November 29, 1985

R. I. Jewish Historical Association 11 Inside: 130 sessions Street Local News, pages 2-3 Prov idence, RI 02906 From The Editor, page 4 Around Town, page 8 17....1 .. U RHODE l!iL"l'\JD -- THE ONLY ENGLISH-JEWISH WEEKLY IN RI AND SOUTHEAST MASS VOLUME LXXII, NUMBER 52 FRIDAY, DECEMBER 6, 1985 30e PER -COPY Synagogues Offer Sanctuary Shelly Weinstein: Emanu-El's To Central American Refugees Busy New Administrator b y Robert Israel P ROVIDENCE - The telephone is ri nging. There are several people waiting for an appointment in the outer office. The Temple Tracker, that pioneering computer system developed by Ellen Franklin for use at -Temple Emanu-El, is buzzing away, sheet after sheet rolling neatly off the printer. Shelley Weinstein, Emanu-El's new administrator who has just completed seven months on the job, sits in front of me, folds his hands on the desk and smiles. He has to catch his breath for a minute. The smile is fresh and invigorating. He is in the eye of a storm of activity at Rhode Island's largest Conservative synagogue and he loves it. " I'm comfortable now,'' he says, "and I'm finding all the things that were blurry at first are falling into place. The staff here is extremely warm and helpful. When I first arrived the details of the job were be ing thrown at me in a most business like way, but it was difficult to grasp it all. My functions, like weddings and Bar and Bat predecessor, St.eve Levitt, told me it took mitzvahs. but I'm there, too, in times of him a full year before he adjusted to the sadness. My door is always open and J work load at Temple Emanu-EI and he was want it to be known that I'm accessible.'' m,sociated with the Temple for quite some Weinstein is using his teaching time before that. So I guess seven months backgrounrl at Emanu-EJ's Leisure Club isn "t so lonJ!: a time to feel like I'm just where he teach&S a coutbe in American gf:ltmg adjusted.'' Jewish History. And he is not so Shelley Weinstein, 40, came to Rhode overwhelmed by his present duties that he Island from Staten Island, New York. has lost sight of the . importance of by Ilana DeBare has strenuously lobbied fo r the local Hillel where he worked for the New York Board long-range planning for Temple BERKELEY, CALIF. (JSPS) Foundation to join the movement. of Education. He has also been a teacher, a Ema nu-El. Twelve Christian church workers are " When we say 'never again,' does that guidance counselor and a temple "I've seen too many temples where the standing trial in Tucson for giving just apply to Jews. or are we obligated to administrator. He and his wife Goldie older generation is not willing to pass onto sanctuary to Central American refu11:ee s, prevent anyone from being in that have two children and are now reunited, the younger generation the rich heritage but the next round of prosecutions could situation?" Trachtenberg asks. living in Providence, having endured a they have experienced. That's not the case include rabbis and their congregants as Jacobson cautions that the Holocaust brief separation when Weinstein first hem. There is a tremendous spirit here, well. cannot be compared to Central American started to work for Emanu-El earlier this with the younger families taking an active Since 1982, more than 250 churches political persecution in terms of numbers year. imerest in the life of the synagogue. There across the country have pledged to shelter or scope, but adds that solidarity is "a "When we lived in New York, the is always something happening here. This refugees fearing deportation. Recently two-way street." neighborhood was largely non-Jewish," temple is 60 years old and it's used 365 they have been joined by about a dozen "If we don't want to be abandoned, we Weinstein tells me. "Coming into this days a year. It's my hope that more people synagogues, a number that is likely to have to have the same attitude towards neighborhood reminds me of when I was will invest themselves in this temple and increase following the recent resolution of others," he says. growing up in Borough Park. It's a Jewish continue t.o utilize all that it has to offer.'' the Union of American Hebrew· Some critics of the sanctuary movement. neighborhood where people seem The Temple Tracker computer is quiet Congregations (Reform) supporting the charge that its religious and moral connected to one another and to their for a moment, but the telephone is not. sanctuary movement. language is just a facade. non-Jewish neighbors, too, and I like that. And soon, there is someone knocking on Like traditional refugee relief Sanctuary is a "straightforward political Here at Temple Emanu-El, it's my the door to catch a few minutes with organizations, the sanctuary movement movement to oppose U.S. policy in responsibility to facilitate all the Temple's administrator Shelley Weinstein, a man offers legal and resettlement aid to needy Central America,'' says Martin Trow, a activities. l"m the person members turn to who clearly enjoys his work and t he syna refugees. But unlike more traditional Berkeley professor and Hillel board when th<'" "Pf'rl help arranging invous gogue he serves. organizations, its members have pledged member who has strongly opposed to commit civil disobedience to stop what sanctury. Trow says that wh ile individual they see as the illegal, immoral, and sanctuary wo rkers may have murderous deportation of refugees. _humanitarian motives, they are being Women Honor Grande There are approximately half a million manipulated by the political left. Debate Salvadorans in the U.S. today, according on the sanctuary issue has polarized the "Woman Of The Year" to San Francisco immigration attorney Berkeley Hillel board. Robert Rubin. Only 3% of those applying Jacobson says there is "some truth" to by Susan Bostia n During the simple but touching for asylum are allowed to stay. Sanctuary Trow's charge. "Many sanctuary people With champagne corks popping in the ceremony, Judge Grande's face glowed as movement wo rkers say many of the I've met are fearful of the U.S. provoking a background, Superior Court Justice she looked around t he room at the crowd refugees deported to war-torn El Salvador war in Cent~al America, and in some sense Corine Grande was awarded Woman of of almost 100 women who had gathered to or Guatemala have been killed, tortured, are using the issue to gai n leverage to the Year by the Rhode Island Women's honor her. With a wide smile she recalled a or have just "disappeared." prevent a war from happening," Jacobson Political Caucus on Wednesday night. prediction she had made in 1979, about " I consider the Reagan Administration says. Judge Grande accepted the award from women's role in the political process. to be breaking the law," says Rabbi Burt But sanctuary workers stress that the Suzanne Perry, Caucus chairperson in the "Women have a definite place in the Jacobson, whose Berkeley congregation movement is far from monolithic. Some festively decorated rotunda of the State political scene. We will continue to see joined the sanctuary movement last congregations tie the refugee issue to House. "Throughout her distinguished more and more women participating in the summer. "Those harboring ~he refugees la rger policy issues, while others simply career as a jurist, Judge Grande has earned decision making process. It is with great are acting in accord with international law focus on saving lives. the respect of the legal community in humility and thanks that I accept this 1 and with Jewish ethics." Wilma Rader, chairperson of the Rhode Island and across the country for award." ' Jacobson cites the Torah to explain his Community Concerns Committee at her knowledge of the law, high degree of The 1985 Woman of the Year. received own strong commitment to sanctuary. Berkeley's 400·family Temple, Beth-El, personal integrity and ability to conduct much deserved praise for the dignified "Twenty-seven times in the Torah we are which recently joined the sanctuary proceedings fi rmly and impartially,'' Perry control she maintained during the highly told , 'You must love the stranrer, for you movement, says Beth-El managed to avoid said. publicized Von Bulow trial in Providence were strange rs in the land of Egypt.'" he the divisive political debates which shook "As the first woman to be appointed lo this past year. says. Berkeley Hillel. the District Court and one of the first to Judge Grande received her Juris Many sanctuary workers relate their "It doesn't matter if it's the right or the preside in Superior Court, she has Doctorate from Northeastern University. involvement to the Holocaust, and to left doing the killing down there," says conducted herself and her courtroom with She was admitted to the Massachusett.11 memories of Jewish refugees who were Rader. "If there are people in this country dignity and respect for the law. Judge and Rhode Island Bars in 1953 and the denied shelter and sent to their deaths. who face death, don't send them back.'' Grande's record of accomplishment and United States Supreme Court Bar in 1966. "I had cousins who were turned back The actual nuts-and-bolts work of her commitment to serve the public Before her appointment to the bench, she from the U.S.

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