Newspapers / The Charlotte Jewish News … / Jan. 1, 2008, edition 1 / Page 30
Part of The Charlotte Jewish News (Charlotte, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
The Charlotte Jewish News -January 2008 - Page 30 Jewish Traveler Rhode Island By Kara Silverstein Most people wouldn’t think of visiting Rhode Island for its Jewish heritage, but the nation’s smallest state has quite a lot to offer when it comes to Jewish history. With a Jewish community dating back nearly 350 years, Rhode Island has a rich religious ancestry and has worked to preserve a number of historic Jewish sites. I got to visit a few of these on a recent trip to Rhode Island. My boyfriend, David, and I originally planned our visit to Rhode Island so that he could show me his old family home in Providence and I could ogle the mansions in Newport. We chose Labor Day weekend so that we could also fit in two music festivals - the Roots & Rhythm Festival in Charlestown and the Irish Music Festival in Newport - as well as a visit to Waterfire, an art installa tion in Providence. At only around 50 miles long, it’s possible to cover quite a bit Rhode Island in one weekend. David and I decided to use Providence as our initial launching point. We spent the first two nights at the beautiful Renaissance Hotel in downtown Providence. The Renaissance occupies a Masonic temple that was built in 1929. The hotel, which underwent extensive renovations, opened to the public in the spring of 2007. While the exterior of the building retained its neoclassical architecture, the inte rior was transformed into fabu lously funky guest suites offering modem day sophistication. On Saturday, we started off our. morning at the mouthwatering Seven Stars bakery {820 Hope St, Providence), an artisan bakery serving breads, pastries and baked goods made from all-natural ingredients. Then we headed south to the city of Charlestown, where we spent the rest of the day loung ing in the sun and listening to music at Roots & Rhythm Festival (www.rhythmandroots.com). The Labor Day festival offers four stages featuring blues, Zydeco, Cajun, rockabilly and roots music, along with a variety of vendor booths. Later that evening, back in Providence, I insisted on visiting Waterfire (www.waterfire.org), an environmental art installation that consists of a series of 100 bonfires blazing just above the surface of the three rivers that run through the middle of downtown Providence. It’s a beautiful sight, -and visitors can either view the fires from paths that run along the river or from gondolas offering tours. Waterfire occurs biweekly in the summer months and is accompanied by classical music and live performances. The next day, David and I made our way south, to the glamorous resort town of Newport. The sea side city of Newport is home to many famous mansions, including The Breakers. David and I board ed a city bus to take us to the Cliff Walk, a 3.5 mile trail that runs Touro Synagogue Dirt... A One-Man Show About Choices Wednesday, January 23, 7-9 PM, Gorelick Hall; Parents & Teens Welcome John Morello spent most of his life watching friends and family become victims of destructive decisions. He responded by writ ing a one-man show, “Dirt.” Not^ lecture or seminar, “Dirt” truly is a play of many characters all per formed by one actor. With 15 years of stage experience, Morello comically and effortlessly slips in and out of the characters to tell a story which is compelling, unique, and yet is unfortunately the story of far too many of our young peo ple. You are sure to see someone you know or .can relate to in his performance. Recommended by SADD, MADD, and ASAP (Association of Student Assistance Professionals), “Dirt” is now endorsed for camps and retreats like TIGS, MADD Power Camp, and numerous peer mediation groups. Every student will be captivat ed and changed by this powerful performance. Bom in Detroit and raised in Boston, John Morello has been on stage for 15 years as an actor and headlining comedian. At one time a high school drop out, he now holds a BA in Theatre Arts. John considers himself a sur vivor of a “high risk” childhood. As a teenager, he witnessed friends and family struggle with addiction. As a teacher in a treat ment center, he saw students struggle with the family cycles of self-abuse. John’s response to these stmggles is “Dirt.” With this new show touring the country, John is connecting with audiences in a unique theatrical setting. It is his hope that in his show everyone will see someone they know, espe cially themselves. The Cast of Characters David; A high school junior becoming entangled in ecstasy and prescription dmgs. Jason: Every town’s “stoner” who sees weed and his actions as harmless. Melissa: A college bound girl who drinks “socially” and is now dealing with the issue of date- rape. Hank: A 79-year-old WWll veteran who reflects on his life, his choices, and his care for the young people in his life. Wednesday, January 23, 7-9 PM, Gorelick Hall. along Newport’s cliffs and offers spectacular views of the historic mansions on one side and the rocky coastline on the other. However, due to Labor Day week end traffic and our own impa tience, we jumped off early and found ourselves standing in front of the Touro Synagogue (85 Touro St., Newport), the oldest existing synagogue in the United States. The Touro Synagogue was dedi cated on December 2, 1763, and is listed as a National Historic Site. Over the years, the Synagogue has played a number of important roles in history. During the Revolutionary War, it served as a. hospital for British troops. Years later, during the Civil War, a trap door under the Bimah was used to house mnaway slaves as part of the Underground Railroad. Discovering the Touro Synagogue spiked my interest in the history of Jews in Rhode Island. I knew that my cousin, Barbara Levin, had grown up in the state and that my boyfriend’s family had deep roots in Providence, but I had never really thought of Rhode Island as a par ticularly Jewish area. After a bit of research, I learned that the first Jewish settlers came to Rhode Island in 1658, when a group of fifteen Sephardic Jews from Barbados found haven in Newport, Rhode Island. Those fif teen Jews established America’s second Jewish congregation, Jeshuat Israel. In 1677, the group purchased and consecrated proper ty as the first Jewish cemetery in America. The Hebrew Cemetery, which still exists on Bellevue Avenue in Newport, is considered the oldest existing Jewish Cemetery in America. Jewish migration to Rhode Island peaked in the years from 1900 to the outbreak of World War I. Most of the refugees settled in the South Providence, Smith Hill and North End neighborhoods of Providence, but congregations were also formed in Woonsocket, Pawtucket, Cranston and Newport. By 1924, the state’s Jewish population reached 25,000. (Continued on page 31) Scott Fried, a promotional speaker who deals with issues concerning Jewish teens, spoke at Hebrew High in November. Scott with Roz Cooper, director of Hebrew High. Seott speaks with Hebrew High teacher Donna deGroot. Mission to Cuba Brings Much Needed Sustenance to Small Jewish Community There has been a Jewish presence on the island of Cuba since the day Christopher Columbus landed on its shores. His interpreter, Luis de Torres, a Jew who was fleeing the Spanish. Inquisition, opted to stay on the island when Columbus left to continue his journey northward. Since then the Jewish population of Cuba has continued to grow, from 20 men in 1763, to enough Jews to establish the United Hebrew Congregation in 1906. Several more synagogues and cultural organizations were founded until the time that Castro and the Communists took over the govern ment. Many Jews fled at that time, but many more stayed, some unable to leave, others choosing to stay, as they were members of the Communist party and had socialist political leanings. For many years, religious expression was strongly discour aged by the Castro government. It was only in the early 1990s that Castro eliminated religious dis crimination and since then Jews have been free to worship as they please. However, life in Cuba is not easy for anyone. But, there is a The whole group at Revolutionary Square. spirit of rebirth in the Jewish com munity of Cuba. With this in mind, Ahavath Achim, a Conservative synagogue from Atlanta, GA, planned a char itable mission to Cuba’s Jewish community. Twenty-seven people joined the mission from all over the US, including Dr. Mike and Lenora Borchardt of Charlotte. “This was a truly humani tarian mission,” says Lenora, “and personally very reward ing.” During the one-week trip, the group visited Jewish communities in Havana, Cienfiegos, Trinidad de Cuba, and Santa Clara. The majority of the country’s 1500 Jews (1100) live in Havana. The remaining 400 are scattered across the island. The group visited Casa de la Communidad Hebrea de Cuba (the JCC of Cuba), also known as El Patronato, in Havana. There is a community pharmacy on the premises, run by two part-time doctors and two part-time pharma cists. Donated prescription and non-prescription medicines are dispensed at no charge to all, including non-Jews, who come .with a doctor’s prescription from their health care system. There are qualified doctors in Cuba, but medications are scarce. The next day, the mission trav eled to Santa Clara and Cienfuegos. Santa Clara is home to a small Jewish community and there is both a Jewish cemetery (Continued on page 31) Entrance to the Jewish cemetery.
The Charlotte Jewish News (Charlotte, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Jan. 1, 2008, edition 1
30
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75