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Oliver Polla[/caption]
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:
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*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
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Mary is a Catholic and stated “I wear a crucifix and love it.” As for the Star of David she doesn’t “want to offend anyone but I want to gift it to someone who will appreciate it.” (Oliver B. Pollak)
The homeless Star of David Read More »
Jewish Religion, Judaism, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Oliver Pollak, Staff and Bylined Contributors
The first Jewish recipients were Tobias Asser (1911), a Dutch lawyer who was honored for his work on international law and the Hague Conferences and Alfred Fried (1911), the Austrian pacifist, journalist, and co-founder of the German Peace Society. (Oliver B. Pollak)
Jews and the Nobel Peace Prize Read More »
Holocaust, International, Israel, Jewish History, Oliver Pollak, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food, USA
Iceland had a population of about 115,000 in 1935. By the end of the decade Reykjavik’s population of about 28,000 included three “Jewish” musicians from Germany and Austria. (Oliver B. Pollak)
3 musicians find refuge from Nazi persecution in Iceland: A review of a review Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Holocaust, International, Jewish History, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Oliver Pollak, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food
Monroe’s trove is a spellbinder with opportunities for many discoveries about intellectual growth, social connections, political views and the literary milieu between author, publisher, and reader. Monroe, an autodidact, self-directed her education aided by purchases, gifts from authors and friends, and World Literature extension courses at UCLA. She visited Powell Library before it was called the Powell Library. Marilyn did not graduate high school, she wanted to “better” herself. [Oliver Pollak]
What did Marilyn Monroe read? Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Jewish Celebrities, Jewish History, Obituaries & memorials, Oliver Pollak, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food
The joke is that my wife has been an unflagging downsizer, in resisting my acquiring new books, but gifts may be different. I thanked my friend, “Never seen Karen so pleased to get a book in an age where she is trying to get them out of the house.” [Oliver B. Pollak]
‘101 Treasures’ from Israel Library is also a Treasure for Home Collections Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Israel, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Oliver Pollak, Staff and Bylined Contributors
This memoir and autobiography is filled with secrets, doubts, anticipation, anxiety, temporary disappointments, regrets, the thrill of the chase and the exaltation of success. He repeatedly states the discoveries changed his life, and it also enriched the lives of the brothers and sisters he discovered. [Oliver Pollak]
Author Tells of Finding His Birth Parents and Learning Their Secrets Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Lifestyles, Oliver Pollak, Staff and Bylined Contributors
Why We Read is an attractive, magnetic, and enigmatic title. There are many answers. Because I want to, because it is satisfying, because it is good for my mind, because a book is a friend, because a book is an escape, and because I can only begin to cover Reed’s analysis. [Oliver Pollak]
‘Why We Read’ Is a Book with Many Answers Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Oliver Pollak, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA
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]
Customs Surrounding Food Told Entertainingly Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, California, Oliver Pollak, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and FoodOne 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]
Holocaust Rescuer Nicholas Winton Profiled in ‘One Life’ Read More »
Holocaust, International, Jewish History, Nordot, Oliver Pollak, Theatre, Film & BroadcastIt 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]
The golden age of the American Yiddish language newspaper is from the mid-1880s to the mid-1920’s. Its popularity and profitably was driven by massive immigration of Jewish Yiddish speakers from Eastern Europe to New York. [Oliver Pollak]
The Evolution of the American Yiddish Press Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Jewish History, Oliver Pollak, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA
“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.
Historian’s Memoir May Resound With Readers’ Memories Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, International, Oliver Pollak
By Oliver B. Pollak RICHMOND, California — Memorial Day weekend is a long weekend, and for some, four days long. Parks, buildings, auditoriums, stadiums are named for heroes. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington and commemorative postage stamps remind us of sacrifice. If you went to a cemetery this weekend its likely you will see
Three Memorial Day Weekend Episodes Read More »
Oliver Pollak, Opinion, USA
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
‘Breakfast Cereal: A Global History’ — The Book I Did Not Write Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Oliver Pollak, Travel and Food