July 2023

Respect every Jewish journey

MY JEWISH JOURNEY is why I do what I do.

I’ve always believed in the importance of getting along with our community. No matter what our political viewpoints, we are all Jews, right?

That’s how I grew up, both in heavily Jewish neighborhoods and in those where I was one of a few. Our commonal ity was our Jewishness. And we learned from one another. Kosher, not kosher. Shabbat-observant … or not. All of us expressed strong support for Israel, but some were more critical of the Israeli government.

There was much to be learned – and discussed –about why we do certain things certain ways and why we believe what we believe. Those discussions could be intense and productive and, sometimes, they changed what and how we practiced our Judaism or viewed events in the Middle East. But I always felt safe and secure in these discussions because at the root of it all was our common Jewish faith.

Apparently, for some, that’s not good enough anymore. There is this creeping attitude that you need to believe one way or the other or you are not Jewish enough. I find that sad.

I’ve been shocked to see discussions among Jews

devolve into hostile accusations that some Jews are antisemitic. Honestly, how can we Jews, who make up just 2.4% of all U.S. adults (according to a 2020 Pew Report), stand together against the worst kind of hate if we label our fellow Jews as antisemites? How are we going to wipe out the scourge of antisemitism if we continue to attack one another over inclusion, or being supportive enough of everything Israeli, or even associating with the “wrong” people?

Think about it. What are you really arguing about: semantics, general political biases? We should be putting these differences aside and banding together to fight a common, anti-Jewish demon.

I grew up in the most liberal of Jewish denominations. As a small child, I went to religious school at Rodef Shalom, in Pittsburgh, one of the original Reform congregations. Its rabbi at the time, Solomon B. Freehof, was known throughout the world as a scholar and interpreter of Jewish law. The men didn’t wear kippot nor did they wear tallitot. The rabbis wore business suits. That was the way that they fit into life in America.

My relatives, though, came from many different back-

grounds and their final resting places reflect that. When we visit Pittsburgh, we go to the Reform cemetery, the Conservative cemetery and even the long-closed Orthodox Russian cemetery.

Rodef Shalom is still the big beautiful synagogue it always was, but times have changed, and tallitot and kippot are worn as they are in all Reform congregations: according to one’s preferences.

I went on to be active in another congregation’s chapter of NFTY, taught Israeli folkdance in the religious school, went to college, and got a chance to learn from those whose observance was different from mine.

I’ve been so fortunate to interact with so many different people.

And that’s the thing: it’s all about respect. Change happens through discussion and evolution, not through browbeating.

Almost 10 years ago, I was tasked with putting out a paper that reflected the diverse Jewish community of Rhode Island. We try to do just that. We try to present a wide swath of news from around the community.

We try to give you news of Israel that you might not find in the mainstream media. We tackle topics of reader interest with user-contributed content. We present news about political candidates,

CONTINUED ON PAGE 9

D'VAR TORAH 5 | CALENDAR 6 | FOOD 7 | COMMUNITY VOICES 10 | OPINION 14

SCHOOL GRADUATIONS 16 | SUMMER CAMP 17 | COMMUNITY 18 | BUSINESS 27 |

OBITUARIES 28 | SIMCHAS / WE ARE READ 31

JEWISH RHODE ISLAND

EDITOR Fran Ostendorf

DESIGN & LAYOUT Alex Foster

ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT

Peter Zeldin | 401-421-4111, ext. 160 pzeldin@jewishallianceri.org

CONTRIBUTORS Cynthia Benjamin, Sarah Greenleaf, Robert Isenberg, Emma Newbery

COLUMNISTS Michael Fink, George M. Goodwin, Larry Kessler, Patricia Raskin, Rabbi James Rosenberg, Daniel Stieglitz

VOLUME XXX, ISSUE VIII

JEWISH RHODE ISLAND

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

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ON THE COVER : Staying cool in the pool at Summer J-Camp. PHOTO | GLENN OSMUNDSON

UP FRONT

Elizabeth Ochs helps turns ‘trash’ into creative treasures

BY ROBERT ISENBERG

Elizabeth Ochs, 39, never expected to become the founder of the Creative Reuse Center of Rhode Island. But her new nonprofit, in East Providence, has already become a destination for artists and crafters in search of raw materials: t he warehouse is full of buttons and rope, cardboard tubes, wire, wooden cigar boxes and much more, all meticulously organized and economically priced.

A NATIVE OF Charlottesville, Virginia, Ochs came to Rhode Island to attend the Urban Studies program at Brown University. A seasoned consultant for nonprofit and educational institutions, Ochs was a regular visitor at Recycling for RI Education, along with

her 7-year-old son, Isaiah Ellowitz. When RRIE was forced to shut down last year, Ochs and Isaiah took matters into their own hands, moving much of its stock before RRIE’s doors closed forever in December 2022.

Ochs, her husband,

Taylor Ellowitz, and Isaiah live in Providence. We caught up with Ochs at the Creative Reuse Center, where she is the director and Isaiah spends a great deal of time and is honorary co-director.

The following Q-and-A is from a recent interview and Ochs’ answers have been lightly edited for clarity. What is the Creative Reuse Center?

This is a place where you can come and find reusable treasures and create new worlds with them. We believe that kids and their creativity is expansive. We believe that material shouldn’t be wasted. We believe in creating a community outside of the horror of this world – instead of

being around destruction, actually be in a space of creation.

How did you put all this together?

RRIE, which is the former and beloved reuse center of Rhode Island, existed for 30 years in this massive space off of Elmwood Avenue [in Cranston], and especially educators and artists have been going there forever. So when they closed in December, we all felt sad. We felt, “This is a community treasure, and we need to retain it.”

So then we went on a bit of an adventure: We got a moving truck, we filled it up with lots of things from RRIE, and we moved it to RIMOSA, the Rhode Island Museum of Science and Art,

got all set up – and then a month later, they closed. Then we thought: We have too many treasures on our hands, we can’t let go of this. So we found a spot in South Providence that was really beautiful, we got all set up, but we realized very quickly that we would grow out of that space. So we got another moving truck – this is the third moving truck –and we came all the way to East Providence. We found an affordable space here that has an overhead door, it’s accessible for trucks and cars. And we opened in October.

How has your son gotten involved?

Every step of the way, Isaiah really has been the CONTINUED

PHOTO | ROBERT ISENBERG

Elizabeth Ochs with Isaiah Ellowitz at the Creative Reuse Center of Rhode Island.

Torah tales affirm that we all count

OUR PORTION THIS SHABBAT is named after Aaron’s grandson, Pinchas, who defended God’s honor in the previous portion, and was promised that the Priestly Dynasty would remain in this family forever.

As a matter of fact, anyone who is a Kohen today is a direct descendent of Aaron, his son Eleazar and his grandson Pinchas. Interestingly, this is one of only six Torah portions that are named after a person. The others are Noah, Sarah, Yitro, Korach and Balak.

TO

receiving a double portion. In this week’s reading, Moses is presented with a unique situation.

The daughters of a man named Zelophechad – of whom very little is known – approach Moses and state that their father has died, leaving behind only daughters. They request that they receive their father’s portion in the land of Israel.

Moses checks with God, who agrees, and their wish is granted.

younger son. A good example of this is the case of Jacob and his 12 sons; Reuben was the eldest, but the birthright was given to Joseph’s sons.

In Pinchas, we learn that the birthright could also be assigned to a firstborn daughter, and other property could in fact be transferred to the other daughters – which was an important and key ruling.

In this week’s parashah, and in many others, the status of women is both recognized and encouraged. Remember that events in this portion occurred more than 3,000 years before an activist from the Bronx coined the phrase “Me Too,” in 2006!

name him as his successor.

So, who was Joshua? He served as Moses’ attendant. He was one of two people who held Moses’ uplifted arms as an omen against the Amalekites, who had attacked them from the back. Joshua was allowed to accompany Moses half-way up Mount Sinai, as Moses continued on to receive the commandments. And Joshua was one of two confident spies who returned from a visit to Canaan expressing his faith in God; that they would, in fact, be able to reclaim their land. Quite a resume for someone to take over Moses’ responsibilities, for sure.

receiving their father’s inheritance, and Joshua chosen as the successor to Moses? All three remind us that the Torah, as much as it is about grandiose laws, guidelines and ideals, is really about people – what they do and what they stand for. And this reminds us that our lives are also centered around people. And perhaps this is the genius of needing a minyan to have a Jewish service. We learn that we all count!

At any rate, in our weekly portion we find a number of interesting episodes. In one section of the narrative, we discover a very positive ruling in favor of women. According to the laws explained to Moses by God, when a man dies, his inheritance is assigned to his sons, with the eldest son

Now, this was no easy matter. The concept of inheritance and sons was extraordinarily complex. For example, in biblical times, the firstborn son assumed the father’s authority and responsibilities. However, the Bible also indicates that the father could rescind the birthright and pass it on to a

Later in the reading, God tells Moses to climb to the top of Mount Nevo to see the Promised Land, since he was not allowed to physically enter Canaan. Moses, ever the humble servant, asks God to appoint a worthy individual to succeed him. God instructs Moses to endow Joshua with some of his spiritual powers and officially

Joshua, Yehoshua in Hebrew, means “God is salvation,” which was a perfect fit for what Joshua was about to experience.

Now, what ties together these three stories of Pinchas attaining eternal priesthood, Zelohechad’s daughters

Candle lighting times

July 2023

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co-director. He has helped make all major decisions. Even though he’s seven, I feel like he knows a lot about nonprofit development, fundraising. He gives advice about volunteer training. He’s been here every step of the way.

Where do you find the materials?

Our materials come from local businesses [that] have surplus from their manufacturing presses, as well as individuals who are cleaning out their attic and are lifetime artists and want their supplies to go to future artists. So, really a little bit of everyone.

In the beginning, we were doing a lot of calling and outreach, and now people are coming to us. So we have a backlog of donations that we need to sort through, which is a really great problem to have.

What has your career been like leading up to this?

I’ve had a winding professional path here in Rhode Island. This work as a director of the Reuse Center is volunteer. My paid work is as the mentoring and leadership development program officer at the Bronfman Fellowship, which is a leadership program for Jewish high school students, and I serve as their

coordinator for alumni leadership programs.

I’m also the quality adviser for 21st Century [Community Learning Center] programming, through the Rhode Island Department of Education; a technical assistant for summer learning in Central Falls and Woonsocket, funded through the United Way.

I think in all the work that I’ve ever done, whether it was organizing with the Coalition for the Homeless or creating project-based learning in Central Falls, it’s always about people-driven, community-based work. And so, to me, it’s all connected. How do we bring people together, to find the best in themselves, to nurture community? Here [at the Reuse Center], it’s objects that are the source of that community-building, but that’s really just the beginning.

How does the Reuse Center fit into the larger world of recycling?

If we don’t find a way to reuse and remake materials, we will run out of space. We will run out of materials. So, I don’t think it’s really an option anymore, and I think more and more people are realizing that. Artists are realizing that. Companies are realizing that. Kids are realizing that.

Any object needs to have

more than one life, and it’s really cool to see people walk in here and get rope and tubes and wire, and then send us a picture of the most incredible creations. It’s an all-ages process of turning waste into treasure.

How have things been during this first half-year or so?

We’re open two days a week, and I wish we could be open every day of the week. We’re completely volunteer-run, so it’s totally based on volunteer availability, and eventually we [will] find a way to hire an actual staff person to be here. When people come in, they just light up, and that feels so good. We have had birthday parties and field trips. Sometimes people just come and see what the space is like. It’s often, especially lately, really busy. It’s so cool. It’s like, “Where are all these people coming from?”

We haven’t had that much availability in terms of outreach, so our main outreach is through social media and word of mouth, and we’re so grateful to people who are helping along the way.

Who comes to the Reuse Center? What are they looking for?

We have art teachers who are looking for cheap supplies for their students. Many art teachers from local public

schools barely have any school funding to get materials, and they’re so excited when we pack up their cars. We have artists coming in, artists who use recycled materials in their work. Lots of homeschool families, individuals who are creative, kids. We have several synagogues who are members, in Rhode Island and Boston, who are often coming in for their Hebrew school programs.

Greater Rhode Island

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be safe, to be anti-racist, to work toward social justice –to me, that is my Judaism.

Oftentimes people come to donate, and we have a barter system, so if you donate, you can take things home in exchange. And some people don’t want that, because they were trying to get rid of things, but other people are excited. They’re like, “I’m no longer a quilter, but those are some really cool beads. Maybe I’ll start up a new hobby!”

For you, does the Reuse Center reflect Jewish traditions or values?

I think when Jewish identity is a core part of a person’s identity, everything we do is influenced and inspired by our community, our upbringing, our text. We really want this space to be accessible, to

THE CREATIVE REUSE CENTER OF RHODE ISLAND is located at 991 Waterman Ave., East Providence. Hours are Sundays, 1-5 p.m., and Tuesdays, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. For more information about the Reuse Center, go to CreativeReuseCenterRI. org. To watch a short video featuring Elizabeth and Isaiah, go to JewishRhody. com.

ROBERT ISENBERG (risenberg@ jewishallianceri.org) is the multimedia producer for the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island and a writer for Jewish Rhode Island.

ETHAN ADLER is the rabbi at Temple Beth David, in Narragansett.

RABBI ETHAN ADLER

RAH

CALENDAR HIGHLIGHTS

Ongoing

Kosher Senior Café and Programming. In-person lunches 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Monday – Thursday at the Dwares JCC, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence, and Fridays at Temple Sinai, 30 Hagen Ave., Cranston. In-person (and on Zoom most Tuesdays and Thursdays) programming from 11 a.m.-noon followed by lunch and a guest speaker or discussion noon-1 p.m. The second Tuesday of the month is “Susie’s Corner” with Susie Adler. Every Wednesday is chair yoga with Neal. The third Thursday of the month is a book chat with Neal Drobnis. Friday, 7/28, is a field trip to Goddard Park for a picnic. Suggested donation: $3 per lunch for those age 60 and older as well as for younger adults with a disability. Other adults may purchase a meal for $6.50. The Kosher Senior Café is a program of Jewish Collaborative Services and is supported by the Jewish Alliance of Greater RI and Blackstone Health. Information and RSVP, Neal at neal@jfsri.org, Elaine at elaine@jfsri.org or 401421-4111, ext. 107.

Project Shoresh Ladies’ Partners in Torah Night.

Sundays 7:45-8:45 p.m. Providence Hebrew Day School, 450 Elmgrove Ave., Providence. Partner-based study group. On-site facilitators available. Free. Information, projectshoresh.com or Rabbi Naftali Karp at naftalikarp@projectshoresh.com or 401-632-3165.

Temple Emanu-El Mahjong. Tuesdays 11 a.m.-1 p.m. New and advanced players are welcome. Drop-ins welcome. Information, Shosh@teprov.org.

Project Shoresh TNT (Tuesday Night Torah). Tuesdays 7:45-8:45 p.m. Ohawe Sholam, 671 East Ave., Pawtucket. Warm yourself up with the flame of Torah. If you would like a study partner or to be a part of a learning group, please contact Rabbi Naftali Karp. Drop-ins welcome. Refreshments served. Information, Rabbi Naftali Karp at naftalikarp@projectshoresh.com or 401-479-6953.

Project Shoresh Lively Kabbalat Shabbat. Fridays. Services will begin at the commencement of Shabbat. Be in touch for exact timing each week. Providence Hebrew Day School (side entrance), 450 Elmgrove Ave., Providence. Welcome Shabbat with a few inspiring words, melodious songs and traditional services. Open to all. Information, Rabbi Naftali Karp at naftalikarp@ projectshoresh.com or 401-6323165.

Temple Sinai Shabbat Evening Service. Fridays 6 p.m. 30 Hagen Ave., Cranston. Song, prayer and reflection offered in person or on Zoom. With Rabbi Jeffrey Goldwasser and Cantor Deborah Johnson. Zoom link at templesinairi.org. Information, dottie@templesinairi.org or 401942-8350.

Cape Cod Synagogue Shabbat Services. Fridays 7 p.m., except second Friday of the month 6:30 p.m. when Family Shabbat Services take place. 145 Winter St., Hyannis, Mass. With Rabbi David Freelund. In person and livestreamed on website, Facebook, Cape Media, YouTube and Community Television Comcast channel 99. Information, 508-775-2988 or capecodsynagogue.org.

Temple Beth-El Shabbat Morning Service. Second Saturday of the month 9-10:30 a.m. 70 Orchard Ave., Providence. Shabbat morning minyan with lay participation incorporating study, Torah and Haftarah readings. In person or via Zoom. Information, Joie Magnone at jmagnone@temple-beth-el.org or 401-331-6070, ext. 100.

Temple Beth-El Torah Study. Saturdays except second Saturday of the month 9-10:30 a.m. 70 Orchard Ave., Providence. Delve into the weekly portion with Rabbi Sarah Mack and Rabbi Preston Neimeiser. In person only. Information, Joie Magnone at jmagnone@temple-beth-el.org or 401-331-6070, ext. 100.

Temple Sinai Shabbat Breakfast & Torah Study. Saturdays 9:30-11 a.m. Temple Sinai, 30 Hagen Ave.,

Cranston. Breakfast followed by interactive discussion at 10 a.m. with Rabbi Jeffrey Goldwasser or others in our community. Information, dottie@templesinairi.org or 401-942-8350.

Temple Habonim Torah Study. Saturdays (no Torah Study on 7/8) 10-11 a.m. Rabbi Howard Voss-Altman leads weekly Torah study on current portion. Via Zoom. Information, Adina Davies at office@templehabonim.org or 401-245-6536.

Cape Cod Synagogue Shabbat Services. Saturdays 10:30 a.m. 145 Winter St., Hyannis, Mass. With Rabbi David Freelund. In person and livestreamed on website, Facebook and YouTube. Information, Cape Cod Synagogue at 508-775-2988 or capecodsynagogue.org.

Temple Sinai Shabbat Morning Service. Saturdays 11 a.m.-noon (10:30 a.m. when celebrating a Bar or Bat Mitzvah). 30 Hagen Ave., Cranston. In person and via Zoom. Information, templesinairi. org or Dottie at 401-942-8350.

Friday | July 7

Temple Beth-El Kabbalat Shabbat Service. 5:45-6:30 p.m. 70 Orchard Ave., Providence. In person, via Zoom or on Facebook Live. Information, Joie Magnone at jmagnone@temple-beth-el.org or 401-331-6070, ext. 100.

Congregation Agudas Achim Kabbalat Shabbat. 6:30-8 p.m. 901 N. Main St., Attleboro, Mass. Kabbalat Shabbat with singing, readings, a prayer for healing and Mourners’ Kaddish. Information, office@agudasma.org.

Sunday | July 9

Project Shoresh Brunch with Tzafrir from Israeli MoMENtum Trip. 11 a.m. Location upon RSVP. While visiting the USA, Tzafrir will share his experience as an Israeli citizen. Information and RSVP nkarp@projectshoresh.com.

Tuesday | July 11

Newport Classical Day: “Journey with My Jewishness.” 11 a.m. Temple Sholom Synagogue, 223 Valley Road, Middletown. Free talk by world-renowned Israeli cellist Amit Peled. Includes a mini-concert of Jewish music. Information, Devorah Phillips at dphillips@jewishallianceri.org or 401-421-4111, ext. 163.

Newport Classical Day: Classical music concert with world-renowned Israeli cellist

Amit Peled. 4 p.m. Newport Art Museum, 76 Bellevue Ave., Newport. Doors open at 3:30 p.m. Optional post-concert cocktails and appetizers at 6 p.m. at Stoneacre Brasserie (no cost for those who attend the concert), 28 Washington Square, Newport. Tickets: $55. Information, Devorah Phillips at dphillips@ jewishallianceri.org or 401-4214111, ext. 163.

Thursday | July 13

Screen on the Green: “How to Train Your Dragon.” 8:20 p.m. Field behind Dwares JCC, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence. Watch this PG-rated movie under the stars. Come as early as 7 p.m. to grab a spot and enjoy lawn games and Palagi’s ice cream. Information, Devorah Phillips at dphillips@ jewishallianceri.org or 401-4214111, ext. 163.

Friday | July 14

Temple Torat Yisrael Virtual Kabbalat Shabbat Songs & Torah Service. 5:45-6:30 p.m. Lay-led service via Zoom. Information and Zoom link, Temple@toratyisrael. org.

Temple Beth-El Kabbalat Shabbat Service. 5:45-6:30 p.m. 70 Orchard Ave., Providence. In person, via Zoom or on Facebook Live. Information, Joie Magnone at jmagnone@temple-beth-el.org or 401-331-6070, ext. 100.

Saturday | July 15

Temple Torat Yisrael Virtual & In-person Saturday Morning Shabbat Services. 9:30-10:30 a.m. 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich. Lay-led services in person or via Zoom. Information, Temple@toratyisrael.org.

Congregation Agudas Achim Shabbat Morning Services. 10 a.m.-noon. 901 N. Main St., Attleboro, Mass. Services will include misheberach l’holim, a prayer for healing, as well as Mourners’ Kaddish. Information, office@ agudasma.org.

Tuesday | July 18

Jewish Alliance & Temple Beth-El: Young Professionals Happy Hour. 5-7 p.m. Hot Club, 25 Bridge St., Providence. Celebrate summer with a drink at the Hot Club while meeting other young professionals, and learn about upcoming events. Cost: $15 (includes 1 drink). RSVP (by 7/17) and information, Devorah Phillips at dphillips@jewishallianceri.org or 401-421-4111, ext. 163.

Friday | July 21

Temple Torat Yisrael Beach

Kabbalat Shabbat. 5:30-7 p.m. Goddard Memorial State Park, 1095 Ives Road, East Greenwich. Informal, interactive family service with lots of singing. Information, Temple@toratyisrael.org.

Temple Beth-El Shabbat Under the Stars. 7-8:15 p.m. 70 Orchard Ave., Providence. Gather together on the Julie Claire Gutterman Biblical Garden patio to greet Shabbat with song and stories. Information, Joie Magnone at jmagnone@temple-beth-el.org or 401-331-6070, ext. 100.

Congregation Agudas Achim Kabbalat Shabbat. 7-8:30 p.m. 901 N. Main St., Attleboro, Mass. Join us in the sanctuary for Kabbalat Shabbat with singing, readings, a prayer for healing and Mourners’ Kaddish. Information, office@agudasma.org.

Saturday | July 22

Temple Torat Yisrael Virtual & In-person Saturday Morning Shabbat Services. 9:30-10:30 a.m. 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich. Lay-led services in person and via Zoom. Information, Temple@toratyisrael.org.

Friday | July 28

Temple Beth-El Kabbalat Shabbat Service. 5:45-6:30 p.m. 70 Orchard Ave., Providence. In person, via Zoom or on Facebook Live. Information, Joie Magnone at jmagnone@temple-beth-el.org or 401-331-6070, ext. 100.

Temple Torat Yisrael Virtual Kabbalat Shabbat Songs & Torah Service. 5:45-6:30 p.m. Lay-led services via Zoom. Information and Zoom link, Temple@toratyisrael.org.

Saturday | July 29

Temple Torat Yisrael Virtual & In-person Saturday Morning Shabbat Services. 9:30-10:30 a.m. 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich. Lay-led services in person and via Zoom. Information, Temple@toratyisrael.org.

Congregation Agudas Achim Shabbat Morning Services. 10 a.m.-noon. 901 N. Main St., Attleboro, Mass. Services will include misheberach l’holim, a prayer for healing, as well as Mourners’ Kaddish. Information, office@ agudasma.org.

Thousands of kosher food lovers turn out for the first-ever Kosherpalooza festival at Meadowlands

BY JACKIE HAJDENBERG (NEW YORK JEWISH WEEK)

At the first-ever “Kosherpalooza” – a kosher food festival geared toward consumers  – savvy attendees knew best to strategize: First, sample everything on the “dairy” side of the convention center (lattes, ice cream, cheeses, pasta, fresh goat and sheep’s milk), and then cross over to the “meat” side, where steak tartare, charcuterie, deli meats, chicken soups and crispy steak tacos awaited.

THOSE WHO EMPLOYED this strategy didn’t have to wait between the dairy and meat courses, as dictated by Jewish law, therefore maximizing enjoyment and efficiency at the all-day event, which was held Wednesday [June 28] at the Meadowlands Expo Center in Secaucus, New Jersey.

Kosherpalooza was first announced in March, just weeks before the kosher trade show, Kosherfest, announced that it was ending its 33-year run. Kosherfest organizers said they shuttered the trade show due to changes in the industry – as kosher food goes mainstream, supermarket buyers became increasingly likely to buy kosher products at general trade shows – as well as a shift in attendance: While the ranks of professionals had dwindled at Kosherfest, there was increasing interest from individuals and social media influencers.

Kosherpalooza, by contrast, held in the same location as Kosherfest, welcomed these individuals – 3,800 of them throughout the day, both “influential” and not. Attendees, who paid $150 per ticket, were treated to a day of kosher cooking demonstrations, wine tastings and food samples from 125 vendors.

“We wanted this site to be about people having a positive kosher experience, to come and have fun, walk around, taste foods, enjoy great entertainment around food and enjoy – and we did just that,” said Shlomo Klein, chief operating officer of Fleishigs Magazine, which co-organized the event. “The vibe was electric all day and everyone just had a great time: consumers, vendors and everyone in between.”

Among the attendees were a mother and daughter duo, who declined to give their names, who said they learned about Kosherpalooza from an Instagram ad. “I thought it would be fun!” said the daughter, who appeared to be in her

20s. “I thought it would be a little over the top – and it is a little over the top.”

“She loves food,” her mother explained, while taking a phone call.

On Wednesday morning, some patrons began their day with gluten-free kosher pastries from Twisty, while others snacked on fruit samples from a vibrant display at Fruit by Pesha, where both pink and yellow watermelon were available. Tasters reported that the dried pink pineapple “definitely tastes different.”

Amid the crowds of kosher food enthusiasts, a bevy of Jewish social media influencers circulated, including podcaster Nachi Gordon, TikToker Miriam Ezagui and TikToker Sarah Haskell. Meanwhile, kosher food bloggers Melinda Strauss and Chanie Apfelbaum judged cooking competitions.

Apfelbaum, who had previously attended Kosherfest and had noticed its decline in recent years, said this event was much more influencer-friendly. “It’s nice to run into people,” she told JTA while running her stall, where she was selling her cookbooks. “You can’t go more than a few steps without seeing people you know.”

The increasing value of social media in the kosher food world was a steady theme throughout the day. At a panel on the state of the kosher restaurant industry with Dani Klein from the blog YeahThatsKosher, Elan Kornblum from the magazine Great Kosher Restaurants and its accompanying Facebook group, Chef Mike Gershkovich of Mike’s Bistro and Steven Traub from Wall Street Grill, Klein attributed the rise of social media among observant Jews to the beautification of kosher food.

“The visual dining experience got prettier,” he said. “That’s what these social media platforms allow us to do.”

That was especially true on the

meat side of the space, where more formal catering-style food was on offer. There were colorful pareve entremets in the shape of pink hearts that were almost too beautiful to eat, Instagram-ready miniature steak tartares served in crispy tapioca shells and expertly assembled kosher charcuterie boards.

Back on the dairy side, one unassuming exhibit that caught guests by surprise was Meant to Be Natural Food, which offered a variety of cheeses, chocolate and strawberry ice cream, as well as fresh goat and sheep’s milk. These treats were served by the dairy farmers themselves — an Amish family known as the Millers. Sadly, they were too busy to talk to a reporter.

The event also had several stalls with specialty products, like gluten-free, dairy-free and egg-free foods, as well as vitamins, supplements and health foods. One particular ingredient was found in several food products: CBD, or cannabidiol, which is an active ingredient in cannabis but doesn’t get users high.

“There’s a national want for the product, in general,” said hemp grower Yisroel Shenkman, whose plants are used to make Loosiez products, cannabis-related edibles that are certified kosher by the Orthodox Union. “We’re a cannabis company that just happened to have gotten kosher.”

Chaviva Nockenofsky of PcPops, a Lakewood-based peanut butter chew company, also makes specialty CBD peanut butter cups, in addition to regular peanut butter and chocolate products. She said she had never been to Kosherfest, but she was asked by the organizers to come to Kosherpalooza.

It was a day filled with delicious food, but one quibble was that there was simply not enough water available to keep snackers hydrated. This sentiment was perfectly encapsulated by one woman, who, upon finding a table with beverages, exclaimed: “I’ve never been so happy to see seltzer in my life.”

A drone shot of the dairy side of KosherPalooza.

Rochie Pinson, a challah baking expert, demonstrates challah braiding techniques.

PHOTO SHMILY TREGER FOR JTA

PHOTO | JACKIE HAJDENBERG FOR JTA

With ‘Totally Kosher,’ Chanie Apfelbaum aims for a wider audience

BY RACHEL RINGLER (NEW YORK JEWISH WEEK)

Chanie Apfelbaum’s newest cookbook, “Totally Kosher,” is filled with many inventive, flavor-packed recipes, like “Miso Matzo Ball Soup,” “Berbere Brisket” and “Pad Chai,” a shrimp-free version of the Thai staple.

BUT WHILE THE BOOK is designed for kosher-keeping observant Jews like herself, Apfelbaum – who boasts 101,000 followers on Instagram and runs the popular Jewish lifestyle blog “Busy in Brooklyn” – had a larger audience in mind. Her first book, “Millennial Kosher,” published in 2018, is now in its sixth printing and is available in just about every Judaica store across the country. With her second effort, however, “I wanted to reach a larger demographic,” Apfelbaum, 42, told the New York Jewish Week. “I wanted to reach people who don’t necessarily know what kosher is.”

That’s how Apfelbaum ended up publishing “Totally Kosher” with Clarkson Potter, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group and publisher of cookbooks by culinary megastars like Ina Garten and Alison Roman. When Raquel Pelzel, the editorial director of cookbooks at Clarkson Potter approached Apfelbaum in 2019 about writing a cookbook –pitched as a “celebration of kosher,” as Apfelbaum recalls it – she immediately said yes.

“I was so excited,” Apfelbaum said.

“We hadn’t published a kosher cookbook in a really long time and, with Instagram and social media, there is obviously a massive kosher community,” Pelzel told the New York Jewish Week.

“To not publish a kosher

cookbook seemed like a huge omission and a hole on our list.”

“When I scout for authors, I look for someone whose recipes look delicious, original and creative and who has a really strong voice and is clear who their audience is,” Pelzel added.

“Chanie certainly has all that.”

Apfelbaum’s decision to go with a mainstream publisher mean the book would appear in “regular” bookstores – and not just Judaica stores – but the change meant some new challenges. One hurdle was the publisher’s decision to feature a large, color photo of Apfelbaum on the book’s rear cover – a decision that could be considered controversial in the haredi Orthodox world where many publishers refrain from showing photos of women in the interest of “modesty.”

(Apfelbaum’s photo does not appear anywhere in “Millennial Kosher,” published by Artscroll/ Shaar Press, which serves the haredi market. A spokesperson for ArtScroll said that, to date, they have not featured any photographs of women in their cookbooks, but “we are not against putting pictures of women in our books.”)

“If my photo is on the back of the book, maybe the Judaica stores really won’t take it,” Apfelbaum recalled thinking when she was sent a mockup of the cover. “I called friends in the publishing industry. I called Judaica shops and asked if my photo is on the back cover, are you going to carry the book?” The

answers, Apfelbaum said, were mixed.

And yet, she didn’t back down or ask for a change in the cover. “I was like – you know what? I’m doing this for my daughters, I’m doing this for the women out there,” she said. “There is nothing wrong with having a photo of a Jewish woman on the back of the book. I’m just doing it, and I stand behind it.”

Fortunately, validation came quickly. “When I walk down the street in my neighborhood [of Crown Heights], I pass Hamafitz Judaica and they have two books in the window – one of the front cover of my book, depicting my corned beef ramen, and one of the back.”

ally happened in 2005. She was also a founder of the Jewish Children’s Museum, which was dedicated to the memory of her son.

Of all people, Halberstam understands the power of a photo. “At Ari’s yahrtzeit [anniversary of his death], I tweet things out,” she told the New York Jewish Week, noting that her son died 29 years ago. “I got 85,000 responses because I put his picture up there. Pictures make you stop. They make you pause.”

Photos, she added, “personalize everything. A story is not a story without pictures. It makes it real. It comes to life.”

Apfelbaum agrees, feeling that her decision to include photos of herself, her boys in their tzitzit (ritual prayer fringes) and her children around a table, is “a huge step in the Orthodox world.”

“I’m doing this because I think this is something that has to change,” she said. “Jewish women should be celebrated just like men.”

As a child, Apfelbaum said, she was a rule-follower who was drawn to the creative world. “I got very into artistic projects for school,” she said. “I loved drawing and craftsy, artsy things.”

and looking for ways to put color in my food and plate it nicely,” said Apfelbaum. “I would make my mom’s recipes. But when I started hosting friends and putting out a spread, with menus and plated meals, I remember thinking, ‘Wow, this is beautiful. Such a beautiful way to express my artistic side.’”

When Apfelbaum left her web design job after the birth of her third child in 2010, she poured her creative juices into her nascent cooking and photography skills, and her family encouraged her to start her own blog. In 2011, she launched “Busy in Brooklyn” – at the time she was raising three children under 5, running a home and teaching Hebrew while taking knitting and crochet classes.

Her first post, in January of that year, was for sauteed chicken cutlets topped with canned dark sweet cherries. Later that year, she gave her first cooking class for the teachers at her children’s school.

In 2013, she enrolled in a program at the Center for Kosher Culinary Arts (now closed). “I started to seek out different cultural dishes and put my kosher Jewish spin on it,” she said. She also took a photography class.

Apfelbaum’s mother, Devorah Halberstam, a prominent member of Crown Heights’ Chabad community, couldn’t be prouder. Her firstborn son, Ari Halberstam, was killed in 1994 when a Lebanese-born man shot at a van filled with Chabad Lubavitch students, killing Ari and wounding three others. In the aftermath, Halberstam fought tirelessly to have his murder formally classified as a terrorist attack, which eventu-

Apfelbaum’s culinary journey began in 2002 when she was 22 and newly married. Apfelbaum’s mother had been the chef in the Halberstam home, and Apfelbaum was raised on what she calls “brown food” – matzah ball soup, gefilte fish, potato kugel. She came to her marriage skilled as a web designer but not knowing how to boil an egg. Her Syrian/ Argentian/Jewish motherin-law introduced her to ingredients like rosewater and dishes like empanadas, piquing Apfelbaum’s interest.

“When I started cooking, I was always very artistic

The following year, her recipe for “Drunken Hasselback Salami” – a whole salami sliced, coated in a sauce of jam, brandy and mustard, then baked until crispy – went viral. Later that year, she was featured on the front page of the Wall Street Journal for her creative spins on the traditional Ashkenazi Hanukkah treat, latkes. In 2015, she made the first of many out-of-town food demonstrations, traveling to Montreal to prepare harissa chicken sliders with preserved lemon carrot slaw and a marble halvah mousse.

These recipes, among others, made it into “Millennial Kosher.” And although Apfelbaum swore that she

FOOD

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

would never write another cookbook because of all the work involved, that call in 2019 from Clarkson Potter made her rethink her decision. Apfelbaum’s global recipes – such as “Nachos Bassar,” nachos with hummus, Israeli salad and pickles – and how she “bounces off of trends that are happening in social media, in restaurants,” as Pelzel describes her, are what drew the mainstream publisher to Apfelbaum

“From the first time I met Chanie, I understood why she was the obvious choice to make kosher cool,” Apfelbaum’s mentor and fellow cookbook author Adeena Sussman told the New York Jewish Week via text. “She’s wildly passionate about her food and her Judaism, and makes no apologies for either.”

“Add to that her natural warmth, sense of humor and willingness to share the ups and downs of life with her followers, and you’ve truly got a recipe for success,” Sussman added.

And there have been plenty of ups and downs: After signing her book contract in 2019, Apfelbaum became a single mom due to divorce. She was also hospitalized with COVID-19 (as was one of her kids) and lost her sense of smell and taste, at

a time when nobody knew that this was a side effect of the virus.

Fortunately, Apfelbaum has since regained her sense of taste and smell, and she remains very busy in Brooklyn – and elsewhere. In July, she is leading a food tour in Italy where her group will make gelato, hunt for truffles and taste olive oil. She hopes to continue culinary travel in the future. She has just come out with a line of her own spices called TK (as in “Totally Kosher”) Spices; her first two products are the Yemenite spice mix, hawaijj – one for savory foods and one for coffee, which has a sweet profile. With “Totally Kosher” now in its third printing, she is looking to (finally) hire an assistant and find work space outside of her home.

“There were many times I said I don’t have the emotional bandwidth and strength to do this book – I wanted to give up,” Apfelbaum said. “My friends believed in me and pushed me and made it happen. When I look at this book, I see so much more than recipes. It was really a journey for me.”

Respect every Jewish journey

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3

although we can’t advocate for them since we are one part of a nonprofit organization. And we try to uphold journalistic standards and ethics, which I have dedicated myself to throughout my long career as a journalist.

We have a very small, dedicated and diverse group of people who contribute to this paper, and I am grateful to them every day. We keep at it because we feel we are contributing to Rhode Island’s Jewish community in an important and unique way.

Everyone has their own Jewish journey. And Jew-

ish journalism can help us navigate that journey by contributing information in a way that no other media – mainstream or social – can.

However you come to this paper – or any other Jewish information source – please do it with an open mind and some of what all Jews owe one another: respect.

Fran Ostendorf, Editor

COMMUNITY VOICES

7 Biblical steps to boost your happiness

Happiness has always been an interest of mine, since the media and training work I do is about finding joy, happiness, the opportunity in the obstacle and solutions to the problem.

IN A RECENT ARTICLE posted at Aish.com, “7 Steps to Increase Happiness,” Rabbi Dr. Benji Levy lists the steps, along with the biblical reference.

Here are Levy’s words, in italics, followed by my comments.

1. Rid your heart of hatred

H EALTHY LIVING

grudges and bitterness can make way for improved health and peace of mind. Forgiveness can lead to healthier relationships.

2. Work to resolve doubts

Hatred hurts the hater. The Torah instructs us not to hate your brother in your heart (Vayikra 19:17).

Resentment and hatred are not constructive emotions. Resentment has the potential to prevent relationships from moving forward. Although some people thrive on resentment, because it makes them feel powerful and vindicated, it most often prevents relationships from moving forward and continually brings negativity into the sphere of the resentful person. Letting go of

3. Sometimes expect less (Yirmiyahu 45:5)

…When you expect less it is more likely that the outcome will exceed your expectations. … This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t strive for more, it just means that being realistic and expecting less in certain areas can lead you to greater happiness.

thing you love to do and you know it will bring joy to others. Whether the gift is intrinsic or extrinsic, the effect is often the same for both the giver and the receiver.

5. Choose life and live (Deut. 30:19)

achieved. The key is to not stay stuck in a comparison-thinking loop, so that we can move forward.

7. Focus on what you have … The Mishna teaches, “Who is the rich person? The one who takes pleasure in his lot” (Ethics of the Fathers, 4:1).

PATRICIA RASKIN

Our sages teach that there is no joy like resolving doubt (Proverbs 15:30). … Let go of doubts that are out of your control and resolve those that are within your control.

We cannot change things out of our control, but we can change our attitude about them. There are also things we can do, such as support what we believe, volunteer and offer assistance for a cause – even if, ultimately, we won’t be making the final decision. When we can alleviate doubt and do what’s within our control, it makes life easier and happier.

I think there is a fine line here. The more grateful we are for what we have, the more opportunity we have to bring abundance into our lives. When we are always seeking what’s next, we sometimes miss what is in front of us. Appreciating what we have can bring more joy into our lives, while moving toward our goals brings us joy as well. It is a balancing act.

4. Give more

When you give – be it of your time, money, expertise or self – even a small gift, gesture or compliment, your body responds by producing “happiness” chemicals, such as dopamine, endorphins and oxytocin. … As the Torah says, “You shall surely open up your hand to your brother” (Deut. 15:11).

There is a joy in giving, especially when it is some -

Choosing life doesn’t just mean maintaining consciousness, it means doing the things that make you feel alive, that challenge and empower you ….

Having a purpose helps you prioritize and simplify your life, gives you meaning, focuses your energy and motivates you. Having a purpose can also promote physical health, mental health and happiness, and could be a key to healthy aging.

6. Don’t covet (Exodus 20:14)

Jealousy and unhealthy comparisons are the thief of joy. When we focus on what others have, we lose sight of the good we have ….

We see comparisons everywhere. All of us have strengths as well as challenges. We can proactively work towards something we want, something that others might have already

We often take for granted what we have and the gifts we have been given. When we take the time to focus on what we have, by remembering and honoring our strengths and gifts, connecting with old friends, telling our stories and having celebrations, we bring all of these gifts into the forefront.

PATRICIA RASKIN , owner of Raskin Resources Productions, is an awardwinning radio producer, business owner and leader. She is on the board of directors of Temple Emanu-El, in Providence, and is a recipient of the Providence Business News 2020 Leaders and Achievers award. Her “Positive Aging with Patricia Raskin” podcast is broadcast on the Rhode Island PBS website, ripbs.org/positiveaging.

Ed Asner plays a Holocaust survivor in film being released 2 years after his death

BY JACKIE HAJDENBERG

(JTA) – The prolific Jewish actor Ed Asner died nearly two years ago, but his final film will hit select theaters on Friday [July 7].

In “Tiger Within,” he plays a Holocaust survivor who becomes the unlikely friend of a homeless teenager who was raised by a Holocaust denier. The movie was filmed in the summer of 2018, and Asner, the Emmy award-winning actor best known for his roles as Lou Grant on the “Mary Tyler Moore Show” and Carl in the Pixar animated film “Up,” died in 2021 at the age of 91.

“Tiger Within” follows Casey, played by newcomer Margot Josefsohn, as a troubled 14-year-old living in Los Angeles. After running away from her neglectful mother and failing to find support from her father, Casey takes shelter in a cemetery, where she meets Samuel (Asner), an elderly man visiting his wife’s grave. Samuel, a Holocaust survivor, notices the swastika on Casey’s signature leather jacket and begins a conversation, eventually offering Casey some food and a safe place to sleep. Over the course of their friendship, she learns about the realities of the Holo -

caust and Samuel fulfills the promise he made to his deceased wife to learn to forgive.

As part of the preparation for the film, director Rafal Zielinski researched forgiveness by interviewing religious leaders and hundreds of young people on the streets of Los Angeles about what forgiveness means to them. The answers were varied, ranging from unconditional forgiveness to measured or transactional.

“It shows how divided we really are,” Zielenski said in a statement. “We all really want to forgive and unburden ourselves, but our human nature and upbring-

ing intercepts us.”

The film does not explain what type of forgiveness, exactly, Samuel is referring to. But the filmmaker felt that the focus on friendship between these two generations was important given that nearly two-thirds of American young adults do not know that six million Jews were killed during the Holocaust. Almost a quarter of respondents to that study, who were between ages 18 to 39, said they believed the Holocaust was a myth. Another 18% said they had definitely not heard, or did not think they had heard, about the Holocaust.

Born and raised in

Kansas City to Jewish immigrant parents, Asner told interviewers over the years that his parents practiced a “midwestern” form of Orthodox Judaism, observing many of the religious laws but driving to synagogue. He would play several Jewish characters and work with several Jewish organizations. He was also involved in political activism and joined Jewish Voice for Peace initiatives in speaking out against Israel’s occupation of the West Bank.

Hope has powered this cancer society fundraiser for 25 years

I’ve been a part of the Relay For Life of Greater Attleboro, a team fundraiser for the American Cancer Society, since 2000, its second year. I was a member of a team and the organizing committee for the 25th anniversary event, held in June at Norton High School.

THE RELAY HAS ALWAYS had a simple premise: Raise money for the agonizing fight against cancer while recognizing survivors and remembering those for whom life-saving drugs and treatments came too late.

For those who may not be aware of the event’s origin, the national relay was started in 1985 by Dr. Gordon “Gordy” Klatt, who walked and ran for 24 hours around a track in Tacoma, Washington. He covered 83.6 miles and raised $27,000. (Klatt died Aug. 3, 2014, from heart failure and stomach cancer.)

In its first 24 years, the Greater Attleboro relay raised more than $4.5 million. That money has paid for, among other things, transportation to and from medical appointments, lodging for cancer patients, and research into lifesaving treatments and drugs. (Close to $50,000 has been raised so far this year; money will be collected through July.)

Although some things have changed since the first Attleboro-area relay was held, at North Attleboro High School in June 1999, many things have stayed the same. Participants still circle the track from the opening ceremony on Friday through the wrap-up on Saturday morning. Candles called luminarias, illuminated with glow sticks, are

still lit around the track in memory of cancer victims and in honor of survivors.

The luminaria ceremony, held on the opening night, has always been one of the relay’s most moving aspects for me because it’s a chance to pray for friends and relatives battling cancer, and to remember loved ones who died from the disease.

Years ago, the thought occurred to me that the luminaria ceremony is comparable to the lighting of yahrtzeit candles, except that instead of candles being lit in your home, hundreds of the luminarias brightly glow outdoors.

Before each relay, I compile a list of friends and relatives to honor with luminarias, and one of the toughest things is when people remembered as survivors one year become cancer victims the next.

What keeps people returning yearly is the hope that the event instills. The relay offers a powerful antidote to the raw hatred, turmoil and violence that frequently mark today’s society.

But this year, participants’ resiliency was challenged when a severe late-afternoon thunderstorm pounded the Norton High School track, upending the event and forcing people to take shelter in the high school’s cafeteria.

It would have been easy to give up, but no one did.

Hope won out, despite the

storm, in five ways:

1. An inspiring opening ceremony: Jonathan Gardner, of East Bridgewater, Massachusetts, a 20-yearold self-described “cancer survivor who happens to have autism,” was one of two guest speakers, and his words uplifted the crowd jammed into the cafeteria for the opening ceremony. He shared several lessons he said he’s learned since being diagnosed in 2021 with Ewing sarcoma, a rare cancer of the bones or soft tissue around the bones. Those included:

• Give up some control. “Cancer is extremely hard to do, but you have to give up some control. I am a little bit of a control freak myself so I know how hard this will be.”

• “Find joy in every day. Take something positive out of every single day.”

• Ride the wave, which he said consists of imagining yourself falling off a surfboard, and then climbing back on it. “If we can picture ourselves riding that wave, we can try and feel more secure knowing that we will have our control back one day, when we get to shore.”

• Pray, because “when you are in a hard place, sometimes the best option I can give you is to pray.”

2. Survivors’ laps: The relay’s traditional first lap, taken by survivors and their caregivers, was delayed more than an hour by the storm, but it was nonetheless inspiring. Ditto for the silent lap held later in the night. It was led by a bagpiper and is held as part of the luminaria-lighting ceremony, and also featured survivors. Seeing them circling the track goes to the heart of what the event is all about.

3. Artfully done: A silent

auction of luminarias decorated by 18 artists in February at the Attleboro Arts Museum was curtailed by the weather, but it still drew interest. Many of those luminarias, lovingly crafted during Attleboro’s Winter Night Festival, found permanent homes.

4. Dedication to the cause: Participants are highly committed to the event.

For example, Jakob Carlson and Ericka Speeckaert, of Attleboro, joined the relay’s volunteer committee last year, and this year started a team called “Mrs. Peacock’s Sole Squad.” Jake walked to honor his grandmother, who died of cancer in 2014, while Ericka relayed in memory of her mother, Carolyn, who passed in 2016.

“We knew we wanted to do something that was meaningful to us,” Ericka said.

Team names are very personal and often honor loved ones affected by cancer. For instance, Ericka explained that their team got its name because her mother taught elementary school in Pawtucket and when her students couldn’t pronounce “Speeckaert,” they started calling her “Mrs. Peacock.”

5. A divine miracle: When people emerged from the cafeteria after 7 on Friday evening, they found sunny skies – and a glorious rainbow. Dozens of camera phones immediately pointed skyward to capture what seemed to be nothing less than a miracle.

That wasn’t the first time that a rainbow has appeared at a relay, but it was a most welcome sight on the event’s silver anniversary. It was as if Mother Nature supported the cause and joined the celebration.

To donate to the Relay For Life of Greater Attleboro, go to www.relayforlife.org/ GreaterAttleboroMA.

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

LARRY KESSLER

A rainbow encircled the Norton High School track shortly after the end of a two-hour thunderstorm that delayed the Relay For Life.

Survivors and their caregivers walk the track during the opening lap of the Relay For Life of Greater Attleboro.

PHOTO | MEGAN DEMOURA

PHOTO | LARRY KESSLER

COMMUNITY VOICES

Remembering Aunt Evelyn and Uncle Julius

Betty, my younger sister, recently sent me a photo of gorgeous purple irises growing behind her Los Angeles home. She reminded me that they were the progeny of bulbs planted by our great-uncle, Julius Jacoby, who died in 1966, four years after his wife, Evelyn. It suddenly occurred to me that these flowers are among the couple’s few survivors.

BORN IN 1892 , Evelyn was four years older than her sister, Marion, my maternal grandmother. Their father, Sigmund Rheinstrom, a German immigrant who had settled in Cincinnati, became a highly successful liquor wholesaler.

The Rheinstroms belonged to Cincinnati’s oldest Jewish congregation, K. K. Bene Israel, founded in 1824, which later became known, under Reform auspices, as the Rockdale Avenue Temple. Sigmund also was a benefactor of the nearby Reform seminary, Hebrew Union College.

Both Evelyn and Marion studied Latin, French and German at the private University School. Evelyn enjoyed the distinction of graduating from Smith College in 1914. I inherited her senior yearbook and a Smith bowl, as well as her eight-volume set of novels by Louisa May Alcott.

Marion probably would have gone to Smith too, but her mother, Madeline, who had grown up in West Virginia, died at 32 years of age on a trip to Europe in 1903. Consequently, Marion stayed at home to help look after her father and supervise his servants, and became a commuter student at the University of Cincinnati.

A 1917 classmate was Jacob Rader Marcus, who became not only a legendary professor at Hebrew Union College but the founder of its American Jewish Archives. I have Marion’s senior yearbook too.

I do not know how or where they met, but Aunt Evelyn married Bertram Hirsh, a successful businessman, and moved to St.

Louis, his hometown. She was widowed in 1923, at 31 years of age.

Evelyn met her second husband, Julius, in Los Angeles, his hometown. She and her widowed father, Sigmund, wintered in Southern California, but she probably returned to California to visit her sister and brotherin-law, my maternal grandparents, Marion and George Rosenthal, who temporarily retired there.

George’s sister, another Evelyn, had married Edgar Magnin, the rabbi of Los Angeles’ Wilshire Boulevard Temple from 1915 to 1984. Evelyn Rosenthal had met this charismatic San Franciscan when he studied at Hebrew Union College.

Julius, already 46, belonged to a pioneering Jewish family; his father and four uncles had established Jacoby Brothers, a chain of dry goods stores, in 1875. Decades earlier, the Jacobys had sold their business to the May Company chain, which, coincidentally, was based in St. Louis.

In 1946, after graduating from University School and attending Cornell University, my mother moved to Los Angeles when she married my father, Eugene. Having been the flower girl at Evelyn and Julius’ wedding in 1930, she soon became their de facto daughter.

Estranged for decades, there were probably only a few occasions when my Rosenthal grandparents and my Jacoby “grandparents” saw each other. One was in the fall of 1953, when my brother Theo and I were

consecrated at the Wilshire Boulevard Temple. Another occasion, eight years later, was our Bar Mitzvah (held, coincidentally, on Julius’ birthday).

If the Jacobys had had children of their own, they probably would have joined the temple. Perhaps they felt that their prayers had gone unanswered.

Evelyn was quite proud of her Smith connections. Not only was she one of a very small group of Westside Jews who attended alumnae teas in Pasadena, but she served as president of the Los Angeles club during the early 1950s.

Fortunately, I was unable to think of Evelyn or Julius as snobs. During World War II, she had been a proud Red Cross volunteer. And his true nephew, Melville, an American airman, had sacrificed his life during the war.

Evelyn and Julius were deeply devoted to cultural pursuits. Quite often, after religious school, they took Theo, Betty and me to chamber music concerts, operettas, art museums and bookstores. They were especially devoted to European travel.

During the mid-1950s, for example, the Jacobys spent months at a time in Italy and France, sending scores of enthusiastic letters and postcards describing their latest discoveries. They always believed that

we children would follow in their footsteps – and, inspired by many relatives, we did.

But Uncle Julius could also be quite embarrassing. Remember the John Candy movie, “Uncle Buck”? Our relative was corpulent, wore bulging suspenders and often sported a floppy fedora or a straw hat. He spoke too loudly, struck up too many conversations with strangers, teased little kids and drove a somewhat battered sedan.

Perhaps Julius’ most embarrassing trait was his green thumb – or hand. My siblings and I referred to his front and backyard gardens, nearly devoured by flowers and foliage, as “The Jungle.”

Yet, Julius’ gardening obsession was hardly a deterrent when, one night, we Goodwins fled a wildfire in our hillside neighborhood and sought refuge in the Jacoby home. Inevitably, it became just another occasion to savor French onion soup ladled from a Wedgewood tureen!

In 1962, about a year after Evelyn was diagnosed with cancer, Dad took Theo and me to see her at Cedars of Lebanon, the Jewish hospital in Hollywood where we had been born. It was our first bedside encounter with mortality. She was probably unaware of our presence, but we felt her mantle of love.

Before his demise, Julius took one more European odyssey. Upon his return, Mom, his most loyal relative and friend, helped him find and furnish a temporary home. Eventually he returned to 511 North Bedford Drive, where he resurrected “The Jungle.” Foolishly, I dreaded the possibility that my “Uncle Buck” would attend my high school graduation. Due to an illness, however, he was unable to do so.

During my first semester of college, when Mom was making her first visit, Dad called to report that Julius had suffered a fatal heart attack. As with Evelyn’s demise, however, there would not have been enough mourners to justify a funeral, so his remains were also cremated.

Eventually, new owners demolished the Jacoby manse to erect a McMansion.

Perhaps Uncle Julius had been a poor choice for Aunt Evelyn, but to us children, who dearly loved them, they belonged to each other. Though otherwise abandoned by the world, they still belong to us. With Betty’s flowers, I offer this eulogy.

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

Consecration, September 1953. George and Teddy Goodwin with Uncle Julius and grandmothers Marion and Sadie, and Aunt Evelyn.

PHOTO | GOODWIN FAMILY

COMMUNITY VOICES

The many prospects of July, from patriotism to rebirth

INDEPENDENCE DAY, birth of the nation, the republic, the democracy?

A holiday with fireworks in the firmament and flags waving from poles proclaiming patriotism.

If I were teaching a summer program, I would assign my pupils to define that word “patriotism,” perhaps with a quote from Tennyson: “Breathes there one who never hath said, ‘this is my native land?’ ”

It is a good time to pose this question. What is left of the pride of that lost virtue labeled “patriotism”?

You have to work at articulating your values. How about the lyrics to a song interpreted by Marlene Dietrich: “a soul-intoxicating

summer with a thousand Julys”?

And then later in July we have the Ninth of Av, to mourn the loss of the Temple, on the calendar this summer as July 26-7. As I recall, a marriage after that tragic date is perceived as a cheerful promise of redemption. The threeweek period of mourning begins this year on the day after the Fourth of July, through the Fifth and beyond until the brink of August.

I am looking forward to a number of July prospects, including a luncheon with Aaron and Shelly Shatkin and with Marshall and Arlene Cohen. I was a guest at their weddings and a

friend in their boyhood chapters in our town. I like to remember and review friendships.

I’m a bit less happy about forthcoming medical exams, which I dread for the needles and other intrusions.

What I am most eager for during the weeks of the seventh month is the siren call of the ocean, my swims among the lakes and coastal shorelines of our wee tiny state. Each dip in the sea or pond is a rebirth for me.

A friend of my son claims that I cannot drown and nobody need worry if I jump in all by myself.

“You never speak ill of the waters,” he says, “so they would not bring you harm.”

MIKE FINK (mfink33@aol. com) is a professor emeritus at the Rhode Island School of Design.

MIKE FINK

‘Certainty is an illusion’ IN THE

Brandeis U president apologizes for ad

BY BEN SALES

(JTA) – Brandeis University’s president has apologized to the school’s Orthodox Jewish student group for a university ad that called the school “anything but Orthodox.”

The two-page spread, which appeared in The New York Times Magazine last week, drew the ire of Orthodox Jews and others on social media, who called it offensive.

Days after the ad appeared, leaders of the Brandeis Orthodox Organization, a student group, said in a statement that they were “hurt and disappointed to see something like this coming from our university.” They added that Brandeis has been a place where Orthodox Jews “could comfortably grow and succeed” and that the ad was “unacceptable and antithetical to Brandeis’ values.”

The school initially defended the ad – which was headlined, “Brandeis was founded by Jews. But, it’s anything but Orthodox.” – as “a play on words meant to highlight Brandeis’ unique story and history of innovation.”

But in a letter sent to the Orthodox group late last week, the school’s president, Ronald Liebowitz, wrote that the school did not intend to offend Orthodox Jews but that “Cearly, the execution of this ad missed the mark.” He noted that he had met with members of the group last week.

“Brandeis is committed to providing a rich and open experience for you, our Orthodox students, and to combat rising antisemitism that affects all Jews,” Liebowitz wrote in the letter, which was posted to Twitter by Rabbi David Bashevkin, an Orthodox educator, and confirmed as accurate by a leader of the Brandeis student group.

“I am especially sorry that members of Brandeis’ Orthodox Jewish community, in particular, were hurt by the ad,” Liebowitz wrote. “You play a key role in our ongoing success: You bring energy, intelligence, and creativity to our Jewish community, to student life more broadly, and to the rigor of the academic experience that Brandeis offers.”

Matt Shapiro, the student group’s president, told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that he appreciated the apology.

“I’m really happy and grateful to see that the university was willing to recognize the hurt they caused and apologize for it,” he told JTA. “I appreciate that Brandeis has been a wonderful place for Orthodox students to thrive for many years, and to me, this signifies their ongoing support and commitment to our community.”

In the late ’60s, in the very first years of our marriage, Sandy and I were living in a tiny rent-controlled apartment ($79.66 per month) in the northernmost Irish and Italian neighborhood in Manhattan, known as Inwood. I remember, as if it were yesterday, walking into what passed as our living room and finding a neatly printed note from my young wife: “Certainty is an illusion, and repose is not the destiny of man.”

THIS QUOTE IS ATTRIBUTED to Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., an associate justice of the United States Supreme Court, 1902-1932. But Sandy, a teacher for her entire work life, tells me she came across these words in John Holt’s bestselling book, “How Children Fail” (1964).

“Certainty is an illusion ….” I have carried these words within me throughout my entire adult life, and have seen time after time how men and women have become undone by demanding certainty in a world in which nothing is certain.

In his opinion piece in the June 16 issue of The New York Times, “ ‘Shiny Happy People,’ Fundamentalism and Seeking Certainty,” David French warns readers about pursuing the illusion of certainty.

“Shiny Happy People” refers to an extremely popular documentary series on Amazon Prime, centering on a cult that French himself almost joined back in 1993, when his then-fiancée and her father both insisted that he join an evangelical group trying to live by the teachings of Bill Gothard, founder of the Institute of Basic Life Principles. French soon realized that he could not accept the “controlling darkness” of Gothard’s rigid authoritarianism.

“My parents taught me to value mercy and grace. I couldn’t see mercy here, just power and control,” French wrote.

He goes on to emphasize, “With authority so central to Gothardism (and so many other fundamentalist movements), the quest for certainty turned into a quest for control.”

Big surprise: French broke off his engagement.

Certainty, then, is the enemy of healthy doubt. Certainty is also the enemy of humility, the kind of humility embodied in the statement, “I don’t know,” or even “I can’t ever know.”

While our rabbinical literature is filled with affirmations of faith, these affirmations are modified by the rabbis’ two most important Hebrew words: davar acher, another explanation.

RABBI JAMES ROSENBERG

Our TANAKH, our Hebrew Bible, anticipating the yes and the no of our rabbinical writings, embodies our people’s spiritual affirmations, our hallelujah moments, but also our moments of deepest personal and national tragedy. Thus, more than half of our 150 Psalms express the suffering, the despair and the radical uncertainty as to what tomorrow will bring: “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?” (Psalm 22.2)

The entire Book of Job is devoted to questioning God’s justice; questions are raised in poetry of profound beauty, but answers remain elusive, uncertain, demanding our humility.

And, as I have pointed out on numerous occasions over the years, in the luminous passage in our Torah concerning the burning bush, God’s identity is expressed by three Hebrew words of majestic ambiguity:

“Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh, I will be Who I will be” (Exodus 3.3). Here again, certainty is an illusion.

But of all the books in the library that form our Hebrew Bible, Kohelet, often called Ecclesiastes in English, is most consistently devoted to exploring the value of doubt as an antidote to the kind of certainty that

crushes all humility. The Hebrew words in the second verse, havel havelim, have been translated as “vanity of vanities,” but are better translated as “utter futility.”

Throughout the book, the author characterizes our quest for certainty as ri’ut ruach, a chasing after wind.

When I was serving as rabbi at Temple Habonim, in Barrington, from the summer of 1974 to the summer of 2007, I made it my practice to read and discuss Kohelet with my combined ninth- and tenth-grade religious school class during a six-week unit. It seems to me that no book in our TANAKH is better suited for American teenagers than Kohelet; the writing overflows with challenging – indeed, unanswerable – questions that 14- and 15-year-olds are just beginning to ask themselves and one another. In particular, my students were awakening to that haunting, overwhelming question: What is the point of living, given that all of us are doomed at birth to die?

As the author of Kohelet puts it: “For in respect to the fate of human beings and to the fate of animals, they have the same fate: as the one dies, so dies the other …. We people have no superiority over animals since both amount to nothing. Both go to the same place; both come from the dust, and both return to the dust” (Kohelet 3.19-20).

Throughout all 12 chapters, the author of Kohelet explores the proposition – as ancient as the 3rd century B.C.E. and as contemporary as today’s newspapers – that certainty is indeed an illusion.

The author’s relentless doubting, skeptical but not cynical, an expression of his profound humility and a sense of his human limitations, has encouraged those who have come after him to continue our questioning and our searching l’dor vador, from generation to generation.

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

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.

From the president Our many tribes contribute to a vibrant Rhode Island Jewish community

BY ADAM GREENMAN

The following remarks were delivered June 15 at the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island’s 12th annual meeting. They have been lightly edited.

TONIGHT MARKS our 12th annual meeting. As you may know, the number 12 has great symbolism in Judaism. Almost all of that symbolism derives from the 12 tribes of Israel, each connected to one of Jacob’s sons. After the exodus from Egypt, the Israelites were organized by these 12 tribes. In fact, we learned a few weeks ago in Bamidbar that each tribe had a specific place around the mishkan, around the tabernacle. Each tribe had uniqueness, but they all shared a common identity and a shared faith and mission.

Much like our ancestors, our community has its tribes. It has distinctive groups that

all come together to form one community. And when we look back on the work of the Alliance this last year, the impact of each tribe in our community is abundantly clear.

There’s the tribe that includes our synagogue partners and agency partners. These groups form the foundation of what makes our community go. The Alliance is so proud to work with each synagogue and each agency to make this community vibrant and thriving. Last year the Alliance invested $1 million to support our core organizations. To make sure we have amazing day schools to educate our children. To make sure we have strong social services through Jewish Collaborative Services to support every community member in moments where they need a hand up. To make sure students at each of our colleges have access to Jew-

ish life.

And what I’m most proud of this year is the work we’ve done at the Alliance and with each of these agencies to work together. Through our microgrant programs, our community’s synagogues and agencies have done such great work together. We’ve funded programs like the multifaith poetry night, a collaborative grant between Congregation Beth Sholom, Temple Beth El, and Wildflour Bakery, where the reading was held. In running this program, the temples aimed to deepen existing conversations and sharing in our community, as we consistently find people thirsting for meaning and deep experience. The event was a chance for geographically proximate communities that rarely interact in this way to share poems from the heart.

No day exemplified the power of our agencies and

synagogues more than the Israel at 75 celebration. I was blown away that over 600 people came together to celebrate Israel, but also to celebrate our community.

It was so wonderful to walk down the hall of Farm Fresh RI to see so many agency and synagogue tables. To see the wonderful work they do on display. It was truly a highlight not just of my year, but of my six years in this role. The Alliance is proud to provide financial support for all of this work, but it happens because of the great members of this tribe in our community. Thank you to our synagogue and agency partners.

Of course, we wouldn’t be able to invest in these great agencies and synagogues without our community’s tribe of donors and contributors to the Alliance. This year, over 1,300 people formed this tribe. Together

Why I don’t love ‘Jew hate’ as a substitute for ‘antisemitism’

BY TODD L. PITTINSKY

(JTA) – I read a lot about antisemitism – as a professor researching prejudice, as a former fellow at a Holocaust memorial center, as a blogger for The Times of Israel, as the son of a Jewish father who was so grateful to get to live in the United States and as the father of a Jewish son in that same country, but with antisemitism on the rise.

I’ve noticed a shift in what I’m reading. The media, especially social media, are increasingly replacing the term “antisemitism” with a new term: “Jew hate.”

“Simply put, antisemitism is Jew hate,” Richard Lovett, co-chairman of Creative Artists Agency, the world’s leading entertainment and talent agency and a mar-

keting and branding powerhouse, remarked last month in an address encouraging his industry to fight antisemitism. Also last month, the governor and attorney general of Massachusetts, the mayor of Boston and other state leaders launched a campaign to “#StandUpToJewishHate,” an effort bankrolled by New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft.

Brooke Goldstein, the founder of the pro-Israel Lawfare Project and author of the book “End Jew Hatred,” has started an organization with the same name. The nonprofit JewBelong launched the #EndJewHate billboard campaign in 2021 in cities around the country.

London’s Jewish Chronicle – the oldest continuously published Jewish newspaper

in the world – has now run several articles using “Jew hate” in addition to or instead of “antisemitism.”

I have asked colleagues who work on Holocaust remembrance, fighting antisemitism and promoting tolerance why they now prefer “Jew hate” to “antisemitism.” They consider it strong and clever branding, jarring and unapologetic, and I can’t argue with that. The phrase packs a punch. And it aligns Jewish groups with a larger social phenomenon: the various efforts to study and stop the menacing resurgence of hate groups. There are new university centers for the study of hate, new hate-focused conferences and several journals dedicated to hate studies. Hate is hot. Branding antisemitism as

“Jew hate,” it is hoped, will help to mainstream concern about antisemitism.

The popularity of “Jew hate” coincides with concerns about the term “antisemitism.” Once usually spelled “anti-Semitism,” the term is increasingly spelled without the hyphen and with a lowercase first “s.” This change was made out of concern that the former spelling reinforced the pseudo-scientific, long-discredited idea that Jews are members of the “Semitic” race.

Nevertheless, adopting “Jew hate” in place of “antisemitism” is a big mistake. It misses way too much.

The term “antisemitism” – like the reality it describes – encompasses not only hate, but also fear and envy. People can fear or envy Jews with-

we raised nearly $3.1 million for our annual campaign, and another $200,000 for special projects and initiatives. $3.3 million to support all of the important elements in our local community, and with our partners in Israel, in Warsaw, and in Rosario, Argentina. This community happens because of all of you. Thank you for your support. I also have such gratitude for our tribe of JCC members. Over 1,500 individuals, who inspire me when I see you around the building. Whether it’s the sound of basketball players running up and down the court on Sunday mornings, the unique sound when a pickleball hits the wooden paddle, or the sound of prayer emanating from Congregation Beth Sholom on Saturday morning, this building is alive with community. It’s because of our JCC members

CONTINUED ON PAGE 19

out hating them. True, these biases can lead to stereotypes about Jews and the negative consequences of those stereotypes. People with preconceived notions about Jews are likely to notice and remember selectively or simply hear and believe whatever supports their biases while disregarding, disbelieving or downplaying information to the contrary. One Jewish head of a major newspaper or movie studio, according to this thinking, shows that Jews control the media. In this way, antisemitism can be self-perpetuating even when not powered by outright hatred.

“Jew hate” does not take into account apathy, the lack of concern that throughout

June is the season for school graduation. Whether you are in Pre-K or high school, the day is filled with honor and joy. Rhode Island day schools each have a special celebration for the graduates who make parents, teachers and friends so proud! Jewish Rhode Island thanks the schools and the parents who sent us these special photos.

Moving on, moving up! JCDSRI

The Jewish Community Day School of Rhode Island in Providence is so proud of its fifth-grade graduates! JCDSRI reports that the fifth graders “have accomplished so much during their time at JCDSRI, and we cannot wait to watch them continue to grow, learn and explore. We know that these incredible humans will make the world a better place and we are grateful that we got to be part of the journey!” Graduation took place on June 14.

Some of the kindergarten graduates.

Students from the littlest to the biggest took part in end-of-year festivities at Providence Hebrew Day School on the East Side. Pre-K students

Pre-K graduation.

graduated with a ceremony on June 12. Kindergarteners participated in a “Moving up Day” on June 13. Eighth grade boys and girls grad-

uated in the annual ceremony on June 20. Congratulations to all on the completion of another school year.

One of the speakers at eighth grade graduation.

PHOTOS PHDS

At the David C. Isenberg Early Childhood Center, Pre-K students proudly took a trip down the slide on the playground as each was handed a certificate by teachers Sara Foster and Mr. Bob. Friends and family looked on at the June 15 ceremony.

New England Academy of Torah graduates celebrated at their graduation on Monday, June 12. The girls high school is on the East Side of Providence.

Summer fun a J-Camp

With two weeks down, summer J-Camp is in full swing at the Dwares Jewish Community Center in Providence. From morning circle to swim, arts & crafts and some much-needed rest, the campers in grades K-6 and CITs in grades 7-10 really seem to be enjoying the experience.

PHOTOS BY GLENN OSMUNDSON AND ROBERT ISENBERG

COMMUNITY

BUSINESS 27 | OBITUARIES 28

Holocaust center celebrates a busy, productive year

Art & Writing

Award Winners

First Place in Writing

Joseph Gannon

Honorable

Mention with Distinction

Capri Mallari

Honrable Mention

Emma Foxon

Gastfreund

Award for Excellence in Writing

Declan Moran

May-Ronny

Zeidman Award for Excellence in High School

Maxwell Rusou

Singer Award for Excellence in Art

Leah Brassard

BY GIOVANNA WISEMAN

PROVIDENCE – On the evening of May 31, 125 supporters of the Sandra Bornstein Holocaust Education Center gathered at the Alliance’s Dwares Jewish Community Center for SBHEC’s Annual Meeting and Art and Writing contest awards.

IN YEARS PAST, the events were held separately, but our staff felt it was important to combine the two moving forward. This change is a prime example of the center’s ethos: honoring the proud traditions of the past while pursuing new avenues for development.

As we reflected on the year, we emphasized the tremendous expansion in our programming in the 18 months since Wendy Joering became our executive director.

In the past year alone, we

have implemented a teen leadership program (LIFT), introduced a reading initiative on kindness in elementary schools (Get Up! Stand Up!), and held Kristallnacht and International Holocaust Remembrance Day programs.

We have implemented these programs while still organizing our much-beloved Community Yom HaShoah memorial service, maintaining our presence at the downtown Holocaust Memorial, and continuing to operate our busy speakers’ bureau, the heart of SBHEC.

The Holocaust center was established 35 years ago by local survivors who sought to give the gift of knowledge to future generations. Nowhere was this vision more fully realized than during the LIFT and Art and Writing Awards ceremony, when we celebrated young people committed to Holocaust remembrance and education.

The joint ceremony perfectly tied together the long-standing tradition of the Art and Writing contest with LIFT.

The audience was inspired by the art and writing created by R.I. middle and high-

school students, which was on display for all to see. As one of the volunteer judges for the contest, I was equally amazed by the artistic ability and verbal skill of the students.

The contest reflects the hope survivors had when they founded SBHEC – that the youth of tomorrow would have an emotional response to the lessons of the Shoah, cementing their investment in preserving history.

The winners had their work magnified on poster boards, which schools will be able to use as educational tools. The collection is also on display at our center, at 401 Elmgrove Ave., in the Dwares JCC.

We honored the LIFT cohort for their amazing endeavors for the community, which include the creation of a graphic novel based on survivor Ruth Oppenheim’s life story, which is now on display at the center. They also participated in a statewide book-collection project that seeks to increase cultural awareness in areas of low literacy. Titles in this project include “Number the Stars,” “Something Out of

Nothing” and “The Diary of Anne Frank” in Spanish. None of this would be possible without the hard work of our board members, who generously donate their time and resources to helping SBHEC succeed. We are tremendously grateful for their service to our organization, as well as the generosity of Sandra and Richard Bornstein.

Watching our young honorees beaming as their photographs were taken, as old friends greeted each other, as people enjoyed ice cream from Sundaes, I was struck by the fact that this was unlike any other annual meeting I had ever attended.

This meeting wasn’t about long speeches or the finance report or the stats. It was a true annual meeting, a place to gather, to remember, to celebrate, and to look forward to a bright future together.

GIOVANNA WISEMAN is the director of Programming and Community Outreach at the Sandra Bornstein Holocaust Education Center.

Honorable Mention with Distinction

Lorenzo Bucci

Honorable Mention

Lily Cronin

Paula Olivieri

Award for Excellence in Middle School

Alice DiDonato

Featured Artists, Classroom Award of 2023

Aila Rowland

Calla Fonesca

Alice DiDonato

Rhaylie Monte de Ramos

Lily Cronin

Leah Brassard

Lorenzo Bucci

Class Art Project Winners: Mrs. Donna Vescera's class from St. Augustine School.

Students from the first LIFT cohort. Attendees admire the art and writing contest winners.

PHOTOS GLENN OSMUNDSON

Annual Golf Classic is a winner for Alliance programs

BY JEWISH RHODE ISLAND STAFF

THE 37TH ANNUAL Dwares JCC Golf Classic took place on June 19 at the Wanumetonomy Golf and Country Club in Middletown. Golfers took advantage of a nice day on the links and a chance to raise funds to benefit programs at the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island. Twenty-seven foursomes played the course, raising more than $86,000. Co-Chair Peri Ann Aptaker said, “This year’s tournament was a major fundraising success, and I am proud to have helped such a great community organization. On to the 2024 tournament!”

Bottom—Liz

Thanks goes out to the eagle sponsors Bonnie and Donald Dwares, The Miriam hospital, Wingate Living and the Schuster family. The tournament this year was planned by co-chairs Peri Ann Aptaker and James Pious with a committee of Jeffrey Brier, Rick Granoff, Lisa Maybruch, Mindy Sherwin, Robert Sherwin, and Robert Stupell. Past chair of the tournament Richard Bornstein passed away earlier this year. As a tribute to his memory, the tournament now will be called the Richard Bornstein Memorial Dwares JCC Golf Classic.

WINNERS

Men’s Low Gross

Timothy Carroll, Joseph Parella, Edward Rotmer

Men’s Low Net 1st

John Angelo, Rick Granoff, Howard Lazarus, Christopher Morra Jr.

Men’s Low Net 2nd

Lou Guerica, Thorne

Sparkman, Robert Vetromile, Jeffrey Vogel

Men’s Low Net 3rd

Brett Allen, Keith Garte, Jeffrey Glassman, David Joseph

Mixed Low Gross

Joel Maybruch, Lisa Maybruch, Sally Maybruch and Kyle Steinhauer

Mixed Low Net 1st

Liz Goodermote, Lynn Malloney, Molly O’Mara, Tracy Tavares

Mixed Low Net 2nd

Jeffrey Brier, Jessica Brier, James Engle, Robin Engle

Mixed Low Net 3rd

Peri Ann Aptaker, Harold Horvat, Alan Litwin, Lee Merrill

From the president: Our many tribes contribute to a vibrant Rhode Island Jewish community

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15

that this building feels like it did before the pandemic. And this year our tribe of members took their dedication to new heights. We held a successful swimathon, where our swimmers raised money to support the Alliance. And a month later, I was proud to jump on a bike with more than a dozen members for our spinathon to raise money for the Alliance. Thank you to everyone who makes this building feel like a home away from home.

I’m also grateful for the tribe of community members who continue to advance our work and dialogue around our larger Rhode Island community. Our Community Relations Council has done impactful work this year, focusing on issues of poverty, climate change, immigration, and more. And they’ve come together to have hard conversations, and to do so with kavod, with respect. Earlier this year, the Alliance brought Resetting the Table to our community, an organization focused on encouraging dialogue around Israel that allows people to share their perspectives

and embrace difference. It was an example of what community looks like at its best, and I thank everyone who advances this important work on behalf of the Alliance.

The tribes in our community aren’t just those who identify as Jewish. This year, the Alliance formally recognized the fact that our community includes many who don’t identify as Jewish, but who are very much members of our tribes. Our “Breaking the Glass” podcast explored interfaith relationships with a focus on the beauty and the complexity of these partnerships. The podcast was downloaded 7,000 times, a huge accomplishment for the Alliance. And we also have partners outside of the Jewish community who stand with us in good times and in bad. A few weeks ago we held an anti-hate summit where over 80 people came together from across communities to discuss how we stamp out hate in Rhode Island.

I’m proud that the Alliance led this work and convened organizations like the Center for Southeast Asians, Black Lives Matter PAC, Youth

Pride RI and others, and I’m excited for the work that will come out of it. And last winter, when it seemed like every week white supremacists were dropping leaflets throughout Rhode Island to intimidate our community, many throughout Rhode Island placed a menorah in their window, showing solidarity with our community. And the State House was lit up to Shine a Light on Antisemitism during Hanukkah. It happened because one of our tribes is filled with those who stand with us so we don’t stand alone.

And finally, I want to touch on the tribe of staff that I get to work with each and every day, and the tribe of Board members and volunteers that guide our work. Over the last year, I have witnessed so much dedication from both groups. I’ve seen everyone pitch in, everyone think about how we can make the Alliance, and therefore the community better. Every day I’ve seen our staff find ways to go the extra mile, both big and small. Every single one of my colleagues puts community first, and makes the Alliance truly one of

the greatest places to work. Thank you all. And to our Board, thank you for continuing to provide guidance, leadership and direction. We’ve tackled huge topics this year, and at the center of each conversation has been how do we keep our community front and center. The conversations have been incredible, and I’m grateful for your leadership. And to Harris, thank you for being a true partner in this work, for standing alongside me, and for challenging me to be a better leader for this community each day.

And as great as this year was, I’m so excited for what the next year has to offer for us. Finding new ways to lift up Jewish joy. Showing everyone what makes our community so wonderful by putting on an inaugural Jewish Cultural Festival. Deepening our partnerships with agencies and synagogues. Developing new podcasts that continue to tell the story of our Jewish community. Continuing to fight antisemitism through our anti-hate work, through legislation at the State House, and by continuing to strengthen our community with trainings

and security. A new leadership development program to train and educate those who will lead our community into the future. So many great things to come.

When the 12 tribes wandered the desert, they surrounded that which was most holy, the tabernacle. The tribes of our Rhode Island Jewish community also surround something incredibly important: community itself. We wrap ourselves around it, invest in it, protect it and make sure it reflects and represents the best of who we are. As we look ahead, I ask all of you to double down on your efforts. To continue to think about the role you play in making this community so special. Because a vibrant, thriving community for all of us only happens with all of us. Together, I know the vision we have for our community isn’t just possible, it’s going to happen. Thank you!

ADAM GREENMAN is president and CEO of the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island.

Top (L to R)—Lisa Maybruch, Molly O’Mara, Tracy Tavares, Lynn Malloney, Liz Goodermote.

Middle (L to R)—John Angelo, Peri Ann Aptaker, Alan Litwin, David Goldstein.

Goodermote

PHOTOS | ROBERT ISENBERG

COMMUNITY

Alliance’s annual meeting highlights accomplishments, future plans

BY FRAN OSTENDORF

PROVIDENCE – The Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island celebrated our Jewish community at its 12th annual meeting, held June 15 in the Alliance’s Dwares Jewish Community Center. More than 85 people attended the in-person meeting, the second since the pandemic.

THE EVENING BEGAN on a bittersweet note as three longtime community educators, Larry Katz, Esta Yavner and Christine Wendoloski, were celebrated on the occasion of their retirements.

A video of each educator, including their reflections on their careers, was played for the audience, and Adam Greenman, president and CEO of the Alliance, presented each with framed Israeli artwork.

Of Larry Katz, retiring as the Alliance’s director of Jewish Life and Learning after 26 years serving in various capacities, including with the Bureau of Jewish Education, Greenman

said, “Katz is the definition of a mensch.” Greenman told the story of how Katz had created a travel journal for the Greenman family before their trip to Israel.

“His advocacy for any community member … the warmth and care he shows toward each Israeli emissary, is just so special,” Greenman said.

Esta Yavner retired as a teacher in the David C. Isenberg Early Childhood Center after 31 years in a variety of teaching positions. Greenman pointed out how Yavner has taken on many roles to make the Rhode Island Jewish community strong and vibrant.

“You can see her warmth and caring for the kids in how she shares Shabbat with her class, reading stories to them,” he said.

Christine Wendoloski retired as a teacher in the Isenberg ECC after 15 years. Teaching has not just been a job for her, but a calling, Greenman said, telling the story of how at a staff meeting during the pandemic, Wendoloski was emotional in sharing how hard it was to not be with her preschoolers every day.

“It’s that kind of energy, it’s that kind of enthusiasm, that we are going to miss,” he said.

One leadership award was presented this year: The Joseph W. Ress Community Service Award went to Samuel Zurier, a state senator representing the 3rd District, in Providence. Zurier was unable to accept the award in person as the legislature was meeting to vote on the 2024 state budget at the same time as the Alliance’s meeting.

Zurier has served as president of Jewish Family Service and on the boards of Temple Beth-El and the Jewish Federation of Rhode Island. He was a member of the Providence School Board, 2000-2002, and from 2011 to 2018 represented Ward 2 on the Providence City Council. An attorney, Zurier has also taught law as an adjunct professor at Roger Williams University Law School.

The award was presented by Rabbi Leslie Y. Gutterman, who called Zurier “the personification of human decency.”

“No one deserves the Ress Award more than my first adult Bar Mitzvah boy,” said Rabbi Gutterman. “[Ress] would have been proud.”

In accepting the award on Zurier’s behalf, his sister, Sarah Zurier, read his remarks: “Joe Ress saw the paramount role that education has in this community. … In the broader community, education, particularly public education, is the civil

rights issue of our time. … I am humbled to be associated with this brilliant constellation of luminaries [previous award winners].”

The presentation of the Ress Award to Zurier marked a multigenerational first – Zurier’s father, Melvin, received the Ress Award in 1999.

In his remarks, Greenman recognized departing and incoming board members for their service, as well as Alliance staff members. And he thanked the audience and the community for their continuing support of the Alliance. Funds raised this year included close to $3.1 million from the annual campaign and $200,000 for special projects and initiatives.

Greenman outlined how the community works together, and likened it to the 12 tribes of Israel, with partners, synagogues and community members all gathering to make a thriv-

Christine Wendoloski with Adam Greenman

Larry Katz with Adam Greenman

Board chair Harris Chorney welcomes the crowd at the 12th annual meeting of the Jewish Alliance of Greater RI.

PHOTOS | ROBERT ISENBERG

Esta Yavner with Adam Greenman

Emanu-El’s Pride Shabbat draws hundreds of participants

BY RABBI MICHAEL FEL, FRED FELDER AND STEVEN HOREN

PROVIDENCE – On June 9-10, Temple

Emanu-El’s LGBTQ+ affinity group, TEQ, hosted a remarkable weekend. The event featured Rabbi Mike Moskowitz, the esteemed Scholar in Residence for Trans and Queer Studies at Congregation Beit Simchat Torah, in New York City, the world’s largest LGBT synagogue.

THE WEEKEND commenced with a lively and heartwarming Friday night service dinner, attended by nearly 120 individuals who delighted in a delicious congregant-cooked meal. There were also presentations on Friday night, as well as Saturday morning and during Kiddush, drawing over 200 participants.

Rabbi Moskowitz’s teachings addressed LGBTQ+ themes, including the recognition of multiple genders in ancient Judaism and the community’s

imperative duty to ensure the inclusion and safety of non-binary individuals.

He also shed light on the notion that misrepresentation and lying are considered the most reprehensible abominations in the eyes of God. This concept is eloquently elaborated on in Rabbi Moskowitz’s blog (Times of Israel, March 4, 2020):

“The verse most frequently cited to denounce homosexuality is Leviticus 18:22 .... The meaning of the word toeiva, typically

translated as abomination, was much less clear during the times of the Mishnah.

In Nedarim 51a, the Talmud recounts a conversation between Bar Kapara and Rebbe, the redactor of the Mishnah.

“Bar Kapara inquires about the meaning of the word ‘toeiva,’ and Rebbe presents several explanations that Bar Kapara rejects. Eventually, Rebbe asks Bar Kapara for his interpretation, and Bar Kapara explains: ‘Toeh Atah Ba,’ understood by commentators as ‘you are straying from your wife to be with another man.’

“We find further evidence connecting toeiva to deceitfulness. Deuteronomy 25:16

employs toeiva to describe those who possess unjust weights and measures. ‘For everyone who does those things, everyone who deals dishonestly, is abhorrent to the Lord your God.’

“Just as God despises the deception inherent in presenting false weights as truthful, God does not want us to be deceitful in our most intimate relationships. By denying the existence of gay, lesbian, and bisexual individuals and coercing them into heterosexual relationships, we are perpetuating toeiva, a fundamental and enduring deceit, exactly as the Talmud understands the prohibition of Leviticus 18:22.”

Another insight gleaned

from Rabbi Moskowitz’s teachings is the inherent inclusivity of people with diverse genders and sexual orientations in our Jewish tradition.

Looking ahead, TEQ has exciting plans for 5784, including movie screenings, an LGBTQ+ Shabbat Chai, panel discussions and more. LGBTQ+ congregants are invited to participate in the committee and seek collaborative opportunities with other affinity groups in the broader Rhode Island Jewish community. If you’d like to get involved, or have questions, please email info@teprov. org.

STEVEN HOREN is co-chair with FRED FELDER of TEQ at Temple Emanu-El, in Providence.

JCC fitness center and pool temporarily close due to Tuesday’s heavy rains

PROVIDENCE – Tuesday’s heavy downpour overwhelmed storm drains, filling the courtyards in the back of the Alliance’s Dwares Jewish Community Center and forcing water through the doors of the first floor fitness center and pool area.

This is the second time this has happened in the last year, according to Dan Hamel, Chief Financial Officer at the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island.

The courtyard outside the fitness center and the courtyard outside the back entrance had as much as 2½ to 3 feet of water during the storm, which included torrential rains, thunder and lightening over a large swath of Rhode Island.

“Like many on the East Side on Tuesday, we had significant water on our first floor,” said Adam Greenman, president and CEO of the Alliance. “Thanks to the great staff at the Alliance we worked hard to get the water out, and cleaned up safely so that our community can enjoy the space again as quickly as possible.”

As of Wednesday press time, crews were working to dry out the carpets in the Fitness Center and filter the pool in order to reopen. The rest of the building including the David C. Isenberg Early Childhood Center, J-Camp and the Alliance offices, remained open

Fran Ostendorf, Editor

RABBI MICHAEL FEL is the senior rabbi at Temple Emanu-El.

Rabbi Moskowitz

Pools of water fitness courtyard.

Dirt and debris mark the height the water reached on the wall outside the back entrance.

COMMUNITY

Gather up your art supplies and join a casual sketching event

BY ROBERT ISENBERG

IN A FEW PARAGRAPHS, I’m going to invite you to grab your sketchbook and head to a park in downtown Providence, where we’ll spend the afternoon drawing together. I think you’ll like it. But before I drag you out of the house on a lazy weekend afternoon, I’ll tell you a little about Urban Sketchers.

A decade ago, I noticed some women in a café. They sat silently at tables, sketching landscapes into heavyweight paper.

Pens jotted. Brushes dabbed paint. Stroke by stroke, storefronts and sidewalks emerged.

My eyes drifted from their work to the street, and I quickly spotted what each was looking at. Someone had

picked a lamppost to sketch, another a fire hydrant. Trees rose up around signs and windows. These women were drawing exactly what they saw.

This was my first encounter with Urban Sketchers, a nonprofit organization with chapters all over the world. Founded by Seattle-based illustrator Gabriel Campanario in 2007, Urban Sketchers invites amateur artists to hang out in a public space and sketch the landscape around them. These locations could be anywhere, but the point is to gather folks together and connect with the environment.

Only a small fraction of participants are trained artists, and many participants draw little more than stick figures. Members can

submit their drawings to the Urban Sketchers website, urbansketchers.org, which maintains a massive gallery of plein air artwork.

For me, Urban Sketchers was love at first sight. How simple! How pure! What could be better than sitting outside with a group of people and actively connecting with the world around you? I have drawn and painted all my life, but always for my pleasure, in the half-serious way of a hobbyist. Studio art is a ritual, a meditation and an exercise in mindfulness. Now, it could be social, too. I had needed just this kind of loose federation of artists and never even realized it!

So, on July 16, I’ll be hosting a little drawing session at the Roger Williams National Memorial, in Providence.

This park was one of the first places I ever visited in Rhode Island, a quiet green rectangle wedged between the East Side and Downcity.

The city blocks around the monument are an architectural buffet, and the park itself is crisscrossed with trees and walkways.

This event is free and no-fuss: Bring any art materials you have, even if it’s just a ballpoint pen and a legal pad. This is not an official Urban Sketchers event – a bone fide Rhode Island chapter was recently founded, much to my surprise and delight – but it should be a nice, casual way to see if you enjoy creating art with others outdoors.

If you like what you sketch, feel free to send me a photo of your work at risenberg@jewishallianceri.org. No problem

if you can’t join us; just find something to draw outside and send it to me anyway, and we’ll still be delighted to consider it for our social media pages.

Hope to see you there!

“Community Sketching” takes place Sunday, July 16, 2-4 p.m., at Roger Williams National Memorial, 282 North Main St., Providence. We’ll gather at the Hahn Memorial, in the middle of the park. Free.

ROBERT ISENBERG (risenberg@ jewishallianceri.org) is the multimedia producer for the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island and a writer for Jewish Rhode Island.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15

history has allowed the actual haters to get away with much more than they would have otherwise. Nor does “Jew hate” take into account a dangerous kind of admiration. Well-meaning people may have positive stereotypes about Jews being intelligent and good in certain professions. These biases are not hateful, but they do reduce Jews to stereotypes.

“Jew hate” does not adequately capture antisemitism born of ignorance – not only of Jewish history and culture but also of the history and effects of antisemitism. Ignorance about Jewish culture, history and traditions can contribute to discrimination

against Jews, thus perpetuating antisemitism even when there is no hate. The rising and amazing ignorance of the facts of the Holocaust, for example, sets the stage for more people to dismiss or downplay its severity. That, in turn, will breed resentment – or worse – toward Jews, who are increasingly being cast as obnoxious and self-pitying for insisting that the Shoah happened and seeking to remind the world how bad it was.

If it irritates people when a Jew doesn’t care to join them in singing Christmas carols or to buy the annual Christmas stamp, that’s not necessarily hatred. It’s probably just ignorance of what it

means to be in the minority versus the majority. Nevertheless, such ignorance, like ignorance of the Holocaust, can have an antisemitic effect.

Most alarming, the concept of “Jew hate” undermines the fight against antisemitism by – and this was supposed to be a point in its favor –making antisemitism just one instance of a broader category: hate. It should go without saying that one should be against most forms of hate. “Hate has no home here” lawn signs are admirable. But there are essential differences between each form of hate. They are not simply flavors to be served up when the media or a corpo -

Alliance’s annual meeting highlights accomplishments, future plans

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 20

ing, vibrant Jewish community in Rhode Island.

He also looked back on programming for the year, including the Israel at 75 celebration, the microgrants initiative and the anti-hate summit, and gave a taste of the plans for the coming year, including Jewish cultural programming and a leadership initiative. You can read

Greenman’s remarks in full on page 15.

Earlier in the evening, Rabbi Alvin Kaunfer offered a D’var Torah, talking about how Caleb looked into the future and could see the possible, and equating it to the role of leadership in the Alliance and the community to look into the future and see the possibilities. He told the crowd that “working

together, we can surely do anything.”

Harris Chorney summed up his first year as chair of the board and talked about how inspired he is by the commitment of the Jewish community. He thanked leaders, volunteers and the community in general.

“[The] collective impact of giving allows us to be a leader in philanthropy,” he said.

ration wants to take a popular position. Diseases of the society, like diseases of the body, need to be understood and combatted on their own specific terms. Antisemitism has its own distinct history and pathology. The fight against antisemitism is not just the fight against white supremacy or misogyny or Islamophobia with a different name on the T-shirt.

Ultimately, what worries me most is that the concept of “Jew hate” lets people off too easily. Most people aren’t going to defend hatred, but having disavowed hatred, there’s still a lot to answer for. Antisemitism is real and there seems to be no end in sight. The digital

age has amplified the speed and spread of anti-Jewish tropes, extremist ideologies and antisemitic conspiracy theories.

Metal detectors and armed guards are now common at major Jewish gatherings. That’s a sign of real sickness in the culture, but rebranding antisemitism to fit more neatly into the “fight hate” agenda isn’t the cure.

TODD L. PITTINSKY is professor of Technology and Society at Stony Brook University.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of JTA, its parent company, 70 Faces Media or Jewish Rhode Island.

Chorney outlined where some of that giving goes, locally and internationally: 11,000 clients served by local partner agencies; 870 children receive free books from PJ Library; 35 synagogues and agencies received security reviews; 1,600 kosher meals from Kosher Meals on Wheels; 60 individuals served at one of the Alliance’s partners in Afula-Gilboa, Israel;

145 families in Rosario, Argentina; and in a four-year plan to put the Alliance at the forefront of fighting antisemitism and hate in Rhode Island.

In closing, he said, “May we go from strength to strength.”

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

Why I don’t love ‘Jew hate’ as a substitute for ‘antisemitism’

Fall course to delve into Yiddish folklore, culture

BY LARRY KATZ

Yiddish Folklore & Culture is the topic for the fall semester of Delve Deeper, which will take place on Thursday evenings beginning Sept. 7. Prof. Natan M. Meir, who taught a well-received class two years ago on Jewish life in Eastern Europe, will be the instructor.

FOR MANY CENTURIES, Eastern Europe was one of the great centers of Jewish civilization, and its culture has impacted that of the United States in many ways. The course will examine the linguistic and cultural origins of Yiddish; explore Yiddish folklore, including stories, songs, curses, magic, and religious rituals and objects; and delve into great literary works that draw on the rich folkloric traditions of Yiddish, including short stories by I.L. Peretz and Isaac Bashevis Singer. No prior acquaintance with Yiddish is required.

Professor Meir is the Lorry I. Lokey Professor of Judaic Studies and the academic director of the Harold Schnitzer Family Program in Judaic Studies at Portland State University, in Portland, Oregon. He is a scholar of Jewish social, cultural and religious history who speaks eight languages and is the author of two books: “Kiev, Jewish Metropolis: A History, 1859-1914” and “Stepchildren of the Shtetl: The Destitute, Disabled, and Mad of Jewish Eastern Europe, 1800-1939.”

Delve Deeper brings dynamic teachers to lead in-depth, university-level courses for a diverse group of adult learners in greater Rhode Island. Courses cover a period of Jewish history or a specific Jewish theme, text or personality. Classes are held via Zoom on a weekday evening for two hours and run for 10 weeks.

Delve Deeper classes are presented in cooperation with the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island

and area synagogues, including Congregation Beth Shalom, Temple Beth-El, Temple Emanu-El, Temple Habonim, Temple Sinai and Temple Torat Yisrael. Financial support is provided by the Joseph and Jacqueline Teverow Memorial Fund at the Jewish Federation Foundation.

The course will take place on Thursday evenings from 7 to 9, beginning Sept. 7 and ending before Thanksgiving. For a detailed description of the course, and to enroll, go to tinyurl.com/asmrm6sk or www.delvedeeper.org. The cost is $250 for the semester, but partial and full scholarships are available. Please do not let the cost be a barrier! For more information on scholarships, email Morty Miller at mortymiller1945@ gmail.com.

LARRY KATZ , of Providence, retired June 30 as director of Jewish life and learning at the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island.

Life & Relationship

If you’re seeking better understanding and communication to help strengthen your relationship, then we encourage you to contact us. Our unique couple-to-couple approach combines Angel’s skills as a Certified Coach with those of her husband, Charles Granoff, a licensed Therapist.

Charles Granoff, LICSW, LMFT Angel Canada

Granoff, PCC

“My vehicle experienced a total brake failure. Even though German Motors was fully booked for the week, they somehow managed to look at and repair my vehicle in just a few days. I am grateful to the staff at German Motors for getting my car repaired so quickly.”

P., Providence, BMW 3 Series

“EMERGENCY REPAIR”

Rhode Islander among those making the Catskills Borscht Belt Museum a reality

BY ROBIN KAUFFMAN

Growing up in the suburbs of New York City, my family would frequently vacation in the foothills of the Catskills Mountains, an area commonly referred to as the Borscht Belt.

AN HOUR’S RIDE from home, we would pile into our station wagon and hop on the highway to Route 17. Once we reached the iconic Red Apple Rest, we knew we were halfway to heaven.

My two sisters and I would call out all the roadside bulletin boards and count down the exits until we reached our destination, one of the iconic Borscht Belt hotels. The Concord, Grossingers, Nevele, Tamarack, Pines, Raleigh, Homowack and more.

With so many wonderful

memories of our family vacations, I was lucky to continue my Catskills journey throughout my college years, working at the Homowack Lodge, in Wurtsboro. I made many friends there – people who, like me, were earning money for college. In our jobs, we learned about time management, living with and getting along with others, history and Jewish traditions. We worked hard and we played hard. It was our very own Camelot. I would meet the man who would later

become my husband at the Concord Resort Hotel, in Kiamesha Lake, and he would bring me to Rhode Island.

But many people don’t know that the Borscht Belt was born out of bigotry. Barred from many resorts, Jews created their own vacationland, which in its heyday included nearly 1,000 hotels, bungalow colonies and boarding houses.

Those formative years in the Borscht Belt would leave an indelible imprint on my life. I developed an insatiable thirst to learn more about this era.

In 2019, I was invited to join an effort to create a museum dedicated to preserving the legacy of the Borscht Belt era. This April 19, after several years of gestation, the Catskills Borscht Belt Museum acquired a building in Ellenville, New York. The museum will open to the public in 2025.

The museum is dedicated to the bygone world of Jewish summer culture, where, between the 1920s and early 1970s, more than a half-million Jews, mostly New Yorkers like me, vacationed in the mountains of upstate New York. We spent our summers in bungalow colonies, hotels and summer camps where

the food was endless and there was nightly big-name entertainment.

The Borscht Belt is the birthplace of American stand-up comedy: Danny Kaye, Jerry Lewis, Billy Crystal, Jerry Seinfeld and Jackie Mason were among the many comedians who got their start there. The era would become a cultural phenomenon, forever changing the landscape of Jewish American history.

The museum’s home will be in the former Ellenville National Bank. The bank is on the National Register of Historic Places and was one of the first financial institutions to lend money to the region’s Jewish hoteliers and bungalow-colony owners.

At a time of rising white nationalism and antisemitism, the Catskills Borscht Belt Museum has an important role to play as a catalyst for tolerance, stronger communities and a deeper appreciation for diversity.

The museum will fill this role by showcasing the grit, perseverance and achievements of a community that overcame rampant prejudice and ended up widely influencing popular culture in America. Exhibits will be state-of-the-art and new

exhibits will be showcased on a regular basis.

On July 29, the museum will launch Borscht Belt Fest, the first weekend-long arts and food festival in Ellenville. At the same time, a pop-up exhibit, developed in collaboration with Bard College’s Center for Curatorial Studies, will give visitors a taste of what the permanent Catskills Borscht Belt Museum will offer when it opens in 2025.

For more information on the festival and the museum, or to donate, go to www. borschtbeltmuseum.org.

ROBIN KAUFFMAN is the vice president and secretary of the board of directors of the Catskills Borscht Belt Museum. Feel free to email her, at rmkauff100@cox.net, with questions or if you have memorabilia that might be appropriate for the museum.

Mission statement

The Catskills Borscht Belt Museum is dedicated to preserving the legacy of the Borscht Belt resort era, and celebrating its history as a refuge from bigotry, the cradle of stand-up comedy and a cultural catalyst that left deep imprints on America.

A rendering of the Borscht Belt Museum in Ellenville, New York.

COMMUNITY

Rhode Island Foundation offers grants to local Jewish groups, institutions

JEWISH COMMUNITY

charitable organizations, synagogues and day schools serving the greater Providence area have until July 21 to apply for more than $38,000 in grants through the Bliss, Gross, Horowitz Fund at the Rhode Island Foundation.

“Taking on hunger and hatred or encouraging brotherhood and understanding are central to our tradition of civic leadership and tikkun olam. We are pleased to provide an additional source of support for the important work our community does,” said David N. Cicilline, the foundation’s president and CEO.

The Bliss, Gross, Horowitz Fund awards grants to proposals that develop connections between the Jewish community and greater Rhode Island, deepen the understanding of Jewish life and culture through scholarship and historic preservation, or provide for basic human needs, such as food and housing. In addition, Jewish charitable organizations that provide these services can apply for funding to support capacity-building activities such as board development, strategic planning, nonprofit business development, fundraising or program evaluation.

Synagogues and religious day schools are eligible to apply only for project support, but their proposals must be nonsectarian in nature and designed to reach

beyond their constituents. Capital requests are not eligible for funding under this grant program.

Grants typically range from $5,000 to $10,000. Priority will be given to proposals that have clearly stated goals and objectives, measurable outcomes and a clear sustainability plan.

Organizations that have received funding recently include the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island, to offer educational programs for audiences beyond the Jewish community; Jewish Children’s Homes of R.I., to provide summer camp scholarships and to encourage interfaith families to attend; and Jewish Collaborative Services, to buy Kosher food for the Full Plate Kosher Food Pantry.

The Rhode Island Foundation is the largest and most comprehensive funder of nonprofit organizations in Rhode Island. Working with generous and visionary donors, the foundation raised more than $75 million and awarded nearly $84 million in grants in 2022. Through leadership, fundraising and grant-making activities, often in partnership with individuals and organizations, the foundation is helping Rhode Island reach its true potential.

For more information about applying for a grant from the Bliss, Gross, Horowitz Fund, go to rifoundation.org.

Submitted by the Rhode Island Foundation

J-CAMPERS: GRADES K-6

C.I.T. (Counselor in Training) : GRADES 7-10

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COMMUNITY

Rabbi Mandel thanks community at final Shabbat service

BY AARON GINSBURG

ON SHABBAT, June 24, there was a healthy crowd at Newport’s Touro Synagogue. It was the last full day in Newport for Rabbi Marc and Jackie Mandel. Rabbi Mandel gave a short sermon quoting three Mishnah from Pirkei Avot. He chose:

Chapter 2 Mishnah 5, “Don't separate from the community.”

Rabbi Mandel praised the people for supporting the community by participating.

Chapter 4 Mishnah 1, “Who is wise? He who learns from all people.”

Rabbi Mandel thanked people for making him a better rabbi.

Chapter 1 Mishnah 2, “The world stands on three pillars, Torah, Prayer and acts of kindness.”

Rabbi Mandel said, “We just read the Torah. We just prayed. And I want to thank the social justice committee for all the kindness they did in the community.”

Rabbi Mandel’s first Shabbat at Touro Synagogue was June 29, 2012. Around one year later, I decided to go to services at Touro Synagogue. Rabbi Mandel was very welcoming and the services were short. Rabbi Mandel told me, “People don’t like sitting through long services.” I decided to continue coming to Saturday mornings at Touro.

Rabbi Mandel was renowned for his short sermons, which usually were less than 500 words. That left him time to greet members and visitors by name. Sometimes after introducing a visitor, he ended with, “We would be very happy to hear you speak at Kiddush.”

Rabbi Mandel worked closely with and inspired many people in the community. A few of them shared their thoughts:

Former co-president Paul Tobak wrote, “Rabbi Mandel and his family were an asset to our community. His skill as a baal korei (reader of Torah) elevated our services. Rabbi Mandel was always gracious and respectful of the officers

and members of Congregation Jeshuat Israel and was a good match for our congregation.

“We were fortunate to have had him as our rabbi and his new community and congregation in Montreal will be enriched by his knowledge and personality. I wish Rabbi Mandel and his family good health and many pleasures in their new home.”

Jim Herstoff added,

“I certainly agree with the comments that Paul so eloquently offered. It was my privilege and enjoyment to have Rabbi Mandel as our rabbi. I enjoyed working with him very much in my position as chair of the ritual committee and gabbai of the synagogue. He understood the needs of the congregation. We worked easily during COVID to adjust the services to ensure the safety and comfort of everyone.

“Rabbi Mandel is a gentleman. He always put his congregation first...he often declined accepting aliyot that traditionally are given to the rabbi to instead honor congregants. May he and Jackie have much peace and happiness as they assume their places in Montreal.”

Delia Klingbeil recounts how the Mandels taught her and inspired her to keep learning,

“About 10 years ago I met with Rabbi Mandel because my mother had just entered Saint Clare’s [in Newport]. She was 95, and she had just fallen. We thought this was the end. My mother, a daughter of Polish immigrants, had already decided that she wanted to be cremated. She was not observant or religious, but she definitely was a NYC Jew!

“Rabbi Mandel told me, ‘We can work around this. Can I visit her?’ And every Friday morning for the next 5 years he walked down the street and spent 10 or 15 minutes with my mother. They mostly discussed the books that she was listening to.

“My mother Frances Weiss Zelenko died in October 2017, a week before her 100th birthday. Rabbi Mandel held

OBITUARIES

Hilda Dinerman, 92 CRANSTON, R.I. – Hilda Roslyn Dinerman passed away on June 17, 2023, at her home in Cranston with her loving family by her side. She was the beloved wife of the late Abraham Dinerman.

Born in Providence, she was a daughter of the late Jack and Goldie Lewis. Hilda lived in Cranston for 37 years, previously living in Scituate, where she and Abraham owned and operated the Dinerman Modern Egg Farm along with their six children.

Hilda was the center of gravity that held the family

in orbit, yet her free spirit encouraged all to explore and find their own path.

She was the devoted mother of Harvey Dinerman of Scituate; Steven Dinerman and his wife, Esther, of Cranston; Lori DiDomenico and Anthony DiDomenico of Massachusetts; Connie Hilbert of Mystic Connecticut; Norman Dinerman and his wife, Leslie, of Scituate; Enid Koplovsky and her husband, Brian, of Duxbury, Massachusetts; and Paul Dinerman and his wife, MaryAnne, of Cranston. She was a dear sister of Aaron Lewis and his wife, Carol, of Smithfield; and sister-in-law of Barbara Lewis of Miami Beach, Florida. She was a loving grand-

mother of 13 and a cherished great-grandmother of eight. In addition to her parents and husband, she was predeceased by her dear brother, Leon Lewis.

Contributions may be made to Chabad of West Bay, 3871 Post Road, Warwick, RI. or HopeHealth Hospice, 1085 North Main St., Providence, RI, 401-415-4206.

Marsha Feital, 81 WARWICK, R.I. – Marsha Feital passed away on June 4, 2023, at Kent Hospital. Born in Providence, a daughter of the late Alfred and Arline (Swartz) Abrams, she had lived in Warwick for over 50 years, previously living in Providence. Marsha was a graduate of Hope High School and a member of ORT. She earned her degree from the former Boston School of Dental Nursing.

She was the devoted mother of Betsy Hirshorn and her husband, Harry, of East Greenwich. She was the dear sister of Barry Abrams and his wife, Faith, of Palm Bay, Florida. She was the loving grandmother of Owen, Chase and Hadley.

Contributions may be made to the charity of your choice.

Gerald Harris, 98 PLANTATION, FLA. –Gerald

“Jerry” S. Harris died peacefully a few weeks short of his 99th birthday, on June 10, 2023, in Plantation.

Jerry was born on June 22, 1924 in The Bronx, New York. He moved in 1969 with his wife, Harriet, and children Bradley and Amy to Warwick to become the store manager at Learner Shops and later Peerless Stores. He opened “Harry’s Hardware Store” in North Providence.

Jerry was a member of Temple Sinai in Cranston. Jerry’s wife Harriet passed away on Sept. 22, 1988. In 1990s, he moved to Florida.

Jerry is survived by his second wife, Judith Harris, and his children Bradley Harris (Svetlana) and Amy Sirotkin (Andy). His legacy continues with his grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Toby Horowitz, 81 JOHNSTON, R.I. – At 81, a month shy of her 82nd birthday, Toby Horowitz passed away at the HopeHealth Hulitar Hospice Center

on June 10, 2023. Born in Brooklyn, New York, to the late Belle (Abramowitz) and Martin Eisenberg, she was the younger sister of the late Elliott Eisenberg. She was the wife of the late Alan Horowitz, with whom she shared 35 years of marriage. She was the mother of Cheryl Adessi, of Warwick, and Stuart and his partner, Amy Levine, of Framingham, Massachusetts. She was the Bubbe of Alanna Horowitz, of Somerville, Massachusetts, and Cameron Adessi, of Warwick. Although her immediate family was small, Toby had many aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews.

Toby lived in Warwick for parts of 52 years before moving to Johnston in late 2021. She was employed in various fields, including Sears, Minuteman Press and Bank of America. Toby and her family became very involved members of Temple Beth Am in the early 1970s, and she remained a member until it closed. She was a temple board member, a leader of the Sisterhood and an active parent to the religious school and the United Synagogue Youth chapter. Toby was a friend to everyone. Having only immediate family in Rhode Island, Toby and Alan amassed a large circle of friends with whom they shared holidays and social times. In her later years, Toby enjoyed attending the events of Chabad of West Bay, in Warwick; volunteering for Hadassah and Tamarisk; and welcoming new residents to the Preserve at Briarcliffe, in Johnston.

The family extends their gratitude to the staff members of the Preserve at Briarcliffe, Roger Williams Hospital and HopeHealth Hulitar Hospice Center, with special thanks to Dee Richard and Dr. John Stoukides. Donations may be made to Minyan Darchei Shalom, c/o 8 Swallow Drive, Newton, MA 02462 (darcheishalom.org) or to Chabad of West Bay, 3871 Post Road, Warwick, RI 02886 (https://www.rabbiwarwick. com/).

Zita Kaplan, 95 BOYNTON BEACH, FLA. –Zita Esther (Brenner) Kaplan passed away peacefully on June 11, 2023, in Boynton Beach. Daughter and eldest child of the late Morris and Sylvia (Pullman) Brenner of

Woonsocket, she was born on Jan. 5, 1928, in Providence. She graduated from Woonsocket High School in 1945 and attended the University of RI.

Zita was the loving and devoted wife of the late Stanley J. Kaplan who passed away in 2011. They were married for 64 years and were inseparable. Zita and Stan were owners of Sun Ray Curtain Co., first based in Providence then in Middletown and of the former Newport Fabrics that had nine retail stores in RI, Massachusetts and Connecticut. They lived in Providence, Middletown and, eventually, settled in Delray Beach, Florida They traveled to Israel, South America, Europe, Canada and throughout the United States

Zita was blessed with a loving family: daughter Sharon (Michael, Dr.) Strongin and son, Alan (Sheila) Kaplan; four grandchildren, Jason (Lauren) Strongin, Jennifer Mignanelli, Julie (Peter) Sayer and Michael (Elizabeth) Kaplan; eight great-grandchildren, Lauren Mignanelli, Matthew Sayer, Abigail Strongin, Morgan Sayer, Jonathan Mignanelli, Zachary Strongin, Jake Sayer and Noah Kaplan.

Zita also had a very close relationship with her brother Henry (Jo Ann) Brenner and sister-in-law Marjory Brenner. Her brother Gerald Brenner previously passed away. Contributions can be made to the Jewish National Fund, Alzheimer’s Association or the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

Burton Kaufman, 92 WARWICK,

R.I. – Burton Kaufman passed away on June 3, 2023, at the Sunny View Nursing Home. He was the husband of the late Rosella (Langberg) Kaufman for 61 years. Born in Providence, he was a son of the late Benjamin and Molly Kaufman. He had lived in Warwick for over 20 years. He was the owner of Eastern Window Cleaning, a window and floor cleaning service, retiring in his 80s.

He was a grandfather of Keith; his wife, Judi; and Derek, all of Warwick. He was a great-grandfather of Emily and Abigail, both of Warwick. He was the father of the late Florence Brynes and dear brother of the late

OBITUARIES

Milton and Charles Kaufman. Contributions may be made to the Trudeau Center at 3445 Post Road, Warwick, RI 02886 or by visiting https://trudeaucenter.org/donate/.

Mary Ellen Kitzes, 76 PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Mary Ellen Kitzes, of Providence, passed away on June 5, 2023, at her residence. She was the wife of Dr. David L. Kitzes. Their three children, Sydney, Benjamin and Madeline, were extremely privileged to grow up under her wing.

Born in Scottsburg, Indiana, to Robert and Elizabeth (Gardner) Richey, she was the elder sister to two siblings, Linda and Bryan.

After earning a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Indiana University, she worked as an RN at the VA Hospital in Indianapolis. This is where she met the cardiology fellow who would live by her side for 56 years.

After moving to Providence, she fulfilled her lifelong dream of becoming an architect when she earned a bachelor’s degree in fine arts and a master’s degree in architecture from the Rhode Island School of Design. Her love of art, architecture and history of same is something that she shared passionately with her children when carting them from museum to museum at various locations around the world.

As a member and former co-president of The Miriam Hospital Women’s Association, she stayed involved with the hospital for many years and received an honor for her distinguished service. An avid golfer, Mary was also a member of the Hole in One club.

Mary enriched the lives of everyone she met and was widely loved and appreciated for her generous and caring spirit, her wit and her open heart. She is survived by her family and friends who will carry her legacy for all their lives.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Dana Farber Cancer Institute at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, P.O. Box 849168, Boston, MA 02284-9168

George Landow, 82 PROVIDENCE, R.I. – George Paul Landow, of Providence, passed away at home on May 31, 2023.

Busy and productive well into his final weeks, in his final year he achieved 57 years of marriage and 78 years of friendship with Ruth and first-class brown belts in Shotokan karate with Ruth – and was also recognized as Master Model Railroader #737 by Little Rhody, his local NMRA division.

Born in White Plains, New York, to H. I. “Doc” and Lillian Landow, his earliest years were spent with relatives in the Bronx due to the untimely death of his mother and his father’s service in World War II. After the war, his father married Florence (Strasmich), and the family moved to Dover Plains when Prof. Landow was 10. At 14, he attended Wooster School, in Connecticut, and was matriculated at Princeton University as a pre-med at age 16.

Although he gained admission to medical school, he deferred entry in order take a Woodrow Wilson Foundation Fellowship in English Literature at Brandeis; there he earned his first MA in English. The following year, he earned his second master’s at the University of London and then returned to Princeton for his Ph.D. His dissertation on Ruskin became a prize-winning book. He authored multiple books and articles on Victorian literature and art, and computing in the humanities, and enjoyed seeing several works translated into Italian, Spanish, Japanese, Korean and Arabic. His academic honors included a graduate student Fulbright, two Guggenheims, two senior Fulbrights and a fellowship at Cornell’s Society for the Humanities.

He taught at Columbia, the University of Chicago, Brasenose College, Oxford and Brown University in English and Art History departments. He served Brown for three years as chairman of the faculty. From 2000 through 2002, he was the founding dean of the University Scholars Program at the National University of Singapore, after having been hired as a distinguished visiting professor.

While his children were young, he enjoyed photography, model making and coaching his childrens’ baseball and soccer teams. After

his retirement in 2012, he enjoyed spending time with his children and grandsons, watching Princeton lacrosse and sharing watching the Patriots with an old classmate of Ruth’s. He also did considerable world traveling while giving lectures before the pandemic. As Editorin-Chief, he enormously expanded the world-renowned Victorian Web, establishing a foundation and editorial board to ensure it would continue without him. He is survived by his wife, Ruth (Macktez); his daughter, Shoshana, of Barrington; and his son, Noah, of New York; his son-in-law. Ethan Stein. and daughter-in-law. CJ (Brody); his grandsons, Philip and Malcolm Stein; and sister, Marcia Silverstein, of Bangor, Maine.

Donations may be made to the 501(c)(3) Victorian Web Foundation at victorianweb. org.

Sylvia Morse, 91 BOYNTON BEACH, FLA.

– Sylvia (Rifkin) Gratt Morse of Hunters Run in Boynton Beach, Florida, and formerly of Cranston, passed away on June 6, 2023, at her residence. She was the wife of the late Herbert Gratt and the late Stanley “Babe” Morse. Born in Providence, a daughter of the late Benjamin and Lillian (Langleber) Rifkin, she had lived in Rhode Island most of her life before moving to Florida 35 years ago.

Sylvia worked in her family’s furniture store (Liberty Furniture, in East Providence) for many years, and owned and operated Kingstown Furniture, in North Kingstown, with her husband, Herbert Gratt, before retiring.

Survivors include her three children, Linda Gratt, of Massachusetts; Marshall Gratt, of Warwick; and Cindy Teverow and her husband, Joshua, of Palm Beach, Florida, and Narragansett; her daughterin-law Stephanie Gratt of Exeter; five grandchildren, Evan DiZoglio and his wife, Brianna; Jesse DiZoglio and his wife, Alexandra; Chelsea Gratt; A.J. Gratt and Jamie Souza; six great-grandsons, David, Nathan, Elijah, Isaiah, Leo and Raffi; two stepchildren, Deborah Rosen and Paul Morse; seven step-grandchildren, Justin Rosen, Erica Lazarus, Miles

Morse, Nicole Morse, Jason Morse, Benjamin Morse and Jessica Johnson; and several step-great-grandchildren and nieces and nephews. She was the sister of the late Simon Rifkin and Hilton Rifkin, and the stepmother of the late Larry Morse.

She was an avid golfer and a member of Hunters Run Country Club, in Boynton Beach; a former member of Ledgemont Country Club; a charter-member of Quidnessett Country Club and a former member of Crestwood Country Club. She was a former member of Temple Sinai, in Cranston, and of Hadassah. Sylvia was an accomplished bridge player and canasta player all her life. Memorial contributions may be made to Temple Sinai, 30 Hagan Ave., Cranston, RI 02920.

Sydelle Rozbruch, 90 WARWICK, R.I. – Sydelle

Elaine Rozbruch passed peacefully away on June 28, 2023, at HopeHealth Hulitar Hospice Center in Providence. She was the beloved wife of the late Martin Rozbruch whom she met at a dance in the Catskill Mountains in New York. Born in Manhat-

tan, New York, daughter of Max and Mollie Fruchter, she had lived in Cranston since 1985, living previously in California, New York and Florida.

Sydelle and her late husband, Martin, owned the Pine Lodge Hotel in Monticello, New York, and worked as office manager and bookkeeper as well as owned the Party Girl Gift and Card store in Woodland Hills, California. She loved Yiddish and creative writing classes that she took at the JCC and would frequently volunteer reading to students in local elementary schools.

Sydelle was the adored and cherished mother of Michael Rozbruch and his wife, Roslyn; Mynde Rozbruch Siperstein of Warwick and her husband, Gary; and Neil Rozbruch and his wife, Susie. She was proudest of her loving grandchildren, Jason Siperstein and his wife Dr. Dana Siperstein, Carly Harary and her husband Ralph, Erica Rozbruch Rozmid, Ph.D. and her husband, Ramsey, Danielle Rozbruch, Diego Rozbruch, Noemi Rozbruch and precious great-grandchildren Lily, Ely, Ariana and Emma. Sydelle was most proud of being a mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. She called her children and grandchildren daily, inquir-

OBITUARIES

ing about their lives and was a great listener. She was happiest when her family was happy and healthy. She lit up the room with her beautiful blue eyes and infectious laugh and entertained us with stories from her youth. She cooked us all our favorite foods including meatballs, veal stew and rice pudding. She loved going on yearly family vacations, weekly sleepovers and Sunday night dinners at Legal Seafoods. She loved to sing, listen to music and dance with her dance partner and friend, Falco DeIngenis.

The family would like to extend their gratitude to the Phyllis Siperstein Tamarisk Assisted Living for their care and love and most recently to Meryl Lovitz, Rosemarie Maggio and HopeHealth Hospice.

Contributions may be made to the Phyllis Siperstein Tamarisk Assisted Living, 3 Shalom Drive, Warwick, RI 02886 or HopeHealth Hospice and Palliative Care, 1085 N. Main St., Providence, RI 02904.

Rhoda Sandler, 78

QUINCY, MASS. – Rhoda Sandler, of Quincy, Massachusetts and previously Providence, passed away on June 21, 2023, at South Shore Hospital in Weymouth. Born in Providence, she was the daughter of the late Alfred J. and Beatrice (Kraus) Sandler.

Rhoda graduated from Hope High School in 1963 and earned a bachelor’s degree in education from Lesley University in 1967. She was always at the top of her class, serving as valedictorian in junior high, high school and college. A member of the Quincy and Massachusetts Teachers Unions, Ms. Sandler was a teacher in the Quincy School Department for 39 years, retiring in 2002.

Survivors include one brother, Gordon Sandler of New Jersey, and one nephew, Donald Sandler of Natick, Massachusetts. She was the sister of the late Lester Sandler.

Contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 6704, Hagerstown, MD 21741.

Miriam Schindler, 101 Miriam M. (Jablonsky) Schindler, of North Carolina and previously Rhode Island, passed away on June 21, 2023.

She was the loving wife of the late Herbert W. Schindler. Born in Brooklyn, New York, she was the daughter of the late Max and Sarah (Selkin) Jablonsky.

Mrs. Schindler was a bookkeeper in the insurance business for many years before retiring. She enjoyed golfing, playing canasta and especially loved spending time with her family.

Survivors include: three daughters, Laurie Goldman and her husband, Stephan, of Warwick, Merril Schindler of North Carolina and Ronnie Hauptman and her husband, David of Colorado; six grandchildren, Kevin Goldman and his wife, Sasha, Scott Goldman and his wife, Patricia, Brian Goldman and his wife, Jhen, James Goldman and his wife, Danielle, Rachel Hauptman and Stephanie Garg and her husband Vivek; 16 great-grandchildren, Callie, Annabel, Hazel, Michael, Xavier, Joshua, Zenna, Rosalie, Quinn, Isabelle, Gabriel, Theodore, Max, Sari, Isha and Ajay; many nieces and nephews.

She was the sister of the late Anne Kesselman, Louis Jablonsky, Jack Jablonsky, Phillip Jablonsky and Abraham Jablons.

Tovia Siegel, 91 PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Tovia Ann (Mancoll) Siegel, of Providence, passed away on Saturday, June 10, 2023.

Born in Hartford, Connecticut, to Dr. Morris and Edith (Melamed) Mancoll, Tovia graduated from The Northfield School, Pembroke College (BA) and URI (MLS). She was a librarian at Temple Emanu-El, The Wheeler School and The Gordon School, where she inspired so many to read with insatiable curiosity. She was active in many community organizations, including The Miriam Hospital Women’s Association, where she served as president and editor of “Simply Delicious.”

Tovia was married to Dr. Jason C. Siegel for 64 years until his death in 2018. She was predeceased by her parents; her in-laws, Flora and Harry Siegel; her brothers, Dr. Harry Mancoll and Dr. William Mancoll; and her brother-in-law, Melvin Safner. She is survived by her daughters Sarah (Paul Stein) and Rachel (Irwin Gelber); her sister, Isadora Safner; her sisters-in-law, Terrie Mancoll and Anita Mancoll; her many nieces and nephews; and the colleagues and friends who

were lucky enough to know her.

Donations may be made to The Wm. G. Braude Library Fund, Temple Beth El, 70 Orchard Ave., Providence RI 02906.

Donald Simon, 78 PAWTUCKET, R.I. – Donald H. Simon, of Pawtucket, passed away on June 4, 2023, at HopeHealth Hulitar Hospice Center. He was the husband of Carolyn (Wolf) Simon, with whom he shared 48 years of marriage.

Born in New York City, he was the son of the late Harold and Mildred (Koscherak) Simon.

Mr. Simon was the president of the Sunrise Corporation Inc., which was the first nonprofit ad agency in Rhode Island. After closing Sunrise Corporation, he opened the East Side Art Center in 1992. An avid gardener, he enjoyed listening to records, traveling and doing work around the house.

In addition to his wife, Carolyn, he is survived by one daughter, Eryn Lunde, of Barrington; two grandchildren, Emma and Mark Lunde; one sister, Nancy Fulton, and her husband, David, of Brookline, Massachusetts; one brother, Roger Simon, of New York City; three nieces, Julie Fulton, Kate Fulton and Abigail Simon; and two nephews, Noah and Daniel Simon.

Dr. Sanford Spraragen, 95 TENAFLY, N.J. – Dr. Sanford Chester Spraragen passed away on June 12, 2023. Beloved husband, father, grandfather and physician, he was born in Schenectady, New York, in 1927 to a family of engineers.

After one year of college at MIT, he was drafted and served in the U.S. Army. While stationed in Germany, he befriended a Hungarian couple who were Holocaust survivors. He wrote to his father, to help sponsor their immigration to the U.S.

Upon returning to MIT, he changed his major to biology. Following graduation he earned a Master’s Degree in Radiation Biology and an MD at the University of Rochester Medical School. In 1954 he married Barbara Fox, also of Schenectady.

After two years as a research associate at Brookhaven National Laboratory, Dr. Spraragen became an assistant professor of Medicine at Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee.

His next move was to Brooklyn, New York, to become chief of Nuclear Medicine at the VA Hospital and clinical associate professor of Radiology at Downstate Medical Center. There he continued his research in hypertension and atherosclerosis utilizing nuclear medicine diagnostics.

In 1972 he moved to East Greenwich. As director of Nuclear Medicine at The Miriam Hospital, he also joined Brown University’s clinical faculty. In the 1980s he opened a private practice while continuing at the VA in Providence.

In retirement, he enjoyed playing the trumpet, and volunteered as a docent at the Roger Williams Zoo. He was proud to have “discovered” Rhode Island and welcomed friends and relatives to visit so that he could show them why.

Dr. Spraragen donated to many charities including Hadassah and the Lymphoma and Leukemia Society, in honor of his wife who predeceased him in 2018. He is survived by his children David, Lisa, Susan, Joseph and nine grandchildren.

Shirley Wolpert, 97 PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Shirley Sugarman Wolpert, of Providence and Narragansett, passed away on June 29, 2023, after a brief illness. She was the wife of the late Irving Wolpert.

Born in Providence, a daughter of the late Robert and Jennie (Rudis) Sugarman, she was a lifelong resi-

dent of the city.

A graduate of Classical High School, class of 1942, Shirley earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Pembroke College in 1946. She later worked as a receptionist at the Maddock Alumni Center at Brown University, greeting a variety of visitors, from George Harrison to Howard Cosell to foreign dignitaries, over the 28 years she was there. Shirley was a very active and devoted member of the Pembroke Club of Providence for many years.

An avid Patriots fan, she especially enjoyed the years Tom Brady was quarterback and was very sad to see him leave New England. Shirley truly loved summers spent with family at her home in Narragansett and always enjoyed time spent at Narragansett Town Beach.

She is survived by two children, Bruce Wolpert and his wife, Marlene Fishman Wolpert, of Providence and Nancy Rachman and her husband, Dr. Arnold Rachman, of Manhattan, New York; two grandchildren, Michael Wolpert and his wife, Ashley, and Jonathan Wolpert and his wife, Serena; three great-grandchildren, Rachel, Matthew and Olivia and several nieces and nephews, including Paul, Marjorie and Judi with whom she was very close. She was the sister of the late Dr. Herman Sugarman and Blossom Roodin.

The Wolpert family would like to extend their heartfelt gratitude to Shirley’s caregivers for the kindness and compassionate care they had given her over the past year.

Contributions may be made to the Jewish Community Day School of Rhode Island, 85 Taft Ave., Providence, RI 02906.

ASK THE DIRECTOR

BY ADAM G. SMITH AND MICHAEL D. SMITH, F.D., R.E., Shalom Memorial Chapel

What should I do if I miss my mother’s Yahrzeit date?

D.S., Barrington Dear D.S.,

If you miss the yahrzeit date of any family member, the recommendation is to attend synagogue and recite Kaddish on the next closest Shabbat, according to the rabbis I spoke to. They also added, “Saying Kaddish late is better than not saying it at all.”

HAVE A QUESTION? Email it to ShalomChapel@aol.com, or mail it to Ask the Director, c/o Shalom Memorial Chapel, 1100 New London Ave., Cranston, R.I. 02920.

SIMCHAS | WE ARE READ

Mazel tov

Robyn Hohenemser-Golden and Jeffrey Golden of Cranston are elated to announce the birth of their second granddaughter, Emersyn Rowan Rader, daughter of Michelle and Scott Rader of Ballston Lake, New York, born on June 3, 2023. Emersyn is the little sister of Reese Bea Rader. Paternal grandparents are Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Rader of Clifton Park, New York. Aunt Erica Golden of Cranston and Aunt Chelsie and Uncle Kevin Rader of Albany, New York are also thrilled to welcome this beautiful bundle of joy.

Celebrating 32 years together!

Ida and Tom Brown of Hopatcong, New Jersey

(Ida Bochner-Brown is formerly from Rhode Island) celebrated their 32nd anniversary with long-time friends on board the Anthem of the Seas to the Bahamas. Pictured here are Karen Gajewski, Tom & Ida Brown, Lois Czajkowski and Bob Craig. Tom and Bob have been friends since first grade. Bob was an usher at Ida and Tom’s wedding.

We Are Read

On the road to Milwaukee – Ken Schneider of East Providence rode his motorcycle to Milwaukee, Wis., where he met up with 125 other Jewish bikers who raised money for the local Holocaust Center. He reports that “We are looking for Jewish motorcycle riders to ride with us in Rhode Island and Massachusetts on a weekly basis. Contact him at Kenschneider33@gmail.com

JEWISH RHODE ISLAND's

Kid Stuff

THEY DON’T CALL THEM “Baby Boomers” for nothing. This double spread from 1952 showcases 24 local children, ranging in age from five months to 7 years, under the cheeky headline “Our Younger Set.” Postwar birth rates skyrocketed during this decade: The total number of Jewish-Americans hovered around 5 million in 1950 and climbed to around 5.5 million by 1960, accord-

Rabbi Mandel thanks community at final Shabbat service

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 26

a service for her at the chapel on Fowler Avenue. We then went, including the Rabbi, to our house in Jamestown where he conducted a shiva service with me and my sister.

“I became involved in Touro, helped with the Hebrew School, and attended services.

“During COVID, I learned about Sefaria, and spoke about several weekly parshas, including Korach (on zoom) which the rabbi ended with last week. I’m a NYC Queens girl who never attended services until I married and had 2 daughters. I never was Bat Mitzvah-ed and I can read a bit of Hebrew because sometime ago Jackie ran a Hebrew Class in their dining room and I attended, most of the time.

“Ralph and I were honored to have Friday night dinners at the Rabbi’s and Jackie's house after services. Wonderful meals and memories…

“I will miss the rabbi. He was always non-judgmental and I have great memories of being upstairs during inspirational evenings and mornings at Touro.”

The rabbi's new position is at Congregation Beth Tikvah Ahavat Shalom Nusach Hoari near Montreal. During the summer Rabbi Stephen Belsky will officiate at Touro.

AARON GINSBURG lives in Stoughton, Massachusetts and blogs at jewishnewport. blogspot.com.

This Month in History

ing to the Jewish Virtual Library. This wouldn’t be the last time the then Herald crowdsourced adorable photographs from Rhode Island readers. Jewish Rhode Island’s annual “Pet Issue” is a popular source of reader-submitted photos. If you happen to recognize any of these faces (and have a more recent image), feel free to send it to us at risenberg@ jewishallianceri.org

Newspaper courtesy Rhode Island Jewish Historical Association