January 2024 Chai Lites
Good evening Temple Beth Shalom Members and Friends, in a week of endings and beginnings we have a new issue of the Chai Lites for you, for January 2024. Many thanks to our columnists and regular content contributors, especially to our Editor and President, Lorraine Mixter. It was a busy time of holidays and transitions.
This was a bittersweet time of ending a year with some events we would definitely be glad to say goodbye to, along with memories we want to hold close for as long as we can. At almost the very end of 2023 we lost our dear friend, Phil Grinker. Thank you so much, Sandi and Debbie, for sharing Phil with us all these years and letting us share his memory along with you. We were comforted to see the rest of your family and so many friends at Phil’s service and Celebration of Life today — a full room at our synagogue along with dozens on Zoom also taking part. It was healing to see, and we hope a comfort to you in this time. This Phil and all of you created. We are grateful to those of you who jumped into action in the last week to make the arrangements so we could be together.
Heroes of the Holocaust — Presentation by Prof. Howard Kerner, Sat 1/27
January 16, 2024 by urjtbs • Community
Speaker: Professor Emeritus Howard Kerner
Subject: HEROES OF THE HOLOCAUST: WHY DON’T WE KNOW THE NAMES OF THE GOOD?
Date: Saturday, January 27, 2024,10 – 11:30 am,
Legacy Christian Church, Classrooms 7 & 8,
901 West Beacon Road, Lakeland, FL
During the Holocaust, a time when doing good was illegal and punishable by death, there were still men and women of all ages, countries, religions and political affiliations who listened to a “higher law” than the law of the land and chose goodness by risking their lives to rescue persecuted people. These mostly unknown “lawbreakers” displayed extraordinary courage and creativity to save mostly total strangers from certain death. In this uplifting presentation, we will learn not only about inspiring human goodness in the past but also some vital life lessons for the present and future.
Howard Kerner, Professor Emeritus of English and Speech at Polk State College, has published numerous articles on literature and drama. In recent years, his research has focused on Rescuers of the Holocaust, the subject of a variety of courses he has taught for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at USF and at Eckerd College.
The lecture is free and open to the public. Polk County Archaeology Club leaders Richard Geringswald (863-859-2984) and Kathleen Riley (863-299-8430) invite all interested adults to attend.