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Donna Swarthout

~ Writer, Editor, Berliner

Donna Swarthout

Tag Archives: Olivia Swarthout

A Queer Cafe, a Dog, and German Politics

18 Thursday Mar 2021

Posted by Donna Swarthout in European Jewry, My German Jewish Family

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anti-Semitism, Olivia Swarthout, Pink Peacock Cafe

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 for her, but I hope one day she will write about the evolution of her identity and what connects her to Judaism.

For now, I’m sharing Olivia’s in depth interview with the Pink Peacock Cafe that recently appeared in the Glasgow University Union’s student magazine. The social justice orientation of this novel new endeavour makes it an inspiring addition to the European Jewish landscape.

Here’s the link: Queer, Jewish, Anarchist, Local: An Interview With pink peacock

I wish we could visit Olivia and take in a little Yiddishkeit at the Pink Peacock Cafe, but it looks like we won’t be travelling beyond the borders of Berlin for quite a while. We did make a trip to Berlin’s new airport to meet our newly adopted dog from Turkey a few weeks ago. He’s keeping us smiling and entertained when we’re not on Netflix.

I’ve also had lots of time to immerse myself in reading about the field of antisemitism research. My initial impressions about the lack of a generally accepted way to define and measure antisemitism have mostly been confirmed. Aside from all the diverse approaches and controversy within the field, there seems to be a huge gap between the findings of academic researchers and the persistent headlines about how Jewish life in Europe is doomed. 

Here’s a short piece I wrote on current politics in Germany that ties in some of the recent survey data on public opinion towards Jews and Muslims in Europe: Germany’s Weakened Far Right: What’s at Stake in 2021?

And here’s Bizmark, aka Bizzy. Aside from growling at the very tall man who lives on the floor below us, he’s adapting quite well to his new home.

Book Royalties: Giving Back

28 Sunday Jun 2020

Posted by Donna Swarthout in Article 116 Citizenship

≈ 2 Comments

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Berlin, Covid-19, German citizenship, German Jews, Holocaust, Olivia Swarthout, Stiftung Zurückgeben

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, sweat-soaked labor.

When I promised that all royalties from sales of A Place They Called Home would be donated for good causes, I wondered if there ever would be any royalties. So it was a pleasant surprise to learn that our book generated a modest sum of 435 Euros in 2019. Now we have the chance to give something back. Just as the book project was supported by the Stiftung Zurückgeben, a foundation that ‘gives back’ to Jewish women living in Germany, we can do our small part to help repair all that is bent and broken in the world.

After consulting with the co-authors of our book on reclaiming German citizenship, we are making the following donations:

  • Bahnhofsmission am Bahnhof Zoo (100 Euros, Proposed by me) https://www.berliner-stadtmission.de/bahnhofsmission/projekte/hilfen-fuer-wohnungslose/am-bahnhof-zoo
  • The Blue Card Fund ($100, Proposed by Rabbi Kevin Hale) https://www.bluecardfund.org
  • The Lost Souls Public Memorial Project ($75, Proposed by Dean Rueb Romero) https://lostsoulsmemorialnj.org
  • Campaign Zero ($75, Proposed by Sally Hess) https://www.joincampaignzero.org/#vision
  • Cape Town Together Community Action Network (75 Euros, Proposed by Nancy R. Krisch) https://www.groundup.org.za/article/how-cape-town-group-helping-neighbourhoods-fight-covid-19/

These donations will help people living on the streets in Berlin, needy Holocaust survivors, victims of police violence in America, and people suffering from Covid-19 in South Africa. Donating the royalties has given me a chance to reconnect with my wonderful group of co-authors and offers me a small sense of solace after the recent months of feeling helpless and frustrated during the global pandemic.

Andy Warhol painting by Olivia Swarthout. Follow Olivia’s art on instagram at instagram.com/grendelsfather

Untroubled Teen

18 Tuesday Feb 2014

Posted by Donna Swarthout in Uncategorized

≈ 3 Comments

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Berlin, John F. Kennedy School Berlin, Olivia Swarthout

UnknownIt’s no wonder that so many people ask me about how our kids are adjusting to life in Berlin. We moved from Montana to Berlin in 2010, back to Montana in 2012, and then back to Berlin again in 2013. The kids are like three Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls, flopping about from one continent to another with a perpetual dazed smile on their faces. They do seem happy, but how can a parent measure the welfare of their children or know whether they can trust their own judgment about where it is best to raise them?

bowtieI go right to the source and check in on a regular basis with the kids. I learn the most from Olivia, who is introverted, well outside the mainstream, and good at talking about her feelings. She recently told me that there is less of a “structured social hierarchy” in her current school environment than there was back home. Berlin’s youth reflect a broad range of dress, activities, and socially acceptable behavior. Our kids benefit from an internationally diverse atmosphere that helps to reduce peer pressure. In the treacherous teen years, it’s good to know that Olivia feels comfortable sporting a bow tie or publishing her poetry in Haywire, the John F. Kennedy School magazine.

Olivia is thinking about becoming a writer, or an astronomer, or a biologist, or a diplomat. Here’s her poem that was published in Haywire.

autumn’s march
 
the treetops burning red as sin
the days bleed out, now carve a grin
and dream away the sparrow’s flight
hail those who walk the night
 
burn up in a storm of gold
fall asleep as days grow cold
ashes fall and fires rise
walk among a thousand eyes
 
cast aside your leafy crown
in the rain you’ll strike me down
shroud the world in sheets of gray
stop the clock and mark the days
 
on the wind a cloud of flame
lose your voice and forget your name
sing a hymn to the dying sun
kingdoms fall and demons run

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