AUGUST 24, 1989 35T PER COPY Touro's 225Th Birthday Celebration by John Chadwick Eran, Fred Friendly

***********i*f ********-DIGIT (2Q06 241 1/31/9 ** "6 R. I. JE,HSH HI TORICAL S OCIAf!ON 131, !:ES~ E1t.S S Rhode Island Jewish ''ROV iDENC>-, RI HERALD National, page 8 The Only English-Jewish Weekly in Rhode Island snd Southesstsrn Msssschusetts 111UR;SDAY, AUGUST 24, 1989 35t PER COPY Touro's 225th Birthday Celebration by John Chadwick eran, Fred Friendly. On the first trip up Touro Street "This synagogue was here before in Newport, it's easy to miss the George Washington crossed the Touro Synagogue. Delaware, before the (U.S.) consti Hidden in a cluster of colonial, tution was written, before Valley museum-like buildings in the his Forge; almost everything else from torical district, the oldest temple the colonial era has vanished ex in America is inobtrusive to the cept for the idea that all men and first-time visitor - just another women were created equal,'' Mr. bus tour stop in the old seaport. Friendly said. It stands set back in from the Built in 1763 by Sephardic Jews street, fenced off and bears little from Portugual and Spain, the syn resemblance to the sprawling agogue is now the home of Congre American temples of the suburbs gation Jeshuat Israel, an Orthodox or the red-brick shuls of the urban congregation consisting of mainly past. Ashkenazim Jews and numbering Nonetheless, there's a story in about 150 families. It has been de side and around the beige building, clared a national shrine and is - an entire chapter of Jewish his cared for by a number of historical tory that's still being written and a groups. Both congregation and the lesson in religious freedom that its historical preservationists were on supporters and adherents want hand this weekend offering com known. mentary, reflection and a number Last weekend, the synagogue of events to mark the occasion. turned 225 years old and visitors The building is essentially a sim from across the country came to ple, straightfoward structure that pay tribute. Among the dignitaries is set off the road diagonally so it The 225th anniversary of the Touro Synagogue drew hundreds of people from acrou the nation. on hand was former CBS News faces due east toward Jerusalem. (continued on next page) President and World War Il vet- Peace, Love And Torah: Marblehead Forms Task Force by Susan Birnbaum dented was the community's re NEW YORK (JTA) - One sponse. Woodstock Remembered Sunday morning last month, more For instance, the AOL's offer of by Ellen Bernstein took some time out from Torah impressionable, anxious to listen than 1,000 persons, Jews and non $1,000 reward for the capture of Atlanta Jewiah Times study on a recent Tuesday and hear," Fishbain said. Jews, black and whites, clergy and the vandals was matched by equal BETHEL, N.Y. (JTA) - For afternoon to reflect on that August Fishbain continued communi just plain folks, held a rally in contributions from a group com the hundreds who flocked to this weekend. cating with the travelers, finding Marblehead, Mass., that included posed of members of the vandalized tiny Catskill Mountains township Fishbain is the Orthodox leader common ground in the sphere of cleaning .up the virulent anti Jewish institutions and tbe inter this week, the 20th anniversary of of Beth Sinai, a 13-year-old music, a source of spiritual Semitic graffiti that appeared on denominational Ministers Alliance. the Woodstock music festival was congregation situated next to a sustenance for Hasidim. "The fact the walls of three of the town's The ADL has begun a program an opportunity to recall a glorious shimmering mountain lake called they were attracted to music here Jewish institutions. to educate the police and the dis weekend of peace, love and rock Kayenoga. Back in 1969, this - we believed they could also be The rally was the first activity of trict attorney's office on the ways and roll. father of 13 children was a teacher attracted to spiritual values." a newly-formed task force, designed and means of the racist youths But for the Orthodox Jews who in New York at a rabbinic Quoting Jewish sources, the to help combat anti-Semitism in known as Skinheads and other live or vacation near by, it was ~minary. With his wife, Sarah · rabbi drew parallels between the, the aftermath of a spray paint anti-Semites. time to remember the day when Rivkah, he summered in the spiritual realms of music, alom attack earlier that week on the Zakim said he was heartened by the men missed Shabbos. Catskills. haneginah, and the world of North Shore Jewish Community the community response. Ten "The town was in no way On Friday, Aug. 15, an endless repentance, olam teshuvah. Center, the adjacent Hillel Acade years ago, he said, the response of equipped to handle that kind of stream of cars and people, in halter "They are very close, so if you my and nearby Temple Emanuel. both non-Jews and Jews would gathering," said Rabbi Samuel tops, flannel shirts, headbands and are involved in one of the worlds, The words "Skin heads" were re have been to sweep ugly incidents Fishbain, now 50, of the 400,000 bandannas, jammed the town's you might be carried to the next," peated in several places, accom under the rug. young people who converged on main intersection, where a kosher Fishbain said. panied by swastikas. Now,localclergyandcommunity the town on Aug. 15, 1969, enroute butcher and kosher grocery store Two decades later, the media "They knew what they were do leaders have reminded the Jews to the grassy concert site a few stand today. and tourists are deluging this ing," said Leonard Zakim, director that there were still bastions of tra miles away. ThQugh accustomed to being otherwise sleepy town. Residents of the New England office of the ditional anti-Semitism in the area. That weekend, he said, outnumbered - by gentiles, the and local merchants of Bethel are Anti-Defamation League of B'nai And as if they needed proof, one Orthodox men working in New austere community was repelled by being interviewed about their lives B'rith, in Boston. active anti-Semite picketed a York got caught in the concert what Fishbain called "hippies." now and back then. The attack wasn't the first meeting of Jewish and non-Jewish traffic and had to turn back for Not so much for their immodest One reporter from a Boston instance of anti-Semitism in the leaders who gathered to discuss the fear they would arrive after dress, he said, but "for the way television station admitted more community. What was unprece- vandalis~. and was later arrested. sundown, the start of the Jewish they attended to their bodily needs confusion when, on July 9, he Sabbath, Fishbain said. "Some urinating anywhere like captured on tape a different sort of New Lobby Is were stranded and never made it." children." processional through the streets of Since the 1940s, the entire area But the indecent behavior didn't Bethel. The dedication of Beth has been the annual summer prevent Fishbain and other Sinai's second Torah scroll spilled Viewed Skeptically destination of religious Jews from Hasidim from offering kosher food into the streets, where revelers by Andrew Silow Carroll Whether it is the purported pro New York. As many as 200,000 to and drink to tie-dyed sojourners sang and danced beneath a NEW YORK (JTA) - Organi Palestine Liberation Organization 300,000 come to spend their who they ascertained to be Jewish. wedding canopy, or huppa. zations and individuals on the philosophy of the new group or its summers here. Quite a few, Fishbain recalled, It may be 20 years later, but at Jewish left have never been shy assumption of turf already staked Fishbain, a year-round resii:lent accepted his offer to put on tefillin. the site of Woodstock, the about criticizing the American out by their own groups, leftists of Bethel's quiet Hasidic enclave, "Some of them seemed very celebration goes on. Israel Public Affairs Committee, and other critics of AIPAC say the the large and powerful lobbying new group doesn't deserve the kind of attention it has received in actively intercede to guarantee the Among those listed as endorsing states. force in Washington. the group are Robert Friedman, Toby Dershowitz, a spokes Its Jewish critics have accused recent weeks. human and civil rights of Pales graduate dean of the Baltimore woman for AIPAC, said her group AIPAC of being too closely aligned The Jewish Peace Lobby is tinians in the administered terri headed by Jerome Segal, a research tories, and to devote a portion of its Hebrew University; sociologist has not commented on the Peace with conservatives in this country Lobby specifically. However, scholar at the Institute for aid to Israel to the work of Israeli Nathan Glazer of Harvard Univer and unwilling to challenge the poli not seek to quash Philosophy and Public Policy at private organizations that promote sity; New York rabbis Balfour "AIPAC does cies of a right-wing Israeli govern Brickner and Marshall Meyer; any voices or any opinions," she ment. the University of Maryland. "reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians.,, actor Edward Asner; and writers said. But these same critics are skep The new lobby supports an inde Segal said that on some kev pendent, but demilitarized, Pales Segal claims the group's sup Anne Riophe, Grace Paley and tical of a newly formed group, the issues, the Jewish Peace J.,obhv ~ tinian state. porters include 125 rabbis and Gloria Steinem. Jewish Peace Lobby, that is pro Segal also claims coordinators in ·'lot in conflict with AIPAC moting itself as an alternative Jew To achieve that end, the lobby "several dozen prominent Ameri 50 congressional districts in 22 (continued on page ish lobby.

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