WOMEN IN BUSINESS
Volume XXIII, Issue XIII | www.jvhri.org Serving Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts
19 Av 5777 | August 11, 2017
L’chaim to the Sons of Jacob museum BY MIKE FINK Charlie Fishbein, the proprietor of the Coffee Exchange in Providence, told me about plans to rededicate the Sons of Jacob Synagogue, in Providence’s Smith Hill, where Orms and Douglas meet, as a Jewish museum. The cordial host of the Wickenden Street café showed me images of the murals and the illustrated signs of the zodiac that decorate the interior of this religious relic and also serve as a reminder of the historic role the building has played in Providence history. Charlie said, “I’m not a speaker, but the artist who created the beautiful designs was my great-grandfather, and I’ll be there to represent him.” I showed up at the June 25 open house to witness the promising proceedings and to shake Charlie’s hand. The only original name on the cracked marble plaque at SONS OF JACOB | 14
M. Charles Bakst outside Beigel Bake in London.
Some 400 people visited Sons of Jacob June 25.
Adventures in London: The Jewish dimension BY M. CHARLES BAKST LONDON – Think Jewish, and eat well. That’s my spin on visiting this magnificent city. Of course, embrace the essence of British Parliament. Churchill’s Underground War
Rooms. Buckingham Palace. Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre. Is there anything more British than strawberries and cream at Wimbledon, or tea in fi ne china at the Fortnum & Mason food emporium? Quaff an ale at a pub. And don’t forget LONDON | 5
How ‘The Red Tent’ invented a new kind of fiction BY ERIKA DREIFUS JTA – Twenty years ago this summer, Anita Diamant – a freelance writer and author of several nonfiction books about Jewish practice, including “The New Jewish Wedding” – was
awaiting the publication of her fi rst novel. It was a work of historical fiction, set in biblical times, that focused on the story of Dinah, the only daughter of Jacob and Leah. The book was called “The Red Tent,” and it has since achieved
iconic status. The novel has sold millions of copies around the world and was adapted into a 2014 Lifetime miniseries starring Minnie Driver. But “The Red Tent” did not become a best-seller when it RED TENT | 21
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