The JEWISH VOICE&HERALD SERVING RHODE ISLAND AND SOUTHEASTERN MASSACHUSETTS
8 Tevet 5773
December 21, 2012
Noah Pozner remembered as loving ‘little man’ Six-year-old was youngest massacre victim By Ben Harris
kara Marziali
The JDC’s Dov Ben Shimon stands by a TV image of a Russian woman the JDC helps.
Jewish caring brings hope
Working with the JDC, Annual Campaign dollars help Jews around the world
annual campaign By Kara Marziali
kmarziali@shalomri.org PROVIDENCE – “Smell this, and tell me what it reminds you of,” said Dov Ben-Shimon, executive director for strategic partnerships at the
Joint Distribution Committee, the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island’s overseas partner, called “the Joint” or the “JDC.” Ben-Shimon was asking Alliance staff to smell a small crimson box printed with foreign letters. Those staff members who took a whiff took turns guessing: scented candles, Grandma’s linen closet, perfume.
JDC | 9
FAIRFIELD, Conn. (JTA) – It was a eulogy for a life that had only just begun. Veronique Pozner remembered her son Noah as a rambunctious, video-game-loving “little man,” a boy with a perpetual smile and twinkly blue eyes who dreamed of becoming a doctor, a soldier and a manager of a factory that makes tacos – his favorite food. Noah Samuel Pozner, 6, was the youngest victim of the massacre last week at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. He was laid to rest Monday, his miniature wooden casket set beneath the podium where his mother stood. “The sky is crying,” Veronique said. So were hundreds more, mourners who lined the walls of a small Jewish chapel in this coastal Connecticut city for one of two funerals held Monday – the fi rst of 26 that will be carried out over the coming days. Among them were U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.),
Jns/ConneCTiCuT JewisH ledger
Noah Samuel Pozner U.S. Senator-elect Chris Murphy, and the governor, Dannel Malloy, who personally had delivered the awful news to parents last week after the shooting. Malloy spent much of the service with his eyes cast down and hands clenched under his chin. With abundant tears and a gathering resolve, the eulogizers offered tributes to a loving
MOURNERS | 13
Massacre prompts Jewish groups to push for gun control Many Jewish politicians and NGOs eschew talk, call for legislative initiatives
By Ron Kampeas WASHINGTON (JTA) – In the wake of the shooting rampage in Newtown, Conn., Jewish groups are looking to build alliances and back legislation to strengthen gun control laws. Rabbi David Saperstein, di-
VOL. XVII | ISSUE XXII
rector of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, said that his group is assembling a coalition that would be ready to act once the right legislation comes along. “The point now is to create the atmosphere in which there is a demand for action, using our
voices, organizing the parents in our pews,” Saperstein told JTA in an interview. “When the parents across America start crying out for effective action, if there’s religious leadership, it will galvanize the community to create the moral demand that moves toward sensible legisla-
tion.” Staff at the RAC, the locus in the Jewish community for gun control initiatives in past decades, spent Monday reaching out to other Jewish leaders, as well as to leaders of other faith
RENEWING | 13
offiCe sen. feinsTein
U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein
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The Jewish Voice & Herald
COMMUNITY
DECEMBER 21, 2012
www.jvhri.org
Students perform for Tamarisk residents on Nov. 29.
Joann Marzilli, Tamarisk
Cranston West High School students perform Tamarisk residents observe drama production
WARWICK – The Phyllis Siperstein Tamarisk Assisted Living community room was the setting for the most recent performance of Shalom Memorial Chapel’s program: “Mi Dor l’Dor v’Hazarah la-Rishon” (“From Generation to Generation and Back Again to the First”). Cranston West High School
drama students entertained residents and guests with selections from Broadway musical theatre. Bringing variety to this gathering were a talented opera vocalist, 20 show tune singers, a tap dancer, a puppeteer and a singing conga line of student performers! Marilyn Smith, community involvement coordinator for
Shalom Memorial Chapel, also performed and highlighted the contributions of Jewish composers, lyricists and librettists. After the program, the audience and entertainers enjoyed conversation and refreshments together. Shalom Memorial Chapel of Cranston sponsored the Nov. 29 program.
Andrea Katzman
Pre-K student Yael balances on a bridge of Popsicle sticks.
So many bridges to cross By Andrea Katzman
Special to The Voice & Herald PROVIDENCE – It’s not uncommon to see preschool children using their imagina-
tions to build intricate structures with blocks or Legos. Students at the Jewish Community Day School of Rhode Island’s pre -kindergar ten
JCDSRI | 8
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“members of the mothers circle …” 2012 hanukkah Writing contest essays: sarah solomon, shoshi berk and asheley kimia insiDe
rachael elmaleh found Judaism and a community through alliancesupported programs … 4
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Leader of Britain’s Orthodox community proposes a new approach to tikkun olam By John Landry
Special to The Voice & Herald A year ago, Rabbi Kerry Olitzky came to Rhode Island and urged our local Jewish organizations to revamp their approaches. Instead of focusing on getting Jews together so they’ll keep identifying as Jews – Jewish identity for its own sake – he called for emphasizing the organization’s mission in the world – Judaism with a purpose. (I wrote about his talk in the June 24, 2011 issue: “What’s next for Jewish institutional crises?” See: tinyurl.com/awftrko) Rabbi Olitzky didn’t lay out a mission for Jews in general, but now we have one in Rabbi Jonathan Sacks’ “Future Tense,” which recently appeared in paperback (Schocken Books, 2009, 292 pages).
approaches from their secular equivalents. Why support the former if you can reach a wider network with the latter? Rabbi Sacks sees three unique ways Jews can improve the world. First, we know all about balancing the obligations to a particular group with the obligations to humanity as a whole. Unlike Christians, Muslims and even many atheists, we’re able to follow our own practices wholeheartedly without trying to convert or remove outsiders. Many of the world’s problems have arisen from universalizers who try to enforce their will on others, or from particularists who isolate themselves from everyone else. Related to that, we excel at managing disagreement. Unlike other religious traditions, we embraced dialogue early on, and we did that because we put human relationships at the center. The ancient Greeks believed in figuring out the answers and convincing everyone else of their rightness. The rabbis of the Tal-
“JeWs are opting out of Judaism now because they don’t see a point.“
family heroes | generations’ stories are abundant with laughter, love and loss … 23 – 28, 30 nigerian JeWs ‘come to Providence’ through book talk, film screenings … 37
business .................................................................. 32-33 Calendar ....................................................................10-11 Community ....................2, 8, 11, 15, 18-22, 31, 33, 39 d’var Torah .................................................................... 31 FaMIlY HErOES | GEnEraTIOnS.............23-28, 30 Food ............................................................................16-17 nation | World ............................ 3, 9-10, 12-14, 35, 37 Obituaries ......................................................................36 Opinion............................................................................4-7 Seniors .................................................................... 34-35 Simchas ..........................................................................39
DECEMBER 21, 2012
How Jews can help the world
hanukkah photos … 18 – 22
index
WORLD
The original British subtitle, “A Vision for Jews and Judaism in the Global Culture,” conveys Sacks’ core argument that Jews have a powerful message that can help the rest of the world. You might say that Jews already have such a mission: tikkun olam, repairing the world. The trouble is that most of us who support this mission do so with little connection to the substance of Judaism. Too often our tzedakah organizations are indistinguishable in their
mud weren’t so sure of specific answers, so they focused on recording all the interesting ideas and making people heard. They knew that when people feel marginalized, they stop talking and start fighting. Finally, we are the original beacons of hope in the world. Unlike other peoples who see history as cyclical, we look for future progress and believe in redemption in this world. We aren’t cynics or fatalists with a tragic sense of life; we think the world is basically good and will show ever more goodness as we partner with God. Our own history as a people is proof enough of that. As Rabbi Sacks would readily admit, many secular organizations are now adopting these three approaches. And he points to ways Jews have themselves fallen off in observing them; Israelis, for example, struggle to treat Palestinians with full respect, and can also be terribly
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Rabbi Jonathan Sacks
rude to each other. But by rediscovering our rich and sophisticated tradition, he asserts that we can make tikkun olam far more effective. Along the way, he takes readers on a stimulating tour of Jewish and Israeli history that will educate even those who know the basic outlines. He’s led the Orthodox congregations of Great Britain for 20 years, but he writes in an engaging style for all Jews, no matter their affi liation. You may not agree fully with his confident, sometimes didactic, arguments, but he’ll make you think about what our tradition is really about. Like Rabbi Olitzky, Rabbi Sacks believes a mission would also energize our communities. Jews, he argues, have survived throughout the centuries because we had a larger purpose than taking care of our families and ourselves. Those who didn’t share that purpose could often simply drop out. Jews are opting out of Judaism now because they don’t see a point. Everything they care about they can increasingly get elsewhere, and assimilation has never been easier. But for those who care most about helping the world – especially younger people who might be disinterested in religion per se – our tradition has something special to offer. JOhN LANDRY, a Providence resident, is a member of The Voice & Herald’s editorial board. Contact him at jtlandry@ verizon.net.
SERVING RHODE ISLAND AND SOUTHEASTERN MASSACHUSETTS
executive eDitOR Nancy Kirsch • nkirsch@shalomri.org 421-4111, ext. 168 dESIGN & LAYOUT Leah Camara • lcamara@shalomri.org AdvErTISING Tricia Stearly • tstearly@shalomri.org 441-1865 or 421-4111, ext. 160 Karen Borger • ksborger@gmail.com 529-5238 COLUMNISTS Dr. Stanley Aronson, Michael Fink, Tema Gouse, Sam Lehman-Wilzig, Alison Stern Perez and Rabbi James Rosenberg
EdITOrIAL BOArd Toby London, chair; John Landry, vice chair; Susan Leach DeBlasio, (Alliance vice chair); M. Charles Bakst, Brian Evans, Jonathan Friesem, Rabbi Andrea Gouze, Steve Jacobson, Eleanor Lewis, Richard Shein, Jonathan Stanzler, Susan Youngwood and Faye Zuckerman EdITOrIAL CONSULTANTS Judith Romney Wegner Arthur C. Norman CALENdAr COOrdINATOr Toby London CONTrIBUTING WrITErS Nancy Abeshaus, Philip Eil
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COPY dEAdLINES: All news releases, photographs, etc. must be received on the Thursday two weeks prior to publication. Submissions may be sent to: nkirsch@shalomri.org. AdvErTISING: We do not accept advertisements for pork or shellfish. We do not attest to the kashrut of any product or the legitimacy of our advertisers’ claims. ALL SUBMITTEd CONTENT becomes the property of The Jewish Voice & Herald. Announcements and opinions contained in these pages are published as a service to the community and do not necessarily represent the views of The Jewish Voice & Herald or its publisher, the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island.
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The Jewish Voice & Herald
OPINION
DECEMBER 21, 2012
www.jvhri.org
Netanyahu’s fit of pique
from the executive editor
This ends now … or does it? By Nancy Kirsch
A
nkirsch@shalomri.org
s I write this, on Dec. 14, the day of the horrific massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., I heard Jay Carney, President Obama’s press person, say, “I don’t think today is the day” to talk about gun control policies. I got angry. It was the perfect time to address gun control, to address a better system to identify, evaluate and treat emotionally ill individuals who are predisposed to violence and to address our nation’s fascination with guns, violence and its “shoot ‘em up” mentality. Since the horrific school massacre, pundits have overtaken the news media with ideas about how to prevent another mass shooting. I’m politically savvy enough to apprethat many politicians are “in executive ciate bed” with all-too-powerful entities like the National Rifle Association editor whose PAC monies help elect said politicians. I’m not wise enough to nancy kirsch propose a realistic fix for that incestuous relationship – public financing, perhaps? Individuals committing massacres in the United States are male, most in their late teens or early 20s, and generally loners. I’m not wise enough to identify any other commonalities; perhaps we should evaluate how effectively we identify and treat emotionally damaged individuals prone to violence. Perhaps we should admit that, absent answers, the United States should consult with experts in highly industrialized countries where mass shootings occur far more rarely. Perhaps the number of “copycat” attacks might decline with a media ban on releasing shooters’ names. Many of these young men – completely isolated and alone – may opt for their “15 minutes of fame” through posthumous infamy. Yes, it’s a First Amendment issue, but other First Amendment limitations have been upheld as constitutional. The release of names via social media is virtually instantaneous – and often incorrect! Murders of prominent people – JFK, RFK, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X – peppered my youthful years. While each was shocking and traumatic, today’s children are growing up in an era when horrific killings are much too commonplace. If they’re “lucky,” they see the unspeakable carnage only on their iPhones, iPads, TVs or in print – the “unlucky ones,” of course, are those who know, or are, victims of a shooting! Remember these mass murders? Seattle (March 2006, seven dead); Lancaster, Pa. (October 2006, five Amish children dead); Binghamton, N.Y. (April 2009, 14 dead) … and many more, including the January 2011 murder of six people and wounding of 13 others, including U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, in Tucson, Ariz. It’s horrific to think how many such shootings we’ve experienced since last January. According to thinkprogress.org/ justice, the rate of people killed by guns in the United States is 19.5 times higher than in similarly high-income countries. I’m politically savvy enough to recognize that our elected officials might, just might, declare, “This ends here, this ends now,” but unless they actually do something to address the root causes of this national scourge, I know that we’ll see more lost lives, more grieving families and more pontificating pundits. President Obama got it half-right: This is not the time for talk about gun control; this is the time to take action. No wonder I’m angry.
U.N. vote is neither a cause for celebration nor a precursor of peace
T
his past Nov. 29 – the 65th anniversary of the 1947 U.N. Partition Resolution 181, the legal basis for the establishment of the State of Israel on May 14, 1948 – the General Assembly decided “to accord to Palestine non-member observer State status in the United Nations …” The resoIT SEEMS lution also strongly enTO ME dorsed – or, depending upon Rabbi Jim one’s point of view, gave lip Rosenberg service to – “the vision of two States: an independent, sovereign, democratic, contiguous State of Palestine living side by side in peace and security with Israel …” By no means does this resolution create a Palestinian state; however, it does permit Palestinians to avail themselves of U.N. agencies, international bodies, and – what could possibly one day become a problem for Israel – the International Criminal Court. One hundred and thirty-eight nations voted in favor of the upgrade in Palestinian U.N. status from “Permanent Observer Mission of Palestine” to “Palestine Observer State,” while 41 abstained. Israel, the United States and Canada, along with the Czech Republic, Panama and the Pacific nations of Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru and Palau, cast nay votes, arguing that the Palestinian Authority’s unilateral action undermines the road to those bilateral negotiations necessary for a peaceful resolution of the longstanding conflict. Most mainstream American Jewish organizations, including the Union for Reform Judaism, have expressed, at the very least, “disappointment” with the lopsided vote at the U.N. Nevertheless, many North American rabbis have applauded the action of the General Assembly. Indeed, on Dec. 5, The New York Times considered it frontpage news that the prestigious, though unaffiliated, Congregation B’nai Jeshurun on Manhattan’s Upper West Side sent out an email to its several thousand members “enthusiastically supporting the vote by the United Nations …” The email stated in part: “The vote at the U.N. yesterday is a great moment for us as citizens of the world … This is an opportunity to celebrate the process that allows for
our mission
The mission of The Jewish Voice & Herald 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.
a nation to come forward and ask for recognition.” To be honest, I do not view the U.N. vote as a cause for celebration, for I fail to see how the vote will in any way be helpful in supporting the process of peace. Unfortunately, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wasted no time before expressing his pique at the U.N. action; within a day or two of the General Assembly’s vote, his administration announced plans to punish the Palestinians for taking their case to the U.N. by building a massive new settlement in the E1 zone of the West Bank. Note well that such a development, if actually implemented, would put to an end the possibility of a two-state solution; a look at a map will tell you why. E1 is an area between East Jerusalem, where the Palestinians hope to locate the capital of their future state, and the Israeli settlement of Ma’aleh Adummim, a growing suburb of about 35,000 inhabitants. This proposed development of E1 would therefore cut off the Palestinian capital from its citizens on the West Bank and would greatly complicate travel between the northern and southern sections of a developing State of Palestine. Note, too, that construction in the E1 zone would violate repeated Israeli “no build” assurances to the U.S. going back to 1994. As New York Times columnist Tom Friedman puts it in his Dec. 5 op-ed, “The far right group running Israel today is so arrogant, and so indifferent to U.S. concerns, that it announced plans to build a huge block of settlements in the heart of the West Bank – in retaliation for the U.N. vote giving the Palestinians observer status – even though the U.S. did everything possible to block that vote and the settlements would sever any possibility of a contiguous Palestinian State.” In its Dec. 2 editorial, the wellrespected Israeli newspaper, Haaretz, stated that, “instead of embarking on sincere, genuine negotiations with the new observer state, Israel is turning its back on
it, and on the world.” Moreover, “After America was left as virtually the last supporter of Israel’s position at the United Nations, Israel is repaying it with a resounding slap in the face.” It is not at all clear why Netanyahu seems to be acting in reckless disregard for the concerns of the Obama administration. Could it be that the Israeli prime minister is performing a most delicate political balancing act in view of the upcoming national elections this coming Jan. 22? Some have been arguing that Netanyahu has no intention of building anything at all in the E1 zone. Rather – so the argument goes – he has manufactured his temper tantrum in order to placate his right-wing supporters who are angry with him for agreeing to the Egyptianbrokered cease-fire in Gaza. As for his relationship with the Obama administration, there will be plenty of time after the January elections to kiss and make up. I am well aware that there are those who feel that we American Jews should hold our tongues when it comes to Israel’s policy decisions. If we want to have our voices heard, then we should
“The far right group running Israel today is … arrogant, and … indifferent to U.S. concerns.” make aliyah and cast our votes where they really count. However, central to the Zionist dream are the notions that Israel ought to be the vital hub of an equally vital Diaspora, that, in the words of our rabbinic sages, kol Yisra’el areivim zeh ba-zeh, all Jews are responsible for each other. From this perspective, I would be derelict in my responsibility as a Jew were I to keep silent while the Netanyahu government takes steps that will render a two-state solution impossible. If there is no two-state solution, then the laws of demography will lead to an Israel that is either a Jewish state that is not democratic or a democratic state that is not Jewish; either of those two outcomes would be a tragedy of epic proportions. JAMES B. ROSENBERG is rabbi emeritus at Temple Habonim in Barrington. Contact him at rabbiemeritus@templehabonim.org.
columns | letters policy The Jewish Voice & Herald 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 & Herald or the Alliance. Send letters and op-eds to nkirsch@shalomri.org or Nancy Kirsch, The Voice & Herald, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence, RI 02906. Include name, city of residence and (not for publication) a contact phone number or email.
The Jewish Voice & Herald
OPINION www.jvhri.org
DECEMBER 21, 2012
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Israel’s pressure cooker
T
What happens when foreigners buy controlling interests in media outlets?
here are a few ways to mid-1970s “Israel’s #1 paper”; have significant influ- Yediot Akhronot, since the ence on a country’s politi- mid-1970s “Israel’s #1 paper” cal system. One is to try and do and Haaretz, forever Israel’s what casino magnate Sheldon quality newspaper, read by the Adelson attempted in the recent numerically smaller but highly U.S. presidential influential political, elections: Donate economic and acatens of millions demic elites. of dollars to camThen, in the midpaigns – first Newt 2000s, Adelson esGingrich’s and then tablished Yisrael Mitt Romney’s. Hayom (Israel ToThat didn’t work day) as a freebie out too well. Anothnewspaper. Hower is to devote the ever, as opposed to same sums to creREFLECTIONS a few other freely ating a new newsIsraeli OF | IN ISRAEL distributed paper from scratch papers that also and then ensuring looked “free” (as that it supports in cheap), Yisrael SAM LEHMAN-WILZIG one’s politicians of Hayom was obvichoice. That’s preously from the start cisely what Adelson has been a serious paper, albeit one that doing for the past several years offered news in bite-sized porin Israel, with remarkable suc- tions. By attracting (and obvicess. ously remunerating) some topIsrael’s Hebrew newspaper flight journalists from other scene for a long time has been papers, it became the #1 read dominated by three papers: paper in Israel within a few Ma’ariv, from 1948 until the years!
ONLINE COMMENTS… RE: “Domestic abuse does happen in some Jewish families” in the Nov. 22 issue “This is an excellent article regarding Jewish marriages. Domestic abuse does happen in some Jewish families.” Sheela@bizworldusa.com Re: “One couple’s odyssey to Cuba” in the Dec. 7 issue “While traveling to Cuba to attend a book fair, Mel and Cindy Yoken seemed unaware that Cuba is the only country in the world which systematically persecutes librarians. Cubans who have opened independent libraries to challenge Cuba’s fierce government censorship (even the Internet is banned) are subjected to threats, mob attacks, arrests, life prison terms and the burning of their library collections.” Robert Kent
Re: “A relatively placid situation for Iranian Jews,” the second part of a two-part story, Nov. 23 and Dec. 7 issues “A very interesting article. Thank you very much.” Anica Long Re: “Three faiths – one vision for peace” in the Dec. 7 issue “This is the type of program that all communities should replicate if possible. We are all connected in one way or other and the more we can do to define similarities the better off the world will be.” Robert Davis Re: “Katz fulfills childhood dream” in the Dec. 7 issue “Such a nice article – and beautiful honor to Rabbi Jim Rosenberg.” Emily Mathis
READERS HAVE WHAT We Want! You have them… and The Voice & Herald wants them: Your opinions! This paper is only as vibrant and robust as our readers make it, with online comments, letters to the editor and op-ed contributions. The door is open, so please send us your suggestions, ideas and comments. Don’t like what you’ve read in the paper and think it’s drivel? Let us know! Love a particular story and want to see more coverage of the same issue? Let us know, so we can share your views and perspectives with all our readers! Letters to the editor: 250 words or fewer and must be signed. Op-ed essays: 500 – 800 words and must be signed. Bring ’em on: Send to nkirsch@shalomri.org. Questions? Call Nancy Kirsch at 421-4111, ext. 168.
The ostensible reason for setting up a new paper was that the Big Three had a decided “leftist” slant on national security issues – and there is a modicum of truth to that. But the real reason is that Adelson, a strong supporter of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, doesn’t like how members of the Israeli press treat Netanyahu; thus, Yisrael Hayom has become Netanyahu’s strong supporter. In and of itself, that’s perfectly legitimate (albeit leading too far from objective reporting), but the cascading consequences have been profoundly negative. First, seeing its dominance threatened and then surpassed, Yediot has taken on a very anti-
Sheldon Adelson suffering Ma’ariv, whose slowly declining readership soon became a hemorrhage. In October 2012, it declared bankruptcy and was bought out by Shlomo Ben-Zvi, who owns Makor Rishon, a lower-circulation, rightwing paper targeted for religious Zionist readers. Ben-Zvi, too, used to be a foreigner (British), but unlike Adelson, Ben-Zvi has moved to Israel permanently. One can add to these tycoons a very familiar name, Ronald Lauder, World Jewish Congress president, who invested millions of shekels in Israel’s second commercial TV station, Channel 10. And then there’s Leonid Nevzlin who owns 20 percent of Haaretz. He, too, holds dual citizenship, but in both his case and Ben-Zvi’s, their money was made overseas. Finally, the newest “kid on the block” is Seth Klarman, a
“What happens to … a nation’s democracy when foreigners largely assume control?” Netanyahu position no matter the issue or the prime minister’s performance. One can hold both papers in hand and almost see reverse images of the same story! That’s great for teaching journalism students what news “framing” looks like but not so good for balanced democratic discourse. Second, the rise of Yisrael Hayom proved to be the final nail in the coffin of the already
Boston hedge fund financier, who funded the new web-paper, The Times of Israel. Of course, in principle, foreign investment in Israel is great – especially by people who care deeply about the country. But what happens to the very lifeblood of a nation’s democracy when foreigners largely assume control? How effectively can such news channels of communication really represent public opinion? The question is doubly germane to Israel, which prohibits anyone from voting if he or she is not physically in the country (except for Foreign Office workers on official state assignment). How does foreign ownership of the press square with Israel’s right wing’s constantly demanding “sovereignty” over our own fate? I don’t have an answer to that, but I would love to hear some journalist ask Netanyahu that question. In any case, Adelson’s election support debacle in the U.S. and his rousing newspaper success in Israel suggest that a new trend may soon occur in America – magnates’ buying American newspapers or other media in order to “control the agenda.” If that happens, you are welcome to ask Israelis how that “works”.... PROF. SAM LEHMAN-WILZIG teaches at Bar-Ilan University in Israel. In 2008-09 he was Schusterman Visiting Professor at Brown University. Visit profslw.com.
letters
Jewish community can do more to support LGBT individuals The Dec. 7 article, “New index aims to spur more inclusive LGBTQ policies” says that a young gay Jewish man felt excluded by Judaism because Leviticus says, “Do not lie with a male as one lies with a woman; it is an abhorrence.” He wished “there could have been some wiggle room applied.” Wiggle room is exactly what has been applied to many other precepts in the Torah. Do we execute people for insulting their parents or committing adultery? That’s what Leviticus prescribes, yet, through the millennia, theologians have found milder interpretations of those verses. People everywhere wear fabric made of two kinds of material, violating
Lev. 19:19, and no one considers them sinners. Only prohibitions against men loving men are taken literally, unable to be reinterpreted. (And, of course, the Bible says nothing about women loving women.) When worried, confused parents of LGBT people come for support to PFLAG (Parents & Friends of Lesbians & Gays), many think their children are violating God’s laws. If more religious leaders applied wiggle room and compassion, parents and their children would not be troubled this way. As a Jew and mother of a lesbian, I’m gratified that so many Jewish institutions in Rhode Island welcome LGBT people. I encourage those institutions to
Voice & Herald produces a great product
The Dec. 7 edition, which I just finished reading, was one of the best ever. The Voice & Herald staff can be exceptionally proud of the wonderful “product.” The greater Providence Jewish community must do everything it can to help the paper be finan-
cially strong so that the staff may continue their outstanding work. Thank you. Milton Goodman Goodman is the executive director of Tifereth Israel Congregation in New Bedford, Mass.
consult Keshet (keshet.org) for displays to make their acceptance obvious. And, I urge synagogues to have PFLAG brochures available for parents, and for LGBT people seeking to come out into the embrace of their families. Myra Shays Providence The writer is president of PFLAG/Greater Providence, which serves the entire state of Rhode Island and Southeastern Mass.; PFLAG is not affiliated with any religious institution. Contact PFLAG at pflagprovidence@verizon.net.
Errata The Dec. 7 story by Arthur Norman, “Three faiths – one vision for peace,” incorrectly quoted Imam Farid Ansari. The correct quote is this: “by educating people … to see that Islam does not promote violence, but peace.”
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The Jewish Voice & Herald
OPINION
DECEMBER 21, 2012
www.jvhri.org
rhode island’s new voices
Circles upon circles of Jewish connections Judaism was on our ‘radar’
E DI T OR’ S NO T E: R achael Elmaleh spoke at Home Sweet Home, the Women’s Alliance annual campaign kickoff to the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island’s Annual Campaign, on Sept. 13. This is an abbreviated version of the speech she gave that day.
By Rachael Elmaleh
W
hen I was asked to speak of my personal experiences with the Jewish Alliance of Rhode Island, particularly The Mothers Circle, I thought to myself, “Why me?” But I soon realized that this was also an opportunity to share my tremendous gratitude for a community that has become my spiritual home. My story is one of “circles.” The Mothers Circle, yes, but I am also speaking symbolically of author Lawrence Kushner’s “invisibly connected” circles. In Judaism, the symbol of the circle is steeped in meaning. At Rosh Hashanah, our calendar begins anew, continuing a circle. On Simhat Torah, we complete the annual reading of the Torah. As soon as we finish, we start again at the beginning, without a break, a continuous cycle. The circle goes on forever, a symbol of eternity. My circle begins with a Jew-
ish grandmother I never met and only learned about in the last decade. She was born on Manhattan’s Lower East Side to parents who immigrated to America in the mid-1880s. They opened bakeries all over Manhattan, serving Austrianinfluenced pastries to New Yorkers. My father never knew his mother, let alone that she was Jewish, until much later in his life. His adopted mother was also Jewish, but was too fearful to share that fact during the political climate of World War II. Continuing this circle is my husband Francois, whose Sephardic background is colorful and eventful. His father, the youngest of 10, joined the French Resistance as a teen, fought all through World War II and became secretive of his Jewish identity. Even after his death, some of his closest friends were unaware of his Jewish lineage. When I met Francois, Judaism was on our “radar,” but not our destination. I will never forget finding a PJ Library brochure at the Jewish Community Center. Within weeks, we received amazing stories connecting Jewish traditions and values in the form of children’s bedtime stories. In those stories lay embedded meaning that struck a chord with me; it
felt natural, it felt right and I think I benefited more than my 2-year-old. I later stumbled upon a postcard from The Mothers Circle postcard in that same JCC lobby. The timing could not have been better. Home full time with my two children, I yearned to learn more about Judaism, and there was free childcare at the JCC during The Mothers
“The circle goes on forever, a symbol of eternity.” Circle classes. My older daughter attended pre-K at the JCC, my younger daughter happily played at childcare, but the real magic happened at the Bureau of Jewish Education (now part of the Alliance), where we eight non-Jewish women met every two weeks to discuss the inner workings of Judaism. We learned how to make Shabbat, braided challah, experienced a mock Passover Seder, visited a mikveh, went on a road
trip to Judaic bookstores in Newton, Mass., and, of course, taste-tested Jewish foods. Deb Blazer’s hamantashen were my favorite! However, the true bonding experiences occurred during our no-holds-barred discussions guided by our leader and facilitator Kit Haspel. I was a ripe candidate for conversion. During our time in The Mothers Circle, we had some sessions with local rabbis, including Rabbi Joel Seltzer. It felt right; it felt natural, so I signed up for Gerim (adult education classes for conversion) classes at Temple Emanu-El the following fall. That same fall, my older daughter started attending the Jewish Community Day School while my younger daughter attended the JCC Early Childhood Center. As a family, we regularly participated in Emanu-El’s Early Kabbalat Shabbat services. My husband gladly put on his kippah for these occasions, knowing that his late father would have been proud of him for choosing to connect with Judaism. Truly, it is our community that makes Judaism so inviting, comforting and powerful. I learned this last year when my husband was away for 9½ months with the Army National Guard. I remember reassuring
my father that there were 30 or more people I could call, and depend on, in any circumstance! This sense of community, previously unknown to me, is what I longed for my entire life. Not only have Francois and I been forever changed by these experiences, but our children have also been touched. Even my father, who never had a formal connection to his own birthright, feels a part of this community and admits that my son’s brit [milah] was one of the most spiritually infused experiences he has ever encountered. He looks forward to reading The Jewish Voice & Herald and follows the goings-on of our local community from afar. Our local Jewish community truly taught me the meaning of Jewish values by showing me kindness, demonstrating generosity, sharing the light and warmth of Shabbat and acting on behalf of beliefs rather than just discussing them. I am a grateful witness to it. RACHAEL ELMALEH lives in Providence with her husband Francois and their three children – two girls and a boy. Contact her at raachee@msn. com.
Offering guidance on true inclusivity Helping all individuals make meaningful lives
By Diane Cerep
Special to The Voice & Herald
I
, too, attended the Baltimore conference, “Opening Abraham’s Tent.” I agree with everything Steve Rakitt wrote (“The ‘four C’s’ in appraising the community’s approach to the disabled” in the Dec. 7 issue), although I do not like to label individuals. Individuals are not disabled, which is how one might describe a broken-down car; they are born with or develop a medical diagnosis. If someone is diagnosed with cancer or heart disease does he or she become labeled as disabled? No; individuals born with autism, cerebral palsy, mental retardation or other medical diagnoses are not disabled nor do they have special needs. They have the same needs as any other individuals born without medical diagnoses, but their needs may have to be met in a different way. While it is nice that speakers educate the community about individuals whose needs are met in different ways, they don’t do much to help the individuals
themselves. Parents are able to find resources to meet many of their children’s needs but it takes an entire community to help individuals make meaningful lives. Many individuals with the
“There is nothing to fear in befriending someone whose needs are met in different ways.” medical diagnoses mentioned above do not do well socially in large groups of people; they may need support. If we truly want to be an inclusive community, we should take the time and opportunity to get to know these individuals one-on-one. Consider some of
these ideas: Invite a person (in the appropriate age group) to a Shabbat dinner, a movie, out to lunch or for a walk – anything to get to know him or her on a personal basis. If you know of a large community event that you think someone would enjoy attending, invite the individual to join you (and support him or her throughout the event). Some individuals may need additional guidance and support (sometimes due to a lack of opportunities to practice their social skills). If a friend acted in a way you didn’t like or thought was inappropriate, you would “call him on it” in a kind way … it’s no different with an individual whose needs are addressed differently. Be supportive while also promptly providing straightforward information about more appropriate behavior; clear guidance on correct behavior will not hurt their feelings and will only help them get along better in all situations they will encounter in life. There is nothing to fear in befriending someone whose needs are met in different ways. Try
it; you may just make a lifelong friend. As Carole King sang in “You’ve Got a Friend”: “And I’ll be there, yes I will. Now ain’t it good to know that you’ve got a friend …”
DIANE CEREP, an Alliance employee, lives in Cranston with her family, including her 27-year-old daughter who has Down syndrome. Contact her at berrycerep@cox.net.
letter
Sigd spread is noteworthy Irving Schild and Shai Afsai have created a splendid contribution to The Voice & Herald with their account of the Ethiopian “Sigd” ceremony (”Writer, photographer capture the magic of a holiday” in the Dec. 7 issue). As one who has long been interested in the Beta Israel community within Israel, I read the words and studied the gorgeous and colorful images with in-
tense focus ... and pleasure. I just wanted to thank them both publicly for their artistry, enthusiasm and devotion to the beauty, diversity, and sheer glory of Jewish traditions welcomed and celebrated within the Holy Land. Congratulations! Mike Fink Providence Fink writes a monthly column for The Voice & Herald.
The Jewish Voice & Herald
OPINION www.jvhri.org
DECEMBER 21, 2012
7
When will the NIF take responsibility? Attacking the critic isn’t effective, columnist asserts
By Ronen Shoval JERUSALEM (JTA) – There is by now a familiar pattern whenever the New Israel Fund is criticized: The critic is attacked as a right-wing extremist, a liar, an enemy of human rights, democracy and open dialogue. This is exactly how NIF has responded to a letter my organization, Im Tirtzu, a Zionist student group in Israel, has published in American Jewish newspapers [not in The Jewish Voice & Herald]. Our ad asserts that NIF-funded groups are once again accusing Israel of war crimes after we defended ourselves against relentless Hamas rocket attacks. And then our ad asks a simple question: Does Brian Lurie, the new president of NIF, stand by these false accusations? And if he doesn’t, what will he do to assure Israelis that he will be an agent of reform at the New Israel Fund?
In response to this perfectly legitimate question, NIF flatly denies the central role its groups played in supplying “evidence” of Israeli wrongdoing to the Goldstone Commission (more than 100 footnotes in the Goldstone Report cite NIF groups). It further claims that none of its groups are accusing Israel of war crimes today and proclaims itself the victim of an attempt by my organization, whose budget and influence are a miniscule fraction of NIF’s, to suppress the “right to dissent.” The claim that a small student organization that questions the New Israel Fund is attempting to curtail debate is an accusation worthy of Orwell. Im Tirtzu isn’t suppressing debate – we are participating in it. That NIF cannot respond honestly to the questions we pose should be a warning to its donors and supporters about NIF’s commitment to open, democratic dialogue.
After Operation Pillar of Defense, Israel’s latest attempt to stop terrorist attacks on its
“Does … the new president of NIF stand by these false accusations?” civilians, we watched to see if NIF had learned any lessons from the role that its fundees played in creating and promoting the ruthlessly biased Goldstone Report. Unfortunately, it has not. NIF first claimed in a Dec. 13 statement to reporters, “Not one of the human rights organizations Im Tirtzu attacks
accused Israel of war crimes in the recent Gaza action.” It now concedes that Adalah has accused Israel of “a serious violation of the laws of war.” And the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel co-signed a letter saying that there is “concrete evidence indicating the commission of war crimes by both parties.” If words have meaning, then NIF-funded groups have accused Israel of committing war crimes in Operation Pillar of Defense. We wanted to hear from NIF’s leaders whether they stood by the accusations of the groups that they fund. We are tired of NIF’s game: funding organizations in Israel that slander and delegitimize the Jewish state, while insisting to donors and journalists in America that nothing untoward is taking place. It’s time for this game to end. It’s time for NIF to be held accountable – and to hold itself
accountable – for the terrible campaigns of accusation carried out by groups it funds in Israel. Unfortunately, what we have seen from this latest episode is that the NIF is still not taking responsibility for the extremism it funds and still thinks it can attack its critics into submission. NIF’s new president has yet to respond to our letter. If he genuinely believes in the talking points NIF often cites – that NIF is committed to open debate, transparency and accountability – he will take this opportunity to show that those values begin at home. He can say whether NIF will continue promoting baseless accusations against Israel or begin a much-needed process of reform. NIF’s critics are watching, and we are not going away. RONEN SHOVAL is the founder and chairman of Im Tirtzu.
Im Tirtzu brings a lie to America
NIF message to the IDF: Investigate harm to civilian life and property in Gaza By Daniel Sokatch SAN FRANCISCO (JTA) – It took only a few days for truth to become a casualty of Israel’s latest military operation in Gaza. It is clear that the IDF sought to avoid civilian casualties under difficult circumstances. It is equally obvious that, as in every conflict, Israeli human rights groups monitored and reported, called attention to international law and criticized both Hamas and some aspects of the IDF operation. As with Operation Cast Lead in Gaza four years ago, Israel’s extreme right wing exploited an atmosphere of patriotism and fear to attack progressives and Israel’s vibrant human rights community. A full-page ad, signed by municipal leaders in southern Israel, appeared in the Jerusalem Post calling on the New Israel Fund to eschew what they called “blood libels” against the IDF. NGO Monitor, which only manages to monitor progressive human rights and social justice NGOs, issued a press release claiming that human rights organizations somehow “insinuated” this and that about Israel. Last week, another attempt to repress dissent washed up on American shores. Im Tirtzu, an Israeli group infamous for its attacks on human rights organizations, Arab Israelis and Ben-Gurion University, placed an ad in some American Jew-
ish papers [though not The Jewish Voice & Herald] condemning the New Israel Fund and the human rights organizations we support. Im Tirtzu’s website claims that NIF-supported human rights groups are calling Israeli soldiers war criminals. Completely untrue. It alleges in the ad that our organizations have concluded that IDF conduct was a clear violation of
“Israelis who equate human rights with treason are undermining their democracy.” international law. The truth is that, with one exception, these organizations are only asking the Israeli army to investigate harm suffered by vulnerable civilian sectors, including journalists, medical personnel and children. One organization signed a letter asking for U.N. investigation of possible breaches of the Geneva Convention by both sides in the conflict. And one organization declared that
bombing a civilian media center in Gaza violates the laws of war. In demanding that we stop funding organizations that have expressed our core values for more than 30 years, Im Tirtzu uses a military operation as justification for repressing dissent from its definition of Zionism. We understand why they think this might work. Operation Cast Lead damaged Israel’s international reputation considerably. Afterwards, the Israeli government refused to engage in a post-war inquiry. The investigation by U.N. Judge Richard Goldstone erroneously concluded that the Israeli army had deliberately targeted civilians in Gaza, although he eventually recanted that claim. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared the threat from delegitimization efforts like the Goldstone Report on Cast Lead as one of three threats Israel faced – along with missiles and an Iranian nuclear weapon. As Israel found itself on the losing end of worldwide opinion, human rights defenders became the domestic scapegoat. After 45 years of occupation and the inevitable abuses it entails, human rights groups, often the bearers of challenging truths, are not beloved in Israel. Right-wing leaders claim that routinely monitoring and reporting human rights violations somehow “delegitimizes”
Israel rather than legitimizing its status as a democracy. They point to Hamas’ terrible record on human rights, as if the fact that human rights are not respected in Gaza means that Israel should not worry about them either. Im Tirtzu first made its name launching an expensive ad campaign falsely claiming that most of the Goldstone Report was based on information from Israeli human rights organizations. Legislation was introduced in the Knesset to defund, constrict and penalize these groups, in ways more common in Russia and Egypt. Dissent was stigmatized as treason; organizations like ours were attacked for providing financial support for human rights monitors. And yet, the Israeli army paid attention to the human rights community’s reports. The IDF acknowledged changing its operational procedures to better protect civilian lives and property. An IDF spokesperson said, “Between the military and various human rights organizations there is constant dialogue.” Other Israeli authorities recognized the values at stake. The attorney general refused to investigate human rights groups named as contributing to the Goldstone Report. American Jewish leaders spoke out against the spectacle of a democracy’s politicians attempting to suppress its human rights community.
We welcome those voices. The critically important work of human rights organizations is to hold a mirror up to society, carefully inspect the behavior of powerful institutions in their own society, remind us of the humanity of civilians during wartime and hold us to civilized behavior even in adverse circumstances. Israelis who equate human rights with treason are undermining their democracy. Israel’s friends should remember that the homeland’s strength lies not only with its army, but with its democracy, civil society, tradition of free speech and ability to self-examine and improve. When Israel is under attack, the desire to stand with it against its foes is a natural reaction. Those who care about an Israel that reflects its founding values should insist that the principles of universal human rights become embedded in the country’s conscience. We are thankful that the current violence ended with far fewer casualties than were suffered four years ago. Let us hope that Israel remembers that it wins hearts and minds around the world, and lives up to its own ideals, by exemplifying the democratic and humane values so foreign to most of its enemies, and by striving for justice and peace. DANIEL SOKATCH is chief executive officer of the New Israel Fund.
8
The Jewish Voice & Herald
COMMUNITY
DECEMBER 21, 2012
www.jvhri.org
Interactive presentation on violence enlightens students, parents and faculty
Amy Blustein
Rockin’ the synagogue with Six13 Temple Sinai hosted Six13, (six13.com), the six-man vocal band that brings an unprecedented style of Jewish music to the stage. With songs ranging from hiphop dance tracks to rock anthems, the New Yorkbased group sounds like a full band – while using nothing but their voices. The band welcomed a full house of some 250 congregants who were up and on their feet as Temple Sinai kicked off its Hanukkah celebration on Dec. 9.
PROVIDENCE – Rabbi Wayne Franklin of Temple Emanu-El and Teny Gross, executive director of the Institute for the Study & Practice of Nonviolence, talked with 40 or so parents, educators and teens about the impact of violence and strife, both locally through gang-on-gang brutality and globally. Rabbi Franklin focused his presentation on the recent conflict between Israel and Gaza. The Dec. 9 preYOUR sentation, which CAMPAIGN included news DOLLARS clips and videos, MAKE A was one of a seDIFFERENCE ries of speakers’ programs, which the Harry Elkin Midrasha Community High School offers to Jewish teens throughout greater Rhode Island. Students were engaged in a lively and provocative discussion during the program. FOR MORE ABOUT classes, programs and trips for teens, contact Jana Brenman, director of teen engagement, at 4214111, ext. 181 or jbrenman@ shalomri.org.
JANA BRENMAN
Teny Gross addresses teens from the greater Rhode Island Jewish community at Temple Emanu-El.
JCDSRI pre-K students learn about engineering From Page 2 class, however, are learning that adults use similar skills to create real world bridges. Last month, pre-K students welcomed two special visitors from Rhode Island’s Department of Transportation to their classroom. Rahmat Noorparvar and Michael Sevalla, principal engineers at RI DOT who oversee several projects, are involved in designing new bridges and rehabilitating existing bridges. The guests brought bridges they created from Popsicle sticks so that students could investigate the intricate structures. One student said, “You can’t make bridges for real with Popsicle sticks ’cause then the cars would fall down!”
They also shared samples of steel rebar and bolts and showed the students some of the tools they use while they work, like survey tape, reflective vests and hard hats. Students learned that a square shape is not very strong but, if, braced through the middle (thereby creating two connected triangles), the strongest shape for building bridges is formed! Arches, they also learned, create stability for bridges. Noorparvar and Sevalla pointed out that rainbows are also arches, although they don’t hold up anything. One student, however, disagreed, asserting, “Rainbows hold stuff up! Unicorns!” To test the strength of a square when it is braced in the
middle, the students were invited to stand on bridges built from wooden coffee stirrers! “I can’t believe this holds us up,” exclaimed one student, “but I bet it can’t hold up Mr. Sevalla!” Giggles ensued as the adults in the room embraced the challenge and discovered that the seemingly flimsy structure could indeed hold them! The school’s Pre-K engineers are now enthusiastically creating bridges in the block area and art center. ANDREA KATZMAN is a preK teacher at JCDSRI. Contact her at akatzman@jcdsri.org.
The Jewish Voice & Herald
WORLD
DECEMBER 21, 2012
www.jvhri.org
9
JDC impacts millions of lives in more than 70 countries From Page 1 “It is perfume, and it should remind you of Grandma,” said Ben-Shimon. “It’s called ‘Red Moscow’ and for 70 years it was the only perfume available in the former Soviet Union.” As a leading Jewish humanitarian assistance organization, the JDC impacts millions of lives in more than 70 countries. The organization, which the Alliance supports with funds for its core programming, is committed to serving the world’s poorest Jews and revitalizing Jewish life. The JDC’s work within the Jewish communal world, explained Ben-Shimon, is focused on three core issues: rescue, relief and renewal. So what does the fragrance of old Jewish women have to do with the work the JDC does in a former Communist country? “A disproportionate number of elderly, lonely Jewish women [are] living in the former Soviet Union … and they all smell like this,” said Ben-Shimon, evoking a sensory response that led to a compelling story about a woman named Sophia. “It is one of the most important smells for Jews living in this part of the world. It is the smell of their childhood.” Sophia, 87, is a Holocaust survivor living in Tashkent, Uzbekistan’s capital. The sole Jew in her apartment building, she is homebound on the fifth floor of that crumbling housing structure. Before BenShimon came to visit Sophia, she spritzed Red Moscow in her tiny dwelling. “She thanked me – spasibo, thank you in Russian – and showed me some old photographs,” said Ben-Shimon. “The first one was of her husband. She explained that he
food, medicine, homecare and winter supplies,” said BenShimon. “For most of our clients, we are their only family. We are trying to care for them when no one else will.” Two years ago, the JDC investigated the cost of living in cities like Moscow and Minsk. “It is significantly more expensive to live in these cities than it is to live in, say, New York,” he said. “There is a real need. People are hungry.” In addition to assuaging peo-
“For most of our clients, we are their only family.”
Sophia, an elderly woman in the former Soviet Union, receives essential assistance from the JDC. died in the Great Patriotic War – World War II. The other photos were all of immediate and second-tier, male family members who also died in the war.” Of the approximately 27 million Soviet citizens killed fighting the Nazis during World War II, some 25 million were men, leaving vast numbers of women widowed or single. Seventy-five percent of the potentially marriageable men (ages 18 – 45) were killed by war’s end. Many of the surviving Jews – ablebodied men and women – left the former Soviet Union for Is-
JDC
rael or the United States and the remaining Jews were left alone. Sophia lost her immediate family in the war. Widowed at a young age, she has no children or grandchildren to care for her. Life for elderly Jewish women like Sophia is bleak and lonely. Living below poverty level, she must decide whether to buy food or medication each month. If not for the support of the JDC, she would be hopeless. The JDC “preserves dignity and saves people’s lives. Sophia relies on us for everything. She has a caregiver and we provide
ple’s hunger, the JDC addresses people’s thirst for spiritual and emotional connections. Thousands of Jews want to build and strengthen their Jewish identity. One photograph from the JDC archives, circa 1922, depicts a mock funeral held by a scant number of Jews mourning the loss of the Sabbath. During the long decades under a Communist regime, vestiges of Jewish life disappeared. Jews were forced to proclaim allegiance to the Soviet Union. Fortunately, the tide is shifting. Many Jews who were oppressed are now reclaiming their Judaism. “The thirst for Jewish knowledge [is driving] a resurgence of Jewish life in Russia, Poland
and throughout Eastern Europe,” said Ben-Shimon, as he explained that the JDC doesn’t place boundaries on its work. The JDC works in nearly 3,000 locations across nine time zones in Russia alone. “As the elderly [Jews] in these countries [die], the shape of Jewish communities is changing. There will be [fewer and fewer] Jews in rural areas. People are moving to big cities,” Ben-Shimon said. “As the Joint consolidates services, we can forecast what will happen in 20 years. People will come together – are coming together – to create vibrant communities.” Ben-Shimon spoke to Alliance staff members at two presentations on Tuesday, Dec. 11, after speaking at the Alliance board meeting the prior evening. The face of poverty and despair is worldwide, but the JDC will continue to be there. Thanks to the work of the JDC – through contributions from the Annual Campaign and other federations’ campaigns – Jews in places like Russia and Poland experience hope for a brighter, more fragrant, future. KARA MARZIALI is a communications and marketing representative at the Alliance. Contact her at kmarziali@ shalomri.org or 421-4111, ext. 170. FOR MORE ABOUT the campaign, contact Michele Gallagher at mgallagher@shalomri. org or 421-4111, ext. 165. FOR MORE ABOUT the JDC, visit jdc.org.
| WORLD CALENDAR
10 The Jewish Voice & Herald CALENDAR
Ongoing
Cyma Shapiro: Nurture. Collection of stories, told through words and photos, of women who became mothers at age 40 or older. gallery (401), Jewish Alliance of Greater RI, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence. Through Jan. 3. Erin Moseley at 421-4111, ext. 108 or YOUR emoseley@shalomri.org CAMPAIGN DOLLARS MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Hebrew Coffees. Practice Hebrew with Matan Graff, our community’s Israeli emissary. People who want to enhance their basic Hebrew language skills and enjoy a cup of coffee. Jan. 23, Feb. 6, Feb. 20, March 6 and March 20 at 7 p.m. Matan Graff at 421-4111, ext. 121 or mgraf@shalomri. org. Alliance JCC Senior Café. Jewish Family Service invites seniors to attend the Senior Café. Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence. Lunch at noon, program begins at 1 p.m. Second Wednesday of every month: J-Fitness professional Jodie Thompson offers stretching and toning for all levels, 11:45 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. Lunch – noon, program – 1 p.m. Programs are free; suggested donation of $3 for lunch for those 60+ and those under 60 with disabilities. Lunch RSVP required 2 days in advance. RSVP or for more information, Neal or Elaine at 421-4111, ext. 107. Am David Senior Café. Jewish Family Service invites seniors to attend the Senior Café. Temple Am David, 40 Gardiner St., Warwick. Fourth Friday of every month: Dance therapy with Bella Donna Crisafulli includes dance, Tai Chi and yoga for all energy levels. 11 – noon. Third Friday of every month: Birthday celebrations with gifts for all with birthdays in that month, live music. Lunch and entertainment offered every weekday. Program – 11:15 a.m., lunch – noon. Programs are free; suggested donation of $3 for lunch for those 60+ and those under 60 with disabilities. Lunch RSVP required 2 days in advance. RSVP or for more information, Steve, Elaine or Neal at 732-0047.
Monday | Dec. 24
Attleboro Blood Drive. Congregation Agudas Achim, 901 North Main St., Attleboro, Mass., 9 a.m. – 2 p.m., 508222-2243. JERI Satellite Office Hours. JERI Director Susan Adler and Assistant Director Ethan Adler counsel seniors and their families; Ethan is also available for pastoral counseling. Sakonnet Bay Manor, 1215 Main Road, Tiverton. 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. Susan Adler at 621-5374 or sadler-jeri@ jsari.org.
DECEMBER 21, 2012
www.jvhri.org
Thursday | Dec. 27 JERI Satellite Office Hours. See Dec. 24 Listing. Congregation B’nai Israel, 224 Prospect St., Woonsocket. 9:30 – 10:30 a.m. Susan Adler at 621-5374 or sadlerjeri@jsari.org.
Friday | Dec. 28
Alliance JCC Senior Café. Theme: New Year’s celebration with music by Jerry Columbo. Lunch – noon, program – 1 p.m. Programs are free; suggested donation of $3 for lunch for those 60+ and those under 60 with disabilities. Lunch RSVP required 2 days in advance. RSVP or for more information, Neal or Elaine at 4214111, ext. 107. Temple Am David Senior Café. Theme: New Year’s celebration with music by Jerry Columbo. Program – 11:15 a.m., lunch – 1 p.m. Programs are free; suggested donation of $3 for lunch for those 60+ and those under 60 with disabilities. Lunch RSVP required 2 days in advance. RSVP or for more information, Steve, Elaine or Neal at 732-0047.
Judaism transcends borders Different lifestyles don’t disrupt Jewish practices
By Esty Bharier
Special to The Voice & Herald PROVIDENCE – A year ago, I traveled with my family to Israel where I met three of my cousins for the first time, all girls about my age, who had recently made aliyah. Although we come from different backgrounds, our Judaism connected us: We all observed Shabbat, celebrated Hanukkah and ate familiar foods. I might, I thought, have much in common with other Jewish relatives and friends my age living in other countries, so I emailed three Jewish teenagers I know, asked them about their Jewish lives and found the comparisons
Tuesday | Jan. 1
Pick-up Basketball. Play basketball with fellow RING members (those in their 20s, 30s and early 40s). Alliance JCC gym, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence. 6 – 8:55 p.m., free to The Ring members; JCC membership is not required. Erin Moseley, 421-4111, ext. 108 or emoseley@ shalomri.org.
Wednesday | Jan. 2
Café JORI. Join JORI Director Ronni Guttin and Assistant Director Rachel Mersky Woda for coffee and to learn more about Camp JORI. Alliance JCC, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence. 8:30 – 10 a.m., 4214111, ext. 124 or Rachel@campjori.com.
Friday | Jan. 4
Shabbat Chai Shabbat Alive. Interactive Shabbat service combines musical instruments with traditional and new melodies; free dinner follows. Temple Emanu-El, 99 Taft Ave., Providence. 5:45 p.m. 3311616. “My Dreams for the Future.” Guest speaker John Torgan, director of ocean & coastal conservation at The Nature Conservancy, will offer his perspectives and vision for the future of Rhode Island’s environment at the Shabbat service. Temple Beth-El, 90 Orchard Ave., Providence. 7 p.m., free and open to the community. Rob Massi, 331-6070 or rmassi@temple-beth-el.org.
Saturday | Jan. 5
“Mishpachah Rishonah.” Family First Shabbat Morning Service. Interactive learning service for children and parents; congregational lunch follows. Fishbein Chapel, Temple Emanu-El, 99 Taft Ave., CALENDAR | 11
Calendar Submissions Please note: Calendar items for our Jan. 4 Health/Wellness Issue must be received by Dec. 26. Calendar items for our Jan. 18 Bridal Issue must be received by Jan. 9. Send all calendar items to nkirsch@ shalomri.org, subject line: “CALENDAR.”
Jewish foods are matzah ball soup and cholent, which I also enjoy. She appreciates that her family and friends gather for Shabbat dinner. Mayan is also involved as a counselor in a Jewish youth group called Maccabi. She defines her Judaism as “being born to Jewish parents and belonging to a Jewish community. The holidays also have a great influence on me because each has a background in Jewish history.” Mayan plans to continue these traditions and stay connected to Judaism, she said, “by marrying a Jewish man
ish youth organization where people her age organize summer parties and beach trips. Her favorite aspects of being Jewish are the traditions, food, music and dancing. Laura defines her Judaism as “a family heritage, a practice of certain customs I believe in … an influence on my way of seeing life … what makes Judaism meaningful is the way its traditions have [lasted] and how they still remain strong as parents transmit them to their children.” Laura plans to stay connected to Judaism by teaching her future children “everything
Laura Renán and staying in Israel.”
Cuban Jewry
Mayan Camhi quite interesting.
From Mexico to Israel
Mayan Camhi is my 15-yearold third cousin whose family emigrated from Mexico City, Mexico to La Jolla, Calif., and then made aliyah to Israel three years ago. In San Diego, Calif., she attended a Jewish day school and lived in a predominantly Jewish community. Asked what Jewish life is like in Israel compared to California and what the transition was like, she responded, “In Israel, you really feel [closer to] Judaism because it’s part of our everyday life: holidays, Shabbat, politics, studies, language, etc. The greatest challenge of my transition was learning Hebrew and adapting to the Israeli culture and society. Here everyone is direct and loud and speaks their mind. I adapted very well to the Israeli society and learned Hebrew quickly.” Mayan had never visited Israel before her family moved there; she now lives in Zichron Yaakov, a small town in the northern center of Israel. In Israel, it is like “living in a safe little bubble,” said Mayan. “It is a lot easier to practice Judaism [here] because I am surrounded by Jewish people, so I feel free to practice it, unlike other countries … “ Mayan’s favorite Jewish holiday is Purim because she gets to dress up; her favorite
I met my second cousin Laura Renán nine years ago when we visited Cuba; Laura, now 19, lives in Havana. She is now in her third year at Havana University. Although Cuba’s Jews number only about 1,200, the Jewish community “has a very intense active life and they manage to get people together, sometimes even on a daily basis for a minyan,” she said. “More than once, the president (Fidel Castro and now Raul Castro) has attended Hanukkah and Pesach celebrations,” she said. “In Cuba, there are many religions and
Daniel Katz that I have received from my family.”
From Ontario, Canada to Providence
Daniel Katz, now 18, moved to Providence from Ontario when he was 2½. Judaism has been a huge part of his life; he and his family, active members of Temple EmanuEl, observe Shabbat, which, he admits, may disrupt his schoolwork and sports at Providence Country Day School. Active in both the Providence chapter and the New England Region of United Synagogue Youth (USY), he said, “USY is a home … where I … see my friends and I can be me. It connects me to Judaism through ruakh (spirit); there is nothing quite like being in a group of 100 or more Jewish teens, all of whom are belting out the lyrics to songs like Yom Zeh M’Khubbad.” Daniel enjoys all things Israeli … talking about Israeli politics, eating Israeli food, visiting Israel and … eating more Israeli food. He spent the second semester of his sophomore year of high school studying in Israel. Daniel regularly checks Israeli news websites like jpost.com to see what’s happening.
“…Judaism transcends gender and nationality. Judaism connects people regardless of their level of observance.” it is easy for people to express themselves.” Jewish organizations in Cuba distribute donated Canadian medicines and kosher food each week. Laura belongs to the Comunidad Hebrea de Cuba Beth Shalom, a Jewish community center and synagogue. Although she celebrates all the Jewish holidays, her favorite is Pesach, she said, “because of the way the story is told … the food we eat reminds us of every detail.” She also enjoys going to gatherings of the Jew-
YOUTH | 29
The Jewish Voice & Herald
CALENDARwww.jvhri.org | COMMUNITY
DECEMBER 21, 2012
11
Adas Israel president lays out synagogue’s future after building is sold to a church Chabad-Lubavitch of South Coast had wished to purchase building
tain a mortgage, due to the current economic climate we were unable to raise the entire remaining amount necessary to purchase the building in time for the deadline we were given. We are sad that the last remaining Orthodox synagogue building is no longer.” The Voice & Herald asked him what the organization plans to do with any funds raised to purchase the building, how much money was raised and from how many donors and why its
By Nancy Kirsch
nkirsch@shalomri.org PROVIDENCE – After The Jewish Voice & Herald ran a small news blurb, “Congregation Adas Israel officer announces sale of building,” in the Dec. 7 issue, we heard from Jeffrey Weissman, president of Congregation Adas Israel. He requested that we publish the Dec. 12 letter that was sent to the congregation. The letter appears in its entirety, below. “Dec. 12, 2012: Open Letter to the Congregation: Dear Fellow Congregants, The past year has been one of confusion and turmoil within our congregation. We originally thought we had the synagogue building sold to Chabad of South Coast, which would have allowed us to remain in the building, however after several missed deadlines we realized that there was no way that the Chabad could afford the building and would not be able to obtain a bank loan. There was an offer made by the Word of Life Church, which was always in the background, but they also had trouble obtaining a bank loan. Aug. 24, 2012 brought a new and workable agreement with the church, resulting in the final sale of the building and ONLY the building, and on Nov. 22, 2012 the papers were signed and a bank check was received by Congregation Adas Israel. This sale does NOT mean that the congregation was sold or disbanded; Congregation Adas Israel is and always will be a viable Orthodox congregation. Our location has changed
The building that had been the home of Congregation Adas Israel in Fall River, Mass. and we have been graciously welcomed by Temple Beth El in Fall River and still have a place to conduct services, have meetings and celebrate holidays. We welcome our members to join us on Saturday mornings and holidays and also welcome the members of Temple Beth El to join in our celebrations. The sale of the building was done to provide for the future of the two Orthodox cemeteries in Fall River, Hebrew Cemetery on McMahon Street and Agudas Achim Cemetery on Newhall Street. There currently are three plans that are being explored to manage the cemeteries in a cost-effective manner, while allowing for the preservation of both cemeteries as they were chartered to be. I can’t emphasize enough that only our building was sold, the congregation is and always will be Orthodox, and with Hashem’s blessing will continue at Temple Beth El. The memorial plaques and pictures that were
CALENDAR From Page 10 Providence. 10:30 a.m. – noon. Bethany Sutton at bl_sutton@yahoo.com, Miriam Abrams-Stark at Miriam@teprov.org or teprov.org.
Tuesday | Jan. 8
Temple Emanu-El in Africa. Professor William Miles will deliver a talk, accompanied by photographs and video clips, entitled “Temple Emanu-El in Africa.” Temple Emanu-El, 99 Taft Ave., Providence, 7 p.m. Free and open to the community; RSVPs needed to Rabbi Elan Babchuck, 331-1616 or ebabchuck@ teprov.org. See story on page 37. Israeli Culture Through Film. “Music Voyager” is a music and travel broadcast that travels to Israel to attend a
website’s home page (chabadsouthcoast.com) continues to post, days after the purchase and sale agreement was executed, its “Synagogue Rescue Campaign: Help Keep Adas Israel Jewish!” In a subsequent email, Rabbi Benjaminson wrote that the information was confidential and that neither the donors nor he wished to see in print. He added, “We left the information on the website to raise awareness ... to not forget ...”
once-in-a-lifetime concert. The Alliance JCC, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence, 7 p.m. Erin Moseley at 421-4111, ext. 108 or emoseley@shalomri.org.
Thursday | Jan. 10
YOUR CAMPAIGN DOLLARS MAKE A DIFFERENCE
The Mothers Circle. Are you raising Jewish children...but you’re not Jewish? Don’t do it alone. The Alliance hosts a group for non-Jewish women raising Jewish children; free of charge, Alliance, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence. Noon. Contact Kit Haspel, The Mothers Circle coordinator at 421-4111 or khaspel@shalomri.org.
in the synagogue have come with us and will be displayed in Temple [Beth El] if suitable arrangements can be made. There is no plan to destroy any of the plaques or dispose of the pictures, and they will be remaining with the synagogue unless arrangements can be made with the Center for Jewish Culture at UMass Dartmouth to display them in their library. Please feel free to contact me or any member of the board of directors should you have a concern.” Given that letter, we were eager to learn more from Rabbi Aaron Isaac Benjaminson of Chabad-Lubavitch of the South Coast. In response to questions about the sale of the property, he wrote in an email: “As I told our donors: I am very sad to report that despite our best efforts, the Adas Israel building was sold to a church on Friday. Although we were able to ob-
Alliance ECC gets new mezuzzot Rabbi Yossi Laufer, of Chabad of West Bay Chai Center, prepares a mezuzzah for installation on a newly painted doorframe in the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island’s Early Childhood Center on Dec. 14.
NATION
12 The Jewish Voice & Herald
DECEMBER 21, 2012
www.jvhri.org
The Yiddish language’s literal and figurative rescuer Engaging the next generation in an ancient language By Paul Foer/JNS.org AMHERST, Mass. – Aaron Lansky’s decades-long mission is typified by an “emergency” call he once received on a wintry night, summoning him to New York to rescue thousands of Yiddish-language volumes from a dumpster. Lansky springs into action, barely gets to the city and gathers a crew of volunteers. Despite the difficulties, he manages to safely remove the precious books – only to end up with a 104-degree fever. That anecdote opens Lansky’s 2004 book “Outwitting History” – whose title is apt, given that this recipient of a MacArthur Foundation “genius” grant is at least partially responsible for the fact that Yiddish is more secure now than at any time since World War II. One can easily find Yiddish’s strengthening pulse at the National Yiddish Book Center (NYBC), which Lansky founded. The NYBC – housed at Hampshire College in Amherst, where Lansky was a student in the 1970s – recently announced a partnership with The National Library of Israel to digitize 20,000 titles in Yiddish. The NYBC has already collected, rescued, cataloged and redistributed vast libraries of printed Yiddish, recordings, movies and artwork. The Center publishes a colorful quarterly called Der Pakn Treger (The Book Seller), offers fellowships for students of all ages and has established collections at major libraries. With support from movie producer Steven Spielberg, the NYBC has created a
for centuries. It blossomed into a vibrant and influential literary, political and cultural phenomenon until it clashed with powerful forces of modernity that nearly spelled its extinction. As with the effects of oxidation on many objects, there was both a slow and a rapid form of destruction. The slow form, the “rust,” was immigration, assimilation, modernity, universalism, the desire to leave the shtetl and the ghettoized past and Zionism’s primacy of Hebrew. The faster form was that of “fire,” with the burning of Yiddish speakers and books during the Holocaust. Still, a portion of Yiddish literature has been translated into English and is familiar to many, especially through Sholom Aleichim and Isaac Bashe-
Instructor Yuri Yedenyapin, right, talks with students at the National Yiddish Book Center in Amherst, Mass. downloadable, digital library of 11,000 (and counting) texts online, and made high-quality reprints available on demand. While Lansky and the NYBC continue to collect and disseminate books for enjoyment and study, they are focusing more on opening the Yiddish culture and sharing it with what Lansky calls “a very eager and broad-based public.” He happily speaks of how “almost all major projects are being run by young people.” One example is “Tent Encounters With Jewish Culture,” a new program – made possible by donors Judy and Michael Steinhardt – offering
free weeklong workshops for anyone between ages 20 and 30. The NYBC Fellowship Program, meanwhile, offers talented young college graduates passionate about Yiddish the opportunity to spend a year on the NYBC staff to advance their knowledge of Yiddish language, literature and culture. With help from Spielberg, the NYBC has launched new translation fellowships to help train a new generation of Yiddish translators. Lansky, a New Bedford, Mass., native, began to rescue Yiddish books from obscurity or destruction when he was a graduate student at Montreal’s McGill’s University in the early 1980s. Today, the Jewish cultural organization he founded boasts 17,000 members and is headquartered in a unique 49,000-square-foot building that is reminiscent of an old country “shtetl” synagogue. The Center houses books, papers, documents, permanent and visiting exhibit space, a bookstore, performance center and oral history recording studios. With an annual budget of $4 million, the NYBC is on target to meet its endowment goal of $40 million in time for its 40th anniversary in 2020. Although a return to the days when Yiddish speakers numbered in the millions and the language had a wide-ranging impact in daily Jewish life in Europe – and then in America – is highly improbable, a modest number of Jews and non-Jews are becoming familiar with the Yiddish language in schools and synagogues. Many American Jews of a certain age and generation may have heard Yiddish spoken at home, although only some expressions and a few words. De-
PHOTOS | National Yiddish Book Center
Aaron Lansky spite the strong commitment of resources to understand, preserve and transmit Jewish history and heritage through museums and education, it was not until recently that serious resources and attention have been devoted to Yiddish. In a brief film on the NYBC website, Lansky recalls his early experiences more than 30 years ago of rescuing endangered Yiddish volumes. “Here I am, 23-years-old … in jeans and a t-shirt and somehow it’s fallen on me to try to pick up the fragments of this world and save them for the future, because when people give you their books, it’s a very candid moment in their lives,” he says in the film. “They’re handing you the treasures they’ve accumulated in their lifetime that they know their own children and their own grandchildren don’t want. Invariably they’re crying. They tell stories with a candor that would probably be very rare in their lives … what they’re leaving to you is a world that is very fast vanishing.” Yiddish was inextricably intertwined with Jewish life and identity for a majority of Jews
vis Singer, who won the Nobel Prize for his Yiddish writings. Additionally, a revival of teaching Yiddish can be seen in colleges and universities, in synagogues and in adult education programs. Lansky cites the work of Boston-based scholars Harry Bochner and Solon Beinfeld, who are on the verge of releasing a new Yiddish dictionary, which, Lansky says, “will dramatically facilitate the reading of Yiddish literature.” Assaf Urieli, a South African-born Israeli in the French Pyrenees, he said, has created an open-source program that will scan all digitized Yiddish books and make them into searchable text. Too, Yiddish is an elective in Israeli high schools. Lansky’s role from that of a jean-clad book rescuer to a leading light in a major Jewish cultural revival has taken decades. While he is no longer that young graduate student himself, it is the interest of to tinues to excite him. “My job today is more about setting young people in motion and empowering them to do what they want to do,” he said.
The Jewish Voice & Herald
NATION www.jvhri.org
DECEMBER 21, 2012
13
MOURNERS urged to remember From Page 1 boy whose death, they said, should inspire the living to acts of love and compassion. “Noah, you will not pass through this way again,” Veronique said. “I can only believe that you were planted on Earth to bloom in heaven. Take flight, my boy. Soar. You now have the wings you always wanted. Go to that peaceful valley that we will all one day come to know.” Days after one of the deadliest mass killings in American history, one that claimed the lives of 20 children and six adults in a suburban school, a sense of shock is still palpable on the leafy streets of southwest Connecticut. In Newtown and surrounding communities, schools were on lockdown as children returned to class on Monday. In nearby Ridgefield, Chana Deitsch, the local Chabad emissary, had the uncomfortable task of telling her children the news and comforting the mothers who come to her weekly Mommy and Me program on Monday. Her husband Rabbi Sholom Deitsch had an even grimmer obligation. After news of the shooting broke on Friday, he hurried to the old fire station in Newtown where families of the fallen were informed by the governor that their children
From Page 1 communities. “The best way is to rally the faith community and come together around shared policy,” said RAC spokeswoman Rachel Laser. A number of Jewish groups have indicated that they will back a gun control bill proposed Monday by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), the first since the Newtown shooting. It would ban more than 100 assault weapons and ammunition clips that contain more than 10 rounds. The Newtown killer, Adam Lanza, used a Bushmaster AR15 assault rifle registered in the name of his mother, whom he killed before heading to Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, where he murdered 20 children and six adults before killing himself. Police have said he used multiple clips, although their capacity has not been publicly reported. Jared Loughner, the gunman in the January 2011 attack in Tucson, Ariz., that grievously wounded Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) and killed six others, had a 33-round magazine. The legislation, Feinstein said in a statement Monday, “will be carefully focused on the most dangerous guns that have killed so many people over the years while protecting the rights of gun owners by exempting hundreds of weapons that
were never coming home. “It was a horrifying scene, watching how the parents were hearing what was going on,” Deitsch said. At one point, Malloy, spotting Deitsch in the scrum, recalled that Friday was the sixth day
“The sky is crying.” of Hanukkah. “It’s supposed to be a brighter day,” Deitsch recalled the governor saying. On Monday, residents here and around the country were still groping for answers and pledging to do something – anything – to stem what seems like a rising tide of gun violence. But in remembering Noah Pozner, speakers steered clear of the swirling political debate about gun control, enjoining mourners only to live better lives in memory of the fallen. “Let us not be lost in sorrow,” said Noah’s brother, Michael. “Let us remember the beauty, laughter, smiles and happiness little Noah brought us. Let us live our lives as healthily, righteously and happily as we can. Let’s do it for our little man,
JNS/Connecticut Jewish Ledger
Outside Abraham L. Green Funeral Home on Monday in Fairfield, Conn., where 6-year-old Noah Pozner was eulogized three days after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings. who would have wanted that.” Rabbi Shaul Praver, leader of Congregation Adath Israel of Newtown, who has been cast into the national spotlight since the killings, presided over Noah’s funeral. On Sunday, he chanted the El Malei Rahamim, the Jewish funeral prayer, at a nationally televised memorial service attended by President Obama. At the funeral, he said that the secret of Jewish survival was to meet tragedy with resolve. “We can and we will thrive in the honor of Noah Pozner,” Praver said on Monday. “Let us all make that vow, that we will thrive. We will do something
extra in our life, in this world, while we’re here, in his honor. And we can expect the light found in this tremendous sorrow can change the world.” At the close of the funeral, Praver asked whether any teachers from Sandy Hook were present; a number of hands were raised. Six educators lost their lives in an attempt to confront the gunman and their sacrifice has been widely praised. “There is something in Hebrew called a kiddush HaShem, a sanctification of God’s name,” Praver told them. “And we have done that.”
NOTE: Religious and lay leaders at Congregation Adath Israel in Newtown, Conn., suggest three sites for those who wish to make donations: For affected families, newtown.uwwesternct. org or everribbon.com; to donate in memory of Noah Pozner – for outreach to the Jewish community of Newtown – send checks, made out to Congregation Adath Israel, P.O. Box 623, Newtown, CT 06470 or donate online at congadathisrael.org and designate “Noah Prozner Memorial Fund.”
RENEWING ban on assault rifles is a straightforward start fall outside the bill’s scope.” Feinstein helped draft the last iteration of an assault weapons ban, in 1994. It lapsed in 2004, after the National Rifle Association fought against its renewal. B’nai B’rith International on Monday demanded the reinstatement of the assault weapons ban. “Assault weapons enable a shooter to fire multiple rounds without stopping to reload as they automatically expel and load ammunition with each
“Are we prepared to say
that such violence visited … year after year is the price of our freedom?”
trigger-pull,” B’nai B’rith said in a statement. “There is no sane, acceptable, reasonable need in a civilian setting to fire off large rounds of ammunition.” The Jewish Council for Public Affairs circulated a petition through its constituent Jewish community relations councils that calls for “meaningful legislation to limit access to assault weapons and high capacity ammunition magazines,
aggressive enforcement of firearm regulations, robust efforts to ensure that every person in need has access to quality mental health care, and a serious national conversation about violence in media and games.” Officials of Jewish groups planning on action said the likeliest vehicle would be Feinstein’s legislation, which she plans to introduce as soon as Congress reconvenes, in January. “We have been in touch with Senator Feinstein,” said Susan Turnbull, who chairs Jewish Women International, a group that combats domestic violence. “We support her bill.” The National Council of Jewish Women, which has also taken a leading role in the Jewish community on gun control initiatives in the past, announced its support Tuesday for the Feinstein legislation and for legislation proposed by Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) to tighten background checks. In the past, NCJW has mobilized a grassroots network of activists to push for gun control legislation. Hadassah also called on Congress to introduce reforms. The United Synagogue for Conservative Judaism and the Conservative movement’s Rabbinical Assembly called not only for a ban on assault weapons, but for longer purchase times, deeper background checks, coding ammunition for identification and banning on-
Rabbi David Saperstein
RAC
line sales of ammunition. In a Sunday night prayer vigil in Newtown, President Obama asked,“Are we really prepared to say that we’re powerless in the face of such carnage, that the politics are too hard? Are we prepared to say that such violence visited on our children year after year is somehow the price of our freedom?” Although he was short on specifics, a number of observers said that Obama’s strong language suggested he was ready to do what he had avoided in his first term: Advance assault weapons restrictions. In addition to Feinstein and Schumer, a number of other Jewish lawmakers have also weighed in. Rep. Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.), who will be the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, said in a statement, “[E]xpressions of
sympathy must be matched by concrete actions.” Retiring Senator Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.) expressed support for an assault weapons ban and proposed a national commission on mass shootings. In addition to banning assault weapons, Jewish groups are also seeking broader initiatives to address violence. Rabbi Levi Shemtov, who directs American Friends of Lubavitch, said he would bring to the attention of lawmakers a study that links mandatory moments of silence to drops in juvenile violence. Jewish Women International’s Turnbull said that any legislation should deal also with identifying and treating individuals whose mental health should preclude access to weapons. “We will back any legislation that bans assault weapons and the ammunition as well as giving families what they need to treat individuals with a proclivity toward violence,” said Turnbull, a former vice chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee. “I think this will be the ‘big idea,’ that the president is not going to limit the conversation to just guns.” EDITOR’S NOTE: See story, “Community faces fears …”, page 29, about the community’s response to the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy.
WORLD www.jvhri.org
14 The Jewish Voice & Herald
DECEMBER 21, 2012
Three years on, Jewish groups winding down Haiti operations With occasional miscues, Jewish nonprofits have contributed more than $16 million to Haiti
By Gil Shefler NEW YORK (JTA) – It was the poor construction. There had been many earthquakes more powerful than the one that hit Haiti nearly three years ago, and there have been many more since. But few have been deadlier. When the tremor registering 7.0 on the Richter scale struck on Jan. 12, 2010, it flattened countless rows of ramshackle houses in the impoverished capital of Port-au-Prince, burying their inhabitants beneath a pile of smoking rubble. The death toll is still uncertain; estimates vary from 46,000 to the Haitian government’s official tally of more than 300,000. But if an earthquake does strike again, which is likely given that the country sits atop a tectonic hotspot, Jewish NGOs can claim some credit for potentially reducing future casualties. “We did a program with World ORT for builders in Haiti teaching them better building techniques,” said Judy Amit, global director of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee’s international development program. “We trained [more than] 1,200 people. Now these builders are out working, and if there is another earthquake the buildings will be much safer.” JDC is one of at least five Jewish relief agencies currently engaged in aid work in Haiti, alongside the American Jewish World Service, World ORT and the Israeli nonprofits IsraAid and Tevel B’Tzedek. In all, Jewish nongovernmental organizations raised at least $16.2 million for Haiti relief. More than half of that sum has come from JDC alone, which has spent nearly $8.8 million in donations from the Jewish Federations of North America [including the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island] and from individual donors who earmarked their contributions for Haiti relief. The funds have helped renovate the University Hospital of Haiti in Port-au-Prince; build a middle school in the town of Zoranje; supply artificial limbs to amputees and dispatch groups such as the Bond Street Theatre to empower Haitian women through performance art. “We look back at three years where our impact is evident and we’re still at work there,” Amit said. “We really looked for the longest term impact.” Most of the $16.2 million has been spent. As the remaining money dwindles, Jewish groups are expected to wind down their activity in the country. Some may be out within a year or two, others sooner. Tevel B’Tzedek and IsraAid, both of which run humanitarian projects around the world, jointly run a training facility
JDC
U.S. Fund for UNICEF Board Chair Anthony Pantaleoni; JDC CEO Steven Schwager; JDC Board Member and JDC International Development Committee Chair Patricia Uhlmann; JDC President Dr. Irving Smokler; U.S. Fund for UNICEF President and CEO Caryl M. Stern and JDC Global Director of International Development Programs Judy Amit raise funds for children in Haiti in October 2010. outside Port-au-Prince where a team of Israeli agricultural experts teach Haitian farmers how to create plant nurseries, use drip irrigation and manage
“The Jewish community can be proud … but I don’t think we deserve a pat on the back yet.” pests. “We’re trying to get a major grant from the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization,” said Rabbi Micha Odenheimer, founding director of Tevel B’Tzedek. “But if we don’t get it we’re going to run out of funds in February.” Rabbi Odenheimer hopes Tevel B’Tzedek can continue its work in the country for at least another year, but first the money must be found. The American Jewish Committee, the UJA-Federation of Toronto and others are now paying for the group’s efforts in Haiti. While many relief agencies have exhausted or are nearing exhaustion of their funds, the American Jewish World Service still has about a third of the $6.5 million it raised for Haiti. AJWS President Ruth Messinger said the group deliberately spread its resources over a longer period because it considers its mission
werepair.org
Jewish relief efforts in Haiti. to the country permanent. “We have two people in Haiti, and they are the ones trying to advise us what are the best ways of rebuilding the country from disaster to development,” Messinger said. “We emphasize the issues that are the core, the strength of AJWS, which is human rights.” As is frequently the case in international disaster relief, even the best intentions can sometimes backfire. Messinger said free shipments of rice intended to alleviate hunger had the adverse effect of devastating the local farming industry. “In the case of Haiti we specifically, we the United States government, made matters worse because, responding to a very large number of displaced people from their home, the solu-
tion was let’s deliver emergency food aid,” she said. “What we actually did under that umbrella was deliver something like 60,000 metric tons of American rice to Haiti in the same month when the Haitian rice crop comes in. Haitian rice farmers said to us, ‘this just totally put me out of business.’ “ Messinger, a former New York City borough president, is now lobbying Washington to stop sending food to disaster areas. Instead, she suggests purchasing food from more local sources – a proposal she said would ensure relief arrives at its destination faster, yields more value for money and invests in local farmers instead of undermining them. Despite an estimated $2.4 billion in aid to Haiti, progres-
remains stubbornly elusive. Conditions were further exacerbated last month when Hurricane Sandy killed 54 people and flooded large parts of Portau-Prince, a fact overshadowed by the destruction wrought by the storm in the New York metropolitan area. Setbacks aside, Rabbi Odenheimer said Jewish organizations have much to be proud of, though he cautioned that they be careful not to be too self-congratulatory. “I think Israel and the Jewish community can be proud of taking a strong interest in some projects,” Rabbi Odenheimer said. “But I don’t think we deserve a pat on the back yet.”
The Jewish Voice & Herald
COMMUNITY www.jvhri.org
DECEMBER 21, 2012
15
Touro, V&H announce 2012 Hanukkah Contest winners
By Nancy Kirsch
nkirsch@shalomri.org
New England BBYO
Judy Anne Levin BBG girls and Achim Robby Kahn AZA boys participate in a “Spirit Session.” Both chapters are based in Providence.
New England BBYO holds convention with New York-area teens By Lindsay Goodman and Jason Harlam
Special to The Voice & Herald NARRAGANSETT – On Dec. 14-16, New England Region BBYO hosted its annual winter convention – a weekend of learning and bonding – in Narragansett. Due to Hurricane Sandy, our friends from New York, Big Apple Region BBYO, were unable to host their own convention weeks before. In an act of solidarity, our region invited them to join us. We were all extremely excited that they agreed to participate in a convention that outshined all prior conventions. BBYO, a pluralistic Jewish youth group, aims to bring Jewish teens from all around the world together to offer meaningful experiences. Teen leaders from both regions worked together for weeks before the convention to plan every aspect of the weekend. Reflecting on this convention, Andrea Wollin, New England Region membership vice president, said, “I feel as though I have just been to the one place on Earth I can be 100 percent myself and not be judged by anyone.” The theme of our convention was “No Fear” and our Shabbat service used music to inspire teens to dream big and face their fears. The theme was especially significant because of the school shooting in Connecticut that had taken place earlier that day. Thoughts and prayers were offered for victims and survivors of the horrific event. After the Shabbat service, we had a song session that helped
establish community among members of our group. We ended the evening with genderseparate programs, which allowed girls to form a sense of sisterhood and boys to establish brotherhood. On Saturday, teen leaders provided options for Shabbat morning services. One option was to play “Jewpardy,” a session incorporating Jewish trivia into a creative morning minyan. Another option was a traditional service involving music. Other programming electives, each focusing on the “No Fear” theme, were available in the afternoon. With strong support from professionals and volunteer advisors, teens planned and led every program and service. One well-received program, entitled “Living in Fear,” focused on Jews hiding during the Spanish Inquisition. At the havdalah celebration, our program centered around Rabbi Nachman of Breslov’s famous quote, “Kol ha’olam kulo gesher tzar me’od, v’ha’ikar lo lefahed klal” (“All the world is a very narrow bridge, and the most important thing is not to fear at all”). We gave our State of the Region Address, discussing our accomplishments thus far and our plans for the future. Everyone participated in the late-night Saturday dance, which was DJ’ed by Dave Hochman of AZA, the Cranston/ Warwick/East Greenwich Chapter of BBYO. Later, teens from both regions participated in a “Spirit Session,” singing and cheering traditional BBYO tunes, many
dating back 80 years or more. Even though we are from different regions, we still knew the same cheers! On Sunday, both regions’ teen board leaders led business meetings, which, by following Robert’s Rules of Order, taught teens parliamentary procedures and the power of voting. The weekend provided an opportunity for Jewish teens to become leaders, make friends and build their Jewish identity. It was moving to see the teens care for and support each other, especially after the impact of Hurricane Sandy and the more recent tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. Adrienne Frank, a member of Judy Anne Levin BBG, our Providence girls’ chapter, said, “Every time I attend a BBYO convention, it keeps getting better. Being with Big Apple Region made everyone realize how cool it is to be part of an international organization!” Ben Maiden, of Needham, Mass., said, “I came with some friends ... and left with even more!” LINDSAY GOODMAN is the BBYO New England Region B’nai B’rith Girls president. JASON HARLAM is the New England Region AZA president. FOR MORE INFORMATION about local BBYO chapters (8th – 12th grades) and BBYO Connect events (6th – 8th grades), contact Regional Director Casey Topol at ner@bbyo.org.
CRANSTON – Winners of the 2012 Hanukkah Art & Writing Contest were announced at Touro’s Hanukkah party. Area students in grades 1 – 4 had submitted artwork and students in grades 5 – 8 had written essays about “My Family at Hanukkah” or “What Hanukkah Means to Me.” Seventy-two art entries were submitted; Elka Taitelbaum, a Providence Hebrew Day School fourth-grade student won first prize, Yael Bulley, a Jewish Community Day School of Rhode Island second-grade student won second prize and Oliver Zelman, a third grader in Temple Beth-El’s religious school, won third prize. In the writing competition, Sarah Solomon, an eighth-grade student at Kehillah Schechter Academy, placed first; Shoshi Berk, also an eighth-grade student at KSA, placed second and Asheley Kimia, a fifth-grade student at JCDSRI, placed third. Read their essays online at jvhri.org, search: “Curiosity” (Solomon), “The worst Hanukkah present” (Berk) and “Hanukkah, the holiday of lights
and miracles” (Kimia). “Touro was very pleased with the event this year,” said Andrew Lamchick, Touro vice president. “We look forward to partnering with The Jewish Voice & Herald on future initiatives of this kind.” Touro Fraternal Association awarded prize money to the winning essayists and artists: $108 for each first-prize winner, $72 for each second-prize winner and $36 for each third-prize winner. Both KSA and PHDS, whose students took top prizes in the writing and art categories, respectively, received checks for $720, which each school will use to purchase additional technology. Touro also will contribute $650 to The Voice & Herald to defray the cost of a new camera. Larry Katz, director of educational services, Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island, and this reporter judged the 11 submitted essays. Steven White, Touro board member, and Diane Cerep, director of the Alliance Creativity Center, judged the many art entries. The Hanukkah party was held at Touro headquarters on Sunday, Dec. 9. SEE PHOTOS ON 20-21.
FOOD
16 The Jewish Voice & Herald
DECEMBER 21, 2012
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There’s no one better than your bubbe to teach you classic Jewish cooking If not your bubbe, then another bubbe: ‘Feed Me, Bubbe’ has recipes galore By Nancy Kirsch
nkirsch@shalomri.org PROVIDENCE – Cooking and baking, I have found, are the perfect antidotes to the “blahs” that ensue with cold weather and dark days. With this issue’s theme of “generations/family heroes,” why not be a family hero to your children, grandchildren or nieces and nephews by cooking or baking? Consider introducing them to the intricacies of baking some time-tested favorite family recipes or experimenting with some recipes offered here. The “generations/family heroes” theme inspired a review of “Feed Me Bubbe, Recipes and Wisdom from America’s Favorite Online Grandmother,” by Avrom Honig and Bubbe (Running Press Book Publishers, 2011). Why not try these Jewish favorites? Brisket: Everyone has a favorite brisket recipe and so, it seems appropriate to include bubbe’s brisket in this roundup of recipes. Her recipe includes two variations.
Bubbe’s brisket
1 brisket (3 – 4 pounds), preferably first cut
2 medium onions, sliced ½ cup chile sauce ⅓ cup honey ½ teaspoon garlic powder ½ to ¾ cup water kosher salt and pepper to taste
Method
Heat oven to 325. Place the brisket in a medium-size roasting pan with a lid and scatter the onions on top. In a small bowl, combine the chile sauce, honey, garlic powder and ½ cup water. Season the mixture with a pinch of salt and pepper. Pour the mixture over the brisket. Put the lid on the roasting pan or cover tightly with two layers of aluminum foil. Place it in the oven and bake for 1½ hours. Take the brisket out of the oven and lift cover gently to see if there is enough liquid in the pan. If it looks dry, add a little more water. Place the brisket back in the oven and continue to cook for another 1½ to 2 hours, until the meat is fork-tender. Let the brisket cool a little bit. Then strain the sauce into a separate container. Cover the brisket tightly with aluminum foil and refrigerate both the brisket and the sauce overnight. The next day, preheat oven to 300. Slice the brisket against
the grain and place in a roasting pan. Remove the fat from the surface of the sauce. Pour the sauce over the meat and heat in the oven until warm, about 30 minutes.
Variation: Onion soup mix Omit the chile sauce and honey. Instead, in a small bowl combine 1 packet of onion soup mix, ¾ cup water, 2 or 3 whole allspice berries, ½ teaspoon garlic powder and ¼ teaspoon dried rosemary. Pour the mixture over the brisket and bake according to the recipe. Makes 5 or 6 servings. Bubbe’s noodle kugel, she writes, is “a healthy dish with old-fashioned flavor. The wonderful smells of eggs, sugar, milk and vanilla all baking together in the oven are irresistible … Use either medium or wide egg noodles or yolk-free noodles. You can also substitute low-fat sour cream, low-fat cottage cheese and fat-free milk if you prefer. Of course, noodle kugel makes a delicious dessert and you can also serve it as a delicious side dish.”
Ingredients
8 ounces egg noodles (half a package)
4 tablespoons margarine, melted and cooled slightly, plus more for greasing the pan 1 cup sour cream 1 cup cottage cheese 2 large eggs, lightly beaten ½ cup granulated sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1½ cups milk cinnamon for garnish, optional
Method
Cook egg noodles according to package directions. Heat oven to 350. Grease a 9-inch x 13-inch glass baking dish with butter or margarine. In a large bowl mix together the noodles, margarine, sour cream, cottage cheese, eggs, sugar and vanilla extract. This is my favorite part. It smells so delicious that it’s hard not to eat it right then! Spread the noodle mixture in the pan and pour the milk over it evenly. Sprinkle the top with a little cinnamon if desired. Bake the kugel for 1 hour, until the center is just barely set. Serve warm or at room temperature. Makes 8 to 10 servings.
Potato knishes Ingredients for dough
2½ cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt (optional) 2 large eggs ⅔ cup vegetable oil, or melted pareve margarine 2 tablespoons water
Ingredients for potato filling
6 tablespoons pareve margarine 1 cup chopped onion 2 cups mashed potatoes 1 large egg ½ teaspoon kosher salt ¼ teaspoon pepper 1 egg lightly beaten (to brush on top of knishes)
Method for the dough
Sift the flour, baking powder and salt, if using, together in a bowl. In another large bowl, beat the eggs with the vegetable oil and water. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and give it a good stir until everything is well blended. Place the dough on a floured countertop. Using clean hands, knead the dough until it is no longer sticky. Place the dough in a bowl that is lightly greased with vegetable oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rest in a warm place for 1 hour.
TRADITIONAL | 17
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TRADITIONAL Jewish recipes are much-loved favorites From Page 16
Method for the potato filling
Heat the margarine in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until they are softened and starting to brown. Remove the skillet from the heat and set aside. In a large bowl, beat the potatoes, egg, salt and pepper with an electric mixer until well mixed. Add the onions and beat until everything is well combined. Preheat oven to 375 and grease a large baking sheet. When the dough has rested, it’s time to make the knishes. First, divide the dough in half and roll each into a 9-inch x 5-inch rectangle. Using a drinking glass or cookie cutter, cut out circles of dough that are 3 to 4 inches across. Scoop 1 tablespoon of potato filling into the center of a circle of dough. Lightly dampen the edges of the dough with water and fold the dough in half over the filling to form a half-moon shape. Pinch the edges to seal them and transfer the knish to the prepared baking sheet. Repeat the process with remaining dough circles and potato filling. Brush the knishes with the beaten egg and bake for 55 minutes, until they are browned. Makes 20 to 24 servings.
Apple cinnamon bread kugel
“Bread kugels are not only delicious and comforting, they are also a great way to use up leftover bread,” writes Bubbe. “I always have a loaf of challah in the house, but sometimes we don’t get around to eating all of it before it starts to get a little stale. That’s when I know it’s time to make this dessert. Bread kugels puff up really high in the oven and then sink back down as they cool off. Don’t worry if yours looks a little deflated in the end – it’s supposed to be that way. I love to serve a plate of this topped with a little sour cream.”
Ingredients
3 medium apples 2 or 3 cups cubed challah (it doesn’t need to be exact measurements) 2 large eggs 2 tablespoons margarine 1 cup milk ⅓ cup granulated sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon cinnamon, plus more for sprinkling 1 tablespoon golden raisins, optional sour cream for serving, optional
Method
Preheat oven to 350. Grease an 8-inch x 8-inch baking pan or a 1½-quart casserole dish. Peel the apples, core them and cut them into quarters. Then, cut each quarter into thin slices. Set aside. Place the challah cubes in a
DECEMBER 21, 2012
Golda’s chicken soup recipe is no longer a secret By Marcy Oster
JERUSALEM (JTA) – Golda Meir’s chicken soup recipe was declassified. The Israel State Archives released the late prime minister’s recipe (tinyurl.com/d5ojf3k), which was typed in English on a Foreign Ministry letterhead. The upper left-hand corner of the page reads “Incoming Cable – Classified,” which the state archives says is an optical illusion – someone copied the chicken soup document along with an unrelated one behind it in the file. “Boil the chicken with parsley, celery, cut-up carrots, peeled onion, salt, pepper a pinch of paprika until the chicken is tender,” the recipe begins, with no quantities listed.
bowl and cover them with cold water. Let them soak for a minute. Meanwhile, beat the eggs in a mixing bowl. Squeeze the water out of the challah and add it to the bowl with the eggs. Melt the margarine in a small saucepan or in the microwave. Add it to the bowl with the eggs and challah along with the milk, sugar, vanilla, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and raisins (if you are using them). Add the sliced
apples and mix well just until everything is micely combined. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the top with a little extra cinnamon – it adds flavor and looks pretty, too! Bake the kugel for 50 to 60 minutes. When it’s done, it should be lightly browned on top. Makes 5 to 6 servings.
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According to the archives, Meir hosted her closest allies for important discussions in her kitchen. Whether they got to taste her chicken soup is unknown.
18 The Jewish Voice & Herald
‘HANUKKAH HAPPENINGS’ www.jvhri.org
transplants to Rhode Island – Corey Finkle, Leo, age 3, and Jill Finkle attend the Hanukkah party at the Alliance. The Finkles recently moved to Rhode Island from the Washington, D.C. area. Corey is a writer/producer and Jill works for the Providence Children’s Museum.
Matan Graff, our community’s Israeli emissary, lights Hanukkah candles at the community-wide Hanukkah celebration.
DECEMBER 21, 2012
PHOTOS | NANCY KIRSCH
Hanukkah at the Alliance PROVIDENCE – Nearly 100 people – from babies through seniors – attended a communitywide Hanukkah celebration at the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode JCC. The celebration included a Hanukkah play performed by Broadway Bound, an after-school ACTSA class offered at the Alliance JCC, a full Hanukkah dinner with latkes, salad and desert, made by Georgina Sarpong and Vanessa Silveria. There was also a science show with Mad Science, and a make your own shamash and pasta-hanukkiyot workshops. Sponsored by J-Kids Programs, the PJ Library, and RING, all Alliance JCC programs, the party was held Thursday, Dec. 13 at the Alliance JCC Social Hall.
THE HANUKKAH PERFORMANCE – Little ones from an acting program held at the Alliance entertain the Alliance Hanukkah party guests.
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‘HANUKKAH HAPPENINGS’
DECEMBER 21, 2012
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19
NANCY KIRSCH
Mothers Circle – Lighting the candles are Rabbi Elan Babchuck, from left, Alisa Omert (obscured by rabbi), Jill and Matthew Bodoff with their daughter Neve (partially hidden by paper) and Greta Redleaf, Omert’s daughter. A new Mothers Circle program begins January 2013.
Hanukkah at home –Michele Keir and Richard Blackman hosted about 30 people at their Hanukkah celebration in Warwick on Dec. 8.
Chabad House of Barrington
Hanukkah in Barrington – Some 40 individuals bundled up against the cold to celebrate Hanukkah at Barrington’s Town Hall. Chabad of Barrington sponsored the hanukkiah-lighting on Sunday, Dec. 9, which included latkes, music, gelt and dreidels.
PHDS
PHDS kids celebrate Hanukkah – Providence Hebrew Day pre-K student Chaim Berlin and his mother, Elisheva Berlin, fingerpaint at the Pre-Kindergarten Dec. 12 Hanukkah celebration.
A dreideL meets a Santa – Michelle Cicchitelli, director of Shalom Family at the Alliance, models a dreidel as she poses with “Santa Claus” at Providence’s Hope Street Merchants Holiday Stroll on Dec. 4. Some 200 people stopped by to learn about Alliance programs.
20 The Jewish Voice & Herald
2012 HANUKKAH ART & WRITING CONTEST
DECEMBER 21, 2012
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Elka Taitelbaum, a fifth-grade student at Providence Hebrew Day School, is the first-place art winner.
Hepzibah Alon, a faculty member of Kehillah Schechter Academy in Norwood, Mass., holds a check from Touro Fraternal Association. All photos by Jeff Davis
The prize-winning art work and essays are on display.
Nancy Kirsch, executive editor of The Jewish Voice & Herald, Shoshi Berk, the eighth-grade student at Kehillah Schechter Academy in Norwood, Mass., who won second place in the essay contest and Bob Miller, chairman of the Touro Fraternal Association board.
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DECEMBER 21, 2012  
21
Yael Bulley, a second-grade student at Providence Hebrew Day School, is the second-place art winner.
Bob Miller, left, Nancy Kirsch and Oliver Zelman, a third-grade student at Temple Beth-El, who placed third in the art contest.
Sarah Solomon, an eighth-grade Kehillah Schechter Academy student who won first-prize in the essay contest, displays her check. SEE STORY on page 15.
Asheley Kimia, a fifth-grade student at the Jewish Community Day School of Rhode Island, is the third-place essay winner.
22 The Jewish Voice & Herald
‘HANUKKAH HAPPENINGS’ www.jvhri.org
Shoshana Laufer
Modern day olive oil production – Above, Bev Blitzer (mostly obscured at far left), Ginny Baron, Linda Flescher, Anna Levy and Levy’s granddaughter Alexis came to the Chabad Women’s Hanukkah party on Dec. 13 at the Chabad CHAI Center of West Bay to learn to make olive oil.
DECEMBER 21, 2012
Jewish Community Day School first grade students offer entertainment and songs at the Senior Kosher Cafe Hanukkah celebration. Some 100 or so seniors attended the Dec. 14 event.
The PHDS choir performs on Wednesday night, Dec. 12 at the annual Hanukkah performance. PHDS
WARWICK MALL welcomes Chabad – Bjorn the Magician entertains at the Chabad CHAI Center of West Bay-sponsored Dec. 9 Hanukkah celebration. CHABAD CHAI CENTER OF WEST BAY
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DECEMBER 21, 2012
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The power of generational love allows us to dance while standing still With the transience of time, we are urged to pass on meaningful life lessons
By Rabbi Marc S. Jagolinzer
MIDDLETOWN – Over the past 37 years in the rabbinate I have had the privilege of officiating at many life cycle events – baby namings, ritual circumcisions, b’nei mitzvah, weddings and marriage reaffirmations. On many milestone occasions, my wife Barbara and I have looked at one another and said: ”This is what it is all about!” In August 2012, my family gathered in San Diego, Calif. for the brit milah (ritual circumcision) of our second grandson, Sam Henry Jagolinzer. Three years earlier, we had come together for the brit of our first grandson, Max Ethan Jagolinzer. On both occasions I was given the honor of writing a special ceremony for the family to participate in … it was awesome! The Hasidic teacher Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav is said to have sought to achieve the unusual ability to dance while sitting or standing still. How, I always wondered, could this be? How would it be possible to move in dance and yet stand in one place and be still? It wasn’t until I became a grandparent that I understood what the sage meant. You stand in a chain of generations. You watch your children with their own children and you dance while standing still. One thing that I have learned in my years as a rabbi is to be fully present at an occasion – take it all in because it will pass all too quickly. And that is what I have tried to share with my loved ones. As parents and now grandparents, Barbara and I have been overwhelmed with joy. With Max and Sam’s births, a new generation in our family has come into being. As Saba (grandfather) and Bubbe (grandmother), we feel an emotional intensity between our grandsons and us that is different than that of the relationships Max and Sam have with their parents, our son Charles and his wife Rachelle. As we have matured and the years
ity of our hopes and principles. At Sam’s brit milah, Charles read the beautiful letter that he had written to Sam. As he eloquently described the persons for whom Sam was named, he moved us all. As Charles spoke, I truly realized what a soul is and how it never dies. The soul, the nefesh, of those who have died continues through the generations to me, my children and now to our grandchildren. Sam is linked to generations who preceded him and left us with beautiful and enduring memories. These family members will be intellectually and emotionally linked to him as contemporary companions. Great-great-grandparents, greatgrandparents – some still living and others only of blessed memory – exist in both Max and Sam. When I see Sam and Max close their eyes, turn their heads or form smiles, I see a bit of the past being reborn. Committed to our beloved religion, to the historical destiny of the Jewish people in every generation, we join hands with grandparents, children and grandchildren. Barbara and I look forward to continuing to give unconditional love to our children and grandchildren. In the words of our tradition we say: How greatly we are blessed! How good is our portion! How pleasant our lot! How beautiful our heritage!” A soul is not created of nothing, it grows out of old souls and you can see them all in the face of a newborn child. To witness this and to know it for the miracle that it is, that is to dance while standing still.
The Jagolinzer family: Rachelle holds Sam Henry and Charles holds Max Ethan have passed, Barbara and I are sensitive to the transiency of time and the need to
RABBI MARC S. JAGOLINZER is rabbi of Temple Shalom in Middletown, and president of Aquidneck Island Clergy Association. A slightly different version of this essay appeared in Temple Shalom’s August 2012 newsletter. Contact him at rabjag@earthlink.net.
perpetuate our lifelong principles. Max and Sam embody our hopes for continu-
Remembering Lenny Richter By Arthur Richter BARRINGTON – On Oct. 25, 2012, I commemorated the 60th anniversary of my father’s death; his birth date was Oct. 23, 1910. Our time together was brief. He died at age 42, when I was just 13. I think that some of our time together will always stay with me; then there is that part where I say “What if?” My father was a kind man who deeply loved his wife and his children. As he owned and ran a couple of movie theaters, he was home during the day and didn’t go to work until after dinner. We had good times until the advent of television when the movie business slowed. I was shocked when I learned that my dad would need a second job during the day because the movie business was slow. He sold jewelry boxes.
A father’s legacy is cut short
With his terrific personality and people skills, his decision to go into sales was a natural fit. So he worked days, came home for dinner and then went to the theater. My sister and I used to surprise him by hiding and then yelling, “Surprise, we love you,”
tage for the family in Narragansett Pier. Unhappy with its small size, he decided to build a porch. With help from a friend, he raised the roof and.built a large, screened-in porch where my mother could entertain. Daddy loved his toys, including a small powerboat that he and my uncle named “the Malkele,” Yiddish for Mollie, which was the name of both my aunt and my mother. We went to Salt Pond to fish in Galilee and Matunuck. I loved that little boat and, at 11 and 12, was the proud first mate. And then, Oct. 25, 1952, he was gone. My sister and I had when he came into the house. kissed him goodbye that mornBefore he married my mother, ing before we left for school. he had a band, the Lenny Rich- Later that afternoon, our relater Orchestra, and played at tives came to get us and my Camille’s Roman Gardens on aunt said, “Daddy was very Federal Hill in Providence. He sick today.” She didn’t have to played the saxophone and clarinet. LIFE | 25 He bought a summer cot-
“you will become a man today.”
richter family
Arthur Richter, left, and his father Lenny on the day Arthur became a bar mitzvah.
24 The Jewish Voice & Herald
FAMILY HEROES | GENERATIONS
DECEMBER 21, 2012
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Remembering Louis Weissman’s legacy A daughter retraces her father’s steps
By Miriam Plitt
Special to The Voice & Herald Dr. Stanley Aaronson’s recent columns on life on the Lower East Side of New York City made me immediately think of my father Louis Weissman, one of many immigrants who came to America. A really good storyteller, he regaled family and friends with stories of his escapades and adventures while growing up on the Lower East Side. My dad was a most colorful individual, one who could have come from a Damon Runyon book. I decided to trace his roots; my husband and I went to New York City to visit the Tenement Museum and surrounding tenements. My dad’s journey started when he and his mother traveled in steerage class on the Lapland in 1906 from Podiatz, Poland. My grandfather, who had come earlier, sent for them. When they landed at Ellis Island, my grandmother spoke only Polish and Yiddish. The guard asked my grandmother her son’s name. She said, “Elyah” (“Louis,” in English), but my dad was dressed in an outfit that looked like it had a skirt, so the guard wrote his name as “Alice.” From then until he went to school, my dad’s official papers read “Alice
Photos | Miriam Plitt
Hugh Plitt sits on the shoulders of his grandfather Louis Weissman. Weissman.” quarters but they made do; the The family – my grandpar- hall bathroom was shared with ents, my father and a boarder, other tenants. They had an iceUncle David, my grandmother’s box with ice brought in for rebrother – lived in a tenement on frigeration. When my father Louis Street. was old enough – about 8-yearsEveryone had boarders. Da- old – he was sent downstairs vid, known as “Duvid,” was each day to buy milk and fresha glassblower who grew very ly baked rolls. close to my father. Garbage was simply thrown The family lived in very tight out of the windows, and streets
Miriam, as a little girl, and her father Louis Weissman were filled with pushcarts, away, a shirt ripped. open markets and people. The tenement fire escape My dad went to P.S. 188 near was where my father spent his Houston Street. He and his bud- “summer vacation”; only occadies walked to school through sionally did the family travel various ethnic neighborhoods “uptown” in New York City for – Jewish, Irish and Italian. their summer excursion – with On his way home from school, a picnic lunch my grandmother each block became a challenge; packed. This, of course, took an young boys engaged in friendly FATHER | 25 fights. A shoe lost, a cap tossed
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LIFE cut short, too soon From Page 23 tell me anything else; I just knew what was coming. As we drove home, I remembered my bar mitzvah six months earlier. Before the ceremony, he put his hands on my shoulders and said to me, “You are going to do very well today. You will read and sing and chant and be the best. You will become a man today.” He hugged me and we headed for the synagogue. Where would I be had he not died that day? Who would I be? I became the man of the house that day. I walked in and hugged my grief-stricken mother and told her that I would take care of us. Since then, I have been a caretaker. I learned a valuable lesson during the week we sat shivah. My inconsolable grandfather kept saying, “It should have been me; a father does not bury a child.” Rabbi Bohnen said to him, “Max, if God had come to you 42 years ago and given you the choice of a child for 42 years or not having a child at all, what would you have chosen?” His words, so comforting and thought provoking, have stayed with me for years. I share that sentiment with other mourners in an attempt to comfort them.
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FATHER never forgot his roots From Page 24
My mother, who now needed a great deal of support, was lucky to have a large family. At age 39, she had two children to raise and support. She had not worked during their marriage. As an adult, I realize just how much we lost that October. I realize that my father was an exceptional man, one loved by family and friends. The community was shocked when he died. It doesn’t seem possible that I only had him for 13 years. I wonder what I would have done if I had had the benefit of his wit, charm and wisdom for more years. I never pursued my ambitions. My wellmeaning family tried to give me advice, but I ignored it. I have always wondered what my father would have advised. I think of him often and am grateful all these 60 years later for the time we had together, although it was so brief. I like to think, however, that he left me a great legacy … perhaps I am who I am because I was his son. ARTHUR RICHTER lives in Barrington. Contact him at richterahr@gmail.com. He wrote a longer version of this essay for a BCLIR, Brown Community Learning in Retirement, class.
DECEMBER 21, 2012
entire day. Religious life revolved around the shul. My dad became a bar mitzvah on a weekday with the rabbi, his wife, the local minyan, Uncle Duvid and my grandparents in attendance. The reception was a Kiddush lunch prepared by my grandmother and local neighborhood
“The… fire escape was where my father spent his ‘summer vacation.’” women. I have my dad’s tallit and tefillin. When our grandchildren were blessed as infants, they were wrapped in my dad’s tallit. One doctor treated all ailments; my dad told us that the local barber removed his tonsils! My dad graduated from elementary school and than attended a vocational school for bookkeeping so he could keep records for my grandfather. At age 12, my dad started working for my grandfather; he shlepped fur skins to dealers in Manhat-
tan and other New York City boroughs. When my grandfather made some money, the family moved to the Bronx where my two aunts, Mae and Bea, were born. Uncle Duvid married a woman who became my Tante Rosie; they eventually moved to Brooklyn. In the Bronx, my dad was an amateur boxer, champion figure skater and a furrier. My mother was from Olyphant, Pa., a suburb of Scranton. My grandmother’s friend, who also happened to be my mother’s aunt, introduced my parents. My dad never forgot his roots; when I was growing up in Brooklyn, my dad would take the family to the Lower East
Side to show us his old neighborhood. We ate in many of the kosher restaurants and delis from his childhood. This is a “taste” of life on the Lower East Side, as seen through a daughter’s recollections of the life of her immigrant father. FOR MORE INFORMATION on N.Y.’s Lower East Side, visit tenement.org. MIRIAM PLITT resides in Pawtucket. Contact her at queenmiriam@gmail.com.
26 The Jewish Voice & Herald
FAMILY HEROES | GENERATIONS
DECEMBER 21, 2012
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Nearly 70 years later, Holocaust survivor reunites with rescuer Polish Catholic family sheltered Jewish girl during World War II By Chavie Lieber NEW YORK (JTA) – Even though 67 years had passed since they last saw each other, Wladyslawa Dudziak and Rozia Beiman reunited as if they hadn’t missed a moment. Dudziak, 85, was flown to New York from Poland to meet with Beiman, whom she had saved from the Nazis more than a half-century before. Dudziak lived in Lublin during World War II and asked her family to look after Beiman when Beiman’s parents went missing – presumably sent to the nearby Majdanek concentration camp. Although extremely poor, the family hid Beiman in its home and pretended she was a niece until the city was liberated in 1944. “I still feel like she’s my sister, even though I haven’t seen her in so long,” Beiman told JTA. “I think about her all the time. I trusted their family wholeheartedly during the war. I knew they wouldn’t give me up because they loved my parents.” On Nov. 21, at Kennedy Airport, Beiman greeted Dudziak and her daughter with flowers. Dudziak, who had never flown
before, cried when she saw Beiman. The Jewish Foundation for the Righteous, a New York organization that provides financial support to hundreds of nonJews who saved Jewish lives during the Holocaust, arranged the reunion.
“My mother reminded me to never forget that I was Jewish.” Speaking in Polish, Dudziak said though she felt too old to travel, she wanted to see Beiman and give her one last hug. She said it was dangerous to hide Jews during the war, but that her mother insisted they keep Beiman safe. In 1945, Beiman immigrated to Israel with a group of orphaned children and changed her name to Shoshana Golan after meeting her husband Micha in the army. The couple, who married in 1945, live on Kibbutz Gal On, in the Negev. “When we met in 1953,
Shoshana never told me about her past, even though I knew she lost her whole family,” Micha Golan said. “But I remember she used to have nightmares, and only later did she tell me how a Polish family hid her. It’s hard to describe how grateful I am, but I want Wladyslawa to know that our family, our four children, would not be here if it weren’t for them.” Beiman said that even though she was only 6-years-old when she was hidden, she understood the dangers faced by the Dudziak family in keeping her alive. After she moved to Israel, she kept in contact with the family, sending them packages with basic foods such as coffee, sugar and fruit. The easiest way to remember the Dudziak family during their time apart was to go to church, Beiman said, since the family taught her Catholic prayers and regularly attended services. “My mother reminded me to never forget that I was Jewish, and it was difficult to live with that since I was pretending to be Catholic,” Beiman said. “I struggled with understanding God, and still do, but church was a comforting place for me at the time and it still is.”
Nancy Kirsch
Betty Adler, left, Toddler Teacher Stephanie Albanese and ECC Infant Toddler Care student Jules Heffron on Dec. 14
A ‘visiting bubbe’
By Nancy Kirsch
nkirsch@shalomri.org PROVIDENCE – “I like children,” 87-year-old Betty Adler told The Voice & Herald on Friday, Dec. 14. Adler, of Providence, volunteers five mornings a week at the Alliance JCC Early Childhood Center With two grown grandchildren and no great-grandchildren, Adler says she enjoys her volunteer time at the Center, which offers, she said, “a very warm and family-friendly atmosphere.” She noted that there’s no crying, either when children separate from their parents
or at the Center. “They seem very happy,” said Adler, who assists teachers with whatever tasks or chores need to be done. “The students and staff adore Betty,” said Nicole Katzman, ECC director. “She has quickly become part of the daily fabric and culture of the school. We are honored that Betty spends her time with us. The children love her and look forward to seeing her every day.” FOR MORE ABOUT the ECC, contact Nicole Katzman at 4214111, ext. 180 or nkatzman@ shalomri.org.
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DECEMBER 21, 2012
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Preserving one’s personal history into perpetuity Attorney/author/teacher offers recorded memoir service
By Nancy Kirsch
BUSiness Profile
PROVIDENCE – Sometime after the death of Ron Shwartz’ father, which occurred some 30 years ago, Shwartz realized, “I would pay almost anything to have a recording of my father’s voice, let alone all that he might say if properly questioned,” he said. “At some point I realized that I was starting to lose the sound of my father’s voice.” Although that opportunity was forever lost to Shwartz, it was that emotional response that led him to create a new business, giftoflegacy.com. Shwartz, a former litigator, author and memoir-writing teacher, conducts an in-depth interview of an individual – or occasionally a couple – that spans a lifetime. Conducted in a single day or over a few days – depending on the interviewee’s preferences – the eight-hour interview is recorded on state-of-the-art equipment and archival grade CDs, Shwartz said. He typically gives the interviewee audio CDs and a photograph of the interviewee, though customers may request CDs with audio and video capability. Shwartz’ pre-interview research includes consulting interviewees and/or family members about their hopes and desires for the interview and gathering any documentation, photos and memorabilia. Questions asked of an interview subject, said Shwartz, “are as open-ended and far-reaching as the subject will permit or can tolerate.” After conducting hundreds of taped depositions of individuals, interviewing dozens of famous authors for a book he edited – “For the Love of Books”
(Putnam, 1999) – teaching memoir writing at various institutions, writing personal essays and conducting his own genealogical research, Shwartz feels especially qualified to conduct and record these oral histories. “Interviews at times will be free-wheeling and [include] unexpected twists and turns,” he said, “not because the interviewer is out of control but because the interviewer, [if he or she is] good, knows when to let a subject go off on tangents and
nkirsch@shalomri.org
when to keep the individual on topic. Linear narrative is not real life and not real recollection,” said Shwartz. “Part of the expertise I … bring to bear is when to keep them from swerving in their lanes and when to let them go off the road.” Acknowledging that the $1,300 price tag “doesn’t come cheap,” he added, “Inevitably people will get quite emotional unexpectedly. People who begin the process indifferent to it [get] engaged and enthused.” Not many people go through the experience of being asked hundreds of questions and being so
valued. Shwartz offers his services throughout the greater Rhode Island and Boston areas and phone interviews further afield are possible. FOR MORE INFORMATION, visit giftoflegacy.com, email fargojoy@aol.com or call 617-953-5311 or 621-7564. THIS IS ONE of a series of occasional business profiles about Rhode Island-based businesses, some of which advertise with The Jewish Voice & Herald. Ron Shwartz
28 The Jewish Voice & Herald
| GENERATIONS FAMILY HEROES www.jvhri.org
DECEMBER 21, 2012
Escape from the Minsk ghetto From capture to resistance to liberation
FIRST PERSON By Vladimir Vilner
Special to The Voice & Herald
Setting the stage
During World War II, more than 800 Jewish ghettos existed in Nazi-occupied territory of the former Soviet Union. There, more than 2.8 million Soviet Jews were killed; in other words, the Nazis murdered about half of Europe’s Jewish population in the former Soviet Union. The Minsk Ghetto was created soon after the Nazis invaded the Soviet Union. One of the largest in Eastern Europe, the Minsk Ghetto was the largest in the Nazi-occupied territory of the Soviet Union. It housed almost 100,000 Jews, most of whom perished in the Holocaust. The Minsk Ghetto was notable for its large-scale resistance organization, which cooperated closely with Soviet partisans. About 10,000 Jews were able to escape the ghetto and join partisan groups in distant forests. In 1942, at age 5½, I escaped, along with my older brother Bertold, then 11, from the former Minsk Ghetto.
Before the war
Before the war, our family lived in Minsk. Nazis started bombing the city just a few hours after the invasion of the
Soviet Union began; on June 28, 1941, seven days after the war began, the Nazis occupied Minsk. My father Yakov Moiseevich Vilner, then a professor at Minsk Polytechnic Institute, left for the front. My mother, my brother Bertold and I, just like the majority of Minsk inhabitants, could not leave the city, as it was too late.
“We survived by eating bark.” On July 20, 1941, Nazis ordered all the Jews to relocate to the Minsk Ghetto. To avoid moving, my mother Feiga (Faina) Leah Ginzburg managed to obtain papers with a Ukrainian last name and to secure a cleaning job in a Nazi military hospital. She spoke fluent German. My mother, my brother and I lived in a house on the hospital grounds. In the beginning of 1942, someone denounced my mother to the authorities and she was arrested. That day, we were playing in the yard and saw Nazis put her in a car and took her away, never to be seen again. She only managed to cry out to us, “Farewell, children!”
Vladimir Vilner in the late 1980s Bertold Vilner in the mid-1980s After my mother’s arrest, the Nazis sent my brother and me to an orphanage located inside the Minsk Ghetto.
Escape
As soon as we got there, Bertold started planning an escape. One dark early morning in April 1942, my brother woke me up. We got dressed and went to the door. We saw Nazi guards outside and froze. The weather was nasty, and when the guards went into a nearby building to warm up, we ran outside, crawled under the barbed wire and got out. We heard the shots fired in our direction, but we were free! After the war, we learned that, shortly after we managed
to escape, all children in the Minsk Ghetto were killed during a raid. We went to Elena Mikhailovna Pavlova, who was a friend of our parents before the war. She hid us at her place for several days while she arranged for us to get out of Minsk and safely into the protection of partisans. She got us food, clothes, matches. We stayed at her place and the dugout in the yard, hiding from bombings and raids. Pavlova knew well that Nazis would kill not only her but her three children if they found out that she was helping us or other Jews. Nonetheless, she took the risk and saved us. We are forever grateful to her. To honor her and her daughter Irina, Israel planted trees at Yad Vashem, the Holocaust memorial in Israel.
Life in the underground
After Pavlova made arrangements with the partisans, she told us how to find them. And so we went. We tried to avoid being seen, went around villages, stayed overnight in haystacks. Several times, Nazis stopped us, but they did not suspect anything and let us go. In about a week’s time, we reached a partisans’ brigade in the Pukhovichi region. Bertold told me that he was interrogated; only after the partisans verified all the facts, did they let us stay with them. We lived in villages under the partisans’ control. We helped clean guns, shepherded livestock … In addition, my brother also helped edit and print an underground newspaper and, on a few occasions, went on re-
connaissance missions. To hide from Nazi raids, we stayed in swamps where a step in the wrong direction meant getting sucked in and dying. Hanging onto trees and bushes, we survived by eating bark. I remember a scary story from those times. My brother Bertold was about to be shot because he was accused of stealing a cow from peasants in the village. I ran up to him, begging the partisans not to shoot. They learned later that another brigade of partisans, not my brother, had stolen the cow! We stayed with the brigade until 1944 when the Soviet Army liberated Minsk. Going back to the city, I remember the land marred with artillery fire, corpses everywhere, burning tanks … The smell of burning flesh stayed with me for many years. In Minsk, we learned from Pavlova that our father, who participated in the operation to liberate Minsk, had left her the address of his army unit. That’s how we managed to find one other after the war. For several years after the war, every night I had the same dream: a Nazi officer is chasing me, I am running away and I am stumbling down the stairs … I awake from my own screaming.
In more recent years
Until the last days of his life, my brother Bertold worked as a professor in the Brown University psychology lab. He continued doing the research work that he had started back in the Soviet Union. Bertold published more than 100 scientific articles in various journals in the USSR, in Europe and in the United States. He died Jan. 27, 2004. I immigrated to the United States from Riga, Latvia, in 1992. Until my March 2009 retirement, I worked as a stationary engineer at Rhode Island Hospital’s power plant. This essay is dedicated to the memory of my mother and brother. VLADIMIR VILNER, of Smithfield, wrote this for The Voice & Herald; which his nephew Alex Vilner helped translate into English. Contact Vladimir Vilner at vvilner@cox.net.
COMMUNITY
THE JEWISH VOICE & HERALD
DECEMBER 21, 2012
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Community faces fears associated with Sandy Hook shooting Area schools focus on safety, reassurance; rabbis offer spiritual guidance
By Nancy Kirsch
Nkirsch@shalomri.org PROVIDENCE – In light of the horrific events of Dec. 14 at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., area institutions are grappling with the emotional and physical fallout that might ensue here. The community’s regularly scheduled monthly Morim Seminar (for religious and day school teachers) on Monday, Dec. 16 focused on the crisis. In addressing how best to recognize anxiety in children and parents – related to any trauma – and how to respond to the anxiety, Larry Katz, director of educational services at the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island, distributed materials from several sources, including Haven Miles, a local behavioral therapist. For very young children, Miles’ recommendations advise adults to avoid discussing any traumatic event’s details. Instead, speak in simple, straightforward statements: “A really terrible thing happened. Sometimes adults do terrible things. Terrible things almost never happen. We will be sure that you are safe.” Dr. Allan Brenman, a local psychologist, answered questions raised at the Morim Seminar, said Katz. Teachers from the Alliance
JCC Early Childhood Center, Alliance Kids-Space, temples Beth-El, Emanu-El, Habonim and Sinai who attended the meeting suggested that older children need a slightly different safety message. Instead, said Katz, they recommended such children be told, “We will do the best we can to ensure your safety.” On Dec. 14, the Alliance Early Childhood Center Director Nicole Katzman sent an email to ECC families reminding them that the school is constantly vigilant, but that procedures for safety are successful as a family and staff partnership. Be mindful, she wrote, “of keeping exit lanes clear [and] not holding doors for people who do not have security cards.” Her advice, said Marty Cooper, the Alliance Community Relations Council director, is valuable for all institutions, which he also encourages to establish sign-in logs. A Dec. 16 email from the Jewish Community Day School of Rhode Island explained that the school has modified its evacua-
tion plan to include a partnership with nearby Nathan Bishop Middle School, and added new identification pins for legitimate visitors and a prominently placed crosswalk aligned with the school entrance. The email, from Head of School Renee Rudnick, reminded parents
of the school’s ongoing security measures and included recommendations for talking with children and links to other online resources. On Dec. 16, Rabbi Wayne Franklin of Temple Emanu-El debriefed teachers, said Rudnick, and a Jewish
YOUTH feel committed to living Jewish lives From Page 10 His favorite holiday is Hanukkah; his favorite Jewish foods are brisket, matzah ball soup, chopped liver and, well, everything else. Living on Providence’s East Side, Daniel feels that it is easy to practice Judaism because so many Jews live in his neighborhood. However, he wishes for kosher restaurants and/or a full kosher butcher nearby. He admires heroes like Yoni Netanyahu (the only Israeli soldier killed in Operation Entebbe to free hostages held by the PLO at the Entebbe Airport in Africa, and current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s brother), Michael Levin (an American who made aliyah, enlisted in the Israel Defense Forces and was killed in action in southern Lebanon) and the Warsaw Ghetto fighters. They were “people who gave everything they had for their people and what they believed in,” he said. “Judaism has been such a large part of my life that I believe that no matter what I do, I will always feel connected to it.” Despite different backgrounds, Mayan, Laura and
Daniel are connected by their love of Jewish traditions and foods, which shows that Judaism transcends gender and nationality. Judaism also connects people regardless of their level of observance. Though all admitted less than total observance of every ritual or tenet,
they feel deeply committed to Judaism, love celebrating holidays with their Jewish peers and strongly believe that they will pass these feelings on to their future families. EStY BhARIER, a junior at Providence Country Day School, lives in Providence.
Family Service of Rhode Island counselor was onsite Dec. 17 for parent and teacher drop-in questions or conversations. A Dec. 17 letter to parents and faculty from Rabbi Peretz Scheinerman, dean of Providence Hebrew Day School and New England Academy of Torah, noted the school’s existing security measures and reminded parents of safety practices. Recognizing that some families are sheltering their children from the news, he described the school’s protocol for communicating with children about the issue, which will vary depending on students’ ages. Communication “is a process, a series of conversations, not a single sit-down,” he wrote. Cooper has been in contact with synagogues and the day schools to discuss security needs. “We recommend all Jewish institutions undertake security assessments with the assistance of local law enforcement and the Alliance,” said Cooper. “The Alliance will conduct trainings soon for institutions so that they may be better prepared to address a situation with an armed intruder.” At Temple Am David, where congregants from St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Warwick were already scheduled to attend Am David’s Dec. 14 Shabbat service, an impromptu memorial service was held, wrote Rabbi Richard Perlman, who expressed how moved he was “to hear the communal voices
praying and crying together in unison.” As some congregants had not disclosed the news with their children, it was not discussed at religious school on Dec. 16, he said. Instead, Rabbi Perlman said, the synagogue, like many others, sent information to congregants to help them cope. Jeffrey Savit, Alliance president and CEO, said in a statement, ”The safety of our community is paramount and preeminent in our thoughts and actions, and we are constantly addressing our protocols.” After describing existing and planned safety procedures, he added, “I have reached out to my colleague at the Danbury, Conn. Jewish Federation and offered him our community’s support at all times.” Asked to explain how to make sense of such senselessness, Torat Yisrael’s Rabbi Amy Levin commented solely as a rabbi in the community and not as president of the Board of Rabbis of Greater Rhode Island, which just launched a new name and website, www.rabbisofgreaterrhodeisland.org. “I do not accept the premise that God ‘lets’ such terrible things happen. Human beings are not marionettes and God does not pull our strings,” she wrote. “This young man was plagued by mental illness, the causes of which, I’m sure, are complex. … when a perfect storm of mental disease and access to a powerful automatic weapon come together, we are left reeling with grief and confusion and fear. At moments like this, God is a stable, eternal, consistent source of strength … “I turn my eyes to the mountains from where my help comes, my help comes from God, Maker of heaven and earth.” (Psalm 121)
30 The Jewish Voice & Herald
FAMILY HEROES | GENERATIONS
DECEMBER 21, 2012
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Senior centers offer educational and experiential opportunities When generations mingle, benefits accrue to all
By Debra Rubin WASHINGTON (JTA) – Nearly two dozen senior citizens in their 70s, 80s and 90s sit in a circle. Seated on mats within that ring are babies and toddlers with their parents or caregivers. Kim Palumbis joins in, strumming her guitar, singing and calling out instructions. Participants – young and old – clap their hands, stamp their feet, roll balls back and forth and give one another high-fives and
hugs. At the end of the 45-minute music program, they begin to celebrate Kabbalat Shabbat. Palumbis, co-creator of the Oybaby videos, which focus on Jewish music and holidays, is leading the Yad b’Yad International Program at the Rose Schnitzer Manor in Portland, Ore. The program – held on the Cedar Sinai Park campus, which includes independentand assisted-living facilities as well as a nursing home – is one of a growing number of Jewish programs nationwide that
bring together youngsters and older adults. The programs can engender powerful emotional experiences on both ends of the age spectrum. As with Yad b’Yad and many intergenerational programs, the goal is not just providing the elderly with companionship and distractions from the aches and pains associated with aging, but to also help different generations be comfortable with each other. In some cases it leads to continued relationships. Mark Zeitzer used to go with his three sons, ages 5, 3 and 1,
to visit his wife’s grandmother at Schnitzer Manor. Even after the grandmother died earlier this year, Zeitzer continued to bring his 3-year-old, Ari. The facility has become a “second home for us,” Zeitzer said. They look forward to visits as much as to trips to Chuck E. Cheese, he said. “Seeing the smiling faces of the kids automatically makes the residents smile,” Zeitzer said. Some residents “give Ari rides on their wheelchairs or their motorized scooters,” he said. “Ari could be pretty shy, so it’s really remarkable to see him come out of his shell like that.” Residents say they enjoy the youngsters’ visits, too. Seeing children at the facility “makes me feel very good,” said resident Anne Gerard, 87. “I know a lot of the residents look forward to” the Yad b’Yad visits. “It’s wonderful what happens in terms of the merging of generations, of cultures,” said Tamar Landes, associate executive director for community and volunteer relations at Dor-
ot, a New York-based group that runs senior programs mostly for older adults living in their own homes. Some Dorot programs are run out of senior day centers, matching students with senior adults for activities such as current events discussions. She said a conversation between the generations that took place after New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced his plan to restrict the size of soda portions in the city was particularly animated. “A lot of volunteers said they haven’t paid attention to older people,” Landes said. Now they’ll notice seniors, she said, particularly if they see an older person who needs help. At Drexel University in Philadelphia, the Judaic stud-
“Seeing the smiling faces of the kids automatically makes the residents smile.” ies program brought together elementary school students from the Perelman Jewish Day School Stern Center in Wynnewood, Pa., and members of the JCC’s Stiffel Senior Center in Philadelphia. The senior center closed last year, but the program continues with former Stiffel members who now meet at the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia headquarters. The activities include having the seniors bring and talk about “historical objects from their family, a piece of jewelry, a photograph, an artifact – maybe a baking pan that came from Persia or Eastern Europe,” said Rakhmiel Peltz, who heads the Judaic studies program. The young students create a timeline around the object, explaining its origins, how it was used and when it came to America. His college students, meanwhile, primarily observe and write about the interactions as part of their coursework. They also interact with the kids and the seniors, of course. “Everyone has something to learn and something to contribute,” Peltz said. The young people and seniors sometimes find things in common. At the Ring House, an independent living facility in Rockville, Md., for older adults, 13-year-old Danielle (whose father would not give permission for her last name to be used) bonded with Florence Grossberg, 89, over knitting.
Danielle, of Brookeville, Md., started volunteering at Ring House for mandatory community service school credits, but continues to visit Grossberg, who’s been helping her with needlework and teaching her new stitches. “I like to knit and she teaches me new things,” Danielle said, noting that she has shown Grossberg how to play games on an iPad. “She’s fun to hang out with.” Grossberg calls Danielle “a lovely young girl.” Another bond formed between Fred Richton, 93, and Anna Gorfinkel, 12. While interviewing each other during the summer program that the Jewish Community Center of Longmeadow, Mass., held with Jewish Geriatric Services, also in Longmeadow, they discovered a shared fondness for math. JGS runs Ruth’s House, the assisted living residence where Richton lives. “It’s very interesting, and you get to interact with the residents and they show you around,” Anna said, noting that Richton, who is legally blind, explained how he is able to see shapes out of the corner of his eye. Richton said, “I like the idea of exchanging ideas and finding out what the kids are looking for, what their objectives in life are.” Richton also has been a regular participant in an intergen-
erational program, Ties That Bind, which JGS runs with Temple Beth El in Springfield, Mass. The program, geared toward Beth El’s bar and bat mitzvah students, focuses on Jewish teachings regarding aging and spiritual values such as honor and reverence for the elderly, compassion and loving kindness, “especially to the vulnerable and the frail in our midst,” said Rabbi Devorah Jacobson, JGS’ director of pastoral care. The program includes lessons on the aging process, and has the youngsters and elderly do projects together similar to the interviews that Anna and Richton conducted with one another. “For a year or so, I stay in contact with most of the kids,” Richton said. “It gives them a better idea of other people and people as they age and the experience of the older person.” It also helps the older residents. “You’re getting a fresh outlook of youth, full of vigor and full of life,” Richton said. “It buoys you up.”
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D’VAR TORAH | COMMUNITY
DECEMBER 21, 2012
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d’var torah
The spirit of brotherhood and sisterhood should prevail in our larger community Genesis 44:18-47:27 Parashat Va-yiggash
By Rabbi Peter Stein
Special to The Voice & Herald In our Torah portion for this week, Joseph and his brothers have an emotional reunion. The story is a familiar one. Joseph, who had been sold into slavery by his brothers, has risen to an important position in Egypt. He aids Pharaoh in preparing for famine. When Joseph’s brothers come to Egypt looking for food to survive the famine, it is Joseph who receives them. When I read of Joseph revealing himself to his brothers, I am reminded of the earlier portion when Jacob reunites with his twin brother Esau. After many years apart, Jacob and Esau come together. They embrace, and Jacob cries out, “[T]o see your face is
like seeing the face of God…” (Gen. 33:10) When Joseph and his brothers reunite, there is holiness in their embrace.
an extraordinary new era in Catholic-Jewish dialogue. To welcome a Jewish delegation to the Vatican, he began with the words of this Torah portion, Joseph’s words to his brothers: “I am Joseph your brother.”
“We often find a comfort in those who are like us.” Jacob and Esau reunite after years of estrangement. The simple words that Joseph speaks have deep resonance in our own time. Pope John XXIII used them when he initiated
The biblical Joseph was, of course, speaking literally when he referred to himself as a brother. However, it is a valuable perspective for all of us to approach others in the spirit of brotherhood and sisterhood. Too often, we only see what is different in those we meet. We
may talk about diversity as a strength, but the reality is that we often find a comfort in those who are like us. In Rhode Island’s Jewish community, we have a challenge and an opportunity. We are certainly diverse in our ritual practices, our philosophies and our views on Israel. Even when we may agree, we often work to reinforce the boundaries between us. It would be wonderful if we found ways to come together for learning, for social action, for worship and for fellowship. The Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island does an admirable job as the “central address” of the Jewish community, but I hope that the synagogues can find ways to join together. The diverse membership of the Board of Rabbis of Greater Rhode Island engages in the
hard and important work of dialogue, but there is more to be done in the community at large. While the restrictions of Shabbat may make joint Shabbat worship unrealistic, there is still much that we can do – and accomplish – together. Inspired by this week’s Torah portion, let us approach one another as brothers and sisters. Let us see what is beautiful and good and important in each other, and celebrate what binds us together. Let us come together to create a future that is bright and filled with harmony between all the segments of our community. RABBI PETER STEIN, rabbi of Temple Sinai in Cranston, is immediate past president of the Rhode Island Board of Rabbis. Contact him at Stein@ TempleSinaiRI.org.
A ritual of remembrance Efforts to build a family are ultimately unsuccessful
EDITOR’S NOTE: Part one (in the Dec. 7 issue) began with Leonard, an American GI home from his military service in Germany, announcing to his mother that he had married a gentile German girl who was pregnant with his child. Mrs. Levy, Leonard’s mother, urges him – to no avail – to forget about the girl, the marriage. The first part ended with the arrival of Elisabeth Levy and baby Ulrich, whom Mrs. Levy immediately nicknamed “Ricky.”
fiction By Ruth Freedman
Special to The Voice & Herald “Excuse me, Mrs. Levy, but his name is not Ricky. He is Ulrich for my brother, who cared for us when I was all alone.” My mother’s eyes narrowed and her jaw tightened as she sized up Elisabeth. Mama smiled, but her voice was steely. “Well, now you’re here with us, Elisabeth. Ricky’s a nickname, so he can feel comfortable with his American friends. Don’t worry; on his birth certificate, you have it your way.” She gave Elisabeth no time to answer. “So! That’s settled. Sylvia, put Ricky in his crib. I know you children are starving.” As we sipped tea after dinner, Mama said, “I hope you’re a good cook, Elisabeth; my son’s a very picky eater.” Elisabeth smiled. “Not so good as you are, Mrs. Levy.” “Well,” said Mama, “then I can be frank. My kitchen is kosher and I don’t want it messed up. Be patient and leave the cooking to me. You’ll learn.” But she really didn’t want any help from the newcomer. “Sit tight,” Mama told Lennie, “until you have money saved to get your own place.” So Elisabeth “sat tight,” reading German books from the library and caring for her child. As March advanced, Mama began Passover preparations. She wouldn’t ac-
cept any help; as with cleaning, cooking had to be done her way. On the first night of Passover, she sat at the head of the table, Lennie at the foot. Aunt Reba and Uncle Izzie sat on one side; Elisabeth and I were together on the other. Ricky slept soundly in his crib. Lennie led the long service. “This next part,” he said, “is new, added after the war. It is the Ritual of Remembrance.” “On this night we remember the six million of our people who perished at the hands of a tyrant who was more wicked than Phaoroh. They slew men and women and little ones with poison and burned them with fire … They were lovely and pleasant in their lives, and in their death they brought redemption to the name of Israel.” There was a silence and none of us looked at another. It was odd to hear about the Holocaust with Elisabeth at our table. But the strained instant passed. After dinner, there was another quiet spell. Then Elisabeth spoke. “That part about Jews who died in the war, many other people died. too.” Lennie answered, “Six million Jews didn’t die in the war, Elisabeth. They were murdered.” His wife spoke patiently, as though explaining a lesson to a dull-witted child. “But Leonard, everybody suffered, my people as well as yours. Let bygones be bygones.” Elisabeth seemed desperate. “Some say that Jewish people are just too sorry for themselves. Everybody knows that war is terrible.” Mama sat bolt upright, but Lennie motioned her silent. “Elisabeth,” he said, “We’ll talk about this another time.” “No!” Mama said, her cheeks blazing. “There are those who’d be glad to forget and let it happen again. We were killed worse than animals are slaughtered while other Germans just stood by. For shame! You sit in a Jewish home and tell us to forget! You, who a Jewish boy married out of decency and pity!” Turn-
ing her back on us, Mama strode angrily into the kitchen. Aunt Reba looked at Uncle Izzie; they both stood. She stopped at the kitchen door. “Iz has to get up early,” she said, “but thank you for a lovely Seder.” Elisabeth looked bewildered. “Honey, there’s a lot you don’t understand,” my brother said. “We’ll talk about it later.” She nodded her head, but I don’t think she had a clue. By mid-December, streets were crowded with shoppers and my brother worked late every night. Christmas Eve, he came home exhausted, and threw himself down, yanking off his moccasins. “A letter came today from Ulrich,” Elisabeth told Lennie. “He said to tell you happy Christmas.” With his mouth full of reheated meatloaf, my brother grunted a reply. Then Elisabeth brightened and said, “I’m going out for some air. I won’t be long.” When Ricky whimpered sleepily, Lennie jumped up to bring him to the living room. After a while, the doorbell rang. There stood Elisabeth, arms around a small evergreen tree. She carried it in, its needles scattering on the carpet. Then Elisabeth frowned. “This is not fresh-cut like trees at home.” “What the hell!” Lennie put Ricky down. The baby scampered to his mother. “Surprise!” Elisabeth cried happily. My brother was incredulous. “What’s the matter with you? You know we don’t celebrate Christmas!” “No tree!” Mama gasped, horrified. “Get it out of here.” Elisabeth’s face fell. “It’s only a little one, Leonard, for us, for our baby.” “Use your head. Little or big, it doesn’t belong here.” “Oh, but you’re a sour one! Back home, even in the bad times, we tried to smile. Here you examine every word I say and now you want to throw my little tree away.” “That’s right. I’m sick and tired of
hearing how much better everything was in Germany. I work like a dog to give you a life you couldn’t have there, and this is the thanks I get.” “What should I thank you for? A room in your mother’s home? Being always the outsider?” The baby began to cry. Elisabeth pressed him close and looked as if she was seeing us clearly for the first time. “We can’t understand each other because you have only bitterness in your hearts. You hate my people, so you hate me too. But wait! I have some Christmas gifts for you. Mrs. Levy, you can have your little boy back. He never quite grew up to be a man. Leonard, I give you back your freedom. That’s what you really want.” He started to speak but she raised her hand to silence him. “And don’t waste any more pity on me; I’m happy to leave this place.” Then Elisabeth turned to me. “Sylvia, I truly thought we’d be friends. But here’s a gift for you also. You can have my little German Christmas tree!” She threw the evergreen down at my feet. When I got home from school the next afternoon, Elisabeth and the baby were gone. Mama and Lennie would not discuss what had happened. Years later, after Mama died, I found a snapshot of Ricky with a little cellophane bag containing a curl of fine blonde hair. Occasionally, my brother sends me a picture post card from his travels. Lennie did not remarry. I visited his home in California a couple of times. Nothing showed that he had ever been married and fathered a child. It’s as though the earth opened up to swallow Elisabeth and Ricky. But sometimes, when Christmas comes and it is snowing, I remember those distant days and I wonder if somehow, some way, things could have turned out differently back when Ricky was a baby. RUTH FREEDMAN is the pen name of a woman who lives and writes in Wakefield.
32 The Jewish Voice & Herald
BUSINESS www.jvhri.org
DECEMBER 21, 2012
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BUSINESS www.jvhri.org | COMMUNITY
DECEMBER 21, 2012
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Who needs Dr. Phil … you know best! Share your ‘in good times and in bad’ marriage wisdom with us; winner to snag a $50 gift card
By Nancy Kirsch
nkirsch@shalomri.org PROVIDENCE – Once you have gotten through your wedding day oys and joys … what have you learned about marriage? For our upcoming bridal issue, to be published Jan. 18, 2013, we are soliciting readers’ advice on how to handle these and other myriad marriage issues. Be sure to enter – we will award a $50 gift card to the submitter of the entry we deem most valuable! The winner can choose from any of the newspaper’s advertisers that offer gift cards.
In-law relationships
What advice would you give a newly married couple about building positive relationships with their in-laws? Whether
you have a terrific or terrible relationship with your in-laws, your advice on what to do or what to avoid is valuable!
Divvying up the holidays
Do you host your family for break-the-fast while you gather with your spouse’s family for Pesach? How did you navigate family commitments and expectations, while still creating time for your own family celebrations?
Intermarriage
Whether the couple is a Reform woman and a Modern Orthodox man or a same-sex couple of two different religions, issues are likely to crop up. What advice can other intermarried couples offer?
Yours, mine and ours
How do you successfully blend children/families after
Veggie Fun
marrying a second … third … or, oy veh, fourth time?
Purse strings
If you’ve married later in life, how do you manage money? What do you do when one person comes into the marriage with far more money – or far more debt – than the other partner? The Jewish Voice & Herald welcomes your pearls of wisdom on making marriage work. Send your vignettes – of any length – to Nancy Kirsch at nkirsch@shalomri.org (subject: WEDDINGS) or 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence, RI 02906 by Jan. 8 latest! Appropriate entries will be published in our Jan. 18, 2013 issue; we reserve the right to edit entries. Need more information? Call Kirsch at 421-4111, ext. 168.
Readers…please support our advertisers – they depend on you – and we depend on them.
Candle Lighting Times Dec. 21 Dec. 28 Jan. 4, 2013 Jan. 11
3:58 4:04 4:10 4:17
SENIORS
34 The Jewish Voice & Herald
DECEMBER 21, 2012
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History’s many gated communities
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any elements make a city: its history, its residents, its homes, its thoroughfares, its public structures and its ethnically diverse neighborhoods, each with its uniquely distinctive character and social posture. One of the blessings of a free society is the liberty to select where one will live; it is not a limitless entitlement, perhaps, but certainly there is the privilege of selecting from a relatively wide menu of sites – contingent, principally, upon one’s ability to pay. What are the factors that determine one’s ultimate choice of residence? Personal wealth (can we afford a home here?); proximity of the site to work or school; languages spoken locally; ethnicity of the neighborhood’s current residents (will I have relatives and co-religionists there?) and, of course, the community’s prevailing restrictive covenants and practices. One’s choice of housing comes down to two interrelated questions: First, where, realistically, do I want to live? And, second, where will I be allowed to live? Residential discrimination, historically, has taken two forms. In one instance, an in-
Ghettoes – whether keeping society in or out – are ill-planned
dividual may live anywhere in this community except for specified communities where certain racial and religious restrictive covenants apply. And the second face of discrimination is one that requires one to live only in specifically des-
science & society stanley aronson, m.d.
ignated communities that historians will later come to call ghettoes. One form of restriction is exclusionary and the other, punitively inclusionary; both, ultimately, are equally discriminatory. In a curious way, then, walls and gates defined both types of restrictive housing: one to keep people out and one to keep people in. Venice (the earliest Jewish ghetto) did not invent discriminatory housing, but it did provide a generic term for the practice of selective bigotry. For a variety of reasons, the rulers of 15th-century Venice decided to restrict the Venetian Jewish population to a segment of the
Cannaregio district, on land adjacent to the foundries and their slag fields. Two theories survive to explain the designation of this precinct as the ghetto. The more likely is that the word represents an abbreviation of the Italian term, borghetto (little village); but an alternate possibility suggests that it was named for the mounds of discarded slag waste, called in the local language, gheto. The word
Many Jews expelled from Spain and Portugal during the tragic interval of 1492 – 96 sought refuge in Muslim Morocco. And here, too, their residence was eventually restricted to state-determined, walled quarters in a district called the Mellah, an Arabic word meaning salt. In later years, North African ghettoes in general were called Mellahs. During the middle decades of the 20th century, Brazil witnessed a great influx of rural young seeking employment in newly-industrialized communes. Improvised dwellings in the outlying suburbs provided primitive housing for a generation of impoverished laborers and their kin. These shantytown ghettoes were eventually called favelas (the name of a coastal tree bearing bitter fruit). These slums, with ironic humor, were also called Cidade de Deus (City of God). Twentieth-century England’s industrial midlands likewise experienced a massive influx of immigrant workers seeking urban residence. One such collection of shabby housing in West Yorkshire bears the name, Savile Town, named after a regional mill owner. Its current population is virtually all Asian Muslims. Yet another improvised community arose in West London and is named Southall or, alternatively, Little India. (It is one of the few places in England
“Walls and gates defined both types of restrictive housing: one to keep people out and one to keep people in.” “ghetto,” now fully accepted as an English term, carries a spectrum of meanings from an incubator of immigrant ambition (such as the Lower East Side ghetto of Manhattan or the East End of London) to a zone of extinction (such as the Warsaw ghetto.)
where Indian rupees are accepted as local currency.) France experienced a similar major demographic change following the mass migration of Algerians and Moroccans to the suburbs of northeastern Paris. To accommodate this population, the French government constructed extensive housing – huge apartment complexes akin to the “projects” of major American cities. Collectively these marvels of depressing architecture are called Les Banlieues; suburban communities such as Clichy-Sous-Bois have become emblematic of civil unrest, crime, drug sales and pervasive poverty. Many Puerto Ricans and other Latin Americans moved to the northern American cities at the end of World War II to seek employment and improved living conditions. In Upper Manhattan, East Harlem housed many such Caribbean transplants and was named El Barrio. Subsequently, many of the ‘hoods (yet another synonym for urban ghettoes) in other industrial cities came to be called barrios. The English language is now enriched with a plethora of alternative names for the ancient Venetian word, ghetto: Mellah, barrio, Southall, Favela, Savile Town, Banlieue, Hooverville, Little Italy, Shantytown, Chinatown – even Skid Row. They represent, in practice, the residue of societal lack of foresight, compelling indifference and sheer bigotry. STANLEY M. M.D. may be smamd@cox.net.
ARONSON, reached at
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Grandparents, then and now Leave discipline to the parents; focus on a loving relationship
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s we age, our childhood memories dim, but recollection of certain experiences and relationships surface, often vividly. I only had one surviving grandparent, my beloved zayde, (grandfather) who lived to be 90. He had the traditional gray beard that, according to religious tradition, had never been shaved. His memory loss was well disguised. He was loved by his 17 grandchildren. He never spoke English but understood everything that was said to him. As my grandchildren and I have gotten older, I often think of how relationships between grandparents and extended family have changed. In previous generations, communications between grandchildren and their grandparents was by way of the middle-aged family members who represented the generation between grandparents and grandchildren. Grandfathers played with their grandchildren and shared family issues with the parents
of the grandchildren. That has changed. Today, members of the younger generation know that they can share private thoughts and wishes with their grandmother if AS WE they feel that GROW OLDER she is a better resource TEMA GOUSE for advice or direction. That doesn’t ne c e s s a r i ly mean an undercutting of their mother’s authority or intimacy. It simply means that the child has found another valuable resource for direction. There are plusses and minuses to both arrangements and there are many reasons why these communication channels have changed. Often, Grandpa is more available than Mom or Dad. Often, the child wants an objective opinion or advice from a less subjective source.. Grandparents want the love and admiration of the youngest generation and material indulgences (often without parental approval) are tools that sometimes “buy love” from the grandkids. When we advance
from parenting to grandparenting, we often forget the trials and tribulations of parenting and only want the affections of the grandchildren. Today’s grandparents have a much different involvement with their children’s children. They operate differently in the
“He never spoke English but understood everything that was said to him.” grandparental role than they did as parents. With everything from ball games to bicycles on the “must” list, grandparents often undermine the authority of their grandchildren’s parents. Concurrently (and enigmatically), grandparents relieve the child’s parents by baby-sitting and providing funds for education. They are, thus, fostering
dependency. Interfering with parental decisions is a negative in overall family interactions. It’s difficult to analyze why the nature of these relationships has changed so much, even if the how of such changes is more apparent. In the “olden days,” the grandfather was (at least superficially) in charge of decision-making and the finances. Today, Grandpa has lost much of his authority. And his relationship with his grandchildren is often under the control of Grandma. And, sadly, he has less private time with them, especially if the grandchildren are granddaughters. One can not totally generalize on this issue. If Grandpa finds a hobby he can share with a granddaughter, he can develop the same closeness he would with a grandson. If Grandma keeps track of Red Sox wins and losses, she can have a special relationship with her grandson. One deterrent for grandparents today is that extended families no longer all live in the same community; long distances do not foster intimacy. For those grandparents who are fortunate enough to live relatively near their grandchildren, it behooves them to plan
Senator Chuck Hagel might be Obama’s defense secretary choice Defenders and detractors tussle over his record on Israel By Ron Kampeas
WASHINGTON (JTA) – The expected nomination of former Senator Chuck Hagel as the next defense secretary has sparked an outcry from some pro-Israel community segments. Recent media reports have said that Hagel, a Republican who represented Nebraska from 1997-2009 in the U.S. Senate, is President Obama’s likely nominee for defense secretary, in line to replace Leon Panetta. Reports have sparked anxiety about the prospect of a figure who has had a contentious relationship with pro-Israel groups in a post at the very nexus of the defense relationship between Israel and the United States. Hagel is a decorated Vietnam War veteran. “Hagel would not be the first, second or third choice for the American Jewish community’s friends of Israel,” Abraham Foxman, the AntiDefamation League’s national director, emailed Washington Post blogger Jennifer Rubin. The prospect of a Hagel nomination has set off alarm bells in the pro-Israel community.
The Republican Jewish Coalition circulated bullet points noting Hagel’s departures from pro-Israel orthodoxies, including his refusal to sign letters supporting Israel. Hagel, who says he is a supporter of Israel, has questioned the efficacy of Iran sanctions and has called for engagement with Hamas. He has also been outspoken against the prospect of military engagement with Iran. Rep. Shelley Berkley (DNev.), a stalwart supporter of Israel, opposes his nomination. His “dismal record on … the Middle East stands in sharp contrast” to our nation’s policies, she said. “He would be the wrong choice for America’s
next secretary of defense.” “Hagel understands the shared values” between Israel and the United States, said Aaron David Miller, a former U.S. Middle East negotiator. “He believes in a special … but not … exclusive relationship.” J Street also defended Hagel. “Sen. Hagel was among the first in his party to realize that the U.S. occupation of Iraq had turned into a quagmire … without a clear strategic rationale,” J Street said. Hagel and Obama are not completely aligned on the particulars of Obama’s defense policy, but broadly they have been allies. As senators, both were sharply critical of President George W. Bush’s Iraq
policies. Hagel’s positions have landed him on the wrong side of a pro-Israel community. The American Jewish Committee noted that Hagel was the one senator who refused in 1999 to join a letter to then-Russian President Boris Yeltsin threatening to cut assistance if he did not take substantive steps to quash anti-Semitism.
a source of intimacy – a hobby or activity in which they have a common interest. But do not be overbearing; a good relationship with the parents of your grandchildren is essential to developing closeness with the youngest generation. Actually, today’s grandparents share more time with grandchildren than in the past. It is important to realize that the quality of your relationships with them is loving and friendly, rather than disciplinary and controlling. Follow your grandchild’s interests rather than expecting him or her to follow yours. Today’s grandparents have an edge over the grandparents of previous generations. It is easier to bridge the gaps in interest. Grandparents must always remember that they do not have the highest authority in the relationship. It is a blessing that today it is possible that grandparents and grandchildren can communicate so much better. TEMA GOUSE, of Cranston, is a retired social worker. Contact her at nbgtpg@cox.net.
Bingo with Cranston Senior Guild
WARWICK – The Cranston senior Guild will hold its next meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 2 at 1 p.m. at Tamarisk, 3 Shalom Drive in Warwick. The program includes Bingo, hosted by Dorothy and Judah Rosen, as well as a raffle and refreshments.
OBITUARIES
36 The Jewish Voice & Herald Mildred J. “Millie” Brown, 94
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Mildred Brown died Dec. 13. She was the wife of the late Frank Brown. Born in Providence, a daughter of the late Abraham and Annie (Cooperberg) Bazar, she had lived in Cranston for 50 years before moving to Fort Lauderdale. She was a former member of Temple Torat Yisrael, a life member of Hadassah and The Miriam Hospital and a member of the Women’s Association of the former Jewish Home for the Aged. She was the mother of Steven Brown of Pompano Beach, Fla., Sandra Garfinkel of Cranston and Merrilynn Shlesinger of North Providence; the sister of the late Esther Green and grandmother of three grandsons. The great-grandmother of four, she was the aunt of Mitchell Green of N. Miami Beach, Fla. Contributions may be made to the charity of one’s choice.
Isabel (Hodosh) David, 92
LANSDALE, Pa. – Isabel David died Nov. 30. She was the wife of the late Samuel C. David. Born in Providence, a daughter of the late Samuel and Eva (Shonfeld) Hodosh, she had lived in Pennsylvania since 2005. She was a member of Temple Beth-El. She is survived by her children, Marjorie Victor and her husband Steven of Lansdale, and Dr. Jeffrey W. David and his wife Janice of Butler, Pa.; her grandchildren David (Tara), Jennifer (Dan), Jessica (Bill), Becca (Luke) and Jared; and her great-grandchildren, Samantha, Abigail, Alex, Lila, Josh and Maddie. Donations may be made to American Cancer Society, 931
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Jefferson Blvd., Warwick, RI 02886.
Dr. Alexander “Knox” Horwitz, 97
PROVIDENCE – Dr. Alexander Horwitz died Dec. 6. He was the husband of Patricia (Warrior) Horwitz. Born in St. Louis, Mo., he was a son of the late Alexander Earl and Dora (Prinz) Horwitz. He was a graduate of Washington University and St. Louis Medical School, practicing psychiatry until retiring in 1988. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II. A member of the American Psychiatric Association, he was also on the board of directors of and a tireless performer for the Murfreesboro Little Theater. Besides his wife, he is survived by his children Kris Harvey of Santa Rosa, Calif., Robin and her husband Michael Stern of Providence, and Alexander Earl Horwitz of Salem, Ore.; and granddaughters, Sarah, Lisa and Julia Stern. He was the brother of the late Ralph Horwitz and Marvin Harwood. Contributions may be made to Murfreesboro Little Theater, PO Box 952, Murfreesboro, TN 37133-0952.
Arnold I. Kornstein, 84
R IC H MON D, Va. – Arnold Kornstein, of Richmond, formerly of Woonsocket and Providence,
died Dec. 14. He is survived by his wife, Esta Strong Kornstein; three children, Dr. Michael J. Kornstein (Ann Kaplan), Dr. Susan G. Kornstein (Lee B. Krum-
bein), Dr. Howard S. Kornstein (Natalia Gourari); seven grandchildren, Sara Lerner (Matt), Joanna Kornstein, Samuel, Orly and Benjamin Kornstein and Nathan and Iris Krumbein. He was the son of the late Samuel and Hattie (Levy) Kornstein of North Smithfield. A graduate of the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, he was president of Kornstein’s Department Store in Woonsocket, and later founded a video store chain. He spent the last 20 years as district manager for Aflac. He was a lifelong member of Congregation B’nai Israel, past president of the Woonsocket Chapter of B’nai B’rith and past president of the Woonsocket Small Business Association. Contributions may be made to the United Jewish Appeal or the charity of one’s choice.
ish Family Service, 959 North Main St., Providence, RI 02904.
Henry J. Matzner, 95
DELRAY BEACH, Fla. – Herbert Schindler died Dec. 18. He leaves his wife of 66 years, Miriam; his daughters Merril Schindler, Laurie and her husband Stephan Goldman, Ronnie and her husband David Hauptman; six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. He also leaves his brother Abe Schindler and sister Harriet Schimmel. Shivah will observed at the home of Laurie and Stephan Goldman on Thursday from 7 – 9 p.m., Friday 2 – 4 p.m., Saturday 7 – 9 p.m., and Sunday 2 – 4 p.m. and 7 – 9 p.m. Donations may be made to the charity of one’s choice.
CRANSTON – Henry Matzner died Dec. 12. He was the husband of the late Lena Gertrude (Chafez) Matzner. Born in Providence, a son of the late Samuel and Celia (Berger) Matzner, he had lived in Cranston for 55 years. An inventory clerk with the U.S. Civil Service at Quonset Point until retiring in 1973, he worked as a courier for the Cranston Public Library until 1983. He was a World War II Army veteran, serving in Europe. He was a member of Overseas Lodge of the Masons and a former member of Temple Torat Yisrael and Warwick Senior Guild. He was the father of Steven Matzner and his wife Beth of Cranston; brother of the late William and Leonard Matzner and Stella Salk and grandfather of Evan and Shayna. Contributions may be made to Meals on Wheels, c/o Jew-
Rose Pritsker
FALL RIVER, Mass. – Rose Pritsker died Dec. 8. She was married to the late Meyer (Mike) Pritsker for 71 years. They had owned the Darlington Five and Ten Variety Store in Pawtucket for more than 25 years. They retired to Hallandale, Fla., where they were very active at the Hallandale Jewish Center. She presided over the temple’s gift shop. She leaves one son, Peter Pritsker (Marcia) of East Greenwich, and two daughters, Anita Pritsker Jones (Raymond) of Cranston and Hope Zawatsky (Martin) of Florida. She was the “Nana” of seven grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren. She was the sister of the late Maurice, Charles and Harry Genter.
Herbert William Schindler, 96
Fay Rita (Ferestien) Steinberg, 89
PROVIDENCE – Fay Steinberg, of Providence, and formerly of West Haven, Conn., died Dec. 17. She was the wife of the late Robert Steinberg. She was born in Foxboro, Mass., a daughter of Edward and Gertrude (Yero) Steinberg.
She was a medical insurance specialist for 30 years before retiring in 1994. She was a member of Hadassah and B’nai Brith. She is survived by her sons Neil Steinberg and his wife Genie Shao of Pawtucket, and Mark Steinberg of Branford, Conn.; her brothers Alan and Robert Ferestien; her grandchildren Jason, Eric, Megan and John and several nieces and nephews. Contributions may be made to Temple Beth-El, 70 Orchard Ave., Providence, RI 02906 or to the charity of one’s choice.
Edward Wasser, 90
WARWICK – Edward Wasser died Dec. 12. He was the husband of the late Evelyn A. (Aron) Wasser for 60 years. Born in Bucharest, Romania, a son of the late Solomon and Buzia (Kipnis) Wasser, he had lived in Providence and Cranston before moving to Warwick. He was the owner of Herschel Photo Lab in Providence for 40 years, retiring in 1985. A World War II Army veteran who served in the 82nd Airborne in the European theater, he was a member of Temple Sinai and Touro Fraternal Association. He was very active with the Jewish Committee of the Boy Scouts of Rhode Island and was an avid reader of history books. The father of Dr. Marvin Wasser and his wife Ellie of Cranston, Bruce Wasser and his wife Paula of Warwick and Ann Messier and her husband Louis of Warwick; he was the brother of Raymond Wasser of Cranston and the late Jacob Wasser and Celia Schleiffer; the grandfather of David, Jason, Andrea, Rachel, Emily, Andrew and Ianna and greatgrandfather of five. Contributions may be made to Temple Sinai or the charity of one’s choice.
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Scholar explores West African Jews’ history, practices Temple Emanu-El, Congregation Beth Sholom programs connect our community to Nigerian Jews
By Shai Afsai
this Judaism that was incredibly alive, and with kavvanah [intention].” Watching its trailer was enough for him to decide to have the film screened at Beth Sholom, Rabbi Dolinger said. “It touched me. I was almost moved to tears. I was so enraptured by their kavvanah.” In January, Providence synagogues will host different events having to do with Jews in Nigeria. (See box, below, for dates and information on events.)
Special to The Voice & Herald PROVIDENCE – When Northeastern University Professor William (Bill) Miles first read that there were Nigerians practicing Judaism and that Rabbi Howard Gorin, a Conservative rabbi from Maryland, was teaching them, he was suspicious. “I’ve been working on this part of Africa for the better part of 30 years, so I thought I knew the lay of the land very well,” he recalled. “My first reaction was, ‘This is a meshuggene rabbi.’ I assumed this guy had been taken in.” But two years later, in 2008, Miles was asked to review Edith Bruder’s “The Black Jews of Africa” (Oxford University Press USA, 2012), in which he encountered a description of people practicing Judaism in Abuja, the capital of Nigeria. That was a scholarly source he could not so easily dismiss. Intrigued but still doubtful, Miles decided to travel to Abuja to find out about its Jews for himself. “I went to explore with an open, if skeptical, mind. All it took was a few minutes in one of their synagogues in Abuja to realize that they are actually practicing what any Jew in Providence – Orthodox, Conservative or Reform – would recognize as rabbinic Judaism. I was bowled over by the authenticity. It was the real deal. I saw their kavvanah [intention] in tefillot [prayers],” Miles said. The Igbo of Nigeria number some 25 to 30 million. Within the Igbo ethnic group, Miles explained, “there is a self-creating Jewish community of 2,000 to 5,000 people, and it is growing. Many Igbos claim to be descendants of the Israelite tribe of Gad, but it has only been in the last 20 to 30 years that the claim of Jewishness and Israelite descent has been ratcheted up into rabbinic Jewish practice.” The development of Igbo Judaism differs from that of other Jewish communities in Africa, Miles said. “This is not like the Jews of Ethiopia, who have an ancient, documented, continuous chain of Jewish practice. Nor is this like the Jews of Uganda, who did not claim Jewish descent at all when they began embracing Judaism in the early part of the 20th century.” Miles’ visit to the Abuja community, during Hanukkah of 2009, inaugurated a relationship between it and Providence’s Temple Emanu-El, one that many of the synagogue’s members may not know exists. Using his discretionary fund, Rabbi Wayne Franklin procured 50 hanukkiot and Temple Emanu-El’s gift shop supplied 50 boxes of Hanukkah candles. Miles brought them to Nigeria, allowing many in the Abuja
SHAI AFSAI lives in Providence. Contact him at ggbi@ juno.com.
Professor William Miles, center, attends a bar mitzvah in Africa. community to have household hanukkiot for the first time, along with special Hanukkah candles. Two years later, Rabbi Franklin and Professor Miles received invitations to the first bar mitzvah to be celebrated in Abuja. Although unable to attend, Rabbi Franklin sent the bar mitzvah boy, Hezekiah, a pair of tefillin and a letter wishing him mazel tov. Miles delivered these when he flew in for the bar mitzvah. Rabbi Franklin later mailed Hezekiah two Sephardi siddurim (prayer books), which he had purchased in Israel at Hezekiah’s request. “It was the most amazing bar mitzvah I’ve experienced, next to that of the bat mitzvah of my daughter Arielle and bar mitzvah of my son Sam,” Miles said. His two visits to the Abuja community provide the setting for Miles’ recently published “Jews of Nigeria: An Afro-Judaic Odyssey” (Marcus Weiner, 2013). “Of my 10 books, this is the only one that identifies me as a member of Temple Emanu-El,” he said with pride. “Temple Emanu-El has been very generous and supportive.” The cover of “Jews of Nigeria” shows Hezekiah wearing Miles’ own bar mitzvah tallit, which Miles gave to him, and tefillin presented to him by Temple Emanu-El. Rabbi Franklin has been deeply impressed by footage of the community that Miles has shown him and by the stories Miles has shared about its members. “I am blown away. This is extraordinary. They are finding a spiritual satisfaction in Judaism that they are not finding elsewhere,” the rabbi explained. “They are knocking themselves out to learn, and the sincerity is unbelievable. The level of Jewish competence they have achieved is remarkable.”
Last year, during the second day of Rosh Hashanah, Rabbi Franklin wore a traditional Igbo robe he had been sent as a gift by Hezekiah’s father, Habakkuk. He spoke to his congregants about the Abuja community’s religious excitement. “The joy of their service and worship is astounding,” Rabbi Franklin said. “These people are serious. We should be as dedicated and enthusiastic to learn as they are.” When Rabbi Barry Dolinger, of Providence’s Congregation
Professor William Miles
Beth Sholom, read a blog in August about Jeff Lieberman’s documentary “Re-Emerging: The Jews of Nigeria,” he had the same doubtful reaction as Professor Miles to the notion that there were Jews in that country. “I was fascinated, but at the same time skeptical,” he said. The rabbi wanted to know more about Nigerians who self-identified as Jews; at the documentary’s website, he found a brief trailer in which its members were “dancing and singing with
Mark your calendars Jan. 8: 7 p.m.: Professor William Miles will deliver a talk, “Temple Emanu-El in Africa,” with photos and video clips. Temple Emanu-El, 99 Taft Ave., Providence. Free, RSVP: ebabchuck@teprov. org or 331-1616. Jan. 19, 7 p.m.: Film screening of “Re-Emerging,” with director Jeff Lieberman, a Q&A and book-signing. Congregation Beth Sholom, 275 Camp St., Providence. 6219393. $5 per person donation, open to community. Jan. 20, 7 p.m.: Screening of “Re-Emerging,” with Lieberman and Q&A session. Temple Emanu-El, 99 Taft Ave., Providence. Free, RSVP: ebabchuck@teprov.org or 3311616.
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The Jewish Voice & Herald
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DECEMBER 21, 2012
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BOARD – Jeffrey Savit, president and chief executive officer of the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island, was named a board member of the Home & Hospice Care of Rhode Island board on Sept. 19, Savit’s term is three years.
Jeffrey Savit
Providence Cityscape by Brian Glantz
At Habonim: ‘Glimpse at a Glantz
DEGREE – Dani Stieglitz, an occasional contributor to The Voice & Herald, received his master’s degree in creative writing from Bar-Ilan University in October 2012. Dani Stieglitz
BARRINGTON – Temple Habonim will showcase the photographs of Seymour Glantz and his son Brian at a reception on Sunday, Jan. 6, from 1 to 3 p.m. Wife, mother and poet Lee Glantz will read from a collection of her published poems from 1:45 to 2:15 p.m. Seymour Glantz has been a
photographer/artist for more than 65 years and an art educator for more than 55 years. He has taken commercial and personal photographs for industry, education, government, newspapers and various non-profit agencies. Brian Glantz, a professional photographer and photo editor
FOR MORE INFORMATION, 245-6536 or office@templehabonim.org.
AWARD – Miriam R. Plitt received the Heart of the Mission Award from the American Heart Association in a Nov. 14 ceremony for her efforts to fight heart disease and stroke. Plitt, a Pawtucket resident, is a longtime American Heart Association volunteer who has supported countless initiatives and events benefiting the organization, including its Advocacy Committee, Heart Ball, Go Red Luncheon and Heart Walk.
Adrienne and Steve Kirschner CHABAD IN COZUMEL – Adrienne and Steve Kirschner at the Chabad House in Cozumel, Mexico. The Kirschners, of Pawtucket, visited Cozumel in early December.
for 25 years, currently focuses on portrait photography. The photography exhibit will continue through February at Temple Habonim, 165 New Meadow Road in Barrington.
Miriam R. Plitt
40 The Jewish Voice & Herald
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