Lilacs and the Pit: Family Holocaust Recollections
Four poignant vignettes explore the enduring impact of Nazi massacres in the Ponar Forest on a Vilnius family and community.
The Story of Art Rupe and Specialty Records with Nadine Epstein and Billy Vera
Art Rupe, who died in April at the age of 104, was an independent record producer known for launching the musical careers of Lloyd Price, Little Richard, Sam Cooke and others, paving the way for Black music to crossover to White audiences and the new genre of rock n’ roll. Moment editor-in-chief and Billy Vera, a singer, songwriter, actor, record producer, Grammy Award winning music historian and author of Rip It Up: The Specialty Records Story is in conversation about Rupe’s impoverished childhood in a Pennsylvania town, his early affinity for gospel music, and how he turned down a scholarship to become a rabbi and instead headed to Hollywood, his legendary career, life philosophy and more.
This program is in celebration of Jewish American Heritage Month.
‘H*tler’s Tasters’ Follows the Young Women Who Tested Hitler’s Food for Poison
Toward the end of World War II, an increasingly paranoid Adolf Hitler worried about poison. To protect himself, he required young women—girls of “good German stock”—to taste his food before each meal.
Kyiv Diary 5/3/22: It’s Finally Spring, and Kyiv Is Rejuvenated
People don’t want to wait any longer to rebuild their towns, join their families, resume their old jobs or start new ones—and all this while mourning the innocent Ukrainian lives lost.
The Thrilling World of Brad Meltzer
Brad Meltzer is a New York Times bestselling author known for his legal thrillers, including the recently released The Lightning Rod. His non-fiction work includes a biography series for children with such titles as I am Anne Frank as well as the upcoming The Nazi Conspiracy: The Secret Plot to Kill Roosevelt, Stalin and Churchill. He is also the host of the tv shows Lost History and Decoded. Meltzer is in conversation with former CBS News correspondent and Moment contributor Dan Raviv about how his law school experience has helped him develop his stories, the extensive research that goes into each book, his commitment to educating children through his “I Am” series and how his concern about antisemitism has influenced some of his work.
New Children’s Books Chronicle the Lives of Prominent American Jews
Jewish American Heritage Month is an ideal time to introduce young readers to notable Jewish figures in American history, and a number of recently released books can help.
Lesya Verba Reflects on Her Odessa Murals
The artist, now living in New York, made the murals of Ze’ev Jabotinsky last year in her hometown of Odessa, Ukraine
Trevor Noah Is an Outsider’s Outsider
Born in segregated South Africa to a Swiss father and a Black mother—a match that was illegal at the time—Noah grew up a stranger in his own country.
Kyiv Diary 4/28/22: Ukrainians Waited in Line for Hours to Buy a Commemorative Wartime Stamp
I learned that people were waiting to enter the Central Post Office, which is a block away from my place, to buy a special postage stamp.
B’nai Mitzah Pairing Programs Honor Children Who Died in the Holocaust
Through pairing programs, many Jewish children have chosen to “share” their b’nai mitzvah ceremonies with one of the 1.5 million Jewish children who died in the Holocaust.
What’s Changed Since the Poway Synagogue Shooting?
Three years ago today, a gunman entered the Chabad of Poway synagogue in California and fired on the congregation.
Letters from the Lingerie Drawer: A Daughter’s Journey with Eleanor Reissa and Yehuda Hyman
What if you could suddenly see your parents’ lives before you were born? And they were Holocaust survivors, who had suffered greatly but still somehow found each other. This is what happened to Tony-nominated director and Broadway/television actor Eleanor Reissa when her mother passed away, leaving behind 56 letters she’d received from Reissa’s father in the years after he survived a death march. It took Reissa 30 years to have them translated from German and discover her parents’ story. She discusses what she learned and her recently released memoir, The Letters Project: A Daughter’s Journey, in conversation with playwright and artistic director Yehuda Hyman. Reissa also reads several selections from her book.
This program is in commemoration of Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day.