Ministry and the Prime Minister’s office. This is an unprecedented development. Also, every IDF soldier in officer training is required to pass a course in public communications. Further, IDF officers who formerly shut the press out now have an open-door policy, so they can explain their strategy and tactics. Also, where previously it was difficult to get academic communications training in Israel, today the programs are widespread, and graduates are welcomed into government jobs. All in all, the speaker concluded that American Jews who want to support Israel’s effort now have an understanding partner in the Israeli government. The talk was followed by a short Q&A session from attendees seeking clarification or comment on related topics. In summary, said Stefanie Feld of Providence, chair of StandWithUs/RI, “this was an incredibly informative session.” StandWithUs/RI is part of an international, nonprofit organization that believes that education is the road to peace. StandWithUs is dedicated to informing the public about Israel and to combating the extremism and anti-Semitism that often distorts the issues. The group believes that knowledge of the facts will correct common prejudices about the Arab-Israeli conflict and will promote discussions and policies that can help promote peace in the region. Through print materials, speakers, programs, conferences, missions to Israel, campaigns, social media and Internet resources, StandWithUs/RI ensures that the story of Israel’s achievements and ongoing challenges is told on campuses and in communities around the world. Based in Los Angeles, StandWithUs has 16 offices across the U.S., Canada, Israel and in the UK. Information is available at standwithusri@gmail.com. HOWARD BROWN is a North Kingstown resident and volunteer organizer of StandWithUs/RI.

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February 27, 2015 |

Ten questions for George Goodwin Founded in 1951, the Rhode Island Jewish Historical Association, collects, shares and interprets all aspects of our Jewish communal history – from colonial times to the present. The Association’s office and archive, located on the lower level of the Dwares JCC, house thousands upon thousands of treasures: photographs, documents, newspaper clippings, books and artifacts. It is a happy place to honor the deceased and living. Without the Association, so much of Rhode Island Jewish history would simply vanish. Since 1954, the Association has published a journal, Rhode Island Jewish Historical Notes, which is sent to members and read by students and scholars in libraries around the corner and around the world. The current issue of The Notes, which will become available to readers shortly, celebrates 60 years of publication. This seems an appropriate time to chat with its current editor, Dr. George M. Goodwin. Q: Congratulations upon just completing your 11th year as editor of The Notes. Doesn’t this seems like a long time to herd Jewish cats? A: Yes, having exceeded Judy Cohen’s 10-year editorship, my tenure has become second only to Dr. Seebert Goldowsky’s. He served 17 years. I’m actually looking forward to celebrating my bar mitzvah year. Q: How well did you know Seebert? A: How well did anybody know Seebert? In 1988 he was completing his book, the history of Temple Beth-El, around

the time that Betsey and I came to Providence. Somebody had to write the Temple’s history, and he was the only person willing and perhaps able to do so. I admire his enormous dedication and attention to detail. Seebert was a surgeon, and everything he knew seemed to have a factual basis. In person, however, he did reveal a sense of humor – even a mischievous glee. I liked Seebert and think of him and Bonnie more than once in a while. I hope that at least some of my work has honored their memories. Q: How did you become editor of The Notes? A: I certainly had no intention of seeking the editorship. I had been president of the Jewish Historical Association when Judy Cohen’s successor, Leonard Moss, resigned after six years. So I had to recruit his successor. Indeed, I tried to persuade a few writers to take the job. They weren’t interested, and I should have known that they weren’t qualified. But, of course, there’s a longer story. In 2002, I had had the idea of publishing an anthology of The Notes to celebrate its 50th anniversary, which would occur in 2004. I had sought an editor, and one was hired, but when she resigned midway through the project, I was forced to take over. I think that Stanley Abrams, who chaired the Association’s publications committee, helped me recognize and develop my talents. I feel that he and I were collaborators, and I miss his guidance in recent years. Fortunately, his successor, Mel Topf, has also been an excellent resource.

Q: Would you call each issue of The Notes a team effort? A: Yes, though I don’t care much about sports, especially the combative type. (My game is ping-pong.) I work hard to nurture, recruit and encourage many colleagues and close friends in this mutually creative endeavor. My closest collaborator and colleague, however, is Bobbie Friedman, the journal’s graphic designer. Stan Abrams brought us together 11 years ago, and I don’t know how I would function without her. Considering the colossal honoraria we receive, our rewards are much higher and deeper. Q: Exactly how much effort does each year’s issue require? A: Bobbie and I would prove our insanity if we actually counted the hours. After one issue is printed, I try to take a brief sabbatical, but I’m always thinking about the next. Bobbie does not need to enter the creative arena until late summer or early fall, when I have already edited many articles and have some sense of how the rest of an issue will unfold. By February, when a new issue goes to press, we’re creatively exhausted.

published more than 2,200 pages and hundreds and hundreds of photographs. I think that it would be easy to publish a second anthology of high-quality articles right now. I wish that Brandeis University Press and University Press of New England were again interested.

George Goodwin Q: What do you think you do well and not-so-well in each issue? A: This is a very difficult question, which others are welcome to answer – if they’ve read just about every page and examined almost every image. Generally speaking, I’ve kept this little publication alive and perhaps made some improvements. Quite frankly, there have been very few state or local Jewish historical societies that have produced such a steady yet surprising publication record. Despite very modest fi nancial resources, a tiny readership, and meager concern by academic historians, the stories of Rhode Island’s Jews get told. As editor, I have

Q: Tell me more about your readers. A: Association members receive complimentary copies of The Notes. I have no idea how many members actually read an entire issue, and some articles appeal to individual readers more than others. Nevertheless, I more often hear complaints than compliments. People often ask why I have neglected their grandmother, neighbor or favorite organization. My simple reply is: please write your own story for the next issue. This seldom happens. It’s quite an odd feeling, but I often think that our journal will be most appreciated when we are gone or when the publication is gone. Of course I hope that such possibilities never happen. I love this work, and I hope and pray for our community’s sustenance. Perhaps GOODWIN | 30

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The Jewish Voice

Scenes from Jerusalem Grace Beiser Novick shares a photo, left, taken Feb. 13 by her 12-year-old granddaughter, Yaara Beiser. Yaara lives in the Ramot Bet section of Jerusalem,

FROM PAGE 29 |

where the photo was taken, and is the daughter of Tehila and Reuben Beiser. Reuben Beiser grew up in Providence, attended the Providence Hebrew Day

GOODWIN

that’s too big a word for this context. Q: Are you saying that your historical work has some kind of spiritual dimension?

A: I certainly didn’t appreciate such a possibility when I began my editorship, but it has occurred to me in more recent years. One of the most important but least creative facets of my job is helping pre-

pare obituaries for each year’s deceased members. Perhaps Seebert or one of his cronies resurrected this Victorian concept. In a way, it’s kind of silly, because obituaries are of course published a day or so after one’s death, and usually I’ve never met – or have known only slightly – a deceased mem-

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School, Classical High School and Brown University. The snowman, right, was built and photographed by Harriet Dunkerley, Fran Ostendorf’s sister, in Baka.

ber. For that matter, deceased members’ children or grandchildren may never know that our publication exists. But obituaries pay respect and render a measure of honor to every deceased member, whether he or she led a quite ordinary life or one overflowing with accomplishments. Here I too may sound a bit Victorian. At times I may also feel like a rabbi. It’s not my role to judge – merely to acknowledge goodness and blessings, particularly those that have benefited our community and humankind. Q: Could you have been an editor without having been a writer? A: Of course I’m more interested in questions than answers. Fortunately, I never thought of myself as a writer in terms of being a stylist. In many instances, style represents artifice. My writing career began as a letter-writer at camp, and I still think that I’m telling somewhat simple, often personal, stories. If we didn’t tell them, then who would? Parents and grandparents needed to know, and so now does their progeny! As a result of writing for historical journals for more than two decades, however, it has certainly become easier for me to research and tell more complicated stories. I write at least one article in each issue of The Notes, and my voice is probably detectable in many others. Essentially, I appreciate the challenge of doing some new and perhaps original work. Then again, I don’t much bother going back to read things I wrote long ago (and discover horrible mistakes).

As you can see, I live in three time zones – the past, present and future – as do we all. I try not to inhabit the past because it is more sheltering than the other zones. Rather, I think of myself as basically a visual person, who can see or aspires to see so much around him. Indeed, I often begin with a photo, a painting, a building or an artifact. Q: Finally, isn’t it a bit ironic that you’ve written so much about Rhode Island and edited The Notes when you’re actually a transplant? A: Yes, but that may be a reason I can see so much that is both beautiful and bizarre about Rhode Island. Rhode Islanders, I’m afraid, take too much for granted. I also think that I have an outsider’s perspective because I am a Jew. Betsey and I have lived here for almost 28 years, and we reared Molly and Michael here. We have belonged to Beth-El for all those years, and we reside in a home nearly a century old. I’ve been delighted to serve on the board of the Rhode Island Historical Society. But Betsey and I know that we will never be accepted as Rhode Islanders. I’m actually proud of referring to my childhood home, Los Angeles, which we have visited many times each year, so I call myself a “Rhode Angeleno.” EDITOR’S NOTE: George M. Goodwin, who much enjoys conducting oral history interviews, wrote this interview with himself. You might call this a written “selfie.”

February 27, 2015 |

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