Our dead are never dead to us, until we have forgotten them.
~~George Eliot~~
Cecil and David Rosenthal lived together, worshipped together, made their way through life together, two intellectually disabled brothers in their 50s who were ensconced in Pittsburgh’s close-knit Jewish community. And on Tuesday, they will be buried there together, in one of the first funerals to follow the shooting that killed the brothers and nine other people at Tree of Life synagogue.
Funerals were also set Tuesday for Dr. Jerry Rabinowitz, a family-medicine practitioner known for his caring and kindness, and Daniel Stein, a man seen as part of the core of his congregation.
Other victims’ funerals have been scheduled through Friday in a week of mourning, anguish and questions about the deadliest attack on Jews in U.S. history.
Pittsburgh Shooting Took Place During Religious Ceremony For Gay Family Randy Slovacek
“We were just informed that this morning’s tragedy was happening during a Briss for a set of twins adopted by a gay couple,” the organization posted Saturday on Facebook.
“Our hearts and prayers go out to all that were involved including the members of the Synagogue, law-enforcement and first responders.”
“We have witnessed the worst of America in our town Pittsburgh.
More than ever we must come together as people and change the temperament of our country,” the statement concluded.
There are a reported 11 fatalities and six injured in the attack on the Tree of Life Congregation.
After surrendering to police, assailant said he “wanted all Jews to die,” according to a Pittsburgh police report.
the action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts and experience of another of either the past or present without having the feelings, thoughts, and experience fully communicated in an objectively explicit manner.
Martin Niemöller (1892–1984) was a prominent Protestant pastor who emerged as an outspoken public foe of Adolf Hitler and spent the last seven years of Nazi rule in concentration camps.
The quotation stems from Niemöller’s lectures during the early postwar period.
Different versions of the quotation exist. These can be attributed to the fact that Niemöller spoke extemporaneously and in a number of settings.
“They came first for the Communists,
and I did not speak up, because I wasn’t a Communist.
Then they came for the Jews,
and I did not speak up, because I wasn’t a Jew.
Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I did not speak up, because I wasn’t a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Catholics,
and I did not speak up, because I was a Protestant.
Then they came for me,
and by that time, no one was left to speak up for me.” Pastor Martin Niemöller
Myriad versions of Pastor Niemöller’s original quote began circulating in the late 1940’s and early 1950’s, yet his exhortative words on the perilous pitfalls of political and social apathy couldn’t be more germane than they are today.
Niemöller originally intended to warn against passive detachment in believing dangerous power persecuting one group wouldn’t eventually seek to target all, as occurred during the Nazis’ rise to power.
~~GRAPHIC SOURCE~~
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Incredible true story of Gold Champion Jessie Owens
I went to the movies yesterday. I had seen the previews of this film and I knew it was a “must-see” for me.
I have seen some reviews. It seems that some critics feel that the film didn’t “perform” as expected. I don’t really follow what critics say. Most of the time, in my humble opinion .. like the weathermen … they are wrong.
I enjoyed the movie thoroughly.
For history buffs, for sports fans and for any interested in periods of time where ignorance, bigotry, racism and prejudice were the “law of the land”
Race is a 2016 biographical sports-drama film. It is the second feature biopic film about African American athlete Jesse Owens, who won a record-breaking four gold medals at the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games.
Directed by Stephen Hopkins and written by Joe Shrapnel and Anna Waterhouse, the film stars Stephan James, Jason Sudeikis, Jeremy Irons, William Hurt, and Carice van Houten.
Principal photography began on July 24, 2014, in Montreal, Canada. Forecast Pictures, Solo Films, and Trinity Race produced the film, Entertainment One released the film in Canada, Focus Features and TriStar Pictures in the United States on February 19, 2016, and Square One Entertainment will release in Germany on May 5, 2016. The film was supported by the Owens family, the Jesse Owens Foundation, the Jesse Owens Trust and the Luminary Group.
James Cleveland “Jesse” Owens (September 12, 1913 – March 31, 1980) was an American track and field athlete and four-time Olympic gold medalist.
Owens specialized in the sprints and the long jump and was recognized in his lifetime as “perhaps the greatest and most famous athlete in track and field history”.
His achievement of setting three world records and tying another in less than an hour at the 1935 Big Ten track meet in Ann Arbor, Michigan, has been called “the greatest 45 minutes ever in sport” and has never been equaled.
At the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin,Germany, Owens won international fame with four gold medals: 100 meters, 200 meters, long jump, and 4 × 100 meter relay.
He was the most successful athlete at the games and as such has been credited with “single-handedly crushing Hitler’s myth of Aryan supremacy.”
In 1936, Owens arrived in Berlin to compete for the United States at the Summer Olympics. According to fellow American athlete James LuValle, who won bronze in the 400 meters, Owens arrived in Berlin to a throng of fans, many of them young girls, yelling “Wo ist Jesse? Wo ist Jesse?” Many of them had come with scissors and had begun snipping at Owens’ clothing, forcing him to retreat back onto the train.
After that, when Owens left the athletes’ village, he usually had to go with some soldiers to protect him.
In contrast, Adolf Hitler was using the games to show the world a resurgent Nazi Germany.He and other government officials had high hopes that German athletes would dominate the games with victories. Meanwhile, Nazi propaganda promoted concepts of “Aryan racial superiority” and depicted others, including those of African descent, as inferior. Owens countered this by winning four gold medals.
Martin Niemöller (1892–1984) was a prominent Protestant pastor who emerged as an outspoken public foe of Adolf Hitler and spent the last seven years of Nazi rule in concentration camps.
Niemöller is perhaps best remembered for the quotation
First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out —
Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out —
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out —
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me — and there was no one left to speak for me.
The quotation stems from Niemöller’s lectures during the early postwar period. Different versions of the quotation exist. These can be attributed to the fact that Niemöller spoke extemporaneously and in a number of settings. Much controversy surrounds the content of the poem as it has been printed in varying forms, referring to diverse groups such as Catholics, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Jews, Trade Unionists, or Communists depending upon the version.
Nonetheless his point was that Germans – in particular, he believed, the leaders of the Protestant churches – had been complicit through their silence in the Nazi imprisonment, persecution, and murder of millions of people.
Why am I bringing this up today?
Those who stop by, read and follow this blog know that I’m a fervent advocate for the LGBT community, marriage equality and anti-discrimination in any form.
As I troll through cyberspace, I found a disturbing piece yesterday about Arkansas and it was also mentioned today by a fellow blogger.
“On Friday,February 13, Arkansas’s legislature passed a bill preventing cities and counties from enacting their own laws to protect LGBT people”
The bills – many modeled on a failed attempt in Arizona last year that drew condemnation from businesses, faith communities, and elected officials in both parties – put all state non-discrimination laws at risk of being undermined or mooted. They threaten not just the LGBT community, but women, members of minority faiths and other minority classes.
My dearest friend Martin …. has created this graphic. He has returned to blogging and that makes me very happy. I’m so glad to see you here again, dear brother!
I pledge never to be silent too!
~In his own words~
First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out —
Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out —
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out —
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me — and there was no one left to speak for me.
Do you know this quote?
It was spoken by Martin Niemöller about the cowardice of German intellectuals following the Nazis’ rise to power and the subsequent purging of their chosen targets, group after group. There is some disagreement over the exact wording of the quotation and when it was uttered; the content of the quotation may have been presented differently by Niemöller on different occasions. Remember, this was more than 60 years ago and still it seems that many people haven’t learned from it yet. Nowadays we can add some lines to this tragic “poem”:
When they came for the homeless I did not speak out, I was not homeless.
When they came for the homosexuals I did not speak out because I am not a homosexual.
(because I was afraid to admit I am homosexual)
When they came for the immigrants I did not speak out because I am not an immigrant.
So I think I will adapt a quote by Elie Wiesel and I hope you will take this pledge with me as well. If you are willing to take this pledge please reblog this post or make your own post in your own wordings but include this pledge you ca find a version without name right here the used font is Cambria.
~You can find his new post about standing up to injustices here~
#SomethingToThinkAbout #MyEmpathy #ItsEmpathy #ItsHuman #Understanding #Awareness #BeingSensitive #Vicariouslyexperiencingfeelings #Thoughts #PuttingMyselfInTheirShoes #GazaSuffering #AntiSemitic #ProHamas #AntiIsreael #FreePalestine
It Is What It Is 