Category: Starred Posts
The Struggle
The history of the Nakba, the “catastrophe,” is a painful memory for Palestinians and a difficult confrontation for Israelis. It is also at the center of the debate of the right of return for Palestinians, who wish to go back to the lands of their ancestors who lived there prior to the founding of theContinue reading “The Struggle”
Postcolonial Displacements: Dominoes in History
Drora Harehuveni, Haganah Dispatch Driver, 1948. The Haganah (Hebrew for “defense”) was the precursor to the state of Israel’s armed forces. It was a private Zionist military organization founded in 1920 and active until 1948, comprised of Jewish men and women (Britannica). Its purpose was to defend Jewish settlers in the British Mandate for Palestine, …
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The Alternative Angle
The topic of Displaced Persons (DP) so far throughout this class has been a consistently notable one. Looking at simply those people who had their land destroyed living in Europe, or those Jewish people looking to escape persecution along with the Zionist approach, there are a wide variety of perspectives that have been previously consideredContinue reading “The Alternative Angle”
A Return Not Welcome
“Awda” means to return in Arabic, there is a similar world in Hebrew “aliyah” which is reference to immigrating to Israel. Though these words have similar meanings, they represent two radically different worlds. One that is Arab, one that is Jewish, and the home they wish to return to? A place known as Palestine and …
Reconstruction and Consumerism
Following the war the governments had to figure out how to rebuild. This meant they needed a plan for what they wanted their nation to look like following the war. This meant deciding who to look for for advice. From the first world war they knew the importance and implications of an unsuccessful reconstruction. In …
The Impacts of Reconstruction on the Postwar World
After WW2, Europe was devastated and in need of assistance to reconstruct their cities and societies. A major form of help they got, and what I would argue to be the key factor that allowed Europe to repair itself, was the Marshall Plan. The Marshall Plan provided aid to all European countries except for Spain, …
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Innocence is the Loser in the Game of War
The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner From my mother’s sleep I fell into the State, And I hunched in its belly till my wet fur froze. Six miles from earth, loosed from its dream of life, I woke to black flak and the nightmare fighters. When I died they washed me out of the …
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The New Face of Hiroshima
On May 5, 1955, not long before the ten year anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, a group of young Japanese women departed from Tokyo for the United States to undergo reconstructive plastic surgery. These women were known as … Continue reading →
The Physical and Psychological Bombing of Hiroshima
The dropping of the atomic bomb on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki proved to be incredibly devastating. It led to disfigurement, trauma, and long-term illnesses. Historian David Serlin, in his writing about the Hiroshima Maidens, referenced the image pictured … Continue reading →
1000 Paper Cranes
Some may be familiar with the book Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes, which is a story about a young girl who falls ill to atom bomb disease (leukemia). According to Japanese legend whoever folding 1000 paper cranes receives a wish from … Continue reading →
