July 18, 1986
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Jewish Historical R. I . Association 11 13 0 sessions Street Providence , RI 02906 THE ONLY ENGLISH-JEWISH WEEKLY IN R.I. AND SOUTHEAST MASS. VOLUME LXXIII, NUMBER 32 FRIDAY, JULY 18, 1986 35¢ PER COPY Teaching Hebrew In China Stan Bernstein: BEIJING, China (JTA) - The hours of Hebrew language Department of Oriental instruction, they attend other Searching For Life's Next Big Challenge Languages of Beijing University, classes for a total of 20 hours each China's premier institution here week. by Susan Bostian at the national capital, offers They are enrolled in a five-year Stanley Bernstein was surprised Japanese, Korean, Burmese, Thai, university program. After they and touched by the retirement Mongolian, Arabic - and now, master Hebrew, they will study party his friends and colleagues Modern Hebrew. Jewish history, modern Hebrew threw for him at the Providence When the Ministry of Culture literature, Judaism and related Marriott. Technically he is not decided that lvrit would be matters for 12 hours a week, plus really retiring, but when was the studied, some of the Chinese eight hours of other subjects. last time you were invited to a teachers of Arabic were expected Kita Alef uses BeAl Pe, a major life change/transition to teach Hebrew also. They had standard Hebrew teaching text party? That would have been the compiled a Chiriese-English and workbook. Each student has more appropriate name for the Hebrew dictionary by cutting taken a Hebrew name - Chana, celebration because Stanley apart the columns of Reuben Dan, Dinah, Gershom, Moshe, Bernstein, the Executive Director Alcalay's Hebrew-English Shula, Tsiporah, Uzi, Yitzhak and of the Providence Redevelopment dictionary, adding a column of Yosef. Agency, a life long public servant Chinese characters, and They recite - reading aloud or for the citizens of Providence, is photo-duplicating a dozen copies leaving his job with the city and which were then bound in black practicing the dialogue of their textbook - shyly, giggling at their seeking a new challenge in the cloth. private sector, even though Mayor For some reason, though, an mistakes. Mann translates new vocabulary into English, which Paolino asked him to stay. American was employed to "Thirty-six years is enough," inaugurate Hebrew-language some of his students studied for as many as eight years before says the man who has served under instruction in the People's five mayors. "I'm grateful for the Republic of China (PRC). Michael entering the university. In class, however, he speaks mainly in world of experience and the won Mann, a recent graduate of derful people I have met. I will al Princeton University where he Hebrew, using the lvrit beivrit method widely employed in Israel ways appreciate the fact that I was majored in chemistry, had signed able to grow with the organiza up to teach English for a year at and elsewhere. Mann knows only a little Chinese. Words he cannot tion." Bernstein graduated from Beijing University. When Bryant College in 1948 and was university officials learned that he explain are looked up in the groups as they attempted to take makeshift Chinese-English hired by the newly formed Rede always desirable. Now urban was a graduate of the SAR Hebrew velopment Agency in 1950. Over renewal has taken on the goal of over the planning process. There Hebrew dictionary. day school in The Bronx, New the past 36 years he progressed was infighting and dissention with The Hebrew class meets in a historic preservation, restoration York, and the Ramaz Hebrew high from office manager to Director of and the appropriate relocation of many factions. Now so far in the small, bare room lacking the maps school in Manhattan, they decided the Providence Department of families. In the 50's some families S0's there has been a complete of Israel, posters and alphabet he would teach their first class in Planning and Urban Development, spirit of cooperation where the charts that typically adorn would relocate from one lvrit. Executive Director of the Provi citizen groups are working with Hebrew classrooms elsewhere. substandard area to another. When they told him, only two dence Redevelopment Agency, and. Sometimes we would catch up the council." weeks before he was due to leave Fitting Words To Objects General Manager of Providence with them two or three times." Although all areas of for China, Mann stuffed some When I visited, Kita Alef was Off-Street Parking, Inc. The philosophy surrounding the Providence have benefited from Bernstein's interest and concern, World Zionist Organization learning about Israeli pastimes - Bernstein has seen the concept methods of urban renewal has also teaching materials in his flight he is most proud of the East Side kadoor regel, kadoor basis, of urban renewal evolve as well as changed, for the better, according bag. He had never taught Hebrew, hakolnoa, hateatron, football, to Bernstein. "In the 50's urban Project. "The project was two the city around him. "Urban miles long, 350 acres from Randall or anything else, until he went to baseball, the cinema, the theater. renewal is activity designed to renewal decisions were made by China. Musica was discussed intensively, professional planners, submitted Square/ Branch Avenue to Fox rebuild and revitalize blighted Point. There were four main parts, Learning To Know It each student telling in Hebrew substandard areas of the city. In to the council to approve, and At Beijing University, Kita Alef, what he or she prefers to hear - action was taken. In the 60's Randall Square, North Benefit the 50's the challenge was going area, South Main, and Fox Point. the beginners' class, started with "pop, classi, symphonit." into areas, demolishing and citizen participation started but 10 students. Although most were Then Kita Alef turned to the the groups really had little to say. We worked out every detail with a rebuilding. In the 60's we became 50 member project committee," assigned to Kita Alef, a few asked geography of Israel. They learned more selective. We determined The 70's were a tumultuous period to study I vrit. One young woman that Tel Aviv al yad hayam, Tel that total clearance was not of confrontation with the citizen (continued on page 9) came to Kita Alef knowing some Aviv is beside the sea, haNegev Biblical Hebrew. She told Mann darom shel Yisrael, the Negev is in she had been taught by an old Israel's South, and that haNegev Exploring Rhode Island's Jewish Chinese gentleman who himself hamidbar shel Yisrael, the Negev had learned Hebrew from a is Israel's desert. Christian missionary in Xi'an Mann praised every utterance, History: The North End many years before. frequently exclaiming nachon, One man in the Chinese correct and tov meod, very good. Ministry of Culture is known to Considerable "positive reinforce "have'' some Hebrew, learned ment" of this kind is a hallmark of many years ago, no one knows how Israeli ulpan teaching. or where. Except for a few faculty members at Beijing and perhaps Four years from now, the elsewhere, the Hebrew language is graduates of Kita Alef will be unknown among the Chinese, who assigned jobs by the Chinese number one billion, a fourth of the government. T he students have no human race. idea where they will be sent or None of the students in Kita what work they wi ll be told to do. Alef comes from Kaifeng, If any of them dream of visiting traditions) center of the Israel someday, they did not long-vanished community of mention it to me or their teacher. Chinese Jews. They knew little or Michael Mann is returning to the nothing about Jews, Judaism or United States to enter medical the State of Israel when they school, but Hebrew classes wi ll be started studying Ivrit. continued at Beijing University. Whatever these students may Why? have learned earlier - in school or from the Chinese media, for Hebrew Classes To Continue example - was presented from The People's Republic of China the Arab and Third World has no diplomatic relations with viewpoint, in accordance with the State of Israel. When current PRC foreign policy telecommunications links between directives. the two countries we re established T he Beijing students were recently, the Chinese Foreign assigned to major in Hebrew. Ministry specifica lly announced Their class in lvrit meets from that this did not presage any Continuing the seriee on Rhode leland's Jewieh roots in honor of R.l. 360, Herald editor Robert eight to ten o'clock every morning, change in China's non-recognition Israel write& about the North End !'f f'.r.'!,v,idenoe, ehown,a'lq'{e• Turn to page 10. six dayq a week. ln addi\19n to 12 of Israel. F ._ ~1;t-' r ,.. Q ,r Y. h l il. '?»-ffJ~'.f n. lf: 'J~.H (Ti/JA r9J ,.,"f,•;,,.·-,.}J.!1 .0,i-Y- 2 ...,_ TH~ RH,ODE•ISLAND HERALD, FRIDAY, JYL¥, 18,.1986 · : , ,, 'I ; Cantors Assembly ORT Presents Celebrates 40th "Dancin' In Street" Anniversary Everyone is invited to 1960's Local News discotheque theme party on July In its 40th year of serving the 21. This event marks the 1986/87 cantorate and Jewish life, the installation of officers fo r the Cantor's Assembly is planning a Providence Chapter of Women's Gala concert next November 23. American ORT. The records will The concert is to be a memorial be spun by disc jockey Wally Beth Sholom E. Prov. Heritage Days PHDS tirbute to Hazzan Michal Gator of Alligator Rock from Hammerman, remembered and 6:30-11. Time out at 8:30 will be Officers Elected Come and celebrate the area's Launches Newsletter beloved by so many as the hazzan given to the installation ceremony.