Jews have a long history of resistance against antisemitism that has sought to eradicate their literal existence. The power of their resistance lies in Jewish cultural and spiritual unity and the resulting close-knit communities that have survived and thrived in response to hate.

This hour, we talk about how Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood came together in 2018 after a shooter killed eleven Jewish worshippers in a synagogue as they were preparing for their Saturday morning services.

We also talk about the thousands of Jewish ‘family camps’ and partisan fighters who survived and triumphed in the forests of Eastern Europe during World War II. Some of their descendants settled in Connecticut.

Resistance can take many forms beyond warfare.

Photo Courtesy Of The Langerman And Lazowski FamiliesBeryl Sakier, Tania, Miriam, Rochel, Morris, and Luba Rabinowitz after arriving in Santa Maria di Leuca, Italy

GUESTS: 

• Mark Oppenheimer - Senior Editor at Tablet, where he hosts the podcast Unorthodox; he is the author of five books including, most recently, Squirrel Hill: The Tree of Life Synagogue Shooting and the Soul of a Neighborhood
• Rebecca Frankel - A journalist and author; her most recent book is Into the Forest: A Holocaust Story of Survival, Triumph, and Love

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Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.

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