“We must be listened to: above and beyond our personal experience, we have collectively witnessed a fundamental unexpected event, fundamental precisely because unexpected, not foreseen by anyone. It happened, therefore it can happen again: this is the core of what we have to say. It can happen, and it can happen everywhere.” This quote from … Continue reading It Happened, Therefore It Can Happen Again
Holocaust Denial is the Latest Form of Antisemitism
Over the past 70 years, a new form of antisemitism has emerged: denying or distorting the fact or scope of the genocide of the Jewish people at the hands of National Socialist Germany and its supporters and accomplices during World War II. This includes the number of Jews murdered and the existence of extermination camps … Continue reading Holocaust Denial is the Latest Form of Antisemitism
A Canadian View of American Politics
Come on guys you're scaring us. We have had polarized politics here in Canada. There was the trucker protest in 2022 that paralyzed Ottawa for 32 days. But some of the worst riots in Canadian history involved hockey. Vancouver in 1994 and again in 2011. And let's not forget the Montreal riot in 1955 after … Continue reading A Canadian View of American Politics
The Golden Age For North American Jews Is Over
When I was interviewing descendants of Holocaust survivors for my next book, I would ask if the participants had experienced any antisemitism growing up. I expected people to rant about vile racist acts. But that's not what happened. Most people told me that they had not experienced any antisemitism. This included Jews who lived in … Continue reading The Golden Age For North American Jews Is Over
The Pain of Memoir Writing
On November 9th, I will release my memoir Out From the Shadows. This should be a moment of triumph and celebration after four years of struggling to reach this point. It should be, but it's not. I expected this book to be not much different from writing any of my fiction books, only easier because … Continue reading The Pain of Memoir Writing
Holocaust Museums, Trauma, and Remembrance
In 1998, I visited Washington, D.C., for the first time with my wife, Mary Anne and daughter Sarah. We visited as many museums as we could, using the hop-on-and-hop-off trolleys. Sarah was 13 at the time, and we felt she would be able to handle the United States Holocaust Memorial and Museum. After all, the … Continue reading Holocaust Museums, Trauma, and Remembrance
Revealing My Own Mental Health Journey
As a descendant of Holocaust survivors, I have inherited considerable trauma from my parents in addition to incurring childhood trauma. As I speak to other descendants regarding their trauma, I thought it was important that I also share my experience. For 67 years, I functioned well. I had a successful professional career and a good … Continue reading Revealing My Own Mental Health Journey
The Roots to Antisemitism
I am often asked where does antisemitism come from? Why do some people hate Jews? I have my theories. I believe it’s often created by centuries-old misinformation and conspiracy theories directed at the Jewish people. Jews comprise less than one percent of the Canadian population, two percent of the US population, and 0.2 percent of … Continue reading The Roots to Antisemitism
Who Would Hide Me?
In the course of interviewing descendants of Holocaust survivors for my book on intergenerational trauma, a significant number of people mentioned without prompting that they had been thinking about what they would do if the persecution of Jews returned. Surprisingly, some had already approached non-Jewish friends in the event they would need to go into … Continue reading Who Would Hide Me?
Frank Bonello Eulogy: 1933-2024
On behalf of the family, I would like to thank those who reached out to share their stories and memories of my father-in-law. It is so comforting to hear how he touched people’s lives. Frank Bonello’s life had three priorities: family, work, and hockey. To a certain extent, those three things defined who Frank was, … Continue reading Frank Bonello Eulogy: 1933-2024
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