June 7, 2013 JVH by The Jewish Voice

The JEWISH VOICE&HERALD RING AND REMEMBE G DADS HONORIN -26 PAGES 20

SERVING RHODE ISLAND AND SOUTHEASTERN MASSACHUSETTS

29 Sivan 5773

June 7, 2013

From the Ocean State to the Sunshine State where are They now? Catching up with Lauren Friedman By Nancy Abeshaus Contributing Writer

maTT elSWOrTH

Paul Barrette, executive director of Jewish Seniors Agency; Jeff Padwa, JSA president; Susan Bazar, outgoing president, and Jeffrey Savit, CEO of the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island, at the JSA annual meeting.

Bringing the Fifth Commandment to light Jewish Seniors Agency installs new officers, honors Dr. Stanley Aronson By Naomi LipsKy

Special to The Voice & Herald WARWICK – “Honor thy father and thy mother” was the theme at the Jewish Seniors Agency’s annual meeting; the Fifth Commandment has been the focus of the agency’s mis-

inside

Business .................................................30-31 Calendar ........................................................ 10 Community .............................. 2-11, 15, 18-19 D’var Torah ................................................... 35 Father’s Day .......................................... 20-26 Food............................................................16-17 Nation | World .......................... 27-29, 34-35 Obituaries ..............................................34, 36 Opinion ......................................................12-14 Seniors .......................................................... 33 Simchas | We Are Read .....................38, 40

sion for more than a century. Admitting to doubts three years ago about assuming the presidency (as her mother had died shortly before that, and her father even earlier), Susan Bazar, outgoing board president, said, “By serving as

president, I was indeed honoring my parents. They believed in helping, where and when they could … In upholding our mission, I’m keenly aware of the value of relationships. The

AGENCY | 5

amy SCHWarTz

Lauren Friedman

Friedman. “We raise money for our scholarship fund and the JCC Maccabi Games.” Friedman also produces many other JCC special events, including family field days, and her own original idea – and favorite event – the

LIFE | 6

Protests in Turkey

Can Prime Minister Erdogan weather the storm? By Sean Savage (JNS.org)

Widespread protests in Turkey are threatening the decade-long rule of Islamist Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, raising questions over his ambitions to transform his country. The protests, which began in Istanbul’s famous Taksim Square over government plans to turn nearby Gezi Park into a shopping mall modeled after Ottoman-era army barracks, have turned into a widespread rebuke of Erdogan’s Islamist rule, spreading to sevJenny miller eral other major Turkish cities such as Ankara and Izmir as well as several cities abroad with Turkish ex-pats.

ISLAMIZATION | 32 VOL. XVIII | ISSUE XII

PROVIDENCE – Life can be a marathon – and sometimes that can be a good thing. Just ask Lauren Friedman, 28, who competes in half-marathons across the country. “I’ve done five so far and I plan to do more!” said Friedman in a recent telephone interview with The Jewish Voice & Herald. Friedman, a former member of our Jewish community, now lives and works in Florida. Not only does Friedman run races – she also runs races. As director of membership and special events at the Adolph and Rose Levis Jewish Community Center in Boca Raton, Fla., Friedman organizes three 5K (3.1 miles) races a year; each event attracts 700 participants. “It’s fun!” said

Vin kilBridge

GOLFERS IN SILHOUETTE: More Alliance JCC Golf Tournament photos: 18-19

WWW.JVHRI.ORG

The Jewish Voice & Herald

COMMUNITY

june 7, 2013

www.jvhri.org

Jewish War Veterans group hosts annual ceremony

Honoring those who gave their lives in service By Ira Fleisher

Special to The Voice & Herald WARWICK – To some people, Memorial Day means the beach, barbecues and the unofficial start of summer. To many others, however, Memorial Day has another meaning – it is a time to honor those who gave of themselves for their country. On an unseasonably cold May 26, approximately 200 people attended the annual Memorial Day observance at Lincoln Park Cemetery in Warwick, which was hosted by the Jewish War Veterans, Department of Rhode Island. The ceremony was led by Jewish War Veterans, Department of Rhode Island State Commander Sanford Gorodetsky. Retired Marine Corps Col. Stephen M. McCartney who serves as Warwick’s police chief, Warwick Mayor Scott Avedisian, Rhode Island Office of Veterans

Patriot Guard riders stand at attention during the Memorial Day observance. Affairs Director Dan Evangelista and Major General Kevin P. McBride, adjutant general for the State of Rhode Island, all offered comments. In a moving presentation by Kim Ripoli, associate director, Rhode Island Office of Veterans Affairs, those present were reminded of the oft-repeated line that we honor those who sacrificed all of their tomorrows so that we can have today. The Rhode Island National Guard provided full military honors. A moment of silence was held for all who have died in the

service of their country and Temple Sinai’s Cantor Remmie Brown chanted the traditional memorial prayer for those Jewish veterans who had died in the past 12 months. The Mourners Kaddish followed. First Lt. Rabbi Alan Kahan, chaplain for the 143rd airlift wing of the Rhode Island Air National Guard, offered the invocation and the closing prayer. IRA FLEISHER (Fleisher@ Dignitymemorial.com) is a senior vice commander of the JWV, Dep’t. of Rhode Island.

PHOTOS | Courtesy of the Warwick Beacon

World War II veterans Melvin Kahn and Leon Resnick

The Jewish Voice & Herald

COMMUNITY www.jvhri.org

june 7, 2013

Temple Beth-El Sisterhood celebrates a century Strengthening Jewish families and neighborhoods

By Karen Isenberg and Nancy Riffle Special to The Voice & Herald

PROVIDENCE – At Temple Beth-El’s Sisterhood’s 100th anniversary celebration, which included an annual meeting and installation of new officers and board members, Providence Mayor Angel Taveras lauded the “organization that … has strengthened families and neighborhoods.” Janet Englehart Gutterman served as installing officer for the new board and Laurie Sholes received a Women of Reform Judaism (WRJ) Unsung Heroine Award and a mayoral citation for her continued commitment as Sisterhood treasurer. In a special candle-lighting ceremony honoring Sisterhood’s history and leadership, three past presidents alternated in reading the history of Sisterhood at Beth-El while other past presidents or daughters or daughters-in-law of earlier past presidents lit candles. Over the past century, 48 women have served as Sisterhood presidents. The first women’s organization, the Ladies Auxiliary, of Temple Beth-El, the Reform synagogue now on the East Side of Providence, began in 1877. In 1913, the National Federation of Temple Sisterhoods (now WRJ) was founded; “Sisterhood of Temple Beth-El” was estab-

Elaine Sandy

Some of Sisterhood’s former leaders gather: Nancy Lovett, left, Nancy Riffle, Gaye Belsky-Gluck, Leslie Chazan, Sherry Levine Singer, Barbara Horovitz Brown, Carol Desforges, Phyllis Goldberg and Sherry Cohen at the centennial celebration. lished and Marion Misch became its first president. In 1929, the Sisterhood held sewing circles and sponsored a Girl Scout troop. In 1933, the Sisterhood produced a show called “The Old Testament.” During the 1930s, the Sisterhood also organized an interfaith meeting, sponsored a Sisterhood Shabbat, contributed to the Relief Fund for Polish Jewry and lobbied through letter writing for more liberal child immigration policies in the United States. During the 1940s, members knitted blankets for hospitals, opened their homes to men and women on military leave, encouraged synagogue members to buy war bonds and hailed Is-

rael’s statehood. In the 1950s, Sisterhood’s successful Artists Series included a performance by violinist Isaac Stern. When Temple Beth-El moved from Broad Street to Orchard Avenue in 1955, the Sisterhood opened a Judaica gift shop. Sisterhood’s fundraising events during the 1960s included a “Fur/Hat Show,” “5,000 Years of Fashion” and “The Treasures and Trifles Sale.” The group held luncheons, a trip to New York City, an Interfaith Day, study groups on current events and Jewish book discussions; it established “Talking Books” to benefit the blind. In 1973, Rabbi Sally Priesand, the country’s first female Re-

form rabbi, spoke at an annual Interfaith Day. Sisterhood raised funds to help refurbish the meeting hall. And, in 1974, after more than 80 events, the Artists Series concluded with a concert by Beverly Sills. Then, in 1976, Roselea Cohn, a Sisterhood past president, became Beth-El’s first female president. In the 1980s, Rabbi Maurice Davis, son of Sadie Davis, a past president of Sisterhood, led the Interfaith Day. “The Kitchen Shower” and “Here Come the Brides” were fundraisers. In 1992, Sisterhood and Brotherhood sponsored the first congregational break-the-fast; the 1990s welcomed the first Annual Sisterhood Film Festival, IN-

SIGHT luncheons for the blind and Passover Seder raffles. Presently, the Sisterhood continues to support the congregation with holiday celebrations, bake sales, social action and fundraising events to maintain the kitchen. Sisterhood gives students scholarships to attend Religious Action Center (RAC) or March of the Living trips and gifts at various life stages (consecration, bar/bat mitzvah and confirmation). A founding member of WRJ, Temple Beth-El celebrates its centennial anniversary with that of WRJ, whose motto is “Stronger Together.” As Sisterhood members and leaders could attest, the May 22 program exemplified how so many women – stronger together – have enriched both Temple Beth-El and the larger Jewish community. KAREN ISENBERG (kbandel@hotmail.com) is the Sisterhood vice president of membership. NANCY RIFFLE (nmriffle@ gmail.com), Sisterhood co-president from 2010-12, now serves as Sisterhood’s WRJ Centennial Ambassador. She compiled the Sisterhood history noted above. SISTERHOOD is open to synagogue members and non-members. Call 331-6070.

The Jewish Voice & Herald

COMMUNITY www.jvhri.org

june 7, 2013

Miriam women celebrate Joanne Summer, one of their own The Women’s Association installs new officers and directors, distributes funds

By Nancy Kirsch

Foundation’s board of trustees, quipped, “Today is one of my favorite days. Usually I am asking for money, today, it’s just being given to me.” Susan Korber, a registered nurse and director of the ambulatory/cancer service at The Miriam, described the Comprehensive Cancer Center where, she said, “We have transformed

nkirsch@shalomri.org PROVIDENCE – “Diamonds take light and reflect it back,” said Temple Beth-El’s Rabbi Leslie Y. Gutterman, in describing Joanne Summer, who was honored at The Miriam Hospital Women’s Association’s annual meeting. “That’s our Joanne … a diamond. She loves to give … her time and treasure.” Speaking at the annual luncheon, held at Ledgemont Country Club in Seekonk, Mass., on Wednesday, May 29, Rabbi Gutterman referenced Summer’s many contributions to The Miriam. Those contributions began when she was a teenaged candystriper and continued with her volunteering in the gift shop and the oncology unit and initiating the “Walkway to Health,” a fundraising program that encourages people to buy bricks to celebrate a special event or memorialize a loved one. Summer was this year’s recipient of the Women’s Association Recognition Award. Arthur Sampson, executive director of The Miriam Hospital, referred to economic and political challenges facing the healthcare industry, such as the Affordable Care Act and other actions coming out of

“That’s our Joanne … a diamond.” Photos | Nancy Kirsch

Natalie Weiner, left, Maxine Goldin and Joanne Summer gather at Ledgemont Country Club before The Miriam Hospital Women’s Association annual luncheon. Washington, D.C. Calling The Miriam “strong financially and clinically,” Sampson, who missed last year’s program as he was visiting Emek Medical Center in Afula, Israel, highlighted several initiatives at the hospital. Come as visitors, not patients, he said, to see the improvements. Despite extensive traffic disruption around The Miriam

and other East Side neighborhoods – due to work by the Narragansett Bay Commission – Sampson said, “The Miriam is open for business.” In thanking the members of the Women’s Association, he added, “You are part of the fabric and culture of The Miriam Hospital.” After receiving checks – $75,000 from Sandy Simon and Sally Irons from The Miriam’s

coffee and gift shops (a portion of a $250,000 pledge toward the new emergency department), $25,283 from Robin Engle from the 2013 Equipment Event to purchase two V60 BIPAP (noninvasive breathing support) units and $3,000 from the Walkway to Health brick program for the Comprehensive Cancer Center – Alan Litwin, co-vice chair of The Miriam

cancer into a chronic disease. We help patients through the crisis time [of diagnosis and treatment] and then [provide] a care plan and template for the future.” Funds from the Walkway to Health program support these initiatives, including several complementary therapy treatments offered at no charge to cancer patients, she said. In introducing his mother Joanne, Scott Summer said, to a group of some 100 people, “It’s

FUNDS | 11

The Jewish Voice & Herald

COMMUNITY www.jvhri.org

june 7, 2013

AGENCY honors seniors, pays tribute to leaders and names new board members From Page 1 relationship between a Jewish Eldercare of Rhode Island visitor and [his or her] nursing home friend … it’s not just a perfunctory visit, but rather, a meaningful exchange of tradition.” Citing other examples of JSA-fostered relationships – such as food delivery to homebound individuals coupled with a leisurely visit by the volunteer and caring relationships between Tamarisk administrators and residents, Bazar said, “These moments are powerful and life-affirming.” The JSA will, she said, “continue to respond to the dynamic of aging with dignity and grace.” Jeffrey Savit, Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island chief executive officer and president, offered greetings and Ethan Adler gave a d’var Torah. JSA Executive Director Paul Barrette, Treasurer Drew Kaplan, Funds Management Committee Chair Martin Dittleman and To Life Campaign Co-Chair Jim Galkin presented reports. Galkin, a JSA board member, paid homage to Maurice Glicksman for his longtime support of JSA. Galkin drew appreciative laughter from the 60 individuals attending the May 22 meeting at Tamarisk when he thanked Glicksman’s wife Yetta “for putting up with this man for all these years.” Galkin then introduced Dr. Stanley Aronson, who received the Maurice Glicksman Leadership Award. Briefly summarizing Aronson’s many accomplishments and achievements – including academic positions, several community awards and honors and publication of scientific papers and newspaper columns, Galkin summarized what Aronson, a retired dean of the medical school at Brown University and a regular columnist for both this newspaper and the

Naomi Lipsky

Providence Mayor Angel Taveras and Dr. Stanley Aronson Providence Journal, means “to the Jewish community as a whole and the Jewish elderly in particular.” Affectionate teasing ensued, as Galkin read a poem he composed that began, “Twas the night before Shabbes …” – a parody of the well-known Christmas poem – which highlighted Aronson’s myriad contributions, including the founding of Brown’s medical school and Rhode Island Home and Hospice and reviving the JSA as well as encouraging the building of Tamarisk. “Stan, it is with … our most sincere respect and admiration that we all present you with this year’s Maurice Glicksman Leadership Award,” said Galkin. “We thank you for everything you have done for this entire community, especially the Jewish community.” Aronson spoke briefly on his own behalf and that of his wife Gale: “An experience like this is a very humbling one … to be cherished. Our Jewish community is very precious to all of us, particularly to me.”

Thanking a few individuals who, he said, had taught him so much, he singled out the Glicksmans and thanked Maurice, a former Brown University provost, for bringing Brown University “kicking and screaming into the 20th

“These moments are powerful and lifeaffirming.” century.” Aronson also received a citation from the City of Providence from Mayor Angel Taveras. Marcia Gerstein discussed JSA Women’s Association activities and video reports from other staff members followed, including Bonnie Sekeres of Shalom Apartments, Roberta Ragge of Tamarisk and Susan Adler of the To Life Center

James Galkin speaks from the podium at the JSA Annual Meeting. Adult Day Services, Jewish Eldercare of Rhode Island and the Louis and Goldie Chester Full Plate Kosher Food Pantry (which has distributed more than 135 tons of food in its nearly four-year tenure). Deb Blazer, Alice Goldstein, Andrew Lamchick and this reporter were installed as new board members, as were Rabbi Richard Perlman as secretary, Drew Kaplan as treasurer, Bernice Weiner as second vice president, Jack Nassau as first vice president and Jeff Padwa as president. Before introducing Padwa, Mayor Taveras thanked the JSA for everything it does. “ You really are making it better for everyone,” he said. Padwa – who, in his “day job” as the City Solicitor for Providence reports directly to Mayor Taveras – thanked first his boss for setting the example of leadership and then his family and past and present JSA leaders and staff. “I am incredibly passionate about [JSA] services,” Padwa said. The memory of his grandfather Asher, who

sacrificed for his family, gave Padwa, “a sense of responsibility to do everything that I can do, to take care of seniors, to take care of those that have sacrificed for their families,” he said. In closing, he added, “Together, we can provide outstanding services, not only to Jewish seniors, but to all seniors in this state.” Memorial plaques, stored out of sight at Tamarisk after being removed from the Jewish Home on Hillside Avenue, have been digitized, said Barrette. Copies of a video, “The Plaques of History,” depicting the plaques and stained glass windows, will be available at the Rhode Island Jewish Historical Association and the JSA. The meeting’s final moments included a surprise for Bazar, whose family established a memorial-giving program, the Honor Walk Program, in her honor. Bazar received the first brick as a gift from her family. JSA: 351-4750 or jsari.org.

The J V&H 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, Sam LehmanWilzig, 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, Steve Jacobson, Rabbi Marc Jagolinzer, Eleanor Lewis, Richard Shein, Jonathan Stanzler, Susan Youngwood and Faye Zuckerman Editorial ConsultantS Arthur C. Norman Judith Romney Wegner CALENDAR COORDINATOR Toby London contributing writers Nancy Abeshaus, Arthur C. Norman

The Jewish Voice & Herald (ISSN number 1539-2104, USPS #465-710) is published bi-weekly, except in July, when it does not publish.

Periodicals postage paid at Providence, RI POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: The Jewish Voice & Herald, 401 Elmgrove Ave. Providence, RI 02906 Published by the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island Chair Richard A. Licht President/CEO Jeffrey K. Savit 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence, RI 02906 TEL: 401-421-4111 • FAX: 401-331-7961

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.

The Jewish Voice & Herald

COMMUNITY

june 7, 2013

www.jvhri.org

LIFE can be a marathon for Lauren Friedman From Page 1 princess ball: a father-daughter dance for girls, ages 3-12. All the girls dress up in princess dresses. “It’s adorable!” said Friedman. Born and raised in Rhode Island, Friedman grew up in West Warwick where her parents, Alan and Carol, still reside. She attended Rocky Hill School in East Greenwich and continued her education at the University of South Florida (USF) in Tampa and the University of Central Florida (UCF) in Orlando, earning a bachelor’s degree in marketing and a master’s degree in nonprofit management, respectively. Her family is affiliated with Temple Beth-El, the Reform synagogue in Providence. “I attended Hebrew school, [became] a bat mitzvah, was confirmed and was a teacher’s aide in first year Hebrew school there,” said Friedman. At 16, Friedman spent five weeks in Israel. “It was a great experience for me but it didn’t really change … my life,” she said. It wasn’t until she went to college and became involved in Hillel that her path circled back to Judaism. “[When I was] growing up, our family celebrated holidays, but I really didn’t know many traditions,” said Friedman. “I learned a lot more about Judaism while

working at Hillel. Now, through my work at our JCC, I’m able to teach others about Judaism – and that’s really nice,” she added. As an undergraduate, Friedman volunteered at USF Hillel, where she served on its student board as vice president of marketing; she received the USF Hillel Mensch Award. Presented to only one student each year, the award recognizes commitment to Jewish life, Jewish students who exemplify selflessness and who serve as Jewish role mod-

“Through my work at our JCC, I’m able to teach others about Judaism.” els in the community and who work tirelessly to improve the Jewish community. After graduation, Friedman moved to Orlando to accept a full-time position as program director at UCF Hillel. “It was my first job out of school and I loved it – and that’s when I returned to graduate school for a degree in nonprofit manage-

ment,” she said. During her tenure at UCF Hillel, Friedman also led four Taglit-Birthright Israel trips. For most participants, Birthright is their first trip to Israel. “Seeing college students’ reactions to seeing Israel for the first time – and how it really changed their lives – was an incredible experience for me,” she said. Three years later, Friedman became the director of membership and special events at the JCC of Greater Orlando on the Jack and Lee Rosen Southwest Orlando campus. One year later, she relocated to Pompano Beach, Fla., and assumed her current position at the JCC in Boca Raton. In August 2014, her JCC will be a host community for the JCC Maccabi Games; Friedman will be the local delegation head. The experience will be a full circle moment for her – as a teen she was a JCC Maccabi participant. “We practiced basketball at the JCC in Providence and then competed in Michigan,” she said. A different Jewish community hosts the Games each year. Even when she’s off-duty, she runs things: Friedman volunteers as social chair of the young adult division of the Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County, Fla. “We do social events, tikkun olam, community service and networking activities for Jewish young adults in their 20s, 30s and

Carol and Alan Friedman

Lauren Friedman and her boyfriend Richard Koblick at the Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon in Providence on Aug. 19, 2012. 40s,” said Friedman. She also recently completed the Glass Leadership Institute, a oneyear education program that the Anti-Defamation League offers in most communities. She said she always knew the ADL existed; now she understands how the organization can help her Jewish community should the need arise. Friedman’s dedication to Jewish communal service runs in the family. “My parents were involved in the Sisterhood and Brotherhood at Beth-El; my grandmother, Phyllis Goldberg, was a past president of Sisterhood and is still very involved; even my great-grandparents were active in the temple,” she said. Friedman’s personal and professional commitment to her Jewish community is off and

running. Catch her at the Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon in Providence this September. NANCY ABESHAUS (nabeshaus@cox.net) is a contributing writer for The Jewish Voice & Herald. LAUREN FRIEDMAN: laurenbfriedman@gmail.com. EDITOR’S NOTE: Do you know someone in their 20s, 30s or 40s who grew up in greater Rhode Island and now works or volunteers in the Jewish communal world? If you know a candidate who might like to be featured in this ongoing series, contact us. SUBJECT LINE: WHERE ARE THEY NOW to nkirsch@ shalomri.org or call 421-4111, ext. 168.

The Jewish Voice & Herald

COMMUNITY www.jvhri.org

june 7, 2013

Dr. Michael Fine will lead trade mission to Israel

Healthcare and life sciences business development is focus of trip

By Katherine Therieau Special to The Voice & Herald

PROVIDENCE – Dr. Michael Fine, director, Rhode Island Department of Health, will lead a healthcare and life sciences trade mission to Israel in November. In the last decade, Israel has introduced groundbreaking innovations in healthcare and life sciences that receive governmental support. Israel, home to some of the world’s leading research institutes, renowned research and development facilities and cutting-edge medical centers, welcomes collaboration between its companies, research institutions and academic centers and their U.S. counterparts. Mission participants will meet with key contacts in Israel’s healthcare and life science industries, including key government officials from the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor and the Office of the Chief Scientist. The trip will include visits to medical, biomedical, and pharmaceutical facilities, medical schools, life science incubators and emergency management system facilities. The objectives of the mission are to increase exports of Rhode Island’s healthcare and life science businesses; devel-

op research and development collaboration between Rhode Island healthcare and life sciences companies and their Israeli counterparts; learn how the Israeli universal healthcare system delivers high quality healthcare at a lower cost and explore Israel’s broad use of information technology in medical applications. Chief executives, senior managemers in healthcare and life sciences companies, research physicians, hospital administrators and senior members of academia are encouraged to participate in the Nov. 8 – 16 mission. With more medical device patents on a per capita basis than any other country, Israel has a thriving life sciences industry. Home to some 1,000 life sciences companies and more than 400 medical device companies, Israel is a world leader in using information technology for healthcare. The cost to participate is $3,000 for the first individual from a company with fewer than 250 employees, and $5,000 for the first individual from a company with more than 250 employees; the registration fee for each additional employee from a company registered to attend is $500. These costs do not include travel expenses.

Stanley Freedman

Patty Harwood

Jewish Family Service honors Stanley Freedman

Dr. Michael Fine Registration and payment is due by Sept. 27. KATHERINE THERIEAU (278-9100, ext. 139 or ktherieau@ riedc.com) is a director of international trade for the R.I. Economic Development Corporation.

PROVIDENCE – Widely known for his gift of music, Stanley Freedman is also known to many in the Jewish community as a devoted volunteer. He is an active volunteer at Tamarisk, where he leads services on Friday evenings and the High Holy Days, officiates at the Passover Seder (for the past 10 years) and provides Saturday afternoon entertainment with his clarinet playing. A Hebrew teacher at Temple Beth-El for the past 33 years,

Stanley has offered free lessons to potential converts to Judaism and to those in financial need. Jewish Family Service is fortunate to have him as a volunteer Kosher Meals-onWheels driver every Friday, accompanied by his companion Ellie Weston. JFS celebrates Stanley Freedman as the JFS volunteer of the month. JFS: 331-1244 or jfsri.org.

COMMUNITY

THE JEWISH VOICE & HERALD

JUNE 7, 2013

www.jvhri.org

Development associate joins Alliance fundraising team

‘Jump into JORI’

Camp oﬀers a weekend-long ‘taste of camp’ KINGSTON – Have you considered sending your child to overnight camp, but you want to try it out fi rst? Then consider “Jump into JORI”! Bring your kids down to camp on Friday, Aug. 2, at 9:30 a.m. There, they’ll meet their counselors and jump right into the camp environment. Parents will have an opportunity to meet with JORI Director Ronni Guttin for a tour and information session at 9:45 a.m. and return to JORI to pick up their child or children at noon, Sunday, Aug. 4.

During the weekend, campers will share a JORI Shabbat experience and participate in special programming on Saturday, which will conclude with a havdalah (end of Shabbat service) evening campfi re. They will have other Sunday morning activities – as part of the daily schedule – before their noon departure. The program fees for the weekend are $175 per camper. INFORMATION/RESERVATIONS: Ronni Guttin (ronni@ campjori.com).

PROVIDENCE – Hillary Schulman is the newest member of the fi nancial resource development team for the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island. She holds a B.A. in language and linguistics from Brandeis University. As a development associate, she will work on a wide array of Annual Campaign fundraising initiatives, including supporting the Women’s Alliance, the Annual Campaign’s opening event, the community-wide Super Sunday event, phonathons, direct mail efforts, donor relations and more. Schulman, who began work on May 28, has a strong passion for working in the Jewish com-

campus-wide events and programs for Brandeis’ Hillel will help the Alliance further its mission. As a staff member at Camp Ramahs in Georgia and Wisconsin, she created and organized programs for campers, led classes on different aspects of Judaism and taught leadership skills to campers. As a former field manager for Massachusetts FairShare in Newton, Mass., she raised money for a grassroots campaign to create jobs in Massachusetts.

nanCy kirSCH

Hillary Schulman

H I L L A RY SCH U L M A N: hschulman@shalomri.org or 421-4111.

munal world. Her experience in planning and organizing

We want readers’ stories of summer fun PROVIDENCE – Summer’s coming and so is summer fun. We want to hear from you: How do you enjoy Rhode Island’s best season – an impromptu picnic after Shabbat morning services or something grander, like sailing to Block Island for a week’s vacation? Share your favorite summer fun activities, with or without kids. If you have photos, send them in, too! Please provide a caption that includes who, what, when, where and why, as well as the name of the photographer.

We’ll share readers’ ideas in our June 21 summer fun issue. CON TAC T: nkirsch@ sha lomr i.org, SU B J ECT:

SUMMER or call 421-4111, ext. 168. Materials must be received by June 12.

COMMUNITY www.jvhri.org

THE JEWISH VOICE & HERALD

JUNE 7, 2013

J Street vice president to speak in Providence A pre-event interview with Alan Elsner

By Nancy Kirsch

nkirsch@shalomri.org PROVIDENCE – Alan Elsner, vice president of communications for J Street, will speak on “From Journalist to Activist: How One Reporter Chose to Advocate for Peace in the Middle East,” which reflects his journey from a 30-year career in journalism to advocating for peace in the Middle East as a J Street official. Elsner, an Israeli citizen and veteran of the Israel Defense Force, served as White House correspondent for Reuters and spent several years covering the Middle East. His talk is scheduled for June 18 at 7 p.m., at the Alliance Social Hall. On its website (jstreet.org), J Street, a national nonprofit organization with local chapters, bills itself as “the political home for pro-Israel, pro-peace Americans.” Formerly executive director of the Israel Project, Elsner joined J Street in December 2012. He is the author of two novels and two nonfiction books. His book, “Gates of Injustice: The Crisis in America’s Prison” (PH Professional Business, January 2006), was cited by the late Senator Edward M. Kennedy as “a wake-up call for federal, state and local governments across America.” His fi rst novel, “The Nazi

Hunter: A Novel of Suspense” (Arcade Publishing, August 2011), was described by Publishers’ Weekly as “a gripping debut thriller and a compelling tale.” Winner of the Knight International Journalism fellowship, Elsner spent a year in Romania in 2007 teaching journalism to students and professionals and strengthening the values of a free media. Born in Great Britain, Elsner made aliyah after he fi nished college. He spent eight years in Israel and served in the Israel Defense Forces. A resident of the United States since September 1989, with the exception of the one year he spent in Romania, he’s lived more years in the U.S. than anywhere else. Excerpts from Elsner’s phone interview with The Jewish Voice & Herald follow: Q: You’ve lived in three countries. Do you have a British, Israeli or U.S. sensibility?

A: I’m a bit of an outsider everywhere; I don’t feel entirely comfortable anywhere. When you leave your country of birth [and go somewhere else], you don’t share the same childhood … [or] watch the same TV shows. When you come to a third country, by that time you are a weird conglomerate, but I’m comfortable. [Being an outsider] has helped me in my career – you

“israeL [musT] sTop announcing and building new settlements.” have a way of not accepting everything on face value and of asking why [something] is the way it is. I feel very comfortable in the U.S., but some things are still hard to understand. Q: Such as? A: On the trivial [side]: baseball. I don’t get it. I never played and I’ve never worn a baseball mitt; I understand there’s a history and tradition, but I’m not part of it. A more serious example [is the U.S.] Supreme Court. I don’t get how you nominate and confi rm these people for life and allow them to make crucial political decisions dressed in a veneer of legalism. Q: If you were to be a bug in the ear of President Barack Obama and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, what would you say to them? A: They’re doing all the right things now. I was quite critical of Obama during his fi rst term; the second term has been very different. His visit to Israel and the West Bank accomplished what [was] needed and set the groundwork for Kerry, who is being persistent and dogged and, hopefully, persuasive. Q: And the same question, with respect to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin

Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas? A: I’d hope they would get on board and re-engage in negotiations. It’s in the best interests of all parties [and they] should stop making provocative statements and taking provoca-

[need to establish] political processes so that their differences are engaged politically, similar to what happened with Israel in 1948 with the different military systems (Irgun, the Stern Gang, the Haganah, etc.). [Eventually] those groups had to dissolve and [form into] the IDF and their differences had to be [addressed] politically. If you were to reach an agreement with the Palestinian Authority, they would have an incredibly high motivation to ensure law and order in the territory they control. This is far from Elsner’s fi rst trip to Providence as his son, Alan Elsner

alan elSner

tive actions. For Israel, [that means] stop announcing and building new settlements and for Palestinians [that means] stop threatening to go to international agencies. Q: If a Palestinian state were created, given the presence of both Hamas and Hezbollah, who would govern? A: I think that … you have a negotiating partner in the Palestinian Authority and Abbas, who have recognized Israel and have adhered to a policy of nonviolence … that’s to their credit. The Palestinians

now a professor of computer science, earned his Ph.D. from Brown University. Of the city he’s visited frequently, Elsner added, “I really like [Providence] and have explored it pretty thoroughly.” The program, sponsored by the Community Relations Council of the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island and J Street Rhode Island, is free and open to the community. The Alliance is at 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence. REGISTER ONLINE: alanelsnerri.eventbrite.com to reserve your space.

Is sequestration aﬀecting our Jewish community?

PROVIDENCE – Do you rely on Meals on Wheels to supplement your meals or use government transportation subsidies? Are you on a fi xed income and relying on government-funded programs whose budgets have been or may be cut due to sequestration? Or do you work for an agency that has seen or will see reduced funding from federal, state or local governments? The Jewish Voice & Herald

seeks stories of how the Jewish community – the people as well as the communal agencies that provide support to people in need – is affected by reductions in federal spending. Please contact The Voice & Herald so we can share these stories with the larger Jewish communal world. CONTACT Nancy Kirsch, nkirsch@shalomri.org, SUBJECT: BUDGET CUTS or 4214111, ext. 168.

10 THE JEWISH VOICE & HERALD

CALENDAR | COMMUNITY

CALEnDAR

ongoing Alliance Kosher Senior Café. Kosher lunch and program provided every Wednesday and Friday. The Jewish Alliance of R.I., 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence; noon – lunch; 12:45 p.m. – program. $3 lunch donation from individuals who are 60+ or under-60 with disabilities is requested. Neal or Elaine, 861-8800, ext. 107. yOuR CAMPAign DOLLARS MAKE A DiFFEREnCE

Am David Kosher Senior Café. Kosher lunch and program provided every weekday. Temple Am David, 40 Gardiner St., Warwick; 11:15 a.m. – program; noon – lunch. $3 lunch donation from individuals 60+ or under- 60 with disabilities is requested. Elaine or Steve, 732-0047.

friday | June 7 Emanu-El’s 88th Annual Meeting. Temple Emanu-El, 99 Taft Ave., Providence. 5 p.m. - business meeting and installation; 5:45 p.m. - Minha/Ma’ariv service; 6:45 p.m. – dinner. $18 (10 and up); $10 (ages 4-10); $60 (family maximum). 331-1616. Shabbat Service & Installation Dinner. Temple Am David, 40 Gardiner St., Warwick. 6:15 p.m. 463-7944. Torat Yisrael Dedication Weekend. “Welcoming Shabbat.” Temple Torat Yisrael, 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich. 7:30 p.m. 885-6660. Gay Pride Shabbat. Guest April Peters discusses “Finding a Spiritual Home,” her journey from evangelical Christianity to Judaism. Temple Habonim, 165 New Meadow Road, Barrington. 7:30 p.m. templehabonim.org or 245-6536. Sinai Installation & Volunteer Recognition Service. Singing by Shireinu. Temple Sinai, 30 Hagen Ave, Cranston. 7:30 p.m. 942-8350.

saturday | June 8 Dedication Weekend Continues. Familyfriendly service and Kiddush brunch follows. Temple Torat Yisrael, 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich. 9:15 a.m. 885-6660. Habonim Beneﬁt Concert. Prism of Praise Gospel Choir, multiracial, diverse Christian choir, and the Ruach Singers, a cappella group from Temple Habonim. Concert benefits the RI Interfaith Coalition. Temple Habonim, 165 New Meadow Road, Barrington.7 p.m. $10; under 12 free. templehabonim.org or 245-6536.

sunday | June 9 Dedication Weekend Concludes. Hanukkat ha-Bayit, dedication ceremony of Temple Torat Yisrael’s new synagogue building. Temple Torat Yisrael, 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich. 2 p.m. 885-6660.

monday | June 10 Alliance Second Annual Meeting. Tribute to Richard A. Licht and board installations. Alliance JCC Social Hall, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence. 7 p.m. 421-4111.

Tuesday | June 11 Touro Synagogue Celebration. Event celebrates launch of new book commemorating Touro’s 250th anniversary. Loeb Visitor Center, Spring St., Newport. 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. Ann

JUNE 7, 2013

www.jvhri.org

Arnold, tpm1@earthlink.net or 917-2703372. Beth Sholom Annual Meeting. Installation of oﬃcers. Congregation Beth Sholom, 275 Camp St., Providence. 7 p.m. 621-9393.

wednesday | June 12 Bird Tales at Tamarisk. Randy Griﬃn, dementia care expert, and Ken Elkins, Audubon Society education specialist, present their therapeutic program, open to people who like nature and birds or who wish to help others with dementia. Tamarisk, 3 Shalom Drive, Warwick. 10:30 a.m. – 3 p.m. $89. Amy, AmyL@TamariskRI.org or 732-0037. Israeli Culture Through Film. Reprise of “400 Miles to Freedom.” Alliance JCC, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence. 7 p.m. Erin Moseley, 421-4111 ext. 108 or emoseley@shalomri.org.

friday | June 14 Flag Donation. The Jewish War Veterans, Department of Rhode Island, will donate a U.S. flag to Tamarisk. Tamarisk, 3 Shalom Drive, Warwick. 1:30 p.m. 732-0037. Get S’More Shabbat. Temple Sinai, 30 Hagen Ave., Cranston. 6 p.m. 942-8350.

Supporting Zionism

Ken Schneider, a member of the greater Rhode Island Jewish community, wrote The Jewish Voice & Herald: “I went to Sharon, Mass., yesterday [May 19] to represent the Zionists of Rhode Island. Pat Robinson and others spoke in support of Jerusalem Day. This church was vandalized a couple of weeks after the signs went up. The Sharon, Mass., police have quite a presence there with motorcycles, blockades and automatic weapons … there were no problems, as the cowardly antiSemites only come out in the cover of darkness. There were a couple hundred people in attendance from Maine, New Hampshire, Cape Cod and all over Massachusetts.”

Ken Schneider

ken SCHneider

Family Friendly Dinne & Service. Congregation B’nai Israel. 224 Prospect St., Woonsocket. 6:15 – 7:15 p.m., 7623651.

Tuesday | June 18 Torat Yisrael’s Lunch & Learn. Topic: “A Rabbi, a Minister and an Imam Travel to Jerusalem… A Report on Rabbi Levin’s Visit to Israel.” Participants order from the menu. T’s Restaurant, 5600 Post Road, East Greenwich. Noon – 1:30 p.m. 885-6600. J Street Speaker. Alan Elsner of J Street is guest speaker. Topic: “From Journalist to Activist: How One Reporter Chose to Advocate for Peace in the Middle East.” Alliance, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence. 7 p.m. Marty Cooper, mcooper@shalomri. org or 421-4111, ext. 171. See story on page 9.

wednesday | June 19 HERC Annual Meeting. Guest speaker is Barbara Aharoni. Alliance JCC Social Hall, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence. 7 p.m. 453-7860 or mzeidman@hercri.org.

Thursday | June 20 Torat Yisrael’s Lunch & Learn. See June 18 Torat Yisrael Lunch & Learn entry. Cozy Grill Restaurant, 440 Warwick Ave., Warwick. Noon – 1:30 p.m. 885-6600. Adoption Options Meeting. Meeting for those considering adoption and want to learn about available options. Jewish Family Service, 959 N. Main Street, Providence. 6 – 7 p.m. Peg Boyle, 331-5437.

friday | June 21 Torat Yisrael’s Beach Shabbat. Celebrate Kabbalat Shabbat with an informal, interactive family service. Goddard Memorial State Park, 1095 Ives Road, Warwick. 6 p.m. 885-6600. Shabbat Under the Stars. Temple Beth-El holds family-friendly Shabbat services on the Julie Claire Gutterman Memorial Patio; children with June birthdays are recognized; desserts. Temple Beth-El, 70 Orchard Ave., Providence. 7 p.m., 331-6070.

Students line up to quench their thirst at recess on Friday, May 30 at the Jewish Community Day School’s drink stand.

JeSSiCa Pearlman

Beating springtime’s summer-like heat wave PROVIDENCE – A refreshing drink stand at the Jewish Community Day School of Rhode Island brought cooling relief to JCDS students on Friday, May 30, when temperatures soared into the 90s. Filled with initiative, fi rst-grade students helped “beat the heat” by selling iced tea, minty iced tea (with mint from the JCDS school garden), lemonade and minty lemonade to hot and sweaty students during recess. The fi rst grade’s tzedakah project used funds raised from drink sales to purchase toys, food, blankets and other pet-related items to give to the Rhode Island Society for the Protection of Animals. JCDS: jcdssri.org

CALENDAR SUBMISSIONS Calendar items for our June 21 Summer Fun Issue must be received by June 12. For our Aug. 2 Back to School Issue, information must be received by July 24. THERE IS NO JULY ISSUE! Send calendar items to nkirsch@shalomri.org, subject line: “CALENDAR.”

COMMUNITY www.jvhri.org

THE JEWISH VOICE & HERALD

Sandra Chang, left, Marcia Ducharme (obscured), Rosalie Fain and Sharon Wood Prince gather at Ledgemont Country Club.

JUNE 7, 2013

Terry Lieberman, right, presents an award to Joanne Summer.

FUNDs raised will pay for additional equipment at The Miriam

From Page 4 been said that the way we talk to our children becomes their inner voice. My mother’s voice was gentle and patient; I expect she did the same at The Miriam. She’s been helping and doing for others for as long as I have been alive.” Calling up memories of visiting the elderly at the old Jewish Home with his mother, Summer noted that she also served as a Court Appointed Special Ad-

vocate (CASA) for a boy and taught nursery school students at Beth-El for many years. “She taught us to value people,” he said. “We make a life by what we give.” Noting that he and his siblings Lori, Richard and Marcia are proud of her, Scott added, “I aspire to be more like her. I love the examples she set and I love my inner voice.” After thanking her husband, her fam-

ily and fellow Association volunteers, Summer said, “It’s never been a job or a chore; it’s been my way of giving back.” She received a congressional proclamation from U.S. Rep. David Cicilline (DRI) and an acknowledgement of the two inscribed bricks, which were gifts from her four children, 10 grandchildren and one great-grandchild. One brick reads, said Terry Lieberman, an Association board member, “You make the world a

The Jewish Voice & Herald will be on hiatus, brieﬂy

PROVIDENCE – Readers, take heed! The Jewish Voice & Herald is taking a July vacation after we publish our June 21 issue. Then, the next issue of the newspaper will be published Aug. 2. While we dearly appreciate that readers love the newspaper and miss it when they don’t have it in their mailboxes, please remember our vacation schedule before picking up the phone or sending an email to exclaim: “Where is my paper? I miss getting The Jewish Voice & Herald!” Our back to school Aug. 2 issue will be fi lled, as

always, with community news, as well as plenty of school-related information and resources … and one surprise! Nancy Kirsch, executive editor, will be available by email during part, but not all, of July. Leave email messages for her at nkirsch@shalomri.org, or phone messages at 421-4111, ext. 168 and she will respond as soon as she is able. In the meantime, can you guess from the picture, at right, where Kirsch will be during her much-anticipated summer acation?

School days need not leave you dazed PROVIDENCE – Do you have great tips and techniques to handle the back-to-school transition? If so, send us your ideas for readjusting to regular bedtimes, homework or after school activities, strategies for dealing with bullying, social dramas, etc. We are especially interested in hearing from kids of all ages – from kindergarten through college.

Please share your suggestions – whether new or tried-and-true – with us for our Aug. 2 back to school issue. Yes, we know that summer hasn’t even officially started, but good newspapers, like good students, must plan ahead! CONTACT Nancy Kirsch at 421-4111, ext. 168 or nkirsch@shalomri.org. SUBJECT LINE: ‘School.”

better place.” Before Litwin’s installation of the new officers and directors and Association President Robin Engle’s closing comments, Lieberman commended Summer. “Rabbi Gutterman always gets it right. [You are a] diamond of a person reflecting light to and on others.” THE WOMEN’S ASSOCIATION: Mary Ferreira (793-2520 or mferreira@ lifespan.org).

OPINION

12 THE JEWISH VOICE & HERALD

JUNE 7, 2013

www.jvhri.org

Meyer Wolfsheim: The ﬂy in the artistry

from The eXeCuTive ediTor

My father’s story

Intellectually astute, yet ultimately impaired

y father was a complicated man. A prideful member of Mensa (a nonprofit organization whose members score at the 98th percentile or higher on a standardized IQ test), his intellect was of little use in social interactions. Cary Grant-handsome and a charming teller of stories (although only about his own life), my father went through life truly believing that the world owed him a living because of those attributes. But charm, intelligence and good looks didn’t keep him employed; he held a number of sporadic jobs – as short-order cook, a salesman in a family friend’s jewelry store, a bill collection supervisor, etc. In many instances, he often left work for days at a time and disappeared … to the golf course, the card room or the track. My father would bet on virtually anything, including his golf and EXECuTivE poker games as well as the horse races that he loved ever since he EDiTOR was a young boy growing up in his hometown, Louisville, Ky. NANCY KIrSCH Family lore holds that my father, then a preteen with not one but two broken legs, somehow rode his bicycle to Churchill Downs, a racetrack in Louisville, to watch a race! As charming as he could be – when he talked about himself – he was also a master at delivering sarcastic, barbed and hateful zingers. More than once, he’d use derogatory and hurtful comments to describe my cousins (on my mother’s side) who lived next door to us. Impatient with anyone who wasn’t as smart as he was, which included just about everyone in his vicinity, my father simply didn’t know how to give or receive love. The only son in a family of three children, my father was 19 when his own father, a physician, died. He became the sole support for his widowed mother and his sisters, both of whom eventually married men who did quite well for themselves and their families. A World War II Army Air Force veteran who served in Europe and was awarded a Purple Heart, my father loved telling war stories. His time in Europe, I think, was the only time he was ever really alive – the adrenaline and excitement of that time was never again replicated. Even as a child – for my father stopped telling me stories when I was old enough to poke and prod at them – I thought it sad that I witnessed that enthusiastic gleam in his eye only about experiences that were behind him, rather than those yet to be. After my parents divorced, his visits grew sporadic and awkward. I was grateful that his absence brought about a calmer and less critical household. His taunting jeers, “You can’t do that … you didn’t do that right,” grew as infrequent as his calls and visits, simply because he wasn’t there to witness what he perceived to be my failings. Needless to say, searching for appropriately neutral Father’s Day cards was always an exercise in frustration for me. It was sad, but not surprising, that when he died, he died alone and lonely.

‘The Great Gatsby’ is brilliant, yet deeply ﬂawed

any consider F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby,” fi rst published in 1925 by Charles Scribner’s Sons, to be “the great American novel.” Over the years, fi lmmakers have tried and tried again, with limited suciT SEEMS cess, to capTO ME ture the elusive essence of this classic rABBI JIM evocation of rOSENBErG the jazz age. Rhode Islanders of a certain age will remember that in the summer of 1973 close to 1,000 men and women signed up to be Gatsby “extras” for the over-the-top party scenes shot at Rosecliff in Newport as well as at Linden Place in Bristol. That adaptation of Fitzgerald’s novel, which came out in 1974, starred Robert Redford as the enigmatic Jay Gatsby and Mia Farrow as Daisy Buchanan, his unobtainable love-object. Within the past couple of weeks, movie audiences have had the opportunity to see yet another attempt to translate the novel onto the big screen. This time around, Leonardo DiCaprio plays Gatsby, while Carey Mulligan plays Daisy. Once again, critics have been underwhelmed by the translation. One of the reasons it has been so difficult to make “The Great Gatsby” into a movie is that the novel itself is almost perfectly realized as a work of literature; it seems to me that the more a work of art is wedded to its original form of expression, the harder it is to bring that work across the border, as it were, into a different art form. Very few great novels have been turned into great movies. Fitzgerald has created a masterpiece of lyrical writing. His very fi rst sentence, spoken by the 30-year-old narrator, Nick Carraway, is elegant in its simplicity: “In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I’ve been turning over in my mind ever since.” The story gracefully winds its way through twists and turns of plot to the poetry of its fi nal words: “So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.”

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.

To supply detail to his scathing criticism of the blind and empty lives of America’s super rich in the year 1922, Fitzgerald invents two exclusive communities on Long Island’s north shore: West Egg, home of the nouveau riche, where Gatsby stages his lavish summer galas; and East Egg, home of the “old money,” where Tom and Daisy live their life of luxury. Both the East Eggers and the West Eggers work and play in Manhattan, which Fitzgerald portrays as the embodiment of capitalism run amok. Fitzgerald is especially harsh in his criticism of Tom and Daisy Buchanan, whose unreflective sense of privilege echoes through the decades to infect many of the “onepercenters” of 2013: “They were careless people … they smashed up things and people and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness, or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made ...” Yet another expression of Fitzgerald’s immense talent is his ability to capture the essence of his characters with just a few well-chosen words. Of Gatsby, his “extraordinary gift for hope, a romantic readiness such as I have never found in any other person.” Of Daisy, as described by Gatsby, “Her voice is full of money.” Of Tom, the bigot and the bully, “Making a short deft movement, Tom Buchanan broke [his mistress’s] nose with his open hand.” All the pieces of “The Great Gatsby” seem to fit together into a work of consummate artistry; and yet, at least for me, the novel is deeply flawed by Fitzgerald’s profoundly anti-Semitic cartoon caricature of the gambler/gangster Meyer Wolfsheim, the man with sufficient criminal “smarts” to avoid prosecution for “fi xing” the 1919 World Series. Fitzgerald’s fi rst words regarding Wolfsheim:

“A small flat-nosed Jew raised his large head and regarded me with two fi ne growths of hair which luxuriated in either nostril.” Within the next three or four pages, we have four more direct references to Wolfsheim’s nose: “…[he] covered Gatsby with his expressive nose.” “Mr. Wolfsheim’s nose flashed at me indignantly.” “His nostrils turned to me in an interested way.” “… his tragic nose was trembling.” Within these same few pages, Fitzgerald pokes fun of Wo l f s h e i m ’s nose by emphasizing its being permanently stuffed so that “business connection” becomes “business gonnegtion” and “Oxford man” becomes “Oggsford man.” Worst of all, towards the end of the book, Fitzgerald adds a gratuitous note that I fi nd obscene: The sign on Wolfsheim’s Manhattan office reads, “The Swastika Holding Company”! I feel somewhat ashamed to confess that, despite the stain of Fitzgerald’s anti-Semitism, I fi nd his novel as a whole to be both brilliantly conceived and beautifully executed; I have enjoyed reading and rereading it. I suppose that part of me agrees with the concluding lines of John Keats’ “Ode on a Grecian Urn”: “Beauty is truth, truth beauty – that is all/Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.” Another part of me affirms that beauty is by no means always truth, that beauty cannot be equated with truth when the artist, succumbing to his inner demons, distorts the truth about who we men and women are in all of our human diversity. RABBI JAMES B. ROSENBERG (rabbiemeritus@templehabonim.org) is rabbi emeritus at Temple Habonim, the Reform synagogue in Barrington.

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

june 7, 2013

www.jvhri.org

Policy changes will impact ultra-Orthodox Israel’s government is reshuffling the child subsidy deck

o, this column is not for the third one, and continued about how much Israe- to increase the sum as the numlis give their kids for ber of children in any family the weekly stipend. It’s about a goes up? The answer: It could seemingly “abstruse” issue, but very well constitute a powwith huge erful incentive for certain implications people to have more children. for the fuWhich “certain people”? ture of IsThese sums are proportionalraeli society ly significant only for people and econowho have no other income. In my. Israel, that means the ultraAs do sevOrthodox (as a not-so-gross eral other obviously countries in REFLECTIONS generalization; there are other unemployed the world, OF | IN ISRAEL people too, but none from a Israel grants discrete sector of society). a monthly stipend to SAM LEHMAN-WILZIG And indeed, Israel was witness to a unique phenomenon parents for on the world stage these past each child 30 years: the only population until he or she reaches age 18. This is to group on the globe to increase indirectly encourage larger its fertility rate was the ultrafamilies by helping to economi- Orthodox sector in Israel. Evcally support the family per erywhere else, fertility rates child (and it surely is a factor in have dropped or stayed steady. What happened 30 years ago? Israel’s very low malnutrition rates). While the child allow- The newly elected Begin govance is not the main reason that ernment, in order to ensure the Israel is one of the few Western coalition loyalty of its ultra-Orcountries with a “positive” thodox partners, changed the birth rate (above generational payment scale from an identi“replacement” of 2.1 kids per cal stipend for every child to family), subsidizing children the upward-sliding scale mentioned above. As the haredim certainly doesn’t hurt. Or so the logic goes. But as (ultra-Orthodox), in any case, they say, the devil is in the de- were practically the only group tails. Try this thought experi- that already had more than ment: What would happen if the six children per family, the stistate gave $50 a month for the pends at the top of the new slidfirst child, $75 extra for the sec- ing scale were truly significant ond kid, an additional $100 just only for ultra-Orthodox. (Even

Israeli-Arab average birthrates have plummeted: from 9 children per mother in 1948 to a mere 3.5 children today!) No one is against haredi birth rates per se – but the vast ma-

“The only population group … to increase its fertility rate was the ultraOrthodox sector in Israel.” jority of Israelis are against heavily subsidizing the one sector of society that doesn’t send its men to the work force, especially if such subsidies come at the expense of state aid to those who do work. This is precisely why the child allowance policy of Israel’s new government is not only widely popular but hugely significant for the country’s future demography: The child allowance sliding scale is not only going to be abolished, but the absolute sums for the first child (and all others) will be cut too! With an already huge economic vise squeezing Israel’s

Pluralism in Hillel must extend to Israel

Too many of our friends feel disenfranchised By Lex Rofes and Simone Zimmerman (JTA) – Throughout our four years in college, Hillel has been our home on campus. We have been involved extensively, with one of us serving as president on campus and on the Hillel international board. While we both found in Hillel a supportive community, when it came to our relationship to Israel, Hillel was not always so welcoming. One of us often avoided expressing political views in Hillel board meetings for fear of losing credibility. The other openly expressed her political views, which was met at times with harsh criticism. We both remained committed to working in Hillel through moments of challenge, but we know many others who, meeting such obstacles, simply stepped away. In past decades, Hillel faced

a similar challenge concerning religious observance. Hillel now strives to ensure that religious practice and background is no barrier to entry, actively working to involve LGBT voices, students from interfaith families, Jewish atheists and others. Yet on Israel, the same pluralism is lacking. Students who express ambivalence toward Zionism or support boycotts of Israeli products often feel they are not welcome in their campus Jewish community. Hillel International’s Israel guidelines contribute to the problem. We know they were carefully crafted by many Hillel leaders, and we can appreciate the necessity and challenge of setting boundaries. While the guidelines appear reasonable on paper, in practice they often restrict meaningful discussion and send a strong signal to some Jewish students

haredi community, given decades of poverty, this will undoubtedly constitute a death blow to their “no-work – onlyTorah” policy. And once in the work force (after army service and some advanced, secular education), the ultra-Orthodox birth rate will ineluctably decline, as it has everywhere else under the modernization process. Has Israel turned away from its childfriendly policy? Not at all. Several other policy innovations constitute “other sides of the coin”: free child care for all children, ages 3 to 6; increased subsidies for housing among those gainfully employed (especially if both parents work) and so on.

that they do not belong. One issue is how the guidelines are interpreted. For example, while they state that Hillel will not host programs that deny Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish and democratic state with secure borders, some Hillels have hosted speakers that reject the possibility of compromise with the Palestinians, rendering that future unfeasible. Meanwhile, proposed events with former Israeli combatants critical of their service are often met with requests to keep the event “private,” requirements that a less critical voice “balance” the presentation or outright refusals to host the discussion. Such requests are rarely made of more right-leaning speakers. Further, the guidelines prohibit co-sponsorship with groups that delegitimize, de-

HILLEL | 14

If anything, Israel is pouring more money into its children (e.g., it has just completed a major reform of the K-12 educational system, with significantly increased teacher pay but higher educational standards for teachers). In sum, the new government is reshuffling the child subsidy deck: a lot more for those who are trying to productively help themselves and far less for those who heretofore have been “free-riders.” PROF. SAM LEHMAN-WILZIG (profslw.com) is deputy director of the School of Communications at Bar-Ilan University in Israel. This spring, he is Visiting Professor at the Israel Studies Center, University of Maryland, College Park, Md.

LETTERS

Day of Decadence was a splendid surprise This is to let you know how truly wonderful the “Day of Decadence” experience has been. The judges (Karen Borger, Arthur Norman and Tricia Stearly) had a difficult task, given the attributes of the nominees, and I am so grateful to them. The fitness experience with Derek Allamby was more fun than I had anticipated, and proved that I am not as out-ofshape as I thought! The “Spa-licious” spa treatment at Alayne White Spa proved to me that I could be relaxed. And the hair

styling at Studio 101 gave me a new hair style that has produced many compliments. To top it off, I had a wonderful dinner at the KitchenBAR, surrounded by my staff. But I have to admit that the best part of it all was the fact that it was my staff that had nominated me. What a splendid surprise. So thanks to one and all (and to Nancy Kirsch, for being so attentive) for this once-in-a-lifetime experience. Bonnie Sekeres Barrington

Hungarians haven’t learned from history I read with great interest Nancy Kirsch’s story about Budapest (See “Anti-Semitic acts in Budapest stun Habonim congregants” in the April 26 issue). I lived through the Holocaust in Budapest in 1944 and still retain close contacts with relatives and old friends there; I can corroborate everything she wrote in her article. According to my friends, such incidences happen quite frequently; they were not at all surprised when I related the story to them. In his May 10 letter to the editor, David Logan wrote, “There is indeed a wide gulf between catcalls from drunks on the street … and systematic government oppression.” He is absolutely correct; the question is, though, where will these catcalls lead? Hungary’s Prime Minister, Viktor Orbán, is neither an anti-Semite nor a true democrat. He is a power-hungry dema-

gogue whose principal objective is to concentrate and retain power in his own hands. There is no threat to him from the political center or the left, which are now very weak. The danger comes from the far right, openly anti-Semitic party, the Jobbik. Orbán will do everything to prevent his own dissatisfied voters to run over to Jobbik, even if he has to sacrifice Jews, Gypsies, democratic principles, etc., to placate those, who, unfortunately, are more extreme right than he is. This points to the core of the problem: A large segment of the Hungarian electorate, which hasn’t learned anything from recent history and falls for cheap nationalistic slogans suggesting that beating up on minorities will solve all the country’s problems. Sound familiar? Gabriel Lengyel Hopkinton

OPINION

14 The Jewish Voice & Herald

june 7, 2013

www.jvhri.org

Productive citizen of (which) society? Whether my work is formal or not, it’s never done

have always been an in- vacation from work-work. And dustrious person, having I did enjoy that period of my obtained my first job at age life, while consciously distract12 and working pretty much ing myself from the little nagcontinuously from then on. I ging feeling that something was babysat and did odd jobs from the moment I could find someone who would pay me, and then moved on to being a barista, nanny, residential counselor, research assistant and administrative assistant; I held many of those Alison Stern perez jobs concurrently. Even at an early age, work was my main conmissing. When I concluded that duit to independence, self-reli- first year of ulpan and threw ance and self-confidence, and I myself right into my next advenloved knowing that if I wanted ture, an M.A. and then a Ph.D. to buy something that my moth- program in social psychology er wasn’t able (or didn’t want) to at Ben-Gurion University of the afford, I would be able to “take Negev, I again excused myself care of (my) business” myself. for not working, on the grounds Somewhere along the line, my that studying for an advanced work ethic simply became an degree – in Hebrew, no less – indelible and ingrained part of would be “work enough,” and me. So, when I decided to make then some. aliyah, I just declared a finanAnd then, alongside my nevcial prerequisite and deadline er-ending dissertation came for myself, and prepared to step the work of being a wife. Then on the plane as soon as I reached being a mother was added to the my goal. I took every job I could mix, as one kid and then anothfind that last year in America er came along, creating more – full-time nanny from the wee exhaustion than I have ever exhours of every morning, baby- perienced. So there I was, just sitting in the evenings, teach- a few months ago, approaching ing Sunday school and advising the end of nearly a decade of a USY group on weekends. And non-employment. within the year, I had amassed And that little nagging feelenough savings to fully finance ing had grown, bit by bit, and my first two years in Israel, in- was now making its presence cluding the expense of aliyah known on a daily basis, a roar itself. Part of my plan for this of discontent, frustration, and first year was to focus fully on doubt in my own self-worth. my absorption into the culture Because I am now 36 years old, and this primarily entailed full- and have yet to contribute to time Hebrew ulpan classes. my adopted homeland and soSo I threw myself into my new ciety in any real, “productive goal, trying to convince myself citizen” kind of way. Oh yes, I’m that my Hebrew education was bringing up the new generation really just “like a real job” and and all that noble stuff, but I that I would enjoy the pseudo- just couldn’t help but feel that

Alison on aliyah REDUX

I was simply not holding up my end of the bargain as a useful member of society. It was, thus, a source of absolute delight to be offered a job at the local teachers’ college here in Be’er Sheva two months ago. I immediately accepted, although I have no certification and little teaching experience. “No problem,” they said, and it was only then that I realized why they were jumping at the chance to hire me. I would be

“I felt that I was not holding up my end of the bargain as a useful member of society.” teaching “English for Academic Purposes,” they informed me, and it was essential that the teacher be fluent in English and have an understandable (read: American) accent. So really, as soon as I opened my mouth, I had the job. I suppose this shouldn’t have bothered me, but it did. After all, I will soon have a Ph.D. in social psychology, and I am qualified to teach and mentor in my field at a university level, among many other things. So why, after nearly 10 years of living here, would the only job offer I receive be to teach English? The more that nagging feeling crept back in, the more I re-

alized that, on some level, this had been my biggest fear: that I would make aliyah, work my butt off at learning the language and integrating myself into society (as much as possible), only to find that I would never really succeed. That I would always remain an American whose only real asset is her English. That after all that (emotionally) back-breaking work, my only possibility of achieving that long-sought-after status of “productive member of society” would lay in something that actually had taken no effort or choice on my part … that my value as an Israeli would be only as an American-Israeli. Don’t get me wrong; at this point, I am interminably grateful to be working at all, given my limited skill set (no one is looking for a qualitative psychologist these days) and the state of the economy worldwide.

And at least I am providing for my family, something that I have sorely missed doing. But I worry that I will get stuck in this job, stuck in the English bubble, stuck doing something I don’t love because it has turned out to be the only thing I can do here. The (ambivalently) good news is that the job involves teaching mostly Bedouins, which means I am actually acting more like an anthropologist than a teacher. I have found an entirely new subset of the Israeli population that I inevitably misunderstand, misjudge and misinterpret at every turn. At least I’m still learning, every day. And clearly my work is not at all done here. ALISON STERN PEREZ (alisonsternperez@gmail.com or alisonsterngolub.com), a native of Seattle, is a 2000 Brown University graduate.

Read online:

Visit jvhri.org to read freelance writer Herb Weiss’ op-ed, “Expanding our state’s TDI program is the right thing to do.” A longer version of it appeared in the May 17 issue of The Pawtucket Times, which granted approval to The Voice & Herald to publish this essay.

Rhode Island’s New Voices: Our “Rhode Island’s New Voices” represent op-ed style essays from people who live or have lived in the greater Rhode Island Jewish community. Individuals are invited to submit a 500-800 word essay on an issue of interest – no holds barred, except that it can’t be a promotional piece for someone’s own venture or otherwise self-serving.

Although we can’t guarantee that we can publish everything sent to us, we welcome receiving original submissions from readers. SEND ESSAY TO: Nancy Kirsch, nkirsch@shalomri. org: SUBJECT: NEW VOICES, or call 421-4111, ext. 168.

HILLEL alienated many Jewish students with a one-sided perspective of Israel From Page 13 monize or apply a double standard to Israel – terms that are highly subjective. For instance, does B’Tselem’s documentation of human rights abuses in the territories constitute a “double standard” against Israel? Do the soldiers of Breaking the Silence, in describing their service in the West Bank, “demonize” Israel? Such terms are used frequently to slander both organizations. The wide room for interpretation is evidenced by the fact that while some Hillel directors welcome those groups, others cite the guidelines in denying those same voices a platform. Lastly, while we both have campaigned actively against divestment efforts on our campus-

es, the guidelines’ restrictions on events with any groups supportive of the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement, or BDS, prohibit much-needed discussions. Though Hillel professes support for dialogue, the guidelines effectively eliminate any possibility of co-sponsorship with Palestinian student organizations, as most support BDS. Our community cannot champion intellectual rigor and inclusivity while avoiding public conversations with those with whom we disagree. Moreover, the guidelines strongly imply that Jewish students who support BDS are not full members of our community. When we have raised this concern with Hillel leadership, we often hear that while some student groups are not

welcome, all students as individuals have a home in Hillel. We would reject this logic when applied to an issue like LGBT rights, and it is flawed here as well. Students who are told their organizations are not welcome understandably feel unwelcome. Too many of our friends left Hillel because they felt alienated and stifled in raising questions or voicing their views on Israel. Too many have opted to disengage entirely rather than conforming to a community that tells them they do not fully belong. As many Jewish organizations frantically try to attract more young Jews into their buildings, it is counterproductive, counterintuitive and, frankly, un-Jewish to deny full

participation to any Jews simply because of their political beliefs. Earlier this year, the Progressive Student Alliance at Harvard University launched an effort, Open Hillel, to challenge Hillel’s guidelines. Its petition was signed by more than 800 Jewish students from diverse backgrounds and perspectives who believe that all Jewish students deserve a home in Hillel. At the recent Hillel International board meeting, the signatures were presented to Hillel leadership. While we did not initiate this effort, we believe the Israel guidelines must be reevaluated based on feedback from students across the political spectrum. If Hillel fails to make political pluralism a priority, we

fear the ominous vision some have about the Jewish community’s future will become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Those alienated will choose to build their families and communities outside of what they see as outmoded institutions or, worse, simply check out of Judaism entirely. This is not a price anyone who cares about Hillel and Jewish life on campus should be willing to pay. LEX ROFES is a 2013 Brown University graduate and past student representative on the board of Hillel: the Foundation for Jewish Campus Life. SIMONE ZIMMERMAN is a 2013 University of California, Berkeley graduate and past president of the J Street U National Student Board.

The Jewish Voice & Herald

COMMUNITY www.jvhri.org

michelle Resnick

Eliana Schechter, left, Sarah Livia Resnick and Sarah Marasco hold signs at the Durban III protest in New York City in September 2011 before the U.N. vote on the Palestinian Authority’s bid for statehood.

A link in the chain of Jewish history Sarah Marasco hopes to study at Tel Aviv University

By Sarah Marasco

NARRAGANSETT – Judaism is a new passion of mine, one that has existed since I first attended Alexander Muss High School in Israel two years ago. Raised in an interfaith family – my father is a strong Catholic and my mother is a non-observant Jew – I experienced a powerful emphasis on God, but without pressure to follow any organized religion. Attending Catholic schools and learning about my father’s faith left me feeling that something was missing from my soul. My mother, who had traveled to Israel when she was a high school student, seized the opportunity to educate me about her Jewish culture and faith and enrolled me in a twomonth program in Israel focusing on an exploration of different religions. Once in Israel at Alexander Muss, I found myself. I felt a higher calling – to be a better person and be part of the people of Israel. I learned that every strongly held conviction that I had arrived at independently was codified in Judaism. These revelations in Israel gave my life a spiritual and professional direction. After returning stateside, I applied to the English-speaking school in Israel, the IDC Herzliya, and caused a ruckus at Prout, the Catholic high school I attended. I spoke up repeatedly about Israel and Judaism in some classes, wrote about Israel in the school newspaper and attended pro-Israel demonstrations in New York City during school hours. In addition, I served as Prout’s only Jewish peer minister, a position something like a peer counselor. Shortly before I was due to

leave last summer for the IDC Herzliya to continue my spiritual exploration, I learned that I would not receive the financial aid I needed. Heartbroken yet determined, I enrolled at the University of Rhode Island. At URI, I quickly began strategizing my next move – how else could I return to Israel? I enrolled in Hebrew classes and reconnected to the Jewish community on campus by becoming active with URI Hillel, attending Shabbat services, volunteering at nursing homes and making hamantashen for nursing home residents.

“URI Hillel … helped me regain a … connection to my Jewish identity.” The wonderful, warm and welcoming individuals at URI Hillel embody the Jewish ideals of community that first caused my attraction to Judaism; they have helped me regain a sense of connection to my Jewish identity. I long to return to Israel to discover what else I have to learn about myself and my people as well as what kind of career and life I might have as a member of the Jewish people. My heart tells me that my first journey was only an introduction to Judaism. That introduction, that spark, may lead to a flame of inspiration. I have been accepted to Tel

Aviv University where I hope to complete my undergraduate studies. For the first time, Tel Aviv University offers a program allowing international students to earn their undergraduate degrees in three years, not four. I could return to Israel, even without complete Hebrew fluency, and be surrounded by a culture and a people I love. When God tells Abraham, “Go forth from your native land and from your father’s house to the land that I will show you,” Abraham acts with complete, unwavering trust in God by traveling to an unknown land. His action led to the continuing existence of the Jewish people. I certainly do not envision myself as an Abraham, a father of nations with more descendants than the stars. Nevertheless, I cannot deny the calling I feel to return to Israel. I can only fulfill this calling if I raise enough money to attend Tel Aviv University beginning in October; with no merit or financial aid scholarships available to me, I am completely dependent on the generosity of others. I pray that my dream may be achieved this year; however, I am certain that God will always light my way. In the words of the late Yonatan Netanyahu, I will continue my journey to discover where I fit on “the inseparable part, a link in the chain in the existence, and independence” of the Jewish people. DONATIONS: Contributions (30 percent of donations are taxdeductible) go directly to Tel Aviv University. To help Marasco, visit http://action.jewishagency.org/page/outreach/ view/journey/Saheeny14 or saheeny14@gmail.com.

june 7, 2013

FOOD

16 The Jewish Voice & Herald

By Anna Harwood

JERUSALEM – Although summer hasn’t officially arrived, it sure feels like it’s upon us. The patio furniture is dusted off, winter clothes stored away and flip-flops, sunglasses and sundresses are taken out of hiding. The long, warm evenings are the perfect opportunity to host a sizzling barbeque or drinks on the deck. When deciding what to sip in the garden, wine-based cocktails can make a refreshing and invigorating change to spirits and beer. Sangria, originating from Spain, is one way to bring a little Mediterranean sunshine into your American backyard this summer.

Sangria

Ingredients and method

Take an abundance of fruits (cherries, peaches, apples, oranges, etc.) and finely chop them.

june 7, 2013

www.jvhri.org

Cocktails, with a touch of class In a big jug or bowl, throw in the chopped fruits together with a stick of cinnamon (you can substitute with other spices if desired). Add a bottle of white or red wine (dry or semi-dry), a cup of orange juice, some liquid sugar (according to your taste) and a dash of brandy (you can also swap this for orange liquor or cognac). The wine itself does not need to be very expensive; instead, use a young, refreshing wine such as the Mount Hermon Red. Sangria can also be made with a sparkling wine such as Gilgal Brut or, for those who like it a little sweeter, try Golan Moscato for an added twist to the cocktail. If you want to surprise your guests with a more unusual drink, Debbi Sion, head of training and education at the Golan Heights Winery in Israel, recommends two more fun and easy to prepare cocktails.

Merlot -Tea Punch

Ingredients and method

In a deep glass, mix together 2 ounces Golan Merlot, less than an ounce of dark rum, 1½ ounces of iced tea or peach-flavored iced tea, less than an ounce of

orange juice and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice. Add lots of ice and serve.

Summer Blanc

Ingredients and method

Fill a deep glass with small

melon balls. Pour ¼ cup of Yarden Sauvignon Blanc mixed with 2 teaspoons of lemon juice over the melon. ANNA HARWOOD writes for IMP, which represents Golan Heights Winery.

Road to God runs through kosher wine

By Chavie Lieber

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (JTA) – Producing wine atop a tranquil mountain in a remote area of northern California is quite a way to make a living. For Benyamin Cantz, whose one-man operation in the hills of Santa Cruz produces kosher wine from organic grapes, it’s also a calling. “This is my livelihood but I don’t quite run it like a fullfledged business,” Cantz told

JTA in an interview on his vineyard, Four Gates Winery. “It could definitely be run more efficiently, but I don’t see the process like that. I just love making wine and the holy concept behind it, and I just want to share it with others.” Four Gates is one of the smallest kosher wineries in the country, producing only 400 cases a year. It’s also one of the only ones in the world that grows its own grapes organically.

The vineyard is located deep in the folds of the Santa Cruz Mountains. Just getting up Cantz’s driveway is like an amusement park ride, with a newly paved road meandering up and around a labyrinth of thick foliage. The journey ends at a quaint sign greeting visitors in Hebrew. Beyond, sprawling green pastures give to way to breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean. Cantz, 65, arrived at this mountaintop 42 years ago for a summer job and never left. He had studied calligraphy in college and never intended to become a winemaker. But after becoming religiously observant with the help of a Chabad rabbi, Cantz says he came to understand the spiritual transformation grapes

undergo on their way from the vine to the Shabbat table and he felt a strong desire to become involved in the process. “In a non-irrigated vineyard, the water literally comes down from the heaven as rain, and that rain goes through a whole spiritual journey just to give us our wine,” Cantz says. “From the sky, down to the earth, into the grapes, then crushed and bottled for our Friday night tables, it just reminded me of the whole enterprise of living. And I liked the idea of a physical voyage that manifests to find something physical to elevate God through. It’s hard to keep this image in my head every day, but it’s what keeps me going and it’s why I do the entire process myself.” In 1991, Cantz planted four

acres of vineyards, despite having no formal training. “There was no YouTube to figure these things out,” he said. It took Cantz many seasons to figure out the right way to plant and get his wine to taste just right. Maintaining a vineyard is strenuous work. While Cantz’s crop is certified by the California Certified Organic Farmers, his wine doesn’t qualify as organic because Cantz uses sulfur dioxide to prevent further aging – a practice European wineries consider organic but Americans do not. These days, Cantz is growing Merlot, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Cabernet grapes. In a good year, he produces 5 to 8 tons, from which he extracts about 1,000 gallons of wine. The product is sold exclusively through his website, fourgateswine.com. “Honestly, it’s really not that hard to make wine,” he said. “But making good wine means that you need to have all your ducks in a row. And the secret to the best wines is the perfect amount of fermentation.” Every now and then, Cantz says, he will get an email from a client begging to take over the winery when he retires. But Cantz has a lease on the land until he’s 92 and he doesn’t plan to stop any time soon. “I feel so lucky that God has blessed me with the opportunity to do something that I love,” Cantz says. “Wine has a whole scientific aesthetic to it and includes so many elements of life I get to watch. It’s vigorous, but it’s all worth it.”

The Jewish Voice & Herald

FOOD www.jvhri.org

june 7, 2013

A roundup of recipes for Father’s Day Whether he eats meat, chicken or fish, he may find one of these dishes tantalizingly tasty

By Nancy Kirsch

nkirsch@shalomri.org PROVIDENCE – Why not give dads a day off from grilling on Sunday, June 16, Father’s Day? Moms and older teens can take over grilling responsibilities and treat the dads, husbands, uncles and grandfathers in the family to a delicious meal. Invite some friends and neighbors to join you and multiply the joy and fun and divide the workload. After all, if everyone chips in with a menu item or two, no one has to do it all. So, for those who might be “manning” the grill, here are some recipes for meat, chicken and fish to dig your forks into – they all look delicious. Pick up or prepare some of your favorite cole slaw, green, fruit or potato salad, cookies, brownies or ice cream and you’ve got yourself a Father’s Day dinner.

Grilled steak chimichurri

“Argentinians know steak,” June Hersh writes in “The Kosher Carnivore, The Ultimate Meat and Poultry Cookbook” (St. Martin’s Press, 2011), “and when they decide that marinating and smothering their steaks in a bright green garlicky sauce is a good idea, it must be true. Fresh herbs such as basil, parsley and oregano add a fresh touch while lots of garlic adds bite. A soft tortilla makes a great vehicle for wrapping up the sliced steak in a neat package.”

Marinade ingredients

1 cup freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley (cilantro can be substituted) 12 basil leaves, finely chopped 1 tablespoon freshly chopped oregano or 1 teaspoon dried oregano 4 large garlic cloves, finely chopped (about 2 tablespoons) ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil ⅓ cup red wine, sherry or champagne vinegar 1 teaspoon kosher salt ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper juice of 1 lemon pinch of crushed red pepper flakes pinch of ground cumin 1 flatiron steak of 1½ to 2 pounds

Method

Combine the marinade ingredients in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade and process until the greens are chopped and the ingredients are well-combined. If you want to use the marinade to drizzle atop the finished steak, reserve a little at this time, seal and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours. Most cuts of meat can marinate overnight, but 2 to 3 hours is usually enough to flavor and

tenderize without the risk of breaking down the meat too much. Light the grill or preheat the broiler or stovetop grill pan. Let the steaks come to room temperature and pat them dry with paper towels. When the pan is sizzling hot, so that a drop of water will dance in the pan, quickly grill the steaks, 5 to 7 minutes per side. Let the meat rest, covered loosely with aluminum foil, before slicing. Serve with ketchup kicked up with a few drops of hot sauce. Serves 4. The author recommends serving guacamole alongside the steak.

son with salt and pepper.”

Ingredients

1½ pounds sashimi-quality tuna fillet 4 garlic cloves, minced 1-inch piece ginger, peeled and grated 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce kosher salt freshly ground black pepper dressed greens, for serving

Method

Skewered chicken thighs

“Grillled chicken thighs are just about foolproof,” Hersh writes. “They are juicy and delicious when grilled, and do not need their fatty jackets to stay moist. They are best when prepared on an outdoor grill, but a broiler or stovetop grill pan make good second choices.”

Ingredients for the chicken

1½ pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Ingredients for the coconut milk marinade

1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce ¼ cup peanut or vegetable oil ¼ cup coconut milk 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro 2 garlic cloves, minced (about 1 tablespoon) 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

Ingredients for the coconut peanut dipping sauce

½ cup coconut milk 2 tablespoons chunky peanut butter 2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce ¼ teaspoon chili oil 1 teaspoon brown sugar 1 garlic clove, finely minced pinch of kosher salt ½ teaspoon grated fresh ginger 1 teaspoon chopped fresh mint leaves

Method

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Place the chicken in a resealable plastic bag. In a small bowl, combine all the marinade ingredients. Pour the marinade into the bag, reserving ¼ cup to use as a basting sauce. Seal and refrigerate for at least 2 or up to 6 hours. While the chicken marinates, prepare the dipping sauce.

Whisk all the ingredients together. If the peanut butter is stubborn, you can gently heat the mixture together in a small saucepan on a gentle simmer for a minute to help combine. Reserve until ready to use. Light the grill or preheat the broiler or stovetop grill pan. Remove the chicken from the marinade, wipe it dry and lightly season with salt and pepper. Grill on the first side about 5 minutes, turn and baste with the reserved marinade. Continue grilling 5 to 7 minutes longer or until nicely

charred and cooked through. Serve with the dipping sauce and freshly chopped mint. For a satay-style presentation, cut the thigh meat into strips and thread them on wooden skewers that have been soaked in water for at least 30 minutes; soaking prevents them from catching fire on the grill. Serves 4.

Tuna burgers

The author notes, “Instead of buns, I like to serve these burgers over interesting greens … which I dress with a favorite salad dressing … sometimes, I just use a good olive oil and sea-

Cut the tuna into ½-inch slices, then into ½-inch cubes. Place the tuna in a bowl and add the garlic, ginger, 2 tablespoons of the oil and soy sauce. Combine and season lightly with salt and pepper. After lightly covering your palms with a drop or two of oil, shape the mixture into four patties. (You can make the burgers up to this point and refrigerate them for a few hours. Be sure to bring them to room temperature before sautéing.) Coat a nonstick skillet with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Heat over high heat and sear the burgers. After 1 minute on each side, they will be brown on the outside and rare on the inside. Cook longer, according to taste. Serves 4.

COMMUNITY

18 THE JEWISH VOICE & HERALD

JUNE 7, 2013

www.jvhri.org

The 28th Annual Alliance JCC Golf Tournament: PROVIDENCE – The 28th Annual Alliance JCC golf tournament drew some 102 golfers to Ledgemont Country Club in Seekonk, Mass., on May 20; the event netted approximately $20,000. Funds will be used to support programs and services for the Jewish community in greater Rhode Island.

By the numbers • Foursome winning low gross, 70 Steve Abrams, Rob Stupell, Keith Marsello and Phil Schein • Foursome winning low net, 55 Andrew O’Neill, John Smith, Phil Peloquin and Dave Ferris

• Foursome winning second low net, 56 David Bazar, Karen Bergel, David DeCosta and Chris Inzaro • Foursome winning third low net, 56 David Odessa, Steve Sigal, Jeﬀ Sparr and Peter Leach •

Brandon Salomon hit the longest drive.

• Michael Balasco hit the closest to the pin at hole 12. • Phil Schein hit the green for the golf bag. •

Doug Emanuel won the putting contest.

Jeff Grenier, left, and Doug Emanuel

Focus, focus, focus…

Bob Wilbur, left, Bill Szafarowicz, Mike Loycano and David Soforenko appear to be a happy foursome.

Michael Kauff man and Don Dillon (obscured) wait for food at Ledgemont. Golfers dine al fresco on Ledgemont Country Club’s patio.

PHOTOS | Vin kilBridge

THE JEWISH VOICE & HERALD

COMMUNITY www.jvhri.org

JUNE 7, 2013

Good weather and fun golf for a great cause

David Bazar and his sister Karen Bergel take a break from golf.

The winning foursome TOm marCHand

Steve Abrams, left, Phil Schein, Keith Marsello and Rob Stupell are the winning foursome.

Doryanne and Dan Hamel volunteer.

20 The Jewish Voice & Herald

By Nancy Kirsch

nkirsch@shalomri.org PROVIDENCE – In honor of Father’s Day, we’ve put together a minyan’s worth of famous men who are Jewish and fathers! The dads reading this paper may be familiar with all – or most – of these names and faces. But, what about the younger generation – your kids or grandkids – can they match up the name with the face and their claim to fame? See if you’ve sufficiently educated them in the fine arts of music, movies, politics and more!

e y a K y n n a D

Actor, screenw riter, film director and activist

Peter Falk

ctor a m l fi d n a Television

David Zuckerman

DADS

june 7, 2013

www.jvhri.org

A mash-up – or mat

David Copperfield Actor, singer, dancer, comedian and philanthropist

Carl Bernstein Former CIA director and former Secretary of Defense

The Jewish Voice & Herald

DADS www.jvhri.org

june 7, 2013

tch-up – for the kids Sean Penn

Investigative journalist and author

Irving Berlin Creator and developer o f “Fa mily Gu y,” “K ing o f the Hill ” and “ A merican D ad ”

James R. Schlesinger

Self-taught songwriter, composer and author

Magician and illusionist

Kevin Youkilis

New York Yankees baseball player

n i e t s n i E t r e b l

Nobel Prize-winning physicist

information Source: Wikipedia

Editor’s Note: For our Father’s Day Issue, we recruited comments from some of our community’s youngest children to tell us what they loved about their dad. Their pithy comments – which came to us thanks to help from Alliance Early Childhood Center, Providence Hebrew Day School kindergarten and Jewish Community Day School of Rhode Island kindergarten – appear throughout the Father’s Day pages!

Kids say the cutest things… “I love my daddy because we play baseball and he makes pretend people on the bases,” said Ivy, a JCDS kindergartener. The best thing I learned from my father is … ? “To hug my teddy bear,” said Morrison F., at the Alliance Early Childhood Center.

DADS

22 The Jewish Voice & Herald

june 7, 2013

www.jvhri.org

A Father’s Day first

By Karen Borger

Special to The Voice & Herald

Karen Borger

Karen Borger, center, with her parents Sam and Adele

PROVIDENCE – My first Father’s Day without a father will be empty. I still mourn the April 6 loss of him, his voice, his smile and his being. Those tangibles are gone forever, so I will try to fill my void with thoughts of his lessons, gifts and love that can never be taken from me. Samuel Borger personified the “Greatest Generation.” The youngest of six children born to his immigrant parents, he had a strong foundation of love and family that overshadowed economic hardship. A World War II veteran, he came home with a secret memory bank of horrors and made his way in the world. In my early years, my father was almost godlike to me. Not only was he the leader of our family and the founder of a successful business, but he was also a pillar of our Jewish community in York, Pa. He seemed bigger than life to me – perhaps because I was both awed by his many accomplishments and bursting with pride as his daughter. He was my biggest fan and cheerleader and I spent much of my life aspiring to loftier

goals, partially motivated by my desire for him to kvell about me as I did about him. When he refused an invitation from his largest supplier to play golf at a local country that denied membership to Jews, the outing was moved … and so many lessons were learned by so many people, including his children who understood the importance of standing up and being counted. His lifetime of practicing tikkun olam taught us that we must not sit idly while there is

“My father left this world a better place than he found it 89 years ago.” so much to be done for others. A self-made man, my father found his greatest pleasure in philanthropy, with his last but probably most meaningful, gift being the Sam and Adele Borger Campus of the Jewish Adoption and Foster Care Options) Respite and Family Re-

source Center in Florida. Having grown up with a developmentally disabled sister, he was interested in this facility, which allows families of children with special needs to leave them in a caring environment for up to two weeks each year so that they can take a needed break from the everyday stress of caring for their children. He will not be there for its dedication next year but those who are will know that my father left this world a better place than he found it 89 years ago. My dad always worried how I would cope with his loss. With my first fatherless Father’s Day approaching, it will not be an easy day, but it will be one with no regrets because we loved each other for 58 years. One of his lifelong lessons was that you have to roll with the punches; I’m rolling the best I can. I will always miss you, Dad, but you left behind a strong, responsible daughter who will carry your name proudly and try to always bring you nakhes (joy and pride).

KAREN BORGER (ksborger@gmail.com) is an independent sales representative for The Jewish Voice & Herald.

THE JEWISH VOICE & HERALD

F(e)ather

The doleful cry the peacock makes When his plume is torn from him, Is echoed in the soundless grief The orphaned feather feels.

DADS www.jvhri.org

JUNE 7, 2013

Providence Hebrew Day School kids gather with some of their favorite “snuggly toys.”

I am the feather plucked too soon By Father’s sudden death. Will it be 45 more years Before the hurting heals? I went to school with sports and friends And monster SATs. “The sky’s the limit – even space.” It’s what everybody said. Except those gray state troopers Who intoned in freshman year, “We’re here to take you home now, son, You see, your father’s dead.” The offspring ripens best When still connected to the stem And only separates When both know childhood is done. But when the process quicked and picked The feather while still green, The duties of the partnership Stayed solely with the son. So listen when the peacock cries. You ear is keener now. Listen when the peacock cries. He mourns for two, not one. ARTHUR C. NORMAN (abcnorman@aol. com), an editorial consultant and contributing wrier for The Jewish Voice & Herald, lives in Providence.

“I love my daddy because he plays with me and tickles me,” said Yael, a Jewish Community Day School prekindergarten student. “He makes me giggle.” The best thing I learned from my father (abba) is …? “If you use your ﬁngers to make silly faces, they will freeze that way,” said Josh S., of the Alliance ECC.

PrOVidenCe HeBreW day SCHOOl

Back row, left, Devorah Berlin, Yitzchok Karp, Yosef Tzvi Purec, Esther Taitelbaum, Chaim Vito Pompili, Avigail Flig, Adena Weisman and front row, left, Shlomo Lapin, Tehilla Peromsik and Sholom Dov Ber Benjaminson. Read their comments about their dads scattered throughout the Father’s Day pages!

DADS

24 The Jewish Voice & Herald

june 7, 2013

www.jvhri.org

Sharing stories of my father

By Wendy Joering

The loss of my father and my children’s grandfather is nearly unbearable

wjoering@shalomri.org

RUMFORD – I have learned this year that the first of everything is very hard. I am told it will get better, but will it? Father’s Day without my father is an unbearable thought, but it is true and I must learn to live with it. Last Thanksgiving Day, my father died after being struck by a vehicle; he suffered a devastating traumatic brain injury. The smartest, most generous, proudest human being I have ever known was taken away from our family in an instant. Emotions I have never felt before are now ever-present as I navigate the path to a “new normal.” As I struggle to find my way, I also must help guide my children – my daughters, almost 7 and 9 – who need to see life in its most positive way. I want them to remember the man who they dearly loved; I don’t want them to focus on their sadness because he is gone. So, on this Father’s Day, I will tell my children stories. Stories of my father – my biggest cheerleader– who gave me the best advice about my career. Stories of the man who was so much fun to dance with at weddings and bar/bat mitzvah receptions … stories of the man who came on my field trips when I was a

on a floor trampoline at her party with him, he did, just because she asked him. I will tell them how my younger daughter would fall asleep next to him every year after Thanksgiving dinner while they watched TV together. I will tell them how they just made him happy – ev-

“Emotions I have never felt before are now ever-present…” ery second of every day – and that is how he would want us to be. It can be very hard to do so, especially when he was such a large presence in our lives. But every day, especially on Father’s Day this year, I’m going to try. Zoey, left, and Eva Joering cuddle with their grandfather Michael White.

child, and who introduced me to Lincoln Center’s New York Philharmonic and shared his love of theater. I will tell them about the

times he would make a last minute drive to Rhode Island from New York – three hours each way – on one of his days off just to see them, his grand-

WENDY JOERING

daughters. I will tell them how he never missed any of their birthday parties or dance recitals; when my older daughter Zoey, then 2, asked him to run

WENDY JOERING, community concierge for the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island, lives in Rumford with her husband and their two daughters.

“I love my daddy because he takes me to school in the car. It’s a nice time,” said Ari, of the Jewish Community Day School prekindergarten. “I love my daddy because he cooks good,” said Rubin, who attends the JCDS prekindergarten.

DADS www.jvhri.org

THE JEWISH VOICE & HERALD

Father’s Day gifts for your Jewish dad By JNS.org

do (published by Harper’s Perennial, October 2008) ($11.37).

ather’s Day is just around the corner. If your dad is tough to shop for, we’ve got you covered with gifts for Jewish dads with a variety of interests.

Classic dad

If you lean towards a classic Father’s Day gift, and you have a refi ned, tie-wearing dad, we suggest you pick up an elegant sterling silver Magen David tie clip ($160).

Sports-lover dad

For the sports lover, we recommend a book about being a Jewish sports fan. Also appeals to the punster dads. Check out “Pray Ball! The Spiritual Insights of a Jewish Sports Fan” by James Gordon (Gefen Books, November 1991) ($22.95).

Caffeine-dependent dad

Jewish jokester dad If your dad is more of a Jewish jokester who appreciates a witty t-shirt, check out this awesome Abraham & Isaac & Jacob Jewish Patriarch t-shirt ($24). All the cool Jewish dads are wearing it.

Is your dad not fully human till he’s had his morning coffee? If so, try this awesome and very intense authentic Nachle Israeli black coffee spiced with cardamom ($10).

Bookworm dad

If your father is a voracious reader and enjoys some good non-fiction, he might like the story of a family leaving Egypt: “The Man in the White Sharkskin Suit: A Jewish Family’s Exodus from Old Cairo to the New World” by Lucette Lagna-

Nachle Israeli black coffee spiced with cardamom ORIGINALLY POSTED BY MyJewishLearning.com.

A family makes pancakes

Dad Al, mom Rachel and daughter Ruby: Ruby, a JCDS kindergarten student, said, “I love my Daddy because he makes the best pancakes and in shapes. He makes me heart pancakes.”

Remembering Joseph Thaler & Saul Thaler on Father’s Day. ~ Jill and Michael

Father’s Day, Bible style Sons’ fame outpaced their not-so-famous fathers

By Binyamin Kagedan (JNS.org)

The great epic poet Homer once said, “For rarely are sons similar to their fathers; most are worse, and a few are better.” In honor of Father’s Day 2013, JNS compiled some quick facts about some rather not-sofamous (tho ugh not all infamous) fathers of famous biblical characters.

Terah, father of Abraham

The biblical verse is mostly silent on Terah’s life and times; its brief description of his family and travels serves only to set the stage for the story of Abraham. But various ancient interpretive traditions grew around the character of Terah in the imagination of the rabbis, especially as they pertain to the spiritual evolution of Abraham. Terah is portrayed in the Midrash as a typical worshipper of Mesopotamian gods, perhaps even a priest, who kept a sizable collection of stone idols. His precocious son Abraham, so the familiar tale goes, having become convinced of the powerlessness of these images, smashed all but the biggest one to pieces, then left his hammer in the remaining statue’s hands. When a furious Terah later demanded an explanation for the disaster, Abraham cleverly blamed the one idol he’d left standing, claiming that a fight had erupted in which it was the sole victor!

Elkanah, father of Samuel

SuSan Sugerman, JeWiSH COmmuniTy day SCHOOl Of rHOde iSland

JUNE 7, 2013

Elkanah had two wives, like many men of his day, but had only been able to have children with one of them. The biblical narrator tells us that it was his other wife, Hannah, who was his favorite of the two. Hannah was greatly depressed by her infertility. Elkanah, in what is perhaps one of the earliest accounts of male insensitivity, responds: “Hannah, why do you weep? And why do you not eat? And why does your heart grieve? Am I not better to you than 10 sons?” (I Samuel 1:8). In fact, having a son was so important to Hannah that she made deal with God: If she would be granted a son, she offered to permanently lend him to the service of the divine. Thus Samuel, when he came of age, became the servant of the High Priest Eli, and grew to be one of the great prophets of Israel.

Jesse, father of David

The importance of the genealogy David to both Jewish and Christian messianic thought helped make Jesse a more familiar name than

maSTerS Of uTreCHT/Wikimedia COmmOnS.

An illustration of Elkanah and his two wives some of the other dads on our list. Jesse is said to have descended from the Judah, fourth son of Jacob, who, in Jewish lore, was the given the rightful kingship of Israel. The book of Samuel I contains the dramatic account of Samuel visiting the house of Jesse in Bethlehem, having been instructed by God that one of the man’s sons has been chosen to replace the weakened King Saul. Jesse innocently offers Samuel his oldest, tallest son Eliab, assuming him to be the best man for the job, but he and Jesse’s next six sons are all rejected by God until the youth David is called in from the sheep pastures. Jesse later has a hand in David’s fate when he sends the lad to bring bread and cheese to his older brothers, who are stationed at an Israelite military base preparing for war with the Philistines. It is there that David hears the taunts of the enemy champion Goliath and launches the bold challenge that would propel him to becoming one of the most celebrated monarchs in history.

Manoah, father of Samson Manoah was descended from the tribe of Dan, and he, too, had a wife with whom he could not conceive. He and his wife were eventually visited by an angel, who told them that they would soon have a son, but commanded them to raise him as a nazir, a consecrated individual who cannot drink wine or have his hair cut, according to biblical law. This they did, and the result was the superstrong and highly temperamental Samson. As a young man, Samson became interested in taking a Philistine woman as a wife, to which his parents protested, “What, there’s not enough Israelite girls around here?” (see Judges 14:3 for the exact quote). Nonetheless, despite his disappointment, Manoah makes the trip to meet the woman and negotiate her marriage to his son; perhaps to be a supportive dad, but perhaps because there was simply no arguing with Samson. BINYAMIN KAGEDAN has a master’s degree in Jewish thought from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America.

DADS

26 THE JEWISH VOICE & HERALD

JUNE 7, 2013

www.jvhri.org

The power of dads By Andrea Epstein, LISCW

The roles of fathers have evolved over time

Special to The Voice & Herald PROVIDENCE – We can know one thing for certain: the upcoming celebration of Father’s Day will be fi lled with greeting cards about golf and fishing. While you are enjoying your celebration, feel confident in the knowledge that fatherhood has a varied and changing history.

“The eXpLoraTion is still new.” Historically, many cultures strictly divided parenting roles. Traditionally, fathers provided fi nancial support and moral structure for their children and mothers offered emotional support and managed the day-today childrearing duties. Today, though, there seems to be more options for dads: Fathers may be single, partnered, stay-athome or work outside the house, adoptive, biological or step. The research community is catching up with 21st century realities. A 2006 report through the United States Children’s Bureau (an agency of the U.S. Health and Human Services

This 21st century dad is engaged with his kids.

In the 1950s, a dad’s domain was the oﬃce, mom’s was the family. Department), “The Importance of Fathers in the Healthy Development of Children,” speaks to the wide impact that fathers have in their children’s lives: “Involved fathers bring positive benefits to their children that no other person is as likely to bring.” The research acknowledges that whether the “involved father” is a father figure – such as an uncle, grandfather or close family friend – or the biological male parent, his influence is still significant. Healthy connections between fathers and children reveal

positive outcomes in the research conducted, including in cognitive ability, educational achievement, psychological well-being and social behavior. Go, dads! The American Psychological Association further addresses the increased variety of ways that today’s fathers participate in their children’s lives. Twenty-fi rst century fathers are nurturers, heavily involved in their children’s daily lives and emotionally and fi nancially supportive. The possibilities are expansive compared to the lim-

ited roles of fathers of the past. This exploration is still new. For decades, the primary role of parenting fell to mothers whether or not fathers were involved. As research on fathering began in the 1970s, we clearly still have room to grow and evolve. In the meantime, enjoy your celebration with the special dads in your life.

Happy Father’s Day! ANDREA EPSTEIN, LICSW (andrea@jfsri.org) is a social worker with Kesher, the congregational outreach program of Jewish Family Service of Rhode Island and funded by the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island.

Father’s Day bike ride to promote a bike-friendly Newport

NEWPORT – Touro Synagogue’s Community Outreach and Social Justice Committee is supporting Bike Newport’s inaugural Elliot Kaminitz Father’s Day Bike Ride on Sunday, June 16. The ride, from 8 a.m. to noon, will promote a “bikefriendly” Newport. Elliot, a member of the congregation, was killed last year in a bicycle accident. Riders can choose to participate in a 6-, 10- or 25-mile bike course, a 2-mile walk around

Fort Adams or a pedicab ride for the 6-mile route. Youngsters can participate in a “Kid Zone” within Fort Adams that includes a protected ride for youngsters and a Safety Town to learn and practice bike skills. R EGIST ER: fathersdayride.org. CONTACT: Rabbi Marc Mandell (rabbimandel@tourosynagogue.org) about the Community Outreach and Social Justice Committee.

Zoya L. attends the Alliance Early Childhood Center. She knows that her daddy loves her because he “takes me everywhere and hugs me all the time.”

riJHa

‘A BLAST FROM THE PAST’: Dr. Banice Feinberg has a moment with his son Albert and daughter Helen, circa 1941, on the East Side of Providence.

I know my daddy (abba) loves me because he … ? “Hugs me a lot,” said Oliver G., who attends the Alliance Early Childhood Center.

The Jewish Voice & Herald

NATION www.jvhri.org

COURTESY | JAY STRAUSS

JINSA participants visit Hurlburt Field in Florida; Justin (Jay) Strauss is third from left.

Those in active duty face risks beyond the battlefield Deaths by suicide outpace combat-related deaths

By Nancy Kirsch

nkirsch@shalomri.org PROVIDENCE – In 2012, 349 active military personnel (from all branches of the United States military) committed suicide. That represents a 15 percent increase from the 301 suicides occurring in 2011, according to accounts widely reported by The Associated Press, which summarized data from the Pentagon. Suicide statistics for military personnel are up from a historical standpoint and are now slightly higher than those for the general civilian population. Although combat fatalities are reduced, thanks to drones and other modern weaponry – as well as our departure from Iraq – more military personnel deaths are attributable to suicide than to combat injuries. It’s no surprise, then, that Justin (Jay) Strauss, a board member of the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs (JINSA), voiced his concern about military personnel’s repeated tours of duty. Strauss, of Cranston, had visited Hurlburt Field, a U.S. Air Force installation in Destin, Fla., earlier this spring on a JINSA-sponsored expedition. “[Soldiers] come home … and are then redeployed,” said Strauss. “They are doing a marvelous job, but repeated combat tours [in Iraq and, earlier, in Afghanistan] are deleterious to the health of the troops and their families. It’s rampant overuse almost to the point of abuse.” In contrast, military person-

nel serving in World War II and later typically experienced one or two combat tours, with 11 months as an average tour of duty, said Strauss. Unlike combat troops drafted during World War II and, more

“The signature wound of [Iraq’s war] is not going to be amputation…” recently, in Vietnam, today’s volunteer military has three parts: active duty personnel, the National Guard and the Army Reserve, explained retired Army Lt. Gen. Theodore (Ted) Stroup, a member of JINSA’s board of advisors. In contrast to drafted military personnel fighting in Vietnam, we’ve relied more heavily during the past 12 years, he said, on the National Guard and Army Reserve.

A look back at history

Since World War II, the military has become increasingly knowledgeable about mental injuries that can occur in a combat zone and delineations of injuries have become more refined, Stroup said in a phone interview from his home in Falls Church, Va.

As long ago as the Civil War, combat stress was the reason given for some of the Union Army soldiers discharged due to stomach ailments. During World War I, soldiers affected with concussion-type injuries were diagnosed with “shell shock,” he explained. Throughout World War II, the medical discovery of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) had not been defined yet, he said. During World War II, the American military began to become more attuned to stress-related combat injuries, he said. However, it’s only in the past 25 years or so that the military

has become more attuned to combat stress and able to define medical terms like PTSD and TBI and link them to battlefield casualties, said Stroup. In fact, despite its young age, Israel has taught America about treating combat stress, especially after the 1973 Yom Kippur War. According to Stroup, the Israelis, who learned early on about the need to treat combat stress, assign psychologists to accompany battalions (500 to 800 people) to treat the stress

ISRAEL | 28

june 7, 2013

NATION

28 The Jewish Voice & Herald

june 7, 2013

www.jvhri.org

ISRAEL taught America about treating combat stress From Page 27 on-site. According to Strauss, Jews represent about 2.5 percent of the active military – a percentage that is consistent with the percentage of Jews nationally. No statistics exist, however, identifying the religions of those committing suicide, retired Army Medical Service Lt. Col. Jacob Romo, Ph.D., said in a phone interview. “Data is not reported that way; religion is not the variable that they are interested in.”

Different stressors in today’s wars

Stroup noted that injuries – from being shot directly to experiencing tremendous explosions from roadside bombs – have put more physical stress on soldiers, some of whom develop TBI. Too, it’s important to note, he said, that military personnel may also experience PTSD even when they don’t experience any physical assault – witnessing the deaths of fellow soldiers, for example, can leave soldiers pro-

foundly affected. “The military is struggling with people with PTSD coming in for help; they measure in the thousands as opposed to the 349 who committed suicide in 2012,” Dr. Romo added. If someone on active duty is concerned that his symptoms – PTSD or otherwise – will interfere with his career, “he’s not going to seek help,” said Dr. Romo. Calling it “a major crisis in the military,” and one that the Army chief of staff and his predecessors have been struggling with, Dr. Romo, who was a department commander with the Massachusetts Jewish War Veterans, asked, “How do you convince a warrior that it is not ‘unsoldierlike’ or a sign of weakness to come for help? It’s a major issue in the Army.” “The signature wound of [Iraq’s war] is not going to be amputation but brain injuries – PTSD, TBI and the residual effects,” said Stroup, paraphrasing language from a January 2009 report, “Invisible Wounds, Psychological and Neurological

war was over. World War II was the last declared war with a clearly identified enemy state and a defined mission to defeat such an enemy. In this war, soldiers are gone for about a year, and then come home for 12 to 18 months and then go back for another year.

Retired Lt. Gen. Theodore Stroup Injuries Confront a New Generation of Veterans,” by Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (iava.org).

Frequent deployments

Stroup seemed to echo Strauss’ concern about frequent and repeated deployments. When our fathers’ generation went to war in active combat, soldiers and their family members knew that soldiers wouldn’t come home until the

“It’s rampant overuse almost to the point of abuse.” Volunteer soldiers with repeated tours of combat experience psychological impact. “Johnny goes to war, Jill goes to war … and have to reintegrate [again and again],” Stroup said, adding that the absence of a defined end state exists, regardless of which party occupies the White House. Many soldiers today face a stressor that their counterparts fighting in Vietnam or earlier wars rarely, if ever, faced. As both parents in a family may be deployed now at the same time, they must leave their children to be cared for by relatives or close friends. That disruption, of course, can bring additional stress to the entire family. Citing a study by Dr. Elspeth Ritchie, a former Army psychiatrist, about suicides by military personnel, Dr. Romo noted some alarming statistics: 55 percent of those who died by suicide did

not have a history of behavioral mental health issues. And, only 10 percent of those committing suicide had been deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan. “Direct combat experience was not the primary issue for those in active duty,” he said.

What’s to be done?

Both the Army and the VA are taking suicides seriously, said Stroup, starting at the very top. Training classes are given to leadership and troops are put into buddy systems to help soldiers watch out for one another. Is there a solution? A larger base of military personnel would reduce the need for repeated deployments, which would eliminate one stressor. However, with a push to reduce, rather than expand, the size of the military, that’s not a realistic outcome. Asked whether he believes returning to a drafted, rather than an all-volunteer, Army would be wise, Stroup said, “The country wouldn’t stand for it.” Stroup, who oversaw both enlisted and volunteer personnel during his many years in the military, also said that the volunteer soldiers were superior to those drafted. Although our troop size is smaller now that we’re out of Iraq, the fact that more military personnel are dying by suicide than in combat distresses Kim Ripoli, associate director of the Rhode Island Office of Veterans Affairs. “Even one suicide is too many. I don’t want anyone to feel that they have no other recourse; there are resources [for help],” she said.

Veterans’ group calls situation ‘troubling’ By Nancy Kirsch

nkirsch@shalomri.org PROVIDENCE – The numbers are shocking: America loses 22 veterans each day to suicide, according to a report issued earlier this spring by the Department of Veterans Affairs. The report, which examined suicide data from 1999 to 2010, noted that, in recent years, a smaller number of veterans – 18 – committed suicide each day.

A rationale for suicide?

Veterans groups have criticized the Veterans Administration for not accurately keeping and reporting suicide statistics, said retired Army Lt. Gen. Theodore (Ted) Stroup, a JINSA advisory board member, in a phone interview. “I haven’t seen a recent study that would delineate why it is that veterans kill themselves … it could be anything,” said retired Army Medical Service Lt. Col. Jacob Romo, Ph.D., a past

Retired Army Medical Service Lt. Col. Jacob Romo, Ph.D. department commander with the Massachusetts Jewish War Veterans. Kim Ripoli, associate director

SEEKING | 29

The Jewish Voice & Herald

NATION www.jvhri.org

SEEKING help can be difficult for those in pain From Page 28 of the Rhode Island Office of Veterans Affairs, concurred. “It’s difficult to know why people commit suicide unless they leave a note or a family member has information,” she said in a phone interview. A suicide could stem from a difficult job situation or job loss, relationship issues or the challenges associated with returning to civilian life, she explained. According to a January 2009 report, “Invisible Wounds. Psychological and Neurological Injuries Confront a New Generation of Veterans,” by the Iraq

“Veterans seeking VA mental health treatment wait … 50 days … for an initial evaluation.” and Afghanistan Veterans of America, (iava.org), a nonprofit group with offices in Washington, D.C. and New York City, there is no agency or registry that tracks suicide rates among veterans. However, the report calls data on suicides for veterans of all generations “troubling. The VA estimates that, each year, 6,500 veterans commit suicide.” Although veterans represent 13 percent of the U.S. population, they account for approximately 20 percent of the suicides, the report notes: “Male veterans are more than twice as likely to die by suicide as men with no military service and veterans with PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) are more than three times as likely to die by suicide as their civilian peers.” The report also asserts, “[T]he economic cost of the new veterans’ mental health crisis has been estimated in the billions of dollars.” When a veteran who had received treatment from the VA facility in Lowell, Mass., commits suicide, the facility will conduct what Dr. Romo calls a “psychological autopsy” and appoint a committee to investigate. Ripoli believes Rhode Island’s small size is beneficial, as state and local agencies can coordinate more effectively than they might in a larger venue. She recently attended a substance abuse and mental health conference in Baltimore, Md. – organized by a Health and Human Services agency – for individuals working in state and federal agencies with veterans. However, conferences and confabs don’t satisfy House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Jeff Miller. In a June 3 statement, Miller, a Republican representing Florida’s first congressional district, blasted the VA. “What our veterans need now is more action, not more talk … to truly maximize mental healthcare for today’s veterans, the department’s focus should be on improving accessibility, treatment and outcomes – not on holding summits,” Miller said in his statement. “[L]ack of access to VA mental health care services remains a deathly serious problem for the department – one that past staffing and budget increases as

well as numerous mental health summits have failed to solve. VA mental health staffing and funding are already at record levels, yet veterans seeking VA mental health treatment still wait 50 days on average for an initial evaluation.” Veterans’ mental health issues are discussed often, said Sanford Gorodetsky, commander, Jewish War Veterans of the USA, Department of Rhode Island, by the Jewish War Veterans and other veterans groups with which he’s affiliated. “I think that the VA is doing a good job with the [resources available to them],” he said in a phone interview. There are a number of programs for – as well as outreach to – veterans, he added.

What can veterans do?

Individuals who are willing to reach out and seek help may find assistance from local and national suicide hotlines and mental health agencies. The VA, as overwhelmed and inefficient as some individuals believe it to be, is tasked with assisting veterans with their physical and emotional injuries. EDITOR’S NOTE: If you or someone you love suffers from military-related stress or have experiences with the VA that you wish to share with the Jewish community, contact Nancy Kirsch, 4214111, ext. 168 or nkirsch@shalomri.org:

CRISIS ASSISTANCE: Samaritans: In Rhode Island, 800-3654044 or 272-4044, samaritansri.org; in Massachusetts, 800-870-HOPE.

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline:

Trained consultants are available 24/7 at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), press “1” for the military crisis line (for military members and veterans) or suicidepreventionlifeline.org.

Military

OneSource: militaryonesource.com or 1-800-342-9647 for those in the continental U.S. Overseas personnel should visit the website for dialing instructions for their specific location.

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention: afsp.org. Suicide Prevention Resource Council: sprc.

org/index.asp VETERANS.

june 7, 2013

30 The Jewish Voice & Herald

BUSINESS www.jvhri.org

june 7, 2013

The Jewish Voice & Herald

BUSINESS www.jvhri.org

Classified

ELDER CARE – Providence Area

Articulate, insightful, compassionate woman available as part-time companion/homemaker/organizer with focus on positive aging and life enrichment. Experienced. References. Call: 274-1211.

To place a classified ad: Contact Tricia Stearly tstearly@shalomri.org or call 421-4111, ext. 160

Assistant wanted Editorial help, assistant needed to edit memoirs. Also, clerical help wanted to organize business documents. Please call Ellen, 453-8264.

C.N.A Available. Honest, mature Certified Nursing Assistant is looking for private duty position, open schedule, overnights okay. Available for doctors’ appointments, errands, light meals and housekeeping. Impeccable references. Call Jean Martin, home: 270-1084, cell: 603-7834.

june 7, 2013

Aren’t love and romance worth a little chai?

PROVIDENCE – The Jewish Voice & Herald will accept classified ads from individuals who seek companions for friendship, romance or marriage. After hearing from many readers that meeting a mate – or even a date – is sometimes difficult, we want to make that process a little less painful. Our special price for singles’

classifieds will be chai, $18 for 18 words or $36 for a classified between 19 and 36 words. A head shot picture is an additional $18. Tasteful classified ads may be accepted only from those 18 and older. CONTACT KAREN BORGER, our “matchmaking maven,” at 529-2538 or ksborger@ gmail.com.

American Idol Cole Brothers Circus of the Stars

WORLD

32 The Jewish Voice & Herald

june 7, 2013

www.jvhri.org

ISLAMIZATION of Turkey causing frustration and fear for many secular Turks From Page 1 As the number of protesters swelled on Friday and then again Saturday night, police began a widespread crackdown, firing tear gas and water cannons at protesters. Later on, Turkish police retreated, leading to widespread jubilation among the demonstrators. On Sunday and into Monday, tens of thousands of protesters again flooded into Taksim Square chanting, “Victory, victory, victory,” “Erdogan, you’re a dictator, resign!” and “Erdogan thinks he is a sultan,” Israel Hayom reported. As protests have grown and spread throughout Istanbul, numerous reports by protesters on Twitter and other social media outlets claim police brutality. Turkish Interior Minister Muammer Guler said 1,750 people have been arrested since May 28 in connection with the protests. Professor Efraim Inbar, director of the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies at BarIlan University and an expert on Turkish-Israeli relations, told JNS.org, “There is a large secular population, particularly in western Turkey around Istanbul, that is very frustrated by the Islamization of Turkey [under Erdogan].” “This has accumulated over the past decade into what we are seeing now,” Inbar said.

“However, the problem is the secular parties have no leadership. This was not instigated by the secular party; this is popular rage.” Since the formation of the modern Turkish Republic from the remains of the oncemighty Ottoman Empire under secular leader Mustafa Kemal “Ataturk,” the country has had an uneasy relationship with its former empire and Islamic heritage. The military, which has traditionally been the vanguard of secular values, has intervened numerous times to maintain the country’s secular footing. But this has taken a toll on the country’s democratic in-

“I don’t have dictatorship in my blood.” stitutions and economy. One of Erdogan’s biggest claims to success has been the stability he has brought after decades of military coups. Under his leadership, the economy has dramatically improved and the country’s international profile has grown. Consequently, many experts touted Erdogan’s

World Economic Forum.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan rule as an example of blending Islam and democracy together as an example for the rest of the Middle East. But that model has come at a cost. Erdogan has grown increasingly authoritarian, arresting dozens of journalists and other activists, purging the military of its secular stalwarts and jailing hundreds of generals and other officers on charges of plotting to oust his Islamist government, according to the Economist magazine. At the same time, Erdogan

has been gearing up to amend the Turkish constitution to increase the powers of the presidency, and then seeks to run for president in 2014. “We see a lot of autocratic tendencies of Erdogan. We see attacks on the press and other democratic institutions. While it is still a democracy, but a very problematic democracy, this is what many secularists are protesting and afraid of,” Inbar told JNS.org. “He is trying to change the system. He is trying to change

the constitution to fit his vision,” he said. On Sunday, Erdogan went on television to defend his policies, dismissing criticism that he has become a “dictator.” “I don’t have dictatorship in my blood … I am a servant; I don’t have any interest in making provocation,” Erdogan said, according to The Wall Street Journal. But Erdogan also angered many of the protesters with his remarks, calling them a “bunch of looters” and branding them as a “minority” who are trying to force their will on the majority, The Associated Press reported. Erdogan also blamed Twitter, which has been used extensively in the Arab Spring uprisings in Egypt, Tunisia and Syria, calling it a “menace to society.” Despite the explosion of protests, Inbar told JNS.org that Erdogan is likely to be able to weather this storm for now. “He is quite cocky and believes he is quite secure in his position,” Inbar said. “I think he feels these demonstrations won’t really spread. But it really depends on what happens. If someone prominent organizes the demonstrations, they could really turn into an issue for him. But so far it has been very spontaneous.”

SENIORS www.jvhri.org

THE JEWISH VOICE & HERALD

JUNE 7, 2013

A pioneer physician in the Virginia colony Hobnobbing with ‘the rich and famous’; treating those with mental illness

he role of Jewry in the expanding culture, prosperity and destiny of the United States had been minimal until the great Jewish diaspora of the 19th century. Certainly there was passing mention of clusters of Jewish immigrants as early as the New Amsterdam and Newport enclaves, but these were mere footnotes in the swell of great historic happenings. One such footnote pertained to a John de Sequeyra, an early immigrant to Williamsburg, Va.

SCiEnCE & SOCiETy StANLEY ArONSON, M.D. De Sequeyra, a Portuguese Jew exiled to England, was born in London in 1712. The de Sequeyras were a distinguished and learned family, with five generations engaged as practicing physicians. They were congregants of the Iberian (Spanish and Portuguese) Bevis Marks Synagogue of London. The fi rst of the Portuguese de Sequeyras affiliated with this landmark synagogue was Abraham de Sequeyra who died in 1679. Surviving synagogue records indicate that a grandson, also named Abraham, was a practicing physician near Aldgate Road. This synagogue, established on Plough Field off Bevis Marks Road, is the oldest surviving Jewish house of worship in Europe, with uninterrupted services for more than three centuries. In 1736, young John de Sequeyra left England for Holland to study at Leiden University’s great medical school under the mentorship of Her-

man Boerhaave. He received his doctorate diploma on Feb. 3, 1739, which was made out to “Iohannes de Sigueyra, AngloBritannus, Portugalensi.” His doctoral thesis on the causes of pneumonia was dedicated to his older brother Joseph, who was then a physician in East India. Following graduation, John took passage on a ship sailing to the Americas. A French warship captured his ship and all of his possessions, including his diploma, were confiscated – the War of the Austrian Succession, 1739-1748, was then in progress. John eventually arrived in Virginia and immediately established his medical practice in Williamsburg, joining four other physicians there (George Riddel, Peter Hay, William Pasteur and John Galt, who later served as surgeon general of the 15th Virginia Regiment). The Jews identified in Northern Virginia, including one Enoch Lyon, a merchant in Yorktown, were marginally tolerated so long as they

John de Sequeyra

The Bevis Marks Synagogue in London, the oldest synagogue in Europe sive epidemiological text called “The Diseases of Virginia,” and was principal physician during the local smallpox epidemic. Amongst his many patients in

“Thomas Jefferson, in his published diaries, mentions de Sequeyra as an accomplished horticulturist.”

did not openly worship or “engage in theological disputations and denials of the Trinity.” And so, John paid all of the local taxes, including the required annual tithe to the established Anglican Church. For the next 50 uninterrupted years, the bachelor John de Sequeyra practiced his profession of medicine, wrote an exten-

May 1769, was George Washington’s stepdaughter, Martha Park Custis, a victim of epilepsy; his circle of friends included Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry and James Madison. Eighteenth-century English tends to be permissive in the spelling of proper names. Thus, de Sequeyra is sometimes

spelled as Sequera, Seccari, Secarri or Secueyri. John’s hobbies included a preference for Portuguese vintages, especially port. He was a member of a local society for the appreciation of rare vintages, with a yearly prize for the best regional wine “in quantity not less than ten hogsheads.” Thomas Jefferson, in his published diaries, mentions de Sequeyra as an accomplished horticulturist (part of his lease, in Williamsburg, included unrestricted use of the well and flower garden adjacent to his rented home) and Jefferson declared that it was de Sequeyra

who brought tomato seeds from mainland Europe to the farms of Virginia. De Sequeyra’s greatest contribution, however, was made in his seminal role in the designing and promoting – and later serving as chief physician for – what had been variously called the Williamsburg Lunatic Hospital, the Hospital for the Maintenance of Lunatics, Idiots and Persons of Insane Mind or, merely, the insane asylum. By whatever name, the facility was the fi rst hospital in the colonies for the sole purpose of protecting, caring for – and sometimes curing – the mentally ill of the community. De Sequeyra served as chief physician for its fi rst two decades. In February 1795, at age 83, and after 50 years of medical service to the citizens of York County, Va., John de Sequeyra died. His passing was duly noted in the archives of the community. A solemn portrait of him properly wigged (inscribed on its back as a painting of John Secarri who brought tomatoes to the New World) is preserved in the Winterthur Museum in Delaware (founded by Henry Francis du Pont), but de Sequeyra’s burial site remains unknown. STANLEY M. ARONSON, M.D., (smamd@cox.net) is a retired Brown University medical school dean.

34 The Jewish Voice & Herald

NATION | OBITUARIES

june 7, 2013

www.jvhri.org

Google Glass portends brave new Jewish world Some are skeptical, others relish using new technology

By Yaffa Klugerman

HIGHLAND PARK, N.J. (JTA) – Over the past few weeks, strangers have begun stopping high school computer science teacher Chaim Cohen on the street. A few accuse him of recording them without their knowledge. Even fewer blame him for all of society’s ills. But many just want an answer to a simple question: Is he wearing Google Glass? Cohen is among the approximately 2,000 developers throughout the United States who are trying out the search giant’s much-hyped wearable computer, a futuristic Internetconnected gadget that users wear like a pair of glasses and enables them to stream information from the Web directly into their field of vision. Using voice commands and hand gestures, Google Glass users can take pictures, record videos, get directions and send messages. “I offer to let them try it on,” Cohen said. “My goal is to advocate for this and show people that this is not a bad thing. It’s a good thing.” Well before Google Glass is expected to be publicly available sometime in 2014, the device already is generating controversy. Critics worry that users will be able to surreptitiously take photographs with an app that permits wearers to snap pictures just by winking. Some bars and casinos, citing privacy concerns, have preemptively banned the device. In West Virginia, legislators have tried to make it illegal to wear Glass while driving. But none of this concerns Barry Schwartz, CEO of the Web

development firm, RustyBrick, who can hardly wait to get his hands on it. Schwartz is one of the 8,000 “explorers” chosen by Google to receive the device for $1,500 apiece. “We would be programming Jewish-related apps to help Jewish people use the technology to live their Jewish lives,” said Schwartz, whose company has already developed popular Jewish applications for smartphones, like a digital prayer book and Hebrew translator. Schwartz’ vision of a Glassenabled Jewish life sounds

“Teenagers are freaked out by Google Glass.” incredibly futuristic. Notifications flash when it’s time to pray. Nearby synagogues or kosher restaurants are instantly located. Important Jewish dates such as yahrtzeits and holidays are never forgotten. Recently, a Chabad rabbi at Stanford University set up a Google Glass tefillin stand. Men who chose to don the ritual leather straps then put on Glass and the blessing flashed before their eyes. Potential Jewish applications for Glass are endless, Schwartz said. “Let’s say you want to buy an etrog [a Sukkot fruit],” he said. “You can create a Google Hangout and have a rabbi look at the

A woman wears Google Glass. etrog as you are looking at it. The rabbi can ask you to turn it to the right and turn it to the left, and can give you an opinion about it right away.” Mike Vidikan of the Washington, D.C.-based organization Innovaro (innovaro.com), which provides insights about how new technologies will shape the future business environment, expects that Glass also could significantly change how consumers shop for kosher food. “As they start inspecting a particular group of foods,” he explained, “notifications could pop up with information about the kosher certifications, as well as reviews, and who in their social networks recommend it.” In education, where information technology already is

transforming the classroom experience, Glass could be yet another game-changer. Hebrew school classes could tour Israel virtually, seeing the country though the eyes of a guide equipped with the device. Students in various locations could participate in classes together, following text as seen through the eyes of a teacher. Cohen, who teaches at a public school in central New Jersey, plans to develop an application that will help him learn his students’ names. “I don’t remember all the names of my students during the first weeks of school,” he said. “I want to be able to look at them and have their names overlapped on top.” Despite the enthusiasm, tech experts from Jewish day

schools are skeptical. Price is one factor. At $1,500, Glass is significantly more expensive than an iPad or similar devices. Educators also are understandably uneasy about a device that can snap pictures, literally, with the wink of an eye. Others point out that since Glass’ apps are still being developed, its educational value remains to be seen. “In a traditional classroom, I don’t see where wearing the computer on my face is an enormous quantum leap in ease of use, efficiency and productivity over traditional computer modalities,” said Seth Dimbert, director of educational technology at the Scheck Hillel Community School in North Miami Beach, Fla. “It’s actually less useful if only I can see a computer screen. Classrooms are about collaboration with the people around you and making screens bigger and more portable, so more people can gather around them at once.” Rabbi Tzvi Pittinsky, director of educational technology at The Frisch School in Paramus, N.J., expressed doubts as well. “Teenagers are freaked out by Google Glass,” he said. “Who would want to have these glasses on all the time? It’s scary.” Ultimately, however, many believe that it’s just a matter of time before Glass becomes more widely accepted. Many technologies now considered indispensable were greeted initially with skepticism. “If people adopt it at the rate that they adopted smartphones,” Schwartz predicts, “then it will have a huge impact on Jewish life.”

OBITUARIES Meredith E. Drench, Ph.D., P.T., 63 EAST GREENWICH – Meredith (Merry) Drench died May 17. A graduate of Boston and Northeastern universities, she earned her doctorate at Union Institute and Un iversit y and was a professor of physical therapy at Northeastern. She was an author and a popular lecturer. Known for her sharp wit, she worked with many healthcare entities, including the VA in Boston. She was born in New York City and grew up in New Jer-

sey. She wrote “Red Ribbons Are Not Enough” about health professionals caring for people with AIDS, published many articles and co-authored three editions of “Psychosocial Aspects of Health Care.” As a physical and behavioral therapist, she worked and taught all over the world. A president of Western New England Region Hadassah, she was a past president of the Rhode Island Hadassah chapter and a member of Hadassah’s national board. A judge for national and Rhode Island academic decathlons, she participated in BU’s alumni affairs, and the Meredith E. Drench Lecture Series, Rhode Island Project AIDS and the AIDS Seder. Daughter of the late Daniel and Madeline Drench of

New Jersey, she is survived by her partner Paula Hurd of East Greenwich; brother Peter Drench and sister-in-law Anne Ferguson; nephew Zachary Drench and nieces Jessica Drench and Sarah Ferguson of Massachusetts and extended family, including many friends and colleagues. Donations may be made to Home & Hospice Care of Rhode Island, 1085 North Main St., Providence, RI 02904, the Dr. Meredith Drench Memorial Scholarship, c/o WNER Hadassah, 200 Reservoir St., Suite 103, Needham, MA 02494 or Westminster Sharing Locker, 119 Kenyon Ave., East Greenwich, RI 02818.

Richard Alan Lipson, 73 MARLBORO, Mass. – Richard Lipson died May 29. He

was a broadcast engineer who spent most of his professional career as chief engineer of WLVI Channel 56 in Boston, Mass. Responsible for constructing some of the very first radio towers in the Boston area, he was a member of the Society of Motion Picture & Television Engineers. When AMPEX Corporation in New Jersey needed a small group of talented engineers to develop a machine to allow television stations to display station logos on the screens while broadcasting, he was called to help develop the machine. Born in Fall River, Mass. on July 14, 1939, he was a son of the late Israel and Celia (Davidson) Lipson. With his siblings and other family members, he grew up working in the family

business, Bertha’s Bake Shop, the only kosher bakery in Fall River, Mass. After attending Durfee High School, he went into the Air Force and later attended Ward School of Engineering at the University of Hartford, and took his first engineering job at United Technologies Corporation. He leaves his wife Judi (Flynn); daughter Tracy Seablom (Steve) of Lakeville, Mass.; daughter Jill Mastrianni (Michael) of Sismbury, Conn.; son Kenneth Lipson of Middleboro, Mass.; sister Barbara Cleinman of Fall River; sister Janet Weissman (Jeff) of Fall River; grandchildren Josh, Allyson, Molly, Adam

OBITUARIES | 36

D’VAR TORAH | WORLD www.jvhri.org

THE JEWISH VOICE & HERALD

JUNE 7, 2013

D’vAR TORAh

Why did Moses rebel against Korach? There is futility in simply piling up wealth KORACH

16:1 – 18:32

By Rabbi Leslie Y. Gutterman

Special to The Voice & Herald

ur Torah portion deals with a fascinating group of people who rebelled against Moses in the wilderness. They were led by Korach, who was the central figure in the uprising. Where did he get his power and what did he use it for? This was the question that our sages speculated upon and here is their answer: They said that of all the people who left Egypt in the Exodus, Korach was the richest. According to legend, he was secretary of the treasury in Pharaoh’s cabinet and was so wealthy that it took 300 donkeys just to carry the keys to the safes where he kept his money. To this day, if you want to say in Yiddish that someone is really wealthy you can exclaim that he is as rich as Korach. So, if he was so well off, why did Korach rebel against Moses? The Midrash tells us that it was because he wanted still more. He begrudged whatever Moses had and desired that as well. So it is instructive that Jewish tradition attributes the children of this very Korach as the authors of Psalm 49, which, from start to fi nish, is a statement against the futility of simply piling up wealth. There is a well-known phrase that comes from this Psalm: “You can’t

PHOTOS | SaSSOn Tiram | COurTeSy Of SHaVei iSrael

Celebrating an overdue coming-of-age ceremony at the Kotel in Jerusalem.

SOOzie Sundlun

Rabbi Leslie Gutterman take it with you!” A wise person observed, “One makes a living by what he gets but a life by what he gives.” To which we might add a good definition of love: “Love is joy derived by giving.” The ancient rabbis knew that. Here is their answer to the question, “Who is wealthy? The one who is satisfied with his portion.” RABBI LESLIE Y. GUTTERMAN (rabbigutterman@temple-beth-el.org, a member of the Greater Rhode Island Board of Rabbis, is rabbi at Temple BethEl, the Reform synagogue in Providence.

Candle Lighting Times Greater R.I. area

June 7 .......................8:00 June 14 .....................8:04 June 21 .....................8:06 June 28 .....................8:07

GUIDE BEFORE GOOGLE!

Celebrating one’s bar mitzvah 13 years after learning of Jewish identity Jerusalem is the site of Polish Jew’s belated coming-of-age ceremony By JaKe Sharfman

JERUSALEM – Mariusz Robert Aofl ko, a 64-year-old Jewish attorney in Krakow, grew up thinking he was a Polish Catholic. On May 30, he celebrated his bar mitzvah at the Kotel (the Western Wall in Jerusalem) with friends and other hidden Jews from Poland. Mariusz spent his entire life as a Catholic. However, 13 years ago, right before his mother died, she told him something that turned his whole world upside down and would change his life forever: That he is a Jew; not only a Jew, but a Kohen (a member of the Jewish priestly caste), as well. Both of Mariusz’ parents were born to Jewish families who perished in Auschwitz. After the war, the fear of being Jewish in Poland led his parents to hide their religion and to live as Polish Catholics, which, in turn, was a lifestyle and identity they passed on to Mariusz, hiding the fact that he was Jewish. After learning his true identity, Mariusz was in complete shock and did not know how to digest news of such epic proportions. But over the years, he decided he wanted to live a Jewish life. He contacted Shavei Israel’s emissary in Krakow, Rabbi Boaz Pash, and started to become involved with the Jewish community in Krakow. Shavei Israel is a nonprofit organization that works to strengthen ties between the Jewish people, the State of Israel and the descendants of Jews around the world. Working with Jewish communities in nine countries, Shavei Israel currently has two fulltime emissaries in Poland. Last month, he met Michael

Mariusz Aoﬂko becomes a bar mitzvah. Freund, Shavei Israel’s founder and chairman at the entrance of Auschwitz in Poland and told him the story of how he discovered his Jewishness. “When Mariusz told me his incredible story, I was deeply moved,” Freund said, adding, “I told him that since 13 years have passed since he found out he was a Jew, it is an appropriate time for him to have a bar mitzvah.” Freund then offered to arrange for the event to take place at the Kotel, all paid for by the organization. “Since my mother revealed this incredible secret to me, I feel like I am reborn. By embarking on this journey into my heritage, step-by-step it all starts to become clear to me,” said Mariusz. “I am not doing this to prove anything to anyone. All I ask is to embrace the

truth about my family and regain the lost identity that was hidden from me for decades.” Today, approximately 4,000 Jews are registered as living in Poland, but experts suggest there may be tens of thousands of other Jews in Poland who, even to this day, are hiding their identities or are simply unaware of their family heritage. In recent years, a growing number of such people, popularly known as the “Hidden Jews of Poland,” have begun to return to Judaism and to the Jewish people. JAKE SHARFMAN is a senior associate with Puder Public Relations, which handles public relations for Shavei Israel (shavei.org).

OBITUARIES

36 The Jewish Voice & Herald From Page 34 and Lea and many nieces and nephews. He was the brother of the late Barry Lipson. Contributions may be made to the charity of one’s choice.

Evelyn R. (Isserlis) Lowenstein, 94 PORTSMOUTH – Evelyn Lowenstein died June 2. She was the wife of the late Gerhard S. “Gerry” Lowenstein. Born in Providence on Nov. 21, 1918 to the late David and Elizabeth (Bloomberg) Isserlis, she lived in Fall River, Mass. before moving to Portsmouth. A talented pianist, she was part of the duo of “Shand and Lowenstein,” on radio in Fall River. An advertising sales executive for radio stations, she served on the Fall River and Massachusetts beautification commissions and was honored at the White House. She developed a method of kinesthetic art to help elderly patients draw and paint. She is survived by her sons Ronald J. Lowenstein and his wife Ronna of Newport, Elliot I. Lowenstein and his wife Pat of Coral Gables, Fla.; grandchildren Douglas A. and Jonathan S. Lowenstein, Mindy B. Kaufer and Kurt Moss; great-grandchildren Hailey, Jake and Caroline Lowenstein, Max and Sofia Kaufer, and several nieces and nephews. She was the sister of the late Milton Isserlis. Donations may be made to Home & Hospice Care of Rhode Island, 1055 North Main St., Providence RI 02904.

Dr. Lloyd N. Spindell, 88 SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. – Lloyd Spindell, of South Orange and Boca Raton, Fla., died May 16, 2013. Born in Providence, son of the late Simon and Jeanette Spindell, he

june 7, 2013

www.jvhri.org

graduated with honors from Brown University His college education was interrupted when he was drafted into the Army at age 18 during World War II. A combat medic, he was promoted to corporal and fought through France, Belgium, Luxemburg and into Germany, where he crawled across enemy terrain to administer first aid to a wounded soldier. He once used his knowledge of German to persuade Nazi soldiers to surrender. Awarded the Silver Star for gallantry in action as well as the Purple Heart, he wrote a poem about his wartime experiences, which was published in “Stars and Stripes” in 1945. In the 1950s, he developed a device for global positioning, which could freeing a pilot from needing to use radio frequency beacons from the ground, a precursor in concept to today’s GPS. A 1952 Tufts University School of Medicine graduate, he trained at Maimonides Hospital in Brooklyn and Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York City. A Fellow of the American College of Radiology, he also served as director of radiology at the Newark Beth Israel Hospital. A member of the Temple Beth Shalom in Livingston, N.J., he is survived by his wife of 60 years Marilyn, son Andrew, daughters Caryn Granofsky (Richard) and Stephanie Bleiweise (Dr. Ira), grandsons Jordan and Jason and a brother, Dr. Edward Spindell (Judith), of Providence.

In Senate, Lautenberg maintained commitment to the Jewish community By Ron Kampeas

WASHINGTON (JTA) – In 1982, Frank Lautenberg was running for New Jersey’s U.S. Senate spot at a time when Democrats in the state were down on their political fortunes. The Jewish community knew and liked Lautenberg, a data processing magnate who died Monday at 89 after serving more than 30 years in Washington. Lautenberg had been chairman of the United Jewish Appeal in the previous decade and turned the charity around during a parlous economy. “He didn’t forget his Jewish involvement,” said Mark Levin, director of NCSJ, formerly the National Council of Soviet Jewry. “He became one of the leading advocates for Jews in the Soviet Union. Those closest to Lautenberg said the law that had the most meaning for him was the one that bears his name. The Lautenberg Amendment, passed in October 1989, facilitated the emigration of Soviet Jews by relaxing the stringent standards for refugee status, granting immigrant status to those who could show religious persecution in their native lands. The law “fundamentally changed the face of the American Jewish community,” Levin said, noting that it resulted in the emigration of hundreds of thousands of former Soviet Jews to these shores. An amendment authored by Lautenberg to the immigration overhaul now under consideration in Congress would allow the president to fund the Lautenberg provisions without congressional approval.

U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg The amendment was part of a package approved last month by the Judiciary Committee, and the odds are that the full bill will pass. Lautenberg grew up in Paterson, N.J., the son of poor Jewish immigrants from Poland and Russia. He liked to say his parents “could not pass on valuables, but left me a legacy of values,” according to a release from his office. He served in the U.S. Army Signal Corps in World War II and then earned a degree in economics at Columbia University through the G.I. Bill. He started Automatic Data Processing and built it into the largest data processing firm in the world by 1974. His Senate career was marked both by unflinching liberalism and his reputation for integrity. Lautenberg became the Senate’s leading advocate of public safety, writing laws that improved standards for clean coastal waters and tripled li-

ability for oil spills. In 1968, he founded the Lautenberg Center for Immunology and Cancer Research at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He launched crusades for safer conduct on the roads and rails and in the air. The last World War II veteran in Congress, Lautenberg also led passage of the “G.I. Bill for the 21st Century,” extending education benefits to veterans of the post-Sept. 11 wars. He was a lead champion of women’s rights, advancing laws mandating sex education and keeping pharmacists from invoking religious beliefs in order to deny service to women seeking birth control medications. At the time of his death, Lautenberg was pushing hard on a number of reproductive issues, including repealing the law banning funding for groups overseas that provide abortions and extending abortion rights to women serving in the military overseas. Lautenberg gave prodigiously to Israel and was its champion in the Senate. But he also was outspoken in criticizing the state when he thought it erred, said Rabbi David Saperstein, director of the Reform movement’s Religious Action Center. “Despite his firebrand reputation, Lautenberg was avuncular in person. Jewish staffers on Capitol Hill called him “zayde,” Yiddish for “grandfather,” recalled Rabbi Levi Shemtov, director of American Friends of Lubavitch. Lautenberg was a regular at holiday events, and if he noted Jewish officials in the halls, he would stop and chat.

The Jewish Voice & Herald

COMMUNITY www.jvhri.org

june 7, 2013

Early Childhood Center holds first art show

PROVIDENCE – A collection of works by some of our community’s youngest artists – children ages 3, 4 and 5 who attend the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island’s Early Childhood Center is on display at gallery (401) at the Alliance. The show opened with a reception on Thursday, May 30 and

closed June 5. Artist and teacher Laura Mernoff began working with the children in September 2012 to develop a multimedia presentation, which incorporates works made of canvas, wood and clay. Art classes at the ECC are held for an hour each afternoon. The large canvasses are for

sale, though individual pieces are not. Another show is already planned for next spring. FOR MORE INFORMATION: Nicole Katzman (nkatzman@ shalomri.org or 421-4111, ext. 180), director of ECC.

PHOTOS | Wendy Joering

At the opening reception, Lila Stone, left, stands with her friend Eva Joering in front of the painting Lila made of the two of them.

Nicole Katzman

Some of the artwork done by Early Childhood Center students is on display at gallery (401).

Shoe confusion

PROVIDENCE – Do you know which member of our Jewish community was recently seen wearing two different shoes … at the same time? The first person to identify this woman by calling Nancy Kirsch, executive editor, at 421-4111, ext. 168 will win the paper’s first “Astute and Observant Award.” We know whose feet are pictured here … but do you?

A young artist at the ECC demonstrates his developing artistic skills.

SIMCHAS

38 The Jewish Voice & Herald

june 7, 2013

www.jvhri.org

MEL BLAKE

SCHOLARSHIP – Bennett George Schiff receives a Temple Beth-El Brotherhood college scholarship from Brotherhood President John Catania, center, and Men of Reform Judaism Past President Stuart Aaronson.

Carmi Mandel

TEFILLIN CEREMONY – Carmi Mandel, son of Rabbi Marc and Jackie Mandel, of Touro Synagogue, had his tefillin ceremony at Touro on April 28, which was also Lag Ba’Omer. This ceremony happens before a boy becomes a bar mitzvah and helps him become more familiar with putting on tefillin.

Nathan Japhet AWARD – Nathan Japhet, a 2004 graduate of Providence Hebrew Day School and a 2008 graduate of Maimonides, won the “Samuel and Emily Granet Lemler Memorial Award for Excellence in Pre-Med” and the “Ya’akov Yehuda Nirenstein Memorial Award for Excellence in Hebrew Language,” both from Yeshiva University. Nathan will graduate this month from Yeshiva University with a B.S. in biology and plans to make aliyah in the fall.

Peter Shore

MEL BLAKE

AWARD – Rabbi Sarah Mack receives the Brotherhood of Temple Beth-El 2013 Charles Lindenbaum Person of the Year Award from Brotherhood President Barry Jay Schiff on May 11.

MEL BLAKE

SCHOLARSHIP – Peter Shore accepts a Temple Beth-El Brotherhood college scholarship on behalf of his daughter Heather Shore on May 11.

MEL BLAKE

SCHOLARSHIP – Emily Katz receives a Temple Beth-El Brotherhood college scholarship from sponsor Leonard Mandell, left, and Men of Reform Judaism Past President Stuart Aaronson on May 11.

The Jewish Voice & Herald

june 7, 2013 www.jvhri.org

40 The Jewish Voice & Herald

Marilyn and Michael Smith CELEBRATIONS – Ida and Tom Brown, of Hopatcong, N.J., and formerly of Rhode Island, celebrated their 22nd anniversary with three generations of the Eisenstadt family in Columbia, S.C. Dorothy Eisenstadt, formerly of Bristol, will celebrate her 89th birthday later this year. Terri and Carl Eisenstadt will celebrate their 30th anniversary in October and their daughter Emily graduated with honors from Wofford College earlier this month.

ARE READ SIMCHAS | WE

june 7, 2013

www.jvhri.org

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – After attending a family wedding in Minneapolis, Marilyn and Michael Smith of Warwick visited several venues, among them Byerly’s, a gourmet supermarket, which has an enormous kosher food section. The Jewish population in the greater Minneapolis area is about three times the size of the Jewish population in all of Rhode Island.

Dorothy Eisenstadt, front left, Terri and Carl Eisenstadt (behind Dorothy), Emily Eistenstadt, center, and Ida and Tom Brown.

PRESIDENTIAL SCHOLAR – Wheeler School senior Max Saccone, a son of Dr. Tony Saccone and Dr. Susan Dickstein of Providence, was named one of two U.S. Presidential Scholars from Rhode Island. The White House Commission on Presidential Scholars selects honored scholars annually based on their academic success, artistic excellence, essays, school evaluations and transcripts, as well as evidence of community service, leadership, and demonstrated commitment to high ideals. Of the three million students expected to graduate from high school this year, more than 3,300 candidates qualified for the 2013 awards determined by outstanding performance on College Max Saccone Board SAT and ACT exams. The 2013 U.S. Presidential Scholars are comprised of one young man and one young woman from each state, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, and from U.S. families living abroad, as well as 15 chosen at-large and 20 U.S. Presidential Scholars in the Arts. The 2013 ceremony will be held June 16, when each honoree will receive a Presidential Scholar Medallion. Saccone will enter Dartmouth College as a Thayer Scholar in Engineering this fall.

Joseph Chazan, M.D.

AWARD – Joseph A. Chazan, M.D., of Providence, will receive the 2013 Pell Award for Outstanding Leadership in the Arts, at the 2013 Pell Awards at Trinity Repertory Company on Monday, June 10. Chazan is being recognized for his longtime contributions to, and support of, local artists and artisans. The Pell Awards were established in 1997 to honor (the now-deceased) U.S. Senator Claiborne Pell, a Democrat from Rhode Island and a principal founder of the National Endowment for the Arts.

June 7, 2013 JVH

Published on Jun 6, 2013

June 7, 2013 Jewish Voice & Herald

jvhri

Similar to

Popular now

Just for you

Go explore