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VOL. 126 NO. 6
FEBRUARY 2 - 8, 2024
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Recalling horrors of the Holocaust and Oct. 7 attack By ROKSANA AMID ramid@liherald.com
Roksana Amid/Herald
Photos of hostages taken by Hamas in the Oct. 7 attack were displayed at the Nassau County Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center last weekend.
In recognition of International Holocaust Remembrance Day last Saturday, Gilda Zirinsky recalled for listeners at the Nassau County Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center how she survived as a child fleeing Nazi-occupied Belgium. Zirinsky’s narrative unfolded with vivid detail, transporting her audience back to May 10, 1940, when the skies over Belgium filled with the ominous roar of enemy planes. Zirinsky, then just 5 years old, was thrust into a world of chaos and uncertainty when her family was forced to leave behind the lives they had worked hard to create. The 88-year-old said she could still remember the sound of the planes. She quickly packed a small bag and left her kitten behind, and her family began desperately seeking refuge in neighboring countries to escape persecution by the Nazis. Zirinsky’s father and male cousins were left to CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
Raynham Hall hosts Valentine’s Day Poetry Contest By WILL SHEELINE wsheeline@liherald.com
With Valentine’s Day around the corner, the time has come again for Raynham Hall Museum’s annual Valentine’s Day Poetry Contest. The museum, known as the home of Lt. Col. John Graves Simcoe during the Revolutionary War, takes a poetic turn each February to honor the legacy of America’s first documented valentine. The museum’s director, Harriet Clark, explained that the facility held a Presidents Day writing contest in years past. But for the past five years, it has instead hosted a poetry
contest celebrating Valentine’s Day, an opportunity for local children to show off their writing skills as they express their love for family members, pets and classmates. “We realized that we’re better known for being the home of America’s first valentine,” Clark explained. “Plus, Valentine’s Day is a little more wellknown than Presidents Day.” The first documented valentine in America was composed by Simcoe, a British officer who took up residence in what became Raynham Hall during the Revolutionary War. He composed romantic verses for Sarah Townsend, the daughter
of the house. Although the original is lost to time, it was published in 1825, giving modern readers a glimpse into the romantic sentiments of that era. “The publisher of that history book was Dennis Miller,” Clark said. “He had, for some reason, a copy of the poem from Simcoe himself. They actually exist in the Brooklyn Public Library.” The poetry contest focuses not only on celebrating love, but also on connecting students with the rich history of the first valentine, and of Oyster Bay. Tami McElwee, the director of humanities in the Oyster
Bay-East Norwich Central School District, shed light on the educational aspect. “As a former principal of the Theodore Roosevelt School and now the director of humanities, one of the beautiful things about our community is connecting kids with local history,” McElwee said. “We are currently working on a project with
book clubs and local history for the kids. I love when we can connect them with local organizations and make it really relevant for them.” McElwee found the story of Simcoe to be a captivating way to bring writing and local history to life for students. The contest serves as a way to blend the CONTINUED ON PAGE 2