Category: Social Commentary

Heroes - Social Commentary

Imagine Saving 50 Children

May 8, 2022

by jackielatzer 0 Comments

HBO Documentary Created by Steven Pressman

It’s January 1939. Newspaper stories in Philadelphia describe creation of concentration camps and removal of Jewish families from their homes throughout Nazi Germany. Lawyer Gilbert Kraus, wife Eleanor Kraus, and fellow lawyer Lewis Levine decide to rescue 50 children by bringing them to the US. The Kraus’ are parents of two children living in an affluent area of Philadelphia. Even with staunch criticism from friends and Jewish Leaders they proceed with their plan. Dr. Robert Schless, widowed pediatrician with three children, joins the effort.

Great Britain has taken in more than 10,000 children. In the US, Congress proposes the Wagner’s Rogers Bill to admit refuges to America. But with pending entry into WWII, President Roosevelt will not sign the bill; saving Jews was not a priority. Gilbert meets with Under Secretary of State George Messersmith in Washington, DC to find out what they need to do to get visas. Back in Philadelphia, Eleanor works tirelessly and convinces 50 families to give homes to these kids.

Imagine going through the tremendous effort to complete paperwork for 50 visas. Then imagine going to Nazi Germany to find out from officials what additional requirements they have to move forward. Imagine asking Jewish families in Vienna to choose which child they will submit an application for, and which children cannot go because of their age, physical health, or psychological demeanor. Imagine being Gilbert, Eleanor, and Dr. Schless who have to look at hundreds of parents and deny them application. Imagine being one of the children who has been is leaving their siblings and parents behind.

On May 4, 1939 the visas are granted in Berlin, Germany. Our heroes go back Vienna to collect the children at the train station. Imagine being one of the solemn-faced fathers or hopeful-nurturing mothers who bring their children to the train. Imagine not being able to wave good-bye to your child because the wave is against the law for Jews since it is considered a salute to Adolph Hitler, with a penalty is death.

Imagine saving 50 children — Children arrive in New York City on June 3, 1939

Many of the families of these children were able to get visas to the USA after their children were settled. Imagine the generations of Jewish families who have grown because of the selfless efforts of these heroes – Gilbert Klaus, Eleanor Klaus, Lewis Levine, and Dr. Robert Schless. Honor them this Mother’s Day. They saved these lives with grave danger to themselves knowing they may never see the faces of their own children again. They sacrificed their money, their reputations, and their safety completing their venture.

Thank you to HBO Documentaries, the US Holocaust Memorial Museum, and Steven Pressmen for sharing their story.

Banned Books - Social Commentary

Banned Books – Big Brother is Watching!

February 7, 2022

by jackielatzer 1 Comment

I’m obsessed with books and read at least one per week. That’s why I’m so ANGRY about the latest book banning craze. Before writing this, I knew that To Kill a Mockingbird and 1984 are on many lists but was astounded to find out that so many classics, including Where the Wild Things Are, The Diary of Anne Frank, and several Dr. Seuss books have been pulled from library shelves and some from Amazon. These books are several of my all-time favorites. Even the Harry Potter series is considered bad for us by shortsighted idiots. Goodreads.com lists hundreds of them and shows you where you can read them. Good for you Goodreads.com!

Why is this happening, because these books deal with themes that make some people uncomfortable and may portray stereotypes that are no longer accepted by society; probably by people who never read them! Rather than talking about these issues within a historical context, we are told to remove them from our collective consciousness. I say we need to move out of our comfort zones and actually discuss controversial issues. Then we can tackle important concerns rather than ignore them.

How did we get here? Instead of being a united country devoted to free speech and a desire to learn about others from a different culture, we have become a series of egocentric groups, inattentive to what others have to say. Each of us choose which news to watch, movies and TV series to view, and internet sites based on those specific interests. In our iPhone age, our attention spans have decreased to “sound bites” and grammatically incorrect texts. We’ve replaced “we” and “our”, to “me” and “mine”. Perhaps it’s time to “get over ourselves” and learn from each other.

I write this in memory of my mother, Claire, who instilled a love of reading and learning.

Social Commentary

What Do You Want to Be?

January 21, 2021

by jackielatzer 0 Comments

“What do you want to be when you grow up?” is the first is the meaningful question posed to us as kids. This mission statement is the guide to our college/trade school search. Then “what we do” is asked on our job applications, first dates, financial transactions (yadda, yadda). And then it goes on to the question, “what do your children/spouse do? As a result, our personal feelings of success are wrapped up in the reality of what we have been able to achieve in this narrow view.

No wonder so many of us are utterly miserable. Covid-19 and life problems have derailed that path to “working” success for many of us. I know it has for me. Isolation and the inability to enter a fog by going to events, shopping, and other activities with people around makes it sometimes feel unbearable.

Going for a walk on a beautiful day I had an epiphany. We should change the question to “Who do you want to be when you grow up?”. What kinds of people do you want to be with? Do you want to be creative? What activities put a smile on your face? What impact do you want to have on others? Are there hobbies you want to explore, books you want to read, places you want to see? What do you need in your home to make you feel at peace?

When I asked myself who I want to be, I found I’ve reached my success after all and now I’m happy.

Featured

Social Commentary - Uncategorized

Celebrating Passover & Easter Amid COVID-19

April 6, 2020

by jackielatzer 0 Comments

Preparing nana’s famous chicken soup recipe for Passover or making mom’s glazed ham for Easter helps us share family traditions and loving memories. As we suffer through the COVID-19 pandemic, connecting with each other is the most essential way to battle our sadness and fortify our strength.

This became apparent to me when my father died last week from the coronavirus. There was no hand holding, no seeing his body, no memorial service, no closure. Stormn’ Norman’, as we lovingly called him, was all about family. So on Friday night, we prayed together and shared our stories and thoughts with family members throughout the country via Zoom. And together we began the healing process.

Zoom is just one of many video conferencing applications that allow you to share information and pictures much like FaceTime or Skype. All you need is the application on your phone or laptop computer that has a phone and built-in camera.

As I began to prepare for the Passover meal, I took out our haggadot and kippot. Images of family members who passed flooded my memory. Each wine stain on the prayer book or frayed yamaka reminds me of my mother, nana, grandpa and others. I remember sitting at the kids table and sipping the ultra-sweet Manishewitz wine, hunting for the hidden matzah, and hearing my aunt yell at all of us simultaneously.

Passover and Easter are about sharing stories and traditions. For Passover, we recount the Israelites’ journey from bondage to freedom. During Easter, we talk about the world’s awakening to Jesus. It’s fitting that we share the stories of family members and their impact on our lives. So while we social distance, we can use our phones and tablets to stay connected and incorporate them into our rituals. Then none of us will be alone.

And if you have many leftover kippot (we have tons) , you can make them into face masks to wear when venturing outside. They are shaped perfectly to fit over your nose and mouth. Just add shoe laces and tie in back of your head. In fact, there is a synagogue in Houston, TX whose members are recycling theirs for this purpose!

Healthcare - Humor - Social Commentary

We are fat, stupid & will die – Healthcare Insurers are BANKING on it!

November 15, 2019

by jackielatzer 0 Comments

Looking for ways to cut your healthcare costs even though you are insured through your employer? We sure are! Our costs have sky rocketed but, we can cut those costs by enrolling in a work/out health app. This week we did. The app told me that I am actually OLDER than I thought and I would DIE someday! (If they asked me for a photo they would say I was ugly too and need to dye my hair again!) So to get discounted insurance I took a bunch of online classes, completed blood work, and had my Body Mass Index calculated (BMI which rhymes with TMI – too much information).

For those of you who haven’t had a BMI calculated, they say they will measure your waist. I don’t know about you but my waist is a good 1.5 inches above my belly button and 3-4 inches smaller than my belly. But they measured my belly anyway. At least 3 inches should be deducted if you gave birth multiple times and had twins. (None of that information was asked on their lengthy survey). You also get points for completing their psychological profile and if you are in good mental health you are awarded more points. I suggest you answer those questions before they tell you you’re fat and old. Good news, we qualified for discounted insurance by the skin of our belly buttons!

But what does that insurance get us? It certainly doesn’t help much with prescription drug costs. And our insurance costs have gone through the roof, Last year my son’s medication was about $30 per month. But this year it skyrocketed to $238 dollars. That’s a tough pill to swallow. My other son is going through some of the same issues. The physician who takes his college insurance will no longer prescribe a med that the same doctor says my son needs and has been on for years. So he pays out of pocket to see his old physician who will prescribe the medication.

We were able to cut the drug prices by getting a GoodRx card. Go on their app and look for the medication you need. You may see a significant savings from participating pharmacies. You will also note that the exact same medication varies in price from pharmacy to pharmacy. And if GoodRx (which is free) isn’t saving you the money, search for another free prescription discount service. If that doesn’t work, call the drug company and you may be able to negotiate a better price directly with them.