September 2021 by Jewish Rhode Island

The Voice of Greater Rhode Island’s Jewish Community

SEPTEMBER 2021 | ELUL 5781/TISHREI 5782

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L’shanah Tovah A sweet year Meet Temple Beth-El’s new rabbi

Consider Sukkot’s message for climate change

Bake a Rosh Hashanah dessert with Lisa

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New year, new thought: Let’s embrace what’s good right now SOMETIMES, when I sit down to write this column, I stare at a blank page on my computer screen and I wonder where to begin. My aim isn’t to be scholarly or to impart wisdom based on years of learning. My words aren’t a d’var Torah or a sermon. I’m more interested in writing about, life and thoughts based on personal observations. I relish my ability to tell you a good story or anecdote and share some of my community with you. But that isn’t a guarantee that I won’t hit a roadblock when trying to sort through the stories that are all around us. Take the ongoing pandemic, for instance. Summer started with the bright promise of sunny days and fewer restrictions. It looked like COVID-19 was on the downswing, shriveling under the onslaught of vaccines. Now, we seem to be slipping backward, despite the vaccinations. Masks are back on for many. Gov. Dan McKee has announced that he’s reopening the Cranston Field Hospital. Schools are looking at reinstating mask mandates. The Delta variant has created fears of more breakthrough cases, and booster shots are starting later this month. Is this our new normal? As I write this, we are two weeks from 5782. What’s so new about all this? I wrote a column in August 2020 about the new normal. I lamented missed family gatherings and postponed simchot. I talked about meetings and programs gone virtual. But here we are, more than a year later, and we are still not fully back to what we wish was normal. Isn’t it time to just normalize where we are? Isn’t it time to realize that the precautions we have taken in the last year and a half may be here to stay for a while? Perhaps acknowledging, and accepting, that life has changed a bit will help us move forward more

easily and take more positives from all of this. We may talk about the good old days, preCOVID-19, when we traveled maskless on airplanes – but in those good old days, we often came down with a cold a few days after a flight. Worship may continue to be both in person and on Zoom for some time to come. We have all learned to pivot. And while we may not like it, let’s consider that Zoom is a wonderful option for those who can’t get to their synagogue but still want to worship with a congregation. Online programming allows those near and far to join in via Zoom. Yes, we’d rather gather in person. But moving between virtual and in-person is a new skill that will open up our community to more and more participants. Virtual services, for example, will let me to join my sister as she leads her congregation in Connecticut this year. Pikuah nefesh, the preservation of life, is fundamental to Judaism – a command that takes precedence even over Shabbat observance. Many of our wisest advisers have urged us to get fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Some have said it’s our moral obligation to get vaccinated. Until more people take that advice, let’s stop romanticizing what was normal pre-COVID and instead embrace the normal of the here and now. As some would put it, it is what it is. Let’s recognize the good – our ability to pivot, access to more options online, better health with masks, more appreciation of the chances we have to be together – and celebrate the potential of another new year. Let’s be safe, take advantage of what we have now and have a sweet, happy, hopeful and healthy new year! Fran Ostendorf, Editor

D'VAR TORAH 5 | CALENDAR 6 | OPINION 8 | COMMUNITY VOICES 10 HIGH HOLY DAYS 14 | FOOD 18 | COMMUNITY 24 | BUSINESS 35 | OBITUARIES 36 | SIMCHAS 39 THE MISSION OF JEWISH RHODE ISLAND is to communicate Jewish news, ideas and ideals by connecting and giving voice to the diverse views of the Jewish community in Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts, while adhering to Jewish values and the professional standards of journalism.

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land. Announcements and opinions contained in these pages are published as a service to the community and do not necessarily represent the views of Jewish Rhode Island or its publisher, the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island. We reserve the right to refuse publication and edit submitted content. ON THE COVER: Apples and honey photo illustration PHOTO BY GLENN OSMUNDSON

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UP FRONT

Meet Preston D. Neimeiser, Providence’s new rabbi BY ROBERT ISENBERG PRESTON D. NEIMEISER has had a very busy year. On May 2, Neimeiser was ordained as a rabbi. On May 25, he married Victoria Litman. Two days later, Litman graduated from law school. Then, on June 1, the newlyweds moved to Providence, where Neimeiser began as the assistant rabbi of Temple Beth-El. All this … at the age of 27. “The best plans I ever made,” he quips, “I didn’t actually make.” Neimeiser is a soft-spoken man with an impressive beard and glasses. He has the build of a linebacker, but his smile is constant and he’s quick to chuckle. His tranquil demeanor has helped the rabbi through many life stages, starting with his childhood in Tallahassee, Florida. Neimeiser says his father grew up in a largely Yiddish-speaking neighborhood in New Jersey, but “he never felt like he fit in.” The elder Neimeiser

was critical of religion and found his purpose as a union organizer; he became executive director of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME). Neimeiser’s mother wasn’t Jewish, but rather a Mexican-American social worker from Wisconsin. She eventually converted to Judaism, at her mother-in-law’s urging. “They had a handshake deal that her kids would be raised Jewish,” Neimeiser recalls. As a child, Neimeiser says he cultivated a strong social network at temple and Jewish summer camps. “Basically, I found home at temple,” he says. “I loved music, and there was music at temple. If not for my synagogue and a few really good teachers, I might have fallen through the cracks and had a very different life. Even though I wasn’t a particularly good student at Hebrew school, I always knew that I had a place to go.” Neimeiser volunteered as a madrich

(youth counselor) and served as song leader for several camps. At home, his family instilled in him a strong sense of compassion. “Around the dinner table, we would often talk about the just society and how to create it and what our role is in it,” Neimeiser says. With a chuckle, he adds: “We never really agreed, but we always talked about it.” Neimeiser says he had a watershed moment during his junior year in high school, when he spent a semester in Israel. He was required to take three hours of history each day, followed by two hours of Hebrew studies. “For the first time in my life, I felt really challenged academically, in a way that was invigorating,” he says. Neimeiser then spent a week in Poland, visiting important sites from the Holocaust. The experience shook him deeply, and he started to question “how God could let something like

this happen,” he said. But when he flew out of Poland, the stormy emotions subsided, and he arrived at Israel’s Ben Gurion International Airport to a chorus of “Shalom Aleichem.” “The weight was gone,” he says. “I realized, this is my people. I’m going to make aliyah.” Neimeiser earned a B.S. in psychology from Florida State University in 2016, but he remained enamored of Israel. He traveled extensively, seeking out perspectives different from his own. Neimeiser said he feels confident in his Reform identity, but he also became interested in more traditional practices. “The more I was exposed to ritual, the more I embraced ritual,” he says. “But I think so much of my journey proved to me that there is no one way to be Jewish.” Gradually, Neimeiser warmed up to CONTINUED ON PAGE 7

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A powerful proposition I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day: I have put before you life and death, blessing and curse. Choose life – that you and your offspring would live. – Deut. 30:19

D’ VA

MANY YEARS AGO, long before I became a rabbi, I was invited to High Holy Days services at Beth Chayim Chadashim (BCC) in Los Angeles. As I walked into the sanctuary on Erev Rosh Hashanah, I remember being moved – struck, really – in a way I had never experienced at a shul before. In many ways, the scene was exactly what you’d expect: several hundred people packed into an overly air-conditioned sanctuary schmoozing with old friends and paging through their machzorim. But BCC was unique. Founded in 1972, it was the world’s first synagogue by and for LGBTQ+ Jews and their allies. As I looked for a seat, I took in the environment – the exquisite bimah cover referencing this week’s Torah portion exhorting us to “Choose Life!,” the choir singing a rendition of “Seasons of Love” from the musical “Rent,” and the rabbi inviting us to remove our shoes because we were – like Moses at the burning bush – on holy ground. A wave of emotion came over me. For the first time ever, my love of Judaism and who I was as a person weren’t in conflict, and I couldn’t keep the tears from streaming. Fortunately, the world has changed a lot since that Rosh Hashanah decades ago. But I can’t read Parashat Nitzavim without being transported back to that experience at BCC. The parashah begins with a sense of inclusivity and community that was so evident that day: “You stand this day, all of you, before Adonai your God – your tribal heads, your elders and your officials, all the men of Israel, your children, your wives, even the stranger within your camp from woodchopper to water drawer – to enter into the covenant of Adonai your God. (Deut. 30:9-11) Everyone was a part of the covenant and the community. Every Jew, from community leader to custodian, was an integral co-signer of this covenant with God and had an important role to play in the community. Even the strangers – those non-Jews who had aligned and associated themselves with the Jewish people – were an important part of the covenantal whole.

In our very fractured and fragmented time, when even the Jewish people are siloed by denominations and politics, I find these opening verses of Parashat Nitzavim to be a hopeful reminder of what is possible. But for me, the most intriguing part of the portion comes at the end, when we are exhorted to choose life: “I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day: I have put before you life and death, blessing and curse. Choose life – if you and your offspring would live.” (Deut. 30:19) But what does it mean to choose life? The peshat, or surface meaning, is made clear in the next verse. We choose life by loving God, following God’s commands and holding fast to God. Through our righteous connection to the divine, we choose life. Seems simple, no? If we stay at the peshat level, we have a path for choosing a life that is simple but, unfortunately, not RABBI GAVI RUIT entirely helpful for navigating life in our modern age. But our tradition rarely stays at the surface, and many commentators have fleshed out what it truly means to choose life. In tractate Kiddushin of the Talmud, we learn that in addition to a righteous connection to God, a person must do two things to choose life: seek peace and pursue kindness. To “merit life, prosperity, and honor,” one must live with a dedication to peace and kindness. What a powerful proposition! Imagine what our world would look like, would feel like, if our interactions with others were based on the belief that our own life, our own humanity, required that we seek peace and pursue kindness. In Tractate Berakhot, we find another layer of what it is to choose life. In this case, the rabbis discuss what can obstruct or shorten life: “Three things may cause to shorten a man’s days and years: refusing to read the Torah when offered to him, refusing to recite Kiddush and leading a dominating life.” Reading Torah and reciting Kiddush are consistent with the peshat of our portion, but what do the rabbis mean by “leading a dominating life?” They use Joseph and how he treated his brothers to illustrate this concept of domination. Joseph, who had been sold into slavery by his brothers, rose to be the second in command in Egypt. By the time he re-encounters his brothers, who are fleeing a famine, he is rich and powerful … and vindictive. He uses his power and the fact that his brothers don’t recognize him to terrorize them. He frames them for a theft they didn’t

TO R A H

commit, locks one of them up, and has them all fearing for their lives. Some of us might think that, after selling Joseph into slavery, his brothers deserved whatever treatment they got. But our Talmudic sages see it differently. For them, “Joseph died before his brothers because he dominated them.” For the rabbis, using your power to dominate, terrorize or repress those who are less powerful is the opposite of choosing life. Finally, medieval commentators Ibn Ezra and Rashi round out for us what it means to choose life. Ibn Ezra’s cryptic comment is in response to “Choose life – that you and your offspring would live.” He explains that this means to live physically or in memory, and adds that “scripture explains that life is to love.” Rashi continues with this image of love with a parent/child analogy. He writes, “It is like a man who says to his son, ‘choose for yourself a good portion of my real estate’ and sets him in the best portion, saying to him ‘Choose this!’ ” Just as a loving parent wants the best for their child, so too God wants us to make such choices. As our sources suggest, choosing life is about much more than just staying alive. It’s even more than simply loving God and performing mitzvot. Choosing life requires choosing to live a life founded on certain values – peace and kindness, eschewing domination, and love. This fleshed-out definition of choosing life can be very helpful in navigating our modern age. We are presented with choices every day that fall under this umbrella of choosing life: • Do I partake in toxic gossip at work? Choose life! • Do I beat up my little brother because I’m angry? Choose life! • Do I approach others from love or indifference? Choose life so you can truly live! • The choice is ours. Shanah tovah umetukah! May this be a truly good and truly sweet year. RABBI GAVI RUIT was ordained by Hebrew Union College-Los Angeles and did post-ordination graduate work in Medieval & Modern Jewish Thought at HUC-Cincinnati. Her approach to the rabbinate is both scholarly and deeply spiritual. She teaches adult ed classes that are dedicated to helping progressive Jews bridge any gaps in Jewish education so they can plumb the depths of our vibrant tradition. Upcoming Gesher Learning Community classes can be found at ravgavi.com.

Canadian Jewish News restarts, eyeing a younger audience BY ANDREW LAPIN (JTA) – Reports of the demise of the Canadian Jewish News have been, not for the first time, greatly exaggerated. On Sept. 1, the publication – the largest Jewish news organization in Canada –rebranded as a digital-first enterprise after abruptly shutting down operations in April 2020 and then resuming a trickle of content over the last year. It is the second relaunch for the 61-year-old nonprofit, which previously shut its doors in 2013 before garnering enough community support to restart operations within a year. This time, the CJN is undergoing a full-scale revamp, although with the same editor in chief. It is prioritizing digital content, including email newsletters and a suite of podcasts, and dramatically scaling back its print edition from weekly to four times a year. A new digital membership program will replace print subscribers. Articles on the website will skew to a younger audience, with the goal of establishing intergenerational dialogue among the country’s 400,000 Jews. Among the buzzy topics covered at the new CJN: a feature on young Jews who have been getting Holocaust tattoos to honor survivors and a podcast interview with Rain Pryor, Richard Pryor’s daughter. The new CJN is also leaning hard into podcasts, with offerings including a daily news show and a spirituality-focused series titled “Won’t You Be My Rabbi?” The CJN now employs seven fulltime staffers, including several in a newly created podcast department. That’s down from a staff of 40 in 2013 and less than half of the 16 on the masthead at the time of its April 2020 closure. (Though the Toronto-based publication had previously staffed a separate Montreal edition with occasional French-language content, the CJN is refraining from a concentrated Montreal venture for now.) The changes, which have been rolling out in a soft-launch format for the past few months ahead of the official Rosh Hashanah-pegged relaunch date, are part of a top-to-bottom rethinking of the publication. Editorial leadership said that reinvention had already been in the works as early as 2019, but those plans were derailed last spring when the board’s president, Elizabeth Wolfe, announced the CJN would close up shop. Wolfe cited the loss of revenue CONTINUED ON PAGE 13

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CALENDAR HIGHLIGHTS FOR COMPLETE MONTHLY LISTINGS, VISIT JEWISHRHODY.ORG

Ongoing

Kosher Senior Café and Zoom programming. Cold box lunches will continue to be delivered through the end of September to all our Café guests who request home delivery while meal sites are closed due to COVID-19. Two lunches delivered on Mondays and Wednesdays; one lunch delivered on Fridays. Zoom programming includes yoga on Tuesdays from 11:30 a.m.-noon followed by lunch and a guest speaker or discussion from noon-1 p.m. The second Tuesday of the month is “Susie’s Corner” with Susie Adler from noon-1 p.m. The third Thursday of the month is a book chat with Neal Drobnis from noon-1 p.m. Suggested donation: $3 per lunch. Information, Neal Drobnis at neal@jfsri.org or 401421-4111, ext. 107. Music with Raymond Buttero via Zoom. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays 3-4 p.m. Temple Sinai's pianist performs. Link at templesinairi.org. Information, dottie@ templesinairi.org or 401-942-8350. Project Shoresh Partners in Torah Night In-person and via Zoom. Sundays 7:45-8:30 p.m. 450 Elmgrove Ave., Providence. Partner-based study group. Study your choice of texts, English or Hebrew, ancient or modern, with facilitators available. Let us know if you need a “study-buddy.” Free. Information, Naftali Karp at naftalikarp@gmail. com or 401-632-3165. Project Shoresh “The Path of the Just – The Jewish Waze.” Mondays 8-8:35 p.m. Journey the path of life using the WAZE of Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzato in his book "Messilas Yesharim" via Zoom. Free. Information, Noach Karp at rnoachkarp@gmail.com or 401429-8244. Project Shoresh “48 Ways to Wisdom” with Rabbi Naftali Karp. Tuesdays 7:45-8:45 p.m. The Mishnah describes 48 essential tools to acquire Torah. Rav Noach Weinberg taught these 48 ways as guidelines to achieving success in every facet of our lives. Free. Each class self-contained. Information or RSVP, Naftali Karp at naftalikarp@ gmail.com or 401-632-3165. Project Shoresh Jewish Young Professionals Shmooze. Wednesdays 7:15-8:15 p.m. Lippitt Memorial Park, 1015 Hope St., Providence. Shmooze, snack and have a beer. Free. Information, Naftali Karp at naftalikarp@gmail.com or 401-6323165. Temple Sinai Shabbat Services. Fridays 6-7 p.m. 30 Hagen Ave., Cranston. With Rabbi Jeffrey

Goldwasser and Cantor Deborah Johnson. Limited in-person space; registration required. Zoom link at templesinairi.org. Information, dottie@templesinairi.org or 401942-8350. Project Shoresh Lively Kabbalat Shabbat. Fridays 6:45-7:30 p.m. 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, Naftali Karp at naftalikarp@gmail.com or 401-632-3165. Cape Cod Synagogue Shabbat Services. Fridays 7-8:30 p.m. 145 Winter St., Hyannis, Mass. With Rabbi David Freelund. In-person and live-streamed on multiple platforms. All welcome for in-person services in our sanctuary. Masks optional for fully vaccinated people. All others should use a mask. Information, Cape Cod Synagogue 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. Join us for this clergy and lay-led service. This service is multi-access, so you can attend in-person in our tent or via zoom. Information, Joie Magnone at jmagnone@temple-beth-el.org or 401-331-6070, ext. 100. Temple Torat Yisrael Virtual and In-person Shabbat Services. Saturdays 9:30-10:30 a.m. 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich. With Rabbi Aaron Philmus. For Zoom link, email Temple@toratyisrael.org. Temple Habonim Torah Study via Zoom. Saturdays 10-11 a.m. Rabbi Howard Voss-Altman leads weekly Torah study on current portion. Information, Adina Davies at office@ templehabonim.org or 401-2456536. Temple Sinai Shabbat Breakfast & Torah Study In-person and via Zoom. Saturdays 9:30-11 a.m. Temple Sinai, 30 Hagen Ave., Cranston. Interactive discussion with Rabbi Jeffrey Goldwasser. Limited in-person space for members; registration required. Zoom link at templesinairi.org. Information, dottie@templesinairi.org or 401942-8350. Cape Cod Synagogue Shabbat Services. Saturdays 10:30-11:30 a.m. 145 Winter St., Hyannis, Mass. With Rabbi David Freelund. In-person and live-streamed on multiple platforms. All welcome for in-person services in our sanctuary. Fully vaccinated people are

mask-optional. All others should use a mask. Information, Cape Cod Synagogue 508-775-2988 or capecodsynagogue.org. Temple Sinai Shabbat Morning Service In-person and via Zoom. Saturdays 11 a.m.-noon. Temple Sinai, 30 Hagen Ave., Cranston. Limited in-person space for members; registration required. Zoom link at templesinairi.org. Information, templesinairi.org or Dottie at 401-942-8350.

Friday | September 3

Kosher Senior Café Rosh Hashanah Celebration. 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Dwares JCC, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence. Enjoy music and challah, chicken soup, sweet and sour brisket, tzimmes and honey cake. Suggested donation: $3 per person. RSVP (by 8/27) and information, Neal Drobnis at neal@jfsri.org or 401-421-4111, ext. 107. Temple Beth-El Shabbat Service. 5:45 p.m.-6:30 p.m. 70 Orchard Ave., Providence. Join us, either outside in our tent or via Zoom, for this multi-access Shabbat service. Information, temple-beth-el.org or Joie Magnone at jmagnone@temple-beth-el.org or 401-331-6070, ext. 100. Temple Torat Yisrael Virtual Welcome Shabbat with the Rabbi Services. 5:30-5:45 p.m. Join Rabbi Aaron Philmus for a service filled with songs and stories. For Zoom link, email Temple@toratyisrael.org. Temple Torat Yisrael Virtual Kabbalat Shabbat Songs and Torah Services. 5:45-6:30 p.m. With Rabbi Aaron Philmus. For adults. For Zoom link, email Temple@ toratyisrael.org.

Saturday | September 4

Temple Beth-El Shabbat Service. 5:45 p.m.-6:30 p.m. 70 Orchard Ave., Providence. Join us, either outside in our tent or via Zoom, for this multi-access Shabbat service. Information, temple-beth-el.org or Joie Magnone at jmagnone@temple-beth-el.org or 401-331-6070, ext. 100.

Saturday | September 11

Saturday | September 18

The Miriam Hospital Virtual Gala & Auction – Roaring into the 20s. 7-8 p.m. “Live” entertainment and bidding. Register for “dinner and drinks to go” or to attend for free (no meal). Proceeds support the creation of the Center for Innovative Cancer Research to access the most advanced cancer treatments and clinical studies at The Miriam Hospital. Information or to register, giving.lifespan.org/The-Miriam/Gala or 401-793-2004.

Sunday | September 12

Core Connects RI Providence Mikveh Visit. 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Behind the Dwares JCC, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence. There is an ancient custom to immerse in the mikveh (Jewish ritual bath) waters before Rosh Hashanah/Yom Kippur. $36 suggested donation. RSVP (required) and information, coreconnectsri.com or Elissa Felder at CoreConnectsRI@gmail.com or 401-241-9631. Project Shoresh Annual Night of Inspiration. 7-8:30 p.m. Dwares JCC, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence. Be inspired for the High Holy Days. Guest of honor: Mark Horowitz, managing director at JP Morgan Wealth Management. Cost: $36 per person | $50 per couple. RSVP required. Information, projectshoresh.com or Naftali Karp at nkarp@projectshoresh.com.

Tuesday | September 14

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

Friday | September 10

Friday | September 17

Temple Torat Yisrael Virtual Welcome Shabbat with the Rabbi Services. 5:30-5:45 p.m. Join Rabbi Aaron Philmus for a service filled with songs and stories. For Zoom link, email Temple@toratyisrael.org. Temple Torat Yisrael Virtual Kabbalat Shabbat Songs and Torah Services. 5:45-6:30 p.m. With Rabbi Aaron Philmus. For adults. For Zoom link, email Temple@ toratyisrael.org.

Sunday | September 19

Temple Habonim Family Concert. 4:30 p.m. 165 New Meadow Road, Barrington. Family-friendly concert with talented performer Eliana Light. To learn more about Eliana Light and hear her beautiful voice, visit elianalight.com. RSVP or information, Adina at office@templehabonim.org or 401-245-6536.

Monday | September 20

Temple Beth-El K’Tantan Family Shabbat: Pizza in the Hut. 5:30 p.m. 70 Orchard Ave., Providence. Decorate the sukkah, and enjoy an informal participatory Shabbat Service followed by a pizza dinner with activities provided by PJ Library. Families with children under age five are welcome. Open to the community regardless of synagogue affiliation. Information, Rachel Mersky Woda at rmerskywoda@temple-beth-el.org. Temple Sinai Pizza in the Hut, Sushi in the Sukkah Dinner and Service. 6-7:30 p.m. 30 Hagen Ave., Cranston. Join us to celebrate Sukkot. Cost: $10 per adult | $5 per child. Information and RSVP, dottie@templesinairi.org or 401942-8350.

Thursday | September 23

Temple Habonim Lunch and Learn. Noon-1:30 p.m. Location (in person vs. Zoom) TBD. Weekly Torah discussion with Rabbi Howard Voss-Altman. You do not need Hebrew fluency or any background in Jewish textual analysis. All you need is curiosity and a willingness to wrestle with our past, present and future. Information, Adina Davies at office@templehabonim.org or 401-245-6536. Global Connections “Who Is An American Jew In 2021: Insights From The Pew Study.” 4-5 p.m. Via Zoom. Robert Siegel (former Senior Host of NPR’s All Things Considered) interviews Prof. Shuly Rubin Schwartz (Chancellor,

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CALENDAR Jewish Theological Seminary), Rabbi Elka Abrahamson (president, Wexner Foundation) and Prof. Jonathan Sarna (American Jewish History, Brandeis University). Free. Presented by American Friends of Rabin Medical Center. Information, afrmc.org., afrmc@afrmc.org or 212-279-2522.

Saturday | September 25

Core Connects RI Soup Soul in the Sukkah. 6:30 p.m. Private home on East Side of Providence. Jewish women are invited to enjoy soup and salad in a sukkah. Donations welcome. Information, Elissa Felder at CoreConnectsRI@gmail.com or 401-241-9631.

Sunday | September 26

Temple Beth-El's Sisterhood Presents A Conversation with Sarah Hurwitz. 7-9 p.m. Northeast District Sisterhoods Zoom program with Sarah Hurwitz, political speechwriter and author of “Here All Along: Finding Meaning, Spirituality, and a Deeper Connection to Life – in Judaism (After Finally Choosing to Look There).” Funds to benefit social action project. Non-Sisterhood members: $18. Information, tbesisterhood70@gmail.com.

Friday | September 24

Temple Torat Yisrael TGIS (Thank G-d It's Shabbat) in the Sukkah. 5-5:30 p.m. 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich. Rabbi Aaron Philmus leads in-person service. Information, Temple@toratyisrael.org. Temple Torat Yisrael Kabbalat Shabbat in the Sukkah. 5:45-6:30 p.m. 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich. With Rabbi Philmus. For adults. In person only. Information, Temple@toratyisrael.org. Sukkot Shabbat with PJ Library, PJ Your Way and Temple Habonim. 6 p.m. Outside at Temple Habonim, 165 New Meadow Road, Barrington. 6 p.m. Tot Programming (ages 7 and under). 6:45 p.m. Family Service (all ages). Celebrate Sukkot and Shabbat with stories, songs and activities. RSVP (required) or information, Adina at office@templehabonim.org or 401-245-6536 or Lyndsey at lursillo@ jewishallianceri.org or 401421-4111, ext. 141.

Temple Beth-El Torah Study. 9-10:30 a.m. 70 Orchard Ave., Providence. Join Rabbi Mack and Rabbi Neimeiser to explore and discuss our sacred texts. Information, Joie Magnone at jmagnone@temple-beth-el. org or 401-331-6070, ext. 100. Senate District 3 Candidate Meet and Greet. 10-11:30 a.m. Dwares JCC, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence. Join the Jewish Alliance in meeting the candidates for this Special Election. Weather permitting, this event will be held outdoors at the Jewish Alliance sukkah. Otherwise, the event will be indoors with required masking for all, regardless of vaccination status. Information, Stephanie Hague at shague@jewishallianceri.org.

Tuesday | September 28

Temple Habonim Simchat Torah Celebration. 6 p.m. 165 New Meadow Road, Barrington. Celebrate the conclusion of the annual cycle of public Torah readings and the beginning of a new cycle. RSVP or information, Adina at office@templehabonim.org or 401-245-6536.

Thursday | September 30

Temple Habonim Lunch and Learn. Noon-1:30 p.m. Location (in person vs. Zoom) TBD. Join Rabbi Howard Voss-Altman for a weekly Torah discussion. You do not need Hebrew fluency or any background in Jewish textual analysis. All you need is curiosity and a willingness to wrestle with our past, present and future. Information, Adina Davies at office@ templehabonim.org or 401245-6536.

Up Front: Meet Preston D. Neimeiser, Providence’s new rabbi CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4 the idea of becoming a rabbi himself. He faced a difficult choice: Would he rather stay in Israel, the land he loved, and struggle to do relevant work, or should he join the Reform rabbinate in the United States, where he was confident he could help people and have a real impact? He said he was realistic about his prospects in the Holy Land. “Who needs a Reform rabbi in Israel?” he joked. Neimeiser continued, “When it really came into clear focus that this was something I could do professionally, that I actually could be a rabbi to a community, and I could bring my own sense of meaning-making, or create the space for others to create meaning, that’s the kind of life I want to lead.” The Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion had already been courting Neimeiser, and he was quickly accepted into the Reform movement’s rabbinical program. He spent his first year studying in Jerusalem, then returned to the U.S. to complete the five-

year program. an assistant rabbi at Beth-El. Neimeiser had hoped to He had visited Providence study in Cincinnati, where before and had even visited he could concentrate on the temple. He could easSouthern Jewry, a less-studily imagine a life here. He ied diaspora close to the applied for the position and Floridian’s heart. Instead, was soon hired. he ended up moving to New Within days of their York City. There, Neimeiser marriage, Neimeiser and roomed with a Litman moved friend in East from New York ‘I think so much Harlem and to Providence’s explored the East Side. of my journey city’s many “It’s emiJewish instinently livable proved to me that here,” he says. tutions. “It was an “Life is good in there is no one adjustment. New York, but But I was at a life is hard. I way to be Jewish’ have the creadifferent synagogue every ture comforts weekend, soaking up every [in Providence] that I want bit that I could,” he recalled. within a 10-minute walk. “It felt like [I had gone] from “When the listing came one Jerusalem to another.” up, I thought, ‘Wow, that’s a Neimeiser also became cool job. All these other jobs involved in local activwould be fine, but that’s the ism, from protests against job I want.’ And thank God, tenant evictions to a sit-in here I am.” demonstration at Amazon. This kind of advocacy has ROBERT ISENBERG (risenbeen the through-line of his berg@jewishallianceri.org) is career. the multimedia producer for As graduation from rabthe Jewish Alliance of Greater binical school approached, Rhode Island and a writer for Neimeiser said he was Jewish Rhode Island. excited to find a listing for

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 19

ANTI-SEMITISM, ANTI-ZIONISM, & JEWISH AMERICA with Bret Stephens, New York Times op-ed columnist and associate editor

Coming up

Evening of Jewish Renasissance. Sunday, Nov. 14-Tuesday, Nov. 16. Online and simulcast programming funded by the Judge Majorie Yashar and Dr. James Yashar Fund at the Jewish Federation Foundation. For more information, contact Larry Katz at lkatz@jewishallianceri.org.

MORE INFORMATION COMING SOON

8 | SEPTEMBER 2021

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COMMUNITY VOICES | OPINION Column kudos Fran Ostendorf’s wonderful article “Precious memories, neatly boxed” (August 2021) won top kudos in our home – and heart. Her disinterred boxes, filled, in part, with old, family letters prove that, in a world that has gone email, a handwritten letter is indeed magical and invaluable. Rereading such scripts, ages later, vividly reminds the reader of a person who was once a part of his/her own life, and this connection is priceless. Mel Yoken, Ph.D. New Bedford, Mass.

Politico employees will not have to sign (JTA) – Ben Smith hid a significant nugget deep within his latest New York Times story, on the billion-dollar sale of Politico: The magazine and news site’s new owners, German publishing powerhouse Axel Springer, will not require its newly acquired American employees to sign the company mission statement pledging support of Israel. Axel Springer, named after the journalist who founded it in the 1940s, has long been a staunch supporter of Israel. On its website, the second of the company’s five core principles reads, “We support the Jewish people and the right of existence of the State of Israel.” The company, which owns some of Europe’s most-read publications, including Die Welt and Bild, apparently requires its European employees to sign a pledge in support of “the trans-Atlantic alliance and Israel, among other favored values,” according to Smith’s report. In May, during the latest round of fighting between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, the company’s headquarters raised an Israeli flag as a show of support. In June, Matthias Dopfner, CEO of the German company, reportedly said that any employees disgruntled by the move should leave the company. “I think, and I’m being very frank with you, a person who has an issue with an Israeli flag being raised for one week here, after anti-Semitic demonstrations, should look for a new job,” he was quoted as saying by Israel Hayom. Smith’s column dissects the Axel Springer purchase and its significance in the wider American media landscape. Dopfner told Smith the Politico purchase “cemented the company’s American future.”

“CALL ME ISHMAEL.” emerging existentialist This oft-quoted opensensitivities. ing sentence from HerWhile the old critics man Melville’s “Moby condemned “Moby Dick” Dick” is a call to confusas shapeless, sloppy ing ambiguity. Who is and carelessly written, this Ishmael? the new critics praised Is he Melville himself, this formlessness for its the omniscient narraexperimental audacity, a tor? Or is Ishmael an new way of writing that independent character, a told the same story from somewhat naïve but senmultiple and often consitively observant young flicting points of view. sailor who turns out to The last sentence be the calm and calmof Chapter I – signifiing foil to the crazily cantly titled “Loomdemonic and charings” – hints of ismatic Captain the complex Ahab? Or perrelationship haps Ishmabetween el’s primary Melville function is and to be the Ishmael. sole surviMelville vor, the only foreshadone left to tell ows the the story? RABBI JAMES eventual Truth be told, arrival of ROSENBERG the great Ishmael is all of the above; his identity white keeps shifting from whale by revealing Ishjust another name for mael’s dreamlike musHerman Melville to ings: “… there flowed an independent actor into my inmost soul, throughout the book’s endless processions of 135 chapters and all-sigthe whale, and, mid most nificant epilogue. of them all, one grand It is because of hooded phantom, like a Melville’s continuous snow hill in the air.” changes in point of view Why would Melville that his contemporaries by and large 40 years after labeled “Moby Dick” a “chowder,” overMelville’s death... stuffed with every sort of this and that. Other, less-charitacritics began to see ble critics dismissed the book as a mess, a “Moby Dick”... as hodgepodge, a mishmash of materials a prime candidate that don’t belong between the covers for ‘the great of a single volume. It was during the American novel.’ 1920s, 40 years after Melville’s death in 1881, that literary implant this vision critics began to see of Moby Dick into an “Moby Dick” not as a unsuspecting Ishmael? failure, but as a prime Because Melville, as candidate for “the great omniscient author, is American novel.” Those pulling all the strings. who resurrected the It is true that, espenovel, and its author, cially in the opening saw Melville as a chapters, Melville allows prophet; they saw in the Ishmael to behave indestory of the great white pendently – especially in whale a harbinger of his developing relation-

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IN THE NEWS

Who is Melville’s Ishmael?

IT S E

LETTER

ship with the harpooner Queequeg, a gentle savage, even if perhaps a cannibal. It is also true that at times Ishmael strongly affirms his participation as an independent character in the advancing drama: “I, Ishmael, was one of that crew; my shouts had gone up with the rest; my oath had been welded with theirs; and stronger I shouted, and more did I hammer and clinch my oath, because of the dread in my soul. A wild, mystical, sympathetic feeling was in me; Ahab’s quenchless feud seemed mine .…” As the story proceeds, Melville seems to cede less and less narrative authority to Ishmael; at times it seems that Melville, as author, has absorbed Ishmael into himself. When it comes to Ahab, only Melville – never Ishmael – is the omniscient narrator: “… Ahab plainly saw that he must still in a good degree continue true to the natural, nominal purpose of the Pequod’s voyage; observe all customary usages; and not only that, but force himself to evince all his well known passionate interest in the generate pursuit of his profession.” Chapter XLII, “The Whiteness of the Whale,” begins with “What the White Whale was to Ahab, has been hinted; what, at times, he was to me, as yet remains unsaid.” Only in the most technical sense can it be said that the speaker here is Ishmael; for this longish chapter, often excerpted from “Moby Dick” and published as an independent essay, footnotes and all, bears all the marks of Melville himself. Throughout “Moby Dick,” Melville continues to affirm himself as author and to keep

the putative narrator, Ishmael, in his place. And so it is that as he is composing the first paragraph of Chapter XLLLV, “The Fountain,” Melville is gazing through his north-facing study window at the snow-covered 3,500-foot Mount Greylock, the highest point in Massachusetts, and declares to his readers in no uncertain terms: I am the author of this book, sitting at my desk at “this blessed minute (fifteen and a quarter minutes past one o’clock P.M. of the sixteenth day of December, A.D.,1851). And so it was that shortly before 1 p.m. on this past 12th day of August, A.D. 202I, I stood at the window of Melville’s study at Arrowhead, his farmhouse in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, where he lived with his family for 13 years – and I, too, found myself gazing at the same Mount Greylock that had inspired Melville to compose “Moby Dick” 170 years earlier. As noted by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the man to whom Melville dedicated “Moby Dick,” the snow-covered mountain offered Melville the strength and substance for “shaping out the gigantic conception of his white whale.” When I stood where Melville stood, when I saw what Melville saw, I knew at that moment that I was a pilgrim. I was standing in the very room where Herman Melville launched my high school self into a lifelong quest for a God that both devours and heals. 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 edi-

tor (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.

SEPTEMBER 2021 | 9

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OPINION

Rhode Island steps up on Holocaust and genocide education BY MARTY COOPER AS JEWS, many of us can still feel the pain and agony that our families suffered during the Holocaust. We know of the hatred, the bullying, the beatings they endured. We can imagine how they felt as they marched to death camps or packed into rail cars. Our muscles ache from just thinking of the hard labor imposed on them while they were virtually starving to death. We can only think of what it must have been like to be imprisoned and later put to death in a gas chamber or by a single bullet. We would not wish what happened to our families on anyone. Yet atrocities continue to happen today. More

often than not, we are not even aware they are happening, In 2015, R.I. Gov. Gina Raimondo signed into law a bill requiring middle and high school students to study the Holocaust and other genocides. Rhode Island was only the eighth state to implement such a law for its public schools. This year, to support educating students about these atrocities, Gov. Dan McKee signed a bill to create a coalition to oversee Holocaust and genocide education in our state. Prior to the creation of the commission, called the Rhode Island Coalition on Holocaust and Genocide Education, a group of dedicated volunteers

worked diligently with the R.I. Department of Education to provide educators with resources to teach students about the Holocaust and other genocides. The commission will provide accountability and credibility to educators and the Rhode Island community. It will also establish a means to disseminate information and materials on the Holocaust and genocides to schools and the community. What makes Rhode Island’s law stand out from others is that the commission will be responsible for implementing an annual Holocaust and Genocide Awareness Month every April. Educators will have the school year to prepare and educate students

on the subject, and can focus every April on emphasizing its importance. This is an outstanding way to promote statewide interaction and discussion about the horrors of genocide. Education is not an overnight fix to stop future genocides. It is a steppingstone. Students will learn what hate, bigotry and bias based on race, religion, ethnicity and sexual orientation can produce. We need more than the words “Never Again” to help end this madness. Education is a significant element to bring an end to hate, bullying and racism. As President Joe Biden said on April 24, 2021, when acknowledging the Armenian

Genocide: “Today, as we mourn what was lost, let us also turn our eyes to the future – toward the world that we wish to build for our children. “A world unstained by the daily evils of bigotry and intolerance, where human rights are respected, and where all people are able to pursue their lives in dignity and security. Let us renew our shared resolve to prevent future atrocities from occurring anywhere in the world. And let us pursue healing and reconciliation for all the people of the world.” MARTY COOPER, of South Kingstown, is chair of the R.I. Coalition on Holocaust and Genocide Education.

Consul General of Israel to New England: Looking forward to 5782 BY MERON REUBEN SUMMER WAS exceptionally wet this year in New England; in fact it was the wettest in recorded history. As an Israeli, I enjoyed the rain and soaked up the magnificent greenery that it left behind. September is now upon us with Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and other fall festivals coming early this year. After a year and a half of living with COVID-19, we are beckoned at this time of year to turn inward, assess what has happened and look forward to new chapters in our lives. It has been yet another challenging year for the State of Israel and the conflict in May with the terrorist group Hamas that runs the Gaza Strip was another reminder that we have an uphill battle to reach the goal of peace and tranquility in our beloved land. This summer has also shown us that ice cream can leave a bitter taste. Ben & Jerry’s independent board of governors decided to boycott

us and used their so-called social mission and values to join the BDS movement in bashing Israel instead of trying to help the two sides find ways to collaborate. How can peace possibly be achieved for Israelis and Palestinians alike through economic terrorism? Our efforts to push back on the decision are vital in order to defend the very legitimacy of the State of Israel, unfairly singled out for alleged human rights abuses in a world filled with totalitarian and truly brutal regimes. In spite of this challenge, there are many positive developments to celebrate as the year draws to a close. A year ago we were living under the cloud of a global pandemic that constricted every aspect of our lives and caused the death of millions across the globe. Israel has been a leader in vaccinating its population and we are now in a drive to give booster shots to the population over 60. Limiting travel to Israel has been a necessary means

of controlling the spread of the virus. We know how frustrating this has been for so many of you, but it is my sincere hope that travel to Israel will soon get back to normal even though the spike in the highly contagious Delta variant of the virus makes this difficult to predict. The Abraham Accords continue to spread a message of hope and mutual understanding in our region. It was a thrill this summer to welcome “Sharaka,” a new NGO comprised of young Israeli and UAE social leaders of all religions committed to peace and normalization through forging warm people-to-people connections. The 2020 Olympics in Tokyo offered another reason to rejoice. Israel sent its largest delegation ever, some 90 Olympians, including

baseball Team Israel that included many American Olim. We even had a chance to see them play in Hartford, Connecticut, before leaving for Japan. Israeli Olympian Artem Dolgopyat made us all proud by winning a gold medal in gymnastics for the men’s floor exercise. This was only the second Olympic gold in our sporting history! Avishag Semberg received a bronze medal in taekwando as did the Judo team. Team Israel kept hope alive by defeating Mexico and advancing into the second round of the Olympics, defying expectations and serving as emissaries for baseball in Israel. But the most important thing of all for us was that for the first time, after ignoring the fact for 49 years, the Olympic committee publicly

memorialized the Israeli athletes who were victims of terror in the Munich Olympics of 1972. May their memories be blessed. Another positive note was struck recently when Israel regained its observer status to the African Union after a nearly 20-year hiatus. The irony of this is not lost on us in light of the massive media coverage of the Ben & Jerry’s debacle. I presume that positive news about Israel does not sell. So, all in all, we have a lot to be grateful for as we leave 5781 and go into 5782. I have had a very challenging yet exciting nine months in New England and hope to meet many more members of the Jewish community in person (and not on Zoom) this coming year. May the new year bless us all with peace and good health. Shanah Tovah U Metukah a good and sweet New Year to everyone.

10 | SEPTEMBER 2021

Jewish Rhode Island | jewishrhody.org

COMMUNITY VOICES

Under the harvest moon … SKE

OUR NEW YEAR AND SUKKOT come early this year, since we are a moon community, not sun-worshippers. The moon is our neighbor, a pale pal fairly easy to reach in this century. That’s my sermon story for September: In this year of the seemingly endless plague pandemic, we should seek what is nearby as we stroll our blocks and take in the efforts of our neighbors to celebrate the seasons in their curbside front gardens. Plus, the moon is ever-changing and, even in the cartoon world, has a human countenance, a smile and then a smirk as it fades off and hides until it peeks out again. Just like our Jewish moods and

PHOTOS | MIKE FINK

Julia places a pebble on her grandfather’s grave at the unveiling.

music and mockery. Once our new year and its fast day of atonement are past, we then live and laugh with light lunacy (and with a nearby bottle of good Kosher liquor) in our modest huts with peekaboo roofs through which we can study the clouds overhead and the ever-changing face of the MIKE FINK moon in the twilights and evenings. I like to try to sum things up, to pick a detail from a season or a year, behind or before, and swing from it – like an hour in my grandchildren’s playgrounds during weekend visits. And I also like to swing my story from its nonsense. For us, August was a month of reunions and of regard and respect for

BOOK

each passing or bygone summer sunbeam. We installed and dedicated a stone to recall my brother’s spirit, and we gathered our clan to also celebrate the ceremonies ahead of us, under the harvest moon of a new semester with its fresh friendships to add to auld acquaintance not soon forgot! Mike and grandson Noah look forward (spelt thus in the lingo of the poet to happy times. Robbie Burns). Promised Land. And that And here’s my her dual citizenship may special footnote to my late mean twice the loyalty and brother’s sole granddaughlove that she has earned, as ter, Julia, who is making the moon shifts its mood .... aliyah in Israel and who flew in for the unveiling: MIKE FINK (mfink33@aol. this printed and published prayer that she finds fulfill- com) teaches at the Rhode Island School of Design. ment and fellowship in our

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COMMUNITY VOICES

A frightening roller-coaster ride for my psyche

WI SHI N G YO U A

Happy New Year

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Larry Kessler and his daughter Alana share a moment after the race.

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got vaccinated fear that the rest of 2021 will be, to quote a phrase attributed to New York Yankees great Yogi Berra, “Déjà vu all over again”! That’s life in these early days of September, but the summer didn’t start out that way. Indeed, with vaccinations at more than 70% in Rhode Island, Massachusetts and across New England, people were psyched up LARRY at the start of the summer KESSLER – instead of having their psyches scarred yet again. Things were fairly upbeat over the Fourth of July, when I felt really good about myself for the first time in a very long while. In those now-innocent days, my good vibes were reinforced by

G OU

SEPTEMBER IS HERE, and if these last few weeks of summer are any indication, the outlook for getting the pandemic under control, and regaining our old lives, remains highly uncertain. The weeks leading up to the first month of fall offered a roller-coaster of emotions, with any encouraging news about the pandemic offset by a barrage of warnings and negative statistics about the coronavirus’ resurgence. After an optimistic Fourth of July, we were bombarded with warnings about the dreaded Delta variant (the latest version of this never-ending virus) and “breakthrough cases” (testing positive for COVID-19 despite being fully vaccinated). Mask advisories led, in many cases, to mask mandates. And those of us who did the right thing and

PHOTOS | LARRY KESSLER

CONTINUED ON PAGE 15

A LIE AGREED UPON

WARWICK, RHODE ISLAND

A NEW VERSION OF HENRIK IBSEN’S

AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE

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COMMUNITY VOICES

Atonement, gratitude and planning during the High Holy Days where I’m going, and

to evaluate if what I’m doing will get me where I want to go, has helped me a great deal in my work and my life. DURING Rosh Hashanah, asking for God’s guidance will help us refine and tweak our goals. Rabbi Levi Lebovits elaborates on this idea in his article, “Rosh Hashanah at Home: How to Embrace the Opportunity,” posted at aish.com. He writes, “Take this

on what I’m doing and

nah on an unprecedented level.” I would add “grace” to Rabbi Lebovits’ article: seeking the best possible solution in your mind and creating a win-win situation. This helps me bring peace and clarity into PATRICIA my own life. We’re in RASKIN such a time of constant change, particularly now with the Delta variant of COVID19 upon us. Even though many people have been vaccinated, we’re still in a time of uncertainty in mask-wearing and social

Y L I VI

aking time to reflect

idea and concretize it. Imagine that you were invited into God’s ‘office’ for a consultation about your life. God tells you, ‘We’re here to discuss exactly how to help you best succeed and thrive. Let’s examine your life together so we can figure out how to best achieve our goal.’ “Continue this conversation in your mind, inserting your personal details – your strengths, your struggles, and your dreams for the future. Become a partner in God’s ‘remembrance’ and connect to Rosh Hasha-

HEA

BY PATRICIA RASKIN

distancing and catching the virus. In view of this, some of us will have High Holy Days services in-person, some will have a small in-person gathering and some will be online. We may not know this until the last minute. I frequently lead webinars where I talk about burnout, resilience, coping with COVID-19 and preparing to go back to the workplace. We are all feeling anxious and uncertain during this pandemic. The High Holy Days provide us with a perfect opportunity to feel guided and safe. In addition to prayer, we can take stock of what we’ve achieved during this past year, which has been different

from all other years, and consider how we will move forward no matter how long the pandemic lasts. Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are the times to seek atonement, feel gratitude and plan for the new year. PATRICIA RASKIN, owner of Raskin Resources Productions, is a media host, coach and award-winning radio producer and business owner. She is on the board of directors of Temple Emanu-El, in Providence. She is a recipient of the Providence Business News 2020 Leaders and Achievers award.

Wishing you and your family a year of sweet blessings filled with abundant joy, peace, and happiness. On behalf of the board and staff at the Jewish Alliance, we wish you a happy and healthy 5782!

James Pious Chair of the Board

Adam Greenman President & CEO

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COMMUNITY VOICES

Prep schools, teaching and business BY GEORGE M. GOODWIN MY WIFE, Betsey, grew up in Andover, Massachusetts. Her paternal grandmother, Rose Shack, was probably the first Jew to graduate from its high school, in 1920, when the town’s population was about 8,000. Betsey’s late father, Norman, was born in Andover in 1928 and spent most of his adult years there. But he grew up in Lawrence, in a far larger Jewish community. Temple Emanuel, which was founded as a Conservative congregation in Lawrence in 1920, built a new synagogue on Lowell Street in 1957. But soon the Jewish exodus to Andover accelerated, so the congregation’s third synagogue, under Reform auspices, wasn’t built until 1979. Betsey and I were married on its light-filled bimah in December 1983. In 1990, in honor of Rabbi Harry Roth’s retirement from Emanuel, I was commissioned to write a history of the congregation’s roots in Lawrence. It was based on interviews with representatives of about 20 families, almost all of whom are now buried in the congregation’s bucolic cemetery. One of my favorite interviewees was Thayer Warshaw (1915-2000), who actually had a Providence connection. His eldest daughter, Elinor, was a boarding student at Lincoln School, graduating in 1958. And there was also a Rhode Island connection to Andover. Charles Shartenberg, a Jewish lad from Pawtucket, had graduated from Phillips Academy in 1907. One of America’s most prestigious prep schools, also known as “Andover,” Phillips Academy was founded in 1778. Thayer, one of the first Jews from Lawrence to attend Phillips, graduated in the Class of 1933. The academy accepted a few sons of prominent Jewish families from Boston, New York City and elsewhere, but my uncle, George Rosenthal from Cincinnati, was denied admission. Yet, some local Jewish boys, with less-than-stellar social credentials, were welcomed as day students. Even Jewish kids were required to attend the academy’s daily Protestant services. Thayer, a gifted student, much enjoyed Andover’s challenging academics. Not surprisingly, after prep school he entered Harvard, along with 47 of his 184 Phillips classmates. He so enjoyed his classes there that he dreamed of becoming a philosophy professor.

Of course, there were very few Jewish professors at Harvard, or elsewhere, during the 1930s and ’40s. (The first to gain tenure at Brown was Israel Kapstein, in 1946.) But there was another impediment to Thayer’s academic career. He was an only son, and his father, Max, wanted him to join the family business. A successful auto dealership, it had been established in Lawrence in 1922. Max told Thayer, “I built this business for you.” Thus, following his Harvard graduation in 1937, Thayer began as a mechanic at Nevin’s Auto Company, and later became a salesman and manager. Also, having taught religious school at Temple Emanuel for many years, he eventually became its “superintendent” –but he never gave up his dream of becoming a full-time teacher. Thayer eventually quit the family business, and in 1959 earned a master’s degree at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education. While still living in Andover, he taught English for 17 years at Newton High School. Thayer became prominent nationally as a teacher of a secular subject, the Bible as literature. Among the few other Temple Emanuel boys who graduated from Phillips was Richard Kapelson, born in 1935, a close friend of my in-laws. His grandfather, Elias, had established a dry goods store in Lawrence, and Elias' son, David, turned it into Kap’s, a fashionable men’s clothing store on booming Essex Street. “Dickie,” who was born in Lawrence, enrolled at Andover with 215 young men in the Class of 1951. He boarded for four years, attended compulsory chapel services and became a talented athlete. David wanted him to obtain a practical business education at Penn’s Wharton School, but Dickie sought to deepen his Andover friendships by enrolling at Yale. The young man’s college counselor explained, however, that every Andover senior needed a second choice. So Dickie thought of applying to Harvard. When interviewed in Cambridge, he was asked why he was interested in studying at Harvard. Dickie explained, “My college counselor told me that everybody needs a second choice.” The admissions officer replied, “I’m sorry, Mr. Kapelson, but we cannot accept your application.” Thus, Dickie entered Yale with 63 of his prep-school classmates, and joined Beta Theta Pi, an Andover

fraternity. Dickie also explained that Phillips graduates at Harvard were regarded as “preppies,” but “everybody at Yale” fell into that category. While majoring in economics, Dickie enjoyed a wonderful social and athletic life. Though intrigued by some of his courses, he didn’t let them get in his way. Seeking a commission in the Air Force, he enlisted in R.O.T.C. After graduating from Yale in 1955, he was sent to flight school, but was eventually dropped because of poor eyesight. He and his wife, Judy, were then sent to a base in Nevada, where their first son was born. Dickie then served 18 months in South Korea. After completing his military service, Dickie and Judy returned to Lawrence, where he helped Kap’s grow and prosper. Indeed, Judy also joined the business, as did their three sons, who would establish branches in nearby towns. Blessed with a talent for golf, tennis and schmoozing, Dickie also became one of the few Jewish members of the North Andover Country Club. Now a widower in his mid-80s, Dickie lives in the same retirement complex as my mother-in-law, Roberta. They gather for Friday night dinners, along with a few other Jewish residents. So where do I fit into the business or teaching conundrum? Though a busybody, I’m clearly in the latter sphere. I spent two years as a prepschool boarder, and I can also claim some affinity with Andover – at least with its eminent Addison Gallery of American Art, which I have visited perhaps 80 to 90 times. When Betsey and I met in Los Angeles in 1982, I naturally asked where she grew up. When she replied, “Andover,” I remarked that I had visited the Addison in 1976. At that time, I was teaching art history and she was employed as a systems analyst in the business world. I’d say that both realms have helped nurture our family life. And occasionally, both of us still enjoy wearing some preppy garments. Remember when business people and teachers used to get dressed up, especially when attending services? Remember when numerous Jews were successful haberdashers? GEORGE M. GOODWIN, of Providence, is the editor of Rhode Island Jewish Historical Notes.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5 from the COVID-19 pandemic. Even after the paper was formally shut down and its offices shuttered, the CJN still existed as a Canadian nonprofit, and its board remained intact. (Wolfe, whose family has had an ownership stake in the paper since the 1970s, remains on the board.) In December, the board approved a new plan spearheaded by a group including editorin-chief and CEO Yoni Goldstein, who also ran the CJN’s previous iteration, and newly elected board president Bryan Borzykowski, a business journalist, to reintroduce the outlet to Canadian Jews. The COVID shutdown was “a bit of a gift” in disguise, said Marc Weisblott, CJN’s new managing editor, because it freed the publication from the baggage of its weekly print edition and previous branding. “That liberated the next iteration from the customary publishing style,” Weisblott said. “It allowed us to reinvent what the CJN would be.” During its work, the team redesigning the website tried to keep community interest in the publication alive by posting new articles directly to its Facebook page. Weisblott is adamant that the new CJN will be a stark departure from the previous incarnations, which he believes did not adequately capture the attention of Canada’s younger Jews. “The old website looked terrible,” he said. “Things were reestablished with the expectation that we would be experimental and different.” Prior to this year, Weisblott’s role with the CJN had been limited to a freelance contributor. The CJN’s new funding model is a mix of online advertising, digital memberships and philanthropy, with some of the donors remaining anonymous. As before, the publication remains independent of any federation or other Jewish institution. Canada wasn’t devoid of Jewish news during the pandemic. Some local outlets, including the Vancouver Jewish Independent and the Alberta Jewish News (a Jewish Telegraphic Agency partner), continued to publish uninterrupted; the Winnipeg-based conservative outlet TheJ.ca went national; and a new site, the Canadian Jewish Record, formed with the support of some CJN alumni, including 20-year veteran reporter Ron Csillag. Both TheJ.ca and the Record’s staffs were unpaid. (The latter shut down once the CJN announced its relaunch plans, and Csillag was rehired there.) Weisblott and his team are optimistic that the latest revamp will again position the CJN as the Great White North’s definitive source for Jewish news and commentary. “We want to create content that people will talk about around the dinner table when people have their Rosh Hashanah family gatherings,” he said. “How can we get an older reader to talk to their kids and grandkids about what they’re seeing in this publication?”

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Jewish Rhode Island | jewishrhody.org

HIGH HOLY DAYS

Synagogues gear up for the High Holy Days BY JEWISH RHODE ISLAND STAFF SUMMER IS WINDING DOWN and we are gearing up for the High Holy Days. Our thoughts turn to the start of school and the bright promise of the Jewish New Year! Jewish Rhode Island does not list information regarding specific services and schedules. This year, we contacted all the synagogues, temples and congregational groups and asked about in-person and virtual services as well as if tickets will be required. What follows is the current information from those who responded along with current contact information from all known synagogues, temples and groups in our coverage area. For the most up-to-date information on service schedules, please contact the synagogues directly or visit their websites. Keep in mind that COVID-19 continues to influence openings and closings so direct contact is your best source of last-minute information.

Orthodox CONGREGATION BETH SHOLOM office@bethsholom-ri.org 401-236-7536 bethsholom-ri.org

401 Elmgrove Ave. (@ the Dwares JCC), Providence In-person worship services with no tickets required. Suggested donation for nonmembers. CONGREGATION MISHKON TFILOH mishkontfiloh@juno.com 401-421-5074 203 Summit Ave., Providence CONGREGATION OHAWE SHOLAM dgpliskin@gmail.com 401-725-3886 671 East Ave., Pawtucket CONGREGATION SHA’AREI TEFILLA rds@shaareitefillaprov.org 914-584-5340 shaareitefillaprov.org 450 Elmgrove Ave., Providence In-person worship services with no tickets required. CONGREGATION SONS OF JACOB congsons@hotmail.com 401-274-5260 sonsofjacobsynagogue.org Providence TOURO SYNAGOGUE (Congregation Jeshuat Israel) cji@tourosynagogue.org 401-847-4794 tourosynagogue.org 85 Touro St. Newport

Conservative CONGREGATION BETH DAVID eadler3@cox.net 401-789-3437 cbdri.org 102 Kingstown Road, Narragansett TEMPLE BETH EL OF FALL RIVER templebethel@comcast.net 508-674-3529 frtemplebethel.org 385 High St., Fall River, Massachusetts CONGREGATION B’NAI ISRAEL synagogue@cbi.necoxmail.com 401-762-3651 shalom-cbi.org 224 Prospect St., Woonsocket TEMPLE EMANU-EL info@teprov.org 401-331-1616 teprov.org 99 Taft Ave., Providence Live-streamed and in-person worship services. Registration required. CONGREGATION OR CHADASH info@orchadash-ri.org 401-225-7194 orchadash-ri.org 139 Ocean Ave., Cranston In-person worship services with

livestream available. Tickets are required. Cost is $100 and may be applied to temple membership. Deadline for tickets is Sept. 5. TEMPLE SHALOM contact@ templeshalomrhodeisland.org 401-846-9002 templeshalomrhodeisland.org Middletown CONGREGATION SHARAH ZEDEK Email form on website 401-345-1544 or 401-596-9951 congregationsharahzedek.org 6 Union St., Westerly CONGREGATION TIFERETH ISRAEL ti@tinewbedford.org 508-997-3171 tinewbedford.org 145 Brownell Ave., New Bedford, Massachusetts TEMPLE TORAT YISRAEL Temple@toratyisrael.org 401-885-6600 toratyisrael.org 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich In-person worship services with streaming available. Tickets are required. Contact Temple office for cost.

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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11

Reform NEWPORT HAVURAH, AN ASSOCIATION OF REFORM JEWS Newporthavurah1@gmail.com 401-423-0407 Newport Contact for details about High Holy Days TEMPLE BETH-EL info@temple-beth-el.org 401-331-6070 temple-beth-el.org 70 Orchard Ave., Providence Virtual worship services only. Tickets are required. Recommended donation of $180 for nonmembers. TEMPLE HABONIM office@templehabonim.org 401-245-6536 templehabonim.org 165 New Meadow Road, Barrington In-person worship services with a virtual option available Tickets are required at no cost. TEMPLE SINAI dottie@templesinairi.org, rabbigoldwasser@templesinairi.org 401-942-8350 templesinairi.org 30 Hagen Ave., Cranston In-person worship services with a virtual option. Tickets are required. Call the temple office for deadline and cost information.

Reconstructionist CONGREGATION AGUDAS ACHIM office@agudasma.org 508-222-2243 www.agudasma.org 901 N. Main St., Attleboro, Massachusetts

Non-Denominational BROWN RISD HILLEL info@brownrisdhillel.org 401-863-2805

brownrisdhillel.org 80 Brown St., Providence HILLEL FOUNDATION AT THE UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND amyolson@uri.edu 401-874-2740 urihillel.org 6 Fraternity Circle, Kingston In-person worship services with no tickets required. No cost for students; suggested donation for non-students is $125. CHABAD CHAI CENTER OF WEST BAY rabbi@RabbiWarwick.com 401-884-7888 RabbiWarwick.com 3871 Post Road, Warwick CHABAD HOUSE OF BARRINGTON rabbi@jewishbarrington.com 401-247-4747 jewishbarrington.com 311 Maple Ave., Barrington CHABAD OF NORTHERN RI islandrabbi@gmail.com 401-499-2574 I1767 Old Louisquisset Pike, Lincoln In-person worship services. No tickets required but an RSVP is appreciated. CHABAD OF RHODE ISLAND Jewish Hospitality Center believeinprovidence@gmail.com 401-273-7238 chabadriprovidence.com 360 Hope St., Providence CONGREGATION SONS & DAUGHTERS OF RUTH 401-466-2861 Block Island UNITED BROTHERS SYNAGOGUE ubsbristol@gmail.com 401-253-3460 unitedbrotherssynagogue.org 205 High St., Bristol YouTube is available; email for links.

running my first in-person race in 20 months: the 53rd annual Arnold Mills Road Race, a 4-miler held in conjunction with Cumberland’s Fourth of July parade. I was one of more than 400 runners who toed the starting line a few hundred yards from the North Cumberland Fire Station on a day that was blessed by low humidity and temperatures in the 60s. Optimism reigned that Monday morning (the race was held on the day after the Fourth due to the holiday falling on a Sunday). While warming up, I saw smiles on more runners' faces than I’ve ever seen before a race. We couldn’t wait to return to the road after being limited to virtual races since March 2020. On that morning, we lined up almost shoulder to shoulder, with only a smattering of masked runners. Participants were chatting and wishing each other well while waiting for the sound that we had yearned to hear for a year and half: the firing of the starter pistol. For one day, things seemed almost normal. However, by the time I ran my next race, on Aug. 1, the situation had begun to deteriorate. We were being warned about “a pandemic of the unvaccinated,” and the Delta variant had become the latest threat to our increasingly fleeting chance of soon regaining our former lives. Nonetheless, the 19th annual 5K Run/Walk to Remember went on as scheduled, with 105 participants. For me, the experience transcended physical exercise, as the morning proved a gigantic boost to my morale and mental health. I say this because the 3.1miler, organized by the Community VNA, of Attleboro, to raise money for its Hospice program, was the road-racing equivalent of “Cheers.” Like the hit NBC-TV sitcom about a Boston bar, the staging area for the race, Veterans Memorial Park, in downtown North Attleboro, was transformed into a place where, like at the Bull & Finch Pub (the real name of Cheers), everyone knows your name. You couldn’t take more than a few steps without someone greeting you by your first name. It was an experience to savor – and proved a powerful antidote to the constant drone of doomand-gloom news relating

to the resurgent COVID-19 virus. People were so relaxed on this one morning that they took advantage of free massages in the park, and they hung around for the post-race awards ceremony and raffles – activities they used to take for granted, but would never again. But as I wrap up this column in late August, our good feelings have been replaced by many of the most depressing features of 2020. Many indoor mask requirements are back (I never stopped wearing mine in stores), arguments over mask mandates have become physical in many instances and, worst of all, the gulf between the vaccinated and unvaccinated is so wide that it threatens to keep the pandemic going well into 2022, if not longer. That’s why life deep into our second year of the pandemic feels very much like a frightening roller-coaster ride. On one hand, I’ve been fortunate to have run a pair of live races, and I’ve met friends for lunch. On the other hand, whenever I attend the rare social gathering, I’m nervous about the vaccination status of those I don’t know. How do I react? Do I whip out my mask even if it insults the host? Do I ask other guests whether they’re vaccinated? Or do I just play it safe and stay home? I’m also leery of traveling, and my early-summer desire to return to Fenway Park or to check out Worcester’s new Polar Park, has been replaced by renewed concerns about attending large gatherings. In addition, we’re now being told, after several mixed messages from our top health officials, that we’ll need booster shots. With that backdrop, it’s no wonder that my fears about living with this virus are on the rise again. The only thing I know for sure is that my worries will worsen the longer the pandemic persists and the more divided – and selfish – that we remain as a nation. That’s why, heading into the fall and the Jewish New Year, my psyche is more fragile than ever. LARRY KESSLER (larrythek65@ gmail.com) is a freelance writer based in North Attleboro. He blogs at larrytheklineup.blogspot.com

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Jewish Rhode Island | jewishrhody.org

HIGH HOLY DAYS

Sukkot’s message is essential during our climate crisis fragile structure to “dwell” in for the week, feel all the more absurd. Yet Sukkot has always been my favorite holiday. At its core, the exercise of building and being in a sukkah is one of both trust and humility. While we try our best to construct a sukkah that is stable, we don’t go to extraordinary lengths to fortify it; impermanence and fragility are a feature, not a flaw. We design our sukkah to be easily disassembled and reassembled each year, often

BY ESTI SHAPIRO (JTA) – Growing up in the temperamental weather of Denver, Colorado, it was not at all unusual to experience rain, high winds, heat waves or even snow on Sukkot, the Jewish harvest festival that typically falls in September or October. Some years even saw all of these dramatic weather conditions over the course of the weeklong holiday. This always made the exercise of building a sukkah, a temporary and

replacing materials such as the natural roof, or schach, with time. This annual ritual of (re)construction is also a celebratory moment, an opportunity to acknowledge the cyclical nature of Jewish time and life. When I was in architecture school, we learned about the Ise Jingu Shrine in Japan, which has been ritually deconstructed and reconstructed on two alternating sites every 20 years for over a thousand years. This practice is designed

Pray for Peace May it be Your will, G-d of our ancestors, that You grant my family and all Israel a good and long life. Remember us with blessings and kindness. Fill our homes with your Divine Presence. Give me the opportunity to raise my children and grandchildren to be truly wise, lovers of G-d, people of truth, who illuminate the world with Torah, good deeds and the work of the Creator. Please hear my prayer at this time. Regard me as a worthy descendent of Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel and Leah, our mothers, and let my candles burn and never be extinguished. Let the light of your face shine upon us, and bring true peace to Israel and the world.

BLESSINGS FOR SHABBOS

BLESSINGS FOR HOLIDAYS Select the proper ending for the appropriate Yom Tov:

BO-RUCH A-TOH ADO-NOI E-LO-HEI-NU ME-LECH HO-OLOM A-SHER KI-DE-SHA-NU BE-MITZ-VO-SOV VI-TZI-VO-NU LE-HAD-LIK-NER SHEL SHA-BOS KO-DESH Blessed are You, G-d our Lord, King of the universe, who has hallowed us through His commandments, and has commanded us to kindle the lights of the holy Shabbos CAUTION FOR FRIDAYS: DO NOT light candles after sunset so as not to desecrate the Shabbos. It is forbidden to light candles after sunset.

Come to a “FRIDAY NIGHT LIVE” Shabbat Dinner at the Chabad House Jewish Hospitality Center 360-362 Hope St. Providence, RI 02906 Call: 273-7238

BORUCH ATO ADO-NOY ELO-HAY-NU MELECH HO-OLOM A-SHER KID-SHONU B’MITZ-VO-SOV V-TZI-VONU L’HAD-LIK NER SHEL (on Friday add — SHA-BOS V-SHEL) Pesach, Shavuot and Succot – Yom Tov Rosh Hashanah – Yom-Ha-zi-Koron Yom Kippur – Yom Ha-Kippurim Add this blessing following each of the above blessings except for the last holidays of Pesach. BORUCH ATO ADO-NOY ELO-HAY-NU MELECH HO-OLOM SHE-HEH-CHE-YONU V’KEE-MONU V’HEEGEE-ONU LEEZ-MAN HA-ZEH Special instructions for holidays (but not on Shabbat). It is forbidden to create a new fire by striking a match, lighter, etc., However, it is permissable to use a flame already burning since before the inception of the holiday, such as a pilot light, gas or candle flame. Candle lighting time for the second night of the Holiday is usually about one hour after the candle lighting time of the previous night.

5780–5781 (2020–2021)Candle CANDLE LIGHTING SCHEDULE | 5781–5782 (2021–2022) Lighting Schedule | Courtesy of Chabad of Rhode Island Times listed are for Providence, Rhode Island. Other areas around the region may vary by a few minutes. Times listed are for Providence, Rhode Island. Other areas around the region may vary by a few minutes. September

September 2021 2020

October

October November 2020

November

December 2020

December

January

January 2020 February 2021

6:53 6:04 EREV SUKKOT DAYLIGHT SAVING 3 4 6:55 1 26:06 5 5:15 31 3:55 7 4:11 4 3:55 4 TIME ENDS 11 6:41 11 3:55 3 7:05 SUKKOT 6 6:50 Erev Rosh Hashanah 8 5:55 12 4:07 10 3:55 14 4:19 11 6 4:13 18 6:28 EREV ROSH HASHANAH 18 3:57 9 5:53 EREV SHEMINI ATZERET 7 19 7:50 Rosh Hashanah 15 5:43 19 4:01 17 3:56 21 4:27 13 4:06 25 4:00 18 7:30 ROSH HASHANAH 10 6:54 SIMCHAT TORAH 20 4:00 4:01 6:16 5:41 1025 6:43 22165:33 26 3:57 24 28 4:36 25 27 3:57 6:13Erev 5:31 EREVYom YOMKippur KIPPUR 1527 6:34 29235:23 31 4:05 30 5:22 17 6:31 May April May June April June 20 6:25 ErevMarch Sukkot 2021 2021 2021 2021 21 7:25 Sukkot 6 7:29 3 7:55 1 26:51 5 5:21 6:52 7 7:30 4 7:56 8 36:58 24 13 7:36 4 9:07 Erev 11 Shavuot 12 6:18 5:29 7:57 PASSOVER 14 7:37 8:00 16 7:39 EREV 18 8:03 14 DAYLIGHT SAVING TIMEAtzeret RESUMES 15 97:06 7:00Erev Pesach 27 6:13 Erev Shemini 20 7:43 5 SHAVU’OT 9:08 Shavuot 16168:11 25 8:04 7:07Pesach 17 8:50 SHAVU’OT 19 7:13 6:37 Erev Simchat Torah 28 27 7:49 10 7:59 7:15 21 7:44 26 6:44 21237:13 17 8:02 7:237th day of Pesach 28 7:50 27 7:49 EREV PASSOVER 22307:14 24 8:04 28 7:50 PASSOVER 29 7:21

1 4:45 8 4:53 15 5:02 22 29 5:11

4:06 4:12 4:20 4:28 4:37

July July

2021 12 8:03 8:04 89 8:01 8:02 16 15 7:57 7:58 23 22 7:52 7:53 30 7:45 29 7:46

February

March 2021

4:46 4 55:19 12 4:55 11 5:27 19 5:04 18 266:35 5:12 25 6:43

August August 56 12 13 20 19 27 26

2021 7:38 7:37 7:29 7:27 7:17 7:19 7:06 7:08

explicitly to preserve the knowledge of traditional Japanese wood joinery techniques and craft as well as the physical condition of the structure itself. In designing something to be temporary, and crafting it out of renewable materials (in this case lumber grown in vast forests surrounding the site of the shrine), a far greater permanence is achieved. Ultimately the ritual lasts much longer than any building or structure constructed only once, regardless of how impenetrably it was designed, can. The similarities and shared wisdom of this shrine and the sukkah are evident. These examples of ancient construction knowledge and ritual run counter to everything else we think we know about architecture. We tend to think of construction as an exercise in dominance over the environment, an attempt to protect ourselves from the natural forces of weather and erosion. But the impulse to build bigger, stronger, more monumental and longer-lasting structures is one of the most direct and harmful contributors to our current climate crisis. Today, concrete is the most widely used construction material globally, accounting for approximately 8% of carbon emissions worldwide. More broadly, nearly 40% of global carbon emissions are a result of building construction and operation. The combative attitude that most of our structures express toward the environment is

quite literally destroying it in real time at this very moment. Conversely, on Sukkot we acknowledge that no construction endeavor is ever so enduring. We recognize uncertainty and vulnerability as fundamental to the human experience. We do not allow ourselves to be fooled into thinking that building something strong enough to resist the weather outside makes us impervious to the more pervasive element of time. A sukkah does not attempt to resist these conditions; it tenuously embraces them. It is in this very act of humility, in recognizing the need for continuous rebuilding, that the ritual remains enduring. There are few structures in the world older than the practice of building sukkahs on this week of each year. When I teach about Sukkot to my religious school students, we talk about leaving our homes for the fragility of the sukkah as a metaphor for venturing outside of our comfort zones. The vulnerability of the holiday challenges each of us to leave what we know – what is easy – for an opportunity for growth. I would argue that this is an urgent and timely lesson, not just for Jewish people, and not just this week. The reality of climate change is that it will make almost all of us a whole lot less comfortable over the coming years and decades. CONTINUED ON PAGE 17

HAPPY NEW YEAR! Mahra B. Rubinstein DDS, Robert J. Ducoﬀ DMD, David W. Persky DMD East Side General, Cosmetic & Implant Dentistry

401.861.4358

362 Ives Street · Providence, RI 02906 (Corner Waterman St.)

362Ives@gmail.com www.drsrubinsteinandducoff.com

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HIGH HOLY DAYS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 16 With unprecedented forest fires, floods, hurricanes and other natural disasters across the United States and world, our current condition is requiring us to drastically reconsider the ways we live and interact with our environment.

Acting with humility and acknowledging our vulnerability may mean accepting a broader range of temperatures as “comfortable” on our thermostats or resisting the convenience of personal car ownership. More importantly, however, this will require us to act not just as individuals but as a collective through policy and structural change to resist the tendencies of human ego toward building bigger and stronger and more destructive societies. On Sukkot, and all year, we should remember that endurance is achieved not through material monumen-

tality, but through the much more nebulous constructions of the social: tradition, interpersonal connection, ritual and celebration. So this year, when I bundle up in extra layers and blankets to brave a brisk autumn evening for a holiday dinner, I will take an extra moment to appreciate

the insight of our ancestors. As I take in the familiar sound of wood-framed canvas walls gently swaying, the smell of pine branch schach overhead, and the glimpse of a full moon through its needles, I will consider how our tradition has always recognized the means to a healthy, livable, harmonious and enduring, if uncertain, future. ESTI SHAPIRO is a designer and writer, trained as an architect, as well as a religious school teacher. This article originally appeared on Alma, a sister site of JTA.

Mahra B. Rubinstein DDS & Robert J. Ducoff DMD proudly welcome

David W. Persky DMD 401-861-4358 362 Ives Street · Providence ( C O R N E R O F WAT E R M A N S T R E E T )

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18 | SEPTEMBER 2021

Jewish Rhode Island | jewishrhody.org

HIGH HOLY DAYS | FOOD

Sweet treat is perfect for the holiday BY RONNIE FEIN

Turte

(JTA) — During the High Holy Days, I always make my family’s recipe for a dessert called turte, which is similar to Greek baklava. Rather than walnuts, however, it’s made with almonds and drenched with a thick sugar syrup instead of honey. Turte is a specialty from the eastern part of Romania called Moldavia, where my grandparents were born, and is sometimes made with thin pancakes. My grandma made it with strudel dough. I recall watching her make her own dough for this dish, as well as her fabulous potato strudel, laying the paper-thin dough across the entire kitchen table. I did that once – then switched to store-bought. There was a time when I could find authentic strudel dough, but these days I use phyllo, which is not exactly the same (it’s thinner and more papery), but still absolutely fine. And it’s a whole lot easier. This is such a wonderful treat, whatever your background. It’s sweet, crumbly and tender, and the fragrance of cinnamon is enchanting. The original recipe did not include orange peel, but I think it gives the cake a refreshing quality.

INGREDIENTS For the cake: 1/2 pound phyllo dough 1/2 pound melted butter Cookie or cake crumbs or ground nuts 1 1/2 cups finely chopped almonds 2 tablespoons sugar 2-3 teaspoons freshly grated orange peel 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg For the syrup: 3/4 cup sugar 3/4 cup water 1 teaspoon orange flower water or 2 tablespoons orange-flavored brandy or 1/2 teaspoon orange extract

DIRECTIONS Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Layer half the phyllo dough in a 9-inch

square baking pan (or use a 9-by-13-inch pan), brushing with half the melted butter and scattering crumbs between layers. In a bowl, combine the chopped almonds, 2 tablespoons sugar, orange peel, cinnamon and nutmeg. Place the nut mixture over the layers of dough. Cover the nut mixture with the remaining phyllo leaves, separating them as above with melted butter and crumbs. Brush the top layer with the last of the melted butter. Score the dough with the tip of a sharp knife into squares or rectangles. Bake for 30 minutes. Raise heat to 400 degrees and bake for another 15-20 minutes, or until

the top is golden brown. Remove from the oven and set aside. Make the syrup: Combine the 3/4 cup sugar and the water in a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring only until sugar dissolves. Cook at a boil for a few minutes until the liquid has thickened, but do not let it become caramel colored. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the orange flavoring. Pour the syrup over the warm cake. Let the cake cool and cut it into pieces where you have scored the top. Makes 8-12 servings.

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Did you know... Temple Emanu-El became one of the first synagogues in the nation to revolutionize the dues system. We proudly replaced it with the "Gift of the Heart" voluntary pledge program. Rather than paying an assigned, fixed dues amount, members pledge a financial contribution that is both comfortable and meaningful. We look forward to all that you will add to our diverse community! To inquire about membership, contact Sharon Sock at (401) 331-1616 or email: sharon@teprov.org.

Shanah Tovah u-M’tukah Happy & Sweet New Year For a complete schedule of oﬀerings and information on how to connect call (401) 331-1616 or visit:

Access religious, social and educational programs through: • Livestream • Zoom • Facebook Live • Telephone Dial-in

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HIGH HOLY DAYS | FOOD

Take advantage of fresh tomatoes for this soup BY RONNIE FEIN (JTA) – You hear it every year: The High Holy Days are either early or late, never on time. This year is an early one – real early. Rosh Hashanah starts at sundown Sept. 6, the night of Labor Day for Americans. Fortunately it’s also the peak of tomato

season, so why not include some in your holiday meal? This soup, made from fresh tomatoes, has lots going for it: You can make it ahead by four or five days; you can enrich it with dairy or nondairy milk or cream if you wish; and it’s delicious either hot or cold. While it is lovely as a first course for dinner on the

Fresh Tomato Soup

first or second night of Rosh Hashanah, I’ll be serving this at room temperature in juice glasses to my breakthe-fast guests as we gather after services and need a little nosh before our postfast dairy meal. You can warm it up, too, for Sukkot for those chillier nights in the sukkah.

DIRECTIONS

INGREDIENTS 2 tablespoons olive oil 3 thick scallions, chopped 2 large cloves garlic, chopped 2 pounds ripe tomatoes, chopped 4 cups vegetable stock 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 6 tablespoons uncooked white rice 1 cup dairy or nondairy milk or cream, optional Garnish (fresh herbs or croutons)

Heat the olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the scallions and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for about another minute. Add the tomatoes, stock, basil and salt and pepper. Bring the soup to a simmer, cover the pan and cook for 10 minutes. Add the rice, cover the pan and cook for another 20 minutes. Blend the soup in a blender or with an immersion blender. Serve hot or let cool. Stir in the milk if desired. Chill completely. Serve garnished with fresh basil, parsley or Italian bread croutons. Makes 8 servings.

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HIGH HOLY DAYS | FOOD

Sweeten your new year with these hand pies BY LISA MAYBRUCH IT’S ALMOST SEPTEMBER, and that means two things: the High Holy Days are upon us, and autumn is just around the corner. This is my absolute favorite time of year! I can already smell the cinnamon spices and taste the honey flavors mixed with apples. There’s really no shortage of recipes for apples and honey. You’ve got honey cakes, quick breads, crisps and puddings. The possibilities are endless, and isn’t it obvious why? It’s just the perfect combination to welcome in a sweet new year! How are we celebrating Rosh Hashanah? With Apple Hand Pies! They’re cute and scrumptious, and combine Rosh Hashanah’s featured ingredients in a classic New England fashion. To up the ante, we’re also making homemade honey salted caramel dipping sauce for some extra sweetness. These

make the perfect treats to gift to your friends and families. Once they take the first bite, you’ll definitely be the apple of their eyes. Hungry for more? Keep following “Baking with Lisa,” a regular feature in the print and online editions of Jewish Rhode Island that will explore the rich and tasty confections of the Jewish diaspora. Have a baking question? Want me to make your family recipe? Feel free to email me at lmaybruch@jewishallianceri.org. And check out all my baking videos, at Jewishrhody. org/baking-with-lisa. LISA MAYBRUCH (lmaybruch@ jewishallianceri.org) is the manager, adult programs at the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island. Her occasional series, Baking with Lisa, will appear in Jewish Rhode Island and online at Jewishrhody.com/baking-with-lisa

Apple Hand Pies with Honey Salted Caramel Sauce 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon vanilla Juice from one-half lemon Pinch of nutmeg 1 egg, beaten, for egg wash Optional raw or “sanding” sugar, for sprinkling SAUCE: 4 tablespoons butter 1/2 cup honey 1 cup heavy cream 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt

DIRECTIONS

Place half the dough slightly thickened and circles on your prepared darkened in color. baking sheet. Whisk in the cream Place a dollop of filling to combine, allow to in the middle of the just come to a boil, then dough circles in the pan. remove saucepan from Place the remaining the heat. Stir in the salt, dough circles atop the and let stand for 5-10 filled crusts and press minutes for the sauce the edges together with to cool slightly. It will your fingertips or crimp thicken as it cools. with a fork. Make a few Use immediately as a small incisions in the dip for the pies or store center of each filled in the refrigerator and hand pie to allow steam heat slightly when ready to escape. to use. Brush the top of BMW AUDI MERCEDES BENZ VOLKSWAGEN MINI the hand pies with egg wash (1 egg beaten with a little water) and sprinkle with raw sugar. Bake “This shop is the best and I will not go anywhere else. pies for 20 minutes. Something was wrong with my thermostat and it was immediately found and fixed. When the same issue Makes about 12-14 happened again, I brought in my car. Turns out the pies. MAKE THE SAUCE: While the pies are baking, melt the butter and honey together in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until combined. Increase the heat slightly, and allow to simmer gently for 10 minutes or until

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MAKE THE PIE DOUGH: In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in water, one tablespoon at a time, until mixture forms a ball. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight. MAKE THE FILLING: While the dough is chilling, prepare the filling. In a medium pan, combine the apples, sugar, honey, cinnamon, salt, vanilla, lemon juice and nutmeg. Bring to a simmer and cook over low heat for about 10 minutes, or until the apples have softened. Remove from heat and let cool. MAKE THE HAND PIES: Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Remove dough from refrigerator and roll out on a work surface as thin as possible. Use a 3-inch-round cookie cutter to make as many circles as you can.

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PIE DOUGH: 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup butter, chilled and diced 1/4 cup ice water FILLING: 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and diced 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar 2 tablespoons honey

MERCEDES BENZ VOLKSWAGEN MINI PORSCHE

INGREDIENTS

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HIGH HOLY DAYS | FOOD

Braised short ribs make a substantial holiday dish

L’Shana Tova Temple Habonim wishes you a sweet and healthy New Year! Explore Temple Habonim’s welcoming, inclusive community, providing a robust array of in-person and virtual offerings Please contact us for more details on our High Holy Day tickets.

BY RONNIE FEIN (JTA) – Some people think of short ribs as rustic fare. But they are an ideal choice for the High Holy Days – and not just because of the honey representing a sweet New Year. Serve them with a thick and glossy gravy: They look impressive and substantial, keeping with our hopeful and festive feelings.

And there’s a bonus: Short ribs taste even better a day or so after cooking, so you can make them ahead, skim the fat and just reheat. The addition of honey in this recipe adds just a hint of sweetness to the dish, a good balance to the spicy chili sauce and tangy balsamic vinegar. I serve these on cooked egg noodles, but mashed potatoes would be welcome, too.

Short Ribs with Honey and Thyme INGREDIENTS 4-5 pounds boneless short ribs All-purpose flour 6 tablespoons vegetable oil, approximately 2 large onions, sliced 2 cloves garlic, chopped 1 1/2 cups red wine 1 1/2 cups stock or water 1 cup bottled chili sauce 1/4 cup honey 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS Dredge the meat in some flour and shake off the excess. Heat 3 tablespoons of the vegetable oil in a large saute pan or ovenproof casserole over medium heat. Add the meat a few pieces at a time and cook for 3-4 minutes per side or until lightly browned. Add 1-2 more tablespoons of vegetable oil to the pan as needed to prevent sticking. When the meat has

browned, remove the pieces to a dish and set aside. Pour the remaining 1-2 tablespoons vegetable oil into the pan. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally for 2-3 minutes or until slightly softened. Add the garlic and cook briefly. Return the meat to the pan. Pour in the red wine, stock, chili sauce, honey and balsamic vinegar. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and let simmer for 3-4 minutes. Sprinkle with thyme, salt and pepper. Cover the pan, turn the heat to low and cook for about 3 hours or until the meat is tender (or place in the oven at 275 degrees). For best results, when the meat is tender, separate the meat and sauce and place in the refrigerator. When chilled, remove the fat that rises to the top of the sauce. Place the meat in an ovenproof serving dish, cover with the sauce and reheat (about 30 minutes in a preheated oven at 325 degrees). Makes 6 servings.

Barrington • RI 401-245-6536 office@templehabonim.org Youtube.com/templehabonim facebook.com/templehabonim templehabonim.org

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HIGH HOLY DAYS

Observing Yom Kippur with a disordered eating past BY SARAH SIMONE

L’Shana L’Shana Tova! Tova! From Your Friends at... From Your Friends at...

(JTA) – Yom Kippur is arguably one of the most important days in the Jewish calendar. It is the Day of Atonement, a day for reflecting and repenting, where sins of the previous year are acknowledged and restitutions are made. Your repentance sets the tone for the future, and intentions are set for bettering yourself in the year ahead. That the atoning traditionally manifests itself as fasting all day isn’t problematic for some. For others, like me, who are either in recovery from or still struggling with an eating disorder, the issue is far more complex. The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that one in five women suffer from eating disorders or disordered eating, a statistic that entirely excludes the men who are often overlooked. Regarding anorexia alone, men make up a quarter of those suffering and, according to the National Eating Disorder Association, are more likely to die due to the cultural denial of male eating disorders. Anxiety-related disorders have been amplified during the pandemic, and those with eating disorders may be reverting to harmful behaviors to gain a sense of control. My eating disorder began when I was 12 and landed me in the hospital by age 16. At 18, I was firmly in the beginning stages of my recovery, though it’s important to note that recovery is not

a linear process with a fixed endpoint but a process with ups and downs. Most everyone who has received treatment for an eating disorder is aware of the therapeutic conversations that surround big holidays. Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter: These holidays all center around food. That’s not unusual by any stretch; where people gather, they often break bread. What rarely exists in treatment, however, is a conscious awareness around Jewish holidays that center on eating differently. It’s one thing to have your mom looking over your shoulder making sure you fill your plate. It’s another to be religiously obligated to fast for a holy day, when fasting is exactly what you need to avoid. Before my habits became public to my family and health care professionals, I would fast every year for Yom Kippur. As a child, I’d been difficult, always feeling there was much for which I had to atone. Later, in the thick of my eating disorder, it was an opportunity to restrict for a day without excuses or sleight of hand. Traditionally, you don’t have to fast until you’ve been a bar or bat mitzvah and are seen as an “adult” in the eyes of God. This usually falls around puberty, which is an unfortunate coincidence regarding eating disorder risk periods. Once my eating disorder became public to my close family, at age 16, the conversation about Yom Kippur became all the more relevant. My overCONTINUED ON PAGE 25

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Prize-winning journalist to speak at JCC about haters of Jews, Israel

BY FRAN OSTENDORF

ROVIDENCE – Anti-Zionism is the new anti-Semitism, says New York Times opinion writer Bret

Stephens, who will speak on the subject on Oct. 19 at the Alliance’s Dwares Jewish Community Center. DURING AN INTERVIEW in early September, Stephens, who is a foreign policy expert, said there are nuanced differences between classic Jew hatred and anti-Semitism. And he said they have nothing to do with criticism of politics in Israel. He called anti-Zionism the 21st-century equivalent of anti-Semitism, explaining that anti-Zionism is the belief that Israel has no right to exist in any shape or form, whereas anti-Semitism is a political program based on conspiracy theories. “You can be pro-Israel and still criticize the government. The right wing criticizes the government. The left wing criticizes the right wing,” he said.

Stephens went on to say that in his columns, “I criticize things about Israel all the time,” which is “totally normal and appropriate.” But, he said, “there’s a difference between criticizing policy and criticizing the existence of a country when the lives of 7 1/2 million Jews are on the line,” as is the case in Israel today. Stephens is known for his conservative views at the liberal New York Times, but he said he really doesn’t get pushback from his editors. “My job is to think for myself.” “My views are based on experience and reporting. It’s my responsibility to tell the truth as much as I can.” He has deep and wide-ranging experience, which he said has led him to “always care deeply about the Jewish world.” And he said he disagrees with the common thinking on Israel’s future. “The assumption that analysts make is that time is not on Israel’s side. But I think that time is on Israel’s side. Israel needs to be prudent. The Sunnis want to move away from endless conflict with Israel. “I have an abiding faith that Israel is a country that will survive.” Stephens, 47, has lived and worked in the

United States and Europe. He joined the New York Times in April 2017 as an Op-Ed columnist after 16 years at the Wall Street Journal, where he wrote “Global View,” for which he was awarded the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for distinguished commentary. He has also been the editor of the Jerusalem Post. Stephens was raised in Mexico City and has degrees from the University of Chicago and the London School of Economics. He is the author of “America in Retreat: The New Isolationism and the Coming Global Disorder,” released in November 2014.

THE DETAILS Bret Stephens will discuss “Anti-Semitism, Anti-Zionism and Jewish America” on Oct. 19 at 7:30 p.m. at the Alliance’s Dwares Jewish Community Center, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence. This is an Annual Community Campaign event. Seating is limited and COVID-19 restrictions will apply. Livestreaming will also be available. Look for more information and registration details coming soon. FRAN OSTENDORF (fostendorf@ jewishallianceri.org) is the editor of Jewish Rhode Island.

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COMMUNITY CONTINUED FROM PAGE 22 protective mother immediately and adamantly said “No fasting!” She was right in doing so, and while I knew I shouldn’t – and couldn’t – disagree, I still felt like it was a copout. It’s not like every other girl my age hadn’t struggled with thoughts of frustration and sadness when it came to their body, I told myself, and they weren’t skipping the fast. A few years of unhealthy choices and suddenly I’m exempt for life? It didn’t seem right. Children, elders and the ill are free from fasting. Those of us with eating disorders in our histories aren’t mutually exclusive to any of those categories. For me, that meant I needed more than a “well, babies don’t fast either” brushoff when I asked why I shouldn’t. Ultimately, Yom Kippur is a holiday about self-reflection and solitude, and I didn’t

want to miss out on that. The point, as I’d always assumed, was kind of that you’re made to suffer, and in that suffering lies redemption. But since then, I’ve come to realize several key things through my years of recovery regarding Yom Kippur, and what it means not to fast:

It’s a day for self-reflection, meaning that what everyone else is doing with their bodies in relation to their faith is none of your concern, and your eating habits should likewise be none of theirs (provided said eating habits are not causing you bodily harm).

The way to atonement is not through pain, and punishing your body has nothing to do with redemption. My belief is that God wants each of us healthy and kind to ourselves, and when you are engaged in disordered behaviors, you’re not being either.

Alliance offering microgrants to foster community THANKS TO A GENEROUS GIFT from the Bernhardt Foundation, the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island is kicking off the new year with its Community Microgrants Initiative. The Alliance will award individual grants of up to $500 to broaden community relationships. Specifically, the goal is to foster reciprocal relationships with those in the community who might not have a history of engagement with the Alliance. The Alliance is also offering collaborative grants of up to $5,000 for partnerships between a Jewish agency and one (or more) other agency or organization, with a goal of growing creative collaboration and strengthening bonds with partner agencies, as well as forging new bonds and supporting causes that align with the Alliance’s message.

Applications for individual grants will be considered based on how they relate to goals that foster Jewish learning, community or giving. The Alliance encourages creativity, and will consider ongoing support to build out new concepts and ideas. Collaborative grants must consist of a partnership between one Jewish agency and one or more agency of any denomination, including non-denominational. For details or to start your application, visit jewishallianceri.org/microgrants For more information, email Emma Newbery (enewbery@jewishallianceri.org) or Lisa Maybruch (lmaybruch@jewishallianceri.org). Submitted by the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island

In terms of atonement, nance they had once been or visit nationaleatingdisYom Kippur is a day denied. Ask your body’s orders.org. not only for thinking about forgiveness, and more than your actions, but how anything, try to forgive SARAH SIMONE (she/her) your actions have affected yourself. in 2020 was a student at others. When engaged in Punishment and atonethe University of Colorado your eating disorder, you ment are not the same; Boulder studying English are thinking of yourself. what I had assumed about literature, Jewish studies, This is an uncomfortable the role of fasting was and peace and conflict thought, since so many incorrect. Yom Kippur is studies. She is involved with this disease are peonot at all about suffering with the restorative justice ple-pleasers and accommo– it is about apologizing. I community in Boulder and dators, but in practice, it used to spend the day, and is interested in applying has truth. So think instead much of my life, apologizrestorative techniques of your family, of wherever possible those who love to build a more just Yom Kippur, more than being world. This article you and want you healthy and alive, originally appeared and practice love a Day of Atonement, is a day on Alma, a sister site for them by nurturof JTA. ing your own body. for setting goals and sealing Yom Kippur, more than being a fates for the coming year. Day of Atonement, is a day for setting ing to others. Now that I goals and sealing fates for am healthy, on the Day of the coming year. If you are Atonement, I apologize to suffering or have suffered myself. from an eating disorder, If you or someone you rather than repenting know is suffering from an through the act of not eateating disorder, you can ing, repent by giving your call 800-931-2237 for help, body and soul the suste-

Thanking our Jewish neighbors for their support over the past 30 years!

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Washington’s 1790 letter to the Jews of Newport commemorated in women-led program BY SAM SHAMOON NEWPORT – Audiences gathered both inside and outside the historic Touro Synagogue on Aug. 15 for the 74th annual commemoration of President George Washington’s letter and visit to the Hebrew Congregation of Newport in 1790. One audience, wearing masks, gathered inside the 18th-century synagogue building. The other audience sat just outside, under a tent in Patriots Park, to view the annual program of readings and speeches on a large screen. This year, for the first time, all the speakers on the podium were women, as was

the program’s host and the guest letter-readers. Pamela Elman, of Touro Synagogue, was the master of ceremonies. Della Wager Wells, rector at Emanuel Church, in Newport, gave the invocation. Eliza de Sola Mendes, Touro board member and a member of Shearith Israel, read the 1790 letter from Touro Synagogue Warden Moses Seixas to President Washington. U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Shoshana Chatfield, president of the Naval War College, read Washington’s response to Seixas’ letter. Dr. Frances Malino, the Sophia Moses Robison Professor Emerita of Jewish Studies and History at

Wellesley College, gave the keynote address. Cantor and Rabbi Aliza Berger, of Temple Emanuel, in Newton, Massachusetts, provided musical interludes. In his letter to Washington, dated Aug. 17, 1790, Seixas eloquently expressed the anxiety of a historically oppressed minority that was seeking assurance that “children of the stock of Abraham” would find “Liberty of conscience, and immunities of Citizenship in the new nation.” The second letter, President Washington’s historically important reply, dated Aug. 21, 1790, assures the Newport congregation that “... the Government of the United States, which gives to bigotry

TAKE ACTION: REPORT an INCIDENT www.jewishallianceri.org/report-it/ At the Jewish Alliance, we believe all people should be treated fairly and justly. If you have experienced or witnessed an incident of anti-Semitism or extremism, please report it. Anti-Semitic activity includes overt acts or expressions of anti-Jewish bigotry and hostility. Many incidents are not crimes but are still considered anti-Semitic and should be reported. This initiative is meant to help track anti-Semitic incidents in the state of Rhode Island. Experiencing any type of anti-Semitism may be traumatic for you or your loved ones. If you need additional support, please contact Jewish Collaborative Services at 401.331.1244 for guidance.

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

no sanction, to persecution [Lafayette] as Washington’s no assistance, requires only own son.” that they who live under its Malino conjectured protection should demean that Lafayette might have themselves as good citizens, informed George Washington in giving it on all occasions of his enthusiastic support for their effectual support.” the Sephardic Jews of France With these and of the sigstirring nificant role words, Washhe, Lafayette, ington gave had played in his official facilitating endorsement their citizento freedom of ship. religion – one About six year before months after the adoption the Jews of of the Bill of Bordeaux Rights. became Following French the reading citizens, of the two President letters, keyWashington note speaker visited Touro Dr. Frances Malino Malino, an Synagogue and authority on Jewish and the Hebrew Congregation of European history, and espeNewport. cially on Jews in medieval In her closing remarks, Spain, Islam, France and Malino returned to the letEurope, said she wondered if ters. the Jews of Newport in 1790 “Moses Seixas’ pithy yet were aware of the French essential reminder – ‘to bigRevolution and what was otry no sanction, to persecuhappening to French Jews tion no assistance’ – today, at that time. She invited the more than ever, we must turn audience to accompany her to these words for inspiraon a “somewhat bold journey tion,” she said. “May they of historical fact and, yes, a and the memory of those who bit of conjectural fancy as proclaimed them enlighten we explore the interconnectand guide us in our journey edness between the Jews of forward.” Newport, President WashThe program also included ington’s visit, and the 1789 the awarding of annual revolution in France.” prizes to those who have Malino said she sees an worked or written in support important link between the of religious freedom. The Sephardic Jews of Bordeaux, Judge Alexander George France, President WashingTeitz award was presented to ton and the Jews of Newport. Judy Batalion, author of “The That link is the Marquis de Light of Days: The Untold Lafayette, the French general Story of Women Resistance who played a crucial role in Fighters in Hitler’s Ghettos.” the American Revolution. The program closed with According to Malino, a congregational singing of Lafayette helped the Jews of Woody Guthrie’s “This Land Bordeaux gain official recogis Your Land,” led by Cantor nition, protection, rights and Berger, and with a benedicfull citizenship in France. tion led by Rabbi Marc ManThis same Lafayette had a del, of Touro’s Congregation close personal friendship Jeshuat Israel. with George Washington. In fact, Malino pointed out, SAM SHAMOON, of Providence, “they were so close that after is a member of the Touro Lafayette was wounded in Synagogue Foundation Board battle, Washington told the of Directors. surgeon he should think of

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RIJHA wants to hear about your pandemic life BY THE RIJHA MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE

served history, and with the Jewish community’s help, it can now also record how we coped during this historical period. The following essay, by Ruth Breindel, past president of the Rhode Island Jewish Historical Association, can serve as an example. Pesach 2020 comes in a totally different format. We sit at our computers, on Zoom, reading the Haggadah we downloaded and singing songs together – a family that rarely sees each other. My older son and his family are in Massachusetts, and my granddaughter, as the youngest, says the Four Questions in Hebrew. My younger son, in Chicago, is

AS THE KEEPER of Rhode Island’s Jewish history these past 70 years, the Rhode Island Jewish Historical Association (RIJHA) wants to preserve the community’s thoughts and memories of life during the COVID-19 pandemic. These reflections on the effect of the virus on Jewish life and descriptions of how businesses and organizations responded to the challenge will be published in a “memory book” that will be distributed to the community. The book also will be added to RIJHA’s archives, making it a resource for future generations. RIJHA is interested in hearing What did you find most from private citizens as well as leaders of challenging? What synagogues, Jewish organizations and surprised you? What life businesses. The essays could address lessons did you learn? such question as: How did your Jewish life change logged in, and his children, in observing, for instance, who are quite young, wanShabbat, the High Holy der in and out. Days, the seder, life-cycle My cousin logs in from events and festivals? What Birmingham, Alabama; I did you find most challenghaven’t seen her in pering? What surprised you? son in several years. Her What life lessons did you daughters, one in Chicago learn? and one in New York City, What could future genZoom in; I have seen them erations learn from your recently. My other cousin, organization or business in Tucson, Arizona, is there in the time of COVID-19? with her husband; I can’t What was most challengremember the last time I ing? What stayed the same saw them! and what had to change? We tailor the service to How did you manage? our specifications, omitting The COVID-19 essays some passages and adding should be no longer than in our own. The seder meal one single-spaced page of is there, but we each eat by 12-point type and can be ourselves. emailed to office@rijha.org In some ways, it was very or sent through the mail to good, as we, who rarely get RIJHA, 401 Elmgrove Ave., together, had the opportuProvidence, RI 02906. Your nity to celebrate together. name, address and phone On the other hand, I missed number are required. Only the hustle and bustle of your name will be pubcooking and hosting the lished, or the essay can be family. published anonymously. Pesach 2021 is totally RIJHA has long predifferent again. The first

day is a seder with me and a friend; we have it as an afternoon tea, without much food. It’s a new experience for me, since without the bustle of preparing the meal, I can read through the whole Haggadah – something I have never been able to do, as I am usually in the kitchen after the meal, washing dishes, etc. I really enjoy reading it with her, and, again, doing the service as we want to. Since we are now vaccinated, for the second seder, I can be together with some of the family – although I can’t go to Chicago, or any place by plane. Massachusetts has a ban on its residents leaving the state (how weird is that?), but I can go there (OK, I know this makes no sense at all). So I travel to that family, with the soup and the matzoh balls, the gefilte fish and, most important, the family-tradition walnut cake (with whipped cream and strawberries, which is a real hit with the children). Because my older son is a rabbi, he is at services in the morning, and we all eat lunch at different times. The seder begins at 3, so that I can come home before dark. We call it a Seder Tea (you’re getting the picture of what we like to do). We eat the traditional foods I brought, along with their two types of haroset, and the cake, of course. Again, my granddaughter does a great job with the Four Questions, and we all play with the little green frogs I have brought (from Dollar Tree, my favorite store for this type of thing). The service is again pared down to the attention span of the kids (not to mention the adults), and it is a wonderful time. This is as it should be – family, together in person. What will Pesach 2022 be like? It’s not in our hands ….

L’SHANAH TOVAH 5782 from the

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Best Wishes for a Happy New Year The Executive Committee, Staff and Parents of the Providence Hebrew Day School Rabbi Peretz Scheinerman Dean Rabbi Gidon Goldberg Head of School

450 Elmgrove Avenue, Providence, Rhode Island 02906 (401) 331-5327 Ext. 21

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Business Disputes

Temple Beth-El summer fundraiser helps scholarship fund

Sean Coleman, Rick Granoff, Howard Lazarus, Rick Silverstein

PHOTOS | ELAINE SANDY

Jessica Sherwood, Jillian Brosofsky, Lisa Brosofsky, Carol Sarocco, Debbi Jaffe TEMPLE BETH-EL’S 11th Annual Golf/ Tennis and Pickleball Tournament took place on Aug. 9 at Kirkbrae Country Club in Lincoln. Twenty-five foursomes enjoyed a day on the links, while eight tennis and 10 pickleball players spent a pleasant afternoon on the Kirkbrae courts. The post-tournament cocktail hour and festive dinner attracted 150 people. With the support of so many sponsors and attendees, Temple Beth-Elder’s major

fundraiser netted close to $50,000, all in support of the Rabbi Leslie Yale Gutterman Religious School Scholarship Fund, allowing the Providence school to remain tuition-free for the coming year. Heartiest thanks to Golf chairs Rick Granoff and Bob Greenbaum; Tennis chair Lisa Brosofsky and Pickleball chair Karen Isenberg. Submitted by Temple Beth-El

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L’ Hitraot SH A N A TOVA Wishing You a Happy, Healthy and Safe New Year

5782

Or Cohen, Israeli shlichah (emissary) for the past two years, said goodbye to the Rhode Island community at an outdoor gathering Aug. 25. She will return to Israel.

4 5 R O L F E S Q U A R E , C R A N S T O N , R I • W W W. T O U R O F R AT E R N A L . O R G

Happy New Year! Some of the younger community members enjoy ice cream treats during the get-together

PHOTOS | FRAN OSTENDORF

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COMMUNITY

Holocaust center creates planned-giving endowment fund BY LEV POPLOW

“Society grows great when we plant trees in whose shade we know we shall never sit.” – Greek proverb PROVIDENCE – You’ve lived your life as a productive, prosperous and involved member of our community. There have been ups and downs, joys and sorrows, but as you look back, you know that you have been blessed with children, grandchildren, success and a full life. Thanks to your efforts, you are secure in the knowledge that your family is taken care of. So, now what? What type of legacy do you want to leave? You’ve lived up to the legacy that was left for you, and now it’s time to leave a legacy that is worthy of your children and future generations. Recently, the Sandra Bornstein Holocaust Education Center

(SBHEC) announced a way for you to include the center as part of your legacy: the Never Again Society. The society is a new planned-giving endowment fund to support SBHEC’s mission to help end genocide, hate and discrimination through Holocaust education. Simply put, planned giving is the process of making a significant charitable gift that is part of the donor’s financial or estate plan. Whether a donor uses cash, appreciated securities/stock, real estate, artwork, partnership interests, personal property, life insurance, a retirement plan, etc., the benefits of funding a planned gift can make this type of charitable giving very attractive to both donors and the nonprofits they support. Former SBHEC President Selma Stanzler, who is now a charter member of the Never Again Society, relates, “A few years ago, someone made the chance remark that one did not have to be a multimillionaire to set up an endowment fund, and I was hooked. I really wanted to leave my children an ethical philosophical gift … to have something that would remind them of what I held dear and believed in.

“After careful discussion and planning, I was able to set up an endowment [via a life insurance policy] that would continue our lifelong interests. We were able to craft a statement of intent and belief so that our grandchildren would know what we stood for and what was important to us; how one lived one’s life and to understand one’s responsibility to the community. It was a very heady experience … it felt wonderful!” And, she added, “Remember, there is no such thing as a ‘too small’ gift – it goes on forever, and so do you.” Kalu Ndukwe Kalu, a Nigerian-born American political scientist, once said, “The things you do for yourself are gone when you are gone, but the things you do for others remain as your legacy.” SBHEC is honored by, and thankful for, Never Again Society charter

members Karen Borger, Judith Jameison, Peter Mezei, Selma Stanzler and May-Ronny Zeidman. To learn more about including SBHEC in your legacy, contact SBHEC Executive Director MayRonny Zeidman at 401-453-7860 or may@bornsteinholocaustcenter. org. LEV POPLOW is a communications and development consultant who writes for the Sandra Bornstein Holocaust Education Center. He can be reached at levpoplow@gmail.com.

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“To save one life is to save the world entire.” — The Talmud

This High Holiday season, as we seek spiritual and physical renewal for ourselves and our loved ones, let us also remember those in Israel who nurture and renew life every day. Whether it’s treating civilians wounded in terror and rocket attacks or vaccinating them against Covid-19, no organization in Israel saves more lives than Magen David Adom. Magen David Adom is not government-funded. Its 27,000 volunteer EMTs and paramedics and 4,000 full-time professionals rely on support from people like you for the vehicles, supplies, and equipment they need to perform their lifesaving work. No gift will help Israel more this coming year. Support Magen David Adom by donating today at afmda.org/rosh or call 866.632.2763. Shanah tovah.

afmda.org

32 | SEPTEMBER 2021

COMMUNITY

Jewish Rhode Island | jewishrhody.org

Pool Toss

PHOTOS | ROBERT ISENBERG

J-Camp counselors toss campers in the pool. Participants first wrote positive poems about each other, which were read aloud before each camper jumped – or was voluntarily thrown – into the heated water.

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COMMUNITY

Congregation Or Chadash

Smithfield High graduate wins Touro college grant CRANSTON – Alexander a medalist at the Junior Brenner, the son of Varsity State ChampionJeremy and Sandi ships. He has also won Brenner, of Smithfield, many Science Olympiad has been awarded a $5,000 medals. His team took educational grant from first place in the Mission the Touro Fraternal Possible competition, Association to defray the where they built a Rube cost of a college education. Goldberg machine. Alex was chosen as Brenner is also a Boy the grant winner after a Scout, earning the highest rigorous selection process rank, Eagle Scout, by conducted by Touro’s volunteering at the R.I. Student Financial Aid Special Olympics and Committee. refurbishing his high In addition, three applischool’s music departcants will share in a total ment cabinets, shelving of $10,500 in interest-free and props closet. He also loans from Touro’s Leo volunteered to assist the Greenberg Memorial band teacher at an eleScholarship Fund. These mentary school and was a loans are repayable startchemistry tutor through ing six months after the the National Honor Socistudent graduates or is no ety, as well as a math and longer a full-time student. reading tutor at his local Alex is a freshman at library. His father Jeremy the College of New Jersey, Three applicants will studying physics. A share in a total of $10,500 2021 graduate of Smithfield in interest-free loans High School, he played the trombone and is the longtime president bass guitar for his school of Congregation B’nai band, the Rhode Island Israel in Woonsocket. Philharmonic Youth Jazz Since the establishment Band and the R.I. Allof the student grant and State Band. loan program in 1981, He was the co-captain Touro has made financial of the Smithfield High awards to ease the cost of cross-country team and

provide food and comfort for vulnerable populations across Providence, Pawtucket, Cranston and Warwick. You don't need heaps of experience. Volunteers conduct easy-to-learn tasks like assisting customers, stocking shelves and making deliveries. Need some social interaction? You may love working as an in-person meal server at the JCS Senior Cafes. You can also

High Holiday Service 5782 Oﬃciated by Cantorial Soloist Rabbinic Student Samuel Gelman This year, we oﬀer both in-person services & live-stream services.

We will hold services in the social hall at 139 Ocean Avenue Cranston, RI 02905 High Holiday Tickets are available and may be applied to Congregation Membership. To register or see our complete High Holiday Schedule, kindly visit our website:

www.orchadash-ri.org higher education. Regular Touro members, their children and the children of deceased Touro members who are enrolled in an accredited institution of higher learning are eligible to apply for the interest-free loans and a one-time $5,000 grant. In both cases, regular Touro members must be in good standing for at least two years to be eligible. For more information about Touro’s loan and grant programs, as well as other benefits for members, go to www.tourofraternal.org, send an email to info@tourofraternal. org, or call the office at 401-785-6600. Submitted by the Touro Fraternal Association.

Jewish Collaborative Services seeks volunteers PANDEMIC. Unemployment. Social isolation. Times are still tough, and our neighbors in the Jewish community need more help than ever. Wishing you could do something? Well, you can. Jewish Collaborative Services is actively seeking volunteers on a rolling basis. The organization oversees several life-saving initiatives, such as the Kosher Food Pantry and Meals on Wheels. These services

Invites you to join us for

participate in planned activities and lead conversations with clients at Tamarisk Assisted Living Residence. Ready for an experience that will enrich your life and those around you? Call Dori Adler at 401-3311244, or visit jcsri.org Submitted by Jewish Collaborative Services

NOTICE! Lincoln Park Cemetery and its offices will be closed on observance of the following holidays: Tuesday, September 7: First Day of Rosh Hashanah Wednesday, September 8: Second Day of Rosh Hashanah Thursday, September 16: Yom Kippur Tuesday, September 21: First day of Sukkot Wednesday, September 22: Second day of Sukkot Tuesday, September 28: Shemini Atzeret Wednesday, Monday 29: Simchat Torah Lincoln Park Cemetery 1469 Post Road, Warwick, RI 02888 Telephone 737-5333 Fax 732-1293

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COMMUNITY

Israeli Paralympic swimmer wins gold (JTA) – In his first Paralympic Games, 21-year-old Israeli swimmer Mark Malyar has made history: He won gold for Team Israel and set a new world record in the men’s 200-meter individual medley (SM7) category. Malyar swam the race in a time of 2:29.01. The SM7 category includes swimmers who have limited leg function, or are missing a leg – which includes athletes with cerebral palsy and athletes with amputations. Malyar’s gold is the second for Israel at this year’s Paralympics; on the first day of the competition, Israeli-Arab swimmer Iyad Shalabi won gold in the 100-meter backstroke (S1 divison).

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Mark Malyar is competing in Tokyo with his twin brother Ariel. Both were born with cerebral palsy and grew up in Kiryat Motzkin, in the Haifa District. They started swimming at age 5 for physical therapy. President Isaac Herzog called Malyar to congratulate him on his win, saying, “Mark, this is so exciting. You are unstoppable. Both a gold medal and a Made-in-Israel world record! I wish you, your brother, and your special coach Yaakov Beininson more medals over the course of the games. Well done!” The Israeli twins are two of many inspiring Jewish athletes competing in this year’s Paralympics.

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OBITUARIES Mildred Beck, 103 CRANSTON, R.I. – Mildred Beck passed away on Aug. 31 at Tamarisk Assisted Living. She was the beloved wife of the late Edmund Beck. Born in Patterson, New Jersey, a daughter of the late Isadore and Rose Milgrim, she had lived in Warwick for over 10 years, previously living in Cranston. Mildred was a member of Temple Torat Yisrael. She was the devoted mother of Ilene Bojar and her husband, David, of Cranston. She was the dear sister of the late Bettye Gold, Tillie Milgrim, Ida Hutzler, Frances Schaffer, Anna Lasky and Shirley D’Andrea. She

was the loving grandmother of Ellis (Elizabeth) and Deborah. Contributions in her memory may be made to Temple Torat Yisrael, 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich, RI 02818 or Tamarisk Assisted Living Employee Appreciation Fund, 3 Shalom Dr., Warwick, RI 02886.

Joel Dain, 89 KINGSTON, R.I. – Joel A. Dain died Aug. 21 at Brookdale South Bay. Joel was the beloved husband of Eleanor (Horowitz) Dain

for 64 years. Born in Bronx, New York City, he was the oldest son of the late Charles and Beatrice (Pollack) Dain. A resident of Kingston since 1962, Dr. Dain was Professor of Biochemistry at the University of Rhode Island until his retirement in 2015, after which he continued working as an emeritus professor until his death. Joel was known for his influential research on Tay-Sachs and other diseases and his caring and dedicated mentoring of numerous graduate students and post docs. He was the caring and playful father of Peter J. Dain and his wife, Deborah Blicher, of Sudbury, Massachusetts, Jonathan L. Dain and his wife, Karen Kainer, of Gainesville, Florida, and Leonard E. Dain and his wife, Ivetia Paniagua, of Seattle, Washington. Joel was the dear brother of Martin Dain of Sun City, Florida, and was the loving and mischievous grandfather of Rebekah, Beatrice, Kristina, Max, Joshua and Isabel. Contributions in Joel’s memory may be made to the organizations listed on the Shalom Memorial Chapel website (www.shalommemorialchapel.com/).

Donald Elkins, 80 COVENTRY, R.I. – Donald H. Elkins died Aug. 19 at Westerly Hospital. He was the husband of Holly (Baron) Elkins. Born in Providence, a son of the late Solomon and Elsie (Corenbaum) Elkins, he had lived in Coventry for 5 years, previously living in Charlestown. Donald enthusiastically served the New England gaming community by working at Foxwoods Casino for over 25 years. Donald was a Vietnam Army veteran, serving in South Vietnam. He was the devoted father of Michael Elkins of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. He was the dear brother of Hope Pearlman of Boynton Beach, Florida. He was the loving uncle of Sarah and Adam. He was the cherished grandfather of his grand-dogs, Mackenzie and Harlow. Contributions in his memory may be made to Pap Corps, 1191 E. Newport Center Dr., Ste. 107. Deerfield Beach, FL 33442.

Beatrice Einstein, 99 KINGSTON R.I. – Beatrice P. Einstein died Aug. 27 at

South County Hospital. She was the beloved wife of the late Harry Einstein. Born in New Brunswick New Jersey, a daughter of the late Samuel and Ethel (Fleishman) Pincus, she lived in Springfield, New Jersey, for many years before moving to Kingston in 1996. She was a civic leader of her community her entire life. Beatrice was the president of the Springfield (N.J.) League of Women Voters and a member of the League’s State Legislative Committee. She was a member of Congregation Beth David in Narragansett, and a former member of Temple Poile Zedek in New Brunswick, N.J., where she worked to save the synagogue by having it listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Always passionate about her community, Beatrice volunteered teaching English to foreign-born Holocaust survivors, recorded audiobooks for the blind in New Jersey and New York, and was co-chair of the Springfield (N.J.) Drug Abuse Commission. She was also the volunteer president and CEO of the Springfield (N.J.) Senior Citizens Housing Authority where she oversaw design, construction and tenant selection of community housing. Beatrice was president of the sisterhood of Congregation Emanuel in Roselle New Jersey, and was chair of the Springfield New Library Committee, where she succeeded in persuading the township to relocate and build a new library. She was the devoted mother of Ned Einstein of New York City, and Beth Casagrande and her husband, Richard, of Kingston. She was the dear sister of the late Jack and George Pincus and the late Freda Gordon. She was the loving grandmother of Lindsey, David and Julia. Contributions in her memory may be made to The Blue Card (http:// bluecardfund.org), which provides assistance to Holocaust survivors, or Yad Ezrah (http://yadezrah.org. il), offering a wide variety of charitable services to the needy in Israel.

Louise Felder, 91 FALL RIVER, MASS. – Louise Felder died Aug. 6 at the Fall River Jewish Home. She was the beloved wife of the late David Felder. Born in Lowell, Massachusetts,

and raised in Fall River, a daughter of the late Benjamin and Lillian (Brenner) Simon, she had previously resided in Dartmouth, Massachusetts, Delray Beach, Florida, Providence and moved back to Fall River this year. Louise was a graduate of Pembroke College/Brown University with a bachelor’s degree and earned a master’s degree in library science at the University of Rhode Island. She was a member of the Pembroke Club, Brandeis Women's Club and served as past president of Hadassah in Fall River. Louise was also a member of Tifereth Israel Congregation in New Bedford and Temple Emanu-El in Providence. She was the devoted mother of Lloyd Felder and his wife, Debra, of Dartmouth, Fred Felder of Providence and the late Dr. Clifford Felder of Rehovot, Israel. She was the dear sister of George Simon of Warwick and Carol Marlin of Dartmouth and the loving grandmother to Daniel Felder and fiancé Ashley Yarahgi, and Dr. Laura Felder and husband Dr. Donald Cannon. Contributions in her memory may be made to Hadassah, PO Box 1100, New York, NY 10268.

Jerald Goldstein, 84

VILLAGES, FLA. – Jerald Morton Goldstein passed away on Aug. 7 in The Villages, Florida. Jerry was the beloved husband of Rochelle “Shelley” (Alch) Goldstein for 63 years. He was born in Providence, a son of the late Abraham “Al” Goldstein and Annie (Exter) Goldstein. He was the devoted father of Scott Russell Goldstein and his wife Christine Goldstein of Anderson, South Carolina. Jerry was the cherished grandfather of Marc Kaufman, Adam and Joshua Goldstein, Tara Goldstein Gentry, Nathan and Mason Petkus. He also leaves seven great -grandchildren. He was the devoted brother to Lori Avarista and her husband David Avarista and Roberta Russo of Rhode Island. He was pre-deceased by his son, Brian Michael Goldstein, and his brother, Stephen Arnold Goldstein.

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OBITUARIES A celebration of his life was held on August 28, 2021 in the Villages, Florida.

Marian Goldstein, 95

EAST GREENWICH, R.I. – Marian B. Goldstein died Aug. 21 at HopeHealth Hospice, Providence. She was the wife of the late Bernard R. Goldstein whom she met at the Las Vegas USO in the summer of 1944. Born in Bell, California, the daughter of the late Joseph and Agnes (Cragin) Schlapp, she had lived in Warwick since 1954, with a break of 4 years in the early 1980s to live in Pompano Beach, Florida. Marian was a member of Temple Sinai and its sisterhood, Hadassah, and Jewish Senior Agency. She was the mother of Stephen Goldstein and his wife, Judith, of Glen Mills, Pennsylvania, David Goldstein and his wife, Lois, of Groton, Massachusetts, and Marcia Goldstein-Nathans and her husband Michael of Annapolis, Maryland. She was the grandmother of Brian, Kevin, Lindsay and Rachel. She was the

great-grandmother of Riley and Ethan. After retirement from Citizens Bank Marian traveled to many places on her “bucket list” and enjoyed going to the theater, museums and symphony. Contributions in her memory may be made to Temple Sinai, 30 Hagen Ave., Cranston, RI 02920.

Leah Ribner-Martin, 20 NORTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. – Leah E. Ribner-Martin, died on Aug. 10. She was the beloved daughter of Ruth Ribner and Lenore Martin of North Kingstown. She was the cherished granddaughter of Alice Martin (Ted Jones) and the late Donald Martin (Joan Erskine) and the late Daniel and late Lita Ribner. She is also survived by her loving aunts and uncles, Drew (Rita and Melissa), Alan (Angie), Ann (late Sam), Naomi and Carol; cousins Kenneth, Seth, Leyna, Linc and Amanda and great-aunt Gail (late Frank).

Leah attended the Jewish Community Day School of Rhode Island, Wickford Middle School, and had completed two full years at URI after taking courses parttime while a senior at North Kingstown High School. She had already [mostly] fulfilled the requirements for the BS in Animal Science degree at URI and planned to begin her professional years for the Doctor of Pharmacy degree this Fall as a P1 student. Her intentions were to combine her love of animals with her expertise in medicine through Veterinary Pharmacy. Leah started her 4-H career in the SRI4H dairy club as a shy middle-school kid, eager to learn about the dairy world. She managed an animal from The Cottrell Homestead (a dairy farm) where she purchased and raised her own calf Nova (who she loved so much). Leah was a role model and mentor for younger kids, helping them with her knowledge. Leah was on the RI State 4H quiz bowl, and judging teams, receiving top 10 placings in New England. She was a big part of the

4-H family and will sadly be missed. Leah loved working at the Red Dog Inn and has been a very loved member of the Red Dog family. She gave great loving care to all of the dogs and cats, but always took particular care of the rescue dogs waiting for their new homes. Leah recently left the Red Dog Inn and started work as a veterinary technician. Contributions in her memory may be made to RI 4-H Club Foundation, Southern RI Dairy Club, P.O. Box 1925, Kingston, RI 02881 or Young Judaea, 575 8th Ave., NY, NY 10018 or Rhode Home Rescue at www.RhodeHomeRescue. org

Irwin Vederman, 91 PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Irwin J. Vederman, passed away on Aug. 3 at HopeHealth Hulitar Hospice Center. He was the beloved husband of Susan (Hyman) Vederman for 54 years. Born in Philadelphia,

Pennsylvania, a son of the late Samuel and Dora (Jaffe) Vederman, he had lived in Warwick for 51 years. Irwin served in the U.S. Army from 1948-50, stationed in Fort Devens, Massachusetts. He was a lifetime jewelry salesman, retiring in 2007. Irwin was a member of Temple Sinai. He was the devoted father of Samuel Vederman (Jennifer Griffis) of Lake Havasu City, Arizona, and Harris Marc Vederman (Carol) of Dickerson, Maryland. He was the loving “Papi” of Cecelia and Adeline. He was the dear brother of the late Adele Rakoff, Norma Mirow and Robert Vederman. He was Uncle Irv to devoted nieces and nephews. He is also survived by his fluffy companion, Lulu Vedercat. Contributions in his memory may be made to Temple Sinai, 30 Hagen Ave., Cranston, RI 02920.

Son of Holocaust survivor flew Afghan refugees to U.S. BY GABE FRIEDMAN (JTA) – Last week, Delta Airlines pilot Alexander Kahn flew hundreds of Afghan refugees from Germany to Dulles Airport outside Washington, D.C., as part of a U.S. government partnership with commercial airlines. It had extra special meaning for Kahn, as he told CNN, for a few reasons – first and foremost, his own father was a Holocaust survivor who immigrated to the U.S. in similar fashion. “I’m the son of an immigrant in the United States, my father was a Holocaust survivor, he was liberated from Buchenwald concentration camp by Patton’s Third Army and came to the United States not much differently than the people that are coming to the United States now,” Kahn told Jewish anchor John Berman on CNN’s “New

Day” on Aug. 27. “He was coming with the clothes on his back, no family, no English skills, and had to start life over again. Luckily he was starting life over in the land of opportunity.” When asked how he felt on board, Kahn said that he was able to “put myself in their position.” “This is going to be a frightening experience for them, but it has the potential to be an excellent experience for them. My father made it into the United States, learned English, put himself through school, became a doctor, and years later actually was back in West Germany as a physician for the U.S. army… at the tail end of the Cold War,” he said. The Ramstein Air Base in Germany was where Kahn flew his first plane in training, and it’s where he flew the Delta flight of refugees fleeing the Taliban.

Kahn noted that the flight’s attendants prepared for the trip the night before by using their own money to buy things for the Afghan flyers, such as diapers, books, candy and other supplies, “because we knew these evacuees were coming with no opportunity to prepare,” he said. Berman asked what Kahn would tell his passengers years from now, if he had the chance. “I think I’d probably ask them, how’s their experience? Have they been able to reach goals that they never dreamed possible? And to give them hope, to show them that we are a land of legal immigrants and this is what built the United States. We’re a generous country because we’re a generous people, and the future is theirs,” Kahn said. Certified by the Board of Rabbis of Greater Rhode Island Jacquelyn Aubuchon, Funeral Director

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Jewish Rhode Island | jewishrhody.org

2021 / 5782

Shanah Tovah

to Members of Rhode Island’s Jewish Community! As Rhode Island Governor, I am proud of the deep historic legacy of Jewish contributions to our state, and I wish all a happy new year and best wishes.

Governor Dan McKee

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Beasley-Steingold SAMANTHA BEASLEY AND JONATHAN STEINGOLD were married on Aug. 15, 2020, in Ojai, California. They recently celebrated their first anniversary. Samantha is the daughter of Kathy Launer and James Beasley. Jonathan is the son of Joyce and Larry Steingold, formerly of East Greenwich, who now reside in Ojai, California. The couple now reside in Prescott, Arizona.

Community Microgrant Initiative: Now accepting applications! Join the Jewish Alliance in creating conditions by which all members of Rhode Island’s Jewish community may connect with one another and with Jewish life more deeply. We encourage Jewish agencies and individuals to explore opportunities to come together on their own terms...with funding provided by the Jewish Alliance.

Collaborative Grants (up to $5,000) To fund new and creative partnerships that contribute to vibrant Jewish life in our state and build meaningful collaborations between different Jewish and non-Jewish organizations. These grants are intended for at-least two organizations in the community to collaborate together on a meaningful project.

Individual Grants (up to $500) To fund new and creative initiatives that contribute to vibrant Jewish life in our state. These grants are intended for individuals in the community to offer their own programming and content that is uniquely relevant to them, their interests, and their immediate community. This can be in the form of a Shabbat dinner, a park meet-up, a Jewish learning group, a holiday gathering, or something more creative and innovative.

JEWISH ALLIANCE Traditionally under-served or under-acknowledged populations are strongly encouraged to apply.

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For more information, including application and timeline, visit www.jewishallianceri.org/MicroGrants/

Join Temple Beth-El for High Holy Day Services L’shanah Tovah Happy New Year

All are welcome to our join us online for the High Holy Day services!

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HIGH HOLY DAYS SERVICES 2021/5782

Rosh Hashanah Evening: Mon, Sept 6, 5:45 PM

Kol Nidre: Wed, Sept 15, 8:00 PM

Rosh Hashanah Morning: Tues, Sept 7, 10:00 AM

Yom Kippur Morning followed by Musical Interlude: Thurs, Sept 16, 10:00 AM

Rosh Hashanah Children’s Service followed by Family Reception: Tues, Sept 7, 3:00 PM

Yom Kippur Torah Study: Thurs, Sept 16, 2:00 PM

Community Tashlich: Tues, Sept 7, 4:30 PM

Yom Kippur Children’s Service: Thurs, Sept. 16, 2:00 PM

Rosh Hashanah Second Day: Wed, Sept 8, 10:30 AM

Yom Kippur Afternoon Service: Thurs, Sept 16, 3:00 PM Yizkor/Concluding Service: Thur, Sept 16, 4:30 PM

Senior Rabbi SARAH E. MACK Assistant Rabbi PRESTON D. NEIMEISER

Rabbi Emeritus LESLIE Y. GUTTERMAN Cantor JUDITH A. SEPLOWIN 70 Orchard Avenue Providence, RI 02906-5402 Office: (401) 331-6070 Fax: (401) 331-8068 info@temple-beth-el.org www.Temple-Beth-El.org