We all come to Yom Hashoah -- Holocaust Remembrance Day – by different paths. For me, it’s an ongoing education into my family’s history, which I detail in my memoir, The Silk Factory: Finding Threads of My Family’s True Holocaust Story. And this year in particular, Yom Hashoah was jolted into my consciousness by a … Continue reading How to Interpret Yom Hashoah
Author: michaelsactualbeatblog
Vermin, Poisoned Blood, and the Jews
As asylum-seekers drown in the Rio Grande under the indifferent eyes of the Texas National Guard, and as Donald Trump celebrates his primary victory in Iowa this week, Jews especially should take heed of language such as poisoned blood and vermin used when discussing immigration. Trump has promised that if elected, he will strip citizenship … Continue reading Vermin, Poisoned Blood, and the Jews
The Silk Factory and Antisemitism
I’m grateful that, thanks to Rabbi David Wilfond, I’ll be a guest speaker at https://www.facebook.com/tstbedford Temple Shaaray Tefila in Bedford, NY, at the end of Sabbath services tomorrow. Two generations of Hirschkinds in the front yard of the Kupfer silk factory, the 140-year-old business that is and isn't family-owned. I’ll be discussing the journey that … Continue reading The Silk Factory and Antisemitism
Holocaust Talk in Ossining, NY
Like for many people, I suppose, the Holocaust was a thing that happened a long time ago, to other people, some of whom might have been members of my family. It’s not that I minimized what it was, or the importance it played in the history of the Jews, in European history, American history, and the history of Israel – but it was history.
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Through the Generations, Darkly
Wartime heroes (l to r) Daggusin, Morel, and Mirat. Photo credit: Max Hirschkind. One of the recurring themes in my memoir, The Silk Factory: Finding Threads of My Family’s True Holocaust Story, is that most people who went through the Holocaust never talked about it to their children or grandchildren. Perhaps it was due to … Continue reading Through the Generations, Darkly
But I Digress… And Learn How to Keep My Book Relevant
It’s well known that only a portion of our social media followers and friends ever see a given post, so it’s not too obnoxious to repost and repurpose stuff. But I’ve still had to fight my reticence for posting frequently on social media without having something new-ish to say each time. But I do like … Continue reading But I Digress… And Learn How to Keep My Book Relevant
But I Digress… And Become No. 1!
Some of you know that for a year I ran a podcast called But I Digress, where I talked to dozens of published writers about the business and economics of writing – specifically with the notion that most fledgling or beginning writers are intimidated by the mysteries of the publishing industry. Do I need an … Continue reading But I Digress… And Become No. 1!
Wildfires, Silence, and the Jewish Experience
Wildfire smoke carries everywhere. Source: Wikimedia Commons I’ve always been reticent to use the term “gaslighting” because it’s so reminiscent of the term “gassing” – which is synonymous (at least to me) with the Nazi death camps like those where my grandmother, my great aunt and uncle, and many other relatives were murdered by the … Continue reading Wildfires, Silence, and the Jewish Experience
Why Can’t We Say Junteenth? We Have to Talk
Our local library is closed in celebration of Juneteenth, but it apparently can't bring itself to say the actual words. So it calls it "the federal holiday." You can bet it will say Independence Day when it comes to July 4. This is a big deal. I realize there's a lot of political pressure from … Continue reading Why Can’t We Say Junteenth? We Have to Talk
I Have My Favorite Commandment. What’s Yours?
I used to hate the Ten Commandments. I hated Charlton Heston. I hated anything that smacked of authoritarian, paternalistic, overbearing high-and-mighty lording-it-over-you-ism, especially if it tried to tell me I couldn’t watch the Yankees on the Sabbath. Last week marked the observance of Shavuot, which celebrates the revelation of the Ten Commandments, and is the … Continue reading I Have My Favorite Commandment. What’s Yours?
75 Years of Controversy: The Israel Question for the Children of Holocaust Survivors
My father was a Holocaust survivor, but his relationship to Israel was complicated. And so is mine. The image above is of an affidavit my father had to sign attesting to thefact that he had no nationality. He was a man with no passport, because theNazi state had stripped him of his nationality for the … Continue reading 75 Years of Controversy: The Israel Question for the Children of Holocaust Survivors
The Silk Factory Threads Forward
In two weeks, you'll be able to actually hold The Silk Factory: Finding Threads of My Family's Holocaust Story, in your actual hands. You can pre-order now, and get the ebook for the ultra-low price of $2.99. Pre-ordering my book really, really helps because it tells the Amazon algorithm that I have an audience and … Continue reading The Silk Factory Threads Forward
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