February 2025
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Of all the incredible stories to emerge from World War II, this is one of my favorites—a tale of defiance, resilience, and an unmistakable “up yours” to tyranny. While the service itself undoubtedly maintained its deep religious significance, I can’t help but imagine a few knowing smiles afterward. The photograph above captures a Jewish service…
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“In the beginning, back in nineteen fifty-five,Man didn’t know about a rock ‘n’ roll showAnd all that jive.” These opening lines from AC/DC’s classic Let There Be Rock set the stage for what is essentially a history lesson in rock ‘n’ roll—delivered with electrifying energy by the one and only Bon Scott. I don’t often…
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The Holocaust remains the darkest chapter in human history, marked by unimaginable atrocities and suffering. While much attention was given to the physical brutality inflicted upon millions of Jews and other targeted groups, the psychological terror experienced during this period was equally devastating. The Nazi regime systematically employed psychological warfare to break the spirits of…
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When we think of stealth bombers, our minds often jump to more recent aircraft, such as the F-117 Nighthawk (introduced in 1981) or the B-2 Spirit (introduced in 1989). However, the concept of stealth bombers dates back much earlier, to 1942, when the Horten brothers designed the first stealth aircraft The Horten Ho 229: The…
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On February 11, 1941, the NSB member Hendrik Koot was injured fatally during a brawl at Waterlooplein. The official reports on the incident remained lost for decades. KootHendrik Koot was a member of the Weerafdeling (WA), the paramilitary wing of the NSB. Since late 1940, WA members had been intimidating and assaulting Jewish residents of…
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The name Hermine Santrouschitz may not be widely recognized, but the name Miep Gies is known around the world—forever linked to a teenage diarist named Anne Frank. Miep Gies, born Hermine Santrouschitz, would have celebrated her 116th birthday yesterday. Though she didn’t reach that milestone, she lived to be 100—a remarkable life devoted to courage…
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One thing I could never understand is the death marches. Most of them took place near the end of the war, when they served little strategic purpose. Even from a military standpoint, they made no sense. Then again, many of the Nazis’ actions defied logic. So many of their policies and strategies were driven purely…
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WARNING: CONTAINS GRAPHIC IMAGES In general, I try to avoid posting graphic images for two reasons. First, I know from personal experience that if something is too disturbing, people tend to look away. Second, we live in a time when many people take offense at almost anything—especially the truth—and often respond by demanding its removal.…
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I have a grandnephew with Down syndrome, and what aches me most is that I haven’t met him yet. When he was born, complications kept him in and out of the hospital. Thankfully, he is doing well now, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and other obligations afterwards, I haven’t been able to fly to…
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Jewish Soldiers in the Dutch Military During World War II When discussing Jewish war victims, fallen soldiers may not be the first to come to mind. However, hundreds of Jewish men attempted to resist the advancing Nazi regime with weapons in hand. Several dozen of them perished during the German invasion in May 1940. The…
History of Sorts 