Tag Archives: jews

Holocaust Stumbling Stones (Stolpersteine ) in Rome

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In each city they are called something different. In Munich and Prague they are called Stolperstein. In Rome they are called stumbling stones. You see them in what was the old Jewish ghetto outside the houses in which they lived. Each plaque is detailed with the victim’s first and last name, date of birth, date and place of deportation, and date of death in a Nazi Death Camp. We make sure we visit these sites as we travel.

We visit the synagogue, walk in the streets of the old ghetto and have lunch. The ghettos are quite nice now and in some, Prague and Rome they have Museums and working synagogues and a growing Jewish population. We make sure we visit these sites NOT only because we were raised as Jews but because we live as human beings and must assure that the world does not forget the long history of violence against the Jewish people. We honor the gentle people that were led to slaughter and pray it never happens again.

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Holocaust Stolpersteine

Never Forget Kristallnacht

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November 9, 1938

Americans have some dates burned in their memory. September 11 and December 6 are two notorious dates where Americans were attacked, killed and suffered extreme hardships. It is important as Americans to remember these dates and honor the fallen.

However, as citizens of the world we MUST remember today as well because it is the anniversary of Kristallnacht. Tonight were the first attacks on Jewish homes in Germany. At least 91 Jews were killed in the attacks, and a further 30,000 arrested and incarcerated in concentration camps. Jewish homes, hospitals, and schools were ransacked, over 1,000 synagogues were burned and Jewish businesses destroyed or damaged. Millions of others experienced death and torture by the lunatic Hitler.

We must never forget and always honor this day. Things are much better in Europe now for Jewish people that have remained or returned over all these years. However, this year when visiting Italy I saw it was still necessary for soldiers to guard the synagogues.

Synagogue in Milan Italy

Stolen Art at Museum Judenplatz Wien

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The Jewish Museum of Vienna is a fascinating and well curated collection. The displays are thoughtful and well presented. Although some sections brought tears to my eyes. Some I viewed with amazement. One area did both.

This is a picture of one part of the 4th floor archive archive. It is filled with all the valuable Torah decorations that the Nazis stole form the European Jews. They burned all the scrolls but kept all the decorations made of gold and silver.

It bears repeating that this picture is only one section. The whole third floor of the museum is filled with other glass cases just like this.

To see other images and buy apparel or prints, please visit my commercial gallery.

Stolen Art

The Jewish Cemetery in Praha

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The old Jewish Cemetery in Praha (Prague) is one of the important Jewish historical monuments in Prague. It served its purpose from the first half of 15th century till 1786. Renowned personalities of the local Jewish community were buried here. Today the cemetery is administered by the Jewish Museum in Prague.

During the more than three centuries in which it was in active use, the cemetery continually struggled with the lack of space. Piety and respect for the deceased ancestors does not allow the Jews to abolish old graves. Jews were forbidden from land purchases and from owning gold. Hatred of Jews was not invented by Nazis.

To gain space if necessary, a new layer of soil was heaped on top of an old grave. For this reason, there are places where as many as twelve layers now exist. Thanks to this solution the older graves themselves remained intact but the cemetery looks like none other with tombstones stacked on top of each other.

To see other images and buy apparel or prints, please visit my commercial gallery.

The Jewish Cemetery in Praha

Ukraine Registers Jewish Citizens

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If you follow this blog you know it is rare for me to write a political post. But when Adolph Putin invades Crimea claiming that he is protecting ethnic Russians he is using the same logic as Hitler did in the Rhineland and Sudetenland. When masked people show up at a Synagogue asking Jews to register or forfeit all their property or be thrown out of the country; they have shown the comparison to Hitler is valid. Read the full story on USA today and pray with me that we are NOT on the verge of another world war.

Ukraine Registers Jews

Ukraine Registers Jews

Kristallnacht

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Americans have some dates burned in their memory. September 11 and December 7 are two notorious dates where Americans were attacked, killed and suffered extreme hardships. It is important as Americans to remember these dates and honor the fallen. However, as citizens of the world we MUST remember today as well because it is the 75th anniversary of Kristallnacht. Tonight were the first attacks on Jewish homes in Germany. At least 91 Jews were killed in the attacks, and a further 30,000 arrested and incarcerated in concentration camps. Jewish homes, hospitals, and schools were ransacked, over 1,000 synagogues were burned and Jewish businesses destroyed or damaged. Millions of others experienced death and torture by the lunatic Hitler. We must never forget and always honor this day. Things are much better in Europe now for Jewish people that have remained or returned over all these years. However, recently when visiting Italy I saw it was still necessary for soldiers to guard the synagogue in Milan and heavy fences kept out even curious tourists like myself.

Please visit my gallery to see other, more uplifting images of Europe. Click here.

Synagogue in Milan Italy

Anne Frankhuis Amsterdam

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The only time I ever went to the Anne Frankhuis I only had a two megapixel digital camera with me. It was in 2002 and their weren’t too many cameras that higher resolution and since I didn’t have high speed film, the digital camera was the only choice. As I looked out of the window staring at the tree that she saw every day and wrote about, a group of school children were marching by on their way to school. It struck me in an instant that she witnessed this same scene every day as she was cut off from being a children. It still brings tears to my eyes. You can see other work from my European Gallery by clicking here.

Anne Fankhuis Amsterdam NL

http://www.annefrank.org