November 27, 2015

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

15 Kislev 5776 | November 27, 2015

HANUKKAH PLANNING

Join us for a Super Sunday of Eight ways philanthropy, fitness and fun! to celebrate Hanukkah that don’t involve gifts

BY HILLARY SCHULMAN

HSchulman@JewishAllianceRI.org

Join the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island on Dec. 13 for Super Sunday, the biggest fundraising day of the year. Volunteers will be working hard to raise money for the Jewish Alliance Annual Campaign, which supports more than 300 programs and services in Rhode Island, in Israel and around the world. Volunteer to make phone calls any time between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. at the Dwares JCC in Providence. Can’t volunteer?

Then answer the call!

Super Sunday co-chairs MinCaption dy Stone and Doug Simon have been working behind the scenes Last year’s co-chair to make this a day to remember Deb Salinger for the entire Jewish community.

“I am very excited to be co-chairing this event this year with Doug,” Stone said. “We have a strong, cohesive Jewish community and Super Sunday is a great opportunity to bring everyone together for one day to help make us even stronger. This year is going to be especially fun for the entire SUPER SUNDAY | 6

BY MAAYAN JAFFE JNS.ORG Despite Hanukkah being one of the few Jewish holidays not mentioned in the Torah, it gets a lot of play – pun intended. Shmuel Arnold of Baltimore recalls how while growing up in a secular Jewish household, his parents made an extra effort to give Hanukkah gifts every night.

Sometimes they needed to get creative, like wrapping socks PHOTO | PINTEREST or delivering a gift from an extended family member.

A collage of Hanukkah craft projects for kids from Pinterest.

Without even a rendition of “Rock of Ages” around the meaning: presents. Today, from 9 to 18, Arnold – like Hanukkah menorah, Arnold however, married with three many other parents – tries to says the holiday had one children ranging in age infuse more meaning into the HANUKKAH | 22

With popularity and sales up, Mensch on a Bench has much to smile about

BY DEBORAH FINEBLUM SCHABB/JNS.ORG The Mensch on a Bench is so much happier now than he was a year ago. Look carefully and you will notice that, whereas the previous Mensch had a decidedly worried look, this latest version of the popular Hanukkah toy is flashing an exuberant grin.

Is the erstwhile Mensch smiling because he expects to be in some 100,000 homes by year’s end? In truth, the change in vis-

age was suggested last year by the “sharks” on ABC’s “Shark Tank” program, where Mensch on a Bench founder Neal Hoffman pitched for – and secured – investors in his company. The requested change in facial expression was one that Hoffman was happy to make.

“We were going so fast – in less than a year we went from concept to product on the shelf – that I didn’t match the Mensch’s face to the one in the book,” Hoffman

told JNS.org. He was referring to how the plush doll is sold for around $30 along with a book that tells the story of Hanukkah while featuring “Moshe the Mensch” guarding the miraculous lights of the menorah in the ancient Temple.

But the 38-year-old Cincinnati man, a toy pro after his six years with Hasbro, is not one to rest on his laurels – or his bench. Having sold out last year’s crop of 60,000 MENSCH | 21

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2 | November 27, 2015

COMMUNITY

The Jewish Voice

Field trips are the best!

INSIDE Business 24-25 Calendar 10 Classified 25

The older toddlers who attend the David C. Isenberg Family Early Childhood Center at the Dwares JCC took a field trip recently to Quality Fruitland in Seekonk.

As part of the curriculum, they have been learning about how fruits and vegetables grow as well as the importance of a healthy diet. After an exciting bus ride accompanied by songs like “The Wheels on the Bus,” the group arrived at the store. Dave Foster showed the children many varieties of produce, and he opened several fruits and vegetables so that everyone could see the seeds inside. He also explained how those fruits and vegetables grew.

Each child was given an apple to take back to school. The children were very engaged and excited during the trip.

Community 2-6, 16-17, 23, 29-31 D’Var Torah 7 Food 11-13 Hanukkah 14, 18-22 Obituaries 26-27 Opinion 8-9 Seniors 28 World 27

THIS ISSUE’S QUOTABLE QUOTE “Words also possess potential.

How we use them, how artfully we string them together … all make a huge difference.”

PHOTO | SARA FOSTER

Jewish genetic diseases and the importance of carrier screening Randy Yudenfriend Glaser, C.S.W. and Shari Ungerleider of The Jewish Genetic Disease Consortium (JGDC) will present a program on Jewish genetic diseases and the importance of carrier screening followed by a panel discussion at Temple Habonim, 165 New Meadow Road, Barrington on Dec. 13 from 9:30

to 11 a.m.

JGDC’s goal is to decrease the incidence of Jewish genetic diseases. They work to ensure healthy Jewish families by increasing carrier screening rates prior to conception and promoting the understanding of reproductive options available to carrier couples. It is important

to note that carriers are healthy individuals, and so carrier status can be passed down through many generations without anyone being aware that they are a carrier.

Genetic screening panels are now affordable and often covered by insurance. If carrier couples are discovered through

Super Sunday

screening, there are many options available for that couple to have a healthy family. The JGDC website has more information about Jewish genetic diseases and carrier screening JewishGeneticDiseases.org The program is free and open to the community.

A super-sized day full of philanthropy, fitness, and fun!

Sunday, December 13 | Dwares JCC | 401 Elmgrove Avenue, Providence

We may not call at the most convenient time... but you never know when someone will need your help.

Volunteer to make calls with us...

Can’t volunteer? Answer the call!

Funds raised during Super Sunday help support 300 programs and services at home, in Israel and around the world.

9:00am - 3:00pm

Contact Hillary Schulman for more information at 401.421.4111 ext. 127 or hschulman@jewishallianceri.org

We’re putting a new spin on tzedakah with Cycle-for-Good.

Be part of JCCs of North America Cycle-for-Good and raise money to benefit the 2016 Jewish Alliance Annual Campaign.

Participants across the country will be cycling for a good cause and their own wellness. Reserve your stationary bike by the half-hour and/or get sponsors to support your ride.

9:00am - 12:00pm

Contact Luke Brookner for more information at 401.421.4111 ext. 117 or lbrookner@jewishallianceri.org

We’ve also got some great activities planned as part of Day-at-the-J! Bounce House | Family Swim | Movies | Crafts and more To learn more visit jewishallianceri.org.

We invite you to join us for “One Voice Multi-Cultural Panel & Music Show” “One Voice” is a collaboration of two musical youth groups: Tel-Aviv Hebrew Scouts Music Group and The Greek Arab Orthodox Scouts Musical Band of Jaffa.

The show provides the audience a glimpse at the educational process undergone by both groups, and is a reflection of the complexity of today’s Israeli society.

3:00 - 4:30pm

Contact Larry Katz for more information at 401.421.4111 ext. 179 or lkatz@jewishallianceri.org

COMMUNITY

thejewishvoice.org

November 27, 2015 |

3

Billboard spawns conversation on what it means to be Jewish we do comes back to what we learned.

The forum, Tilove believes, was worthwhile.

“It felt good to be in that meeting,” he said. “They had really meaningful conversations with people that they’d never met before.”

And there are possibilities for another conversation in the future, with the hope that it will be multidenominational and intergenerational.

“I wanna do it again and get 300 people!” Tilove said. “I want to facilitate community building; where are the opportuni-

BY ARIEL BROTHMAN Readers may recall an article in a recent Jewish Voice about the colorful billboard adjacent to I-95 advertising the Jewish Community Day School of Rhode Island (JCDSRI). A bright eye-catcher against the sky, the billboard’s neon pink and yellow coloring is not all that makes it noticeable: the words “TOO JEWISH?” emblazoned across it prompts viewers to think about what exactly it means to be “too Jewish.”

Jews have wrestled with this question for many reasons, but especially in the context of assimilating into a non-Jewish community.

Adam Tilove, who is both the head of the JCDSRI and the main driver of the “Too Jewish?” campaign, led a community conversation at the Brown RISD Hillel on Nov. 19 to discuss just that. The meeting, also called “TOO JEWISH?,” asked community members to “join your neighbors to discuss what being Jewish means in our modern, diverse world.”

While the billboard brought attention to the issue, Tilove used it as a springboard to facilitate a community conversation about the broader topic of Judaism.

“My intention here was never to have a conversation about the billboard,” he said. “I realized that the billboard got a lot of people stirred up, and I wanted to use it as an opportunity to bring people together to talk about what’s important in Judaism.”

After establishing the “open space” nature of the conversation, Tilove immediately got

ea t r G

PHOTOS | LAURI LEE

During the first round of group discussion, the spirituality/ ethics group deliberates. attendees involved. Posting a large piece of paper bearing the question “What is most important to you Jewishly?,” he asked the roughly 35 participants to write down their answers on large sticky notes and place them on the poster. Tilove then arranged responses, and the participants, into four broad groups: Israel, community, education and spirituality/ethics.

These groups spawned discussions on the changing nature of Judaism, how it appeals to the next generation, and what it means to be Jewish in this day and age.

Judaism is famously hard to defi ne; even as Jews, we debate about its status as an ethnicity versus religion versus culture versus some mix of the three.

But a participant in the spirituality/ethics group offered a metaphor that might help ex-

Gif Idea s!

plain the status of Judaism today: “Some of us are on a spiritual ladder, some of us are on a behavioral ladder, and some of us are on a religious … ladder. But we’re all on these ladders!”

Maybe that’s the point: There isn’t only one ladder – or avenue – to being Jewish.

Then Tilove posed another question: “What would you like to see in the community?” Answers varied from more kosher restaurants to improvements in the city’s infrastructure. One participant simply wrote “more fun.”

During this second round of discussion, Tilove observed that the local Jewish commu-

Two attendees discuss Israel’s role in Judaism. nity wants to be “a community that takes risks – that challenges the status quo.” To do so, attendees were asked to think about their role in the community, and to learn from others.

One member of the education discussion group said, “Education is a life source. Whatever

ties for growth in the community? I think we’ve got some. But I guess we’ll wait and see.”

ARIEL BROTHMAN is a freelance writer who lives in Wrentham, Mass. She was the summer intern at The Jewish Voice in 2012.

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R.I. Jewish Historical Association celebrates Anne Sherman

PHOTO | MEL BLAKE

BY BETSEY GOODWIN On Nov. 8, more than 40 members of the Rhode Island Jewish Historical Association gathered at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, in Warwick, to honor Anne Sherman. After 24 faithful years as the association’s office manager, Sherman will soon retire.

Board members Maxine Goldin, Marilyn Myrow and Myrna Levine organized the festive brunch. President Ruth Breindel welcomed the well-wishers, and Geraldine Foster, a former president who had helped recruit Sherman under Stanley Abram’s presidency, offered words of praise and thanks.

Foster also paid tribute to Eleanor Horvitz, the association’s longtime archivist and librarian, who became Sherman’s mentor and office companion.

Foster and Sherman also became close colleagues and dear friends. Many of Foster’s ongoing articles in The Jewish Voice reflect this partnership.

George Goodwin, a former president, also spoke about Sherman’s devotion to and love of the Jewish Historical Association, which has extended over 10 presidents, three editors of the Rhode Island Jewish Historical Notes, and a recent, temporary move to another space

within the Jewish Alliance’s building.

Goldin presented Sherman with a framed proclamation and a gift to express the association’s heartfelt appreciation.

Then Sherman reflected on the many sources of her deeply felt pride and satisfaction at a job well done.

Board member Mel Blake documented the occasion with many photos, which will join more than 5,000 prints in the association’s unrivaled archives.

BETSEY GOODWIN, of Providence, is a member of Temple Beth-El.

Anne Sherman and event co-chair Maxine Goldin.

PHDS first graders pause for a “photo op” at Plimoth Plantation.

PHOTOS | PHDS

PHDS fourth and fifth graders learn about our country’s beginnings at Plimoth Plantation.

Plimoth Plantation brings history to life The children of the Providence Hebrew Day School (PHDS) had the opportunity to witness history firsthand on Nov. 19, thanks to the PTF, the families who supported this trip, the teachers and volunteers who drove and chaperoned, and Mrs. Pereira the trip coordi-

nator. Children in grades 1 to 5 were amazed to learn about the daily lives of the Native Americans and the colonists from the 17th century. They watched a Wampanoag native carve a canoe from a tree trunk as another native prepared a meal over an open fire. As the

children followed a sandy pathway, they came across the Fort/ Meeting House. This structure stood atop a majestic hillside.

This is where the colonists’ village was brought to life. The group met costumed role-players who were eager to answer all of the many questions they

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had. It’s as if they traveled back in time. History teaches us that the Native Americans and the Pilgrims engaged in celebrations to reward themselves for abundant crops. These feasts would last up to three days and they would enjoy this bounty together.

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And they learned, this is how Thanksgiving was created. We are thankful that PHDS students will have these memories that will last a lifetime.

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November 27, 2015 |

5

Alliance community mission a life-altering experience

BY JEFFREY SAVIT jsavit@jewishallianceri.org Earlier this month, Alliance Board Chair Sharon Gaines and I had one of the singular thrills of our lifetimes co-leading our Alliance Interfaith Leadership Mission to Israel. Accompanied

by Rhode Island government, business, clergy, legal, philanthropic and policy leaders, we traversed the country from modern, high-tech Tel Aviv to old-world Nazareth, from an evening boat ride on the Sea of Galilee to an afternoon camel ride near the Dead Sea, and from the multifaceted splendor of Jerusalem to the religious solemnity of the Old City. The 18 members of our group were led throughout our journey by a most magnificent tour guide, Nomi, a fiery Yemenite grandmother and former jeweler (who used to conduct business in Rhode Island).

Along the way we were challenged and educated by an incredible group of speakers, including David Horovitz, the erudite founding editor of the Times of Israel; Bill Grant, the accomplished Deputy Minister of the United States Embassy in Tel Aviv (whose wife’s relatives live in Saunderstown); and Amit Segal, the engaging anchorman and political correspondent for Israel’s Channel 2 news.

Asher Abraham, an innovative Israeli crowdfunding investment guru, spoke to us as did Kobi Merom, a retired, captivating IDF colonel; Dany Terza, a brilliant military strategist who built the West Bank Security fence; and Ksenia Svetlova, a passionate Knesset member from the Zionist Union opposition party who is a staunch twostate solution proponent.

Viewing the Holy Land through the eyes of first-time interfaith travelers was enlightening. I will never, ever, forget the collective images of our group ascending the magnificent Mount of Beatitudes; walking where both the Last Supper and the Immaculate Conception were believed to have occurred; praying together at the Western Wall; witnessing some of our travelers dipping their rosary beads in and bottling the baptismal waters of the River Jordan; marveling at the playful dancing Hassenfeld Fountain at the multicultural Teddy Kollek Park; and fighting through tears and stunned disbelief at Yad Vashem.

We had so many other oncein-a-lifetime experiences. For instance, how powerful was it for us to take private tours of Independence Hall in Tel Aviv and the Knesset in Jerusalem with Speaker of the R.I. House Nicholas Mattiello, RI Senate President Teresa Paiva Weed and Central Falls Mayor James Diossa. How fortunate that we

PHOTOS | MARTY COOPER

The group take a moment for a photo in front of the Benno Elkan Knesset Menorah located on the edge of the Rose Garden. It was created in 1956 by Benno Elkan and is 5 meters high. were able to have lunch with the staff and residents of the Yemin Orde Youth Village along the Mediterranean, a fascinating academic and social laboratory for teen refugees from Ethiopia, Russia, Israel and now, not surprisingly, France, in the company of R.I. State Board of Higher Education Chair Barbara Cottam, R.I. for Community and Justice Executive Director Toby Ayers, and diversity experts and consultants Linda and Charles Newton.

What an opportunity to examine the Israeli terrain and eco-systems with R.I. Department of Environmental Management Director Janet Coit, and learn about Israeli innovation, public policy and government alongside R.I. Foundation Vice President of Development James Sanzi, United Way EVP for Community Investment Adam Greenman, and governmental and business lobbyist attorney Chris Boyle.

How gratifying it was for Dr. Margaret Van Bree, president of RI Hospital and Hasbro Children’s Hospital, to be given a private tour of the Hadassah Hospital trauma center by an Israeli doctor who is coming to Rhode Island this spring. And how lucky we all were to have the head of the R.I. State Council of Churches, the Rev. Dr. Don Anderson, provide spiritual and religious guidance throughout every inch of the journey.

In 1961, legendary Broadway composer Jerry Herman created an unforgettable musical about the State of Israel titled “Milk and Honey.” In the title song, Herman wrote that Israel “is the place where the hopes of the homeless and the dreams

of the lost combine. …This is the land that heaven blessed and This lovely land is mine.”

Almost 55 years later, I am trying to determine whether such words were prophetic, timeless, hopelessly naive or a combination of these and many others sentiments.

David Horovitz referred to the Middle East as “the dinner guest that will not leave.”

Clever yes, but I am searching for a more powerful answer.

To do so, I need to process certain other emotionally impactful moments during and after our Mission to provide me with some direction.

I first remember the day we took jeep rides across the Golan Heights and the Druze neighIn the Golan Heights, Col. (res) Kolbi Merom provides a geoborhoods, stood upon a mounpolitical briefing on the Syrian and Lebanese borders after a tain where we could see Syria, jeep ride off the beaten path. During his talk the group could Lebanon and Jordan all at once, hear gunfire in the distance. and heard thunderous rounds of gunfire between Al Qaeda and ISIS emanating just across travels to the spiritually joyous state of Rhode Island, and the Shabbat dinner we conducted lessons we learned from Israel the Syrian border.

I next think about standing at the Mamilla Hotel in Jeru- and her proud citizens are firmbelow the West Bank separation salem, the childlike frolicking ly ingrained in all of us.

Does Israel still remain the barrier abutting Bethlehem, we experienced together alongproud land of Milk and Honey? side hundreds and hundreds of wondering what exactly tranInterestingly enough, Herman others in the Dead Sea during spires in the neighborhoods and settlements on the other side of Shabbat and our remarkable also wrote a lyric in that title the “fence” and still remain- closing dinner in the heart of song to the effect that the ing incredulous having learned downtown Jerusalem on Nov. “honey’s kind of sweet, but the milk’s a little sour.” And that at least a dozen Palestinian 14.

At that dinner, each one of maybe that little quip from terrorists are apprehended with weaponry each month at such a our group paid moving tribute 1961 singularly captures the checkpoint. I then think about to the Mission, the life-altering complexity that is the State our group walking happily and effect Israel had upon us, the of Israel and the Middle East worry-free through the streets unbelievably close friendships in 2015. There simply are not, of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, only we had made in one week’s and may never be, any easy to learn about the brutal terror- time and the fact that no one answers. But if you have never ist attacks in Paris the night be- could ever read about Israel traveled to Israel, or have not fore we flew home, and then the in the newspapers with the done so recently, I encourage five heartbreakingly senseless same lens as they did prior to you to do so, and try to answer murders that occurred in Israel participating in the Alliance this question yourself.

Mission. The conversations we JEFFREY SAVIT is president Nov. 19.

Before any more dread and shared with one another, the and CEO of the Jewish Alliance unease overtakes me, my mind joint initiatives we are already of Greater Rhode Island. planning to benefit the entire

6 | November 27, 2015

COMMUNITY

The Jewish Voice

FROM PAGE 1

SUPER SUNDAY family, with engaging events and activities geared for every age.”

Simon agreed, saying, “Community is very important to me and my family. I’m excited and honored to be a part of Super Sunday, with the very essence of this event being to unite and strengthen our community.”

Fundraising comes in many forms – including fitness. The Jewish Community Center Association’s Cycle for Good is coming to the Dwares JCC as JCCs across North America to put a new spin on tzedakah. Join avid cyclists Jacob and Dani Brier – and Jews across the land – on a stationary bike between 9 a.m. and noon to raise money for a good cause. Community members can reserve a bike for $25 per half hour, or sponsor an Alliance staff member. Riders will have a chance to win some great prizes.

Baby-sitting will be available for riders and volunteers who preregister online. Together, the Jewish community will bike its way to success!

Super Sunday will conclude with the One Voice Multi-Cultural Panel and Music Show, starting at 3 p.m. in the Social Hall at the Dwares JCC. “One Voice” is a collaboration of two musical youth groups: the Tel-Aviv Hebrew Scouts Music Group and the Greek Arab Orthodox Scouts Musical Band of

One Voice will perform at Super Sunday.

Jaffa. The show provides audiences with a glimpse of the educational process undergone by both groups, and is a reflection of the complexity of Israeli society. The audience will be entertained by music, as well as a panel discussion with the teens about the differences and simi-

larities of the Arab and Jewish communities. The goal of “One Voice” is to serve as a model for coexistence in their city of Tel Aviv-Jaffa, the country and the world.

Super Sunday also features Day at the J! activities, beginning at 10 a.m. Stop by to watch

Give your child the gift of a lifetime...

the

of

Start a savings plan while your child is young, and we’ll help invest in their future.

Enroll your child starting in grades 3 - 6 and you can give them an Israel experience later on in life.

movies, create crafts, jump in the bounce house and more.

The Patriots game will be available for viewing in the Parenting Center.

Make phone calls, ride a spin bike or simply enjoy the Super Sunday activities. Participation strengthens the Jewish com-

munity in Rhode Island – and around the world.

HILLARY SCHULMAN is a development associate in fi nancial resource development for the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island. Contact her at 401-421-4111, ext. 127.

All you need to know To learn more about Super Sunday and the Jewish Alliance Annual Campaign or to donate online, please visit jewishallianceri.org • To volunteer for Super Sunday, make your gift before Super Sunday or get more information, contact Michele Gallagher at 401-421-4111, ext. 165, or mgallagher@ jewishallianceri.org.

• To volunteer for Cycle for Good, contact Luke Brookner at 401-421-4111, ext. 117, or lbrookner@jewishallianceri.org.

• To learn more about One Voice, contact Larry Katz at 401-421-4111, ext. 179, or lkatz@jewishallianceri.org.

• To learn more about Day at the J! contact Shannon Kochanek at 401-421-4111, ext. 147, or skochanek@ jewishallianceri.org.

A $150 yearly contribution from you, plus a $250 yearly investment from your synagogue and the Jewish Alliance, results in the Gift of Israel.

THERE IS NO BETTER INVESTMENT! Your return is 266% each year on your contribution, but the investment return is even greater on your child’s Jewish identity.

Learn more at jewishallianceri.org, or contact Jana Brenman at jbrenman@jewishallianceri.org or 401.421.4111 ext. 181.

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D’VAR TORAH

thejewishvoice.org

November 27, 2015 |

7

The words we use – even our names – possess vast power Parashat Vayishlakh One of the things I love about the Torah is the humanity of the people portrayed in it. We see believable emotions, ones that we recognize in ourselves, despite the age of the narrative. For RABBI these last few MARK parashiyot (Torah portions) ELBER we are witnessing the annals of Jacob’s life and his personal evolution.

Shakespeare said in “Romeo and Juliet”: “What’s in a name?

A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” No doubt there is a deep truth in this expression, yet the Torah and our tradition in general has another, and very different, perspective on names. In the Torah, a name captures the essence of something or someone. It encapsulates the person.

At the age of 16, having just graduated high school, I spent five weeks in Israel. I remember having a discussion with a stranger in the back of a sherut (a taxi that travels from city to city) about whether people live up to their names – do their names influence how they view themselves and, therefore, how they will live their lives?

Jacob’s Hebrew name, Ya’akov, is used to explain

things about him throughout the text. When he is born, we read that he was named Ya’akov because he was holding on to the “heel” (akev) of Esau (the name Ya’akov and akev share the same three-letter root of ayin, kuf, bet/vet). Later, in Genesis 27:36, after Jacob has gotten Esau’s birthright and also stolen his blessing, Esau connects the root of his brother’s name to a different word, one that means “to deceive” or “supplant.” (It may seem odd that two such different meanings - “heel” and “deceive/supplant” -could stem from the same root, but there are actually two “ayins” in Hebrew, evolving from two “protoSemitic” letters, both of which became “ayin” in Hebrew).

In Vayishlakh, we read about Jacob’s experience the night before he will meet Esau again after a 20-year separation. Jacob spends that night alone, clearly anxious about the encounter.

He had fled his brother’s presence 20 years earlier, fearing for his life after tricking their blind father, Isaac, into giving him the blessing that Isaac had intended for Esau.

Jacob, however, is no longer the same person who ran away two decades before. He is ready to face his brother and return to the land of his birth.

During the night, he has an encounter with a “man” and they wrestle until dawn. The “man” cannot defeat Jacob and, as dawn is about to break, Jacob refuses to let him go until the “man” gives him his blessing.

There are a number of unclear elements in this short passage. When Jacob asks the “man” (who is called an “angel,” malakh, in Hosea 12:5) to bless him before he will release him, the “man” asks Jacob what his name is and says that he will no longer be called Ya’akov, but rather Yisra’el (Israel) because “he has wrestled with God and with humans and has prevailed.”

Then Jacob asks the being his name. He replies by saying, “Why do you ask my name?”

This question is immediately followed by the words “and he blessed him there.” The text is ambiguous. Is the blessing the change of name or does the blessing occur afterward, without being spelled out for us in the text? Also, interestingly, though Jacob’s name has just been changed to Yisra’el, the Torah reverts to referring to him as Jacob immediately afterward.

In the Torah, the change of a name reflects an inner change in a person. Jacob has grown enormously in the 20 years since he fled from his brother.

In fact, immediately after being blessed by this stranger, Jacob names the place in which the encounter occurred P’ni’el because he has encountered the Divine panim el panim (usually translated as “face to face,” but I prefer to translate it “depth to depth” – the root can also mean “depth”) and has survived.

Though Shakespeare wrote “a rose by any other name

PATRICIA RASKIN is a radio producer and talk-show host.

“The Patricia Raskin Show” airs on WPRO. She can be reached at patricia@patriciaraskin.com

MARK ELBER is rabbi of Temple Beth El, in Fall River.

Candle Lighting Times Greater Rhode Island November 27 December 11 December 18 December 25

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positive comments.

The Rambam states in Bava Basra 164b: • Don’t be excessive in your praise of another for this will inevitably lead to mentioning his shortcomings as well.

• Don’t praise someone in front of people who do not like him because you invite them to mention the features they dislike.

I got some help understanding this “positive” side of lashon hara, which also includes not talking about someone unless there is learning involved. So for example, if you mention a person’s legacy, or an achievement that could help someone else, that is constructive. But to gossip about someone, even if it is positive, could be considered lashon hara.

There is a lesson here, at least for me, from both sides of lashon hara: I should think about my words before I speak them, the specific words I use, how I say them, where I say them and to whom.

As the 15th-century Torah commentator Abravanel said: “tefilah b’lo kavana k’guf b’lo neshama” (prayer without kavana is like a body without a soul). The very same words of prayer can be uttered perfunctorily and leave us unmoved, or can totally transport us.

After all, we are called “b’nai Yisra’el” (the children of Israel), those who wrestle with the Divine.

I believe that Jacob’s blessing was not only reflected in the change of his name, but also in the quest to live out the implications of his new name. May we also merit the name of b’nai Yisra’el by striving for a consciousness of the Eternal in the midst of the ephemeral.

g

The two sides of lashon hara

Lashon hara, which means “evil tongue” in Hebrew, is a multifaceted concept.

Speech is considered to be lashon hara if it is true but says something derogatory about a person or party, divulges something not previously known to the public, and/or is not seriously intended to corPATRICIA rect or improve RASKIN a negative situation.

An example is a conversation intentionally meant to defame others, hurting them personally and professionally while doing nothing good or constructive. An exception is allowed when you know that someone could be harmed by another or you have information that would protect someone’s welfare.

Statements that fit this description are considered to be lashon hara regardless of whether they are communicated face-to-face or by letter, telephone or email.

Lashon hara can also include

would smell as sweet,” he clearly knew the potency of language and used it with enormous precision and art. The words we use and how we use them possess vast power.

In the Torah, creation comes about through divine speech.

When Maimonides (following Aristotle) categorizes four levels of existing things (inanimate, vegetative, animal and human), humans are referred to as “speakers.” A mere word or two from our lips can elevate or deflate another person - or ourselves. How we speak to ourselves has a great effect on how we feel and what and how we will do.

Of course, words also possess potential. How we use them, how artfully we string them together, how we invest ourselves in them, what kavana (intention/consciousness) we fill them with, all make a huge difference.

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8 | November 27, 2015

OPINION

The Jewish Voice

Best weapons against hatred?

Bravery, togetherness, inspiration and forgiveness A lot has happened in the world since the last issue of The Jewish Voice. Right around the time our community here was celebrating Shabbat, terrible things were happening in Paris.

The aftermath of those attacks was horrible.

More than 100 killed and severa l hu nd red injured, many s e r iou s ly.

EDITOR Br uta l, horrif ic murders and assaults.

FRAN While most OSTENDORF of the attackers are dead, the search continues across Europe for those who likely aided them.

As I write this, I’m hoping the concerns about more attacks here, in Belgium and elsewhere prove to be unfounded or are defeated by authorities.

Living in fear is an awful thing. It can affect people and societies in ways we may not even be aware of. It can distort our view of the world and each other and foster ever more hatred.

We think about those who live with those daily worries in Israel where almost every day brings new reports of terrorist attacks like the one that took the life of Ezra Schwartz, the teenager from Sharon, Massachusetts, spending a gap year in Israel, when he become the victim of a terrorist’s bullet.

We are lucky to have relatively few such worries here in the U.S. It is startling to see Belgium deploy a military response to the threats. Subways are shut down. Schools have closed. I would hate to see us ever reach those levels here.

There are those who have tried to capitalize on this fear

and uncertainty by advocating their own agendas of hate and distrust. Is the answer to all this hate-based violence really hate and mistrust in another form?

It’s up to each of us to decide.

During this season of thanks, I prefer to focus on the reactions of some of the victims who showed stunning strength in the wake of the Paris attacks. Some of their stories are particularly touching and inspirational.

There was the husband of a Paris attack victim who sent a defiant message to ISIS: “I will not grant you the gift of my hatred,” is what Antoine Leiris wrote in a Facebook post three days after the attacks. His wife Helene was killed at the Bataclan concert hall. As of Nov. 16, 35,000 people had shared his post.

And the video of Angel Le comforting his young son who worried about the guns.

“They have guns, but we have flowers,” he tells the boy. He explains that the flowers will protect against the guns and the candles will help make sure that nobody is forgotten.

His son then responded that he feels safer now.

Instead of fear and hostility, I hope the end result of all this is that more people are inspired by those who took the opportunity to turn the violence into something pure and genuine and forgiving.

Let’s keep our focus on those messages because these people are rising as role models in the face of grief and hatred.

As you light Shabbat candles and the candles at Hanukkah, let’s hope that the lights we share spread around the world to counter hate, violence, bigotry and fear. As all the candles we light in the coming weeks burn brightly together, let them help us realize we are all stronger together as well.

Dear Members, good friends and the Jewish community The synagogue is updating yahrzeit notices. This is a complimentary service of the Congregation Sons of Jacob. If you would like to be notified

by post card one week before the yahrzeit date, please call the synagogue at 401-274-5260, write to 24 Douglas Ave., Providence, R.I. 02908, or e-mail congsons@hotmail.com with the following:

Religion and violence I am not a subscriber to The Wall Street Journal; so I was somewhat surprised to find a copy of this paper’s Oct. 3-4 weekend Review section lying at the door to my condo late one Saturday evening.

After a quick glance at the front-page headline, I understood why IT SEEMS my neighbor had left it for TO ME me: “Swords Into PlowRABBI JIM shares,” followed by “IsROSENBERG lamic State’s creed embodies evil in the name of a sacred cause. To defeat it, we must recover the values that can bring Jews, Christians and Muslims together.” The author of the essay beneath the headline is Jonathan Sacks, former chief rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of British Commonwealth and author of the recently published “Not in God’s Name: Confronting Religious Violence” (Schocken, 2015).

In his essay, adapted from his new book, Sacks addresses a most troubling, most frightening phenomenon that we in the West are now forced to face: “the elemental, world-shaking power of religion when hijacked by politics.”

Sacks takes the position that the secular West should not have been blindsided by the widespread resurgence of religion, for failed secular revolutions almost invariably breed religious counterrevolutions.

From Sacks’ perspective, while modern science, technology, markets and the liberal democratic state have provided us with unprecedented material abundance and personal freedom, “[w]hat the secularists forgot is that Homo sapiens is a meaning-seeking animal;” for meaning, people turn to religion or to “the great modern substitutes for religion – nation, race, political ideology,” which for the most part have been exposed as gods that failed. What has turned out to be so problematic is that the religious

counterrevolution has featured religion “at its most adversarial and aggressive” in sharp distinction from “the gentle, quietist and ecumenical form that we in the West have increasingly come to expect.”

A few paragraphs into his essay, Sacks lists three commonly held views concerning the relationship between religion and violence: 1) “Religion is the major source of violence...”

2) “Religion is not a source of violence...” 3) “We are for peace.

They are for war.”

Sacks comments, “None of these are true.” While such a terse statement could be applied to all of the world’s religions, I will limit my comments to the three major religions of the West. Any careful investigation of the founding texts and the subsequent development of Judaism, Christianity and Islam will demonstrate that the interplay between religion and violence is exceedingly complex. Thus, the Crusades of the Middle Ages would seem to offer proof positive that Christianity is inexorably entangled with violence.

Nevertheless, undeniably pacifistic notes are sounded within the Gospels and continue to sound throughout the ages; consider, if you will, St. Francis of Assisi. Similarly, despite the fact that politicized radical Islam is a clear and present danger to world peace, a strong historical case can be made that ISIS is an aberration and that in other circumstances, Islam has served as an agent of tolerance. Broadening this perspective, Sacks cites Charles Phillips’ and Alan Axelrod’s survey of 1,800 conflicts, which found that “less than 10% involved religion.”

If religion is not now and has not been the major source of violence in our world, one cannot deny that all major religions have contributed at one time or another to violent conflict. We cannot pretend that the Crusades never happened, nor can we close our eyes to the unspeakably barbaric acts carried out by ISIS in the name of Islam.

What further complicates our attempt to understand the relationship between religion and

Call for yahrzeit notices

OUR MISSION The mission of The Jewish Voice is to communicate Jewish news, ideas and ideals by connecting and giving voice to the diverse views of the Jewish community in Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts, while adhering to Jewish values and the professional standards of journalism.

Your beloved’s English name(s).

Your beloved’s Hebrew name(s) (if possible).

The father’s English name, and Hebrew name if possible.

English month and date of

passing.

Hebrew month and date of passing, if possible.

Relationship.

A healthy, peaceful, and prosperous New Year 5776 and 2016, and beyond, to you and

violence is that we tend to read the foundational documents of our respective religions – our TANAKH (the Hebrew Bible), the New Testament, the Quran – in a most selective, even selfserving way. Whether we are Jewish or Christian or Muslim, we choose those verses from our sacred texts that best support our particular point of view.

Let me limit myself to but one example from our TANAKH: Those of us who want to stress the pacifist streams of Jewish tradition are quick to cite Isaiah, “And they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks.” (2.4) We conveniently forget that the prophet Joel proclaims, “Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears.” (4.10) The three world religions that see Abraham as their father possess elements which emphasize peace, tolerance and mutual respect. Unfortunately, it is not difficult to find elements within the Jewish, Christian and Islamic traditions which call for violence, intolerance and hatred of the “other.” Depending upon one’s point of view, we can create out of our traditions either “good” religion or “bad” religion. It seems to me that the collective task of our Jewish community is to work to create those forms of Judaism which foster peace and tolerance and mutual respect – forms of religion which continue to draw upon our past while remaining responsive to the particular needs of our quasi-secularized West.

My talented younger colleague, Jonathan Blake, senior rabbi at Westchester Reform Congregation in New York, has on more than one occasion expressed the core idea of Sacks’ essay by stating that the antidote to bad religion is not no religion; rather, the antidote to bad religion is good religion.

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

yours. Peace and security in Israel! Listen for the footsteps of Moshiach!

Harold Silverman President Congregation Sons of Jacob Providence, R.I.

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).

thejewishvoice.org

OPINION

November 27, 2015 |

9

Fear should not drive thoughtful decision-making

BY NOEL RUBINTON

Fear often causes the hand to close up tight.

That, sadly, has been the reaction of many in the United States, including in Congress, in the aftermath of recent deadly terrorist attacks in Paris, Beirut and Mali. A discussion about how much more America should do to resettle Syrian refugees has quickly morphed into one about what can be done to bar the door.

More than 11 million Syrians have fled their homes because of a brutal civil war. That would be like all the people in Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Massachusetts left without a home or regular life.

The United States has taken only an infinitesimal role in resettling Syrians, admitting about 2,000. President Obama proposed that the number increase to 10,000 in the next year, and some argue for more. The way it looks now, getting to the next 100, not to mention the next

10,000, will be quite a feat.

Many in this country, including a majority of the U.S. House of Representatives and governors last week, have said they want to make it harder for Syrians to get here, for fear terrorists will sneak in among them. They want to make a process that is already extremely careful – with up to 20 steps that can take two years – more restrictive.

Fortunately, others, including many from the Jewish community locally and nationally, are standing up and saying America has a responsibility to help the refugees.

Jews, even as a small part of the population, for many, many generations have a record of helping and welcoming those facing persecution and distress.

Perhaps it is the long, difficult experience as “other” that has given Jews this natural inclination and empathy. The Torah and other parts of Jewish tradition are filled with exhortations

to welcome ‘the stranger,’ whether Jew or non-Jew. Last Shabbat morning, U.S. Rep. David Cicilline and Sen. Gayle Goldin were invited to speak during services at Temple

“The Torah and other parts of Jewish tradition are filled with exhortations to welcome ‘the stranger,’ whether Jew or non-Jew.” Emanu-El in Providence, and they added useful perspective.

Cicilline pointed out how effective the screening process for refugees is already. It is not a process that needs fixing, he said.

Goldin, who lost members of her family in the Holocaust, warned that some of the same ar-

guments are being made against accepting Syrian refugees that were used during the 1930s to stop Jews who wanted urgently to leave Germany – concerns they would be safety risks in their new lands, including the United States.

The plight of Syrian refugees is difficult, yet there is much that can be done to aid their cause, including making it possible for some to find new lives in the United States, perhaps even in Rhode Island: • Supporting political and government officials who have taken the side of assisting refugees.

In Rhode Island, in contrast to more than half the nation’s governors, Gina Raimondo has said she would welcome more Syrians. Cicilline voted against legislation to make it harder for Syrian refugees to get into the United States, while U.S. Rep. James Langevin supported it.

• The Jewish Coalition for Disaster Relief, coordinated by

the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) and including dozens of other North American Jewish groups, is raising and allocating funds to help Syrians.

• Many Jewish organizations, HIAS prominent among them, are working to convince President Obama and others to allow more Syrian refugees, safely and with all the proper checks, to come to the United States.

• Much refugee resettlement in this country is handled by faith-based organizations, so synagogues could have the opportunity to sponsor individuals or families.

The world has many problems.

The events of recent weeks show again that groups such as ISIS can be ignored only at great peril. Care must be taken. But closed hands cannot be the only solution.

NOEL RUBINTON is a consultant and writer based in Providence.

Mission offers Rhode Islanders a glimpse of Israel

BY MARTY COOPER mcooper@jewishallianceri.org It has been more than 10 years since the last Community Relations Council (CRC) sponsored mission to Israel with Rhode Island community leaders.

In November that drought ended when the CRC and the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island hosted a mission that included 13 high-profile Rhode Islanders. Its purpose was to provide an opportunity for participants to have a wide-ranging Israel experience so they could develop their own opinions about the country and share concerns with us.

Home to Christianity, Islam

and Judaism, Israel is the size of New Jersey, so it is not too hard to travel through much of the country. It is a diverse state, with multiple political parties representing various demographic groups and political philosophies, often making it difficult to form a coalition that could meet the needs of its citizens, let alone satisfy international opinion.

Only by visiting Israel do we even begin to understand Israel.

Tel Aviv is large, booming metropolis on the Mediterranean that has a New York City image.

Jerusalem is a holy city, home to three great religions. The Sea of Galilee region is rich in biblical history with small towns

throughout the region. The Golan Heights region overlooks Syria and parts of Lebanon, and offers Israel a strategic military position as well as an agricultural and commercial economy.

It does not take long for visitors to Israel to see a country where security is an everyday concern.

Members of the Israel Defense Force (IDF) are on patrol almost everywhere with their guns at the ready in case of an attack on innocent civilians and tourists.

During our short visit to the Golan Heights, we heard gunfire from Syria only 3-5 miles away.

ISIS was fighting al-Qaida and the Syrian government for control of a small border city. Jets

also roared over our heads as Israeli reconnaissance has become a fact of life.

At the same time, there is a sense of calm and security felt not only by the Israelis but also by the tourists. While we were told, for instance, by our guide and guard not to shop on our own and not to shop in specified areas, many of us did anyway, as we felt safe.

From our visit to Independence Hall, where David BenGurion declared Israel’s independence in 1948, to a talk with the creator of the security fence and a visit to a school for wayward children, as well as a meeting with a member of the Knes-

set, we learned firsthand Israel’s challenges as a country long in history and deep in political controversy.

My takeaway from the mission was that the people of Israel look forward to the day when everyone – Jew, Christian and Muslim alike – can live in peace. Perhaps the architect and engineer of the security fence said it best: “I look forward to the day when the security fence and the wall is taken down and people will be able to travel from one place to another peacefully.”

MARTY COOPER is the Community Relations Director for the Jewish Alliance.

Why no Facebook filter in solidarity with Israeli victims?

BY JORDANA HORN SHORT HILLS, N.J. (JTA) – “Show your support for the people of Paris by temporarily updating your profile picture with this new template we created,” read the Facebook-sponsored text promoted not 24 hours after last week’s terror attacks in Paris. The social media giant invited users to overlay their profile picture with the blue, white and red colors of the French flag.

Within hours, my Facebook feed became awash in those colors, as wellmeaning friends painted their virtual faces in solidarity with #TeamFrance.

But what did that solidarity really prove, or mean?

Certainly it’s an uncomfortable truth of our virtual existence that the colors of our profile pictures – whether they are all the shades of the rainbow in solidarity with the legalization of gay marriage or the French tricolor – matter very little to anyone, possibly even including ourselves.

As Lulu Nunn wrote in The Independent, “Paint-by-numbers solidarity when it’s foisted on you by one of the

most powerful companies in the world is simply not the way to help a traumatised nation in shock after murder.”

But, more than that, there is a certain question that rises with the Facebook flag filter: Why did Facebook present the flag filter as an option on behalf of the French, yet it does not do so on behalf of the citizens of other countries plagued

by Islamic terror – including, not so hypothetically, Israel?

I’m an identifying Jew who counts among my friends Jewish clergy, members of the media, educators and writers. I have many people in my feed who convey their solidarity with the people of Israel on a near-daily basis. And yet it is incredibly rare that I see a nonJewish person in my feed posting anything along the lines of “My God – that’s horrible” in the wake of the most recent stabbing, shooting or car-ramming terror attack in Israel, even when it’s particularly unconscionable.

Why is that? Is it because people fear that expressing the arguably uncontroversial viewpoint of “People shouldn’t be hacked to death with axes while

they’re at prayer” is to take a highly partisan step into the incomprehensibly deep, thick swamp of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict? Or is it because Jews are murdered so frequently in Israel that it just isn’t as shocking as Parisians being murdered in a music hall?

And yet, here was my feed over the weekend filtered through the French flag. It wasn’t that I didn’t think it was a nice gesture, even if it was only a gesture; it was that I found myself discomfited by its implications.

It got me wondering why some acts of terror are deemed “worse” than others?

Is it the body count? Is it the picturesque setting in which they are conducted?

Whose blood, as the sages would ask, is redder? These comparisons, surely, are incredibly odious – and yet, with the institutionalized approval of the flag filter, it seemed that someone had deemed this attack sadder, or worse, than others, whether in Israel or Beirut or Nigeria.

It is not.

“It’s a dismaying and damaging truth that Westerners care about and empathise with images of white-skinned

women grieving in Topshop bobble hats far more than brown-skinned women grieving in niqabs and, when you lend your voice to Euro-centric campaigns such as Facebook’s flag filter, you exacerbate this,” Nunn wrote in her piece.

“When we buy into such easy corporate public mourning, we uphold white supremacy. We’re essentially saying that white, Western lives matter more than others.”

Regardless, painting our faces in whatever colors is never an acceptable standin for discourse and debate – though it seems to naturally follow for a generation that believes that an emoji is enough to convey an emotion. Reducing ideas and ideology to the lowest common denominator, history shows us, doesn’t end well. We have all the tools available to us to conduct a powerful, international conversation – it’s not enough just to use it to paint on walls.

JORDANA HORN is a contributing editor to Kveller.com. She is a journalist, lawyer, mother of six and a former New York correspondent for The Jerusalem Post.

10 | November 27, 2015

Ongoing

CALENDAR

The Jewish Voice

Tuesday | December 8

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.

Temple Torat Yisrael’s Lunch and Learn with Rabbi Philmus! Noon. T’s Restaurant. Each participant orders from the menu and the group studies Jewish sources addressing current issues. Everyone is welcome, bring a friend! 5600 Post Road, East Greenwich.

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

Temple Sinai, 30 Hagen Ave., Cranston.

11:15 a.m. program; Noon lunch. $3 lunch donation from individuals 60+ or under 60 with disabilities. Steve, 401743-0009.

Hanukkah at Cranston City Hall. 5 p.m. Menorah lighting, arts and crafts, hot latkes and more. 869 Park Ave., Cranston.

Through | January 7 Three Artists, 30 Works. Gallery at Temple Habonim features Joan Boghossian, Eileen Horwitz and Elizabeth Bonner Zimmerman. Hours are Wednesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m, Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and by appointment. 165 New Meadow Road, Barrington. For information, call 401-245-6536. gallery@templehabonim.org.

Sunday | November 29 Ocean State Clarinet group. 2 p.m.

Temple Sinai. This group, which includes 8-10 musicians playing clarinets of all sizes, will perform light classical music.

Free and open to the public. 30 Hagen Ave., Cranston.

Thursday | December 3 Hope Street Holiday Stroll. 4-8 p.m.

Welcome the holiday season with the Hope Street Merchants Association. The street will be filled with live music, food trucks, holiday activities for kids, and so much more. Hope Street (between Rochambeau Ave. and 5th St.), Providence. For more information, contact Wendy Joering at 401-421-4111, ext.

169 or wjoering@jewishallianceri.org.

Sunday | December 6 Children’s Gala and Pre-Hanukkah Pizza Party. Dreidel tournaments, arts & crafts, decorate your own Hanukkah window decal, raffles and prizes.

Noon. Chabad House, 360 Hope St., Providence.

Grand Hanukkah Event at Warwick Mall.

4 p.m. Jewish music by Stan Freedman and Sounds of Simcha; arts and crafts; Hanukkah supplies for sale; Gift shop; Lighting of giant balloon menorah; latkes and gelt. Sponsored by Chabad of West Bay and Warwick Mall. Information, call 401-884-7888, or rabbiwarwick.com.

Wednesday | December 9 Hanukkah at Pawtuxet Park. 7-7:30 p.m.

Menorah lighting, Hanukkah songs, hot latkes, and gelt. Narragansett Parkway and Post Road, Warwick.

Hanukkah Evening for Women. 7:30 p.m.

Hanukkah songs, hot latkes and gelt.

Chabad of West Bay, 3871 Post Road, Warwick.

Thursday | December 10 Hanukkah Candle Lighting Ceremony.

Gov. Gina Raimondo and other state officials will light the candles inside the State House. 7 p.m. Rhode Island State House.

Vodka Latke 2015. Breaktime Bowl and Bar. Join us for a throwback-Thursdaystyle Hanukkah party at Breaktime Bowl. Spare some time to grab a drink, strike up some fun with your fellow (401)j-er’s, and let the good times roll at our annual Hanukkah party! $15 in advance | $18 at the door. Fee includes entrance, 1 drink, light hors d’oeuvres, and unlimited bowling for the night. 7 p.m. 999 Main Street, Suite 1330 (3rd floor), Pawtucket. For more information or to RSVP, contact Erin Moseley at 401-421-4111, ext. 108, or emoseley@jewishallianceri.org.

Friday | December 11 PJ Library Storytime with Bubbie Sara.

Join us for a storytime, with PJ Library books, songs and movement, crafts and snack. All children ages 5 and under are welcome. 10-11 a.m. Dwares JCC. For more information, contact Sara Foster at 401-421-4111, ext. 184.

Kosher Senior Café Hanukkah Party. 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Temple Emanu-El. Festive holiday meal and music by Stanley Freedman. 99 Taft Ave., Providence.

Friday Night Live Honors New Members and Celebrates Hanukkah. 6 p.m.

Friday Night Live is a musical celebration of Shabbat with a chicken dinner to follow. Cost: Adults and Children over

Lighting the Hanukkah candles at the State House in the past.

12 years of age/$20, Children 12 years and younger/Free, Family max. $60.

Temple Torat Yisrael, 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich. 401-885-6600, RSVP to Torat Yisrael office at 401885-6600 toratyisrael.org Hanukkah Shabbat- Shireinu. The community chorus, will participate during the services. Temple Sinai, 30 Hagen Ave., Cranston

Saturday | December 12 Grand Chabad Hanukkah Café. Attorney Jeffrey Gladstone will speak on “How to Ensure a Secure Israel.” Latkes. 7:30 p.m. Chabad House, 360 Hope St., Providence.

Sunday | December 13 Hanukkah Entertainment. 10 a.m.

Shireinu, Temple Sinai’s community chorus, will entertain the residents of the Greenwich Farms assisted living facility with Hanukkah songs as well as other songs that the residents enjoy.

Greenwich Farms is located at 75 Minnesota Ave., in Warwick.

Hanukkah Teen Bowl. 4:30 p.m. Kingstown Bowl, 6125 Post Road, North Kingstown. Hanukkah songs, latkes and pizza. RSVP to 401-884-7888.

Super Sunday. 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Dwares JCC. A super-sized day full of philan-

All about water Seth M. Siegel, best-selling author of “Let There Be Water: Israel’s Solution for a Water-Starved World,” spoke Nov. 18 at Brown University, at an event organized by Jewish National Fund (JNF) and Brown Students for Israel.

Newly published “Let There Be Water” is a New York Times bestseller that details the ways in which Israel has revolutionized water-saving technologies and can serve as a model for other nations facing water shortages. Siegel spoke on Israel’s solutions to its water crisis, JNF’s contributions to Israel’s water management and conservation accomplishments and how collaboration on water systems can prompt greater diplomacy and integration.

PHOTOS | JNF

thropy, fitness, and fun! Join friends and family at Super Sunday, and raise money to support, inspire and care for Jewish Rhode Island and beyond.

Here’s how you can get involved: PHILANTHROPY (9 a.m. – 3 p.m.): Volunteer to make calls with us. Can’t volunteer? Answer the call! Questions?

Contact Hillary Schulman at hschulman@jewishallianceri.org. FITNESS (9 a.m.-12 p.m.): We’re putting a new spin on tzedakah with Cycle-for-Good! For more information about Cycle-for-Good or to register, contact Luke Brookner at lbrookner@jewishallianceri.org. FUN: Includes “One Voice Multi-Cultural Panel & Music Show” (3-4:30 p.m.) and Dayat-the-J! activities (starting at 10 a.m.).

For more information about “One Voice,” contact Larry Katz at lkatz@jewishallianceri.org.

Tuesday | December 15 PJ Library Storytime with Bubbie Sara.

Join us for a storytime, with PJ Library books, songs and movement, crafts and snack. All children ages 5 and under are welcome. 3-4 p.m. Dwares JCC. For more information, contact Sara Foster at 401-421-4111, ext. 184.

Wednesday | December 16 Exploring the Arts: Quilling Workshop.

Discover the art of quilling (the coiling

and shaping of narrow paper strips to create a design) with local artist Naomi Lipsky, and learn how to shape paper strips into a vast variety of designs. This class will feature multiple designs for both the beginner and those with basic quilling knowledge. Ages: 18+. Price (includes all supplies): Members $18 | Non-Members $25. Pre-registration required. Enrollment limited to 15. 6-9 p.m. Dwares JCC. For more information or to register, contact Erin Moseley at 401-421-4111, ext. 108 or emoseley@jewishallianceri.org.

Saturday | December 19 Kids’ Night Out: Glow in the Dark. 5-10 p.m. Dwares JCC. Kids’ Night Out is a chance for children to spend the evening with their friends in a fun and safe environment. Kids’ Night Out runs once a month on Saturday evenings.

Each month, children will be entertained with a variety of themed activities ranging from sports, crafts, swimming and more. A pizza dinner and snacks will be served, and the evening will end with a movie. This is also a great opportunity for parents to have a night out “kid free!” Ages: 5–12. Price: $35 | Members: $25 | Siblings: $15. For more information or to register, contact Shannon Kochanek at 401-421-4111, ext. 147.

thejewishvoice.org

FOOD

November 27, 2015 |

11

Pigeon, chicken soup chips and other new Kosher debuts

BY URIEL HEILMAN SECAUCUS, N.J. (JTA) – Walking around the exhibitors’ hall at Kosherfest, the annual Kosher food trade show, is like finding yourself at the most intense synagogue Kiddush reception you could ever imagine.

There’s plenty of food of every kind, loads of people and, everywhere you turn, someone is elbowing you in the gut. Most attendees come for business – food company representatives, grocers, institutional cooks – but more than a few consumers come to taste the free samples.

I went to the confab to see what was new in the kosher food world. Here’s what I found:

They call it squab, I call it pigeon

Think chicken, only much, smaller. The drumstick is about the size of an adult pinky finger, and there’s not much meat on the bone. It’s squab – known in the common vernacular as pigeon.

It’s not bad: With a creamier texture than chicken, squab meat tastes like a cross between dark-meat chicken and liver.

It’s the latest offering from Pelleh Poultry, a New Yorkbased company that sells such poultry delicacies as gizzards and chicken feet along with less exotic varieties of duck and turkey (Pelleh is Hebrew for wondrous). “This is not

something that’s going to be your everyday food,” Pelleh CEO Eliezer Franklin told JTA. “If you like patchkeing and getting something very good,” he said, using the Yiddish term for fussing, “I debone it, brine it, and you can serve it as an appetizer at a party.”

Among Pelleh’s other new offerings are rendered duck fat, duck fry (which they call duck bacon) and duck sausage.

Empire eliminating nitrates

Change is coming to Empire Kosher, the nation’s largest poultry producer, following its sale last March to Hain Celestial, an organic and natural foods company.

Empire products are getting a fresh look and logo. More notably, nitrates – the preservative that some scientific research has linked to cancer – are being eliminated from its deli products.

The company’s new deli line will be all natural, which means no antibiotics for the animals that after processing become chicken and turkey breast slices, bologna, pastrami, salami and hot dogs. Instead, Empire will use high-pressure pasteurization methods to preserve its deli meats, which will have a shelf life of 60-90 days. The deli packaging is being changed from the

oversized box to a smaller, resealable vacuum-packed bag.

“We believe there’s a great desire from our consumers for clean-label products, and we want to be the leader,” Empire CEO Jeff Brown told JTA.

Welch’s Kosher for Passover

In the Kosher grape juice market, Kedem by the Royal Wine Corp. rules supreme. It’s practically the only grape juice found in the Kosher aisles at supermarkets – and even at Kosher grocers.

But Welch’s, which controls a majority of the non-Kosher U.S. grape juice market, is muscling its way in with the launch of a jointly branded Welch’sManischewitz Kosher-for-Passover grape juice. Slated to debut in January, Welch’s new 100 percent grape juice will also be Kosher for year-round use, including for sacramental purposes like Kiddush and havdalah. (The Orthodox Union is the certifier.)

Though Welch’s regular grape juice will not carry Kosher certification and its new line is being targeted at the Kosher-for-Passover market, those bottles may find buyers throughout the year.

“We will be price competitive, and based on the quality of Welch’s and the fact that it’s made without anything artificially added to it, we think it’s going to be the best value to the Jewish consumer,” Manischewitz CEO David Sugarman told JTA.

Chicken soup potato chips

Chicken soup occupies an exalted place in the Jewish diet.

It’s been described as Jewish penicillin, it’s a staple of Shabbat dinner – but it’s got no crunch.

Enter the chicken soup-flavored potato chip.

Ten Acre, a U.K.-based company, is the brains behind this creation and another unusual flavor: pastrami-flavored crisps (officially called Pastrami in the Rye). But don’t be fooled: These chips are meat free (and dairy free, for that matter). Other flavors in the Ten Acre line include the slightly more prosaic hickory barbecue, Bombay spice, sweet chili, and cheese and onion, among others. All are certified by the Orthodox Union.

Chicken in a can

Ever bitten into a tuna sandwich and thought: “Oh, if only this were canned chicken, not albacore?” Well, wish no longer: Kosher canned chicken is here!

“Fifteen years ago I noticed people were eating a lot of tuna, but the only way to have chicken was to prepare it yourself,” said David Levine, president of Choice Yield, the California company manufacturing canned chicken under the label Noah’s Kosher Kitchen. “I thought this would be really convenient for people.”

Why would anyone want canned chicken? Levine’s reasons: You can take it on a road trip, pack it for the park, use it in institutions like schools, and you don’t have to worry about cook-

ing the chicken, making space for it in your fridge or worrying about it going bad. And it’s Kosher for Passover.

The cans, which contain fully-cooked chunk white meat packed in water, look like tuna cans except for the label. (Don’t confuse them with Chicken of the Sea, which in fact is tuna.)

The just-launched product is not yet available in stores.

Kosher bacon?

With bacon all the rage (didn’t you know?), kosher consumers are eager for a taste of this forbidden food. Imitation bacon bits – just don’t cut it.

Welcome to the world of Kosher meat disguised as bacon. It sort of looks like bacon, its taste may evoke bacon, it often can be prepared like bacon, but guess what? It’s still not bacon. It is pretty good, though.

Pelleh Poultry’s duck fry is called duck bacon because, Pelleh’s CEO says, “it’s friable, it’s fatty and it gets crispy.”

Jack’s Gourmet, a 5-year-old Brooklyn-based company that does wonders with sausages (nitrate free!), says its most popular product is its glatt Kosher “facon.” Like bacon, the beef is dry cured and well salted, giving it bacon’s texture and flavor, says CEO Jack Silberstein.

How would he know? “I wasn’t always kosher,” he whispers with a smile.

Jack’s new barbecue pulled beef brisket was among the winners of Kosherfest 2015’s best new product award.

12 | November 27, 2015

FOOD

The Jewish Voice

Refresh your Hanukkah dessert table with pastry chef Paula Shoyer JNS.ORG –It is a truth universally acknowledged that… we can never get tired of Hanukkah latkes and sufganiyot (deep-fried jelly doughnuts). But there’s no harm in adding some culinary variety to this year’s Festival of Lights. Pastry chef Paula Shoyer offers a doughnut recipe with a twist, courtesy of her “The Holiday Kosher Baker” (Sterling Epicure, November 2013).

Vanilla Doughnut Holes

(nut free & pareve) Doughnuts and potato latkes are the most traditional Hanukkah foods. Like latkes, doughnuts are best eaten the day they are made, but even on the second day you can get good results by re-heating them. To make doughnuts look festive, roll them in colored sugar.

Servings: 50

Ingredients:

1/4 ounce (1 envelope; 7g) dry yeast 1/4 cup (60ml) warm water 1/2 cup (100g) plus 1 teaspoon sugar, divided 1/2 cup (120ml) soy milk 2 tablespoons (28g) margarine, at room temperature for at least 15 minutes 1 large egg 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 1/4 – 2 1/2 cups (280–315g) all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting 1/2 cup (100g) plain or colored sugar for dusting doughnuts Canola oil for frying

Directions:

In a large bowl, place the yeast, warm water and one teaspoon of the sugar and stir. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes, or until thick.

Add the remaining sugar, soy milk, margarine, egg, vanilla, salt and 1 1/2 cups (190g) flour and mix – either with a wooden spoon or with a dough hook in a stand mixer – on low speed. Add 1/2 cup (65g) more flour and mix in. Add 1/4 (30g) cup flour and mix in. If the dough remains sticky, add more flour, a tablespoon at a time,

until the dough becomes smooth.

Cover the bowl with a clean dishtowel and let the dough rise for one hour in a warm place. I use a warming drawer (see note below) on a low setting (about 200°F/90°C), or you can turn your oven on to its lowest setting, place the bowl in the oven and then turn off the oven.

After one hour, punch down the dough by folding it over a few times and reshaping it into a ball. Re-cover the dough and let it rise for 10 minutes.

Dust a cookie sheet with flour. Sprinkle some flour on the counter or on parchment paper and use a rolling pin to roll the dough out until it’s about 1/2-inch (1.25cm) thick. Using a small round cookie cutter about 1 to 1 1/2 inches (2.5 to 4cm) in diameter, cut out small circles

very close to each other, and place them on the cookie sheet. Re-roll any scraps. Cover the doughnuts with the towel. Place the cookie sheet back in the oven (warm but turned off ) or warming drawer. Let the doughnuts rise for 30 minutes.

Heat 1 1/2 inches (4cm) of oil in a medium saucepan for a few minutes and use a candy thermometer to see when the oil stays between 365 degrees F and 375 degrees F (185°C to 190°C); adjust the flame to keep the oil in that temperature range. Cover a cookie sheet with foil. Place a wire rack on top of the cookie sheet and set it near the stovetop.

When the oil is ready, add the doughnut holes to the oil one at a time, top-side down, putting an edge in first and then sliding in the rest of the doughnut; if you drop the doughnuts into the pan an inch or higher from the oil it can splatter and burn your fingers. You can fry up to eight doughnut holes at a time. Cook for 45-60 seconds.

Use tongs or chopsticks to turn the doughnut holes over and cook them another 45-60 seconds, or until golden.

Lift with a slotted spoon and place on the wire rack to cool. Repeat with the remaining doughnuts.

Place the sugar in a shallow bowl and roll the doughnut holes in the sugar to coat. Store covered at room temperature for up to one day and re-heat to serve.

Note: A warming drawer can be built right into your kitchen cabinet. It is ideal for keeping cooked food hot, warming plates, and even proofing bread dough.

PAULA SHOYER, a mother of four, believes that a healthy kosher diet can include desserts…if they are homemade. A former attorney, she graduated from the Ritz Escoffier pastry program in Paris, and now teaches French and Jewish baking classes across the country and around the world. She is the author of “The Kosher Baker: Over 160 Dairy-Free Recipes from Traditional to Trendy,” “The Holiday Kosher Baker,” and “The New Passover Menu.” She is a contributing editor to several kosher websites such as kosherscoop.com and jewishfoodexperience.com, magazines such as “Joy of Kosher,” “Whisk,” and “Hadassah,” and writes for the Washington Post. She lives in Chevy Chase, Md.

SAVE ON YOUR

CHANUKAH CELEBRATION 5

$ 99

Empire Fresh Kosher Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts Kedem Apple Juice

Large Size, Great for Latkes, Roasting or Mashing, 5 lb. bag

Kedem Grape Juice

Selected Varieties, 64 fl. oz. btl.

4

6

4

3/$

Gefen Chestnuts 5.2 oz. pkg.

/ea.

4

44 ct. pkg.

Schick’s Chanukah Cookies While Supplies Last, 8 oz. pkg.

1

5

2/$

5

Paskesz or Liebers Draidel

/ea.

2 oz. pkg.

4.2 oz. pkg.

5/$

4

$ 49

Barton’s Million Dollar Bar

Kedem Tea Biscuits

6

Streits Candle

/ea.

Previously Frozen, 4 oz. pkg.

2/$

2/$

4

$ 99

Acme Smoked Nova Salmon

Selected Varieties, 25.4 oz. btl.

2/$

Manischewitz Potato Pancake Mix

3

$ 49 Kedem Sparkling Juice

Selected Varieties, 64 fl. oz. btl.

2/$

6 oz. pkg.

/lb.

Yellow Potatoes

5/$

5

5/$

Lipton Soup Mixes Selected Varieties, 1.9–2.4 oz. pkg.

4

2/$

Use your card and save on items on this page. We sell both kosher and non-kosher foods. Some items not available in some stores. While supplies last. Prices valid November 20–December 17, 2015.

FOOD

thejewishvoice.org

November 27, 2015 |

13

For Hanukkah, breakfast latkes 2 ways

BY SHANNON SARNA JTA – I fi rst tasted latkes for brunch at a trendy eatery on the Lower East Side about six years ago. Since then, I’ve seen them across the country on brunch menus everywhere from diners to Michelin Star restaurants.

Latkes – or potato pancakes, as they’re known to non-Jews – are comfort food that provide the perfect base to any number of savory toppings, but especially a runny egg or salty, fatty smoked salmon.

After all, a latke is very similar to hash browns, a quintessential breakfast food.

It’s traditional to eat fried foods like latkes during Hanukkah, celebrating the miracle of the oil lasting for eight nights. And who doesn’t love a holiday that encourages enjoyment of a little extra oil?

These breakfast latkes take the best of a classic and add a fun, American twist that screams brunch party.

Here I offer two options: one dairy and one meat. If you keep kosher but want to serve both at a single meal, you could leave out the corned beef from the second latke and just top classic latkes with some fried or poached eggs.

If you want to be really indulgent, you could whip up some buttery Hollandaise sauce – you’ll have your guests raving for months.

Everything Bagel Latkes with Dill Cream Cheese and Smoked Salmon Yield: 12-15 latkes These latkes are both creamy and savory. Making latkes bite-size makes the experience a little more fun – guests can easily eat the latkes with their fi ngers, and also feel like they can indulge a little more since the portions are small.

For the cream cheese:

6 ounces cream cheese, left at room temperature 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice Salt and pepper to taste

For the everything bagel topping:

1 tablespoon sesame seeds 1 tablespoon poppy seeds 1 tablespoon dried minced garlic 1 tablespoon dried onion 2 teaspoons thick sea salt Thinly sliced smoked salmon Vegetable oil for frying

from

www.GreggsUSA.com E. Providence 438-5700

Ingredients:

Ingredients:

For the latkes: 4 Idaho (Russet) potatoes 1 small-medium onion 3 large garlic cloves 2 eggs 2 to 3 tablespoons flour 2 teaspoons salt 2 ounces goat cheese, left at room temperature

Happy Hanukkah

Providence 831-5700

in these latkes just because you think the meat will be salty – the potatoes still need salt to make these latkes most fl avorful.

Warwick 467-5700

N. Kingstown 294-5700

Directions: Before getting started on the latkes, I advise making the everything bagel topping and the dill cream cheese.

Add softened cream cheese to a bowl and combine with fresh dill, lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Place back in the fridge until ready to serve.

To make the everything bagel topping, mix together the sesame seeds, poppy seeds, dried garlic, dried onion and thick sea salt. Set aside.

Peel and cut potatoes and onions in half. Peel garlic cloves.

Place potatoes, onion and garlic through food processor for a coarse grate (you can also grate coarsely by hand).

Place potato mixture in a large bowl. Add eggs, flour, salt, goat cheese and 2 tablespoons everything bagel topping mix.

Heat vegetable oil in a large saute pan over medium heat.

Form bite-sized mounds of latkes, taking care not to squeeze too much liquid out of the latkes. Fry until golden brown on each side, then place on a wire rack on top of a baking sheet to cool. Immediately sprinkle with a pinch of salt.

When ready to serve, spread thin layer of dill cream cheese on top of each latke. Add smoked salmon on each latke and top with sprinkle of everything bagel topping. Serve while still warm.

Corned Beef Hash Latkes with Fried Eggs

Yield: 12-15 latkes These corned beef hash-inspired latkes work best with thinly shredded corned beef.

If you can purchase a hunk of corned beef, as opposed to sliced, that would be ideal. If not, make sure to heat up the corned beef before shredding it or dicing into very, very tiny cubes.

But don’t skimp on the salt

4 Idaho (Russet) potatoes 1 small-medium onion 2 eggs 2 to 3 tablespoons flour 2 teaspoons salt Shredded corned beef Additional salt Additional eggs Fresh parsley Vegetable oil for frying

Directions:

Peel and cut potatoes and onions in half. Peel garlic cloves.

Place potatoes, onion and garlic through food processor for a coarse grate (you can also grate coarsely by hand).

Place potato mixture in a large bowl. Add eggs, flour, salt and shredded (or diced) corned beef.

Heat vegetable oil in a large saute pan over medium heat.

Form large, fi st-sized mounds of latkes, taking care not to squeeze too much liquid out of the latkes. Fry until golden brown on each side, then place on a wire rack on top of a baking sheet to cool. Immediately sprinkle with a pinch of salt.

Fry or poach eggs to your liking. When ready to serve, place latkes on platter and top with fried or poached eggs.

Top with chopped fresh parsley.

14 | November 27, 2015

HANUKKAH

The Jewish Voice

10 tips for an accessible Hanukkah party

BY JENNIFER LASZLO MIZRAHI and ALIE KRIOFSKE MAINELLA WASHINGTON (JTA) – With Hanukkah on the way, it’s easy to hold a party where all guests – disabled and not – feel welcomed and respected and have fun. All it takes is some planning. Here are some tips to ensure you are being inclusive, thoughtful and welcoming to all.

1. Don’t be afraid. People with disabilities have their disabilities 24/7, so they know how to create workarounds that make them feel comfortable. If you know someone has a disability, use a simple strategy: Ask him/her what he/she needs to be fully included. All too often, people with disabilities are not invited to events or don’t go because they are embarrassed to “put someone out” by asking for a simple accommodation. By telling them their presence is valued and asking what they need, you will build a new level of trust and affection.

One of the biggest things that aging loved ones need is a ride, so help them find a carpool or send Uber to pick them up and return them home.

2. Ask in advance. Not all disabilities are visible. By including a line about accommodations in the invitation’s RSVP, you are letting guests know that everyone is welcome – including those you might not even know have special needs.

It could be as simple as this: “Please let us know if you have dietary restrictions or require other special accommodations to attend. We will do our best to meet special needs.” Note that you aren’t promising to meet all needs. But, for example, if you are unable to find a sign language interpreter, you will be able to let your guests know in advance. Indeed, they may be able to help you find a solution.

3. Ensure physical access.

Religious institutions are exempted from the Americans with Disabilities Act, so many of them are not fully accessible.

If your event is at a venue that is not physically accessible, move it to a place that is. Sometimes that can be as simple as choosing a different room in a synagogue building. Venues should have a ground level entrance or ramp, an elevator if the event is upstairs and accessible bathrooms. Most public places are equipped for people with disabilities. Just check with the venue ahead of time. If you have someone coming who uses a wheelchair, you should also put the menorah on a table low enough for them to reach the candles.

4. Accommodate special diets. You don’t know if guests have allergies, celiac disease or lactose intolerance if you don’t ask on the invitation. Making sure there are food options for everyone can be as simple as picking up a gluten-free cupcake to serve with the regular

cake. Many times people with food allergies bring their own food. If you keep kosher and they don’t, you could ask them to bring something vegetarian and offer paper plates and plastic utensils. If you don’t keep kosher, but your guests do, this may be the time to bring in trays of food from a kosher caterer. Let your guests know in advance that dietary laws will be followed.

5. Have a good attitude.

People of all ages can be daunted when encountering someone different. If it’s a children’s event, try talking to the group about kindness and respect for differences before the party starts. A party is a great opportunity for kids to learn about one another.

6. Involve parents. Parties can be exhausting for the hosts.

Asking a parent or two to help out – particularly if it’s a big group – can lighten the load.

Parents may feel more comfortable, especially if their child has social anxiety issues, if they are invited to stay or help as an option.

7. Avoid sensory overload.

Parties can cause sensory overload for anyone, but for a person with autism or a sensory processing disorder, a party can be really overwhelming. Offer opportunities for guests to take a break, perhaps in a quiet room away from the crowd. Some venues may have options for turning down music or miniPARTY | 21

November 27, 2015 |

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16 | November 27, 2015

COMMUNITY

The Jewish Voice

Fun, friends, learning and new experiences at People filled the Dwares JCC

BY FRAN OSTENDORF fostendorf@jewishallianceri.org

It was truly a night of Jewish renaissance for the more than 400 people who filled the Dwares JCC in Providence Nov. 14. The event featured a wide range of sessions from wine tasting and card making; from an Israeli martial arts demonstration to a panel on medical ethics; and from a discussion on Jewish burial rituals to social entrepreneurship in Israel.

Authors discussed their writing. Filmmakers talked about their work. And in the lobby, the crowd schmoozed to the sounds of live music. There was even a popup bookstore featuring many of the titles discussed in the sessions. The authors were selected in collaboration with the Jewish Book Council.

The event, funded by the Judge Marjorie Yasher and Dr. James Yasher Fund of the Jewish Federation Foundation, started with havdalah and included two sessions with a break. Night of Jew-

ish Renaissance had been a tradition in Providence for a number of years, but had not taken place for several years.

“I am just delighted that so many people came out to enjoy the evening of Jewish Renaissance,” said Jana Brenman of the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island. “The positive energy and spirit of the evening is reflected in all the kind feedback the Alliance has been receiving.” People came from throughout Rhode Island, including two buses from the Newport/Middletown area.

“People raved about the presenters, both local and out of state,” said Larry Katz, director of Jewish Life and Learning at the Alliance. “I have received requests from those who did not attend to provide them with handouts or email addresses for the presenters they heard about from others.”

FRAN OSTENDORF is the editor of The Jewish Voice.

PHOTOS | FRAN OSTENDORF

Dahlia Ardizzone, left, and Sarah Kadmon were some of the teens helping during the evening.

Gerson Ben Keren and an assistant demonstrate Krav Maga, Israeli martial arts.

Rabbi Raphie Schochet talks to a group

The results were good in the Hanukkah card making workshop.

Rabbi Simcha Raphael Ph.D. makes a point to his audience.

PHOTO | ELIANNA BRESLER

COMMUNITY

thejewishvoice.org

November 27, 2015 |

17

the Evening of Jewish Renaissance redesigned

The medical ethics panel included (left to right) Dr. Steven Schechter, Dr. Bret Ancowitz, Frederic G. Reamer Ph.D. and Dr. Michael Felder.

PHOTO | ELIANNA BRESLER

PHOTOS | FRAN OSTENDORF

Shaul Katz guided a group through a tasting of Israeli wines.

Israeli wines up for review.

Rabbi Eliezer Gibber speaks at his session while Mrs. Marsha Gibber looks on.

Special thanks to the presenters that made this evening such a success: Kim Zwetchkenbaum Rabbi Simcha Raphael, Ph. D. Gershon Ben Keren Carla Naumberg, Ph. D. Gayle Kirschenbaum Rabbi Yechezkel Yudkowsky & Elissa Felder Rob Yaffe & Louis Raymond Shaul Katz Rabbi Aaron Philmus Rabbi Elan Babchuck Rabbi Goldie Milgram, Ph. D. Dion Nissenbaum Dr. Roey Tzezana Rabbi Andrew Klein Chumie Juni Cory Pesaturo and Fishel Bresler entertained the crowd in the lobby.

Dr. Michael Felder, Dr. Bret Ancowitz, Frederic G. Reamer, Ph. D. Dr. Steven Schechter Rabbi Eliezer Gibber Daniel Olson Fishel Bresler & Cory Pesaturo Steve Sherman Rabbi Barry Dolinger Judy Kaye & Aisha Manzoor Alon Futterman Marsha Gibber Rabbi Raphie Schochet Rabbi Yehoshua Laufer Rabbi Marc Mandel

18 | November 27, 2015

HANUKKAH

The Jewish Voice

At Hanukkah, how do we kindle the lights within ourselves?

BY DASEE BERKOWITZ JERUSALEM (JTA) – There is nothing cuter than my 5-year old daughter coming home from kindergarten with an overly decorated menorah in hand singing “Ner li Ner li, ner li dakik,” the Israeli version of “This Little Light of Mine.”

The song speaks about the little candle, so thin, small and all hers to light.

Personalizing the holiday for kids is just good pedagogy.

Through song, play and creative arts, early childhood educators get these little Maccabees to embody the holiday and feel they have the power to create and even embody the light of Hanukkah.

And then they grow up.

They learn more details about the Hanukkah story.

They study the Maccabees and the civil war between the Jews. They analyze the military battles that the Hasmoneans conducted to achieve victory over the Assyrian Greeks. And they also learn about the ultimate corruption and failure of the Hasmonean dynasty itself. As they grow, they move further away from the simple message of Hanukkah that they had claimed as children – to bring light to dark places.

The contrast between the narrative about light that children learn in elementary school and the parallel one

about the story of the Maccabean revolt that they learn more about as they get older is not just a developmental one – it’s a profound statement about how we view the world. Stories about war that can provide a sense of unity and purpose are ultimately draining, whereas ones about light and miracles are constantly renewing.

Experiencing an ongoing war is grueling.

Living in Jerusalem right now, I know that feeling intimately.

Waves of terrorism, fear, u ncer ta i nty and distrust rise and then (e v e nt u a l ly) fall. And citizens, Jews and Arabs alike, are left wondering what the future will hold, without any clarity that the oncetouted promise to live with “peace and security” will return. It’s hard to dream big or even to believe in miracles at a time of ongoing war. You live for the day, and then the day after. That is the mentality of war.

A story of light and oil that

lasted only for eight days is one of vision and hope. The rabbis of the Talmud picked up on the distinction. They spent so many more pages expounding upon the miracle of the oil, recounting the details of when and how to light the Hanukkah menorah and only a few lines about the military victory achieved by the Maccabeans.

Focusing on the light was tactical. The rabbis didn’t want the legacy of Hanukkah to be about a victory won by human hands in which God was absent. They wanted to elevate the victory of Hanukkah to the heavenly realm. This is

The rabbis wanted to ensure that a political victory, however needed at the time, wasn’t the end of the story.

They wanted to ensure that we didn’t worship our own political might and are guided by a greater power.

The Hanukkah of the rabbis relies on the personal and embodied light that my 5-year-old sings about. There is a beautiful idea from the Book of Proverbs that we each contain within ourselves a light, “The life breath (the soul) of a human is the lamp of God. With it, God searches all the hidden chambers.” (Proverbs 20:27) Our internal light is God’s light within us, searching out every part of us, revealing in the hidden places our abilities to manifest that light outward.

This Hanukkah, how can we return to the pure idea of our own personal lights, or “ner li,” as my daughter would croon. Not only the one I hold in my hand to light the Hanukkah menorah, but the one that I have within me to shine light into dark, seemingly unmovable or unchangeable places around us?

DASEE BERKOWITZ is a Jewish educational consultant and writer living in Jerusalem. She is a frequent contributor to JTA, the Forward and Kveller.com.

a celebration of miracles and God’s hand in history, not the brute force of the determined few, the rabbis would have said.

The rabbinic approach is most telling in the haftarah they selected for the Shabbat of Hanukkah, which include the words from Zechariah, “Not by might, and not by power, but by my spirit, says the Lord.”

And now, living where I do, I understand the importance and wisdom of the rabbinic emphasis. Focusing on the miracle of the oil helps us put our faith in something bigger than ourselves. It gives us hope to look beyond the political machinations of the day to what the future could look like. It helps us break free of the never-ending cycle of violence and cynicism and can enable us to look forward to the possibilities that the “light driven” narrative can offer to our children and beyond.

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HANUKKAH

thejewishvoice.org

November 27, 2015 |

The top 7 perks of being Jewish in December

BY RACHEL MINKOWSKY

The food

Hanukkah is the holiday of deep -fried everything. And chocolate gelt. ‘Nuf said.

Early-bird shopping

Decorating ease

The town where I spent my childhood could probably be seen from space. Every year, on the day after Thanksgiving, the neighborhood dads would hang Christmas decorations. They could all be found precariously perched on their roofs stringing lights across the rain gut-

The music

Only kidding. This is a category where I can’t honestly come up with a “perk” for the Jews ... there just isn’t as much Hanukkah music. Let’s see, we’ve got “I Have A Little Dreidel” and, um, what else? Seriously, what did suburban Jewish kids listen to before Adam Sandler’s “Hanukkah Song”?

NEW YORK (Kveller via JTA) – Growing up, ours was the only house on the block with a menorah glowing in the window. This should have put me onto the fast track to Christmas envy, but it didn’t. I respected Christmas, but was never jealous of those who celebrated. In fact, watching my neighbors actually gave me a deeper appreciation for the simpler joys of Hanukkah.

Here’s why: C elebrat i ng H a nu k k a h means I usually have an earlier gift-buying deadline to meet than my counterparts. I have to get myself in gear way before Christmas shopping madness descends on the rest of the world. By Thanksgiving, I’m usually done. I spend most Black Fridays sipping spiced cider and recovering from a turkey-induced coma. Being Jewish means never having to freeze my tuchis off in a parking lot waiting for a “Midnight Door Buster” sale.

19

Holiday spirit

Food, fun and family at Hanukkah ters. Plastic Santas and their reindeer would be dragged two stories into the air and then somehow fastened to shingles.

I watched the scene, year after year, relieved we didn’t have to do the same. My dad + wires + heights = certain doom. The expectations for Hanukkah decor are less labor intensive. We plug in an electric menorah and park it on the windowsill. Done.

Time for fun

My non-Jewish friends have to find time for their kids, spouses, siblings, parents, cousins, in-laws and their greataunt Shirley who flies in from Nebraska once a year, all within 24 hours. I get eight days to fill with lots of family togetherness. Eight. Long. Days.

No tall tales

I am grateful that I don’t have

to remember to hide an “Elf on the Shelf” in a new spot each day. And I don’t have to make up stories to tell my daughters about how a jolly fellow actually gets around the world in one night, or explain how a reindeer’s nose can glow in the dark. Instead I get to teach them the dreidel game while we snack on latkes. Bonus: We don’t have to share our treats with anyone’s flying pets.

Whether families are making Christmas cookies or sufganiyot, the whole month of December is dusted with powdered sugar and scented with vanilla.

Everyone’s mood seems to lift.

People are kinder and more forgiving. It’s easier to believe that miracles can – and do – happen.

This holiday season, I wish everyone peace, joy and magic.

Hag Sameach!

RACHEL MINKOWSKY is a wife to an amazing man, mother to two energetic girls and works as a school counselor in New York City. Writing has been part of her life for as long as she can remember. Parenthood provides ample material.

Rachel also loves to cook, read and spend time with friends and family.

20 | November 27, 2015

HANUKKAH

The Jewish Voice

Hanukkah books for children

BY PENNY SCHWARTZ JTA – Sharing blessings, friendship and welcoming guests are among the themes that illuminate a new crop of Hanukkah books for children.

The eight-day Festival of Lights begins this year with the first candle lighting on Sunday evening, Dec. 6.

Some acclaimed children’s writers and illustrators serve up a sparkling array of lively and inspiring stories that will take readers from the streets of New York City to a moshav in Israel and even into the kitchen to cook up some Hanukkah fun.

ings” transports readers back in time to the sights and sounds of New York City’s streets in

on his own by ship, sent on the journey from Germany by his parents following the fright-

island, Oskar is mesmerized by the city’s wintry glow. He crosses paths with strangers

Hanukkah Cookies with Sprinkles

David Adler, illustrated by Jeffrey Ebbeler, Apples and Honey Press ($17.95); ages 4-7 “A bit of a feminist tale” is how author David Adler — best known for his popular Cam Jansen series – describes this book, which features Sara, an inquisitive, fun-loving girl with a heart of gold. Looking out the window of her city apartment, she notices a man juggling and eating a bruised apple set aside by the owner of Sol’s Market. As she comes to understand that the man is hungry, Sara prepares small bits of food to leave for him at Sol’s.

Sara later spots the man at her synagogue, and the rabbi introduces her family to Mr. Berger, a former circus performer. Sara’s family invites him to a Hanukkah dinner, leading to a budding friendship.

Sara also represents the multitudes of nontraditional families within the Jewish community; she lives with her mom and grandmother, with no father. “It was an intentional choice,” said Adler.

Hanukkah is Coming!

Tracy Newman, illustrated by Vivian Garofoli, Kar-Ben ($5); ages 1-4 A delightful, rhyming story that follows a family as it celebrates Hanukkah: lighting the menorah, frying up potato latkes, trading bow-wrapped gifts and spinning a dreidel.

The colorfully illustrated board book is a perfect read-aloud for young kids, each page ending with the easy-to-repeat refrain, “Hanukkah is coming.” This is the second entry in a series that launched with “Shabbat is Coming!” by Tracy Newman; two new titles for Passover and Rosh Hashanah are due out next year.

Oskar and the Eight Blessings

Richard Simon and Tanya Simon, illustrated by Mark Siegel, Roaring Book Press ($17.99); ages 4-8 “Oskar and the Eight Bless-

that the tale is based on family stories that Richard Simon’s grandfather told him as a child.

The historical references here are based on actual events from 1938 New York.

1938. The fictional tale takes place on the seventh night of Hanukkah, which on this year is also Christmas Eve. Oskar, a young Jewish refugee arrives

ening events of Kristallnacht.

Oskar has only the photograph and address of his Aunt Esther, who lives uptown. As he makes his way up the length of the

who share blessings – a piece of bread, a Superman comic book, a whistle from Count Basie and a kind encounter with Eleanor Roosevelt.

The book’s simple prose is brilliantly matched with Mark Siegel’s captivating illustrations, which bathe the realistic cityscape with a dreamlike haze. An author’s note reveals

Farmer Kobi’s Hanukkah Match

Karen Rostoker-Gruber and Rabbi Ron Isaacs, illustrated by CB Decker, Apples and Honey Press ($17.95); ages 4-8 Farmer Kobi has a house full of barnyard friends, but they wish he had a human friend, too. This lighthearted, hilarious story opens on the secBOOKS | 21

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thejewishvoice.org

FROM PAGE 1

MENSCH units – the previous year, his initial run of 1,000 Mensches was snapped up within 10 days – he has already sold 50,000 this fall, well ahead of last year’s pace.

And at outlets such as Target and Bed, Bath & Beyond, the Mensch and his book now have company – Hoffman has produced a new plush menorah (featuring the kids from his son’s Hebrew school singing all three prayers over the Hanukkah candles), a plush dreidel, an activity book and the perennial Hanukkah favorite, chocolate.

All of those products share a theme.

“It’s about putting more ‘funukkah’ in Hanukkah,” Hoffman said.

The Mensch first popped into Hoffman’s brain when his 4-year-old, Jacob, was begging his dad for an Elf on the Shelf – the legendary Christmas toy.

“Why shouldn’t Jewish kids have something they can relate to?” Hoffman reasoned, adding that interfaith families now

FROM PAGE 20

employ the Mensch to introduce Jewish traditions and values into their homes.

“To be a mensch is first and foremost to be an ethical person, someone who cares about others and is doing the right thing,” Hoffman said. “It’s a very Jewish message.”

That pleases ones of his biggest fans: Ina Hoffman, his mother.

“Creative? Yes, he always was, and even when he was young he was fascinated by how businesses work,” said Ina, speaking from her Salem, Mass., home.

“He comes up with amazing

ideas and, unlike most people, he acts on them.”

Of course, she is proud of her son’s success, but mostly, Ina is proud of something less fleeting.

“It takes a mensch to promote a mensch,” she said. “He brought the idea to so many who didn’t have the awareness of what a mensch is.”

Evidently, it’s not a message limited to kids, with the likes of Whoopi Goldberg (the Mensch was featured on her show, “The View”) and former U.S. senator Joe Lieberman caught on camera with the Mensch.

The Mensch is in the neighborhood With his popularity on the rise, the Mensch on a Bench is available this year at some big chain stores a well as some smaller local stores in Rhode Island. Here are just a few of the places you can find him. The prices are up to date as we go to press.

• Michael’s Craft Store has the Mensch in store and online for $39.99.

Both Barnes & Noble and Target will be selling him online only for $29.99 with free shipping. Bed Bath and Beyond has him for sale both online and in-store for $29.99, with an additional $6.99 for shipping if you buy online.

• As for local sellers, the Miriam Hospital gift shop has the Mensch in stock for $45.95, and both of Barrington Books’ locations in Barrington and Cranston will be selling him for $36.

Happy shopping!

“You look flap-ulous,” a goose honks. There are fun nods to Israeli and Jewish traditions, all explained in a glossary at the end. CB Decker’s cartoonlike illustrations bring the story to life with plenty of merry mayhem. The laughs come courtesy of co-authors Karen RostokerGruber – a writer, humorist and ventriloquist – and Rabbi Ron Isaacs, the guitarstrumming rabbi emeritus of Temple Sholom in

November 27, 2015 |

21

| PARTY

FROM PAGE 14 mizing stimulation. Latex allergies (balloons) and chemical sensitivities (use of highly scented cleaners or staff wearing perfumes) are real issues.

Solutions: Use alternative Mylar balloons, ask people to not wear strong scents and choose unscented cleaning products.

8. Learn to communicate.

There are lots of ways to include guests who are nonverbal or communicate in other ways, such as American Sign Language or a communication board. Free software can be installed on a tablet computer that instantly transcribes speech into text. An interpreter could be hired, which has the added benefit of letting other guests learn a little sign language. Remember to speak directly to guests, whether they are verbal or not.

9. Be visual. For those with cognitive disabilities or vision impairments, reading a menu or following instructions for a scavenger hunt or keeping a game score sheet can all be

challenging. Pictures and verbal instructions are useful, as is pairing disabled children with those who can help. It’s always great to have an extra pair of reading glasses around if you are inviting seniors. You can always tell someone who can’t see or read what they will need or what to know.

10. Have fun. Parties are awesome. Don’t let inclusion stress you out. If you are reading this list and considering these tips, you’re already doing more than most. Stay positive, smile and throw that party.

JENNIFER LASZLO MIZRAHI is the president of RespectAbilityUSA, a nonprofit working to ensure that Jews of all abilities are able to have a full Jewish life.

ALIE KRIOFSKE MAINELLA is the lead youth independent living services coordinator at IndependenceFirst, a Milwaukee-based organization working for inclusion of people with disabilities.

How to Celebrate Chanukah

| BOOKS

ond night of Hanukkah at a moshav, an Israeli collective farm. Farmer Kobi has invited his new friend Polly for a Hanukkah feast, but Polly is surprised when she’s greeted by a slew of animals who sing Hanukkah songs and play dreidel while Farmer Kobi checks on dinner.

This isn’t Polly’s idea of fun.

After she leaves, an

HANUKKAH

paperback; $6.99 eBook); ages 5-9 Welcome back, Sammy Spider. In this 15th book of the wildly popular series, the friendly arthropod joins Josh and the Shapiro family in the kitchen just in time for Hanukkah. In introduction, Sammy Spider takes a page from the most famous and beloved of all spiders, E.B. White’s Charlotte of “Charlotte’s Web.” “I’m going to show Josh which recipes are Meat, Dairy or Pareve by spinning M, D or P in our web!” Sammy tells his mom. The colorfully illustrated book includes 18 easy-to-follow recipes for Ha-

Kindle the Menorah on each of the eight nights of Chanukah. See below for the times, number of lights and the order of kindling. The Chanukah lights are kindled in the front window or by a doorway.

You may use olive oil or paraffin candles which are large enough to burn until half an hour after nightfall. Use the shamash (service candle) to kindle the lights and place it in its special place on the Menorah.

All members of the family should be present at the kindling of the Chanukah lights. Students and singles who live in a dormitory or in their own apartments, should kindle in their own rooms.

Friday afternoon, the Chanukah lights (which will burn until 1/2 hour after nightfall) are kindled before the Shabbat candles. The Menorah should not be relit, moved or prepared, from the time Shabbat candles are lit, until Shabbat ends and the Havdalah prayer is recited. After this time the Chanukah lights for Saturday are kindled.

Menorah Kindling Blessings

Before kindling the lights, recite:

1. Bo-ruch A-toh A-do-noi E- lo-hey-nu Me-lech Ha-o-lom A-sher Ki-di -sha-nu Bi- mitz-vo-sov Vi-tzi-va-nu Li-had-lik Ner Cha-nu-kah.

Blessed are You, L-rd our G-d, King of the universe, who has sanctified us by His commandments, and has commanded us to kindle the lights of Chanukah.

2. Bo-ruch A-toh A-do-noi E-lo-hey-nu Me-lech Ha-o-lam She- a-sa Ni-sim La-a-vo-sey-nu Ba-ya-mim Ha-heim Bi-z’man Ha-zeh.

Blessed are You, L-rd our G-d, King of the universe, who wrought miracles for our fathers in days of old, at this season.

The following blessing is recited on the first evening or on the first time one kindles the Chanukah lights this year: 3. Bo-ruch A-toh A-do-noi E-lo-hei-nu Me-lech Ha-o-lom She-he-chi-ya -nu Vi-ki-yi-ma-nu Vi-hi-gi-ya-nu Li-z’man Ha-zeh.

Blessed are You, L-rd our G-d, King of the universe, who has kept us alive, and has preserved us, and enabled us to reach this season.

2015 Menorah Kindling Calendar for Rhode Island

unexpected visitor knocks on the door looking for help with a flat tire. The new guest, Ruthie, feels right at home – turns out she has her own family of farmyard friends waiting in her truck.

The offbeat, lively story is filled with playful language:

B r i d g e w at e r, New Jersey, and a best-selling author of more than 100 books.

Sammy Spider’s First Taste of Hanukkah, a Cookbook

Sylvia A. Rouss and Genene Levy Turndorf; illustrated by Katherine Janus Kahn, KarBen ($17.99 hardcover; $7.99

Fri. Dec. 11 light candles before 3:55pm Shabbat Dec. 12 light after 5:03pm Nightfal for the rest of Chanukah 4:55pm

nukkah meals and treats including “Maccabee Munch” – a sweet, Chex-mix type treat – applesauce and “Chocolate Fun-due.” A fourth chapter features Hanukkah craft projects.

Sunday, Dec. 6 After Nightfall Blessings No.1, 2 & 3 Monday, Dec. 7 After Nightfall Blessings No. 1 & 2 Tuesday, Dec. 8 After Nightfall Blessings No. 1 & 2

Wednesday, Dec. 9 After Nightfall Blessings No. 1 & 2 Thursday, Dec. 10 After Nightfall Blessings No. 1 & 2 Friday, Dec. 11 Light Before Lighting the Shabbat Candles 3:57pm

Blessings No. 1 & 2 Saturday, Dec. 12 After Shabbat ends & Havdalah is recited

Blessings No.1 & 2 Sunday, Dec. 13 After Nightfall Blessings No. 1 & 2

Provided as a public service by The Jewish Voice & Herald. Compiled by Chabad of RI

HANUKKAH

22 | November 27, 2015 FROM PAGE 1

The Jewish Voice

| HANUKKAH

Festival of Lights.

With eight days of Hanukkah coming up, here are eight ways to celebrate the holiday that don’t involve gifts:

Hanukkah Crafts

Every year, children learn how to light the candles and about the miracle of the Maccabees in school or Hebrew school. They also make a token Hanukkah menorah (or hanukkiah) – likely out of clay, nuts and bolts. Fun and creative activities can help Hanukkah come alive at home, too. Pinterest has a colorful variety of Hanukkah crafts that work for children ranging from toddlers through highschoolers.

A favorite in my house is the Hanukkah handprint. Children dip their palms into a bowl of fabric paint and stamp it on a sweatshirt (it works on paper, too, but a sweatshirt is more practical). Then, they dip each of their fingers into paint to create finger candles.

Finally, they take their thumb and stamp it in the middle – the shamash (worker candle).

Add a flame to each candle, and you’re done!

My younger kids love the

feel of the gushy paint and often use a different color for every finger candle. My oldest daughter is careful to ensure her print looks authentic. She uses the same color for the palm and the fingers and then adds perfect yellow or orange ovals on top.

Hanukkah Party

It might not seem so original, but Hanukkah is great time for a party. Unlike other Jewish holidays that involve extra time in synagogue, or for Orthodox Jews might preclude playing music or driving, Hanukkah is eight days (except for a regularly observed Shabbat) of unabashed fun.

Birthday in a Box offers traditional Hanukkah party tips, as well as some fun and quirky new spins on Hanukkah decorations, food and favors.

Hanukkiah Tour

If you live in a “Jewish area,” where lots of families celebrate the holiday, Arnold suggests taking a “hanukkiah tour.” He says in that Baltimore or Israel (where he used to live), one can walk around the streets and see everyone’s lights in the windows.

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“It’s amazing ... Being a yid is something you don’t have to hide anymore. When my father was growing up he used to get beaten up for being Jewish and he learned to place the menorah on the table, somewhere hidden inside the house,” says Arnold. “When we light, we make a big deal to put it in the window ... and help people remember that you can be proud to be a Jew.”

Dreidel Tournament

You have a little dreidel – so use it! Pull the neighbors, young and old, together for a dreidel tournament. Break into teams of three and four and get spinning. We use candy as prizes. (It’s best to use something wrapped since it will be touched by lots of little hands.)

You can purchase dreidels in bulk from Judaica.com or often at your local synagogue’s gift shop. It adds to the excitement when you have dreidels of various sizes and colors.

If you’re particularly serious about dreidel-playing, I found a website for a “Chai stakes” dreidel tournament that breaks down the “official” rules and regulations for “World Series Dreidel.” In my house, however, we seem to do better when the children are free to cry over spinning too many Hebrew-letter shins (put two antes in the center), and the prize is Hershey’s Kisses.

Talk About The Miracle

As Arnold’s children have gotten older, he uses the 30 minutes required to sit around the Hanukkah candles as a way to discuss the miracles of the holiday and some of its more esoteric significance.

“When Ha-Shem created the world there were no stars or planets. The or – the light – was a non-physical or. That or, the light of God, is what the Yevanim (Greeks) were trying to knock out of the world,”

Arnold explains. “I tell my children that we can use HaShem’s light like a soldier uses night vision goggles ... to see His hidden miracles, to appreciate the spiritual light.”

Shop For Someone In Need

Rebecca Katz of Overland Park, Kan., remembers that as a child she and her family would work with a local charity to receive the names of local families in need – Jewish

and non-Jewish. Then, she and her siblings would be provided those families’ holiday wish lists and go shopping for them (instead of for themselves). Once the gifts were purchased, they would hand wrap them and deliver them in person.

“I remember one year, we got to this family, went upstairs and they had a tree, but it was completely empty underneath,” Katz says. “We put all the gifts there and it was so unexpected. The children were so happy.”

Re-Enact The Hanukkah Story

Younger children can enjoy a game of dress-up. If you have enough kids or can get classmates involved, a re-enactment of the Hanukkah story can add to the spirit of the

eight days. Kids enjoy dressing up in togas (just use some old sheets) and wielding plastic swords and shields. To make it easier, use a book, such as “The Story of Hanukkah” by Norma Simon, as a guide.

If your own children don’t want to dress up and tell the Hanukkah story, Chabad.org has a large collection of Hanukkah videos that both educate and entertain.

Sufganiyot

Hanukkah is sweeter and oily-finger-lickin’ good with homemade sufganiyot (deepfried jelly doughnuts). Miriam Litt of Modi’in, Israel, recalls how she used to spend hours in the kitchen baking Hanukkah doughnuts.

“I used real whipping cream and added pudding and then I would squirt it inside,” she says.

Sometimes, she would get creative by mixing up the creamy flavors.

“I did my thing and the kids – they sure liked eating it,” Miriam says with a laugh.

EDITOR’S NOTE: There’s a recipe for sufganiyot on Page 12 of this week’s Voice.

thejewishvoice.org

Teachers learn from students at annual Holocaust workshop

BY SARA ECKHOFF High school students, teachers, student teachers and college professors from across Rhode Island gathered at Rhode Island College on Nov. 11 for the Holocaust Education and Resource Center of Rhode Island’s annual workshop for teachers.

Teens from Cranston High School East, East Greenwich High School, William E. Tolman Senior High School, Mount Saint Charles Academy and the Juanita Sanchez Educational Complex spent the morning discussing the Holocaust and the impact that Holocaust and genocide education has had on their lives and views.

With teachers acting as moderators, the students then split into four teams, each tasked with having an in-depth discussion on a topic related to the Holocaust.

As the educators and aspiring educators observed, the students delved into these topics: “The Holocaust: Lessons Learned, Lessons Not,” “The Holocaust: What We Know and Where We Need to

Go,” “Current Events: Mirrors of the Holocaust,” and “Then and Now: 70 Years Later – What Part Can It Play in Our Personal Lives?”

After their roundtable discussions, the students shared the most prevalent threads and conclusions to come from their group with the student teachers and educators.

The students spoke of things like the importance of staying informed and being an educated voter, not being a bystander when witnessing injustice, celebrating individual differences, and the absolute necessity of Holocaust and genocide education as a way to help prevent future atrocities.

In addition to valuable information and insights gained from observing the students, those in attendance also received written guides and resources for teaching about the Holocaust and genocide as well as advice and direction from experienced Holocaust educators.

SARA ECKHOFF is an HERCRI intern.

COMMUNITY

November 27, 2015 |

23

Professional Advisory Council explores role of women in philanthropy The Jewish Federation Foundation’s Professional Advisory Council (PAC) held its second breakfast event on Nov. 17, featuring Janet Atkins, CEO of Ridgeway Philanthropy of Boston. Atkins shared facts about women’s worldwide investments, current economic trends related to their money and how women opt to invest and spend.

She noted that women have made great strides and predicted that because women outlive men by five years, 80-90 percent of women will be in charge of their families’ financial affairs at some time in their lives.

Dan Gamm, chair of the PAC, warmly welcomed participants to the event, which was held at the Marriott Hotel in Providence. PAC committee member Jerry Dorfman introduced the guest speaker and Jewish Federation Foundation (JFF) Board Chair Jay Rosenstein explained the importance of the JFF endowment, which currently has approximately $52 million in assets and includes more than 600 individual funds.

FOR MORE INFORMATION on establishing an endowment with the Jewish Federation Foundation or to be notified

Janet Atkins about upcoming Professional Advisory Council events, contact Trine Lustig, vice presi-

dent of philanthropy: tlustig@ jewishallianceri.org or ext. 223.

24 | November 27, 2015

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Report: Israeli exec says Avis refused to rent him a car over his nationality JTA – An Israeli executive has accused Avis of declining to accept his Israeli documents when he tried to rent a car.

Dov Bergwerk, a senior vice president at the pharmaceuticals giant Teva, told the New York Observer that the reservations agent at a Manhattan branch of the car rental fi rm said it was Avis policy not to recognize Israeli documents.

The Avis location’s manager sided with her employee, the Observer reported, saying that she would not recognize Bergwerk’s documents or reservation.

Bergwerk told the newspaper that he has rented from Avis on numerous occasions, including two days earlier at the same location, and has an Avis Wizard

loyalty card. He called the Avis customer service main number, which confi rmed that his documents were acceptable. But the manager said she would not rent Bergwerk the car because he argued with her, according to the newspaper.

Bergwerk told the Observer that he believes he was refused due to his Israeli nationality.

“While no direct reference was made to being anti-Israel, that was my impression almost from the initial moment I presented my license and credit card as I have done over 15 years of business and leisure travel without ever being challenged,” he told the Observer. “The agent stated that the Israeli license did not have the required info in English. I tried to demonstrate that

the license had all the required info, but she and the manager had no interest. Similarly, the fact that I have had many rentals at Avis and at this location was dismissed as having been ‘done by new employees.’ ” Avis issued a statement Nov. 22, which it posted on its Facebook page: “On Friday, a customer seeking to rent a car from Avis Car Rental was not allowed to do so because he failed to provide the required documentation. Visitors to the U.S. from other countries must provide both a valid driver’s license from their country of residence as well as a valid International Drivers License or passport in order to rent from Avis. We are aggressively investigating the customer’s allegations regard-

ing the handling of this matter, as we do not tolerate any form of discrimination. So far, our ongoing investigation suggests that this customer is unfairly maligning us with unfounded accusations.”

One comment on Facebook read: “Unless you fi x this, Avis, you just lost my business,” echoing dozens that threatened to pull their business from Avis. Another said, “The Customer Is Always Right, Unless They’re Israeli.”

As of the afternoon of Nov. 23, 19 hours after it was established, a Change.org petition calling for the fi ring of the employees that refused to accept Bergwerk’s Israeli documents had garnered 1,141 signatures toward a goal of 1,500.

November 27, 2015 |

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26 | November 27, 2015 Leah E. Abrams, 97 EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Leah E. Abrams died Nov. 15 at Tockwotton on the Waterfront.

She was the beloved wife of the late Victor Abrams. Born in Bristol, a daughter of the late Abraham and Mollie (Kataif) Eisenstadt, she had lived in East Providence since 2013, previously living in Providence and Pawtucket.

She was a dedicated swimmer until it was no longer possible, earning at least one 1,000 mile award. She enjoyed knitting, mahjong and baking. Devoted mother of Andrew C. Abrams of Pawtucket and Marlene A. Miller and her husband, Stephen, of San Francisco, Calif. Dear sister of the late Lester, Nathan, Herbert and Rose Eisenstadt.

Contributions in her memory may be made to Tockwotton on the Waterfront, 500 Waterfront Dr., East Providence, R.I. 02914 or the ARC of Blackstone Valley, 500 Prospect St., #203, Pawtucket, R.I. 02860.

Daniel J. Adler, 86 NARRAGANSETT, R.I. – Daniel J. Adler of Narragansett died Nov. 21 at South County Hospital. He was the beloved husband of the late Bernice (Chase) Adler. Born in Woonsocket, a son of the late Milton and Frances Adler, he had lived in Narragansett for 8 years, previously residing in Cranston.

He was a service manager for Trimark United East for 30 years. He was an Army veteran of the Korean Conflict, serving in Germany.

He was a graduate of Providence College, Class of ’51, and a member of Temple Torat Yisrael. Devoted father of Marc J. Adler and his wife Lori of Narragansett and Maury Chase Adler of Cranston. Dear brother of Lorraine Rosen of New York,

OBITUARIES N.Y. Loving grandfather of Bryan and Chelsea. Contributions in his memory may be made to Hasbro Children’s Hospital, 593 Eddy St., Providence, R.I. 02903.

Albert M. Cohn, 103 PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Albert M. Cohn, a retired professor of drama and theater arts, died Nov. 16. Born in Providence, he was a son of the late Henry and Emma (Pincus) Cohn, and brother of the late Milton Cohn.

He was a good friend of Robert Paquette and Roland DiOrio of Warwick.

Cohn held a bachelor’s degree in education from Rhode Island College. After serving four years in the Army Air Force during World War II, he received a master’s degree in theater arts from Western Reserve University, which was partially earned at Cleveland Playhouse.

He pursued postgraduate studies at Northwestern University.

Cohn taught for eight years at Emerson College and 23 years at the Rhode Island School of Design. In addition to his college productions, he directed plays for several Rhode Island community theaters, including the Barker Playhouse and the Newport Players Guild.

During the 1960s he reviewed books for the Providence Journal wherein he dealt mostly with books about the stage and its performers. For many years he led a drama workshop at the Brown Community for Learning in Retirement.

Contributions in his memory may be made to American Civil Liberties Union, 125 Broad St, New York, N.Y. 10041.

Estelle Gold, 90 WARWICK, R.I. - Estelle Gold died Nov. 21 at Kent Hospital.

She was the beloved wife of the late Sumner Gold. Born in New

The Jewish Voice York, N.Y., a daughter of the late Meyer and Rose (Springer) Sugarman, she had lived in Warwick for 16 years, previously residing in Cranston.

She was a registered nurse at Beth Israel Hospital in Boston. She was a former member of Temple Torat Yisrael. Devoted mother of Robert Gold of Cranston, Edward Gold and his wife Anna of Warwick, Barbara Dwares and her husband Kevin of Cranston and Nancy Baker and her husband Michael of Falls Church, Va. Dear sister of Frema Goldshine of Tucson, Ariz. Loving grandmother of the late Max Dwares, Jake, Rachel, Matthew, Sarah and Michelle. Cherished great-grandmother of Maya.

Contributions in her memory may be made to Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, 2348 Post Rd., #202, Warwick, R.I. 02886.

Yuriy Kleyman, 71 Yuriy Kleyman passed away Nov. 10. He was the husband of Natalia Kleyman; they had been married since 1964. He was born in Uzbekistan, the son of the late David and Maria (Murahver) Kleyman.

Besides his wife, he is survived by his son David Kleyman, his wife Elena and his granddaughter Katia.

Samuel Millman, 91 NEW JERSEY – Samuel Millman passed away Nov. 16. He was born in Providence, a son of the late Albert and Rose (Gordon) Millman.

He is survived by his niece Estelle Millman and nephew Richard Millman. He was the brother of the late Harvey Millman.

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

Raisa Mordukhovich, 94 PAWTUCKET, R.I. – Raisa Mordukhovich passed away Oct. 2.

She was the wife of the late Lev Mordukhovich. She was born

in Russia, a daughter of the late Zachar and Tamar Izrailov.

She is survived by her daughter Tamara Berezin and her husband Dr. Alexander Berezin; grandchildren Katya and William; and great-grandchildren Natasha, Nina, Anna and Leo. Contributions may be made to the charity of your choice.

Richard Saltzman, 78 ORLANDO, FLA. – Richard Saltzman died on Oct. 14. He was the son of Albert and Mollie (Feldman) Saltzman. He was born in Rhode Island and later moved to Florida.

He graduated from the University of Rhode Island and the University of Connecticut with a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in mechanical engineering. He won numerous scholarships and academic honors.

He was a gifted mathematician and did pre-doctorate research at the University of Florida, followed by long employment as an engineer and consultant to major aircraft and power generation companies. He made outstanding contributions to the discipline of stress analysis relating to pressure vessels and other structures.

He was an Eagle Scout at age 15, and went on to be a leader in scouting, encouraging boys from less fortunate neighborhoods to join scouting.

He was happiest when taking on intellectual challenges and developing his skills in new areas. He enjoyed working in amateur theater and performed with the Warren Players in Warren, Pa., as Nathan Detroit in “Guys and Dolls.”

He enjoyed many of life’s pleasures including: bow hunting, skiing, riding several of

his motorcycles, flying his own planes, dancing and running his own successful business single-handedly. He traveled extensively in this country and abroad. He is survived by brother Harvey Saltzman and many cousins.

Beatrice Love Scolnick, 93 WARWICK, R.I. – Beatrice “Bea” Love (Gilbert) Scolnick, formerly of Lowell Mass., died peacefully at home in Warwick R.I. on Nov. 22.

She is survived by her devoted children, Susan Quackenbush and her husband Peter also of Warwick, and Mark Scolnick and his wife Irma Cole of Lakeland, Fla. She is also survived by her loving grandchildren Jeffrey Scolnick and his wife Sara, Aaron Scolnick and his wife Lauren, Tara Lynch and her husband Kenny, Pete Quackenbush and his wife Tina (Stephanie), and Andrew Quackenbush and his companion Dana Labitt.

She adored her 12 greatgrandchildren Yael, Allison, Olivia, Isabella, Henry, and Oliver Scolnick; Madison and Ben Wiggins; Aidan and Kailynn Lynch; and Zaan and Sylvia Quackenbush. She is survived by her sister Lila Lebowitz of Lantana, Fla., brother Arnold and his wife Barbara Gilbert of Queens, N.Y., and many nieces, nephews and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents Israel and Annie Gilbert, her husband Aaron, her sister Eileen Slavin, and her companion Charles Winkler.

Throughout the years she shared much of her time with her best friend Charlie Winkler. They enjoyed boating, dining out and many Yacht OBITUARIES | 27

thejewishvoice.org

Activities honor memory of Ezra Schwartz Terrorism in Israel hit close to home Nov. 19 when Ezra Schwartz was killed by a Palestinian gunman in the West Bank. The 18-year-old yeshiva student from Sharon, Massachusetts, graduated in 2015 from the Maimonides School near Boston and was a counselor at Camp Yavneh in New Hampshire. He was spending a gap year in Israel, studying at Yeshivat Ashreinu and performing community service.

On Nov. 23, the New England Patriots held a moment of silence to honor him prior to their “Monday Night Football” victory over the Buffalo Bills.

Schwartz was shown on the large video screens at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, wearing a Patriots jersey as the public address announcer spoke.

Patriots owner Robert Kraft, who is Jewish, stood in silence on the sidelines during the tribute.

Schwartz was buried Nov. 22 in Sharon. At his funeral, reportedly attended by 1,000 mourners, story after story told by family members and his Maimonides School teacher and baseball coach recalled him as a loyal Patriots fan who proudly wore the team’s jerseys and caps.

More than 7,000 people from around the world also viewed the service from Temple Sinai in Sharon as it was broadcast over the Internet.

The previous night, hun-

FROM PAGE 26

Ezra Schwartz dreds attended a memorial ceremony for Schwartz at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv before his body was repatriated to Boston.

In Providence, Schwartz is remembered by many who knew him. At Congregation Beth Sholom, teens were given an opportunity to talk with a Jewish Family Service KESHER social worker.

At Brown RISD Hillel, staff was available to students who felt they needed to talk.

On Nov. 25, all learning in all grades at Providence Hebrew Day School was dedicated in memory of Schwartz.

Earlier in the week, students from the New England Academy of Torah made shiva visits as a group.

– With reports from JTA and The Jewish Voice staff.

| OBITUARIES

Club and Rotary events. Sitting at the beach was one of their favorite pastimes together. She cherished her times with her extended family.

Her family would like to thank her caregiver, Stacey Matteras, for her love, care and devotion to Bea. Donations may be sent to Hospice of Rhode Island or the American Lung Association or the charity of your choice.

William H. Torman, 78 CRANSTON, R.I. – William H. Torman died Nov. 9 at Golden Crest Nursing Center, N. Providence. He was the beloved husband of Emily A. (Reed) Torman for 57 years. Born in Providence, a son of the late Jacob and Dora (Paster) Torman, he had lived in Cranston for 26 years.

He was a troubleshooter for the former Atlantic Mills Shoes in Providence for 26 years. He was a member of the Providence Hebrew Free Loan Association. Devoted father of Robin Gerdin and her husband Brian

of Cranston. Dear brother of the late Israel “Al” Torman and Evelyn Danis. Loving grandfather of Cody.

Contributions in his memory may be made to Home & Hospice Care of RI, 1085 North Main St., Providence, R.I. 02904.

Elise J. Weisman, 95 PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Elise J. Weisman, died Oct. 21 at Home and Hospice RI. She was the wife of the late Herman Weisman, mother of Robert Weisman and Ellen Bar-Zemer, grandmother of Mark and Stephen Weisman and Tal and Noam Bar-Zemer, and aunt of Maureen Brown Yoder.

She was born in Washington Heights, New York City.

She worked as a secretary and mentor in a Long Island High School, and after moving to Rhode Island was a volunteer in the Providence public schools.

She loved family and friends, music, birds and crafts.

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

WORLD | OBITUARIES

November 27, 2015 |

27

28 | November 27, 2015

SENIORS

The Jewish Voice

From humor to Jewish connections and back again The timing was perfect: daylight saving time ended, giving us back a lost hour. I went to Columbus, Ohio, to visit the homestead of my favorite American humorist, James Thurber.

SKETCHBOOK MIKE FINK

My freshman roommate at Yale had handed me Thurber’s children’s book “The Thirteen Clocks,” illustrated by Marc Simont, and it changed my life!

I would read his funny little memoirs, mixed with Aesopian fables, aloud to whoever would listen – my brother, my mother and her friends, my dates. Nobody quite loved his sentences and scribbles as much as I did.

So I made my literary pilgrimage to the home of the popular 20th-century cartoonist and writer for the New Yorker, purchased a few souvenirs in the gift shop and snapped memento shots of his fabulous town house, saved from a wrecking ball by a band of dedicated antiquarians.

I stayed at the Westin Hotel, which has a bar dedicated to Thurber that features his fi rst and last illustrations, before he went blind and hired some Jewish artists to illustrate his words with their own gorgeous interpretations. Louis Slobod-

kin drew “Many Moons” for the 1943 version of that collaborative storybook.

The logo of this Westin pub is simply an image of the myopic writer’s eyeglasses.

I had many adventures in Columbus, all with a Jewish connection, at least in my mind.

The longtime art director of the restored rooms and displays of memorabilia in Thurber’s home is Michael Rosen. Columbus, Ohio, of course, has a number of statues of Christopher C., and I have been pursuing the variety of ways painters, poets,

“Remember laughter.

You’ll need it even in the blessed isles of Ever After.” sculptors and scholars have depicted the admiral: admirable or abominable? He once personified the American Dream of bravely discovering new lands, or perhaps only fresh opportunities. Simon Wiesenthal in “Sails of Hope,” on the other hand, saw Columbus as a rescuer of the victims of the Spanish Inquisition, seeking freedom from fear. Today, mostly, our mood and mode of thought emphasize the cruelty and oppression of his era and even his personal motivation: Was it greed for gold, lust for power and celebrity, contempt for the

conquered? I focus only on what the artist projects about the meaning of the explorer’s voyages and quest.

The Statehouse in Columbus boasts a unique and most impressive Holocaust Memorial Monument, at the very center of town. When I walked into the heavily guarded lobby, a young man in uniform told me, “The governor is most proud of this display, it’s the crowning glory of his political term of office.”

There is a large star cut into a stone wall that bears the life story of a survivor. Many words, like a gigantic page not of paper but of enduring granite. Along the pathway to this carved message, there is a low ledge with an inscription thanking the Ohio soldiers who helped liberate the camps and fought for our freedoms and liberties, not only for the Jewish souls but for all those who were oppressed by the Nazis.

I was only in Columbus, Ohio, for one day, 24 short hours, but they loom larger than that for me.

My all-time favorite line from all of Thurber – and the one with a sort-of Jewish theme – closes the aforementioned “Thirteen Clocks.” The “golux” – a wise Hasidic elf – declares: “Remember laughter. You’ll need it even in the blessed isles of Ever After.”

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Jewish educators get the story from Rabbi Goldie Milgram ents and family situations, not just learning styles. She sees teaching and Jewish spirituality as a way of connecting with each individual to personalize experiences. This viewpoint, at least educationally, was echoed later in the week by a leading high school reformer who spoke before a group of public school educators. Hopefully, this is the wave of the future in education, whether in the secular or the Jewish world.

BY LARRY KATZ lkatz@jewishallianceri.org Rabbi Goldie Milgram, the esteemed mentor of some of the nation’s leading Jewish storytellers, conducted the presentations at the Joseph and Leba Zelniker Educators Conference in mid-November at the Dwares Jewish Community Center, in Providence. The theme of the conference, which is sponsored by the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island, was “Telling Jewish Stories.” Milgram also conducted an afternoon session based on one of her books, “Reclaiming Bar/Bat Mitzvah as a Spiritual Rite of Practice.”

The Zelnicker Conference is offered to all Jewish educators in Rhode Island.

Stories are central to Jewish tradition and are used by teachers in all subject areas, from history to holidays, Bible to values and ethics. During the morning sessions, Milgram discussed how to use stories in all aspects of the Jewish curriculum, but her main emphasis was on how to engage others when telling stories. Participants joined together in groups to rehearse various aspects of storytelling. She emphasized the need to engage students in four areas: physically, emotionally, intellectually and spiritually.

Two techniques were surprising to most participants. One was the incorporation of a niggun (wordless melody) or short song. She presented a study of

LARRY KATZ is director of Jewish Life and Learning at the Jewish Alliance.

Rabbi Goldie Milgram teens in Sweden that substantiated the importance of incorporating contemplative songs into learning to build community and intimacy among students.

The second surprise was using decks of mitzvah cards to promote discussion. This was a new tool to all but one educator. Even before the program began, one local rabbi asked his education director to purchase a couple of decks, as he had had great experiences using the cards.

Milgram is the editor of two

anthologies of Jewish stories, “Mitzvah Stories: Seeds for Inspiration and Learning” and “New Mitzvah Stories for the Whole Family.” Both are collections of stories made popular by modern Jewish storytellers. A study guide for each story in the fi rst volume is available online.

The second volume includes questions, sources and projects for reflection, discussion and action.

The afternoon session, mainly attended by clergy, focused on how to create a bar/bat mitzvah

experience infused with spirituality and meaning. The goal is for the occasion to serve as a catalyst for continued involvement in the Jewish community, not a culmination of one’s religious education.

In both the morning and afternoon sessions, Rabbi Milgram emphasized the need to really know each student: his or her interests, tal-

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The Jewish Voice

ISRAEL 101 and Beyond – Preparing high school students On Nov. 1, students from Rhode Island and Massachusetts met at Congregation Beth Sholom in Providence to participate in the fi rst of a two-part series focused on preparing students for the contemporary college campus regarding Israel and their Jewish identity. The event was sponsored by Stand With Us Paul Friedman, from the SWU-New York office started the evening with a historical overview of the Jewish relationship to Israel and to Arabs. He provided maps, timelines and fi lled in the details that groups such as Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and the Boycott Divestment and Sanctions movement (BDS) tend to leave out. SWU is committed to the promise of “Never Again” through proactively providing fair and accurate Educational opportunities about Israel.

Hanna Girard, president of the Rhode Island chapter of National Council of Synagogue Youth (NCSY) and a student at Classical High School was attracted to this event as a result of her Summer 2015 ex-

Left to right : Stephanie Margolis, Maxine Markowitz, and Arielle Sabot. perience in Israel on the TJJ Ambassadors (The Jerusalem Journey) Program. “Although this past summer was fi lled with ‘real time’ and in the moment perspective, now back on American soil, it is easy to feel overwhelmed by the barrage of negative and skewed informa-

tion that is packaged to inflame.

Seeing it back here really puts a different spin on it to see my peers and their families interested in gaining more insight, and how to process this information,” she said.

“When Josh Warhit, also of the SWU-NY office, spoke about

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his experiences in the IDF, he offered very personal insight about an Israeli military that works from an ethical platform focused on humanitarian rights. Josh put a face to it by showing photos of his unit. This took it to another level for me by making it real and not just an arbitrary news article,” she said. “Combined with pizza, ice cream, SWAG and a raffle for tickets to Matisyahu’s upcom-

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Torah Sprouts get hands-on with challah

BY DORI ADLER EAST GREENWICH – Young children in Temple Torat Yisrael’s Torah Sprouts program had a fabulous and interactive time on Nov. 1, exploring the magic and special traditions of Shabbat. The once-a-month Sprouts program, for families with children ages 3 to 5, provides peer social interaction, hands-on Jewish learning and community building.

Facilitated by the musical and energetic Rabbi Aaron Philmus, the children listened

Golden challah.

to the story of creation and sang Shabbat songs. Together, they lit the candles and said the blessing.

Philmus helped the parents bless their children, while imagining their own parents’ hands on their heads, back generation after generation … all the way to Avraham and Sarah.

Then, they recited the kiddush over the wine.

The young children had a messy, and wonderful, time rolling out homemade challah dough and braiding their fluffy, floury masterpieces. After it was baked, they declared the sweet, golden challah delicious!

Using special white fabric squares, colorful paints and glitter, the families and children also created beautiful challah covers to use in their homes to honor and celebrate Shabbat.

The one-hour Torah Sprouts program at Temple Torat Yisrael meets the fi rst Sunday of the month and is open to the community. Each session focuses on a different holiday or Jewish theme through music, dancing, cooking, interactive storytelling and hands-on exploration.

For registration information, visit school@toratyisrael.org.

DORI ADLER is education director at Temple Torat Yisrael.

Families making the challah.

PHOTOS | TEMPLE TORAT YISRAEL

Rabbi Aaron Philmus shows the children different types of challah cover designs

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32 | November 27, 2015

The Jewish Voice

When Jews around the world need our help, we don’t let borders get in our way. Years of financial troubles have left thousands in desperate need. The poorest Jews around the world have no one to turn to but us.

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The Alliance Annual Campaign funds more than 300 programs & services locally and globally.

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2016 Annual Campaign