Jewish Rhode Island

Members of the “original” Newport Chapter of Hadassah planned a unique fundraiser years ago, and the event named Books on the Beach was created. Now in its 11th year, that wonderful event has grown and is now hosted by Hadassah Rhode Island and Hadassah Southern New England Region, drawing both men and women to a beautiful summer beach-side location on Aquidneck Island.

The original luncheon, held at a restaurant, featured local authors, and it gave birth to this most important fundraiser for Hadassah. Judy Shefshick-Karll, the coordinator of the Aug. 5, 2026, event has said, “The importance of our Books on the Beach fundraiser is that it brings together like-minded men and women from all of New England to share in Hadassah’s mission and values, and to enjoy a beautiful location with authors who have meaning to us. And in this time of great need for the State of Israel, Hadassah’s needs are greater than ever.”

Hadassah, the Women’s Zionist Organization of America, was founded in 1912 before the State of Israel was founded, and before American women could vote. Across today’s generations, and across the globe, Hadassah has over 300,000 members, associates and supporters who work productively to find and implement solutions to some of our most pressing challenges. Hadassah works to advance women’s health, to fight hate and antisemitism, to support a strong and healthy nation for all the citizens of Israel and to instill Jewish values in future generations.

The highlight of this season’s most anticipated event is our featured guest speaker Carol Ann Schwartz, the 28th National President of Hadassah. (The first president was Henrietta Szold, Hadassah’s founder, who served from 1912 to 1926.) Schwartz is a native of Cincinnati, Ohio, where she and her family have been involved in civic, religious and Zionist life for generations. She will bring us the latest updates and information about the status of Hadassah’s Jerusalem hospitals – Ein Kerem and Mt. Scopus – and about our Youth Aliyah villages – Neurim and Meir Shfeyah - where at-risk children receive the support that they need to become productive members of Israeli society.

It is particularly exciting that Schwartz will be our guest speaker at Books on the Beach, the format of which began here in Rhode Island and has been emulated throughout the nation by other Hadassah chapters and regions. Schwartz will share the most up-to-date news on how our fund-raising efforts are being used today both to help to heal Israeli society and to empower Jewish women in the United States through education and advocacy.

Our featured authors at Books on the Beach 2026 are B.A. Shapiro and Jenna Blum.

B.A. Shapiro is the author of more than 10 books. Her books have won many awards, and she was featured throughout the country in Community Reads. Her work includes literary thrillers, some involving the world of art (including the yet-unsolved 1990 heist at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Art Museum). Shapiro considers herself to be a “voracious” reader; in her books she explores topics such as family secrets, betrayal, love, history, reincarnation, revenge and politics. Her most recent novel is “The Lost Masterpiece,” considered to be “an exquisite feat of storytelling.”

With only four novels published, Jenna Blum is one of Oprah’s Top 30 Women Writers, and is the CEO of A Mighty Blaze, an online author interview company. Her parents both loved to read and shared their encouragement and talents when she was growing up. Blum’s first novel was written after she worked with Steven Spielberg interviewing Holocaust survivors for the Shoah Visual History Foundation. She has written both historical and contemporary fiction. “Murder Your Darlings” is her fifth book and her first psychological thriller.

Members and friends of Hadassah are encouraged to become sponsors of the 2026 Books on the Beach event; sponsors will be invited to a special reception to be held at 11 a.m., hosted by Lorraine Rappoport of Cranston and Sue Mayes of Middletown. Both are current members of the Board of Hadassah Southern New England and have held various leadership positions in Hadassah Rhode Island. Sponsors will have the opportunity to meet and hear from Schwartz and the two guest authors.

The event itself begins at noon and includes lunch and the speakers.

Groups for table seating may be pre-arranged, and book clubs are encouraged to attend and register to be seated together. Members and friends of Hadassah are encouraged to become sponsors of the 2026 Books on the Beach event. Tickets for the event are $85 and can be obtained at http://events.hadassah.org/bob26, by emailing [email protected] or by calling 857-404-0599 no later than July 20. The location will be sent to guests after registration.

Books will be available for purchase and signing by the authors.

SUE MAYES is a member of the board of Hadassah of Southern New England.

Do you know where your next meal is coming from? Are your pantry and refrigerator stocked? Not everyone can answer those questions positively. Food insecurity impacts people of all backgrounds and is on the rise in Rhode Island, impacting 34% of households in Rhode Island according to 2025 survey data from RI Life Index.

“Like all communities, the Jewish community is struggling with a decrease in federal funding including federal budget cuts, for a while the complete cessation of SNAP and also an increase in the cost of living,” said Emily Gaudreau, director, Community Advocacy and Engagement at the Jewish Alliance. “We’re just squishing the middle.” Add into the mix the rising fuel and prescription drug prices and people’s budgets are taking an enormous hit. Food-at-home prices are predicted to increase 3.2%, according to the Economic Research Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

“At Jewish Collaborative Services (JCS), we are here to help everybody, and through our food insecurity programs, we serve people of all backgrounds, all denominations,” said Kristina Contreras Fox, donor steward, at Jewish Collaborative Services. “We are also the only social service agency to directly serve the Jewish community.”

JCS runs two food pantries, one that is open to the public at its headquarters at 1165 North Main St., Providence. There is also one in Warwick at Shalom Apartments, a housing development it manages. It also manages the state’s only kosher meal site and delivery program, partnering with Meals on Wheels to do so.

Food insecurity is defined as not knowing where your next meal is coming from. “You don't have consistent access to fresh, healthy, nutritious food and you're hungry!” explained Contreras Fox. “Something like 80% of the people we serve through the pantry and meal sites keep kosher. For folks who keep halal, our pantry also meets those standards. If you're not familiar with these traditions, or if it's not your tradition, people might think, ‘alright, well, you're hungry, like, does it matter?’ Yes, it does! Very, very, very, very much.” Of the 15 unique programs run by JCS, one-third of those are related to food insecurity and hunger.

“The gulf between what people are bringing home, and what it costs to just live keeps widening and widening while all of the programs and federal funding are being taken away,” said Contreras Fox. “This is just a recipe for more and more people needing to go to pantries.”

That’s just what Cindy Montoya, deputy director at Progreso Latino, is seeing – a larger than average influx of new clients to the food pantry. “On average, we would get maybe 10 to 12 new clients per week, and now we're seeing 25 to 30 new clients per week,” Montoya explained. “We're also seeing an uptick in numbers of clients that maybe haven't been here for months or haven’t used our food pantry services in over a year; they're returning and that number is 30 to 40.”

The Progresso Latino food pantry really expanded during COVID, from a “closet-sized room” to a whole operation of 20 to 25 people, that rents space in a nearby hall, according to Montoya. The food pantry doesn’t require any documents or proof of income, just an ID. The pantry is stocked with culturally appropriate food like cassava and plantains to ensure it is meeting the needs of the families the agency serves.

Progresso Latino also offers nutrition classes and a food pantry support group that meets at 9 a.m., an hour before the pantry opens. “We use this as a point of community for different clients to be able to meet together and . . . know they're not alone,” said Montoya. “It's also that servant leadership and that community piece of where, you know, maybe there's someone in that support group that may have an answer or a resource.”

The Jewish community faces unique barriers when it comes to accessing resources. “Like all communities, we’re economically diverse . . . there are lots of low-income, middle-income Jews,” said Gaudreau. “There’s still the perception that all Jews are very affluent and all Jews are very educated and . . . very successful. Which I think sometimes means that the community does not get the same amount of attention around their food insecurity.”

The Kosher Food Pantry is a small but welcoming space, with the typical canned foods, a variety of matzah, numerous Manischewitz products for baking, seed packets for people to bring home and plant, even a toddler shopping cart. People make an appointment for the Kosher Food Pantry. “People don't feel rushed, there's some privacy,” said Contreras Fox, “They can shop at their leisure and pick what they want.”

Contreras Fox pointed out how dire the need is: “Last year when SNAP and WIC went offline during the government shutdown, there were folks who came to the pantry, at that point we were open every day, and there were people who shared that they hadn’t eaten for four days.”

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Temple Emanu-El will honor Cantor Dr. Brian J. Mayer for his 36 years of service with a joyful community-wide “Double Chai Weekend of Song & Celebration,” taking place Friday, May 29 through Sunday, May 31.

For nearly four decades, Cantor Mayer has filled Temple Emanu-El with music, mentorship, compassion and spirit, shaping generations through worship, education and community connection. The weekend-long tribute will celebrate his lasting impact through prayer, song, storytelling and musical performances featuring congregants, alumni, guest cantors and musicians from across the country.

All events are free and open to the public.

“Double Chai” symbolizes the number 36 in Jewish tradition – representing a double blessing of life – making this milestone especially meaningful for the congregation and community.

Reflecting on his service to Temple Emanu-El, Cantor Mayer said: “I have been blessed many times over during my 36 years at Temple Emanu-El. It has been the honor of my life to serve this sacred community – to teach, sing, celebrate, comfort and grow alongside generations of families who have become part of my own extended family. Every program, every tradition and every musical moment we’ve created together has been the work of our hands and hearts. I am profoundly grateful for the friendships, trust and shared spirit that have made this congregation my home and my life’s calling.”

Stephanie Markoff Cohen, chair of the Double Chai Weekend celebration committee, reflected on Cantor Mayer’s enduring impact on the congregation and community: “For more than three decades, Cantor Mayer has helped shape the soul of Temple Emanu-El through music, mentorship and an unwavering devotion to our community. His ability to honor tradition while inspiring new generations has created a lasting impact that will continue l’dor v’dor – from generation to generation. This weekend is both a celebration of his extraordinary career and an expression of gratitude for the love, wisdom and joyful spirit he has shared with all of us.”

The celebratory weekend begins on Friday, May 29, at 6 p.m. with “Shabbat Chai: A Klezmer Shabbat Experience,” an uplifting and spirited one-hour Shabbat service led by Cantor Mayer and the Shabbat Chai Band. Featuring a blend of contemporary and traditional melodies infused with klezmer energy, the service invites worshippers of all ages to sing, celebrate and welcome Shabbat together. Complimentary dinner to follow with rsvp.

On Saturday May 30, at 9:30 a.m., Temple Emanu-El will host the Torah Tutor Alumni Shabbat & Community Kiddush Luncheon, honoring generations of Torah Tutors and students whose Jewish journeys were enriched through the congregation’s beloved Torah Tutor program. Alumni participants will help lead the Shabbat service in tribute to Cantor Mayer’s enduring educational legacy.

The weekend culminates Sunday, May 31, at 3 p.m. with “Ma’aseh Yadeinu – The Work of Our Hands,” A Tribute to Cantor Dr. Brian J. Mayer, a large-scale musical celebration featuring more than 60 singers, musicians and soloists. The concert will include performances by Shir Emanu-El (Choral Club), HaZamir (Teen Choir), the Temple Choir and a 16-piece chamber orchestra.

Special guest performers include cantors Lynn Torgove, Hinda Eisen Labovitz and Maayan Harel Silverman, alongside musical director Cantor Joseph Ness, pianist Dr. Judith Lynn Stillman and organist Patrick Aiken. The program will highlight music that shaped Cantor Mayer’s life and career and reflect the many ways his leadership has inspired the community through the years.

All events are free and open to the community! The Double Chai Weekend is generously supported by the Dr. Joe & Bea Fishbein Fund, Charles C. Heller Fund, Cantor Jacob Hohenemser Fund, Gladys & Sherwin Kapstein Fund, Jerrold & Barbara Lavine Torah Tutor Fund, Leonard Mandell Music Fund, and Benton & Elaine Odessa Cantorial Fund. For more information, contact 401-331-1616 or teprov.org.

STEPHANIE TRACHTENBERG is Vice President of Membership Outreach at Temple Emanu-El in Providence.