Holocaust

‘The Optimist’: Troubled teenager brings out Holocaust survivor’s hidden story

An independent film, The Optimist, opens on Wednesday, March 11, in over 700 theaters nationwide.  It tells the story of Theresienstadt-and- Auschwitz survivor Herbert Heller (Stephen Lang) recounting his Holocaust experiences after 60 years of keeping silent. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, Holocaust, International, Jewish History, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA

Family of Roddie Edmonds presented Congressional Medal of Honor for protecting Jewish POWs from Nazis

Edmonds was the highest-ranking non-commissioned officer in a German POW camp. Over 1275 American POWs, captured during the Battle of the Bulge, were held there. [Jerry Klinger]

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Holocaust, International, Jerry Klinger, Jewish History, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Thought on the preservation of memory

Recently, I discovered that my name appeared among more than 885,279 selected entries in Grokipedia, Elon Musk’s AI generated encyclopedia competing with Wikipedia. The message came from a machine-scale archive. The number struck me. [Jacqueline Semha Gmach]

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Holocaust, International, Jewish History, Obituaries & memorials, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors, The Arts

Diplomats from 26 countries tour Auschwitz

The delegation, led by Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon included 21 ambassadors and five deputy permanent representatives to the United Nations from Albania, Australia, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Guatemala, Haiti, Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast, Malawi, Micronesia, Moldova, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Romania, Rwanda, Samoa, Solomon Islands, South Sudan, Tanzania, Tonga, Tuvalu and Zambia. [Press Release]

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Holocaust, International, Israel, Jewish History, Press Release, Science, Medicine, & Education, Travel and Food

Roddy Edmonds to receive a Medal of Honor for protecting Jews in a POW camp

In January 1945, the Nazi Commandant of the camp ordered Edmonds to have all of the Jewish POWs report to the assembly grounds the next morning at 6 a.m.  The next morning, the Commandant was surprised and angered. [Jerry Klinger]

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Holocaust, International, Jerry Klinger, Jewish History, Opinion, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Congregations, schools, plan unique Purim programs

For example: Beth Jacob Congregation announces its “British Purim Invasion” at 4 p.m., Tuesday, March 3. The event will include horse-drawn queen’s carriage rides, professional portraits, scavenger hunt, bounce castle, Megillah reading, fish and chips shoppe, pub food including shepherd’s pie, bangers, and mash, tearoom, gin cocktails, and scones. [Cailin Acosta]

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Cailin Acosta, Holocaust, International, Israel, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Sports & Competitions, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Black and Jewish America: An Interwoven History, part 3 ‘Grand Alliance’

While the previous episodes laid the groundwork of shared trauma and early 20th-century labor solidarity, Episode 3 dives headlong into the 1960s—the decade where the “interwoven” threads of these two communities were pulled to their absolute tension and breaking point. [Barrett Holman Leak]

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Antisemitism, Barrett Holman Leak, Holocaust, Jewish History, Opinion, Philanthropy & Volunteerism, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum releases children’s video

The video and exhibition share one family’s experiences during the Holocaust from the perspective of Daniel, a fictional boy, growing up in Nazi Germany. Daniel’s character represents the real experiences of millions of actual Jewish children during the Holocaust. The exhibition and video are based on actual diaries of Jewish children in Nazi Germany. [Press Release]

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Holocaust, International, Jewish History, Press Release, Science, Medicine, & Education, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA

The Jewish People: Myth or reality? A lie with a purpose

While the Prime Minister is in Washington fighting for Israel’s survival, it is crucial to remember that the Jewish people’s attachment to their tiny land was continuous, documented, and unmatched by any competing national claim. It was also legally recognized. Opinion. [Alex Grobman]

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Antisemitism, Holocaust, Israel, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Middle East, Opinion, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Today’s Jewish Birthday: Fredy Hirsch

Alfred Hirsch (February 11, 1916 – March 8, 1944) was a German-Jewish athlete, sports teacher, and Zionist youth movement leader, notable for helping thousands of Jewish children during the German occupation of Czechoslovakia in Prague, the Theresienstadt concentration camp, and Auschwitz. [Wikipedia]

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Antisemitism, Holocaust, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Science, Medicine, & Education, Sports & Competitions, Today's Jewish Birthday, Wikipedia