I Attended the Jewish Solidarity March

One of the beautiful things about a real democracy is the ability to protest against injustice.

Today I marched with thousands of others at the Jewish Solidarity March.

It was cold, windy and crowded. I was surrounded by thousands of people who I am sure had other things to do today. But they knew that in their heart of hearts, that they had to be there today. They had to stand up and say that antisemitism and racism is wrong. No one deserves to be physically or verbally abused simply because they are different.

It was one of the thrills of my life. It’s easy to get on one’s soapbox when you’re behind a computer screen. It’s harder to leave your home and be there in person to stand up for what you believe in.

To the thousands who marched today, todah rabah (thank you). It is my hope that our presence was noticed and our voices were heard. We will not allow any of our fellow Americans to be ostracized and attacked for who they are. We will stand up for them and for all of us. It will take all of us to move this country forward.

Happy Sunday.

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The German House Book Review

After a war, those who have survived just want to get back to normal. But what happens years after the war when the sins of the past come back to haunt you?

The new novel, The German House, written by Annette Hess and translated into English by Elisabeth Lauffer, takes place in Germany in 1963. Eva Bruhns is 24 years old. Her memories of World War II are nothing more than foggy memories of childhood.

Like many of us at that age, Eva is ready to stretch her wings. Her parents are the owners of The German House, a successful restaurant. She lives with her family in the apartment above the restaurant and is ready to marry her wealthy boyfriend.

Accepting a job as a translator, Eva works for David Miller, an investigator who wants nothing more than to prosecute those who were responsible for the death of millions. As she is pulled further and further into the Frankfurt Auschwitz trials, Eva begins to question not only her life choices but the history of her nation and her family.

In theory, this book should have been a good read. Within the World War II/Holocaust genre, this is a narrative that does not receive the same attention as other narratives within the genre.

It’s not a bad book to read, I was just underwhelmed by the time I reached the end of the story.

Do I recommend it? Not really.