Summer 2010

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2 0 1 0JULY5 7 7 0

From the Chairmanpage 2

INSIDEThis Issue

Once, Twice, Th ricepage 4

Open House features Steve Krasner

Touro’s leadership for the year ahead, and perhaps many years beyond that has been set. The newly elected offi cers and board

members were installed during a two-stage process, which began with the annual Association meeting May 26. The second phase took place two weeks later, on June 9, at the annual organizational meet-

Front row (l to r): Lester Nathan, Friendship Lodge vice president, Ed Deluty, director, Michael Smith, director, Milton Bronstein, director, Nathan Lury, director, Steven Waldman, director, Barry Schiff, director, Judah Rosen, Association Chaplain. Middle row (L to r): Manochehr Norparvar, Harmony Lodge treasurer, Ried Redlich, Friendship Lodge president, Adam Halpern, Harmony Lodge president, Adam Smith, Harmony Lodge secretary, Robert Miller, chairman of the board, Andrew Lamchick, vice chairman of the board, Jed Brandes, director, Rodney Locke, director, Benjamin Kaplan, Friendship Lodge treasurer. Back row (l to r): Marc Gertsacov, Friendship Lodge secretary, Barry Rotenberg, director, Steven White, director, Alan Lury, director, Stevan Labush, director, Jeffrey Davis, director, Bruce Weisman, director, Norman Dinerman, Harmony Lodge vice president, Barry Shaw, director, Howie Wasser, director. Not Pictured: Arthur Poulten, chairman of the board emeritus, Andrew Liss, Harmony Lodge faithful guide, Jeffrey Padwa, Friendship Lodge faithful guide, Alan Gerstein, Friendship Lodge inside guard

Touro Offi cers are in Place for this Year and BeyondBy Jed Brandes

Pictured left -Friendship Lodge offi cers (l-r): Marc Gertsacov, Secretary; Ried Redlich, President; Lester Nathan, Vice President; and Benjamin Kaplan, Treasurer. Pictured right-Harmony Lodge offi cers (l-r): Adam Smith, Secretary; Norman Dinnerman, Vice President; Adam Halpern, President; and Manocher Norparvar, Treasurer.

Installation Highlights...page 4

Continued on page 3 - Offi cers

One Ship for Steven Silberfarb

page 6

Ron BermanKeeps Plugging Away

page 3

ing of the board of directors. At the lodge meeting, the installation team of Alan Lury as Installing Offi cer and Jed Brandes, as Master of Ceremonies, launched the offi cers on their new terms. Harmony Lodge’s Adam Halpern begins his

Touro Lodge Offi cers for 2010-2011

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Social Scene

By Manocher Norparvar

From The ChairmanBy Robert Miller, Chairman of the Board

As I always say, you should attend Social committee meetings to learn what Touro is all about. Meetings begin

with suggestions, opinions and ideas, and then become discussions with pros-and-cons. After the dust settles, it’s time to take a vote. Everyone’s vote counts, regardless of whether or not one is an offi cer.

Let’s cover some of our recent events.

During the last two months, we’ve had a va-riety of events, such as the Spring Two-fer on April 17th, April 21st’s Open House, Jersey Boys at PPAC, May 26th’s Installation Din-ner, the annual Dinner Dance at the Venus de Milo, our June steak fry and on July 1st, Paw Sox night with fi reworks.

Looking forward, we’ve planned thefollowing:

• Touro’s annual Golf Tournament, Monday, July 26.• Touro dads and sons return to McCoy Stadium on August 18th to see the PawSox play the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs. It will include guided tours of the stadium (see the article on Fathers and Sons).• Our summer Two-fer is on August 21st in Newport. It features Don’t Dress for Dinner at the Newport Playhouse and Cabaret.• Events for later months are on “the planning board.”

As you already know, the Social Committee endeavors to bring you the very best events and programs. We try to ensure that Touro remains a fun place for all members and their families. We appreciate your input about past programs and suggestions for future events. Our meetings are on the fi rst Wednesday of the month, at 7:30 PM in the Touro Hall board room.

Summer is approaching and all is well at Touro Fra-ternal Association. It has been a busy time for all. Lots of events have been going on and many more

are planned. Our spring Two-Fer at the Radisson was well attended. Our lodge meetings are drawing anywhere from 80-120 members on a regular basis. PPAC was well attended to see “Jersey Boys” and it truly was a wonderful performance. We just had our annual dinner dance at the Venus De Milo and our atten-dance again in the hundreds. We also recently competed in the fi rst annual RI Kosher Chili Cook off and all had a good time. We did not win, but it was a fun day and we participated in a worthy community event. The deadline is approaching if you are interested in student loans and grants for your college bound children. These monies are welcome by our members given the high cost of college today. These are interest free loans and the grants are just that, outright grants. Each year we get more and more requests and watching the completion for the grants is also very exciting. One of our recent lodge meetings in May was our annual installation of offi cers. We had a delicious kosher brisket dinner followed by our installation ceremony conducted by brothers Alan Lury and Jed Brandes. A good time was had by all. I am extremely excited by the upcoming year. Everything is in its place for us to really continue building our organization founded on our three cardinal principles. HARMONY FRIENDSHIP and BENEVOLENCE.

To...brother Nate and Martha Lury on their 60th anniversaryTo...brother Marc Miller, son of Bob and Debbie Miller, upon his graduation from Temple University with a degree in accounting. Marc is going to begin his career working at Deloiite LLP, in Boston, a big four accounting fi rm.To...brother Ried and Mindy Redlich on the graduation of their daughter, Alysa, from Harry Elkin Midrasha High SchoolTo...brother Jerry and Jan Lamchick who celebrated their 62nd anniversary on June 27th

Mazels, Mitvahs & Milestones

Who are these 5 Touro "Bandito" Brothers? Name them in order, left to right, and you could be a winner! Send your entry via e-mail to [email protected]. One winner will be drawn from all our correct entries at our September lodge meeting. Your name and contact info must be included with your entry. Only one entry per person accepted. Good Luck!

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Ron Berman: Helping Touro and the CommunityBy Lester Nathan

From the President By Ried Redlich, President of Friendship Lodge

What is it that Touro Fraternal As-sociation has to offer the mem-bership? What is my incentive to

join an organization like Touro? These are questions one might hear from a prospective member, and at fi rst, you might be inclined to

tell them about all of the great tangible benefi ts of belonging to our or-ganization. For example, free gravesites, mortuary benefi ts, sick benefi ts, interest-free student loans, Two-fer dinners and an annual Chanukah party to name a few. The prospective member may even be impressed by all of the philanthropic things that we do. Whether it is providing funds for March of the Living participants, support for Camp JORI, the RI Food Bank, Jewish Family Services, donated heart defi brillators, or a myriad of other causes and organizations we have supported over the years. But how often would you mention the less tangible benefi ts of Harmony, Friendship, and Benevolence? For many of us, Touro is much deeper than what seems obvious at fi rst glance. When you take the next step and join Touro, you also gain the benefi t of belonging to an organization that will provide you Jew-ish camaraderie. Especially for men who may no longer or never have, belonged to either a synagogue or Jewish oriented organization, Touro provides a way to stay connected. Many members develop lifelong friendships with their fellow brothers and have come to know the joy of helping others. So, the next time you are asked, “Why should I join?” or about the benefi ts of Touro, consider a response which includes Harmony, Friendship and Benevolence.

It’s in Ron Berman’s nature to care about others. During his twenty-six years as a Touro member, he has assisted in new member orientation, contributed to student fi nancial aid

decisions and given his input to the Community In-volvement Committee. He has also provided valuable counseling to some of the less fortunate members of our local community. Whether you attend a monthly lodge meeting or a social event outside the Hall, you’re likely to run into Ron, who likes the camaraderie, friendship and fellowship of our organization. He also enjoys insight provided by local speakers as well as the gastronomic offerings at the major social events.Ron joined Touro thanks to his late uncle, Sidney Gurnick. His fi rst organizational offi ce was as Inside Guard. A few years later, he served as Faithful Guide and then as Secretary of Friendship Lodge. He has been a member of the Orientation, Social and Student Financial Aid committees and currently serves on Community Involvement. He says his focus is on committees, which help people, a tie-in with his professional career in social services. Ron was born in Providence, but grew up in Worcester. His

family moved back to Rhode Island when he was 18. Ron fi rst attended Northeastern University and later graduated from UMass at Amherst. Eventually, he went back to school for his masters

degree in rehabilitation counseling from Springfi eld College. He’s been employed by the State of Rhode Island since 1976 and is currently a clinical social worker at the Eleanor Slater Hospital in Cranston. Ron has had a long and happy marriage to his wife of 36 years, Jane, a retired teacher. They have a son, Marc, who lives in Warwick, and a daughter, Sarah, living in Florida. Ron and Jane live in War-wick, with retirement plans for Pompano Beach. Ron’s outside interests are the American Civil War and Wild West history. Not only does he enjoy reading about it, but also he has visited many of the battlefi elds, including Gettysburg, Antietam, Fred-ericksburg, Chancellorsville, Richmond, Petersburg

and Perrysville. He also likes good fi ction, citing Edgar Allen Poe, H G Welles and Steven King as his favorites. Ron sums up his personal philosophy succinctly: “Keep plug-ging, don’t ever give up.” It has served him well all these years.

Offi cers - continued from page 1

second term as president. Norman Dinerman last year’s treasurer steps up to vice president; Manocher Norparvar, will serve as treasurer, and Adam Smith remains as secre-tary. Ried Redlich begins his fi rst full term as Friendship Lodge president, after ascending to the post midterm. Lester Nathan is the new vice president. Marc Gertsacov and Benjamin Kaplan return as secretary and treasurer, respectively. Five board members were installed for three-year terms. Stevan Labush, Howie Wasser and Barry Shaw are all incumbents. Steven White and Steven Waldman begin their fi rst terms. Ed Deluty will serve a one-year term on the board. At the June meeting of the Board of Directors all the offi cers were re-elected for one-year terms. They include Robert Miller, chairman; Andrew Lamchick, vice chair-man; Marc Gertsacov, secretary, and Steven Waldman, treasurer. Chairman Miller re-appointed for one-year terms Association Chaplain Judah Rosen and Association Inside Guard Barry Shaw. Also appointed by Chairman Miller were Harmony Lodge Faithful Guide Andrew Liss and Inside Guard Barry Schiff, as well as Friendship Lodge Faithful Guide Jeffrey Padwa and Inside Guard Alan Gerstein. This year’s events are more signifi cant than just the installation of new offi cers and board members. Touro con-tinues on the path toward its milestone 100th anniversary. With this group, only eight more election cycles are ahead until Touro reaches the century mark. The Association isn’t waiting for the last minute: a committee already has been established to plan the events for the Touro Fraternal Centennial.

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On the evening of Wednesday, May 26, the Touro membership gathered at the brotherhood’s Rolfe Square headquarters to install a new group of lodge offi cers and Board members.

Past President Alan Lury acted as Installing Offi cer with Past Presi-dent Jed Brandes as Master of Ceremonies. Following the installation ceremony, a fully catered, sumptuous kosher dinner with all the accou-trements provided by The Butcherie was served to the membership. The installation ceremony itself was full of tradition, pomp & circumstance. It was laden with humor and levity gladly provided by brothers Jed Brandes, Alan Lury, Bob Miller, the newly installed lodge offi cers and Board members, as well as Touro brothers in the audi-ence. Using the trading price of Wells Fargo stock as a chronological measure to indicate the amount of time the individual brother/honoree had been a Touro member, Brothers Lury and Brandes expedited the installation process with nary a lapse of decorum amid the numerous, well-intended, send-ups of the Brotherhood. Board members installed were Steve Labush, Barry Shaw, Steven Waldman, Howard Wasser, Ed Deluty, and Steve White. Offi cers for Harmony Lodge are: Adam Halpern (President), Norman Dinerman (Vice-President), Adam Smith (Secretary) and Manochehr Norparvar (Treasurer). Offi cers for Friendship Lodge are: Ried Redlich (President), Lester Nathan (Vice-President), Marc Gertsacov (Secretary) and Ben-jamin Kaplan (Treasurer). The Brotherhood wishes all of our Board members and offi cers a hearty mazel tov coupled with many happy years in service to Touro.

A Night at the InstallationBy Howard Custis

Installed for 3 year terms on the board of directors were (l to r) SteveWaldman, Stevan Labush and Barry Shaw.

Installing offi cer Alan Lury (l) with master of ceremonies Jed Brandes.

Chairman Bob Miller shares a light moment during the meeting.

Installed on the board of directors for a one year term was brother Ed Deluty.

Installed for 3 year terms on the board of directors were (l to r) Steve White and Howard Wasser.

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May 26 2010 Installation

"Rogues Gallery"

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Steve Krasner at Our April 21 Open House

by Ried Redlich

During our open house, we had Steve Krasner, former Providence Journal sports writer and current author, as our speaker for the evening. Steve was raised in Cranston and attended Cranston

West High School. He went to Columbia University where he was sports editor of the daily paper. As captain of the university baseball team, his real desire was to play professionally. Not being good enough to play pro ball, he “was paid for 33 years to watch games” and write for the Providence Journal. Other sports he covered over the years included: football, tuna tournaments, polo matches, trap shooting and women’s rugby. However, the Boston Red Sox were by far his favorite to watch and write about. Steve enjoyed writing in a way that analyzed the game and skills of the

players instead of just reporting non-consequential things or the specifics of what happened. Every game to him was like a chess match and he wanted to provide the reader a more in-depth analysis of what he saw. His career spanned a time when he and other reporters would exclaim, “Who has white-out?” to “Oh no, the Internet is down.” Though Steve has retired from the Providence Journal, he has not

stopped writing. He has written several books, which include children books called “Play Ball Like the Pros” and “Why Not Call It Cow Juice?” A book that everyone would enjoy, “The Longest Game,” was written about the 1981 Pawtucket Red Sox. Because of his many years as a baseball sports writer, he is a voter in Baseball’s Hall of Fame forever. Everyone listening to him was enthralled by what he said about the games he has seen and the players he has met over his career.

The Federation’s Stephen Silberfarb Visits Touro

By Barry Schiff

On March 17th, Friendship Lodge welcomed the Executive Vice President of the Jewish Federation of Rhode Island, Stephen Silber-

farb. Stephen told the membership that this is a time of great promise and opportunity in reaching out to the Rhode Island Jewish community. In general, there is an ongoing change in the position of Jews in America. Jews are no longer forced to live together like they were early in the 20th century. Economic opportunities and religious freedom in the United States connect Jews and Gentiles in different ways than ever before. As a result, there has been a spike in interfaith marriages and we, as Jews, must decide how we will treat this issue as we all share the same core Jewish values. Stephen left our members with the mantra that the Jewish Community is ONE SHIP, and we must all work to keep that ship’s course straight and level.

Fathers and Sons: A Breath of Fresh Air for TouroBy Jed Brandes

Next time you’re at a lodge meeting look around. Do you see the same Brothers who were there when you joined? Or are they heavier, balder, greyer versions of the young men you once

knew? These are rhetorical questions, of course. While Touro keeps us young at heart, it cannot turn back the affects of time. The result is an aging population. After much discussion amongst its committees, the Board has decided to focus on youth. Our ability to offset the aging of our membership may well depend upon attracting and retaining men in the 18-29 age bracket. But, is that realistic given all the events and organizations competing for young men’s time? Moreover, with many in that age range away at college, or seeking graduate degrees, how can they be sufficiently schooled in all Touro has to offer? And so, a new effort is under way. The Social Committee has been charged with developing and implementing a series of Father and Son events. We may not have the opportunity to school men once they reach 18, but we surely can get them involved and excited about Touro before then! The Father and Sons events are not only a great opportunity to expose your sons and grandsons to Touro, but also a chance to spend

quality time with your loved ones. This past June, Touro held its first Father and Son event. Twenty-five brothers, their sons and grandsons (and one daughter!) gathered at the field behind the Jewish Community Center on Providence’s East Side for softball. A truly great time was had by all! In a closely contested match, the sons took on the fathers (who batted backwards to even the playing field). This was followed by a pick-up game, with the teams selected by two sons who served as Captains. And to make sure that everyone was clear that this was a Touro event, the games were followed by a trip to Casserta Pizza. By day’s end, everyone’s bellies were filled and their hearts brimmed with Harmony, Friendship and Benevolence. Our next event will be on August 18th. Touro will be going to McCoy Stadium for a PawSox Game. Attendees will receive an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of the stadium’s facilities led by Michael Gwynne, PawSox VP of Marketing. Can we overcome the perception that Touro is a haven for bald, pot-bellied alter kakhers? Time will tell. But don’t sit back. Do your part! Take your sons and grandsons to one of these great upcoming events!

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Spring Two-fer at the Radisson

�

The Community Involvement com-mittee has given out a lot of money to the community over the years,

but perhaps the most rewarding donation we make is to the semi-annual March of the Living program.The March of the Living is a worldwide pro-gram that brings Jewish high school students together to celebrate the survival of Judaism

after the holocaust. These students meet in Poland during Yom Hashoa, to tour and experience several of the concentration camps for themselves. As this is an incredibly emotional experience, each student is extremely touched by it. After this experience, they head to Israel to celebrate life and freedom together. The highlight for us is when they share their experiences with us at our June Steak Fry meeting.

Community Involvement sponsors what would be the cost of one complete trip. That money is then divided among students requesting aid. The other kids we have helped so far this year are those who will go to Camp Ruggles this summer. Ruggles is a camp for emotionally disturbed children. Like so many other organiza-tions, Camp Ruggles fi nds itself under fi nancial stress. The Community Involvement Committee voted to donate the cost of a full week’s tuition. We rounded out our donations by committing to the Rhode Island Community Food Bank. We are planning to make our donation when Alan Shawn Feinstein is matching donations for the hungry. There is a lot of need in our community, and we’d love to be able to help them all. We obviously can’t do that, but we will continue to maximize our available dollars as much as possible on your behalf.

Helping Kids and the HungryBy Andy Lamchick, Chairman, Community Involvement

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H A R M O N Y • F R I E N D S H I P • B E N E V O L E N C E

HARMONY LODGEAdam Halpern, President

Norman Dinerman, Vice PresidentAdam Smith, Secretary

Manocher Norparvar, TreasurerBarry Schiff, Inside Guard

Andrew Liss, Faithful Guide

FRIENDSHIP LODGERied Redlich, President

Lester Nathan, Vice PresidentMarc Gertsacov, Secretary

Benjamin Kaplan, TreasurerAlan Gerstein, Inside Guard

Jeffrey Padwa, Faithful Guide

Bruce Weisman, EditorColumnists: Jed Brandes Howard Custis Edward Deluty Andrew Lamchick Lester Nathan Arthur Poulten Ried Redlich Barry Schiff Adam Smith

Touro Fraternal Association45 Rolfe Square, P.O. Box 3562, Cranston, RI 02910Phone: 401-785-0066Fax: 401-941-8781E-Mail: [email protected]: www.tourofraternal.org

Robert Miller, ChairmanAndrew Lamchick, Vice Chairman

Steven Waldman, TreasurerMarc Gertsacov, SecretaryJudah Rosen, Chaplain

Barry Shaw, Inside GuardArthur Poulten, Chairman Emeritus

TOURO BOARD OF DIRECTORS2010-2011

Visit Touro's Website at www.tourofraternal.org

Non-Profit Org.U.S. Postage

PAIDProvidence, RIPermit #719

Touro Fraternal AssociationP.O. BOX 3562CRANSTON, RI 02910

Return Service Requested

2 0 1 0 JULY 5 7 7 0

Jed BrandesMilton BronsteinJeffrey DavisEdward DelutyStevan LabushRodney LockeAlan LuryNathan Lury

Barry RotenbergBarry SchiffBarry ShawMichael SmithHoward WasserBruce WeismanSteven WaldmanSteven White

Don't Dress for Dinner(Yes, and it's a Touro Two-fer)

Newport PlayhouseNewport, RI

Saturday August 21, 2010$48 per Touro couple

$80 per Non-Touro coupleTicket price includes buffet dinner, play and

caberet after the show.Watch for the flyer in the mail or go online to:

www.tourofraternal.org

TOURO GOLFTOURNAMENT

MONDAYJULY 26, 2010

PAWSOX NIGHTTOUR McCOY STADIUM

WEDNESDAYAUGUST 18, 2010

UPCOMING TOURO EVENTS