Volume XXV, Issue XVIII | www.jvhri.org Serving Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts
ELECTIONS
17 Heshvan 5779 | October 26, 2018
New Hanukkah stamp issued at Touro Synagogue BY LARRY KATZ
PHOTO | JTA, YONATAN SINDEL/FLASH90
Israeli President Reuven Rivlin speaks at a memorial ceremony in Jerusalem to commemorate the 23rd anniversary of former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin’s assassination, Oct. 21, 2018.
Israeli President Reuven Rivlin calls for ‘reverse Birthright’
BY BEN SALES TEL AVIV (JTA) – Israeli President Reuven Rivlin has called for a “reverse Birthright” that would take Israelis to see the American Jewish community firsthand. Rivlin made his remarks Oct. 22 at the opening of the General Assembly, the annual conference of the Jewish Federations of North America, in Tel Aviv. Titled “We Need to Talk,” the three-day conference is focusing on the divisions between Israeli and Diaspora Jews. More than 3,000 participants are on hand for the event. The Jewish Federations of
North America is the umbrella body for nearly 150 Jewish federations, which act as central fundraising bodies for Jewish causes and institutions in metropolitan areas throughout the United States and Canada. Several controversial events in recent years have created rifts between the views of U.S. Jewish organizations and Israeli government policies. The groups have objected to, among other things, the government’s freezing of a plan meant to expand a non-Orthodox prayer area at the Western Wall; the passage of a law this year officially defining Israel as the nation-state of the Jews; a pro-
posed reform of Israel’s conversion policy that would have given more power to Israel’s haredi Orthodox Chief Rabbinate; and a 2017 law barring entry to supporters of the movement to boycott Israel. Speaking at the conference’s opening session, Rivlin said that while Diaspora and Israeli Jews have differences, they need to prioritize maintaining their relationship. He said that Israelis need to take it upon themselves to learn more about Diaspora Jews, in part through a “reverse Taglit,” Hebrew for Birthright, the free, 10-day
Sen. Ted Cruz
Leslie Cockburn
Mayor Andrew Gillum
NEWPORT – The U.S. Postal Service issued its new Hanukkah stamp, a joint issue with Israel, on Oct. 16 at Touro Synagogue. The American and Israeli stamps share the same artwork, a papercut created by the American artist Tamar Fishman. During the issuance ceremony, Postal Service Judicial Officer Gary Shapiro observed that papercutting is a traditional Jewish art, and he described Fishman’s techniques and other symbols in the artwork, which is on display in the Loeb Visitors Center at the synagogue. “Starting today, this work of art celebrating the Jewish Festival of Lights will travel on millions of letters and packages, throughout America and around the world,” Shapiro said. Picking up on this theme, Israel Post Philatelic Service Director Elhanan Shapira discussed how all stamps are symbols of their countries and portray messages that travel the world. He noted the close relationship between the U.S. and Israel since President Harry
Truman recognized the Jewish state. He also said that Hanukkah celebrates the victory of good over evil and justice over injustice, which are key values in both nations. The ceremony took place in America’s oldest synagogue building, the 254-year-old Touro Synagogue. The synagogue’s centrally-located bimah was filled with video and audio equipment as the ceremony was streamed on Facebook to the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem, where Ambassador David Friedman and Israeli officials watched. STAMP | 11
GA | 7
Rep. Ron DeSantis
Rep. Steve King
Republicans and Democrats both try to paint the other side’s candidates as worse for the Jews
BY RON KAMPEAS
WASHINGTON (JTA) – When Ron DeSantis, the Republican congressman running for governor of Florida, was asked in a debate to defend his record on race, he pivoted to his
Democratic opponent’s record on Israel. DeSantis and Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum each have a problem that won’t go away – DeSantis with racially charged language and Gillum
with associates who are anti-Israel. That may not be surprising in a swing state where substantial Jewish and African-American minorities can make the difference, and where the race is too close to
call. But it’s not just Florida: in race after race, sometimes in areas with few Jewish voters, from upstate New York to Virginia wine country, to Texas and Minnesota, two third rails for American Jewish
voters – bigotry and Israel – are touching each other and setting off sparks. In their campaigns to get out the Jewish vote, and to elicit donors, the two partisan Jewish VOTE | 14
2 | October 26, 2018
COMMUNITY
The Jewish Voice
Creative Hands at Temple Emanu-El
INSIDE Business 21-22
BY MARJORIE PELCOVITS
Calendar 10 Community 2-6, 11-12, 19-20, 25 D’var Torah 7 Elections 7, 14-18 Food 13 Israel 17 Obituaries 24 Opinion 8-9 Seniors 25-26 Simchas | We Are Read 23
THIS ISSUE’S QUOTABLE QUOTE “A ruler is not to be appointed unless the community is first consulted.”
With Rhode Island’s bumper crop of talented artists and craftspeople, it is only fitting that Temple Emanu-El’s Creative Hands Art Sale is held each fall midway between Sukkot and Thanksgiving, the holidays that celebrate the harvest. This year’s sale is Sunday, Nov. 4 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Now in its fourth year, the event features a mixture of returning artists and new vendors displaying and selling a variety of unique items. Creative Hands’ artists and craftspeople offer items not available elsewhere in a variety of media. These include painting, photography, jewelry, furniture, glass, wood, paper, and textiles, among others. While most of the items for sale appeal to all audiences, beautiful works of Judaica are available as well. Items span a wide range of prices and a silent auction will be conducted throughout the day. Previous Creative Hands Art Sales have been very successful, earning praise from buyers and vendors alike, and this year’s sale is sure to be the best yet. Whether you are looking for something beautiful, whimsical, practical, or just a bit different for yourself or for a gift, you won’t want to miss Creative Hands! Admission and parking are free, and the venue is handi-
capped-accessible. For more information, visit teprov.org/ creativehands, email creativehands@teprov.org, or call Temple Emanu-El at 401-331-1616. MARJORIE PELCOVITS is a clinical psychologist and a member of Temple Emanu-El and the Creative Hands Art Sale committee.
A few of the many items that will be available at the Creative Hands Art Sale.
If we don’t take care of our future, who will? When you create a Jewish legacy, you take an important step toward strengthening Jewish life for generations to come. Planning your gift now will help ensure your children and grandchildren can enjoy the same rich traditions and closeness of community that have given your life so much meaning and purpose.
The future starts with you.
Jewish Federation Foundation
OF GREATER RHODE ISLAND
NOW IS THE TIME FOR
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For more information about legacy giving, please contact Trine Lustig at 401.421.4111 ext. 223 or tlustig@jewishallianceri.org
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COMMUNITY
October 26, 2018 |
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Genius Hour at the JCDSRI: When passions come alive BY ADINA L. DAVIES What would the world look like if we could spend a part of our work or school week on a passion project? Inspired by technology companies such as Google and the Genius Hour education movement, Melynda Silva, a fourthgrade general studies teacher and librarian at the Jewish Community Day School of Rhode Island, wanted to find out what a minimum of 45 minutes each week spent on a passion project could do for her students. Three years ago, Silva brought Genius Hour into her classroom, allowing her students to creatively explore their passions. Silva starts the sessions with multiple brainstorming activities to help her students discover what really excites them. She said there are always a handful of students who know from day one exactly what they want their project to be, but three-quarters of the class needs guidance on where to begin. And a lot of projects morph into something else as the year goes on. Samuel Gidron, a fifth-grader formerly in Silva’s class, began last year wanting to make a Hoverboard. When he realized his goal was unrealistic, he moved on to a jet engine. But he soon recognized that this, too, was impossible with the time, resources and budget he had available. Although Samuel says these realizations were initially disappointing, he quickly moved on to a project that gave him real satisfaction: building a fish pond in his backyard. While he and his friends were digging up the yard, they found a bunch of old glass bottles. Samuel researched the bottles and found they were from the late 1800s! These included some medicine bottles, a bottle that once held poison, and his favorite, an old Heinz Ketchup bottle. “Sometimes the students feel like the small ideas are too small to do, [but] there’s no right Genius Hour project,” Silva said. “The students just need someone to say, ‘Your passion is your passion to do what you want.’ Even if someone else thinks you are crazy or thinks it’s too easy. “We’ve had students make PowerPoints about modern dairy farms, create videos on the history of animation, make ‘how to’ videos and cooking shows on YouTube, and write video games with help from students at Rochester Institute of Technology.” Silva said the sky’s the limit as far as creativity goes. “Sometimes students work on a service project, sometimes they are expressing themselves, sometimes they are building or
Samuel Gidron digging.
PHOTO | COURTESY STYLEWEEK AND MYKE YEAGER PHOTOGRAPHY
Ella Sinel, front, with mentor, Arianna Buonanno, and the 3 models are wearing the clothes she designed and helped to sew. creating things, and sometimes it’s just fun,” she said. “And it’s OK if their project has no real purpose.” Genius Hour reflects the JCDSRI’s commitment to progressive, child-centered education, said Andrea Katzman, head of the Providence school. “We recognize that in order for our students to authentically and meaningfully engage in the creative process, they need to demonstrate flexibility, open-mindedness and a willingness to embrace uncertainty and discomfort,” Katzman said. “Genius Hour allows our students to practice these skills and mindsets in a safe and age-appropriate way.” Projects have included a food and toy drive for the Rhode Island SPCA, turning a bicycle into a battery-powered bike that went over 30 miles an hour, and an attempt to make the world’s biggest chopsticks (at about 30 feet, they did become Rhode Island’s biggest chopsticks). The students build their projects with help from classmates, family, friends and mentors, and they learn how to fund their project as well. “I check in once a week. We set goals, keep a timeline, I connect them to mentors and I work with them to set a realistic budget,” Silva said. “Fourth-graders think that every budget is realistic. The number one rule is: Ms. Silva is not funding your Genius Hour project.” Another student whose passion project morphed into something extremely satisfying is Ella Sinel, who’s now a fifth-grader. Ella started making a video travel show, but she just couldn’t “dig into it,” she said. With the encouragement of Silva, she kept searching for her passion. Ella then met a fashion-designer friend of her mom’s, and an idea was planted:
she wanted to connect with the founder and CEO of StyleWeek Northeast, Rosanna Ortiz. Ella was persistent in contacting Ortiz to get some feedback about her clothing sketches. “It was funny because this little girl was emailing every email address for me she could find. At first, I thought it was a joke,” Ortiz told The Providence Journal. Then Ella, supervised by the JCDSRI staff, held a conference call in the school lobby with Ortiz, and convinced her to not
only let her into StyleWeek, but to open up the event to other youngsters as well. “She sounded like such an adult,” Silva said. “We were so proud.” To open StyleWeek, in September, four junior designers presented mini-collections at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center, in Providence, in what they called the SEEDlings Student Design Challenge, a special version of StyleWeek’s long-running SEED event. The show featured garments made by Ella and other elementary school pupils, with some help from adult mentors. Ella named her clothing line “Candy,” and watched in awe as professional models walked on the runway in clothes she had designed and helped sew. This outcome was even more satis-
fying when she won first place, with a $1,000 cash prize, which she says she will put in her college fund. “It was a dream come true!” Ella exclaimed. Silva said she loves watching her students find their passion. “My favorite part is right before the students present in May, when I step back to think about where everyone started and where they are at the end of their project,” she said. “It’s amazing what they think of. Even if it seems impossible to me, because I’m an adult and I see the parameters, they usually still figure out a way to make it work.” ADINA DAVIES is the advancement associate at the Jewish Community Day School of Rhode Island.
4 | October 26, 2018
COMMUNITY
The Jewish Voice
In the beginning: The story of Holocaust education in Rhode Island BY LEV POPLOW Today, the Sandra Bornstein Holocaust Education Center (SBHEC) is a well-established organization known throughout Rhode Island for using the lessons of the Holocaust to educate about the dangers of hate, discrimination and indifference. But, like many big successes, the SBHEC came from humble beginnings. Arthur Robbins has been deeply involved in the SBHEC since the beginning, and recently shared some recollections of the early days. “Back in early 1981, I was friendly with Ray Eichenbaum. Ray and Lenka Rose had an idea of creating a Holocaust memorial,” Robbins began. “Ray had a meeting at the headquarters of the Rhode Island Heritage Center, which was located in the old Rhode Island State Offices on Benefit Street, to think about building a Holocaust memorial in Providence in March of 1981. After that meeting, Ray and Lenka
EDITOR Fran Ostendorf DESIGN & LAYOUT Leah Camara ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT Chris Westerkamp cwesterkamp@jewishallianceri.org 401-421-4111, ext. 160 Karen Borger ksborger@gmail.com 401-529-2538
Arthur Robbins met again to solidify in their own minds just what they wanted to do,” he continued. They called Robbins and Rabbi Gerald Zelermyer about creating a committee to investigate “something to honor the survivors of the Holocaust.” On April 30, 1981, a meeting was held and a committee was formed with Eichenbaum, Rose,
Robbins, Zelermyer, Jason Cohen, Sam Kesterman, Louie Rubenstein, Peter Bardack and Mike Fink. At that meeting, they batted around various ideas for the memorial. The committee reconvened in May 1981 at the Providence Marriott, with Manfred Weil, Herman Selya, Bert Bernhardt, Peter Bardack, Stan Abrams, Richard Licht, Robbins, Eichenbaum and Rose in attendance. At that meeting, they decided to create, as Robbins describes it, “a living Holocaust education center with four elements.” Those elements were to be an education exhibit, a resource library, an outreach program and a central focal point that people could visit. Robbins became the chair of the Site Selection committee. Today the SBHEC is housed in the Alliance’s Dwares Jewish Community Center, but at first they “had a devil of a time trying to determine where the center would be located,” Robbins recalled. But one thing
they were sure of: they wanted a prominent spot in Providence that would serve as a broadbased point for the public to come and learn about the Holocaust. Initially, they thought that the center should be housed on the Brown University campus. They approached Jacob Neusner, who was then the director of the Judaic Studies Program at Brown. But after much negotiation, it became clear that this would not be possible. They then looked on the campus of the Rhode Island School of Design, but there was no suitable building available. Finally, the committee decided that the best site would be what was then the Jewish Community Center, on Elmgrove Avenue in Providence. They met numerous times throughout 1981 and 1982 at Peter Bardack’s house to continue planning. As Robbins tells it, “Mr. Bardack was a Holocaust survivor and, along with Ray and Lenka, who were the two dynamos of the whole organization, little by little the group coalesced and took a location on the bottom floor of the JCC.” After many meetings, organizing and fundraising, the community dedication for what was then known as the Rhode Island Holocaust Memorial Museum was held on May 5, 1988. A reminder of that day still stands on the grounds of the Dwares JCC: The committee commissioned sculptor Barney Zeitz to create a sculpture, which was unveiled at the dedication and stands in the Holocaust Memorial Garden. That sculpture “was the center of our community’s Yom ha-Shoah annual commemoration for many years,” Robbins recalled. Growing up during World War II, Robbins, of Providence, had an intimate understanding of the Holocaust and a deep desire to see a memorial come to fruition. “When I look at what we created today, I say thank God we had people like Lenka and Ray, who pushed us forward,” he said.
CONTRIBUTORS Cynthia Benjamin Seth Chitwood Stephanie Ross
PERIODICALS Postage paid at Providence, R.I.
COLUMNISTS Michael Fink Rabbi James Rosenberg Daniel Stieglitz
PUBLISHER The Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island, President/CEO Adam Greenman, Chair Mitzi Berkelhammer, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence, RI 02906. Phone: 401-421-4111 • Fax 401-331-7961
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Robbins is a lifetime member of SBHEC’s Board of Directors and he marvels at how the organization has come of age and is a major entity in the Jewish community. “The main thrust of the organization has always been education, and when we started, we could never have imagined what it has become.” He is particularly impressed with the amount of outreach SBHEC has done with Catholic schools. The founders also never conceived of the participation of people from outside the Jewish community, such as Providence College professors Judith Jameison and Arthur Urbano, and Cranston educator Barbara Wahlberg. In the early days, Robbins said he never thought it possible that “someday there would be Christians on our board that cared so deeply about Holocaust education.” Over the years, Robbins has been involved with many organizations in the Jewish community, and the community at large, but one of the things of which he is most proud is how SBHEC has forged deep relationships with the Catholic and Armenian communities. He thinks that the Rhode Island law mandating Holocaust and genocide education for all Rhode Island middle and high school students is a remarkable achievement that the founders never could have imagined Reflecting on this 37-year journey, Robbins said, “You know, you only travel this road once, and when I look back on 1981 and see what we have today, and what we’ve done bringing many people together, it’s incredible.” He likens that early effort to “planting a seed, an acorn that puts down roots and grows into a beautiful tree with branches spreading in many directions.” LEV POPLOW is a communication consultant writing on behalf of the Sandra Bornstein Holocaust Education Center. He can be reached at levpoplow@ gmail.com.
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 our advertisers’ claims. All submitted content becomes the property of The Voice. Announcements and opinions contained in these pages are published as a service to the community and do not necessarily represent the views of The Voice or its publisher, the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island. We reserve the right to refuse publication
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COMMUNITY
October 26, 2018 |
Anti-Semitism, seltzer and the internet among topics at ‘An Evening of Jewish Renaissance’ BY LARRY KATZ Jonathan Weisman, an author and the deputy Washington editor of The New York Times, will be among the many speakers at this year’s “Evening of Jewish Renaissance,” which will be held on Nov. 17 at the Alliance’s Dwares Jewish Community Center. Weisman will discuss how Jews are viewed in America since Donald Trump became president, and how we can move forward in fighting the growth of anti-Semitism. On a lighter note, Barry Joseph will discuss seltzer and also read from his new book, “Seltzertopia.” His effervescent expertise has been widely written about, including in The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post, as well as discussed on shows such as NPR’s “All Things Considered” and “CBS This Morning.” Martin Fletcher, known to many as the NBC News bureau chief in Tel Aviv, will discuss how he transitioned from a TV journalist to a novelist. Fletcher’s “Promised Land: A Novel of Israel” is a gripping tale of a struggling family and an epic saga about the nation’s tumultuous early years. Many people who make their living from the internet are very concerned about its ill effects. For example, Tiffany Shlain, founder of the Webby Awards, and Facebook co-founder, Mark Zuckerberg, celebrate Shabbat partly as a way to take a day off from screen time. Catherine Price will discuss how the internet is designed to make a day often hard to accomplish, why
Sarit Shani Hay we should be concerned and what we can do about it – short of throwing out our smartphones. Price is an award-winning science journalist who has been featured in many publications, including The New York Times and Time magazine. These four speakers will be joined by two Israeli designers, Liraz Cohen and Sarit Shani Hay, as well as many local presenters, including Rabbi Eliezer Gibber, Rabbi Jonathan Brumberg-Kraus, Rabbi Eliahu Klein, novelist Hilary Salk and Doctors Herbert Rakatansky, Steve Schechter and William Sikov. Registration for “An Evening of Jewish Renaissance” will open in November. The event, on Saturday, Nov. 17, at 7 p.m., is sponsored by the Judge Mar-
A library designed by Sarit Shani Hay. jorie Yashar and Dr. James Yashar Fund at the Jewish Federation Foundation and held at the Alliance’s Dwares JCC, 401 Elmgrove Ave., in Providence. For more information, contact Larry Katz at lkatz@jewishallianceri.org or 401-421-4111. LARRY KATZ is director of Jewish life and learning at the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island.
“Seltzertopia” written by Barry Joseph, who will be a speaker at “An Evening of Jewish Renaissance.”
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COMMUNITY
6 | October 26, 2018
The Jewish Voice
Caution urged when using medical marijuana
BY CHRIS WESTERKAMP Dr. James V. McDonald, medical director of the Rhode Island Department of Health, delivered an engaging presentation on the latest developments and issues with medical marijuana products to a packed audience at The Miriam Hospital on Oct. 11. Despite medical marijuana being legal in Rhode Island since 2006, there is still tension on the topic, partly because marijuana is classified by the U.S. government, along with heroin, as a Schedule 1 narcotic. McDonald’s talk, titled “Medical Marijuana in Rhode Island. It’s Here to Stay, What You Should Know,” included several points about how marijuana, or cannabis, is different from other drugs on the market. A key point is that it wasn’t introduced through the standard process. Typically, before drugs are introduced, they go through
Dr. James V. McDonald. a long series of trials to determine their safety and efficacy.
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Case Management Geriatric Care Management The Counseling Center Adoption Options Lifeline RI Jewish Eldercare of RI (JERI) Partners in Care/Caregiver support Basic needs assistance Financial Literacy Louis and Goldie Chester Full Plate Kosher Food Pantry Kosher Meals on Wheels Kosher Senior Cafes Ta’ Am To Go (kosher catering) Moes Chitim (Passover support) Kesher (congregational outreach) The Phyllis Siperstein Tamarisk Assisted Living Shalom and Shalom II enriched affordable housing JCS is now located at:
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It can take years to determine a drug’s side effects. The notion of marijuana having legitimate medical applications derived from its use worldwide. It’s estimated that more than 22 million Americans used marijuana in 2015. Surveys indicate that half the U.S. population has tried the drug, for either medical or recreational use, by age 21. It is important to note, McDonald said, that there are two chemical compounds in cannabis that are used for medical reasons: THC and CBD. Tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC,
Medical marijuana and Cannabidiol (CBD). causes the psychoactive reaction, or “high,” while Cannabidiol or CBD has no psychoactive effects. CBD is legal in the U.S. and can be bought over the counter. The CBD industry claims its product has many medicinal benefits, but the medical community has largely remained neutral on the topic. Edible cannabis has emerged as the preferred vehicle for medical applications because the chemical integrity and strength can more easily be controlled, prescribed and tracked, McDonald said. Though cannabis has been in
wide use for a long time, from a medical standpoint, it is still in the testing phase to determine how it works and what conditions it helps. The takeaway from the meeting, sponsored by The Miriam Hospital Women’s Association, is that use of medical cannabis can be helpful, but users should be aware of Rhode Island’s regulations on obtaining prescriptions and using cannabis products. CHRIS WESTERKAMP is advertising director of The Jewish Voice.
jvhri.org D’VAR
TORAH | ELECTIONS
October 26, 2018 |
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Of blind obedience and the lessons of Parashat Vareya The book of Genesis begins with God deciding to create human beings to rule all the other created things: “Let us make human beings in our image, after our likeness. They shall rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the catRABBI tle, the whole JEFFREY earth and all GOLDWASSER the creeping things that creep on earth” (Genesis 1:26). It seemed like a good idea at first … until it went horribly wrong. In the chapters that follow, God came to see the downside of creating humanity. Adam and Eve ate the one thing God told them not to touch. Cain murdered his brother Abel. Violent behavior convinced God to drown (almost) all of humanity.
Even after the Flood, human beings tried to challenge God by building the Tower of Babel. God was frustrated by humanity, beings whom God created to rule creation who could not even rule themselves. God then selected Abraham as a moral and spiritual exemplar – someone who could show the world what it means to be a righteous person. Through Abraham, God would let human beings know what was expected of them. What happened next, though, may have come as a surprise even to God. In this week’s Torah portion (Vayera) God decided to trust Abraham, his exemplar, with some insider information – the plan to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. God asks, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, since Abraham is to become a great and populous nation and all the nations of the earth are to bless themselves by him?” (Genesis 18:17-18).
Maybe God thought that, given Abraham’s mission to teach the world about God’s ways, he needed to know about the plan to use Sodom as an example of how not to behave. Yet, instead of accepting God’s plan to punish Sodom, Abraham questioned it and challenged God’s own morality. Abraham protested, “Far be it from You to do such a thing, to bring death upon the innocent as well as the guilty, so that innocent and guilty fare alike. Far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly?” (Genesis 18:25). Abraham turned the tables on God and told God that the plan did not measure up to God’s own standards of justice. The story has a certain flavor of comeuppance. God is hoist by the Divine petard. The very human being God designated to teach humanity how to rule over creation, almost inevitably, ended up trying to overrule
Voting is a sacred obligation BY RABBI SARAH MACK Sometime last year, leaders in the Jewish community realized that the state primary election fell on the second day of Rosh Hashanah. When approached with the conflict, Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea swiftly and enthusiastically went to work to change the date to meet the needs of Rhode Island’s Jewish community. We are fortunate to live in a state, founded on the values of religious freedom and diversity, which cares about making voting accessible to all of its citizens. This is all the more reason to fully embrace our civic duty. The assertion that it is a sacred obligation to vote finds its basis in Jewish texts across time. In the Talmud, we read that Rabbi Yitzhak taught, “A ruler is not to be appointed unless the community is first consulted” (Talmud, Brakhot 55a). He gives an example from Exodus 35:30, when God appoints Betzalel in the construction of the Tabernacle, imagining this conversation, “The Lord said to Moses: Moses, is Betzalel a suitable appointment in your eyes? Moses said to Him: Master of the universe, if he is a suitable appointment in Your eyes, then all the more so in my eyes. The Holy One, Blessed be He, said to him: Nevertheless, go and tell Israel and ask their opinion.” The construction of the Tabernacle required engagement from the people. It is a potent reminder to us: to build the world as we hope it should be, we must participate in its construction.
Casting our vote is one step in our partnership with the Divine to work toward tikkun olam. Jewish tradition teaches that we must engage in civic life and raise our voices to engage as partners with God in repairing the world, knowing that tzedek or justice is often fulfilled through public policy. Rabbi Jane Kanarek, in her essay on “Citizenship” in “The Observant Life: The Wisdom of Conservative Judaism for Contemporary Jews,” writes that voting “is one of many ways that we can individually follow the injunction ‘Justice, Justice you shall pursue.’ ” (Deut. 16:20).
“As Jews and American citizens, we do have an obligation to participate in elections … .” In fact, she adds, “our responsibility toward ethical construction of society is tied to the larger Jewish ideal of covenantal community bound to God, including firm commitment to the fulfillment of this ideal of justice.” As Jews and American citizens, we do have an obligation to participate in elections to ensure that policies at the local, state and national levels bring us closer to achieving a world where all people experience justice and equality. Rabbi Moshe Feinstein wrote in 1984, “A fundamental princi-
ple of Judaism is hakaras hatov – recognizing benefits afforded us and giving expression to our appreciation. Therefore, it is incumbent on each Jewish citizen to participate in the democratic system which guards the freedoms we enjoy. The most fundamental responsibility incumbent on each individual is to register and to vote. Therefore, I urge all members of the Jewish community to fulfill their obligations by registering as soon as possible, and by voting. By this, we can express our appreciation and contribute to the continued security of our community.” Our tradition teaches that the ability to vote is a gift for which we should be grateful. While not explicitly one of the 613 mitzvot counted in the Torah, voting is indeed a sacred responsibility for which we offer our gratitude. Rabbi Laura Novak Winer wrote these words to frame and sanctify our essential and holy task and civic duty as we go to the polls this year: “Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech haolam, shemetzapeh me’itanu l’asok b’avodat ezrachut ha’medina. “Blessed are You Lord our God, Ruler of the Universe who expects us to engage as citizens in our country.” RABBI SARAH MACK is a rabbi at Temple Beth-El in Providence and president of the Board of Rabbis of Greater Rhode Island.
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God. That may not be such a bad thing, though. Abraham is presented as the ideal man of faith, and faith is not understood by the Hebrew Bible as mere blind obedience. To be truly faithful, one must be willing to question, to argue, to look deeply into the nature of morality and faith. Even God’s actions should not be exempt from our consideration. After all, God must have had a reason to create us. Maybe God put us here to keep God in line. Maybe God created us because God needs to have a friend who will speak up and let God know when things are going wrong. All of us need a friend like that once in a while. Why shouldn’t God? This, I believe, is one of the central defining qualities of the Jewish relationship with God. Maybe it is a quality that is unique to Judaism. To be a Jew is not just to obey God. It is not
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just to submit yourself to God. It is not just to accept God’s rule. For Jews, that is not enough. The God of Abraham expects us to know that we are not God, yet also expects us to rise above our human imperfection by engaging with God in a conversation about what it means to be human. This ongoing, backand-forth argument with God elevates us to a level beyond the limitations of flesh and blood, beyond our animal inclination toward violence, disobedience and arrogance. For a Jew, it is no sin to argue with God. It is a necessity. It makes us God’s partner and, paradoxically, it makes us God’s trusted friend. RABBI JEFF GOLDWASSER is the spiritual leader of Temple Sinai in Cranston. He is the author of the blog, rebjeff.com, from which this d’var Torah is adapted.
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trips to Israel for Jewish young adults. “We need to create wider circles of answers here in Israel,” he said. “For many young Israeli Jews, being a Jew means being Israeli. We must increase their exposure to your schools, camps and communities. They need to realize and to feel that they have a family, a family that [they] must take into account.” On Oct. 21, at an event at Rivlin’s official residence in Jerusalem preceding the General Assembly, the head of New York’s UJA-Federation said some young American Jews did not see their values reflected in Israel’s policies. Eric Goldstein, the federation’s CEO, said “The Jewish identity of many young American Jews is reflected through the lens of tikkun olam, social justice values, and they experience a mental discomfort when they use that lens to look at many current Israeli government policies: settlement policy, nation-state law, treatment of asylum seekers, marriage equality and marriage rights – more broadly, the monopoly that the Orthodox has over religion and state in Israel.”
Candle Lighting Times Greater Rhode Island Oct. 26 Nov. 2 Nov. 9 Nov. 16
5:29 5:20 4:12 4:05
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OPINION
8 | October 26, 2018
A milestone and a goal When I was offered the job as editor of the Jewish Voice, about four and a half years ago, I knew that writing a column came with the territory. I was an avid reader of the editor’s column. In fact, I must admit I often turned to the column before reading the rest of the paper. However, I wasn’t exactly sure what writing the EDITOR column would mean for me. FRAN I dove in, OSTENDORF but I never dreamed that one day I’d be staring down my 100th column. Yet, here we are. People often ask how I write a column issue after issue. Sharing does not come easily to me. Sometimes the idea bank is blank. But long before I arrived on the scene, it was decided that this space would not feature editorials in the traditional sense of expressing the views of the newspaper as a whole, but a more personal column written by the editor. Yes, I might advocate for this behavior or that issue, but not a political viewpoint and its accompanying controversies. To make this column my own, I’ve tried to share a little about my thoughts and my life, along with thoughts about our community. I’ve written about my family. I’ve written about members of our community. I’ve advocated for civility – many times. I’ve written about the weather, famously. One February, I wrote about the incredibly mild weather. By the time the paper reached your mailbox, we were in the middle of a raging blizzard. Whoops! I did it again with a column about the cold weather. A week later it was nice and warm! Then my colleagues began to joke that I should always write about the weather when we wanted it to change. One of my favorite columns was written during
a snowstorm, when we did a lot of work from home. I wrote about how we feed the birds that visit our yard, which makes for quite a show outside the breakfast room window. I got quite a few responses to that – it hit a note with those of you who also take care of the birds during our cold winters. In many ways, I have grown up in and with this community although I’m not a native. My children attended what was then called the Jewish Community Center Infant Toddler Center, and then the preschool. I even had one in the kindergarten (it only was offered for several years). My kids attended classes at the JCC and learned to swim in its pool. So I’ve enjoyed sharing family stories and adventures with The Voice’s readers. Last year, I wrote about my son and future daughter-inlaw’s wedding adventures. This year I look forward to sharing the adventures of becoming a grandparent. We have amazing resources in our Jewish community, which stretches from Westerly to Woonsocket, Newport to Attleboro, and out toward Fall River, New Bedford and beyond. We represent the entire spectrum of Jewish religious and political beliefs. I am in awe of our diversity each and every day as I meet community members. And here’s the editorial part: If I’ve learned nothing else from working at the paper, it’s that virtually every single person has something to contribute and is passionate about this community – but we can’t grow stronger without listening to each other and working together. As they say, it takes a village. As the editor, I am committed to fostering and showcasing our community, and hope to continue the work of the past 100 columns for the next 100 columns. But I’m just one person, one voice – let’s all try to do what we can to strengthen our bonds and embrace our diversity.
PLEASE NOTE
In the Oct, 12 issue on page 4, the photo caption for Touro Board members and officers contained an editing error. In the front row, seated at far right, two people who were incorrectly identified as one person: Jeffrey Barry. They should have been identified as (left to right) Jeffrey Stoloff and Barry Schiff. We apologize for the error.
OUR MISSION The mission of The Jewish Voice 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.
The Jewish Voice
The magic carpet of literature I read Saul Bellow’s novel “Herzog” in the late ’60s, when I was a rabbinical student in Manhattan and living the joys and the challenges of a young marriage (which has now endured for 50 years). IT SEEMS I long ago discarded the TO ME falling-apart paperback, RABBI JIM and would never have ROSENBERG thought of rereading the book were it not for Rich Cohen’s provocative piece, “Tweets and Bellows,” in the fall 2018 issue of the Jewish Review of Books. In the second paragraph of his piece, Cohen writes: “It’s through writing and reading that a person or people can access the quiet part of their brain, the voice amid the chaos that explains who one is and what one must do. A person who reads has a different kind of focus and attention, a different kind of mind.” Further on, Cohen adds: “As anyone who’s spent serious time writing … can tell you, the pen (or keyboard) connects to a different part of the mind, or a different mind, than the one that chatters in you endlessly through the day.” Cohen turns to “Herzog” to explore a question made urgent by our brave new world of always-and-everywhere social media: “What happens when our writers and thinkers express themselves through Facebook, Snapchat, and Twitter instead of on the page?” What I remembered of “Herzog,” before rereading it a few weeks ago, was the story of a neurotic middle-aged academic
who saved himself from falling off a cliff into pure insanity by writing an abundance of letters, none of which he got around to actually mailing. My second reading of the novel has refreshed my memory of the long list of individuals who were the targets of his unsent letters: Herzog’s two ex-wives, Daisy and Madeleine; his ex-“best friend” Valentine, who had become Madeleine’s not-sosecret lover; his psychiatrists and lawyers; a host of public figures, including former President Dwight D. Eisenhower; and shapers of Western thought, alive and dead, including Martin Heidegger, Teilhard de Chardin, Baruch Spinoza and countless others. Because of his vast learning and command of the English language, Herzog is able to begin to sort out the conflicts that have been tearing him apart by putting his thoughts down on paper or composing whole paragraphs in his head. In his never-sent letter to the monsignor who had converted his ex-wife Madeleine from Judaism to Catholicism – a conversion that failed to “stick” – Herzog expresses something of the complexity of his tormented inner life: “Living amid great ideas and concepts, insufficiently relevant to the present, day-to-day, American conditions … I, a learned specialist in intellectual history, handicapped by emotional confusion ….” Though 47-year-old Moses Elkanah Herzog is as indecisive as Hamlet, he does have the language to formulate reasons for his indecisiveness. For example, with respect to his ambivalence toward his current lover, Ramona, 10 years his junior, he muses:
“This – this asylum [a settled, stable life with Ramona] was for the asking …. Then why didn’t he ask? Because today’s asylum might be the dungeon of tomorrow.” Rich Cohen wonders whether a man like Moses Herzog could be even an imaginative possibility in today’s world – so far away, even estranged, from the once-was world of literature, a world that celebrated the kind of writing that takes time, patience and much intellectual, emotional and even physical effort. Cohen writes, “… social media is not literature, and tweeting is not writing. The text, the tweet, the post – these hasty bits of content do not give access to the hidden mind. They can’t make you better, but they can make you worse.” Tweeting can’t save us from our lives of ever-expanding fragmentation. But literature can save us by providing a vehicle – a magic carpet, as it were – to carry us to a place where we can relearn what it means to be fully human – men and women with minds and hearts and bodies, people who at times need to be alone in their brokenness and who at other times need to share in the comforting embrace of brothers and sisters. It is Herzog’s lifelong engagement with the acts of reading and writing – that is to say, with literature – that enables him at the novel’s end to reassure his brother, Will, that he is emotionally and psychologically OK: “… you mustn’t be distressed about me. I’m in a peculiar state, but not in a bad one.” JAMES B. ROSENBERG is rabbi emeritus at Temple Habonim, in Barrington. Contact him at rabbiemeritus@templehabonim.org.
Hadassah reopens advocacy office WASHINGTON (JTA) – Hadassah is reopening its Washington office nearly a decade after the women’s Zionist group closed its operations there in the wake of its unwitting involvement in Bernard Madoff’s investment fraud. Ellen Hershkin, the president of the group, on Oct. 22 named Karen Paikin Barall as the director of Hadassah’s new government relations office in the capital. Its focus will be on educating lawmakers about the record of
Hadassah’s namesake hospitals in Israel, as well as Israel, anti-Semitism and women’s health, Hershkin and Barall said in a release. “By educating policymakers on both sides of the aisle about the work of the Hadassah Medical Organization and Hadassah’s policy priorities, the DC office will magnify our voice in Congress, as well as with federal agencies and partner organizations,” Hershkin said. Barall was most recently director of mid-Atlantic advocacy
for the Orthodox Union. “Health equity,” or closing the gaps between men and women in research, funding and quality of care, will be a priority of the new office, the statement said. “I am proud to be representing Hadassah as we make the case for Israel, fight increasing anti-Semitism around the world, and promote women’s health equity at home,” Barall said in the statement.
COLUMNS | LETTERS POLICY
The Jewish Voice 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 The Jewish Voice or the Alliance.
Send letters and op-eds to: The Jewish Voice, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence, RI 02906 or editor@jewishallianceri.org. Include name, city of residence and a contact phone number or email (not for publication).
OPINION
jvhri.org
October 26, 2018 |
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Education is key to preventing genocide BY MARTY COOPER When members of the Jewish and Armenian communities gathered on Sept. 23 to view “The Promise,” a movie about the Armenian Genocide, they formed a binding relationship. The movie focuses on families and communities that endured the brutal murder of 1.5 million people from 1915 to 1917 at the hands of the Ottoman Turkish government. This from a population of 2 million people living in the Ottoman Empire before World War I. Sponsored by The Sandra Bornstein Holocaust Education Center and The Genocide Education Project, R.I. branch, the movie was shown at the Alliance’s Dwares Jewish Community Center. “The Promise” tells the sto-
ry of a young Armenian man in the Ottoman Empire who aspires to become a doctor. He endures countless life-threatening incidents while witnessing the tragic, brutal and unnecessary deaths of family and friends, and the almost certain demise of a culture. The more than 120 people attending the program to honor the 100th anniversary of Armenia’s independence shared a common, unfortunate bond. The Armenian Genocide became the benchmark of Nazi Germany’s targeting of Jews and vulnerable people in Europe, which resulted in the Holocaust. Hitler’s government observed that world response to the Armenian atrocity was of little consequence. Thus, he believed his fascist government
could move forward with its mission to extinguish a whole group of people. The killings and displacement of ancestors, family and friends in the Armenian Genocide and the Holocaust were for no reasons other than hate, bigotry and personal gain. It was therefore not surprising to witness the emotional, unsettling reaction of the audience at the movie’s conclusion. There was a shared pain and understanding for what both communities suffered. The SBHEC and The Genocide Education Committee work with the R.I. Department of Education, schools and libraries on programs about genocide that bring people together to learn more about these atrocities. I, for one, knew almost nothing
about the Armenian Genocide when I began advocating for the Holocaust and other genocides to be part of public-school curricula. The importance of study on this issue is further amplified by countries, such as ours, that still have not formally recognized the Armenian atrocity over 100 years later. Venues like the Dwares Jewish Community Center, classrooms and libraries are ideal spaces for communities to learn more about genocides past and present. Through education, we become aware of what happened on Cambodian and African soil, as well as what is going on in the Middle East and Myanmar (Burma) today. Through community discussions about the Holocaust and other genocides we can more
fully appreciate the need to eradicate hate, bigotry and bullying in schools – in our state, country and worldwide. The mantra of “Never Again” is linked to Holocaust commemoration: Never Again shall mankind experience such barbarism. No more genocide, anywhere. While the words have deep meaning, only through study and education and programs like “The Promise” screening can we really ever broadcast the seeds to make Never Again come true. MARTY COOPER is the chairman of the Rhode Island Holocaust and Genocide Education Committee, which promotes the study of the Holocaust and genocides in schools and the general community.
Neo-Nazis bring their hate to Providence BY ADAM CABLE On Oct. 6, while our congregations gathered to read the first portion in the Torah, neo-Nazis and their allies came to downtown Providence for a rally. Under the guise of “Resist Marxism” and “Defending Free Speech,” known hate groups – The Proud Boys, American Guard, and others – came to the State House, looking for a fight, for at least the second time this year. Several leaders came from out of state, having been invited to our community specifically because of their propensity for violence. Others were local. If you are not familiar with these groups, or their tactics, look to trusted organizations like the Anti-Defamation League or the Southern Poverty Law Center, which have extensively covered these groups and their connections to Nazi and anti-Semitic ideology. Members at the rally on that Saturday had hate symbols tattooed on their bodies, such as the “wolfsangel,” used as a battle insig-
nia by several SS divisions. How did we let this happen? How did we not hear about and organize against this? How has this become our new normal? A group of counter-protestors – myself included – stood up to the haters. The organizers of the counter protest had street medics on hand to care for the injured. They also kept us from being “kettled,” or surrounded by riot police and arrested en masse. Many covered their faces to protect themselves from “doxing,” or having their names and addresses revealed by hate groups online and used to commit violence or intimidation in person. Let there be absolutely no confusion: the violence at the rally was started by the hate groups and caught on camera. Many in the hate groups arrived in helmets and body armor, prepared to fight. The police stood less than 5 feet away and did not immediately intervene to stop the fighting. When they finally broke up the melees, police stood facing the counter-pro-
testors, their backs to the hate groups. Eventually, more than three dozen riot police were used to force counter-protestors off the State House lawn, while the hate group members stood nearby, continuing to antagonize. One of the out-of-state agitators bragged, on camera, about having beaten several women during the fracas. I am angry at the hate groups, at the police, at the politicians and officials who give them their orders, and at the media sources who badly misrepresent the true nature and implications of the event. I am also upset that our Jewish community was not ready. I challenge my fellow Jews with these two questions: 1: We often claim the Holocaust, or anti-Semitism, when these issues might be politically expedient. Even centrist criticism of Israeli government policy is routinely excoriated as anti-Semitic at worst, and disloyal at best. A recent rally protesting family separation policies was forced to move away
from the Holocaust memorial downtown after members of our community complained. What use are these claims of past oppression if we allow neo-Nazis and their allies to rally in our streets – less than a mile from the Holocaust memorial – unchallenged by our Jewish institutions, protected, with force, by our government, and normalized by media outlets? 2: We have tremendous political power, as a reliable, mostly Democratic voting bloc in statewide and Providence municipal politics. We utilize this proximal relationship to power when it suits us, such as the welcome addition of Holocaust and genocide education to Rhode Island’s school curricula. We use it to secure the (likely necessary) presence of police to protect our events. What use is this power if it is not used to stand up against granting permits to neo-Nazi groups to stage violent rallies? What are these relationships worth if militarized police force is used to repress counter-protests?
The art of listening and speaking At a time when the principles of civil discourse and open-mindedness, compromise and mutual respect are being greatly challenged, let’s focus on listening and speaking. At Aish.com, PATRICIA Rabbi BenjaRASKIN min Rapaport writes, in “4 Steps to Great Listening,” “The Zohar, the primary source of Kabbalah, taught long ago the true secret of connection: great listening. “The Zohar reveals that lis-
tening and unity are intimately related. Let’s consider the faculty of hearing. Every word that is spoken is heard one by one. It is only in the mind of the listener that the words come together and combine into a meaningful whole. This physical reality reflects a spiritual truth: It is through really listening that discrete, separate entities come together and form a greater whole. How we hear determines the quality of our relationships.” There is a big difference between listening and hearing in quality and quantity. When we hear, we hear words. When we are not paying attention, we
hear sound. If we look attentive, we can often get away with not listening, but listening gives us and the person we are talking to something far greater. When we listen, we listen for tone and inflection, and we see expression. We pick up feelings and intent, especially if we listen well. Listening is an art and a great skill. If we learn to listen well, we can get to the heart of the matter. The words we use also count. The well-known phrase “Treat others as you want to be treated” applies to all situations in business and in our personal lives. Here are some tips to know
when to be silent and when to speak • Talk when you have something to offer that the other person wants to hear. • Listen when someone has something to tell you and needs to talk. • Talk when you need to express yourself and the time is right. • Listen first in a new situation. Assess the environment and speak when you can contribute to the topic. • When calling, ask the person if this is a good time to talk. I have learned that people tend to listen when the spoken words have meaning for them,
Let us not focus on the past without using it to help us understand the present. Let us not allow fear of the future to make us unable to see what is happening now, down the street. Let us not be confused about who our real enemies are, and what they believe. We must demand more from our institutions, both Jewish and governmental. There can be no platform for neo-Nazis or their apologists, no support for politicians or government agencies who enable them with permits and protection, and no acceptance of media coverage that normalizes their views. Hate should not be welcome in our state. ADAM CABLE, LICSW is a (almost) lifelong Rhode Island resident. He is a clinical social worker and a member of the board of directors of the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island. The views stated in this article are the writer’s and do no represent the views of the Jewish Alliance or The Jewish Voice.
and shut down when others talk too much, too fast, are repetitious and say things that are not of interest. Listening well is how we learn what to say and how to say it. Silence is golden and so is speech, especially when it’s balanced and meets the needs of both the giver and the receiver. PATRICIA RASKIN, is president of Raskin Resources Productions Inc., is an award-winning radio producer and Rhode Island business owner. She is the host of “The Patricia Raskin” show, a radio and podcast coach, and a board member of Temple Emanu-El, in Providence.
10 | October 26, 2018
Ongoing Alliance Kosher Senior Café. Kosher lunch and program every weekday. Dwares JCC, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence. Noon lunch; 1 p.m. program. $3 lunch donation from individuals 60+ or under 60 with disabilities. Information or to RSVP, Neal or Elaine, 401-4214111, ext. 107. West Bay Kosher Senior Café. Kosher lunch and program every Friday. Temple Sinai, 30 Hagen Ave., Cranston. 11:15 a.m. program; noon lunch. $3 lunch donation from individuals 60+ or under 60 with disabilities. Information or to RSVP, Steve, 401-743-0009. Duplicate Bridge. Dwares JCC, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence. Mondays noon-2 p.m.: 0-20 masterpoint game. For less-experienced players. $5 per day. Mondays and Wednesdays noon-3 p.m.: Open stratified game for experienced players at all levels. $7 per day. Tuesdays and Fridays 11 a.m.-2 p.m.: Open stratified game for players at all levels. $7 per day. Thursdays 1:30-3:30 p.m.: Guided play. Beginners and those seeking to hone skills play under the guidance of nationally known instructor Bart Buffington. $6 per day. Information, Bart Buffington at abarton295@ aol.com or 401-390-9244. Game Night: Mah Jongg and Canasta. 6-9 p.m. every Wednesday. Temple Torat Yisrael, 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich. Lessons available for Mah Jongg. Open to all. Free. Information, stephanie@toratyisrael.org or 401885-6600. “Bridging the Gap” with Rabbi Raphie. 8-8:45 p.m. every Wednesday. Kollel Center for Jewish Studies, 450 Elmgrove Ave., Providence. Explore the development and refinement of our personalities through the eyes of the Mussar movement. Text is “Bridging the Gap.” Free. Information, rabbiraphie@ gmail.com or 401-383-2786. Introduction to Judaism. 7-9 p.m. Temple Beth-El, 70 Orchard Ave., Providence. Thursdays through 2/28/19. The Reform temples of RI (Temple Beth-El, Temple Habonim and Temple Sinai) present an introduction to Judaism. Learn the fundamentals of Jewish thought and practice in 18 weeks through a mix of study and discussion. Perfect for interfaith couples, non-Jews considering conversion and Jews looking for an adult-level introduction. Faculty includes Rabbis Jeffrey Goldwasser, Howard Voss-Altman, Andrew Klein and Sarah Mack, and Cantor Judith Seplowin. Cost: $160 per person | $225 per couple (includes all materials and Joint Shabbat dinner on 3/1/19 at Temple Habonim in Barrington). Information, Judith Gilson at Jgilson@Temple-Beth-El.org or 401331-6070, ext. 113. “The Tanakh: New Perspectives.” 7-9:30 p.m. Thursdays through 12/20. Temple Emanu-El, 99 Taft Ave., Providence. A Delve Deeper course taught by Michael Satlow, professor of Religious and Jewish Studies at Brown University. Explore various approaches to the Tanakh, highlighting the diverse ways in which this pivotal text has been, and continues to be, read throughout history. Cost: $200 (scholarships are available). Register at teprov.org/institute/delvedeeper or 401-331-1616. Children’s Shabbat Programs and Kiddush. 10-11:30 a.m. every Shabbat morning. Congregation Beth Sholom,
CALENDAR 275 Camp St., Providence. Fun, educational programs, grouped by age and led by qualified teens, for ages 2 to 12 years. Kids Kiddush follows. Free. Information, office@bethsholom-ri.org.
Friday | October 26 Shabbat Hallelu. 7 p.m. Temple Beth-El, 70 Orchard Ave., Providence. Information, Temple Beth-El office at 401-3316070. Kabbalat Shabbat Service. 7:30-9 p.m. Temple Torat Yisrael, 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich. Service followed by Oneg. Information, stephanie@toratyisrael.org or 401-885-6600.
Saturday | October 27 Shabbat School. 9 a.m.-noon. Temple Torat Yisrael, 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich. 9 a.m. Torah discussion with 6/7 graders and congregants, and 9:45 a.m. service followed by a light Kiddush. Information, stephanie@ toratyisrael.org or 401-885-6600.
Sunday | October 28 JCDSRI and Teva PVD Nature Learning. 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Richmond, RI. Guided by JCDSRI educators and Teva/Hazon educators. Three day-long events (10/28/18, 1/27/19 and 3/24/19) and an overnight (5/31/19 through 06/2/19). For students in grades 6 or 7. Cost: $300 for all 4 events. Contact Tiferet Rose at trose@jcdsri.com or 401-7512470 for more information including specific arrival and transportation questions. Mah Jongg and Mimosas. 11 a.m.2:30 p.m. Tamarisk Assisted Living Residence, 3 Shalom Drive, Warwick. The Friends of Jewish Seniors host brunch, silent auction and games in the sunroom. Funds raised support the work of volunteers to visit and distribute culturally significant gifts to Jewish seniors in local nursing homes. All welcome. Information, Roberta Schneider at ljs3@cox.net or 401-369-0045. World Series of Soup, Salad or Sandwich Favorites. 12:30-2 p.m. Temple Beth-El, 70 Orchard Ave., Providence. Information, Temple Beth-El office at 401-331-6070. Alliance 2019 Annual Campaign Event: An Evening with Mohammed Al Samawi. 7 p.m. Dwares JCC, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence. Mohammed Al Samawi is the author of “The Fox Hunt: A Refugee’s Memoir of Coming to America,” which tells his story of warfare, unlikely friendship and harrowing escape from Yemen’s brutal civil war with the help of a plan engineered on social media by a small group of interfaith activists in the West. Dessert reception follows the program. Dietary laws observed. Free with a donation of any amount to the 2019 Annual Campaign. Co-chaired by Marisa Garber and Dan Gamm. Information or to RSVP, Michele Gallagher at mgallagher@ jewishallianceri.org or 401-421-4111, ext. 165.
Monday | October 29 Monday Night Meditation. 8-8:45 p.m. Congregation Beth Sholom, 275 Camp St., Providence. Practice a variety of ancient and modern Jewish spiritual meditation techniques. Led by Rabbi Barry Dolinger. Free. Fall dates: 11/5, 11/19 and 11/26. Advance registration required. Information or to register, rabbi@bethsholom-ri.org.
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Tuesday | October 30 Understanding the Friday Night Service. 10-11:30 a.m. Temple Sinai, 30 Hagen Ave., Cranston. Rabbi Jeffrey Goldwasser reviews the liturgy of the Friday night service in English translation for a deeper understanding and appreciation. No Hebrew required. Also meets 11/6. Information, Dottie at dottie@templesinairi.org or 401-942-8350. Merciful Conversations on Race. 7-9:30 p.m. Temple Emanu-El and the Rhode Island State Council of Churches-sponsored series of conversations on the dynamics of race in culture. Explore how white privilege functions in society and in religious communities and how it negatively impacts people of color. The course seeks to create a positive and trusting space to explore why race conversations can be a struggle, provides help for overcoming this challenge, and suggests opportunities to further racial reconciliation on both personal and systemic levels. Tuesdays through 11/13. Optional dinner served at 6:30 p.m. Course cost: $36/person. Optional dinner cost: $8/per person. Register in advance at teprov.org/form/ConversationsOnRace or call the Temple Office at 401-331-1617. Tuesday Night Talmud. 8-8:45 p.m. Congregation Beth Sholom, 275 Camp St., Providence. Study the fourth chapter of Mesechat Berachot, The Timing of Prayer, with Rabbi Barry Dolinger. Focus is on the story of Rabbi Gamliel and the academy at Yavneh. All backgrounds and levels welcome. Also meets on 11/6 and 11/13. Information, rabbi@bethsholom-ri.org.
Wednesday | October 31 PJ Library Story Time. 10-11 a.m. Dwares JCC, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence. Stories and songs to help children ages 5 and younger learn about and share different values and customs. Read the PJ Library book “Something from Nothing” and then find creative new uses for an array of recycled materials and fabrics. All are welcome. Information or to RSVP, Lyndsey Ursillo at lursillo@jewishallianceri. org or 401-421-4111, ext. 141.
Friday | November 2 Shabbat Chai. 6-7 p.m. Temple Emanu-El, 99 Taft Ave., Providence. A spirited service with congregational singing. Led by Cantor Brian Mayer and the Shabbat Chai Band. The melodies are a mix of contemporary and traditional styles. The Rabbi gives a brief d’var Torah between Kabbalat Shabbat and Ma’ariv. Services are followed by a Shabbat dinner at no cost to those who attend the service. (Optional donation.) Everyone welcome. Information, Cantor Brian Mayer at bjmayer@teprov.org or 401-331-1616. Family Shabbat Dinner and Worship Services. 6-8 p.m. Temple Beth-El, 70 Orchard Ave., Providence. Led by sixthgrade students. Dinner: vegetarian lasagna, pasta and salad. Cost: Adults $15 | Children $8 | Family max. $50. Information, Temple Beth-El office at 401-331-6070.
Saturday | November 3 Temple Sinai’s 60th Anniversary Gala. 6:30-10 p.m. Crowne Plaza, 801 Greenwich Ave., Warwick. Cocktail hour followed by a sumptuous meal with entertainment provided by the
Mohammed Al Samawi guest speaker at the Alliance’s 2019 Annual Campaign Event on October 28. Nightlife Orchestra. There will be a short program honoring the distinguished founding families and longtime members. Cost: $75 per person. Information, Dottie at dottie@templesinairi. org or 401-942-8350.
Sunday | November 4 Buy and Brew. 9:30-11 a.m. Temple Torat Yisrael, 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich. Start your holiday shopping. Information, stephanie@toratyisrael.org or 401-885-6600. The Tichyeh Shochet Memorial Conference for Women: “Living Life to the Fullest.” 9:45 a.m.-2 p.m. A day of inspiration for women of the Jewish community with guest lecturer Batya Feigenbau. Sponsored by the Providence Community Kollel. Information, Naftali Karp at naftalikarp@gmail.com or 401-632-3165. Creative Hands Art Sale. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Temple Emanu-El, 99 Taft Ave., Providence. Features a wide variety of works by local artists and craftspeople, including wood, textiles, jewelry, photography, glass, paper art and more. Information, Temple office at 401-331-1617. Rhode Island Jewish Historical Association Annual Fall Meeting: “Faith, Family and Freedom: Early America through the Eyes of Two Jewish Women.” 2-4 p.m. Dwares JCC, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence. A lecture by Keith W. Stokes, 1696 Heritage Group. Free. Open to the public. No RSVP necessary. Information, Kate-Lynne Laroche at office@rijha.org.
Monday | November 5 Monday Night Meditation. 8-8:45 p.m. Congregation Beth Sholom, 275 Camp St., Providence. Practice a variety of ancient and modern Jewish spiritual meditation techniques. Led by Rabbi Barry Dolinger. Free. Also meets 11/19 and 11/26. Advance registration required. Information or to register, rabbi@bethsholom-ri.org.
Tuesday | November 6 Understanding the Friday Night Service. 10-11:30 a.m. Temple Sinai, 30 Hagen Ave., Cranston. Rabbi Jeffrey Goldwasser reviews the liturgy of the Friday night service in English translation for a deeper understanding and apprecia-
tion. No Hebrew required. Information, Dottie at dottie@templesinairi.org or 401-942-8350. Merciful Conversations on Race. 7-9:30 p.m. Temple Emanu-El and the Rhode Island State Council of Churches-sponsored series of conversations on the dynamics of race in our culture. Explore how white privilege functions in society and in religious communities and how it negatively impacts people of color. The course seeks to create a positive and trusting space to explore why race conversations can be a struggle, provides help for overcoming this challenge, and suggests opportunities to further racial reconciliation on both personal and systemic levels. Meets 11/13. Optional dinner served at 6:30 p.m. Course cost: $36/person. Optional dinner cost: $8/per person. Register in advance at teprov.org/form/ConversationsOnRace or call the Temple Office at 401-331-1617. Tuesday Night Talmud. 8-8:45 p.m. Congregation Beth Sholom, 275 Camp St., Providence. Study the fourth chapter of Mesechat Berachot, The Timing of Prayer, with Rabbi Barry Dolinger. Focus is on the story of Rabbi Gamliel and the academy at Yavneh. All backgrounds and levels welcome. Free. Also meets 11/13. Information, rabbi@ bethsholom-ri.org.
Wednesday | November 7 Alzheimer’s Disease from “A to Z.” 8:3011:30 a.m. Dwares JCC, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence. 8:30 a.m. Registration and breakfast. 9:30 a.m. Workshop. Learn all about Alzheimer’s disease, from signs and symptoms of the disease to improving communication, care options and available resources. Memory screenings available. Sponsored by the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America. Free. Information, Sandy Silverstein at ssilverstein@alzfdn.org or 866-232-8484. Cranston Senior Guild November Meeting. 1-3 p.m. Tamarisk, 3 Shalom Drive, Warwick. J. Ferguson aka BIG J. SLICK entertains with music and songs. Following the entertainment, there will be a short meeting, refreshments and a raffle. Information, Lois Cohen at 401-944-2761.
COMMUNITY
jvhri.org
October 26, 2018 |
11
RIJHA meeting features guest speaker Keith Stokes
At the unveiling of the new Hanukkah stamp in Newport (left to right): David D. Mastroianni, Jr., Postal Service Connecticut Valley district manager served as the master of ceremonies; Tamar Fishman created the original art for the stamp; Postal Service Judicial Officer Gary Shapiro gave the address; Elhanan Shapira, Israel Post Philatelic Service director represented the Israeli government; Ethel Kessler, stamp designer and Bea Ross, chair of the Touro Synagogue Foundation. FROM PAGE 1
| STAMP
Bea Schlessinger Ross, a longtime director of the synagogue, welcomed everyone, and a couple of members added to the official program by leading an impromptu Shehecheyanu, a blessing recited when doing something for the first time. Ethel Kessler designed the American stamp. The Israeli stamp, while sharing the same papercut, has an additional tab at the bottom. No picture of it was available at the ceremony. This new stamp, though one of several that the U.S. Postal Service has produced to celebrate Hanukkah, is only the second to be issued jointly with
Israel. Touro Synagogue itself was depicted on an American stamp in 1982. The U.S. Postal Service had a pop-up stamp store at the event. Stamp collectors purchased sheets of stamps and First Day Covers, which have cancellation marks indicating that they were used on the first day of issue. Walter Horowitz, a resident of South County, created his own cachet (printed design) for envelopes to which the new stamp was affixed for the firstday cancellation. This combination of envelope, new stamp and first-day cancellation is known as a First Day Cover.
The artist and stamp designer were both in attendance and were kept busy signing the First Day Covers and the ceremony programs. Customers can purchase the new Hanukkah stamp and other philatelic products through the Postal Store at usps.com/ shop, by calling 800-STAMP24 (800-782-6724), or at post offices nationwide. LARRY KATZ (lkatz @jewishallianceri.org) is the director of Jewish Life and Learning at the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island and a longtime stamp collector.
Keith Stokes will speak at the annual fall meeting of Rhode Island Jewish Historical Association Sunday Nov. 4 2-4 p.m. in the Baxt Social Hall at the Alliance’s Dwares Jewish Community Center in Providence. The presentation, “Faith Family & Freedom: Early America Through the Eyes of Two Jewish Women,” will recount the lives of Catherine and Slowey Hays. The Newport-born sisters were first cousins to Judah Touro and the presentation will reconstruct their lives between 1775 and 1855 while they were living in Newport, Boston and Richmond, Virginia. Their stories are taken from original letters, diaries and wills. Featured are how they formed the earliest Hebrew Schools along with Rebecca Gratz in Philadelphia; challenged the slave system in the South and maintained their Jewish faith during a very difficult time for Jews and women in America. The presentation will also include information on family heirlooms from the era. Keith Stokes is a member of the Touro Synagogue Foundation Board and co-chair of the
Keith Stokes Education Committee. This event is open to the public, and free of charge. Please contact Kate-Lynne Laroche RIJHA director, with any questions at 401-331-1360 or info@ rijha.org. Submitted by the Rhode Island Jewish Historical Association
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12 | October 26, 2018
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The Jewish Voice
The power of ‘postmemory’ BY HILARY SALK This is the fourth article in a series leading up to the 80th anniversary of Kristallnacht. I had the good fortune to hear Marianne Hirsch speak last year at the Pembroke Center Archives Conference at Brown University. Her talk introduced me to the term “postmemory,” which she came to in the course of her academic work and personal experience as the child of Jewish survivors from Romania. Hirsch began to understand that children of survivors of catastrophic events, and those of us who identify closely with the memories of people who have experienced hatred, enslavement, torture and murder, can absorb these experiences with such immediacy that they seem as vivid as anything in their lives. At the same time, she is careful to say that these are not our experiences, but those of other people. Only after I met Hirsch did I see how my own writing reflected memories I’d heard from family and friends. I came to realize that I had incorporated into my novel, “Eavesdropping in Oberammergau,” my mother-in-law’s story of losing her mother, when she was 8 years old, in the 1918 influenza epidemic. I adapted her story into the fiction I was creating. I had not understood how much her story had become a part of my psyche.
Hilary Salk That is just one of the many insights that Hirsch helped me to uncover – how memory, postmemory, has worked into my creative life. In a way, I was trying to recover and honor something lost. To be able to identify, as I did in my novel, with characters who were made up or fictionalized, who had lived through the days that led to Kristallnacht and lived through the “Night of Broken Glass,” is to be awakened to the dangers of present-day hate speech. At the conference, I learned that Hirsch was part of our Providence community during her first years in this country. In preparation for this article, my fourth on the subject of Kristallnacht, I interviewed her to discover her memories as an immigrant child living in Providence. We are a small community, and people may re-
member her. Hirsch was born in Romania in 1949, to parents who had lived through the war years in Cernauti (formerly Czernowitz), now Chernivtsi, Ukraine. Secular Jews, her parents were fortunate to make it through the years of Romanian collaboration with Nazi Germany. Their stories of survival in the ghetto and wearing the yellow star are the vivid postmemories she retains, postmemories that were grounded by a trip she took there as an adult, along with her parents. This trip resulted in her book, co-authored with her historian husband Leo Spitzer, “Ghosts of Home: The Afterlife of Czernowitz in Jewish Memory.” After years of living in Communist Romania after the war, Hirsch’s parents were eager to emigrate to the West. They were able to obtain a visa for Vienna. From there, they hoped to join cousins in New York City, but they were unable to obtain that sponsorship. Instead, they received an affidavit through the help of the New York Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society and its connections to Jewish Family Service of Rhode Island. (Her description of how her parents had to take a magnifying glass to a U.S. map to find Rhode Island made me laugh.) Hirsch describes JFS’ assis-
tance as life-saving. Her family was set up with an apartment and furniture and given guidance about the Providence schools. Though she had just finished seventh grade in Vienna, her father felt she could skip eighth grade and go into ninth grade. They were told that Classical
High School offered a superior education, but the school felt that her English language skills were not up to the work, and recommended that she attend ninth grade at Nathan Bishop. By the 10th grade, Hirsch had proven herself, and she was accepted at Classical. She graduated in the Class of ’66. Hirsch lived at home while she attended Brown University, where she earned a B.A., an M.A. and Ph.D. She is now a professor of English and comparative literature at Columbia University and a professor in the Institute for Research on Women, Gender, and Sexuality. To read Hirsch’s work is to understand how her theory of postmemory evolved. She is
particularly sensitive to the way women were left out of so many stories about the Holocaust. She is also aware of how Holocaust stories are often seen as overshadowing the traumas experienced by so many others, including African-Americans, Cambodians, Armenians and Rwandans. Hirsch’s book, “The Generation of Postmemory: Writing and Visual Culture After the Holocaust” (Columbia University Press, 2012), offers an important reason to remember the past: “In attempting to look back to the past in order to move forward toward the future, [her book] asks how memory studies, and the work of postmemory, might constitute a platform of activist and interventionist cultural and political engagement, a form of repair and redress, inspired by feminism and other movements for social change.” Rhode Island has enacted legislation that requires public schools, for Grades 6-12, to educate students on the genocides of the past century, naming in particular the Holocaust and the Cambodian and Armenian genocides. This work will be challenging, but it is part of a reminder to all of us to stay committed to “never again.” I believe that remembering, whether from direct experience or through postmemory, is a powerful precursor to that very commitment: NEVER AGAIN. HILARY SALK is the author of “Eavesdropping in Oberammergau,” a novel that draws on her experiences as an American Jewish girl living with her parents in Germany three years after the Holocaust. Salk lives in Providence and Narragansett. Reach her at hilarysalk@hilarysalk.com.
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FOOD
jvhri.org
October 26, 2018 |
13
Savor the season with Libyan Jewish Pumpkin Spread Cershi Karaa
BY EMILY PASTER (The Nosher via JTA) – October is upon us. I know because my Instagram feed is full of decorative gourds and pumpkin spice lattes. But as much as Americans truly love pumpkin, we are sometimes guilty of typecasting this nutritious vegetable as sweet and forget that pumpkin has a savory side, too. Happily, Sephardic cuisine abounds with savory pumpkin dishes to remind us of this fall vegetable’s versatility. My favorite of these is chershi karaa, a tangy, spicy pumpkin spread created by Libyan Jews and now a favorite among Israelis. Chershi (sometimes spelled chirshi or tershi) are spicy, highly flavored condiments or dips that are typically served as part of mezze, the spread of hot and cold dishes that precede the main meal in the Middle East and North Africa. Pumpkin chershi is among the most famous. I first learned about pumpkin chershi when I attended an event hosted by the Israeli Consulate in Chicago. The event featured leading Israeli food personality Gil Hovav making some traditional Sephardic dishes from his childhood, one of which was pumpkin chershi. One taste of Hovav’s savory, spicy chershi, and I was hooked. As is often the case in Jewish cuisine, there are many ways to make pumpkin chershi. In his
Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 7 cloves garlic, minced 1 teaspoon cumin 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika Pinch red pepper flakes 2 cups pumpkin puree (canned or homemade) 3 tablespoons harissa 1 tablespoon honey Juice of one lemon
Directions
PHOTO | JTA, EMILY PASTER
Chershi karaa is a tangy, spicy pumpkin spread created by Libyan Jews and now a favorite among Israelis. dish, for example, Hovav mixes pumpkin with carrot and potato. Others use only pumpkin. But everyone seems to agree that chershi karaa should be spicy and tangy, with lots of garlic and lemon juice. One of the best things about pumpkin chershi is how easy it is to make. Using canned pumpkin puree, this recipe comes together in a few minutes. The only ingredient you might not have on hand is the harissa, but these days it’s easy to find at the grocery store. (Hovav argues that powdered caraway seed is essential to chershi, but I have seen plenty of recipes without it, and since few Americans have this spice in their pantries, I omitted it.)
My goal with this pumpkin chershi recipe was to create a nice balance of sweetness, heat and acid. I guarantee that it will change how you think about pumpkin.
BY FRAN OSTENDORF As the days get cooler and the fall harvest fills the markets, there’s plenty of reasons to think about comforting and warming recipes. Ever wonder what to do with those butternut squash you see in the grocery stores or at the farmers markets? Try them in this satisfying soup. It looks pretty on the table and tastes good too!
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Ingredients
Directions
EMILY PASTER writes the widely admired blog “West of the Loop,” primarily about food but with forays into parenting and family life. She is the co-founder of the Chicago Food Swap and is a national leader in the growing food swap movement (community get-togethers where handmade foods are bartered and exchanged). She is the author of the book “Food Swap.” (Storey 2016). The Nosher food blog offers new and classic Jewish recipes and food news, from Europe to Yemen, from challah to shakshuka and beyond. Check it out at TheNosher.com
110 Slades Ferry Avenue Somerset, MA 02726
Butternut Squash Soup
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place squash, cut side up, on a
Serves 6-8.
How best to eat it?
Chershi makes a fantastic dip alongside some warm pita with a dollop of cool yogurt on top. But don’t stop there. Chershi also works as a sandwich spread, and it has traditionally been eaten as a garnish for couscous. This fall, take a break from pumpkin bread and pumpkin spice lattes and make something new and especially Jewish with pumpkin. Note: The spread will keep in the refrigerator for a week.
Hearty soup tastes like autumn
4 medium butternut squash, halved and seeded 2 tablespoons butter 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 1/2 large white onions, thinly sliced 1 cooking apple, diced Pinch of nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon ginger 1 teaspoon curry powder (optional) 1 clove garlic, crushed 1 tablespoon light brown sugar 4 cups vegetable broth Kosher salt Black pepper to taste
Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic, cumin, paprika and red pepper flakes. Season with salt and stir to combine. Cook just until garlic begins to turn golden. Add pumpkin, harissa and honey; stir to combine. Cook gently, just until pumpkin is warmed through. Remove from heat and stir in
lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasoning. Dip should be tangy and spicy. Serve with Greek yogurt and warmed pita, or as a garnish for couscous.
baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, or until tender. When squash is cool enough to handle, peel with a knife and chop roughly. In a large pot over medium high heat, melt the butter with the olive oil. Add the sliced onions and sauté about 5 minutes. Add the diced apple, nutmeg, ginger, curry powder and garlic. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring often with a wooden spoon, until the onions become tender. Add the brown sugar and mix well. Let simmer for another 5
minutes. Add the vegetable broth to the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil, then add the butternut squash and mix. Continue cooking for an additional 10 minutes, stirring often. Purée soup with a hand blender until smooth, adding more broth as needed to achieve your desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper and bring back to a simmer. Serve hot. Recipe from Manischewitz.com.
14 | October 26, 2018
ELECTIONS
The Jewish Voice
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groups, the Jewish Democratic Council of America and the Republican Jewish Coalition, are seizing on the other party’s vulnerability and defending their own side. White nationalists “have a home in the Republican Party because our president has legitimized these movements,� Halie Soifer, the JDCA’s executive director, said in an interview. Matt Brooks, her RJC counterpart, referred to about a half-dozen Democratic nominees that his group has singled out for sharply criticizing Israel – in one case to say that it should not exist as a Jewish state. “It’s total hypocrisy of the Jewish Democrats to throw these grenades at us, yet not do anything and embrace some of the problematic elements in the Democratic Party,� he said. There is substance to the concerns expressed by both sides. Democrats continue to adamantly profess to be pro-Israel, but years of tensions between the Obama administration and the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have left many Democrats willing to openly criticize Israeli policies, and more. The party’s relief in having a surefire congressional nominee in Detroit like Rashida Tlaib , who says Israel should not exist as a Jewish state, would have been unthinkable a decade ago. On the Republican side, President Donald Trump has not rebuffed – and at times has seemed to welcome – the support of white nationalists. On Oct. 22, campaigning for incumbent Republican Sen. Ted Cruz in Texas, Trump denounced “globalists� who he said don’t care enough about the United States and called himself a “nationalist.� Neither term is necessarily anti-Semitic nor bigoted. But “globalists� is often a code on the far right for Jews, and white supremacists have adopted the “nationalist� label as their own. “For those of us who remember history, to hear an American president embrace and describe himself as a ‘nationalist’ is alarming, and it sends a shiver up our spine,� Abe Foxman, the former national director for the Anti-Defamation League, told Jewish Insider. Also increasingly popular on the right are attempts to link George Soros, the liberal philanthropist, to every GOP bogeyman, including opposition to the Supreme Court confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh and the caravan of migrants
heading from Central America toward the U.S. border, often with scant or no evidence. There are an array of major donors on the left, but it is Soros, who is Jewish, who is singled out most often, and sometimes with anti-Semitic undertones. A pro-Trump, far-right evangelical group that emerged during the 2016 election put out a video this week calling Soros “evil� for trying to “deChristianize a culture and a nation.� The DeSantis-Gillum exchange on Oct. 21 was emblematic of each side’s tactics and vulnerabilities. CNN debate moderator Jake Tapper asked DeSantis why the candidate had not returned a donation from a backer who used the N-word on Twitter to attack President Barack Obama, and why he urged voters not to “monkey this up� by voting for Gillum, who is black. DeSa nt i s answered the first question: The donor, Steven Alembik, had apologized. He did not answer the second question, i n s t e a d claiming a past in which he fought with and for blacks, first in the military and then as a prosecutor. Then  he pivoted to Gillum. “I look at what Andrew has done in terms of aligning himself with groups like the Dream Defenders, who one of their – he stood on the debate stage and said he stood with them and by them, but one of their main planks of their platform is to boycott, divest from and sanction the State of Israel,� he said. “I think he should disavow them because I can tell you this, if you want to unify Florida, taking positions about Israel like that, that may be unifying if you’re running for the mayor of the Gaza Strip.� Gillum has spoken of his support for Dream Defenders, a black activist group that backs education and prison reform, and also has endorsed the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement targeting Israel. Gillum pushed back – “my relationship with Israel is beyond reproach,� he said – and returned to the race issue. “The ‘monkey up’ comment said it all,� Gillum said. “And he has only continued, and the course of this campaign to draw all the attention he can to the color of my skin. And the truth is, you know what? I’m black. I’ve been black all my life. So far as I know I will die black.� In races across the country, alleged alignments with the extreme right or the anti-Israel
“ ‘Globalists’ is often a code on the far right for Jews, and white supremacists have adopted the ‘nationalist’ label as their own.�
jvhri.org left have become an issue: • In Southern California, Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, a Republican facing a tough race, has been criticized for endorsing for the Orange County school board a Republican who in the past has made anti-Semitic and racist comments on social media. • In Virginia’s 5th Congressional District, encompassing the city of Charlottesville and Virginia’s wine country, the state Republican Party has called Democrat Leslie Cockburn “anti-Semitic” for a 1991 book she co-wrote that questioned the U.S.-Israel relationship. Cockburn, in turn, has sought to attach the name of her opponent, Denver Riggleman, to the Republican nominee for U.S. senator, Corey Stewart, who has associated with white nationalists, including a leader of the deadly August 2017 neo-Nazi march in Charlottesville. (Riggleman has denounced the marchers.) • In New York’s 19th Congressional District, an upstate region encompassing the Catskills and the Hudson Valley, embattled Republican incumbent John Faso in a debate this week rapped his opponent, Antonio Delgado, for suggesting that as long as Israel maintains control of the West Bank Palestinian population, it is not a “Jewish democracy.” (“I am committed to a two-state solution – a Jewish state of Israel and a sovereign Palestinian
ELECTIONS
October 26, 2018 |
15
“Part of the mission of Jewish partisan groups is to explain to the national party why it opposes a trend or an individual.”
state – because it is the only way for Israel to fulfill its own aspirations to remain a Jewish democracy for future generations,” Delgado told Jewish Insider in response.) • In Iowa, Rep. Steve King, a safe Republican incumbent, endorsed for Toronto mayor a white nationalist candidate, Faith Goldy, who has associated with neo-Nazi websites and referred to the “Jewish question,” commonplace anti-Semitic parlance. • In Minneapolis, Ilhan Omar,
the surefire Democratic nominee for the U.S. House of Representatives, has called Israel an “apartheid regime.” • In Texas, Cruz, in a surprisingly tight re-election bid, has attacked his Democratic opponent, Rep. Beto O’Rourke, for accepting the endorsement of J Street, the liberal Jewish Middle East policy group, and once voting against emergency funding for Israel’s Iron Dome anti-missile system. (O’Rourke has said he objected on procedural grounds.)
Reelect Democrat Dan McKee for Lieutenant Governor
The Jewish partisan groups have made clear where they stand on at least some of its bad actors: Brooks has said that the Republican Jewish Coalition will have nothing to do with Virginia’s Stewart or Iowa’s King, and Soifer’s Democratic group has similarly spoken out against the Israel views of Tlaib and Omar. Part of the mission of Jewish partisan groups is to explain to the national party why it opposes a trend or an individual. Both Brooks and Soifer said they are
doing just that, but that they did not expect the national party to shut out actors like Omar, Tlaib, King or Stewart. “It’s important, as we do within the Republican sphere, that we stand up and make clear what the boundaries are in terms of the statements that some of these candidates are making,” Brooks said. “It’s easy for us who have a clear set of values to say ‘this guy’s views do not align with where we are.’ It’s harder for the party, which has a broader, bigger tent.” Soifer said it was important to distinguish between foreign policy positions, however outlandish, and bigotry. “To have an issue on a specific foreign policy issue is very different than associating oneself with a movement of neo-Nazis, anti-Semites and Holocaust deniers,” she said.
Rarely has Rhode Island seen a Lieutenant Governor accomplish so much for our state. Dan McKee’s “can do” approach and years of executive experience have allowed him to deliver real results in his first term. • Dan stood up to National Grid and fought to ensure the company’s multi-million-dollar tax cut was passed on to hardworking Rhode Islanders. • Dan organized a coalition of local communities to sue Big Pharma and hold them accountable for fueling the opioid epidemic. • Dan led the charge to create a new State Plan on Alzheimer’s that will increase supports and services for families struggling with the disease. • Dan has been an effective voice for our state’s small businesses, working to eliminate burdensome regulations and fees. On November 6th, vote for honest, effective leadership for Rhode Island. Vote for Dan Mckee, Democrat for Lieutenant Governor.
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16 | October 26, 2018
ELECTIONS
The Jewish Voice
Get out and vote! BY FRAN OSTENDORF Voting is an important obligation for every citizen of the United States. If you are registered to vote, you should get out and vote on Nov. 6. In most Rhode Island cities and towns, the polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. The Jewish Voice wondered how the candidates for office in R.I. might answer the following question: What do you see as the greatest challenge facing our state, and how are you positioned to
address it? We reached out to candidates for contested statewide races as well as the race for mayor of Providence. What follows are the responses we received. Some have been slightly edited for space. Several candidates chose not to participate or did not respond. We hope you will find this information helpful as you decide how to vote. There are other ways to educate yourself on the candidates and the three statewide
ballot questions as well as numerous local issues on the ballot. You can find the information you need on the Secretary of State’s website: vote.sos. ri.gov. Scroll down the page to find ballot questions, candidate’s lists and information about polling places and hours. Again, this year, poll workers will ask each voter to show a current, valid photo ID. This includes a driver’s license, passport or a R.I. voter ID card.
As part of a 501(c)(3), The Jewish Voice does not endorse any candidate. We also do not endorse any statewide issue. We provide you with information to make your own decisions. Please take the time to educate yourself on the candidates and the issues and go to the polls on Election Day. FRAN OSTENDORF (fostendorf@jewishallianceri.org) is the editor of The Jewish Voice.
What do you see as the greatest challenge facing our state and how are you positioned to address it?
What do you see as the greatest challenge facing our state and how are you positioned to address it?
Gina Raimondo – (D) Governor
Allan Fung – (R) Governor
I
t’s been an honor of a lifetime to be your Governor, and I’ve worked hard every day over the last four years to bring change to Rhode Island. When I first took office in 2015, Rhode Island was in need of new leadership. We had the highest unemployment rate in the country. Our bridges and schools were crumbling. People had been out of work for a long time and were losing confidence in our economy and in our state. So, we got to work. We changed the way we approached economic development, job training and infrastructure – and we’re seeing results. Today, our unemployment rate is the lowest it’s been since I was still in high school. There’s more roadwork happening than at any time in my lifetime. New job training and apprenticeship programs have trained thousands of Rhode Islanders and have placed them into goodpaying jobs. We’ve made it a priority to make sure everyone has a shot to compete in today’s economy. I will continue that fight in my second term. There’s a lot at stake in this election. My opponents oppose the changes we’ve been making and will undo a lot of what’s been working. They’ll take us back to the old way of doing things, and Rhode Islanders will lose jobs and get hurt. What’s more – Allan Fung and Joe Trillo won’t stand up to President Trump. When the President tries to hurt Rhode Islanders or take away health coverage, I won’t stay silent. I’ll protect access to quality, affordable health care. My opponents won’t. We can’t let that happen. Change takes time. I am asking for a chance to finish the job we’ve started.
What do you see as the greatest challenge facing Providence and how are you positioned to address it? Jorge Elorza – (D) Mayor of Providence
I
believe the greatest challenge facing Providence is the city’s long-term finances, which is why I have proposed monetizing the water system. After a comprehensive analysis of the city, the number one recommendation given to me was the monetizing of our water. I have been working diligently throughout my last four years in office to ensure our finances are stable. However, more action must be taken. I have said many times that we cannot kick the can down the road and that we must take action. I believe my work throughout the last four years on this issue, along with my experience with accounting, make me uniquely qualified to work on this very important issue. My love for this city and my understanding of these issues motivate me every day to find the best solution for everyone.
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he number one problem facing our state and our country right now is that everyone is so polarized, we aren’t able to come together to solve our problems. In reality, there isn’t a Republican way or Democratic way of accomplishing simple tasks, you just need to get it done quickly and correctly. In Cranston, I became Mayor in 2009 as a Republican, while working with a completely Democratic council. I know how to work across party lines to help all citizens. We took a city in junk bond status and turned it into one of the Top 50 Cities in the United States. When I am elected Governor, I will not be a Republican or Democrat, I will be Governor for all of Rhode Island. In this inability to build bridges instead of barriers, we find that old prejudices can arise. I’ve also seen the ugly side of it. I know that the Jewish community feels it as well. In Cranston, we’ve had problems, with hateful anti-Semitic symbols spray painted on our beloved Cranston Stadium. But we didn’t let them win. The city removed them that morning and quickly brought the community together to stand up to this hateful act. What we need more than ever is a leader who transcends the noise, prioritizes what Rhode Island residents really need, and gets the financial resources to get it done. It is time Rhode Islanders have a strong leader at the helm whose priority is to help all citizens of this state, rich or poor. We need strong executive management and strict oversight to get everyone back on track. I’ve done it in Cranston, and I look forward to doing it in the state.
What do you see as the greatest challenge facing
Providence and how are you positioned to address it? Dianne “Dee Dee” Witman – (I) Mayor of Providence
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ur city’s biggest struggle is the lack of proactive, independent leadership. This gap in effective leadership has led to the deterioration of our city infrastructure and services, and our residents deserve better. Our school buildings are crumbling and our classrooms are full of dangerous mold, impacting every student’s ability to learn. Their teachers are asking for repairs and a seat at the table to address their concerns. Instead, they’ve been working for almost two years without a contract. Our roads and sidewalks aren’t safe for pedestrians, bicycles, strollers or cars. Our police force is woefully understaffed. Snow isn’t being cleared from the streets in time for buses to get to school safely. Trash collectors aren’t held accountable for missed routes and piled up trash and our zoning laws aren’t being enforced. As an independent candidate with experience working with people of all backgrounds, I am uniquely qualified to work with the residents of our city to make Providence safe, clean and welcoming. I have served on numerous boards and city commissions, including the Providence Public Building Authority, so I have the institutional knowledge of what this city needs. My experience with nonprofits and fundraising has taught me how to bring stakeholders to the table and collaborate toward common solutions. I am ready to take on any challenge and bring positive change to our city. I love Providence, I raised my family here and I know we can do better.
jvhri.org
ELECTIONS | ISRAEL
October 26, 2018 |
17
What do you see as the greatest challenge facing our state and how are you positioned to address it?
What do you see as the greatest challenge facing our state and how are you positioned to address it?
Paul Pence – (R) Lieutenant Governor
Seth Magaziner – (D) General Treasurer
R
hode Islanders face crumbling schools that fail to educate our children, devastatingly-mismanaged health and human services that fail to protect our most vulnerable citizens, unsustainable taxation that cripples the state’s economy, burdensome regulation that drives out small businesses, and a neglected infrastructure that places us all in danger. These and so many other problems are due to failures of government. Our greatest challenge is our inept government. Trying to fix our inept government the same old way, by electing the same people with the same empty promises, only results in perpetuating the same old problems. Nothing gets fixed; we just reinforce the dysfunctional system of rewarding career politicians for chasing the news cycle, poking our emotional hot buttons, and acting like they have the monopoly on caring about us. Career politicians are conflicted between doing what is right for the people and keeping their jobs secure. Too often the citizens lose out. Party loyalty, money from groups with deep pockets and loud voices, and deal making often win over what is right. Chasing hot news items means deferring promises and ignoring the care and maintenance of basic systems, but it gives politicians what they want – re-election. I am not a career politician; when I am done helping restore some measure of accountability in Rhode Island government, I have a career to go back to. Like you I believe that Rhode Island deserves better than failing schools, crumbling infrastructure, and incompetence, so I stood up and said “Let me help.” I have the skills to help. As an engineer, I’ve made a career of looking at complex systems, understanding them, finding the root causes, and implementing permanent corrective actions. I fix things. I fix things so that they stay fixed. I fix problems with complex business and administrative systems by facilitating change, getting the best out of others, and helping them excel. The lieutenant governor’s office is the perfect match for my skills. With the position’s administrative freedom and access to the mechanisms of government, we can begin to address the failures of our inept government and build the expectation that politicians can be held accountable and government can work.
What do you see as the greatest challenge facing our state and how are you positioned to address it?
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Nellie Gorbea – (D) Secretary of State
he greatest challenge facing our state right now is pervasive cynicism and lack of faith in political structures and leaders at every level. I am concerned about our inability to address challenges through political discourse and compromise, leading to a breakdown in government at the national level and a growing sense of despair locally. Many of us have become skeptical about whether any government can deliver. This makes me more determined to show that, in Rhode Island, government is still “of the people, by the people and for the people”. I ran four years ago to make government work for people. During my first term as Secretary of State, we have shown Rhode Islanders that government can provide quality services that allow people to hold leaders accountable, securely participate in elections and help businesses prosper. Every day, the Department of State develops and uses technology to improve government and make it easier for Rhode Islanders to go about their lives. From making elections fair, fast, and accurate to strengthening lobbying oversight, and creating a streamlined rules and regulations portal for small businesses, the focus of my first term was bringing the Department of State into the 21st century. Furthermore, I set out to prove that we have the highly-skilled human resources in house to implement these changes rather than having private contractors hold our services hostage. Communication and compromise are key components of a successful government. Sometimes, the solutions can be simple and straightforward. Last year, it was brought to my attention that the primary election date would coincide with Rosh Hashanah. I resolved the conflict by moving the date of the primary elections. But when I’ve faced big issues – lobbying reform, buying new voting equipment, building a new code of regulations – I have always convened groups of people from different backgrounds and perspectives to tackle the issue and generate viable solutions. In my next term, I hope to help our small businesses grow through a more personalized service that leverages the agency’s new technology and renowned customer service to help them better navigate government, build a new permanent State Archives facility, and expand access to valuable data contained within our open government clearinghouse.
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hode Island is in the early innings of an economic comeback, but we still have more work to do to bring new jobs and expand economic opportunity in our state. As Treasurer, I am focused on using my office to contribute to Rhode Island’s economic recovery. Small businesses are the backbone of Rhode Island’s economy, and there are many talented entrepreneurs who have the desire to expand their businesses but have trouble getting access to capital. I have moved millions of dollars of the state’s cash back home to local banks and credit unions to support lending to small businesses, so they can grow and hire more people. These businesses – including hair salons, restaurants and even some small manufacturers – are putting Rhode Islander’s to work and revitalizing Main Streets across the state. Economic recovery doesn’t just mean helping businesses; it also means helping families become more financially secure. As Treasurer, I have modernized our unclaimed property program to reunite people with their missing money automatically, without any red tape or paperwork. Since we made these improvements, we have reunited more than 50,000 Rhode Islanders with their missing money. The average check size for money returned under this program has been $250 – that’s a big deal for a working family or a senior living on a fixed income. To ensure our public employees can retire with dignity, I implemented the Back to Basics investment strategy, which earned $1 billion for the pension fund last year. The pension system under our leadership has been recognized as a model for financial transparency. Over the past year I have also worked tirelessly to develop a plan to make a once-in-a-generation investment into repairing our public school buildings. Every child deserves to go to a school that is warm, safe, dry and equipped for 21st century learning. Improving our school buildings will allow for the expansion of early childhood classrooms, as well as career and technical education – getting students ready, from an early age, for jobs in today’s economy. Since my first day as Treasurer, I have used the office in innovative ways to promote economic growth. I am prepared to continue this effort should I be elected to a second term, because we cannot stop until the economic recovery reaches all Rhode Islanders.
Jewish-American baseball players become Israeli citizens to help Team Israel JTA – Ten Jewish-American baseball players will become dual Israeli citizens partly to help the country’s team make the 2020 Olympics. Some of the players, who visited Israel’s Interior Ministry recently to begin the process, also represented Israel in last year’s World Baseball Classic, where Team Israel shocked followers by reaching the quarterfinals. Jewish Baseball News first reported the development. While players in the World Baseball Classic only have to be eligible to be a citizen of the team’s country, players have to be actual citizens of the country they represent in the Olympics. They also must be citizens of that country for a year before they can start officially playing in pre-Olympic competition, which begins with the European Championship B Pool in the summer of 2019. The 10 players slated to make aliyah include five who played for Team Israel in the WBC: Corey Baker, a retired minor leaguer; Gabe Cramer, a minor leaguer in the Kansas City Royals system; Blake Gailen and Joey Wagman, who play in the Independent League; and Alex Katz, a Baltimore Orioles minor leaguer. The others are Eric Brodkowitz, a former college player; Jonathan de Marte, who plays in the Independent League; Jeremy Wolf, a retired minor league player; and Jon Moscot and Zack Weiss,
Major League Baseball free agents. Eight of the 10 players are pitchers. Peter Kurz, president of the Israeli Association of Baseball, has been contacting American Jewish players to gauge their interest in becoming Israeli citizens. Moscot, who has several relatives living in Israel, including an uncle and cousins, visited Israel ahead of the WBC and was impressed with baseball there. “I saw what [baseball] was doing for the youth in Israel, and essentially I wanted to be a bigger part of it,” Moscot, who pitched for the Cincinnati Reds in the 2015 and ’16 seasons, told Jewish Baseball News. “To be able to go back home to the roots of the religion and be a part of something bigger than myself in respect to baseball and the Jewish community – I thought that was a really cool opportunity.” Because of their ages, the baseball players will not have to serve in the Israeli army after making aliyah. Baseball will be featured at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo for the first time since the 2008 Summer Olympics. The tournament will consist of only six teams. The 10 players are scheduled to play with Israel Association of Baseball players in a game at the Baptist Village baseball field in Petach Tikvah.
18 | October 26, 2018
ELECTIONS
What do you see as the greatest challenge facing our state and how are you positioned to address it?
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Sheldon Whitehouse – (D) U.S. Senate
he most pressing issue facing Rhode Island is protecting the middle class from President Trump’s harmful agenda. I’m fighting to defend the Affordable Care Act, which has lowered health care costs for many Rhode Islanders and is constantly under threat from Republicans in Washington. I’m committed to moving toward universal health insurance as quickly as possible and lowering prescription drug prices so that all Rhode Islanders have the care they need at a price they can afford. The most significant piece of legislation Congress has passed to combat the opioid epidemic is my bipartisan Comprehensive Addiction Recovery Act. I’m advocating for measures to build on the programs that law put in place. It’s never been more important to work collaboratively with our allies. I’m the lead sponsor of bipartisan legislation to promote cybersecurity cooperation with Israel, and I’ve co-sponsored legislation to provide Israel with $38 billion of security assistance over the next decade. We need to fix the Republican-led tax law, which gave an enormous benefit to the ultra-wealthy and created a massive budget deficit. I’ve introduced legislation to restore fairness to the tax code by closing loopholes that give big corporations an unfair advantage over our small businesses. Republicans have stated their intention to use the deficit created by their tax cut as an excuse to trim the Medicare and Social Security benefits. I will do everything in my power to prevent cuts to those vital programs, which seniors have paid for over a lifetime of hard work. We need to keep growing the economy and creating good jobs through major infrastructure investments. I helped secure $1.3 billion over five years to rebuild our highways, and Senate Democrats have a $1 trillion plan ready to upgrade our national infrastructure. It’s urgent that we take action on climate change before rising seas change the map of Rhode Island and our coastal economy. I’m leading the charge in Washington to get ahead of what’s quickly becoming a major challenge for businesses and homeowners here. One important side of my job is to fight back when something is wrong for Rhode Island or wrong on principle. I am relentless at those times. It’s also important to work together where we can, and I’ve passed a flood of bipartisan legislation.
What do you see as the greatest challenge facing our state and how are you positioned to address it? Patrick Donovan – (R) 1st Congressional District, U.S. House of Representatives
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he looming disaster that is the runaway pricing of electricity will hit all fellow Rhodes Islanders. We’ve watched the Public Utilities Commission and our State House Representatives do nothing to answer the call of replacing electricity generated by carbon-based fuels. Wind and solar not getting it done! They are helping to drive the cost of electricity to the average resident here ever higher. Decisions that are not in the best interest of the rate payers have already been made. The question to me is what can be done to change the direction of a myriad of bad decisions? Cheap, available, renewable electricity is trapped in Canada. They have been trying to sell it to us for more than 10 years. New Hampshire already buys some from them. They are keeping it from us and our elected federal reps won’t put up the fight to get this for us. I will. This is a federal interstate issue. Our elected officials have proven they do not care enough about our struggling citizens and companies who have to pay ever higher prices. The offering price is 3 cents per kilowatt hour versus what we will soon pay –18 cents. 600% more!
The Jewish Voice
What do you see as the greatest challenge facing our state and how are you positioned to address it?
T
Robert Flanders – (R) Senate
he greatest challenge facing our state is the gridlock in Washington, D.C. Our all-Democrat delegation can’t get things done to help our state overcome its most challenging problems, including the opiod crisis and our lagging education system, particularly as regards our Latino children. Washington is broken and we desperately need a change. After 12 years of Senator Whitehouse’s adherence to global alarmism and hyper-partisanship, Rhode Island needs a proven problem solver as our next U.S. Senator. As the state appointed receiver for Central Falls, I worked with all stakeholders to rescue the city from insolvency, and I led them out of bankruptcy through adoption of a consensual balanced budget and a five-year recovery plan. The issues we face in this country, including fixing R.I.’s worst-inthe-nation roads and bridges, immigration reform, and enacting an affordable and accessible healthcare plan, can’t be tackled successfully unless we elect a problem-solver to the United States Senate who is ready to put country and state above party and work with all sides and the President to get the job done.
What do you see as the greatest challenge facing our state and how are you positioned to address it? David Cicilline – (D) 1st Congressional District, U.S. House of Representatives
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hode Islanders and Americans across the country are frustrated. They are sick and tired of feeling like government isn’t working for them. There is a growing inequality in our country as middle-class families are working harder than ever but still are unable to get ahead. They’ve seen their wages remain stagnant while their cost of living rises. This is the biggest challenge facing our state. Too many Rhode Islanders are struggling to make ends meet as the Trump administration and GOP push forward policies that hurt middle-class families. While middle-class families see their paycheck stay the same, they see the cost of their health care, prescription drugs, and education rise. And they witnessed the Republicans in Congress push through a tax scam that mostly benefited corporations and the richest Americans. This tax scam hurts the middle class and Republicans are now proposing cuts to important programs that Americans have earned, like Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, to pay for these tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans and the most profitable corporations. These are programs that Americans rely on to be able to afford their health care and retire with dignity. Middle-class Americans and hard-working families need someone in Washington who is looking out for them. So many people have been left disillusioned with our political system and so many have lost faith in our democracy. I’ve witnessed this frustration firsthand and I’ve seen the corrupting influence money has on our political system and how it has led so many in Washington to work on behalf of special interests and not for the people they represent. I’ll continue to be a champion for Democracy reforms and proposals to get money out of our political system. I have been fighting in Congress against the reckless policies of the Trump administration and Republicans in Congress, and I will continue to do so. I know what it takes to get the job done and I’m committed to continuing to fight in Washington for the people of Rhode Island. I and my fellow Democrats have a real plan to put Americans to work, raise wages, and secure a better future.
jvhri.org
COMMUNITY
October 26, 2018 |
19
Author Gerry Mc Donnell explores Irish Jewry in prose and poetry BY SHAI AFSAI In preparing for my recent visit to Ireland to learn about Jewish life there, I came across a March 2012 program produced by Dublin City University’s School of Communication and Inter Faith Center that featured Zalman Lent, rabbi of the Dublin Hebrew Congregation. Asked by one of his interviewers about places of Jewish significance in Ireland, Rabbi Lent highlighted Dublin’s synagogues and its Jewish museum, and then added that the city’s old Jewish cemetery in Ballybough was a noteworthy place to visit, too. “I think there’s actually a book of poems … I think it’s called “Elegy” – “Mud Island Elegy” – that was written about the graves in the Ballybough cemetery. That’s quite interesting,” Rabbi Lent said. Intrigued about this Irish poetry collection dealing with a Jewish cemetery, I searched online for the book and information about its author. Though out of print, I succeeded in procuring a copy of “Mud Island Elegy” (2001) once owned by the University College Dublin’s library. I also found that it was composed by Gerry Mc Donnell, a contemporary Irish poet and Dublin resident who subsequently wrote a number of other Jewish-related works, which were published by the Belfast-based Lapwing Publications. Now a retired civil servant, the 68-year-old Mc Donnell’s Lapwing oeuvre includes “Lost and Found” (2003), an extended poem about a homeless Jewish man living in Dublin’s Phoenix Park and intimated to perhaps be one of the 36 righteous ones who, in rabbinic lore, ensure the continued existence of the world; “James Joyce: Jewish Influences in Ulysses” (2004), a slender volume of poems and short essays revolving around Joyce’s choice to make Leopold Bloom, the main character in his immense stream-of-consciousness novel, ethnically Jewish; and “I Heard an Irish Jew” (2015), a collection of poems and prose with Jewish content. The final poem in that collection is “The Missing,” which references Irish mythology as part of a crushing critique of the way Irish bureaucracy prevented Jews from finding refuge outside Nazi-controlled Europe. In the introduction to “Mud Island Elegy,” Mc Donnell describes how he grew up in the part of Dublin once known as Mud Island, containing the Fairview and Ballybough neighborhoods, but only became aware of its Jewish cemetery as an adult. “On Fairview Strand, where at one time the sea lapped the
Gerry Mc Donnell in Dublin. shore, is a curious house with a more curious date over the door. As a child I wondered at this date which reads 5618. I wondered was it 1856 in reverse,” he recollects in the introduction. “The puzzle over that date, cut in stone, remained unsolved for me until recent times. I discovered that the house is the caretaker’s house for a Jewish cemetery which lies behind it.” Having ordered, received and read several of his books, I hoped I might be able to see Mc Donnell when I arrived in Ireland, but my initial emails to him were all returned undelivered. Eventually, with the help of Lapwing’s Dennis Greig – who shares Mc Donnell’s curiosity about the Jewish people – I was able to inform Mc Donnell of my desire to connect in Dublin and discuss his work. “I’ve received your correspondence from Lapwing Publications. I would like to meet you,” Mc Donnell informed me in an email. “I was thinking of the Westin Hotel on Westmoreland Street near Trinity College. I haven’t been in it recently but my memory of it is a spacious and quiet hotel. We should be able to find a suitable spot in which to talk.” On the agreed-upon day, I made my way to the Westin Hotel from Trinity College’s Manuscript and Archives Research Library, to which I’d been granted access in order to gather information on Theodore Lewis, the Dublin-born and Trinity College-educated rabbi who moved to Rhode Island and then served as spiritual leader of Newport’s Touro Synagogue for 36 years. After I located Mc Donnell, we found a quiet spot to sit, and ordered coffee and cookies. I’d asked him for a copy of one of
PHOTO | SHAI AFSAI
his works that I wasn’t able to purchase, “Martin Incidentally: A Novella” (2013), which concludes with a short story related to Ireland’s failure to aid Jews trying to flee the Nazis during World War II. Mc Donnell presented me with the novella, and also gave me a 2016 Romanian translation of his “I Heard an Irish Jew.” The Romanian book’s front cover displays a black and white photograph of one of Ireland’s most famous Jews, Yitzhak HaLevi Herzog, the Polish-born rabbi who lived in the Emerald Isle for 20 years, became chief rabbi of Ireland, was later appointed Ashkenazi chief rabbi of British Mandate Palestine, and then became the first Ashkenazi chief rabbi of Israel. The rabbi’s Belfast-born and Dublin-raised son, Chaim Herzog, was Israel’s sixth president; the rabbi’s grandson, Yitzhak “Bougie” Herzog, who was formerly chairman of Israel’s Labor party, still serves in the Knesset. I asked Mc Donnell about his literary interest in Irish Jews. “I don’t know why I was so interested in Jewry, except for that caretaker’s door we were fascinated by as kids,” he replied, referring to the Ballybough cemetery. “I bought a copy of Louis Hyman’s ‘Jews of Ireland: From Earliest Times to the Year 1910’ from the mother of a friend of mine. It had a registry of deaths, and my imagination just went wild with it.” Joyce’s decision to place an ethnic Jew at the center of “Ulysses” – in part because he wanted a character who was a foreigner, representing the unknown and arousing the contempt of his Dublin neighbors – influenced Mc Donnell as well.
“ ‘Ulysses’ and Bloom also played a role. I felt an outsider myself as a writer,” Mc Donnell explained. “I was interested in the Other – in the Jews. In Dublin, they were outsiders. If you wanted a subject to write about, what better one?” Mc Donnell has no regrets about the decades of labor he has so far poured into his craft. “It certainly was time well spent. It was certainly better than working in the civil service. I never considered that my career. I considered writing my career,” he said, adding, “I still feel like I’m outside the inner circle of core Irish writers. I’m not good at publicizing my work.” Perhaps his persistent self-identification as an outsider helps explain why he continues to be so drawn to Jewish characters. During our conversation, Mc Donnell disclosed a degree of uneasiness with being a non-Jewish writer of poems, stories and plays about Jews, as well as a recognition that he’s selected an obscure subject with a limited audience. “I’ve always felt a bit of an interloper when I was writing about Jewish stuff, not being part of the community, and yet I can’t really get away from it,” he said. “With the Jewish material, there are not going to be people queuing up at bookshops, and yet it’s what I’ve chosen to do. Or maybe the subject chose me?” SHAI AFSAI lives in Providence and is currently researching Irish Judaism. His full article on Gerry Mc Donnell, from which this one is drawn, will appear in the November issue of New English Review.
The Missing BY GERRY MC DONNELL The children of the tribe of Dan of the Tuatha De Dannan, Esther in the middle the twins David and Michael on either side and Daniel in front of her came to our door and we closed it on them. The birds stopped singing and never sang again. It’s five to five on a Friday close of business; stamp the permit for God’s sake! The children of the tribe of Dan of the Tuatha De Dannan of Le Marais in Paris went to school that morning kissed by their mothers. By lunch time they were gone in the thundering trucks Each child was chained to the other, Esther in the middle the twins David and Michael on either side and Daniel in front of her. When the silver chains were broken they became withered people. The birds stopped singing and never sang again. It’s five to five on a Friday close of business; stamp the permit for the children’s sake! The children of Abraham were buried standing; as were the children of Lir.
Lynch & Pine
At t o r n e ys at L aw
Lynch & Pine Lynch A t t o r n e y& s aPine t L aw Patrick C. Lynch
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Attorney General: 1993-1999
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20 | October 26, 2018
COMMUNITY`
The Jewish Voice
Cheryl Greenfeld Teverow and Mitzi Berkelhammer.
Rabbi Sarah Mack chats with some of the participants.
Rosh Hodesh program explores Hagar
BY SETH FINKLE
Hagar and Sarah were front and center, as women in the Jewish community gathered in the Baxt Social Hall at the Alliance’s Dwares Jewish Community Center on Oct. 23 for the fall Rosh Hodesh program. Rabbi Sarah Mack of Temple Beth-El in Providence facilitated a stimulating and educational discussion of “Hagar: The Perfect Stranger.” Attendees explored themes regarding the story of Abraham, Sarah and Hagar, including seeing, hearing and helping the less fortunate. The women in attendance shared their own thoughts on
how Hagar was able to speak directly to God and how that was unusual for women at that time. The women also explored the contentious relationship between Sarah and Hagar and how it may have impacted future generations. Rabbi Mack was welcomed by Rosh Hodesh committee member Cheryl Greenfeld Teverow, who spoke about the essential work of the Alliance and the impact made by every donation, regardless of the amount. Teverow read a personal letter from a parent of a new J-Camp camper expressing the impact the summer had on her daughter. “We really appreciate how you promote the sense of com-
munity among the campers. She’s become more outgoing and confident (and mischievous in an adorable way!!). We couldn’t have asked for a better summer for our daughter, and we’ll be signing her up at J-Camp for years to come,” wrote the parent. The Alliance hosts two Rosh Hodesh programs each year. The next program will be held on April 11, 2019. For more information, contact Robyn Goldstein at rgoldstein@ jewishallianceri.org or 401-4214111, ext. 182. SETH FINKLE is development manager at the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island.
ISRAEL CULTURE SERIES with special guest NADAV TAMIR
The Peres Legacy and Vision of Peace and Innovation: How Israel Became a Start-Up Nation and How it will Eventually Achieve Peace
Wednesday, November 14 | 7pm | Dwares JCC | 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence The Rhode Island-Israel Collaborative (RIIC), in partnership with the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island, is excited to welcome Nadav Tamir. Nadav Tamir is the director of international policy and government affairs at both the Peres Center for Peace and Innovation, and the Peres & Associates Global Advisory LTD. He served as the Senior Policy Adviser to the President of Israel Shimon Peres. Tamir served as the Consul General of Israel to New England and as political officer at the Israeli Embassy in Washington, DC. Tamir holds his MA in Public Administration from The John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard Universtiy.
This event is free of charge but reservations are required. To RSVP, please visit nadavtamir.eventbrite.com. For more information contact Nir Cafri at 401.421.4111 ext. 121 or ncafri@jewishallianceri.org.
Rabbi Sarah Mack.
jvhri.org
October 26, 2018 |
BUSINESS
Business and Professional Directory R E ROCHELLE ELLEN ZIEGLER REALTOR®
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22 | October 26, 2018
BUSINESS
The Jewish Voice
Great sadness comes to 56½ Goddard St. Join Hadassah RI for the 3rd year of our
CHAI
A Potluck Dairy Luncheon Sunday, November 11, 2018 at CHAI noon Wethersfield Commons Clubhouse 1 Williamsburg Drive, Warwick, RI This CHAI Luncheon is a wonderful opportunity to share with Annual and Life Members of our chapter! Why not invite your associates, children and grandchildren! We will be honoring all of our CHAI Society members! RSVP to chapri@hadassah.org or call 401-463-3636.
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My life began in the north end of Providence. My grandparents owned two three-family tenement houses, one behind the other. The address on the front house was 56 Goddard St. The address on the back house was 56½ G o d d a r d S t . MAY-RONNY On most of the street, there ZEIDMAN were front and back houses. In the front house, on the first floor, were the Rev. and Mrs. Pressman. On the second floor were my bubbe and zayde and my Aunt Esther. On the third floor was an Armenian family, with a daughter about my age. Her name was Veggie. In the back house, on the first floor, were my Aunt Frances and her husband Al, and their three children, Richard, Beverly and Marilyn. On second floor was the Berkowitz family: Ethel and Jack and their daughter Charlotte. We lived on the third floor: Lulu and Nate Sarenson, their children May-Ronny and Barry, and Lulu’s brother Abe Abrevaya. In the early days, there was some grass and a few trees on the side of the front house, and fences to keep children in the yard. My Aunt Esther was developmentally delayed. Esther was a fierce watchdog. She was told by my Aunt Frances and
my mother to watch the “babies,” and that is what she did. You could hardly move without Esther saying her version of no, no. And we listened. My cousin Beverly had kidney disease and was in a wheelchair. At that time, very little was known about kidney disease. I remember pushing the wheelchair that held the smiling girl. She was a few months older than I. Beverly died when she was 6 years old. We now live in a time when everyone has a telephone in his purse or pocket. But when I was 6, many people still did not have a phone in their home, and many more people had “party lines,” a line shared with other families. Each line had its own
special ring. Stories about party lines could fill a whole book. Well, my Aunt Frances did not have a phone, and when the call came from the hospital, my mother had to run down two flights of stairs to get my aunt. I remember standing in the living room when my aunt was told that Beverly had died. Way back in my memory I can see her sitting on the ottoman crying in deep pain. I didn’t really know what death was, but I saw that it made you really sad. I also knew that I was never going to see Beverly again. M AY- R O N N Y Z E I D M A N i s t he execut ive d i rec tor of the Sandra Bornstein Holocaust Education Center in Providence.
She’s a big girl
It was Fat Bear Week at Alaska’s Katmai National Park and Beadnose was the people’s choice for this year’s fattest bear competition, reports the Association of Mature American Citizens (AMAC). The park posted pictures of 12 bears to choose from on its website and, Beadnose, whose estimated weight was figured to be 409 pounds, took the honors. The park put it this way when describing why Beadnose was selected: “Her radiant rolls were deemed by the voting public to be this year’s most fabulous flab. Our chub-
Beadnose by champ has a few more weeks to chow down on lingering salmon carcasses before she heads up the mountains to dig herself a den and savor her victory.”
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jvhri.org SIMCHAS
WE ARE READ IN BERMUDA – Members of the Touro Fraternal Association cruised on the Norwegian Escape to Bermuda this past June in celebration of the Association’s Centennial year.
| WE ARE READ
October 26, 2018 |
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TOGETHER AGAIN – Once again, the Junior Debs (the South Providence Jewish girls’ group that started at Roger Williams Junior High School and continued when we moved on to Hope High School) met for our every-two-year reunion. This year all 10 of us turned a glorious 80 years young, and five of us were able to celebrate together for four days in Red Rock Canyon Park and Hoover Dam, outside of Las Vegas, Nevada. It was a wonderful reunion, and we look forward to our next one in Providence. Pictured are Naomi Wolk Goodell, Sondra (Soni) Smith Meyer, Harriet Diamond Adelberg, Marian Gilbert Knapp and Dorothy Eisenberg Carlin.
MAZAL TOV – On Sept. 15,
friends and family celebrated Sylvia Chase’s 80th birthday at Meritage in Warwick.
WE ARE READ IN CROATIA – The synagogue and museum in Dubrovnik, Croatia were a stop along the road for (left to right): Karen Borger, Anne and Charlie German and Mark Williams.
24 | October 26, 2018
OBITUARIES
Samuel “Mickey” Finn, 73 PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Samuel “Mickey” Finn died Oct. 18 at Coventry Skilled Nursing. Born in Providence, a son of the late David and Esther (Greenberg) Finn, he had lived in Wakefield, previously living in Cranston. He was the owner of Footsteps Shoe Store for 12 years. Mickey was a Vietnam Army veteran, with the 25th Infantry Division, receiving the Purple Heart, Combat Infantry Badge, and Vietnam Service Medal. He was a graduate of Hope High School, Class of ’63, and attended Roger Williams College in 1968. He was active at the Jewish
Community Center as President of Narragansett AZA and an advisor to Mazada AZA. He was also a member of Doric Lodge #38 and Vietnam Veterans Association of RI. He was the father of David, Steven and Tracy Finn. Grandfather of Dahlia, Izaac and Shelby. Contributions in his memory may be made to Vietnam Veterans of America, 8719 Colesville Rd., Ste. 100, Silver Spring, MD 20910.
Liliya Kulik, 92
PAWTUCKET, R.I. – Liliya Kulik died Oct. 9 at Hope Hospice in Providence. She was the wife of the late Leonid
ASK THE DIRECTOR BY MICHAEL D. SMITH F.D./R.E. Shalom Memorial Chapel
QUESTION: What sort of makeup is used by undertakers? On the deceased, I mean, not their own personal beauty regimen. Does it tend to stay on unlike on a living person who sweats it off? How long would it last on a deceased person?
The Jewish Voice step -g randchildren. He is also survived by his sister Sandra Motta, of Cranston, R.I. T homas was a fire and burglar alarm installer and inspector prior to his retirement. He was respected for all he accomplished and the service he provided to his clients. At his request, his funeral was private and honored by his family
Kulik. Born in Ukraine, she was the daughter of the late Vladimir and Idis (Katlar) Koldun. She had lived in Pawtucket for 24 years, previously living in Odessa, Ukraine. She was the mother of Mila Nosenko and her husband, Radion, of Cranston and Svetlana Harris and her husband, Bradley, of Warwick. She was the grandmother of Vladislav, Slav, and Timur and the great grandmother of Michael, Angelica, Ruslana, Alexander, and Michelle. Contributions in her memory may be made to Hope Hospice, 1085 North Main St., Providence, RI 02904
Esther F. Schnitzer, 97
WARWICK, R.I. – Esther F. Schnitzer died Oct. 9, at home. She was the wife of the late Ernst Schnitzer. Born in Providence, she was a daughter of the late Meyer and Anna (Barkin) Flaxman. She had lived in Warwick for 62 years, previously living in Providence.
Thomas H. Rosenfield, 78
OHIO – Thomas H. Rosenfield died at his home in Cambridge, Ohio on Oct. 4. His parents died in 1999. His is survived by his wife, Nancy, his daughter, grandchildren and his step-children and
J.N., North Carolina Dear J.N., While there are companies that make specific cosmetics to use on a decedent, regular cosmetics may also be applied. In Judaism, as I have mentioned in prior articles, we have closed caskets. We keep things very simple and natural. I would assume that the cosmetics would last for quite a while, depending on the preservation conditions. QUESTIONS ARE WELCOMED AND ENCOURAGED. Please send questions to: ShalomChapel@aol.com or by mail to Ask the Director, c/o Shalom Memorial Chapel, 1100 New London Ave., Cranston, R.I. 02920.
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Esther was a secretary for the P rov idence S c h o o l D e p a r t m e nt at Sackett S t r e e t School and the former Lexington Avenue School. She was a member of Temple Sinai. She was the mother of Henriette Roy and her husband, Richard, of Warwick. She was the sister of the late Max H. Flaxman and Celia Gallup. She was the aunt of several nieces and nephews. Esther was a faithful companion to her dog, Shayna. Contributions in her memory may be made to the animal shelter of your choice.
Florence Schiffman, 90
EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Florence Miller Schiffman died on Oct. 22. Before moving to Rhode Island in 2001, she was a pillar of the Sm it htow n, New York, com mu n it y with her husband, the late Dr. Zachary Schiffman. She was born in Brooklyn to Paul and Etta (Weinberger) Miller. She received a Bachelor of Arts, Phi Beta Kappa, from Hunter College and a Certificate of Design from Pratt Institute. Florence started her interior design career in the early 1950s in New York City and in Dallas. She opened a design firm on Long Island in the 1960s. Florence next devoted herself to a career in social work by earning a master’s degree at SUNY Stony Brook University. She worked as a social worker at the DeSisto School, Lake Grove School and Queens College. She also had a private practice. She chaired the American Cancer Society Ball, volunteered at Temple Beth Sholom in Smithtown, counseled troubled teens, and mentored students in Providence public schools, for which she was named Volunteer of the Year. She loved bridge, art, and travel. Florence is survived by her daughters and sons-in-law, Mara Schiffman and Keith Laskin, Jamie Waldman and Keith Waldman, Tina Odessa and David Odessa, and Ted Lee; and grandchildren, Zachary and Jeremy Laskin, Zoe, Emma, and Benjamin Waldman, and Zachary Odessa. Florence was predeceased by her daughter, Beth Schiffman Lee, and her sister, Rhoda Shapiro. Contributions may be made to Tockwotton on the Waterfront, East Providence; Hope Hospice and Palliative Care, Providence; or the Southern Poverty Law Center.
jvhri.org
Learn more about Alzheimer’s disease on Nov. 7 Rhode Islanders who want to learn more about Alzheimer’s disease are invited to attend a free educational program on Wednesday, November 7 at the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island (401 Elmgrove Avenue, Providence). The “Alzheimer’s Disease from A to Z” program is sponsored by the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA) and Senior Care Concepts. Registration and breakfast begin at 8:30 a.m., with the program running from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. “Alzheimer’s disease affects more than 23,000 Rhode Island residents and that number is growing,” said Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr., AFA’s president and CEO. “This program is designed to raise Alzheimer’s awareness, educate individuals about the disease, and teach them practical steps that can help them plan for care as they age. We invite everyone to attend.” Expert panelists will teach participants about the signs and symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, and provide a brief
overview of what the disease is and how it affects people. Strategies about how to raise and communicate concerns about a loved one’s memory issue will be discussed, as well as how to plan and prepare a road map as you age. Free, confidential memory screenings will also be offered. Licensed social workers will receive continuing education credit. “Health and wellness are important to all of us,” said Molly Fogel, LCSW, AFA’s director of education and social services, “which is why we’re helping people be proactive and get information that can help them, regardless if they’re currently affected by Alzheimer’s disease. After all, knowledge is power.” Registration for the program is free and open to all. Residents can register by calling AFA at 866-232-8484 or visiting AFA’s website at alzfdn.org and clicking on the “events calendar” tab at the top of the page. Submitted by Molly Fogel
Honesty is the best policy Nebraska has a new campaign to attract tourists. It boasts print ads with headlines such as “Lucky for you there’s nothing to do here.” Yet another ad brags that the state is “Famous for our flat, boring landscape,” according to the Association of Mature American Citizens (AMAC). Noting that Nebraska
is “the least likely state” when it comes to attracting tourists, State Tourism Director John Ricks says “the new brand platform is defined by honesty. The overarching concept of honesty is rooted in a mindset that values transparency, purity and simplicity.”
Nose news
Winter will soon be upon us and that means another season of cold, runny noses. But, fear not, says the Association of Mature American Citizens. AMAC reports that a British company has come out with a new way to keep Jack Frost from
nipping at your nose this year. Aptly enough, it is called the NoseWarmer. The Nose Warmer Company (nosewarmer.com) offers a fashionable array of proboscis protectors and they ship worldwide for about $10 a pop.
Real Progress, Real Results, Proven Leadership.
COMMUNITY | SENIORS
October 26, 2018 |
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Mozart’s Magical Mystery Tour at the RI Philharmonic EAST PROVIDENCE – Pianist, composer and filmmaker Judith Lynn Stillman, who lives on the East Side of Providence and is the artist-in-residence and a professor of music at Rhode Island College, kicks off the third year of her musical multimedia series where she is joined by selected members of the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra. Called “Judith Lynn Stillman and Friends from the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra,” the extravaganza on Sunday, Oct. 28, at 2 p.m., at the RI Philharmonic’s Carter Center, 667 Waterman Ave., East Providence, will feature the works of Mozart. “I am calling this unique show, ‘Mozart’s Magical Mystery Tour: Judith Lynn Stillman and Friends from the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra,’ and it will have accompanying visuals. The show includes chamber music from duo, to trio, to quartet – and the musicians will be heard on period as well as modern instruments,” Stillman said. “Timeless in his humanity, Mozart touches our souls. His music is perfect in proportion and consummate in range of expression, from exuberance to melancholy and back again.”
Judith Lynn Stillman The members of the RI Philharmonic Orchestra who will be joining Stillman include the Orchestra’s concertmaster and violinist Charles Dimmick, principal violist Abigail Cross and cellist Steven Laven. Together they will present a closer look at the brilliance of Mozart and his music, in the context of his family, milieu and society, as he travels Europe in the 1760s. The pieces to be played are Mozart’s Sonata for Violin and Piano in B-Flat Major, Piano Trio in C Major and Piano Quartet in E-Flat Major, K. 493 “We are always looking to
connect with and build our audience by performing in diverse, unique and intimate settings, which is difficult to do with the full orchestra,” noted David Beauchesne, executive director, RI Philharmonic Orchestra & Music School. “We are thrilled to have Judith and principal players from the Orchestra create exciting musical programs that can be performed at Rhode Island College and the Carter Center and can travel anywhere. The results to date have been remarkable!” Tickets are $25 for adults, $15 for students 18 and under or with a college ID, $10 for RI Philharmonic Music School students and family members. Tickets can be purchased online at tickets.riphil.org, in person from the RI Philharmonic Orchestra Box Office in East Providence, or by phone 401248-7000 (Mon.-Fri. 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.). Day of concert tickets are available at the Carter Center starting at 1 p.m. (On Monday, Oct. 29, at 1 p.m., an abridged version will be performed at Sapinsley Hall, Rhode Island College.) Submitted by the RI Philharmonic Orchestra and Music School
26 | October 26, 2018
SENIORS
The Jewish Voice
The Caribbean, revisited in memory Boys of my generation pretty much stayed put. We invented the idea of “staycation,” if not the word itself. Tires and gas were rationed, and even train
SKETCHBOOK MIKE FINK travel was reserved for GIs. We just journeyed around the block, or climbed the stairs, up and down, as if from cellar to attic were a voyage to an Alpine adventure. I’m only exaggerating a little. My true travels began as I was on the brink of turning 20. I reached my second decade of life on this planet in Paris! From a Jewish perspective, I became a wondering, wandering person from that point onward. In 1961, I went to Israel for its Bar Mitzvah, worked in a Galilean kibbutz, taught a bit in Tel Aviv, and wrote an opinion piece for The Providence Journal about the Eichmann trial in Jerusalem. Since that important milestone in my life, virtually all my pilgrimages have been a search for the secrets of Jewish survival and triumph over enormous odds. What stays with you after you get back to li’l Rhody and your intimate block in your native land? Very small details, mostly, like the salad breakfast on the kibbutz. But my purpose here is to review my multiple visits to the Caribbean in quest of the sites of the Sephardic footsteps that led toward our own Touro Synagogue, in Newport. I went to Haiti, Guadeloupe (where very young girls, made up like 18th-century courtesans, dance to greet hotel guests) and Martinique, be-
PHOTOS | LEAH CAMARA
Congregation Mikvé Israel-Emanuel, in Curaçao, today the oldest synagogue in continuous use in the Americas. cause I was teaching French to Peace Corps candidates at Brown and wanted to refresh my vocabulary and accent in the Gallic language of the European colonists. Count Rochambeau, so popular here, was not so acclaimed in Port au Prince, Haiti, where his family was seen as occupying oppressors, not liberators. On the other half of the Haitian island, of course, is the Dominican Republic, which welcomed German Jews in the Nazi era and still maintains an exquisite synagogue in Sosua. What do I picture of it in my memory? The splendid and cheerful stained glass windows depicting Torah scenes. In no particular order, here are a few more snapshot recollections from ports among the islands and lands of turquoise tides, exotic as well as familiar birdsongs in the palms, perfumes, scents and tastes. Giant, silent blue butterflies crossing the rivers of Suriname.
Cranston Seniors schedule activities The Cranston Senior Guild’s next meeting will take place Wednesday, Nov. 7 at 1 p.m. at the Phyllis Siperstein Tamarisk Assisted Living Residence, 3 Shalom Drive, Warwick. The versatile J. Ferguson, aka BIG J. SLICK, will provide his entertaining music and songs. Following the entertainment, there will be a brief meeting, refreshments and a raffle. The Cranston Senior Guild’s annual holiday luncheon is scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 5 at noon at Mesa Café & Grill, 100 Rolfe St., Cranston. The luncheon will include a choice of chicken Marsala or baked fish, rolls, chicken escarole soup, salad, pasta, green
beans, and carrots. Dessert will include a choice of tiramisu or fresh fruit cup and coffee or tea. Cost is $25, including tax and gratuity. A raffle will follow the luncheon. Men and women 55 or older are welcome to join the Cranston Senior Guild. You do not have to live in Cranston to become a member. Payment for the holiday luncheon must be received by Tuesday, Nov. 20. Make check payable to the Cranston Senior Guild. Also, please include your choice of entrée and dessert on the memo of the check. For more information call Sylvia 401-944-6812.
A divine quetzal bird in a hollow tree in Costa Rica. A giant statue of Christopher Columbus rising in Puerto Rico, a reverse dismemberment. St. Martin is half French and half Dutch, and you can spell it any way you choose or like better. There, I took a quick photo of a tombstone with a rose carved on it: a sign of Jewish presence under the tolerant influence of the Netherlands, where refugees from Portugal could find shelter during the infamous Inquisition. In Jamaica, the omnipresent hummingbird comes to you, even seeming to direct your hikes, like a soul incarnate and benevolent. St. Thomas was the birthplace of the Impressionist movement in French painting, because Camille Pissarro was born and bred there. Pissarro depicted the lives of the indigenous people and the exploited Africans without conventional or condescending pity, but quite straightforwardly, perhaps as a rebuke to the dominance of church and military. And Curaçao protects the golden beauty and pride of its synagogue, in the center of the city, and its culture. I suppose I should include the Bahamas and Barbados, so here’s one or two odd details from each: In the Bahamas, I was shown proud photographs of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor in full royal regalia. Despite their dreadful, fateful, disreputable flaws in judgment, they did in fact help to support tourism simply by the glamour of their costumes and the pathos of their lonely elopement ... something like that. From Barbados, frankly, I remember pathetic stray dogs daring to enter the luxurious poolside patio, and native par-
In 1864, a third of the Jewish population started its own congregation which adhered to the philosophy of the Reform Jewish Movement. They built the magnificent Temple Emanuel in Curaçao. rots confined to decorative cages to amuse the tourist crowds. I would like to add two other places, which I have not, in fact, as yet, set foot in. Guatemala, where the government chose to move its embassy to Jerusalem. Guatemala, which welcomed our local Betty Adler, escaping from Nazi Germany, and from which sojourn she keeps and shares gratitude and souvenirs galore. Guatemala, which uses that fabulous quetzal as its emblem, a symbol which I cherish. And finally, I would like to imagine a future trip to the island of St. Eustatius. Perhaps you may know of its importance to our entire United States of America, not just Roger Williams’ colony. The Jewish community there in the 18th century was prosperous, abundant and thriving. They supplied weapons to Gen. George Washington to support the War of Independence, for which noble gesture they suffered greatly and paid an enormous price. British Adm. Lord Rodney robbed them, exiled them, and destroyed their synagogue and mikveh, even while the English government protested his excessive outrage. Their Jews scattered, with most settling in nearby St. Thomas. Stepping stones, skipping stones, mourning stones. These pleasant sojourns in “resorts” have contributed to my inner discussion about what American Judaism has come to mean, now, to us. “We” are mostly connected to the Ashkenazic immigrant
generations, derived from diverse conditions in Russia, East and Central Europe, Germany, Poland, Romania, Ukraine, Czechoslovakia .... But the first Rhode Island Hebrew congregations, as we know, were built by Sephardic refugees from Spain and Portugal, who followed the charts and logs of Columbus among those islands “occupied,” if you will, by Denmark, France, Spain, the Netherlands. And where are we heading in our own generations? Are we likewise vanishing, to leave behind just a few rocks that point to Jewish settlements that have, like many before, sunk or burned or been blown away? What do we believe? What do we share? My questions have roots in my childhood and my “answers” come from my schools and nearby libraries, from itineraries in the Holy Land, from the awful sites of the death camps (I mean the Murder Camps), to the Iberian Peninsula and the Caribbean. The Caribbean is hardly just a region for rest and relaxation. Rather, it is a melancholy zone steeped in nuanced meanings. Val Lewton and Jacques Tourneur, in 1943, in their underappreciated film masterpiece, “I Walked with a Zombie,” captured the tragic aspect of islands haunted by a history of slavery and exile. Nightmare as well as dream. A different kind of beauty apart from ordinary tourism. MIKE FINK (mfink33@aol. com) teaches at the Rhode Island School of Design.
October 26, 2018 |
jvhri.org
Saturday, November 17 7:00pm | Dwares JCC 401 Elmgrove Avenue Providence, RI No cost to attend
Experience an evening of Jewish Renaissance like never before! From local speakers to field experts from around the country: Join us for a night of diverse learning opportunities, discussions, workshops, and interactive experiences that will expose you to the many facets of Jewish life and culture.
Brought to you by
THE JUDGE MARJORIE YASHAR and DR. JAMES YASHAR FUND at the Jewish Federation Foundation
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From Fact To Fiction: From NBC Foreign Correspondent to Fiction Author of “Promised Land” Martin Fletcher | Journalist, Author, Granddad: The author will discuss how he transitioned from NBC News Bureau Chief in Tel Aviv to author of a novel about a devastating love triangle, set against the tumultuous founding of Israel. The History of Israeli Fashion--From the Kibbutz to the City Liraz (Liri) Cohen Mordechai | Established Fashionating by Liri Inc., formerly with Duke University and ZARA Israel: The presentation tells the story of Israel from the late 19th century until today. Every milestone in Israel's story is presented in two "layers": history and fashion. During the session we discover how significant events have influenced the creation of a new "Israeli outfit" time and time again. We will also explore “what’s next” for Israeli fashion.
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How to Break Up With Your Phone:The Secrets to a Healthy Relationship Catherine Price | Author, Award-winning Science Journalist: A discussion of what our constant connectivity is doing to our brains, bodies and relationships—and what we can do to take back control. (Note: No smart-phones will be harmed or discarded.) Innovative Kids Spaces Sarit Shani Hay | Pioneer in the field of children's environments, a multi-disciplinary designer: We live in an era where substantial cultural and technological changes are taking place. In her studio, Sarit creates fun, educational spaces encouraging a natural playful approach, promoting versatile learning and creative thinking. Her work is layered, ranging from object making to the creation of spaces and environments. In this workshop she will share her design philosophy and work process.
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Seltzer: A Recipe for Delight Barry Joseph | Author, Director of Digital Learning, Girl Scouts of the USA, formerly American Museum of Natural History: Put over a decade of seltzer research into a room. Fill with a dash of nostalgia, a slice of history, and a helping of personal interest stories. Squeeze in a spritz of Pamplemousse and Unicorn Kisses. Sprinkle with seltzer poems, health recommendations, and ethnic identity. Stir once and serve. Drink before the foam disappears. American Prison Rabbi:The Experiences of a Jewish Chaplain in California Prisons Rabbi Eliahu Klein | Former prison chaplain, author of works on Kabbalah and Chassidism: Rabbi Klein will share his eye opening experiences and stories from twelve years as Jewish chaplain for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Klein served not only five hundred Jewish inmates but he also helped up to ten thousand non Jewish inmates of all ethnic, gender and religious orientations. A Walk of the Land: A Photographic Journey of the Israel National Trail Udi Goren | Travel photographer, speaker, educator and artist: Udi has a unique and fascinating story to tell, intertwining his own personal journey with the remarkable history and landscape of the land of Israel. By using his best images and videos, he takes listeners with him on the trail, allowing them to experience the adventure for themselves and come into contact with an inspiring and diverse range of Israelis, Israeli sites and landscapes.
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(((SEMITISM))) Being Jewish in America in the Age of Trump Jonathan Weisman | Deputy Washington Editor of The New York Times and author: Weisman looks at how Jews are viewed in America since the election of Donald J. Trump, and how we can move forward to fight anti-Semitism. Anti-Semitism has always been present in American culture, but with the rise of threats to Jewish communities since Trump took office Weisman’s new book and presentation could not be more important or timely.
* Jewish Book Council author
To learn more, contact Larry Katz at 401.421.4111 ext. 179 or lkatz@jewishallianceri.org.
Calling all parents! We are offering a special Kids’ Night Out to coincide with this event. Children ages 2 - 4 | 5 - 8:30pm | Children ages 5 - 11 | 5 - 10pm Price: $40 | Members: $30 | Siblings: $20 For more information or to register, contact Shannon Kochanek at 401.421.4111 ext. 147 or skochanek@jewishallianceri.org.
culture
More presenters being added. Registration opens in early November. More information coming soon at jewishallianceri.org.
arts&
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28 | October 26, 2018
The Jewish Voice
Because of your support of the Jewish Alliance’s Annual Campaign, the Eides Family J-Space After School Program is able to provide after school and vacation programming to children from 10 local schools. The program provides a safe space for children to explore a variety of subjects and activities, including: academics, art, sports, and other exciting opportunities.
YOUR SUPPORT provides them a safe, nurturing place to be after school.
At the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island we play many different roles for our diverse community: we nurture, partner, educate, enrich, serve, and convene.
100 DAYS OF GIVING
Make your donation by December 31, 2018 and you are helping to better serve our partner agencies —locally and globally— by addressing needs and allocating dollars sooner.
Through the generosity of our donors to the Alliance Annual Campaign, we are able to support thousands of people locally and around the world through programs, services, and partnerships. We care for the most at-risk in our community, energize Jewish life, respond to critical needs, and inspire future generations. Together, with your support, we translate Jewish values into wide-reaching impact.
everyONE counts 401 Elmgrove Avenue | Providence, RI 02906 | 401.421.4111 | jewishallianceri.org