Oliver Pollak

Oliver Polla

Oliver B. Pollak, a professor emeritus of history at the University of Nebraska Omaha, and a lawyer, is a correspondent now based in Richmond, California.

His books, available on Amazon, include:

*A State of Readers: Nebraska’s Carnegie Libraries
* A Year at the Sorbonne: A Proustian Life
*Conflict in Vietnam: An Historical Perspective
*Empires in Collision
*Jewish Life in Omaha and Lincoln: A Photographic History
*Nebraska Courthouses: Contention, Compromise and Community
*Rhodesia/ Zimbabwe
*Theses and Dissertations on Southern Africa
*To Educate and Serve: The Centennial History of Creighton University School of Law, 1904-2004
*University of Nebraska at Omaha  (With Les Valentine)
*Welcome to Omaha

He also contributed to
*Journal of Burma Studies Vol 3: Rise of a Mainland Trading State
*Western States Jewish History, Vol XXXIII, Number 2

Customs Surrounding Food Told Entertainingly

Ways of Eating does not contain recipes. Instead it is packed with “takeaways” that illuminate food culture. For instance, “restaurant” derives from the “restoratives” of broth served at inns to travelers. The chapter “Medieval Tastes,” aka middle ages, presents a spirited discussion of periodization and geography. [Olivere B. Pollak]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, California, Oliver Pollak, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food

Holocaust Rescuer Nicholas Winton Profiled in ‘One Life’

One Life is a film about the selfless heroism of Nicholas “Nicky” Winton (1909-2015), a self-effacing humanitarian. He directed the rescue of 669 Jewish children in Prague in 1938. The story moves soul searchingly back and forth between the events of 1938 and 1988 when Winton was honored by a BBC television special that brought together, a reunion of sorts, of several hundred rescued children, their children and grandchildren. [Oliver Pollak]

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Holocaust, International, Jewish History, Nordot, Oliver Pollak, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

History of American Jewish Historical Societies Plumbs Differences Between Amateurs and Professional Historians

It is an exciting history of the alliances of American lay and scholarly commitment to their history in the wake of the Holocaust. They sought to save the past for the future. Volunteers and professionals faced similar hurdles, establishing a presence, membership, leadership, volunteers, location, visibility, funding, establishing archives, crafting exciting programs and exhibits that bridged diverse interests, education, and producing, newsletters, journals and websites. [Oliver Pollak]

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California, Jewish History, Oliver Pollak, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Historian’s Memoir May Resound With Readers’ Memories

“Homelands: A Personal History of Europe” by Timothy Garton Ash; Yale University Press, 2023. By Oliver B. Pollak RICHMOND, California — Academic Zoom presentations have created a common market for sharing scholarship and continuing education. The Woodrow Wilson Center and the American Historical Society present scholars and discussants with cutting edge ideas, interpretations, and revelations.

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, International, Oliver Pollak

‘Breakfast Cereal: A Global History’ — The Book I Did Not Write

By Oliver B. Pollak RICHMOND, California – I like porridge, cream of wheat, and semolina. It’s a nice starter for cold weather. I remember the advertising ditty, “Its cream of wheat weather, we repeat, so guard your family with hot cream of wheat.” In 2005 we were in San Francisco for a wedding. We breakfasted

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Oliver Pollak, Travel and Food

Passover and the Jackson Hole Book Nook

By Oliver B. Pollak RICHMOND, CALIFORNIA –This was written on April 11, 2023, at 6,000 feet in the Jackson Hole Airport, 35,000 feet in flight, and 5000 feet in Denver’s new United “wing,” enroute from Jackson Hole to Richmond, California. We spend the beginning of Passover in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and return to Richmond for

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Oliver Pollak, Travel and Food

Jewish Life in San Miguel de Allende

By Oliver B. Pollak RICHMOND, CALIFORNIA — San Miguel sits at 6200 feet in Mexico’s high central altiplano 146 air miles northwest of Mexico City. Passenger train service ceased many years ago. Volaris Airlines very efficiently flies 240 passengers the 1,735 miles non-stop from Oakland to Leon near Guanajuato. Everything costs extra, except a styrofoam

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International, Lifestyles, Oliver Pollak, Travel and Food

‘A God of Our Invention’ Shines Light on Contemporary Political-Religious Agendas

Daniel Kohanski, A God of Our Invention, How Religion Shaped the Western World (Hannacroix, NY: Apocryphile Press, 2023) 285 pages, $26.00 By Oliver B. Pollak RICHMOND, California — Daniel Kohanski graduated from Colgate with a degree in philosophy and received an MS in computer science from Rutgers. He spent many years as a computer programmer

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Israel, Jewish Religion, Oliver Pollak, USA

‘Turn Every Page’ Film a Stunning, Intimate Learning Experience

“Turn Every Page, The Adventures of Robert Caro and Robert Gottlieb,” Released December 2022, Sony Pictures By Oliver B. Pollak RICHMOND, California — The film title, “Turn Every Page,” is the vital maxim of the investigative journalist and historian. At the beginning of COVID-19, in early 2020, I took the opportunity for some self-directed continuing

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Oliver Pollak, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Books and Films – Paul Newman, Steven Spielberg, and the Second World War

By Oliver B. Pollak TETON VILLAGE, Wyoming — I watched The Fabelmans, Steven Spielberg’s semi-autobiographical film on Amazon Prime. There were four of us in the living room, that cut it down to $5 each. I had no intention of writing about it. I got a birthday gift in November, Paul Newman, The Extraordinary Life

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Jewish Celebrities, Oliver Pollak, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA

Making Cards for Jewish Holidays — Hanukkah Cards a la Carte

By Oliver B. Pollak, Ph.D. RICHMOND, California — Hanukkah is virtually here. You have no cards. Oy vey. Think creatively. Repurpose and recycle those New Year and Passover greeting cards you got as donation inducements from the myriad of worthy Jewish charities. Hanukkah is after all a holiday when you make do with what you

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Jewish Religion, Oliver Pollak

Daily Life, Obituaries and Last Rites in the Age of COVID

By Oliver B. Pollak, Ph.D. RICHMOND, California — COVID has changed how we mourn. Attending funerals in temples, synagogues, and decamping to the cemetery were often followed by a meal of consolation and sitting shiva. Out of town family labored to attend. Minyan and yahrzeit mark the calendar. COVID made zooming and streaming funerals commonplace

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Lifestyles, Oliver Pollak