Wednesday, November 11, 2009

“Thou, too, sail on, O Ship of State!” *


This special Veterans Day post is from Abby, but on behalf of the whole staff of the Museum, we thank all those who are serving our country.

On Saturday, a perfectly crisp autumn day made for ceremonial splendor, my husband and I attended the commissioning of the USS New York.

As you may have read, the USS New York contains 7.5 tons of steel from the World Trade Center in its hull. Its motto is “Strength Forged Through Sacrifice. Never Forget.” Many speakers, and there were many, spoke reverently of the souls lost on Sept. 11 and how their spirits are embedded in this ship. What you may not remember is that the steel was melted in a foundry in Amite, LA and the ship was built at Avondale Shipyard in New Orleans, part of Northrop Grumman Shipbuilders. The head of NGS said, “This ship was born of two separate tragedies that bonded us: Sept. 11 and Hurricane Katrina.” Working on this ship aided in the personal recoveries of the men and women in Louisiana, many of them displaced by Katrina. Building this ship gave them a purpose.

“Man our ship and bring her to life.” It is tradition to proclaim these words at a commissioning, and Dorothy England, the Sponsor of the USS New York, performed her duty admirably (that one’s for you, Betsy): A proud “Aye, aye ma’am!” was the response from the Executive Officer and before we knew it, 363 men and women “manned” their stations and the US Naval Band North East played “Anchors Aweigh.” It was a very emotional moment. I sat next to the mother of one of the crew and she shared with me that a year ago at this time her son was a golf pro. He joined the Navy, and after he finished basic training, Commander Curt Jones called him and talked for an hour. That was the job interview and clearly it worked out just fine for her son, Ben. The commander’s uncle was sitting a few seats over from me.

Commander Jones, a native of Binghamton, graduated from MIT in 1989 with a BA in philosophy and received his commission through the Navy ROTC. He received a master’s degree in National Security Affairs at Naval Post Graduate School in Monterey, CA. He spoke lovingly about his crew, but what I found so moving was his understanding of how his ship is a symbol for the people of New York and New Orleans, and what Sept. 11 means, especially to New Yorkers. As we say at my house—he gets it. When he got his commission, he received a copy of a letter written by Fire Captain Gormley on Sept. 15, 2001, and in it he named the 12 men from Engine 40/Ladder 35 who were listed as missing, and therefore not yet relieved of duty. Commander Jones read the letter aloud on Saturday, and as he read the names of those firefighters you could hear a pin drop.

Following the speeches, we toured the ship and talked with the very young crew. Thinking of this ship and its crew gives me a new perspective on Veterans Day, a day when we think of grizzled men telling stories of camaraderie and courage while fighting on foreign shores. It is hard to imagine this young crew of the USS New York assembling in 40 or 50 years to reminisce about the commissioning of their ship and all they have seen. But it is my fervent wish that they return to this city again and again —all 363 of them— safe and sound and out of harm’s way. Of course, unlike veterans of previous generations, their experiences will be archived on their blog, Twitter, and Facebook.

*Assistant Secretary of the Navy Sean Stackley read this Henry Wadsworth Longfellow poem on Saturday. Come to think of it, he might have it memorized. He is the Assistant Secretary of the Navy after all.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Marking Kristallnacht


Yesterday, on Kristallnacht, we hosted a very moving ceremony that culminated in the return of a 16th century bible to the Jewish community in Vienna. The bible had been stolen on Kristallnacht 71 years ago.


Witnessing this act of justice was an apt way of commemorating the day. Click here for our Director’s introductory remarks and here for the New York Times story about the event.

Friday, November 6, 2009

Yasher Koach, Yankees!

About a week ago, a particular conductor made my morning commute a little brighter. “Ladies and gentlemen,” he began, “I want you to know that I’ve looked into my crystal ball and it has told me that the Yankees are going to win the World Series in game six. So that’s plenty of time to plan the parade for Friday. Just remember, you heard it here first.”

Yesterday morning, the same conductor made another announcement: “Last week I told you that the Yankees would win and look at that! My crystal ball never lies. Everyone enjoy the parade! And now, for tonight’s winning lotto numbers… oops! It just fell and broke. Sorry.”

Lotto win or no, it was good news*. If you could not be at this “prophesied” parade this morning (which began on Battery Place just a block or so from the Museum), take a look at some photos of MJH staff members cheering on their team. We thought the sign was a nice touch!

*I have been asked to issue the following disclaimer: This blog does not reflect the opinions of all MJH employees… especially certain Red Sox fans whose names may or may not be Betsy.





Thursday, November 5, 2009

A Sephardic Soul at Symphony Space on Saturday


This tip is from Lisa, who loves a good world-music concert.


With the weather getting grayer and chillier, being transported by the lush Mediterranean mix of Sephardic music performed by one of the genres finest singers is a nice way to spend an evening. The acclaimed Israeli artist Yasmin Levy will give a concert this Saturday night, November 7, at Symphony Space in Manhattan.

A champion of Ladino, Yasmin Levy draws from the rich and evocative Judeo-Spanish heritage, performing classics and new works inspired by this tradition. Much of this tradition was discovered by her father, the musicologist Yitzhak Levy. It’s fitting how these tunes remain passed from one family member to another as they were hundreds of years ago.


For more information and tickets, click here.

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

The Best of the Best


You may be a little tired of listening to us kvell about the Keeping History Center, so here is a non-biased opinion. This week’s issue of Time Out New York said the Keeping History Center is one of 5 must-see exhibits opening this month. According to them, it’s a Museum Bonanza, so stop by and see us, Jane Austen, FDR, Eero Saarinen, and more.
*Photo courtesy of C&G Partners

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

More about the Morgenthaus Now Online



We’re thrilled to launch the new spiffy website for The Morgenthaus: A Legacy of Service, which opens to the public on November 16. Be sure to check out the film trailer, artifact exploration, and information about organizations looking for volunteers. There is also a family tree and much more. As one of the themes of the exhibition is public service, we’re very interested in what you are doing to help your community. Let us know and we may use your quote in the online exhibition.
*Photo: New York Cares volunteers

Monday, November 2, 2009

Within OUR Walls: Idan Raichel Performs at MJH

Due to popular demand, the Museum has added a third Idan Raichel concert on Wednesday, November 11 at 9:30 p.m. , which is a good thing, since the November 10th and first November 11th show are sold out. This late show provides fans one more chance to see Idan and his band of international performers bring their one-of-a-kind sound to Edmond J. Safra Hall.

Tickets are available by clicking here or by calling the Museum box office at 646.437.4202. Order ASAP as they’re going fast.

To tide you over, please enjoy some music of his latest album Within My Walls.