Kind: Notes

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Went over to the Bethel Woods museum as part of a drive to see some of the Fall Foliage.

Through December 31st, they have a Special Exhibit on the photos of LIFE Magazine photographer Grey Villet that is worth seeing.  Apparently there is also a book of his photos that might be published. Villet photographed Batista and Castro, Martin Luther King, and more.

Their general exhibit on the history of Woodstock was also worth seeing. Woodstock began as a financial enterprise…..a music festival that had so many attendees show up that the organizers quickly realized they couldn’t possibly take tickets and made the concert free. Tickets cost $18 in advance and 186,000 tickets were sold, but more than double that amount actually showed up. It must have been an amazing sight.

neverforgetI’ve been watching reruns of Quincy M.E. on local TV and tuned in to an episode from 1982 called Stolen Tears, where Martin Balsam plays a Holocaust survivor fighting a Holocaust denier, played by Norman Lloyd. Somewhat ironically, Norman Lloyd(born Norman Perlmutter) is also Jewish. I was a fan of his work on St. Elsewhere.

It put me in mind of the 1991 TV movie, Never Forget, starring the late Leonard Nimoy as Mel Mermelstein, and directed by the late Joseph Sargent. Sargent, also director of the original Taking of Pelham One Two Three(which starred Martin Balsam), died a year ago tomorrow. So I bought a copy of the movie on Amazon’s video streaming service, which I haven’t seen since the 90s, and watched it.

In the movie, based on the actual story, Mel Mermelstein is a Holocaust survivor who has a small exhibit at his place of business, and goes to schools and other groups to talk about his experiences. He attracts attention from a Holocaust denying organization and feels the need to challenge them, despite  the fact that most Jewish organizations tell him to simply ignore it and not give the hate group any further ammunition. There are people who consider Nimoy’s portrayal of Mermelstein to be one of, if not his best dramatic performances.

Tonight is the first night of Chanukah. I’d mentioned I was listening to some Chanukah music. Wanted to give a few quick recommendations. I have nearly 200 Chanukah tracks.

  1. It’s Chanukah(Amazon link) – An album released back in 2011 by a friend of mine, Scott Eckers. It features the students of the I.L. Peretz Jewish School. It’s a nice production.
  2. A Maccabeats Chanukah(Amazon link) – Just released, the Maccabeats cover some classic Chanukah songs.
  3. Woody Guthrie’s Happy Joyous Hanukkah by the Klezmatics(Amazon link) – Several rerecord Woody Guthrie Chanukah songs, Guthrie poems about the holiday, and some instrumental compositions by the Klezmatics.
  4. Hooked on Chanukah(Amazon link) – Nothing like a classic Boy’s Choir to sing some holiday songs.

There are many more I haven’t mentioned, like the five different version of the classic Ladino song, Ocho Candelikas. And I’m skipping I have a little Dreidel. But to continue to expand my collection. Any suggestions?