..,_ ____ -- Rhode Island Jewish 111,,,, ,l,11,l, ,!l,,,,ll, ,,,ll,,1,,l,1,,l,l,,1,,ll,11,,,,l,1,I Educat'ion HERALD PAGES 10 & 11 The Only English-Jewish Weekly in Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts VOLUME LXIX, NUMBER 1 CHESHVAN 30, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 1998 35, PER COPY Sugarmans Will Stay on at Mount Sinai Memorial Chapel by Emily Torgan-Shalansky Jewish life in Rhode Island since Ms. Sugarman, a 30-year-old . Jewish Community Reporter the 1870s, whenMr.Sugarman's Rhode Island native who earned !though reports of the Sug­ father, Max, emigrated to the a law degree from Suffolk Uni­ arman family's recent sale state from Sweden. Shortly versity Law School in 1993 and Aof it s Mount Sinai Memo­ thereafter, Max began to pro· entered the family business in rial Chapel to funeral ser­ vide the community with the 1995, wanted to work with a vices giant Service Corporation Jewish £uneral rites he had company that would provide International surprised Rhode learned in Europe, and he later both upgrades and autonomy. Island's Jewish community, Fu­ founded the Max Sugarman "My father wasn't going to neral Director JillSugarmansaid Memorial Chapel in Providence. trust anyone but me with his the change of ownership will At present, both chapels are business," she explained. "With not alter Mount Sinai's relation­ operational and separately SCI, 1 completely trust that it ship with the population it has owned. will continue with a Sugarman served since the mid-1970s. According to Ms. Sugarman, oraJewishpersonfrom the com­ "We'll still be here," said she and her father began to con­ munity. With the other firms, I Sugarman of the East Side busi­ sider various buyers as a way to wasn't so sure." 20th Birthday Celebration ness that her father, Mitchell continue with their busi ness. SCI, a Houston-based com­ On Nov. 15, Alperin Schechter Day School alumni enjoy a Sugarman, founded in 1975. "We sold Mount Sinai be­ pany, is the largest funeral en­ chance to get together again at their school's 20th birthday "On Aug. 25, we sold the busi­ cause we thought it was the best terprise in the world. Traded on party. Herald photo by Emily Torga 11 -Shala11sky ness, but nothing will change way to secure its future within the New York Stock Exchange, except that the public will see Rhode Island's Jewish commu· it has 3,700 funeral service loca· better facilities and equip­ ni ty ," Ms. Sugarman explained. lions, cemeteries and cremato­ ment." "We decided to go with SCI be· ria worldwide. Although SCI now owns the cause it owns many Jewish fu­ The company began in 1962 Plans Underway For Mount Sinai Memorial Chapel, neral homes and understands when its CEO and founder Rob· Sugarman will continue to serve Jewish funeral service, and also ert Waltrip realized that the fu . as its manager and funeral di­ because it will give us indepen­ neral business was a fragmented Orthodox High School rector. Her father who is now dence." industry made upof small busi­ semi-retired, will stay on as a According to Ms. Sugarman, nesses. Wal trip's notion that fu. by Emily Torgan-Shalansky including 80 Mesifta students consultant. her father knew that he wanted neral homes that operated in a Jewish Community Reporter and 40 New England Rabbinical Funeral service from the Sug­ her to succeed him as his retire­ "cluster" could combine their EversinceRhodeisland'sonly College students who would be arman family has been part of ment years approached. (Continued on Page I 9) Jewish high school for boys housedatthehighschoolduring closed,membersoftheloca!Jew­ the renovations. ish community have dreamt of, Some of the total funding, hoped ~or, and planned another Spingarn said, would be used to November is National Adoption one. renovate-60 Taft Avenue, which by Kimberly Ann Orlandi initial screening of the prospec­ The primary role of Adop· Althoughyearsofdisappoint· is used as a girls' dormitory by Herald Editor tive parents, the next step would lion Options is to act as a liaison ment have driven the boys' high the female high school students It is something many of us be a home assessment, so we between the adoptive parents school from the minds of many, who attend the New England take for granted, our parents. can determine what their needs and natural parents. The fami­ the New England Academy of Academy of Torah's high school They nursed us when we had and desires are." lies using Adoption Options are Torah Foundation, which was for girls at the Providence He­ chicken pox, they attended ev­ The home study is usually not necessarily adopting forced to give up its high school brew Day School. erydancerecital. They sacrificed conducted by a social worker through the agency's birth par­ for boys at the Providence He­ "It will take about $2.5 mil­ luxuries to put us through col­ who visits the family in their ents. They may choose to use an brew Day School in 1994, has yet lion to complete the building, lege,and now they are still there home to determine whether or international, private or state to give up its hopes. and we will need about $500,000 offering their support, guidance not the family is ready for adop­ agency. In that instance, Adop· Last week, NEAT high school to cover costs for the first two and love some 30 years later. tion. The visit is more than just lion Options would negotiate project consultant Michael years," he said. "Our prjorities But for hundreds of children to see if the house is kept neat that adoption. Spingarn announced that the are construction money and op­ throughout Rhode Island, and and clean, its a way to address The agency offers counseling foundation had raised $1.6 mil­ erating capital." thousands more across the coun­ any questions or concerns a fam­ sessions, an information library lion in pledges toward a new Spingarn, who is president of try, who do not know the joy of ily may have about adoption. interested parents can browse, high school's $3.5 million total Development Associates Group, having parents, that's where Parents don't have to be well and wealthofresourcesand net­ cost. He also released drawings a New Rochelle, N.Y., firm that Adoption Options comes in. educated or rich, they just have works they can refer parents to of the building. raises funds for Jewish projects, Adoption Options is a non­ to be good parents. if they can nof meet the family's "Wehopetoopenwithaninth has already achieved local suc­ sectarian, non-profit program of According to Zai tchik, the face needs. grade, and perhaps also a tenth cess by recently helping Congre­ Jewish Family Services, which of adoption has changed dra­ "We work with birth moms grade, in the fall of 2000," gation Young Israel of Sharon, assists prospective adoptive par­ matically over the last 20 years. who want some control over Spingarn said. "If the building is Mass., to raise $1.3 million to ents, and those parents wishing Today, there are less restrictions where their child goes," said not ready for the students we purchase a temple. to put a child up on the process with Zaitchik. "In those situations, it envision having by that time, we Neither he nor the NEAT for adoption, in regard to age, social is not us setting the guidelines, canholdclassesatCongregation foundation members are creating a happy class and economic but the birth parents who are Sons of Jacob [at 24 Douglas Ave. troubled bytheeffortsofanother family. situations. The determining the restrictions of in Providence]." Orthodox community group to The agency is adoption process the adoption. This is something As Spingarn told The Provi­ start a high school for boys and open to all has become more agencies never did in years dence Journal in a recent article, girls at the Jewish Community people, regard­ open, and offers past." the school would be called the Center of Rhode Island in 1999. less of race, re­ both the natural Whetheritbeaninternational Mesifta High School of Provi­ 'The best thing for Providence ligion or creed, parent and adoption, private adoption, dence, and architectural designs would be to have a boys' school, and all it takes adoptive parent adopting a special needs child, for the school by Norton E. Salk a girls' school, and a boys' and is an application. more in the way of choice when ora child in foster care, there are show that the new structure girls' school," he said. 'There are "The prospective parent will it comes to placing and adopting many options to the adopting would be added onto the New a lot of young people out there, come in to meet with one of the a child. Although themajorityof process. The process, however, England Rabbinical College at and I wish that we could service counselors and fill out an appli· people adopting are husbands isn' t going to happen overnight, 262 Blackstone Boulevard. all of them." cation," said Toby Zaitchik, and wives, Zaitchik is seeing in some instances an adoption A boarding school, the struc­ Still, while Spingarn and adoption coordinator at Adop· more younger couples, single may take several months or sev- ture would include classroom NEATfoundationmemberTho­ lion Options. "After a careful people and people in their 50s. (Continued on Page 19) and living quarters for 120 men, (Continued on Page I 9) - HAPPENINGS .... Calendar: November 19th to November 25th Ent=.t·rtainm=.t·nt 19 Craft Show, Rhode Island Convention Center, One Sabin St., Providence.