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This is a past event.
Book Fair Event with John Simon
First published in Finnish in 2017 under a different name, "Strangers in a Stranger Land" was one of four books listed for history book of the year and tells the story of how one country’s Jews fought an unwinnable war alongside Nazis troops and survived.
During World War II, 260,000 German soldiers arrived in Finland. The Nazis murdered millions of Jews around Europe, but in Finland Jews fought alongside the Germans against the Soviet Union.
Not a single one was harmed by their Nazi brothers-in-arms. A field synagogue functioned on the front line, and several openly Jewish soldiers were even awarded the German Iron Cross. This happened nowhere else.
How was it possible in Finland? John Simon has special ties to Richmond as well as Congregation Beth Ahabah. His great-great grandfather, Abraham Hutzler, was one of the earliest members of Congregation Beth Ahabah and his great-grandfather, Charles Hutzler, served as the congregation’s president from 1909-1919. Charles was also chairman of Richmond Public Schools and Laurel Reformatorie School. He founded the Central National Bank in 1911.The Fife-Davis family Jewish book fair and gift shop will take place Nov. 6 – 21 at the Weinstein JCC.
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Monument Heights Baptist Church
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