Gunter Demning is a German artist who has made a name for himself installing stolpersteine (translation – stumbling stones) in front of the final residences of Holocaust victims. I was lucky enough to be invited to help set the stolpersteine for my great uncle and his wife in Tilburg in January 2014. This past weekend … Continue reading Stumbling on the Stumbling Stones
This morning when I woke up and heard the news I was disgusted. NPR reports that Donald Trump wants to ban all Muslims from entering the United States (even US born citizens). Really? We actually have a presidential candidate who says ban people of a certain religion from our country. Wasn't this country founded by … Continue reading It’s Time for a Miracle
I belong to a few Facebook groups for 2Gs. A 2G is a child of a Holocaust survivor. Since my mother and her parents survived, I am both a 2G and a 3G. Yesterday someone from one of these Facebook groups posted a very simple question: Did any of your grandparents survive the Holocaust? He … Continue reading Missing a Generation
Last night I went to see the Handel Society of Dartmouth College perform Annelies by James Whitbourn based on Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl I really had no idea how someone could put the diary to music. I was wondering if we were about to see Anne Frank: The Musical and if … Continue reading Annelies: Your Words are Still Powerful and Necessary
I decided it was time to name my book. It isn’t finished yet, but the title has been a thorn in my side for a while now. I started with a working title of “Tutti & Popje." It was cute and it worked in my mind. I thought the book would be told from the … Continue reading In Search of a Title
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 1997 … Continue reading Stolperstein and The Day of Judiasm
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 standing … Continue reading Class Photos – 1942, 1968, 2003
I need to give everyone who is reading this a little background on my interest in history and my research adventure. As a middle school student at Renbrook School I hated history. I thought it was boring. I remember challenging Mr. Reynolds in 6th grade. "Why do we have to learn about all this stuff … Continue reading The Reluctant Historian
This year’s theme for Holocaust Remembrance Day is Never Again: Heeding the Warning Signs. I have been thinking about this at both the large and the small levels. What are the warning signs? When and where do bigotry and prejudice start? When do human beings learn to either point to someone who is “different” and … Continue reading Holocaust Remembrance Day
