ALL AMERICAN BOY

 Last night, I attended the fireworks display for Rockville, Maryland, a town in Montgomery County which is adjacent to northwest Washington D.C. Most residents identify with the District, as it is called, either for work or cultural activities. National news becomes local news. Washington D.C. was built as a capital city, both for the institutions of our government--including the capitol-- and the civil service workers. The city has rich history of African Americans, their contributions and abhorrent neglect. The city has been divided into White, Black, diplomats, and civil service workers. Time has changed the demographics somewhat; but the separation of White, Black, Hispanic, rich and poor remains. 

The suburbs reflect these neighborhood distributions with change coming quickly and drastically. In 2023, the population of Rockville reflects diversity with a capital "D". With the blink of an eye, a predominatedly white neighborhood becomes filled with people from everywhere. Last night was no exception.

 Rockville was a sleepy, borderline south/north town in the 1950's, still segregated like the rest of the country. According to various sources from 2021, White people consist of 47% of the population, with Asians and Hispanics coming up second and third and then Blacks. I hate these labels which are misleading at best. White is what people call themselves but includes Biracial, Middle Eastern, and Hispanic individuals. Native Americans make up a small part of the population, but most Hispanics have indigenous blood no matter their skin color. Asians consist of people descended from Chinese to South Asian to Philipino. Whatever the statistics, anyone who observes our population sees a beautiful rainbow of pale, rosey, tan, light brown, dark brown, and nearly black skin tones. Spanish, Hindi, Tigrinya, Amharic, Arabic, Farsi, Chinese, and more can be heard, yet the children squeal and shout in English.

Last night, these humans smiled, laughed, and patiently waited for dark to come. Some very old aunties in traditional dress did not seem happy to be in the boisterous crowd. Heaven knows the trauma they may have experienced in their lives. Older White and Black Americans seemed at ease, accustomed to the tumult of the 4th of July. The kids ran the gamut from bouncy, impatient, whiney, to quiet. They kicked a soccer ball on a hilly patch with a huge drain. The boys deftly avoided falling and bumping into others. Two year olds played on the grass with melted chocolatey faces and sticky fingers. Babies had their diapers changed, as families snacked or picknicked.  

I watched a family who originated from either Eithopia or Eriteria. Each child was treated to cotton candy and watched the scene around them. Cotton candy, commotion, and waiting for dark--dressed in red, white, and blue--a true, rapid immersion into American childhood and culture. 

My sister and I were those children in the late 1950's through the 1960's. Bundled up in coats on foggy San Francisco summer nights, we too watched fireworks. Or our father lit sparklers in the backyard after eating picnic food with a European touch. For we were the children of Holocaust survivors. Our parents, too, were hell-bent on making us Americans. And that is what we became, no doubt about that. As it is said, as American as apple pie. The European identity remained just below the surface. Just as the African families probably tell their children about their history, food, and customs. 

It is no coincidence that 4th of July celebrations are filled with people of diverse backgrounds and nationalities. These are the Americans who appreciate our country. I never cared about the holiday until I adopted two children from Latin America and realized how difficult it is to become a citizen. The recent threats to our Democracy have further strengthened my resolve to celebrate our ideals. I fly the American flag on Independence Day, as my father did. I do not want the conservatives to co-opt our flag. 

One hispanic boy walking to the fireworks display area wore a red shirt with the words, "All American Boy." That said it all. Yes, with deep brown skin, black hair, and shining eyes--you are all American. Just as all American as my sister and I were half a century ago. And as American as the kids who hail from families that "go back to the Mayflower," as it is said.

1776 in 2023

I fly a modestly sized American flag on July 4th. Increasingly aware of being an American citizen, since adopting foreign born children, watching the plight of refugees, and contemplating that I am the first born American in my family. My mother was not a citizen when I was born. (She had a green card or other documentation, since she worked.) My balcony is decorated with red, white, and blue which I enjoy. I do not adorn for Christmas. I am Jewish.

1776 was a musical I never considered attending. However, this is not 1969 or 1976--the year of the Bicentennial when I moved to the Washington D.C. area--but 2023. Tyrant wannabees and misguided followers threaten our democracy daily. Not only ignorant people but supposedly wise judges fall prey to politics. WTF or as the triumverate of Adams, Franklin, and Jefferson might say, "folks, read the document we sweated over." And, yes, they owned slaves. But that is not the point of my piece.

All of the roles in the revised, redone 1776 are portrayed by women. Women of all colors, shapes, sizes, and ages. Though, they could have included a baby boomer or two. Not a fan of revisions, this production moved me to tears. The first Americans in my clan arrived on these shores in the mid 20th century. I do not identify with colonial fathers and mothers. 

Of course, no women attended the Continental Congress of June to July of 1776. The talented women in the revised production adeptly portrayed the quirky, temperamental attributes of the "founding fathers." The directors selected women who were caricatures of the original men, i.e. Thomas Jefferson--red hair; Benjamin Franklin--strongly built. The actresses sang, spoke, and danced their way through the two act musical. As musicals are these days, the scenery was sparse and technology was utilized effectively.

Women did not have rights in 1776. At the present time, women of all races work in professions that only white men were permitted to practice not so long ago. Women speaking the lines of politicians and statesmen demonstrated what a democratic government can accomplish. For it is our laws that have allowed all women increased rights and all humans to exist freely in varying shapes, colors, and abilities. The production acknowledges how far we have come, and how far we must go.

I understood the arguments and compromises of 1776 differently than I would have in 1976. The country was divided by the Vietnam War; but, Americans agreed on the basics--honesty, integrity, respect, and the sanctity of our democratic institutions. I did not agree with the corruption, misogyny, racism, and militarism of the sixties and seventies, but elected officials did not incite or condone gullible individuals to literally tear down a democracy. Freedoms were added not subtracted. News was news; truth was truth. If the president uttered words, these statements were not negated two days later. (And to the naysayers on the right--there has never been a time without corruption, lies, and unfair application of the law.) But the scoundrels were caught and punished swiftly. 

©Karen Levi 2023

Time: 5:52 P.M. June 13, 2023 The Saga of One Man vs. Half of the United States

     Eight years since the awful man rode down an escalator and began spouting hatred, mysogny, and untruths. Seven years ago in November, he won an election by a fluke, due to a quirky national voting system (The Electoral College). 2017--2020 half of the country suffered. We tolerated lies, fake news, embarrassing foreign relations gaffes, consorting with dictators, mishandling of a pandemic, and unqualified appointees. White supremacy, racism, unfair immigration procedures, anti Muslim propaganda, antisemitism, Asian hate--all increased with frightening severity during his presidency. Two impeachments but no ouster from office. 

  And then finally relief--a new president in November 2020, after agonizing days of counting ballots. But that was not enough. 2021 brought accusations of a rigged election and delays in the final  approval of a new president's victory. Then a riot occurred spurred on by this man's words, storming of   our Capitol, unheard of in our history. Actually, all of the above are new lows for the United States.And

we wait. Will he be tried and convicted? The judge randomly (?) selected for the case, she an irrational

Trump supporter. The rioters are tried, convicted, and jailed in a methodical manner. I do not know 

how many political hacks have lost their jobs their jobs and reputations. He throws people out like rotten bananas.

   

   Wait--indictments. After eight years, first in New York and now in Miami--34 plus 36 felonies. Never before say the historians. Is this a happy or sad time for Americans? Are we depressed we have stooped so low or are we jubilant that no one is above the law?

    I do not know about you. But, I am MAD. Justice moves slowly if you are white, male, and rich. The other half of the country will send money to him. There will be a rally and party at a golf course in New Jersey in a few hours. Obscene. What makes these supporters tick? I search for answers, but I cannot find any. The philosophers, psychologists, historians, and political pundits cannot give me suitable reasons.

   I have been thinking. When people I admire break the law, I am very disappointed. I do not condone or overlook their behavior. I acknowledge. I am not speaking about a man who held the highest office in the land but writers, newscasters, politicians, religious leaders who lied or committed a crime.

©2023 Karenlevi

ON THE SPECTRUM

 Nothing provokes my ire more than saying, "he/she/they are on the spectrum," in a casual offhand manner. People use the label to describe awkward social behavior or difficulties in establishing and maintaining relationships. Usually what follows is "but they are really smart." Another statement to make my blood boil. No one wants to be "on the spectrum," the Autism Spectrum. It is not easy, fun, an excuse, or a tit-for-tat diagnosis--odd but smart (so all will be well). 

Did you know that more people diagnosed with Autism have cognitive disabilities than not? And just so you know, average is considered IQ 85 and above. An IQ score of 85-100 is technically average, but it is not super smart. I mention these statistics because "smart" seems to be some kind of a designation that separates disabled people. If one has a learning disability or attention deficit disorder, BUT THAT PERSON IS SMART, people seem to feel vindicated or absolved from a disability label, in other words superior. 

Did you know that Binet who developed the original IQ test wanted the score to be used as a means for helping people not categorizing or classifying human beings? I value academic intelligence, specifically verbal, because that is how my brain operates. But, I have lived long enough to know that intellectual ability encompasses far more: such as artistic, social-emotional, athletic, fine motor, and other non-verbal abilities.

I accept that individuals with normal intelligence can be diagnosed autistic. But, please stop saying they are "high functioning Autistic." What does that actually mean? Their IQ scores were high on an intelligence test? There must be some reason for the diagnosis. As for adults, I find it difficult to believe that the person did not have challenges in school, higher education, social relationships, and in searching for a job. (Of course, if that person was in an educational setting that catered to them, their experience would have been different.)

Adults claim they are diagnosed after childhood and adolescence. That may be, but there would have to be a history of difficulties as a child and a diagnosis by a qualified professional. Autism does not pop up later in life. It is a disorder of early childhood which lasts a lifetime. I daresay anyone alive today--perhaps excluding people who are in their 90's--would know if childhood and school had been problematic. Educational systems may not have been great for people with special needs; however, the 1940's and 1950's were not the dark ages. 

Quirky is not autism, nor is awkward or socially inadept. Mental illness, anxiety, depression, attention deficit disorder, or antisocial behavior are not autism. One must meet specific criteria and, to be blunt, it's not pretty. I do not say this to be cruel only realistic! However, all people in our society should be accepted for what they are capable of doing. We need to bend our definitions of normal, be more tolerant, myself included. What we have learned along the way--for example, the saying, "Don't judge a book by its cover," has proven me wrong about people time and again. 

So much progress has been made in the last 50 years, incredible when you think that as late as the 1950's individuals with Down Syndrome were institutionalized at birth. But more change is necessary, especially in job opportunities for people with neuro untypical brains. And I don't mean computer geniuses who are able to get a position at Microsoft and sit in a dark room all day. I mean opportunities in daylight--in stores, offices, libraries, on the streets, farms, in homes wherever work needs to be done. Interviewing and qualifying exams must be tweeked or adjusted. Our schools have accomplished this task, so the wideworld can do the same. Other areas of change should occur in coaching on the job and education of middle managers and supervisors.

So, in conclusion, you answer for me--who is high functioning? A "brilliant" person who works for a company that researches new vistas in virtual reality or artificial intelligence but cannot buy groceries and live in an apartment. Or someone who is not that smart (in the IQ sense of the word) but has friends, lives alone, and takes care of oneself and stocks merchandise at a store.

https://www.verywellmind.com/history-of-intelligence-testing-2795581

https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/hcp-dsm.html

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5919599/

©Karen Levi 2023

Lone Wolf for a Good Cause?

 I encountered a small statue in a garden on a walking tour of Konstanz, Germany. Our guide explained the significance; this was a bust of Johann Georg Elser (1903-1945). As she recounted the story, it seemed familiar. Then I remembered--I read about the incident in Agent Sonya by Ben McIntyre.

Georg was a German carpenter and craftsman who valued freedom and rights for the workers in the Third Reich. He sympathized with the needy since he grew up in a family that struggled economically. He worked in Konstanz, Germany, reportedly some of the happiest years of his short life. 

He managed to resist the Nazi party with small acts, such as refusing to listen to radio broadcasts of Hitler's speeches and to salute with arm extended. As a biographer of Hitler, Ian Kershaw said, "he was a single person, an ordinary German, a man from the working class, acting without the help and or knowledge of anyone else." 

Georg Elser's actions remind one of the question of the morality of exposing innocent victims to danger in the cause for good. Are accidental deaths as a result of an assassination of an evil leader justified? Mr. Elser engaged in other forms of protest which obviously were insufficient to counter the rise of Hitler. 

Disgusted by the Nazis, he meticuously planned and nearly executed a bombing on November 8, 1939 that would have killed or seriously injured Hitler and other highly placed Nazi officers. Hitler gave a speech at a beer hall in Munich every November 8 to commemorate his attempted putsch on that date in 1923. Unfortunately, Hitler left the beer hall (one of his favorite) before the bomb detonated, ostensibly to catch a train. Several people were killed, none were the brass of the Nazi regime.

Georg was long gone when the bomb exploded. He was arrested, in Konstanz, for smuggling, while  attempting to cross into Switzerland. When his knapsack was searched, police found tools and a postcard of the beer hall, incriminating evidence. Georg was sent to Munich and then Berlin where he was tortured by high ranking officials. Then shipped off to Sachsenhausen, where he spent years, until he was executed at Dachau in 1945. The Germans kept him alive as a symbol of British intelligence involvement rather than German resistance. Hitler was certain that Esler alone could not have carried out a plot to assassinate him.

Evidently, the Germans remained convinced. Finally, in the 1960's interrogation transcripts were found. Not until the 1980's was Georg Elser memorialized as a hero. Georg himself wrote of his misgivings about the killing of innocent victims for the purposes of freedom and destroying evil. He said, "I wanted to prevent the war!" 

https://www.fritz-bauer-forum.de/en/datenbank/johann-georg-elser-3/

https://www.gdw-berlin.de/en/recess/topics/7-georg-elser-and-the-assassination-attempt-of-november-8-1939/

https://www.dw.com/en/hitlers-would-be-assassin-a-lone-wolf-who-acted-on-his-ideals/a-51156209

Note: Any mistakes are my responsibility. It is difficult to ferret out fact from fiction in the numerous accounts of this story.

©Karen Levi 2023

Two Emmas

Emma Lazarus Budge

 When I heard the name Emma Lazarus at a Holocaust remembrance program in Frankfurt, Germany, I immediately thought of the Jewish/American poet whose sonnet is installed on the Statue of Liberty. But I was incorrect. There was another one and probably thousands more. The Emma Lazarus I heard mentioned in Germany married Henry Budge in the latter part of the 19th century, both Jews. 

Henry was born in Frankfurt in 1840. He emigrated to the United States in 1866 and became a successful businessman. He must have returned to Germany to marry Emma. Both moved to the United States and became citizens in 1882. For some reason, they relocated to Hamburg, Germany in 1903, where they were great patrons of the arts and charitable foundations. During World War I, they lived in 

Switzerland to avoid conflicts of loyalty. 

One of the foundations established with their money was named after them--the Frankfurt Henry and Emma Budge Foundation. The purpose of the foundation was the "care of men, women, and children in need of recreation, without distinction of sex, age, and religious confession," a forward thinking mission for the times. The Budges agreed to use capital from their foundation to alleviate a housing shortage in 1928, in Frankfurt, specifically for a "retirement home for the middle class." The residence was built in 10 months and ready for the first inhabitants in 1930. Ernst May, of the Frankfurt building department, selected the Bauhaus style of architecture for the structure. Three avant-garde architects assisted him, most notably Mart Stam.

                                            Example Bauhaus architecture     

The result was a masterpiece of an open light-flooded building with 100 apartments. Each had a private balcony or patio with a view of wooded areas. The common rooms had movable walls for flexibility. Meals were taken in a dining room and prepared in a modern kitchen with a dishwasher and other avant-garde appliances. The founders and architects envisioned a "collectively managed pensioner's hotel" for older middle class individuals of Jewish and Christian religion. Innovative, the interfaith aspect and the free atmosphere of men and women interacting socially proved to be without historical role models. 

Utimately tragedy occurred when the Nazis took over the foundation and home. The Jewish residents were forced out and moved to various sites in Frankfurt. It is unclear how many Jewish residents lived at the Budge Home, but 23 were murdered by the Nazis. The victims have been memoralized at various sites in Frankfurt. 

One of those residents was my great grandmother Elise Hofmann. She was deported at age 70 in 1942 to Theresienstadt and murdered at Treblinka, an ungodly end for a respectable, modern woman. 

Back to our American Emma Lazarus--a Sephardic Jew--who wrote the sonnet "The American Collossus," which was inspired by the Statue of Liberty. At the time, she worked with Eastern European Jewish immigrants. Their plight and the new statue inspired Emma to write her famous lines.

The New Colossus

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand           
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand

                                                         Emma Lazarus

Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

The poem, written with no notion of Nazis but yet a knowledge of antisemitism, rang true in the 1880's, 1940's, and now. 

Photo of Emma Lazarus from https://jwa.org/womenofvalor/lazarus

Photo of Emma Budge https://www.dasjuedischehamburg.de/bilder/budge-emma

Content from research done by Gudrun Jäger 2023

©Karen Levi 2023

Where Are the Descendents?