December 7, 2018

Volume XXV, Issue XXI | www.jvhri.org Serving Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts

WINTER

29 Kislev 5779 | December 7, 2018

New partnership gives the Jewish Federation Foundation more resources to serve the community

BY JEWISH ALLIANCE STAFF A new partnership with Rhode Island’s largest community foundation will enable the Jewish Federation Foundation (JFF), to better serve its donors and its community.

JFF will invest its nearly $60 million endowment with the Rhode Island Foundation – giving JFF access to an investment pool that earned 17.3 percent in 2017 and has an average annual return of 8.4 percent for the 20-year period ended Oct. 31, 2018. The Rhode Island Foundation will also provide operational support services to JFF. “We are excited about furthering the mission of the Jewish Alliance and the Jewish Federation Foundation with this partnership and feel it will allow us to benefit from the professionalism of the RIF while also maintaining our Jewish values,” said Sharon Gaines, chair of JFF. The new relationship is the product of three years of talks with the Rhode Island Foundation. The Jewish Alliance’s board of directors has ratified the agreement, which gives JFF access to the resources that an organization with $1 billion in assets can offer.

“We believe this new relationship will enhance and enrich our work with donors and the community,” said Adam Greenman, president and CEO of the Jewish Alliance. “We will continue to be the main contact with our fund-holders, and they will not need to adjust to any major changes.”

JFF will continue to provide personalized customer service and stewardship to its fund-holders. The Rhode Island Foundation also will help JFF roll out an enhanced online fund management tool, making it even easier for donors to fulfill their philanthropic objec-

tives.

“We are excited about our partnership with the federation and look forward to supporting their work serving the Jewish community while also reinforcing our broad charge as the state’s community foundation – to meet the needs of all Rhode Island,” said Neil D. Steinberg, the Rhode Island Foundation’s president and CEO. Daniel Kertzner will serve as the Rhode Island Foundation’s liaison to JFF. He will bring his years of grantmaking experience and his work as a philanthropic advisor to bear in supporting JFF’s mission.

“Our grantmaking and fundraising are c omplement ary, and we are thrilled to bring JFF on as a new partner,” said Kertzner. “I look forward to working closely with JFF.” JFF’s mission is to support the work of the Alliance and to enhance the quality of Jewish life in the greater Rhode Island community and worldwide through educational, charitable, social service, cultural, religious and recreational endeavors.

JFF’s roots go back more than 60 years, when community patriarch Max Alperin and others saw the need to create a financial institution that would uphold Jewish values and be accessible to the entire community. With this in mind, they created the forerunner of what is now JFF to ensure that support for Rhode Island’s Jewish community would continue in perpetuity.

JFF enables donors to invest in the Jewish community with confidence that the Alliance will use the resources where they are most needed. Trine Lustig, chief development officer at the Alliance, helps people consider their giving options.

She can be reached at tlustig@ jewishallianceri.org or 401-4214111, ext. 223.

“We believe this new relationship will enhance and enrich our work with donors and the community.”

A

First Light

PHOTO | GLENN OSMUNDSON

dam Greenman, president and CEO of the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island, lights the first candle on the hanukkiah in the Alliance tent during the Hope Street Stroll Dec. 2.

The rain didn’t dampen the spirits of those attending.

PHOTO | JTA/ALI DIA/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

A view of the border between Lebanon, left, and Israel near the village of Kfar Kila, Feb. 7, 2018.

Netanyahu: Hezbollah tunnels a ‘concrete threat’ JERUSALEM (JTA) – Hezbollah is building tunnels “with direct support and funding from Iran” in an effort to capture northern Israel’s Galilee region, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.

“Capturing parts of the Galilee by Hezbollah is a concrete threat,” Netanyahu said in a televised news conference from the country’s defense headquarters in Tel Aviv about Isra-

el’s operation to shut down the tunnels. “The operation will continue until the outcome is achieved.”

Netanyahu said the tunnels are being built by Hezbollah “with one purpose in mind – to attack and murder innocent Israeli men, women and children.” He added that “Lebanon bears a heavy responsibility for allowing such acts terror on its territory.”

He noted that the tunnel was built in a civilian neighborhood in southern Lebanon.

“I have a message for the people of Lebanon: Hezbollah is putting your lives in danger.

They are sacrificing your wellbeing to serve the aggressive purposes of Iran,” Netanyahu said. “Israel holds the Lebanese government accountable for all terror activity emanating from TUNNELS | 6

2 | December 7, 2018

COMMUNITY

The Jewish Voice

Strolling on Hope

INSIDE Business 18-19 Calendar 10 Community 2, 4, 6-7, 12, 14-15, 22-23 D’var Torah 7 Food 11

The annual Hope Street Stroll took place Dec. 2 despite the damp weather. Sponsored by the Hope Street Merchants Association, the event, this year from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., always attracts a crowd for shopping, food trucks and entertainment.

The Brown RISD Aleph Bets (top right) entertained while Mayor Juni (below) and his 16-month-old son Yaakov Juni listened.

In the Jewish Alliance tent, Rep. David Cicilline (below right) helped light the candles for the first night of Hanukkah.

Israel 6, 21 Nation 3, 13 Obituaries 20-21 Opinion 8-9 Seniors 16-17 Travel 5 We Are Read 23

THIS ISSUE’S QUOTABLE QUOTE

PHOTOS | GLENN OSMUNDSON

“Deeply encoded in the Jewish soul is a 2,000-year-old longing to return to Jerusalem and rededicate the House of God.”

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

WISDOM

For more information about legacy giving, please contact Trine Lustig at 401.421.4111 ext. 223 or tlustig@jewishallianceri.org

jvhri.org

NATION

December 7, 2018 |

3

Saying goodbye to Kutz Camp, Reform Judaism’s ‘forever home’ BY LISA SILVERSTEIN TZUR SAN FRANCISCO (JTA) – This is a story of gratitude. So much gratitude.

In 1983, my local rabbi handed me his guitar and taught me four chords. He said (paraphrasing the first century sage Hillel) “Lisa, with these four chords you can play any Jewish song. All the rest is commentary. Go and learn it.�

Months later I left the familiarity of our synagogue and traveled to Warwick, New York, to craft my song-leading skills at the URJ Kutz Camp, the high school leadership training center of the Union for Reform Judaism.

That was a transformative summer. Surrounded by teenagers who were excited and enthusiastic to create sacred community and deepen their individual Jewish identities, I connected with peers from all over North America. Every day was a blessing, bringing new intellectual challenges, opportunities for meaningful conversations and hours spent with my music cohort, learning and creating contemporary Jewish music. It was then that I solidified my desire to become a rabbi, so greatly influenced by the caring, compassionate, learned souls that gently led us through our summer experience.

I returned to Kutz as a musician and a counselor. In the years that followed, I worked as program director, dance leader and yoga instructor. I even worked full-time for the URJ, recruiting participants from our sister organization in En-

JTA – Kutz Camp, the Union for Reform Judaism summer camp for teen leaders and an incubator for modern spiritual Jewish folk music, is closing.

URJ President Rabbi Rick Jacob made the announcement in a statement Nov. 28, citing competition from other programs.

The camp celebrated its 50th anniversary on July 4, 2015. The summer 2019 session

gland. I was so profoundly impacted by Kutz that I felt personally responsible to share that experience with as many young Jews as possible. That commitment has been lifelong; as an adult I was honored to serve as the chair of the camp committee, seeking ways to deepen our program and increase alumni engagement.

I have observed that every person who enters camp comes with their own unique experience, and I am proud that we have helped these young adults navigate the most challenging situations. Some come in search of intensive Jewish learning, and we are proud to be a place where we wrestle with text to find their meaning in the modern world. Some struggle with their gender identities and sexual orientations; some deal with death and divorce in their families; and some even express thoughts of hurting themselves.

I pray that each one of them eventually understands that we are all struggling. Together as a community we fiercely support one other, and try to bring peace and healing to every shattered soul.

As a community, we are committed to exploring Judaism in all its beauty. We grapple with tradition, especially when we find it incompatible with our modern-day lives. We pray a lot.

We learn. We sing. And there is a tremendous amount of joy that permeates the camp.

We are passionate about experimentation, exploration, pushing the boundaries, always searching for the sweet spot between modernity and tradition.

We demand creativity from our

faculty and staff. And we grow from our failures, learning from our mishaps, picking ourselves up, and trying again and again.

Among our accomplished alumni are journalists, actors, news producers, executives of national corporations, doctors, and lawyers. We have a strong cadre of alumni who have made their home in Israel. We also have produced “just a few�

Jewish professionals along the way, many of whom are adamant that their summer spent in the Kutz leadership program set the trajectory for pursuing work in the Jewish community.

I am one of those grateful, grateful rabbis. I am also immeasurably saddened, as are the myriad Kutz alumni and supporters, that those gates of 46 Bowen Road are closing after an era of 54 incredible years.

The URJ announced this week that next summer’s session will be the last.

While organizational change cannot be successfully accomplished by consensus, I wish that our story had a different ending. Yet as we have learned, all endings are an opportunity to begin anew, and I am hopeful that our story will continue in a different iteration.

At the end of each summer, after the participants have returned to their homes, our staff sits around the perimeter of the pool in the chill of the evening.

Our dearly loved camp director, Melissa Frey, offers everyone the opportunity to share their most magical moment from the summer. At the conclusion, Melissa teaches us that even though we gather intensively

Kutz campers in a 1993 photo. only once a year at this physical location, our community is sacred each and every day, no matter where we are.

I am grateful that all three of my children are proud alumni of our program. I am grateful to have found countless teachers and many students who call me their teacher and their friend. I am grateful that unlike many who only were privileged to spend a single summer at Kutz, I have been honored to come back year after year to help shape the community. I am humbled every time I walk into the iconic main building.

I am overwhelmed by the presence of divinity when I happen to chance upon a quiet, solitary moment in the Teyatron (our lakeside program/prayer space). And I feel the presence of God each and every time I en-

Reform movement’s Kutz Camp to close

will be its last.

A Facebook post shared by camp director Melissa Frey explained that Kutz, once the “only high-level leadership programming exclusively for teens,� faced competition from youth programs at other Reform camps. The statement said that “the ability to attract teens to Kutz has been in decline for over a decade.�

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Jacobs noted that “many of our teens are looking for these remarkable programs closer to home and at different times of the year.�

He also said that: “Throughout the next year, URJ camps across North America and NFTY will join us in determining how to best bring the Movement’s renowned leadership programming directly

to the teens in our network of camps and congregations.�

Jacobs said the movement does not know yet what will become of the Kutz Camp facility located in Warwick, New York.

The camp will sponsor a series of conference calls with campers, alumni and staff “to process this information together, and to begin thinking about what the future might

gage in conversation with a teen or adult, knowing from my own experience that each moment is just another opportunity to influence and to be transformed.

Last summer, in the middle of his Kutz experience, my son Ayal proclaimed, “Ima, I just want you to know that Kutz is my forever home.� How his words resonated with me at that moment. All the more so, on this day, I emphatically proclaim: Kutz is my beloved, and my forever home.

LISA SILVERSTEIN TZUR is a graduate of Brandeis University and the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. She is the past chair of the URJ Kutz Camp and the executive director of Positive Jewish Living.

look like.�

In 1965, Kutz Camp became the summer headquarters for NFTY, the North American Federation of Temple Youth, the youth arm of the Union for Reform Judaism. The late folk singer Debbie Friedman, whose songs and settings for traditional prayers have been widely adopted by synagogues, served as song leader at the camp in 1969.

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Donate on AFMDA.org/give or call 866.632.2763 ‡Š‹Žƒ ”‡œ‹Â?‰‡” ‹”•– Ƥ‡•’‘Â?†‡”

afmda.org

4 | December 7, 2018

COMMUNITY

The Jewish Voice

Professor details how the Holocaust gives rise to international human-rights law

BY LEV POPLOW Bryant University Prof. Michael Bryant spoke about the influence of the Holocaust on the development of international law at this year’s Baxt Lecture, a program of the Sandra Bornstein Holocaust Education Center.

Professor Bryant began his Nov. 4 talk with the assertion that, “From the point of view of international law and human rights, warfare is humankind’s greatest teacher. Nearly every major international law, treaty and innovation has been a reaction, in some way, to a major calamitous war.”

The Crimean War, in the mid19th century, led to the first Geneva Convention and the Red Cross. World War I gave birth in 1919 to the League of Nations; to the Kellogg-Briand Pact, in which countries renounced aggressive warfare as an instrument of national policy; and to the Geneva Conventions adopted in 1929, which became the basis for the Nuremberg trials, in the wake of World War II. “No war in history has more decisively impacted international law and human rights than World War II,” Bryant stated during his talk, held at the Cranston Public Library.

For example, in 1938, victims of the Night of Broken Glass had no national remedy to pursue damages. They could not hire a lawyer and sue the German government. And, prior to World War II, there was no way to pursue a transnational legal remedy after an event such as Kristallnacht. The League of

Nations could not help because at that time individuals were not subject to international law.

Before World War II, how a state treated its own citizens within its territory was strictly a domestic matter.

“Whatever rights people had were entirely dependent on the nation to which they belonged.

The international community had no right to intervene to help you. And this was the situation as the world teetered on the brink of World War II in the late 1930s,” Bryant said.

“National sovereignty was inviolable and no state could protest or intervene on behalf of a victim who was harmed by their own government.”

Since they had no standing under international law, other governments did not intervene on behalf of the Jews in the run up to World War II; there was literally nothing they could do, he said.

By 1945, that situation had drastically changed as policymakers and political leaders around the world came to understand that traditional international law had failed to protect the rights of individuals.

This realization was largely driven by the Holocaust.

The belief began to grow that there had to be a way to hold the perpetrators accountable for their grave human-rights abuses. To prevent anything like the Holocaust from happening again, international law had to be changed so that individuals’ rights would no longer be based on their nationality. This new era of human rights began with

Prof. Michael Bryant the 1945 signing of the charter that created the United Nations.

At that time, there was great hope that an enforceable human-rights provision would be inserted into the U.N. Charter, Bryant said.

“Jewish leaders and representatives of smaller countries that attended the conference all lobbied the great powers to insert human-rights language that had traction into the text of the U.N. Charter. This did not happen because opponents such as Stalin’s Soviet Union, Great Britain, France and the United States pushed back hard against the notion that an outside organization could influence their domestic matters.”

Since the United States was the driving force behind the post-World War II world order and the Nuremberg trials, it may seem surprising that its leaders opposed a human-rights provision. This was due, Bryant said, to the political power of Southern politicians, who wanted to uphold Jim Crow laws and feared outside influence on this system of racial discrimination. They told President Harry

S Truman that if there was an enforceable human-rights provision, they would not ratify the charter. In order to win ratification, the Truman administration agreed to a watered-down version.

In the years and decades following the creation of the U.N., in the shadow of the Holocaust, there were efforts to come up with more viable ways to defend human rights.

In December 1948, the U.N. published the Declaration of Human Rights, which was adopted as a non-binding resolut ion. P rof. Br ya nt stated, “This is one of the g r e at c or ner s t one s i n t he history of human rights. Many people think that this is the most important document in the history of human-rights protection.”

This momentous act was followed by the development of many treaties and conventions, such as the U.N. Genocide Convention in 1949, the Elimination of Racial Discrimination convention in 1965, the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women in 1979, and the Convention Against Torture in 1985. As a result, human rights are now defensible within the U.N. There are also organizations outside the U.N. that were created to specifically defend human rights. The most notable is the European Council, which was formed in 1949. In 1953, the European Council adopted the Convention on Human Rights, whose purpose is to protect and defend the rights articulated in

the U.N. Declaration of Human Rights.

“It is very clear from the legislative history that the Holocaust was the catalyst for the European Convention, which was clearly stated by the French foreign minister,” Bryant said.

Perhaps most importantly, the European Convention led to the creation of an enforcement body, the European Court of Human Rights. This is the first institution open to lawsuits by people who think their rights have been violated by their own government.

A similar convention was adopted in Africa in 1986, the African Charter of Human and Peoples’ Rights.

While these organizations are not perfect – there have been some notable failures, such as the Cambodian genocide, the Rwandan genocide and the Balkans civil war – human rights have improved dramatically since 1945. It is not unusual today for aid and development packages to contain human-rights provisions.

“Prior to the Holocaust, none of this was on anyone’s radar,” Bryant said. “Governments today find it nearly impossible to divorce human rights considerations from political and economic decision-making. Such considerations rarely weighed on the minds of political leaders before World War II.” LEV POPLOW is a communications consultant writing on behalf of the Sandra Bornstein Holocaust Education Center, in Providence. He can be reached at levpoplow@gmail.com.

Learn Israeli self-defense at the J Beginning in January, “Krav Maga – The Art of Israeli Self-Defense” will be taught at the Alliance’s Dwares Jewish Community Center in Providence. Classes will be held in the Sapinsley Family gymnasium from noon to 1 p.m. each Sunday from Jan. 20 to Feb. 24.

The class, led by Bart Axelrod, will teach participants ef-

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

fective, proven techniques for personal security and self-protection, as well as defense tactics for any situation.

Krav Maga helps participants learn how to deal with a variety of common threats and attacks against both armed and unarmed assailants.

Axelrod, trained in Israel, is a certified Krav Maga instruc-

tor, a second-degree black belt in Uechi Ryu karate, and a black belt in Wesley Sanshou.

Participants must be 17 years of age or older. Cost is $90 for JCC members and $125 for nonmembers.

For registration information, contact Rob Castellucci at rcast el luc c i @ j ew i s h a l l i a nc e r i . org or 401-421-4111, ext. 129.

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

THE JEWISH VOICE (ISSN number 1539-2104, USPS #465-710) is published bi-weekly, except in July, when it does not publish.

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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.

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

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TRAVEL

jvhri.org

December 7, 2018 |

My Sicilian encounter: coincidence, luck or fate?

BY GEORGE M. GOODWIN Betsey and I love traveling in Italy. In addition to major cities, we have been privileged to visit many smaller towns and out-of-the-way places. It’s difficult to say, however, what most intrigues us: art, architecture, museums, shops, food, wine, the Italian language, friendly people or Jewish history.

Nearly 50 years ago, when I spent part of my junior year of college in Florence, I briefly visited Palermo and its environs, but Betsey and I were eager to learn much more about Sicily. In October we spent 10 delightful days exploring much of this fertile island, stopping frequently for glorious views, extraordinary meals and spontaneous conversations with strangers.

We visited such ancient Greek archaeological sites as Segesta, Selinunte and Taormina to examine temples, theaters, fortifications and dwellings. We also stopped in Agrigento, a major destination for historians and tourists that overlooks the Mediterranean on the island’s southwestern coast.

While Betsey was focusing her attention on the Temple of Concord, built in the fifth century B.C.E., I was taking photos of a colossal bronze sculpture of a reclining winged creature.

Igor Mitoraj, a Polish-born artist, made this image of Icarus as recently as 2011. According to Greek mythology, both Icarus and his father, Daedalus, had been Agrigento’s founders.

While I was trying to frame a perfect composition, a woman probably in her 50s greeted me in Italian. When she asked where I was from, I responded in Italian that I was an American. So when she asked which state, I explained that Rhode Island is the smallest. Next, when asked about my city or town, I mentioned Providenza. She then said that she had visited “this historic and beautiful city” with her daughter, who lives in Framingham, Massachusetts.

When I asked my acquaintance where she lived, she explained that she was a Spaniard. When I asked where in Spain, she answered Mallorca.

I explained that Betsey and I have always wanted to visit there. Not drawn primarily to its beautiful beaches, we are curious to see the former studio of Joan Miró, the celebrated modern painter, printmaker and sculptor, which is now a museum. Like many tourists, we had visited his museum in Barcelona. I’m also interested in Miró’s Mallorca museum because of its design by Rafael Moneo, the major Spanish architect whose notable American buildings include the

Chase Wing of our own RISD Museum.

I presumed that my new Spanish friend, who was traveling alone and presumably had some time to linger, might like to learn about a curious connection between Sicily and Mallorca. Deeply concerned about the legal battle between North America’s two oldest Jewish congregations, New York City’s Shearith Israel and Newport’s Jeshuat Israel, and having written a lengthy article about the history of rimonim for the 2015 issue of “Rhode Island Jewish Historical Notes,” I delivered a five-minute lecture.

Probably only a few specialists in Jewish history recall from Cecil Roth’s history of Italian Jewry (published in 1946) that the world’s oldest surviving pair of rimonim was made in the Sicilian town of Cammarata, not far from Agrigento, probably during the fifth century C.E. Because the Kingdom of Aragón had ruled Sicily since the late 13th century, its 30,000 Sephardim also became victims of the Inquisition. While perhaps a third of them converted to Catholicism, the remainder fled the island. Only within the past few years has a tiny Jewish congregation, which includes descendants of conversos, been established in a former church in Palermo. But the Aragonese stole Cammarata’s rimonim, and they have resided ever after in Mallorca’s cathedral.

At this point, my new Spanish friend, who surely resembled a Sephardic Jew, asked what I thought was an unnecessary question: “Are you Jewish?” I replied, “Yes, of course.”

“What is your Hebrew name?” she asked. I attempted to explain that, as a Reform Jew, I had not received one. But I did choose a Hebrew name when I married Betsey in 1983.

Having been born in 1948, I quite easily selected Yisrael.

So I asked my friend about her Hebrew name. Although she immediately replied Leah, I did not understand if this was also her “Christian” name. It didn’t seem to matter because I suddenly remarked that Betsey’s maternal grandmother was also Leah.

I thought that if my Spanish friend and I sat down for an hour, or had lunch together, we would discover so much more that unites us. Given that so few Jews live on Mallorca, could she have also been an Israeli? Having visited Israel several times, it’s possible that she and I may have some mutual acquaintances as well as abiding concerns.

Unfortunately, I did not ask my new friend for her full name or her email address or suggest that we could visit again when

The bronze sculpture at Agrigento.

The beach in Taormina. she returns to Framingham.

A few minutes later, when I reunited with Betsey, she was more than angry. She thought that I had gotten lost or, following Icarus’s example, suffered a worse calamity.

So how did an American Jew and a Spanish Jew, speaking Italian and then English, find each other at one of Sicily’s vast archaeological sites? Why did we feel like cousins?

Given my curiosity, familiarity with genealogical research, and lack of inhibitions, I may be able to find her again through a connection in Framingham or Mallorca. Meanwhile, thank you, Sicily, or whatever benevolent forces brought us together.

GEORGE GOODWIN of Providence edits Rhode Island Jewish Historical Notes.

The writer’s Spanish friend.

5

COMMUNITY | ISRAEL

6 | December 7, 2018

The Jewish Voice

Millennials have rare opportunity to join March of the Living

BY LARRY KATZ

The March of the Living has been so popular with teens that many adults have sought to attend an adult version of the program, which travels through Poland one week and in Israel the next.

In response, the March of the Living is excited to announce a new initiative to bring millennials on this life-changing journey to study the history of the Holocaust, examine the roots of prejudice, intolerance and hatred, and learn about Jewish heritage and the history of Israel.

Participants will spend Yom ha-Shoah (Holocaust Memorial Day) in Poland and Yom ha’Atzmaut (Israel Independence Day) in Israel. This onetime opportunity for first-time March of the Living participants ages 22-35 costs $2,500.

This price is highly subsidized by the International March of the Living and there are limited spots, available on a first-come, first-served basis.

The March of the Living is an annual educational program that brings people from 52 countries around the world to Poland and Israel to learn about the Jewish community that once thrived in Poland, as well as its present-day resurgence of Jewish culture and life, and about ancient and modern sites of note in Israel.

The March of the Living allows participants to encounter

eive c e r

past, the vitality of the present and the hope for our future.

Participants in the International Adult Program of the March of the Living will meet at an airport in New York/New Jersey to fly to Poland on Monday, April 29. The return flight from Israel is expected to arrive in the New York City area on Friday, May 10.

The adult trip is open to individuals ages 22-35 who are interested in learning more about their Jewish heritage and have not previously participated in a March of the Living.

The subsidized price of $2,500, based on double occupancy, includes round-trip flights from New York/New Jersey (domestic flights are the responsibility of each participant). The price includes all land fees in Poland and Israel – hotels, meals, museum and site entrance fees, guides and ground transportation. There is an additional $100 processing fee if participants pay by credit card.

More information can be

March of the Living website, www.motl.org. Potential participants may also contact Monise Neumann at 818-621-0278 or monise@motlmail.org. Residents of greater Rhode Island through the age of 26 may apply to the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island for a small subsidy. Gift of Israel funds may also be used toward the cost of the trip.

For more information, contact Larry Katz, director of Jewish Life and Learning at the Jewish Alliance, at lkatz@ jewishallianceri.org or 401-4214111.

Rhode Island area teens who are interested in the teen program can contact Aaron Guttin at aguttin@jewishallianceri. org or 401-421-4111.

LARRY KATZ is director of Jewish life and learning at The Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island.

two

free SESSION

Nov. 26 –thru– Dec. 31

The military states the tunnels are not operational and that it’s working to expose them.

FROM PAGE 1

| TUNNELS said at the news conference that the operation, dubbed Northern Shield, will last several weeks and that civilians should go about their daily routine and even visit the north.

He said the operation was approved early last month and launched the night of Dec. 3 before the tunnels actually were operational and “became an immediate and direct threat to northern communities and army bases.”

U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton in a statement released late the night of Dec. 3, said that the United States “strongly supports Israel’s efforts to defend its sovereignty, and we call on Hezbollah to stop its tunneling into Israel and to refrain from escalation and violence.”

“More broadly,” he said, “we call on Iran and all of its agents to stop their regional aggression and provocation, which pose an unacceptable threat to Israeli and regional security.”

Lebanon against Israel.”

The prime minister said that U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo agreed during their meeting in Brussels on Dec. 3 to levy sanctions against Hezbollah, an Iran-backed terrorist militia.

Netanyahu showed reporters a video of the first tunnel that was destroyed on Dec. 4, which originated in a private home in Lebanon and stretched 40 yards into Israel. The video shows Hezbollah operatives in the tunnel, walking underground across the border, known as the Blue Line, to inspect a small camera snaked into the tunnel from the Israeli side. The men run back through the tunnel as explosives in the camera go off.

The 6-by-6-foot tunnel included a ventilation system, electrical wiring and communication lines. It was dug from under a house in the village of Kafr Kila and crossed into Metulla in northern Israel.

Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Gadi Eisenkot

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| D’VAR TORAH

December 7, 2018 |

7

Building a mini-Temple for Hanukkah Hanukkah means “Dedication.”

After the Maccabees won back the Holy Temple, they lit the menorah to dedicate the Beit Hamikdash (Holy Temple).

They found one cruse of olive oil that had been sealed by the high priest.

They had only enough oil for one night, but a miracle occurred, and they were able to light for eight nights.

It was the RABBI last collective miracle we AARON exper ienced PHILMUS as a Jewish people. When people saw the light flickering in the windows, they felt that God’s presence was with them again.

Today, we light a ninebranched menorah instead of a seven, and instead of lighting one big menorah, the mitzvah of Hanukkah is “ner ish uveito” – each person lights in their own house. As we gaze at the candles, we sing “Rock of Ages” (“Ma’oz Tzur”): “Mighty rock …. Restore the house of my prayer and there we will offer you thanksgiving.”

Deeply encoded in the Jewish soul is a 2,000-year-old longing to return to Jerusalem and rededicate the House of God. The groom breaks a glass at the end of every Jewish wedding ceremony to remember the destruction of the Temple. We fast and mourn specific moments in the loss of the First and Second Temple. We pray three times a day in the Amidah to “build it soon and in our day as an eternal structure,” and on Shabbat, to “lead us back in joy

to our land and plant us within our borders. There we will prepare our obligatory offerings ....”

Much of the Torah is dedicated to the details of offerings that were prepared and eaten by the Kohanim (priestly tribe).

Maimonides held that animal sacrifices were a concession by God because it was what humans needed at the time. He raised the possibility that the Third Temple could be vegan.

As long as we continue to eat meat, the rituals of the Temple could bring holiness to the way we prepare and eat animals.

The mitzvah to build the Temple comes from the verse “Ve’Asu Li Mikdash”: “They shall build me a sanctuary and

my presence will dwell within them.”

After the Romans destroyed the Second Temple, our sages teach that the light of the Shechina (the feminine divine presence) became hidden.

In 1967, the Temple Mount was recaptured from the Jordanian government. Since then, Israeli archeologists have made many discoveries from the First and Second Temple period.

The golden Dome of the Rock was built on the Temple Mount in the 7th century. Muslims believe it is the spot where Muhammad ascended into heaven.

The Al-Aqsa Mosque is also an important sacred site there.

When Israel regained control of the Temple Mount, the

government quickly gave it to the Muslim Waqf to manage, in order to keep peace. Jewish worshipers are not permitted to enter the Temple Mount. If the police see a Jewish person davening (praying) or shukeling (swaying) there, they can be fined and arrested.

Is this really the limit of our vision for Jerusalem? The prophet Isaiah was given a much grander vision for humankind: “I will bring them to my sacred mount and let them rejoice in my house of prayer.

Their burnt offerings and sacrifices shall be welcome on my altar; for my house will be called A House of Prayer for All Peoples” (56:7).

A few dreamers of Zion have

begun to ask an outrageous question: “What if the Temple were built in peaceful proximity to the Islamic and Christian shrines in Jerusalem, would this not be a fulfillment of the purpose of the Temple – to manifest the one God to the entire world?” Of course, this would require a level of peace and coordination among the three Abrahamic faiths that we have never seen before. But maybe that’s just the point!

If this all sounds meshugga (crazy) to you, please know that I am just trying to get people to think more deeply about Torah.

We certainly don’t need a Holy Temple to serve God right now.

Hanukkah means dedication because we light a candle and rededicate ourselves to family and community. Each of us can dedicate a mikdash me’at, a mini-Temple, by filling our homes and synagogues with the light of Torah and mitzvot.

According to the prophets, the Third Temple will never be destroyed, will not be built by the hands of man and will appear in the blink of an eye.

If the Garden of Eden was God’s original plan for holiness (and not a building), then maybe the real Third Temple will be … creation itself! And it will happen in the blink of an eye, when we realize that we are actually Adam and Eve, and that we are in the Garden of Eden, and that right now God is walking with us in the Garden.

Chag Urim Same’ach – Happy Festival of Lights!

RABBI AARON PHILMUS is the rabbi at Temple Torat Yisrael, in East Greenwich.

Candle Lighting Times Greater Rhode Island Dec. 7 Dec. 14 Dec. 21 Dec. 28

CONNECTIONS – More than 20 Jewish Community Day School of Rhode Island and Alperin Schechter Day School alumni gathered over Thanksgiving weekend to reunite with classmates. This year, JCDSRI will celebrate 40 years, culminating at a Gala on April 7 at 6 p.m. in the Social Hall at the Alliance’s Dwares Jewish Community Center. For more information about this and more please contact awalter@jcdsri.com.

3:56 3:57 3:59 4:04

8 | December 7, 2018

OPINION

The Jewish Voice

Eight splendid points of light I am reminded at Hanukkah of the importance of light. Each night we add another candle to the hanukkiah, and it glows more brightly, whether you place it in your window or on a table in your home.

This is the EDITOR darkest time in our calendar.

FRAN Yes, it’s still OSTENDORF fall, but it sure seems like winter is here. Days are near the shortest of the year – Dec. 21 marks the least amount of daylight. A little light from the glow of the Hanukkah candles is a welcome sight.

Although this holiday is a celebration of freedom, perseverance and miracles, light is an essential component. The true miracle is that the oil kept the light burning for eight nights.

The light of Hanukkah also imbues the world with the hope of redemption, when light of hope and prosperity will triumph over the darkness of negativity.

I have to admit that I really love Hanukkah. It may not be the most significant of holidays in the Jewish calendar, but it certainly offers a little light fun during the days that seem to go dark too early.

Though my children are grown and scattered, our family still gathers at least once during Hanukkah for latkes (extra crispy) with homemade applesauce and candle-lighting.

We still exchange thoughtful gifts. And although everyone has his and her own menorahs, we light my great-grandmother’s menorah, which is in need of a small repair and looks like it might fall apart at any moment (it’s always on a tray, just in case). We have three hanukkiot, but that’s the favorite.

It is really all about the light.

So, in the midst of the darkness of winter, when things in nature – in our part of the world – are dormant and seem dead or, at best, asleep, the lights of Hanukkah serve as a spark of life. They dispel the darkness, if even for a short time, and remind us that the return of the light is close at hand.

In this season of light, it is fitting to listen to all the tributes to the late President George H.W. Bush. Remember, he is famous for “a thousand points of light,” which was his call for increased volunteerism.

In fact, he founded an international nonprofit called Points of Light in an effort to engage more people in voluntary service. Volunteers were referred to as “points of light” in their communities.

We have many opportunities to volunteer in our community. As you consider what is a meaningful way to celebrate each night of light, perhaps a project to bring light to others in your community might be a welcome break from what you are accustomed to doing. After all, that’s how new traditions are born.

Speaking of new traditions, in a few weeks, The Voice will publish its last biweekly newspaper. Then, on Jan. 11, our monthly paper, with a refreshed look and a new name, will hit the streets. We are looking forward to bringing the news to you in print each month. And beginning in mid-February, an electronic newsletter will be showing up in your inbox monthly. Don’t forget to sign up for it at jvhri. org/register.html.

Let us know your thoughts on the new format. We are always pleased to hear your comments and ideas, whether via email (editor@jewishallianceri.org) or regular mail (The Jewish Voice, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence, RI 02906).

NEXT TIME IN THE VOICE Year in Review: It’s our annual review of the important stories of 2018. Enjoy the read!

Still looking for a good cookbook? Renown cooking teacher, personal chef, food columnist and recipe developer Naomi Nachman has a new cookbook and we’ll talk about “Perfect Flavors.”

Honor thy father What binds together the 10 short stories in Daniel Shansky’s “Decalogue” (Curly’s Mojo, publisher, 2018) is that each of them is a commentary, directly or indirectly, on one of the Ten Commandments.

While unified IT SEEMS in theme, they vary widely TO ME in both literary style and RABBI JIM setting. The ROSENBERG volume as a whole reflects Shansky’s remarkable ability to imagine himself in a number of different – even contradictory – worlds.

“The Collector,” for example, begins in the toxic witch-burning atmosphere of Salem, Massachusetts, on April 22, 1682, flashing back to the year 1650 in the European city-state of Venice. Sadly, this tale of religious and racial intolerance anticipates the lethal bigotry reported in today’s headlines.

At the other end of the time/ space continuum, “Trouble in Enol-I” unfolds in the distant future: “It was therefore not strange that by the end of the 23rd century, since the other planets in the solar system were found to be inimical to human life, that colonies of Earth People were established on every known habitable planet in other star systems to which man had been able to travel thus far.”

This narrative focuses on a robot-run industrial complex on uninhabited Enol-I, a satellite of Planet A-4, home to a colony of Earth People.

The question that arises out of Shansky’s ever-fertile imagination is this: are the robots on Enol-I entitled to a 24-hour Shabbat, just as their human counterparts?

But Shansky does not need to travel to the ends of time and space to tell a compelling story. His “Honesty is the Best Policy,” set in Brooklyn, New York, in the 1970s, is a commentary on “Thou shalt not steal” in the form of a succinct police procedural, featuring two wise-cracking detectives along with a supporting cast of crime

solvers straight out of Brooklyn’s central casting.

Most surprising of all is Shansky’s 10th and final story, “The Grass is Always Greener,” which tackles the theme of transgender identity. Though the author completed “Decalogue” in 1977, he seems 40 years ahead of his time in his treatment of the profoundly conflicted Danielle, who cries out to her/his doctor: “Men behave towards me as if I were a woman, but I don’t feel like a woman! I can’t react to a man as if I were. On the other hand, I am not a lesbian either; oh, I don’t know what I am … I want to be a man! Every nerve and fiber of my being in me wants to be a man!”

Shansky envisions changing Danielle’s agony to ecstasy through a therapy that many today would consider to be unenlightened, and most definitely not “politically correct.” Nevertheless, I applaud his daring in grappling with such a complex and sensitive issue – an issue that the vast majority of people in the 1970s had never thought about.

Not only is Shansky a master storyteller, he also displays on almost every page a deep love of the English language. He seems to take great pleasure in constructing his sentences, thereby making them a pleasure to read.

In the very first sentence of the very first story, “The Atheist,” the author demonstrates his love of words as he establishes a tone of gentle irony: “If you asked him, Lenny Shifrin would reply with a bitter chuckle: ‘Yes, I’m an Atheist, thank God!’” In a similar vein, the reader can join in Shansky’s wordsmith’s delight in the opening sentence of “The Terrible Sin of Marie Dupin”: “The rooster screamed his challenge to

the incipient sun.” Indeed, the author enjoys these words so much that he chooses to conclude the story with “… just as the rooster once more screamed his daily challenge to the incipient sun.”

On the back cover of “The Decalogue,” the author’s son, Joseph Shansky, a long-time member of Barrington’s Temple Habonim, offers a hymn of praise to his father (1920-1986), who “packed a lot into his 66 years of living. He was a musician by choice and training, a teacher in the New York City school system, a role model, a composer, an author, a poet, a husband, a father, a brother and a friend.”

During his retirement, Daniel Shansky found the time and the energy to “write 2 novels, 10 short stories, and 2 fully scored operettas and cantatas for orchestra, chorus and soloists ….”

Despite his creative output, none of Daniel Shansky’s work saw publication during his lifetime. It has been Joseph’s “purpose, as his son, to share his creations now that time and technology have come together to provide the means and the opportunity to allow it to happen.”

Through his monumental effort to bring his father’s work to the world, Joseph Shansky has modeled what it means to obey the Biblical commandment to “Honor thy father.”

You may purchase a copy of “Decalogue” by visiting the publisher’s website at www. curlysmojo.com.

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

Going somewhere for winter vacation? Don’t forget to connect with us. Send us your “We Are Read” photos to editor@jewishallianceri.org

COLUMNS | LETTERS POLICY 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 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

December 7, 2018 |

9

I’m dreaming of a Hanukkah song as good as ‘White Christmas’

BY ANDREW SILOW-CARROLL JTA – A Facebook friend is looking for nominations for the Great Hanukkah Song. I’m not impressed by the candidates.

The classics – “Ma’oz Tzur (Rock of Ages),” “Oh Hanukkah Oh Hanukkah,” “Sevivon” and “I Have a Little Dreidel” – have a nostalgic appeal, and I couldn’t imagine this minor holiday without them. But no one one would call any of them a great song.

Newer suggestions range from “Tom Lehrer’s “(I’m Spending) Hanukkah in Santa Monica” to Adam Sandler’s frequently revised “Hanukkah Song.” The former is really a riff on multiple Jewish holidays, and the latter is an ode to Jewish celebrities.

There are other nominees that aren’t parodies, novelty songs or old chestnuts, but few plug effectively into the themes or emotions of the holiday itself.

And isn’t that what we mean by a great song? Music and lyrics combine to capture the

essence of the thing being sung about, whether it is a dying love affair, one’s longing for home or the character of a place. A great song is also often more suggestive than explicit, or at the very least gets its greatness from a few crystalline images and not a laundry list of associations. (Think of “The way you wear your hat / The way you sip your tea” from “They Can’t Take That Away from Me,” which conjures up all the particular quirks or habits we find endearing in a loved one.)

Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul & Mary made a game stab at writing the Great Hanukkah Song with “Light One Candle,” but the whole thing is way too specific and literal for my taste: “Light one candle for the Maccabee children / With thanks their light didn’t die; / Light one candle for the pain they endured / When their right to exist was denied.”

It’s a stirring call to arms, but I don’t know of many history lessons that qualify as great songs, including “The Star-Spangled Banner.” I’ll

take “This Land is Your Land” every time, which makes you love America by building up a series of images that capture its physical and metaphorical beauty. It shows you, rather than tells you, why this place is worth singing about.

And that, frankly, is exactly what’s missing from nearly every Hanukkah song I can name. They tell you what the holiday is about (“Hark! In days of yore in Israel’s ancient land / Brave Maccabeus led the faithful band”), but don’t connect word and melody to show you why you should care. They don’t find that myth-making image and mood that makes you sigh and say, “Yes, exactly right.”

It’s a pity Irving Berlin didn’t write a Hanukkah song, because his “White Christmas” shows exactly how to turn a holiday ditty into a timeless song. The Jewish composer famously wrote the song on the eve of World War II, and it was first heard on radio just weeks after Pearl Harbor. Its stature and popularity grew as more and more soldiers were shipped

overseas and heard in its lyrics a longing for what they left behind and may not see again.

It’s barely even about Christmas, and certainly not about the birth of Jesus. Instead, it wistfully captures what Christmas feels like, even if you don’t celebrate it. (The rarely sung intro reveals that it was not even written as a song about wartime: The narrator is actually a Northerner transplanted to the “orange and palm trees” of Beverly Hills, dreaming of winters back home.) And it is incredibly compact: Famously, it has just 54 words and 67 notes. There are really only two concrete evocations of the season in the entire song: the treetops glisten with snow, and children hear the sounds of sleigh bells. That’s it. But you see the snow, hear the bells, and even if you never lived north of the Mason-Dixon Line, you are transported to the mythical winter land of Christmas.

Which is why, when pressed to name my favorite Hanukkah song, I usually answer “In the Window.” It is as short as

a blessing, has a melancholy melody like “White Christmas” and even borrows the snow motif to paint an indelible image of lighting candles during the darkest night of the year: “In the window, where you can see the glow / from my Menorah, on newly fallen snow ...” That’s basically it, with another verse or two about lighting that night’s candle.

The song gets to the performative essence of Hanukkah, which is “publicizing the miracle” – that is, lighting the candles where they can be seen by the outside world, in celebration of our belief in redemption and renewal, and in defiance of our frequent impulse to shield our minority culture from a possibly hostile world.

I wish I knew who wrote “In the Window” – it’s usually attributed as a “Hebrew folk melody.” But it would be delicious irony if it were written by someone who wasn’t Jewish.

ANDREW SILOW-CARROLL is editor in chief of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.

LETTER

Larry Kessler’s article about Jonathan Weisman quotes the dramatic rise in hate and anti-Semitism in the past 20 months. Let’s be rational.

Check figures for the past 20 years.

Look at the US response to the Charlie Hebdo and Kosher market massacre. World leaders, minus the US, joined to show solidarity. Mr. Obama sent James Taylor weeks later to sing “You’ve Got a Friend.” His actions belie these words.

President Trump’s daughter, son-in-law and half his grand-

Re: Rising anti-Semitism (Nov. 9)

children are Jewish. Another son is dating a Jewish woman.

It seems unlikely he is busy stirring up people to murder Jews. He also incurred the wrath of the Palm Beach elite by opening Mar-a-Lago to minorities, including Jews.

It’s time to admit both the right and left have disturbed adherents they would rather not claim. Charlottesville – 20 year old who also tried to murder his handicapped mother when he was 12. Republican ball team – sick man living in his van.

Las Vegas concert – man who

felt country music lovers were Republicans so they should die, etc.

Even my own 70-year-old brother-in-law, a Vietnam Veteran, was severely beaten by an Antifa, apparently because he was wearing a flag shirt on his way to an annual Veterans memorial service.

Finally, the Tree of Life – ultra right. Every incident generates the same “thoughts and prayers” and show of solidarity regardless of affiliation. Same sensational TV coverage. Same result … nothing.

Ten days prior to the synagogue shooting,”Reverend” Farrakhan, a world class anti-Semite for decades, gave a videotaped speech to commemorate his Million Man March.

Hitler made recurring reference to Jews as vermin to be exterminated like termites.

Farrakhan paraphrased: “I am not anti-Semite ... I am anti-termite.” This was met with loud laughter and applause by the large crowd present. Immediately, Chelsea Clinton condemned him. No politician, religious figure or Jewish figure

thought it worthy of comment.

I have seen no coverage in The Jewish Voice or other media.

We continue to concentrate on sick people acting, for the most part, alone. The “Reverend” and others of his ilk continue to spread hate to thousands through big rallies.

Are we watching the wrong enemy?

Rochelle M. Shatkin Warren, RI

Israelis see left-right struggle as most significant conflict JERUSALEM (JTA) – For the first time, Israelis said the main point of conflict in their society is between left and right and not between Jews and Arabs.

That’s what an annual assessment by the Israel Democracy Institute found in its annual survey.

Meanwhile, nearly half of Israelis again said they believe their democracy is in “grave danger.”

In the survey of 1,041 Jewish and Arab respondents, some 36 percent held the view that tension between the left and right

is the main point of contention in society, with 28 percent saying it is the conflict between Jews and Arabs. Twenty-four percent said the main conflict is between religious and secular Jews.

The last time the question was asked, in 2016, 29 percent perceived the left-right struggle was the main point of contention and 48.5 percent saw it as Jews and Arabs. In 2012, it was 9 percent and 47 percent.

Some 45.5 percent of Israeli Jews and Arabs believe the democracy is in peril, mirroring the figures from last year’s

survey. Among Arab Israelis in the newest survey, the figure is 70 percent; among secular Jews, 57 percent; and national religious Jews, 13 percent.

A minority of Israelis believes there is a good balance between the Jewish and democratic components of Israel’s identity, mostly reflecting Israel’s deep secular-religious divide.

The study, in its 16th year, examines multiple aspects of Israel’s democracy, including its structure, effectiveness and values. The findings were presented Dec. 3 to President

Reuven Rivlin.

Tamar Hermann, director of the Israel Democracy Institute’s Guttmann Center for Public Opinion and Policy Research, said in a statement that two blocs have formed within Israeli Jewish society on the issues contained in the survey.

“This polarization is a dangerous process, reflecting an inability to reach consensus on what is the common good,” she said.

Other findings include: • The most trusted state institution is the army, at 89 percent, followed by the president

at 68 percent. Slightly more than half of Israelis trusted the police.

• 81.5 percent of respondents are proud to be Israelis. That breaks down with 88 percent of Jews and 51 percent of Arabs, down several points from the previous year.

• 79 percent of Israelis feel they have little or no influence on government policy and 56 percent do not agree that most Knesset members work hard and are doing a good job.

Exciting changes are coming to the Jewish Voice A new name, a new look — same good source of Jewish information.

10 | December 7, 2018

Ongoing Alliance Kosher Senior Café. Kosher lunch and program every weekday except holidays. (Closed 12/25.) Dwares JCC, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence.

Noon lunch; 1 p.m. program. Hanukkah Celebration (reservations required) 12/7 11 a.m.-1 p.m. $3 lunch donation from individuals 60+ or under 60 with disabilities. Information or to RSVP, Neal or Elaine, 401-421-4111, ext. 107.

West Bay Kosher Senior Café. Kosher lunch and program every Friday except holidays. Will meet at Dwares JCC on 12/7 for Hanukkah Celebration 11 a.m.-1 p.m. 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

CALENDAR 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 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, 275 Camp St., Providence. Fun and 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 | December 7 Family Shabbat Dinner and Worship Services. 6-8 p.m. Temple Beth-El, 70 Orchard Ave., Providence. Led by fifth-grade students. Dinner: chicken schnitzel, rice, salad and gluten-free vegetarian option. Free for registered LYGRS families. Cost: Adults $15 | Children $8 | Family max. $50. Information or to RSVP, Temple Beth-El office at 401-331-6070.

Hanukkah Service and Holiday Dinner.

6-8:30 p.m. Temple Sinai, 30 Hagen Ave., Cranston. Shireinu will sing familiar Hanukkah songs during services.

Holiday dinner follows. Cost: $5 per person | Max. $20 per family. Information or to RSVP, Dottie at dottie@ templesinairi.org or 401-942-8350.

Kabbalat Shabbat Service. 7:30-9:00 p.m. Temple Torat Yisrael, 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich. Service followed

by Oneg. Information, stephanie@ toratyisrael.org or 401-885-6600.

Saturday | December 8 Taste of Shabbat. 9-11 a.m. Temple Torat Yisrael, 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich. 9 a.m. Torah discussion and 9:45 a.m. service followed by a light Kiddush.

Information, stephanie@toratyisrael.org or 401-885-6600.

Holiday Concert. 6-8:30 p.m. Woodridge Congregational Church, 30 Jackson Road, Cranston. Shireinu, the community chorus of Temple Sinai, will participate with choruses from Cranston churches. Information, Dottie at dottie@ templesinairi.org or 401-942-8350.

Sunday | December 9 Congregation Beth David presents “A Hanukkah Music Delight.” 10:45 a.m.12:30 p.m. Narragansett Community

The Jewish Voice Center, 53 Mumford Road, Narragansett. A fun-filled, family morning of song and games for all ages. Fishel Bresler and Friends, klezmer musicians, entertains. A light lunch, including latkes, will be served. Free. Open to the public.

RSVP to smchorney1@verizon.com.

short film about Hanukkah followed by various Hanukkah-themed games. Free.

Information or to RSVP, Nir Cafri at ncafri@jewishallianceri.org or 401-4214111, ext. 121.

Hanukkah Escape Room. Noon-5 p.m.

Dwares JCC, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence. The doors have slammed shut.

The menorah and candles are missing.

You have 45 minutes to save Hanukkah before the oil runs out. Book your time slot today. Cost: $36 per time slot. Time slots available on the hour. 6-person maximum per time slot. RSVP or information, Lisa Maybruch at lmaybruch@ jewishallianceri.org or 401-421-4111, ext. 111.

PJ Library Bookstore Tour. 11 a.m.-noon.

Kiddos, 3383 Mendon Road, Cumberland. Come listen to familiar PJ Library favorites and discover the newer stories PJ has to offer. Participate in related crafts and activities. All are welcome. Upcoming dates: 1/13/19 from 1-2 p.m. at Barnes and Noble, The Crossings at Smithfield, 371 Putnam Pike, Smithfield; 1/28/19 from 11:30 a.m.-noon at Henry Bear’s Park, 736 Hope St., Providence; 2/11/19 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. at Barrington Books Retold, Garden City, 176 Hillside Road, Cranston; 2/21/19 from 10-11 a.m. at Barrington Books, 184 County Road, Barrington. Information or to RSVP, Lyndsey Ursillo at lursillo@jewishallianceri.org or 401-421-4111, ext. 141.

Hanukkah Party. Noon-1:30 p.m. Temple Torat Yisrael, 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich. Candle lighting, music, crafts, face painting and dreidel games.

Bring your menorah and candles to celebrate the seventh night. Potato latkes and a light lunch will be served. Open to the community. Donations welcome.

Information, stephanie@toratyisrael.org or 401-885-6600.

New England Yachad’s Providence Hanukkah Party. 5-7 p.m. Congregation Beth Sholom, 275 Camp St., Providence. Celebrate with music, food and fun. This family event is for all ages. All abilities welcome. Cost: $5 per person.

Yachad/NJCD is dedicated to enhancing the life opportunities of individuals with disabilities and ensuring their participation in the full spectrum of Jewish life. RSVP at Yachad.org/newengland.

Information, Jordana Weisman at Weismanj@ou.org or 617-209-6799, ext. 105.

Tuesday | December 11 The Jewish Way in Death and Dying.

10-11:30 a.m. Temple Sinai, 30 Hagen Ave., Cranston. Third of four classes in which Rabbi Jeffrey Goldwasser explores Jewish law and customs concerning the approach of death, rituals for burial and mourning, and the way we remember people and sanctify their lives long after they have died. Tuesdays thru 12/18. Information, Dottie at dottie@templesinairi.org or 401-942-8350.

Temple Torat Yisrael’s Lunch and Learn. T’s Restaurant, 5600 Post Road, East Greenwich. Noon-1:30 p.m. Join Rabbi Aaron Philmus to discuss “The Mourner’s Kaddish is Misunderstood.”

Each participant orders from the menu.

Open to all. Information, stephanie@ toratyisrael.org or 401-885-6600.

Wednesday | December 12 Israel Culture Series: Hanukkah Casino Night. 7-9 p.m. Dwares JCC, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence. This adults-only celebration will open with a

Friday | December 14

Friday Night Live Celebrates Winter. 6-9 p.m. Temple Torat Yisrael, 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich. A musical celebration of Shabbat followed by dinner. Menu: loaded vegetable soup, potato latkes, applesauce, Israeli salad, roasted chicken, baked seasonal fish and dessert. Cost: Adults and children over 12 years $20 | 12 years and younger free | Family max. $60. Information or to RSVP, Torat Yisrael office at 401-885-6600.

Saturday | December 15 Classic Shabbat Service. 9-11 a.m.

Temple Torat Yisrael, 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich. Service followed by a Kiddush luncheon. Information, stephanie@toratyisrael.org or 401-885-6600.

Kids’ Night Out: Starry Night. Ages 5-12: 5-10 p.m. Ages 2-4: 5-8:30 p.m. (extended times available). Dwares JCC, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence.

Children spend the evening with friends in a fun and safe environment, and parents get a night out “kid free.”

Themed activities include sports, crafts and more. A pizza dinner and snacks are served, and the evening ends with a movie. The older group of kids also enjoys an hour of free swim. For ages 2-4, make sure to send your child with PJs. Price: $40 | Members: $30 | Siblings: $20. Information and registration, Shannon Kochanek at skochanek@ jewishallianceri.org or 401-421-4111, ext. 147.

Sunday | December 16 Summer J-Camp Reunion. 4-6 p.m.

Dwares JCC, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence. Join your friends, former CITs and counselors at the J-Camp reunion. Swim in the pool, enjoy a pizza party, laugh, play games, dance and

watch a camp slideshow. Information or to RSVP (required), Aaron Guttin at aguttin@jewishallianceri.org or 401421-4111, ext. 140.

Tuesday | December 18 PJ Library Story Time. 10-11 a.m.

Dwares JCC, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence. Stories and songs are a great way to learn about and share different values and customs. Join us as we read the book “Chicken Soup, Chicken Soup” and then mix up our own version of chicken soup and talk about holiday traditions. Free. Ages: 5 and under. Information or to RSVP, Lyndsey Ursillo at lursillo@jewishallianceri.org or 401-421-4111, ext. 141.

The Jewish Way in Death and Dying.

10-11:30 a.m. Temple Sinai, 30 Hagen Ave., Cranston. Last of four classes in which Rabbi Jeffrey Goldwasser explores Jewish law and customs concerning the approach of death, rituals for burial and mourning, and the way we remember people and sanctify their lives long after they have died. Information, Dottie at dottie@templesinairi.org or 401-942-8350.

Friday | December 21 PJ Library Challah in the House. 9:3010:30 a.m. Dwares JCC, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence. During the week we work, play and go to school. Shabbat is the Jewish day of rest. Join us as we make challah dough to take home and bake for your Shabbat table. Enjoy stories and songs as well. Price: $5 per loaf | Dwares JCC Members: $3 per loaf. Upcoming dates: 1/25/19, 2/22/19, 3/22/19, 5/10/19. Information or to RSVP (required), Lyndsey Ursillo at lursillo@jewishallianceri.org or 401421-4111, ext. 141.

T.G.I.F. – Thank G-D It’s Friday. 5:45-7 p.m. Temple Torat Yisrael, 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich. Shabbat songs and story with Rabbi Aaron Philmus followed by a free kid-friendly Shabbat meal. Information or to RSVP, Torat Yisrael office at 401-885-6600.

Shabbat Hallelu. 7 p.m. Temple Beth-El, 70 Orchard Ave., Providence. Information, Temple Beth-El office at 401-3316070.

Kabbalat Shabbat Service. 7:30-9:00 p.m. Temple Torat Yisrael, 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich. Service followed

by Oneg. Information, stephanie@ toratyisrael.org or 401-885-6600.

Saturday | December 22 Taste of Shabbat. 9-11 a.m. Temple Torat Yisrael, 1251 Middle Road, East Greenwich. 9 a.m. Torah discussion and 9:45 a.m. service followed by a light Kiddush.

Information, stephanie@toratyisrael.org or 401-885-6600.

My grandson stole my usual Shabbat role and I couldn’t be prouder

BY LEON MOSS (Kveller via JTA) – I was edged out on Friday evening. The carefully planned operation was carried out by grandson No. 2, the one with the red hair.

“Move over, Pop. I’ll do it,” he said firmly, prodding me in the ribs with a sharp elbow.

It’s like this: I say the Friday night Kiddush. I have been saying it for 50 or 60 years now. I say

it every Friday night. Winter and summer. With or without the book. Sitting, standing or even pacing, if necessary. I can say it backwards, sideways and upside down. I can say it faultlessly with the lights on or off. I can say it quickly in a monotone – or I can sing it like Pavarotti and really schlep it out and turn it into quite a ceremony.

I began saying the Kiddush

on the Friday night after my Bar Mitzvah, when my own grandfather, who had been saying it since his Bar Mitzvah, called me to his side.

“You say it from now on, my boy,” he said in his unique accent, which he acquired first in Lithuania, then in Ireland and finally in South Africa.

He gratefully shoved the prayer book into my hands. In

Johannesburg, where I grew up, the entire family got together every Shabbat evening to be with our grandparents and honor them.

“Don’t forget the tune,” he added after I had taken the book.

The tune, such as it was, wasn’t much. Over the years it has degenerated into a toneless drone, which lasts all of a min-

ute and comes to an abrupt end when the guests yell “Amen!” with enthusiasm, their eyes already moving hungrily toward the steaming chicken soup.

This particular Friday evening was like any other, except now I’m the grandfather and my extended family lives in Israel, as do I. We assembled, with hungry children waiting to bite SHABBAT | 19

jvhri.org

FOOD

December 7, 2018 |

11

Tasty gratin for Hanukkah and year-round

BY CHAYA RAPPOPORT (The Nosher via JTA) – Chances are, if you’ve heard of Hanukkah, you’ve heard of the miraculous jug of oil that lasted eight days instead of one, the Maccabees, and of their hero, the warrior Judah. But there’s another hero – or in this case, heroine – associated with the Hanukkah story, and while her story is lesser known, it’s just as awe-inspiring.

Judith was a young, beautiful widow who lived in the second century B.C.E. in the town of Bethulia. When Bethulia came under siege by the notoriously cruel Assyrian general Holofernes, and the townspeople were close to surrender, Judith stepped in. She begged her people to have faith and asked them to give her a chance before they gave up. They did, and that night, she and her maid set out for the enemy camp.

Judith walked confidently into the camp and demanded to be taken to the general. Once in his tent, she presented herself as a Jewish sympathizer and promised Holofernes she’d help him take down Bethulia.

The general, who was instantly smitten, invited her to a feast.

Judith came prepared. She brought her briny, homemade goat cheese to the feast, persuaded the general to partake of the salty dairy and when he got thirsty, plied him with strong, undiluted wine. In a matter of minutes he had passed out, and lay sprawled across his tent in a drunken stupor. Judith, alone with him in the tent, uttered a silent prayer asking for help and strength. And then, in one swift motion, she unsheathed his sword and beheaded him.

Suffice it to say, Bethulia emerged victorious. Judith brought Holofernes’ severed head back to her community elders, who then launched a surprise attack on the Assyrians.

The Assyrians, who found their commander laying headless in

the bottom of the buttered casserole dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and top with 1 cup of the kale.

Pour 1/4 of the cream mixture on top of the kale. Sprinkle with 1/4 of the grated cheese mixture. Repeat with 3 more layers, reserving the last 1/4 cup of cheese.

Bake potatoes until tender and creamy, around 1 hour.

Then cover the potatoes with foil and let bake for another 3035 minutes, or until the cream is bubbling and the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork.

Place rack in highest position; heat broiler. Mix the breadcrumbs with the remaining 1/4 cup of cheese and sprinkle over the potatoes.

Broil until the cheese is bubbling and the top of the gratin is

his tent, fled.

Judith had courage and bravery in spades, and today, in her honor, it’s customary to eat dairy on Hanukkah. I love this gratin for Hanukkah parties because it feeds a crowd, incorporates cheese and features these thinly sliced potatoes – it’s like one big cheesy latke. The kale is a hearty addition that breaks up all the creamy, cheesy goodness, and the garlic, thyme and bay leaves add flavor.

Raclette is a particular type of Swiss cheese that becomes nutty and melty when it is heated, but you could also use Gruyère if you cannot find Raclette.

It’s delicious, but best of all, it’s a reminder of the strength women have within, and that a single act of courage can change the course of history.

Eat cheese – and celebrate Hanukkah and great Jewish women!

Cheesy Kale and Potato Gratin Ingredients Butter, for the dish 2 1/2 cups heavy cream 2 garlic cloves, minced

golden brown, 7-10 minutes.

Serve topped with sprigs of fresh thyme leaves, if desired.

Serves 8.

CHAYA RAPPOPORT is the blogger, baker and picture taker behind retrolillies.wordpress.com. Currently a pastry sous-chef at a Brooklyn bakery, she’s been blogging since 2012 and her work has been featured on The Feed Feed, Delish.com, Food and Wine, and Conde Nast Traveler. The Nosher food blog offers an array of new and classic Jewish recipes and food news, from Europe to Yemen, from challah to shakshuka and beyond. Check it out at TheNosher.com.

3 fresh bay leaves 3 sprigs fresh thyme 5 whole black peppercorns 1 tablespoon ground mustard seed 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg 1 tablespoon Kosher salt 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 4 pounds russet potatoes, scrubbed and thinly sliced 4 cups, washed, curly or lacinato kale, chopped and stem removed 4 ounces Raclette cheese (1 cup), finely grated (can also use Gruyère) 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the inside of a 3-quart baking dish.

Bring the heavy cream, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, peppercorns, mustard and nutmeg to a simmer in a small saucepan over low heat.

Let cool slightly. Remove bay leaves, thyme and peppercorns from sauce. Season the cream mixture with salt and pepper.

Fan out a layer of potatoes on

Had enough of frying? Try these apple bars Apple Bars Ingredients

Dough: 2 cups white whole-wheat flour 1/2 cup raw cane sugar 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoo salt 1 cup butter 2 beaten egg yolks Filling: 4 apples, cored and sliced 3/4 cup raw cane sugar 1/4 cup white whole-wheat flour 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Brush over top: 1 slightly beaten egg white

Directions

Stir dry dough ingredients together; cut in butter until

crumbs are the size of small peas. Stir in egg yolks. Divide dough in half. Press one half into a 15- x 10- x 1-inch baking pan.

Mix together apples and the filling ingredients; arrange over top of bottom crust. Crumble remaining dough over apples. Brush egg white over all.

Bake in 350° oven for 40 minutes. Cool before cutting into bars.

These can also be baked in a 13- x 9- x 2-inch pan for 45 minutes.

Recipe from the New England Apple Association

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12 | December 7, 2018

COMMUNITY

The Jewish Voice

Exchange program brings Israelis to The Miriam Hospital, renews Jewish bonds A rich tradition continued this fall when a medical team from Emek Medical Center in Israel visited The Miriam Hospital as part of a professional and cultural exchange program that began in 2005.

The exchange program brings the Israelis to a hospital and its surrounding community that has deep and cherished Jewish roots. And it strengthens bonds that The Miriam has sought to develop with its sister hospital in Afula, in the Jezreel Valley of northern Israel.

During the last week of October, The Miriam hosted four representatives from Emek for a visit that included tours of medical facilities and discussions with medical professionals and administrative staff.

“This is a wonderful program that greatly benefits both Emek Medical Center and The Miriam Hospital,” said Arthur Sampson, president of The Miriam. “Not only do we get to share ideas on how best to care for our patients and strengthen our institutions, but we continue to cultivate a relationship between two hospitals that cherish their Jewish identity.”

The four visitors from Emek were deputy director and trauma surgeon Gil Hirschhorn, MD, customer service manager Michal Kril, nursing director Yehudit Hyatt and emergency department nurse manager Pnina Sabag.

“We feel at home,” Hyatt said at The Miriam one day, while

PHOTO | THE MIRIAM HOSPITAL

Members of the Emek Medical Center exchange were greeted by representatives of The Miriam Hospital.

Pictured left to right are: Emek Deputy Director Gil Hirschhorn, MD, TMH executive assistant Maggie Dupont, Emek CNO Yehudit Hyat, TMH Life Trustee Jeffrey Brier, Emek customer service manager Michel Kril, Emek ED nurse manager Pnina Sabag and TMH President Arthur Sampson. observing that the hospital has many Jewish items on display, from menorahs to mezuzot – not to mention a photograph of Emek Medical Center.

During the visit, Hirschhorn gave a presentation on emergency preparedness during grand rounds at Rhode Island Hospital. It was within one

week of the fatal shootings at Tree of Life Synagogue and the same week that The Miriam Hospital conducted a planned active shooter drill, which the Israeli contingent observed.

In some ways, Hirschhorn said, Emek’s situation is different since security in Israel, where threats have historically

been more prevalent, is already far more restrictive than it is in the United States. But the two institutions also are similar in their need “to prepare a hospital for an emergency situation.”

The challenge, he said, is “how do you take a hospital that is busy, with a shortage of staff, and prepare them.”

Other highlights for the contingent included sightseeing in Providence and outings and dinners with prominent members of the Jewish community.

“The hospitality has been great,” said Sabag.

Jeffrey Brier, who chairs The Miriam’s Israel Steering Committee and is a life trustee of its Foundation Board, played an active role in establishing the exchange to promote The Miriam’s Jewish heritage. He’s also very active in helping to host the Emek visitors.

“I was in Israel in the early 1990s and our itinerary included a stop at Emek Medical Cen-

ter. They happened to be conducting a war drill,” said Brier.

“The scope and organization of the drill was impressive and that planted the seed for exploring if it would be beneficial to The Miriam Hospital and Emek Medical Center to start an exchange program.”

Today, the exchange “is still thriving,” he said. “This program gives doctors, nurses and administrators from both institutions the opportunity to experience a health care setting in a foreign country with a different model of care as well to collaborate on best practices and research. All who have participated are amazed by what we do differently as well as how much we have in common, and they have found the experience to be most rewarding.”

Submitted by The Miriam Hospital

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jvhri.org

NATION

December 7, 2018 |

13

When George H.W. Bush was reluctant to wear a yarmulke

BY MARSHALL BREGER WASHINGTON (JTA) – George H.W. Bush was a man of uncommon decency. He also was a man of uncommon integrity.

I worked for him for over 10 years, while he was the vice president and then president.

My memories could fill a book (or at least a chapter of one). Being out of politics, I no longer maintain the proverbial “wall of fame” that Washington lawyers have of themselves with famous people. But one of the few photos I have kept was one of Vice President Bush holding my daughter, then 5 months old, lovingly and affectionately.

When I learned of his death, I walked over to my mantelpiece to commune with it for some minutes.

George H.W. Bush was both a man of principle and action.

I remember a small meeting at his residence called at the request of the Israeli ambassador about the deteriorating situation of the Ethiopian Jews still in Africa. A Pentagon official said they were quietly taking three to five Jews out every week on a commercial airplane to Brussels and doubted they could substantially increase the number.

The vice president broke in and pointed out that the premise of the meeting was that the Ethiopians’ situation in Somalia was perilous. The Pentagon official agreed.

If so, Bush asked, why can’t we send in some airplanes and airlift them out all at once? He followed up with a request that a plan be given to me to get this done.

Given that vice presidential directive, the Pentagon thought boldly and brought back a plan that it had first said was impossible. And I will never forget the real emotion in Bush’s voice when he called me from Air Force Two to tell me that the first Ethiopian Jews were coming down the gangplank in a military airport south of Tel Aviv. There was emotion in my voice as well.

George Bush was a religious man, but he always kept his religion private. Unlike

many politicians of today, he did not choose to parade his belief to the world. Accompanying Vice President Bush to the dedication in 1984 of a new building for the National Museum of American Jewish Military History here, I brought him six yarmulkes so he could choose one to wear while affixing the building’s mezuzah. He told me he felt uncomfortable doing so in that he felt the Jews present would see him wearing the skullcap and believe he was pandering to them. I was embarrassed to tell him that the Jews wanted to be pandered to and would take it as a sign of disrespect if he didn’t.

He was also a compassionate man. Once when traveling on Air Force One he brought up a mutual acquaintance who he thought had been acting strangely and might be deteriorating mentally. He asked me to alert a relative who might be able to intervene and report back to him if his help was needed.

George Bush had a principled sense of fairness as well, even when it went against the feelings of the Jewish community.

He once invited me to a private lunch in his office, where he spread out a map of Jerusalem and asked me to explain each and every Jewish settlement in the city. He saw such settlement as injurious to the peace process, telling me it was as if two parties were negotiating over a quarry and at night one of them

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entered and removed stones, reducing its value. I tried to explain the attachment of Jews to Jerusalem, but to him it seemed fundamentally unfair to change the status quo while negotiating about it.

For most American Jews, however, his presidency was marked by his intemperate outburst against members of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee lobbying Congress about the U.S. loan guarantees.

AIPAC felt the loans to Israel were necessary to assist the absorption of Soviet Jewish immigrants. Bush supported the guarantees but did not want them used to subsidize building in the West Bank. Then-Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir and AIPAC fought him on it.

After a day of AIPAC lobbying, Bush pushed back.

“I heard today there

was something like 1,000 lobbyists on the Hill working on the other side of the question. We’ve got one lonely little guy down here doing it,” he said.

The Jewish community erupted, claiming that Bush was suggesting “dual loyalty” and encouraging anti-Semitism. The atmosphere can only be described as rancid. Bush later told me he regretted the outburst, not because of the policy views it expressed but because he so hated the thought that his remarks might engender anti-Semitism.

Some years later, when he was no longer president, I attended a small dinner party at the Israeli ambassador’s residence.

The conversation turned to former President Bush, and the American Jews present spoke of how they reviled him. The Israeli military personnel at the

dinner stopped them short. No president, they pointed out, had done more for Israel’s security and its relationship with the U.S. military.

I can speak of much more: of his assistance in getting individual refuseniks out of Russia, of his quiet work in helping Syrian Jewish women leave Syria “to find husbands,” and of his support (through Secretary of State Jim Baker) for the Madrid peace conference, which laid the groundwork for the Oslo accords and the now, on life support, two-state solution.

And this does not even begin to cover the extraordinary diplomacy that helped navigate peacefully the end of the Soviet Union and the grand coalition that successfully led to the liberation of Kuwait from Saddam Hussein. He helped bring about the reunification of Germany. He fostered a “new world order,” one that led to greater American power in the context of win-win scenarios for all our allies.

For these and other reasons there is no doubt that his memory will be for a blessing.

MARSHALL J. BREGER is a professor of law at the Columbus School of Law, The Catholic University of America. During the George H.W. Bush administration he served as solicitor of labor, the chief lawyer of the Labor Department. From 1982 to 1984 he served as special assistant to President Reagan and his liaison to the Jewish community.

14 | December 7, 2018

COMMUNIITY

The Jewish Voice

Working at J-Camp was ideal preparation for spending nine months ‘adulting’ in Israel

BY JULIA KEIZLER This past summer, I was lucky to work as a day-camp counselor at the Alliance’s Dwares Jewish Community Center, in Providence. These nine weeks were transformative to my character and work ethic, but little did I know how much they would affect my nine-month gap year in Israel.

The skills gained this past summer, such as patience, responsibility and community-building, will be with me for the rest of my life – and have contributed so much to my experience in Israel.

Living on the same floor as 25 other people my age who are all navigating the stresses and learning curves of being away from our families for the first time is no easy task. It takes an immense amount of patience to coexist with this number of people. Whether it’s keeping the kitchen clean, going grocery shopping, or simply trying to regulate the volume control in order to get a good night’s sleep, patience is certainly a virtue.

This past summer, my patience grew immensely.

As much fun as being in charge of 24 8 year olds can be, it certainly comes with quite a bit of stress. I’m certain that if I did not spend nine weeks constantly practicing keeping my cool in high-stress situations, I would not be able to handle communal living.

Being in a foreign country requires a great deal of self-awareness and responsibility. Navigating the public transport system in Tel Aviv, keeping a close eye on my belongings when out and about, and simply “adulting” without

Backseat memories and a few hit songs

The writer in Arad. the supervision of my parents is a lot of responsibility to grasp all at once.

Spending eight hours a day looking after other people’s children is probably the highest level of responsibility one can have. After carry around a bag full of EpiPens, looking after all of their water bottles, and remembering to apply sunscreen for them every three hours, navigating one of the busiest cities in the world is a piece of cake.

I remember that during one of the final days of camp last summer, a 5-year-old camper eloquently stated, “I’m sad that J-Camp is ending. It feels like my home.”

As counselors, we built an

amazing community to ensure our campers felt at home. This community-building helped me build my own community in Young Judaea.

Needless to say, I am incredibly grateful for my experience as a J-Camp counselor and the people who helped shape me into the person I am today. I know my gap year would not have been the same without this life-changing job. Every day, I remember my great experience at the Jewish Alliance, and I cannot wait to return to my second home in May. JULIA KEIZLER, of Providence, is participating in a Young Judea gap year in Israel.

What did you do when riding in the backseat of your parents’ car? I remember doing these things: 1. I read the street signs.

There was no I-95 so I was able to become MAY-RONNY familiar with ZEIDMAN the streets in Rhode Island. I am still amazed when I know where a certain street is from my childhood memories.

2. I listened to my parents talking. Many times I did not understand the conversations.

In fact, years later, I would read something or hear something, and would say to myself, “That is what they were talking about.”

3. I would listen to the songs on the radio.

4. I probably fought with my brother. And had to hear my dad say, “Don’t make me stop the car and deal with you two.”

Truth be told, reading street signs and listening to songs on the radio are what I remember most.

I decided to find the Billboard Top 25 List for 1950. I was 6 years old. I wanted to see how many of the songs I remember.

I can remember 14 songs. One of the things that grabbed my attention was number 13, “Tzena, Tzena, Tzena.” Of course I remember the song. I went to Youtube and listened to Gordon Jenkins and the Weavers sing the song in English and in Hebrew. The song was dedicated to the State of Israel, which was 2 years old. How about that!!!

An Israeli song was recorded and released in America and became number 13 top song in 1950.

Billboard Top 30 List for 1950 1. Gordon Jenkins and The Weavers:

Goodnight Irene 2. Nat King Cole:

Mona Lisa

3 Anton Karas: Third Man Theme 4. Gary and Bing Crosby:

Sam’s Song 5. Gary and Bing Crosby:

Simple Melody 6. Teresa Brewer:

Music, Music, Music 7. Guy Lombardo:

Third Man Theme 8. Red Foley:

Chattanooga Shoe Shine Boy 9. Sammy Kaye:

Harbor Lights 10. Sammy Kaye and

Don Cornell:

It Isn’t Fair 11. Eileen Barton:

If I Knew You Were Coming I’d’ve Baked A Cake 12. Kay Starr:

Bonaparte’s Retreat 13. Gordon Jenkins and

The Weavers:

Tzena, Tzena, Tzena 14. Tony Martin:

There’s No Tomorrow 15. Phil Harris:

The Thing 16. Ames Brothers:

Sentimental Me 17. Andrews Sisters and

Gordon Jenkins:

I Wanna Be Loved 18. Patti Page:

Tennessee Waltz 19. Andrews Sisters and

Gordon Jenkins

I Can Dream, Can’t I 20. Tennessee Ernie Ford and

Kay Starr:

I’ll Never Be Free 21. Patti Page:

All My Love 22. Gordon Jenkins:

My Foolish Heart 23. Ames Brothers:

Rag Mop 24. Bill Snyder:

Bewitched 25. Perry Como:

Hoop-Dee-Doo

COMMUNITY

jvhri.org

December 7, 2018 |

15

Gourmet Guys offer support to New Hope in Massachusetts

BY LARRY KESSLER The Jewish traditions of charitable giving (tzedakah) and making the world a better place through volunteering (tikun olam) traditionally take center stage in the United States from Thanksgiving through New Year’s Day, when millions nationwide help out at soup kitchens, food pantries and area toy and gift drives.

When those who regularly donate to nonprofits are inundated with mailings at this time of year, choosing where to lend a hand can be a challenge. Donors are forced to choose carefully.

For me, it’s been easy to donate my time every November since 1994 at a cooking event called Gourmet Guys. The fundraiser, featuring 30-60 men, depending on the year, has for nearly three decades benefited New Hope, a nonprofit agency based in Attleboro that helps families and women in Southeastern and Central Massachusetts affected by domestic violence.

There are many reasons why I remained loyal to the event through its finale on Nov. 16.

In 2018, the services offered by New Hope are needed now more than ever in this #metoo era.

It’s critical for the agency’s success to have a solid core of men dedicated to helping combat the kinds of issues that New Hope deals with every day.

To understand the motivation of the chefs over the years, I offer 25 reasons – one for each of the years of my participation – why thousands of meals have been lovingly cooked by men for 29 years: 1. To make a difference in the lives of people in need.

2. To back an agency that long ago put itself out there to take a strong stand against the scourge of domestic violence.

3. To thank the agency for its unwavering support for Gourmet Guys.

4. To thank the volunteers for being so appreciative of the chefs.

5. To thank those same volunteers for always greeting us with smiles and hugs.

6. To be part of something rare in today’s negative society: an event where love rules and humor is both accepted and understood.

7. To break bread with people from all walks of life, something that’s also rare these days.

8. To attend a social gathering that has always encouraged families to participate.

9. To support an event that has let sons and daughters serve food alongside their parents.

10. To be part of something where the volunteers are dedicated to changing the world, one individual at a time.

11. To show that, despite the rise in domestic violence and sexual harassment incidents, it’s wrong to lump all men into the offender category.

12. To show that domestic violence and related offenses against women and families won’t end until and unless men become an integral part of the solution, and vow to treat women with the respect they deserve.

13. To be a part of that solution for a quarter-century – and especially now, when men’s actions toward women are being scrutinized as never before.

14. To enjoy the camaraderie of the other Gourmet Guys.

15. To sample the recipes of my fellow cooks.

16. To thank the loyal folks who have graciously eaten our food for 29 years.

17. To show that domestic violence is a society-wide problem, not a male or female one.

18. To make a statement that domestic violence is wrong and that men can’t – and shouldn’t – stand on the sidelines.

19. To set a positive example for my wife and children, the latter have been going to the event most of their lives.

20. To be a part of one of the finest traditions of giving in the greater Attleboro area.

21. To take part in something that has long been on my list of things to be thankful for each Thanksgiving.

22. To be a part of an event where people of different political parties and beliefs have always been able to come together for a good cause.

23. To serve food alongside congressmen, state reps, state senators, police chiefs, city councilors, selectmen and firefighters, who have been represented among the chefs’ professions over the years.

24. To serve food alongside the most compassionate people you’ll find working together for a worthwhile cause.

25. To contribute, in some small way, toward making the world a better, safer place.

LARRY KESSLER is a freelance writer based in North Attleboro. He can be reached at lkessler1@comcast.net.

Your Only Rhode Island Jewish Newspaper — jvhri.org

Create balance in your life by listening to your inner signals Since this is such a busy time of year for many of us, I decided to write a column about balance.

The following is an excerpt from my book, “Pathfinding: Seven Principles for Positive Living.”

Creating balance is the way to harmon y. B a l a n c e is a struggle for all of us.

PATRICIA But in order to RASKIN find balance, we must be in touch with our own needs. You can check in with yourself every day to see where you are.

Are you tired? Do your muscles ache? Are you angry? Are you overloaded with information?

Do you need a kind word, reassurance or a hug? These are all signals to slow down, and take time for yourself.

We are so much more effective when we pay attention, take

care of what’s in the way, pause, and continue on. A simple walk outside, just breathing, talking to a friend for assurance, giving your loved ones a hug, having a sit down meal instead of eating on the run, or going to a place where you can inhale the beauty of nature may be all you need to find balance.

Balance requires listening to our inner signals as this story illustrates: A man and woman were strolling along a crowded sidewalk in a downtown business area. Suddenly one of them exclaimed, “Did you hear that meow?”

They both stopped and listened intently.

“There it is again. Didn’t you hear it?” asked the one who heard the kitten a second time. “How can you hear that kitten’s meow in this frenzied city?” The companion, who was a veterinarian-turned-animal-rights-advocate, smiled but did not explain.

She simply took a quarter out of her purse and dropped it on the sidewalk, causing a dozen people to look around for the loose change. “We hear,” she said, “what we listen for.”

Listen for the things that bring joy and inner peace, and you’ll have joyous experiences. Step out on faith, and you’ll get faith-lifts wherever you go.

According to Rabbi David Cooper, “In Judaism, the Kabalistic idea that creation is taking place in each and every moment brings an acute sensitivity to everything … an entirely new perspective that sees things as they are.”

PATRICIA RASKIN, 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.

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For more information contact Lyndsey Ursillo at 401.421.4111 ext. 141 or lursillo@jewishallianceri.org.

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PJ Library is a program of the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island in partnership with the Harold Grinspoon Foundation.

16 | December 7, 2018

SENIORS

The Jewish Voice

The healing power of Compassionate Touch

BY NAOMI FINK COTRONE

Hope Zawatski, a caregiver, enjoys a massage by masseuse Dawn Penta

PHOTO | TAMARISK

Caregivers offered a brief break The aroma of rose petals, therapeutic fragrances and indulgent snacks filled the air at the first annual Caregiver Retreat on Nov. 18 at The Phyllis Siperstein Tamarisk Assisted Living Residence in Warwick. Caregivers from all over the state came to enjoy a morning of pampering that included Reiki, reflexology, meditation and chair massages.

They shared heartfelt stories with one another about the

challenges they face as caregivers.

“Care giving often calls us to lean into a love we didn’t know possible,” writes Tia Walker author and caregiver. This commonality was evident as strangers who came together at this retreat left feeling relaxed, with a new sense of purpose and new-found friendships.

Susan Adler, director of marketing and outreach at Tamarisk said “They understood

each other and spoke the same language. To see caregivers come in and embrace an opportunity to do something special for themselves was our goal.

Caregivers are the unsung heroes who give so much of themselves. The retreat was our way of saying thank you.”

For more information about Tamarisk, contact Susan Adler at susana@tamariskri.org or by phone 401-732-0037.

LIVING WELL

Medical alert equipment offers a lifeline to seniors living alone

BY JEWISH COLLABORATIVE SERVICES Question: Mom lives alone and has had a couple of falls this past year. My brother and I are concerned. We are taking her to her doctor to be evaluated but want to learn more about medical alert systems. How do they work? What is the radius they cover? Please advise.

Thank you.

Answer: Falls are a serious concern for seniors, especially for those living alone who may not be able to summon help quickly. There are many risk factors for falls, including balance, mobility, home hazards and medications. The doctor can review these areas of concern with your mom and make recommendations to reduce possible risks. Many doctors recommend a medical alert system, which you have asked about, as a safety net for patients at risk for falls.

A basic medical alert system uses a base unit communica-

tor which is connected to your telephone landline along with a personal help button which is worn on the wrist or as a pendant around the neck. With a press of the button, a distress signal is sent to a 24/7 call center where a help specialist has access to your identifying information and will communicate with you through the base unit in your home.

After determining your needs, the specialist will summon appropriate support based upon your personal information, whether it’s a call to family, a neighbor or the rescue service in your town. The basic help button provides coverage to an average-size home and yard and will be tested during the installation process to ensure adequate radius of coverage for each subscriber.

Advances in technology have been developed over the last several years to provide added safety and support. The Auto-Alert button will detect a fall and summon help even if the subscriber is unable to press

the button due to a physical limitation, memory issue or loss of consciousness.

For subscribers who do not have a telephone landline, new wireless technology is utilized to provide this service. In addition, for active seniors who are on-the-go, a mobile help button is available with GPS technology which will pinpoint your location, communicate to you through the button and direct needed help to you, wherever you are.

Philips Lifeline invented the medical alert industry more than 40 years ago. Jewish Collaborative Services has partnered with Philips Lifeline for more than 30 years to bring this essential service to the Rhode Island community through a local, nonprofit agency. Lifeline installers are JCS staff members who personally install the equipment at your home and provide service calls, as needed.

For more information about this service, please call 401-3311244.

The other day at the airport I got a very thorough – albeit strictly professional – security check pat-down. No funny business – it was all Kosher. I guess I looked suspicious. But I digress.

The reason I mention this is because it was actually a high point in my day – and, therefore, an “aha” moment for me.

I know what you’re thinking: This is weird. But hear me out: You see, I had been traveling alone for work for two days, and I hadn’t so much as gotten a hug from anyone. Just two days away from my teenage kids and husband, and I was actually relishing the gloved touch of a thankfully professional Transportation Security Administration worker. And it made me think of my senior clients – especially those who are widowed – who sometimes go weeks or months without experiencing the touch of another human being.

For many seniors, this is an unfortunate reality. However, not an insurmountable one.

If you’re not familiar with Compassionate Touch, it’s worth a Google. Compassionate Touch refers to a skilled-touch technique that provides caregivers with a non-medical tool to reduce anxiety, loneliness, behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia, and other ailments associated with aging.

Clinically proven and evidence-backed, Compassionate Touch serves as a relationship-centered approach that combines this skilled touch with a compassionate presence.

I witness it every day when I’m with seniors and families:

the simple act of human touch, when offered warmly and in the right context, works wonders.

I’ve even used it to help clients struggling to sleep and eat.

This is both intuitive and reassuring to me. This means that caregivers and family members who are not nurses or specially trained still have the power to alleviate physical and mental suffering. Compassionate Touch has been proven to lower blood pressure, heart rate and cortisol levels, which are the body’s stress hormones.

It also increases oxytocin, the chemical that makes a person feel safe and secure.

And it’s not all about technique; much of it is about being present. Pam Brandon, the president and founder of the Ageucate Training Institute, is a strong voice at the forefront of caregiver education. With more than 20 years experience in training care partners, Brandon focuses on helping others embrace positive change through the use of compassionate touch: “It is a way to teach care partners how to use touch to engage with someone on a much deeper level.”

The skill of compassionate presence and touch is more relevant than ever in today’s increasingly detached world.

You can’t text it, and you can’t Amazon Prime it. It’s about sitting down, holding someone’s wrinkly hand, and just being present.

NAOMI FINK COTRONE runs the Right at Home of Rhode Island agency, which provides care to elderly and disabled adults throughout Rhode Island. She hugs her clients every chance she gets.

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jvhri.org

December 7, 2018 |

17

REMEMBER THE PAST From the Rhode Island Jewish Historical Association

In remembrance of Armistice Day

BY GERALDINE S. FOSTER This column was originally supposed to run Nov. 9 but was replaced by a time-sensitive c olumn on H I A S in Rh o d e Island.

Back when I was in elementary school – in Rochester, New York, or in Cranston – national holidays played important roles in our school days.

Each holiday had its own specific identity and history, which we celebrated in lessons appropriate to our grade level. Each became part of our shared culture and identity as Americans.

By the end of fourth grade, for example, we had memorized the words to “In Flanders Field,” written by Canadian military officer and poet John McCrae, and we knew, among other facts, that at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, the “The Great War,” “The war to end all wars,” had ended in the defeat of the Kaiser and his Austrian friends.

No special Armistice Day sales enticed shoppers to visit stores. It was not a day off from work, though it was marked in various ways – parades, prayers, speeches. There was no mistaking the purpose of the holiday as we honored those who served and those whose lives were cut short by the war.

Undoubtedly, the most prominent member of the Jewish population of Rhode Island to serve during World War I was Col. Harry Cutler, who came to this country when he was 8. He, his mother and his sister had left Russia after the murder of his father.

Cutler’s young adulthood was spent in a succession of menial jobs until, he wrote, he “found his gait” in jewelry manufacturing. He prospered. Industrialist, philanthropist, Jewish community leader locally and nationally, Cutler worked tirelessly to bring together differing Jewish groups for common purposes.

Col. Cutler’s military career did not include service in WWI. He earned his rank as a member of the National Guard and as an aide to Gen. John J. Pershing during the Mexican Border Campaign in 1916. His service during The Great War lay in his work as one of the founders and the chairman of the executive committee of the Jewish Welfare Board in 1917-18.

When the United States entered WWI, the Jewish community, unlike other national religious groups, had no single organization prepared to deliver needed services for its soldiers and sailors. Local YMHAs and Jewish community centers were the only source of help.

Jack Cleinman

Charles Koffler

Frank Silberman

In recognition of this lack, 10 national Jewish agencies came together to found the Jewish Welfare Board. Cutler was chosen to head the new organization because of his military background, his proven skills as an organizer and his tireless work on behalf of Jewish causes. He was someone who could bring together the Jewish community’s disparate agencies.

The JWB was Col. Harry Cutler’s service in World War I – and the group still serves Jewish men and women serving in all the wars the United States has fought since “The War to End All Wars.”

Jack Cleinman was 13 years old when his family emigrated from Russia in 1909. He entered the Army in April 1918, and less than two months later was sent to France, where he served with the 101st Infantry 78th Division.

Pvt. Cleinman was hospitalized with wounds and shellshock suffered during the Battle of St. Mihiel. Less than two weeks later, he was returned to combat.

He was killed on Oct. 20, 1918, at Bois des Lorges, France, during the Meuse Argonne Offensive.

The square at the corner of Hope and Olney streets in Providence was named in memory of Jack Cleinman.

A square at the corner of Orms Street and Douglas Avenue in Providence was named for Abraham Sydney, who served in Medical Unit A.E.7 Evacuation Hospital #5. He died on Dec. 19, 1918, in Dunkirk, France.

For many in the Jewish community of South Providence, the onset of WWI brought a feel-

ing of angst. They were immigrants from Austria who made homes in the vicinity of Willard Avenue. They organized their own synagogue, Bais Israel Anshe Oestreich (better known as the Robinson Street shul) in 1906, as well as a beneficial society. Though supportive of the

action against the Kaiser, they worried about the safety of family members and friends who served in the Austrian army.

The angst became even more acute when the U.S. entered the war, especially for American soldiers like Charles Koffler, an immigrant from Austria.

Koffler served with Company C of the 302nd Infantry in 1917 and 1918. During those same years, his father and brother served in the Austria-German army. Fortunately, he never faced them in combat.

In 1954, Armistice Day became Veterans Day, a day to honor all the veterans who have fought, and are fighting, in wars that were supposed to have ended in 1918, but which have not.

GERALDINE S. FOSTER is a past president of the R.I. Jewish Historical Association. To comment about this or any RIJHA article, contact the RIJHA office at info@rijha.org or 401-3311360.

THE P HYLLIS S IP E R S TE IN

A S S IS T E D LIV IN G R E S ID E N C E

18 | December 7, 2018

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What we can (and can’t) learn about money from Monopoly Monopoly was one of my favorite games as a child. I especially enjoyed saving up my money to purchase all the railroad stations.

Back then, it seemed so simple to save and budget. But, unfortunately, Monopoly is not JASON E. real life, and SIPERSTEIN there are many obstacles that get in the way of individuals who want to budget and grow their savings.

A few facts about saving might answer some of your questions – or at least serve as interesting trivia at your next dinner party: • Nearly 70 percent of Americans have less than $1,000 in savings.

• About 50 percent of American families have zero savings in retirement accounts.

• There are rough savings targets by age: by age 35, have twice your annual salary saved; by 45, have four times your annual salary saved; by 55, six times your annual salary; and by 65, eight times your annual salary.

Saving and investing are complicated and stressful for some, yet it is something that requires attention. If you have been asking yourself questions like those below, know that you

The writer in younger days. are not alone.

Do you wonder: • Am I OK financially?

• Can I live the life I want?

• Can I support my aging parents while launching my children?

At the end of the day, you must start with – and stick to – a plan. Having peace of mind and clarity in your financial life is priceless. If you have any questions or concerns, I am always happy to chat.

JASON E. SIPERSTEIN, CFA, CFP, is vice president, wealth management at Eliot Rose Wealth Management.

Contact him by email, jes@eliotrose.com.

FROM PAGE 10

| SHABBAT

into the Shabbat special – chicken soup followed by roast chicken and baked veggies – and anxious grandchildren milling around wondering why they have to wait for the Kiddush before they can tuck in.

Finally, silence descends. I fill the old family Kiddush cup with grape juice and pick up the book. I don’t need it but I always hold it, just in case. It flops opens automatically to page 124, as it has done countless times before. I draw a breath – but before I can utter a sound, I get the elbow.

I look down and there stands the redhead, 8 years old and beaming with confidence. He has learned to read Hebrew

at school, and he can’t wait to demonstrate his newly acquired skills. And demonstrate he does. He reads through the Kiddush almost without drawing breath, hardly stumbling over the words that had once seemed strange and difficult to me. I thought back to the days when I started reciting the Kiddush, and remembered with embarrassment how I had stammered and stuttered my way through it the first few times.

Even more aggravating was that my grandson clearly understood a lot of what he was reading. For my first 20 years or so, I was convinced the prayer was written in Mesopotamian or ancient Egyptian, so

December 7, 2018 |

foreign did it sound. Only after Hebrew became our adopted language did things clarify. For my grandson, born into the Hebrew language, the words have meaning.

My first reaction at this domestic coup was one of pride.

No one in the family ever undertook such an important role until after his Bar Mitzvah, but that was in the old country.

I wonder what my grandfather would think. I’m sure he would be proud.

LEON MOSS is an 85-year-old retired construction estimator.

Born in South Africa, he moved to Israel 40 years ago. After 20 years in Jerusalem, he and his wife now live in a retirement home in Even Yehuda, a small town near the coast. He spends his time writing and painting.

Groups ask universities to oppose Israel boycotts JTA – Fight academic boycotts of Israel.

That’s the message from 101 Jewish and pro-Israel organizations that signed on to a letter sent Dec. 3 to 250 U.S. college presidents and chancellors whose institutions have previously said they reject such boycotts of the Jewish state. They want the leaders to reaffirm their opposition in light of recent instances in which faculty members objected to study abroad programs in Israel.

Last week, the faculty at Pitzer College in Claremont, California, voted to suspend the school’s study abroad

program at Haifa University.

This fall, two instructors at the University of Michigan refused to write recommendation letters for students who wished to study in Israel. “[I]n light of recent reprehensible attempts by faculty at University of Michigan, Pitzer College and elsewhere to implement an academic boycott that thwarts their own students’ academic freedom and their own colleagues’ scholarly activities, it is imperative that university leaders speak out once again, this time even more forcefully,” says the letter organized by the AMCHA initiative, an an-

ti-Semitism campus monitor.

Among the signers are B’nai B’rith International, NCSY, the Simon Wiesenthal Center and the Zionist Organization of America.

Leadership at both universities has criticized the faculty actions. Pitzer’s president called the vote “inconsistent with Pitzer’s core values” while the University of Michigan sanctioned a professor who refused to recommend a student.

Several academic associations, including the American Studies Association in 2013, have voted for boycotts of Israeli universities.

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OBITUARIES

Arthur Cain, 83 NORTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. – Arthur Cain died Nov. 21. He was the husband of Marsha (Antonoff) Cain for 58 years.

Born in Bronx, New York, a son of the late Herman and Faye (Aronowitz) Cohen, he had lived in North Kingstown for 18 years, previously living in East Greenwich and Cincinnati, Ohio.

He was the father of Robert and his wife, Suki, of Los Angeles, California, Michael and his wife, Peggy, of Salem, New Hampshire, and Jonathan and his wife, Valerie, of Norwood, Massachusetts. He was the brother of Irene Strauss of Florida and Dorothy Ukeiley of New Jersey. He was the grandfather of Joshua, Zoë, Cameron, Jackson, Ryan and Charlotte.

An Army National Guard veteran, Arthur was the chief operating officer of Danecraft, Victoria Creations and John Medeiros Jewelry Companies, retiring

in 2017. Arthur was a man of considerable talents and interests. He was one of the founders of the East Greenwich Soccer League and was a well-loved youth soccer coach for many years. He also enjoyed acting and appeared in productions with Academy Players (East Greenwich) and the Players at Barker Playhouse (Providence).

Among his many passions, Arthur’s favorite thing to do was to spend time with his beloved grandchildren.

Contributions in his memory may be made to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Frederick Fishman and brother of the late Neil Fishman. He is survived by his wife Karen, his daughter Ilana and future son-in law Seth of Attleboro, Massachusetts, and his son Joshua and daughter-in law Emily. Also surviving are his mother, Frimette, and brother Stuart and his wife, Jane, and his brother Robert and his wife, Charlotte.

Donations in Bruce’s memory may be made to the Rabbi’s Discretionary Fund at Temple Beth El of Boca Raton, 333 SW 4th Ave., Boca Raton, FL 33432 or a charity of your choice.

Bruce Fishman, 68

Dorothy Gozonsky, 87

BOCA RATON, FLA. – Bruce Steven Fishman, of Boca Raton, passed away peacefully su r rou nded by his loving family on Nov. 27.

Born in Providence, he was a son of the late

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Dorothy A. Gozonsky died Nov. 4 in Providence.

She was the daughter of the late Joseph and Ruth (Woolf) Adelson and the wife of Edwin Gozonsky to whom she was married for 53 years. Dorothy was a graduate of Pembroke College (Brown University) class of 1952. She received a master’s degree in Speech Pathology from Boston University at the height of the Vietnam protests in 1968.

In addition to her husband, she is survived by her daughters Judi Golias and her husband, Donald, and Diane Goodman and her husband, Robert; her grandchildren, Andrew Schiffman, Peter Schiffman and his wife, Jennifer, Steven Goodman and his wife, Megan, and Sandra Goodman; two great-grandchildren, Abbigail Goodman and Eliana Schiffman; her sister, Paula Izeman, and several nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in Dorothy’s memory may be made to Camp JORI Children’s Cancer Fund, P.O. Box 5299, Wakefield, RI 02880.

ASK THE DIRECTOR

BY MICHAEL D. SMITH F.D./R.E. Shalom Memorial Chapel

QUESTION: Do they really use toe tags like they do in the movies?

L.D. – Atlanta, Georgia Dear L.D., It depends on where the person passed away. At a home under hospice, rarely. At a nursing home, sometimes. At a hospital, it depends on the hospital procedures. Usually, there is an identification bracelet as well as a toe tag. Sometimes it is one or the other. When we take a person under our care, we immediately attach an identification bracelet if one is not already there.

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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Vida Hellmann, 90 FALL RIVER, MASS. – Vida B. Hellmann, a retired educator and most recently a professional s t o r y t e l l e r, died Nov. 22 at the Fall River Jewish Home.

Born in Fall River, a daughter of the late Abraham and Nellie (Feldman) Branz, she had lived throughout Rhode Island and finally back in Fall River.

A graduate of Russell Sage, and with a master’s degree from the University of Rhode Island, as an educator, Vida taught every level through graduate courses. She taught at South County Hebrew School. A member of South County Players, she starred in “Harvey” and “Plaza Suite.” For 10 years, she was a master teacher of English as a Second Language, giving workshops before retiring from the Los Angeles School District in 1990. As a professional storyteller “for

grown-ups” she appeared in festivals in Newport, New London, Hartford and Boston as well as in Toronto Canada, where she was featured on CBC’s radio program, “Cloud Nine.”

Vida was a member of Temple Habonim, Adas Israel, the Little Rest Storytellers, the Connecticut Story Telling Center, Lanes (the League of New England Storytellers), the National Storytelling Network and the Boston Jewish Storytelling Network.

Vida is survived by a daughter, Dvorah Kaufman, and her husband, Tom, of Madison, Wisconsin; two sons, Benjamin Hellmann and his partner, Karen, of Fall River and Joel Hellmann, of East Providence; a sister, the late Phyllis Ainspan, and her surviving husband, Martin, of Albany, New York; seven g randchildren: Noah Kaufman, Zachary Kaufman, Sara, Andrea Lee, Joshua, Gabby, Ryan Hellmann.

Contributions in her memory may be made to your favorite charity or Sara M. Ainspan Memorial Israel Scholarship, c/o Temple Israel, 600 New Scotland Ave., Albany, NY 12208, in memory of Vida’s niece, or U.S. Holocaust Museum, 100 Raoul Wallenberg Place, S.W., Washington, DC 20024-2126.

Brian P. Kenner, 67 P R O V I DENCE, R.I. – Brian P. Kenner died Dec. 2 at Hebert Health + Rehabilitation, Smithfield. He was the son of the late Harold and Roselyn (Slovin) Kenner, and brother of Martin Kenner (late Elizabeth), Alan Kenner (Elaine) and the late Jacob “Buddy” Kenner (late Maureen). He is also survived by many nieces and nephews.

Brian attended both George Washington University and the Unversity of Rhode Island. He was the manager and face of the renowned 3 Steeple Street Restaurant in Providence for more than 25 years. An avid golfer, Brian was a seven-time club champion at Ledgemont Country Club in Seekonk, Massachusetts.

Contributions in his memory may be made to the Charlotte Simon Kenner Fund at Temple Beth-El, 70 Orchard St., Providence, RI 02906, or your favorite charity.

Daniel Lecht, 89 DANIA BEACH, FLA. – Daniel Lecht died Nov. 23 at Memorial Regional Hospital South.

He was the beloved husband of Flor (Lopez) Lecht and the late Eileen (Smith) Lecht. Born in Providence, a son of the late Morris and Lillian Lecht, he had lived in Dania Beach and Fort Lauderdale, Florida for 18 years, previously living in East

Greenwich.

He was the devoted father of Michael Lecht, Richard Lecht (Phyllis), Lisa Weir (Kenneth) and Linda Lecht and stepfather of Alan Cooper, Gerry Cooper and Milton Lozada. He was the loving grandfather of Johana, Alex, Andrew, Joshua, Tamara, Jason, Brian, Justin, Jonathan and Mokanna.

Contributions in his memory may be made to Chabad of West Bay, 3871 Post Road, Warwick, RI 02886.

Kenneth Resnick, 91 HAIFA, ISRAEL – Kenneth “Kiev” Resnick died in Haifa, Israel, on Nov. 13 after a short illness. He will be remembered as a welcoming, warm and caring man. He was the husband of the late Harriet “Chaya” (Becker) Resnick.

He was born in Providence, a son of Ida (Teverow) and Israel Resnick. Kenneth graduated from Hope High School, served in the Merchant Marine and the U.S. Navy and graduated from the University of Rhode Island.

A devout Zionist, Kenneth spent several years in Israel in the 1950s, where he and Chaya met while volunteering on a kibbutz. They returned to the U.S., married and started a family in Providence.

In 1972, they made aliyah with their three children and settled in Haifa, where Kenneth worked for Industries Trading, Ltd. He is survived by his daughters, Shira Resnick and Tamra Erez (Hezi) of Haifa, and his son Murray (Nitzan) of Sharon, Massachusetts. He will be especially missed by his grandchildren Liron, Yarden, Inbar, Eden, Shachar, Daniel and Gil.

Paul Samdperil CRANSTON, R.I. – Paul E. Samdperil died Dec. 1 at home. Born and raised in P r ov id e nc e , the son of the late Albert and Edwyna (Cohen) Samdperil, he was a longtime resident of Cranston. Paul was the former owner of Signature Builders, and a graduate of Providence Country Day school and Boston University.

He leaves behind his beloved partner in life, Jacqueline Maxwell. Paul was the dear brother of Lynda Samdperil of Hopkinton, Massachusetts, and Fredda Korber and her husband, Michael, of Barrington. He was the cherished uncle of Maurice Dressler and his wife, Abigail, and Allison Dressler Kramer and her husband, Glenn. He was the adored great-uncle of Charlotte and Theodore Dressler and Talia, Edward (deceased), Louisa and Rae Kramer.

Contributions in his memory OBITUARIES | 21

jvhri.org

Anatoly Altman, Soviet Jew who tried to hijack plane, dies JTA – Anatoly Altman, a Ukrainian Jew who tried to hijack a plane to escape the former Soviet Union, has died.

Born in what today is Ukraine, Altman was a member of “Operation Wedding,” an attempt by several Jews who were arrested in 1970 at a St. Petersburg airport, where they had gathered to take the plane and fly it to Israel.

He died Nov. 29 in Israel, in Haifa. Altman, one of the socalled “prisoners of Zion,” was 77.

As a defendant in the 1970 Soviet trial for “treason against

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the homeland” Anatoly declared: “Today is a very difficult day, but I’m happy, too.

Because today I started my way home (to Israel) ... And I’m sure, maybe it may take years in prison, but I’m sure I’ll get home to Israel, and from today until that time in the future, I say ‘Shalom to Eretz Yisrael.’”

Altman was sentenced to 12 years of hard labor in the gulag. In 1979, he was released and immigrated directly to Israel, or made aliyah.

“May his memory be for a blessing, and may his family and friends be comforted among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem,” the National Coalition Supporting Eurasian Jewry wrote in a statement about his passing.

| OBITUARIES

married young, saw husbands go off to war, worked to pick up the slack and then return to the role of wives and mothers when Jason Siegel, DMD, 95 the men came home.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Jason She was a consummate volunCharles Siegel, DMD, died on teer in her community and was Nov. 30. Born Oct. 1, 1923 to Har- one of a small group of women ry and Flora (Soforenko) Siegel, who started The Miriam HosJason attended Nathan Bishop pital’s Gift Shop. Lillian had a Junior High, Hope High School, gift for working with her hands University of Rhode and she used that skill to help Island and Tufts Den- patients by teaching them to tal School. wrap presents and tie ribbon for After service over- therapy. There was no formal seas with the US Navy during program back in the ’50s, and WWII, he returned to Provi- she improvised manual dexterdence to open a dental practice, ity for them and was an occuretiring in 2008 after 65 years pational therapist of sorts. She of practice and several gener- drove throughout Providence ations of patients. Jason was with her children in tow, visita past president and first hon- ing patients at their homes helporary lifetime member of the ing them with their recovery.

Brotherhood of Temple Beth-El. Her friends eventually asked Jason is survived by his be- her to wrap their gifts. Her talloved wife, Tovia (Mancoll), ent became widespread and she and his daughters Sarah (Paul was able to develop a hobby into Stein) and Rachel (Irwin Gel- a line of work. She became a ber). He was a wonderful son, party and event planner back husband and father. He was in the days when there was no incomparable, and he will be missed.

Contributions in his memory may be made to The Library Fund of Temple Beth-El, 70 Orchard Ave., Providence RI 02906. may be made to American Cancer Society or a charity of your choice.

Lillian Zarum, 96 PROVIDENCE, lian Shocket

R.I. – LilZarum died Nov. 28. She was the wife of the late Sanford S. Zarum. Born in Providence, a daughter of the late Harry and Rose (Zeidman) Shocket, she lived in Providence her entire life. She was one of the last of her generation of women who

December 7, 2018 |

OBITUARIES | ISRAEL

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American-Israeli behind JCC bomb threats sentenced to prison JTA – A 20-year-old American-Israeli man convicted of making hundreds of bomb threats to Jewish community centers and Jewish schools in the United States and five other countries, as well as to airlines, was sentenced to 10 years in prison in Israel.

The sentence for Michael Kadar, who holds dual U.S.-Israeli citizenship and whose name is barred from publication in Israel, was delivered in Tel Aviv District Court. Kadar was convicted on several counts including extortion, conspiracy to commit a crime, money laundering and assaulting a police officer The sentence was delivered despite testimony by defense psychologists that he is autistic

and incompetent.

Judge Tzvi Gurfinkel said that despite his medical conditions, Kadar was responsible for his actions and understood the difference between right and wrong. The judge noted that had Kadar not been autistic he would have sentenced him to 17 years.

Kadar has admitted to making some 2,000 fake bomb threat calls to hospitals, airlines, schools and various Jewish institutions in the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Australia and Britain.

The hoax threats to the JCCs and other Jewish institutions in the first three months of 2017 forced widespread evacuations and raised fears of a resurgence in anti-Semitism. Kadar’s par-

ents and lawyer have not disputed his involvement in the bomb threats but asserted in his defense that he has a brain tumor and a low IQ. Earlier this year it was revealed that Kadar managed to make another 100 hoax bomb threats to schools in Israel from prison.

Kadar was charged in Israel in April 2017 with thousands of counts on offenses that include publishing false information, causing panic, computer hacking and money laundering. He had been arrested in Israel the previous month in a joint operation with the FBI. In March, the U.S. Justice Department indicted Kadar on federal hate crimes charges.

such business. She schooled many florists who later became famous and moved on to Boston and New York. There are brides whostill remember how she calmed them down and pushed them out the door with confidence for the walk down the aisle at their own ceremonies.

She was so devoted to her work that she completed a scheduled wedding 10 days after surgery for lung cancer more than 23 years ago.

She is survived by her daughters Lynn Weingeroff and Dee Dee Witman; grandchildren Jackie Gershwind, Samantha Friedland, Zachary Witman; and Amanda Speiser; and great-grandchildren Jake, Sophie and Max Gershwind, Emmanuelle, Juliette and Hershel Friedland, and Goldie Speiser.

Contributions in her memory may be made to the Lillian Zarum Oncology Wig Fund at Miriam Hospital, 164 Summit

Zeman, of New York, passed away on Nov. 21. He was born in New Bedford, Massachusetts, a son of the late Attorney Donald and Gloria (Bernstein) Zeman.

He graduated from Dartmouth High School in 1969, received a bachelor’s degree from Boston University and a master’s degree from the University of Toronto.

Malcolm moved to New York 42 years ago and was the owner and operator of New York Cater Waiters, Inc. He is survived by his brothers, attorney Michael J. Zeman and his wife, Maura, of Bonita

Springs, Florida, and attorney Marc H. Zeman and his wife, Colette, of Las Vegas, Nevada; nieces and nephews, Marni R. Simmons, and her husband, Jason, of Oceanside, New York, Jillian L. Krohne and her husband, Daniel, of Houston, Texas, and Brian Zeman and his wife, Jiar, of New York, New York; and great-nieces and nephews, Chloe and Alexander Simmons and Benjamin Krohne.

Contributions in his memory may be made to the New Bedford Jewish Convalescent Home, 200 Hawthorn St., New Bedford, MA 02740.

Ave., Providence, RI 02906.

Malcolm Zeman, 67 NEW YORK – Malcolm Elliot

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22 | December 7, 2018

COMMUNITY

The Jewish Voice

‘Dynamic Duo’ to perform at Rhode Island College

BY LEV POPLOW The Performing Arts Series at Rhode Island College presents “Dynamic Duo: Jordan Rudess and Judith Lynn Stillman” on Dec. 15 at the Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts. The two-piano concert will feature works by Mozart and Brahms, and a special treat for Dream Theater fans.

Rudess is best known as the keyboardist/multi-instrumentalist for the platinum-selling, Grammy-nominated progressive rock band Dream Theater.

Stillman, the artist-in-residence at Rhode Island College, is an internationally-acclaimed award-winning concert pianist, composer and filmmaker, and is Wynton Marsalis’ pianist on Sony Classical.

Stillman and Rudess met in Juilliard’s pre-college program and have been friends ever since, despite the different directions their careers have taken. As Stillman put it, “We’ve been friends for so long that I have fond memories of entertaining guests at the piano at Jordan’s Bar Mitzvah.”

The multimedia concert is designed for fans of classical music and Dream Theater, who might enjoy seeing a different side of Rudess, one that takes him back to his classical roots.

Rudess said, “It’s taken a lot of shredding, I mean practic-

Judith Lynn Stillman ing, leading up to this special evening, with so much new repertoire to learn, but I am beyond thrilled to be taking the stage with my dear friend Judith Lynn Stillman. We met as 9-year-olds when we were piano students in Juilliard’s pre-college division. Through the years, although our careers have taken very different paths, we have stayed connected in

Jordan Rudess

our shared love of piano.”

Stillman remarked: “The combustible energy of making music with Jordan Rudess, my dear friend and colleague from childhood to the present, is a phenomenon. I think the audience will be swept up in the enchanting vibes and palpable excitement. Whether it’s Brahms, Mozart, ragtime or a Dream Theater tune, Jordan and I try

to give our wholehearted passion and love for music to every note.

“Finding an evening when we were both free to present a concert together is a rare occurrence, so we hope you will all join us for this momentous occasion.”

The concert, on Saturday, Dec. 15, at 7:30 p.m., takes place at the Nazarian Center for the

Performing Arts on the Rhode Island College campus, 600 Mt. Pleasant Ave., Providence.

Tickets may be purchased at 401-456-8144 or ric.edu/pfa/ Pages/orderinfo.aspx.

LEV POPLOW is a communications consultant. He can be reached at levpoplow@gmail. com.

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WE ARE READ IN ITALY – Arlene and Ed Bochner of Warwick toured Italy in May and had a photo taken with The Voice at Pompeii.

Annual Plein Air Exhibit on display at Temple Habonim The December/January/February show in the Bunny Fain Gallery at Temple Habonim features works by Plein Air artists, all members of the summer LLC (Lifelong Learning Collaborative) Plein Air class. The show continues through March 7.

On Wednesday mornings throughout the summer artists, from the most accomplished to beginners wishing to put paint on canvas, meet in a wonderful bucolic setting on Hanley Farm Road in Warren to explore all styles and mediums. The show, which exhibits the work from the summer of 2018, includes oils, acrylics, watercolor, pastels, pencil and ink. Roberta Segal and Mary Snowden offer the instruction and encourage a variety of styles and voices.

The Bunny Fain Gallery at Temple Habonim is at 165 New Meadow Road in Barrington. Gallery hours are Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1 to 4 p.m., Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Fridays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and by appointment. For information, call 401-245-6536 or email gallery@templehabonim.org.

Top left, “Writings on the Rock,” Nina Wang Top right, “Hanley Farm Road, water view,” Evelyn Blum Bottom right, “Gourd,” Donna Poland Bottom left, “The Big Three,” Sarah Quinn

| WE ARE READ

December 7, 2018 |

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(401)J reports a great turnout at its annual Hanukkah celebration Dec. 1 at CW Lanes in Lincoln.

Check out the group’s Facebook page for upcoming events.

24 | December 7, 2018

The Jewish Voice

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