************************5-DIGIT 02906 241 1/ 31 / 89 ** 28 Local News, pages 2-3 R.I. JEWISH HISTORICAL ASSOC IATION 136 SESSIONS ST. Inside: From The Editor, page 4 PROVIDENCE, RI 02906 Around Town, page 8 Tflt,· U:\LY ENGLISH-JEWISH WEEKLY IN R.1. AND SOLTHEAST MASS. VOLUME LXXV, NUMBER 11 THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 1988 35¢ PER COPY ___Secret Mission To Paris ___ Teacher At Solomon =====stirs Opposition Anger Schechter Wins by David Landau Mubarak of Egypt and King to come tci grips with the current JERUSALEM (JTA) - The Hussein of Jordan, both key unrest in the administered Perelman Award new flurry of diplomatic activity in players in t he diplomatic initiative territories, while preparations are the Middle East initiated by the launched by Washington. made to negotiate a final United States has raised tensions In Paris, Hussein was asked by settlement. and acrimony within Premier a n Israeli correspondent if he had Both Levy, who holds the rank Yitzhak Shamir's Likud bloc. received a message from Shamir or of deputy premier, and Commerce The premier has coine under one of his aides. The king and Industry Minister Ariel sharp attack from some Herut responded: "No message." S haron, two of the most powerful hard-liners for allegedly deviating In Israel, Housing Minister voices in Likud's Herut wing, have from the pa rty's longstanding David Levy spoke out strongly warned Shamir they wi ll accept no position on autonomy for the against secret missions, which he deviation from the original Camp administered territories. He also is clearly implied were arranged David formula, as interpreted by accused of putt ing out diplomatic behind his back anrl t hose of other t he Likud-led government at the feelers without consulting his Likud ministers. The speculation time. colleagues. is that Rubinstein was conveying Camp David set a fi ve-year The latest such charges arose messages from Shamir to one or deadline fo r completion of the from Shamir's dispatch of his close both of the Arab leaders in Paris. autonomy plan. The Americans con'fidant, Cabinet Secretary The evolving American a re now talking in terms of weeks Elyakim Rubinstein, on a secret proposals are understood to call for and months. From Likud's mission to Paris. changes and acceleration of the standpoint, an early start of Rubinstein reportedly arrived autonomy plan first fo rmulated in negotiations for a settlement of the there recently. His visit coincided the Camp David accords of 1978. Israeli-Arab conflict is with the presence in the French The Americans have referred to undesirable. capital of President Hosni ''interim arrangements," intended (cont inued on page 9) Touro Synagogue: Its History Wendy Garf-Lipp is the first recipient of the Perelman Award by Robert Holtzman without significant problems. This Jewish families were living in for Curriculum or Unit Development. Newport, making up almost one by Sandra Silva Touro Synagogue in Newport is article, the first of two parts, will would be." quarter of the English colonies' an enigma. It is an Orthodox recount the early history of Touro Wendy Garf-Lipp, a teacher at Wendy has been teaching at temple serving a mainly Synagogue. Next week, t he ~0tal J ewish population. T he the Solomon Schechter Day Solomon Schechter for nine years Conservative congregation. Its synagogue's present status - its wealthiest and most famous of School in Providence, is the first during which time she says that services are conducted according problems and its promise - will be Newport's Jewish population at recipient of the Perelman Family her To/dot program has 'evolved'. to Sephardic tradition, while its examined. this time was Aaron Lopez, the Award for Curriculum or Unit De­ She describes the Toldot program members are Ashkenazim. It Newport's First Jews " Merchant Prince of New velopment. Wendy calls her inno­ as a whole new approach to study­ receives 25,000 or more visitors Soon after Roger Williams England," whose tracling concerns vative new teaching method To/dot ing the Bible. " I call it participa­ reached from Barbados to London. each year, and yet it does not have acquired a charter for Rhode after t he To/dot section in the tory Bible." Lopez was involved in everything enough people. It is a symbol of Island providing freedom of Bible. Wendy terms her method 'hands religious freedom in the U.S., but religious expression, Jewish people from candles to rum, and from Wendy teaches at Solomon on Bible.' "The children begin its congregation cannot alter the began arriving. The earliest shipbuilcling to slaves. Schechter Day School which en­ with something biblical and apply building without permission from evidence is a deed by which The Community Matures courages methods that are differ­ it to their lives today, so that when Many of the incoming Jews were the federal government. Mordecai Campanall and Moses ent from the typical approaches to t~ey return to the text they have a Pacheckos, both Jews, bought land Ashkenazim. But they joined the It is the center of a number of teaching the Bible. · better understanding of what organizations, some of national for a cemetery in 1678. If there was existing Sephardic community. "We encourage the children to For several years, services were they're being exposed to." One importance, and yet there is a lack need for a cemetery, a community first examine text, examine the method Wendy uses to accomplish held wherever convenient - often of interest. It was victim to must have already existed. By the biblical personalities in the text, this is to hav·e the children write 1690s, there were enough Jewish at the homes of members of the sledge-hammer break-ins by and to recognize the fact that their own Midrashim. members of its own congregation, businesses for the two to have a congregation. But the growth of they're not super-human beings .... "Many people accept Midrashim who had the tacit approval of the "Jew Street." The Jews who the community called for a larger, which means that they can make as almost truth," Wendy said. "At state's Assistant Attorney General arrived through the end of the permanent house of worship. With mistakes, they make wrong choices our school, we recognize it as being and the local police chief, who had Seventeenth Century were help from the mother temple in and they try get out of their mis­ legends written by people who were some of them arrested. These same sponsored by the Sephardic New York and contributions from takes," she said. studying the Bible, and we recog­ members were later defended by an Congregation Shearith Israel from other Jewish communities in " We try to give the children an nize the validity of us writing the Irish-Catholic lawyer. New York, with whom they London and the West Indies, idea as to what the moral implica­ Touro Synagogue, consecrated maintained close ties. funds were raised for the tions of the character's behavior (continued on page 9) in 1763, is the oldest synagogue Newport grew in importance construction of a new temple. building in the United States, and through the first half of the The great colonial architect perhaps the best-known. It became Eighteenth Century as one of the Peter Harrison was contracted to Rhode Island Jewish Women . a National Historic Shrine in 1946 most important ports in the design the synagogue. Harrison and it was honored with a colonies. Several Jewish families produced many notable buildings, A Celebration of the Arts commemorative postage stamp in settled to estab_lish merchantile including Newport's Brick Market 1982. It has a ·1ong and fascinating concerns. Just before the and Redwood Library, Kings history. It is still vital but it is not American Revolution, 25 or 30 Chapel in Boston, .and Christ Church in Cambridge. And while he was clearly a master of the neoclassical style, it is thought that he had never in his life seen a synagogue. Consequently, he based the layout on a verbal description of a synagogue in Amsterdam provided by a member of Newport's congregation. It was a fortuitous collabortion, for the exterior's stately rhythms provide a perfect setting for the motifs of the Dutch-Hebrew interior. Ground was broken in 1759. Four years later, Rev. Isaac Touro officiated at t he temple's official A first-time event of its kind! 16 Rhode Island Jewish women opening. The congregation artists came together to exhibit their art sponsored by the Car~r established its independence from Women's Affiliate of Jewish Federation. With the Jewish New York and took the name Community Center's assistance, the major exhibit opened _at Yeshuat Israel. Gallery 401 last Sunday afternoon. Shown from left by artist Disintegration Rodie Siegler's painting are Rodie, Barbara Resnicoff, program It was not an auspicious time for coordinator; and Janet Zurier, president. See page 8. Photo by Touro Synagogue: stately, rhythmic, and full of history. (Continued on page 15) Dorothea Snyder. 2 , , TH.I'; RlfQDE ISLAND HERALD. Tl;lljRSDA,Y, F;EBRUARY 11 , 1988 Temple Shalom The Adult Education Church, Newport - " What ls a Committee of Temple Shalom Lutheran?" Local News announces the schedule of courses March 3, The Reverend Thomas fo r the winter semester. Chininis, St. Spyridon's Church, Commencing on Thursday Newport - " Who Are the Greek evening, February 25 the following Orthodox?" courses wi ll be offered during a March 10, The Reverend Dr. five-week period. ,John Wilson, Newport Congregation Ohawe Sholam Rabbi Marc S. Jagolinzer will Congregational Church, Newport Sons of Jacob teach a class entitled, The Many - "What Is a Congregationalist?" Memorial Lectures Mincha will be at 4:55 p.m.