October 2022

The Voice of Greater Rhode Island’s Jewish Community

OCTOBER 2022 | TISHREI/HESHVAN 5783

JEWISHRHODY.ORG

It takes a community to tango Jewish comfort food gets a modern twist

Check out ‘This Month in History’

There’s more than gold at Maccabiah Games

2 | OCTOBER 2022

Jewish Rhode Island | jewishrhody.org

Community Microgrant Initiative: Now accepting applications!

Thanks to a generous gift from the Bernhardt Foundation, the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island is kicking off the new year with the second cycle of the Community Microgrants Initiative. 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 (expected maximum of

$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 (expected maximum of $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.

of Greater Rhode Island

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

OCTOBER 2022 | 3

jewishrhody.org | Jewish Rhode Island

It’s a season of new possibilities THIS IS MY FAVORITE time I love fall, with its changof the year. We have come ing colors, warm days and through a period of introcool nights. But I also think spection. We have assessed that the holidays are a big where we have been and part of why this season where we are going. It is is so special to a fresh new year with a me. clean slate.

And I feel I find this annual blessed as we self-assessment useenter 5783. ful and revealing, and For years, I use it to make course my extended corrections. Have you family has done that? Whether you gathered at want to alter the way you our home for treat friends and family, or holidays. Yes, that the trajectory of your career means lots of people, lots of or personal life, now is a food and a ton of preparagood time to start. tions. But we all get along You can use this time of and have a lot of fun spendself-reflection to big deciing time together. sions, like whether now is This year, we had fewer the time to retire or relocate. relatives at our table, but my And you can also use it to immediate family has grown make “smaller” with the addidecisions, such tion of another ‘Traditions as spending more little girl, my time with relathird grandare strong in tives or getting child, born this back to a pasyear. What fun this season.’ sion you’ve left it will be to have behind. the three sisters It’s really not that diffiat the family table for many cult. It just takes a little time holidays to come! to step back and see the big This year, we dipped picture. Discover what will apples in honey and said the improve your life and bring blessings. And then, later in you happiness. the meal, the girls decided

that vegetables were also better when dipped in honey!

I’m hoping that will bring us an extra-sweet year!

We try to stay away from controversy and strife at the table. But since we all like a good discussion, that’s not always possible. But, done in a respectful way, we get through it, and I’m grateful for that. I guess it’s helpful that our parents encouraged us to listen to all opinions in an effort to formulate our own. We’ve tried to hand down that open-mindedness.

I hope we’ve been successful.

Traditions are strong in this season. Whether you celebrate the High Holy Days in synagogue or via Zoom, whether you buy apples at the supermarket or you pick them at a local farm, whether you gather for a holiday meal at your house or in the neighbor’s sukkah, this is the season for renewing family ties, self-reflection and commitment.

And it’s also the time for new possibilities, like vegetables dipped in honey. Why not?

The Voice of Greater Rhode Island’s Jewish Community

JEWISH RHODE ISLAND

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Fran Ostendorf Editor

COMMUNITY

Hadassah walks for women's health HADASSAH NORTHEAST is sponsoring a walk for women’s health. You can walk along Blackstone Boulevard on Providence's East Side to raise money for women's health. The boulevard path is 1.4 miles to its end. You can walk to the end and turn around or turn back anytime along the way.

The goal is to increase awareness of Hadassah's efforts in Israel and the U.S. to improve women's health, including breast cancer research, gender equity in medical research and advocating for reproductive rights.

This event is open to ALL people, families, youth groups, and temples.

You do not have to be a member of Hadassah to register for this walk.

Community partner sponsors are Core Connects RI and Temple Beth-El Providence.

The walk takes place on Sunday, Oct. 23 from 2-4:30 p.m. There is a $25 fee to walk.

D'VAR TORAH 5 | CALENDAR 6 | FOOD 8 | COMMUNITY VOICES 10 SENIOR PROM 16 | OPINION 18 | COMMUNITY 20 | BUSINESS 28 | OBITUARIES 29

JEWISH RHODE ISL AND

EDITOR Fran Ostendorf DESIGN & LAYOUT Alex Foster ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT Peter Zeldin | 401-421-4111, ext. 160 pzeldin@jewishallianceri.org CONTRIBUTORS Cynthia Benjamin, Larry Kessler, Robert Isenberg, Emma Newbery, Sarah Greenleaf COLUMNISTS Michael Fink, Patricia Raskin, Rabbi James Rosenberg, Daniel Stieglitz

VOLUME XXIX, ISSUE XI JEWISH RHODE ISLAND

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

PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID at Providence, R.I. POSTMASTER Send address changes to: Jewish

Rhode Island, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence, RI 02906.

PUBLISHER

The Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island, President/CEO Adam Greenman, Chair Harris Chorney, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence, RI 02906. 401-421-4111; Fax 401-331-7961

Other walks will take place in Boston and Brookline.

To register, go to runsignup.com/ hadassahwalk. Registration ends Oct. 23, at noon.

For questions about this event, please contact the Walk director at gseletz@hadassah.org.

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.

COPY DEADLINES: All news releases, photographs, etc., must be received

on the Wednesday 10 days prior to publication. Submissions may be sent to: editor@jewishallianceri.org.

ADVERTISING: We do not accept advertisements for pork or shellfish. We

do not attest to the kashrut of any product or the legitimacy of advertisers’ claims.

ALL SUBMITTED CONTENT becomes the property of Jewish Rhode Island. Announcements and opinions contained in these pages are published as a service to the community and do not necessarily represent the views of Jewish Rhode Island or its publisher, the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island. We reserve the right to refuse publication and edit submitted content.

ON THE COVER: Sally Freestone, of Warwick, takes a spin around the dance floor with her fiancé Thomas Marino, of Providence.

PHOTO | GLENN OSMUNDSON

4 | OCTOBER 2022

Jewish Rhode Island | jewishrhody.org

UP FRONT

Maria del Mar Gomez, seated, and Emily Levy, standing, with the Fluid Motion Backpack, a Mighty Well product.

PHOTO | MIGHTY WELL

Emily Levy’s Mighty Well is steeped in tikkun olam

BY ROBERT ISENBERG

N

early a decade ago, when Emily Levy was 19 years old,

she had an urgent meeting with her doctor. She had just been diagnosed with a severe case of Lyme disease.

GROWING UP IN RHODE ISLAND and Boston, Levy couldn’t remember a tick bite, but she had endured a range of symptoms since middle school. After seeing many doctors, she was relieved to finally pinpoint a cause. In fact, Levy had an extreme form of neurodegenerative Lyme disease, and she needed immediate treatment.

To combat the bacterial infection, Levy would have to wear a peripherally inserted central catheter,

or “PICC line.” The complex device would attach to her arm and inject life-saving antibiotics directly into her bloodstream.

Lifesaving, yes, but unsightly. The doctor suggested she cover it up.

With what, Levy asked.

Find a tube sock, advised the physician, in all seriousness. Cut off the end and pull it over your arm.

For six months, that’s what Levy did. She walked around the campus of Babson College, in Wellesley, Massachusetts, trying not to think about her sock-covered bicep.

“It’s a very business-focused school. Most days I was wearing a pencil skirt and a blazer,” Levy recalled.

“But I also had a sock on my arm. It was quite the juxtaposition: I’m supposed to be growing into young adulthood, yet here’s a blatant symbol that there’s a medical challenge in my life.”

What happened next has been well-documented in the media, especially in health and business news: Levy turned her dilemma into a class project. She talked to her father, the famed surfboard-maker David Levy, who suggested cutting up a rash-guard shirt and fashioning her own arm cover.

Building on that idea, Levy teamed up with two college friends, Maria del Mar Gomez and Yousef al-Humaidh, to develop better apparel. She commissioned her cousin, Bristol-based Caitlin Allen, to design the garment. She participated in an accelerator program called MassChallenge, and she hustled for investors.

The result: Mighty Well, a company founded in 2016.

Based in Cranston, Mighty Well sells arm coverings that look and behave like fashionable sportswear. The company’s PICC-line covers

come in attractive hues and are made from antimicrobial and moisture-wicking fabric.

Levy’s business has grown exponentially in the past six years, expanding its catalog to bags, organizers, masks and, most recently, a waterproof cover for bathing.

“It gives you more dignity,” says Levy, “not only in the way you look, but helping to preserve the dignity of the medical device that the patient had to get implanted.”

Levy, who lives in Providence, is only 28 years old, and she has already garnered widespread respect as an entrepreneur. Outlets like Forbes and CBS News have reported on Levy’s medical history and business acumen. Many journalists have also nodded to her parents: David Levy, a respected surfer and surfboard-maker in Narragansett, and Terry Allen Lanza,

who helped open the Boston offices of Giorgio Armani in the 1990s and worked in corporate advertising.

“I really do credit both of my parents,” Levy says.

“My mom, [for] helping me to understand the corporate world, and my dad [for] saying, ‘Follow your heart, soul, passion and build something for yourself.’ ” But there is another side to Levy – a profound spirituality, largely shaped by her Jewish heritage.

Judaism was an unlikely passion for Levy. Her father didn’t practice, despite having grown up in a conservative synagogue, and her mother’s family was Irish-Catholic. She might never have given her religious ancestry much thought, but her paternal aunt, Arlene Seltzer, introduced the young Levy to Jewish holidays and traditions.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

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jewishrhody.org | Jewish Rhode Island

During Sukkot, we see what is really real

D’ VA

ALL SEVEN DAYS we treat our sukkah as our regular dwelling and our house as our occasional dwelling.

– Mishnah Sukkah 2:9 There is an odd sense of peace that comes over me during Sukkot. I think it has to do with the fact that the sukkah itself is so obviously real. It is our most elaborate and massive ritual object.

You may not be able to convince yourself that a piece of matzah transforms you into a slave emerging from Egypt, or that a Hanukkah menorah shines with the light of a God’s miracles, but a sukkah definitely has the ability to convince you that you were made just to sit in it and feel at home.

As I stretch out in my sukkah for a festive meal, I think to myself, “Yes, this is the way life should be. I could sit in here forever and just be happy.”

And if, while sitting in my sukkah, I should happen to notice that nice, solid-looking building next to it – the one where I keep my bed, furnishings and books – I might think to myself, “Yes, that is my temporary shelter. It is a sort of out-building. An oversized shed. But this lovely hut with the roof made of branches –

R

this is my real house. This is where I live.”

Sukkot is the holiday in which the unreal becomes palpably real. It is the premiere Jewish holiday of intentionally disorienting ourselves. We need it.

Think about this in terms of your own life. What is real to you? What do you see as the foundation of your life and existence?

Is it a job or a social status?

Is it wealth or prestige?

Is it a role in the community? Is it RABBI JEFFREY a skill or a special GOLDWASSER ability?

Sukkot reminds us that all these things are fragile and disappear over time. Even our most valued relationships – family and friendships – can and will change, and eventually disappear. Most of the things we consider to be the foundation of our existence have no lasting reality or permanence.

This is the theme of the book of Kohelet (Ecclesiastes) that we read during Sukkot. Kohelet teaches, “I was distressed by all that goes on under the sun, because everything is futile and pursuit of wind” (2:17).

So, is anything real?

What should we consider

TO R A H

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4 “My Dad always said the ocean was his religion,” she recalls. “I’m definitely very connected spiritually to the ocean. But I personally was very curious about my family’s cultural and religious background in a way that he’s not.”

After high school, Levy signed up for the Birthright program.

“I was honestly just looking for a free trip to Israel,” says Levy. “But then when I went, I literally felt my ancestors when we were there. I believe that all people who can track their lineage to the Jewish people should have that opportunity to go and experience the Holy Land for themselves. It’s especially important for young people to go, because it really was that transformative for me.”

One day, on the edge of Jerusalem’s old city, Levy and her peers were told to close their eyes. When she opened

them again, Levy was staring at the Western Wall, a first glimpse that sent shockwaves through her.

“Oh my God, this is what my ancestors for 2,000 years haven’t been able to do,” she remembers thinking. “And how blessed am I to be able to fulfill that mission that they prayed and prayed for?”

When she started at Babson, Levy joined Hillel and served on the chapter’s executive board for three years. She helped bring Israeli speakers to campus.

“That was amazing for me, because I got to meet other Jewish people from around the world,” she says. “I learned that we’re actually a civilization, not just a religion.”

Levy later worked for the Zionist youth movement Young Judaea and did recruiting for Birthright, sending four friends to Israel.

One of those friends decided to remain permanently, and

to be the foundation of our lives? Kohelet’s answer is enigmatic.

“I realized that the only worthwhile thing there is,” says Kohelet, “is to be happy and to do what is good in life.

And also that whenever you eat or drink, that you see good in your work, see that it is all a gift of God” (3:12-13).

The only thing that is permanent – the only thing that is “really real” – is our ability to live life with happiness, appreciation and reverence for the presence of divinity in each moment.

That is the only thing that is timeless. Everything else is transitory.

Sukkot is an invitation to reorient our lives along the trajectory of timeless acceptance of the moment we inhabit right now. While we dwell in the sukkah, there is no past – which is just a memory – and there is no future, which is just a speculation. There is only now – a now in which we realize that just breathing and living is a miracle, a now in which there is nothing to do but to experience the joy of loving and being loved, giving thanks for what we have, and knowing ourselves to be blessed. What a spectacular holiday!

In this way, we may see Sukkot as the antidote to the other Tishrei holidays. From Rosh Hashanah to Yom Kippur, we lived in a reality

of God’s judgment, and we weighed ourselves against an idealized version of who we might be. We entered deeply into regret and resolutions to change our ways. That’s all over now.

We are done with that until next year. Now we cleanse ourselves with the warm embrace of a holiday that only cares about joy, and in which God is only a source of love.

We need this.

Sukkot disorients us into remembering that the things that are most real in life are the things that we usually think of as fleeting and ephemeral – acceptance, enjoyment, appreciation and love. Sukkot invites us into a Oct topsy-turvy world in which huts with Oct loose branches for a roof are permaOct nent, and steelframed buildings Oct with poured-concrete foundations Oct are temporary. It does this so we can Oct see what is really real.

Oct Moadim l’simcha, chagim uzmanim Oct lesason! May these days bring you joy.

signed up to join the Israel Defense Forces.

In many ways, Israel was a major influence on Levy’s business aspirations. In the summer of 2014, she flew to Haifa as part of the Onward Israel program, interning for an app developer. Here Levy was exposed to her first startup incubator, and she learned the ropes for establishing a company and raising money.

Her efforts were stymied, however, when three Israeli teenagers were kidnapped and murdered in Gush Etzion, a now-infamous incident that triggered nationwide violence. As headlines intensified, Levy’s parents urged her to come home. Her movements were soon restricted, and American colleagues started leaving the program early. When an Israeli friend was hurt in the conflict, Levy decided to return home – but she continued to work for the app developer remotely for

May these festivals and seasons bring happiness to you!

RABBI JEFFREY GOLDWASSER is the spiritual leader of Temple Sinai, in Cranston.

Candle lighting times October 2022

Greater Rhode Island 7

5:57pm

9

5:54pm Erev Sukkot

10 6:55pm Sukkot 14 5:46pm 16 5:43pm Erev Shemini Atzeret 17

6:44pm Erev Simchat Torah

21 5:35pm 28 5:25pm

eight months, a decision that proved inspiring.

“Seeing the startup continue to work,” she says, “while their friends and loved ones were being called up to serve – it was like, if they can grow a company literally during an [armed] conflict, there’s no reason that I can’t help other people from my dorm room within my own community. That internship was really a catalyst for my own belief in myself.”

Levy had always intended to start a business, but she never imagined starting so early. Like most of her pursuits, Mighty Well is deeply personal, interwoven with both her diagnosis and her desire to help people. She even married her business partner, Yousef al-Humaidh.

Mighty Well has developed virtual education for people new to Lyme disease, and the company’s advisory board boasts numerous medical professionals. Levy has become

a spokesperson for the Lyme community, advocating for fast and accurate testing.

“I think entrepreneurship, in the capitalistic society that we live in, is one of the only ways that you can make systematic societal change,” she says. “But at the same time, I think my generation especially is not interested in just working for a paycheck.

There has to be a purpose and a mission behind what we do.”

“I really relate to tikkun olam – to heal the world,” she continues. “I feel like, through healing the world, I’ve healed myself. Even if it’s in a small segment, I feel like you can always do good and give back.”

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

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Jewish Rhode Island | jewishrhody.org

CALENDAR HIGHLIGHTS FOR COMPLETE MONTHLY LISTINGS, VISIT JEWISHRHODY.ORG

Ongoing

Kosher Senior Café and Programming. In-person lunches 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Monday – Thursday at the Dwares JCC, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence; Friday at Temple Sinai, 30 Hagen Ave., Cranston. No café on 10/10, 10/11, 10/17 and 10/18. In-person and Zoom programming from 11 a.m.-noon followed by lunch and a guest speaker or discussion from noon-1 p.m. On 10/14 is “Susie’s Corner” with Susie Adler.

The third Thursday of the month is a book chat with Neal Drobnis.

Suggested donation: $3 per lunch for those age 60 and older as well as for younger adults with a disability. Other adults may purchase a meal for $6.50. The Kosher Senior Café is a program of Jewish Collaborative Services and is supported by the Jewish Alliance of Greater RI and Blackstone Health. Information and RSVP, Neal Drobnis at neal@jfsri. org or 401-421-4111, ext. 107.

Project Shoresh Ladies Partners in Torah Night.

Sundays 7:45-8:45 p.m. Providence Hebrew Day School, 450 Elmgrove Ave., Providence.

Partner-based study group.

On-site facilitators available. Free.

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

Delve Deeper | Sephardi and Mizrahi Jews: From 1492 to the 20th Century. Mondays 7:309:30 p.m. Thru 12/12. No classes: 10/10, 10/17. Explore via Zoom the history of Arab/Middle Eastern and Sephardi Jews in this course taught by Yaron Ayalon, Ph.D., director of the Yaschik/Arnold Jewish Studies Program and Associate Professor of Jewish and Middle Eastern Studies, College of Charleston (South Carolina). Presented in cooperation with the Jewish Alliance of

Greater Rhode Island, Congregation Beth Sholom, Temple Beth-El, Temple Emanu-El, Temple Habonim, Temple Sinai and Temple Torat Yisrael. Information, Morty Miller at mortymiller1945@ gmail.com.

Let’s Talk Hebrew. Mondays and Tuesdays. 6:30-7:30 p.m. Dwares JCC, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence. Four levels of in-person Hebrew conversation. Classes meet on: 10/24, 10/25, 11/1, 11/7, 11/8, 11/14, 11/15, 11/21, 11/22, 11/28, 11/29. Cost: $100 per person (scholarship available).

Information, Toby Liebowitz at tobyaane@gmail.com.

Project Shoresh: For Young Professionals – A Walk through Torah. Tuesdays 7-8 p.m. 132 Lancaster St., Providence. Explore the Five Books of Moses with Rabbi Chaim Yehuda and Mrs. Guta Shaps. RSVP (requested) or information, text or call Rabbi Shaps at 732-8220028.

Temple Habonim “The Wisdom’s Literature.” Wednesdays 11 a.m.noon. Study the texts found in the Writings, the final section of the Hebrew Bible. These provocative texts offer perspectives on our relationship with God and the meaning and purpose of our lives.

Via Zoom. Information, Adina Davies at office@templehabonim. org or 401-245-6536.

Project Shoresh Men’s Partners in Torah Night.

Wednesdays 7:45-8:45 p.m.

Providence Hebrew Day School, 450 Elmgrove Ave., Providence.

Partner-based study group.

On-site facilitators available.

Free. Information, Naftali Karp at naftalikarp@gmail.com or 401632-3165.

Temple Habonim Lunch and

Learn. Thursdays noon-1:15 p.m.

Join Rabbi Howard Voss-Altman in person for weekly Torah Study on Pirke Avot: A Modern Commentary on Jewish Ethics.

Free. Information, Adina Davies at office@templehabonim.org or 401-245-6536.

Temple Torat Yisrael Men’s Club Game Night. Thursdays 6-8 p.m. 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich. Socialize and play games including table tennis.

Information, www.toratyisrael. org.

Delve Deeper | Moses Maimonides: Rabbi, Philosopher and Community Leader. Thursdays 7:30-9:30 p.m. Thru 12/15. No class: 11/24. Explore Maimonides’ mindset, life and cultural world in this course taught by Alan Verskin, Ph.D., associate professor of history, URI. Presented in cooperation with the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island, Congregation Beth Sholom, Temple Beth-El, Temple Emanu-El, Temple Habonim, Temple Sinai and Temple Torat Yisrael. Information, Morty Miller at mortymiller1945@gmail.com.

Project Shoresh presents “Jew in 2022: Exploring a Meaningful Life” with Rabbi Eli Kasirer.

Thursdays 8-9 p.m. Providence Hebrew Day School, 450 Elmgrove Ave., Providence. Rabbi Moshe Don Kestenbaum’s book “Olam Ha’avodah – A guide to understanding and achieving our purpose in this world” will be the basis for discussions. To confirm time and place for each class, Naftali Karp at naftalikarp@gmail. com or 401-632-3165.

Temple Sinai Shabbat Evening Service. Fridays usually 6 p.m.

30 Hagen Ave., Cranston. Song, prayer and reflection offered in-person or on Zoom. With Rabbi

Statement of Ownership JEWISH RHODE ISLAND statement of ownership, management and circulation filed with the United States Post Office at Providence RI in accordance with the provisions of the Act of October 23, 1962: section 4369, title 39, United States Code.

Jewish Rhode Island is the official newspaper of the Jewish Alliance of

Greater Rhode Island, the owner and publisher, at 401 Elmgrove Avenue, Providence, RI, and is published Monthly. The editor is Fran Ostendorf.

Circulation: (A) Average number of copies each issue during the preceding 12 months, ending September 30, 2022, (1) net press run 6,500 (2) paid circulation to term

subscribers by mail carrier delivery 5,915 (3) free distribution 485 (4) copies not distributed 100 (5) total 6,500 (B) Single issue nearest to filing date September 02, 2022 (1) Net press run 6,500 (2) paid circulation to term subscribers by mail carrier delivery 5,888 (3) free distribution 512 (4) copies not distributed 100 (5) total 6,500.

Jeffrey Goldwasser and Cantor Deborah Johnson. Zoom link at templesinairi.org. Information, dottie@templesinairi.org or 401942-8350.

Project Shoresh Lively Kabbalat Shabbat. Fridays. Services will begin at the commencement of Shabbat. Be in touch for exact timing each week. Providence Hebrew Day School (side entrance), 450 Elmgrove Ave., Providence. Welcome Shabbat with a few inspiring words, melodious songs and traditional services. Open to all. Information, Naftali Karp at naftalikarp@gmail. com or 401-632-3165.

Cape Cod Synagogue Shabbat Services. Fridays 7 p.m., except second Friday of the month 6:30 p.m. when Family Shabbat Services take place. 145 Winter St., Hyannis, Mass. With Rabbi David Freelund. In-person and livestreamed on website, Facebook, Cape Media, YouTube and Community Television Comcast channel 99. Services are in person with proof of vaccination; masks optional. Information, 508775-2988 or capecodsynagogue. org.

Temple Beth-El Torah Study.

Saturdays 9-10:30 a.m. (No Torah Study second Saturday of the month.) 70 Orchard Ave., Providence. Delve into the weekly portion with Rabbi Sarah Mack and Rabbi Preston Neimeiser.

In-person or via Zoom. Information, Joie Magnone at jmagnone@ temple-beth-el.org or 401-3316070, ext. 100.

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

Temple Torat Yisrael Virtual and In-person Shabbat Services. Saturdays 9:30-10:30 a.m. 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich. Led by Rabbi David Barnett. Information or Zoom link, Temple@toratyisrael.org.

Temple Sinai Shabbat Breakfast & Torah Study In-person and via Zoom. Saturdays 9:30-11 a.m.

Temple Sinai, 30 Hagen Ave., Cranston. Breakfast followed by interactive discussion at 10 a.m. with Rabbi Jeffrey Goldwasser or others in the community. Zoom

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

Temple Habonim Torah Study.

Saturdays 10-11 a.m. Rabbi Howard Voss-Altman leads weekly Torah study on current portion. Via Zoom. Information, Adina Davies at office@templehabonim.org or 401-245-6536.

Cape Cod Synagogue Shabbat Services. Saturdays 10:30 a.m.

145 Winter St., Hyannis, Mass.

With Rabbi David Freelund.

In-person and livestreamed on website, Facebook and YouTube.

Services are in-person with proof of vaccination; masks optional.

Information, Cape Cod Synagogue at 508-775-2988 or capecodsynagogue.org.

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

Friday | October 7

Temple Torat Yisrael Virtual Kabbalat Shabbat Songs & Torah Services. 5:45-6:30 p.m.

Led by Rabbi David Barnett. Information and Zoom link, Temple@ toratyisrael.org.

Wednesday | October 12

Behind the Book and the Israeli Culture Series present “Sephardi Voices: The Untold Expulsion of Jews from Arab Lands.”

7 p.m. Following the founding of Israel, close to a million Jews were forced from their ancestral homelands. Authors Henry Green and Richard Stursberg tell the story of state-sanctioned discrimination, violence and political unrest through accounts from survivors. Via Zoom. Free. Event made possible by a partnership with the Jewish Book Council and sponsored by the Consulate General of Israel to New England.

Information, Larry Katz at lkatz@ jewishallianceri.org.

Thursday | October 13

Project Shoresh Cider in the Sukkah. 7:45-9:45 p.m. Location given with RSVP. Celebrate Sukkot with a relaxing evening sippin’ cider. Information, Naftali Karp at naftalikarp@gmail.com or 401-632-3165.

Friday | October 14

Temple Torat Yisrael Virtual Kabbalat Shabbat Songs & Torah Services. 5:45-6:30 p.m.

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jewishrhody.org | Jewish Rhode Island

CALENDAR

Saturday | October 15

Temple Sinai “Celebrate Sukkot!” 6:15 p.m. 30 Hagen Ave., Cranston. Blessing in the sukkah followed by a havdalah service. At 7 p.m., Nefesh Mountain will perform their bluegrass music, a combination of secular music with a base of Jewish prayers, in the sanctuary. Funded by the Temple’s Schreiber Music fund. Limited seating. Reservations (by 10/14) and information, dottie@templesinairi.org or 401942-8350.

Thursday | October 20

Flu shot clinic. 10 a.m.-1 p.m.

Dwares JCC, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence. Green Line Apothecary pharmacists will be on hand to administer flu shots to those over the age of 18 by appointment. Bring ID and insurance card. Walk-ins only accepted if safe spacing permits at time of arrival. Information, Lynne Bell at lbell@jewishallianceri.org.

Friday | October 21

Shabbat at Temple Habonim with Author Betsy Brenner.

7 p.m. 165 New Meadow Road, Barrington. Betsy Brenner, a congregant and longtime high school tennis coach, will discuss her 2021 memoir “The Longest Match: Rallying to Defeat an Eating Disorder in Midlife” following 7

Hadassah Walk-a-thon for Women’s Health. 2-4:30 p.m.

Blackstone Boulevard, Providence. Walk to raise money for women’s health and increase awareness of Hadassah’s efforts in Israel and the U.S. to improve women’s health, including breast cancer research, gender equity in medical research and advocating for reproductive rights. Open to all. $25 walk fee. Questions and registration, Walk director at gseletz@hadassah.org or 781455-9055.

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

Thursday | October 27

Hadassah presents “It takes Two Villages.” 1 p.m. Part 2 of Yardena Winkler’s Israeli Adventure. Virtual tour of Hadassah’s Meir Shfeya and Hadassah Neurim Villages, each unique in character and scenery. Hear the stories behind the amazing people of Youth Aliyah. With guest speaker Marcie Natan, National Youth Aliyah Chair and Past National President of Hadassah.

Information, chapri@hadassah. org.

Charles Granoff, LICSW, LMFT Angel Canada Granoff, PCC

IntentionalDiscovery.com contact@intentionaldiscovery.com | 401-200-8335

Friday | October 28

Temple Torat Yisrael Virtual Kabbalat Shabbat Songs & Torah Services. 5:45-6:30 p.m.

Led by Rabbi David Barnett. Information and Zoom link, Temple@ toratyisrael.org.

Sunday | October 30

Temple Beth-El Presents “The World Series of Birthday Cake/Desserts.” 12:30-2 p.m.

70 Orchard Ave., Providence.

Wish Rabbi Gutterman a happy birthday. Sign up now to compete as one of our chefs. Information, Judy Goldberg at judy.goldberg@ outlook.com.

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Gil Hovav: Stories from a Jerusalem Kitchen. 7 p.m. Dwares JCC, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence. Israeli chef and author Gil Hovav has published three best-selling novels, all related in different ways to his family’s colorful history, exposing with humor and emotion the Jerusalem of his childhood, which no longer exists. Free; registration required. Information, Elihay Skital at eskital@jewishalliancri. org

Sunday | October 23

BMW AUDI MERCEDES BENZ PORSCHE VOLKSWAGEN MINI COOPER

Sukkot Shabbat Under the Stars with PJ Library, PJ Your Way and Temple Habonim.

5:45 p.m. Tot Shabbat. 165 New Meadow Road, Barrington. Celebrate outside with stories, songs and activities. 6:15 p.m. pizza dinner. 6:45 p.m. family Shabbat service. No RSVP required. PJ Library and PJ Your Way are programs of the Jewish Alliance of Greater RI in partnership with the Harold Grinspoon Foundation.

Information, Adina at office@ templehabonim.org and 401-2456536 or Lyndsey at lursillo@ jewishallianceri.org and 401-4214111.

We're here for you.

p.m. Erev Shabbat service. Book discussion will be followed by a Q&A with author. Information, office@templehabonim.org or 401-245-6536.

MERCEDES BENZ VOLKSWAGEN MINI PORSCHE

Led by Rabbi David Barnett. Information and Zoom link, Temple@ toratyisrael.org.

8 | OCTOBER 2022

Jewish Rhode Island | jewishrhody.org

FOOD

‘Modern Jewish Comfort Food’ gives classics a 21st-century spin

BY CALEB GUEDES-REED / JTA

A

steaming bowl of chicken soup. Crispy,

flaky schnitzel. Rich, chocolate rugelach.

These are the foods that come to mind for many when they hear the term “Jewish comfort food.”

WHAT HAPPENS when one gives that tradition an uber-contemporary twist?

Some answers can be found in Shannon Sarna’s second cookbook, “Modern Jewish Comfort Food,” which was published Aug. 30.

Sarna, who focused on giving baked goods the 21st-century treatment in her first book, “Modern Jewish Baker” (think banana bread chocolate chip challah and s’mores hamantaschen) is also editor of the Jewish food blog The Nosher (which is owned by 70 Faces Media, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency’s parent company).

Her site regularly publishes content on international Jewish cuisine, so she naturally brings that Diasporic lens to her own recipes, too.

Take classic chicken soup – yes, she includes all the hits, along with her experiments – which is presented in a few versions, including a Yemenite style that incorporates ingredients such as ginger paste and marrow bones. Sarna’s shakshuka, the Israeli tomato and eggbased dish, can be modified into a Mexican-inspired version or a smoky vegan version.

The full package is mouthwatering and beginner friendly.

Sarna spoke to JTA about what comfort food means to her and what she hopes readers will take away from her book in trying times.

What is comfort food for you?

I think it’s relatable. I

think it’s unpretentious and that’s what I love. I can appreciate a fancy meal and I certainly can appreciate what those chefs do, but that’s the opposite of what I fall in love with and the opposite of what I want to produce. I think comfort food also speaks across cultures.

What should readers expect in the book?

This is very much a cookbook for home cooks, for people who want to learn and for people who are going to really make the recipes.

I wanted it to be something that people actually use in their kitchens.

I think one of the things I’ve learned in my role as editor of The Nosher is about how people learn visually, so having the step-by-steps in “Modern Jewish Baker” was an aspect that I wanted to recreate in this book.

Another hope for this book is that it will teach people a little bit about where the dishes came from and that it helps preserve these recipes and stories. Our family and our community life as Jews has changed so much in 100 years and 50 years, right? We’re not living in the same multi-generational communities as our parents and grandparents did, so it’s natural that some of the recipes and techniques behind dishes are lost. I want to share some of those how-tos in a visual way, and also share where these recipes fit into our history and into our next chapter as Jews.

After writing your last book, what inspired you to write about comfort food?

Comfort food is all about connection and, in these past few years that have been so hard for so many people, food can serve as a way of finding connection.

So, I think comfort food very much speaks to this moment. I think it can be a point of connection beyond just Jews themselves, but helps us see the things that we have in common with other people from all over

the world and the ways in which the food tells our stories and that we can relate to one another.

You’re Jewish, Italian and, of course, American – what has your background taught you about the similarity of comfort food across cultures?

I think that comfort foods speak to the story of people.

We had a little bit and we had to make do with what we had – it’s a running theme that we all have in common.

I feel like that’s the universality of comfort food to me.

What makes Jewish comfort food different from other cultures?

Sarna drizzles melted chocolate over coconut macaroons, one of the sweet recipes in her book.

I think it’s our endless ability to adapt. We were exiled, moved somewhere else, started all over and managed to come up with something delicious that comes out of that. So I think that’s very much a story of American Jewish food.

You know, so many of the foods here in the U.S. that we consider quintessential Jewish foods, really were born out of our immigrant experience.

What’s something you learned about comfort food in the process of writing the book?

As I was doing research for the book, I really came to understand that there were so many parallels between the immigrant experience of Jews coming here and Italians, Irish and Chinese immigrants all living together in the same neighborhoods in New York and influencing one another.

That’s why you have rainbow cookies at every shul kiddush; that’s how you got lox on a bagel, and also spaghetti and meatballs.

There were so many parallels of how these immigrant communities started out very poor, came here, used their resources and came up with these new dishes that CONTINUED ON PAGE 14

As a way of using leftover meat from Thanksgiving, Sarna’s Thanksgiving turkey kreplach calls for two cups of leftover turkey.

PHOTOS | DOUG SCHNEIDER

Sarna’s classic chicken schnitzel recipe was taught to her husband by his grandmother, Baba Billie. The recipe uses panko bread crumbs for extra crunch.

OCTOBER 2022 | 9

jewishrhody.org | Jewish Rhode Island

FOOD

Use your Rosh Hashanah leftovers for an apple tahini crumble

BY SHANNON SARNA WHEN THE JEWISH New Year comes around, it’s common to find apple cake or honey cake on many Ashkenazi tables, since both honey and apple are common ingredients for Rosh Hashanah dishes.

But neither of these desserts really excites me.

Fruit crumbles are my go-to dessert all year long for a few reasons: they are easy, they come together quickly, and I almost always have some overripe fruit sitting in my fridge or freezer that will be perfectly transformed into this comforting dessert.

Apples are a traditional ingredient enjoyed for the Jewish New Year by Eastern European Jews. But since the Jewish New Year can often occur at the end of summer, this could be made with peaches, plums, berries, or any combination of fruit that you love. Tahini and Yemenite hawaij coffee spice blend will add a little extra something special if you are inclined.

This recipe is excerpted with permission from Modern Jewish Comfort Food

by Shannon Sarna, 2022 by Countryman Press.

Apple Tahini Crumble INGREDIENTS Cooking spray for baking dish For the fruit layer: 7 or 8 medium apples, peeled, cored and chopped into approximately 1-inch pieces (around 6 cups of chopped apples) 1/3 cup granulated sugar 1 tablespoon cornstarch 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice or Hawaij Coffee Spice Blend (recipe follows) Juice of 1/2 lemon For the crumble topping: 1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar 1/4 cup granulated sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/3 cup old-fashioned rolled oats 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted 1/4 cup tahini For the Hawaij coffee Spice Blend: (makes 1/4 cup) 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground cardamom 1 teaspoon ground ginger 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg 1 teaspoon ground cloves

For serving (optional): Vanilla ice cream or fresh whipped cream Crumbled halva pieces

DIRECTIONS Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-by-11inch baking dish with cooking spray.

Make the fruit layer: Combine the apples, granulated sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon and lemon juice in a large bowl.

Make the crumble: In a separate bowl, combine all the crumble ingredients, using a wooden spoon, until evenly mixed but there are still clumps.

Pour the apple mixture in an even layer into the prepared baking dish.

Sprinkle the crumble topping evenly on top of the apples until they are almost entirely covered.

Bake, uncovered, for 45 to 60 minutes, until the apple mixture is bubbling and the crumble is golden brown. If the crumbs seem to be getting too dark, you can cover the dish with foil.

Serve warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream or fresh whipped cream and an extra sprinkle of halva, if desired.

For the Hawaij coffee spice blend, combine all the ingredients in a small bowl. Store in an airtight container.

Apple Tahini Crumble

PHOTO | JTA

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10 | OCTOBER 2022

Jewish Rhode Island | jewishrhody.org

COMMUNITY VOICES

Plan ahead and protect those you love.

FUNERALS | CEMETERIES | ADVANCE PLANNING

The miracle and the blessing of Jewish New Year, 1997

T

he just-concluded High Holy Days season has always meant doing a lot of soul-searching and self-reflection on

where you’ve been and where you’re going – a process that only intensifies the older you get.

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K IN

The trip of a lifetime It’s hard to imagine what our lives would have been like if we had never made that long voyage, more than half a world away.

We left our home in North Attleboro at about 5:30 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 15, 1997, and arrived back home on Sunday night, Sept. 28, just a few days before Rosh Hashanah.

But as long as the trip was, the journey actually began more than 1½ years earlier, when we started the long process for an international adoption by attending an informational session with a Massachusetts-based adoption agency, Alliance for Children.

We began the process at a time when thousands of Chinese LARRY children were KESSLER being adopted annually by parents in the United States and other nations due to the Chinese government’s one-child policy (which ended in 2015).

What proved to be a laborious process started in February 1996 and required jumping through a series of bureaucratic hoops, including passing an FBI screening, getting fingerprinted and filling out paperwork that would be sent to China.

After a series of delays, what was supposed to be a six-month wait to get a referral – the photo of the child you’d be adopting – became a longer wait.

Finally, on Aug. 13, 1997, one day before my 45th birthday, we received the picture of our daughter, named Shen Yao, who was then 14 months old. We soon found out that we’d be traveling in mid-September, shortly after our daughter turned 15 months old. We had decided to keep her Chinese name as her middle name, and named her Arianna ShenYao Kessler.

G OU

T

SPE A

401-331-8094

THAT’S WHY, as the Jewish calendar turned from 5782 to 5783, I found myself in a more reflective mood than in the past. Much of that was due to having recently turned 70, an age that, as I’ve mentioned in my recent columns, has made me more acutely aware of my mortality.

But this year, my thoughts turned to the blessings in my life, and specifically to the Jewish New Year 25 years ago, when my wife, Lynne, and I had just returned from taking the most meaningful trip of our lives, one that forever transformed our world.

I’m referring to the nearly two weeks that we spent in China, where we had traveled to adopt our first daughter, Arianna.

I’ve written about some aspects of the experience in the past, but I want to revisit it here to provide more insight into why the adoptions of Arianna – and her sister, Alana, five years later (the girls aren’t related and come from different provinces in China) – remains the most important accomplishments of our lives.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 11

OCTOBER 2022 | 11

jewishrhody.org | Jewish Rhode Island

COMMUNITY VOICES

The Harvest Moon shines on all of us the world over THE OCTOBER HARVEST MOON holds sentation of her ideas. That was a appeal for people from a global moment and a gesture that brought range of cultures. We celebrate it me a private inner smile. here at Sukkot and Thanksgiving, What were a few of my other and like to think that we are also perfect moments of those few days? thanking the indigenous tribes for Well, here goes: I read a recipe that helping us prepare the local foods, included the word “Wabanaki,” and corn and beans, and seafood such my Reuben researched as bass, trout and salmon. that term and told At least that’s the lore me, “It’s the title of we learned in the public the native people schools of my generation. who gathered Our local tradition and celebrated would have it that we the blueberry!” swapped recipes for foods And I found a such as jonnycakes to free shelf of tiny help our pioneers survive blueberries, but the journeys on foot to the it turned out, MIKE FINK when I bit into delicacies to be brought in later decades, and even in earlier one, that it was centuries, by diverse immigrants all chocolate! A phony berry! I have who carried their cultures and evidence to illustrate and critique cooking along with them. They also this tale: a snapshot of my hand brought skills so useful in the mills and factories of the American Industrial Revolution (which brought brief prosperity but longterm pollution and diminishment to the lovely local landscape).

The Jewish presence in Newport introduced the autumn holy day on a variable fall moon week ... derived perhaps from the biblical Sukkot, during which the food was served PHOTO | MIKE FINK The can of blueberry wine. in a makeshift hut with no roof so that those who prayed could thank the holding a tin can of blueberry wine firmament above, with its stars and with the French word “bluet.” its creative seasons.

Maybe the language of our My wife and I spent the start of nation could have been French. Or the current harvest season with a Spanish, or Swedish, or Iroquois. journey “down east,” all the way up Or even Russian. Our foes become the coast to admire the ocean and our allies and our enemies our mountainous cliffs, along with our collaborators. team of grandchildren, including So, during this sun or moon of Noah, Naomi, Daphne, Florence full tides and ripe melons, pumpand Eleanor, and our son, Reuben, kins and apples, let us pray to use and daughter, Emily. our human intelligence, such as it I hereby confide in you, dear is, to listen and speak to each other, reader, if you are there, that I don’t instead of against our neighbors, in really like the pure pursuit of comthis wee world among the planets. fort, nor of luxury. I think it is vulLet us weave a flying carpet of good gar to be too totally at ease. For me, will instead of bombs and bombast. a little loneliness adds a certain I wear a pin on my cap with the spice to any holiday. I like to greet flags of Israel and the U.S.A., as a stranger in a friendly fashion and well as the R.I. anchor of Hope, then move along quietly to visit my and hope to bring these values to own thoughts and memories. the next chapter of my career, my There was a waitress who shared calling, whatever may come my a few words about her concern for way under the moon and stars in the welfare of wildlife and domesthis new year. tic creatures dependent on our care … and respect. When we left that MIKE FINK (mfink33@aol.com) overpriced restaurant, she hugged teaches at the Rhode Island School me and thanked me deeply for of Design. listening to her PETA-project pre-

T

About a month later, our departure day arrived. We flew out of Boston’s Logan International Airport bound for San Francisco, where we caught an 11-hour flight to Hong Kong. When we landed, it was 5:30 p.m. Tuesday.

After spending most of Wednesday touring the city, we went to the Hong Kong airport that evening to catch a flight to our daughter’s home city of Hefei, China. Before boarding our flight, we met many of the 10 other families included in our travel group by our adoption agency.

After landing in Hefei that night, we found out that we wouldn’t receive our daughters until FriPHOTOS | Larry, Ari and Alana celebration day, one day later than KESSLER FAMILY Larry’s recent 70th birthday. expected. Many people, including us, were relieved to have an extra day to collect ourselves before becoming parents. Nonetheless, the reality that we would be handed a life to take care of was daunting enough to make our final childless night a sleepless one.

The hand-over of our daughter to us on Friday, Sept. 19 – which we celebrate as our daughter’s adoption day – went as smoothly as possible. The snacks that we brought came in handy, and the girls gradually adapted to their new families. The growing pains would come later; fathers and mothers walking the hotel halls at Ari’s adoption photo in China, 1997 all hours with their kids became a common sight New York, Rhode Island, Florida and during our stay.

Massachusetts.

The two weeks in China breezed Starting in 1998, we began holdby, and before we knew it, we were ing annual reunions in different back in the United States. I’ll never families’ cities and towns. Over forget how animated my daughter the years, the get-togethers proved was when we got into the town car at important for both the parents and Logan airport. Sensing the excitethe children. And now, with our ment, she clapped her hands, as if to daughters having become thoughtful say: “Get me home already.” adults working in many professions, Once we got back to our North they’ve been staying in touch on Attleboro home, our friends and reltheir own through social media and atives couldn’t wait to meet Arianna, occasional gatherings, including the but introductions had to be delayed group’s first two weddings. as I had developed a bad head cold It’s hard to believe that a quarand ear infection. I wound up celter-century has passed since Ariebrating Rosh Hashanah at home anna’s adoption day in China, but it – but felt extremely blessed despite remains not only one of the proudest being under the weather. days of our lives, but also something that could be called a miracle, given All grown up how much it changed the girls and Once home, we found ways to their parents. immerse our daughter in aspects of Chinese culture, but we also LARRY KESSLER (larrythek65@ resolved to raise her as our daughter. gmail.com) is a freelance writer At the same time, we made a combased in North Attleboro. He blogs at mitment to stay in touch with most larrytheklineup.blogspot.com. of the parents from our adoption group, which included families from

SKE

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10

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BOOK

12 | OCTOBER 2022

Jewish Rhode Island | jewishrhody.org

COMMUNITY VOICES

Like sisters, these R.I. historical groups support each other

BY GEORGE M. GOODWIN

F

or nearly 30 years, I’ve been a proud member of the Rhode Island Historical Society. Some of my friends and acquaintances occasionally ask

if I’m still deeply involved in the Rhode Island Jewish Historical Association. Yes, I’m a past president and the longtime editor of its journal, The Notes. And I care deeply about both historical organizations. Like sisters, they encourage and help each other.

I RECENTLY COMPLETED my 12th year as a board member of the historical society, and remain actively involved.

Just a few weeks ago, my wife, Betsey, and I were thrilled to help celebrate the society’s 200th birthday at its joyous gala. Where else would I have had a chance to schmooze with Capt. Nicholas Brown?

How and why did I get involved with the R.I. Historical Society, the nation’s fourth-oldest state historical organization?

Soon after moving to Providence in 1987, I surely paid a visit to the John Brown House, the East Side’s grandest Colonial-era home, which in 1941 became the society’s museum. And I surely began to use the society’s equally impressive library, now known as the Robinson Research Center, on Hope Street.

I also began attending occasional lectures and visiting exhibitions in the society’s third venue, Aldrich House, an important

19th-century residence on Benevolent Street.

And soon I was reading the society’s impressive journal, Rhode Island History.

My lengthy article about the design of Woonsocket’s B’nai Israel synagogue, constructed in 1961, was published in the 2000 issue.

In 2009, I was pleased to publish another detailed article, this one about the Egyptian-style gateway to Newport’s Jewish cemetery, which had been ignored by most Jewish and gentile historians. I have since submitted a few other articles, which have not yet been published.

In 2008, I was invited to become a R.I. Historical Society trustee, and soon thereafter I became a life member. There was only one other Jewish trustee at the time, Lyle Fain, but there were a few others during my tenure.

Still, it’s true that very few Jews were active in the society, a Yankee fiefdom, for perhaps 125 years! I believe

that the first Jewish officer of the board was Frank Licht, who was elected a vice president in 1980, after he had already served as governor of Rhode Island. A Jew has not yet been president.

As for staff, my becoming a trustee coincided with Bernard Fishman’s tenure as the society’s first and only Jewish executive director. Bernard and I have remained friends, even after he became the director of the Maine State Museum, in Augusta.

But the historical society has had more than a few key Jewish staff members.

Probably the first was Nancy Chudacoff, who was a librarian and an editor before becoming the board’s secretary in 1986. Hilliard Beller was also a talented copy editor.

Currently, there are at least two Jewish staff members: Becca Bender, the curator of moving image and audio collections, and Deborah Krieger, the exhibit and program coordinator at the society’s satellite facility, the Museum of Work and Culture, in Woonsocket, which opened in 1997.

I encouraged Morgan Grefe to seek Bernard Fishman’s vacated position, and she did. Indeed, Morgan has been stronger and more influential than most board members.

Even before joining the society’s board, I was a trustee of Heritage Harbor Museum, a project that was conceived by the late

Albert Klyberg, who was the society’s longtime executive director (1970-’99).

Klyberg dreamed of building a huge new facility in the former Narragansett Electric power plant to celebrate Rhode Island’s history through multiple perspectives. Heritage Harbor’s three founding organizations were the R.I. Historical Society, the R.I. Jewish Historical Association, and the Black Heritage Society.

Many Jews became enthusiastic supporters of Heritage Harbor, but even with some state funding and within a smaller facility, it could not gain traction.

I hope that a comparable institution will be erected in Rhode Island someday, for the benefit of natives, transplants and visitors alike.

It has probably been forgotten, but the R.I. Jewish Historical Association might not have been established without the R.I. Historical Society’s symbolic and practical support. For 20 years, starting with its founding in 1951 as America’s first Jewish state or local historical organization, RIJHA’s annual meetings and other programs were held at the august John Brown House, in Providence. Indeed, RIJHA’s founding president, David Adelman, published his first major article about the state’s Jewish history in the society’s journal in 1954, and he received encouragement and assistance from many staff members.

This organizational friend-

ship continued under Al Klyberg’s directorship. In 1999, while dreaming of Heritage Harbor, Klyberg lectured to RIJHA on the importance of its publication, The Notes, which had begun in 1954. He called it “a true Thanksgiving Feast,” and his celebratory remarks were published in the 2000 issue.

Klyberg also praised RIJHA’s anthology, “The Jews of Rhode Island,” which was published by RIJHA, Brandeis University and University Press of New England in 2004. The idea was mine, and I was also thrilled to become the volume’s co-editor.

The simple fact is that the society and the association flourish because, in addition to sharing many similar goals, methods and resources, they have learned to respect and honor each other. Indeed, to a surprising degree, the sister organizations thrive because of each other.

I have been proud to belong to and help lead and support both organizations.

And I invite you to become involved, or more actively involved. It is commonly understood that their invaluable work will never be completed – indeed, that it will be best understood generations from now.

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

Alliance offers new round of microgrants THANKS TO A GENEROUS GIFT from the Bernhardt Foundation, the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island is kicking off the new year with the second cycle of the Community Microgrants Initiative.

The Alliance is excited to build on the success of last year’s cycle, during which eight collaborative projects and three individual projects were supported through

these grant opportunities.

In keeping with last year’s format, the Alliance will award individual grants with an expected maximum of $500 to individuals whose proposed projects will strengthen community relationships and expand reach to those who might not have a history of engagement with the Alliance.

The Alliance is also offering collaborative grants

with an expected maximum of $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 projects 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).

Applications are available here: Collaborative Grant Application link: https:// forms.office.com/r/HyNN1NfcgZ Individual Grant Application link: https://forms. office.com/r/xnniEHwgUN

OCTOBER 2022 | 13

jewishrhody.org | Jewish Rhode Island

COMMUNITY VOICES

Employment tips for other adults

Value your education, experience and wisdom, and keep learning.

We often overlook what active agers bring to the table, and sometimes hide them “under the table.”

Access your skills and talents, and talk up these strengths.

At Aish.com, Emuna Braverman writes in her article, “The Meaningful Job,” that “The Torah tells us the story of Chanoch, a simple shoemaker who took great care with every stitch.

For his conscientious attention to his work, for his ethical behavior in pursuance of a mundane occupation, Chanoch merited Heavenly notice and reward. This was a gift to him – and to us.

Any job can be meaningful.

Because it’s not what you do, but how you do it.”

Be mindful of your greatest work/life assets – your health and time.

We have less time chronologically as we get older, but we often have greater choice about how we spend our time. Our health is our “bank account,” and we need to guard it.

Seek creative work formats, such as part time, flex time,

COVID has expanded work venues, creating choices for many workers. Even remote work is commonplace.

Choose meaningful work to stay relevant.

We have so much wisdom from our life and work experiences. We know what works and what doesn’t, and what has meaning for us.

This is a great opportunity to reflect and pray to know what really speaks to us.

In another article at aish. com, “StayPATRICIA ing Relevant,” Braverman RASKIN writes, “I think that as we age, there is a real challenge in staying relevant, perhaps in even defining what relevant means. I’m certainly not alluding to having an Instagram account or posting on TikTok. … I’m talking about feeling like our life continues to be meaningful, that we continue to matter, that our days still count.”

Y L I VI

HEA

TH

remote work, contract work or being an entrepreneur.

NG

L

KERRY HANNON, senior columnist for Yahoo Finance and the author of “In Control at 50+: How to Succeed in the New World of Work,” discussed business and career opportunities for older adults on the first episode of my new podcast, “Positive Aging with Patricia Raskin,” which launched on Rhode Island PBS on Sept. 20.

Hannon talked about opportunities for older adults in the workplace as a consultant, entrepreneur, contract worker or employee, in addition to how remote work can expand opportunities.

Here are my five takeaways for older adults to create more work opportunities:

OCTOBER 20 | 7:00PM Free event — In-person at the Dwares JCC 401 ELMGROVE AVENUE, PROVIDENCE RI

GIL HOVAV:

Stories from a Jerusalem Kitchen Israeli author, chef and publisher, tells humorous stories about the Jerusalem of his childhood, that no longer exists.

GIL HOVAV

REGISTER ONLINE

JewishAllianceRI.org/gil-hovav/

Move past aging myths.

The myth is that the elderly are technologically averse and challenged. The reality is that many people over age 55 are among the first adopters and drivers of many tech devices and services.

Another myth is that active agers are no longer productive in the workplace. The reality: There is virtually no relationship between age and performance.

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

The Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island is excited to partner with the Jewish Federations of Greater Hartford and Greater New Haven for a community trip: Israel 2023: Choose Your Own Adventure March 9 – 16, 2023 Join us for the experience of a lifetime and see our Jewish homeland like never before… on its 75th birthday! This trip will give you an inside view of Israel with VIP access to sites and experts. Choose from 5 flexible tracks each day, including: • First-Time Visitors to Israel • Geopolitics and Coexistence • Arts & Culture • Food & Wine • Technology & Innovation Registration closes November 30. $500 per person deposit due upon registration.

For more information and to register for the mission, visit: israel-adventure-2023.eventmagix.com Questions? Contact Larry Katz at lkatz@jewishallianceri.org.

14 | OCTOBER 2022

Jewish Rhode Island | jewishrhody.org

COMMUNITY VOICES ‘Modern Jewish Comfort Food’ gives classics a 21st-century spin CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8 were based on where they came from.

INTRODUCTION TO JUDAISM October 20, 2022 - March 22, 2023

Thursday Evenings 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.

THE REFORM CONGREGATIONS OF RHODE ISLAND PRESENT AN INTRODUCTION TO JUDAISM Offered by Temple Beth-El, Temple Habonim & Temple Sinai Learn the fundamentals of Jewish thought and practice in 19 weeks through a mix of study, discussion and practical experiences. This course is perfect for interfaith couples, non-Jews considering conversion and Jews looking for an adult-level introduction.

Faculty includes Rabbis Sarah Mack, Jeffrey Goldwasser, Preston D. Neimeiser , Howard Voss-Altman

COST: $160 per person/$225 per couple SEATING IS LIMITED. REGISTRATION REQUIRED. (Fee includes all materials and the Joint Reform Shabbat Dinner March 24 2023)

For someone who’s just now learning how to cook at home but craving something cozy, what’s the recipe you recommend?

I would tell them to make the sweet and sour meatballs or the schnitzel. They’re not complicated and if you learn how to fry some chicken and make some meatballs then you can make any kind of meatball and you can make any kind of fried thing. Just principles of doing those two tasks can translate to lots of different kinds of dishes.

These are also dishes that I make for my family on rotation all the time.

What’s your favorite recipe in the book?

I fell in love with Georgian food very much through my job at The Nosher when years ago we went to create a video at this Georgian kosher restaurant in Queens called Marani. I was just enamored by the khachapuri and khinkali. I was eating something completely new to me but it felt like something I’d known all my life. So when I decided that I wanted to do different kinds of dumplings, I knew I wanted to do khinkali, which are Georgian meat dumplings. It was the most complicated recipe in the book for me to master. I spent a very long time watching YouTube tutorials in Russian at 11 o’clock at night on the couch with my husband over and over again. When I got it right, I was so happy, and they’re so delicious.

Happy New Year to all of our readers!

From Mike Fink, Independent for City Council Ward 3 PAID FOR BY MIKE FINK FOR CITY COUNCIL.

For more information or to register, please contact JUDITH GILSON. EMAIL: jgilson@Temple-Beth-El.org PHONE: 401.331.6070 ext 113 WWW.TEMPLE-BETH-EL.ORG

CLASSES MEET THURSDAY NIGHTS 7:00-9:00 p.m. at Temple Beth-El, 70 Orchard Avenue Providence, RI 02906 OCTOBER 20, 27 NOVEMBER 3, 10, 17 DECEMBER 1, 8, 15, JANUARY 5, 12, 19, 26 FEBRUARY 2, 9, 16, 23 MARCH 2, 9 RI JOINT REFORM SERVICE-MARCH 24

16 | OCTOBER 2022

Jewish Rhode Island | jewishrhody.org

SENIOR PROM

Marsha Richardson dancing with her husband Robert RIchardson.

PHOTOS | GLEN OSMUNDSON

Jeanne Evans, of Coventry, entertains patrons with musical accompaniment by the Bill Moretti Trio.

Dancing the day away

BY JEWISH RHODE ISLAND STAFF IF YOU HAD THE CHANCE to go back to your senior prom, would you? About 60 Kosher Senior Café regulars and newcomers responded with a resounding “yes.” On Sept. 16, the first-ever “Senior Prom” was held in the social hall of the Dwares Jewish Community Center in Providence, where floral displays, a live band and special decorations welcomed the diverse group.

“It’s like a milestone,” says Dorothy Retting, who serves

as welcome desk supervisor care of them. They’re part of at the Jewish Alliance of our community.”

Greater Rhode Island and The idea for a prom was came up with the punny title. first sparked in early 2022, “It’s important to have that, when Retting and D’Arezzo whether you’re 16 or 76.”

“I think seniors have a lot to teach us,” adds ‘It’s important to have Rebecca D’Arezzo, membership associate at the [milestones], whether Alliance. D’Arezzo has long wanted to develop you’re 16 or 76.’ additional programming for older populations, a started collaborating with desire compounded by her Neal Drobnis, nutrition coormother’s isolating five-year dinator at the Kosher Senior experience in an assisted-livCafé, and Elaine Shapiro, ing facility. “We have to take assistant coordinator. The

Kosher Café is a program of Jewish Collaborative Services. Support for the project ballooned over time, receiving financial or practical support from Bay State Physical Therapy, the Sandra Bornstein Holocaust Education Center, the Alliance and even the City of Providence.

Guests were encouraged to dress up for the event, which started at 11 a.m., but no formal dress code was required. Organizers and volunteers weren’t sure what to expect, but they were prepared to entertain more

than 80 guests. Kosher lunch and desserts were served, and the Canary Diamonds singing with the Bill Moretti Trio brought a handful of guests to the dance floor.

“They went all out in ways that made people feel special,” said Drobnis of the planning committee. “The number of people who were dancing was definitely a surprise.”

Organizers hope the event will be revived next year – and would like to see it become an annual tradition.

jewishrhody.org | Jewish Rhode Island

OCTOBER 2022 | 17

SENIOR PROM

Elaine Sullivan, of East Greenwich, sings with the band. Sullivan and her daughter Jeanne Evans, of Coventtry, form the Canary Diamonds.

Community members dance to live music at the JCC.

Elaine Shapiro, of Cranston, serving corn chowder to the guests.

Some prom-goers relax after lunch.

ABOVE: Mindy Pierce, of Smithfield, takes a break from serving lunch to dance.

LEFT: Shandelle Kenler, of Pawtucket, dances with Neil Drobnis, of Scituate OPPOSITE, BOTTOM: Seniors dance to live music at the JCC.

18 | OCTOBER 2022

Jewish Rhode Island | jewishrhody.org

COMMUNITY VOICES | OPINION A new relationship for RI’s Jewish community

Howard Brown Executive Director RI Coalition for Israel

IT WAS AS A HIGH SCHOOL sophomore, in 1960, that I first encountered “Ozymandias,” a sonnet by Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822).

In the first line of the 14-line poem, Shelley tells the reader that he has “met a traveler from an antique land.” The remainder of the poem is in the traveler’s voice or, indirectly, in the voice of the ancient tyrant Ozymandias, possibly a reference to Ramses II, the Egyptian pharaoh portrayed in the biblical book of Exodus.

The traveler speaks of “Two vast and trunkless legs of stone” standing in the desert. “Near them, on the sand/Half sunk, a shattered visage lies” with a “frown/And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command .…

“And on the pedestal these words appear: ‘My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:/Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!’ ” The traveler looks upon the utter brokenness of “that colossal wreck” and notes that “The lone and level sands stretch far away.”

Though only 15 years old, I got the message: In the end, we all die. Rich or poor, mighty or invisible, every single one of us is born with a one-way ticket to oblivion.

One of the multiple ironies of this poem, written in 1817, is that Shelly was in his mid-20s when he composed

EM

“Ozymandias,” and he died at the age of 29, drowning in a storm off the coast of Italy when his yacht sank.

On one level, “Ozymandias” is clearly a political poem; it was written a year or two after Napoleon had met his Waterloo, on June 18, 1815, and at the dawn of the British Empire, which would be a dominant force in the world for generations to come.

Shelley’s visceral hatred of all forms of empire, with their implicit threat of unfettered tyranny, RABBI JAMES made him persona non ROSENBERG grata in much of his native Great Britain.

But, on another level, the undeniable fact of our mortality makes a mockery of Ozymandias’ pretentious boasting, carved into the base of his monument, crumbling into the sands of time: ‘‘Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!” The “sneer of cold command,” long vanished, along with the remainder of his rotted flesh, is yet preserved in a lifeless distortion of the tyrant’s egoism.

Ozymandias, Genghis Khan, Napoleon, Mussolini, Hitler .… Where are they now? And what about the would-be tyrants of today, alive and well, on six of our planet’s seven continents? What compels so many of our politicians today – in fascist states as well as, alas, in our democracies – to

S TO M

E

LAST JUNE 2021, while some elements of the Jewish community felt paralyzed by the Gaza war, a pro-Israel rally was organized by RI Coalition for Israel (RICI). Due to RICI’s relationship with both the pro-Israel Jewish and Christian communities, RICI was able to site the rally at the property owned by Praise Tabernacle Church on Park Avenue in Cranston. The two keynote speakers at the rally were Rabbi Barry Dolinger, president of the Board of Rabbis of Greater Rhode Island, and Pastor Allen Pangburn, senior pastor of Praise Tabernacle Church and director of Christians United for Israel (CUFI) in RI. While interfaith efforts aren’t uncommon for the Board of Rabbis, joint efforts with the segment of the Christian community, represented by CUFI, were unprecedented. CUFI, which now counts 11.5 million members nationwide, is generally identified with the “non-denominational” Christian community. Historically, interfaith efforts have been with “denominational” Protestants represented by the RI State Council of Churches.

This past spring, the relationship pioneered in 2021 was renewed through outreach by Adam Greenman, CEO of the Alliance, to Pastor Pangburn. Among other things, the call touched on an upcoming planned CUFI-RI event, a Night to Honor Israel, typically held every year but repeatedly postponed because of COVID. As a result of this new relationship, Greenman accepted an invitation to speak at the Aug. 28 event, opening a new chapter in the organized Jewish community’s alliances in support of Israel and fighting antisemitism. The night, which was recorded on YouTube, was a great success.

Continued cooperation of this kind is imperative.

Thoughts on mortality and immortality

IT S E

LETTER

lust for power at any cost?

Are they blind to their own mortality? Or, on a deeper level, perhaps it is their own fear of death, their unvoiced terror of the onset of nothingness, that fuels their insatiable craving for self-importance regardless of the consequences for others.

As for us Americans, let us be grateful for our few Abraham Lincolns, who somehow manage to develop the spiritual courage to take nourishment from our collective past and build hope for our collective future.

While much of the power of “Ozymandias” derives from Shelley’s dismantling of our world’s tyrants – past, present, and future – I would argue that the poem, despite Shelley’s deepseated atheism, carries profoundly religious overtones; for the sonnet poses that overwhelming, needs-tobe-asked and impossible-to-answer question: What does it mean to be born to die?

I would suggest that this question, whether we shun religious answers or choose to embrace them, haunts each and every one of us, as we grapple with the significance of our earthbound lives, in which “boundless and bare/ The lone and level sands stretch far away.”

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

David Cicilline is new chair of House Middle East subcommittee

BY RON KAMPEAS WASHINGTON (JTA) – Democrats on the U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee voted to name as chairman of its influential Middle East subcommittee Rep. David Cicilline, a Jewish Rhode Islander who is a member of the party’s Progressive Caucus.

Cicilline bested Brad Schneider, a moderate Jewish Illinois Democrat, in an 18-6 vote.

Cicilline and Schneider are both close to the mainstream pro-Israel community and are both endorsed by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s affiliated political action committee, but establishment pro-Israel insiders had favored Schneider and lobbied for him because his ties are closer. Schneider held lay leader positions at AIPAC, the American Jewish Committee and Chicago-area

Jewish groups and has taken the lead in advancing pro-Israel legislation.

Cicilline replaces Ted Deutch, the Florida Democrat who is quitting Congress to lead the American Jewish Committee, and who, like Schneider, is close to the mainstream pro-Israel community. Cicilline plans to run again to lead Democrats on the subcommittee in December. The subcommittee shapes policy on Israel and Iran, among other issues of intense focus to the organized Jewish community.

A committee insider told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that Cicilline prevailed because of his seniority, usually the most important factor when Democrats choose congressional leaders. Cicilline was elected in 2010 and has served since; Schneider was elected in 2012 but lost in 2014 before being reelected in 2016.

Cicilline stands out in the Progressive Caucus, where he is one of eight vice chairs, for being vocally pro-Israel among a faction of House members who have grown increasingly critical of the country in recent years. In addition to being endorsed by AIPAC’s PAC, he is also endorsed by the political action committee associated with J Street, the liberal Jewish Middle East policy group; Schneider does not have J Street’s endorsement.

Cicilline did not mention Israel in a statement after the vote but spoke in general terms of unity. “At a time of instability around the world, including in the Middle East, I believe that it is more important than ever that we work together, as members of the committee, to do everything we can to address humanitarian crises, human rights abuses, and political upheaval throughout the region,” he said.

Jewish Rhode Island publishes thoughtful and informative contributors’ columns (op-eds of 500 – 800 words) and letters to the editor (300 words, maximum) on issues of interest to our Jewish community. At our discretion, we may edit pieces for publication or refuse publication. Letters and columns, whether from our regular contributors or from guest columnists, represent the views of the authors; they do not represent the views of Jewish Rhode Island or the Alliance.

OCTOBER 2022 | 19

jewishrhody.org | Jewish Rhode Island

COMMUNITY VOICES | OPINION

For the sin we have sinned by making people feel unwelcome at synagogues

BY JEFF RUBIN (JTA) – I have been shocked lately by the number of my friends who have left synagogues because of a pattern of unkind remarks from rabbinic and volunteer leaders.

A Jew-by-choice belittled. A twenty-something shamed. A professional demeaned.

Jewish Twitter is full of accounts by Jews by choice or Jews of color who have been challenged, patronized or “othered” when they show up in Jewish spaces. Essayists lament that too many synagogues don’t seem welcoming or sensitive to single parents, or don’t accommodate people with disabilities.

Saying and doing hurtful things is not just ethically wrong, it’s destructive to organizations, and has no place in the sacred communities that congregations strive to be.

As any marketer will tell you, it is far cheaper to keep a customer than to acquire a new one – and synagogues can’t afford to alienate a single congregant. With the ranks of the unaffiliated growing, according to Pew’s 2020 study, synagogue leaders need to watch what they say to keep, welcome and attract members.

The Pew study revealed

JEWISH

that 7% of American Jews do not attend synagogue regularly because they “don’t feel welcome” while another 4% say “people treat me like I don’t really belong.” During my dozen years as a Hillel professional we invested heavily in training staff to create environments that welcomed and engaged Jewish students of all backgrounds, regardless of how they looked, loved or worshiped. My own first encounter with Hillel when I was just a high school senior ended poorly: Visiting Boston University’s Hillel, I was so put off by a comment that I didn’t apply to the school.

Of course this is a problem as old as Judaism itself.

On the first day of Rosh Hashanah we read the story of Hannah, the distraught woman who came to the Tabernacle at Shiloh to pray for a cure for infertility.

Eli the Priest, seeing her pray silently – heretofore an unknown practice – accused her of being drunk. The priest said to her, “How long will you make a drunken spectacle of yourself? Sober up!”

Hannah replied, “Oh no, my lord! I am a very unhappy woman. I have drunk no wine or other strong drink… I have only been speaking all this time out of my great anguish

RHODE ISLAND's

This Month in

and distress.”

“Then go in peace,” said Eli, “and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of Him.” What if Hannah couldn’t muster the strength to defend herself and simply walked out of the Tabernacle – and out of Judaism? What if Eli did not have the compassion to correct himself? Would Hannah’s son, Samuel, have been raised to become a Jewish leader recognized by the three Biblical faiths as a prophet?

How would Eli’s thoughtless remark have changed history?

The rabbis recognized the toxicity of insults and cited such remarks as a transgression in one of the oldest elements of the Yom Kippur service, the confessional, or Vidui. During the Vidui, worshippers strike their breasts and acknowledge that they have “smeared” others, “dibarnu dofi.” Medieval commentator Rashi says the word “dofi” means “slander” and that it derives from “casting off” – as if by definition defamation leads to alienation.

One prayerbook perceptively renders the phrase as, “We have destroyed” – a reputation, a relationship, a communal bond.

Jewish literature is full of guides to proper commu-

History

93 Years Ago, a New Beginning THE FIRST ISSUE of The Jewish Herald hit newsstands in October 1929, announcing its intention to cover the Jewish diaspora in Rhode Island and around the world. So began a longstanding legacy: The Herald published continuously until 2002, when its operations merged with The Voice.

The publication was renamed Jewish Rhode Island in 2019.

Despite all the changes, we still strive to live up to that original “pledge.” To celebrate

this 93-year legacy, we hereby inaugurate a new feature, This Month in History, with newspaper excerpts dutifully archived by the Rhode Island Jewish Historical Association (RIJHA).

Each month, we will bring you a new window into the past, as documented in these very pages.

For more information about Historical Association and to see the digital archive in its entirety, visit RIJHA.org

nication and avoiding evil speech, or “lashon hara” – from the Psalmist’s admonition, “Guard your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceitfully,” to the Talmudic “Let the honor of your friend be as dear to you as your own,” to Rabbi Yisrael Meir Kagan’s masterwork, the “Sefer Chofetz Chaim,” to Rabbi Joseph Telushkin’s excellent book, “Words that Hurt, Words that Heal.”

But how do congregations turn wise words into action?

Linda Rich, a New Yorkbased leadership coach who counsels synagogues and nonprofits, regards respectful communication as a core behavior for a successful congregation, and a congregation that lives the Jewish values it espouses. Discussion and disagreement are the signs of a healthy group, but in the Jewish context they should be civil and “l’shem shamayin,” for the advancement of sacred work, not for other motives.

She recommends that volunteers and staff study the principles that are fundamental to Jewish life, and sign a covenant to uphold them.

When individuals fail to do so they should be reminded politely, clearly and directly that they are valued members of the congregation, but this behavior is unacceptable.

Try to be positive: point out that they can be even more effective leaders if they watch what they say and adjust their approach. The congregation should sponsor periodic surveys or other forms of evaluation to determine how well the group is fulfilling its duties and covenants.

On Yom Kippur we reflect on our personal shortcomings but we atone as a group. We do not seek forgiveness “for the sin that I have committed through my words,” but “for the sin that we have committed through our words.”

Our individual words have collective impact. The High Holy Days provide a golden opportunity to rethink how those words affect others and to take steps to change as individuals and congregations.

JEFF RUBIN is a writer in the Baltimore-Washington area. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of JTA or its parent company, 70 Faces Media. If you have a comment on this Op-Ed, email editor@jewishallianceri.org.

20 | OCTOBER 2022

Jewish Rhode Island | jewishrhody.org

COMMUNITY

BUSINESS 28 | OBITUARIES 29

Rhode Islander finds gold and so much more at Maccabiah World Games

The Maccabi USA women’s basketball team including the writer.

BY NINA KARLIN

I

have had the privilege of visiting Israel three times, but my trip

this summer was strictly business; the goal was to bring home “the gold.”

I TRAVELED TO JERUSALEM to play basketball for the U.S. team in the Maccabiah World Games, sometimes referred to as the Jewish Olympics.

The feeling of walking across the stage during the opening ceremony at Teddy Kollek Stadium, in front of 10,000 people from 60 countries, was like no other. And then, to top it off, my team was one of a select few to have a chance to meet the president of the United States, Joe Biden, who attended the Games while on a trip to the Middle East.

The Maccabiah World Games is a three-week journey for Jewish athletes of all

ages and backgrounds who come together to compete for gold every four years. Being able to play in Israel made it very special because nothing is like the Holy Land.

I had never met my teammates before the trip, but after working out every day for two weeks, we were ready to go. We were all excited, but unsure of what to expect.

After shaking off our early nervousness, my team played super well and was able to capture the gold medal by defeating Israel.

The friendships I formed during Maccabiah will last a lifetime. I had never before had the experience of being surrounded by so many athletes, let alone Jewish athletes. For once, it felt normal to have everyone know what my Hebrew-name necklace said or to see so many other athletes wearing a Jewish star. I only wish I had had more time to meet more athletes.

In the final days of

PHOTO | NINA KARLIN

the Games, we all got to exchange our sports swag.

After getting shorts from the Australia team, shirts from Germany and Brazil, a sweatshirt from Mexico and a bracelet from Cuba, I was excited to bring a part of my experience and new friendships home with me.

Hearing other athletes’ stories and experiences, whether it was about Judaism or sports, I learned to appreciate the things we have in common, as well as the differences in our lives.

In addition to playing basketball, the United States delegation took part in Israel Connect. This six-day program focused on building a deeper connection to one’s Jewish identity, the American Jewish community, Israel and Diaspora Jewry.

During these full days of adventures, we explored Israel by floating in the Dead Sea, hiking Masada, visiting Yad V’Shem and going to the Shuk (outdoor market).

It was a great way to make connections with other athletes from around the United States.

I grew up in a strong Jewish community, attended the Jewish Community Day School and Temple Emanu-El, and became a Bat Mitzvah, so I was surprised that many of my teammates had not had these opportunities. It was exciting to be able to watch and support the rest of my team as they connected more with their Jewish identity. I got to watch them have their Bar/Bat Mitzvah ceremonies overlooking the Jordan desert, and helped teach them some of the tunes to Shabbat songs.

Playing in the second-largest sporting event in the world, behind the Olympics, was a dream come true. I’m still smiling and looking back on all the memories I made and friendships I have formed.

I can still clearly remember the final buzzer going off

and having the whole team swarm onto the court, jumping on each other with total excitement that we had won!

I grew from this journey, and will always treasure the memories and be grateful for the support of my friends, family and community. A special thank you to both Temple Emanu-El and the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island, which made generous contributions that helped me participate in this unforgettable event.

NINA KARLIN, grew up on the East Side, a block from the JCC, and graduated from the Jewish Community Day School. After attending Nathan Bishop Middle School she went on to Classical High School where she was a 3 sport athlete and the 4th girl in the school’s history to score 1,000 points in basketball. She currently plays basketball for the Bryant Bulldogs where she is in the class of 2024 studying entrepreneurship.

OCTOBER 2022 | 21

jewishrhody.org | Jewish Rhode Island

COMMUNITY

Nina Totenberg tells powerful tale of friendship in new book

BY SARAH GREENLEAF

“D

inners with Ruth” (Simon & Schuster, Sept. 13, 2022) charts an extraordinary friendship between two impressive

women. Though the outline of Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s life is well known, there is much to learn about the life of Nina Totenberg, 78. Her father was a famous violinist, her mother a Brown University-educated woman who knew Eleanor Roosevelt and Totenberg herself a college dropout who started out as a reporter in Boston.

THOUGH RUTH BADER GINSBURG is featured prominently in this book, the subtitle “A Memoir on the Power of Friendships” is a better example of what you’ll get from this read. Totenberg charts her friendships with the women at NPR (National Public Radio), with her two husbands, the people who showed up when her first husband was dying and her friendships with Supreme Court justices in addition to Ginsburg. There is even a chapter on her father’s “long lost friend,” a stolen Stradivarius violin.

In some ways the conceit of the book overshadows where it really shines, which is in Totenberg’s recollections of her working life. The book follows Nina Totenberg’s rise to NPR correspondent and her many years of often being the only woman in the newsroom.

She details the ways in which she navigated a new working world for women and a young news organization in the early days at NPR, including getting into scrapes with the Justice Department over briefing policies, breaking the Anita Hill story and being yelled at by Sen. Alan Simpson, and working with NPR colleagues Cokie Roberts and Linda Wertheimer.

Both children of Jewish immigrants, Ginsburg and Totenberg were born about a decade apart but grew up in radically different worlds. Ginsburg’s father struggled to sell furs during the depression,

on the Supreme Court. At that time, it wasn’t considered important enough to warrant a full-time reporter. “But I realized fairly quickly that covering the Court was something I could do that other people weren’t as interested in at the time. So I could carve out a small piece of territory for myself,” Totenberg writes.

As she read the brief for the case Reed v. Reed, she saw something remarkable, an argument that the law was unconstitutional because it discriminated on the basis of sex. The brief argued that the 14th Amendment’s guarantee “of equal protection under the law” applied to women.

When Totenberg flipped to the front of the brief, she saw it had been authored by a law professor at Rutgers University named Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Her telephone number was listed, so Totenberg called.

After that first conversation, Totenberg called Ginsburg often to ask her questions about the law.

“Her explanations were very clear, her answers were always concise and to the point, also a rarity, although I did find that lawyers and even judges were more willing to explain

quick to point out in the book, “there’s another facet of these relationships, on all sides, that no one should confuse: objectivity and fairness are not the same thing. Nobody is purely objective. It is not possible.”

Totenberg and Ginsburg became good friends. Totenberg broke large stories like

and her mother worked in the garment industry.

Totenberg never experienced rationing, but her father worked to free his cousin from behind the Iron Curtain. Both women were touched by the larger forces of politics and war and both pursued careers that aimed to make sense and order out of a chaotic world.

Neither woman was taken seriously during her early career. Ruth Bader Ginsthe Anita Hill accusations burg, despite graduating against Clarence Thomas, tied for first in her class and Ginsberg was appointed at Columbia Law School, to the U.S. Court of Appeals found it almost impossible for the District of Columbia. to find a job. The profesWhen Ruth Bader Ginssor in charge of securing burg was appointed to the clerkships for the law Supreme Court, she joined students promised that if Justice Sandra Day O’Conshe didn’t work out, he had nor and doubled the number a man on standby who could of women. Though take over. Totenberg the two justices held writes, “As Ruth put differing political ‘Many women who worked it, ‘That was the carviews, they still rot. There was also a during that era were the only worked as a team stick. And the stick to get their ideas was if you don’t give When Ginswomen in their departments heard. her a chance, I will burg became the never recommend only woman on the or at their workplaces.’ another Columbia Supreme Court, she law student to you.’ ” experienced someTotenberg often thing almost every things to me than people used underestimation to her woman working today has in the political world were. advantage. “I broke a lot of – her comments would go And their explanations stories because I was sassy, unheeded until repeated by were often better.”

I was good at what I did, a male colleague, at which One of the more surprisand prominent men, often time they would become “a ing parts of this book, espeto their peril, did not take good idea.” cially for those who came me seriously. With their Totenberg writes, “The up in the era of objectivity, guard down because I was day-to-day dismissal of is just how close Totenberg ‘just a girl,’ they answered a smart woman’s voice – was to her subjects. She my questions a bit more which so many women have would host the Supreme honestly, and my reporting experienced – happened Court Justices for dinner often made news.” even on the Supreme Court. long before Ruth Bader The two women’s careers But it never happened when Ginsburg was appointed. and lives collided in 1971. both Sandra and Ruth were The line between source Totenberg had staked a seated at the table. Despite and friend can be a blurry claim for herself reporting being very different people, one though Totenberg is

they really were a team.”

The role of women in one another’s professional lives is the true focus of this book and where it really shines.

It is discouraging in many ways to read about these early female pioneers in their fields and realize how little has changed for many women. Indeed, there are numerous instances in which things seem to have gone backward for women.

Totenberg points out in the book that in 1993, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell voted to confirm Ruth Bader Ginsburg to the Supreme Court. When RBG died in September 2020, McConnell refused a request to allow Ginsburg’s body to lie in state in the Capitol Rotunda. He did not pay his respects.

Totenberg and Ginsburg both climbed to the top of their fields. “Dinners With Ruth” makes the case that professional friendships between women are a large part of what made these careers possible. Totenberg refers to this as “the Old Girls Network” and points out that many women who worked during that era were the only women in their departments or at their workplaces. They turned to other professional women for advice, help and understanding.

Sometimes the world of work and the world of friendship are at odds, especially when Totenberg’s job was to report on the health issues of her friend.

Would she spring into reporter mode, or would she show up as a friend? “At different moments in life, there are choices of lasting consequence. And I had one of those before me. For the next eighteen months, I chose friendship. It was the best choice I ever made.”

SARAH GREENLEAF (sgreenleaf@ jewishallianceri.org) is the digital marketing specialist for the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island and writes for Jewish Rhode Island.

22 | OCTOBER 2022

Jewish Rhode Island | jewishrhody.org

COMMUNITY

Celebrated Israeli culinary journalist, writer to speak at Alliance program

BY LARRY KATZ GIL HOVAV, Israel’s leading culinary journalist, author and television personality, will share stories from his illustrious family’s kitchen during a program on Oct. 20 at the Alliance’s Dwares Jewish Community Center, in Providence.

Throughout his career in journalism, publishing and television, and as an author, Hovav has played a major role in the revival of Israeli cuisine and Israel’s emergence as a “gourmet nation.”

Hovav is the great-grandson of Eliezer Ben-Yehuda, a major force in the revival of the Hebrew language.

Hovav has published three best-selling novels, all related in different ways to his family’s colorful history, and depicting, with humor

and emotion, the Jerusalem of his childhood. His fourth novel, “Twenty Four Doors,” was published in April 2015 and has hit the top of Israel’s bestseller list. Recently, one of his books, “Candies from Heaven,” was published in English and Chinese.

During the Oct. 20 program, “Gil Hovav: Stories from a Jerusalem Kitchen,” Hovav will tell about the Jerusalem of his childhood, as well as about his great-grandfather and more modern-day events. He will answer such questions as: How do you get a five year old in 1960 Jerusalem to eat his vegetables?

Why did his mother not eat anything when the 1948 siege of Jerusalem was finally lifted?

What did his great-grandfather do on his death-bed,

which shocked the British consul?

The free program, on Thursday, Oct. 20, at 7 p.m., is one of several this year in celebration of Israel’s 75th anniversary. The program will take place at the Alliance’s Dwares JCC, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence. For more information, contact Elihay Skital, community shaliach/Israeli emissary, at 401-421-4111 or ESkital@jewishallianceri. org. To register for the program, go to www.JewishAllianceRI.org/gil-hovav.

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

We’re seeking a FULL-TIME EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

The Executive Director needs: 1. Excellent skills in interpersonal relationships and communication.

2. Flexibility to meet the changing demands of the congregation and the position.

3. A solid foundation in fiscal and facilities management.

4. Background in managing/mentoring personnel and human relations.

5. Comfort with synagogue’s technical, computer, telephone systems and web presence.

Sukkot in Israel is a time of joy, family and parties

BY ELIHAY SKITAL AS AN ISRAELI, Sukkot was always a very special holiday for me. I remember walking around my city, Ashkelon, and seeing thousands of sukkot everywhere. It felt like all the cars had disappeared because all the parking lots were turned into spaces for sukkot! Every restaurant has a sukkah, every synagogue, and almost every house. Sukkot is considered a very happy holiday; the biblical verse “rejoice in your holiday” refers to Sukkot.

Every Sukkot a lot of relatives come from all over and stay at our house the whole holiday. At every meal, about 30-40 people sit around the tables.

Before I continue, let me tell you a little bit about my family. I was raised in a modern Orthodox family.

I have four older siblings and seven nephews and nieces. My grandparents on both sides came from Yemen to Israel around 1950, and both of my parents were born in Israel.

Every Sukkot at my house turned into a big celebration. Every free spot on the floor in the sukkah became a space for a mattress so all the kids could sleep together, sharing stories and funny jokes until the middle of the night.

At our Yemenite synagogue, the bigger the etrog (citron), the better. When we arrived at services when we were kids, we looked at all the etrogim and were shocked by all the sizes.

In my family, after Sukkot, we usually make jam and liquor from the etrogim, as well as eating the raw fruit, which is possible because a Yemenite etrog is sweeter and more flavorful than a typical etrog.

In the days of Beit Hamikdash (the ancient Holy Temple), Jews used to sprinkle water on the altar during Sukkot as thanksgiving and a request for rain, in a ceremony that

was accompanied by a great celebration known as Simchat Beit Hashoeva.

And so, it is customary to hold evenings of singing and dancing on the nights of Sukkot, as a reminder of the joy of the original Beit Hashoeva.

In addition, we as a family every year do a hafla (a “get-together” party) with karaoke and music, and all the neighbors and relatives come for the mitzvah vesamachta bechagecha, to be joyous on Sukkot.

After the first day of Sukkot until the last day, we have the days of Chol HaMoed, during which there is no school in Israel.

Because of that, a lot of families use the time to visit beautiful locations in Israel and have a barbecue.

It’s a great opportunity for family time and to connect with your relatives from all over Israel.

Here’s a couple of cool places in Israel that Israelis visit during this time.

The first one is called Ein Amphi. It is a very cold spring in the Golan, and it can be very refreshing during the hot days of Chol HaMoed. The water is clear and it’s easy to get there, just a five-minute walk. Not a lot of Israelis know about Ein Amphi, and it’s completely free!

The second place that we visit a lot is called the Ben Shemen forest. It is close to the city of Modi’in, and it’s huge. A lot of families come here to listen to music and cook out. The forest also has bicycle paths and hiking trails.

There is even a park for blind people, which gives them an opportunity to walk on their own in the open landscape, even without prior familiarity with the place.

I hope you have a great holiday, chag Sukkot sameach!

ELIHAY SKITAL is the Israeli shaliach (emissary) for the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island.

OCTOBER 2022 | 23

jewishrhody.org | Jewish Rhode Island

COMMUNITY

JORI opens security building and welcome center, honors 2 longtime volunteers

W

AKEFIELD – Camp JORI dedicated its new Security Building and Welcome Center, which includes meeting rooms for prospective families

and staff coordination, office space, winter restrooms and enhanced security for the 72-acre, 28-building JORI campus.

MORE THAN 75 visitors attended the July 8 celebration, which marked the latest development on the JORI campus. Cantor Judy Seplowin and rabbinical student Ben Einsidler offered initial prayers.

Camp JORI President Emeritus Michael Schuster spoke about the history of JORI and its purchase of its current location, in the South Kingstown village of Wakefield, in 1999. JORI opened in Wakefield in the summer of 2003 and has continued to build camp facilities and infrastructure.

Schuster noted that while there were skeptics about whether JORI could make the transformation from a small camp on Clarke Road in Narragansett to a full overnight camp on 72 pristine acres, JORI demonstrated how much a small group of dedicated volunteers can accomplish.

Samuel Zurier, trustee of the

member and long-time facilities committee chair. In this role, Blake oversaw many key building and maintenance projects at the camp.

The Security Building and Welcome Center, in particular, was Blake’s pride and joy, Blank said, adding that Blake worked with his close friend and JORI supporter Don Swanson, the architects and the tradesmen to ensure its successful completion. JORI has honored Blake’s contributions by dedicating a memorial garden at the welcome center to him.

Robert Stolzman, past JORI president, spoke of longtime volunteer Paul Segal’s contribution to Camp JORI. For decades, Segal nearly single-handedly ran JORI’s financial-aid program, reviewing every application for camperships, meeting with families and recom-

5 Reasons to give DAVID LETTERMAN WAS famous for his top 10 lists. Since we don’t want to steal his idea, we bring you the “Top 5 Reasons Why You Should Make a Donation to the Jewish Alliance Annual Community Campaign.”

1

One gift supports over 300 programs in Rhode Island, Israel, Ukraine and other places around the world.

2

Your dollars help fund relief efforts in Ukraine, Poland, Argentina and over 70 other nations worldwide. Alliance partner agencies, the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI) and others have provided these lifesaving services for decades and the Alliance Annual Community Campaign has always supported them.

3

A 2020 Cleveland Clinic study showed that there are direct health benefits associated with giving that can include lower stress levels, greater happiness and satisfaction and longer life. The mitzvah of giving helps in the feeling of overall well-being.

4

As the cost of doing business continues to increase, an increased donation helps ensure that the Alliance and its partners are able to continue their work and allocation to agencies.

5

Every gift matters! The majority of donations to the Alliance are under $100 and each one makes a difference. Give a gift that is meaningful to you.

To make a donation, go online to https://www.jewishallianceri.org/ ways-to-give/annual-campaign-donation-form/, send a check to the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island, give stock, or make a gift from a donor advised fund. If you have questions, contact the Alliance at donate@jewishallianceri.org or call 401-421-4111.

Last year, over 1,300 people donated more than $3 million to the 2022 Annual Community Campaign.

We hope you’ll stand up and be part of the group that gives even more this year!

Submitted by SARA MASRI

The Miriam Hospital Women’s Association Community Speaker Series Presents Megan L. Ranney, MD, MPH, FACEP on

FIREARM INJURY AS A PUBLIC HEALTH PROBLEM Wed, October 26, 2022 at 7:00PM via Zoom

Melvyn Blake Memorial Garden at Camp JORI. Helene and Bertram Bernhardt Trust, spoke of the Bernhardts’ commitment to JORI and the importance of the summer camping experience. Zurier noted how children thrive and develop during summer camp.

The Bernhardt Foundation made the lead gift for the new facility, which was also supported by The Champlin Foundation, JORI board members and other longtime donors to the camp.

Current JORI President Rich Blank spoke of the late Mel Blake’s great dedication to JORI as a board

mending financial aid.

To recognize this, the JORI board has created the Paul Segal Scholarship Fund.

For more information about Camp JORI, go to www.campjori.com or contact Kara Liberman at kara@campjori.com or 732-690-0034.

Submitted by Camp JORI

Dr. Ranney is a practicing emergency physician, researcher, and advocate for innovative approaches to public health. She is the Academic Dean of the School of Public Health at Brown University and senior strategic advisor to AFFIRM at the Aspen Institute, a national non-profit dedicated to non-partisan public health solutions to our country's firearm injury epidemic.

To register, please visit tmhwomensassociation.org or contact Vickie Scott, TMH Women's Association 401-793-2520 | vickie.scott@lifespan.org.

There is no charge for this program.

24 | OCTOBER 2022

Jewish Rhode Island | jewishrhody.org

COMMUNITY

Celebrate Sukkot with Nefesh Mountain at Temple Sinai

BY DEBORAH JOHNSON

F

or many of us, autumn in New England evokes memories of old-fashioned harvest festivals amid comfortably cool air and fire-colored leaves. But

for Jews, autumn is synonymous with several of our most beloved holidays, not the least of which is Sukkot, “the Festival of ingathering at the year’s end” (Exodus 34:22), celebrating the completion of the harvest.

ON OCT. 15, BEGINNING at 6:15 p.m., Temple Sinai, in Cranston, will celebrate Sukkot in a very special way. In addition to decorating the sukkah and saying the blessings, there will be a special Oneg of homemade harvest treats, an auction of three show-stop-

ping homemade cakes, and a raffle of gift baskets. But wait, there’s more: a concert by Nefesh Mountain, one of the nation’s premiere bluegrass groups! And, thanks to the generosity of the temple’s Schreiber Music Fund, the celebration is free.

Nefesh Mountain While bluegrass may be little known in our part of the country, Nefesh Mountain is not. Nefesh is Hebrew for soul, and you will hear plenty of it from this unique group that combines secular music with a base of Jewish prayers.

(Have a listen at https://

youtu.be/IArEHIDYCrs – and get ready to dance!)

The band has been called “a master class in string music!” by Rolling Stone; “arguably some of the best bluegrass every made!”

by American Songwriter; “infectious, exuberant, and infused with pure melodic prowess,” by Bluegrass Today; and “refined, timeless bluegrass” by The Bluegrass Situation.

The group is comprised of five superlative musi-

‘infectious,

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exuberant, and infused with pure melodic prowess’ cians, led by the husbandand-wife team of Doni Zasloff and Eric Lindberg, who craft their music with a higher purpose: to promote peace, love and joy. More particularly, they truly believe that their music can help fight antisemitism.

“There have been many times where we’ve been on really large stages with all different people of all different backgrounds, where I’ve looked at Eric and I’ve been really scared to sing in Hebrew … not knowing what’s going to come,” Zasloff said.

“There have been some moments that are really disturbing, but at the same time, I think it fuels us to keep going and to continue to just put love out and hope that the music can

maybe change somebody’s view or be a bridge ….

We’re trying to share the beauty of this culture and these ancient texts in a way that anyone could appreciate.”

Nefesh Mountain’s sound integrates elements of klezmer and Celtic music, while also –incredibly – interweaving suggestions of Phish and the Grateful Dead. But it is always firmly based in traditional bluegrass and its evocation of rollicking life. To quote Rolling Stone magazine, “… the band is a powerhouse unit, full of the ‘Let’er go, boys!’ verve that defined the mountain string bands of the early Grand Ole Opry.”

Come “Celebrate Sukkot!” at Temple Sinai, 30 Hagen Ave., Cranston.

The Oct. 15 event begins outdoors at 6:15 p.m. in the sukkah, so bring your harvest items to help decorate.

This will be followed by Nefesh Mountain at 7, and a festive harvest Oneg at 8:30. The event is free and open to the public, but you must have a ticket, which are limited. To reserve a ticket, go to https:// celebrate-sukkot-at-templesinairi.eventbrite.com.

DEBORAH JOHNSON is the cantor at Temple Sinai, in Cranston.

jewishrhody.org | Jewish Rhode Island

OCTOBER 2022 | 25

COMMUNITY

StandWithUs names local intern, fellows

S

tandWithUs, an international, non-partisan education organization that supports Israel and fights antisemitism, has announced the

local students participating in its high school and campus programs in the 2022-23 school year.

THE STANDWITHUS 2022-23 Kenneth Leventhal High School Intern is Eitan Pessin, a junior at Classical High School, in Providence.

The 2022-23 Emerson Fellows are Brown University sophomore Brooke Verschleiser and Bryant University sophomore Michael Wilkes.

As in years past, the local student leaders join 150 students from North America who were selected for each of the two programs.

Created in 2012, the StandWithUs Kenneth Leventhal High School Internship selects and trains student leaders from high schools throughout the United States and Canada to educate about Israel at their schools and to combat antisemitism.

During the two-semester program, the Leventhal interns, who are juniors and seniors, identify the educational needs at their schools as they pertain to Israel and to antisemitism, whether they are rooted in misinformation, ignorance or outright hatred. Then, working with their StandWithUs regional high school managers, they develop a strategy to meet those needs through relevant and practical educational programming.

Founded in 2007, the yearlong Emerson Fellowship is a prestigious program that trains, educates and empowers student leaders on college campuses around the world.

Chosen from key campuses, Emerson Fellows engage and inspire their peers through impactful educational events, campaigns and discussions about Israel. These fellows are also extensively trained on

PHOTO | STANDWITHUS The Kenneth Leventhal High School Interns all together. how to navigate antisemitic activity on campus, and how to mobilize and confront England. Raised in Tel schools and communities – leaders. They learn from these issues strategically Mond, in central Israel, are fully prepared to conprevious participants in our and effectively.

Weiser has been involved in programs and nominate can- front these challenges while Throughout their experithe Tzofim movement, which didates for the coming year,” also organizing programence, Emerson Fellows are holds Zionism as a core ming that shares the beauty, said Avi Posnick, regional plugged into a global commoral value. accomplishments and expedirector of StandWithUs munity of student leaders, “Each year, I remain rience of Israel.”

Northeast & New England. where they can exchange impressed with the enthu“As antisemitism conideas, share best practices siasm and creativity of our Submitted by StandWithUs tinues to rise, including in and support one another. awesome Rhode Island high Providence, these students Students in both programs school and college student – already leaders in their attended their conferences in August, preparing them for the school year. They learned how to identify and combat anti-Israel campaigns, including utilizing the StandWithUs Saidoff Legal Department and Center for Combating Antisemitism.

2845 Post Road / Suite 105, Warwick, RI 02886 They also explored the (401) 384-7251 history of Israel, reviewed the complexities of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and Lending a Helping Hand for More Than 110 Years learned leadership skills and how to have meaningful conversations about Israel.

They left energized and confident, with ideas for programming. Many reported having experienced antisemitic incidents, and that they now feel better prepared to effectively respond.

Our loans can be used for virtually any purpose including: The students will also participate in a second StandUnexpected Bills Home Improvements College Tuition WithUs conference, “Israel in Focus,” March 2-5 in Los Fertility Treatments Debt Consolidation Medical Expenses Angeles.

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“One who lends money to the poor without interest Maya Weiser is the new is greater than he who gives charity” (Talmud: Shabbat 63a) StandWithUs high school regional manager for New

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Greater Providence Hebrew Free Loan Association, a member of the International Association of Jewish Free Loans, offers interest free loans to members of the Greater Rhode Island Jewish communities and is ready to serve your needs.

26 | OCTOBER 2022

Jewish Rhode Island | jewishrhody.org

Behind the Book a visiting author series

SEPHARDI VOICES: The Untold Expulsion of Jews from Arab Lands WITH HENRY GREEN & RICHARD STURSBERG

In the decades following the founding of Israel, close to a million Jews were forced from their ancestral homelands in the Middle East, North Africa and Iran.

The authors will tell the story of state-sanctioned discrimination, violence and political unrest through gripping firsthand accounts from survivors.

October 12 at 7:00PM | Free virtual event. Register online.

November 30 at 6:30PM In-person at the Dwares JCC. | $10 per person.

December 1 at 7:00PM Free virtual event.

December 14 at 7:00PM Free virtual event.

WHY DO JEWISH? A Manifesto for 21st Century Jewish Peoplehood

HOW TO BE A WOMAN ONLINE: Surviving Abuse and Harassment, and How to Fight Back

WITH ZACK BODNER

WITH NINA JANKOWICZ

UNDER JERUSALEM: The Buried History of the World’s Most Contested City WITH ANDREW LAWLER

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR FULL 2022–23 SERIES, VISIT

JewishAllianceRI.com/behind-the-book-2022-2023/

DEMOCRAT FOR SECRETARY OF STATE Gregg has a plan for this office.

GreggForRI.com

hello@GreggForRI.com 401.203.7195

Fight against any and all attacks on voting rights Expand civics education in our schools Ensure safe, secure, fair elections Ensure equal access to the voting booth Streamline the process for business owners to start and run their business Keep our government open and accessible Vote by November 8th | General Election

OCTOBER 2022 | 27

jewishrhody.org | Jewish Rhode Island

COMMUNITY

Take it from me: Don’t put off a mammogram

BY SARA MASRI

I

n October, everything seems to be shades of pink, to raise breast

cancer awareness. The amount of pink can be overwhelming.

YOU TURN ON THE NEWS and hear stories of celebrities who valiantly fought the disease: Christina Applegate, Olivia Newton-John, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Katie Couric. You hear of regular people who have it – and perhaps think to yourself that it is probably time to schedule a mammogram.

Or maybe you think you can put it off another year.

Or you don’t have a family history, so why bother? Or you are just scared and would rather not get bad news.

Over the last couple of years, it was often easy to put off this necessary screening due to these reasons and more. During the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, many mammograms had to be rescheduled – and even when it was possible to get an appointment, many women were afraid to go to doctor’s offices or clinics or hospitals.

The American Cancer Society (ACS) estimates that one-third of Americans skipped a routine cancer screening in the first 18 months of the pandemic, while the Journal of the National Cancer Institute says that mammograms dropped by as much as 80% at times during the pandemic – a drop that might result in additional deaths over the next decade. The ACS estimates that about 36,000 people had a missed or delayed diagnosis from March to early June 2020.

Among the women who put off mammograms are some who are at higher risk for breast cancer due to genetics. According to Sharsheret, a Jewish breast cancer nonprofit, one in 40 Ashkenazi Jews – men and women – carries a BRCA gene mutation, which is more than 10 times the rate of the general population.

The BRCA gene puts people at a higher risk for several cancers, including breast (female or male), ovarian, pancreatic, prostate and melanoma. The gene can be on either the mother’s or father’s side of the family, or both. People who test positive for the gene should not delay any routine screening tests. In fact, if you carry the BRCA gene, screening should

begin at an earlier age.

So why am I writing about this? Am I just sharing some of the random facts swirling around my brain? Not quite.

Just over nine years ago, I thought I felt a lump in my breast, but I had every excuse to put off a mammogram. I had two little kids at home, a full-time job and lots of responsibilities.

And I was only 38 – way too young to worry about breast cancer, I thought.

But something told me to keep the appointment, and within six weeks, I was in the infusion center at The Miriam Hospital getting my first chemo treatment.

In a whirlwind of just a few weeks, I had been diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer, found out I was BRCA+ and had to come to terms with a very new normal.

Had I put off that test, I might not be writing about it today.

So no matter how busy you are, or how scared, get screened. It really could save your life.

return of our gala,” said Dr. Maria Ducharme, president of The Miriam. “Philanthropy makes a difference in our work each and every day, and I could not be more grateful for our community’s commitment to caring for one another.”

Sponsorship and ticket sale proceeds will benefit The Miriam’s “Greatest Needs Fund for a New Generation,” which provides vital resources to support patient care services, educational programs, and innovative

AUTHOR RACHEL KADISH will be present in person to help lead the discussion of her National Jewish Book Award-winning novel “The Weight of Ink.” The event, sponsored by the Rosen Library at Temple Emanu-El, takes place Sunday, Nov. 6 at Temple Emanu-El in Providence.

This novel centers around a dark literary mystery that a female scholar working in contemporary London attempts to solve. As clues mount, the amazing accomplishments of a brilliant and daring female Torah scholar from the 17th century

SARA MASRI (smasri@ jewishallianceri.org) is the chief development officer at the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island. She is a nine-year cancer survivor.

Gala, auction raises $835,000 for Miriam Hospital PROVIDENCE – After a twoyear hiatus from in-person fundraisers, The Miriam Hospital welcomed back more than 400 donors, friends and supporters for its signature gala and auction on Sept. 10.

Held at the WaterFire Arts Center, the specially themed event raised more than $835,000.

“We are fortunate to have the most generous and caring donor community a hospital could ever hope for, and that unwavering support was on full display throughout the

Rachel Kadish joins Rosen Readers fall book discussion

research projects.

The event’s auctions and fund-a-need proceeds will support the creation of The Lung Cancer Screening and Nodule Program at The Miriam Hospital. The new, innovative program will provide screening, coordinated care and navigation to meet the individual needs of each patient the moment a potentially cancerous lung nodule is detected.

Submitted by The Miriam Hospital

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come to light. This book resonates with our current focus on recapturing the uplifting historical accomplishments of women.

The discussion will take place from 4-5:30 p.m. on Nov. 6. There is no charge to attend in person and there will be a listen-only Zoom option. Registration information will be available soon. Questions? Contact Donna Marks, Rosen Library Committee, co-chair: dpmarks1@yahoo.com

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OBITUARIES Serra Baskina, 83

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Serra Baskina died Sept. 4, 2022, at The Miriam Hospital, Providence.

She was affectionately known as “Baba Sonya” to her family and community.

Serra was born during WWII in Slavgorod, Belarus, to the late Yankel Smolkin and Elka Fleer. She lost her father on the battlefield, and she was raised by her mother.

She was a star student and persisted through difficult and humbling times. She proudly served as a nurse-midwife in the USSR before moving to the United States with her family, where she excitedly became a citizen. She raised her grandchildren on the principles of kindness and patience.

She was the devoted mother of Galina Berin (and her late husband Mikhail), of Providence, and Natalia Vygoder (and her husband Gennady), of Pawtucket. She was the loving grandmother of Dr. Anna Berin-Wright (and her husband Jeffrey), Olga Vygoder, Abraham Berin (and his wife Leah) and Frank Vygoder. She was the cherished great-grandmother of Mikhaila Berin-Wright, Mikhail Berin and Maxwell Berin-Wright.

Many have seen her smiling face walking up and down Hope Street in Providence, enjoying a book in the Rochambeau Library, sipping some tea in The Miriam Hospital cafeteria and reciting poetry or singing songs from her youth at any function. She will be dearly missed.

Paul Bernstein, M.D., 99

BARRINGTON, MASS. – Paul W. Bernstein, M.D., of Barrington and West Island, Massachusetts, passed away Aug. 24, 2022, surrounded by his loving family. He was the husband of Marian J. (Silverman) Bernstein, with whom he shared 69 years of marriage.

Born in Fall River, Massachusetts, he was the son of the late Max and Sophie (Lichterman) Bernstein.

A veteran of the U.S. Army, he served in the European Theater during WWII. Paul earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, a master’s degree from Washington University, a Ph.D. from New York University and an M.D. from New York University College of Medicine.

Dr. Bernstein was a neurosurgeon for many years. He served as a chairman of the

Department of Neurosurgery at Memorial Hospital of Rhode Island, president of Pawtucket Memorial Association and president of Rhode Island Neurosurgical Society.

In addition to his wife, survivors include three children, Sandra A. Bernstein, of North Falmouth Massachusetts, Linda S. B. Farwell and her husband Jay, of Milton, Massachusetts: and Michael C. Bernstein, of Barrington; two grandchildren, Caleb and Korina Farwell; and one nephew, Jerry Silverman. He was the brother of the late Lawrence M. Bernstein.

Contributions in his honor may be made to Rhode Island Community Food Bank, 200 Niantic Ave., Providence, RI 02907.

Jill Boyle, 58

ODESSA, FLA. – Jill Susan Landesberg-Boyle was a caring wife, mother, sister and friend. She left this world suddenly on Sept. 11, 2022.

She was born to Melvin and Arlene Landesberg on Jan. 5, 1964. After graduating from high school, Jill chased her dreams to become a trailblazer in higher education, which led her to Amherst, Massachusetts, where she earned a doctoral degree and met the love of her life Vincent Boyle. Together, they had twin babies: Aliyah and Joshua.

Dr. Jill Landesberg-Boyle’s professional career was meteoric, happily taking her family around the country where she moved from the position of dean of students of a major southern university to the presidency of a college in the state of Florida. She has authored several peer-reviewed journal articles and was a highly sought-after speaker at higher education conferences across the country.

Jill loved spending time with her family, shopping and studying flora and fauna. She had a deep love for butterflies and her garden, and even deeper love for her husband, children and close-knit family.

Jill influenced and left a significant mark on every person she has ever met and will be deeply missed. Jill filled her home with a continuous stream of love, laughter, and humor that will live a lifetime.

Jill leaves her adoring husband Vincent and her beloved children Aliyah and Joshua. She was the precious daughter of Melvin and Arlene Landesberg and the cherished sister of Karen Steinfeld and her husband David and Ilise Samolyk and her husband

John. She was the loving aunt of Michael Steinfeld, Jordan Steinfeld, and Bryanna Samolyk. She was the much-loved granddaughter of the late Leo and Harriet Landesberg and of the late Samuel and Bessie Silverman.

Contributions in her memory may be made to The Nature Conservancy or a charity of your choice.

Janet Chaiken, 90

WARWICK, R.I. – Janet Chaiken died Sept. 20, 2022, in Warwick. She was the beloved wife of the late Jacob (Jake) Chaiken. Born in Worcester, Massachusetts, the daughter of the late Tillie and Arthur Sterling, she was a longtime resident of Warwick.

Janet worked as an administrative assistant in a medical office for many years while raising her family. She was fortunate enough to travel to many unforgettable places in her lifetime, but nothing was as important as encouraging togetherness for her family.

She leaves behind her three children: Alan Chaiken and his wife, Rachel, of Hopkinton, Massachusetts, Karen Chaiken of East Providence, and Mark Chaiken of Virginia

Beach, Virginia. She also had two grandchildren: Abbey Sklar and her husband, Adam, and Emily Crowshaw and her husband, Thomas, along with two great-grandchildren: Hailey Crowshaw and Jacob Sklar. She also leaves behind her best friend of 50 years, Bette Pitchon. She was the sister to the late Robert Sterling.

Contributions in her memory may be made to the Parkinson’s Foundation (www. parkinson.org) or the Rhode Island SPCA (www.rispca. com)

Carol Cohen, 80

PITTSFIELD, MASS. – Carol Miriam Cohen passed away Sept. 10, 2022, at Berkshire Medical Center surrounded by her loved ones. For 60 years, she was the beloved wife of Alan Cohen, whom she met at Bryant College.

Born in Providence, daughter of the late Louis and Florence (Glantz) Hazen, she lived in Pittsfield for 60 years.

She was a well-respected administrative assistant to the president of Berkshire

Community College for 20 years, a job she loved and was devoted to. She was a member of Congregation Knesset Israel and its sisterhood.

She was the devoted mother of Lisa Kaufman and her husband Alex, of Providence, and Amy Bloom and her husband Steven, of Houston, Texas. She was the dear sister of Michael Hazen and his wife Lois, of Long Island, New York. She was the loving grandmother of Samantha, Maxwell, Adam, Dayna, Brandon and Sydney.

Contributions in her memory may be made to Congregation Knesset Israel Synagogue, Rabbi’s Discretionary Fund.

Florence Gaylin, 99

SOUTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. – Florence Gaylin, of Wakefield (formerly of Cambridge, Belmont, and Newton Massachusetts) died Sept. 13, 2022, at Brookdale South Bay after suffering a stroke. A daughter of the late Carl and Becky (Primak) Kamowitz, both immigrants from Russia, she grew up in Far Rockaway, New York, where she gained a lifelong

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OBITUARIES love of the ocean. Florence married Marcus Gaylin in 1948 and lived for over 20 years in New Milford, New Jersey, where she raised two children. While working part time in the family business, she also learned silversmithing and jewelry making as a member of the Craft Students League in New York City.

In mid-life she went back to school, earning degrees in English at Englewood Cliffs College (AA), St. Thomas Aquinas College (BA), and Montclair State University (master’s degree with a thesis titled “The Literatus and Personalism”). In 1976, she followed her children to the Boston area to start a new life. A stickler for proper

grammar, spelling and usage, she soon got a job at Harvard University in the Office of the President as chief editor, working there for 19 years and editing the speeches, articles, annual reports and correspondence of Presidents Bok and Rudenstine. Florence also served as a volunteer interpreter for the Museum of Science in Boston and famously portrayed an ancient Egyptian for the museum’s “Ramses the Great” exhibition.

Following her retirement from Harvard, she edited a number of scholarly publications, including a textbook series on climate change published by UC Berkeley, for which she received author credit. In her last decades

she lived in Rhode Island, gracing Newport, Wickford and Brightview Commons in Wakefield, where she had room to display her 400-piece collection of owl figurines and learned to play an excellent game of pool.

Florence is survived by her children: David Gaylin and his wife, Karen, of Concord, Massachusetts, and Miriam Ladin and her husband, Marc, of West Kingston; her grandson Joshua Gyllinsky (who knew her as “Grandma Owl”); step-grandchildren Erica Connolly, David Ladin and Zachary Ladin; and seven great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by her parents and her sister Ann Willen.

Contributions in her memory may be made to the Museum of Science, Boston, 1 Science Park, Boston MA 02114 and The Nature Conservatory, 4245 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 100, Arlington, VA 22203.

Equally important, please take in a museum or a show, or sing a G&S tune in her honor.

Island in 1968 and to Lincoln in 1969.

Phyllis was the director of the highly regarded Four Corners Chapel Nursery School in Cumberland for many years before semi-retiring. She then taught at B. F. Norton for a bit.

She and Barry traveled the country and the world extensively. Together, they toured (and actually slept in) 49 states (missing Alaska to complete the set) and some two dozen foreign countries.

They spent three sabbaticals living in Cambridge, England.

When she was home, she was walking, biking, swimming, cooking and baking, and being there for friends.

In addition to her husband Barry, survivors include two sons, Lowell Gilbert and his wife Kristin Norwood, of Acton, Massachusetts, and Richard Gilbert and his wife Libby Beyreis, of Chicago, Illinois; one grandson Joshua Gilbert and one brother Gerald Warshofsky and his wife Michelle, of Miami, Florida.

Glenn L. Graboyes, 73

Milton Lewis, 92

ATLANTIS, FLA. – Glenn L. Graboyes passed away on July 18, 2022, at JFK Medical Center. He was the husband of Ellen B. (Davis) Graboyes.

Born in Providence, he was the son of the late Stanley Graboyes and Corene (Bezan) Graboyes. He lived in Lake Worth, Florida, for 42 years.

He was the loving father of Sheri B. (Dr. Steven) Keehn, of Boynton Beach, Florida, and Heather L. Graboyes, of Lake Worth, Florida. He was the cherished grandfather of Benjamin Elijah Keehn and Rachel Sophia Keehn.

Contributions may be made to the charity of your choice.

Phyllis Gilbert, 79

LINCOLN, R.I. – Phyllis Susan (Warshofsky) Gilbert, of Lincoln, passed away Sept. 2, 2022, at HopeHealth Hulitar Hospice. She was the loving wife of Barry Gilbert, with whom she shared 66 years, including 59 years of marriage.

Born in Brooklyn, New York, a daughter of the late Harold and Roslyn (Cohen) Warshofsky, she had lived in Lincoln for 53 years. She is a graduate of Brooklyn College class of 1963. She then got a master’s degree in early childhood education at Lehigh University while having two sons and a husband earning a Ph.D. The family moved to Rhode

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Milton S. Lewis, of Providence, passed away peacefully at The Miriam Hospital on Sept. 21, 2022, after a period of declining health. He was the husband of Reva (Steingold) Lewis, with whom he shared 67 years of marriage.

Born in North Cambridge, Massachusetts, to the late Philip and Mary (Shrieber) Lewis, he was the brother of the late Rosalie Tanzer; sonin-law of the late David and Tess Steingold and brother-inlaw of the late Lorna Schiffman.

He was the father of Marjorie Lewis of Pawtucket and Andrew Lewis of Barrington; the loving grandfather of Daniel Smith and his girlfriend Darcy Miller of San Francisco and beloved uncle to Audrie and Stephen Wasserman.

He is also survived by many extended family members and friends.

After graduating from Brookline High School at the age of 16, he attended Boston University and graduated from Bryant University, earning a bachelor’s degree in business.

A veteran of the United States Army, he served as a military policeman during the Korean War and earned the National Defense Service Medal.

Milton operated his family business, Franklin Finance Company, in Pawtucket for 45

years before retiring. He was an avid Boston Red Sox fan, and he was active with the Cub Scouts. He had a lifelong interest in numismatics, sports memorabilia, antiques, collectibles, history and old movies. Milton was known for his wit, sense of humor and always had a good joke to share.

He was a member of the Redwood Elks Lodge, Grand Lodge of Scottish Rite, and he was a lifelong member of Temple Beth-El in Providence.

The family would like to give extend their heartfelt gratitude to the staff of the RI Veteran’s Home in Bristol for the care they gave Milton over the last seven months.

Contributions in his memory may be made to Temple Beth-El, 70 Orchard Ave., Providence; American Heart Association, 20 Speen St., Framingham, MA or a charity of your choice.

Morris Nathanson, 95

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Morris Nathanson, born in Providence on Sept. 9, 1927, passed away peacefully on Sept. 17.

Nathanson grew up in Pawtucket, and at the age of 17, enlisted in the Navy, where he served in the Pacific Theater as a medic aboard the LSD Catamount. Nathanson experienced antisemitism and racism in the Navy, motivating him throughout his life to fight for the equal rights of all.

He participated in the Freedom Rides of 1961, Dr. Martin Luther King’s campaigns in Selma and Birmingham, Alabama, and the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.

A lifetime member of the Providence Art Club, Nathanson was a highly regarded and prolific fine artist, with numerous exhibitions in Providence and New York. His thousands of paintings, prints, wood sculptures, and drawings reflect nearly a century of work, and trace his truly extraordinary and vibrant life through bold colors and iconography that pulls from personal history.

He is widely recognized as the father of modern restaurant and hospitality design. He has lived his life on the international stage as a designer of award-winning restaurants, concert spaces and hospitality venues. Among his notable design projects are food and entertainment venues aboard Royal Caribbean’s

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OBITUARIES fleet of cruise ships, and the interiors of Disneyland Paris’ 11 American restaurants, in collaboration with Pritzker Prize winning architect Frank Gehry, who designed the structures.

Upon his retirement, Boston University approached him to donate his entire body of work to their collections, resulting in the Morris Nathanson Design Collection, housed at the renowned Howard Gotlieb Archival Research Center.

Having traveled widely and with offices in Boston and Providence, Nathanson returned to his roots in Pawtucket in 1986, purchasing the historic, but decaying, Rhode Island Cardboard Manufacturing complex. He renovated the mill building into offices for his design firm, Morris Nathanson Design, and a community of live/work artist lofts to encourage other artists to rehabilitate vacant buildings in the area. As an early advocate for mill adaptive reuse, he had been in the forefront of developing Rhode Island as a highly visible and respected arts and entertainment center.

Nathanson was a founding board member of Trinity Repertory Company.

One of Trinity Rep’s earliest set designers, he was also in charge of its relocation to the Emery’s Majestic Theater (now the Lederer Theater Center), which has been the theater’s home for over 50 years.

Nathanson served as a member of the Providence Historic Commission and the Pawtucket Armory Association, where he oversaw the design and build of the Sandra Feinstein Gamm Theatre and the creation of the Jacqueline Walsh School for the Arts. He also offered his time and expertise to the City of Pawtucket’s Riverfront Commission, the Pawtucket 2020 Committee, the Pawtucket Foundation, and the Pawtucket Arts Collaborative. He taught design courses at the Rhode Island School of Design, and served as a design consultant to Providence Mayor Joseph Paolino. He was the recipient of numerous personal awards and recognitions, including honorary doctorates from Johnson and Wales University and Rhode Island College. Nathanson was inducted into the Pawtucket Hall of Fame, awarded the Pawtucket Foundation Heritage Award, the Arts and Business

Council of Rhode Island’s Small Business Award, and the Pell Award from the Trinity Repertory Company for his lifetime contribution to the arts. In 2010, the Exchange Street Bridge in Pawtucket was renamed the Morris Nathanson Bridge.

He is survived by his loving and devoted wife Phyllis Van Orden Nathanson and their son John David Nathanson, and Josh (Anna) Nathanson, and Kim (Jeff) Nathanson Arsenault, from his previous marriage to Roxie Sgouros, along with four grandchildren, Emma, Sarah, Lily and Adrian.

Contributions may be made in his honor to the “Morris Nathanson Fund,” a scholarship program supporting Rhode Island students aged K-12 to participate in youth classes at the Rhode Island School of Design.

Further information and online donations may be made at https://give.risd. edu/campaigns/31085/donations/new Checks by mail may be made payable to the Rhode Island School of Design, with “Morris Nathanson Fund” in the memo, and addressed to: Rhode Island School of Design, Attn: O’Neil Outar, Institutional Advancement, 2 College St., Providence, RI 02903

Ilse Schaler, 93

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Ilse Ingeborg Schaler passed away peacefully at HopeHealth Hulitar Hospice in Providence on Sept. 3, 2022.

Born and raised Lutheran in Nuremberg, Germany, Ilse was the only child of the late Hella and Wilhelm Spilling. Her parents were at the center of a vibrant community of intellectuals, artists and musicians, a background which Ilse absorbed and reimagined repeatedly throughout her life. Ilse immigrated to the United States at the age of 19, arriving in Rhode Island married to a RI resident.

Following a divorce a few years later, Ilse made her way working in office roles at Brown and Yale universities before meeting her future husband Albert Schaler. Ilse was converted to Judaism by Rabbi William Braude, of Temple Beth-El, in Providence,

and remained a part of the Jewish community for her entire life.

Like her parents, Ilse and Albert created communities of art, music, intellect and beauty wherever they lived, which included Providence; Kerrville, Texas, and Bristol. Ilse introduced early music in Providence in the 1960s as the recorder teacher to scores of children and adults and founder of the Providence Recorder Society, which thrived under her leadership, When the Schalers moved to Kerrville, Texas, Ilse once again built an early music community from the ground up, this time with adults of all backgrounds. Upon return to RI years later, Ilse retired from music and switched to visual arts, focusing on watercolor painting, printmaking and mixed media two-dimensional design.

After Albert’s passing in 2011, Ilse lived alone in Bristol for a few years before moving to Atria Bay Spring Village, where she again contributed beauty and culture to the community, with bird feeders, bird baths, flower boxes and live music performed by former students – now in their 60s and 70s – which the community came to love as well.

Ilse’s remains will be cremated, mingled with those of her beloved husband Albert and scattered according to their wishes.

Donations in memory of Ilse may be directed to the Albert and Ilse Schaler Fund, RI Community Foundation, One Union Station, Providence, RI 02903; 401274-4564; info@rifoundation. org.

ators. In 1984 when he was vice president of marketing for a division of the Foxboro Company developing a robotic machine vision system, he met his best friend Susan Ricci. They married and remained best friends throughout, and they travelled and enjoyed many scenic and historic places.

Bernie and his beloved wife Susan moved to Onset and launched ENT Medical, a company dedicated to otitis media and other ear infections in children.

As CEO, he was a frequent lecturer in medical schools where he contracted, with the CDC, to teach this revolutionary technology based on principals of sonar developed by the Navy.

In addition to his wife, survivors include children Marilyn Taylor and her husband James, of Sharon, Massachusetts; Ronald Sohn and his wife Amy, of Elizabeth, New Jersey; and Debra Mitchell, of Fall River, Massachusetts; stepchildren Steven Ricci, of Somerville, Massachusetts, and Peter Ricci and his wife Rebecca, of Bedford, Massachusetts; three sisters Rosalie Fishman, Marion

Rosenberg and Nancy Swartz; nine grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

He was the brother of the late Charlotte Lefcoe.

Erwin Summer, 94

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Erwin B. Summer, of Providence, passed away Sept. 6, 2022, at his residence surrounded by his loving family.

Born in Providence, a son of the late Morris and Bertha (Resnick) Summer, he was a lifelong resident of the city.

A graduate of the University of Rhode Island, Erwin was the owner of Richards and Richards East, in Providence. An avid golfer, he was a member of Ledgemont and Metacomet Country Clubs.

He is survived by his daughter Jill Summer Goldstein and her husband Larry, of Providence; his son Mark Summer, of Windermere, Florida; and four grandchildren Sydney, Sam, Julia and Sophia.

Contributions may be made to RI Jewish Historical Association, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence, RI 02906.

Bernard Sohn, 89

ONSET, MASS. – Bernard “Bernie” Sohn, of Onset, died Aug. 19, 2022, at his residence.

He was the husband of Susan (Vattes) Ricci-Sohn of Onset.

Originally from Brookline, Massachusetts, Bernie held degrees in biology and chemistry as well as a master’s degree in marketing. Bernie spent most of his professional career working on leading edge technologies. At MIT, he worked on the pathways that allow brain impulses to control prosthetic devices.

He worked on developing the early heart-lung oxygen-

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