Visiting Germany in the Time of Trump

I love river cruising. My husband and I had been on two of them, one on the Danube and one on the Rhone. They were both fabulous trips. I wanted to go on another but most of the others sailed through Germany. I hesitated to go there.

I knew that the German government had atoned for their sins of the Holocaust. I knew that they had been giving reparations to refugees from Germany since the 1960’s. I knew that their children were taught about the Holocaust in all their public schools. I also knew that Germany has some of the strictest laws against hate speech and Holocaust denial. Still I hesitated. I had grown up among too many people with numbers tattooed on their arms and I couldn’t let go of that memory.

Then on August 12, 2017, Charlottesville happened. I watched in horror as neo-Nazis marched through that town carrying torches and chanting “Jews will not replace us.” 

Even worse, I watched the President of the United States insist at his news conference that many of the neo-Nazis marching were “fine people.” I felt that my country had abandoned me. Realizing that no country we would visit could be worse than what America was becoming, I was ready to make reservations for another river cruise.

Now that we have come back, I’m really glad that we did this cruise. We started from Basel, Switzerland and stopped in Colmar and Strasbourg, France, ended in Amsterdam and yes, stopped in Breisach, Koblenz, Heidleberg, Rudeisheim, and Cologne all in Germany. The towns in Germany were nothing like what I imagined. I don’t know what I imagined exactly but they were nothing like it.

in Breisach

Rudesheim town square

Heidleberg

Heidleberg

All the small towns and villages where we traveled were beautiful. Of course, a tour would show off the scenic places. As such, we sailed through the Loreley section of the Rhine in the morning. Designated as a UNESCO world heritage site, it took my breath away.

A scene on the Rhine

In Cologne, after the cruise’s walking tour, we met up with a German friend whom we had met in the intensive language school in Costa Rica where we had studied Spanish in the winter. We spent the afternoon with her seeing parts of the city away from the tourist areas where residents of Cologne actually spend time. Our friend is a very progressive woman who has experiences living throughout the world and it was great seeing her town through her eyes.

in Cologne

in Cologne

Except in Cologne, the only Germans we talked to extensively were the tour guides so I know to take everything that we saw with a grain of salt. One of my German friends here in America reminded me to do that. I had my moments when I saw plaques to the Holocaust and unused synagogues, but I also saw that most cities had Holocaust Museums.

In Cologne, our friend told us that there was some Nazi sentiment in some areas of Germany. There is some of that sentiment in the United States also; five Republican Congressional candidates are running as avowed Nazis and Holocaust deniers in this year’s election. Most Germans seem more aware of history than most Americans are. It was good to see a country that had recovered from Fascism but we know the horrors that happened before that recovery. We have to do whatever we can to make sure that America doesn’t repeat that history.

Oh No! The French Have Taken the Statue of Liberty Back!

We were so lucky to be able to take a cruise on the Rhine River from Basel, Switzerland to Amsterdam, the Netherlands. On the second day, we docked in Breisach, Germany. In the morning, we did a walking tour of that lovely village. In the afternoon, we did a bus tour to Colmar, France. We crossed the Rhine by bus - less than a kilometer’s distance - and had thus crossed from Germany into France.

The Alsace region has been fought over by Germany and France over the centuries and has changed nationality several times. Its culture is an interesting blend of the two ethnic groups. About 20% of the population speak the Alsatian dialect. Our local guide, who seemed to be in her 50’s, told us that this dialect can only be taught in the home. It has no written language and she is probably in the last generation to speak it. This would be tragic because when a language – or dialect – dies, some of the culture dies with it.

Our first stop in Colmar was the Statue of Liberty. What first came to my mind was that the French had taken it back, deciding that we no longer deserved to keep it. While current American immigration policy makes this true, we were only viewing a replica. It was put there by the village of Colmar in honor of their native son, Frederic Auguste Bartholdi who was born in Colmar on April 2, 1834 and designed the statue that up until now has been a symbol of America’s welcoming of immigrants from throughout the world. It was a poignant moment for me to see that symbol of freedom and know that it no longer expressed the values that made America truly exceptional.

replica of the Statue of Liberty at the entrance of Colmar

Next, we went into the center of Colmar. It was founded in the ninth century and much of its style has been retained. Its dramatic pitched roofs, pastel stucco and distinct French shutters with geraniums in all the window boxes make it a unique place to visit. Its Little Venice is something special to see.

good example of Colmar building

a street in Colmar

a typical sign

in Little Venice

I would have loved to stay longer and visit Colmar’s museums and other points of interest, but it was onward to a wine tasting. Colmar is in the center of the Alsatian wine region. The area has a special micro-climate perfect for growing grapes. The area is noted for its Pinot Blanc, Riesling, Pinot Gris, and several others. I’m no connoisseur of wine so they all tasted good to me. To go with it, this family winery served a kuglehopf, a cake typical of Alsace that went very well with the wine. Our guide told us that she has no time to cook Alsatian dishes and only eats them at her mother’s house. I told her to learn these recipes before it’s too late. When a culture loses its language and cuisine, what else is left?

the winery

Having these regional cultures enriches a nation and it would be tragic to lose it.

After Colmar, we spent the next day in Strasbourg about 70 miles away. Besides being a government center for the EU, it is also a center of Alsation culture. It’s an area well worth visiting. I feel so fortunate to have been there.

A Child of the Cold War Views the Singapore Summit

A Typical 1950's Air Raid Drill

It happened a few times per school year. The siren sounded and we were told to crouch under our desks with one hand behind our head and the other hand in front of it. This action would protect us in the case of a nuclear attack. The literature always predicted the damage that would be done should Times Square be bombed. The radius would be huge and we in the New York suburbs would be affected. People built fallout shelters in their backyards. I had nightmares several times per month.

In 1960, I went with my mother to a demonstration at the Soviet Union’s embassy across from the United Nations to protest above ground nuclear testing. The ambassador invited us in and said, “Welcome to the territory of the Soviet Union.”

We were so imbued with Cold War rhetoric that I panicked for a moment hearing that and don’t remember a word of his speech after that.

The air raid drills continued throughout my high school years. The survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were still alive to tell us how devastating a nuclear war could be. Nevertheless, compared to the threat now, this threat was mild. Leaders on both sides knew what the risks were and most of them had some degree of sanity. The weapons of mass destruction were weaklings compared to what is available now and nuclear proliferation hadn’t happened yet. Most of us knew that there could be no survivors of a nuclear war.

We had an air raid drill in my high school in which we had to go out in the hallway. I held up a homemade sign that said, “The only shelter is peace.” I was sent to the assistant principal’s office to be disciplined. Since this was my first offense of any kind, I was questioned about what I was doing and sent back to class. The nightmares continued. 

My parents were active in the Committee for a Sane Nuclear Policy - popularly known as SANE - and I enjoyed telling my friends that my parents were in Sane. We drank powdered milk for fear of the Strontium 90 that was present in milk from nuclear fallout of the tests. Nothing could be done to that powdered milk that could make it taste even remotely drinkable so drinking that stuff for three years until the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty of 1963 was signed was a trauma in itself.

The memories of living through the cold war are with me still. Hearing the threats of Kim Jong Un and the uncontrolled threats and irrational menacing of our current President bring it all back. Unfortunately, the threat now is worse. We have a President who listens to advice from no one seeming to make decisions based on his emotions and instincts of the moment. Kim Jong Un is a ruthless totalitarian dictator who seems just as irrational.

The news that our current President and Kim Jong Un would meet brought momentary relief. Now that news is emerging from this summit, I don’t think that feeling will last. Apparently, he has made concessions to North Korea without receiving any in return. Time will tell.  Although I disagree vehemently with virtually everything our President says and does, I wish him success in this endeavor. The alternative is unthinkable.   

Must See Chicago, the City of the Bad Rap

Must See Chicago, a walking tour given by the Chicago Architecture Foundation (CAF) www.architecture.org, highlights some of the best Chicago architecture from its many architecture periods. I’m really glad that they’re giving this tour to highlight some of the best that Chicago has because this city deserves a much better reputation than it has.

When we lived in Israel in the 1970’s, my husband would tell people he was from Chicago and they’d invariably make a gun sign with their hands and say, “Al Capone, bang, bang.” I learned after a short time that that was the reaction people had to Chicago about 99% of the time. It got better for a few years when people associated Chicago with Michael Jordan and then President Obama. Unfortunately, that respite was short-lived.

In recent years, Chicago is again associated with gun violence and murders. When we travel outside the Unite States now, people ask us if we’re planning to move soon from our dangerous city. What most people don’t see is how many beautiful things there are in Chicago. I tell them that most tourist areas don’t see any of the violence and that tragically, the violence involves a small segment of the population. The economic and social inequities that give rise to this are the subject of many other posts and shouldn’t be minimized. Nevertheless, the beauty of the city shouldn’t be negated either.

The CAF does a great job of showing off some iconic Chicago buildings and giving people a great overview of downtown Chicago. We took the Must See Chicago tour on a beautiful sunny day and so it was especially enjoyable. And because the pictures speak for themselves, here are a few.

The Wrigley Building, completed in 1924

The Tribune Tower, completed in 1925

The Jay Pritzker Pavillion in Millenium Park

Chicago has been providing free concerts several times per week during the summer months for over 80 years. This is the newer band shell and the acoustics are fabulous.

Marina City, opened in 1968

This mixed use apartment building brought people from the suburbs back to the city where they could live near their work.

along the Chicago Riverwalk

the Chicago Art Institute

the Chicago Cultural Center, formerly the main library

This is a phenomenal building. It was opened in 1897, one of the first free open public libraries in the United States. The collection became too big and the main library was moved to the Harold Washington Library. This building besides having beautiful mosaic ceilings houses many free cultural events including art exhibits and weekly noontime concerts. Visit Chicago and you'll see many more beautiful things. You won't be sorry you came.

Imagining World Peace At the Skokie Festival of Cultures

America pulling out of the Paris Accord [on climate change]. America ending its participation with the Iran treaty on nuclear weapons. A threatened end to America’s social safety net. The news is so horrific these days that I feel exhausted from it and needed a break. Fortunately, I got it at the 28^th Annual Skokie Festival of Cultures this past weekend.

Flags representing all the participating countries

Skokie, a Chicago suburb of about 70,000 people, is home to people from around the world. About 55% of its residents speak a native language other than English; over 70 languages are spoken here. Every year Skokie’s diversity is not just tolerated. Rather it’s embraced. This year 40 communities participated.

The Skokie Festival of Cultures takes place on the third weekend of May each year. We chose the better of the two days – at least it wasn’t raining – to attend. We visited the booths meeting people this year from Ireland, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Bangladesh, Iraq, Uzbekistan, Sweden, Guatemala, and Korea. People displayed their folk arts and artifacts and talked about their countries to whoever stopped by their booths. We had been blessed to travel to a few of those countries and told the people at each booth about our trips. They were interested in hearing our impressions and we had some nice conversations.

At the Bulgarian Booth

At the Uzbekistan Booth

At the Iraqi Booth

Then it was on to the pavilion to see the dancing and singing. This year we saw dancers from West Africa and Korea. Beautiful performances. Then it was on to an Indian Holi celebration. This festival of colors is observed each spring in India to celebrate a good harvest as well as the victory of good over evil. People throw colorful paints at each other in a festival of all different hues. I had seen this on television but never in person. As usual in Skokie, people from all different backgrounds wanted to participate. A line was formed to get one’s tee shirt to wear to protect one’s clothes. While not quite as colorful as it is in India, it was certainly joyous.

Korean Dancers

Holi Festival

And so now people have shared their songs and dances, their celebrations, and their foods. We are no longer strangers to one another and we can spend another year learning from each other about our respective cultures. If only the rest of the world would learn from Skokie’s experience, the world would be a lot more peaceful. In the meantime, we look forward to next year's Festival of Cultures and the around the world trip in one day that is always so much fun. 

Not Too Late to Advocate for the ERA

“Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any state on account of sex.” For reasons beyond my understanding, the state of Illinois has never been able to ratify these 24 simple words. If Illinois does ratify the ERA, it will be 35 years late.

This Monday, saying “Better late than Never” and hoping that Illinois would finally get it right, I got on the El Monday, May 7^th to attend the Hearing of the human rights committee of the Illinois House on SJRCA4.

The Illinois Senate had passed SJRCA4, the bill that would have Illinois ratify the federal ERA. An ERA for the state of Illinois has been part of the state constitution since 1970. The bill is now before the House. I needed to witness the state of Illinois making history at long last. After all, Abigail Adams had beseeched her husband John Adams to “remember the ladies” in a letter to him on March 31, 1776. They didn’t listen to her and women have been omitted from the Constitution ever since. It was about time.

What I witnessed, however, was probably not Illinois making history but rather reliving it. The room of viewers was packed predominantly with proponents of the ERA. Four panels of witnesses – twenty altogether – had the opportunity to tell the members of the House human rights committee what their opinions were regarding the ERA and about their life experiences that pointed to its necessity. Sixteen people testified in favor and four testified against it.

The arguments were the same as they had been in the 1970’s. Rep. Lou Lang, chief sponsor of the bill, started off presenting cogent arguments. The state and federal government needed to ratify the ERA to protect women’s rights. At present, the only right for women delineated in the Constitution is the right to vote. Laws passed which give equal rights to both sexes can be repealed at any time. The opposition gave the same old arguments: that the ERA would lead to more abortions, unisex bathrooms, and a groundswell of boys demanding to play on girls’ high school LaCrosse teams. The ERA states nothing about any of those issues.

After each panel, the House members were able to ask the panelists questions. One house member Mary Flowers asked the same questions to each panel member after a tirade about how the ERA would not specifically protect women of color. Each panel member explained how it would protect all American women but wouldn’t explicitly protect women of color from racist discrimination. The bill is about sex, not race. The vociferousness with which Ms. Flowers presented her arguments suggested to me that some behind the scenes horse trading to which the public was not privy was most likely going on. The failure of the Illinois House to make some bargain was what doomed the ERA to failure in Illinois in the 1970’s.

 I hope that I wasn’t seeing Illinois history repeat itself. At this writing, a hearing in Springfield in the Illinois House is in process. There’s still time to call your representatives and tell them to vote YES. All of us American women – white, black, Asian, Latina, native American, pink, green, or whatever – deserve better. It’s about time.  

Standing Against Racism in Trump's America

Every spring since 2007, the YWCA has organized a national stand against racism. During the stand - usually from 2:00 to 2:25PM, people in towns throughout the United States stand in unison declaring their opposition to racism. www.standagainstracism.org

This year in our increasingly polarized society, I felt that I had to stand with the YWCA and all groups that were saying that bigotry is wrong. I was proud to stand at my synagogue Beth Emet in Evanston to do this.

While it should be self-evident that racism is wrong, apparently it isn’t. Expressions of racism, anti-Semitism, anti-Muslimism, and attacks on the LGBT community have risen sharply since the presidential election in 2016, spurred in large part by T’s racist rhetoric. In the days immediately following the election, 867 incidents of harassment and intimidation of African-Americans, Jews, Muslims, and people in the LGBT community were reported. The Southern Poverty Law Center (www.splcenter.org) reports an increase in hate groups. They have identified 954 hate groups operating in the United States. The FBI reports anti-Semitic incidents up 55% in 2017, anti-Muslim incidents up 25%, and increased incidents against the LGBT community.

After the disturbances in Charlottesville, I watched in horror as the President of the United States gave a press conference attesting vehemently that many of the people joining the march of neo-Nazis and the Ku Klux Klan were “fine people.” Since then he has reiterated many racist statements thus emboldening racists to act on their feelings. After Charlottesville, for example, the Holocaust Memorial in Boston was vandalized for the second time that summer. Although the perpetrator was arrested and charged with a hate crime, the fact is that it was done.

I am not accusing our current president of creating racism, anti-Semitism, xenophobia, and homophobia. Evidently people always had those feeling but they lay under the surface. In the past, however, people knew that acting on those feelings was unacceptable in the United States. Since 2016, they have been given permission to express those feelings. For myself, any feelings I had of being secure and safe in America have been erased.

It is because of this that it is more important than ever that we stand against racism. We have to stand and say that racism is not acceptable. After the stand, we standers from Beth Emet joined a discussion at the Unitarian Church with members of their congregation as well as people from St. Marks Episcopalian Church. We reaffirmed our opposition to racism and discussed efforts being made in our community to combat it.

Some say that there will always be people with racist feelings and I agree that there will be. I can’t control what is going on in the hearts and minds of other people. I can, however, work with other people to create a situation in which people are not allowed to act on those feelings. That’s the direction the United States had been headed toward during the past few decades since the Civil Rights Movement. We have to work together to get our country to return to that direction. I hope that it’s not too late.