February 2022 by Jewish Rhode Island

The Voice of Greater Rhode Island’s Jewish Community

FEBRUARY 2022 | ADAR I 5782

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Keep up with those connections AS I SIT DOWN to write this column, Rhode Island is in the midst of a blizzard, the first in a number of years. The pre-storm hype had whipped our friends and neighbors into a frenzy. Grocery stores were packed and my neighborhood gas station had a line of cars waiting to fill up. Preparation is important, but staying connected always wins out, I’ve learned from my years of living in a variety of snowy states. In this season of winter worries, COVID-19 variants and security fears, we naturally gravitate toward family and friends. It’s so important to stay in touch with those we love, near and far. I’m going to let you in on the latest way my family is staying in touch: Wordle. In case you’ve managed to avoid the newest craze in online puzzles, Wordle is easy to explain: players get six chances to guess a randomly selected five-letter word. Each time you enter a word on the grid-like board, you get a hint about the letters and their placement. There’s only one puzzle each day, and it’s easy to share your results because, at the end, there’s a convenient “share” button. The number of people playing Wordle varies according to which report you access. At the beginning of January, the New York Times reported more than 300,000 people playing daily. By mid-January, that number had increased to at least 2 million, according to other reports. Wordle was developed in October by Brooklyn, New York, software engineer Josh Wardle for his partner. According to reports, he never intended for it to go viral like it did. He makes no money from the game, he says, and it has no ads. It’s only available online. According to a recent Morning Consult poll, as many as 14% of Americans play Wordle and 59% share their results on social media. Millennials play more often than any

other generation (26%), followed by Gen Z (18%), Gen X (9%) and baby boomers (5%). How does this relate to my family? We are in all age groups and many of us are playing. We don’t share on social media, but we are sharing in a text message group, and it’s become very competitive. And it’s a source of support and connection when many of us are still at home. Everyone plays at a different time of day, and if we don’t hear from one or the other by a particular time, there is some concern. My brother is an early riser. Often, we get his Wordle share by 5 a.m. One day last month, we didn’t hear from him. Everyone was concerned and the messages started flying. All was well, he just had another commitment. But you get the idea. Wordle has become another, regular method of checking in during a time when we might otherwise become disconnected. Some might roll their eyes at the mention of Wordle, but it’s been a calming influence and a diversion in the past several weeks, in the face of frustrating news. These days, we all need an outlet for relaxation, as well as a way to exercise our brains. When I feel my levels of frustration rising, I step back and realize that I am blessed to have a roof over my head, food to share and a forum to share my thoughts. Whether you try a word game like Wordle, read a good book or take a walk, find an outlet for relaxation. And remember to check in with friends and family.

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EDITOR’S NOTE: A couple of days after I wrote this, Wordle was sold to the New York Times. So, the game that created a COVID-19 distraction for many and helped my family stay in touch will now be managed by the Times, which has a hugely popular games section. Fran Ostendorf, Editor

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ALL SUBMITTED CONTENT becomes the property of Jewish Rhode Island. Announcements and opinions contained in these pages are published as a service to the community and do not necessarily represent the views of Jewish Rhode Island or its publisher, the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island. We reserve the right to refuse publication and edit submitted content. ON THE COVER: Camp JORI 2021 fun. PHOTO | GLENN OSMUNDSON

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UP FRONT

Jim Rawl

PHOTO | ROBERT ISENBERG

Jim Rawl sets up camp at Dwares JCC BY ROBERT ISENBERG

ere are some facts about Jim Rawl, the new director of School-Age Programs at the Alliance’s Dwares Jewish Community Center: he can play the ukulele;

he briefly lived in the Philippines; he was a competitive swimmer for 15 years; he was recently granted dual citizenship by Hungary; he remotely interviewed for his new job while he was making his way through Costa Rica, where he had just gone scuba-diving with bull sharks. UNLESS YOU ASKED, you might never learn these facts about Rawl, who is a man of few words. Despite his eventful 33 years, he is the last person to brag about his many achievements. He wears an expression of Zen calm,

and burns little time on small talk. At work, only one task seems vitally important to Rawl: to nurture the afterschool and camp kids who come through his door. “I had nieces and nephews, starting in high

school,” Rawl said. “I realized I liked kids, so I decided to go the teaching route. “After undergrad, I decided to do youth development work, like I’m doing now. I figured I can make a big impact on children’s lives.” Rawl grew up near Youngstown, Ohio, along with his brother and two sisters. His father worked in finance and his mother was a homemaker. His family was not particularly religious, but Rawl grew up knowing that his paternal grandfather was a Holocaust survivor. After the war, his grandfather emigrated from Hungary to New York to begin his life afresh.

“I know that had a big impact on me,” Rawl says. “That definitely strengthened our Jewish identity.” Rawl originally wanted to study ethnomusicology, which analyzes the relationship between music and culture, but job prospects in that field seemed limited. Instead, he earned a bachelor’s degree in early and middlec childhood studies from Ohio State University. In addition to his studies, Rawl became a swim coach, building the school’s team from six laid-back members to more than 50 competitive swimmers. He also found time to join a ukulele club, where he occasionally performed.

But Rawl still had anthropological interests, so he moved to Brattleboro, Vermont, to pursue a master’s degree in intercultural service, leadership, and management from the School for International Training. He honed a variety of skills there, from nonprofit management to conflict resolution. At that point, things got complicated for Rawl. He had long planned to join the Peace Corps, but his initial attempt to volunteer in Fiji didn’t work out. Then he signed up for a stint in the Philippines, to help find peaceful solutions to the violent Filipino drug war. He CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

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Camps have never been more crucial as a joyous sanctuary for our kids

D’ VA

OUR SAGES TEACH another grim milestone in MiSheNichnas Adar Marbin the pandemic, we must seek B’Simcha (Ta’anit 29a), to na’afoch hu. We must find “when the month of Adar a way to turn our mourning begins, one increases into dancing (Psalms 30:11). rejoicing.” In doing so, we will realIt may seem counterinize the words of our sages, tuitive to say this when, for MiSheNichnas Adar Marbin many of us, the Purim holiB’Simcha. day this year (beginWhat could be more ning the evening of Jewish than seeking March 16) cointo increase joy in cides with the a time of sorrow? anniversary The Psalmist of the first wrote, “those major COVIDwho sow in tears 19 lockdowns will reap in joy in the United (126:5).” States. Of the many Purim 5780 populations in our RABBI (March 9-10, 2020) community that PRESTON have sown in tears remains etched in my mind as the last communal NEIMEISER throughout these celebration before the virus pandemic years, turned my whole world there are perhaps none as in upside-down. need of a joyous reaping than Na’afoch hu, “it was turned our children. upside down,” a phrase that At the Rabbi Leslie Yale comes from the first verse of Gutterman Religious School, the ninth chapter of Megillat and elsewhere in our commuEsther, is both a reminder nity, we have made valiant and an invitation. and important efforts to supWe are reminded that, in port our children through the critical moment, when this tumultuous time. We the enemies of the Jews also recognize that there is sought to destroy them, the only so much we can do. opposite happened. We are Our children have endured invited to employ a simitoo much. Our children have lar sort of inversion in our missed too many critical Purim celebration, to flout moments and experiences. expectations and conventions But, for so many of them, in favor of unadulterated joy. even as pandemic waves So, as we encounter washed over us, camp was

TO R A H

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4 settled in, preparing himself for 27 months of intensive community work. Rawl’s ad hoc title was youth development facilitator, with “youth” referring to people 15 to 30 years old. The work would also serve as a practicum and research opportunity, which he needed to finish his graduate studies. “It was going really well,” Rawl recalled. “My job was … to go in the back doors [of local organizations] and work with professionals, trying to get people off drugs. It was definitely really memorable, that’s for sure.” But six weeks into the job, Rawl became seriously ill, and he returned to the United States. Back home with his parents, Rawl still needed to fulfill his practicum. He landed a

the life-preserver that kept their heads above water. Camp builds resilience and increases joy. Jewish summer camp is particularly important in identity formulation for our young people. Ten years ago, the Foundation for Jewish Camp reported that about 70% of Jewish leaders and communal professionals had attended Jewish overnight summer camp. I can personally attest that camp was intrinsic to my formation as a Jew and a leader. Camp can be a sanctuary in a storm. It is a sanctuary that every child deserves; this summer, they deserve to reap in joy. But we must be the ones who sow for their sake. In Parashah Terumah, God instructs Moses: Va’Asu Li Mikdash V’Shachanti B’Tocham (Exodus 25:8), “Let them make Me a sanctuary, that I might dwell among them.” But the building of the Mikdash, the Israelites’ portable Tabernacle, is just like the building of any sanctuary – it requires a fully engaged communal effort. Moses took donations, large and small, from all whose heart so moved them. The Israelites gave of themselves, each according to their own abilities. Some-

times the gift was monetary, but not exclusively. The word terumah, says Rashi, occurs three times in the beginning of the parashah to indicate that the people made three kinds of offerings to support the various functions of the Tabernacle. They gave goods, time and money, all for the sake of their community. Terumah, often translated as an “offering” or “donation,” connotes a sort of giving that is more than a means to an end. The root of the word (reish, vav, mem) implies elevation, because the gifts the Israelites gave for the Mikdash raised up the entirety of the community. If we build camps as a sanctuary, our children will enjoy physical and psychological benefits that will raise up our entire community. Camp increases joy and camp increases well-being. We can create a fitting dwelling place for God, and, if we do, God will repay us in kind. But it takes all of us. This year, we are blessed with 60 days of Adar to increase joy in our community. But, in order to reap, we must sow. In order to build a fitting sanctuary for God in this community, each one of us must con-

position as youth development and tended to sea turtle eggs “Everybody’s really director and aquatics director with local environmentalfriendly and supportive and ists, among other activities, at Altru Family YMCA, in always willing to help,” he including looking for work. Grand Forks, North Dakota. said. “That’s something Rawl found the camp direcHe finished his final research that stands out. Whatever tor position at the Dwares paper and continued to work resources I require for an JCC online, and he interat the YMCA for two years, activity, I’m allowed to get. until the It’s been pretty arrival of open, and I’m When the pandemic appeared to be COVIDallowed to grow 19 in the program as I subsiding in 2021, he decided to travel to the U.S., in see fit. I like that 2020. Like a lot.” Central America, where he backpacked thousands For the past few of other months, Rawl has through Belize, Guatemala and Costa Rica. been focused on nonprofit employees, running J-Space viewed from a computer in Rawl was laid off. and J-Cation Camp, extracurCosta Rica. When he returned For eight months, Rawl ricular programs for schoolhome to Ohio, he learned that applied for new jobs, but children. He has also started he’d been offered the job. nothing materialized. When teaching religious school at Two weeks later, Rawl the pandemic appeared to be Temple Emanu-El. arrived in Providence, ready subsiding in 2021, he decided Rawl has aspirations to to begin his new life in a state, to travel to Central America, participate in the national and a workplace, he had never where he backpacked through JCC Maccabi Games, and he even visited. Belize, Guatemala and Costa would like to get involved in Rawl said he quickly Rica. He also went diving the March of the Living, when warmed up to the JCC.

tribute. May we do so intentionally, for the sake of the generations to come. Let us all give of ourselves for the sake of the children in our community, to ensure that any child who wants to go to camp this summer has an opportunity to do so. PRESTON NEIMEISER is a rabbi at Temple Beth-El, in Providence.

February 2022 Candle lighting times

Greater Rhode Island Feb. 4

4:45 pm

Feb. 11

4:53 pm

Feb. 18

5:02 pm

Feb. 25

5:11 pm

COVID is under control. In the meantime, he is busy planning this summer’s J-Camp, mapping out activities and enlisting new counselors. “It’s my job to restart everything. COVID broke down a lot of things,” Rawl said. “I just want to make sure it’s well-rounded: have sports, an outdoors section, learn about cultures, do music, art, STEM. Help the kids grow into well-rounded people.” He gives a chuckle. “And have fun, too, of course,” he adds. ROBERT ISENBERG (risenberg@ jewishallianceri.org) is the multimedia producer for the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island.

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CALENDAR HIGHLIGHTS FOR COMPLETE MONTHLY LISTINGS, VISIT JEWISHRHODY.ORG

Ongoing

Kosher Senior Café and Programming. In-person lunches 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Monday – Thursday at the Dwares JCC, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence; Friday at Temple Sinai, 30 Hagen Ave., Cranston. In-person and Zoom programming includes “Exercise for Everyone” with exercise science professional Laura Goodwin on Monday and Wednesday from 11-11:45 a.m. and chair yoga on Tuesday and Thursday from 11:30 a.m.-noon followed by lunch and a guest speaker or discussion from noon-1 p.m. The second Tuesday of the month is “Susie’s Corner” with Susie Adler from noon-1 p.m. The third Thursday of the month is a book chat with Neal Drobnis from noon-1 p.m. Suggested donation: $3 per lunch for 60 and older and younger adults with a disability. Others may purchase a meal for $6.50. Information and RSVP, Neal Drobnis at neal@ jfsri.org or 401-421-4111, ext. 107. Project Shoresh Ladies Partners in Torah Night. Sunday 7:45-8:45 p.m. Providence Hebrew Day School, 450 Elmgrove Ave., Providence. Partner-based study group. On-site facilitators available. Free. Information, Naftali Karp at naftalikarp@gmail.com or 401-6323165. Advanced Beginner and Intermediate Conversational Hebrew Classes. Monday 7-8 p.m. thru 3/7; no class 2/21. Improve speaking skills. Sponsored by Temple Emanu-El and the Jewish Alliance. Offered via Zoom only. Cost: $100 per person. Information, Toby Liebowitz at tobyaane@gmail.com. Temple Torat Yisrael Men’s Club Game Night. Monday 6-8 p.m. thru 2/14. 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich. Table tennis and card games. Information, Temple@ toratyisrael.org. Beginner and Advanced Conversational Hebrew Classes. Tuesday 7-8 p.m. thru 3/8; no class 2/22. Improve speaking skills. Sponsored by Temple Emanu-El and the Jewish Alliance. Offered via Zoom only. Cost: $100 per person. Information, Toby Liebowitz at tobyaane@gmail.com.

Project Shoresh: For Young Professionals – A Walk Through Torah. Tuesday 7-8 p.m. 132 Lancaster St., Providence. Explore the Five Books of Moses with Rabbi Chaim Yehuda and Guta Shaps. RSVP (requested but not required) or information, text or call Rabbi Shaps at 732-822-0028. Temple Habonim “The Wisdom’s Literature.” Wednesday 11 a.m.-noon. Study texts found in the Writings, the final section of the Hebrew Bible. These provocative texts offer perspectives on our relationship with God and the meaning and purpose of our lives. Via Zoom. Information, Adina Davies at office@templehabonim.org or 401-245-6536. Project Shoresh Men’s Partners in Torah Night. Wednesday 7:45-8:45 p.m. Providence Hebrew Day School, 450 Elmgrove Ave., Providence. Partner-based study group. On-site facilitators available. Free. Information, Naftali Karp at naftalikarp@gmail.com or 401-6323165. Temple Habonim Lunch and Learn via Zoom. Thursday noon-1:30 p.m. Weekly Torah discussion with Rabbi Howard Voss-Altman. No Hebrew fluency or background in Jewish textual analysis needed. Free. Information, Adina Davies at office@ templehabonim.org or 401-2456536. Delve Deeper: “The Jews of Italy.” Thursday 7:30-9:30 p.m. thru 4/7. No class: 2/10, 2/17. Explore via Zoom the special position of Jews in Italy from the Roman Empire until the Holocaust. Instructor: Dana W. Fishkin, Ph.D., Associate Professor of History & Humanities at Touro’s Graduate School of Jewish Studies in NYC. Cost: $250. Information, Morty Miller at mortymiller1945@gmail. com. Project Shoresh presents “Jew in 2022: Exploring a Meaningful Life” with Rabbi Eli Kasirer. Thursday 8-9 p.m. Providence Hebrew Day School, 450 Elmgrove Ave., Providence. Rabbi Moshe Don Kestenbaum’s book “Olam

Business Disputes

Ha’avodah – A guide to understanding and achieving our purpose in this world” will be the basis for discussions. Information, Naftali Karp at naftalikarp@gmail.com or 401-632-3165. Music with Raymond Buttero via Zoom. Friday 3 p.m. Temple Sinai’s pianist performs. Link at templesinairi.org. Information, dottie@ templesinairi.org or 401-942-8350. Temple Sinai Shabbat Services. Friday 6 p.m. 30 Hagen Ave., Cranston. Song, prayer and reflection in-person or on Zoom. With Rabbi Jeffrey Goldwasser and Cantor Deborah Johnson. Link at templesinairi.org. Information, dottie@ templesinairi.org or 401-942-8350. Project Shoresh Lively Kabbalat Shabbat. Fridays. Services will begin at the commencement of Shabbat. Check for exact timing each week. Providence Hebrew Day School (side entrance), 450 Elmgrove Ave., Providence. Welcome Shabbat with inspiring words, melodious songs and traditional services. Open to all. Information, Naftali Karp at naftalikarp@gmail. com or 401-632-3165. Temple Torat Yisrael Virtual Kabbalat Shabbat Songs & Torah Services. 5:45-6:30 p.m. Led by Rabbi Aaron Philmus. For information or Zoom link, Temple@toratyisrael.org. Cape Cod Synagogue Shabbat Services. Friday 7 p.m., except second Friday of the month 6:30 p.m., when Family Shabbat Services take place. 145 Winter St., Hyannis, Mass. With Rabbi David Freelund. In-person and livestreamed on website, Facebook, Cape Media, YouTube and Community Television Comcast channel 99. In-person for all ages with mask – proof of vaccination needed for those old enough to have been vaccinated. Information, 508-775-2988 or capecodsynagogue.org. Temple Beth-El Torah Study. Saturday 9-10 a.m. (No Torah Study second Saturday of the month.) 70 Orchard Ave., Providence. Delve into the weekly portion with Rabbi Sarah Mack and Rabbi Preston Neimeiser. In-person or via Zoom. Information, Joie Magnone at jmagnone@temple-beth-el.org or 401-331-6070, ext. 100. Temple Beth-El Shabbat Morning Service. Second Saturday of the month 9-10:30 a.m. 70 Orchard Ave., Providence. Shabbat morning minyan with lay participation incorporating study, Torah and Haftarah readings. In-person or livestreamed through webpage or on Facebook. Information, Joie Magnone at

jmagnone@temple-beth-el.org or 401-331-6070, ext. 100. Temple Torat Yisrael Virtual and In-Person Shabbat Services. Saturday 9:30-10:30 a.m. 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich. Led by Rabbi Aaron Philmus. Information or Zoom link, Temple@toratyisrael. org. Temple Sinai Shabbat Breakfast & Torah Study In-person and via Zoom. Saturday 9:30-11 a.m. Temple Sinai, 30 Hagen Ave., Cranston. Breakfast followed by interactive discussion with Rabbi Jeffrey Goldwasser or others in our community. Zoom link at templesinairi.org. Information, dottie@ templesinairi.org or 401-942-8350. Temple Habonim Torah Study. Saturday 10-11 a.m. Rabbi Howard Voss-Altman leads weekly Torah study. Via Zoom. Information, Adina Davies at office@templehabonim. org or 401-245-6536. Cape Cod Synagogue Shabbat Services. Saturday 10:30 a.m. 145 Winter St., Hyannis, Mass. With Rabbi David Freelund. In-person and livestreamed on multiple platforms. Services are in-person with proof of vaccination; must wear a mask. Services also available on our website, Facebook and YouTube. Information, Cape Cod Synagogue at 508-775-2988 or capecodsynagogue.org. Temple Sinai Shabbat Morning Service In-person and via Zoom. Saturday 11 a.m. (10:30 a.m. when celebrating a Bar or Bat Mitzvah)-noon. Temple Sinai, 30 Hagen Ave., Cranston. Information, templesinairi.org or Dottie at 401942-8350.

Friday | February 4

Temple Habonim Tot Shabbat. 6-6:30 p.m. 165 New Meadow Road, Barrington. Interactive service designed for families with young children. Music, story and prayer. Join us in person without RSVP. Information, Adina Davies at office@templehabonim.org or 401245-6536. Project Shoresh Community Shabbat Dinner. 6:30 p.m. Providence Hebrew Day School, 450 Elmgrove Ave., Providence. Join for a beautiful Shabbos evening. Information or RSVP, projectshoresh. com or Avigayil at avigayilps@gmail. com.

Sunday | February 6

Temple Habonim Cooks! 3:30 p.m. Chef Marissa Joinson will make Vegetarian Stuffed Squash. Marissa brings experience from almost 30

years in the food industry (mostly cooking). In 2008, she founded The Intuitive Kitchen, a fun and healthy, family-friendly cooking instruction and catering business. Via Zoom. Information or RSVP, office@templehabonim.org.

Tuesday | February 8

Graphic Novel Club for Teens. 6 p.m. Group meets the 2nd Tuesday of each month through May. This meeting will feature a discussion of “The Magic Fish” by Trung Le Nguyen. Via Zoom. Information, Amit Oren at aoren@jewishallianceri.org or 401-864-3786.

Wednesday | February 9

Israeli Culture Series presents “Israel: A Look at the Start-Up Nation.” 7-8:15 p.m. Nadav Kidron, CEO and director of Oramed Pharmaceuticals, will discuss Israeli innovation and Israeli research concerning COVID-19. Explore how Israeli culture and circumstance have led to tremendous influence from such a small country. Via Zoom. Free. Information, Amit Oren at aoren@jewishallianceri.org.

Thursday | February 10

Temple Beth-El Lunch & Learn: Jews, Jazz & Jewish Jazz. Noon-1 p.m. Virtual journey learning about the Jewish influence on jazz music. Led by Cantor Judith Seplowin. Registration and information, Temple Beth-El at 401-331-6070. Core Connects RI presents “Reclaiming Intimacy. Back to the Honeymoon.” 8-9:15 p.m. Discover how to create lasting intimacy in relationships and marriages. Presented by Rochel Goldbaum. For females of all ages and affiliations, whether married, in a relationship or not. $18 suggested donation. Information and RSVP, coreconnectsri.com or Elissa Felder at CoreConnectsRI@gmail.com or 401-241-9631.

Friday | February 11

Temple Beth-El K’tantan Shabbat with PJ Library. 5:30-6:45 p.m. 70 Orchard Ave., Providence. Celebrate Shabbat with children ages 0-5 with a family-friendly Kabbalat Shabbat service and dinner with PJ Library. Information, Rachel Mersky Woda at rmerskywoda@ temple-beth-el.org or 401-3316070, ext. 107. Temple Beth-El Shabbat Service. 7-8 p.m. 70 Orchard Ave., Providence. Join in-person in the Chapel, via Zoom or on Facebook Live. Information, Joie Magnone at jmagnone@temple-beth-el.org or 401-331-6070, ext. 100.

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CALENDAR Saturday | February 12

Temple Beth-El Shabbat Service. 9-10 a.m. 70 Orchard Ave., Providence. Shabbat morning minyan with lay participation incorporating study, Torah and Haftarah readings. Join in-person or via Zoom. Information, Joie Magnone at jmagnone@temple-beth-el.org or 401-331-6070, ext. 100.

Sunday | February 13

Congregation Beth David Story Time and Crafts with PJ Library. 9:45 a.m. 102 Kingstown Road, Narragansett. Explore a variety of PJ Library books and participate in crafts and games. Free. Synagogue membership not required. For ages 2-8. Information, Amanda Stevens at greenspan.amanda@gmail.com. Behind the Book and PJ Library present: “I Am Not a Dog Toy.” 10 a.m. Interactive storytelling of Ethan Berlin’s hilarious and sweet picture book. Followed by a Q&A session with the main character, Bear, to learn what goes into making a good friendship. For ages 2-5. Via Zoom. Free. Information, Lyndsey Ursillo at lursillo@jewishallianceri.org. Shared Society in Israel: The

Journey from Ethiopia to Afula-Gilboa, Israel. 11 a.m. Virtual tour of Jewish communal life in Ethiopia and Israel, guided by representatives from the Ethiopian community and the absorption center in the Afula-Gilboa area. Followed by panel discussion. Free. Information, Larry Katz at lkatz@ jewishallianceri.org or 401-4214111, ext. 179 or Stephanie Hague at shague@jewishallianceri.org or 401-421-4111, ext. 127.

Wednesday | February 16

Jewish Community Security Refresher. 6-7:30 p.m. Steve Cileli of Lock-It Down Consulting will lead this brief refresher on security with time for general questions. Via Zoom. Free. Open to the community. Pre-registration required. Information, registration or arranging an on-site training, Napoleon Brito at nbrito@jewishallianceri.org.

Friday | February 18

Temple Torat Yisrael TGIS Musical Family Shabbat. 5-5:30 p.m. Virtual musical service led by Rabbi Aaron Philmus. Information and Zoom link, Temple@toratyisrael.org. Temple Beth-El Shabbat Hallelu Service. 6:30-8 p.m. 70 Orchard

Ave., Providence. In-person hors d’oeuvres followed by multi-access musical Shabbat featuring Temple Beth-El musicians and a short D’var Torah. 7 p.m. Service offered in-person, via Zoom or on Facebook Live. Information, Joie Magnone at jmagnone@temple-beth-el.org or 401-331-6070, ext. 100.

Tuesday | February 22

PHDS Building Campaign Matched Call-a-thon. Noon 2/22-9 p.m. 2/23. Providence Hebrew Day School will be calling donors and friends for 33 hours to help complete the final phase of the Sargent Ave. renovation. Every donation will be matched. Information or to schedule a building tour, Rabbi Peretz Scheinerman at 401-4905150.

Wednesday | February 23

Jewish Disability Advocacy Day Opening Ceremony: Breaking Down Barriers. 7 p.m. Remarkable community members living with disabilities will share their personal stories of challenges faced – and overcome. Frontline representatives will share examples of the life-improving impact that Jewish Federations and partner organizations have on the daily lives of people living with disabilities. Via Zoom.

Information, jewishtogether.org. Core Connects RI Virtual Book Group: “Option B” by Sheryl Sandberg and Adam Grant. 7:30 p.m. From Facebook’s COO and Wharton’s top-rated professor, “Option B” is a powerful, inspiring and practical book about building resilience and moving forward after life’s inevitable setbacks. Via Zoom. Information and RSVP, coreconnectsri.com or Elissa Felder at CoreConnectsRI@gmail.com or 401-241-9631.

Thursday | February 24

Temple Beth-El Lunch & Learn: Inspiring Texts. Noon-1 p.m. Delve into inspiring texts with Rabbis Sarah Mack and Preston Neimeiser. Via Zoom. Information, Joie Magnone at jmagnone@temple-beth-el. org or 401-331-6070, ext. 100. Jewish Disability Advocacy Day: Making Change. 1-4 p.m. Hear from leading members of congress, disability advocacy champions and experts who will help you to better understand the obstacles to inclusion. Get tools and coaching to advocate for disability rights. Via Zoom. Information, jewishtogether.org.

Friday | February 25

Temple Beth-El Shabbat Service. 7-8 p.m. 70 Orchard Ave., Providence. Worship in-person in the Chapel, via Zoom or on Facebook Live. Information, Joie Magnone at jmagnone@temple-beth-el.org or 401-331-6070, ext. 100.

Sunday | February 27

Day at the J! 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Dwares JCC, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence. A day filled with activities including PJ Library stories and crafts, family swim (pre-registration required), group exercise classes, open gym, a gardening workshop, partner open house (see below) and Israeli films. Masks required. Free. Open to all. Information, Michelle Cicchitelli at mcicchitelli@jewishallianceri.org. Partner Open House, 1-3 p.m. Dwares JCC, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence. Learn about Jewish community offerings, from day school education to summer camp registration, social service options to party room rentals and Dwares JCC membership. Participating partners along with the Alliance include Jewish Collaborative Services, JCDSRI, PDHS, Bornstein Holocaust Education Center and Camp JORI. Information, Jennifer Zwirn at jzwirn@jewishallianceri.org.

Behind the Book a visiting author series

I Am Not a Dog Toy* with Ethan Berlin February 13, 10:00am

Nevergreen with Andrew Pessin March 24, 7:00pm

Florence Adler Swims Forever with Rachel Beanland April 3, 4:00pm

And A Cat From Carmel Market* with Alyssa Satin Capucilli May 5, 6:00pm

Beautiful Country with Qian Julie Wang | May 16, 6:30pm Qian Julie was born in Shijiazhuang, China. At age 7, she moved to Brooklyn, New York, with her parents. For five years thereafter, the three lived in the shadows of undocumented life in New York City. Qian Julie’s first book is a poignant literary memoir that follows the family through those years, as they grappled with poverty, manual labor in sweatshops, lack of access to medical care, and the perpetual threat of deportation. This event is made possible by a partnership with the Jewish Book Council, and sponsored by the Jewish Alliance’s Community Relations Council and the Interfaith Coalition of Rhode Island.

To learn more about the books and authors featured in this series, and to sign up, visit jewishallianceri.org/behind-the-book/ or scan here using your smart phone This series is in partnership with the Jewish Book Council, with select events sponsored by PJ Library*

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Jewish Rhode Island | jewishrhody.org

FOOD

Mandelbrot, the Jewish biscotti BY LISA MAYBRUCH WHO DOESN’T LOVE a good cookie, especially one that holds up to a dunk in a hot cup of coffee or tastes great with a glass of cold milk? Mandelbrot (pronounced mandelbread), otherwise known as the extended relative of biscotti, is a twice-baked cookie that my entire family enjoys. But it was just recently that I acquired a taste for these crunchy treats. I’m very particular when it comes to the texture of my cookies, and I usually prefer a soft, chewy center. However, the older I get, the more I enjoy a simple cookie, like shortbread or these mandelbrot. This treat can be enjoyed any time of year, but winter is the perfect time to get cozy with some tea, coffee or cocoa and a slice of mandelbrot. According to my internet research, the origin of these cookies is unclear, but they date back to the early 19th century and have long been a staple dessert for Ashkenazi Jews. If you scour the internet or cookbooks to find the perfect recipe, you’ll come to realize that in

almost all of them, the base ingredients are identical. Once you find the just the right ratio of flour, sugar, eggs and oil, the result will be perfect, stable cookies. Then, you can go wild with any add-ins that your heart desires. Grandmas everywhere have perfected this cookie, and now it’s time for me to put my best effort forward! I’m a purist, so I went with a chocolate and nut combo, but you can try dried fruit and different extracts, or even substitute gluten-free flour. Because they are made with oil, not butter, they are pareve. And the best part about these cookies? You can make them in advance, and they will keep at room temperature for up to two weeks. So, what are you waiting for? It’s time to plan a tea party and whip up a batch of these goodies! LISA MAYBRUCH (lmaybruch@jewishallianceri.org) is the manager of adult programs at the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island. Her occasional series, “Baking with Lisa,” appears in Jewish Rhode Island and online at Jewishrhody. org/baking-with-lisa.

Mandelbrot Candied Pecans

Mandelbrot

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup light brown sugar 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 2 tablespoons water 2 cups halved pecans

2/3 cup sugar 1/3 cup oil 3 eggs 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1/4-1/2 teaspoon almond extract (optional) 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon Pinch of salt 3 cups all-purpose flour 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1 cup candied pecans 1/2 cup chocolate chips (plus more for dipping)

DIRECTIONS In a nonstick skillet over medium high heat, melt together brown sugar, cinnamon and water until mixture is bubbling. Add pecans, stirring thoroughly to coat. Cook, stirring, for 3-4 minutes, until liquid evaporates. Spread pecans onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and let sit at room temperature until fully cooled.

DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roughly chop 1 cup of candied pecans, then set aside. In a large bowl, beat together sugar, oil, eggs, vanilla, almond extract (if using), cinnamon and pinch of salt until combined.

In a separate bowl, whisk together flour and baking powder. Slowly add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients. Stir in chopped candied pecans and chocolate chips. Shape dough into two logs the length of the baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, until golden and set. Remove from oven and let cool until easy to handle. Cut into 1-inch slices on a diagonal and place cut-side down onto baking sheet. Return to oven and bake for 10 minutes, then flip each cookie and bake for another 10 minutes on the other side. Once the cookies have cooled, melt extra chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl or double-boiler. Dip one end of each cookie in the melted chocolate and place on parchment paper to cool and harden Sprinkle sea salt or extra pecans on top and enjoy!

jewishrhody.org | Jewish Rhode Island

COMMUNITY

Newport congregation faces possible eviction BY FRAN OSTENDORF THE EVICTION proceeding filed in Rhode Island District Court on Feb. 1 by Congregation Shearith Israel against Newport’s Congregation Jeshuat Israel is the latest episode in an apparent feud between the two historic Orthodox congregations. Both congregations can rightfully claim a place in history as among the oldest in North America. Shearith Israel, in New York City, owns Touro Synagogue, in Newport, where Congregation Jeshuat Israel worships. The New York congregation leases the building to CJI. A dispute began in 2012, when CJI tried to sell two rimonim (bells) for $7.4 million to start an endowment for the synagogue. The rimonim are late 18th-century finials handcrafted by Myer Myers, one of the most prominent silversmiths of the Colonial era. Shearith Israel went to court claiming that they owned the building as well as its contents. After several rounds in court, the New York synagogue’s ownership of the building and its valuable artifacts was essentially confirmed when, in 2019, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to take up Jeshuat Israel’s claim that it was the rightful owner. Relations again became contentious in June, after a gravestone for former ambassador John L. Loeb Jr. was installed in the Touro Synagogue Cemetery, which belongs to the congregation. According to Louise Ellen Teitz, co-president of the congregation, nobody was aware that the gravestone was being installed until a photo appeared in Newport This Week. Teitz said CJI was told Loeb’s representatives would be taking measurements. An immediate apology was issued by CJI and the marker was removed, although the cemetery is not part of the congregation’s lease, according to Teitz. Loeb, who financed the Loeb Visitors Center at the Touro Synagogue National Historic

Site, is very much alive. But after this mishap, Shearith Israel made several demands, including two seats on the 15-member CJI board of directors. Talks between the two congregations, including mediation facilitated by Frank Williams, a former chief justice of the Rhode Island Supreme Court, have been unsuccessful. In October, Shearith Israel sent a notice demanding that the congregation leave the premises by the end of January. Teitz termed this “sad” in an interview on Feb. 2. She said, “The idea that one congregation would evict another, that one congregation could evict a local congregation. It’s very sad.” She added, “This is not just a historic building. This is a living congregation, and it’s enhanced by local Jews.” Teitz said the 120-year-old congregation has about 180 members. In a statement provided to Jewish Rhode Island, Louis M. Solomon, president of Shearith Israel, insisted that no congregants are being evicted. And they hope the current rabbi will stay. “Congregation Shearith Israel is exercising the rights clearly granted it by the final court decision against CJI. Our disagreement is solely with a few members of the CJI Board, and we wish to restructure the group overseeing dayto-day activities of Touro Synagogue to restore trust and confidence that has historically existed, for close to 200 years, between Shearith Israel and Touro Synagogue,” the statement said. “We will continue to worship [at Touro Synagogue],” said Teitz, “until there is a court decision that tells us we have to leave.” FRAN OSTENDORF (fostendorf@jewishallianceri.org) is the editor of Jewish Rhode Island.

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Jewish Rhode Island | jewishrhody.org

COMMUNITY VOICES

Temple BethEl’s glorious Braude Library BY GEORGE M. GOODWIN

n September 1987, when Betsey and I moved to Providence with our infant daughter, Molly, it seemed logical – perhaps inevitable – that we

would join Temple Beth-El. Both of us had grown up in Reform congregations – on opposite sides of the country – and we belonged to another, when we lived for a few years in Minnesota. PHOTO | GEORGE M. GOODWIN

SO WE JOINED Rhode Island’s oldest Reform congregation before ever attending a service. Unfortunately, Rabbi William G. Braude passed away before Betsey and I were able to meet him. But we felt his

presence in numerous ways, especially through our introduction to the library named in his honor in 1967. The library, on the first floor of the temple, was my office in 1988 and 1989, when I served as the temple’s

archivist. During that extraordinarily rewarding period, I organized the congregation’s archival collection, designed the Bernhardt Gallery of Temple History, built

an extensive oral history collection and collaborated on a video documentary to celebrate the congregation’s 135th anniversary. I also began to build close friendships with many clergy and staff, including Reini Silverman, the temple’s librarian, who served for 25 years before her retirement in 2014. I was delighted to use many new and forgotten studies about American Jewish history for my archival work. For example, while current issues of American Jewish Archives and American Jewish History were found in the sunny upstairs reading room, entire runs were stored in the basement stacks. (I was, of course, thrilled when some of my own articles and reviews were eventually published in these notable journals.) In 1999, in honor of Molly’s Bat Mitzvah, Betsey and I were pleased to present the Braude Library with a two-volume reference set, Jewish Women in America: An Historical Encyclopedia, published by the American Jewish Historical Society. In 2007, when my articles on Rhode Island and Newport were included in the new edition of The Encyclopedia Judaica, Betsey and I were honored to present all 22 volumes to the library in honor of our parents. Over the decades, Betsey and I have occasionally donated other volumes, especially when we ended up with duplicates. And I have

always enjoyed checking out books from the library, especially biographies and novels, to read at home. In 2014, having accepted then-Beth-El President Fred Franklin’s invitation, I was thrilled to become chair of a rejuvenated library committee. A few years before her passing, my mother, Madeline, enabled the Braude Library to hire two consultants to assess the collection’s strengths and weaknesses. Then, through two grants from the Bernhardt Foundation, we were able to reorganize much of the collection. Joanna Katsune, while continuing her full-time librarianship at Brown, became the temple’s new librarian, and began to make improvements. For example, she began to develop an online catalog. It feels like a party every year when, thanks to various endowed funds and many smaller gifts, Beth-El’s rabbis, Katsune and I select scores of new acquisitions. In 2016, as part of the campaign to endow the Rabbi Leslie Y. Gutterman Religious School, Betsey and I also felt proud to establish a fund for adult books, focusing on the arts and cultural history, which we hope will challenge and reward readers for decades to come. I remain particularly proud of one periodical whose annual issue is prominently displayed on the CONTINUED ON PAGE 11

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jewishrhody.org | Jewish Rhode Island

COMMUNITY VOICES

Please be patient with me – I’m experiencing technical difficulties BY LARRY KESSLER

G OU K IN

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10 Braude Library’s shelves. This is Rhode Island Jewish Historical Notes, which began publication in 1954, three years after the founding of the Rhode Island Jewish Historical Association. This was America’s first state or local Jewish historical organization. Rabbi Braude and many Beth-El members were among its founders, and other congregants have worked hard to sustain it. I’m quite proud that in 2004, while serving as the R.I. Jewish Historical Association’s president, I co-edited The Jews of Rhode Island, an anthology of notable articles from the Rhode Island Jewish Historical Notes, which was published by the Brandeis University

SPE A

OVER THE YEARS, I’ve had to adapt to many new computer systems, and I’ve always taken a practical approach: expect glitches and be skeptical about what the instructors say – especially when their presentations make even the simplest operations seem a lot more complicated than need be. One of my first experiences with this phenomenon was while I was the managing editor of a weekly newspaper in Titusville, Florida, in the late ’70s. I had been using Harris computers at the daily paper affiliated with our publication for a couple of years, and had become comfortable with them. (The reporters would type their stories on scanner paper, using an IBM typewriter, and then send the stories by courier to the main plant, in Cocoa, 18 miles away. The stories were then scanned into the main computer system, and I’d drive over to prepare them for publication.) After about two years, the company decided to install

two computers at our office that would tie into the main system via telephone lines; this was in the days before broadband, when dial-up service was the only means to transmit data. Keep in mind that the new computers weren’t laptops or other modern high-speed models, but were, by today’s standards, clunky cathode ray tubes or CRT computers. I felt confident about my ability to teach my staff how to use LARRY the computers, KESSLER until Harris sent a trainer to our satellite office, and the instructor’s explanations of how to use them were so confusing that I wouldn’t have understood them had I not been using the same type of computer for two years. After she left, I made a management decision: Instead of having the staff follow the computer company trainer’s instructions, I worked with our editorial assistant to write an easy-to-understand manual so our reporters could easily use the new equipment.

Written in plain language, our homemade effort served our staff well. Unfortunately, my eagerness to embrace new technologies didn’t carry over to my cellphone, which I typically would keep to until I had no choice but to switch to a newer model. For instance, more than 15 years ago, I held on to an older cellphone that couldn’t send texts, until being forced to get a flip phone. At that time, my daughters – both of whom had smartphones – bombarded me with text messages until I knew how to create and send them. I grew to love my flip phone, but I recently had to surrender it because its 3G service won’t be supported as of March, when cellphone providers plan to increase their 5G service at the expense of 3G. The good news is that even though I was first told that none of my data – texts, photos and contacts – would be able to be transferred to the new phone, it turned out that my contacts were able to be saved. But that didn’t prevent other obstacles from cropping up. My wife and I initially had planned to take advantage of an offer from our current

internet and cable provider to sign up for its mobilephone service for the entire family. So we went to one of its retail stores, where we successfully transferred our daughters’ phones to the new provider. But then came three glitches, for unknown reasons: • MY WIFE’S PHONE couldn’t be transferred to the new service, and she’d have to get a new phone, the opposite of what she initially had been told. • THE CLERK couldn’t give us our new phones; they’d have to be shipped to our home, which meant that we’d have to return to the store to get them programmed. • MY WIFE HAD TO DOWNLOAD an app to complete the order, which she did, but was then stonewalled repeatedly with a message saying that her identity couldn’t be verified – despite having been with the company for nearly 30 years and having provided her Social Security number and driver’s license numerous times. And, naturally, when she tried to tell the company’s automated-answering system

Press and the University Zoom services and meetings of this. Press of New England to held during the COVID panIf we Jews are to survive celebrate the journal’s 50th demic demonstrated that we and flourish, then we must anniversary. This volume, need to be more flexible and always remain bibliophiles too, became a key reference resourceful? and wordsmiths – passionate tool in the Braude about written and spoLibrary. ken language as well In 2021, I edited as prayer and mitzvot. If we Jews are to survive and my 18th annual Some cynics may issue of the believe that there flourish, then we must always “Notes,” thereby will soon come a time surpassing when virtually all remain bibliophiles and Seebert GoldowsBeth-El services will ky’s record. conducted by Zoom wordsmiths – passionate about be Goldowsky was a or in the chapel, rather lifelong Beth-El than in the magwritten and spoken language member who also nificent sanctuary. wrote the temple’s Others might argue as well as prayer and mitzvot. history, which that our extraordinary was published in temple can morph into 1989. a cellphone carried in Well, yes and no. We are Some temple members one’s pocket. the People of the Book, and believe that libraries, as I dread this notion. books. I was astonished physical entities, will soon Indeed, I don’t have a celldecades ago when a fellow become obsolete, if they are phone, and I don’t want to graduate student, a Muslim not already. But haven’t become a cyber Jew. from Pakistan, reminded me

that she needed to speak to an actual person, she was stonewalled again. That was the last straw, so my wife and I kept our current cellphone provider, and I got a 5G smartphone. The transition has been a work in progress, mainly because I’ve always been a computer-and-mouse person and had never previously used a touch-screen device. The hope is that I’ll eventually come to appreciate my “smartphone,” but a part of me still pines for my “dumb” old flip phone, which easily fit into my pants, shirt, vest or jacket pocket and came without a gaggle of apps that I’ll seldom use. The bottom line for the foreseeable future is that if you’re expecting a text or call back from me, be patient. It’s not easy dragging this fossil into the 2020s. LARRY KESSLER (larrythek65@gmail.com) is a freelance writer based in North Attleboro. He blogs at larrytheklineup.blogspot.com.

I believe that Judaism, like an extraordinary library, represents an ideal dwelling: a palace of wondering, searching, learning and yearning; a repository of inexhaustible riches. Most of us probably can’t remember more than a fraction of the volumes that we have ever read, but, like our best teachers, leaders and clergy, they still guide, strengthen and delight us. GEORGE M. GOODWIN, of Providence, is the editor of Rhode Island Jewish Historical Notes.

12 | FEBRUARY 2022

Jewish Rhode Island | jewishrhody.org

Greater Providence Hebrew Free Loan Association For more than 110 years we have been lending a Helping Hand to members of the Rhode Island, Southeastern Massachusetts and Nearby Connecticut Jewish Communities. OUR MISSION CONTINUES…

Our interest-free 3-year loans can be used for many purposes including:

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On Presidents Day, ambivalence I GREW UP with “1001 Famous Poems,” a leather-bound collection of verses that was a gift from a school librarian to my dad. The volume contained an ode by Sir Walter Scott to the virtue of patriotism. I promised myself to tackle that issue this month, when we salute our presidents. It’s a quite unfashionable – and questionable – virtue these days to echo Scott’s words, “Breathes There the Man”: “Breathes there the man with soul so dead who never to himself hath said, this is my own, my native land!” Yes, we were in the slavery trade. Yes, we stole the land from its indigenous inhabitants. Yes, we exploited its rich gifts and spoiled the terrain, stripping it through “capitalist” economic policies of tragic consequences. I always knew these things. I read Holling C. Holling’s responsible account of our history; his “Little People Who Became Great” celebrates the exceptions to the rule of celebrating only commercial victories. I never admired the successes of such bigots as Henry Ford and the glamorous Charles Lindbergh, no, no, never! And yet, I saluted the flag, recited the Pledge of Allegiance and sang “God Bless America, Land that I Love!” with genuine loyal affection. Throughout my earliest boyhood years I watched, listened and considered the evolution of the “Allies.” Stalin signed a non-aggression pact with Hitler! President Franklin D. Roosevelt and his State Department kept desperate Jews out of the safety and freedoms of America! Winston Churchill used the power of his words to declare, “We will never surrender!” All these ideals of my grammar-school years have

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New Funding Opportunity Each year, the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island’s Women’s Alliance Endowment Fund (WAEF) provides funding to programs and services that benefit Jewish women and/or children. The WAEF encourages proposals for new or existing programs and services that have the potential for long-term impact. Proposal Deadline: Friday, March 25, 2022

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SKE

Youth Summer Camps

COMMUNITY VOICES

stayed with me, somehow, in the form of something like “patriotism.” The proud product of the Hollywood of the studio years, never really quite adequately acknowledged, but my – our – personal generational heritage. When Brown students throw blood-red paint on a statue of Christopher Columbus, I cannot resist coming up with alternative avenues for our recognition of his ... achievements? Simon Wiesenthal published one such account, titled, MIKE FINK “Sails of Hope: The Secret Mission of Christopher Columbus,” which is available in some public libraries. Our local Italian community lays claim to Columbus as a rescuer of the condemned victims of the Spanish Inquisition, perhaps seeking a safe haven for those doomed to die at the stake. Poets and sculptors have depicted his name and fame diversely. As our respect for debunked historic figures has diminished dramatically, what will be left of the very concept of that phrase, “my own, my native land”? I ask the question, and seek at least a partial answer, but remain ambivalent. I welcome an examination of the profound problems targeted by current resistance movements. Nevertheless, I retain my devotion to the lyrics of Irving Berlin, “Stand beside her, and guide her, through the night with the light from above.” And I have to confess and admit that the main reason we kept the complete works of Sir Walter Scott on a parlor shelf around the hearth and heart of the household was that ... the bindings were elegant and added “class” to the living room!

BOOK

MIKE FINK (mfink33@aol.com) teaches at the Rhode Island School of Design.

FEBRUARY 2022 | 13

jewishrhody.org | Jewish Rhode Island

COMMUNITY VOICES

The lessons of lashon hara

HEA

licized, would cause the subject physical or monetary damage, or would cause him anguish or fear, is lashon hara.” The article then gives lashon hara guidelines: A statement may be lashon hara even if it’s true; a listener pressures the speaker to tell; names are left out; it’s about the PATRICIA speaker’s family; or the speaker RASKIN includes himself in the derogatory comments. Such statements need not be verbal – evil language can also occur in a letter, text or email. Lashon hara is considered a very serious sin in the

Virtual Exhibition Tour

Afterlives: Recovering the Lost Stories of Looted Art Thursday, March 3, 4:00pm via Zoom | The Jewish Museum, New York, NY This exhibition chronicles the stories of the objects looted from Jewish families during World War II and explores how surviving artworks and other precious objects moved through time, bearing witness to profound historical ruptures while also acting as enduring carriers of individual expression, knowledge, and creativity.

Y L I VI

I’VE WRITTEN about the concept of lashon hara before, once in 2012 and most recently in November 2015. In light of the recent inflammatory discourse in our country – in politics, society, social media and civic issues – I think it’s time to revisit the subject. In the article “What Is Lashon Hara?,” posted on Torah. org, it is defined as “any derogatory or damaging statement against an individual.” The article goes on to state that, “In Hilchot Deot 7:5, Maimonides supplies a litmus test for determining whether something is or isn’t lashon hara: Anything which, if it would be pub-

Dor L’DorSociety presents

CONTINUED ON PAGE 14

Martin Carl Hanias,Torah Crown, 1719-1733, Silver: repoussé, cast, pierced, and parcel-gilt.The Jewish Museum, New York, Jewish Cultural Reconstruction

Sign up to receive the Zoom link: jewishallianceri.org/museum. Kindly RSVP by February 25, 2022. For more information, contact Claire Uziel at cuziel@jewishallianceri.org.

For members of the Jewish Alliance’s Dor L’Dor Society, which celebrates donors who have the foresight to create planned gifts, bequests, or permanent endowments to sustain our community in perpetuity.

14 | FEBRUARY 2022

Jewish Rhode Island | jewishrhody.org

COMMUNITY VOICES | OPINION US officials decry Amnesty International’s use of ‘apartheid’ to describe Israel

Jewish Rhode Island publishes

thoughtful and informative contributors’ columns (op-eds of 500 – 800 words) and letters to the editor (300 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 Jewish Rhode Island or the Alliance.

I DID NOT SEE Spike Lee’s widely acclaimed but profoundly controversial film, “Do the Right Thing,” when it first came out, in the summer of 1989. I finally did get around to seeing it, on a Netflix DVD, about two months ago. I then kicked myself for my neglect and watched it again the very next night. By the time I had finished viewing the two-hour movie for the second time, I realized that no film, no book, no article, popular or scholarly, has offered me such visceral insight into the explosively complex texture of race relations in America. Though billed by some as an “American comedy-drama,” I view “Do the Right Thing” as a tragic anatomy lesson about our nation’s race relations gone sour. The story takes place on a single street in the rundown Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, and unfolds during a period of roughly 24 hours on what is said to be the hottest day of the New York summer of 1988. Spike Lee wrote the screenplay in just two weeks, “inspired” by an ugly racial incident in Howard Beach, New York, in December 1986, resulting in the death of a 23-year-old Black man and the brutal beating of two of his friends. Lee went on to produce

and direct the film. And, as if that were not enough, he chose to take on the role of Mookie, one of the leading characters in the screenplay. In a movie awash with over-the-top personalities, Lee focuses on the relationship between Sal, an Italian-American who has operated his neighborhood pizzeria for RABBI JAMES 25 years, ROSENBERG and Mookie, a 25-yearold man who lives down the street and delivers the pizza; he is irresponsible, but nevertheless shows promise. Though Mookie is Black, like just about everyone else in the neighborhood, Sal treats him like his third son, along with Pino and Vito, his biological sons who work with their father in the pizzeria. Though at times Sal and Mookie seem to display genuine affection for each other, neither is able to give voice to the racial tensions that simmer just below the surface of their relationship. Shortly before the climactic scene, in which a neighborhood mob burns down the pizzeria, Sal demonstrates that, even after 25 years working in the neighborhood, he remains deaf to the sounds of racial animosity all around him. In the still boiling heat of late evening, after the store has been shut

down for the day, some of Mookie’s friends, shouting loudly, bang on the door and the front window, demanding to be let in. Thinking that this is yet another variation of neighborhood business as usual, Sal casually says to Pino, Vito and Mookie, “All right, let them in …. Let them in. They love my pizza.” Though those in “the hood” may love Sal’s pizza, they harbor an unarticulated hatred for what they perceive to be Sal’s sense of white privilege – a sense of privilege that Sal is incapable of seeing in himself. He has served his “famous” pizza to children on the street who have now grown into adulthood. It is not possible for Sal to imagine that the same person who loves his pizza can also demand that the names of some Black folks be put on the pizzeria’s Wall of Fame, which until that very night had been reserved for Italian big names. “Let them in …. Let them in. They love my pizza.” But there is no taste for pizza on this night … but instead, payback for years of pent-up rage and frustration .… “Do the Right Thing” takes its title from a seemingly off-hand comment that the neighborhood “friendly drunk” Da Mayor makes to Mookie early on in the developing story. This comment leads to unanswered – indeed, unanswerable – questions: Does Mookie do the right thing when he hurls a

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myself, “Do I want peace or conflict?” My purpose and work in the world is to seek solutions, see the positive sides to issues, and foster hope. As I became more aware of lashon hara, which is often used in daily conversation without much consideration, I began to watch my words more carefully. Lashon hara has motivated me to think before I say something that is hurtful or could be taken as gossip. When I look at

an issue and talk with a person face to face or in writing, I aim to frame the issue in a context that does not create resentment or anger in the other person. I try to stay on topic, respect the person, determine why the issue is problematic and understand the other person’s thinking – even if I don’t agree with it or like it. In doing so, I strive to create win-win outcomes. This has served me well by helping me take the

S TO M

Jewish tradition. And, over the past few years, we have been exposed to so much of it, through bullying, sarcasm and lying, that it can certainly affect our trust and kindness level. The uncertainty and duration of COVID-19 has also contributed to this epidemic of disrespect. To avoid this sin of evil language, when I assess difficult situations and conversations, I ask

WASHINGTON (JTA) – As Amnesty International became the third major human rights group to categorize Israel’s treatment of Palestinians as “apartheid,” the U.S. Ambassador to Israel said that the label was “absurd.” “Come on, this is absurd,” Thomas Nides said Tuesday [Feb. 1] on Twitter, commenting on an Associated Press story about the new Amnesty International language. “That is not language that we have used and will not use.” Separately, Ned Price, the State Department spokesman, said the Biden administration rejected the term. “We reject the view that Israel’s actions constitute apartheid,” Price said at his daily briefing for reporters. Price said U.S. officials had discussed the matter with their Israeli counterparts, who have deemed Amnesty International’s report released Tuesday as “antisemitic.” “We have had an opportunity to speak about this with our Israeli counterparts – they have conveyed their objections to the report,” Price said. “We don’t offer our own comprehensive public evaluations of reports, but we certainly reject the label that has been attached to this.” Jewish Federations of North American (JFNA) issued a statement Tuesday strongly condemning the report. Major centrist U.S. Jewish groups have said the report constitutes an incitement to violence. B’Tselem and Human Rights Watch are the other major human rights groups that have recently described Israel’s treatment of Palestinians as apartheid.

‘Do the Right Thing’

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IN THE NEWS

garbage can through the plate-glass window of Sal’s pizzeria, an act that leads to the total destruction of Sal’s business, which has served the neighborhood for two- and-a-half decades? Or could it be that Mookie’s blatant vandalism saved the lives of Sal and his two sons by diverting the mob’s blind rage from these three Italian men, whom the mob mindlessly blames for a rogue policeman putting a fatal chokehold on Radio Raheem? We can never know. We cannot run the story backward and then move it forward again to explore alternative possibilities. Thirty years later, we still routinely witness the death of young Black men at the hands of (mostly) white policemen. Eric Garner: Staten Island, New York. Michael Brown: Ferguson, Missouri. George Floyd: Minneapolis. And 30 years later we are still asking the same unanswerable questions. Spike Lee chose to conclude his film inconclusively. Just before the closing credits, he quotes the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who insists upon non-violence at all costs, and he quotes Malcolm X, who advocated “armed self-defense in response to oppression.” You be the judge. Do the right thing! JAMES B. ROSENBERG is a rabbi emeritus at Temple Habonim, in Barrington. Contact him at rabbiemeritus@templehabonim.org.

right action in my life. The more aware we are of lashon hara, the more we can avoid it. PATRICIA RASKIN, owner of Raskin Resources Productions, is a media host, coach and award-winning radio producer and business owner. She is on the board of directors of Temple Emanu-El, in Providence. She is a recipient of the Providence Business News 2020 Leaders and Achievers award.

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COMMUNITY VOICES | OPINION

An overdue conversation on CRT BY RYAN FORMAN FOR OVER A YEAR, culturally conservative politicians and spokespeople, and their supporters, have fear-mongered about critical race theory nationally, statewide and locally. This has led to real threats to elected officials, the continuing trauma of racially minoritized people, and the erasure of marginalized experiences from public education. Most people in the United States of America do not understand what CRT is, but they do understand how it makes them feel, based on their social identity. This has led to books by Black authors being removed from schools, despite having nothing to do with CRT; the only “critical” thing about these authors, books or experiences is their connection to minoritized communities. But the ban on CRT is not limited to only removing BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) experiences, because identities are often shared, interconnected and entangled. For example, state legislatures and school board committees in Texas and Indiana have called for teaching an “opposing view” of the Holocaust. We cannot be neutral on Nazism, nor can we be neutral on chattel slavery, or, indeed, any of the atrocities that have been committed throughout civilization. We need to recognize these immoral and dangerous

arguments for what they are: a method for increasing hate through forced ignorance. If we allow forced ignorance to breed hate, these perpetrators will come for the Jewish community. Judaism, the Jewish community, and being Jewish are not defined as white; we are multicultural and diverse, and we are already under attack, alongside other marginalized peoples. It is time to set the record straight on critical race theory: CRT is an expansion of critical legal studies and is only taught in law and some social science graduate programs, and only as an elective course of study in both settings. Critical legal studies postulates that to uphold the status quo of society, laws are passed that maintain biases that do not favor, and in fact actively disenfranchise, marginalized communities. CRT is a deep dive into the classification of marginalized communities and how the intersectional identities of race, gender, economic class and disability affect the development and enforcement of laws in the U.S. Critical legal studies and CRT are the two current legal outgrowths of American legal realism from the 1930s, which stated that jurisprudence was based on the facts of individual cases and what individual justices deemed fair on a case-by-case basis. On the other side of jurisprudence is legal formalism – that objec-

tivity in the law and the facts need to be adhered to through all cases at all points. Critical legal studies and CRT point to empirical data that has been collected for decades to state that legal formalism, while a normative ideal, is not present, for BIPOC and other marginalized communities. From this simple explanation of CRT, I hope readers can see that legal studies are not being taught in public schools – it simply would be too boring for a 10-year-old. Also, I know that educators accused of teaching CRT are not actually teaching legal studies. Full stop. Targeting CRT is, instead, simply using it as a stand-in for the racial aggrievement of those enamored with white identity and supremacy. These aggrieved individuals are not arguing against CRT, but against any discussion of racism, equality, equity, reparative justice or history that challenges white supremacy and presents it as anything less than perfect. Often, mainstream media depicts white parents as not wanting to address racism with their children, as though it will magically disappear if it is not discussed. These aggrieved white people do not want their children to be held accountable for the collective actions of the white race. But there is hardly any similar depiction of BIPOC, who are often held accountable for the collective actions of their

perceived race, just as Jewish people are held accountable for the collective actions of their religion and racialized identities. This is how racism and antisemitism intersectionally operate in the United States. Most people have multiple identities, and those identities frame our interactions with the world and how we view it. For example, reading Jewish Rhode Island may confirm one of your multiple identities. This does not mean that the identities of whiteness and Judaism are mutually exclusive. Anyone can become Jewish, just as anyone who has Jewish ancestry can also deny the religion of Judaism while maintaining a Jewish cultural identity. The Jewish community is not a monolith. Judaism is intersectional with many identities. We need to recognize that it does a disservice to all Jewish people to conceptualize the collective identity as white, because that erases the marginalized people who make up the Jewish community. Educating citizens about the history of our country and the experience of marginalized communities, as is done in Germany with the Holocaust, increases awareness, change and confrontation – and racism and antisemitism need to be confronted because, otherwise, they will fester and metastasize. BIPOC children experience dehumanizing acts of racial

aggression in our society on a daily basis. Calls to limit, hide or ban the history and current experiences of racially minoritized groups do not prevent BIPOC and other marginalized children from experiencing them. Nor does it prepare all children to address and work through trauma and discomfort. While many white parents have expressed that they do not want their children exposed to things and ideas that will make them feel bad, they have not extended that same humanity to BIPOC children. Journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones correctly stated on Twitter that “[F]eeling ashamed of shameful things is not BAD. It’s called being an empathetic and moral human being. Shame helps us do better.” That thought, in the end, reflects the major tenets of tikkun olam. We must stand with and for racially minoritized people, marginalized communities and educators against this political and cultural war that seeks to erase their experience, communities and lives. Likewise, we must labor to reduce inequality and inequity to strengthen the Jewish community, while pressuring the United States to build a more moral and just society. RYAN FORMAN lives in Providence.

Faced with an existential threat, what would you do? BY EMMA NEWBERY COLD CASES stick in the craw of our social conscience, and for good reason. When it comes to something as sweeping, systematic and chilling as the Holocaust, though, responsibility and horror are both so diffuse that the thought of resolution on an individual level does little to tip the balance. Still, when I saw that “60 Minutes”

was running a program (https://cbsn.ws/3L1FPxh) about a revived investigation into who betrayed Anne Frank and her family, I was intrigued. As a teenager, I read and reread Anne’s diary. I named my own journal, which I wrote in for years, and ended my high school theater career with the role of Margot Frank in a dramatic adaptation of the diary.

Looking back, I can identify a deep discomfort with the lack of resolution in the Franks’ story as the driving factor behind my commitment to the role, and to the narrative. The entire experience of the play, and the significance of its source material, was compounded by the dread of waiting for the other shoe to drop. Though we know, of course, the tragic fate that awaits

Anne and her family, the question that has plagued us since the aftermath of the war continues to ring in our ears – why, why, why? And, with the Franks specifically, who? While the diary affords us a complex and intimate sense of Anne’s thoughts and emotions, the questions it provokes – the ones FBI investigator Vince Pankoke attempts to answer – provide a harrowing, if humanizing, portrait of

survival at the height of Nazi terror. After almost six years of painstaking investigative work – aided, sickeningly, by the Nazis’ meticulous documentation of their victims – Pankoke and his team named a suspect during the “60 Minutes” special: Arnold van den Bergh, a Jewish businessman who lived in Amsterdam with his family at the same time as CONTINUED ON PAGE 27

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OLYMPICS 2022

Jewish athletes to watch at the 2022 Beijing Olympics

Emery Lehman BY EMILY BURACK — (JTA)

espite the continuing COVID-19 chaos and the mounting protests about China’s human rights record,

the 2022 Beijing Olympics are proceeding on schedule, just six months after the delayed Tokyo games – and we have your guide to the Jewish athletes who are on their way. IN TOKYO, dozens of Jewish athletes competed, and many clinched medals. The Winter Olympics are typically a smaller affair, with fewer sports and fewer countries participating. Jason Brown Nevertheless, with team USA, but narwe’re excited to cheer on rowly missed competing these Jewish athletes from in 2018 in Pyeongchang the United States, Israel and (he went as the team’s first Canada. alternate). But Brown is The Beijing games begin back, and qualified after Feb. 4 and run through Feb. 20, and the Paralympics will skating to the theme from “Schindler’s List” at the be held March 4 through U.S. Figure Skating ChamMarch 13. pionships this month. “My background, obviously, is Jewish, and the FIGURE SKATING, USA story is so touching,” he said about his decision to skate THE MOST well-known to the Holocaust movie’s Jewish athlete competing theme. “I grew up learning in Beijing is 27-year-old about the Holocaust and figure skater Jason Brown. about Oskar Schindler and He competed in the 2014 the stories. I always wanted Olympics in Sochi, winning to skate to it, but it has to be bronze in the team event

Jason Brown

Taylor Gold when I’m at the level, maturity-wise, that I’m really ready to skate to it.” (The “Schindler’s List” music is heard regularly in international competition, but often accompanying non-Jewish skaters. German figure skater Nicole Schott skated to it at the Olympics in 2018, as did Russian Yulia Lipnitskaya in 2014.)

Hailey Kops and Evgeni Krasnopolski PAIRS SKATING, ISRAEL A YEAR AGO, 19-year-old New Jersey native Hailey Kops was studying in a Jerusalem seminary on her gap year before heading to nursing school, thinking her competitive skating days were over. Israel’s team gave her a call and an opportunity in June, and just over six months later, she’s heading to Beijing. She teamed up with Evgeni Krasnopolski, a 33-year-old Olympic veteran who was born in the Soviet Union and moved to Israel when he was 3 years old. He will be Israel’s flag-bearer at the opening ceremony on Feb. 4. This is the first Olympics for Kops, who is Modern

Orthodox – an extreme rarity in Olympic competition – but skates on Shabbat. “From a young age, I integrated the two. It is definitely normal for me,” she said. “When there’s a will, there’s a way,” she told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.

Emery Lehman SPEED SKATING, USA EMERY LEHMAN’S first love was hockey, which he picked up at 6 years old, growing up in the Oak Park Chicago suburb. A few years later, his Jewish mom – who as of 2018 was a development executive for the American Friends of the Hebrew University of Israel – convinced him to give speed skating a try, and he excelled. (He hasn’t given up hockey, either – in college at Marquette University, he played defense for their club hockey team.) At age 13, he became a national champion, and at 17, he qualified for the 2014 Winter Olympics. He competes in the 5,000 and 10,000 meter races. At the 2018 Olympics, he

also competed in the Team Pursuit race. As he wrote on Instagram after qualifying for Beijing, “About time I’m one of the old guys on the team.” He’s only 25.

Taylor Gold SNOWBOARDING, USA TAYLOR GOLD is going for gold at the Beijing Winter Olympics. How many times do we think he has heard that joke? For Gold, 28, this is his second Olympics – he competed in Sochi, and got injured during the 2017-2018 season, which forced him to miss Pyeongchang. At the 2018 Games, his younger sister Arielle Gold – also a snowboarder – won bronze

Josh Ho-Sang

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OLYMPICS 2022 in the women’s halfpipe event. Arielle retired and won’t be competing this Olympics cycle. The Golds come from a sporty Jewish family: born and raised in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, their father, Ken, was a professional moguls skier. In Beijing, Gold will be one of 14 athletes from Colorado. He’s involved in Protect Our Winters, a nonprofit working to fight climate change.

Josh Ho-Sang HOCKEY, CANADA THIS SEASON, Canadian Jewish hockey player Josh Ho-Sang had an impressive debut with the Toronto Marlies, the top affiliate team of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Ho-Sang, 26, is Jamaican and Chinese on his father’s side and Russian-Jewish and Swedish on his mother’s side. “I’ve grown up Jewish,” Josh once said in an interview. “I have always celebrated the Jewish holidays like Hanukkah and the High Holidays with family and friends.” Since the NHL announced that its players will not participate in the Games, it has left Olympic roster spots open for rising stars like Ho-Sang. According to one analysis, “It’s entirely possible that following his Olympic appearance that the Leafs will get him under contract.” Could Beijing be the start of Ho-Sang’s NHL career?

the theme from “Pirates of the Caribbean” for his free skate.

Devon Levi HOCKEY, CANADA JOINING JOSH Ho-Sang on the Canadian men’s hockey team is Devon Levi, a 20-year-old goalie from the Jewish Montreal suburb of Dollard-Des-Ormeaux, where he attended Hebrew Foundation School, a Modern Orthodox Jewish day school. He currently plays for Northeastern University Huskies, and his spot on the Olympic squad makes him the first men’s hockey Olympian from the Boston school. In the words of the Northeastern Hockey blog, “Levi is in the midst of the greatest goaltending season in Northeastern program history, and one of the greatest seasons in NCAA history. He has played every minute of every game for the Huskies.” He has notched nine shutouts so far this season, helping the Huskies achieve a 16-5-1 record. This isn’t Levi’s first time representing Canada – most recently, he played in the 2021 World Junior Championship. It’s unclear whether or not he will be the starter on the Olympic team, as the two other goaltenders are both older and more experienced.

Noa and Barnabas Szollos SKIING, ISRAEL

Alexei Bychenko

Alexei Bychenko FIGURE SKATING, ISRAEL BYCHENKO WAS born in Kyiv, Ukraine and represented his native country in international competition until 2009. But in 2010, he became an Israeli citizen and started skating under the Israeli flag, becoming the first Israeli skater to win a medal at the European Championships – a silver in 2016. Bychenko competed for Israel in the 2014 and 2018 Winter Olympics, and the 33-year-old is set to return to the Olympic stage this February. In 2018, Bychenko served as Israel’s flag bearer at the Pyeongchang Opening Ceremonies and placed 11th in the men’s competition. He’s looking to place higher this time around – he will skate to “Words” by Israeli singer-songwriter Harel Skaat for his short program and

THOUGHTS OF ISRAEL usually involve blazing desert sunlight and humidity – not skiing. But the Szollos siblings are looking to change that. Known as Israel’s “ski siblings,” they were born in Budapest, Hungary, and now train in Austria. There are three of them: Noa, Barnabas, and Benjamin, who all compete for Israel in the FIS Alpine World Cup. (Benjamin did not make the Beijing cut.) Their father Peter used to ski professionally for Hungary as well, before earning Israeli citizenship. At age 16, Noa won two medals at the Youth Olympic Games, becoming the first Israeli athlete to medal at a winter Olympic event. Though it was the youth games, she said, “I’m very proud to be the first champion from Israel to reach the Winter Games podium. It’s such a strong feeling to be able to represent the country in this way.” Now 18, Noa and her brother Barnabas, 23, will both ski for Israel in Beijing.

Jason Demers HOCKEY, CANADA THE THIRD JEWISH player on Canada’s hockey team is Jason Demers, a 33-year-old defenseman who spent time in the NHL

but currently plays in Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League. He discovered his Jewish roots later in life on his father’s side of the family. Demers made his NHL debut back in 2009, playing for the San Jose Sharks, and represented Team Canada for the first time in 2013 during an NHL lockout. Thanks to Demers, Ho-Sang and Levi, Canada men’s hockey team will be the most Jewish team in Beijing.

Devon Levi

Mollie Jepsen PARA ALPINE SKIING, CANADA MOLLIE JEPSEN is a phenom: she medalled in four out of the five events she competed in at the 2018 Pyeongchang Paralympics. The West Vancouver, British Columbia native was born missing fingers on her left hand, and competes under the LW6/8-2 classification, for skiers with an upper extremity issue. This means she skis with only one pole. Since her Paralympic debut, she was also diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, and missed an entire season. But she has had a remarkable comeback season ahead of the 2022 Paralympics, so don’t be surprised to see Jepsen on the podium in Beijing.

Noa Szollos

David Warsofsky HOCKEY, USA WARSOFKSY, 31, has played for four different NHL teams, but currently plays in Germany for ERC Ingolstadt – he’s another player benefiting from the NHL’s decision not to let their players enter the Games. The former captain of the U.S. Under-18 national team in 2007-08 is married and has a one-year-old son; when he’s not competing in Germany, he resides in Denver.

Mollie Jepsen

Vladislav Bykanov SPEED SKATING, ISRAEL VLADISLAV “VLAD” BYKANOV, like many of his fellow Israeli winter Olympic teammates, was born in the former Soviet Union, in Ukraine. He moved to Israel in 1994, at age 5, and now splits his time between Kiryat Shmona, Israel, and Heerenveen, in the Netherlands. Vykanov started speed skating at age 8 and competed for Israel at the 2014 and 2018 Winter Olympics. In 2014, he was given the honor of serving as Israel’s flag bearer in the opening ceremony. He skates in the 500 meter, 1,000 meter, and 1,500 meter races; his best result was 19th place in the 500 meter in Sochi.

David Warsofsky

Vladislav Bykanov

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COMMUNITY

BUSINESS 26 | OBITUARIES 29

Napoleon Brito

PHOTO | ROBERT ISENBERG

‘Keep your eyes open,’ says the Alliance’s new community security director BY FRAN OSTENDORF

ROVIDENCE – “See something, say something” has become part of our vocabulary in recent years. It may be an overused phrase, but it

is still good guidance, says Napoleon Brito, the new director of community security for the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island. BRITO, who wants you to call him “Nappy,” said it’s the best advice he can give to a community that might be on edge in the wake of the hostage crisis at a Texas synagogue in January. Brito knows what he’s talking about. He has more than 40 years of experience in security and law enforcement, including 20 years with the Providence Police Department. He started as a patrol officer in Providence in 1987, then moved to the Bureau of Criminal Identifications (BCI) unit in 1991. At the BCI, which is the forensics collection office of the Providence Police Detective Bureau, Brito became a fingerprint expert. When he retired from the

police force, in 2007, he was the commander and supervisor of the 15 detectives assigned to the BCI. These are the detectives who you see investigating crime scenes. Brito then went on to serve as director of security for the Providence Place mall for seven years. All this was after a start in the military, graduating in 1976 from the U.S. Air Force Security Police Academy, in Colorado. The lifelong Rhode Islander was in the service for four years as a security specialist at NORAD’s Cheyenne Mountain Complex, in Colorado Springs. Brito, who grew up in Cranston, said he loved the

openness of Colorado, and the people, but added that Rhode Islanders “always come home.” He is now charged with coordinating security for the Rhode Island Jewish community, which includes southeastern Massachusetts. He started the job at the beginning of January. “I’ve been working in security all my life,” Brito said. “This is a way to help, a way to work with people who are generally concerned with security. I know I can help to make a difference. “Good outcomes can come with training in security. People can be taught.” Brito’s office is at the Alliance’s Dwares Jewish Community Center, but he will be visiting communities and Jewish institutions around the state. And he will be checking in with municipal police departments as well. Brito emphasized that he was hired to enhance already existing programs. “Partnerships are important. They’ve already been established, we just need to keep maintaining them,” he said. “Police departments

change. You have to reestablish yourself on a yearly basis.” Communication, he said, is key to security: “Keep vigilant and communicate.” That’s where “see something, say something” comes in. And he reminds people that “nothing is insignificant.” “I’m planning to streamline the process of passing on information. There is no such thing as a problem, there’s only a solution,” he said. As he gets up to speed, Brito is also going to set up more free community training sessions, so people have some resources in all kinds of security situations. “I encourage everyone to do the training they [have already] scheduled, and we will augment it. There will be more training. That’s my plan. My main goal will be facilitating training. Every facility will have access,” he said. “But you can’t let security concerns paralyze you,” he said. “You have to go on with life.” If you want to report a

security issue, you can contact Brito at 401-421-4111. The Jewish Alliance also has an antisemitism tracker available for reporting acts of hate, bigotry and hostility. Got to www.jewishallianceri.org/report-it. A Community Security Refresher is scheduled for Feb. 16, 6-7:30, via Zoom. According to Brito, it will be a “wide overview” featuring Steve Cileli, of Lock-It Down Consulting, in Cranston. On-site trainings will be scheduled at later dates. Eventually, Brito will do trainings along with Cileli. Brito, who lives in Warwick, is married and has three stepchildren and two grandsons. For more information or to register for the Jewish Community Security Refresher, go to www. jewishallianceri.org/security-refresher. If you want to report a security issue, you can contact Napoleon Brito at 401-421-4111. FRAN OSTENDORF (fostendorf@jewishallianceri.org) is the editor of Jewish Rhode Island.

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COMMUNITY

Temple Beth-El’s Judy Moseley steps down PROVIDENCE – Judy Moseley, Temple Beth-El’s longtime executive director, has resigned, according to an email sent to congregants on Feb. 2. “Over the last decade, Judy has been pivotal in modernizing the Temple’s communication and operation,” congregation president Tonya Glantz and senior Rabbi Sarah Mack said in the email. They added, “Her proactive attention to security

The Voice of Greater Rhode Island’s Jewish Community

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has played a critical role in the care and safety of our community.” Also in the email, Moseley, who has been with Beth-El since 2011, wrote that “it has been a privilege and a pleasure to serve such a dedicated congregation.” Moseley’s resignation is effective at the end of February.

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COMMUNITY

‘Pushke Project’ fosters generational giving state, bringing gifts from the JERI program for the holidays and forging meaningful WHEN I THINK about the word relationships. I helped usher legacy, so many things come in residents for community to mind. Most important to High Holy Day services me are the lessons I have and delighted in creating taught my children and initiatives like the “Meisgrandchildren, and the fulter Menorah Project” and fillment I have found in giv“Latke Day” for Hanukkah. ing back to the community. I share this with you to show Legacy for me truly is l’dor my passion for v’dor, passprogram ing on my My time spent as a this and my desire to lessons for it continue generations volunteer for JERI have for many years to come. to come. Over 20 has been filled Over the years ago, I years my family was inspired with meaning. and I also colto become a lected change volunteer for and placed it in a homemade Jewish Eldercare of Rhode Island (JERI), whose mission pushke (tzedakah box). The change would add up and core value is to provide visits and spiritual programs quickly, and we would donate it to our favorite charity. to the Jewish residents in I realized that if everyone nursing homes and assisted donated their change from living facilities. their pushke to the JERI My time spent as a volunProgram at JCS, it would be teer for JERI has been filled another opportunity to teach with meaning. I visited with the importance of “giving Jewish seniors across the BY HERB MEISTER

Herb Meister and family with a pushke. back” and to ensure that the JERI program is supported. As Purim approaches in March, many people make donations in lieu of sending mishloach manot, gifts of food to family and friends. This year, in support of this, JERI will provide free “pushke kits” to encourage all those in the community to create their own pushke. The “Pushke Project” is also a wonderful opportunity for Hebrew and religious school

students and families of all ages to work together and make an impact. Whether you use a tzedakah box you already have at home or order a “pushke kit” and make one on your own, please consider following my lead by donating your change from your pushke/ tzedakah box to the “Pushke Project.” To order your kit, containing one pushke box, contact JERI coordinator, Susie

Adler by Feb. 16. If you would like to donate your change back to JCS’ JERI program, you can also contact Susie for drop-off locations. Susie can be contacted at 401-4863890 or by email at susie@ jfsri.org. My hope is that, by working together, the change collected through will positively impact the Jewish seniors we love and care for, well into the next generation. HERB MEISTER is the creator of The Pushke Project.

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COMMUNITY

Holocaust center’s new director planning more outreach, new programs Joering spent more than 13 years at the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island, PROVIDENCE – The Sandra most recently as director of Bornstein Holocaust Educamembership and community tion Center is looking forsecurity. During this time, ward to its next chapter, with she spent many hours workWendy Joering as the new ing in the community. executive director. Now, she said she’s looking Joering comes to the forward to working with her SBHEC with new ideas, as team at the SBHEC, which well as plans to continue the includes Kelly Alpert Vest, work started by longtime director May-Ronny Zeidman, the new director of programs and community engagement, who retired in October 2021. and Paula Olivieri, the longJoering’s plans include time education coordinator. expanding the center’s reach Together, they are planning to raise awareness about hate programs for all ages, as well and antisemitism in a new as teachers, students and generation of Rhode IslandHolocaust survivors. ers. “We want people to know “The heart of this center we are here,” Joering said. is Holocaust education,” she “The Holosaid. “We caust is not need to teach ‘When you talk about an all-Jewish Holocaust issue.” education In addition and genocide heroes, you make to the existeducation, people smile, and it’s ing speaker’s and we bureau, an need to be less intimidating,’ important a resource part of the center to help center, there will be new eradicate hate and bigotry, programs in the next year, as and to be a resource for eduwell as creative changes to cation. “I want every teacher in the existing programs. The annual Arts and Writstate to know that if they are teaching Holocaust education, ing contest for schoolchildren will focus on “Heroes of the we can be a resource.” BY FRAN OSTENDORF

Holocaust,” Joering said. Participants in middle and high school will be asked to create a two-dimensional work of visual art or a poem highlighting everyday people who acted heroically. The contest deadline is May 1. Focusing on heroes is a nice entry point to learn more about the Holocaust center, Joering said. “When you talk about heroes, you make people smile, and it’s less intimidating,” she said. “Human nature is a beautiful thing.” Next fall, there will be an interfaith, diverse program for teens, called LIFT (Leadership Institute For Teens), facilitated by Brown University students, to learn about and from the Holocaust. Plans are to meet once a month from October 2022 to April 2023. “The goal is to inspire students to become leaders to stand up for marginalized students,” Joering said. Another program, which starts at the end of January, is for educators to learn from Holocaust and genocide based texts. “There are people who are passionate about teaching about the Holocaust, that are

Wendy Joering teaching to make sure that it never happens again,” Joering said. The workshop will meet three times a year. Teachers will read a text, discuss it, and then share ideas for incorporating it into classroom lessons and materials. Teachers can get 6 PLU credits. The fees are nominal, and teachers can use the SBHEC’s resources. Joering said she is also looking forward to connect-

PHOTO | ROBERT ISENBERG

ing with community members and Holocaust survivors. “I would love to know if there are more survivors around. They can inspire people and teach history,” she said. “Building relationships is what I love to do.” FRAN OSTENDORF (fostendorf@jewishallianceri.org) is the editor of Jewish Rhode Island.

Tamarisk director wins assisted-living award THE RHODE ISLAND Assisted Living Association has honored Roberta Ragge, executive director of The Phyllis Siperstein Tamarisk Assisted Living Residence, with its Bob Henry Outstanding Service Award. “I was so surprised, and am humbled to even have been considered for this honor,” Ragge said after receiving the award at RIALA’s annual meeting, held virtually Jan. 21.

Under Ragge’s leadership, Tamarisk, in Warwick, a Jewish Collaborative Services’ community, has become Rhode Island’s industry leader in service provision and best practice in the areas of memory care and staff training. In her 30 years as a committed eldercare professional, Ragge has embraced the concept of servant leadership and a philosophy of care that supports the body, mind and spirit of every resi-

dent. The Bob Henry Outstanding Service Award is presented annually to someone who has shown deep commitment to the industry. Henry, the founder of RIALA, brought assisted living to Rhode Island. Before passing away in 2002, he advocated for the highest level of independence and quality of life for residents. Submitted by Jewish Collaborative Services

Pictured, left to right: David Bodah, RIALA executive director; Roberta Ragge, award recipient and executive director of Tamarisk; Kathleen Smith, director of education and events; and Melody Song-Hunter, director of member services and special projects.

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Jewish Rhode Island | jewishrhody.org

COMMUNITY

Explore Ethiopian Jews’ trials, triumphs in virtual program on Feb. 13 BY LARRY KATZ A DECADE AGO, I visited the Israeli absorption center for Ethiopian Jews that is located in the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island’s partnership region of Afula/Gilboa to see how the Alliance’s allocations were being spent.

I attended some classes where the Alliance, at the time, was providing some special education services, and met with staff, students and parents. Now everyone has the opportunity to visit the absorption center on Feb. 13, thanks to the miracles of technology. The free Zoom

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program, “The Journey from Ethiopia to Afula-Gilboa” will also explore Jewish community life in Ethiopia and the journey to Israel. Ethiopian Jews endure a lot just to get to the Promised Land. I recall a song, and stories that people told me, of how Ethiopian Jews died in the desert in the 1980s trying to get to Israel. Last year, an Alliance program featured Gad Shimron, one of the Mossad agents who helped smuggle Ethiopian Jews from Sudan to Israel and on whose book the Netflix series “Red Sea Diving Resort” was partially based. I also remember a film that the Alliance showed a few years ago about an Israeli army officer going back to Ethiopia to see the village where he grew up and visit his father’s grave, which was followed by an impressive talk from an Ethiopian post-doc student at

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Harvard. I also recall meeting with Ethiopian teens at a youth center funded by the Alliance, where they discussed some of the challenges of integrating into Israeli life. Now, newspapers occasionally inform us of another Ethiopian civil war, which is driving home the necessity of getting the remaining Jews out of the country. But all of these exposures to Ethiopian culture and challenges still have not given me a complete picture. The one thing I know for sure is that it takes a lot of courage to endure what this ancient community has faced, and then come to a strange new land where they must learn new technologies, a new language and new customs. Therefore, I am looking forward to the Feb. 13 program, which will virtually explore Jewish community life in

Ethiopia, as well as the dangerous journey to Israel, and what life is like at the absorption center that the Alliance helps support. Following the virtual tour, a panel of Ethiopian-Israelis and Jewish Agency professionals will discuss the process that brought Ethiopian Jewry to Israel, and the successes and challenges of absorbing the new immigrants into Israeli society. This program is co-sponsored by the Jewish Community Relations Council of Hartford, Connecticut, the Alliance’s Community Relations Council, and the Jewish Agency for Israel. It will take place on Feb. 13 at 11 a.m. Register at https://bit.ly/ Ethiopia2Afula. LARRY KATZ is the director of Jewish life and learning at the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island.

Plan for winter fun at the J on Feb. 27 DWARES JEWISH Community Center members and non-members alike have an opportunity for fun on Sunday, Feb. 27 during “Day at the J,” an entire day chock-full of activities for all ages. Highlights include PJ Library stories and crafts, family swim (pre-registration required), group exercise classes like Bootcamp with Allie, restorative yoga and senior stretch, open gym, a gardening workshop and Israeli films running throughout the day. Whatever your interest, there’s something for everyone from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m at 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence. Thoughout the day, the social hall will be home to the first-ever community partner open house. It will be the place to learn about all the Jewish community has to offer, from day school education to sum-

mer camp registration, social service options to party room rentals and Dwares JCC membership. This portion of the day will run from 1- 3 p.m. and complement and highlight the shared mission of local partners, ensuring the Jewish community is met with up-to-date information, engagement, and kavod. To date, confirmed participating partners along with the Alliance include Jewish Collaborative Services, Jewish Community Day School of Rhode Island, Providence Hebrew Day School, Sandra Bornstein Holocaust Education Center and Camp JORI. Don’t let a little snow and cold stop you – wear your mask and come join us for some much-needed winter fun! Jewish Rhode Island staff

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COMMUNITY

Programs in Feb., March to focus on Jews with disabilities BY LARRY KATZ THE JEWISH ALLIANCE of Greater Rhode Island will present “Stories of Belonging” on March 2 to mark Jewish Disabilities Awareness, Acceptance and Inclusion Month, which takes place across the continent Feb. 1-March 2. A second virtual program, in observance of Jewish Disability Advocacy Day, will take place Feb. 23-24 and is expected to feature R.I. Rep. Jim Langevin, Paralympian teen athlete Ezra French and actress Ali Stroker. “Stories of Belonging” will center on conversations about faith, disability, belonging and inclusion. Two moms who are now professionals in the field will share the stories of their adult children with disabilities, who have taken the road less traveled. They will then interview a few Rhode

Islanders who either have disabilities or are the parents of children with disabilities. The free program will also feature a discussion of how people overcome challenges, and will highlight their successes, as well as focusing on next steps towards an inclusive and diverse community. Shelly Christensen and Gabrielle Kaplan-Mayer are the moms who will conduct the program. Christensen co-founded Jewish Disabilities Awareness, Acceptance and Inclusion Month 13 years ago, and is the founder of Inclusion Innovations, which provides consultation, keynote speakers, training and guidance to Jewish and interfaith organizations and communities. Kaplan-Mayer is an experienced Jewish educator, writer and disability advocate. She is the chief program officer at

Crasher: The Life and Photos of Mace Bugen,” which is about her great-uncle, who overcame society’s prejudices about dwarfism to lead a remarkable life. Jewish DisKaplan-Mayer Christensen ability Advocacy Jewish Learning Venture, in Day is an annual program Jenkintown, Pennsylvania, that took place on Capitol and also directs JLV’s Whole Hill, in Washington, D.C., Community Inclusion Initiabefore the pandemic, bringing tive, in Philadelphia. representatives of the Jewish Both presenters are community together with authors. Christensen’s federal lawmakers. Conmost recent book is “From gressman Langevin, D-R.I., Longing to Belonging: A is expected to speak at this Practical Guide to Including year’s free virtual program, People with Disabilities and along with keynote speakers Mental Health Conditions Ezra French and Ali Stroker. in Your Faith Community.” French, a two-time silver Kaplan-Mayer’s most recent medal Paralympian, who book is “The Little Gate competes in high jump, long

jump and sprinting events, is a master at setting and achieving big goals. When he was 11, he announced his dream of competing in the Paralympics – and he made it a reality at the 2021 Tokyo Paralympic Games. Tony Award-winner Alyson Stroker is the first actress to use a wheelchair on a Broadway stage. “Stories of Belonging” will take place on Zoom on Wednesday, March 2, at 7 p.m. Register at www.jewishallianceri.org or by calling 401-4214111. JDAD will take place on Zoom on Feb. 23 at 7 p.m. and on Feb. 24 from 1 to 4 p.m. Register at https://www.jewishtogether.org/JDAD-2022. LARRY KATZ is the director of Jewish life and learning at the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island.

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Pre-K students at Providence Hebrew Day School hide behind the frog masks they made when learning about the Plague of Frogs in Parsha Vaera.

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COMMUNITY

Scout Shabbat to be held at Temple Beth-El on Feb. 25 BY PETER SHORE THE NARRAGANSETT Council Jewish Committee on Scouting, in conjunction with Temple Beth-El, is holding its annual Scout Shabbat on Friday, Feb. 25, at 7 p.m. at Temple Beth-El, 70 Orchard Ave., Providence. All current and former Cub Scouts, Scouts BSA, Venturers, Sea Scouts and their leaders are invited to attend. Current members are encouraged to attend in their Class A uniform. Former Scouts and leaders are also invited to come in uniform (to the extent they still fit!). No registration is necessary. Scout Shabbat is held each February in conjunction with

the commemoration of the creation of the Boy Scouts of America, on Feb. 8, 1910, by an act of Congress. Religious institutions of all faiths have partnered with BSA for over a century to sponsor Scout units for youths ages 6-10 (packs) and 11-18 (troops), with the understanding that all units welcome members regardless of their faith. In the Scout Oath, Scouts promise to “do their duty to God,” and one of the 12 points of Scout Law is, “A Scout is Reverent.” Temple Beth-El has a long, storied history of supporting Scouting. Its Brotherhood sponsored a Scout troop and a Cub pack from 1954 through

1973. Dr. Melvin Hoffman, an Eagle Scout and a member of the congregation, was a scoutmaster Scout-led service under the leadership of Rabbi Sol Goodman at Temple of and later a committee the Ten Commandments at Yawgoog Scout Reservation, Hope Valley. chairman for Troop the Jewish chaplain’s cabin to copy in an adult – either 40. He also develat Yawgoog, which is one of a parent or adult leader – to oped the doctor-in-residence the few Scout camps in the comply with BSA Youth Proprogram at Yawgoog Scout United States with a full-time tection guidelines. Reservation, in Hopkinton, to resident Jewish chaplain and ensure proper medical care PETER SHORE is the treasurer program. for up to 1,200 Scouts, leaders of the Jewish Committee When there was a troop and staff each week. on Scouting and a lifelong and a pack at Temple Beth-El, Temple Beth-El has an congregant of Temple Beth-El Scouts participated in the exhibit of Scouting memorawhere he earned Eagle as a Scout Shabbat service The bilia in its archives display, committee would like to bring member of Troop 40. He served on the lower level, below the as Scoutmaster of Troop 104 back this tradition. Scouts front foyer. when it was sponsored by the interested in participating The Jewish Committee JCC from 1981 to 1999. should send an email to ncjon Scouting oversees and cos@gmail.com, and be sure maintains the Temple of the Ten Commandments and

Take a peek at Israel’s Bedouin community in March 9 program BY LARRY KATZ

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SUMMER J-CAMP 2022 SAF E & FU R O F N June 27 - August 26 EASY FOR KI ! S T N DS! Grades K - 6: Campers PARE Grades 7 - 10: Counselor-in-Training (CIT) More information about Summer J-Camp coming soon at jewishallianceri.org. Questions? Contact Jimmy Rawl at jrawl@jewishallianceri.org.

401 Elmgrove Avenue | Providence, RI | 401.421.4111 | jewishallianceri.org

HOW BEDOUINS meet the challenges of living in Israel’s Negev is the topic for the Israeli Culture Series’ March program. The Bedouins are nomadic Arab tribes in the Middle East, many of whom live in Israel’s southern desert, the Negev. Despite disagreements with some of the Israeli government’s policies, Bedouins who live in Israel generally are known as loyal citizens whose men volunteer in Israel’s army. In the March 9 Zoom program, Dr. Yasmeen AbuFraiha will discuss Bedouins in Israel’s Negev region, including the background of the communities and some of the challenges they face. She will illustrate how Bedouins are meeting these challenges by telling some of her own story, as well as the stories of some entrepreneurs and nonprofits in Bedouin communities. Abu-Fraiha is a Bedouin doctor who specializes in internal medicine and is executive director of

Rodaina, a nonprofit she founded that aims to prevent genetic diseases in the Middle East, and especially in the Bedouin community, by spearheading premarital genetic testing and matching. Abu-Fraiha also serves on the boards of several other social projects and nonprofits that aim to improve Bedouin lives in Israel. The free virtual program on March 9 at 7 p.m., is part of the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island’s Israeli Culture Series, which takes place on the second Wednesday of each month. The Consulate General of Israel to New England is a co-sponsor of this program. For more information, contact Amit Moshe Oren at 401-421-4111 or AOren@ jewishallianceri.org. LARRY KATZ (lkatz@jewishallianceri.org) is the director of Jewish life and learning at the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island.

jewishrhody.org | Jewish Rhode Island

COMMUNITY

Winter fun at JCDSRI

The children at the Jewish Community Day School of Rhode Island in Providence have fun indoors and outdoors during the winter. Thanks to JCDSRI for the photos!

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COMMUNITY VOICES | OPINION CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15 the Franks. To many, Pankoke and his colleagues acknowledged, this would come as a surprise: Was the culprit really another Jew? Bram van de Meer, a Dutch former investigative psychologist, spoke with “60 Minutes” correspondent Jon Wertheim about the importance of context with a theory like this: “You would expect maybe that a very bad person did this, a person with – I would say a psychopathic mind would do this .... But you have to be so very careful. It’s war .... You’re thinking everyday about your own survival.” Ultimately, van der Meer says, “you end up in a situation where it could be anybody.” Van den Bergh served on a Jewish Council, a group organized by the Nazis in a manipulative effort to force Jews to choose between their own lives and those of other Jews. As the stakes increased and “Final Solution” efforts became more vehement, the council in Amsterdam was dissolved. Van den Bergh and his family, notably, were one of the few not sent to concentration camps. In fact, Pankoke and his colleagues uncovered evidence that van den Bergh continued living in Amsterdam without persecution, a feat “only possible if van den Bergh had some kind of leverage,” Pankoke said. “I’d call him a chess player,” said Pankoke. “He thought in terms of layers of protection, by obtaining different exemptions from being placed into the camps.” Pankoke suggests that the Frank family was one of many on a list of names that a member of the Jewish Council, perhaps van den Bergh, turned over to the Nazis in order to spare their own family from the same fate. The existence of such lists is verified in the national archive, and such a practice was a recurring, difficult choice for Jews put in a position of choosing between their family and another’s. Knowing what we know about Anne, and what a cultural treasure her diary has become, it can feel outrageous and impossible that another Jew, in the same, terrifying circumstances, would turn on a child who famously wrote: “In spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart.” However, it is vital to the continued healing of the Jew-

ish people that we acknowledge the varied means of survival during the Holocaust. We must have those difficult conversations that remind us that the horrors of persecution and murder during the Holocaust were as insidious as they were lethal. It is important to note that the research in the 60 Minutes special and the corresponding book has been met with considerable skepticism and is certainly not definitive. Yet acknowledging the kinds of decisions people of all religions and identities faced during this time is still important. What’s more, conjecture about betrayal within the Jewish community during this time prompts vital reflection, even if the facts of this particular case remain questionable. I found Rabbi Menachem Sebbag’s analysis of this potentially devastating revelation most touching, if difficult to swallow. “I hope that people will understand that one of the things that the Nazi ideology did during the Holocaust was to dehumanize Jewish people,” said Sebbag, who advised investigators and documentarians during the project. “And going back into history, and looking for the truth, and attaining truth, is actually giving the Jewish people back their own humanity. “Even if that means that sometimes Jewish people are seen as not acting morally correct, that gives them back their own humanity, because that’s the way human beings are when they’re faced with existential threats.” In her final diary entry before being captured, 15-year-old Anne wrote, almost prophetically, of human behavior as inherently relational – there is no vacuum in which to make our choices: “I just can’t keep it up anymore ... I get cross, then sad, and finally end up turning my heart inside out, the bad part on the outside and the good part on the inside, and keep trying to find a way to become what I’d like to be and what I could be if … if only there were no other people in the world.” From our modern vantage point, absent such terrible circumstances, we can pass judgment on whoever it was that betrayed the Frank family. However, be it a Jew or not who did the deed, the investigation prompts a humbling and crucial reckoning with the complex nature of humanity, and how we reach

decisions in times of conflict and strife. The special report proposes an answer to the identity of the Franks’ betrayer, but more importantly, it gestures at the interiority of the millions of people whose

voices weren’t preserved. And maybe most importantly, it asks: What would you have done?

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CAMP

At Jewish summer camps, Israel may be part of the experience BY LARRY KATZ JEWISH SUMMER CAMPS often offer a program that other camps do not: a trip to Israel. Almost all camps offer intensive life experiences, but traveling to Israel is an intensive experience in Jewish identity. Most Jewish camps in New England integrate Israeli experiences into their programming, such as having Israelis on their camp staffs, teaching Israeli folk dancing, having a day devoted to Israel, singing Israeli songs and featuring Israeli art projects. However, as Cohen Camps, with locations in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, puts it, “The capstone of the camper experience, the Dor L’Dor Leadership Program, guides our oldest campers through Israel itself, many for

the very first time – and back to camp in a new role, sharing their Israel exposure with younger campers.” Camp JORI, in Wakefield, describes its “Israel Journey” as “a once-in-a-lifetime experience to connect with the history, people and natural beauty of Israel.” These are three- to six-week experiences, which may be followed by additional weeks back at camp. Camp JORI notes that “Participants will then return to JORI as Counselors in Training (CITs) for the last two weeks of the summer at camp to continue their training to be future counselors.” Similarly, Camp Young Judaea in New Hampshire offers a 12-day leadership program back at camp after a five-week trip in Israel. Camp Yavneh in New Hampshire extolls the value

of experiences in Israel, saying, “Campers develop deep love and appreciation for the place of Israel in contemporary Jewish life. We believe that there is no greater gift than an immersive leadership seminar in Israel.” Yavneh details what campers may expect: “Campers immerse themselves into the society and people of Israel through travel, lectures, volunteer sessions and other hands-on experiences. Dynamic tour leaders are selected for their ability to bring the sights, depths and nuances of Israel to life, leaving participants yearning for what the next day has to offer.” Some camps, such as Camp Ramah, which has locations nationwide, conduct additional programs, such as an add-on week-long program

in Poland, a semester of high school in Jerusalem, and a day camp in Jerusalem for younger campers. Many camps also offer specialty tours of Israel. For instance, since URJ (Union for Reform Judaism) Camps include a couple of sci-tech camps, they offer a trip in Israel with an emphasis on sci-tech. Other tours emphasize social justice or sports. Finally, there are some camps that are exclusively in Israel, even for younger ages. Camp Kimama has locations in North America and Europe, but also on the coast of Israel, which attract campers from many countries. Subsidies are available to offset the cost of some camps. RootOne (www.rootone.org) provides substantial vouchers for some programs, and the Jewish Alliance of Greater

Summer trip to Israel

an Israel experience as an integral part of a student’s education and growing Jewish identity. Grants are available to all high school, college and graduate students who are residents of greater Rhode Island planning to visit Israel on a recognized study/travel program. Please request an application from Larry Katz or Donna Cole at the Jewish Alliance: 401-421-4111 or IsraelDesk@jewishallianceri.org.

LARRY KATZ (lkatz@jewishallianceri.org) is the director of Jewish life and learning at the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island.

ABCs of Camp JORI!

Camp JORI counselors

ELIANA GOLDWASSER spent the summer of 2021 in Israel on the NFTY Mitzvah Corps, an immersive social justice travel program, combining travel with volunteer work, offered by the Reform movement. In the photo, Eliana is on the right with her friend, Rowan, whom she met on the trip. They are at the Jerusalem Archeological Park at the egalitarian section of the Western Wall. Eliana’s family was a participant in the Alliance’s matching savings program, known as the Gift of Israel. The Rhode Island Jewish community supports

Rhode Island has a few programs of its own for residents of Rhode Island and nearby Massachusetts. The Alliance’s Gift of Israel Savings Program starts as early as third grade and provides matching funds on a 1:2.66 basis, which can add up by the time the child goes to Israel, in 10th grade or later. In addition, residents through age 26 may qualify for stipends, and teens may also apply for needs-based scholarships. For more information, email IsraelDesk@ JewishAllianceRI.org, or call 401-421-4111.

There are many reasons to love summer camp THE ABCS OF CAMP JORI were compiled by JORI’s first year counselors who have grown up on the shores of Worden Pond, home to Rhode Island’s only Jewish overnight camp. The counselors are the heart and soul of the camp, according to co-director Kara Liberman,

and help to pass down the traditions that were started over 80 years ago. L’dor v’dor means generation to generation and that is exactly what the ABCs of Camp JORI represent. Each year, memories are created that JORI campers, their parents and their grandparents have all enjoyed.

A Archery B Bonfire C Candy Call D Darom E Everlasting Fun F Flag Pole G Gaga H Havdallah I Israeli Dance J JORI! K Kayaking L Lifeguards M Mail N Nighttime Activities O Olympics P Paddle Boarding Q Quality Time With Friends R Rainy Day Activities S Shabbat T Tzafon/ TaCEO U Uppercamp V LIT Village W Wordens pond X Excellent Staff Y Years Spent at JORI Z Zip Zap Zop

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jewishrhody.org | Jewish Rhode Island

OBITUARIES Ruth Ades, 89 DEDHAM, MASS. – Ruth Flink Ades, of Dedham, passed away Dec. 19, 2020. She was the beloved sister of Alan Flink (Renee z”l) and daughter of Sadye (z”l) and Philip (z”l) Flink. She is survived by her loving husband of 68 years, Alan; her children Stephen, Philip (Ellen), Andrea Ades Woolner (Steven) and Sara Ades Goodwin; her 19 grandchildren, her three great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews. Additional loved ones include her sisters and brother in-law Sherri Ades Falchuk (Kenneth), Richard Ades (Elaine) and Harvey, z”l (Rebecca). Ruth was born and grew up in Providence. A true Eishet Chayel (Woman of Valor) and matriarch, her love for her family, Judaism and Jewish tradition was infused in her every action throughout her life. She loved people and made connections everywhere she went. She loved gardening, tennis and swimming and was a former teacher. Israel was very dear to her; she and her husband made 44 visits over the years. Her generosity of spirit and love of Judaism led her to leadership roles in many Jewish organizations including Sisterhood, Federation and Hadassah. Ruth’s involvement in prayer and synagogue activities was extensive and respected throughout communities where she resided beginning in New Bedford, Massachusetts, Longboat Key, Florida, and most recently at Newbridge on the Charles in Dedham. Donations may be made to Temple Emanuel, 385 Ward St., Newton, MA 02459; Hebrew Senior Life (NBOC), 5000 Great Meadow Rd., Dedham, MA 02026; Hadassah, 1320 Centre St., Newton, MA 02459; or the charity of your choice.

Barbara Bernstein, 89 EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Barbara Nita (Spunt) Bernstein, formerly of Providence, passed away on Jan. 5, 2022, at Evergreen House Health Center in East Providence. Born in Providence, she was a daughter of the late David and Reba (Gindin)

Spunt. She was a lifelong resident of the area. Barbara was a freelance radio reporter for many years. Survivors include: three children, Amy Foreman of Georgia, Gary Bernstein of Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, and Laura Allard of Malden, Massachusetts, and four grandchildren, Jessica Bethel, Ryan Foreman, Joshua Bernstein and Joey Allard. She was the sister of the late Jerome Spunt. Memorial contributions in her honor may be made to Evergreen House Health Center, 1 Evergreen Drive, East Providence, RI 02914 and/or HopeHealth Hospice, Attn: Philanthropy, 1085 North Main St., Providence, RI 02904.

Elaine Dickstein, 88 PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Elaine (Laikin) Dickstein passed away Jan. 12, 2022, in Providence. Born in Brooklyn, New York, she was the daughter of the late Abraham and Anna (Bressler) Laikin. She was the wife of the late Robert Alan Dickstein; together they raised their two children in Roslyn Heights, New York. During her lifetime, she wore many hats: photo retoucher, PTA president, political activist, legislative assistant to a NYS assemblyman and NYS real estate appraiser. She retired in 1995 “at just the right time” to begin her grandmothering journey in Providence. She was passionate about reading, jigsaw puzzles, limerick writing, correct grammar, supporting the Providence Community Libraries and passing Yiddish and mahjong along to the next generation. Above all, she adored her family. She is survived by her children, Susan (Tony Saccone) and Marc (Deborah) Dickstein; sisters-in-law Joan Goldberger, Alice Dickstein and Lois Laikin; adored grandchildren Max, Alexander and Benjamin Saccone, and Matthew, Eric and Lila Dickstein; co-grandmother Eve Dorfzaun; many cherished nieces and nephews; a host of book club and Temple Beth El Sisterhood friends (where she was famously known as the “Hanukkah Sale lady”); and a special group of Methyl Street neigh-

bors to whom she felt connected like family. She was the sister of the late Eugene Laikin and co-grandmother with the late Doris Saccone. Contributions may be made to the Providence Public Library.

Randee Elman, 63 CRANSTON, R.I. – Randee R. Elman passed away Jan. 1, 2022, at Rhode Island Hospital. She was the wife of the late Rocco Iannotti, who passed away just one day before Randee. Born in Providence, a daughter of the late Arnold and Pearl (Cohen) Elman, she was a lifelong resident of Cranston. Randee loved being a mother and wife, and she enjoyed cooking and caring for her family. She was the mother of Andrew and Jameson Iannotti, both of Cranston. She was the sister of Melanie Elman of East Providence and Iris Greenstein (Marc) of Cranston. She was the loving grandmother of Ameila. Contributions may be made to St. Jude Children’s Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.

Frimette Fishman, 92 GREENVILLE, R.I. – Frimette J. (Rubin) Fishman, of Greenville, passed away Jan. 9, 2022, at the Villages at Waterman Lake. She was the wife of the late Frederick N. Fishman. Born in Providence, she was the daughter of the late David and Zella (Schechter) Rubin. She had worked in the retail industry for many years. Frimette was quite the master at playing mahjong, and she loved spending time with her family She is survived by two sons; Robert Fishman and his wife, Charlotte Carson, of North Scituate, and Stuart Fishman and his wife, Jane, of Westerly; two daughters-in-law, Karen Fishman and Rhonda Lewis; seven grandchildren, Josh Fishman and his wife, Emily, Ilana Fishman and her husband, Seth Finkle, Rebecca Eccard and her husband, John, Gregory Card and his wife, Amber, Jeffrey Fishman, Brent Fishman and his wife, Genna, Stacey Ewan and her husband, Sam; four great-grandchildren and

several nieces and nephews. She was the mother of the late Bruce and Neil Fishman and sister of the late Estelle Fagan. Contributions may be made to a charity of your choice.

Barbara Levine, 90 PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Barbara Levine passed away on Jan. 2, 2022. She was born in Providence on June 15, 1931. She attended Wellesley College and Brown University. She loved art, food, music, architecture and fashion. She was an avid reader and lifelong learner; she visited dozens of countries and nurtured a lifelong love of travel. She is survived by her sister Dorothy Lampal, her granddaughters Rebecca and Ilana Greenstein, her daughter-in-law Elaine Greenstein, her nephew Gary Lampal (Robin), her niece Loren Goldman (Richard), her stepdaughters Marsha (Richard) Books and Patricia (Steven) Boochever, great-nieces and -nephews Seth Goldman, Jared, Adam and Livia Lampal, and step-grandchildren Eric and Joshua Books and Samuel (Julie) and Rachel (Gregory Stucker) Boochever.

She is preceded in death by her parents Herman and Selma Bennett, her husband George Levine and her children Bennett Greenstein and Nancy Greene. Donations can be made to the Nancy Carolyn Greene Endowment Fund at the Rhode Island Foundation (either online or through donor services administrator K. Riley at 401-427-4028).

Ann Miller, 79 EAST GREENWICH, R.I. – Ann E. Miller died Jan. 9, 2022, in East Greenwich. She was the wife of Barry Miller for 59 years. Born in Brooklyn, New York, a daughter of the late Leonard and Jeanette (Glock) Sorenson, she had lived in East Greenwich for over 40 years. Ann was a life member of Hadassah. She was the mother of Eric Miller and his partner, Sara, of Providence and Henry Miller of East Greenwich. She was the sister of Joan Perlmutter of Florida. She was the grandmother of Sarah, Justin, Lucy and Lily. Contributions may be made to the charity of your choice.

Edward Rouslin, 85 FRANKLIN, MASS. – Edward Rouslin passed away Jan. 12, 2022, at Genesis Nursing

Certified by the Board of Rabbis of Greater Rhode Island Jacquelyn Aubuchon, Funeral Director

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OBITUARIES Home in Milford. He was the husband of Marcia L. (Alter) Rouslin. Born in Providence, a son of the late Benjamin and Ann (Brill) Rouslin, he had lived in Franklin for three years. Previously he was a longtime resident of Barrington. He was a CPA with his own practice for 52 years, retiring in 2012. Edward loved sailing and was an avid reader. He was the father of Lawrence Rouslin (Laurie Dalheim) of Brooklyn, New York, and Deborah Rouslin (Jack Rocha) of Franklin. He was the dear brother of William Rouslin and the late Samuel Rouslin, Albert Rouslin and Joan Fistick. He was the grandfather of Henry and

Sylvie Rouslin and Joshua and Isabelle Rocha. Contributions may be made to American Parkinson Disease Association, PO Box 41659, Providence, RI 02940.

Sandra Simon, 82 PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Sandra B. (Bender) Simon of Providence and Narragansett passed away on Jan. 2, 2022, at HopeHealth Hulitar Hospice Center. She was the wife of the late Dr. Stanley Simon. Born in Providence, she was the daughter of the late Max and Ruth (Litman) Bender. She was a lifelong

resident of the city, while spending summers at the family beach house in Harbour Island in Narragansett. Sandra managed the gift shop at The Miriam Hospital in Providence for over 40 years before retiring; she was also a member of the hospital’s Women’s Association for many years. An avid gardener, Sandra loved traveling and going on adventurous fishing trips with her husband. Survivors include: two sons, Robert Oresman and his wife, Cathy, of Pawtucket, and Lee Oresman and his wife, Suzanne, of North Providence; three step-children, Leslie Haduch and her husband, Richard, Laura Mainelli and her husband, Michael, and Gary “Moshe” Simon; a brother, Jeffrey Bender and his wife, Carole; 18 grandchildren; 23 great-grandchildren; many nieces, nephews, friends and her beloved labradoodle, T.J. She was the sister of the late Hope Prescott. Donations may be made to the Lifespan Cancer Institute, 139 Point St., Providence, RI 02903 or to a charity of one’s choice.

Ruth Siperstein, 93 PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Ruth I. (Israel) Siperstein, of Providence, passed away Jan. 12, 2022, at Rhode Island Hospital after a brief illness. She was the wife of the late Israel (Izzy) Siperstein. Born in Worcester, Massachusetts, she was a daughter of the late Harry and Lillian (Gourse) Israel. She lived most of her childhood through high school in Fall River, Massachusetts, along with her brother, the late David Israel. After Ruth married Izzy, they lived for several years in Swampscott, Massachusetts, then moved to Providence. Ruth was inquisitive, practical and interested in learning throughout her life. She valued education and earned a bachelor’s degree and teaching certificate from the continuing education for women program at the University of Rhode Island in the late 1980s and early 1990s while still running the household. She then earned a master’s degree in English. Ruth was an English teacher for many years before retiring. She taught at Cranston High School East and then

at the Community College of Rhode Island. Home and family were very important to Ruth, and she applauded her children’s, grandchildren’s and great-grandchildren’s accomplishments. She attended every recital, performance or ceremony that she could. Ruth enjoyed gatherings of family at the holidays and for important milestones. Ruth made sure everyone had a favorite holiday food, even when that meant there were more desserts than people at the meal. She was an accomplished seamstress and taught her daughters how to sew at an early age. She filled her home with plants, was especially proud of her long-lived, large African violets and enjoyed working in her gardens. She and Izzy shared a love of travel and were able to visit many places around the globe, experiencing different cultures and meeting new people. After retirement, Ruth volunteered for a variety of organizations. She was an active resident and leader in the Tamarisk community. She was the mother of two daughters, Linda and her husband, Mark, of Lexington, Massachusetts, and Ellen Mroz (the late Michael Mroz) of North Kingstown. She was the grandmother of Alyssa Mroz, Seth Mroz and the late Lyle Mroz, Aaron Adler (Leah Frank) and Rachel Adler; great-grandmother of William Adler and Nathaniel and Maya Longacre. Contributions may be made to Temple Sinai, 30 Hagen Ave, Cranston, RI 02920.

Dora Sirota, 84 PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Dora Z. (Pynoos) Sirota, of Providence and Narragansett, passed away on Jan. 14, 2022, at The Miriam Hospital in Providence. She was the wife of the late Gregory Sirota. Born in Odessa, Ukraine, a daughter of the late Zalman Pynoos and Bella (Flax) Pynoos, she was in all aspects of life a paradigmatic Odessitka (native of Odessa): witty, fearless and rogue. Her understanding of others was radically horizontal, rejecting class hierarchies and differences in favor of humanity and universalism. She immigrated to the United States in 1978 with

her soul mate Gregory, their two children and her parents. Dora and her husband Gregory owned and operated Gregory’s Optical in Providence for many years, where she reigned over the sales floor with her distinct synthesis of irony, generosity and sardonic whimsy. Survivors include: two children, Michael Sirota of Barrington and Anya Sirota and her husband, Jean Louis Farges, of Narragansett and Michigan; three grandchildren, Leon Sirota, Sonya Bella Sirota and Zioma Farges-Sirota; and her sister, Raisa Pynoos, of New Jersey.

Lev Smiler, 94 PAWTUCKET, R.I. – Lev N. Smiler died Jan. 21, 2022, at the Miriam Hospital, Providence. He was the beloved husband of Irina (Finkelstein) for 65 years. Born in Kyiv, Ukraine, a son of the late Nuchim and Lea Smiler, he had lived in Pawtucket for 30 years, previously living in Ukraine. Lev attended Adult Day Care, helped anyone in need, and he loved people, dancing and dressing up. He was the devoted father of Marina Belogolovsky of Cranston. He was the dear brother of the late Dora Smiler, Sonya Lubinskaya, Masha Nedostup and Grisha Kazimirov. He was the loving grandfather of Leah and Greg. Contributions in his memory may be made to Children’s Cancer Research Fund, 7301 Ohms Ln., Ste. 355, Minneapolis, MN 55439.

Donald Solomon, 92 CRANSTON, R.I. – Donald Solomon died Jan. 28, 2022, at HopeHealth Hulitar Hospice. He was the beloved husband of Etta (Levine) Solomon for almost 70 years. Born in Providence, a son of the late Moses and Cecile (Konisky) Solomon, he had lived in Cranston for over 40 years, previously living in Warwick. He was a teacher in the Warwick school system for 34 years, retiring in 1991. He was a substitute teacher after retirement. Donald taught Sunday School at Temple Beth-El and Temple Habonim for 45 years. He was a member of Temple Beth-El and former member of Temple Habonim. He was a member of AFL/CIO Teachers Union. He was the devoted father of Audrey Chubka and her

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OBITUARIES

Jeanne Wexler, 94 CRANSTON, R.I. – Jeanne Wexler passed away on Jan. 18, 2022, at Evergreen House Health Center, East Providence. She was the wife of the late Joseph Wexler. Born in Brooklyn, New York, a daughter of the late Albert and Ida (Spivack) Resnick, she had lived in Cranston for 66 years, previously living in Providence. Jeanne was a dress designer’s assistant in Manhattan, later becoming a teacher’s aide in the Cranston school system. She was a member of the former Congregation Beth Torah and Temple Am David, former president of the Pioneer Women and was an active member of Compassionate Friends. Jeanne was known for her great sense of humor, and for retaining a keen mind until the very end. One of her last utterances was to inquire if the current Jeopardy champion was maintaining her long winning streak. Another was reminiscing about the famed “Bosco” death scene

Nat Wolicki, 92 WARWICK, R.I. – Nat Wolicki passed away peacefully on Jan. 13, 2022, at Lincolnwood Nursing Home. He was the husband of Marilyn (Sadinsky) Wolicki for 42 years. Born in Brooklyn, New York, he was the oldest son of the late Herman and Rae (Goodman) Wolicki. He was a longtime resident of Warwick. He was an insurance agent for Prudential in West Warwick, then becoming the director of Health Benefits for the West Bay Collaborative for 15 years. He became a Certified Financial Planner, retiring in 2013. He was active in the Jewish community as a member of Touro Fraternal Association, Congregation Or Chadash and the former Temple Am David. At 83 years old, Nat celebrated his Bar Mitzvah Sheini on Feb. 11, 2013. He was the father of Caron Salkin (Ted) of Medford, New Jersey, and David Wolicki (Sandy), of Canton, Massachusetts, and stepfather of Lee Lerner (Kathy), of Florida, and David Lerner (Dina), of West Greenwich. He was the brother of June Stern, of Sarasota, Florida, and the late Irene Neulander and Jerry Wolicki. He was the grandfather of Andrew, Lindsay, Dan, Laura, Jacque-

Louis Zuckerman, 77 CUMBERLAND, R.I. – Louis M. Zuckerman, 77, of Cumberland, passed away peacefully on Jan. 24, 2022, after an unexpected illness. He was born May 8, 1944. He leaves behind a daughter, Sheryl Rennick and her husband, James, of Cumberland; a son, Adam Zuckerman and his wife, Michelle, of Glen, New Hampshire. He also leaves his grandchildren, Mackenzie, Kaitlyn, Crystal, Shania, Zachary, Connor, Allison, and three great-grandchildren Tammy, Jacob, and Anais. He also leaves behind his eldest brother, Bernard Zuckerman of Brockton, Massachusetts, and his twin brother, Edward Zuckerman of Springfield,

Masssachusetts. He was seeing if he was smarter than predeceased by his wife Carol the contestants on Jeopardy. (Cooperman) Zuckerman, He surrounded himself with brothers Fred Zuckerman and hundreds of photos of family Gerald Zuckerman and sister from the past and present. A memorial service will be Sylvia Gilman. planned for a later date. Lou worked many jobs in his lifetime that gave him the joy of being around people and interacting with the public. He took over the family business in 1969 when his father died. Eagle Food Products was his pride and joy. After a brief health issue, he left this business and started working with his BMW AUDI MERCEDES BENZ VOLKSWAGEN MINI brother Fred doing landscaping. He went on to work at Jerry’s Service Station on Blackstone Boulevard. After the business was sold, he “Everything explained prior went to Candeis Auto in to performing any work. Pawtucket. During both Emailed invoice stating work needed, showing detailed parts and labor” jobs he also started his – Bruce M., Pawtucket, own landscaping busiMercedes-Benz C320 ness. In 2016, he retired and “Capable of providing service without any personal contact.” moved to Cumberland – Gerry and Denis Moreau to live with his daughter and family. He referred G E R M A N M O T O R S INC to his home as his Sales & Service “country squire estate”. He spent most of his 879 North Main Street, Providence, RI 02904 time indoors enjoying 401-272-4266 Email us at: germanmotorshelp@gmail.com old movies, watching his favorite sitcoms, and

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BONITA SPRINGS, FLA. – Alan Wasserman of Bonita Springs died Jan. 23, 2022. He was the husband of Debra (Linsky) Wasserman. Born in Providence, a son of the late Gilbert and Beatrice “Pat” (Rashkovsky) Wasserman, he had been a resident of Rhode Island most of his life. He was a graduate of Roger Williams University School of Law, The University of Rhode Island and a member of Temple Sinai. He is survived by his wife and children, Jared and his wife, Allison, of New York City and Bradley of Providence; his granddaughter Clara. He was the brother of Jack Wasserman. In lieu of flowers, contributions in his memory may be made to the charity of your choice.

line, Jake and Jenny. Contributions may be made to American Parkinson Disease Association, PO Box 41659, Providence, RI 02940 or HopeHealth Hospice, 1085 N. Main St., Providence, RI 02904.

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Alan Wasserman, 68

in Seinfeld. We suspect she hoped that would be her last word too. She was the mother of Marilyn Wexler (Steven Kingsbury) of Marblehead, Massachusetts; David Wexler (Lucia Gonzalez, Ph.D.) of Napa, California; Philip Wexler of Cranston and the late Todd Wexler. She was the sister of Sylvia Rapp (late David Rapp) of Palo Alto, California. She was the grandmother of Adam Kingsbury (Kimberly Bier) of Media, Pennsylvania, and Ian Kingsbury, Ph.D. (Arielle) of Marblehead. She was the great-grandmother of Aliyah Kingsbury of Marblehead. Donations can be made payable to the Todd Wexler Memorial Fund c/o Massachusetts General Hospital, Development Office, 125 Nashua Street, Suite 540, Boston, MA 02114 or online at https://giving. massgeneral.org/donate?re_ fund=206865&is_designation=1&designation=Cancer%20Center.

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husband, Glenn, of Cranston. He was the dear brother of the late Alvin Solomon and his late wife, Doris. He was the loving grandfather of Elisa. He was the cherished great-grandfather of Esabel and Celia. Contributions in his memory may be made to Reach Out and Read Rhode Island at RORRI.org/support.

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