Peaceful Kinderdijk Windmills

17 Aug

The windmills of Holland were always a site I wanted to see since I was a child and read the book Hans Brinker or the Silver Skates. I was mesmerized by the idea of the dykes and the water issues that impacted the Netherlands.   But even though I read the book, I never realized how important the windmills were to keep the water at bay.  Now I know.

I actually learned several important facts about windmills during our visit to the Kinderdijk Windmills, a UNESCO Site.  The most important is the actual reason the windmills were there, and that is to pump the water out of the ground and put it into canals that then are pumped out into rivers that run to the ocean.  Without these windmills doing this work for centuries, the Netherlands would be under water.  Now, of course, the windmills have been replaced with upscaled motors and water engineering that works much more efficiently.

I also learned that people actually lived in the windmills!  It never occurred to me that the ‘miller’ who cared for the windmills and made sure that they were facing the right direction lived in them with their families.  But now I know.  We were able to enter one of the windmills and see how families lived.  It was tight quarters, with low ceilings, but they made it work.  All windmills have two entrances so that they can always get in and out as the blades of the windmill do get reoriented. That made sense to me!  I always want an exit.

The guide told us that the people who lived in the windmills were the poor of the poor.  So they also had vegetable gardens and some animals for food.  We were able to see the recreation of one of the gardens at the windmill.

So a windmill was both the work and home of the millers who kept the area from being flooded, as much as possible.  As a side note, the people really did wear wooden shoes.  Since the ground was so swampy. Wooden shoes were the best way to keep their feet dry.

The Windmills at Kinderdijk encompasses 18 windmills, a pumping station, a visitors’ center, canals, and a statute of a cat, cradle and baby. As well as a lovely pathway to visit the site.

We really enjoyed the walk around to the windmills.  It was so peaceful and serene. The canals looked lovely with the lillypads bobbing in the water , and the wildflowers growing on the banks along side the canals.  Besides the tourist visiting the windmills, locals were riding their bicycles along the path.

Touring the Windmill
The Windmill we entered. The garden and the interior.

I like history, and I love learning how things work. So seeing the demonstration on how they moved the blades of the windmill and then watching it catch the wind and twirl was great.  Later we walked into the Wisboom pumping station and spoke to the docent about the different engines and how the pumping system changed over time.  I really enjoyed that.

Wisboom Pumping Station.

We also took some time to enter  the Visitors’ Center and have a snack, visit the gift store. And learn more about the story of the cat that saved the baby by rocking the cradle in the water during a flood in 1421. This story is the basis of the statute that sits in the pond at the site.  So of course I had to buy the book, Katie, the Windmill Cat, to take home for my granddaughters. This story is also why the city and the site is called Kinderdijk, or Child’s Dyke, to memorialize this story.

 

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Magical Castles of Scotland

8 Aug

When I discovered that the Unicorn was the official animal of Scotland, everything I ever knew about Scotland made sense. The murder mysteries that included fairies and scared trees. The love stories that included love that spanned centuries and traveled between times. The stories of the highlands and the low roads leading to a romantic castle on the shore of a Loch where magic lights appear and spirits bring lovers together.  It all had to be true if Unicorns were the official animal of Scotland.

Just to be clear, the people I met in Scotland assured me that they knew unicorns were mythical creatures, and that I would not see any unicorns roaming the streets or fields of Scotland. But they said that in the same breath that they told me about the many sightings of the Loch Ness Monster, known affectionately as Nessie.

However they might deny it, I must admit that during my visits to both the Castle in Edinburgh and the ruins of the Urquhart Castle on the shore of Loch Ness in Inverness, I was waiting for the fairies to peek out and smile at me. And there were times I thought they just might be around, hiding in a darkened alley or behind a piece of furniture. Such is the magic of Scotland, with a unicorn as its official animal, one believes that anything could happen!

The view from the Visitor’s Center
Watching Loch Ness waiting for Nessie
Watching people approach the castle.
The stairs on the other side of the water gate.
Main entrance to the castle..
The water gate to go down to the Loch.
Some of the sights of Urquhart Castle.

Urquhart Castle was destroyed by the clan that lived there to keep the fortification from being used by the Jacobites. Since they felt they could no longer keep it secure, they determined blowing it up would be the wise choice. Then the ruins were left to rot on the side of Loch Ness for centuries. It was only in modern times that the Scots determined that this would be a great spot for tourists to visit the romance of a castle and at the same time sit near the coast of Loch Ness and search the waters for Nessie. I know that my husband and I enjoyed doing both.

Ruined castles have now unhidden staircases, towers standing solo reaching towards the sun. The buildings around them slumped in ruin but still given the site a romantic air, because that is what castle are all about in our day.  A romantic place for people to fall in love. But really this castle was the scene of many bloody battles. After reading its history I understand why they blew it up.

But still, for many a tourist it was a place of wonder to explore and take many photos, while imagining the place when it was intact. I loved our visit to Inverness and Urquhart Castle.  In fact, my husband and I want to go back to spend a week there one day.

The Urquhart castle was taken over by the government in 1913 and developed over the years to the attraction seen today. There is a lovely visitor center on the hill above the castle. I must warn people with mobility issues, that this visit includes much walking from the parking lot to the visitor center and then more walking down to the castle. Also within the castle there are many steps and uneven walkways. It is the ruins of a castle from the 1600s. Just be aware.

The next Castle was Edinburgh Castle, the home of the kings and queens of Scotland as well as the current home of the Royal Jewels. Edinburgh Castle is differently not a ruin. 

Staring up at from the Royal Mile, you start to realize the size and majesty as you get closer and closer. But then when you are about to enter the Portcullis Gate of Edinburgh Castle, it looks small again, until you past through the gate.

The long line to get in.
Waiting for the Crown Jewels.
St. Margaret’s Chapel
The Great Hall
Inside St. Margaret’s Chapel
Window in St. Margaret’s Chapel
Perhaps a Fairy Garden
Victory Street or Diagon Alley?
The Royal Mile

It took a while get through the gate, as we were not the only tourists there who wanted to enter this magical world. You must book your time and date in advance in order to get in to experience the many wonderful places to see. I personally loved just walking around and around the cobblestone road upward to the top. We enter the Great Hall, the Memorial for Fallen Soldiers and paid our respects to those that died for Scotland. We went through a small museum about the Scottish Military. We looked at the long line to see the Crown Jewels and decided we did not want to stand in a line,  so we continued our walk.  I enjoyed seeing St. Margaret’s Chapel, the oldest building at the castle.  Then at one o’clock, our attention changed as we heard the explosion and resounding blast of the one o’clock cannon. Everything stopped for a moment in silence before we all continued our visit.

While I was waiting for the cannon bast,  I believe I found the place where the fairies hang out at Edinburgh Castle. While looking over the stone walls I saw a little garden area.  Supposedly this is the cemetery for the soldiers’ dogs. And yes, I did see tombstones. But I did not see any way to enter this garden. And to me it looked like the perfect spot for a fairy tea party. Okay, I might just be imagining it, but since my time at the Castle, I have had several dreams about this garden and there are always fairies in it.

The Edinburgh Castle is well worth the wait to go through and the crowds that enter.  As you walk closer to the top, the numbers of people thin out, and you get that feeling that you could go back in time and see the medieval residents of the castle. But seeing from the outside and imagining is the best, because, in reality, I would probably would have been a serf and not welcome there. 

After we left the castle, we returned to the Royal Mile and found the most important place for my husband, an Ice Cream Store.  With ice creas in hand, we walked along the Royal Mile happily eating ice cream, seeing the sites, including Victory Street, which is supposedly the inspiration for Diagon Alley in the Harry Potter stories. Fairies, wizards, muggles, dementors: of course, Harry Potter was from Scotland. There is no where else to create these characters then a bit of magic from Scotland and castle.

 

 

https://www.visitinvernesslochness.com/listings/urquhart-castle-visitor-centre

https://www.edinburghcastle.scot/the-castle/history/

 

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Air Raid Sirens Are Not the Music to Labor Through!

2 Aug

This week, I had an out of body experience.  My body was in Holon with my husband, as my daughter and son-in-law were at a hospital where my daughter was in active labor. But my heart was with them. We had been awaiting the arrival of our newest granddaughter with excited anticipation. 

As we waited for news, a different sound interrupted our reverie.  It was not the buzzing of a cell phone with information or pictures.  Instead, it was the sounds of sirens as the Houthis sent another ballistic missile towards Israel.

As we ran to the mamad, I panicked. I have lived through sirens in Israel before. But now my thoughts were on my daughter delivering a new life into the world.  Was the birthing room in a safe place? My son-in-law reassured me.  At the same time my cousins also starting texting to make sure we were okay.  They also let me know that the birthing rooms were safe from rockets.

My granddaughter was born later the night, in the early morning hours of the next day.

But her arrival being heralded by air raid sirens led my mind to wander.  What will it be like for her to grow up in a country where there are air raid sirens weekly?  Where you never know who will attack next. I honestly believe that all residents of Israel have a little PTSD.  And I m sad that my granddaughter will have to live with the sounds of sirens in her life.

But at the same time, I have to think pregnant mothers in other areas of the world that are not safe.  I cannot imagine how a pregnant mother feels who lives in Yemen, Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, the Druze community of Syria, and Iran.

How do those women cope?

Here in Israel, there is the security that the sirens will alert us of a missile. That the mamad or bomb shelter will keep us safe. In these other places there are no shelters to protect them. There are not birthing rooms built to keep missiles out.  What goes through their minds when bombs fall?

The world is not a pretty place right now.  Jew Hatred has an intensity that has not been so bad since the Nazis. There is gun violence in the US. Hundreds of mass murders each year. There is conflict throughout the world. There are storms of unusual intensity. There are major earthquakes all around the Pacific rim. Today there are tsunami warnings in countries that border the Pacific. There is political unrest and uncertainty and regional and international tensions.

As a grandmother, I want that new generation to know a little of the peace that my children and I had. But with social media and the biased narratives of the news and bots that twist reality and challenge what is the truth, I am not sure the world will return to an equilibrium for decades.

What I believe is that women should not have to give birth in a bomb shelter. Sirens should not disturb the concentration and focus of labor. No woman should have to give birth in fear of war. You would think by now people would realize that we really are one world. And that major events that happen anywhere in the world impacts everyone. Just like the earthquake in Russia is impacting the world right now as countries sound their tsunami warnings and volcanoes erupt throughout the world.

I believe we are getting a message from nature.  We are one. We need to work together to give the next generation a safe place to live.

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The Tavern in Trzciana Comes To Life

29 Jul

I vividly remember when the movie version of “Fiddler on The Roof” was released.  It was the first Broadway show I had seen in person as a child.  So seeing it again in the movie theater reminded me of the special trip into New York City with my parents and the delight I felt while listening to the songs and learning about Anatevka.  One of my favorite scenes occurs in a tavern where the Polish and the Jewish citizens end up in riotous dance!

The tavern scene has so much more meaning to me now.  I was with my maternal grandfather the first time he saw the movie.  Grandpa was from a small town in Austria/Poland called Trzciana.  When he watched the tavern scene, he turned to me and said, “My family had a tavern just like that.  It looked just like that.”  Anatevka/Tzrciana taverns were interchangeable in my grandfather’s eyes. He said the movie brought back memories of his childhood.

Grandpa did not often speak freely about his family.  Stories came in bits and pieces of memories.  But it was not something you asked about.  It was something that he had to offer because Grandpa’s family all perished in the Shoah.  His parents, his siblings, his aunts and uncles, his cousins, everyone who was in Europe died, except for three.  (See blogs below.)

But that tavern memory has so much more meaning because now I know more about it thanks to the research of Izabela Sekulska who started the Mayn Shtetele Mielec Facebook group.   Izabela has been helping me find out information about my family for about a year now. The documents she finds make the stories I was told by Grandpa come to life.

Izabela recently found a document from the Chamber of Commerce and Industry that  brings the family tavern to life.

Chamber of Commerce and Industry document

My great grandfather Gimple Feuer applied to open a tavern on April 10, 1912, when my grandfather was just over 12 years old.  My Grandpa did grow up with a tavern in his life.  This document from the Chamber of Commerce and Industry states that the location was in Trzciana, Galicia, which was then part of Austria as Poland.  Throughout his life Grandpa said he was Austrian as that part of Galicia became part of Poland after the war. 

At my family’s tavern they sold beer, wine, other alcoholic beverages and tobacco according to this document.  I knew my great grandfather had a farm that included a crop of  grains and grain silos to store the grain.  So having a tavern makes sense, he had the grain to brew the beer.

Grandpa told us stories about cleaning out grain silos and how one time he and his cousin became intoxicated on the fumes from the silo.  They actually became sick and ran to a nearby stream/creek to drink the water and wash the fumes away. He said they almost drowned, they were so drunk.  

As I remembered this story, I  looked for  a map of current day Trzciana online and saw where the Cichawka stream goes through the town.

Thanks to Izabela, I know that there were no street names in Tzrciana, the homes and buildings  were just numbered during the time my grandfather lived there..  And the number of the tavern was 129.   

On the map that  I found online all the buildings are numbered.  There is one numbered 129 close to the creek. Could this be when my great grandfather had his tavern?  I am not sure, but it perhaps the numbers remain the same. 

Now there are addresses and streets. So perhaps with this information we can one day find out exactly where the tavern was located in the town. Perhaps this address is where the family lived, and the tavern was located on their farmland?   

Izabela has asked for help in finding out where this location is now in Trzciana in the Facebook group.  That would make this amazing find so much more amazing.  And it might be that the number 129 is in the same place. And the numbers around it are the places where the other members of my family lived before the war.

Knowing my great grandparents had a tavern, perhaps explains to me why there was actually a trial after the war concerning the murder of my great grandmother during the Shoah.  Perhaps their standing in the community created lasting friendships that existed after the war and lead to people actually testifying about her death. (See blog below.)

No matter what I find about where the tavern actually stood in Trzciana, I do know that from now on whenever I see the story of Anatevka and see the tavern scene, I will think of my grandfather and his family that perished, but I will also remember how they lived.

 

These two pictures are from Google. The show the new house at 129.
If you look closely at the other picture you see this building right next to it. It could be the home of my great grandparents or other relatives!!
Zissel and Shalom: Survivors and Heroes
March 9, 1942: The Destruction Of Mielec’s Jewish Population
The Trial For the Murder of Chava “Gimplowa” Feuer
An Unexpected Email Reveals Family Shoah History

Renewing A Family Connection: My Mother’s Day Gift

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Keep Reporting Online Hate Speech!

8 Jul

At times I think I have reached my limit dealing with online hatred, especially Jew Hatred.  I have viewed so many nasty comments under posts about Israel, especially posts about IDF soldiers who died, or under articles published in national news services, or articles about Jewish people in general, not even Israeli.

While the article itself might be positive, or perhaps sad about someone who died, the comments are often horrendous.  AI graphics showing Jews looking similar to propaganda from the Nazi era. Spewing hatred for the death of a Jew and wishing all Jews would die.  Spreading false information.  Calling for the mass murder of Jews throughout the world.

I report them all.  I take screen shots of those comments, and as I get messages from META, I checked to see what evilness they are still allowing to stay on Facebook or Instagram.  I honestly cannot believe the ones that they say do not go against their community standards!

After I sent an image to reviewed two times. This is what you see. So disappointing.

They ALMOST ALWAYS DENY any post I tag goes against the community standards the first time I report it, except for one that was so violent and horrific, it came down immediately. I was even thanked for helping them get it off social media, and if I ever saw anything like it again, I should immediately contact them.

Over my three years of reporting only eight posts I reported actually have been taken down, the one I mentioned and seven others, but those came after I sent it back for review.  Honestly, I send every single one I report back for review.  You can see in the above image that I actually got another horrible Jew Hating comment taken down in June. I put it here so you can see that it does happen!!! Sometimes the hate is so bad that they cannot leave it up.

An additional nine times I was told I can go to the oversight board.  I have attempted to do that several times.  In fact, I received one of these invitations last week.  I was trying to decide whether to take the time to do it, as sometimes I think it just goes into an abyss, since nothing seems to change.

The invitation to explain my belief to the Oversight Board.

Since the Jew Hatred is so filled of vitriol these days, I decided I had to send a report to the oversight board. I let them know exactly what I believed about their continuing to let Jew Hatred be present on META social media platforms. I wrote that Facebook was created for people to keep in touch with friends, not to be overwhelmed by hatred. That this was morally and ethically wrong, and that it needed to end. That hate speech was not free speech when it led to violence. And that the many, many instances of online Jew Hatred was leading to violence.

I tell everyone I know to keep reporting.  I was recently at an event for older retired Jewish women, where a speaker spoke about online Jew Hatred and how she works to get these horrible posts offline. I then reminded them that we as Jews are small in number, just 16 million worldwide.  If we want to make an impact, we all must work together.  I told them how to report a comment or image, by clinking on the three little dots on the right of a comment.  That they must use them to report!  Click on the 3 dots; then click the part that says report this comment, this photo, etc.; then go ahead and report it as spreading violence or hate!!!

There are several groups on social media working to stop online Jew hatred.  Some are asking us to report the Jew Hatred.  There are two that I know of: CyberWell and Digital Dome. Also Combat Anti-Semitism works to stop this hatred. It doesn’t hurt to report what you are seeing. And it might help.  This is a job that every Jewish person who is online should be doing.

If we do not speak up and work against Jew Hatred we are part of the problem. In the 1930s many were afraid to say anything, while others did stand up to hate. We have learned our lessons.  Never stay silent when hate is around.

At the same time, META must realize that leaving these expressions of Jew Hatred online opens the door to all others hate speech directed at other racial groups and, as we have seen, the LGBTQ and immigrant communities.  No hate speech should be tolerated online. These are private companies, they have the right to eliminate anything they don’t think is right. And they promise to provide a safe place for users!

I have read that some consider the Jew Hatred like the canary in the mine.  When the bird dies, you know that is bad air.  When online Jew Hatred gets this bad, perhaps it is the end of social media and a wake up call to all other groups to stop it.

Dante wrote in The Inferno: “The darkest place in Hell is reserved for those who maintain their neutrality in times of moral crisis”

Don’t stay silent.  Speak out against online hate speech of any kind.

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Honoring Those Who Do Good In Times Of Crisis

28 Jun

The Lowell Milken Center For Unsung Heroes has exhibits that all children and adults 12 and older should experience. A friend and I went there specifically to see the Anne Frank Exhibit, “Anne Frank: A History for Today,” which is now completed. But that was just a minor part of this learning experience. Since that special exhibit is over, this blog will focus on the usual museum sights.

First Panel of Anne Frank Exhibit

Located just two short blocks from the Ft. Scott National Historic Site, the Lowell Milken Center, is a wonderful place to learn about people who stand up and do good in times of crisis.  The centerpiece of the museum is “Irena Sendler: Life In A Jar,” the story of Irena Sendler, a Polish social worker, who saved over 2500 children from the Warsaw Ghetto during World War Two. She had a group of about 20 people who helped her. But it was Sendler who organized the group and saved the names of the children who were rescued.

Irena herself was rescued from obscurity by a group of high school children from a small town in Kansas. Their discovery led them to find out Irena was alive. They had the chance to meet her and wrote a play about her that has been shown hundreds of times, which led to Irena being nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. Unfortunately, she passed away before she could be recognized as the prize cannot be awarded to someone who is deceased.  Her story and the story of the girls who brought her story to life is the centerpiece of the Center.

However, it is not just about Irena’s story.  There are many unsung heroes whose stories are on display at the Center. Each story was discovered by students and then written about for display at the Center. Student can enter their research into the Discovery Award competition which recognizes outstanding Unsung Heroes projects by students in grades 4-12.

In these times of increased online hatred and the rise of anti-immigration, ICE raids, and Jew Hatred, the Lowell Milken Center is an oasis of goodness.  Each panel tells the story of someone who stood up to be counted in times of peril, helping those in need. These people, of all religions, follow the Jewish value of doing good, repairing the world , “or “Tikun Olam.”

While we were there, we met briefly with a group of international teachers who had come to the Center to learn about the programs and how to bring it to their schools. The two people leading the discussions were part of the original Irena Sendler discovery: the high school history teacher and one of the students.  That student, Meagan, now works at the Lowell Milken Center. 

This brought me joy, as I saw the original play when the girls were in high school and they presented in Kansas City.  Then a few years later, I saw the expanded play as well.  My friend had seen it with me. We were pleasantly surprised to meet her.  She told the international teachers that we had seen the play!  Smiles all around. It was so wonderful to see that she continues to dedicate her life to teaching others to do good!

I have written about Ft Scott before. (See blog below.). So I will tell you that an excellent summer field trip day with your middle school and older children would be to visit Ft. Scott in the morning. There is a Park Ranger to help as you walk around the site, clean bathrooms and a store. Have lunch at one of Ft. Scott’s restaurants. 

Then during the heat of the day, go to the Lowell Milken Center to  immerse yourself and your children in goodness and kindness.  Your heart will be filled with the knowledge that there are truly good people in the world.

https://www.lowellmilkencenter.org/
https://www.yadvashem.org/righteous/stories/sendler.html?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=45989503&gbraid=0AAAAAD1IFGM_bfUQWakp_GCm1-mc__KhT&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIlP22woCVjgMVZzbUAR3XcDlQEAAYASAAEgKelPD_BwE
A Day’s Escape to Ft. Scott
https://www.nps.gov/fosc/planyourvisit/index.htm

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A Disney Experience in Marceline

22 Jun

I am a dedicated Disney enthusiast.  I have been to both Disneyland and Disney World multiple times. When the Disney 100 Anniversary Exhibition visited Kansas City, I made sure that my husband and I had tickets to go through the exhibit.  I loved it! 

I have passed by the Laugh O Gram building in Kansas City many times. I am still hoping that one day KC will have its own little piece of Disney.  Now I can add a new Disney experience.  I finally got to visit the Disney hometown of Marceline, Missouri.

It was worth the over two-hour drive from our home.  Was it everything I thought it would be, not exactly.  But despite that, even my husband said that the museum was very interesting.  And it was.

Original ticket booth.

The Disney Hometown Museum is housed in the original Marceline Sante Fe train depot.  A perfect spot for a Disney museum because Walt Disney loved trains. Parts of the train station are still obvious.  The original ticket office still exists with some train memorabilia.  Also the train comes by every so often, so you get to hear the sounds and whistle. 

Davy Crockett
Original Map

Most of the collection was from the estate of Walt and Roy’s sister, Ruth.  Even though she was not employed by the Disney company, she received many Disney artifacts and letters throughout her lifetime.  Many of the items on display were hers.

Also included are many Disney family items. Photographs and letters line display boxes.  Information about the Disney parents and siblings is an important part of the museum.  I loved learning about how Walt and Roy took care of their family throughout their lives, giving them Disney stock and other items.  In fact, the one Disney sibling who never married, left millions of dollars the Shriners’ Children Hospital. What a great place for the profits of the Disney company to end up!

Teacup Ride
It’s a Small World

I really enjoyed the displays on the second floor of the original Disneyland models.  Seeing the view of the It’s a Small World Ride and the teacups in miniature, as well as the castle and other rides was really a thrill.  This is what they were trying to create in full size, and they succeeded!

As an aside, the Teacups were my favorite ride when I was younger. But as I aged I realized I did not like to be spinning around. For my sister and daughter “It’s a Small World” was the best ride ever.

I loved seeing the items like the model dressed in the Davy Crockett regalia and the giant Mickey Mouse.  There were dozens of items to enjoy. Some of which I remember from my children hood. My brother was a big Davy Crockett fan!

I have to also comment on the kindness of the people who worked there.  They made the experience so warm and friendly.  But then they knew we were true enthusiasts as I was wearing one of my Disney shirts.  In fact ,you could tell in each family who was there who the Disney fan was…that was the person who people wearing Disney clothes!

Vuew of the ride as we walked toward it.
Entrance to ride area.
One of the cars in the museum.

After the Museum we walked over to Ripley Park, where the Midget Autopia ride was installed after it was taken out of service at Disneyland.  The only ride ever to be given away after it left the park!! I am sure it is a shorter car trail than what was used on Disneyland. You can still see where it was, as it is still set up to be used. But currently the cars are no longer there.  Although there is one car on display in the museum.

In the park you can also see both a diesel locomotive and a steam locomotive. They are quite huge.

For lunch we ate at Ma Vic’s Corner Café. It was crowded with locals and  with the people who had been to the museum. I saw  two other restaurants in town, but I am not sure they are open for lunch.  

We also walked past the Uptown Theater where Disney premiered two of his movies and where he saw movies as a child.  It is closed now. But it does resemble the movie theatre on Main Street USA at the Disney parks.

Main Street USA was a disappointment. We walked up and down Main Street USA, which Walt Disney used as the guiding force of the Main Street in Disneyland/Magic Kingdom. But it was somewhat sad.  Most of the store fronts were empty. There were a few things in the windows, but many had no businesses.  A few shops were open, when we were there,  while some that opened only in the afternoon. I guess I was hoping for more Disney spirit in downtown.

When we went back to the museum, before we left, I asked about the Main Street stores.  We were told that someone had purchased the buildings to keep the look of the town intact, but really there was not a lot of business. 

Honestly, although there is a small shop in the museum, I think that they should use one or two of the store fronts to open a Disney store in Marceline.  I think it would be busy with those of us who would love to purchase more in Disney’s hometown.  Look at Hamilton. It was a dying town, but with all the fabric stores, it is now a quilting mecca.  I think something more can be done with Marceline.   But don’t worry, I did help the economy by buying myself a t-shirt, two magnets and presents at the museum.

We did not visit the Disney farm or school.  I am not sure the school would be open to visitors, but at the museum we saw that Disney artists had painted murals throughout the school.  However, with our two-hour drive home and the heat of the day, we ended our visit to Marceline.

The Disney Hometown Museum is definitely worth the drive for Disney enthusiasts.  My husband and I truly enjoyed our time there viewing all the artifacts, reading the letters and materials and talking with some other Disney fans and the museum staff.

https://www.waltdisneymuseum.org/

Yet Another Disney Adventure Begins
It was a Small World at the New York City’s World’s Fair 1964/65

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Jew: The Original Doomsday Preppers

16 Jun

 It has been a crazy three days.  It has been stressful and at times unreal.  But what I do know is that I am a mother of a daughter and son-in-law who live in Israel.  More than that I am the mother of a woman who is 8-months pregnant.

My friends and family know that I am anxious, stressed and somewhat neurotic right now. They are reaching out with support and love. I am trying to continue with my daily life, but no matter what I do, my brain and my heart are in Israel. 

I feel like I need to share, to vent, to emote, at times to scream.  I mean, really!  I was just in Israel. How could this happen!  I HAVE to get back to Israel in six weeks!

Even my cousins who live in Israel or have their own children in Israel have reached out to me.  One cousin,  originally from Wichita, asked if I was okay.  She told me that her mother needed tranquilizers during the Gulf War. Makes sense to me.  Aunt Barbara I understand your angst now!

 Then another cousin, who I also saw in Israel, and who recently became a grandmother for the second time, texted: “Stay strong.”  My response, “I am trying!  You too!”  She is so Israeli. Her response “Children are strong. They are lions. And we are all warriors!”

I used that line this Shabbat when I was asked to read the Prayer for Israel.  I told everyone to remember we are all warriors! 

We will survive, as we always do.  I believe that. In the last two years its especially important to believe.  WE cannot cave to hate.

My daughter recently helped me see the reality.  We communicate several times each day now.  This What’s App Chat was classic. 

I start off:  “Perhaps when you are in the mamad (bomb shelter), you should stay away from the window.    (Back story: When they purchased this apartment she told me, “You will be happy to know the apartment has a bomb shelter.”  My response, “I am happy it does, but sad it has to have one.”  Now I really am happy snd extremely sad.)

“No one who was in a shelter died,” my daughter typed. “And Home Front Command specifically said that the number one safest place to be is in your mamad.  So that is where I will be.”  (There have about 30 who have died so far and hundreds who have been injured.)

“My heart hurts that you and all of Israel have to go through this. But especially pregnant women. (Okay I should have said children as well.).”  Then she informs me that one of her WhatsApp group of pregnant woman gave birth on Friday.   Both are fine.  But oy vey what a day.  So as a mom I typed (as if I had any control) “Wonderful! But best not to go into labor during a missile attack.  Just remember that.”  I got a thumbs up and “Yeah not Ideal.”

In Kansas people go into labor during tornados and snowstorms. It snowed the day she was born. But somehow giving birth during a bombing seems wrong.

The conversation continued as we got into what I call the immigrant response that was handed down from her great grandparents. My grandparents were both from Europe. They kept jewels, gold and money hidden in the basement. My siblings and I inherited a lot of jewelry. I keep my share in the bank. But we know it is there if needed.

Don’t worry is her usual response.  But this time it was a little different.

“Passports and jewelry are in the mamad as well,” she tells me. “A friend and I were talking about the first things to go into the mamad and I was like passports and jewelry.  Then came food. Then extra clothes.” (This is what I call European Jewish escape response.). I added, “What about water and a pot to pee in.” (Someone had to remind them.)

“Then I was talking to another friend and her German boyfriend,” she typed.  “I said something about diamonds, and he said “NO, Gold is better.”  I said, “ok, I guess a real German would know what bribes Germans were most likely to take so I’ll be sure to include gold.  Not that Germans are the problem right now.”  (Definitely Shoah inspired response based on knowledge about our family who was murdered and those that survived.)

I told her I was sad that she had to think about what she needs to keep in the mamad. 

“It is sad, but it’s also kind of our history.  Jews – the original doomsday preppers,” she typed.  “Gotta be ready to escape and bribe your way to safety.”

Yes, true, I wrote. But at least you have a shelter. I have to think of what Hamas did to the Gazans. Tunnels just for militants, the rest left to suffer the consequences of wars Hamas starts.

Unfortunately, perhaps it is our millenniums of dealing with hatred that has made us able to survive.  Perhaps being the original doomsday preppers is good.

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Zissel and Shalom: Survivors and Heroes

11 Jun

This is the most important blog I will write about my distant cousins Shalom Hollander and  (Lieb) Zissel Feuer.  They are true Jewish heroes. They did not give up. They lived through the Shoah and they helped those who also survived.  And I feel so honored to know that I am part of their family. I know that I just wrote about my renewed contact with their family, but I believe I need to just put it all in one place!

I have mentioned in other blogs that I met Zissel and Shalom when I was 19//20 years old studying at Hebrew University in 1974-75.  When I met them, I knew about the Shoah, but I also knew it was not something you asked about. If someone told you something you listened, but you did not interrupt.  You kept quiet.  The 1970s they were only just beginning to open up about what happened to them.

To me Zissel was someone my grandparents wanted me to meet.  Grandma had known him in 1931/32 when she took my mother and uncle to Europe.  Zissel stole a pearl necklace from her. And now over 40 years later, he wanted to make amends.  I was sent to collect the money and to listen to his story.  I liked Zissel. He reminded me of my grandfather. He worked in a bakery, my grandfather owned a bakery.  So from that point forward whenever I went to Tel Aviv, I visited Zissel.    I did not ask questions about his past.

Shalom I only met once. When my grandmother and I traveled to Israel in January 1976, we met up with Shalom in Haifa.  He and grandmother spent two hours speaking in Yiddish about what had happened in the war. About everyone who died.  

Ziseel and Shalom had been married to sisters, my grandfather’s first cousins. They and all the rest of the family was murdered. (Except one of the sisters’ brothers and those who had already left .) Some were buried in mass graves; some died in concentration camps; some died in a ghetto; some died in the death camp Belzec.  Shalom was saved by Schindler.  Zissel survived hiding in the forest nearby as part of the Amsterdam group, a partisan group all members of my family who hoped to survive in the forest.

After the war they both returned to Mielec to find other survivors.  They lived together in a house in town.  Thanks to Izabela Sekulska of Mayn Shtetele Mielec,  I now know what they did there.  They saved lives.  They testified against evil.  They worked to keep the memory of the dead alive.

First they saved lives.  Izabella told me that people were angry at Zissel. They said he lied and took money.  Well maybe he did. I have a different view.  The land of the Jews was now empty. The Jews were not coming back, or very few. Out of 5000 about 200 returned.  Zissel became the head of the Jewish community of Mielec.  Shalom was his deputy.  They did not just let the Poles take the land that had belong to the Jews. They told them that the survivors who came back, those who had lived through hell, had owned those lands. And they made the Polish people who wanted the lands to pay the Jews.  It makes sense to me.  They had nothing. No Home. No clothes. No family. NOTHING.  At least they could get some money to start a new life.  And they did.

Second thing they did. They testified.  They testified FOR the people who had helped the Jews. But they also Testified AGAINST many who had murdered the Jews. Including my great grandmother, who was also their aunt by marriage.  They wrote out testimonies and they signed their names to them.

Third thing they did. They protected the site of a mass burial. The spot where the Germans killed 800 Jews on March 9, 1942, Shalom purchased the land and put up a monument to his parents who are among those who are buried there, probably along with my great aunts and uncle.  They also built a wall around the Jewish cemetery.

Fourth, they helped an orphan Jewish girl who had been hidden and kept by a Polish woman during the war.  Shalom remarried after the war to another survivor of the Shoah. They adopted the girl and brought her to Israel with them when they left Poland. They went on to have three more children.

Fifth.  Shalom wrote testimonies for almost 40 people to be kept at Yad vShem, including for my great grandparents and my great uncle.  As well as his wife, children, parents, in laws, and Zissel’s wife.

Sixth.  Zissel came to America to see his brother in the early 1950s.  He visited my grandparents and told my grandfather how his family died.  My grandmother called him the Angel of Death, because he brought this horrific news into our family.

Seventh.  They survived.  They helped to settle the new Israel.  They worked. They remained close.  Shalom had a new family, new wife, children and grandchildren.  Zissel never remarried, but he also had a life and a relationship with Shalom’s children.

I am honored that I knew them.  I wish I had been braver and asked questions.  I wish had written down what they did tell me.  I wish I was not so timid then. But I am glad that I can close my eyes and still see them. Especially Zissel, who I spent so much time with 50 years ago.

I hope to keep their names and memories a blessing for my family.

There are many blogs about both Zissel and Shalom. You can find them on my blog site.

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Am Yisroel Chai. My Shabbat Speech

2 Jun

I was asked by my Rabbi to talk to my congregation about my trip to Israel. Here is a slightly edited version of that Shabbat speech, which I delivered on May 30.

Shabbat Shalom.

 I recently spent two weeks in Israel.  I did not visit tourist sites or go to a meeting.  I spent my time with my daughter and her husband and visits with friends and relatives who live in Israel.  What I did see was the resilience of the people of Israel.

On Sunday, 36 hours after I arrived in Israel, just as I went to take a walk, the siren sounded.  I went to the Mamad, the safe room.  A Houthi missile landed in Ben Gurion Airport.  This bombing partially cut Israel off from the rest of the world as airlines cancelled flights. Obviously, what the Houthis and terrorists want to do.

I also learned that when a siren for a rocket or missile attack goes off, take shelter wherever you can.  Just follow the crowd and they will let you in and show you what to do. When a siren sounds Israelis are one, helping each other to shelter.

On Monday, day 4, I took a bus with my daughter to Tel Aviv to meet with Ilana, who used to live in Overland Park and taught at the Hebrew Academy. She took me to Hostage Square, walking me from my daughter’s office to the site next to the Tel Aviv Art Museum.  Although I was there in the middle of the day, not when the protests usually happen, I was able to see the monuments and messages posted in honor and in memory of the hostages and those who died.   Ilana and I discussed the political situations in both the USA and Israel. How the hostage families want the war to end. Is what Trump is doing good for the Jewish people and Israel or not. What about Netanyahu?  What was going to happen.

Later we met my daughter for lunch at a restaurant in Sarona. We joined many others enjoying the lovely weather and eating outside.  We even ran into a group from Kansas City, including one of my daughter’s Hebrew Academy classmates. Life continues in Isarel. People enjoy luncheon dates. Tourist run into people they know. I have to believe, Am Yisroel Chai.

 On Thursday, Day 7,my daughter and I took the train from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. In the morning, the train was empty and quiet.  I was a little nervous about what to do if there are sirens during the trip.  But a large part of this journey is underground, through tunnels in the mountains around Jerusalem. This new train route is direct from Tel Aviv with just one stop at Ben Gurion Airport before going on to Jerusalem. It’s a great way to travel.

It ends at a new train station with easy access to the Central Bus Station and where you can catch the light rail station right in front.  We just had a five-minute walk through lots of construction to meet our family, two of my husband’s first cousins (who grew up in Wichita) and their spouses.   One couple lives in Shiloh on the West Bank.  Right after October 7, three of their sons and one so- in-law were called up. Two went to Gaza.  Now after a break, two have been called up again. In fact, that week 60,000 young men and women were called back to active duty for a new ground assault of Gaza.

 The other couple live in Sderot Boker. On October 7, the wife’s sister- in-law was among those murdered.  Her daughter is teamed with a search and rescue dog. They spent days after October 7 searching for the living and finding the dead.  We did not discuss October 7, our main topic of conversation was that Jay’s 82-year-old cousin finally had a bar mitzvah at the Kotel that morning, and the antisemitism in the USA, especially on college campuses.  Think of that, sons called up to Gaza; sister-in-law murdered on Oct 7; and we discussed the Jew Hatred in the United States.   They will persevere. Am Yisroel Chai.

The train ride back to Tel Aviv was packed.  Soldiers and students returning home with their laundry for the weekend. It made me smile.  Sixty thousand called up.  Airlines cancel flights.  Worldwide antisemitism.  And in Israel teens and soldiers are bringing their laundry home to their mothers.  As it should be. Mothers rule!!!

On Friday, Day 8, Zak’s parents, who live in Tekoa, in the West Bank,  and his brother and girlfriend, from Modiim, came for lunch.  We took pictures. We celebrated being together. We spoke about family and the future. We talked about the house they are renovating in Zichron Yaacov.  We did not discuss the war or politics. We discussed the future for our children. And we do see a future. Am Yisorel Chai.

For Shabbat . Day 9, we visited my cousins.  My mother’s first cousin is my age.  Her parents, my great uncle and aunt, survived the Shoah.  She was born when they finally felt safe.  Her daughter is an excellent chef and made us a wonderful meal. Three of her grandchildren were there as well. The oldest is in the army. She does intake for those who work in the Kiryia.  Her biggest complaint are the parents who call because their children did not make it into this elite group.  Parents are the same everywhere.  The next oldest, a boy, has one more year before the army, but already had his first meeting.  And the youngest is just 14. But he knows what’s in his future.  Families in Israel. Descendants of survivors,  still sending their precious children to fight for survival.  Am Yisroel chai.

On Monday, Day 11,  I took the bus once again to Tel Aviv.  On the way home my daughter pointed out a different bus line with the driver who poked the package.  To understand that you need to know that several months ago a few buses had explosives that blew up, luckily, when the buses were empty in Holon and Bat Yam.  A couple of days later, my daughter had to take a different bus than usual that went through Bat Yam then to Holon.  She was the last one on the bus and noticed an unattended.  She walked up to the bus driver to tell him.  He stopped the bus and looked at it and poked it. And said it was safe.  She was horrified. They had a short conversation with him ending it by saying “I don’t know why anyone would ride a bus!”  She was a bit shocked and said to him, You drive them!””  In any case he was our driver on Monday. Should I say Am Yisroel Chai?  Israeli bus drivers are tough! But it does make you think.

Later that day Edan Alexander was released by the Hamas and returned to Israel.  I did not realize how much this would touch my heart.  An American from New Jersey, Edan is from the same city where my sister and her family lived.  I have been at the high school and the Jewish Community Center.  I have walked those streets.  He survived over 500 days in hell.

Joshua 1:9: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not be terrified or dismayed (intimidated), for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” 

Our returned hostages have an entire country supporting them. People lined the streets to the hospital to welcome him home.  Hostage Square was packed that evening. Am Yisroel Chai.

Tuesday, Day 12, my daughter and I go to the large outdoor mall in Tel Aviv to meet her friend with her 2-month-old daughter and her father.  Her friend’s first cousin, Maya, was slaughtered at the Nova concert.  I planted a tree for her and said Kaddish on October 7, 2024. We had lunch together, in a restaurant where we were served by both Jewish and Moslem wait staff. My daughter and her friend spent two hours in SheLev baby store going through everything Lara would need.  While her Dad walked the baby, I stayed mostly with the girls. They suffered a horrible loss on October 7, but now it was all about the Babies.  And there are lots of babies in Israel. They are having a baby boom!  The people of Israel will continue to live.  Am Yisroel Chai.                 

Later that day, my daughter drove me. to a kfar near Natanya, where I have distant relatives. The descendants of survivors, whom I met when I lived in Israel in 1974 and 1975. The families had lost touch over the past 35 years, when my grandfather and the survivors passed away.  But now we were reunited and could share our family stories. My distant cousin, whose father lost his entire first family in the Shoah, his wife and four children, as well as his parents and all his siblings, was the oldest son of the second marriage. The marriage of two survivors.  My cousin and his wife have 7 children, 40 grandchildren and 19 great grandchildren so far. I do not know how many children his siblings have, but I know there are many. The people of Israel will continue to live. Am Yisroel Chai vChayon.

At this point, I will add that our current president’s trip to the middle East was about to begin.  There was consternation in Israel because neither he nor anyone else from the government was coming to Israel. There was some anxiety in the air, but at the same time not. Israel was already isolated. 

My final trip to Tel Aviv was on Wednesday, Day 13. I met with a childhood friend who moved to Israel 30 years ago. We had lunch at the Azrielli Mall in Tel Aviv.  Her daughter has finished her military service and now will be an English teacher.  Her son will go into the army later this year.  Her husband works at Ben Gurion Airport to screen those coming into and out of the country. We also discussed the Jew Hatred in the USA and around the world.   And keeping safe. Am Yisroel Chai.

After I walked her to the train station, I walked back to Serona, where I did my one tourist activity, I took a tour of Serona.  It was a welcome moment of just enjoying seeing something of Israel I hadn’t seen before, as docent took us into buildings that are usually locked and told us the story of Serona. Originally settled in the late 1800s by the German Templars, Serona was the site of the first government of Israel, the first Bank of Israel, the first military base. It was the Kiryia.  Having this place as the first seat of government enabled Israel to govern from a safe spot.  Now, of course, the main seat of government is in Jerusalem.  Whereas there is a new Kiryia is in Tel Aviv.

My daughter’s’s office is in one of the skyscrapers that now surround Serona. On the three days I took the bus into Tel Aviv with her, I got to see where she worked and meet with her colleagues.  The CyberWell office is dedicated to searching for and helping to eliminate Jew hatred on social media platforms.  They see so much hatred online that part of their workload includes monthly meetings with a wellness team to ease their stress. The efforts to stop the hate is ongoing and not easy as social media platforms track it mainly in English, and the hate comes in all languages.  But they have the technology and the people who will work to stop it. The Jewish people find ways to survive, we are resilient. Am Yisroel Chai.

On a daily basis, I walked the streets of Holon and Tel Aviv feeling safe.  Some days after work and dinner, when it was dark and cooler, my daughter and I walked around Holon for a mile or so.  We passed the many playgrounds with their bomb shelters, we passed stores, some that are open all night.  We passed my favorite bakery. The bread in Israel is so delicious, so we often stopped there to buy challah rolls or bagelas or pastry.  One side of the bakery was all pareve.  I was in bakery heaven.

My last night, we had one last siren before my trip ended.  In all I experienced four sirens and four trips to the Mamad.  By the end, I no longer felt anxious when the sirens went off.  I knew the military was doing its best to keep us all safe with its defenses and its alerts to the people. I knew that the people of Israel were strong, as was I, and this too shall pass, and we will remain as always.   Am Yisroel Chai v Chaiyon.

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