During my visit to Holland to do research for my book I visited the different places my mother lived in Amsterdam during the war. Each one had a different feel and a different set of circumstances in the 1940’s and also now in 2014. Please come with me for a “walk” from house to house.Continue reading “Walking through the “isms””
Category Archives: Prejudice
Surviving Jews were Asked to Pay Back Taxes after the Holocaust
Yesterday I came across this article, which I urge you to read for yourself. The surviving Jews of Amsterdam were apparently charged property taxes and utilities during the time that they were either in hiding or deported by the Nazis. They were fighting for their lives. Only 5% of the country’s Jews came home, andContinue reading “Surviving Jews were Asked to Pay Back Taxes after the Holocaust”
Bigotry, Bullies and Brundibar
Yesterday I went to Boston to see the Central Square Theater production of Brundibar & But the Giraffe! The original opera was written in 1938 by a Czech composer, Hans Krasa with a libretto by Adolf Hoffmeister. Krasa, a Jew, was imprisoned at Theresienstadt and later murdered in Auschwitz. Hoffmeister survived the war, but diedContinue reading “Bigotry, Bullies and Brundibar”
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”
Stolperstein and The Day of Judiasm
The Day of Judaism (January 17) is a day dedicated to Christian-Jewish reflection. The Roman Catholic Church in Italy started this day in 1990. I am not entirely sure of the history, but I believe it is intended to be a way for Christians to better understand the Jewish roots of their faith. In 1997Continue reading “Stolperstein and The Day of Judiasm”
I Am Not Trayvon Martin
I watched this video yesterday and I knew I had to share it in my blog. I do not know who this young lady is, but I want to thank her for her words of wisdom. I am not Trayvon Martin. I am George Zimmerman. I have privilege and I hold stereotypes. I want theContinue reading “I Am Not Trayvon Martin”
Crossroads Academy Book Review
My readers were 6th, 7th and 8th graders at Crossroads Academy. There were boys and girls, Jews and non-Jews. I gave each student a copy the current draft of my book Tutti & Popje and a red pen. Unfortunately, time did not allow for them to read the entire thing. Most of them got about 20 pages in. Continue reading “Crossroads Academy Book Review”
K Heidi Fishman (Popje and Me) 