All They Ask For… Is Interpreters!

An article written by Stuart Vincent that appeared in Newsday (N.Y.) reported that Louis and Ruth Kizner, a hearing couple who celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary, told their guests not to bring gifts. “When you’re married 50 years, what do you need?” Ruth Kizner was quote, “Good health, that’s all”. The only request they had was that the guests make donations to a fund so that Temple Emanuel in New Hyde Park could provide sign language interpreters. Thanks to generosity of the guests, interpreters were provided for Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur services and will make it possible to have its monthly Sabbath services interpreted as well! The idea came up when they had to hire an interpreter for a synagogue service marking their Golden Anniversary in January. “I knew the Rabbi was going to say nice things about us, and my daughter in law is deaf,” Ruth explains. She, then, learned there were also two deaf members of their own congregation and so the idea for the interpreter fund came up.