Tag Archives: german jews

Vati

Posted on February 9, 2021 by Suzanne Loebl

I had my father for a relatively short time: 24 minus 6 years. When he died suddenly, more than half a century ago, I was distracted by both the immense joy and relief of having recently met my life partner … Continue reading →

Lockdown 1942, Lockdown 2020

Posted on April 9, 2020 by Suzanne Loebl

For me, the current lockdown is a vivid reminder of the two years I spent as a “hidden child” in Belgium during World War II. Actually, I was neither a child nor confined to my quarters like that other, very … Continue reading →

Posted in family stories, history | Tagged coronavirus, covid-19, german jews, hidden children, holocaust, quarantine, world war ii | 4 Comments

Maine 2016: Almost Farewell

Posted on September 17, 2016 by Suzanne Loebl

This morning I am sad. I just kissed Naomi—Branching’s editor—farewell. She was here visiting for a week at our small “camp” on Echo Lake. We did all the traditional summer things: a hike up Penobscot, popovers and Jordan Pond, dinner … Continue reading →

Posted in family stories | Tagged children, family, family stories, family story, german jews, germany, grandchildren, grandparents, maine, mdi, mount desert island, nazi germany, vacation | 5 Comments

Refugee, But Not Forever

Posted on August 22, 2016 by Suzanne Loebl

The other evening, after a satisfying dinner, I was lazily surfing the net when I came across a photo of a beach filled with Syrian refugees running across the sand, trying to climb aboard a rickety ship. Suddenly my heart … Continue reading →

Posted in family stories, history, politics | Tagged belgium, brussels, d-day, dunkirk evacuation, family, family stories, france, german jews, hidden children, holocaust, miracle of dunkirk, nazi germany, nazis, new york, new york city, refugees, world war ii, wwii | 13 Comments

Returning to Brussels, the City That Saved My Life 70 Years Ago

Posted on April 29, 2015 by Suzanne Loebl

My family has always traveled on its stomach. So it was no surprise that when in March 2015 I took my granddaughter, Branching editor Naomi, to revisit my Belgian roots, we would eat well. Our culinary exploits started well. After … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged belgium, brussels, europe, family, family stories, family story, food, german jews, hidden children, holocaust, jewish history, judaism, restaurants, travel, world war ii | 3 Comments

Claude Frank: Pianist & Childhood Friend

Posted on January 31, 2015 by Suzanne Loebl

The last time I saw Claude Frank was after his performance at a Schneider concert at the New School. Though we rarely saw each other, we were always extremely happy when we met accidentally. These encounters were never planned, yet … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged belgium, brussels, classical music, Claude Frank, family, family stories, family story, german jews, germany, jewish history, music, nazi germany, pianists, piano, world war ii | Leave a comment

Christmas 2014: Other People’s Holidays

Posted on December 24, 2014 by Suzanne Loebl

My mother was a Christmas junkie. I can still smell the pine aroma of the eight-foot tree that stood in our parlor in Hanover, Germany. Beeswax candles suffused the room with flickering light and a profusion of home-baked cookies weighed … Continue reading →

Posted in family stories | Tagged america's medicis, christmas, family, family stories, family story, german jews, hanukkah, holidays, nazi germany, new york city, NYC, rockefeller center, rockefellers, tiffany, winter in NYC | Leave a comment

Manhattan’s 86-Year Old Rudolf Steiner (Waldorf) School

Posted on October 7, 2014 by Suzanne Loebl

The other day I hurried along East 79th Street on my way to the Met Museum when I glimpsed a likeness of Leonardo da Vinci paired with the promise of teaching the principles of the Italian Renaissance to children in … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged anthroposophy, education, educational philosophies, eurhythmics, german jewish history, german jews, germany, hidden children, holocaust, jewish history, learning disability, liberal education, nazi germany, pedagogy, rudolf steiner, rudolf steiner schools, steiner schools, waldorf schools, world war ii | Leave a comment

World War I: August 3, 1914: Germany Invades Belgium

Posted on August 1, 2014 by Suzanne Loebl

World War II defined my life, but it was actually a continuation of World War I, whose 100th birthday we “celebrate” this year. The hostilities took a while to get underway. They began with the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand … Continue reading →

Posted in family stories, history | Tagged Archduke Franz Ferdinand, battle of yser, belgium, france, german jews, germany, hidden children, history, holocaust, jewish history, nazi germany, Suzanne Daley, world war i, world war i history, world war ii, world war ii history, Yser | 1 Comment

The Pleasures and Pitfalls of Being Polyglot

Posted on June 26, 2014 by Suzanne Loebl

In April 2014 my husband and I decided to vacation in France. We spent a few days in Paris, visited with some friends in Normandy and then boated up the Rhône and Saone in the Buri, owned by Viking River … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged belgium, columbia university, family stories, first language, german jews, hidden children, holocaust, immigrants, immigration, immigration stories, jewish history, judaism, languages, multilingual, multilingualism, nazi germany, new york city, polyglot, second language, third language, viking river cruises, world war ii, writing | 3 Comments