Tag: Auschwitz

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If I Sleep, Thirty People Die

One of the things I try and do is introduce you to people who have had very interesting lives. Hopefully, the majority of them have led good lives but unfortunately, there are some who have not. Not too long ago, you were introduced to the “Auschwitz Tattooist”  (read The Auschwitz Tattooist here) as well as a Belgium woman who sacrificed her life to save Jewish children (read Something Must Be Done here). Today, you’ll meet a very courageous young man who at the age of eighteen became the French Resistance’s most skilled forger and in the process, saved the lives of 14,000 Jews including countless children. He estimated that thirty forged documents could be produced in one hour. So, Adolfo Kaminsky didn’t sleep much because, “If I sleep, thirty people die.”

July Historical Events

This is a new feature for our bi-weekly blogs. I’ll pick out some interesting events that took place in the historical month of our blog. Don’t worry, we’ll continue with the “Did You Know?” call-outs as many of you have commented so positively about it. So, here goes ⏤ let me know if I should continue this! 

6 July 1189 Richard the Lionheart comes to the English throne after his father, King Henry II, dies. As the English king, Richard spent less than six months in Britain (so much for the Robin Hood story).
7 July 1456 Joan of Arc is posthumously acquitted of her crimes. This really didn’t help Joan as she was burned at the stake on 30 May 1431, but at least her reputation was saved (which likely paved the way for sainthood).
28 July 1540 King Henry VIII married his fifth wife, Catherine Howard. There were immediate marital problems and several days after appearing as a couple on the Jerry Springer show, Catherine was dispatched to meet the executioner.
14 July 1789 Mobs storm the Bastille. How could I have left this one out?
16 July 1945 The first atomic bomb is detonated in the New Mexico desert. I wish I could have left his one out.
17 July 1955 Disneyland opens in Anaheim, California. Okay, why would I include this here? Simply, nostalgia. Sandy worked here in the mid-1970s (Bear Country) and we took our kids to the park many times during the thirty-four years we lived in Southern California. Spoiler Alert for a lot of you: all the original rides are gone (trust me, “Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride” really wasn’t).

Let’s Meet Adolfo Kaminsky

Adolfo Kaminsky (born 1925) was a member of a Russian Jewish family who fled Russia, moved to Paris, but were kicked out of France and settled in Argentina where Adolfo was born. His father was a tailor and in 1932, moved the family back to Paris after the French government allowed them to return albeit under their Argentina passports. After a year, they moved to the Normandy area where young Adolfo began working for a dry-cleaning business and developed an interest in chemistry and specifically, dyes. Adolfo would soon build a lab where he could experiment and teach himself the basics of chemistry.

Self-portrait of Adolfo Kaminsky at the age of 19. Photo by Adolfo Kaminsky (c. 1944). ©️ Adolfo Kaminsky.
Self-portrait of Adolfo Kaminsky at the age of 19. Photo by Adolfo Kaminsky (c. 1944). ©️ Adolfo Kaminsky.

Read More If I Sleep, Thirty People Die

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“Bip The Clown”

I’m sure everyone at some point looks back and remembers attending certain live performances by legendary actors, musicians, comedians, writers or, some other talented person or group. I remember being in Las Vegas with my family in 1972 sitting in the showroom at Caesars Palace for one of Jimmy Durante’s shows. I was also lucky to see one of Andrés Segovia’s last solo performances. How about those of you who were in attendance at Woodstock in August 1969?

One of the most memorable shows I attended was performed in complete silence. Not one word was said, and you could hear a pin drop. In fact, there was only one person on stage for the entire two-hour show and Marcel Marceau never spoke.

Marcel Marceau during a performance. Photo by anonymous (c. 1971). PD-No Copyright Notice. Wikimedia Commons.
Marcel Marceau during a performance. Photo by anonymous (c. 1971). PD-No Copyright Notice. Wikimedia Commons.

Did You Know?

Did you know why women in Singapore (and presumably other Asian countries) keep themselves covered from head to foot in extremely hot and humid weather? Our guide told us they don’t want to get a tan because in their culture, it is preferable to have very pale skin. This got me thinking back to the Elizabethan Age in England. Nobility during that time valued fair and pale skin to the point where some went to the extreme of making sure their skin was white ⏤ really white. They used a poisonous lead based white paint and over time, their skin was eaten away. That called for more make-up and so, a vicious cycle began.

Since we’re talking about the Elizabethan era, did you know that refined sugar was only available to the wealthy back then? One of the results was that people had rotten teeth. Ironically, rotten teeth became a status symbol for the wealthy since it identified them as being rich ⏤ another vicious cycle.

Thank goodness Marcel Marceau had modern make-up which did not contain lead. I’m not sure about his teeth.

Let’s Meet Marcel Marceau

 Marcel Mangel (1923-2007) was born in Strasbourg, France to a Jewish family. His parents, both butchers, came from Poland and the Ukraine. The family was rounded out with Marcel’s older brother, Alain (1921-?). When Marcel was five, his mother took him to see one of Charlie Chaplin’s silent films and that experience influenced his decision as a teenager to become a mime (decades later, Michael Jackson would credit Marcel Marceau for the inspiration behind many of his dance routines including the iconic “moonwalk”). At a very young age, Marcel was entertaining the neighborhood children and Alain always said that Marcel had an insatiable appetite to perform. As part of his education, Marcel learned to speak fluent English and German (in addition to French, his native tongue). The languages and his talent as a mime would save the lives of many children during the German occupation of France. Read More “Bip The Clown”