Like many writers, I have hit a spot where I am stuck. This isn’t writer’s block. It isn’t due to a lack of imagination or time or effort. I am stuck because I can’t quite fit together the pieces of history that I have unearthed. I have my mother’s memories and the stories she hasContinue reading “Stuck”
Category Archives: Nazi
Laying the Stumbling Stones
January 17, 2014 we gathered at the church in Tilburg again. Coffee, tea and cookies were available along with the usual friendly atmosphere that the Dutch seem to delight in. Once everyone had gathered, about 50 people, we all put on our coats and wandered over to Bobby and Tineke’s old house. I noticed thatContinue reading “Laying the Stumbling Stones”
Why Bobby?
On the evening of January 16, 2014 I arrived in Tilburg. This small city in the southern province of Noord-Brabant in the Netherlands is home to a little over 206,000 people, more than 60% of whom are Roman Catholic. The next largest “religious” group are the atheists who make up about 20% of the population.Continue reading “Why Bobby?”
The Nazis Targeted the Disabled Too
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8umFV69fNg The Jews were by no means the only victims of the Holocaust during WWII. The Nazis murdered physically handicapped people seeing them as useless and potential threats They were afraid that their genes would weaken the “master race.” Please watch this video. It shows mannequins made to match actual individuals with various physical differences.Continue reading “The Nazis Targeted the Disabled Too”
Theater Lesson
Upstairs in the Hollandsche Schouwburg is a small display. There are pictures, documents and letters from the 1940’s when the theater was used as a place to hold the Jews until they were transported out of Amsterdam. While we were visiting, there was also a school group there. From the students’ accents, I assume theyContinue reading “Theater Lesson”
Acceptance Letter
Today I received my first “acceptance letter.” You might be thinking I am talking about a literary agent or a publisher. Sorry, nothing that bold as yet. Today’s letter came from the resident of one of my mother’s addresses during the war. I am preparing for a trip to The Netherlands to doContinue reading “Acceptance Letter”
Why I Haven’t Written in Awhile
Sometimes family comes first. Actually, family always comes first. The last few weeks I have been focused on family. There is one member of our family, with significant health issues, and we have all been mobilized to help. This particular family member, who I will leave unnamed, has an addiction that is severe and lifeContinue reading “Why I Haven’t Written in Awhile”
Treasure in the Compost Bin
When I went out to dump some kitchen scraps into the compost bin a few weeks ago I noticed something I hadn’t seen before. There were several tall leafy plants topped with delicate purple flowers. I had no idea what they were and so proceeded to look them up on the internet. I found aContinue reading “Treasure in the Compost Bin”
Total Verrückt! Encore
Friday night my husband and I went to Boston to see Joanna Caplan’s premier performance of Total Verrückt! at the Charlestown Working Theater. This is a one-woman show that was conceived, created and performed by Joanna. It portrays the “totally crazy” circumstances of the German-Jewish former stars of the Weimar Republic that found themselves inContinue reading “Total Verrückt! Encore”
Class Photos – 1942, 1968, 2003
About the 4th week of every school year there is a ritual. It goes on in schools all over the world and has been happening for decades. Parents pick out nice clothes for their children to wear, and the kids gather for a class photo. They usually line up in rows with their teacher standingContinue reading “Class Photos – 1942, 1968, 2003”
K Heidi Fishman (Popje and Me) 