history
Past politicians, legislation and political movements have changed the course of history in ways both big and small. Welcome to our blast to the past.
Emil Cohen
On Friday, November 23rd, I drove from my house in West Windsor, New Jersey, to the suburban retirement community, the Village Grande, seven minutes away. My brother, Ari, accompanied me, bringing along two sets of challah and grape juice. One of the two pairs was for our regular synagogue attendee, Norman, who had offered to introduce me to his neighbor of sixteen years, Emil. The other was for the subject of our interview that day: Emil Cohen.
Toba LevertonPublished 5 years ago in The SwampFrench Jewish Spy Recounts Her Story Behind Enemy Lines
Unfortunately, there are no shortage of Holocaust stories. On the other hand, the inspiration we draw from stories of survival doesn’t run out either. But Rabbi Arik Wolf drew a distinction beyond the determination so many displayed in introducing Wednesday night’s guest speaker at Chabad of Bedford Hills.
Rich MonettiPublished 5 years ago in The Swamp1968: The Presidential Race and the Democratic National Convention
The numerous events that led to the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in 1968 were both challenging and heartbreaking. The assassination of civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy, the peak of the Vietnam War, and Lyndon B. Johnson’s withdrawal from running for re-election all shaped not only the year 1968, but the all-important race for the presidency as well. With the height of protesting the Vietnam War, the Democratic National Convention turned violent, on the inside and out, when police officers patrolling the convention started beating protesters in the streets on national television.
Shandi PacePublished 5 years ago in The SwampSeparation of Church and State
The United States has always been the first country to be about the separation of Church and State. Thomas Jefferson used the term “wall of separation between church and state,” in a letter to the Danbury Baptist Association in 1802. This means that the State is supposed to stay out of the church’s business. Yes, Christianity is the religion of our heritage, but the entire point of keeping Church and State separate is to maintain objectivity. While the Founding Fathers were Christian, they feared a state religion taking over the country. They really did demand a separation of Church and State.
Iria Vasquez-PaezPublished 5 years ago in The SwampNorthern Ireland Conflicts
The Northern Ireland Conflicts took place between 1969 and 1994, but their effects are still felt today for many of the people in Northern Ireland. The armed conflicts started over whether Northern Ireland was constitutionally part of the United Kingdom or should be part of the Republic of Ireland with the southern half. Members of the majority Protestant community favored being a part of Britain, while minority Catholics wanted to become one Ireland with the south. The Civil Rights movement tried to end the discrimination against the minority Catholics, but ultimately failed, leading to the armed conflicts, which left 3,500 people dead, an estimated 50,000 injured, and thousands of people imprisoned. The conflict was supposed to end when a ceasefire was declared in 1994, but this did not actually do anything to resolve the issues that had started the violence. Even though Northern Ireland was now supposedly at peace, the people had spent so much time using violence to get their way, that the use of force was still locally used to solve problems. (Jarman 2011) These ideas of violence and conflict are what change the childhoods of children in Northern Ireland. In the 1980s, people, including children, had to undergo body checks when entering large stores in order to prevent bombs from being smuggled in. Also, to prevent car bombings, city centers were often closed off to traffic or else cars could be parked but never left unattended. Thus, children were left in the cars while parents shopped as, “a living symbol that their car at least does not contain a bomb.” (Cairns 1987) Growing up in a world where you are used as a pawn to show there isn’t a bomb in your car or being searched when all you needed was some new clothes, would be enough to change anyone’s views of childhood.
Kristen BarenthalerPublished 5 years ago in The SwampDelaware: The Rodney Dangerfield of States
On a date that occurred over 231 years ago today (December 7, 1787), Delaware (my birth state) came into being. Because of figures like George Reed, Gunning Bedford, Jr., John Dickinson, and Richard Bassett, there's such a thing as Delaware. The vote for Delaware to be a state stood as unanimous, 30 to zero. Now, some will say that the First State claims its moniker based on a technicality. History proves this to be wrong as evident by the fact that Virginia was the first colony, but not the first state.
Skyler SaundersPublished 5 years ago in The SwampBlack Magic of Africa: Military Commander Hannibal Barca and Queen Ana Nzinga
Hannibal Barca (274-183 BC) is one of the greatest military strategists to have ever lived. He was born in 274 B.C. in Carthage (modern-day Tunisia), which is in North Africa.
Darryl C. RichiePublished 5 years ago in The SwampThe Cold, Hard Truth About the Democratic Party
When this generation thinks of racism and socioeconomic inequality, their thoughts immediately lean towards the Republican party. This actually could not be further from the truth. Historically, the Republicans have opposed racism and socioeconomic inequality. Truthfully, it was the Democrats that supported slavery, created the Ku Klux Klan, imposed Jim Crow laws, and fully backed segregation for over 100 years in the Southeastern United States. (Prager U) Technically, your history textbooks from middle and high school are full of lies when they discuss the history of the Democratic party. To add insult to injury, the media doesn't help much either. To further understand, we need to look back 46 years before the Civil War.
Devin Nassar-ReisPublished 5 years ago in The SwampUS Involvement in the Middle East Is a Double-Edged Sword—Here's Why
When Americans think of the Middle East in the present day, we immediately think of bloodshed and violence. The Fertile Crescent was home to various empires that spanned several nations, with Babylonia, Assyria, Persia, Canaan and Phoenicia later becoming autonomous countries that would remain enemies millennia later; the nations that are now Iraq, Syria, Iran, Israel and Lebanon will possibly remain both political, cultural, and religious rivals for centuries more. As complex as the history of the Cradle of Civilization may sound from the average point of view, it is actually quite simple to explain: one area wants the other dead or suffering. For example, countries aligned with Israel and Saudi Arabia want nations aligned with Palestine and Syria to be either nonexistent or poverty-stricken. United States involvement can have both positive and negative outcomes. Backing the deposition of a dictator can result in either prosperity and peace or rampant poverty and brutal dictatorships. Although the region has been rife with conflict for thousands of years, Western involvement is truly a double-edged sword. As stated in a recent PragerU video made by Dennis Prager, “It’s simple. One side wants the other dead.” All of the benefits have their disadvantages.
Devin Nassar-ReisPublished 6 years ago in The Swamp1968: The Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.
There is no figure more celebrated in the work he did for civil rights than Martin Luther King Jr. His death on April 4, 1968, due to an assassin’s bullet, left the nation and especially the black community hopeless.
Shandi PacePublished 6 years ago in The SwampWhat If Part II: America
The African holocaust began during the 17th century when Europeans decided to enslave Africans for the transatlantic slave trade in the Americas. The Africans never saw themselves as slaves, but prisoners of war. After 400 years in bondage, the Africans became free, but faced new challenges from discriminatory racist practices and laws.
Darryl C. RichiePublished 6 years ago in The SwampWhat If Part I: Africa
Marvel’s Black Panther was one of the most popular movies to be released in 2018, grossing $1.3 billion worldwide, and is currently number nine of the top 10 grossing movies of all-time in the United States.
Darryl C. RichiePublished 6 years ago in The Swamp