June 2023

In this issue

• ‘Thistlefoot’: A modern fantasy that explores the past

  Thursday, June 1

  Baba Yaga lives in the woods. Baba Yaga has a house with chicken’s feet. Baba Yaga is a mother, a Jew, a crone and a witch, and she eats children, or she saves children   – it really …

• PHDS to honor pillars of community at annual program

  Thursday, June 1

  The Providence Hebrew Day School has named Rabbi Shmuel and Mrs. Leeba Taitelbaum this year’s Amudim honorees. The Taitelbaums will receive their award on June 14, when PHDS holds its 76th …

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  ‘Killer’ pastrami, and more on its way to R.I.

  Thursday, June 1

  Jason Sugarman has had the Rhode Island foodie community buzzing since last fall, when word spread that his new deli, Maven’s, was coming to Pawtucket. As Maven’s posts began appearing on Instagram, the excitement built. Then came interviews with Sugarman, newspaper articles, more social media.

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  Holocaust Stamps Project exhibit opens June 11 in its new home

  Thursday, June 1

  The Holocaust Stamps Project , which collected 11 million stamps in memory of both Jewish and non-Jewish victims of the Holocaust, will go on display in its new home in Pennsylvania on June 11. …

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  R.I.’s Israeli emissary to discuss growing up gay and religious in Israel

  Thursday, June 1

  Elihay Skital will share his journey from religious gay man in Israel to acceptance and freedom, on Wednesday evening, June 7. As Pride Month begins, Skital, the Israeli shaliach (emissary) to …

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  JFF receives RI Foundation award

  Thursday, June 1

  At its annual meeting on May 17, the Rhode Island Foundation (RIF) presented the Carter Inspiring Partner Award to the Jewish Federation Foundation (JFF) for its support of the …

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  Sisterhood’s project brings warmth, comfort to children in need

  Thursday, June 1

  EAST GREENWICH – Members of Temple Torat Yisrael’s Sisterhood met on a recent Sunday to make a difference in the lives of Rhode Island children in crisis. To support Project Linus , …

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  Women work to engage, lead and inspire

  Thursday, June 1

  PROVIDENCE – On Thursday, May 11, the Women's Alliance welcomed Meg Waite Clayton, bestselling author of “The Postmistress of Paris,” for a women's exclusive evening at the …

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  Author to discuss Tree of Life mass shooting at June 11 program

  Thursday, June 1

  Author Mark Oppenheimer will lecture in person and on Zoom at Temple Emanu-El, in Providence, on June 11 about the devastating shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue, in …

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  Watch the video: Words matter in 2 new art exhibits in Providence

  Thursday, June 1

  Graffiti. Road signs. T-shirt slogans. They can all show up in a photograph, along with the words they portray. Some words are subtle and have little effect. Others seem to leap out of the image and …

• Teens propel a trend toward gender-neutral mitzvah ceremonies

  Thursday, June 1

  Like many Jewish teens, Ash Brave was nervous for their b’nai mitzvah. Memorizing the Torah portion, sending invitations, planning a party: It’s a lot for a 13-year-old to think about during what can already be an anxiety-filled age.

• Orthodox rabbis call for release of Gershkovich

  Thursday, June 1

  (JTA) – An umbrella association of American Orthodox rabbis is calling on the Russian government to release Evan Gershkovich, the imprisoned Jewish reporter for the Wall Street Journal. …

• Hadassah memories

  Thursday, June 1

  I read the wonderful article on Pawtucket Hadassah by Judy Silverman and Karen Beraha in the May issue of Jewish Rhode Island. As a past president of the Pawtucket chapter of Hadassah, along …

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  The unifying power of Hebrew

  Thursday, June 1

  A few weeks ago , Mark Elber, my colleague, friend and fellow poet, sent me a brief email posing the following question: “If you had to pick ten Jewish poems by any writers in any language, do …

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  Israel at 75

  Thursday, June 1

  More than 800 people celebrated Israel’s 75th birthday on May 21 at Farm Fresh RI in Providence. They danced. They listened to music. They ate good food and visited the many vendors supporting …

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  My scissors memorialize a moment in time

  Thursday, June 1

  No, not the brush or charcoal, nor the chisel and even no camera! I just use that ancient invention, the scissors. I may cut out one square from the funnies, or I trim an old photo snapshot to focus …

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  Boston’s MFA, Jewish art and Providence connections

  Thursday, June 1

  Could I have settled in New England without relatively easy access to Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts, one of America’s best?  Probably not.

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  Judie Tenenbaum has a sweet talent for making people happy

  Thursday, June 1

  I recently interviewed Judie Tenenbaum, a member of Temple Emanu-El, who is an attorney, advocate, consummate baker, harpist and Renaissance woman. I have worked with Judie on the temple’s …

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  Despite COVID-19, my new graduate emerged from college as a champion

  Thursday, June 1

  The path to my younger daughter Alana’s college graduation started 21 years ago, when she was adopted in China two days before her first birthday, and ended in an unusual 21-minute ceremony on …

• Summer food program feeds campers at no cost

  Thursday, June 1

  PROVIDENCE – With summer right around the corner, it’s time to think about keeping children healthy while school is out. The Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island provides free meals to …

• Conservative movement OKs vegetarian, vegan restaurants without kosher supervision

  Thursday, June 1

  (JTA) – For years, a subset of Jews who eat only at kosher-certified restaurants have bent the rules by taking advantage of a growing trend: fully vegan eateries. …

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  Watch the video: Make Moroccan Fish just like an Israeli

  Thursday, June 1

  Many Americans are surprised to learn that Moroccan cuisine has influenced Israeli cuisine in various ways. One of the most popular dishes that has made its way into Israeli kitchens is Moroccan Fish. This delicious dish has become a staple on Friday nights in Israel, with families gathering around the dinner table to enjoy the flavors of their past. When Israel was founded, the new nation drew thousands of people from all around the world, including a lot of Arab countries. As a result, Israeli cuisine is diverse, unique and delicious (in my humble opinion). My grandparents came from Yemen, and, like many immigrants, their food and customs mixed with many others in Israel. One example is jachnun, a traditional Yemenite pastry that …

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  Getting lost might be just what we need

  Thursday, June 1

  In April , I had the pleasure of seeing the Arctic Playhouse’s production of “The 39 Steps” (my spouse, Annie, was in the cast), a comedy based on Alfred Hitchcock’s 1935 …

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  More than food; founder Lisa Raiola dishes on Hope & Main

  Thursday, June 1

  Bristol resident Lisa Raiola is best known as the founder of Hope & Main, the food incubator and industrial kitchen based in Warren. She has appeared in scores of articles, mostly about Hope …

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  Let’s fight hate together

  Thursday, June 1

  We are living in highly-charged, tense times. I have watched as Americans, and even members of our local Jewish community, have become stratified. Left. Right. Far left. Far right. Pro this. Anti …