Why the Rhine River town of Bacharach, Germany is a dark spot in Jewish history: more than Riesling and medieval castles

July 5, 2017 3 Comments

A moving van was blocking the narrow, cobblestone lane outside our hotel in the quaint town of Bacharach, Germany, on the banks of the Rhine River. A white-haired truck driver saw that I was struggling to squeeze between his parked truck and the walls of the building, trying to heave my suitcase over its giant wheels, in order to reach my car. He stopped what he was doing, smiled and helped me lift my bag. After stowing the luggage in the trunk, I headed back to the hotel to settle the bill. That’s when I noticed two brass plaques embedded in the street in front of the truck.

I got goosebumps.

Continue Reading →

A real-life Double Threat: two Jewish WWII veterans meet at a tribute breakfast at Crestwood Preparatory College in Toronto

May 17, 2017 1 Comment

They both grew up in pre-war Toronto, although one came from the poor neighbourhood known as The Ward, while the other came from a nicer neighbourhood near the Beaches. Both served in the Second World War, and it isn’t hard to see why they’d never met: Lt.- Col. Norman Cohen served as a navigator in the RCAF and was posted to England and then to Burma, while Lorne Winer was with the Royal Canadian Artillery and served in England and then through Normandy and Northwestern Europe after D-Day until long after V-E Day.

Continue Reading →

Double Threat book cover

“Canadian Jews, the Military, and World War II: Double Threat”. My new book about the 17,000 Jewish Canadians who defeated the Nazis

October 15, 2016 Leave a comment

Double Threat is a journalistic look at the untold stories of the Jewish Canadian men and women who served in uniform during the dark years of the last great war.

Continue Reading →