Holocaust
The Purpose of Memory
We have said and believed “never again.” Yet now, there are concentration camps at the U.S. border.
Read MoreAntisemitism is a Tool of Tyrants
As uncomfortable as it may be, we must all face the horror of hate. No one is exempt from this responsibility. No matter how seemingly small the effort, we must stand against hate and stand up for one another.
Read MoreGrief and Celebration
Right now, we—or at least, I—need the gleaming memory of the First Czechoslovak Republic, a democracy founded and led by an idealistic, intelligent, and remarkably good human being. His power came from conviction, idealism, and, yes, love—the most enduring power there is.
Read MoreMeeting Magocsi
Elation is the best word to describe my discovery of my great Uncle Stefan’s connection with renowned scholar Paul Robert Magocsi. I recently met Professor Magocsi at the University of Toronto. Learn more in my latest blog post about our conversation and about the biography I’m writing about Stefan, an epic of escape and survival before, during, and after the Holocaust.
Read MoreConstant Vigilance
Tomorrow is International Holocaust Remembrance Day. These are my handsome great uncles in 1951 Vienna with their 1934 BMW. Seven years earlier, they hid in holes in the ground left by uprooted trees while Nazis searched for them with bloodhounds. The Nazis had put a bounty on both of their heads, determined to capture…
Read MoreAnger, Love, and Daring Acts of Compassion After Charlottesville
The question is what do we do with that emotion. Anger can be the motivator for righteous behavior. Anger can fuel daring acts of love and compassion.
Read MoreCharlottesville, WWII Hungary, and the Eruption of Hate
Right now, many of us are in shock, outraged, furious. How could an event like yesterday’s Neo-Nazi, white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, VA happen? It’s the 21st century. Aren’t we beyond this? Hasn’t humanity evolved, learned from past suffering and atrocities? And behind that anger and disbelief is pain–pain that is hundreds, if not thousands…
Read MoreHungry for Truth, Hardwired for Empathy
Empathy is the opposite of prejudice, persecution, and oppression.This is why I’m writing the epic story of my great uncle Stefan’s survival across the forests of WWII Eastern Europe.
Read MoreKinds of Blue: Searching the Past for Clues to Our Uncertain Future
This blog is the “story behind the story” of one man and his life before, during, and after WWII, a survivor of Eastern Europe during some of its darkest days. I write this blog in parallel as I write the story of my great uncle Stefan, who withstood forced labor, torture, an 18-year sentence for…
Read MoreHigh Crimes and Atrocities: Testimony
JUNE 15, 2017: As the nation investigates an elaborate corruption that has ties to its highest offices, the term testimony has been broadcast far and wide—in print, over wires and airwaves, and in countless individual conversations. A testimony is a story in one’s own words, a formal telling of one’s experience, a public account of an…
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