March 2021

The Voice of Greater Rhode Island’s Jewish Community

JEWISH

MARCH 2021 | ADAR/NISAN 5781

JEWISHRHODY.ORG

RHODE ISLAND

One year later

It’s Passover again in the pandemic

Purim fun with a difference

Bakst on Davis: The memories

Reflections on freedom at this time

2 | MARCH 2021

Jewish Rhode Island | jewishrhody.org

Though our celebrations may be altered again this year, the ritual Seder unites us all. As we leave our doors open to Elijah, let us take comfort knowing that these customs have sustained us for thousands of years — through trials and tribulations — and that these trials too shall pass.

One day soon, we will open our doors to one another again.

On behalf of all of us at the Jewish Alliance, Hag Pesach Sameach,

James Pious Chair of the Board

Adam Greenman President & CEO

MARCH 2021 | 3

jewishrhody.org | Jewish Rhode Island

JEWISH RHODE ISL AND

EDITOR Fran Ostendorf DESIGN & LAYOUT Alex Foster ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT Peter Zeldin pzeldin@jewishallianceri.org 401-421-4111, ext. 160 CONTRIBUTORS Hannah Altman, Cynthia Benjamin, Larry Kessler COLUMNISTS Michael Fink, Geraldine Foster, Patricia Raskin, Rabbi James Rosenberg, Daniel Stieglitz

VOLUME XXVIII, ISSUE III JEWISH RHODE ISLAND

(ISSN number 1539-2104, USPS #465-710) is published monthly except twice in May, August and September.

PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID at Providence, R.I. POSTMASTER Send address changes to: Jewish Rhode Island, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence, RI 02906.

PUBLISHER

The Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island, President/CEO Adam Greenman, Chair James Pious, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence, RI 02906.

401-421-4111; Fax 401-331-7961 MEMBER of the

Rhode Island Press Association.

COPY DEADLINES: All news releases, photographs, etc., must be received on the Wednesday 10 days prior to publication. Submissions may be sent to: editor@jewishallianceri.org.

ADVERTISING: We do not accept

advertisements for pork or shellfish. We do not attest to the kashrut of any product or the legitimacy of advertisers’ claims.

ON THE COVER: iStock photo by Maglara

Ode to Zoom

Are you suffering from Zoom fatigue?

MANY PEOPLE are talking about it, so I took a look at my We last gathered in person in November 2019. But we trusty sources to see if this has really become a thing. get together virtually almost every week. And Zoom is Urban Dictionary to the rescue! It has a definition for the method we use to connect.

Zoom fatigue. Many of you can probably relate: “Sore So while many of us are suffering from Zoom fatigue, buttocks and slight throbbing of head from staring at I’m here to remind you that Zoom, and its connectivity everyone in their pajamas while participating in meetcousins, are not really a bad thing in these locked-down, ing after meeting in your dining room stay-at-home times. due to social distancing due to COVIDI try to remind myself on a regular basis that if not for 19.”

Zoom: And wait, there’s a second defi• My 91-year-old mother would not have been able to nition: “When you’ve participated meet her new great-granddaughter and attend her namin too many Zoom meetings and ing ceremony. it makes you tired.”

Wikipedia, not surprisingly, • None of us would have the option to attend services boils it down to plain English: and worship with my sister, a cantor at a congregation “Zoom fatigue is tiredness, worry in Wilton, Connecticut. And, by the way, she interor burnout associated with the overviewed and was hired for this position via Zoom, never use of virtual platforms of communicastepping into the building until after accepting the job. tion, particularly videoconferencing.”

Most of the other definitions of Zoom fatigue come • We would not see each other nearly as often. We see from psychological sources, which you can google if each other more often virtually than we ever did in you’re interested. As it turns out, there has been a lot of person pre-pandemic. study into this “phenomenon” in the last year. And with good reason.

• Another year would have gone by without my sister Last year, when our downsized attending a challah bake. This family sat down to the Passover she was at the R.I. Challah Despite the fatigue, Zoom year, seder, we had a new guest at the Bake, as was my niece. And there table: A shiny silver laptop had were several local women who has brought all of us the seat of honor, and its countermentioned family members who parts were perched on tables in the attending the event for the together in ways we might were homes of those who usually attend first time, all virtually and all from my family seder. outside Rhode Island. never have imagined.

Yes, we used tech on Shabbat and holidays. It allowed us to celebrate • Game night would never have become an activity for various branches of my family. as we have for years, albeit with a twist.

Cousins are now keeping in touch with each other more At the time, we figured we’d all be back together by often than during a summer vacation at the lake! the time Thanksgiving rolled around, and certainly by Passover 2021.

Despite the fatigue, Zoom has brought all of us None of us dreamed that the laptop and the videocontogether in ways we might never have imagined. It’s ferencing platform we call Zoom would still be front and allowed us to connect with colleagues, friends and center in our lives one year later. family local and far-flung. It’s allowed learning opportuHasn’t this become the tech we love to hate? Yes, we nities and given new meaning to armchair travel. It has are tired of the whole thing. given us freedom in lockdown.

I haven’t seen my brother since Thanksgiving.

So, when we are finished focusing on the fatigue Thanksgiving 2019. My mother? It was a year in Januangle, let us celebrate that we can still come together ary. Unfortunately, it’s pretty much the same story for in small ways to make it through these trying times the rest of the extended family, who live all over the U.S. together.

If you have read my columns about my family gatherAnd next year, may we celebrate Passover in person, ings, you know that my home is the central spot for all together. holidays. I realized that again recently after receiving a gift from my brother. He had put together a book of family photos, and so many of them were taken at my house (and involved food!).

A happy Passover to all!

Fran Ostendorf, Editor

D'VAR TORAH 5 | CALENDAR 6 | COMMUNITY VOICES 8 | OPINION 12 | ARTS 14 PASSOVER 15 | COMMUNITY 22 | BUSINESS 34 | OBITUARIES 36 | FOOD 38 | SIMCHAS 39

THE MISSION OF JEWISH RHODE ISLAND is to communicate Jewish news, ideas and ideals by connecting and giving voice to the diverse views of the Jewish community in Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts, while adhering to Jewish values and the professional standards of journalism.

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.

4 | MARCH 2021

Jewish Rhode Island | jewishrhody.org

UP FRONT

Roger Gross has tailored his men’s clothing shop for success PHOTO | HANNAH ALTMAN

BY HANNAH ALTMAN ROGER GROSS is the longtime owner of the Franklin Rogers men’s formalwear shop at 142 Westminster St., in Providence, one of Rhode Island’s few remaining stores for business and designer men’s attire.

Gross, 75, and his wife, Rosemary, live in Warwick. They have two adult children and two grandchildren.

The following interview with Gross, which has been lightly edited, was conducted by email.

Did you grow up in Rhode Island?

I have been a lifelong Rhode Islander. I grew up on Sixth Street in Providence. I left home at age 15 to attend a private school in western Massachusetts. I went to Boston University, and graduated with a degree in psychology. I have spent over 51 years in retail, all based

out of Rhode Island. I spent my first 18 years developing and operating a chain of women’s stores, and I have spent the rest of my time in the men’s business.

What influenced your decision to own a suit shop?

What continues that drive today?

Even when I was in the women’s business, I paid attention to men’s fashions. In the women’s business, quality began to matter less, and women began to abandon quality stores and started trading with the inexpensive fast-fashion stores. Menswear, on the other hand, has maintained its overall quality, and, to be honest, is much more logical than women’s apparel. Men are more comfortable about accepting their physical strengths and weaknesses. A man will come into the store today, look you in the eye and say, “I

got fat, nothing fits me.”

I don’t recall any women telling me anything like that.

You have one of the last remaining custom suit shops in the area. How have you survived?

When I opened Franklin Rogers in 1994, I set out to make it akin to a Cheers bar. I wanted everybody to feel comfortable shopping at Franklin Rogers Ltd. We were not a store for pretentious name droppers, we were a store for people who wanted good value, good merchandise, good service, fine tailoring free, and prices that would not insult their intelligence.

Over the years, we have constantly updated our look, our merchandise and our selection to reflect the changes in contemporary culture.

We strive to evolve our product to a higher level of change and fashion, as

the younger generations no longer dress like their fathers and grandfathers.

In the last several years, we opened three more businesses located in another part of the building: our Groom Store, our Tuxedo and Prom Shop, and our Custom Suit store. This diversification has gone a long way in helping to grow our business and keep it in tune with the needs of our customers.

What is a memorable story about a client you’ll never forget?

Several years ago, on a Friday afternoon, at about 3 p.m., I received a call from a man from the East Side of Providence. He told me that he needed help. His son was a backup pianist for the Rhode Island Youth Philharmonic and was called at the last minute to replace the original piano player, who had taken ill.

The young man needed a tuxedo outfit for the next afternoon, and the father had called everywhere.

Nobody had the boy’s size, or was able to get it in time. I told him to get down to the store before 3:30 p.m., and I could help.

He came right down to the store, and I saw what the problem was.

The young man needed a 34 short slim-fit tuxedo.

In addition, he needed it tailored to him [by] Saturday afternoon.

I explained to the father that I did have a way to pull it off. I called a supplier of mine in California. The supplier did have the tuxedo in the correct size in stock, and he was in California, and it was only 12:45 p.m. on Friday there. I knew that the cutoff time for an overnight shipment was 1 p.m.

I placed the order and told the father to come back at 10:30 Saturday morning, and I would have my tailor waiting for him and we would take care of everything.

The father was thrilled, the young man was thrilled, and I was thrilled. That is the kind of service we would do for everybody. That is a key reason we are still here.

What do you find is the most rewarding aspect of your work?

I love to see a happy customer. I get a big thrill when a man walks in and tells us that he has been everywhere, and nobody can fit him.

Almost always, when we hear that, he walks out with a brand-new outfit. I love it when a young man comes in for his first suit.

I watch his face and his body language as he looks in the mirror and realizes his possibilities. It is really rewarding when I look at a mother’s face when her son comes out of the dressing room trying on a Bar Mitzvah suit.

The look of pride on her face can’t be overstated.

To me it is amazing.

I take great pride when a customer comes in to tell us that he got a lot of compliments on his new clothing. The rewards CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

MARCH 2021 | 5

jewishrhody.org | Jewish Rhode Island

Ecclesiastes fits the spirit of our time that God expects from us: instead as a recognition that beneath the heavens (Eccleto utilize these gifts with our desire to experience the siastes 1:12-13). He then conwisdom. wonder of life is precisely cludes the verse by telling Kohelet concludes this the striving that God wishes us that these gifts from God line of thinking in the next us to possess. In short, a – to investigate and explore verse, when he states that life well-lived – filled with in wisdom – were “bad he took note of everything meaning, delight and love business” and should not be under the sun, and it was – is a life that God would be pursued (Ecclesiastes 1:13). pleased for us to live.

The problem here In this light, it seems is that Kohelet wishes In this 'winter of our that Kohelet’s words both to celebrate and really do fit the spirit dismiss the essence of our time right now. of what it means to be discontent,' as we long for In this “winter of our human. On the one discontent,” as we long hand, he investigates the daily interactions we for the daily interand explores (in the once had, perhaps we will no actions we once had, Hebrew, lidrosh, the perhaps we will no root of “midrash”) longer take for granted all the longer take for granted everything, disall the experiences that playing God’s gift of unmitigated curiosexperiences that give our lives give our lives their sacred purpose. In ity that is unique to just a couple of weeks, humanity. As the their sacred purpose. spring will be upon us, king, he could sit and with some good back on his throne all useless (Ecclesiastes fortune, we’ll find ourselves and revel in his status and 1:14). But then he adds, cherishing both the warmth wealth. But instead, he almost superfluously, that of the sun and the warmth ventures forth in the world it was “r’ut ruach” “striving our neighbors. to discover the novelty and after spirit.” While Kohelet May we all stay healthy, variety of its experiences. appears to be using “ruach” find our way to a nearby vacWhat could be more puras a term of derision – the cination center and may all poseful than being curious emptiness of the wind – the of us enjoy a zissen Pesach. about all that life has to Hebrew word “ruach” is offer? Indeed, our instinct often defined as “breath” HOWARD VOSS-ALTMAN is the to solve puzzles, learn how or sometimes as a symbolic rabbi at Temple Habonim in things work, and seek out name for God. Thus, one Barrington. new horizons has not been could interpret this passage God’s “bad business,” but not as an illustration of rather the foundation of all life’s meaninglessness, but

CONTINUED ON PAGE 5 are so important because it confirms that we are doing things right.

issues with pathos and satire. It would be a laugh-fest from beginning to end, and even if I never got a word in edgewise, I would cherish it forever.

D’ VA

I WAS SPEAKING with a friend be. Or perhaps it’s because the other day, and I asked I miss celebrating Shabbat him, rhetorically, “Will with the community. Spring this winter ever end?” I’m cannot arrive soon enough. not bothered by the cold In the midst of these (after all, before wintertime blues, I’ve I moved to been teaching the Book Rhode of Ecclesiastes, a Island, I book so filled with endured 13 anomie and melanyears of choly that it feels Canadian perfectly suited winters to the moment. that were The book’s alleged both longer author, Kohelet, and colder RABBI HOWARD laments the than any in meaning of his VOSS-ALTMAN life, his very Southern New England), or the occasional existence, and labor of shoveling snow. But the world he lives in, claimthis pandemic winter feels ing in its opening verse “it unceasing. is all useless, everything Perhaps it’s because many is useless.” In our modern of us are sheltering in place, parlance, we might refer to and every day feels like Kohelet’s condition as an every other day. Perhaps it’s “existential crisis,” as he because most of our social careens like a billiard ball interactions take place in from sadness to regret, from little boxes on a screen. acceptance to anger.

Perhaps it’s because when And yet, despite his philowe do go outside the combisophical misgivings, Kohelet nation of coats, gloves, hats may be a far more optimistic and masks renders us both thinker than these verses formless and expressionless; suggest. After proclaiming, we rush by each other, our once again, that he was the eyes vaguely looking toward king over Israel, he declares a middle distance, anxious that he investigated and to arrive at wherever our explored – with wisdom – next destination happens to everything that happens

R

TO R A H

Tell me about your Jewish background.

Do any Jewish values guide your business ethics?

As a youth in Providence, my family belonged to Temple Beth-El. I started going to Sunday school at the old location on Broad Street. My Bar Mitzvah was held at the new temple in March of 1959.

I remember Rabbi [William] Braude. To a young boy, it was like being in the presence of Gandhi.

To this day, I value and embrace some of the great Jewish traditions. One of the highlights of my childhood was going to my grandmother’s house in Fall River for kreplach. There was nothing better. To this day, I relish the food! In addition, I always adored the Jewish sense of humor. I remember watching Ed Sullivan on Sunday nights and laughing at the humor of Henny Youngman, Myron Cohen

and Jackie Mason. I didn’t get it then, but they taught a generation how to laugh through adversity. It stays with me today.

I also learned a lot from my parents, aunts, uncles and grandparents on the right way to treat people. I learned to respect everyone, no matter who they are or what they are. I pride myself as a clothing merchant who understands the cultural diversity of the clients who come into the store, and make sure we have a product that they like. I want everybody to feel comfortable enough to feel right at home.

If you could have three people to dinner, who would you invite?

I would love to have dinner with Jon Stewart, Mel Brooks and Stephen Colbert.

I love their humor, their compassion, their insight and their understanding of humor and what is funny.

The wit and the ethos of those gentlemen are endless, and they have made amazing contributions to society and dealt with very serious

What is the best advice you have received?

When I was a young retailer, I had a conversation with another retailer, much older than I, and I mentioned something about a common competitor. The gentleman I was talking to was a man who I had immense respect for, and who always talked straight to me. He told me never to look at a competitor, as I would only find out what he had already done; he would never tell me what he was going to do next. Anytime you let a competitor influence your decisions, you begin to copy them. He told me to believe in myself, and follow my ideas, not somebody else’s.

To this day, I realize that, ultimately, ideas that come to me without being influenced by others who came before me are the freshest

ideas I can get. I always strive for perfection, but until Franklin Rogers Ltd. has no more markdown racks, I will never achieve it.

How has COVID19 impacted your business?

I remember explicitly that sometime in early March of 2020, realizing that the business year had gotten off to an incredible start, [thinking] that this was going to be the year that I had always hoped would happen. Our wedding business was jamming, our store business was booming and our custom-suit business was taking off.

About a week or two after that, we were closed up tight, and were about to take our little boat through a voyage on the high seas, during a hurricane, with an engine that died. Yet, with the help of my wonderful staff, we kept on rowing.

It has been a long journey, but we do see land off in the distance. I always believed that adversity creates opportunities. We have made a lot of adjustments in our busi-

ness over the last 10 months, and believe that when things do come back, we will do better than ever.

We are running a very COVID-safe operation, have expanded our web presence to three websites, now have a video-consulting service, have curbside delivery, and keep a very vigilant eye on all aspects of cleanliness.

Final comments?

So many chains have come and gone in Rhode Island, yet so many people keep running to chain stores. I guess they want to look the same as the people in North Dakota.

The local community should support the local merchants from Rhode Island. We have a unique collection of fine retailers and restaurants. I urge all to support them, as we are here to serve them.

HANNAH ALTMAN (haltman@ jewishallianceri.org) is the content producer for the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island. She also writes for Jewish Rhode Island.

6 | MARCH 2021

Jewish Rhode Island | jewishrhody.org

CALENDAR HIGHLIGHTS FOR COMPLETE MONTHLY LISTINGS, VISIT JEWISHRHODY.ORG

Ongoing

Kosher Senior Café and online programming. Cold box lunch home delivery upon request while meal sites are closed due to COVID-19. Two lunches delivered on Mondays and Wednesdays; one lunch delivered on Fridays. Zoom programming includes yoga on Tuesdays from 11:30 a.m.-noon followed by lunch and a guest or discussion from noon-1 p.m. The second Thursday 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. Information, Neal Drobnis at neal@jfsri.org or 401-678-6464 or 401-331-1244.

Music with Raymond Buttero via Zoom. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays 3-4 p.m. Temple Sinai's pianist performs. Link at templesinairi.org. Information, dottie@ templesinairi.org or 401-942-8350.

Core Connects RI and the Sisterhood of Temple Beth-El: Torah Yoga with Diane Bloomfield via Zoom. Sundays 10-11:15 a.m. thru 3/21. Diane is a certified junior level Iyengar Yoga instructor and a Phoenix Rising Yoga therapist.

No experience necessary. Cost: $60 for 4 sessions (No class 3/7).

Information, coreconnectsri.com or

Elissa Felder at CoreConnectsRI@ gmail.com or 401-241-9631.

Conversational Hebrew Classes via Zoom. Mondays 7-8:15 p.m. thru 5/3. Three levels offered. Partnership of the Jewish Alliance and Temple Emanu-El. No class 3/29, 4/12. $100 for 8 sessions. Information, Toby Liebowitz at TobyAane@ gmail.com.

Project Shoresh “The Path of the Just – The Jewish Waze.” Mondays 8-9 p.m. thru 3/22. Journey the path of life using the WAZE of Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzato in his book "Messilas Yesharim" via Zoom.

Free. Information, Noach Karp at rnoachkarp@gmail.com or 401429-8244.

Temple Beth-El “Teachings from the Holy Mysticat.” Tuesdays 4 p.m. thru 3/16. Using theologian Rabbi Rachel Adler's book of short stories, "Tales of the Holy Mysticat: Jewish Widsom. Stories by a Feline Mystic," Rabbi Gavi Ruit will explore Jewish theology and practice from ancient to modern. Information, Jenn Thomas at jthomas@temple-beth-el.org or 401-331-6070.

Basic Beginners Hebrew Classes via Zoom. Tuesdays 6:15-7:15 p.m. thru 5/4. Must be able to read and write Hebrew alphabet. Partnership of the Jewish Alliance and

Business Disputes

Temple Emanu-El. No class 3/30, 4/13. $100 for 8 sessions. Information, Toby Liebowitz at TobyAane@ gmail.com.

Project Shoresh “48 Ways to Wisdom” with Rabbi Naftali Karp. Tuesdays 7:45-8:45 p.m. The Mishnah describes 48 essential tools to acquire Torah. Rav Noach Weinberg taught these 48 ways as guidelines to achieving success in every facet of life. Free. Each class self-contained. Information or RSVP, Naftali Karp at naftalikarp@ gmail.com or 401-632-3165.

Temple Emanu-El: Iyyun Tefillah – Deep Dive Prayer Study.

Wednesdays 6:10-7 p.m. thru 3/17.

Join Cantor Mayer via Zoom to look at liturgy through spiritual content, contemporary and traditional interpretations, poetic structure, historical background, Hebraic features and Halakhic importance.

Topics based on participants. No Hebrew required. Information, Cantor Mayer at bjmayer@teprov. org or 401-331-1616.

Project Shoresh Jewish Young Professionals Shmooze. Wednesdays 7:15-8:15 p.m. Mishkon Tfiloh, 203 Summit Ave., Providence.

Shmooze, snack and a beer. Free.

Information, Naftali Karp at naftalikarp@gmail.com or 401-632-3165.

Temple Emanu-El: Mishnah Beit Midrash – The 2,000-Year-Old Passover Seder – Massekhet Pesahim Chapter 10. Wednesdays 7:45-9 p.m. thru 3/17. Deepen your understanding of the Passover seder with Xava DeCordova and Rabbi Rachel Zerin. In partnership with Shel Maala. $36/$25 students and seniors. Register, teprov.org/ form/adultedwinter21. Information, Rabbi Zerin at rzerin@teprov.org or 401-331-1616.

Temple Habonim Lunch & Learn with Rabbi Howard Voss-Altman via Zoom. Thursdays noon-1 p.m. Torah Study on Pirke Avot: A Modern Commentary on Jewish Ethics. Information, Adina Davies at office@templehabonim.org or 401245-6536.

with Rabbi Naftali Karp. Thursdays 7:30-8:15 p.m. Discover via Zoom how topical and relevant the Parsha’s ideas and concepts are.

Free. Information, Naftali Karp at naftalikarp@gmail.com or 401-6323165.

Temple Emanu-El: Delve Deeper: The Jews of Spain. Thursdays 7:30-9:30 p.m. thru 5/13. Discuss some of the core Jewish texts of Spain, and explore their resonance among Sephardim and Jews the world over. Instructor: Alan Verskin, professor of Islamic & Jewish History at URI. $250. Information, Rabbi Zerin at rzerin@teprov.org or 401-331-1616.

Temple Emanu-El Parashah HaShavua. Fridays 8:30-9 a.m. (after Z'man Kodesh: Daily Minyan Alternative Experience). Rabbi Alvan Kaunfer leads study session on highlights from the weekly Torah portion. All welcome. Information and Zoom link, Rabbi Alvan Kaunfer at akaunfer@cox.net or 401-3311616.

Temple Sinai Morning Meditation via Zoom. Fridays 10-10:30 a.m.

Rabbi Jeffrey Goldwasser leads meditation that includes reflections on Jewish wisdom and mindfulness.

No prior experience. Information, templesinairi.org or Dottie at 401942-8350.

Temple Torat Yisrael Virtual Kabbalat Shabbat Songs and Torah Services. Fridays 5:45 p.m. With Rabbi Aaron Philmus. For adults.

For Zoom link, email Temple@ toratyisrael.org.

Temple Sinai Shabbat Services via Zoom. Fridays 6-7:15 p.m. With Rabbi Jeffrey Goldwasser and Cantor Deborah Johnson. Link at templesinairi.org. Information, dottie@templesinairi.org or 401942-8350.

Temple Shalom, Middletown, Kabbalat Shabbat Services via Zoom.

Fridays 7 p.m. With Cantor Fred Scheff. All are welcome. Information and Zoom link, templeshalomrhodeisland.org.

Temple Sinai “Five Modern Jewish Women Who Changed the World.” Thursdays 7-8 p.m. thru 4/8. Cantor Deborah Johnson will discuss the contributions Jewish women have made to shape the modern world, from culture to politics. Learn about Sarah Bernhardt, Emma Goldman, Golda Meir, Gloria Steinem and Ruth Bader Ginsburg. 6 sessions. Information, templesinairi.org or Dottie at 401942-8350.

Temple Beth-El Remote Torah Study. Saturdays 9-10 a.m. Zoom led by one of Beth-El's clergy. Information, Kim Campbell at kcampbell@temple-beth-el.org.

Project Shoresh Parsha Powwow

Temple Habonim Torah Study via

Temple Torat Yisrael Virtual and In-person Shabbat Services.

Saturdays 9:30-10:30 a.m. With Rabbi Aaron Philmus. Temple Torat Yisrael, 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich. For Zoom link, email Temple@toratyisrael.org.

Zoom. Saturdays 10-11 a.m. Rabbi Howard Voss-Altman leads weekly Torah study on current portion.

Information, Adina Davies at office@ templehabonim.org or 401-2456536.

Temple Sinai Torah Study via Zoom. Saturdays 10-11:15 a.m.

Interactive discussion with Rabbi Jeffrey Goldwasser. Zoom link at templesinairi.org. Information, dottie@templesinairi.org or 401942-8350.

Friday | March 5

Temple Torat Yisrael Virtual Kids Welcome Shabbat. 5:30 p.m. Rabbi Philmus will lead Shabbat Services on Zoom. For link, email Temple@ toratyisrael.org.

Sunday | March 7

Core Connects RI Glassblowing and Gallery Tour. 10-11:15 a.m. Sheva Chaya, a resident of Tzefat, Israel, will demonstrate her glassblowing skills and offer a tour of her gallery via Zoom infused with "The Fire of Torah Insights."

Suggested donation: $10. Information, coreconnectsri.org or Elissa Felder at elissafelder@aol.com or 401-241-9631.

Temple Emanu-El “The Problem of Evil in 20th Century Jewish Thought: A Lecture with Bar Guzi” via Zoom. 10-11:30 a.m. By the 20th Century, especially after the horrors of the Holocaust, many Jews looked for novel approaches to explain how the existence of evil is consistent with the existence of God. Information, Suzanne Gentilhomme at suzanne@teprov.org or 401-331-1616.

Congregation Beth Sholom Midwinter's Night Gala. 7:30-9 p.m. Express gratitude to essential workers, have a bit of fun and support the community. Multi-course meal (vegan and gluten-free options available) from Garden Grille will be delivered. Individual: $100; couple: $180; sponsor a couple: $180.

Information, office@bethsholom-ri. org.

Tuesday | March 9

Little States, Big Innovation, Rhode Island X Israel Monthly Webinar Series. Noon-1 p.m. Interactive session with some of Israel’s startup entrepreneurs. A collaboration of Rhode Island – Israel Collaborative (RIIC), District Hall Providence and RIHub. Information, info@districthallprovidence.org.

Temple Torat Yisrael “A Deeper Understanding: Conversations Exploring 3 Central Themes in Judaism and Christianity.”

12:30-1:30 p.m. Join Pastor Jonathan Malone and Rabbi Aaron

MARCH 2021 | 7

jewishrhody.org | Jewish Rhode Island

CALENDAR Philmus for a virtual conversation exploring the theme of “Sin and Repentance.” Upcoming themes: “Death and the Afterlife” on 3/16, “Passover and Easter” on 3/23.

Information, Temple@toratyisrael. org.

Alliance Virtual Book Club "The Sisters Weiss" by Naomi Ragen.

7-8 p.m. In 1950s Brooklyn, sisters Rose and Pearl grow up in a loving but strict ultra-Orthodox Jewish family. The night before Rose’s arranged wedding, she commits an unforgivable act of defiance that will exile her from her family and all she has ever known.

Information, Lisa Maybruch at lmaybruch@jewishallianceri.org.

Wednesday | March 10

Temple Beth-El “Uighur Wakeup – Tainted Cotton & Collective Responsibility” with Rabbi Barry Dolinger via Zoom. 5-6 p.m. Learn about the escalating enslavement and genocide of Uighur Muslims in China. Explore factual and ethical questions surrounding our collective responsibility for the underlying slavery and implementing solutions. Information, Jenn Thomas at jthomas@ temple-beth-el.org.

Temple Shalom Cybersecurity Virtual Discussion. 8 p.m. Presented

by Dr. Chris Demchak, professor in the Strategic and Operational Research Department at the Naval War College and Lt. Col. U.S. Army, Retired. Information and Zoom link, templeshalomrhodeisland.org.

Thursday | March 11

Israeli Culture Night: Israeli Whiskey Tasting with Talia Garber. 6 p.m. Learn about the history of whiskey and Israeli whiskey and spirits. Zoom presentation See story page 30.

Information, Or Cohen at ocohen@ jewishallianceri.org.

Friday | March 12

Temple Torat Yisrael Virtual Kids Welcome Shabbat. 5:30 p.m.

Rabbi Philmus will lead Shabbat Services on Zoom. For link, email Temple@toratyisrael.org.

Temple Beth-El K'tantan Shabbat. 5:30-7 p.m. Worship especially designed for families with very young children. Via Zoom.

Information, Temple Beth-El at 401-331-6070.

Temple Sinai “Where is Israel Going?” 6-7 p.m. As Israel prepares for its fourth national election in just two years, Providence College Associate Professor of Political Science Ruth Ben-Artzi will give offer background and

analysis needed to understand the people and issues in Israel's current era of political turmoil.

Information, dottie@templesinairi. org or 401-942-8350.

Sunday | March 14

"The Israeli-Palestinian Issue has Never Been So Personal" with Mira Awad. 2 p.m. Zoom lecture, short performance and Q&A. See story Page 26. Information, Or Cohen at ocohen@jewishallianceri. org.

Tuesday | March 16

Temple Torat Yisrael “A Deeper Understanding: Conversations Exploring 3 Central Themes in Judaism and Christianity.”

12:30-1:30 p.m. Join Pastor Jonathan Malone and Rabbi Aaron Philmus for a virtual conversation exploring the theme of “Death and the Afterlife” in Judaism and Christianity. Upcoming theme: “Passover and Easter” on 3/23.

Information, Temple@toratyisrael. org.

Red Cross Blood Drive at Temple Beth-El. 1-5 p.m. 70 Orchard Ave., Providence. Donations by appointment. Walk-ins only accepted if safe spacing permits at time of arrival. Use sponsor code 0047 at ribc.org/drives to book appointment. Information, ribc.org.

Michael Solomonov Virtual Cooking Event. 8 p.m. Learn to make haroset, mina with ground beef, cardamon and coffee, and another dish announced soon with Michael Solomonov, executive chef and co-owner of Zahav, the 2019 James Beard Foundation award winner for Outstanding Restaurant. Information, Sara Masri at smasri@jewishallianceri.org.

synagogue music. Information, contact any of the above-listed temples’ offices.

Sunday | March 21

PJ Library and JKids Radio present an All-Star Musical Passover Seder via Zoom. 4 p.m.

Interactive musical seder starring top artists in Jewish kids’ music.

Free. Brought to you by Congregation Beth Sholom, Jewish Community Day School of Rhode Island, Temple Shalom, Temple Emanu-El, PJ Library Rhode Island and the Jewish Alliance.

Information, Lyndsey Ursillo at lursillo@jewishallianceri.org or 401-421-4111, ext. 141.

PJ Library Passover Scavenger Hunt via Zoom. 4 p.m. Join PJ Library on a Passover-themed scavenger hunt through your own house and neighborhood. Submit your finished scavenger hunt to be entered to win prizes. Information, Lyndsey Ursillo at lursillo@ jewishallianceri.org or 401-4214111, ext. 141.

Temple Beth-El "My Hopes & Dreams." 4-5 p.m. Jim Tobak will share his hopes and dreams for 2021 via Zoom. Information, Kim Campbell at kcampbell@temple-beth-el.org.

Tuesday | March 23

Temple Torat Yisrael “A Deeper Understanding: Conversations Exploring 3 Central Themes in Judaism and Christianity.”

12:30-1:30 p.m. Join Pastor Jonathan Malone and Rabbi Aaron Philmus for a virtual conversation exploring the theme of “Passover and Easter.” Information, Temple@ toratyisrael.org.

Temple Torat Yisrael Virtual Prepping for Passover. 7 p.m.

Rabbi Aaron Philmus will offer ideas for Passover. Information, Temple@toratyisrael.org.

Temple Beth-El “Jew-Ish Cooking with Jake Cohen” via Zoom.

5-6 p.m. Jake Cohen, author of "Jew-Ish: A Cookbook," in collaboration with Reading with Robin.

Free. Information, Jenn Thomas at jthomas@temple-beth-el.org.

Friday | March 19

Friday | March 26

Thursday | March 18

Temple Torat Yisrael Virtual Kids TGIS Service. 5:15-5:45 p.m.

Join Rabbi Philmus for a virtual “Thank G-d It's Shabbat” service filled with stories and songs. Email Temple@toratyisrael.org for Zoom link.

RI Joint Reform Service. 5:45-7 p.m. Every year the Reform congregations of Temple Sinai, Temple Beth-El, Temple Habonim and the Newport Havurah come together to celebrate Shabbat.

Featuring Cantor Jeff Klepper, one of a handful of contemporary Jewish musicians responsible for changing the sound of American

Temple Torat Yisrael Virtual Kids Welcome Shabbat. 5:30 p.m.

Rabbi Philmus will lead Shabbat Services on Zoom. For link, email Temple@toratyisrael.org.

Sunday | March 28

Temple Beth-El Community Virtual Seder. 6-8 p.m. Conducted

by Rabbi Sarah Mack and Cantor Judy Seplowin using the new URJ Haggadah "Mishkan HaSeder: A Passover Haggadah." Free.

(URJ Haggadah is available for purchase at the Temple Beth-El office for $21.95.) Information, Jenn Thomas at jthomas@temple-beth-el.org.

8 | MARCH 2021

Jewish Rhode Island | jewishrhody.org

COMMUNITY VOICES

Old friendships, never forgotten

BY GEORGE M. GOODWIN

Having tremendously enjoyed studying art history as an undergraduate, especially during part of my junior year in Florence, Italy, I eagerly looked forward to graduate studies. Perhaps I could become a museum curator or a professor.

My pathway was miraculously cleared on Dec. 1, 1969, when, during my senior year, a high lottery number spared me from the draft.

I was fortunate to be accepted into several doctoral programs, including a relatively new one at Brown.

My top two choices, however, would give me immediate access to New York City’s great art museums, especially the Metropolitan, which was to celebrate its centenary with a series of extraordinary exhibitions.

So I went from Chicago to the Big Apple for a few days to examine the programs at Columbia and New York University, which were of comparable stature. In addition to a comprehensive knowledge of European art history, both programs required a reading knowledge of French and German and, preferably, a third language.

NYU’s graduate program, known as the Institute of Fine Arts, was housed in the former Duke Mansion on Fifth Avenue, a few blocks south of the Met, while Columbia offered graduate student housing on its Morningside Heights campus.

In September 1970, when I arrived with my heavy luggage at Columbia’s John Jay Hall, I noticed that its elevators only went to the 13th floor. I was assigned to the 15th, so I reluctantly asked in the dormitory’s office if there had been a mistake. I was unceremoniously told, “When you get to the 13th floor, walk up two flights!”

My attic bedroom forced me to stoop in half its space.

The heavy bars on the windows, I was later told, were

intended to keep out pigeons.

On my first Saturday night as a grad student, I wandered across Broadway to try to meet some Barnard students, but even with a Columbia ID, I was denied entrance to any buildings.

While seated on a bench to ponder my next steps, I watched one of my college classmates, who was beginning doctoral studies in physics, experience the same rejection.

A few days later, I began to meet some single women who were also beginning their graduate studies in art history. Whether it was the color of her hair or the way it was combed, I was attracted to Sarah. No, it must have been her smile. I was surprised to learn that she shared a tiny apartment with Esther, whom I had already met. I also soon learned that both these young ladies were Orthodox Jews, perhaps the first I had ever encountered.

We could eat tuna sandwiches together, but they were often occupied, particularly during Shabbat. In fact, Esther customarily went home to another borough to

celebrate with her family.

I also soon discovered that both of these attractive young ladies had boyfriends, so, in more than one respect, I was treif.

After completing my master’s degree, I went home to California and earned my doctorate at Stanford in 1975.

Though Esther found a position in a research library, she took decades to finish her dissertation. During the 1970s, I visited her a few times while in Manhattan, and I’ve read some of her scholarly articles.

In 2015, during the trial in federal court in Providence regarding the disputed ownership of Touro Synagogue’s rimonim, I chatted with an expert witness who happened to be Esther’s former colleague. Regrettably, I didn’t learn much about my former classmate.

Jacob, another beginning graduate student at Columbia and a fellow Jew, had also been my friend. Though we were exact contemporaries, he was already married and a father. Jacob was not only kind enough to invite me to a dinner at his family’s home in New Jersey, but he also drove me back and forth.

After completing his doctoral course work, Jacob took a teaching job at a small college in Maine and moved his family there. Alas, he never finished his dissertation and, like the vast majority of our classmates, never found suitable work in art history.

Around 1980, Jacob and I bumped into each other in Los Angeles, my hometown and where he had recently moved. He was, in fact, the manager of the restaurant where I was dining. Yet, beyond the initial excitement, it was quite difficult for us to restore our friendship.

I hoped to see him again, but our paths again diverged.

A few months ago, I was wondering what happened to Jacob, so I conducted a genealogical search through Ancestry.com. If I had the right person, he had been married two more times, had returned to the East Coast, and had died in 2018. I had so much wanted to see or at least speak to him and learn that life had eventually been good to him.

So, having searched his first wife’s family tree, I thought that I had found her.

But this person turned out

to be her sister, who gave me the correct email. Then I contacted Jacob’s first wife in Southern California, and she said she was willing to tell me what she knew. We made a telephone appointment, but she canceled it when she decided that the experience would be too difficult.

Then I felt a more intense urge to try to find and contact Sarah. If she had married, I didn’t even know her name. But through my determination and some good luck, I found her too on Ancestry.com. I learned that her husband was a quite distinguished professor of Judaic studies, the couple lived in greater Boston, and that one of their children was an Orthodox rabbi. When I noticed that he was also a social worker, I somehow thought that he would be amenable to my inquiry, so I emailed him.

Baruch, 43, suggested that we chat by phone, but I heard nothing more. About a month later, he emailed to say that his mother had departed this earth.

Fortunately, he and I were able to conduct a lengthy phone conversation on Feb. 14. I sadly learned that Sarah had been ill for decades. During her final years, she had lost much of her memory. Indeed, her son and other children knew almost nothing about her year at Columbia.

Of course, Baruch had never heard of me, but he didn’t know about Esther either. I was pleased to learn, however, that Sarah had saved many of her art books and her own paintings and that they now resided in his home.

Baruch also told me that, despite his mother’s medical and related emotional difficulties, he had been most grateful for her love.

Over the years, she had become ever more devout, so her efforts to cope seemed equally inspiring and tragic.

Despite the fact that I had known Sarah for less than a year – and never very well – I told him, quite honestly, that I still considered her a friend.

I hope that I always will.

GEORGE M. GOODWIN, of Providence, is the editor of Rhode Island Jewish Historical Notes.

MARCH 2021 | 9

jewishrhody.org | Jewish Rhode Island

COMMUNITY VOICES

Pandemic-related shortages hark back to another time

BY GERALDINE S. FOSTER

“Bubbe, I have a random question.”

Abby’s random questions could range anywhere from arcane trivia to philosophical conundrums. This time, it was prompted by last year’s run on certain items as the number of COVID-19 cases increased with every passing day. Shoppers wheeling carts loaded with bales of toilet paper and tissues, stacks of disinfectant wipes and bottles of hand sanitizers became a common sight, as did empty shelves and depleted stocks.

Stores initiated limits, a form of unofficial rationing, to ensure fairer distribution until the supply caught up with the demand.

“Bubbe, do you remember rationing?”

My answer was yes and no.

My memories are those of a teenager, aware of shortages and living with the rationing of foodstuffs and other civilian goods, but also shielded from the problems and difficulties faced by adults.

As I recall, the first items on the rationed list were gasoline and tires. Both were strategic materials needed by the

military and for aid to Great Britain during World War II. For people who depended on their vehicles for work, it was a hardship.

We were not affected. Like the majority of our neighbors, my parents did not own a car.

Street cars had routes on all the main arteries leading to downtown. A token with a star in its center brought you to or from downtown. A token and a transfer took you from one end of Providence to the other. The streetcars provided excellent transportation, although quite often a bit crowded. For students, there were strips of half-price tickets to be used only when traveling to and from school.

Sugar and coffee were the next items in acute short supply, as well as some canned goods, because aluminum was needed for the war effort and more food was needed for the growing number of troops, especially after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

In May 1942, every person had a ration book. My father had to register all the members of our family at a local board staffed mostly by women volunteers. Each member of a family, from the oldest to the youngest, received a book of stamps.

The stamps had point values; a can of tuna or peaches,

for example, had a price tag but also a number of points.

Both money and points were needed for a legal purchase.

Sugar had its own stamps because the amount you could buy, even when it was available, was strictly limited. Many of our neighbors complained loudly about the lack of sugar. I do not think it presented a problem for us, as my mother baked mainly for holidays or special occasions.

My parents also drank their preferred beverage – tea – “Russian style,” with only a little bit of lump sugar. One little oblong lump lasted a whole day. (It is a lost art since Domino changed its sugar to granulated.)

To ease the coffee shortage, the populace was urged to drink ground chicory, either by itself or combined with coffee. That bitter brew had a short surge in popularity. It did not pass the taste test.

If you could not find butter for your toast or to fry your eggs, you were advised to use oleomargarine. This oleaginous substance bore no resemblance to the spreads in today’s markets. “Oleo” came in a white brick with a bead containing yellow food coloring embedded in the top. The directions told the consumer to break the bead and knead the coloring into the brick.

shoes and boots – three pairs per person in 1943, two pairs the next year. Leather was needed for combat boots and for the leather jackets favored by the Air Force.

Of course, new dress shoes were mandatory for Pesach and for Rosh Hashanah, and new shoes and boots were needed for school. But somehow, my new shoes became old and worn in about a month. I kept our neighborhood cobbler in business replacing soles and heels, but even the finest shoe polish could not hide the scrapes and scuffs. To keep me shod, someone had to give up a precious coupon. When the shoe rationing ended, the sigh of relief at our home was audible.

The shortages and rationing made life difficult, but we knew we were part of the war effort. We were doing our part to support our troops and defeat our enemies.

Voila – butter facsimile! But no matter the color, the blob still tasted like Crisco.

Losing a ration book could be, if not catastrophic, then certainly a hardship for a family. I almost caused one such hardship. Entrusted with a shopping list, money and the precious ration books, I was sent to First National, on Broad Street in South Providence. I left the store with the books in one pocket, the change in another, and two bags of groceries. The groceries and the change arrived home with me, but the ration books were nowhere to be found.

We retraced my steps, but no luck. It meant having to reapply and do without until new books were available.

Then came a phone call from the manager of the First National. Someone had found the ration books nearby and brought them in. Thank heavens for their good deed – and the telephone book!

During those days of rationing, we also recycled.

Cans were carefully washed, flattened and saved for the monthly collection. Cellars and attics were emptied of broken metal toys, unused appliances and old tools for the scrap-metal drives.

My own personal hardship was the rationing of leather

GERALDINE S. FOSTER is a past president of the R.I. Jewish Historical Association. To comment about this or any RIJHA article, contact the RIJHA office at info@rijha.org or 401-331-1360.

The stories we tell no single truth to your particular Judaism. That is why, of late, I have avoided closing a sentence, a printed thought, with a period: I prefer a comma, MIKE FINK (mfink33@aol.com) teaches at the Rhode Island School of Design.

BMW AUDI MERCEDES BENZ VOLKSWAGEN MINI BMW AUDI MERCEDES BENZ PORSCHE VOLKSWAGEN MINI COOPER

T

SKE

BOOK

poetry, which another of my dictionaries defines as a “lofty art.”

In other words, you can make your own metaphorical meaning, within reasonable limits, from tales or verses.

So what does “slavery” mean to an American Jew? Can it refer to all forms of labor, of work you do only to put food on the table? And where is Canaan (not the one in Connecticut)? And, for me, most importantly, how about that song, “Had Gadya,” which many of us sing after the seder plate is cleared from the table. In the song, your dear little pet is pursued by a series of mortal enemies until God slays even the Angel of Death. What could that signify to me as a small boy or, now, as a grandpa with a white beard?

Maybe merely that we Jews keep the past alive in so many ways – via yahrzeit candles, names, maybe middle ones or even initials, with photographs and paintings, and the stories we tell. Zachor! Remember!

I go so far as to state that all Jews have a message to convey: There is

“GREAT SERVICE PRE-TRIP” “My daughter was taking a long trip in the following week and I wanted to make sure her car was in good shape. GM did and oil change, checked tires and gave car a once-over while I waited. Great confidence builder.”

– Justin F., Providence, Volkswagen Tiguan “Safety is our number one priority. We are capable of providing service without customer contact.”

– Gerry and Denis Moreau

G

E R M A N

Sales &

MO

T O R S

INC

Service

879 North Main Street, Providence, RI 02904 401-272-4266 Email us at: germanmotorshelp@gmail.com

MERCEDES BENZ VOLKSWAGEN MINI PORSCHE

CH

ble history of the land.

The Orthodox are literal in a different sense: they seem to prefer the “magic” of following the rules and regulations of observance. And then there are the varieties of Hasidism and its mystical meanings, which are imbued with a certain gracious humility, at least as I perceive their message. They bring MIKE FINK fervor and something I like to think of as “poetry,” and a species of wit, to their style.

Where am I going with this? In this time of COVID-19, our seders must be “safe” and our miracles must be vaccinations if the plague is to “jump” over our households.

That’s what the translation of “Pesach” indicates.

It has become a custom for literary folks to write personal introductions to their Haggadah, and this is my turn to try.

I like to think of religion as

BMW AUDI MERCEDES BENZ PORSCHE VOLKSWAGEN MINI COOPER

I FIRST SET FOOT IN ISRAEL during its Bar Mitzvah year, and since then, I have identified with the maturity of its status. I wrote about that visit and voyage for the Rhode Island School of Design’s alumni magazine.

Was Israel indeed the Jewish Promised Land? After all, we have our Rhode Island “Jerusalem,” as well as “Galilee,” and the name of our capital city is “Providence.” I looked in one of my dictionaries (I have quite a collection of them) for a synonym for “Providence,” and found “Prudence.” Hmm, you can find a lot of provocative surprises if you look up the evolution of any word or term.

For Pesach this year, I wanted to figure out my own definition of the concept of the Passover. Let’s see …. The Reform movement makes moral and social meanings from ritual. The Zionists take the references as literally as possible, seeking facts about the actual, visi-

Jewish Rhode Island | jewishrhody.org

COMMUNITY VOICES

Reflections on COVID Passover one year later

BY LARRY KESSLER

K IN

*** Twelve months later, although much progress has been made, there’s still no definitive end in sight to this scourge.

Even with vaccinations being rolled out to millions nationwide, the pandemic news every day is largely negative and only sporadically encouraging.

We hear about more

surges, followed by the occasional drop in cases, which sometimes leads to an easing of limits.

That’s inevitably followed by new surges and dire warnings by infectious disease experts that new strains of the virus could soon become the latest “worst” point of the pandemic.

That in turn leads LARRY to more KESSLER warnings by government and health officials to remain vigilant with mask-wearing, hand-washing and basically avoiding most human contact.

Meanwhile, the vicissitudes of the pandemic have understandably kept first-responders, doctors, nurses and health care personnel wary and extremely weary, and have left most of us in a state of perpetual anxiety as COVID-19 has stolen most in-person events and has kept families stuck in a mostly virtual world.

Now, with Passover just three weeks away (the first seder will be March 27), we find ourselves with a new set of worries as we approach our second straight Festival of Freedom that will be framed by a “new normal” that has worn out its welcome mat.

That got me thinking that, at this year’s seder, we should consider answering eight questions – the original four asked by the youngest seder participant and four “COVID versions” so we all better understand the last year while

G OU

T

TWELVE MONTHS AGO, when the coronavirus pandemic had just changed our world and led to a lockdown, I wrote what proved to be my first of many columns about COVID-19: “No matter how long the outbreak and its fallout last, it has already hurt the quality of our lives and has made us care even more deeply about the kinds of activities that we otherwise take for granted.

What's been especially tough about this particular crisis … is that it's stolen from us the very things that make us human.

“Thanks to a phrase that sounds like it came right out of George Orwell's ‘1984’ – the sterile term ‘social distancing’ – we're now either too panicked or too afraid to greet friends with hugs or handshakes. … And to make the restrictions even more personal, with Passover approaching, many people are no doubt going to think twice about opening up their seders to friends and relatives – something that many of us used to do without thinking.”

SPE A

10 | MARCH 2021

CONTINUED ON PAGE 11

jewishrhody.org | Jewish Rhode Island

COMMUNITY VOICES CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10 also trying to see a path forward to better days, if not exactly a return to our elusive “normal.” *** Traditional Ma Nishtana: Why is this night different from all other nights?

COVID version: Why are we greeting Passover for the second straight year without family and friends present or by staring at computer screens near our seder plates?

Question 1: On all other nights we can eat either leavened bread or matzah, but tonight – only matzah?

Question 1, COVID version: Why should we once again avoid sharing our matzah with anyone not in our immediate household – unless Elijah appears to us, socially distanced, of course?

Question 2: On all other nights we eat all kinds of vegetables, but tonight we also eat a bitter herb – maror.

Question 2, COVID version: Why do we need to eat a bitter herb this year when the last year was bitter enough without eating horseradish?

Question 3: On all other nights we dip one food in another, but tonight we must dip twice. First we dip karpas in salt water and then we dip maror in haroset.

Question 3, COVID version: Passover involves recalling 10 nasty plagues directed at the Egyptian people; would it be OK if we skipped reading about the plagues a year after our 21st century plague has killed more than a half-million Americans and sickened millions worldwide?

Question 4: On all other nights, we sit straight in our chairs, but tonight we lean to one side.

Question 4, COVID version: Why must we continue to sit at least 6 feet away from anyone

who is a guest at our seder – preferably in the next room? *** It will be important for seder participants to reflect on both the traditional and COVID seder questions so that we understand both our past as well as our uncertain and fragile future.

As far as Passover traditions go, I will still look forward to Passover, because, as I wrote a couple of years ago, the seders inevitably transform me into a “Proustian Jew,” which refers to the French writer Marcel Proust’s signature novel, “A La Recherche du Temps Perdu” or “In Search of Lost Time.”

The book, which was published in English under the title “Remembrance of Things Past,” is based on Proust’s reallife experience in which he relived a cherished childhood memory after sipping tea and eating a biscuit called a madeleine.

Proust’s ability to link present smells and sounds to past memories is something that we all should try to do this Passover so that we could have our spirits lifted by being transported back to the carefree seders of our youth.

For me, that means eating gefilte fish, which will enable me to smell my bubbe’s gefilte fish that she’d make all night from scratch, and feasting on matzah ball soup, which will bring me back to the seders of the ‘50s and early ’60s, when my grandmother would make borscht and my mother would make chicken soup without the aid of boxed ingredients.

If there was ever a year when we desperately need to both reimagine Passover and to honor our long-held traditions of the holiday that celebrates our freedom as a people – this is the year.

LARRY KESSLER (larrythek65@gmail.com) is a freelance writer based in North Attleboro. He blogs at larrytheklineup. blogspot.com.

MARCH 2021 | 11

12 | MARCH 2021

Jewish Rhode Island | jewishrhody.org

COMMUNITY VOICES | OPINION New market stirs memories

BARBARA DWARES Cranston, R.I.

Show us your pets!

STILL AT HOME with time on your hands? Has your furry friend become your COVID colleague?

Take a picture of your faithful companion and send it to us. May is coming up and that means it's time for Jewish Rhode Island's annual pet issue where we feature photos of your dogs, cats, bunnies, horses, birds and reptiles.

Fish are welcome, too! Deadline for photos is April 21, so send yours in today! Please remember to include your name, city of residence and your pet's name.

Email to editor@jewshallianceri. org. Or upload your pet photo at jewishrhody.org under "Submit your photo" at the bottom of our website. If you prefer snail mail, Editor, Jewish Rhode Island, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence, RI 02906.

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 AM NOT ASHAMED to say that I wept tears of relief when I heard President Joe Biden begin his inaugural address with these words: “This is America’s Day. This is democracy’s day. A day of history and hope. Of renewal and resolve … and at this hour, my friends, democracy has prevailed.”

While Biden’s speech overflowed with hopefulness, nobody could accuse him of cockeyed optimism. He was not afraid to speak honestly of “this winter of peril and possibility. Much to repair. Much to restore.

Much to heal.…”

He was not afraid to direct our attention to the insurrection of Jan. 6: “And here we stand, just days after a riotous mob thought they could use violence to silence the will of the people, to stop the work of democracy and to drive us from this sacred ground. That did not happen. It will never happen.

Not today. Not tomorrow.

Not ever.”

Nor was he afraid to bid us to open our ears to the “cry for racial justice some 400 years in the making…a cry that can’t be any more desperate or any more clear; and now arise political extremism, white supremacy, domestic terrorism, that we must confront and will defeat.”

Nevertheless, despite acknowledging the

EM

darkness in our past and present American experience, the dominant tone of Biden’s speech was that of light, one of “We shall overcome.” As Biden put it in simple but bold words, “We will get through this together.

Together.”

S TO M

E

On Oct. 31, 1983, my dad, Sumner "Sonny " Gold, closed the door on Sugarman’s Kosher Meat Market for the last time. His lease was up and due to a shifting Kosher market, he decided that it was no longer feasible to stay in business.

He, along with my grandfather, Myer (Red) Sugarman (his father-in-law), had been in business together since the 1950s.

Originally, along with most other Jewish-owned businesses, they were in South Providence, then up on North Main Street and then on to Hope Street. They supplied Kosher meat, chicken, ground beef and eggs to the community .

This also included home delivery as needed.

As the population moved and grew, so did Sugarman’s Market.

Their last stop was 727 Hope St. – the new site of Bubbie’s Market.

This new Kosher shop holds a special place in my heart before it is even open.

When ‘hope and history rhyme’ IT S E

LETTER

When Amanda Gorman, the young, RABBI JAMES petite ROSENBERG Black poet dressed in yellow, rose to the podium toward the end of the inaugural ceremony, little could any of us have anticipated the power of her words or the power of her person. The opening lines of her poem, embodying the soul and the rhythms of rap, well capture our current predicament, our desperate search for light in these days of darkness: “When day comes, we ask ourselves:/Where can we find light/In this never-ending shade?/The loss we carry, a sea we must wade.”

Like Biden in his inaugural address, Gorman struggles to balance an honest look at our country’s profound flaws with a hopeful gaze at what our nation’s future – if we will it – might bring. As the Jan. 6 insurrection is unfolding “live” on the screen, the poet is determined to put into words the pain of the present

moment without succumbing to the futility of despair: “We’ve seen a force that would shatter our nation rather than share it,/ Would destroy our country if it meant delaying democracy/And this effort very nearly succeeded./ But while democracy can be periodically delayed/It can never be permanently defeated.”

Again, as in Biden’s address, Gorman ends her poem not in darkness but in light: “But there is always light/If only we’re brave enough to see it,/If only we’re brave enough to be it.”

At first glance, President Joe Biden and poet Amanda Gorman are a study in contrasts. Biden, age 78, is the oldest person ever to take the inaugural oath. Amanda Gorman is the youngest person ever to recite an inaugural poem. At age 22, Gorman is half the age of my daughter and only six years older than my eldest granddaughter! Whereas Biden is a well-known political figure who has spent 50 years in the public eye, Gorman – descendent of slaves, one of whom also carried the name Amanda, and raised by a single mother – until this past Jan. 20 was known only by a relatively small circle of family, friends and those who had experienced the power of her poetry.

Our nation is indebted to Jill Biden for inviting Gorman to compose her

poem and to read it at her husband’s inauguration; our new First Lady has the wisdom and the insight to perceive that what unites her husband and the young poet is far more significant than their obvious but superficial differences.

On the personal level, both president and poet possess that determination, that strength of character that has enabled them to overcome problematic speech impediments: Biden and his stutter, Gorman and her epic battle with the sound of the letter R. As they have moved from their personal struggles to engage in the struggles of our nation at large, both Biden and Gorman find common purpose in their commitment to uncovering the many truths, both blessing and curse, buried in our nation’s past; and they are equally united in their project of bringing us together in the more perfect union that awaits us – if we will it – in the future.

In the words of the Irish poet Seamus Heaney, often quoted by Joe Biden, we have reached that rare turning point in the life of our nation when “hope and history rhyme.”

JAMES B. ROSENBERG is a rabbi emeritus at Temple Habonim in Barrington.

Contact him at rabbiemeritus@templehabonim.org.

Here’s a (Jewish) way to redirect your pandemic despair into purposeful living

BY ALAN KADISH AND MICHAEL SHMIDMAN

This last year of pandemic living has not been easy. Over 500,000 Americans have died, including countless members of our own Jewish communities, and a return to normalcy still feels distant.

IN THESE difficult times, we would like to propose an alternative to despair and suggest a path forward that offers not just hope for the distant future, but strength and a sense of purpose for today and tomorrow.

This plague is hardly the first time we have been challenged as a people. Consider this

story from the period of expulsions of Jews from the Iberian Peninsula between 1492 and 1497.

Rabbi Abraham Saba, a scholar and preacher who lived in Spain’s Castilian region, was among those forced to leave his lifelong home. He fled on foot to neighboring Portugal, CONTINUED ON PAGE 13

MARCH 2021 | 13

jewishrhody.org | Jewish Rhode Island

COMMUNITY VOICES | OPINION CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12 where he continued writing his rabbinic and biblical commentaries.

But several years later Portugal’s Jews were subject to an expulsion decree.

Saba again attempted to flee. Nearing Lisbon, he became aware of the decree issued against possession of Hebrew books. Saba buried his trove of manuscripts, but he was thrown into prison and never recovered them.

Eventually Saba escaped to Morocco, where after struggling with an illness he resumed his life’s work, rewriting his lost manuscripts from memory. His commentaries on the Pentateuch and the books of Ruth and Esther are still studied today, five centuries later.

Determination and dedication had defeated disruption and despair.

Saba’s dogged persistence in studying and writing despite the obstacles he faced was remarkable. But in the annals of Jewish history, it was not extraordinary.

Jewish history is filled with figures, from Maimonides to Albert Einstein, who achieved outstanding levels of intellectual accomplishment despite challenging circumstances, from plagues and expulsions to pogroms and Nazi persecution.

The challenge of our current period is different, but trying in its own ways. We are isolated from other people, stalked by an invisible threat that has sapped our energy and many of the joys of daily life. We struggle to find purpose and motivation.

This is where the Jewish

in person or in books. One intellectual tradition can logic and intellectual honsilver lining of the pandemic serve as an invaluable guide. esty in pursuit of truth; and has been the unprecedented For centuries, Jews have living a purposeful life. access to learning opporclung to a few basic prinWe extracted from these tunities. It’s possible to log ciples that have helped us principles specific recomonto Zoom classes haplead purposeful lives even in mendations for the circumpening anywhere around times of political, social and stances of our age. the world, to find a study economic distress.

Surround yourself with partner through any one of a This tradition of learning the written word. Reading number of matching serand achievement initially is enriching like no other was derived from Torah medium. Just because you’re vices, to connect remotely to Jewish events and study, but it has become more The challenge of our current period services.

Bring your family universal. Transalong for the ride. mitted overtly is different, but trying in its own Talk to them about or inadvertently your goals and why by a system of ways. We are isolated from other they’re important. education and by a Your children will cultural milieu, it people, stalked by an invisible pick up the values has been effecyou exemplify. Don’t tive at fostering threat that has sapped our energy just leave their achievement and education to school. offers guidance to and many of the joys of daily life.

Show them what’s Jews and nonimportant in life Jews alike. by modeling that Especially these We struggle to find purpose and behavior. days, when life motivation.

Learn collaborasometimes can tively. Find peers seem like one no longer in school doesn’t who share your goals with long slog – each day bleeding mean you should stop whom you can consult, partinto the other, with real life learning. Self-development ner and even argue. This is replaced by a simulacrum through learning should be the classic Jewish mode of of screens and social media a lifelong pursuit. “chavruta” learning: oneand endless binge-watching Set goals for yourself and on-one study and argumenthat somehow never seems don’t be distracted from your tation with a friend. Studies to satisfy – the Jewish inteldetermination to accomplish have shown that cooperative lectual tradition offers an those goals – whether it’s learning not only advances alternative that can bring learning something new, educational achievement with it happiness and a sense mastering a particular skill, but promotes self-esteem, of accomplishment. creating something in the healthy relationships and In our study of some 3,000 woodshop or at the writing more positive attitudes years of Jewish history, we table, helping your chiltoward learning. have discerned a few guiding dren achieve their goals, or And don’t be afraid of principles, which we outline tackling Shakespeare, the argument or intellectual in our new book, “The JewTalmud or quantum physics. challenges, so long as your ish Intellectual Tradition: Assume that impediments, argumentation is conducted A History of Learning and major or minor, will crop in good faith, with respect Achievement.” up along the way. Push and in pursuit of truth.

These principles include through.

Judaism embraces analytrespect for tradition comFind a mentor who can ical and even disruptive bined with creativity and help you toward your goal. thinking. innovation; the primacy of Seek out experts as your The unique feature of Jeweducation for young and old; companions, whether online,

ish intellectual achievement is that it continues even at times of great challenge.

That’s because striving for a higher purpose actually helps us overcome day-today stresses rather than adding to them. Our salvation won’t come from mindless activities but from determined pursuit of our goals.

A life lived daily with a sense of purpose, with the firm belief that your actions and the values you exemplify and transmit make a difference, can ennoble and elevate you and those around you.

It is this persistence that has made the Jewish contribution to the world so significant, in fields from science and law to philosophy and social justice. Now, particularly when times are tough, our role in helping improve society must not be neglected. Whatever the circumstances, we can proudly uphold that tradition.

DR. ALAN KADISH is the president of the Touro College and University System.

DR. MICHAEL SHMIDMAN is the dean of Touro’s Graduate School of Jewish Studies.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of JTA or its parent company, 70 Faces Media. This story was sponsored by the Touro College and University System, which supports Jewish continuity and community while serving a diverse population of over 19,000 students across 30 schools.

Getting at the root of anti-Semitism

BY NINA TANNENWALD I AM SORRY to see that the Jewish Alliance and the Bornstein Holocaust Education Center have adopted the IHRA (International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance) definition of antisemitism (Jewish Rhode Island, Feb. 5). This problematic definition of antisemitism focuses excessively on stigmatizing criticism of Israel. In every context in which it has been adopted or applied, it has faced sharp criticism. Scholars of Jewish and Holocaust studies have played a prominent role in exposing its shortcomings.

Even Kenneth Stern, the original author of the definition when he worked for the American Jewish Committee in 2004, has opposed efforts to codify it into law. He has criticized its misuse to restrict criticism of Israel, especially on college campuses, and to wield it against the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel. In a letter published in 2011 he wrote, "It is a perversion of the definition to use it, as some are doing, in an attempt to censor what a professor, student, or speaker can say [about Israel]."

The definition mistakenly

equates anti-Zionism with antisemitism. No one can be required to be a Zionist, just as no law can require someone to be a Serbian, Polish or Quebecois nationalist.

Furthermore, boycotts are protected political activity, as a US appeals court in Arkansas recently reaffirmed. On Friday, Feb. 12, the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Arkansas’ anti-BDS law is unconstitutional. This law required state contractors to pledge not to boycott Israel. The court said that the restriction “violates the First Amendment.”

The next time students at

Brown University advocate for Palestinian rights or university divestment from Israel, what will guarantee that the Jewish Alliance will not wave its definition to criticize these legitimate free speech activities as antisemitic? Providing evidence that much of the motivation behind the adoption of the IHRA definition is about silencing criticism of Israel, the Bornstein Center proudly touts “The New Antisemites,” a book written by right-of-center Jewish groups with the goal of refocusing antisemitism campaigns on Israel-Palestine politics.

This trivializes real antisemitism. While there are undoubtedly some antisemites among the BDS activists, most actual antisemitism in this country is perpetuated by white supremacy extremists. The Alliance should set aside the IHRA definition and focus instead on actual antisemitism – verbal and physical attacks on Jews and damage to Jewish property including schools, synagogues and cemeteries.

NINA TANNENWALD teaches international relations at Brown University.

14 | MARCH 2021

Jewish Rhode Island | jewishrhody.org

ARTS

Arts Emanu-El presents the provocative film ‘The Keeper’

BY PAMELA HANZEL ARTS EMANU-EL and the Temple Emanu-El Providence Jewish Film Festival will present the film “The Keeper” from March 11 until March 15.

The award-winning film is based on the incredible yet true story of Bert Trautmann, a Nazi soldier who goes on to become a soccer star.

At the end of World War II, Trautmann was in a prisoner of war camp in England.

He was an excellent “keeper,” the English term for goaltender. A local soccer team was in desperate need of his services, and the team

manager gets permission to take Trautmann out of the camp and put him on his team. Needless to say, Trautman encounters a lot of anger.

He is later recruited by the world-famous Manchester soccer team, where he continues his assent to the top of the soccer world and acquires even more acclaim. Rabbi Altman, the rabbi in Manchester, denounces Trautmann at first, but later recants his statement, saying that each man must be judged on his own merits.

A quote about “The Keeper” in the South Florida Sun Sentinel reads, “Not only is it an extraordinary love story, but its message of

Happy Passover!

forgiveness, compassion and acceptance is both relatable and relevant. To further explore the theme of forgiveness, Arts Emanu-El will hold a Q-and-A on Sunday, March 14 on Zoom. Registrants will receive Zoom information from Eventive.

“The Keeper” will be shown from Thursday, March 11, at noon, until Monday, March 15, at 11:59 p.m.

Tickets for “The Keeper,” as well as for Arts Emanu-El’s upcoming films “Holy Silence” and “Syndrome K,” can be purchased on the Eventive platform at the following sites: For one movie ticket, at $15,

go to watch.eventive.org/teprov; for a bundle of four movies, at $55, go to teprov.eventive.org/passes/buy/ bundle.

“Holy Silence” will be shown from April 17 until April 21. “Syndrome K” will be shown from April 22 until April 26.

For more information, please contact Temple Emanu-El at 401-331-1616, or Pamela Hanzel at pamhanzel@cox.net. Please leave your contact information (email and cellphone number).

PAMELA HANZEL is the chairwoman of Arts Emanu-El.

TAKE ACTION: REPORT an INCIDENT www.jewishallianceri.org/report-it/ At the Jewish Alliance, we believe all people should be treated fairly and justly. If you have experienced or witnessed an incident of anti-Semitism or extremism, please report it. Anti-Semitic activity includes overt acts or expressions of anti-Jewish bigotry and hostility. Many incidents are not crimes but are still considered anti-Semitic and should be reported.

This initiative is meant to help track anti-Semitic incidents in the state of Rhode Island. Experiencing any type of anti-Semitism may be traumatic for you or your loved ones. If you need additional support, please contact Jewish Collaborative Services at 401.331.1244 for guidance.

www.jewishallianceri.org/report-it/ 401 Elmgrove Avenue | Providence, RI 02906 | jewishallianceri.org

MARCH 2021 | 15

jewishrhody.org | Jewish Rhode Island

PASSOVER

The Message of Freedom During Passover L

HEA

TH

left. And then it hit him; the Nazis thought they had total command over him. That he had no freedom left. But there was one thing they could never take: his choice, his response. By realizing he maintained the power to choose, he clung to his humanity and dignity.”

During this year of the pandemic, our freedom has been tested. We have had to make many changes that PATRICIA have altered the way we RASKIN live, work and communicate. We are finding new ways to live life to the fullest.

But we still have freedom during this difficult time: the freedom to have food, family around us and secure dwellings; the freedom to

Y L I VI

NG

IN THIS PASSOVER during the pandemic, consider for a moment the case of Viktor Frankl, a prominent Jewish psychologist who was a survivor of two concentration camps and author of “Man’s Search for Meaning.”

In the article on Aish. com, “Viktor Frankl, Passover, and the Meaning of Freedom,” Rabbi Yaakov Cohen states, “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing. The last of human freedoms is to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances. The Nazis took everything away from him: his clothes, possessions, his family. He said they’re huddled in the cold barracks; starving exhausted and heartbroken. He felt like he had nothing

make decisions with our families, co-workers and friends; the freedom to leave our homes to go to work, go shopping, visit others even with the restrictions of distancing and wearing masks; and the freedom to communicate using video conferencing so that we can stay connected.

As Rabbi Cohen says, “This is why matzah is called the bread of freedom. Bread is just puffed up matzah… it’s water and flour full of hot air.”

The pandemic gives us the opportunity to evaluate the essentials in our lives – the matzah without puffed up leavening.

We all have the freedom to control how we respond to circumstances.

For me, freedom speaks to having the basics in my life, my home, my family and the things that bring me comfort and sustenance. Food, heat, electric-

ity, Wi-Fi, all allow me to go on.

The real freedom is that we are able to make choices knowing the basics are in place. Those basics were not there for Victor Frankl and through it all he survived and eventually thrived. But those basic needs are in place for us and having them gives us many more options to create happiness, joy and success.

Let’s celebrate freedom this Passover as it is truly “close to home.”

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.

9 things you didn’t know about Passover

BY MY JEWISH LEARNING

Passover celebrates the ancient Exodus of the Israelites from bondage in Egypt. Here are nine things you might not have known about the major Jewish festival.

1. In Gibraltar, there’s dust in the haroset.

The traditional haroset is a sweet Passover paste whose texture is meant as a reminder of the mortar the enslaved Jews used to build in ancient Egypt. The name itself is related to the Hebrew word for clay. In Ashkenazi tradition, it is made from crushed nuts, apples and sweet red wine while Sephardi Jews use figs or dates. But the tiny Jewish community of this small British territory at the tip of the Iberian Peninsula takes the brick symbolism to another level, using the dust of actual bricks in their recipe.

2. Abraham Lincoln died during Passover.

The 16th American President was shot at Ford’s Theatre on Friday, April 14, 1865, which coincided with the fourth night of Passover.

The next morning, Jews who wouldn’t normally

have attended services on the holiday were so moved

by Lincoln’s passing that they made their way to synagogues, where the normally celebratory Passover services were instead marked by acts of mourning and the singing of Yom Kippur hymns. American Jews were so affected by the President’s death that Congregation Shearith Israel in New York recited the prayer for the dead — usually said only for Jews — on Lincoln’s behalf.

3. Arizona is a hub for matzah wheat.

Hasidic Jews from Brooklyn have been increasingly sourcing wheat for their Passover matzah from farmers in Arizona. Excessive moisture in wheat kernels can result in fermentation, rendering the harvest unsuitable for Passover use. But rain is scarce in Arizona, which allows for a stricter standard of matzah production. Rabbis from New York travel to Arizona in the days leading up to the harvest, where they inspect the grains meticulously to ensure they are cut at the precise moisture levels.

4. At the seder, Persian Jews whip each other with scallions.

Many of the Passover seder rituals are intended to re-create the sensory expe-

rience of Egyptian slavery, from the eating of bitter herbs and matzah to the dipping of greenery in saltwater, which symbolizes the tears shed by the oppressed Israelites. Some Jews from Iran and Afghanistan have the tradition of whipping each other with green onions before the singing of “Dayenu.”

5. Karaite Jews skip the wine.

Karaite Jews reject rabbinic Judaism, observing only laws detailed in the Torah. That’s why they don’t drink the traditional four cups of wine at the seder. Wine is fermented, and fermented foods are prohibited on Passover, so they drink fruit juice instead. (Mainstream Jews hold that only fermented grains are prohibited.) The Karaites also eschew other staples of the traditional seder, including the seder plate, the afikomen and haroset. Their maror (bitter herbs) are a mixture of lemon peel, bitter lettuce and an assortment of other herbs.

6. Israeli Jews have only one seder.

That’s unlike everywhere else, where traditionally a seder is held on each of the first two nights of the holiday. Known as “yom tov sheni shel galuyot” — lit-

erally “the second festival day of the Diaspora” — the practice was begun 2,000 years ago when Jews were informed of the start of a new lunar month only after it had been confirmed by witnesses in Jerusalem.

Because Jewish communities outside of Israel were often delayed in learning the news, they consequently couldn’t be sure precisely which day festivals were meant to be observed. As a result, the practice of observing two seder days was instituted just to be sure.

7. You’re wrong about the orange on the seder plate.

Some progressive Jews have adopted the practice of including an orange on the seder plate as a symbol of inclusion of gays, lesbians and other groups marginalized in the Jewish community. The story goes that the practice was instituted by the feminist scholar Susannah Heschel after she was told that a woman belongs on the synagogue bimah, or prayer podium, like an orange belongs on a seder plate. But according to Heschel, that story is false.

In that apocryphal version, she said, “a woman’s words are attributed to a man, and the affirmation of lesbians and gay men is erased. Isn’t that precisely what’s hap-

pened over the centuries to women’s ideas?”

8. “Afikoman” isn’t Hebrew.

For many seder attendees, the highlight of the meal is the afikoman — a broken piece of matzah that the Seder leader hides and the children seek; the person who finds the afikoman usually gets a small reward.

Most scholars believe the word “afikoman” derives from the Greek word for dessert. Others say it refers to a kind of post-meal revelry common among the Greeks. Either theory would explain why the afikoman is traditionally the last thing eaten at the seder.

9. For North African Jews, after Passover comes Mimouna.

Most people are eager for a break from holiday meals when the eight-day Passover holiday concludes.

But for the Jews of North Africa, the holiday’s end is the perfect time for another feast, Mimouna, marking the beginning of spring.

Celebrated after nightfall on the last day of Passover, Mimouna is marked by a large spread of foods and the opening of homes to guests. The celebration is often laden with symbolism, including fish for fertility and golden rings for wealth.

16 | MARCH 2021

Jewish Rhode Island | jewishrhody.org

PASSOVER

We can still celebrate our freedom this Passover. Here’s how.

BY AMY GROSSBLATT PESSAH/ KVELLER.COM HOW CAN WE even begin to think about preparing for Passover when we are still living in the midst of a pandemic? As we live in the uncertainty of these times and are mostly stuck at home, as the line between work and family is blurred and responsibilities are on overload, just getting through each day feels like a huge success. The thought of having to clean my house with my entire family present 24/7 seems overwhelming — insurmountable even.

Yet the calendar keeps moving forward. March 27 — the first night of Passover — will arrive shortly, and I know that I will need to do something to get ready for this major holiday.

Whether your kids are younger or older, chances are they expect some kind of Passover celebration. No matter how your family celebrates — whether it includes one Seder or two, or complete elimination of bread products or just reduced consumption of them — no other holiday shouts family time louder than Passover.

Passover is the time of year when we come together to recount our collective narrative. In short, the Seder is the retelling of the story of an

enslaved people who were freed from bondage and then made their way through the desert to arrive in the Promised Land. In some ways, here in 2021, this story feels more alive and relevant than ever as so much of this story mirrors our current reality.

And yet, given the coronavirus, Passover this year again presents several questions: Just how, exactly, will we take this metaphorical journey from a sense of slavery to freedom?

How can we be free when we are not free to move about in the world? How do we remain present and focused on the holiday and its message in the midst of the pandemic?

After all, the traditional understanding of being freed from bondage might not feel accurate this year. In fact, we might feel a celebration of freedom to be incongruous as we are trapped in our homes and isolated from those we love. However, I believe that if we expand our understanding of freedom, we can celebrate Passover meaningfully and retain its profound message. True freedom can be found in a two-pronged approach: by connecting to the “Big Picture,” as I call it, and by taking control of our own minds.

When I say “connecting to the Big Picture,” here’s what I mean: If we are

able to move from the micro of our individual lives and shift to a wider perspective, it helps us see things from a different vantage point. By celebrating Passover — even if it’s just a pared-down version with our immediate families at home again this year — we connect ourselves with our ancestors, who have also experienced significant challenges and traumas over the millennia. The Seder helps us link ourselves to the chain of our people, a chain that has survived for thousands of years. Reframing the situation this way can help us find strength and hope.

Might we be able to feel the tenacity of our ancestors supporting us, even as we fear that we will fumble? Can you imagine our ancestors cheering us on from the sidelines, “You got this! You can do it! You are part of a strong, stiff-necked, stubborn people.

Be strong and resolute!”

By linking ourselves to the larger story of our people, we gain a more expansive perspective. Panning out to see the Big Picture enables us to realize that, despite the immense challenges of the moment, this, too, shall pass. Most certainly, our lives will be forever changed by this pandemic, but I believe that ultimately we will be stronger, wiser and more resilient.

Now, about taking control of our minds. Every day, each of us has thousands of thoughts; no wonder why so many of us are exhausted!

Yet how often do we take the time to reflect on the content of our thoughts?

So much of what we say to ourselves is negative — “I’m not good enough”; “I can’t do this”; “Nobody cares about me” — a situation that is only magnified in times of stress and duress, like now.

While Passover is the time to get rid of our hametz, perhaps it can also serve as the time to get rid of our unhelpful, negative thoughts. By cleaning our minds, we can move into a new kind of freedom. After all, true freedom rests in our internal life, regardless of our external circumstances. That’s true for our ancestors who were slaves in Egypt; that’s also true for parents who feel enslaved to the never-ending responsibilities of child rearing as well as for each of us who now feels enslaved to the vigilance needed to combat COVID. Ultimately we become free when we are able to become the master of our minds. As Victor Frankl, psychologist, Holocaust survivor and author of the book “Man’s Search for Meaning,” taught, “When we are no longer able CONTINUED ON PAGE 25

Make Your Ordinary Bathroom Extraordinary

IN AS LITTLE AS JUST ONE DAY!

CALL NOW!

FOR

$

500 Off OR

NO PAYMENT & NO INTEREST FOR 18 MONTHS OFFER EXPIRES 3.31.2021

888-996-3233 Military & Senior Discounts Available

CONTEMPORARY CHIC

*Includes product and labor; bathtub, shower or walk-in tub and wall surround. This promotion cannot be combined with any other offer.

Other restrictions may apply. This offer expires March 31, 2021. Each dealership is independently owned and operated. **Third party financing is available for those customers who qualify. See your dealer for details. ©2020 BCI Acrylic Inc.

MARCH 2021 | 17

jewishrhody.org | Jewish Rhode Island

PASSOVER

A Kosher & Happy Passover B’H 2021 Holiday Schedule 5781

Remember Search for Chometz – Thursday, March 25 Fast of first-born – Thursday, March 25 2021

Sell and Burn Chometz

5781

before Friday, March 26, 11:45 a.m.

Eat Chometz until

Shabbat, March 27, 10:40 a.m.

Passover and Seder begin

Saturday, March 27, 7:48 p.m.

Passover ends

Sunday, April 4, 7:57 p.m.

PHOTO | HANNAH ALTMAN

Looking for a new wine for your Passover table?

BY HANNAH ALTMAN THERE ARE MORE and more Israeli and Kosher for Passover wines available. At Bottles Fine Wine in Providence there is something for everyone with a selection of over 40 different bottles.

Manager Eric Taylor says via email, “We’re stocking up for Passover, and our selection is larger than it ever has been.

I also just added a Kosher for Passover cider, (Strongbow), the first that I’ve known about.” Bottles carries at least nine different imported Kosher for Passover Israeli wines, including:

Mt. Tabor Cabernet Sauvignon: “The grapes were picked by hand at dawn, were rushed to the adjacent winery and subjected to cold fermentations, resulting in enhanced and complex aroma,” says the Winemakers notes on kosherwine.com

Binyamina Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon: “This wine is produced from fine quality grapes grown in Binyamina's Galilee vineyards. This is a vegan wine,” says the Winemakers notes on kosherwine.com

Teperberg Shiraz: “A soft, round, and very accessible Mediterranean -style wine with balanced acidity and a rich body. The Teper-

berg Vision Shiraz matured with French and American oak for 5 months,” says the Winemakers notes on kosherwine.com

Teperberg Merlot: “A medium-bodied wine, with a cherry flavor and hints of caramel and smoke. The grapes arrived at the winery in the early morning after being mechanically harvested. After fermentation is complete, the wine is transferred to a storage tank and the skins are gently pressed to the same tank by a pneumatic press in order to begin fermentation. The wine is then matured in French and American oak barrels for 5 months,” says the Winemakers notes on kosherwine.com

Jerusalem Gold Winery Cabernet Sauvignon: a “difficult to find wine,” says wine-searcher.com. It is made in the Judean Hills.

Carmel Select Moscato di Carmel Israel: Carmel Winery is a historic Israeli winery founded in 1882 by Baron Edmond de Rothschild, owner of Chateau Lafite in Bordeaux.

Flam Blanc Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc: “55% Sauvignon Blanc, 45% Chardonnay. This wine is made from the grapes grown in top quality vineyards

located in the Judean Hills.

The must was fermented in controlled cold temperature stainless steel tanks for 4 weeks. This process enhances maximum extraction of fruity and citrus aromas.

This is a vegan wine,” says the Winemakers notes on kosherwine.com.

Flam Classico Red Blend: It is described on shoppersvineyard.com as “The 2016 Classico red is a blend of 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, 8% Syrah and 6% Petit Verdot, aged for ten months in a mixture of French and American oak.”

Gamla Merlot: “Gamla Merlot was produced from Merlot and a small amount of Cabernet Sauvignon, all grown in the Golan Heights.

The cool climate, rocky volcanic soil, and high altitude are ideal conditions for growing these classic varieties. Aging in oak barrels, mostly French with a bit of American, rounds out the berry, floral, and spice characters in this approachable and elegant Merlot, according to the Winemakers notes on kosherwine.com.

HANNAH ALTMAN (haltman@ jewishallianceri.org) is the content producer for the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island. She also writes for Jewish Rhode Island.

Candle lighting times for Passover 2021 Friday, March 26.................... 6:44 p.m.

Saturday, March 27 ............... after 7:48 p.m.

Sunday, March 28 ................. after 7:49 p.m.

Friday, April 2......................... 6:52 p.m.

Saturday, April 3 .................... after 7:56 p.m.

Blessings March 27 ......First Eve of Passover ......... 1 & 3 March 28 ......Second Eve of Passover .... 1 & 3 April 2 ...........7th Eve of Passover ........... 2 April 3 ...........8th Eve of Passover ........... 1 #1 BO-RUH A-TOH ADO-NOI E-LO-HEI-NU MELECH HO-OLOM A-SHER KI-DE-SHA-NU BEMITZ-VO-TOV VI-TZI-VO-NU LE-HAD-LIK NER SHEL YOM-TOV #2 BO-RUCH A-TOH ADO-NOI E-LO-HEI-NU MELECH HO-OLOM SHE-HEH-CHE-YOH-NU VIKIYE-MONU VE-HE GE-O-NU LEZ-MAN HA-ZEH #3 BO-RUCH A-TOH ADO-NOI E-LO-HEI-NU MELECH HO-OLOM A-SHER KI-DE-SHA-NU BEMITZ-VO-TOV VI-TZI-VO-NU LE-HAD-LIK NER SHEL SHA-BAT KO-DESH Special instructions for holidays (but not Shabbat).

On holidays it is forbidden to create a new fire by striking a match, lighter, etc. However, it is permissible to use a flame already burning continuously since before the inception of the holiday, such as a pilot light, gas or candle flame.

Courtesy of Chabad House – Lubavitch 360 Hope St. • Providence, RI 02906 401-273-7238 Please do not destroy or deface this card.

18 | MARCH 2021

Jewish Rhode Island | jewishrhody.org

PASSOVER

Mitzvah Matzos reconnects Jewish ritual food and social action

BY HANNAH ALTMAN THE PESACH seder plate is arranged to remember Jewish history, with much of the food serving a deeply symbolic purpose. Matzah, in particular, symbolizes the unleavened bread that Jews ate while fleeing Egyptian slavery. Different variations of matzah developed for Ashkenazi, Sephardic and Mizrahi cultures – the latter two tend to be thicker and softer while remaining unleavened. Before mass-produced matzah became widely popularized, Jewish people and their communities would bake it themselves. It is called the “bread of affliction,” the bread of oppression and hardship; it serves as a symbol of the trials that the Israelites endured and the efforts to carry on in the face of suffering.

For a ritual food packed with cultural and spiritual significance, it has raised some eyebrows that the largest matzah manufacturing company, Manischewitz, is owned by private investment firm Bain Capital. This was unsettling to Barry Dolinger, rabbi at Congregation Beth Sholom in Providence. Wanting to fight the corporatization of matzah and redirect the impact of the Jewish ritual food object to fight for the freedom it

has always stood for, Rabbi Dolinger his New York City Jewish neighbors, and his wife, Naomi Baine, created Baine said.

Mitzvah Matzos.

Frustrated with matzah being Mitzvah Matzos is a nonprofit that framed as a tool for corporate profit, aims to educate the community about Rabbi Dolinger and Baine started the modern day horrors of human making their own batches of the trafficking, unleavened and to send all bread with profits from friends. Accordits handmade ing to Rabbi matzah sales Dolinger, this to “organiaction reconzations with nected them established to the matzah; track records he says they in fighting wanted to close human trafthe gap between ficking and ritual and social helping surviaction. With vors find their crowdfunding paths to indehelp from the pendence and Rhode Island freedom,” as community and their mission from Glean, states online. an incubator Co-founder directed by Baine knows Rabbi Elan a thing or two Babchuck of Rabbi Barry Dolinger helps FILE PHOTO | GLENN about providOSMUNDSON Providence, bake matzah in March 2020. ing matzah for whose pura community: her great-great-greatpose is to mentor and fund spiritual grandfather founded the country’s entrepreneurs, they founded Mitzvah first matzah factory, Horowitz-MarMatzos to provide aid for people who gareten, in 1884, to meet the needs of are experiencing modern day slav-

ery similar the way the Jews once suffered.

Each year, Mitzvah Matzos chooses different organizations to benefit from its profits. This Passover season, matzah sales are helping Nomi Network, whose mission is to “end human trafficking by creating pathways to safe employment, empowering women and girls to break cycles of slavery in their families and communities.”

Donations are also benefiting St. Mary’s Home for Children’s STAAR (Supporting Teens and Adults at Risk) Program, which provides support services to youth and families at risk for or impacted by sexual exploitation.

Customers can purchase packs of prepared soft matzah or a 5-pound bag of shmurah flour to make matzah for themselves. Once purchased, the product can be shipped to pick up at locations in various cities. Pickup will occur from March 21-26, just in time for Pesach. Visit the website at mitzvahmatzos.org for more information.

HANNAH ALTMAN (haltman@jewishallianceri.org) is the content producer for the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island. She also writes for Jewish Rhode Island.

At the Jewish Alliance, we work to find new and creative ways of meeting people’s needs in an ever changing landscape.

In these uncertain times when so many people are finding themselves in need of assistance – many of them for the first time – we are providing programs that help the most vulnerable among us, both locally and globally.

With your support, we keep people safe and cared for. With your increased commitment to the Annual Community Campaign, you will provide continuity and the expanded services that people so desperately need right now.

We appreciate your past support and hope you’ll consider increasing your gift.

2021 ANNUAL COMMUNITY CAMPAIGN JEWISHALLIANCERI.ORG/DONATE

HERE FOR GOOD. 401 Elmgrove Avenue • Providence, RI 02906 • 401.421.4111 • jewishallianceri.org

MARCH 2021 | 19

jewishrhody.org | Jewish Rhode Island

Traditional Passover Menu 2021 Now accepting orders through Thursday March 18th for pick up on: Friday March 26th or Saturday March 27th Please note all items are only available at refrigerated temperatures.

Gefilte Fish

$2.99 pc.

House Horseradish

$7.99 lb.

Chopped Liver

$9.99 lb.

Vegan Chopped Liver

$9.99 lb.

Chicken Soup with carrots

Wishing you a happy Passover.

Chag sameach.

Paid for by Whitehouse for Senate.

$3.49pt./$6.98 qt.

Matzoh Balls

$9.99 dz.

Roasted Brisket with Gravy

$18.99 lb.

Boneless Chicken Breast

$7.99 ea.

Holiday Lasagna

$9.99 ea.

Carrot Tzimmis

$8.99 lb.

Traditional Charosis

$7.99 lb.

Roasted Vegetable Medley

$8.99 lb.

Potato Kugel

$5.99 lb.

Sweet Potato Kugel

$6.99 lb.

Apple Kugel

$6.99 lb.

(Stuffed with Spinach, Roasted Red Peppers and Garlic)

(Whole kugel approximately 5 lb.)

(Whole kugel approximately 1.5 lb.)

(Whole kugel approximately 1.5 lb.)

Chef’s Suggestions to Complete Your Passover Meal-Whole Poached Salmon Side, Lemon Scented Asparagus, Green Beans Amandine, Stuffed Grape Leaves. *All prepared foods are Jewish-style and are explicitly not Kosher/Kosher for Passover* 165 Pitman Street Providence, RI 02906 (401)831-7771

Website: eastsidemarket.com Email: esidemkt@aol.com

20 | MARCH 2021

Jewish Rhode Island | jewishrhody.org

Micah Bogad, 9, left, and Noah Holt, 6, right, both of Providence, poke through the sun roof with a mask and a maraca they received at the event.

T

PHOTOS | GLENN OSMUNDSON

Purim 2021

his year’s Purim celebration looked a little different. On Friday,

Feb. 26, a Car-nival took place in the Brown University parking lot across from the Dwares Jewish Community Center. Decorated cars

and costumed participants were all in attendance.

Lyndsey Ursillo holds a frame for a back seat rider in the vehicle parade.

Elsewhere in the community, seniors received Purim treats thanks to Jewish Collaborative Services and children from the David C. Isenberg Early Childhood Center made mishloach manot bags for the Kosher Food Pantry. And of course, congregations had spiels via Zoom and other celebrations.

Meital Jacob, 10, of Providence, strikes a pose.

MARCH 2021 | 21

jewishrhody.org | Jewish Rhode Island

Amazing artwork from the ECC children!

PHOTOS | JEWISH ALLIANCE

“Disco” (a.k.a. Sam Miller), of Providence passes a balloon animal to the occupants of one of the cars

Lyndsey Ursillo, Michelle Cicchitelli and Erin Barry dressed up as gift bags.

Maurice Eighme, of North Providence, entertains as the cars pass by.

Jewish Eldercare of Rhode Island (a JCS program) delivered Hamantaschen and Matzah Ball Soup to Jewish Seniors in nursing homes and assisted living facilities across RI. The soup was donated by the Adler Family in memory of Wendy B. Adler.

22 | MARCH 2021

Jewish Rhode Island | jewishrhody.org

COMMUNITY

BUSINESS 34 | OBITUARIES 36

Have you heard the buzz about Bubbie’s?

Harold Labush, left, and his wife Jerri Labush, of Cranston, look over the Passover cheeses in the refrigerator case at the newly opened Bubbie's Market and Deli on Hope Street.

PHOTO | GLENN OSMUNDSON

BY FRAN OSTENDORF HOPE STREET will soon be home to a new Kosher market and deli.

Jeff Ingber and Freda Ronkin are teaming up to open Bubbie’s Market and Deli at 727 Hope St. Ingber, who has many years of food and catering experience and Ronkin, who owns and operates Ahava Catering in Providence, have joined together to bring Kosher groceries and prepared foods to Providence and beyond. The grocery is just down the street from the now closed Davis Dairy.

The market opened

March 3 to sell Passover products. After Passover, it will close while Ronkin and Ingber finish the space. A grand opening is planned for sometime later in April or May. The two announced the plans for the market via Facebook. And they moved quickly to fix up the space for the Passover pop-up.

“People were wondering where they were going to get their Passover goods,” said Ingber. “So we jumped in.”

Eventually, Bubbie’s will sell groceries as well as prepared salads, dips, wraps, sandwiches and grab-and-go food. Food

production will continue in the Ahava kitchens at 450 Elmgrove Ave., in Providence. There will be prepackaged Kosher meat and a limited fruit and vegetable selection, depending on space. The market will also carry some of the favorites from Davis Dairy, which now sells only wholesale products.

Both Ingber and Ronkin say they are excited about the new venture and look forward to bringing fresh, healthy Kosher food to their customers. Together, they have more than 50 years of experience in the food business.

Both said they hear

Rehabilitation & Nursing Center

people say they get tired of the same old thing when it comes to food. They hope to bring creativity to the new market and mix lighter food with the traditional heavier foods.

“I want people to say that [the food] was amazing,” said Ronkin. “I want everyone to be able to walk in and enjoy the food.”

And that name. How did they decide on the name? “[To us] The word bubbie means heimish, comfort, good-tasting food,” said Ingber. “It’s where we would want to go.”

Bubbie’s Market & Deli, 727 Hope St., Providence, will be open for Passover

shopping, from March 3 to March 26, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday. It will be closed on Saturday. On March 26, the store will close at noon. During the intermediate days of Passover the hours will be Tuesday to Thursday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Friday from 8 a.m. to noon. If you have concerns about shopping, you can call 401272-4835 and arrange an appointment.

FRAN OSTENDORF (fostendorf@jewishallianceri. org) is the editor of Jewish Rhode Island.

Happy Passover

Sh or t Te rm Reha bilitati on Unit

with private rooms, free tv, phone, wifi.

LONG TERM CARE AND RESPITE SERVICES KOSHER FOOD SERVICE RI’s Closest Jewish Nursing Home.

Only 15 Minutes from Providence

Five-Star Quality Rated

By Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

CALL 508-679-6172

Online: www.fallriverjewishhome.org

MARCH 2021 | 23

jewishrhody.org | Jewish Rhode Island

COMMUNITY

Golda’s Balcony on March 14

Jewish Roots Growing Community Through Art

The “Jewish Roots” community art project is a collection of at-home activities designed to keep people creative and connected while also bringing us together as a community.

“GOLDA’S BALCONY,” William Gibson’s Tony award-winning one-woman play, will be presented on Zoom as part of the Lifelong Learning Collaborative’s special presentation series on March 14 from 1:30 -3:30 p.m.

Written in 2003, “Golda’s Balcony” is a 90-minute play filled with humor, pathos and passion. It still holds the record as the longest-running one-woman show in Broadway history. We see Golda Meir’s journey from impoverished child in Czarist Russia to Israel’s fourth Prime Minister, scrambling to save the country from impending destruction during the 1973 Yom Kippur War. The play stars award-winning actress and veteran teacher Sandra Laub. Laub has been performing Golda’s Balcony to critical acclaim and heartfelt audience response since 2013.

She has acted in dozens of professional productions. Her off-Broadway credits include

Circle Rep, WPA, Dance Theater Workshop, Equity Library Theater, Ensemble Studio Theater, La Mama, and Joseph Papp’s Shakespeare in the Park (Richard III with Kevin Kline.) In Rhode Island, she performed at Perishable Theater, the Brown Summer Theater Festival, the Sandra Feinstein-Gamm Theater, The Granite Theater, Courthouse for the Arts, The Island Theater Company and 2nd Story Theater.

The Lifelong Learning Collaborative is an independent Providence-based peer-run adult continuing education organization.

Register for the play at info@lifelonglearningcollaborative.org. Registrants will be sent an email indicating they have registered, and the day before the event, they will receive a reminder and the link to the event.

Submitted by Jane Adler, Lifelong Learning Collaborative

BCC Holocaust and Genocide Center plans spring programming THE BRISTOL HOLOCAUST and Genocide Center in Fall River, Massachusetts, is planning three programs this spring All take place via Zoom.

MARCH 22 AT 4:00 P.M. Dr. Arthur Urbano of Providence College will speak on Catholic and Jewish Relations and the Holocaust.

APRIL 6 AT 4:00 P.M. Christine Chivaria of the US Holocaust

Memorial Museum will speak on Latin America and the Holocaust.

APRIL 22 Faris Cassell, journalist and author will speak on her book, “The Unanswered Letter: One Holocaust Family’s Desperate Plea for Help.”

For more information and for a Zoom link contact: Dr. Ron Weisberger, director, ron. weisberger@bristolcc.edu

The centerpiece of the project is a tree-shaped mosaic designed by renowned Judaica artist Nancy Katz. It will feature glass “gems” created by members of our diverse community, and will be permanently installed in the Dwares JCC lobby.

Just as each piece of a mosaic is vibrant and unique on its own, so too are the people in our community. And when those individual pieces are brought together with common purpose, they’re able to create something much greater and more beautiful.

Join us in building this representation of our amazing community.

Everyone is welcome to participate, and no artistic talent is required.

Learn more and sign up at jewishallianceri.org/jewishroots

For more information, contact Lisa Maybruch at lmaybruch@jewishallianceri.org

24 | MARCH 2021

Jewish Rhode Island | jewishrhody.org

COMMUNITY

Davis deli: Gone but the memories live on

Wishing You a Happy and Healthy Pesach

The writer at Davis.

BY M. CHARLES BAKST

info@tourofraternal.org • 401.785.0066 W W W. T O U R O F R AT E R N A L . O R G

OVER A LONG career at the Providence Journal, I was honored to interview presidents and such icons as César Chavez, John Lewis and Elie Wiesel. But the most reportorial fun I ever had was going in 1997 with Joslin (Josh) Davis, owner of Davis Dairy Products, to the international Kosher food show in New Jersey.

What qualifications did I have for doing such a column? I hung around delicatessens, most notably Davis on Providence’s East Side. Despite the “dairy” in the name, this retailer-wholesaler also purveyed such life-affirming items as corned beef, pastrami and, yes, tongue.

We traveled to the Meadowlands Exposition Center in a limo. As we approached the army of vendors offering samples of franks, knishes, latkes, blintzes, gefilte fish and rugelach they were hoping to sell to distributors, caterers and restaurants, Mr. Davis warned me, “Pace yourself.” I wandered around for hours, chatting with vendors like the guy from United Pickle Products, and, of course, vacuuming up small portions of everything that caught my eye.

I was in dreamland.

But now, like legions of other Davis customers, I have to face the harsh reality that the deli, whose building was ravaged by fire last May, will not be reopening.

My wife, Elizabeth, and I shopped there for decades

and were among its very last customers, stopping in only hours before the blaze. That day, we bought the famous hand-sliced lox, incredible cream cheese, outstanding chopped liver. … It hurts even to think about it. Some of this stuff we put in the freezer and it lasted awhile, but then, like watching a boat fade off into the horizon, we were left only with memories.

You went to Davis, at 721 Hope St., almost as much for the schmoozing as the food. It was like a repertory theater.

The characters were Mr. Davis, his daughter Lori, her husband, Mark Glazer, and employee Nate Anthony.

There was a definite, if playful, edge in the air, certainly if Mr. Davis was on hand.

Like, if my order was tiny, he might say, “For this I had to come to work?”

He regularly asked how I was handicapping an election, and he was quick to offer his political views.

He disliked the Kennedys.

And don’t even mention Al Sharpton.

He’s 88 now, and God bless him.

It was a quirky place.

When you were checking out, one person – say, Mark – would call out the price of each item. Someone else – say, Mr. Davis – would tote them up on an old-fashioned adding machine.

I wasn’t around when the business began in 1906, but I can tell you that right to the end, in 2020, they took no credit cards.

Some things did change.

When you walked in the store years ago, you had to take a number, a paper slip from a dispenser. Eventually, they stopped doing that.

But I recall those days well because Lori once took a Number 1 slip and crafted it into a souvenir lifetime pass for me.

I loved the glistening lox, which my friend Andy Miller says they’d cut for him so thin it had only one side.

I’d often see Jerry Kapstein, the Red Sox senior adviser who later ran for lieutenant governor, standing near the counter, waiting for his lox order. One day I whipped out my iPhone to take his picture, but, no, he snapped that I was violating his privacy.

Most of the people you’d see in there were Jewish, of course, but one time I brought in Sheldon Whitehouse, now the U.S. senator, and they made him a bagel and cream cheese, and he loved it.

In announcing that the store would not reopen, but would still do wholesale, Mark noted that generations of a family had shopped there. My mother used to go in. I became a regular, and I’d frequently take along my young daughter, Maggie.

I called her the Queen of Corned Beef and kept buying it for her over the years even as she married. Her husband, Randy Yarlas, savored their pickled tomatoes. I’d bring in their young daughCONTINUED ON PAGE 25

MARCH 2021 | 25

jewishrhody.org | Jewish Rhode Island

COMMUNITY CONTINUED FROM PAGE 24 ter, who loved the individual bottles of Kedem grape juice.

I admit I was a quirky customer, but Mark, the Davis son-in-law, was an amiable enabler. I took to asking him to grab a small plastic container and fill half of it with whitefish salad and half with chopped herring. It initially cost $1.68. Over the years, the price ballooned, but I still referred to it as “the $1.68 trick,” and Mark always knew what I meant.

Then there was the “seldom-seen trick”: half coleslaw, half potato salad.

And yes, if I was taking the train to visit my older daughter, Diane, and her husband, Tommaso, and could bring only a modest cooler bag, I’d have Mark do up a small container with half plain cream cheese and half chive for their daughters.

But listen, I wasn’t the only customer with unusual orders: Kathe and Chip Cobb would go to Florida in the winter and have Davis ship a case of gefilte fish for their poodles.

Which reminds me of a journalistic episode of which I am not entirely proud. But

it happened, and I am now going to report it for the first time.

One of my interests in the late 1990s was chronicling the emergence of Latino politicians. One day I got a phone call from Luis Aponte, inviting me to cover a fundraiser kicking off his (eventually successful) quest for a Providence City Council seat. I blurted out, being silly (okay, stupid), “What are you serving?” He asked, “What would you like?” I said – to this day I don’t know why – “Gefilte fish.”

The evening of the event, at the Roger Williams Park Casino, I arrived early. Aponte’s wife, Gwen, said, “I have your gefilte fish. I went to Davis’s to buy it.” She asked if I wanted to put it in my car or whether she should add it to the buffet. At least I had the presence of mind to choose the latter.

So there it was, along with such other fare as Buffalo wings, fried-chicken drumettes, and Puerto Rican meat pies. I ate a piece of it and now what? Like, who else was going to want any? In walks state Rep. David Cicilline, now a U.S. congressman.

He’s Jewish, so I brought him over and he ate a portion.

OK, but could there be any other takers? Ta-da!

In strides Mayor Buddy Cianci, not Jewish, but he got around, so I ushered him over and he welcomed the chance to have a piece. “It’s gefilte fish,” I said, trying to be helpful. “I know!” huffed the mayor. He was actually offended that I’d think he’d never eaten it before.

And now, it’s goodbye to all that. Davis deli definitely is gone, and I am left to forage.

But say, a new Kosher place, Bubbie’s, is opening nearby.

And, wouldn’t you know?

Jeff Ingber, one of its owners, was at that 1997 Kosher food show in New Jersey and rode back to Providence in the limo with Mr. Davis and me. I take that as a promising omen. Jeff says Nate will work in Bubbie’s, and he guarantees there’ll be handsliced lox for me. So that’s a start, and if the new business is anything as classy and as interesting as Davis, we can all live happily ever after.

Best Wishes for a Happy Passover The Executive Committee, Staff, and Parents of the Providence Hebrew Day School New England Academy of Torah Rabbi Peretz Scheinerman Dean

450 Elmgrove Avenue, Providence, Rhode Island 02906

(401) 331-5327 Ext. 21

M. CHARLES BAKST is a retired Providence Journal political columnist.

Happy Passover!

Edith H. Ajello Representative, District 1

Paid for by the Committee to Elect Edith H. Ajello Jennifer Kiddie, Treasurer

26 | MARCH 2021

Jewish Rhode Island | jewishrhody.org

COMMUNITY

Israeli-Palestinian Mira Awad on ‘Indentities, Narratives and Maintaining Hope’

BY LARRY KATZ MIRA AWAD, renown Israeli-Palestinian multifaceted artist and relentless activist for co-existence, will be speaking on March 14 via Zoom. Born in the village of Rameh in the Galilee to a Palestinian father and Bulgarian mother, she currently lives in Tel Aviv. A singer, songwriter, actress, stage performance coach, artist and content creator, Awad has been a star on Israeli television, in cinema and on stage.

Awad studied music at the Rimon School for Jazz and Contemporary Music, released two solo albums and collaborated with many international artists including Noa, Idan Riachel, Andrea Boccelli and Bobby McFerrin.

Throughout her career, Awad developed a unique fusion of sounds by combining the East with the West and weaving the Arabic language and its ornaments with Western harmonies to create unique modern Arabic fusion music with a rich tapestry of sounds.

As an actress, Awad participated in numerous theater productions, her most memorable part being

Eliza Doolittle in the musical “My Fair Lady.” She starred on the highly rated Israeli television series “Arab Labor” and hosted several TV shows. She also created and co-wrote the TV drama “Muna.”

Awad is an Artivista who uses her stage visibility to promote peace.

Through her art, she is a relentless activist dedicated to promoting equality and human solidarity. A big believer in dialogue and co-existence, she speaks out for women's rights, equal citizenship for Palestinians living in Israel, a two-state solution and environmental awareness. She deals with these issues in her songs and plays. Since she identifies as both an Israeli and a Palestinian, she is attacked by advocates of many sides of the conflict.

Together with Achinoam Nini, Awad represented Israel in the prestigious Eurovision song contest in 2009. Nini, known as Noa, is a Yemenite Israeli Jew who performed in Rhode Island several years ago for a Yom Ha’Atzmaut concert. At the time, Awad was the first Christian Arab Israeli to represent Israel at Eurovision, which

she did despite much pressure by Palestinian and Arab activists.

On March 14, Awad will speak about “Indentities, Narratives and Maintaining Hope.” She thinks that the Israeli-Palestinian issue has never been so personal and asks, “When each side in a conflict pulls you to join their bunker, how do you stay in the open and avoid self-victimizing?”

This program is sponsored by The Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island along with The Jewish Agency for Israel and the Southern New England Consortium (SNEC) of Jewish Federations that have partnered with the Afula/Gilboa region of Israel in Partnership2Gether. The program will take place at 2 p.m. on Sunday, March 14. To receive a link to the Zoom presentation, register at https:// jewishfederationofgreaternewha.regfox.com/miraawad.

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

Julie Claire Gutterman Memorial Lecture proposes solutions to societal violence “ENHANCING Practice for Healthy Communities in Response to Societal Violence” is the theme of this year’s Julie Claire Gutterman Memorial Lecture, a half-day workshop for mental health and human services practitioners hosted by Jewish Collaborative Services. This year, the lecture will be held via Zoom on Friday, April 9.

An educator and activist, Loren G. Intolubbe-Chmil, Ph.D., will be the keynote speaker. Intolubbe-Chmil is also co-founder of and partner in Core Collaborative International, a consulting firm that focuses on catalyzing transformative practice, cultivating intercultural consciousness and enhancing the capacity for meaningful evidence-based decision-making.

Intolubbe-Chmil will lead attendees through exercises and discussion that are designed to develop a set of tools to contribute to environments that are free from violence rather than teaching people how to communicate about preparing for violence. We do not want violence to be an everyday occurrence, so we should be identifying the kind of community we want and then live those values and create a generational structure for those values.

Violence happens in supermarkets, synagogues, schools and movie theaters; we expect violence to happen as if it is in the air we breathe. Intolubbe-Chmil will explain that it does not have to be that way; we have choices.

“Violence could be an acute issue for someone who’s been impacted by domestic violence or

violence in the community,” says Jeremy Thayer, LICSW. Thayer is the clinical supervisor at JCS. "Considering our current pandemic, Dr. Intolubbe-Chmil will make the case that how local, state and federal government has treated communities impacted by oppression can be considered violent.

Those experiences certainly impact communities; that’s why I wanted Dr. Intolubbe-Chmil to explain how we can identify the ideology of violence and how to enhance our practice related to societal violence at this year’s Gutterman Memorial Lecture.”

The Gutterman Memorial Lecture honors the memory of the late Julie Claire Gutterman, an exceptionally gifted social worker and educator who served for six years as Jewish Family Service’s (predecessor to JCS) director of professional services.

For 22 years, the Gutterman Memorial Lecture has fulfilled her commitment to social workers’ continued professionalism and ongoing learning. The annual lecture is made possible thanks to the generous philanthropy of her husband, Rabbi Leslie Y. Gutterman.

The lecture is open to mental health clinicians, human service professionals and all interested parties. The lecture will offer 3 CEUs. The cost is $45 until March 6, after which it increases to $60. A student rate of $40 is available. To register, visit JCSRI.org.

Submitted by Jewish Collaborative Services

MARCH 2021 | 27

jewishrhody.org | Jewish Rhode Island

COMMUNITY

p q p q

REBECCA PAZIENZA BROMBERG of Providence is a communications professional and proud Mom to Brandon, grade 4, and Noah, grade 2, who both attend Henry Barnard School.

p q p q

HENRY BARNARD SCHOOL (HBS) is a newly independent school for children in pre-K through grade 5.

With a 122-year history, the school was previously operated as a laboratory school under Rhode Island College’s Department of Education. Drawing students from across Providence and beyond to Cranston, Warwick, Pawtucket, Lincoln, Smithfield and Cumberland, the school will remain located on RIC’s campus but will no longer be affiliated with the college.

In the summer of 2020, when the college had to make tough decisions around budgetary constraints, they announced the cost-cutting decision to close the school. The school educated upwards of 250 students annually and, as a training school for teachers, was known for its innovative approach to education.

A group of motivated parents, including Rabbi Sarah Mack, Scott Bromberg and Liza Pinto (all members of the Jewish community in Providence), gathered with other parents and stakeholders in an effort to save this beloved educational institution.

Parents gathered with community leaders, education advisors and a fundraising consultant. They researched, planned, connected with current and former families, staff and alumni, negotiated with the college around a lease framework and filed paperwork with the Rhode Island Department of Education.

HBS has established itself as an independent school, no longer affiliated with Rhode Island College. They have set up a board governance model and are in the midst of a Head of School search.

Scott Bromberg, president of the HBS Parent Association, shared details of the project. “The 20212022 school year will be Henry Barnard School’s first as an independent entity. In its new iteration as an independent school, HBS has a solid enrollment for the upcoming year and continues to accept applications for the fall.”

Bromberg continued, “Henry Barnard School remains a wonderful option for school-aged children at an accessible price point. Their master teachers approach each child as an individual learner and shift their approach to meet the needs of that particular child and where they are in their learning journey. The school’s collaborative approach to education includes a curriculum that builds on classroom instruction with “specials” including technology education, art, Spanish, music, library and media science and physical education for all children.”

Bromberg said the new school wants to connect with HBS alumni and families of alumni as the institution did not keep records of the countless students who graduated or the instructors who taught at HBS over the many years.

They are thrilled to welcome the inaugural class of the independent Henry Barnard School and hope to retain the existing staff and preserve the student-centric approach.

For more information, visit henrybarnard.org or call 401-371-3338.

p q

p q

p q p q

BY REBECCA PAZIENZA BROMBERG

p q

ppp p p q q q q q

Henry Barnard School reemerges as an independent school

28 | MARCH 2021

Jewish Rhode Island | jewishrhody.org

COMMUNITY

PJ Our Way is looking for writers

PHDS student wins first in essay contest AN ESSAY CONTEST, “Love Where You Learn,” was held for National School Choice Week (last week in January). Essay entries were required to be one page, consisting of original content created solely by the student. Winning entries were selected in each category (early child-

hood, elementary, middle school and high school) and grade level.

Esther Taitelbaum, a PHDS eighth-grader, won first prize for her category and grade level. She received a certificate of participation as well as a $50 Amazon gift card.

Esther’s winning essay is

attached.

Certificates of participation were also earned

by Avigail Flig and Adena Weisman.

Mrs. Brown’s eighthgrade students participate in this event.

Submitted by Providence Hebrew Day School

CALLING ALL WRITERS! Are you between the ages of 8 and 13 (or in grades 3–8)? Are you creative? Do you love to write?

If you answered yes to any of these questions then you can enter the 2021 PJ Our Way and the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island short story writing competition.

ENTRIES MUST BE:

· No more than 1,000 words · Original writing · Fiction · Topic of your choosing All entries should be submitted to Lyndsey Ursillo at lursillo@jewishallianceri.org by Friday, March 19. All entries will be reviewed by a diverse panel of judges, including PJ Our Way author Casey Breton. The winning entry will receive a $25 Amazon Gift card and will be published in the newspaper, Jewish Rhode Island.

For more information, contact Lyndsey Ursillo at lursillo@jewishallianceri.org.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 16 to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.”

We are living through some dark times, and there is much uncertainty. How we navigate this experience is up to each of us. How we think about our current reality is our decision. Despite the unknowns, we can choose to fill our minds with hopeful thoughts, or we can choose to fill our minds with negativity and fear. We can choose to focus on what we do have, or we can choose to give attention to what we do not have. We can wake each morning and count our blessings, or we can begin our days in angst and anxiety. We are not able to change the fact that we are living in a pandemic, but we can change how we relate to it, how we experience it and what we feed our minds.

On March 27, we will

gather around Passover tables that will likely look very different than they have in years past. The traditional foods that we have been accustomed to eating may not be available, our family and friends may not be joining us, and our houses may not have been thoroughly cleaned.

Nonetheless, we each have the freedom to link ourselves to the millennia-old chain of our ancestors, reminding ourselves that we have survived and will continue to survive. We each have the freedom to be the master of our own minds, creating our inner dialogues.

For sure these times are exceptionally challenging, but know that it is ultimately up to us as to how we experience Passover and parenting in a pandemic. May we choose to paint our inner landscapes with beauty, blessings and gratitude.

Esther Taitelbaum’s winning essay as submitted for the contest:

School Choice PROVIDENCE HEBREW DAY SCHOOL (PHDS) is the best school in the whole Rhode Island. The teachers, the classes, and the activities are all amazing components of this school.

The teachers in the school teach us how to learn while having fun. Some of the teachers do activities connected to what we are learning so we have a different way to remember what we learned. Some have us perform skits as another way to act out what we are learning. I love the ways the teachers teach in the school, and as they teach they help us to remember what we are learning in an exciting way.

The classes we have in the school are really interesting. They are fun and I love every subject. This school has the best subjects and everyone can really grow from all the classes that are taught. One of the subjects I really grew in all these years is English. I learned how to write and flesh out my writing. I love and grew in other classes as well.

The school has a program called Student Council, in which three students in middle school plan monthly activities for the rest of the school.

The activities are fun, educational

activities. There is another program called G.O., which the eighth-grade girls run for the rest of the middle school girls. We have a theme for the year and every month we create a small theme related to the big theme.

For example, this year's theme is games; and this month's theme is Clue. Once a month, we do an activity related to the theme. These activities are around forty-five minutes long and really fun.

The administration is also special in its own way. The secretary, Mrs. Frazier, is a sweet and friendly lady.

When people go to her office, she greets everyone and does everything with a smile. Mrs. Weiner is the principal. She is a really nice lady and never yells (unless she absolutely has to!). She is very caring and does a lot for our learning. Rabbi Scheinerman is the dean. He is a dedicated dean and makes sure we are always safe (especially this year because of corona).

He makes sure we have good teachers and is a big part of making sure we have the best education.

In conclusion, this school is the best school, where you can get the best education.

MARCH 2021 | 29

jewishrhody.org | Jewish Rhode Island

COMMUNITY

Leading archaeologist to discuss ‘Uncovering the Holy Land’ at Temple Emanu-El

BY JOHN LANDRY

Sacred writings have always been central to Judaism, giving us a rich and powerful tradition that has sustained us over many centuries. But as historical records, they often leave us with a narrow impression of the past. Scribes and rabbis weren’t concerned with history as we know it.

This is especially a problem for ancient times, when the paper trail is exceedingly thin. Archeologists fill that gap. They’ve worked painstakingly with the long-buried remains at ancient sites and have come up with some remarkable findings.

One of the leading archaeologists of the ancient Jewish world is Jodi Magness, a professor at the University of North Carolina. She’s coming to Temple Emanu-El, in Providence, for its annual educational

ON

LAND

weekend, April 15-17. Her series of talks, all on Zoom, will center on “Uncovering the Holy Land: Archaeology of Israel’s Ancient Synagogues, Mosaics and More.”

Her scheduled visit last year had to be postponed due to the pandemic.

Her first talk, April 15, is the evening of Yom Ha’Atzmaut, Israel’s Independence Day, when she’ll survey the synagogues in the land before the Muslim conquest in 637 CE. With slides on Masada, Capernaum, Hammath Tiberias and Beth Alpha, she’ll discuss the origins and development of these Jodi Magness gathering places. This talk is part of the community-wide celebration of Yom Ha’Atzmaut and is co-sponsored by the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island and the Board of Rabbis of Greater Rhode Island.

On Friday, April 16 at 6 p.m., just before Shabbat begins, she’ll speak on

IN

WATER

the mosaic panels at the synagogue in Huqoq in northern Israel near Tiberias.

She’ll discuss the depiction of Samson, which is the focus of her current research.

This talk is part of Temple Emanu-El’s Shabbat Chai Kabbalat Shabbat service, which includes an optional take-home dinner that can be picked up at the temple for a small fee. For her third and final talk, on Saturday, April 17 after Havdalah at 8:20 p.m., she’ll speak in-depth on the findings at Huqoq.

All of the presentations are free and open to the community. To order dinner, please register on the Temple’s website at teprov.org. You can find the links to the talks on that website as well, or call the temple at 401-331-1616.

JOHN LANDRY lives in Providence and serves on Temple Emanu-El’s adult education committee.

OR

ONLINE

Contact us to learn more

401.421.4111

JewishAllianceRI.org 401 ELMGROVE AVENUE | PROVIDENCE, RI 02906

P OW ERED BY T HE JEWISH ALLIANCE

30 | MARCH 2021

Jewish Rhode Island | jewishrhody.org

COMMUNITY Yeshiva U men’s basketball on a winning streak

(JTA) – Yeshiva University’s men’s basketball team is riding a 35-game winning streak, picking up from last season when the Maccabees reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA’s Division III national tournament before the pandemic shut down the event.

The unbeaten streak is the third longest in Division III men’s basketball history, and the longest among all current NCAA Division I, II and III teams. Y.U. has started the 2020-21 season at 6-0 and is ranked No. 4 in the D3hoops. com Men’s National Poll. The Maccabees, the defending Skyline Conference champion, haven’t lost since the opening game of the previous campaign.

D3hoops.com also named senior forward Gabriel Leifer of Lawrence, New York, to its Team of the Week on Tuesday. Leifer, a returning fourth team All-American, is just the fourth men’s basketball player, and seventh overall, in the 24-year history of D3hoops.com to be named to its Team of the Week in four separate seasons, according to Y.U. For all its promise, the team will be denied the chance for a tournament title for the second season in a row: Due to low participation numbers among member schools, NCAA Division III winter championships are canceled for the 2020-21 academic year.

Israel distills whiskey??

Sandra Bornstein Holocaust Education Center Wishes The Jewish Community

Happy PASSOVER

from your friends at

BY LARRY KATZ ISRAEL IS KNOWN for many things, including distilling drinkable water from the sea, but few know that Israel also distills whiskey. On March 11, Israeli Talia Garber will enlighten us with an Israeli whiskey-tasting program.

Although the event will be online, Town Wine and Spirits is making a mini-set of Israeli whiskeys available for those who want to join in the tasting. But the Zoom program should be enjoyable even for those who just want to watch as Garber takes us on a journey “From Scotland to the Holy Land.”

Before becoming a shaliach/Israeli emissary in the Washington, D.C., area, Garber worked at the Whiskey Bar & Museum, in Tel Aviv, Israel, where she refined her love and knowledge of whiskey.

Garber doesn’t only like to drink whiskey – she enjoys talking about it too. She has been conducting whiskey tastings in the D.C. area and recently began to do so on Zoom as well.

The four whiskeys that will be sampled are from the Milk & Honey Whiskey Distillery, in Jaffa, Israel.

Their single malt whiskeys, made in Israel’s warm climate, take on unique flavors that differ somewhat from their Old-World counterparts.

A mini-set of four small bottles of the whiskeys is available at Town Wine and Spirits for $28.99. People may purchase the sets at the store, at 179 Newport

Ave., East Providence, or at the Alliance’s Dwares Jewish Community Center, at 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence, or have it delivered for a small fee. More information about purchasing the mini-set is available upon registering for the Zoom program.

Before becoming a whiskey expert, Garber was a military photographer in the Home Front Command unit, filming, editing and running Israel’s Emergency Television Broadcasting Studio. She is currently the community shaliach at Congregation B’nai Tzedek, in Potomac, Maryland.

“There is no such thing as someone who doesn’t like whiskey. There is only someone who hasn’t found the right whiskey yet,” Garber said.

Registration opens on Feb. 24 on the Jewish Alliance website. The program without the whiskey is free. For more information, contact Or Cohen, Rhode Island’s shaliach, at ocohen@jewishallianceri.org.

The program is part of the Israel Culture Series, which usually takes place on the second Wednesday of each month. This program will be held on Zoom on Thursday, March 11, at 6 p.m.

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

MARCH 2021 | 31

jewishrhody.org | Jewish Rhode Island

COMMUNITY

PHDS first-graders receive siddurim

PHOTOS | PHDS

TUESDAY, Feb. 23 was a special day at Providence Hebrew Day School! All the first-graders received their siddurim at a beautiful program that was again coordinated by Rabbi Avrhom Jakubowicz.

It was so exciting to welcome parents into the building for a socially distanced, COVID-careful program. The 10 students did a great job saying their parts and singing the songs. After all the stu-

dents received their siddurim and were photographed with their rebbe, they watched a recorded message from Rabbi Peretz Scheinerman whose fundraising schedule precluded his being here in person. While the students could not enjoy the usual refreshments that are offered for all attendees, they each received a goody bag with yummy packaged nosh and an Alef Beis gift.

The school would like to offer a special thanks to Rabbi Yehuda Leib Brown and Nadia Benz for their IT support in setting up the Zoom so students in Grades 2-5 and extended family members of the first-graders could join virtually for this special event.

Submitted by Providence Hebrew Day School

Happy Passover!

While we can’t part the Red Sea, we can provide 24/7 pet care.

Providence River Animal Hospital Compassionate Care. Modern Medicine.

During these unsettling times, pet owners will find comfort knowing they can connect with an on-demand veterinarian in three easy steps. Providence River Animal Hospital proudly announces yet another innovative advance with its alternative Airvet program.

Airvet promises anytime, anywhere, on-demand pet care via digital access to your PRAH or in-network Airvet veterinarian to get answers, do followups or just get some reassurance.

401-274-7724 (PRAH)

131 Point Street, Providence, RI

ProvidenceRiverAnimalHospital.com

facebook.com/PRAHvet

32 | MARCH 2021

Jewish Rhode Island | jewishrhody.org

COMMUNITY

Alliance campaign supports next generation of Jewish leaders

BY JEWISH RHODE ISLAND STAFF

Donations to the Alliance annual campaign support many causes in the greater Rhode Island Jewish community and around the world. They give people hope help and happiness. This is especially evident in the support to local and international organizations that help build the next generation of Jewish leaders.

DID YOU know that donations to the campaign support a variety of educational opportunities for children and teens in Rhode Island, Israel and elsewhere? These include:

PROGRAMMING AND SCHOLARSHIPS at the

Jewish Community Day School of Rhode Island and the Providence Hebrew Day School.

CAMP SCHOLARSHIPS and program support

THE ETHIOPIAN NATIONAL PROJECT, an Israeli organization that operates in 26 communities across Israel, serving 4,500 youth in its scholastic assistance programs.

for Camp JORI, Camp GAN Israel (run by Chabad of West Bay), J-Camp at the Dwares Jewish Community Center and summer programs run by the Rhode Island Jewish Committee on Scouting.

According to Richard Glucksman, Alliance board philanthropy vice chair, and Janet Goldman, Alliance board community development vice chair, thousands of children and teens in Rhode Island and communities around the globe benefit from formal classroom education, as well as the kind of learning that comes from being around their peers and exploring what it means to be Jewish.

HOLOCAUST AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING to teach about anti-Semitism in schools

throughout Rhode Island by the Sandra Bornstein Holocaust Education Center.

INFANT/TODDLER/SCHOOL-AGE PROGRAMS

at the Dwares JCC, including the David C. Isenberg Family Early Childhood Center, PJ Library, Eides Family J-Space afterschool program and teen engagement programs such as March of the Living.

Contributions are absolutely essential to the continuation and growth of programs like these.

The demand for scholarships, for mental health services and programming to combat anti-Semitism is ever increasing. For more information or to make a gift, contact Sara Masri (smasri@ jewishallianceri.org) or 401-421-4111. You can also make a gift online at jewishallianceri.org/ get-involved/make-a-donation

AMERICAN JEWISH JOINT DISTRIBUTION COMMITTEE (JDC) programs that support

the rebuilding of Jewish life in communities around the world. One example is youth and teen programming at the JCC in Warsaw, Poland.

Assisted Living I Memory Care

Assisted Living I Memory Care I Early Stage Memory Care

Grand Opening

Announcing the Grand Opening of our Early Stage Memory Care Program, As one of Rhode Island's only early stage memory care programs, offers individualized programs to our residents. These programs are designed to provide engagement, physical activity and stimulation that challenges residents in ways to prolong independence.

Available Now: Brand new, spaciously designed apartments

Call to schedule a private tour: 401.271.4293 ResidencesOnBlackstone.com I 353 Blackstone Blvd, Providence, RI 02906

East Side, Reimagined

*Renovations coming Spring 2021!

Wingate Residences on the East Side is offering a brand new look with the same great lifestyle. In addition to the beautiful renovations, our location also offers: •

Concierge services, including scheduled transportation

•

Personalized wellness plan and wellness activities, including fitness, exercise and health clinics

•

Daily activities and cultural programs

•

State-of-the-art fitness center with heated pool

•

Three chef-prepared meals daily

•

Weekly housekeeping

Call to schedule a private tour: 401.275.0682 WingateHealthcare.com

I

One Butler Avenue, Providence, RI 02906

MARCH 2021 | 33

jewishrhody.org | Jewish Rhode Island

COMMUNITY CONTINUED ON PAGE 25 to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.”

We are living through some dark times, and there is much uncertainty. How we navigate this experience is up to each of us. How we think about our current reality is our decision. Despite the unknowns, we can choose to fill our minds with hopeful thoughts, or we can choose to fill our minds with negativity and fear. We can choose to focus on what we do have, or we can choose to give attention to what we do not have. We can wake each morning and count our blessings, or we can begin our days in angst and anxiety. We are not able to change the fact that we are living in a pandemic, but we can change how we relate to it, how we experience it and what we feed our minds.

On March 27, we will

gather around Passover tables that will likely look very different than they have in years past. The traditional foods that we have been accustomed to eating may not be available, our family and friends may not be joining us, and our houses may not have been thoroughly cleaned.

Nonetheless, we each have the freedom to link ourselves to the millennia-old chain of our ancestors, reminding ourselves that we have survived and will continue to survive. We each have the freedom to be the master of our own minds, creating our inner dialogues.

For sure these times are exceptionally challenging, but know that it is ultimately up to us as to how we experience Passover and parenting in a pandemic. May we choose to paint our inner landscapes with beauty, blessings and gratitude.

RICI has an active month of advocacy RHODE ISLAND COALITION FOR ISRAEL (RICI) continues to focus its efforts on exposing and pushing back on anti-Semitism in Rhode Island.

On one front, RICI recently worked to bring the Va’ad Harabbonin – the Orthodox Council of Rabbis – into the growing circle of organizations that have adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Anti-Semitism.

In other news, RICI took a leading role in the ongoing controversy over the flying of the Black Lives Matter Movement’s flag on the Barrington town flagpole. Through an affiliated group, a request to fly a “STOP ANTI-SEMITISM” flag has been submitted to the town council but has not yet received approval under a new town ordinance.

None of this activity is meant to deny the assertion that Black lives matter, or the urgent need to address racism.

In education, RICI’s affiliate the RI Campus Campaign Against Anti-Semitism, has formally submitted proposals to the University of Rhode Island administration and to the Student Senate for

adoption of the IHRA Working Definition of Anti-Semitism. Though no determination has been made yet, the administration is evaluating the proposal and the URI Hillel board reviewed it at its February meeting.

In the area of civil rights, spokespersons for a broadbased group organized by RICI met in February with officials of the Rhode Island Attorney General’s office to introduce them to the IHRA Working Definition of Anti-Semitism. The focus of the meeting was examining how the definition might be applied to various crimes which would then be eligible for enhanced sentencing under the Hate Crimes Sentencing Act. RICI leaders and members took note of a recent Saturday Night Live “joke” that was widely criticized as anti-Semitic. About a dozen community members sent letters to the appropriate NBC executives.

For information on RICI go to ricoalitionforisrael.org.

Submitted by Howard Brown of the Rhode Island Coalition for Israel

Please welcome

Maria Ducharme, DNP, RN, NEA-BC President of The Miriam Hospital Dr. Ducharme has dedicated her entire career to advancing the quality and safety of the exemplary care provided at The Miriam Hospital. She has led the effort to achieve six consecutive Magnet designations, a record of nursing excellence matched by only a few hospitals in the United States.

Dr. Ducharme brings deep knowledge, experience, and expertise to her leadership of The Miriam Hospital.

Join us in congratulating Dr. Ducharme!

www.miriamhospital.org

34 | MARCH 2021

Jewish Rhode Island | jewishrhody.org

BUSINESS

Passive vs. Active The best part of my Investing – What retirement was a surprise should you do?

Between hungry golfers, I have time to read the Wall Street Journal every day, as So? Where is she now after well as books (I have been so much kvetching about rereading some classics retiring? lately), sit in the gorgeous I’ve got a job! And a very Florida sunshine for about big, enthusiastic yippee to 15 minutes for my daily fix of that! vitamin D, and How many kibbitz with people are people from the a-wishin’ and ’hood jogging a-hopin’ and or walking a-dreamin’ with kids. Cool, about being huh? retired?

And, you Most. And ask, are retirement my various is a panacea, degrees, right? A certifications, dream come licenses, etc., true, with wasted slingno stress or ing burgers responsibiland dogs and ity or time the like? How limitations – many embarhurray! And rassing steps no pantyhose down is this (for those of new gig from us who were The writer at her post. my big, longso inclined term, beloved to don them) drinks, and snacks and such. Wall Street career (and the or punishing high heels Is this right up my alley, or aforementioned high heels)? (although they do look what?!

Are you kiddin’ me? great and professional and I only work three or four What we all need is to be so totally feminine and days a week, about 9-4 or so, respected and honored for attractive) – fuggedaboutit! and the best part is that I get whatever it is that we do, Sneakers, on the other hand, to flirt with mostly happy, and, believe me, the line cook rock, and they’re pink, or funny, and, of course, retired is as important and integral striped, or stars and stripes, men, and talk about the marto the successful operation and they look adorable, espeket, as well as selling some of a business, and perhaps cially with a little golf skirt, really delicious more so on many a pretty top and a matching food. The Halfdays (try a golf golf cap! loving what way House is so tournament with But here’s the rest of the good that folks dinner for 150 …), story: After whining much you’re doing... from the beautithan the big-shot of last winter to Pepper, my ful neighborhood corporate exec. golf partner, about all the that’s what all and workmen And loving negative aspects that I found driving by stop in what doing, with retirement, he told me of life is about doingyou’re for chow too! it with that I needed to see Tony, Did I mention genuine kindbecause he had the perfect that I get paid for this gig, ness, and making the people job for me. and make great tips? you’re serving, in whatever Tony is a transplanted So this isn’t a career path capacity, feel important and New Yorker with a highly – and so what to that! I now welcome – that’s what all of successful insurance busilife is about, dear readers! ness here on the west coast of have structure to my week and more than enough time Until next time … perhaps Florida, and he owns … here to play golf, go to meetings when I franchise Halfway it comes … two beautiful golf such as Rotary, political Houses on every golf course courses! And he was looking groups that I’m part of, book on the planet! for someone to run The Halfclubs and numerous other way House! That’s its real BARBARA KENERSON (kbarname, although no alcohol or interesting things, as well as to continue to torture Pepper bara5641@gmail.com) was drug abuse is involved – but with my mediocre drive. the first vice president of copious amounts of beer and I make friends very investments at Janney Montother spirited spirits are sold easily, and everyone in the gomery Scott LLC for almost there! establishment is so nice four decades and wrote the After you play the 10th and incredibly helpful. The Investment Column for the hole, you cross the street to kitchen produces wonderful Jewish Voice for many years. get to the 11th hole, and you food all day so I don’t really She also reviewed Broadhave to pass – you guessed cook, just look cute, stay way plays for Rhode Island it – The Halfway House, a organized and continue to newspapers and was a moticute little green building be my outwardly personable vational speaker for women. with a door through which I self – easy!

She takes no prisoners! can see everyone approachBY BARBARA KENERSON

RS & S

SE

DO

LA

are offered as investment options within many retirement accounts, including 401(k)s as well as traditional, Roth and SEP IRAs. Investors also can purchase them for a taxable investment account.

In the case of a 401(k) or IRA, for example, an investor can execute a rollover in which they instruct their plan administrator to move assets from an actively JASON E. managed fund SIPERSTEIN that holds S&P 500 stocks to a similar index fund or ETF whose value is linked to the movements of the S&P 500.

As appealing as the passively managed value proposition may be, there is still a place for actively managed investments inside many investment portfolios. Costs are important, but they should not be the only factor driving decision making.

Certain actively managed funds consistently outperform the market, making them a good value despite higher fees. What’s more, an actively managed investment may be the only available option to gain access to a specific position or desired strategy. However, I would caution readers to only employ active funds if working with a financial professional – specifically a fee-only advisor.

Still, it would be a mistake to ignore the merits of ETFs, index funds and other passively managed investments. Because, as Warren Buffett and millions of other investors have discovered, over the long haul, you may be better off trying to track the market rather than trying to beat it.

EN

L

IN HIS WILL, renowned businessman and investor Warren Buffett reportedly left instructions for his heirs to invest in index funds, based on a belief that those funds would outperform actively managed, higher-fee investment vehicles such as mutual funds, hedge funds, private equity, etc.

“A low-cost index fund is the most sensible equity investment for the great majority of investors,” Buffett asserts in his book The Little Book of Common Sense Investing.

Passively managed funds, including index funds and exchange-traded funds, or ETFs, are investment vehicles that generally carry lower fees than actively managed funds because, rather than trying to outperform the market as many active managers do, passively managed funds are designed to track the market.

Actively managed funds incur costs for research and trading in the name of outperforming the market, costs they pass on to investors. With passively managed funds, those costs are minimal or non-existent.

Passive investments may perform better than their actively managed counterparts over time, further increasing their value.

Fund company Vanguard compared the 10-year records of the 25% of funds with the lowest expense ratios and the 25% with the highest expense ratios.

The low-cost funds outperformed the high-cost funds in every single category.

The huge variety of passively managed funds available today gives investors the means to build a diversified investment portfolio that includes various classes of stocks, assorted types of bonds and other asset classes, such as real estate or commodities.

How to access lower-cost passive investments? They

JASON E. SIPERSTEIN, CFA, CFP, RMA, is the chairman of the Financial Planning Association of Rhode Island, program director for CFA Society Providence and president of Eliot Rose Wealth Management. He can be reached by email at jes@ eliotrose.com.

ing and a darling roll-up window on the opposite side.

Delish, freshly made sandwiches, including beautiful sausage-and-peppers sandwiches on a big bun, hamburgers and the like, as well as all kinds of soft and hard

Business and Professional Directory

HOME IMPROVEMENT

REAL ESTATE (CONTINUED)

APPLIANCES EST. 1979

INSURANCE

WE CARRY THE BEST BRANDS SUCH AS • Subzero

• GE

• Electrolux

• Wolf

• Whirlpool

• Verona

• Thermador

• Maytag

• And many more!

• Bosch

• Frigidaire

THERAPY MUSIC LESSONS We are the retailer that brings music to you!

LOCAL - TRADITIONAL VALUES - MODERN

izschwartzappliance.com

ATTORNEY

Instrument Rentals & Sales, Sheet Music, Gear, Accessories, School & Educator Services, Repairs, Local Home Delivery

508-252-6222 www.themusicwagon.com REAL ESTATE

Miriam Ross & Associates, LLC. is a business-focused law firm providing creative and practical legal advice and business solutions to small and medium-sized businesses, entrepreneurs and business owners.

Miriam A. Ross, Esq. 10 Elmgrove Avenue Providence, RI 02906 401-270-9449 maross@mrosslegal.com

www.mrosslegal.com

CPA

WATCH REPAIR & SALES

36 | MARCH 2021

Jewish Rhode Island | jewishrhody.org

OBITUARIES Ruth Jaffa-Albert, 87 WARWICK, R.I. – Ruth (Saltzman) Jaffa-Albert died on Feb. 16 at Kent Hospital.

She was born in Providence on Dec. 10, 1933, to Sadie (Abrams) Saltzman and Sigmund Saltzman. She graduated from Hope High School in 1951 and Brandeis University in 1955. She received a master’s degree in elementary education from Rhode Island College in 1968.

Ruth taught in the Providence schools for over 30 years, mostly as a reading specialist, and received

grants for innovative incentive-based reading initiatives. She also served on the adjunct faculty at RIC, training reading teachers.

Since 2012, she resided at Tamarisk Assisted Living, where she was part of the welcoming committee, ran the library and volunteered with Friday night services in the memory unit. A previous resident of Naples, Florida, for 22 years, she taught in the religious school of Temple Shalom and was an active member of Hadassah and other charitable organizations and study groups.

Ruth was preceded in death by her parents, her brother, Harry Saltzman, and her husbands, Sidney “Sonny”

Jaffa in 1998 and Leon Albert in 2011. She is survived by her children, Nancy Olevson, Sara Marino and Michael Jaffa, daughter-in-law, Helena Jaffa, grandchildren, Jennifer Jennings and Crystal Young, and great-grandchildren, Angelina Jennings and Jewel and Jameson Young, all in the Rhode Island area. Ruth also leaves a niece, Karen Sacherman, of California, and a nephew, Eric Saltzman, of Colorado and three great-nephews and one great-niece. In addition, she was close to her stepson, Dr. Lawrence Albert and his wife, Tracey, of Naples and their children, Bryce and Grayson Albert, and to her stepgrandson, Adam Schonberg and his wife, Susan Hadinger, and their son, Drew Schonberg.

Donations may be made to Hadassah Rhode Island, 17 Pocahontas Dr., Middletown, RI 02842 or Temple Sinai, 30 Hagen Ave., Cranston, RI 02920.

Janet Friedman, 90

Over 22 years of dedicated service To All of Our Friends, Relatives & Staff, We wish you a Happy Passover! ~From the Smith Family

www.ShalomMemorialChapel.com 1100 New London Avenue Cranston, RI 02920 ShalomChapel@aol.com (401) 463-7771 Toll Free: (877) 463-7771 Pre-Need Programs Available Wheelchair Accessible Michael D. Smith Licensed Funeral Director

Sarah Joly Licensed Funeral Director

Adam G. Smith Licensed Funeral Director

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Janet L. Friedman died Feb. 24 at Wingate on the East Side.

She was the wife of the late Dr. Lester M. Friedman. Raised in Pawtucket, a daughter of the late Louis and Bessie (Sholes) Lipson, she had lived in Providence for nine years, previously a longtime resident of Warwick.

Janet was a graduate of Boston Conservatory of Music, pursuing studies as a lyric soprano. She was a former member of Temple Beth-El sisterhood and its choir and Temple Emanu-El before that. Janet was a member and former president of RI Federation of Garden Clubs and a member of the Chopin Club.

She was the mother of William J. Friedman (Maureen) of Barrington and Robert L. Friedman (Nella Massaro) of North Andover, Massachusetts. She was the sister of the late Edward R. Lipson.

She was the grandmother of Meredith (Steven Zina), Alexander (Pamela), David (Sohee) and Michael (Brittany). She was the great-grandmother of Benjamin, Ariel and Colby.

Contributions may be made to American Diabetes Association, 260 Cochituate Road, #200, Framingham, MA 01701.

Minnie Gertz, 97 WARWICK, R.I. – Minnie Gertz died Feb. 14 at Tamarisk.

She was the wife of the late Raymond A. Gertz for 63 years. Born in Providence, a daughter of the late Harry and Fanny (Blazer) Gurwitz, she had lived in Warwick for nine years, previously living in Cranston. A published poet, Minnie was also a founder of Temple Sinai in Cranston and a graduate of the University of Rhode Island, earning a bachelor’s degree.

She was the mother of Francine Gertz and her husband, Burt Strom, of Wakefield; Bruce Gertz and his wife, Roberta, of Melrose, Massachusetts; Susan Gertz of Stamford, Connecticut; Carol Gertz and her husband, David Blumenstock, of Westford, Massachusetts; and Lucille Gertz and her late husband, Larry Pottebaum, of Maynard, Massachusetts. She was the sister of the late Beatrice, Ruth, Evelyn, Abe, Barney, Irving, William and David. She was the grandmother of Annalee and her husband, Hackie, Ruby, Rachel, Willow, Eva, Joshua, Autumn, Stephanie and Benjamin. She was the great-grandmother of Oliver, Isaac, Raelyn and the late Maya.

Ida Gregerman, 95 PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Ida Gregerman was born in New York City on Oct. 25, 1925, and died on Feb. 11, 2021.

Esther Malachowsky Kuperman and Morris Kuperman were her parents. Ida's family eventually moved to Providence, where in her teens, she met her future husband, Paul Gregerman.

Ida was always lovingly nostalgic about the South Providence neighborhood where she attended Temple, Oxford Street schools, and Roger Williams Junior High School. Ida and Paul graduated from Hope High School in 1943 and married the following year. Ida's first job, during WWII, was at Shepard’s department store in the office of price administration. She later worked as an employment interviewer for the Department of Labor & Training, retiring in 1989 after 30 years.

Ida was very keen on education, and although she never attended college full time she earned credits equivalent to

a junior year at the University of Rhode Island. Ida and Paul were active members of Temple Emanu-El and, upon relocating to Boynton Beach, Florida, in 1992, became active in Temple Emeth. In her retirement years, Ida took up basket making, a skill she learned as a child.

Ida's many colorful raffia baskets adorn the homes of her children, grandchildren and many friends.

Ida spent the last four years residing at Steere House in Providence where she was attended to by a caring staff.

Ida loved her time there.

Ida is predeceased by her husband, Paul; brother Max Kuperman; sister Rosalie Edelstein. She is survived by daughter Enid Cohen, son Abbott Gregerman (wife, Susan), grandchildren: Daten Cohen (wife, Terri Spisso), Samara Cohen (husband, Paul St. Germain), great-grandchildren: Zeke and Jonah Cohen and Willow St. Germain.

Contributions can be made to Steere House, 100 Borden St., Providence RI 02903.

Stephen Lehrer, 71 CRANSTON, R.I. – Stephen Lehrer died Feb. 13 at Rhode Island Hospital.

He was the beloved husband of Freda (Stone) Lehrer of Cranston for 43 years. Born in Providence, a son of the late Saul and Helen (Resnick) Lehrer, he lived in Cranston for 43 years, previously living on the East Side of Providence.

He was a member of Temple Sinai in Cranston and Temple Emanu-El in Providence.

He graduated from Hope High School in 1967, Brown University with a degree in civil engineering, and Rhode Island College with a master’s degree in education. He taught for over 30 years in the Bristol and then Bristol/ Warren school systems as a high school math teacher and technology coordinator.

He was a trainer for Teachers in Technology. Stephen worked for years at Camp JORI as assistant director, and then, starting in 1991, worked in the summers as program director at Camp Taconic in the Berkshires of Massachusetts. He was the volunteer usher coordinator at Trinity Repertory Company for many years. Stephen was an avid Boston sports fan, and enjoyed playing

MARCH 2021 | 37

jewishrhody.org | Jewish Rhode Island

OBITUARIES basketball at the Jewish Community Center in Providence and riding his bike in the Berkshires.

He was the devoted father of Stacey Lehrer, of Warwick, and Andrew Lehrer and his wife, Jia Leung, of Cranston.

He was the loving grandfather of Sophie Lehrer. He was the dear brother of Joanne Lehrer and her husband, Steven Chianesi, of Cranston. He was the uncle of Robert and Jeffrey Stone, and Christopher, Jennifer, and Matthew Chianesi.

Contributions in his memory may be made to The Louis & Goldie Chester Full Plate Kosher Food Pantry, 1165 North Main St., Providence, RI 02904; Trinity Repertory Company, 201 Washington S., Providence, RI 02903, or your favorite charity.

Shirley Millen, 98 RESTON, VA – Shirley Helene Millen passed away peacefully at home on Feb. 21 in Reston. Born in Providence, to Herman and Minna Swartz, she is survived by her two children, Mathew and Reesa (Dan), grandchildren Jeremy (Leah), Steven (Kristin) and Julie (Ben) and cherished great-grandchildren Lilah, Naomi, Micah, David and Theo and many nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her loving and devoted husband, Max, and her precious great-grandson, Max. She always dressed very stylishly and was known as "Miss Manners" in her assisted living facility, making sure everything was comfortable and done just so for everyone's benefit. She took great delight in everything her family did and was immensely proud of them.

The family wishes to thank the staff of Tall Oaks Assistant Living, KB Healthcare Services and Medical Team Hospice for the compassionate care given to Shirley.

Donations in her memory may be made to the National Museum of American Jewish Military History, 1811 R St. NW, Washington, DC, 20009 or the Rhode Island Jewish Historical Association, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence, RI 02906 or a charity of the donor's choosing.

Irwin Shulkin, 93 CRANSTON, R.I. – Irwin Shulkin passed away peacefully on Feb. 8 at Philip Hulitar Hospice Center. He

was the beloved husband of the late Barbara (Tobin) Shulkin. Born in Boston, Massachusetts, a son of the late Mitchell and Rose (Livingston) Shulkin, he lived in Cranston for 65 years.

Irwin was a proud WWII Navy veteran, serving in Pacific Theater. He was the co-founder of the Allen Pen Co. Irwin was a former member of Temple Sinai, Temple Beth Torah and Sons of Abraham. He was a member of the Masons Roosevelt Lodge.

Irwin started a blood bank, serving hospitals in Rhode Island, which preceded the RI Blood Center.

He was the devoted father of Lori Lowinger and her husband, Daniel, of Cranston and the late Nancy (Shulkin) Rabinowitz. He was the loving grandfather of Nicholas.

He was the dear brother of the late Arnold Shulkin, Harriet Gorfine, Inez Cramer and Mildred Kupsenel. He was the adoring uncle of Bethany Gorfine Stirbl.

Contributions in his memory may be made to Gotta Have Sole Foundation, P.O. Box 8379, Cranston, RI 02920.

Stephen Sofro, 79 PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Stephen Barney Sofro, of Providence, passed away on Feb. 4.

Born in Providence, he was the son of the late Louis J. Sofro and Madeline (Bromberg) Sofro. He attended Clark University and Long Island University.

Stephen worked for his family’s business and as a property manager for many years until his retirement.

Stephen loved spending time with his family, collecting and creating art, which was one of his passions.

He was the devoted father of Jon Sofro and his wife, Lisa, and Jill London and her husband, Andrew; brother of Susan Slepkow and her husband, Martin; and his grandchildren, Emily, Jake, Samantha, Carly and Joshua.

Donations in Stephen’s honor may be made to HopeHealth Hospice, 1085 North Main St., Providence, RI 02904.

Helene Stolzberg, 90 EAST GREENWICH, R.I. – Helene C. Stolzberg died Feb. 19 at St. Elizabeth Home.

She was the beloved wife of the late Herbert M. Stolzberg. Born in Providence, a

daughter of the late J. Ralph and Rose (Bergel) Rosenthal, she had lived in Warwick for 38 years, previously living in Providence. She was a former member of Temple Sinai and Temple Emanu-El. She was the devoted mother of Jeffrey A. Stolzberg (Glenna) of North Kingstown and Ronnee P. Stolzberg of Warwick. She was the dear sister of the late Robert Rosenthal and Bertrice Russell. She was the loving grandmother of Samantha Rose Stolzberg of Groton, Connecticut.

Contributions in her memory made to Friends of Dana Farber or Philip Hulitar Hospice Inpatient Center would be greatly appreciated.

Esther Yanku, 90 CRANSTON, R.I. – Esther I. Yanku died Feb. 11 at HopeHealth Hulitar Hospice Center.

Born and raised in Providence, she was a daughter of the late David and Bertha (Shaw) Lecht.

Esther was the wife of the late Leonard Yanku and a devoted mother of Robert Yanku (Lorraine) of North Kingstown, Alan Yanku (Cheri) of Lincoln, Steven Yanku (Gail) of Warwick, Lisa Maroni (David) of Cranston, and the late Sharyn Wilk. She was the dear sister of the late Haskell “Phil” Lecht and adored grandmother of Saul, Jason, Michelle, Sean, Alysha, Nathan, Mikaela, Brett, Max, Eric, Georgia and Jackson.

With nine great-grandchildren, she was cherished by Levi, Tobias, Isiah, Drew, Ava, Mila, Braden, Molly and Anna.

A longtime resident of Cranston, she worked as a crossing guard in Providence in the 1950s and the Shepard Company department store during the 1960s. Esther had a 35-year career at Citizens Bank, serving the bulk of her career at their Cranston locations and later working at several other locations, including the corporate offices. Esther had a wide variety of interests and pursuits. Foremost, she loved and was very proud of her family and delighted in family gatherings. Loving to travel, she melded that passion with a part-time job as a travel agent, and for many years she traveled throughout the United States and

around the world. She loved the performing arts and served as a volunteer at the Providence Performing Arts Center. She loved reading, dancing, dining out, and in her younger years, she was an accomplished bowler.

Contributions in her memory may be made to Jewish Collaborative Services.

Stuart Zarchen, 72 NICHOLASVILLE, KY – Stuart I. Zarchen died Feb 22 at home. Born in Providence, a son of the late Oscar and Harriette (Krasner) Zarchen, he had lived in Nicholasville

for over 45 years, previously living in Florida. He was a controller for Commonwealth X-Ray in Lexington, Kentucky, until his retirement.

Stuart was a graduate of the University of Rhode Island, a member of the former Phi Sigma Delta fraternity and an avid Patriots fan.

He was the dear brother of Clifford Zarchen of Wakefield. He was a cherished cousin of many.

Contributions in his memory may be made to the URI Foundation, Maurice Zarchen Endowment Fund in Hockey, 79 Upper College Road, Kingston, RI 02881.

Australian music giant dies (JTA) – Michael Gudinski, an Australian music executive hailed as the public face of his country’s music industry has died. He was 68.

Gudinski died March 1 in his sleep of a heart attack, Rolling Stone Australia reported.

The son of Russian-Jewish parents who immigrated to Australia in 1948, Gudinski started Mushroom Records in 1972 at age 20. The label would gradually become Australia’s largest and most

influential, with a publishing arm and several famed signees, including the pop star Kylie Minogue and grunge rock band Garbage.

In 1998, Gudinski sold Mushroom Records to Rupert Murdoch’s thenNews Limited Group and started an indie music empire under the Mushroom Group umbrella that includes multiples record labels, a publishing wing, show booking agencies, and a film and TV division.

taking care of each other is what community is all about. we’ve proudly served our Jewish community with personal, compassionate care. As your Dignity Memorial professionals, we are dedicated to helping families create a personal, meaningful memorial that truly honors the life it represents.

FO R M O R E T H A N A C E N T U RY, ®

SUGARMAN SINAI Memorial Chapel 458 Hope St., Providence

401-331-8094 SugarmanSinai.com

Certified by the Board of Rabbis of Greater Rhode Island Sarah Lavendier-Colon, Funeral Director

38 | MARCH 2021

Jewish Rhode Island | jewishrhody.org

FOOD

Masa Tiganitas is Sephardi matzah brei but much better

BY RACHEL RINGLER (THE NOSHER) – Leave it to Sephardic Jews to make even a pedestrian dish — the ubiquitous matzah brei, a mash-up of fried matzah and egg – into something sublime.

In his landmark book “The Sephardic Kitchen,” Rabbi Robert Sternberg introduced many of us to the flavors and pleasures of Sephardic Jewish cuisine.

Masa Tiganitas is a Passover recipe of the Greek Jews — tiganites is the Greek word for pancakes, and, according to Sephardic cook and author Jennifer Abadi, tiganitas is related to the word for “fried.” Masa Tiganitas is also a dish enjoyed by Italian Jews during Passover.

In Sternberg’s version, matzah squares are soaked in milk, dipped in a combination of egg and yogurt and then fried in oil. As opposed to matzah brei, or bumelos de masa, the matzah in Sternberg’s recipe is not crushed. They are left whole, dunked and fried before being sweetened with a drizzle

of honey or arrope (a syrup made of grapes) and topped with a sprinkling of walnuts. Think fried matzah meets baklava. I am in love.

This recipe has been reprinted with permission from “The Sephardic Kitchen.”

INGREDIENTS 4-6 pieces of matzah Whole milk for soaking the matzah 4 large eggs, well beaten 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt Vegetable oil for sauteing Arrope or honey Chopped, lightly toasted walnuts

DIRECTIONS Place the whole matzah into a wide, deep, mixing bowl or a square baking pan that can accommodate them all without breaking them. Pour the milk over them to cover. Soak the matzah pieces in the milk until they soften enough so that they can be cut but are not so soft that they will disintegrate.

While the matzah pieces are soaking, beat the eggs in a mixing bowl together with the 1/4 cup yogurt. When the matzah pieces are soft enough, gently remove them, one at a time, and lay them on paper towels. Cut each matzah into four quarters.

Stack the squares on top of one another on paper towels or on a plate.

Pour enough oil into a 12-inch skillet to come up the sides 1/4 inch. Heat the oil over medium-high heat until it is sizzling but not smoking.

Dip 1 square of matzah from each stack into the beaten egg.

Allow the excess to drip back into the mixing bowl. Place the square in the skillet. A 12-inch skillet will hold 2-3 squares while they are frying.

Fry the tiganitas until golden brown on both sides. Keep the tiganitas warm in a 250-degree oven until all are ready.

Place the tiganitas onto serving plates. Serve with arrope or honey poured over the tiganitas and sprinkle with chopped walnuts. Serves 4.

Chremslach are your new favorite Jewish pancakes (THE NOSHER) – I see your carefully curated Instagram brunch with chia seed pudding, avocado toast and kombucha and raise you this: Chremslach.

Chremslach (“chremsl’ for singular) are better known as matzah meal pancakes or even bubbaleh and are a lesser-known delicacy of Ashkenazi cuisine. You can find cousins throughout

the Jewish culinary world.

Sephardic Jews, for example, might be more familiar with bimuelos (Ladino for “dumplings”), a Hanukkah or Passover treat also made with matzah meal batter.

Chremslach rarely enter the conversation when it comes to figuring out what to do with extra matzah meal after Passover. But there’s nothing about chremslach

To All of Our Clients and Friends

HAPPY PASSOVER!

One Citizens Plaza, 8th Floor Providence, Rhode Island 02903 401.274.7200 | www.apslaw.com Providence | Boston | Newport | New Hampshire

that makes them extra palatable while recounting the Exodus. In fact, they’re better than your typical batch of pancakes. Chremslach are what you actually want when you’re craving pancakes for breakfast.

There’s more substance than a typical, white-flour pancake. Chremslach are hearty yet moist, fluffy and tasty on their own in a way your average pancake just is not. The latter relies heavily on what you put on top of it, but chremslach can survive on their own. They’re nutty, but not too sweet. What you put on top (fresh fruit, honey, cinnamon) is just complementary, but not necessary.

RECIPE NOTE: The batter should look chunky and have an obvious matzah meal smell both before you put it on the pan and once you serve it. I use 1/4 cup of batter at a time, but you can use as much or as little as you like. Just be sure to keep an eye on the butter or olive oil in the pan. The chremslach will quickly absorb any liquid in the pan, so you’ll need to add more throughout to avoid burning.

Store extra batter in a con-

tainer in your refrigerator and use it within a week.

INGREDIENTS 4 eggs 1 cup Greek yogurt 3/4 cup milk (can also use nondairy milk of choice) 2 tablespoons honey 2 tablespoons cinnamon 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1 tablespoon granulated sugar 1 cup matzah meal Butter or olive oil for the pan Fresh fruit for serving (optional) Powdered sugar, extra cinnamon, honey, or jam for serving (optional)

DIRECTIONS Whisk eggs in a medium-sized bowl or pot and then add yogurt, milk, honey, cinnamon, salt and sugar. Whisk after adding each ingredient until completely blended Slowly add in matzah meal while stirring.

Once everything is mixed together, set your pot or bowl to the side for about 15 minutes to rest.

Use a griddle, large-sized skillet or multiple skillets

to cook as many as possible at once. Melt butter or layer with olive oil over medium heat. Sprinkle a dash of water to test for a light sizzle to know the pan is ready.

Add about 1/4 cup of chremslach batter to the skillet and shape them like pancakes. Add as many as you can fit onto your pan, but don’t overcrowd your pan. You’ll likely have to add more butter or olive oil as you cook to avoid burning.

After about 3 minutes, the first side should be ready or close to ready. (Your next batch will likely cook faster.) When ready, flip your chremslach and cook the other side until golden brown. You might have to press down lightly with a spatula if you’ve built your chremslach too tall.

Move your chremslach to a plate and layer with fresh fruit of your choice (sliced bananas, blueberries, strawberries all go well with this dish). Top with a fruit jam, a drizzle of honey, powdered sugar, and/or an extra dash of cinnamon before serving.

MARCH 2021 | 39

jewishrhody.org | Jewish Rhode Island

SIMCHAS

The Voice of Greater Rhode Island’s Jewish Community

Rabbi Kanter receives honorary Doctorate of Divinity ON JAN. 31, Rabbi Raphael J. Kanter, spiritual leader of Tifereth Israel Congregation in New Bedford was granted an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree

by The Jewish Theological Seminary, according to an announcement by the congregation. This degree was conferred in recognition of over 25 years of service by Rabbi Kanter, both in the synagogue and to the community at large. His commitment to social justice and tikkun olam (helping to repair the world) have inspired Rabbi Kanter to devote significant time and effort to counseling at the Bristol County House of Corrections, and volunteering in the area interfaith community. The Jewish Theological Seminary in New York is the pre-eminent institution of higher education for the Conservative movement.

Book Published MOSES MORDECAI Twersky of Providence has published an suspense thriller, “Love Story in Greenwich Village: New York Iranian Adventure.” It’s available on Amazon and the author reports that it’s a “nice takeoff on the Iranian situation… a nice read during the pandemic.”

Twersky has had several opinion pieces published in Jewish Rhode Island.

JEWISH RHODE ISLAND

the love and support we received from fans and viewers throughout the world,” producer Dikla Barkai said in a news release. “We are thrilled to be able to bring the ‘Shtisel’ family to the warm embrace of global audiences in time for Passover.”

Production on the season began after Israel’s first COVID-19 lockdown last year, and the show just finished its initial run on Israeli TV. The narrative picks up four years after the conclusion of the events of the previous season.

@JewishRhody

Joyful, thoughtful camp experiences for ages 3-14 on a scenic 12-acre campus in East Providence

Register now at gordonschool.org/summer

‘Shtisel’ Season 3 Netflix release date announced (JTA) – Season 3 of the hit haredi Orthodox drama series “Shtisel” will debut on Netflix on March 25, Israel’s Yes Studios announced Tuesday.

The first two seasons of the show, which follows members of an Orthodox family in Israel, became popular with audiences around the globe, Jewish and non-Jewish, after being distributed by Netflix.

The third season will be the first branded as a Netflix Original.

“This season was made possible thanks to

Follow us on Instagram

Our Mission: To improve the quality of life for those we serve.

Let us help you . . .

(401) 383-1950 www.rahri.com

• Navigate the challenging process of providing care for a loved one.

• From companionship and a little help around the house to 24/7 personal care.

Elder Care Services Providing care all over Rhode Island Call to schedule a free, non-salesy and no obligation family consultation.

We’ll help you create a care plan tailored to your unique needs.

Stock your pantry today with Passover essentials.

Check out the Passover section in our weekly flyer for deals available in-store and at stopandshop.com.