Many bright lights illuminated the darkness when we gathered with the Ohel Hachidusch community on the third night of Chanukah. Latkes were enjoyed, dreidels were spun, the temple band was in top form and we learned new songs like the Ladino Ocho Kandelikas. Discussions of politics were left outside in the darkness. The soft glow…
Germany’s Jews: Changing the Discourse
Two new articles have come out of a wet and grey Berlin summer that left plenty of time for writing (and multiple rounds of revision). Working with a friend and colleague over the past year, we took a crack at understanding the who, what, why and how of efforts to change the narrative about the…
Imagined Futures
What is your wish or vision for a “normal” Jewish life in Germany? How can your vision be achieved? What are the obstacles and how can they be overcome? Traversing the districts of Berlin since February, Doris Gray and I have been posing these questions, among others, to leaders of Jewish projects and initiatives that…
Mind the Gap!
This ubiquitous phrase heard on the London tube and Berlin U-Bahn has meaning beyond watching your step as you enter and exit the train. Some gaps are harder to mind than others, such as the gap in your life when all your children have left home. "Time to do things for yourself," is the wisdom…
Immigration Equity Then and Now
Closure doesn't come easily for relatives of a Holocaust victim. More than ten years ago I discovered my great aunt Meta, a member of my father's family who was left in Frankfurt when the family escaped to America. I did a lot of research and writing about Meta back then, and helped to organize a…
German Citizenship – The Next Decade
Things got off to a rocky start when Brian and I arrived at our local Rathaus to renew our German passports last month. With the stern tone of many a German bureaucrat, Frau O. admonished us that we needed two appointments rather than one to complete our business and that my passport photo did not…
From the Shadows to the Light
I’ve held on to grudges when I knew it was time to let go and struggled at times to cope with feelings of anger and the desire for revenge. I haven't been a victim of an atrocious crime, but I’ve had ugly encounters with men who tried to take advantage of me. When I explored…
A Queer Cafe, a Dog, and German Politics
It's been fascinating to watch my daughter explore her Jewish identity as a young adult. At age 13 Olivia decided that she wasn't Jewish, at around age 18 she started to rethink that decision, and as a university student in her early 20's she has been actively engaged with Glasgow's Jewish culture. I can't speak…
Old Traditions, New Endeavors
It was the first time in five years our entire family was together for Thanksgiving. We managed to gather despite the pandemic and without violating any travel restrictions. The nightmarish health and political scenes of the past year receded from our minds as we enjoyed good food and some new board games. Some American traditions…
Book Royalties: Giving Back
The term 'royalty' has been associated with rights granted by a sovereign ruler to an individual since the late 15th century. That is a fitting term for the share of profit given by the publisher who has almost complete control over the fate of an author's body of work that represents many hours of hard,…
Donna Swarthout 