AUGUST 24, 2017 – 2 ELUL, 5777 JEWISHVOL 41, NO 28 JOURNALJEWISHJOURNAL.ORG Hate, turmoil… Aug. 11, Charlottesville Aug. 14, New York Aug. 14, Boston Vice News “I think there’s blame on both sides. And I have no The New England Holocaust Memorial was White supremacists chant, “Jews will not replace us.” The next day, doubt about it,” said President Trump. vandalized for the second time this summer. a woman was killed by a suspected white supremacist in the city. and resolve Aug. 19, Boston Photos by Larry Constantine About 40,000 counter-protesters marched for tolerance at last Saturday’s ‘Free Speech Rally’ at the Boston Common. Boston Proud: Jews cannot afford What I saw at in the face of hate to be silent the Free Speech Rally By Robert O. Trestan By Steven A. Rosenberg By Larry Constantine and Talia Ben Sasson-Gordis JOURNAL STAFF JOURNAL CORRESPONDENT This past week was a tumultuous, exhausting, and In these days when there are broken hearts across the BOSTON – What was that all about? I was probably not ultimately uplifting set of days. Our community found country, it may be easy for some to dismiss a swastika, alone in wondering this as the Orange Line train pulled itself swimming in the aftermath of hate, both nation- drawn yet again earlier this month on a Marblehead out of Downtown Crossing after Saturday’s Boston “Free ally and locally – reeling from the horrific outcome of athletic field. It’s harder to turn away, though, when Speech” Rally, an event that some feared might become the events in Charlottesville, and shocked by the sec- the New England Holocaust Memorial is shattered for another Charlottesville but proved to be something else. ond instance of vandalism of the Holocaust memorial the second time in a month. And for those who need It was no love-in, but neither was it violent confrontation. in Boston. Many of us in the Greater further proof that America is a Was it really about free speech? Was it OPINION Boston area were worried and fearful ANALYSIS less tolerant place than it was a FIRST– about standing up against hatred and of how last Saturday’s “Free Speech” year ago for Jews and minorities, PERSON intolerance? Or was it against fascism? rally on the Boston Common would the scene of hundreds of white All of the above? None of the above? play out. supremacists marching and carrying torches and Of course, it could have been dif- Yet, as it has before, Boston stood strong. Saturday’s chanting “Jews will not replace us,” in Charlottesville ferent things to the varied constituencies and factions Free Speech rally was overpowered by more than 40,000 should have been a wake up call. More hate fol- assembled on a hot summer day to stand up for what people who came with a different message, and who lowed though, and death: a white supremacist was they believed in and believed Boston stood for. The rally understood the importance of simply showing up. The charged with killing a woman after he was seen driv- itself, if it could be called that, was tiny. Fewer than 50 free overwhelming message across our city this past week- ing his car into a crowd near the rally. Then, President speech demonstrators and speakers huddled into the continued on page 6 continued on page 16 continued on page 6 The Jewish Journal is a nonprofit newspaper supported by generous readers, committed advertisers and charitable organizations. Email [email protected]. 2 THE JEWISH JOURNAL – JEWISHJOURNAL.ORG – AUGUST 24, 2017 Diamant finds her muse on Cape Ann nita Diamant knows her Dogtown,” a gem of a historical Museum to theatrical produc- escape route. When the novel set on Cape Ann in the tions at the Gloucester Stage ANew York Times best-sell- early 1800s. Company to music at the Shalin ing author needs to get away Diamant’s most recent novel, Liu Performance Center. from the stress of everyday life, “The Boston Girl,” published in Readers of Diamant’s blog she heads to the shores of Cape 2014, tells the fictional story of posts on her website, anita- Ann. 85-year-old Addie Baum, who diamant.com, know that this “When I’m going up there, recalls her early years growing spring and summer Diamant I start to chill down. Once you up in Boston in a Jewish immi- bravely immersed herself cross the bridge, it’s ‘Ahhh, grant family at the turn of the in Shakespeare in a perfor- you are there,’” said Diamant, last century. The lyrical narra- mance workshop at Actors’ describing the feeling of tive sheds light on the real-life Shakespeare Project in unwinding as she approaches Rockport Lodge, a Cape Ann Somerville led by Jennie Israel the ocean. inn that was nearly lost to his- and Paula Plum. Also this sum- Diamant is the author of tory, now a private home, that mer, Diamant’s Facebook fans five novels, including “The Red served as an inexpensive sum- caught her taking the plunge Photo by Jim Ball Tent,” the beloved story of the Anita Diamant, with Halibut Point in the distance in Rockport. mer retreat for many of Boston’s into the Charles River as a way imaginary biblical character philanthropic social-service to promote the efforts of the Dinah, and a series of seven riage equality and incorporates tion place, near the ocean. I am groups that served poor, work- Charles River Conservancy. highly acclaimed, groundbreak- intermarriage more seamlessly Pavlovian. When I get there, I ing immigrant girls. “It was a gas,” she said. “I ing guidebooks on contempo- than the earlier versions. She calm down. A lot.” Diamant’s signature, deep- love going in the water.” rary Jewish life. has also revised her book on But Cape Ann has proven to ly researched preparation for Even the frigid waters of She sat down with the Journal Jewish mourning, “Saying be more than a relaxing get- the story led her to Cape Ann Cape Ann, she said. for a conversation in the airy Kaddish: How to Comfort the away for Diamant. She’s done archives and the Schlesinger Many Journal readers famil- Brookline condominium where Dying, Bury the Dead, and a lot of writing there, noting Library at the Radcliffe Institute iar with Diamant know she she and her husband, Jim Ball, Mourn as a Jew,” due out in it’s where she penned the final at Harvard University, which has a long association with director of communications at 2018. pages of “The Red Tent.” had just acquired the archives Mayyim Hayyim Living Waters the Jewish Arts Collaborative, The Diamant-Ball family was “I have this memory walking of the Rockport Lodge. In its Community Mikveh and moved last year from their fam- first introduced to Cape Ann along the beach, feeling like it’s newsletter, the library revealed Education Center as the found- ily home in Newton. Their dog in the early 1990s by Newton done … That was memorable,” that Diamant was given priority ing president of the trailblaz- was never far from her side. neighbors who had a child the she said. access to some 47 boxes of mate- ing Newton mikveh that revital- It’s a year of literary mile- same age as their daughter, now Diamant didn’t set out to rial before they were readied for ized and reimagined a world stones for Diamant – Scribner in her early 30s. The wife of the use Cape Ann as a story source, scholars. Wading through the of Jewish ritual that was once is releasing a special 20th anni- couple grew up on the North but over the last two material, Diamant associated only with Orthodox versary edition of “The Red Shore. decades, the intimate said she focused Jewry. Tent,” which has been pub- “We started going with towns and rocky coast on the scrapbooks While some read a theme of lished in 25 countries. In 2014, them to Good Harbor Beach in that have attracted and photographs, water into her life’s pursuits, it’s it was adapted for a Lifetime Gloucester,” Diamant recalled. artists for more than and expressed her far from scripted, Diamant said. miniseries starring Rebecca “I fell in love with it.” The fam- a century has become appreciation to But, there’s tremendous healing Ferguson, Minnie Driver, and ily rented in Gloucester before a central character the library in the power in water, recognized by Debra Winger. buying their own place, a and the landscape book’s acknowl- so many faiths, she noted. “The Jewish Wedding Now” 100-year-old, year-round home in three of her five edgments. “People feel very spiritually was just released, a comprehen- in Rockport. novels, including On Cape Ann, connected,” she said. “It’s very sive update of “The New Jewish “If it’s Friday night, we light “Good Harbor,” set Diamant is drawn elemental.” Wedding,” Diamant’s first book, candles [for Shabbat],” Diamant in Gloucester, and to the arts: from that more fully integrates mar- said. “It’s a slower pace, a vaca- “The Last Days of the Cape Ann – Penny Schwartz JEWISH JOURNAL SPEAKER series PRESENTS THE FUTURE OF JEWISH JOURNALISM FEATURING: STEVEN A. ROSENBERG BRETT RHYNE, PhD Editor and Publisher, Editor, The Jewish Journal The Jewish Advocate Wednesday, September 6 at 7:3o p.m. Sponsored by: JEWISH JOURNAL TEMPLE NER TAMID 368 Lowell Street Free and open to the public Temple Ner Tamid Refreshments will be served program Peabody, MA RSVP to [email protected] THE JEWISH JOURNAL – JEWISHJOURNAL.ORG – AUGUST 24, 2017 3 How a roving sea captain became an observant Jew mong regulars in the of his hosts were observant, and convert through a private Sunday-morning minyan Howe was living the kosher life court at Kfar Saba, which he did Aat Gloucester’s Temple even before he converted.