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Blonde Poison

Not much surprises me any more based on the research I’ve done for my books and blogs. But every so often, I run across a story that makes me shake my head in disbelief.

It’s bad enough reading about Nazi collaborators and traitors who were responsible for thousands of deaths either directly or through deportations to the concentration camps. But imagine my surprise running across the story of Stella Goldschlag-Kübler who was responsible for intentionally betraying up to three thousand Jews to the Nazis. Why the surprise? Stella was Jewish. Berlin Jews knew her as the “Blonde Lorelei” while the Nazis referred to her as “Blonde Poison.”

She earned those wartime nicknames at the expense of thousands of lives.


Did You Know?  

Did you know that most of us have forgotten about Art Buchwald (1925−2007) or don’t recognize his name? Buchwald was a legendary writer who wrote satirical newspaper columns. Beginning in 1950, he published three columns per week (“Paris After Dark”) for the European edition of the New York Herald Tribune (later, the International Herald Tribune). The columns quickly became popular, and Buchwald established his reputation on both sides of the Atlantic.

He moved back to the States in 1962 and began writing for the The Washington Post. His biting political satires touched both sides of the Beltway aisle. Buchwald once spoofed a press conference held by President Eisenhower’s press secretary, James Hagerty. In response, Hagerty presided over his own press conference and called Buchwald’s article as “unadulterated rot.” The famous retort by Buchwald was, “Hagerty is wrong. I write adulterated rot.”

Although Art Buchwald did poorly in science (“I still don’t know how to make a hydrogen bomb”), he was very astute and clairvoyant in history. He once said, “You can’t learn from history, unless you rewrite it.” Fifteen years after his passing, Buchwald’s words certainly ring true today, don’t they?

I don’t know a contemporary satire columnist in the same league as Buchwald. If you do, please let me know. I can be reached at stew.ross@yooperpublications.com.

Humor columnist Art Buchwald in his Washington office. Photo by Charles Bennett (c. 1977). Associated Press.
Humor columnist Art Buchwald in his Washington office. Photo by Charles Bennett (c. 1977). Associated Press.

As an aside, I mentioned in our last blog that the last living World War II Medal of Honor recipient, Woody Williams, passed away recently. Congress honored Woody by allowing his remains to lie in honor in the U.S. Capitol. It is a tribute reserved for the nation’s most distinguished private citizens. Mr. Williams certainly meets and exceeds that requirement.

Hershel “Woody” Williams’ casket is carried by service members from the U.S. Capitol after lying in honor on Thursday, 14 June in Washington. Photo by Haiyn Jiang (14 June 2022). New York Times via AP Pool.
Hershel “Woody” Williams’ casket is carried by service members from the U.S. Capitol after lying in honor on Thursday, 14 June in Washington. Photo by Haiyn Jiang (14 June 2022). New York Times via AP Pool.

Stella Goldschlag 

Stella Goldschlag (1922−1994) was born in Berlin, Germany and raised in a middle-class Jewish family. Her father, Gerhard Goldschlag (1889−1944) was a composer and conductor working for the film company Gaumont. Stella’s mother, Toni Goldschlag (1890−1944) was a well-known concert singer in Berlin. Their daughter was very intelligent, attractive (blonde with blue eyes), and vivacious. After the Nazis took power in 1933, Stella and other Jewish children were no longer allowed to attend public schools. She and the others joined a private school founded and operated by the Jewish community. At the same time, Jews were being purged from their jobs and her father lost his position at Gaumont. Read More Blonde Poison

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Stew and Sandy’s Summer Vacation in Paris

How many of you remember as a kid attending the home slide shows your parents put on for family, friends, and neighbors? If you’re a baby boomer like us, you’ll likely recall your father pulling the screen out of the front hall closet, extending the legs, and then unrolling the white screen to attach to the hook on the vertical arm. Then he unboxes the slide projector, places it on one of those small fold-up tables, and plugs it in. Next comes the multiple box trays with slides that have been carefully inserted into their slots in an order in which father wants to narrate. (The carousel slide tray was the next generation of new technology.) A test drive had to be performed before the guests arrive. The projector is turned on and carefully calibrated to ensure it is at the proper distance from the screen and in focus.

The 1950s family slide show. Photo by anonymous (date unknown).
The 1950s family slide show. Photo by anonymous (date unknown).

So, the screen show is all set, Mom has made the hors-d’œuvres (we call them appetizers since it’s easier to spell), and Dad has set up the bar. Now all that is needed are the guests. At the appointed hour, everyone arrives. After the chit-chat, Dad calls everyone to the living room. Everybody settles back, begins to knock down their third martini or whiskey sour, and lights up their favorite smoke. (Remember, back then, everyone smoked.) Dad turns on the projector with its familiar fan sound and exhaust fumes that compete with the smoke from the cigarettes and pipes. The first slide goes up on the screen and through the haze of smoke, the title of the evening’s entertainment is displayed:

Stew and Sandy’s Summer Vacation in Paris

So, kids, fill up your bowl with popcorn, settle into your favorite recliner, make sure your glass is full, and get ready for your slide show.

An ancient slide projector. Photo by anonymous (date unknown). RG-VC/iStockphoto.
An ancient slide projector. Photo by anonymous (date unknown). RG-VC/iStockphoto.

Did You Know?

Did you know that the last living World War II Medal of Honor recipient died on 29 June 2022? Hershel “Woody” Williams (1923−2022) was ninety-eight when he passed away at the VA Medical Center in Huntington, West Virginia. (The hospital was named for him.) Woody joined the Marines in 1943 and became a demolition operator. During the Battle of Iwo Jima, he volunteered to clear an area riddled by Japanese machine gun fire that hindered the advancement of troops. Read More Stew and Sandy’s Summer Vacation in Paris