Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By admin on March 19, 2020

Thursday, March 12, 2020 | 11:01 PM

A sign outside Sewickley United Methodist Church proclaims "All are welcome here."

Antioch Baptist Church

The church is at 332 Elizabeth St., Sewickley.

Sunday School is at 9:30 a.m. followed by worship and praise service at 10:45 a.m.

A Bible study and prayer service is at 7 p.m. Wednesdays. For more information, call 412-741-7688 or visit antiochfwbaptistsewickley.org.

Beth Samuel Jewish Center

The center is at 810 Kennedy Drive, Ambridge.

For information, visit beth samuel.org or contact bethsamueloffice@comcast.net or 724-266-5238.

10 a.m. March 15 Adult Education with Cantor Rena Shapiro, From Vilna to Violins of Hope: Music of the Holocaust

7:30 p.m. March 20 Social Action Shabbat with Repair the World: Pittsburgh

9 a.m. March 21 Torah Yoga and Meditation classBlackburn United Methodist

The church is at 910 Blackburn Road, Sewickley Heights.

Christ Church at Grove Farm

The church is at 244 Duff Road, Ohio Township. A blended/traditional service is held at 9 a.m. Sundays and a modern service are held at 11:15 a.m. Visit ccgf.org.

The CCGF Annual Daddy/Daughter Dance will be March 21 aboard the Gateway Clipper. This semi-formal event gives fathers the opportunity to dote on their daughters and spend quality time together. Dinner, dancing, a keepsake photo, plus the beautiful Pittsburgh skyline. And this year, Disney princesses will be cruising with us. Registration is open and space is limited, so sign up soon.

Information on weekly Bible studies, including a community study, moms in prayer, womens studies and mens studies, can be found at ccgf.org/bible-studies.

Dive deep into Gods Word and grow closer to Him during Lent through the Sunday Morning Sermon Series, Wednesdays in Wilson Lenten Series and with Prepared Study Guides for personal or small group study. More info at ccgf.org/lent.

GriefShare: For anyone experiencing a loss, GriefShare is a friendly, caring group of people who will walk alongside you through one of lifes most difficult experiences. Thursday evenings, 6:30-8:30 p.m. in the Farmhouse Great Room. Contact Ed Santavicca at 412-559-1168.

DivorceCare: Monday evenings at 7 p.m. in the Farmhouse for those suffering through a divorce or separation. Contact Susan Dwyer at 724-242-0939.

Fairmount Presbyterian Church

The church is at 2535 Fairmount Church Road, Sewickley.

Sunday school for children and adults begins at 9 a.m. and worship is held at 10 a.m. Wednesday prayer is held at 6:30 p.m. For more information, call 412-364-7880 or visit fairmountarpchurch.com.

First Church of Christ, Scientist

The church is at 222 Beaver St., Sewickley. For information, visit christiansciencepgh.org or call 412-741-4552.

Sunday services are held at 10:30 a.m., and Wednesday services are held at 7:30 p.m.

Grace Orthodox Presbyterian

The church is at 1419 Beaver Road, Glen Osborne. For more information, visit graceopcpgh.org or call 412-741-3430.

Weekly Lords Day morning instruction begins at 9:45 a.m. Morning worship is at 11 a.m. and evening worship begins at 6 p.m. Sundays.

North Way Sewickley Valley

North Way Christian Community offers six locations across the Pittsburgh area. Services for the Sewickley Valley location are at Osborne Elementary School, 1414 Beaver Road, Glen Osborne. For more information, visit northway.org or call 724-935-6800.

Sewickley Presbyterian

The church is at 414 Grant St., Sewickley. For more information, visit sewickleypresby.org or call 412-741-4550.

Mens Huddle meets at 6:30 p.m. Mondays in the Faith House. All are welcome. Call the church for more information.

Club 345 meets from 3:45 to 5:15 p.m. Wednesdays in the Faith House. This after-school program for kids in grades 3-5 includes games, craft projects and snacks. Parents are asked to register on the church website. For information, email shoagland@sewickleypresby.org.

Koinonia womens group meets at 9:15 a.m. Tuesdays and includes communion and a study. All women are invited to attend.

Knitting for Missions meets at 1 p.m. Thursdays in the Faith House. All levels of knitters are welcome to attend and knit items for mission organizations.

AA, Nar-Anon, Al-Anon, NA and Overeaters Anonymous meetings are hosted at various times. Check the church website for dates and times.

Sewickley United Methodist

The church is at 337 Broad St., Sewickley. For more information, call 412-741-9430 or visit sewickleyumc.org.

St. Andrews Presbyterian

The church is at 801 Beaver St., Sewickley. For more information, visit standrews801.com or call 412-741-8840.

St. Brendans Episcopal

The church is at 2365 McAleer Road, Franklin Park. Eucharist services are at 8 and 10 a.m. Sundays and 7 p.m. Wednesdays. Visit stbrendans.org or call 412-364-5974.

Weekly Eucharist services are held at 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. Sundays and 7 p.m. Wednesdays.

The church has resumed its Meager Meal series for Lent at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesdays through April 8. Come ready to read scripture, pray, discuss and share fellowship over a simple meal. It ends by 7 p.m., in time for the optional Eucharist service.

Brendans Boots, the parish hiking group, will meet at the church at 9 a.m. March 21, and take the Three Rivers Heritage Trail in Homestead in hopes of spotting the Hays bald eagles. Lunch will follow at Mitchells Fish Market.

The Justice Ministry is gathering donations of gently used goods for shipment to needy people in Haiti. Requested items are sewing machines, lightweight clothing, bicycles, toothbrushes, toothpaste, toiletries and school supplies. Donations may be dropped off at the church.

Conversation Friends helps immigrants learn English to help with everyday life. Sessions are held at 10 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays and 7 p.m. Wednesdays. Tutors and students welcome.

The Rev. Regis Smolko offers Bible Conversations on Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m.

Be a Modern Episcopalian is an informal discussion group that meets at 11 a.m. Mondays to tackle modern-day issues facing Christians.

St. James Catholic

The church is at 200 Walnut St., Sewickley. For information, visit saintjames-church.com or call 412-741-6650.

An 11-week video-based Bible study presented by Jeff Cavins on the Book of Revelation will take place 7-8:45 p.m. Mondays beginning March 16 or 10-11:45 a.m. Wednesdays beginning March 18. $30 fee covers the workbook and online video access. To register, call 412-801-2646.

Music Plus, the concert series at the St. James Church site of the newly formed Divine Redeemer Parish, will present the University of Pittsburgh Mens Glee Club at 3 p.m. March 22 in a 50-minute concert under the leadership of music director Richard Teaster. This free-will concert, titled Let the Men Sing! will feature a delightfully sonorous collection of a cappella selections, ranging from classical to barbershop. A 2:30 p.m. preconcert will be presented by the music students from Rhema Christian School and director Deborah Silverstein. After the main concert, there will be a dessert reception and time to meet the artists.

The luncheon program for Divine Redeemer Parish, St. Mary & St. James 55 Plus Club will be March 19. The entertainment will be provided by Cathi Rhodes, singing songs in tribute to country singer Pasty Kline. Prayer service begins at 11:30 a.m. followed by lunch and the entertainment beginning at noon. Reservations for lunch are due in the church office no later than 9 a.m. March 13. Reservations must include your name, the names of your guests, your address including city, your phone number plus your check made payable to Divine Redeemer Parish, 55 Plus Club for $9 for each member and/or $9.50 for each non-member. Place reservations in an envelope labeled 55 Plus Club, Attn: Lil Yankello and place in the offering basket, drop off at the Rectory or mail to 200 Walnut St., Sewickley, PA 15143 so it arrives before March 13. Call 412-977-8813 for more information.

St. Marys Church

The church is located at 444 Glenfield Road, Sewickley.

St. Matthews AME Zion

The church is at 345 Thorn St., Sewickley.

Sunday school is at 9:30 a.m., and service starts at 10:30.

St. Pauls Lutheran

The church is at 616 Washington St., Sewickley. For information, call 412-741-8484 or view stpaulssewickley.org.

Sunday worship is at 8:15 and 11 a.m., and Intergenerational Sunday School is at 9:30 a.m.

Bible Study is every other Monday at 7 p.m.

St. Stephens Anglican

The church is at 405 Frederick Ave., Sewickley. For information, call 412-741-1790 or visit ststephenschurch.net.

New Sermon Series: Discovering Your Call to Ministry More than Volunteers, 10:15 a.m. Sundays. Offered along with the sermon series is an adult-ed class, Discovering your Spiritual Gifts, taught by Clint and Kim Kerley. Each participant will be invited to take a spiritual gifts inventory. Then we will discuss the spiritual gifts noted in the Bible and how they can be put to use in the church today.

Memory Loss Support, 10:30 a.m.-noon second Monday of each month. Support group for those suffering from or caring for a loved one with memory loss. Please call the pastoral care office with any questions. 412-741-1790, ext. 136.

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Bible studies, sermon series and more at Sewickley area places of worship - TribLIVE

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Posted By admin on March 19, 2020

Stages gone dark. Concerts, festivals and other events canceled or postponed. Heres a look at whats happening -- or, more specifically, not happening -- at facilities around New Jersey after the statewide closures announced by Gov. Phil Murphy in response to the coronavirus outbreak.

STATEWIDE

Rutgers University announced all public events scheduled at the university through the month of May are suspended, including Rutgers Day and commencements at all campuses. Visit rutgers.edu for more information.

ATLANTIC COUNTY

Murphy has ordered the indefinite closing of all Atlantic City casinos.

Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City has postponed the March 21 Michael Buble date. All tickets will be honored for the rescheduled date. Visit boardwalkhall.com/events.

The Stockton University Performing Arts Center on the Galloway campus has canceled or postponed all events through April 5. Also canceled is the Aunt Mary Pat show at Dante Hall Theatre of the Arts in Atlantic City. For more information contact 609-652-9000 or visit stocktonpac.org.

The African American Heritage Museum of Southern New Jersey has rescheduled the opening reception for its latest exhibit Talking about HERstory, at Noyes Arts Garage in Atlantic City, to April 11. Visit aahmsnj.org or call 609-350-6662.

BERGEN COUNTY

Bergen Performing Arts Center in Englewood has canceled, postponed or rescheduled 12 shows through April 17, some of which already have secured new dates later this year. Due to the large volume of events that have been postponed or canceled, bergenPAC requests that ticket holders please wait to be contacted regarding their ticket purchase. The Box Office windows will be temporarily closed but open via phone Monday through Saturday from 11am-4pm. The Box Office can be reached at 201-227-1030.

The Hackensack Performing Arts Center in Hackensack is canceling all events through April 16. All tickets purchased for PAC the House James Maddock, Palisades Virtuosi and Rufus Reid, the Italian Chicks and The Tea Interview with the Stars will automatically be fully refunded to credit card accounts through Eventbrite. For more information visit hacpac.org.

Rutherfurd Hall in Allamuchy has suspended operations through April 1 and issued this statement: All activities, programs and museum hours will be postponed. New dates for all concerts, lectures, Murder Mystery Dinner and Paint Night will be determined and announced as soon as possible. We will update the website and contact all current ticket holders for each event as new dates are determined. Visit rutherfurdhall.org for more information.

The Belskie Museum of Art and Science in Closter is closed until further notice. Visit belskiemuseum.com or call 201-768-0286.

The Mahwah Museum in Mahwah is closed through March and aims to resume exhibits and programs in April. Visit mahwahmuseum.org or call 201-512-0099.

BURLINGTON COUNTY

The Roebling Museum in Florence has suspended all public programming through April 8. Visit roeblingmuseum.org.

CAMDEN COUNTY

The Adventure Aquarium in Camden has suspended operations through March 27, but assures proper staffing will be maintained to care of the aquatic life and animals on site. Visit adventureaquarium.com or call 844-474-3474.

The Scottish Rite Auditorium in Collingswood has postponed its scheduled concert dates through at least April 24. For information visit scottishriteauditorium.com or call 856-858-1000.

CAPE MAY COUNTY

The Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts & Humanities in Cape May has canceled or postponed all public programming, including tours of the Physick House Museum, the Cape May Lighthouse, the World War II Lookout Tower, and all Trolley Tours through Thursday, April 2. It hopes to resume regular schedule of tours, events, and activities that conclude before 8 p.m., on Friday, April 3, at least until further notice. Its cooperative event with local nonprofit and business partners, the April 3-5 Negro League Baseball Weekend also has been canceled.

CUMBERLAND COUNTY

The Landis Theater in Vineland has opted to to postpone all shows and gatherings of any sort on theater property until further notice. Visit thelandistheater.com for updates.

The Levoy Theatre in Millville has rescheduled or postponed its slate of shows through April 11, aiming to reopen its doors for the April 16 LeAnn Rimes concert. Visit levoy.net or call 856-327-6400.

Wheaton Arts and Culture Center and the Museum of American Glass in Millville have suspended public programming until further notice. Keep tabs at wheatonarts.org or call 856-825-6800.

The Riverfront Renaissance Center for the Arts in Millville has canceled all workshops and its planned May 30 spring fundraiser. The galleries will remain open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and until 7 p.m. on March 20. Call 856-327-4500 or visit rrcarts.com.

ESSEX COUNTY

The Prudential Center in Newark has closed its facilities, offices, the Grammy Museum Experience and the RJWBarnabas Health Hockey House. New Jersey Devils games and events scheduled for the month of March and concerts through April 14 including Billie Eilish and Elton John have been postponed. For questions, email guestservices@prucenter.com. For the up-to-date information, visit http://www.prucenter.com or http://www.newjerseydevils.com.

New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark has suspended all performances through April 13. All NJPAC arts education and community engagement programming also is canceled. For information call 888-466-5722 or visit njpac.org.

South Orange Performing Arts Center in South Orange has halted all shows through April 16. For information, call 973-313-2787, email boxoffice@sopacnow.org or visit sopacnow.org.

Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn has postponed its April production of Sister Act to a date yet determined, canceled three March childrens stage productions and suspended classed for eight weeks. It also announced it was putting its May world premiere production of The Wanderer on hold and shifting its May 15 fundraiser to an online campaign. Visit papermill.org or email boxoffice@papermill.org.

Luna Stage in West Orange has postponed its spring productions of Hooray for Ladyland! Gay History for Straight People" and "Shruti Gupta Can Totally Deal until further notice. Visit lunastage.org.

Wellmont Theater in Montclair has postponed six shows on its schedule through April 9, including Southside Johnny, Guster and Fetty Wap. For information visit wellmonttheater.com or call 973-783-9500.

Peak Performances world premiere of Kate Sopers opera The Romance of the Rose is still scheduled for April 2-5 at Kasser Theater on the Montclair State University campus in Montclair. For updates, visit peakperfs.org.

Outpost in the Burbs, based at the First Congregational Church in Montclair, has postponed three concerts through April 4 and expects to turn the lights back on for the April 17 Alejandro Escovedo concert. Visit outpostintheburgs.org.

The Puffin Cultural Forum in Teaneck has canceled all March events, including the March 21 Kersten Stevens Jazz Quintet concert. Visit puffinculturalforum.org or call 201-836-3499 for updates.

The Newark Museum of Art in Newark is closed until April 16. Visit newarkmuseumart.org or call 973-596-6550.

The Montclair Art Museum in Montclair is closed through March. For updates, visit montclairartmuseum.org or check social media pages.

The Jewish Museum of New Jersey in Newark has canceled its Reinventing Eve exhibit and is closed to the public. Visit jewishmuseumnj.org.

The Yogi Berra Museum and Learning Center in Montclair is shut until further notice. Look for updates at yogiberramuseum.org.

Rutgers University announced all public events scheduled at the university through the month of May are suspended, including Rutgers Day and commencements at all campuses. This includes exhibits and programs at the Zimmerli Art Museum. Visit rutgers.edu for more information.

GLOUCESTER COUNTY

Broadway Theatre of Pitman has closed its doors through April 17, erasing eight planned performances from its schedule. It hopes to reopen for the opening night of Big River on April 17. Call 856-384-8381 or visit thebroadwaytheatre.org.

Rowan University College of Performing Arts has canceled the March 28 Cashore Marionettes performance at Pfleeger Concert Hall on its Glassboro campus. Visit rowan.edu.

The Heritage Glass Museum in Glassboro will be closed until further notice. Contact heritageglassmuseum.com or call 856-881-7468.

HUDSON COUNTY

The Liberty Science Center in Jersey City is closed through March. Those who purchased advance tickets will have the option of a refund or donating the ticket price to the center. Visit lsc.org or call 201-200-1000.

The Museum of Russian Art in Jersey City has canceled its planned March 21 exhibit opening. For updated information, visit moramuseum.org.

HUNTERDON COUNTY

Music Mountain Theatre in Lambertville anticipates being closed for the next three weeks and has canceled Alice in Wonderland and The Last Five Years. Visit musicmountaintheatre.org for more information.

Stangl Stage in Flemington has canceled its March 28 The THE BAND Band concert. It reports it will be in touch with ticket holders to arrange refunds. stanglstate.com.

The Hunterdon Art Museum in Clinton is closed and hopes to reopen March 30. Visit hunterdonartmuseum.org.

The Red Mill Museum Village will be closed through the end of March. Visit theredmill.org.

MERCER COUNTY

McCarter Theatre in Princeton has suspended all performances, classes and other events through March. For information, visit mccarter.org or call 609-258-2787.

Passage Theatre at the Mill Hill Playhouse in Trenton has pushed its production of Mother (and Me from March 20-22 to June 19-21. Look online at passagetheatre.org.

The New Jersey State Museum in Trenton is closed until further notice. Visit state.nj.us/state/museum.

The 1719 William Trent House Museum in Trenton has suspended operations through April 1. For information visit williamtrenthouse.org or call 609-989-0087.

Old Barracks Museum in Trenton is closed through March 30 but has opened a new online exhibit titled When Women Vote: The Old Barracks and the Anti-Suffrage Movement. The exhibit went live on Tuesday, March 17. For more information visit barracks.org/whenwomenvote.

Mercer County has shut down activities at the CURE Insurance Arena in Trenton, forcing the cancellation of Disney on Ice later this month. Next event tentatively scheduled for the venue is the Adam Sandler show on April 23. For information visit cureinsurancearena.com.

The Trenton City Museum at Ellarslie is closed until April, postponing the opening of Ellarslie Open 37. Visit ellarslie.org.

The Trenton Punk Rock Flea Market at Roebling Wire Works in Trenton has been moved from April 4-5 to May 30-31. Visit trentonprfm.com or email trentonpunkrockfleamarket@gmail.com

The Grounds for Sculpture in Hamilton is closed through March 29. Programming has been canceled through May 5. For information, visit groundsforsculpture.org or call 609-586-0616.

All Princeton University public events are suspended and the Princeton University Art Museum is closed through March. Visit Princeton.edu for updates.

Kelsey Theatre on the Mercer County Community College campus in West Windsor has canceled Chicken Dance," 33 Variations and Parade." The theater notes it will contact ticket holders to make further arrangements. Visit kelsey.mccc.edu for more.

1867 Sanctuary in Ewing has postponed all events through April 5. For information visit 1867sanctuary.org.

Rider University Arts has canceled on- and off-campus Westminster Choir College and Rider events through April 15. Visit rider.edu/arts.

Morven Museum and Garden in Princeton is closed to April 1. Visit morven.org.

MIDDLESEX COUNTY

The State Theatre of New Jersey in New Brunswick has canceled or postponed seven shows through April 7, some of which already have been rescheduled. Ticket holders will be notified by email and phone of their options. For more information visit stnj.org or call 732- 246-7469.

Crossroads Theatre Company in New Brunswick has pushed back its opening for Freedom Rider from April to Sept. 10. Visit crossroadstheatrecompany.org or call 732-545-8100.

George Street Playhouse in New Brunswick has suspended the remaining performances of Conscience" and has shifted its April 21-May 17 performances of A Walk on the Moon to next season. Contact 732-246-7717 or georgestplayhouse.org.

The Avenel Performing Arts Center in Avenel has canceled the March 22 New York Tenors concert and postponed Bodiographys April 3-5 performances. Contact 732-314-0500 or avenelarts.com.

MONMOUTH COUNTY

Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank has postponed performances through March 28, with some events already rescheduled for later this year. (The Mandy Moore March 27 concert, however, was still on the schedule as of Monday, March 16). Ticket holders unable to make any new dates should contact our box office at 732-842-9000 to make alternate arrangements. Visit thebasie.org for updates.

Axelrod Performing Arts Center in Deal has suspended all productions through April 20, including Matilda the Musical, Satchmo and Friends in New Orleans and Axelrod Contemporary Ballet Theater. For information call 732-531-9106 or visit axelrodartscenter.com.

The Algonquin Arts Theatre in Manasquan notes its postponements will be made on a rolling basis. The March 30 appearance by author Harlan Coben has been postponed but its holding out hope for the March 27 opening of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying." Visit algonquinarts.org for updates.

Monmouth University Center for the Arts in West Long Branch has postponed scheduled events through April 3. Visit monmouth.edu/mca for updates.

The Garden State Film Festival, scheduled for March 25-29, will resort to live streaming of its films for ticket holders through its private servers. Physical festival events such as industry activities, workshops and panels have been canceled. Visit http://www.gsff.org.

The Asbury Park Boardwalk issued this announcement on Tuesday, March 17: Effective immediately we are temporarily closing venues along the Asbury Park waterfront, which include The Stone Pony, Wonder Bar, Convention Hall, and Paramount Theatre. This temporary closing also encompasses the Grand Arcade (the passthrough located between the Paramount Theatre and Convention Hall) and its retailers, restaurants and public restrooms. For all other establishments along the boardwalk, please refer to that business website and social platforms for their policies and updates. For information, visit apboardwalk.com.

Spring Lake Theatre Company has postponed the planned March 20 opening its production of Monty Pythons Spamalot at the Spring Lake Community House to some time in mid-April. Call 732-449-4530 or visit springlaketheatre.com.

Two River Theater in Red Bank has suspended the remaining performances of Radio Golf." Look online at tworivertheater.org for updated information.

The Jewish Heritage Museum of Monmouth County has suspended all programming through April. Visit jhmomc.org.

The Monmouth Museum in Lincroft is closed until at least March 22. Visit monmouthmuseum.org or call 732-224-1995.

The Monmouth Civic Chorus has canceled its March 29 concert at First Presbyterian Church of Freehold in Freehold. For information contact monmouthcivicchorus.org or 732- 933-9333.

MORRIS COUNTY

Mayo Performing Arts Center in Morristown is suspending 17 public performances, as well as classes and events through March 31. MPAC is working to reschedule these events. All ticket holders will be contacted as soon as possible with more details. For information, call 973- 539-8008 or visit mayoarts.org.

Drew University in Madison has canceled its public events through March. Visit drew.edu for more information.

The Spring CraftMorristown scheduled for March 27-29 at the Morristown National Guard Armory has been postponed to a date to be determined. For information, visit artider.com or call 845-331-7900.

The Morris Museum in Morristown will be closed to the public until further notice. All upcoming ticketed events have been postponed and will be rescheduled for later dates. For information, call 973-971-3700 or visit morrismuseum.org.

Macculloch Hall Historical Museum in Morristown has canceled programming and will remain closed until March 31. Visit macculloughhall.org or call 973-538-2404.

The Museum of Early Trades and Crafts has postponed public programs and plans to issue daily updates at metc.org.

The Folk Project has canceled its April slate of weekly concerts. Visit folkproject.org or call 973-335-9489.

Roxbury Arts Alliance has rescheduled the March 28 The Music of John Denver and the Great American Country concert with Charlie Zahm and Friends at Investors Bank Theater in Roxbury to May 29. Visit roxburyalliance.org or call 862-219-1379.

Brundage Park Playhouse has rescheduled its March 29 Rocking With the Oldies fundraiser to Sept. 20. brundageparkplayhouse.org

OCEAN COUNTY

The Jay and Linda Grunin Center for the Arts on the Ocean County College campus in Toms River has postponed its lineup of shows through April 2, plus it April 4 The Amazing Max show. Visit http://www.grunincenter.org/events or call 732-255-0500.

The Strand Center for the Arts in Lakewood announced its temporary closure in accordance with Gov. Murphys directive. Ticket holders are directed to monitor the Strands website at http://www.strand.org or on social media for more details.

Exit 82 Theatre in Toms River has postponed the remaining run of Puffs and aims to reschedule the dates in May. Visit exit82theatre.com.

Albert Music Hall in Wall has canceled its March 21 Irish Show and hopes to reschedule it. Its March 28 lineup had yet to be postponed as of March 17. For latest updates, visit alberthall.org.

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Coronavirus in New Jersey: What concerts, festivals and shows have been rescheduled, canceled. (3/18/20) - NJ.com

Category: Jewish American Heritage Month | Comments Off on Coronavirus in New Jersey: What concerts, festivals and shows have been rescheduled, canceled. (3/18/20) – NJ.com
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Posted By admin on March 19, 2020

A man of my age I will be 93 in a month spends a lot of time reminiscing. So please allow me a few minutes to reminisce a bit and tell you a little about one of my experiences.

Back in the 1930s, my father would take me to the Small Temple of Brno, Czechoslovakia, where we sat in a pew that was almost completely occupied by family members male family members, of course. My mother, aunts and sundry female cousins were all up in the balcony. My father was one of 13 siblings, so there was no shortage of uncles, aunts, cousins and in-laws to occupy a considerable portion of the shul.

For an eight-year-old boy, the services were pure agony. My father would hand me a heavy prayer book and I was invited to follow along during the services. Because I was going to the grammar school run by the Jewish community in Brno, I had started learning Hebrew in kindergarten. But, even when I was eight years old and in the third grade, I could not read fast enough to keep up with the cantor. Also, the prayer book, because it was designed to be used for all occasions and holidays, had constant instructions to add this for Sukkot or delete this on Shabbat or proceed to a particular prayer at this point, and to make these instructions more challenging, they were not in German or Czech, languages that I spoke they were printed using Hebrew letters but were actually in Yiddish.

At this point followed some 15 years of chaos, turmoil and instability as our family engineered its escape from Europe and the Holocaust, arrived in the United States and moved several times while trying to establish a foothold. Also, during these years, I served in the United States Navy, went to college and started a career. Not surprisingly, I found myself each year in a different synagogue, marking the High Holidays in new surroundings, led by a great variety of rabbis and cantors. It wasnt until I was married and settled in New Jersey that I, once again, began to enjoy the warm familiar environment of Temple Emanuel of the Pascack Valley year after year from 1960 to this date. In the year 2010, this temple also became the place for my bar mitzvah.

DOES THAT sound strange? Let me explain.

You see, when April 21, 1940, my 13th birthday, was approaching, it had been two years since my older brother suddenly departed for Switzerland and from there to the United States. Its been almost one and a half years since my mother went to the United States in order to renew her American citizenship and was now stuck in Switzerland, reluctant to return to Nazi-controlled Czechoslovakia. And it was now 13 months since my father was arrested by the Gestapo and was sent to the Dachau Concentration camp. My nine-year old brother and I were now alone and living with relatives.

It was also the time when preparations were supposed to start for my bar mitzvah. The Nazis had burned down the large synagogue. The small synagogue, where our family worshiped and where I had sung in the choir, was closed. We learned that services were still held in the new Polish synagogue and preparations were made for me to have my bar mitzvah there. Uncle Isidor undertook the task of preparing me for the reading of the blessings and the Haftorah. The bar mitzvah was scheduled for Saturday, April 22, 1940. The Torah reading for that Saturday was Mishpatim. After school, Id take my Chumash and kippah and headed for Uncle Davids apartment and my lesson with Uncle Isidor.

Uncle Isidor had always been a very imposing figure for me. I saw him occasionally when I was a small boy, since I would sleep in his apartment on my frequent visits to Vienna. Still, I did not really have a chance to get to know him well. He was perhaps six feet tall, had a short beard, and always wore a hat, which made him look even taller. He was, apparently, a great humanitarian, besides being a very good doctor. He believed that a doctors task, first and foremost, was to alleviate suffering, even if the patient could not afford his fee. Further, he considered circumcising a Jewish baby an honor, a mitzvah, and did not charge for this ceremony and his services. It was no big surprise, therefore, that he was kept very busy and that people often took advantage of him. As a result, his large family of eight children was often short of money. The family was always quietly helped.

Now in 1940 in Brno, after being forced out of Vienna, he was no longer allowed to practice medicine. Now a new chapter in my relationship with this unusual man began. During the many weeks of my lessons, he and I became very close. Uncle Isidor was a great storyteller and raconteur, and we spent many hours together while he told me of his experiences and background. Uncle Isidor was in his 70s, but to a 12-year-old boy like me, he seemed much older. I really looked forward to each meeting even though Uncle Isidor was very strict and would get very upset if I had not done my homework. The lessons went on and I was doing pretty well.

However, as the bar mitzvah date neared, my Uncle Jacob and Uncle David decided that, with my father in the Dachau concentration camp, my mother trapped in Switzerland, and with the current serious and dangerous conditions, it wasnt a good idea to draw attention to the Ticho family by my bar mitzvah. The bar mitzvah was scrapped and, on the Saturday when I should have been reciting my Haftorah, I wasnt even in a synagogue. I was bitterly disappointed.

A few days later, before dawn, there was a knock on our apartment door. This was cause for immediate panic. Early morning was the dreaded Gestapos favorite time to come calling. We prepared for the worst as we opened the door and breathed a sigh of relief when we saw that it was Uncle Isidor.

Get dressed quickly, he said to me. A few minutes later, with his hand firmly holding mine, we left the apartment and started walking through the early morning deserted streets of our town. We did not speak and I had no idea where we were going. I knew, however, that we were violating German rules by breaking the curfew that prohibited Jews to be outside before sunrise. I was frightened.

The sun was just starting to rise when we arrived at a small building on the Krenova Street. We went to the rear of the house and down a few steps and entered a small room. Inside the dimly lit room I could discern a dozen or so men, wrapped in their tallit, wearing their tefillin, and already deeply engrossed in the morning prayer. Uncle Isidor opened a brown paper bag and brought out two sets of tefillin and two tallitot and we joined in this ancient ritual.

The large synagogue in Brno had an organ that was played during services. Some members of the Jewish community were not pleased. They felt that you should not play an instrument on a Sabbath not even in the service of God. The smaller synagogue in Brno, as I mentioned earlier, had a choir instead. The cantor of the synagogue, Cantor Ast, rehearsed us twice a week and conducted the services on Friday evening, Saturday morning, and of course, on all holidays. Cantor Leo Ast was a little man with a great tenor voice and a very pleasant personality. He treated the boys in the choir with great respect and dignity, always calling us by our last names.

Our synagogue was called the small synagogue only because it was somewhat smaller than the large synagogue. Actually, our synagogue was quite large and probably accommodated over 500 people. At one end of the synagogue was a raised platform surrounded by a brass railing. The choir sat on a long bench in front of this railing. In the center was the reading table where Cantor Ast conducted the services. In the back of this platform was the aron kodesh covered by a beautifully embroidered drape where the Torah scrolls were kept. Above the aron kodesh hung a silver lantern on a long chain that reached all the way to the ceiling. The eternal flame always flickered inside this lantern. I often wondered how this was possible since I never saw anyone refilling it with oil. And all this splendor was presided over by little Cantor Ast, bedecked in his black robe, dome-shaped black hat, and beautiful silver-embroidered tallit.

When the Torah reading started, I was prodded to the front where, for the first time, my eyes met Cantor Asts. He smiled at me briefly and then proceeded to sing the regular bar mitzvah liturgy the same one I had heard him sing so often in our glorious synagogue for so many other boys. I was deeply moved by this gesture.

By 7:30, the morning services were finished and Uncle Isidor and I were heading home. Uncle David gave me a wristwatch as a bar mitzvah present, and Uncle Jacob gave me a fountain pen. Uncle Isidor wrote out a blessing on a small piece of paper in his tiny and very precise script and read it to me very solemnly before he handed it to me. Aunt Emma gave me a kiss and had somehow managed to find a piece of chocolate to give me.

I DID not have a bar mitzvah, I did not get to read my Haftarah or my portion of the Torah, and I did not have my family and friends surrounding me, but in that small room, with Cantor Ast next to me and surrounded by a few Jews who were willing to risk their lives to attend morning services, I promised myself that some day, if I survive the war and the Holocaust, and reach my 83rd birthday, I will have a real bar mitzvah, shared by my family, friends and a congregation. On April 17, 2010 I rose to the bimah of Temple Emanuel of the Pascack Valley in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey and fulfilled that promise that I made 70 years earlier and had the bar mitzva that almost wasnt.

To the people reading this young and old I hope this is a good example that you should never give up, never lose hope and never doubt the power and strength of our Jewish heritage. From now on, as you enter a synagogue, please stop for a few seconds before the ark of the Torah scrolls and remember the Jews of Prerov who loved and honored their scroll and were prepared to pay with their lives for this devotion.

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Posted By admin on March 19, 2020

On a Monday night in late February, Jonathan Mok was walking down Londons busy Oxford Street, when he was attacked. He was kicked and punched in the face, a beating that resulted in a bruised and swollen eye the size of a golf ball, which he showed to the world in a Facebook post. Mok is twenty-three and Singaporean; he had been studying for the last two years at the University of London. The attack, which he described in his post, was brutal and racially motivated. The guy who tried to kick me then said, I dont want your coronavirus in my country, he wrote, before swinging another sucker punch at me, which resulted in my face exploding with blood.

The Metropolitan Police were called to the scene, near the Tottenham Court Road tube station, around nine-fifteen in the evening. On March 6th, they called the incident racially aggravated assault and announced that they had arrested two teen-agers, one sixteen, the other fifteen. At the time, they were still looking for two additional men believed to have been involved, and asked the public for help in identifying them. The pictures released of the two men are difficult to make out; theyre blurry and black-and-white. One of the men wears a thick parka and holds something to his mouth. This attack left the victim shaken and hurt, Detective Sergeant Emma Kirby, the officer on the case, said in a statement. Theres no room on our streets for this kind of violent behaviour and we are committed to finding the perpetrators.

In recent days, however, as fear and anxiety about COVID-19 have spread, other incidents have emerged in the U.K. and elsewhere. In New York City, on the subway, a man sprayed an Asian passenger with Febreze and verbally abused him. Last week, a Vietnamese curator, An Nguyen, posted an e-mail from a gallerist preparing to exhibit at Londons Affordable Art Fair. The gallerist asked Nguyen not to come assist with the booth. The coronavirus is causing much anxiety everywhere, and fairly or not, Asians are being seen as carriers of the virus, the e-mail read. Your presence on the stand would unfortunately create hesitation on the part of the audience to enter the exhibition space. The Affordable Art Fair later confirmed that the gallery would not be exhibiting at the fair by mutual agreement. (In another irony, many of the initial news reports on the incident used the photo and biography of the wrong An Nguyen, an artist who lives in Canada.)

When I spoke to Mike Ainsworth, the director of London services at Stop Hate U.K., an anti-hate group, he said his organization had seen a spike in hate crimes and incidents reported by Asian communities and individuals in the U.K. There has been, for our helpline, a significant increase in calls from the Chinese community, he said. The incidents range from name calling, through to spitting, through to someone having been pushed in the road in the path of oncoming vehicles. He called the increase a modest but marked one, given that this is a community which we traditionally didnt receive any calls from whatsoever. He also noted an upturn in concern and fear from the Chinese community in London regarding wearing surgical masks. People that would normally wear masks are now feeling that somehow they would become the target of abuse if they continued to do so, he said.

In the U.S., the Anti-Defamation League has been tracking racist memes and online activity directed toward Asian communities in reaction to the outbreak. Theyve uncovered lurid cartoons depicting an Asian Winnie the Flu, mocking references to bat soup, and more violent imagery. For months, there have been posts on notoriously extremist-friendly platforms like Telegram, 4chan and Gab linking the coronavirus to racist and antisemitic slurs and memes, the A.D.L. wrote, in a recent blog post. Users across these channels regularly share racist messages or caricatures of Chinese people, mocking their eating habits, accents, and hygiene. Some posts, they went on, appear to be cheering on the virus, hoping it will spread to predominately non-white countries, such as those in Africa. Oren Segal, the vice-president of the A.D.L.s Center on Extremism, noted that extremists use every opportunity they can to create division. He worried about the spread of racist content as more and more people are asked to stay at home and communicate online. The fact that this sort of hatred exists in the same spaces where people are collecting their legitimate newsit is a concern, he said.

Rebecca Hayes Jacobs, an urban-studies scholar who co-curated an exhibition titled Germ City: Microbes and the Metropolis at the Museum of the City of New York last year, told me that, throughout history, pandemics had often intensified discrimination against minorities. In 1858, a mob burned down a massive quarantine hospital on Staten Island. Locals were afraid that immigrants were carrying yellow fever, especially Irish immigrants, Jacobs said. Pandemics can intensify fears of the other, and exacerbate racist myths about foreigners being diseased or unclean. Often the line between vigilance and fear can get really blurry, she said. Vigilance is important to protect the population at large but, at the same time, underlying societal prejudices and problems can become extremely heightened when people are already predisposed to not trust one another.In the early twentieth century, immigrants at Ellis Island, seen as carriers of trachoma, underwent invasive screenings that were wrapped up in all kinds of anti-Semitism and xenophobia, she said.

Danielle Olsen, who works for the Wellcome Trust, a health charity in the U.K. that recently cordinated a series of exhibitions for a project called Contagious Cities, told me, With SARS, in 2003, youd see people stopping going to Chinatown in Manhattan. She noted a similar reaction to COVID-19, which has given rise to these kinds of informal ideas that its anything to do with your race rather than where you happen to have travelled from, she said. This inflammatory language, or alarmist rhetoric, happens so quickly, and is not based on any facts.

Ainsworth, from Stop Hate U.K., told me that, after Britain voted to leave the E.U., his organization also received an influx of calls about hate crimes. There were a lot of people phoning us up saying, I have never experienced racism in the U.K. until last week and Ive been living here twenty or thirty years. Victims are often confused by what has happened to them. Attacking members of the Chinese community over the coronavirus is exactly the same thing as attacking members of the Muslim community over leaving Europe: there is no logical connection. This is a completely illogical act.

Ainsworth stressed that hate crimes should be reported to the police. But he also noted that witnesses could help by interacting with the victim, to convey a sense of solidarity. I dont expect people to confront perpetrators, but I do expect people to show the victim that they dont agree with what the perpetrators say, he said. Talk to them about anything, it doesnt matter. What clothes are you wearing, where are you going, how are you?

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Posted By admin on March 19, 2020

Amazon has one again started selling Adolf Hitler's "Mein Kampf" after quietly removing the book last week, The New York Times' David Streitfeld reported Tuesday.

Last week, Amazon had sent emails to sellers that had been stocking the manifesto, saying it could not offer the book for sale, according to The Times. Now, the book is once again available on Amazon, though only through the ecommerce giant directly. A search on Amazon showed multiple books related to "Mein Kampf," but only one version of the original book.

"Mein Kampf" was published in 1925 and was the blueprint for Nazism and the Holocaust. The current listing for the book on Amazon contains a note from the Anti-Defamation League as well as a review from Amazon that describes the book as "the angry diatribe of history's most notorious anti-Semite."

An Amazon representative told Business Insider that it took the decision to sell the book seriously.

"As a bookseller, we provide customers with access to a variety of viewpoints, including titles that serve an important educational role in understanding and preventing anti-Semitism," the representative said. "All retailers make decisions about what selection they choose to offer and we do not take selection decisions lightly."

But booksellers told The Times that they hadn't received much clarity from Amazon about which books it will and will not allow, and others expressed concerns that Amazon was going too far in dictating what people were allowed to read.

The isn't the first time Amazon has removed titles from its store. Last year, Amazon removed books by Joseph Nicolosi, who is considered the "father of conversion therapy." Last month, it removed books by former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke and American Nazi Party founder George Lincoln Rockwell. And last week, it took down books that unscientifically claimed there is a cure for autism in children.

As the coronavirus continues to spread, Amazon has also taken down books that contained unreliable information about the virus.

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Posted By admin on March 19, 2020

Editors Note: The 2020 SXSW Film Festival was canceled a few weeks ago due to concerns over the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). This was the right choice, but it has deeply hurt both the financials of the people of Austin who depend on the festival for their livelihood and the filmmakers who would have had their work showcased there. Were doing our part: To the best of our ability, were still covering films that would have played the festival, and all this week, well be bringing you reviews of smaller films that you should be on the lookout for. We ask that you consider doing yours, and donating to one of these charities if you have the means.

***

Its a risky thing to make a movie about a meme, and its even riskier to assume that itll remain relevant for the time itll take you to complete filming. Most will be lost to the vast ocean and tempestuous tides of internet culture, but there are a few who have held on throughout the sea-changes. Chief amongst them is Pepe the Frog, whose origins in alternative comics at the start of the modern internet era led the cartoon frog to become one of the internets most recognizable images. But this dissemination had a darker side, and its one that youre probably familiar with: By the end of 2016, Pepe had become synonymous with the alt-right and a bunch of other malicious internet actors, and Arthur Jones compelling doc Feels Good Man tries to explore how and why this happened, as well as the fallout that this development had on the memes creator.

Pepe began his life as a character in Matt Furies Boys Club, an alt-comix tale of a group of chill cartoon dudes and their post-college bong-and-pizza slackerdom, and because Furie put his work up on MySpace, it eventually caught on with people on the internet at large. Furies a fascinating figure: hes a soft-spoken, introspective fellow who partied hard once upon a time but settled into some approximation of adult life over the course of his career as a cartoonist. A few talking heads acknowledge how Pepe seems to be his stand-in in the Boys Club comics, and Furies other projects, including his work as a childrens book author and illustrator, only serve to underline it: theyre full of frogs. Yet, he initially has a live-and-let-live response to how his creation is being used on the internet: its harmless fun, right? And, sure enough, it was: Pepe began helping people express complicated emotions in online spaces like 4chan, and Jones stacks his documentary with psychologists and theorists offering interesting explanations as to why.

But in the middle of the 10s, something changed: As all things in those spaces are wont to do, the mainstream culture picked up on Pepes usage in these spaces, and like most closed-off cultural groups when their shit goes mainstream, they reacted poorly. Really ugly and offensive images of the character began popping up online, attempting to throw normies off of the groups scent, and that approach only leads to mayhem. As Jones points out, at some point ironic hatred becomes indistinguishable from the real thing, and you suddenly have Pepe appearing on the Anti-Defamation Leagues list of hate speech symbols. Its at this point in which Furie decides to fight back against his creations misuses but when he also realizes that he cant put the toothpaste back into the tube, and the measures that hes taking might be too little, too late. Its also when Jones documentary gets truly fascinating as he starts pulling in some truly bizarre experts including an occultist magician, who highlights the black-magic energy that might have fueled the whole political enterprise and also when the film gets legitimately scary.

It was always going to be a tall order for Jones to try and put the whole sweep of fast-changing internet culture in a 90-minute documentary, but he does a surprisingly solid job at condensing large amounts of information down to their basic elements. It may be too broad for some, but theres a lot to learn here, and its presented in lovely fashion, chock-full of beautiful animation thats nearly ripped straight from Furies comics. Theres a part of me that wishes that Jones would have waited even longer to make this documentary, just to document the memes further mutations over the years. The ones we see here where Pepe becomes a bizarre symbol of internet commerce through the rare Pepes online or a late-stage wrestling-style face turn where the meme is adopted by pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong are fascinating, perhaps worthy of their own docs in the first place. But theyre ultimately addenda to Furies story, which, in its own way, feels mostly complete: He gave part of himself to the world, the world transformed it into something he didnt recognize anymore, and now hes doing his best to assert control over his creation and, more importantly, over his own identity to the world at large. It all adds up to this: Feels Good Man is one of the smartest docs made about the meme era yet, and its a genuinely fascinating watch.

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(JTA) From his frequent denunciations of anti-Semitism to his close friendship with an Argentine rabbi, Pope Francis has long been a friend of the Jews.

As some of his fans were reminded this week, he also admires the way Jews observe Shabbat, the weekly day of rest.

Footage of him praising the tradition in a 2018 60 Minutes interview went newly viral this week, thanks to a YouTube video shared by a Spanish Seventh Day Adventist channel.

What the Jews followed, and still observe, was to consider the Sabbath as holy, he says. On Saturday you rest. One day of the week. Thats the least! Out of gratitude, to worship god, to spend time with the family, to play, to do all of these things. We are not machines.

The clip caught the eye of Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu, a leading Israeli rabbi.

You probably wont believe it, but the Pope called on the inhabitants of the world to keep the Sabbath like the Jews, he said, according to the Jewish Press. It is unbelievable. Those who have decreed that we will not keep Shabbat now understand what the value of Shabbat is.

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Posted By admin on March 18, 2020

Spoiler alert: this article contains plot details from series one of Hunters.

In the very opening episode of the hit Amazon Prime drama Hunters, SS man Heinz Richter forces Auschwitz prisoner Markus Roth, a chess grandmaster, to play a game. But this is no ordinary chess game prisoners are used as pieces and when one piece is moved to a square occupied by another, prisoners are forced to kill.

Thanks to an interactive feature introduced by Amazon for the series, viewers watching on their computers can hover over various scenes with a mouse to get further information. For this scene that information is that the human chess game is an invention but that it is absolutely true that Nazis played deadly games with their prisoners.

The chess board, we are told, is a fiction that illuminates a larger truth.

Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum accused the series of welcoming future deniers. In a long statement for the magazine Variety, David Weil, the series creator, responded that the chess match scene was designed to:

Counteract the revisionist narrative that whitewashes Nazi perpetration, by showcasing the most extreme and representationally truthful sadism and violence that the Nazis perpetrated against the Jews and other victims.

Weil believes that symbolic representations provide access to an emotional reality, allowing us to better understand the Holocaust. But what he describes as a symbolic representation is a myth. If the game of human chess is untrue, it cannot illuminate truth, larger or smaller: it can only undermine it.

The same charge can be levelled against John Boynes novel The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (2006), which depicts the son of a Nazi perpetrator (Bruno) and a Jewish victim of the Nazis (Shmuel) chatting away happily over a barbed-wire fence like neighbours, before Bruno slips into the camp to be with Shmuel. Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum has also warned against this text, pleading for it to be avoided by anyone who teaches or studies the Holocaust.

Boynes self-defence was even more robust than Weils and equally as problematic. He told The Guardian that the book was a work of fiction and therefore by its nature cannot contain inaccuracies, only anachronisms, and I dont think there are any of those in there. But this is wordplay. As far as I am concerned, if a work of fiction changes history then its portrayal is inaccurate. The point is whether that matters. For Boyne, it doesnt. But schoolchildren across the country are introduced to the Holocaust through this novel. It sells well because it purports to be about the Holocaust. This is a dangerous illusion.

It is deeply revisionist, making victims of perpetrator family members: Bruno is gassed alongside Shmuel and in Mark Hermans 2008 film of the novel Brunos mothers grief is foregrounded at the end not the fate of the murdered Jews.

Hunters also creates alarming parallels. On one level, its a series about conspiracies. Disasters ranging from the Watergate scandal to the 1977 New York City blackout are ascribed to Nazi preparations for a Fourth Reich. Here too, then, Hunters takes liberties with history. But nobody denies that the New York City blackout happened or disputes how it happened, so reimagining its actual cause (lightning storms) is not going to feed denial. Inventing Holocaust atrocities is.

Find out more about conspiracy theories in our new podcast series. Listen here, on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or search for The Anthill wherever you get your podcasts.

On another level, Hunters is a Holocaust revenge drama comparable to films such as Quentin Tarantinos Inglourious Basterds (2009) and Atom Egoyans Remember (2015). Former Jewish victims of Auschwitz, a former Kindertransportee, the grandson of a Holocaust survivor among others take it upon themselves to deliver what their leader Meyer Offermann calls Gods justice. That means brutally murdering Nazis living in the US, some of them scientists recruited after the war to help the Americans gain a military advantage in the Cold War. There are points in the film where the avenging Jews are as savage as the neo-Nazis whose killings we also see.

In a key exchange, the famous (real-life) Nazi hunter Simon Wiesenthal (played by Judd Hirsch) confronts Offermann and tells him he has devoted his life to seeking compensation for Holocaust victims. For Wiesenthal, the Nazi hunter is the profession of angels and angels do not get blood on their wings. For Offermann, that means allowing Nazis to eradicate the Jew before we ever have a chance to fight them back.

The two paths here legal redress, there rough justice intersect and conflict with one another throughout the series, sometimes within the consciences of the killers. One of them, Jonah Heidelbaum, grandson of Auschwitz victim Ruth, is torn between the feeling that he is honouring her memory and the concern that he is desecrating it by killing in her name. But he too comes to kill with relish.

To be fair, Hunters exposes the moral hypocrisy of the Allies, who put Nazis on trial in Nuremberg while secretly recruiting their best minds for post-war weapons programmes. But it also risks smoothing over the differences between Jewish Holocaust victims and the Nazi perpetrators.

A twist at the end of the series may go some way towards removing uncomfortable parallels but it does so by an unconvincing sleight of hand (you will have to watch it to find out). Overall, Hunters leaves a bad taste in the mouth.

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Hunters: even Al Pacino can't hide the fact that this series gets it badly wrong on the Holocaust - The Conversation UK

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Posted By admin on March 18, 2020

Listings for most editions of Adolf Hitler's Nazi manifesto Mein Kampf have been removed from online retail giant Amazon. Other works by Nazi authors or writing encouraging anti-Semitism have also been taken down, according to a Monday report from The Guardian.

However, the book has not been completely banned from Amazon, as some academic versions have been deemed as "educational."

"As a bookseller, we provide customers with access to a variety of viewpoints," an Amazon spokesperson told Newsweek, "including titles that serve an important educational role in understanding and preventing anti-Semitism. All retailers make decisions about what selection they choose to offer and we do not take selection decisions lightly."

Mein Kampf was written by Hitler before he rose to power in Germany and began his attempted genocide of Jewish persons. According to a description of the book by the Jewish advocacy group Anti-Defamation League, the book serves as Hitler's "blueprint" for his actions during World War II.

"Written eight years before he assumed power in Germany, the book lays it all out: his megalomania, his conspiratorial obsession with Jews and his lust for power," the description reads. "For all who claimed they didn't know, all they had to do was read Mein Kampf to know of Hitler's intentions."

Amazon has also removed a listing for The Poisonous Mushroom, a children's book published by Nazi Julius Streicher around 1938. Allegorical in nature, the book attempts to draw a parallel between the Jewish people and the titular poisonous mushroom.

Streicher also founded the anti-Semitic newspaper Der Strmer, or, in English,The Stormtrooper. After being found guilty during the Nuremberg trials for crimes against humanity, Streicher was executed in 1946.

Based in London, the Holocaust Educational Trust (HET) wrote a letter to Amazon which may have led to The Poisonous Mushroom being removed from the Amazon website.

"As the Holocaust moves from living history to history, our survivors regularly raise the concern that Holocaust denial and antisemitism still persist," wrote HET Chief Executive Karen Pollock MBE in February. "It is worrying that distinguished publishers like Amazon would make available products that promote racist or hate speech of any kind, let alone this from the darkest period of European history."

Pollock also referred to the book as "obscene," and asked Amazon to "remove these books from Amazon urgently, audit other items which may be on sale, and review your policies so this does not occur in the future."

Newsweek reached out to the HET but did not receive a response in time for publication.

Amazon has recently drawn criticism for its television program, Hunters, available for streaming on Prime Video. Hunters frequently flashes back from its primary setting in 1977 to scenes from concentration camps during World War II. One of those scenes involved a chess game played in a field with Jews taking the places of game pieces in a match overseen by Nazis.

Among those criticizing the scene was the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum which tweeted in February that the scene was "dangerous foolishness & caricature."

"Auschwitz was full of horrible pain & suffering documented in the accounts of survivors. Inventing a fake game of human chess for @huntersonprime is not only dangerous foolishness & caricature. It also welcomes future deniers. We honor the victims by preserving factual accuracy."

Show creator David Weil responded by acknowledging that the scene was not based on sheer fact, but was included in the show to "most powerfully counteract the revisionist narrative that whitewashes Nazi perpetration, by showcasing the most extremeand representationally truthfulsadism and violence that the Nazis perpetrated against the Jews and other victims."

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Amazon Bans all Non-Academic Editions of 'Mein Kampf,' and Other Nazi Propaganda - Newsweek

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Rejecting science puts nation at risk

Sometimes, amid the confusion, moments of clarity arise. Regrettably, the coronavirus pandemic provides us with one such moment.

Trump and his cult followers reject science and try to convince Americans that all is well. He maintains that what the medical experts tell us is wrong. His method is spin & sell; never direct and honest. On March 15 he said, Relax, were doing great. This all will pass. We are confronted daily by the evidence that science denial is the path to disaster.

When we look at the small but vocal minority who argue climate science consensus is a myth, we find the same array of individuals. These include birthers, Holocaust deniers, Nazi apologists, chemtrail advocates, flat Earthers, and all manner of conspiracy hoax lunatics who reject science but simultaneously cling to any cockamamie nonsense that comes along and appeals to their weird contrarian world view.

Those, like Trump, who reject medical science place our nation at immediate risk. Those rejecting climate science place our planet at risk and compromise life for our children and grandchildren. Shun them!

Trisha Vigil

Medford

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Rejecting science puts nation at risk | Letters - Herald and News

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