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7 ***************CAR-R T SOR T**C-027 1874 09/30/97 BUREAU OF JEW I SH EDUCA TION 130 Sess ·j ons St Providence RI 02906-3444 l\l, ,,,,l,l l,l 11 \l ,,,,ll, ,, ,ll,, l,, l,l ,, l, l,,l,, ll, ll,, ,,l,l ,I Rhode Island Jewish Jewish Community HERALD PAGES 3, 8, 9 The Only English-Jewish Weekly in Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts VOLUME LXVII, NUMBER 15 ADAR I 20; THURSDA Y, FEBRUARY 27, 1997 35¢ PER COPY Seifer Tells Amazing Tesla Story n the mid-1970s, Marc Seifer and Times of Nikola Tesla; Biogra It was during that time while Iwas doing research for a phy of a Ge nius. writing for two publications, magazine piece when he Publisher's Weekly ca lls it a ESP and Ancient Astronauts, that stumbled upon a story about a book of "unusual interest and he came across that account of child from another planet sup merit," and Book/isl, the maga Tesla being a visitor from an posedly dropped into Yugosla zine of the American Library other planet. via in the mid-1800s. Association, said the "biogra Asked why he enjoyed work The story said the "visitor," phy deserves attention from all ing in what many people would named Nikola Tesla, was the who would understand the hu term the paranormal, Seifer father of modern electronics and man tragedies played out in the wireless communications. shadows of our neon culture." Seifer, a 1970 graduate in fi Seifer examines the details of nance from the University of Tesla's life from his ri se to promi "No one wants to say it, Rhode Isla nd's College of Busi nence in American high society ness Administration, was im to his plunge into poverty after but psychology is also mediately hooked by this wild bei"ng crushed by his financier, about the soul." · story, so he found a book listing Wall Street banker J.P. Morgan. Tes la's patents, and as he Seifer's book cites letters ex scanned it, his jaw dropped. changed by the businessman smiled. "I am a scientist, so I "Tesla was the inventor of and theinventortodemonstrate work with what we can estab alternating (electTical) current, how Morgan, who wanted to lish. But that doesn't mean we fluorescent lighting, wireless protect su ch compani es as shouldn'texaminecontroversial communication, remote control AT&T and General Electric, de subjects. We need to be open and robotics," said Seifer. He stroyed Tesla's drea m of a wire about the possibilities. No one also learned that Tesla was ac less worldwide communica wants to say it, but psychology tually the son of Serbian parents tions network. is also about the soul." and not from outer space. "Can you imagine how Tesla Ashe continued this research was viewed at the turn of the on Tesla, he entered the century when he said, 'I can Saybrook Institute in San Fran send pictures through the air,"' cisco, to obtain his Ph.D. His "URI is one of the best Seifer said. 700-page dissertation, which DANA AND THE KIDS clap and sing, "Bim Born - Shabbat libraries I've been in, and Before Seifer began investi was on Tesla, became 60 per Shalom." More pictures on pages 8 & 9. Hera ldphotobyAlisonSmitl, I've been in libraries all gating the odyssey that was cent of the book. Tesla's life, he was beginning Throughout all of his educa over the world." his own odyssey. After gradu tional and writing adventures, ating from URJ, he went to New there have been two anchors, A Shabbat Seder 0 York to study film and graphol his wife, who he' s been with for But why was so little known ogy (the study of handwriting) more than25 years, and the Uni For Smallfolk about Tesla, wondered Seifer, at the New School for Social versity of Rhode Island Library. by Alison Smith Fage~ and Evy Rappoport did now a psychologist, and profes Research. 'She's the reason I am in Rhode Herald Editor the honors with the candles, sor at the Community College In 1974, he earned his Island," Seifer said. "She's The "traditions" cart was in wine, etc. Dana Zucker, the lady of Rhode Island's Westerly sat master's degree in psychology grounded me, she's not afraid place, in the Jewish C9mmunity in charge of the program, was ellite campus, and Bristol Com from the University of Chicago, to criticize my work." Center's lobby, and it was here, there, and everywhere - munity College in Fall River? and then he returned to Rhode As for the URI Library, Seifer loaded with "wine" in little plas wherever she was needed. The Narragansett resident Island to teach at URI and Provi said it was his research base for tic glasses, and bread. A minia Songs were sung, prayers and began a quest that lasted 20 years dence College, and to be with the Tesla biography. ture thunder sounded from blessings were said, and wihe and resulted ina book published his URI sweetheart who is now "URl is one of the best librar dow,n the stairwell, and up they and bread wereserved,and then in December, Wizard, The Life his wife, Lois Pazienza. ies I've been in, and I've been in came ... about 150 tots from the it was over, and the thunder of libraries all over the world. The nursery school, pre-school, kin several hundred little feet rolled staff helped me for over 15 years dergarten programs at the cen · down thestairsagain. All in all, on this project. You have such ter. it was a great success. great access there." They were seated in groups, Steve Raki tt tells me that as After obtai ning his doctor all over the lobby, and then the he understands it, about 300 ate, he worked to complete the program started. Bonnie children (approximately) go in book and a screenplay about Ryvicker, Steve Raki tt, Bi ll and out of theJCCRl every day. Tesla, with his partner Tim Ea ton, a visual effects editor at Industrial Light & Magic. The A View of the Street screenplay was performed by 14 actors at the Producers Club by Irving C. B. Sten\bach on the left and the tire rebuild Theater in Manhattan. "I Ash Street is no more. Urban shop on the right. Next came the thought his story would make a developmentin the late'50s lev UnionJunk Shop on the left and tremendous movie," he said. eled the entire street along with the Brown's backyard on the Even though no major studio some of Wi llard Avenue. right. Next to the Brown's was has purchased his screenplay, Ash Street ran for one block the stable where Bill and Roger Seifer said, "Therewilldefinitely from Staniford Street to Hilton li ved. They were our bums. be a movie about him. Street and was made up of a few Then came Jake Sternbach's "There are a number of key backyards and rear entrn nces to and Son (that's me, the son). figures who changed the course some stores that faced out on Across from our shop was the • of the 20th century, such as Willard Avenue, but the rea l American Waste Paper Com Edison, Freud and Einstein,and claim to fame for Ash Street was pany. Diagonally across thesh·eet Tesla should be on that li st," that all of the other establish was Goldberg's Tire Shop, and Seifer said . · ments were some type of junk across the street from Goldberg's Ed. Note: 011 March 23, Seifer shop. They were recyclers be and right next door to us was the will beat the Ba mes & Nob le Book fore the word recycle came i nlo I-! . Davis Auto Wreckers. store i11 Warwick for a book talk vogue. Continuing down the street from 1 :JO p.111. to 2 p.111. , a11rl for a With your back to Staniford we find on the left Bedrick'sJunk Sh?P and across the street Snel I's Teacher and author Marc J. Seife r, Ph .D. book sig11i11g from 2 to 4 p.111. Street, walking up Ash Street, you passed Gold 's Junk Shop (Ccmtinucd on P~1gc 7) 2 - THE RHODE ISLAND JEWISH HERALD, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 1997 INSIDE THE OCEAN STATE By Land or By Sea The second joint University environmental management. of Rhode Island general publi The catalog is divided into ca tions catalog is now available two sections - Sea Grant and from both URl's Sea Grant and Land Grant - with a separate Land Grant Cooperative Exten order form for each. sion programs. The catalog is To obtain a free copy of the newly updated. ca talog, contact the Rhode ls It co ntains more than 100 land Sea GrantCommunications publications or publicati o n Office, University of Rhode ls packages of interest to the gen land Ba y Campus, Narragan eral public. These range from sett, R.I. 02882-1197; call 874- books to posters to fact sheets, 6842 or contact the Cooperative and cover topics such as aquac Ex tension Educa tion Center, ulture marine life, natural places University of Rhode Island, East in Rhode island, coastal bi rds of Alumni Ave., Kingston, RI the Northeast, hurricanes, gar 02881; call toll free (800) 448- dening, lawn care, nutrition,and 1011. Conference on Mental Health Promotion and Mental Illness Prevention Coming Up The Stage is Set The Mental Health Advance service providers will describe Cole Brook, in Little Compton, runs through a tract of land recently purchased by the Nature ment Resource Center will host programs already in existence in Conservancy.