Pat Taub
New York City Memories
Last weekend I visited Manhattan where I met up with an old friend. We visited art museums, saw two excellent off-Broadway plays, ate well and developed blisters walking from the Village to Uptown. Here are some favorite images from my trip.
Seen on a building in Greenwich Village
An artist in Soho drawing hearts on the street which he calls, “Heart Art.”
Mojada, the Play
A highlight of my New York visit was seeing Mojada at the Public Theater, the story of a young Mexican couple, their son and grandmother who flee their crime-infested community for a safer life in the U.S. The play dramatized the all too common rapes at border crossings and the constant fears of being captured by ICE. Both my friend and I cried at the end of the play, moved by the family’s courage while being reminded of caged migrant children in our country.
The family in Mojada on their harrowing journey to the US border
Ilhan Omar and Rashiad Tlaib
I have to register my outrage at Israel’s refusal to allow the two Palestinian Congresswomen, Ilhan Omar and Rashiad Tlaib from visiting Palestine. Netanyahu was all set to allow their visit when Trump tweeted malicious comments about them, pressuring Netanyahu to ban their visit. The claim is that because the Congresswomen support BDS (Boycott, Divest, Sanction) they are anti-Semitic. The BDS movement arose as a way to protest Israel’s cruel policies towards Palestine, focusing on a boycott of Israeli products.
Representatives Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar at a news conference after learning Israel denied them the right to enter Palestine.
Why They Marched
I’ve started reading Why They Marched, a book about the Suffragettes written by noted historian, Susan Ware. I’m inspired by the tenacity of the Suffragettes while noting how they often excluded Black women working for the right to vote. It strikes me as important to have this full view of the Suffragettes as opposed to the sanitized version, which overlooked the racial divisions within the movement.
Summer’s Waning
I’m writing from my country retreat where the temp is now around 60, signaling fall’s coming. I’ve always liked sweater weather but I also know it means winter is right around the corner. I will savor August’s remaining days while getting my fill of Maine blueberries.
