The Conservative Synagogue continues to help Ukrainian refugees.
The congregations sponsored a planeload of 132 refugees. The flight left from Budapest on Tuesday, for Israel.
Rabbi Jeremy Wiederhorn reports that the families have been welcomed to Israel as new citizens. Mazel tov!
From Ukraine to Israel — with help from The Conservative Synagogue of Westport.
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The Representative Town Meeting’s next session is June 7.
In addition to the usual requests for appropriations and ratifications of Planning & Zoning Commission decisions, there is this agenda item: to adopt a sense of the meeting resolution “that Westport supports the constitutional rights and principles established in Roe v. Wade, and opposes the elimination of those rights by any subsequent Supreme Court decision.”
The town’s non-partisan legislative body has passed similar “sense of the meeting” resolutions before — including, in 1969, a resolution asking President Johnson and Congress to “take immediate action to withdraw from the (Vietnam) war.”
Joanne Woodward spoke in support. After 3 hours of long, impassioned debate, the RTM voted 17-15 in favor of the resolution. The New York Times ran a long story about it.
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On Thursday, Holocaust survivor Judy Altmann gave an important presentation to all Bedford and Coleytown Middle School 8th graders.
The Westport school district has made the link publicly available (and posted it on their website). Click here for her talk. To learn more about Judy Altmann, click here.
Judy Altmann
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The Levitt Pavilion kicks off the holiday weekend with a pair of free “open house” concerts this weekend. No tickets are required for the 2 shows, today and tomorrow (Saturday and Sunday, May 28 and 29, 5 p.m. both days).
Tonight it’s Michael Coppola and Harvie S Jazz Duo. Tomorrow features The Esperanto Duo: Dave Giardina & Chris Payne (“old time and gypsy jazz”).
Click here for more information.
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Just in time for Memorial Day, a new flagpole has been installed outside the Westport Weston Family YMCA.
Long may she wave!
(Photo/Dan Woog)
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Also just in time for Memorial Day: The ice cream hut at The Porch is open for business.
A servicemember and his family kicked off the holiday weekend yesterday, with a treat.
(Photo/Fred Cantor)
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Jerry Kuyper snapped today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo in his unmown meadow (“aka yard,” he notes).
The snapping turtle’s shell was about 12 inches long. And, Jerry adds, “the scars on the back might be from a lawn mower.”
No wonder the turtle snaps.
(Photo/Jerry Kuyper)
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And finally … on this day in 1830, President Andrew Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act. It denied many Native Americans their land rights, and forcibly relocated them.
Thus began one of the most shameful parts of our nation’s history.
Thank you for this incredible witness to History event with Judith Altman. I admire her intelligence, wit, and unfaltering memory. An optimistic survivor in the truest sense. I will share this wiith my family members. Thank you and God bless Judith Altman for continuing to tell her painful story.