New Mexico Volume 19, No. 2 Jewish Historical Society June 2005 Annual Membership Meeting To Feature Film, Speaker, On European Jewish Athletes by Julie Gordon or its 2005 Annual Mem- and it grew to be one of Europe’s largest sports a tone of wonderment, Watermarks becomes more bership Meeting, the clubs while also achieving tremendous triumphs than a pointed footnote to the Holocaust. It New Mexico Jewish His- in its many diverse sports. In the 1930s, one of emerges as a surprisingly encouraging reflection F torical Society will once the club’s best-known achievements came from on the distance between youth and advanced age. again de- Despite their physical frailty, the spirit of these part from women, many of them honored professionals in its usual lecture-and-dinner a variety of fields, remains intact, and their joy at format for the second year in reconnecting outweighs their uneasiness at re- a row and will present a fasci- turning to the homeland that rejected them. nating film event examining During the course of her discussion, Dr. Lampl the legendary sports club will explain the context, process and motivation Hakoah (“The Strength” in for the production of Watermarks. Hebrew) Vienna. The program will run from 3:00pm to 5:30pm, The program will be held at Annie Wagner Lampl swims during beginning with the announcement of the Society’s the Screen Theater on the cam- a 2004 reunion with her teammates new officers and board members and the presen- from the Hakoah sports club, which pus of the College of Santa was shut down by the Nazis in 1938. tation of the Dr. Allan Hurst Award. Following Fe,1600 St. Michaels Dr., on Annie Wagner marries her this brief segment, Dr. Lampl will introduce and Sunday afternoon, June 26, ~Photos taken by Chris Van Houts show the film. After the screening, Dr. Lampl childhood sweetheart, & provided by Yaron Zilberman. and will feature the screening Hakoah fencer, Sepp Lampl. will offer comments and answer questions. of the documentary Watermarks directed by the women swimmers, who were leaders in na- Yaron Zilberman. One of the swimmers, tional championships in Austria. As seating is limited, it is advised that attendees Dr. Annie Lampl, will offer remarks before purchase tickets in advance to guarantee a seat. the screening and a question-and-answer ses- In 1938, after the political unification of Nazi Tickets for the program are $10.00 in advance sion after the film. Germany and Austria, the Nazis shut down and can be reserved by contacting Bobbi Jack- Hakoah Vienna, but the swimmers managed to son, the Society’s administrator, in Albuquerque The Hakoah Vienna sports club opened in escape the country as a result of a rescue opera- at 505-348-4471, or via email at 1909 as a response to the prohibition on Aus- tion organized by the club’s functionaries. Sixty- [email protected]. Please confirm trian sports clubs to accept Jewish athletes, five years later, in 2004, director Yaron Zilberman your reservations with payment by June 20. Address: New Mexico Jewish met the women’s swim team members – now in their eighties – in their homes around the world A short portion of this article was taken from the NY Historical Society Times review "Swimmers Who Fled Nazi Vienna Look 5520 Wyoming Blvd. NE and arranged for them to have a reunion at their Back" of January 21, 2005. Copyright © 2005 by The Albuquerque, NM 87109 old swimming pool in Vienna. New York Times Co. Reprinted with permission." Telephone: (505) 348-4471 This journey, captured in the documentary INSIDE THIS ISSUE Fax: (505) 821-3351 Watermarks, evoked nostalgic memories of Annual Membership Meeting......................1 website: www.nmjewishhistory.org youth and femininity and served to reinforce The Converso Legacy – A Novel...................2 email: [email protected] lifelong bonds. Message From the President........................2 Administrator: Bobbi Jackson The documentary is the story and saga of seven Office Hours: Monday and Thursday incredible athletes who faced adversity and still Catching the Genealogy Bug.................3&4 1:00-4:00 pm swim daily with grace, and it is told by the swim- Upcoming Book Sale...................................5 Managing Editor Julie Gordon mers themselves. Abuelita’s Secret Matzahs............................6 If you have any news or announcements Dr. Lampl will discuss the making of the film Stan Hordes’ New Book............................7 of interest to our membership, please and her interaction with the other six remark- send it to the above address. Thank you. able women. As these women tell their stories in Calendar of Upcoming Events.....................8 New Mexico Jewish Historical Society The Converso Legacy – A Novel Reviewed by Abraham S. Chanin his is the epic adventure He is taken in by them and soon finds fled the Inquisition in Spain and came to of Shlomo Rabinowitz, himself in a warm situation. He becomes Mexico and then the Territory of New a young man who is try- enamored with their daughter, Esther, but Mexico. Now that Esther is really Jew- T ing to escape impres- the romance goes no further because she ish, the romance is in full bloom and the sion in the Russian is a Christian and he is a Jew. Samuel’s great story of Samuel Rabinowitz comes army. He gathers up a troubles mount as he is crossed by a to a dramatic close. small amount of money for passage to wealthy Mexican who is also a Jew hater. America. Now begin his great travels. The man decides to destroy Samuel, who This is a wonderful story of a typical me- gains the aid of a local priest. The busi- andering peddler – an epic of a tale, well- He lands in New York and is befriended ness involvement is over the sale of corn to told by the author, Sheldon Gardner, a by cousins who help him get started as a a military fort. With the help of an judge who attended meetings of the New peddler. Shlomo peddles his way across aroused citizenry, angered over the Mexico Jewish Historical Society and America, having great troubles and great wealthy Mexican’s mistreatment of them, learned of the great Converso story. adventures. Eventually he comes to the they rise up and the tide is turned. Territory of New Mexico. The setting is THE CONVERSO LEGACY, $18.95, in the early 1880s. Shlomo, now Eventually, Samuel is the winner and now Pitsopany Press, 101 Monterey Avenue, Samuel, becomes intimate with a Mexi- comes the revelation that the Carvellos are Pelham, NY 10803. can family, the Carvellos. really descendants of Spanish Jews who Message From The President by Lance Bell s we move into summer, volunteers and project committee have done members. Your membership dues are the I am excited about the an excellent job in preparing 13 beautiful primary funding resource we have to sur- upcoming year at the individual pioneer family booklets. vive. Please make sure that your 2005 mem- A New Mexico Jewish His- bership is up to date. If possible, help us torical Society. I also Our newest board member and genealogy recruit new members. We would also like would like to let everyone chair, Dorothy Corner Amsden, from Los to reach out to our members and ask you to know about my personal experience at the Alamos , has many great ideas about an im- get involved with the society or to support annual Congregation Montefiore Cem- portant subject to many of us : genealogy. our programs with a small donation. etery clean up in Las Vegas in early April. I hope you enjoy her article in this issue as I have always wanted to attend this event much as I did. With that said, I am very I look forward to personally seeing you at but never seemed to find the time. N ow fortunate to work with a dedicated Board of our upcoming Membership meeting in that I know how special this project is, I hard working individuals at the New Mexico Santa Fe on June 26th , when we will view look forward to returning next year with Jewish Historical Society. Thank you Board the film, Watermarks, the story of the cham- my family. After the volunteers and soci- for all of your hard work and for sharing pion women swimmers of the legendary ety members left the cemetery, it was in your very important TIME! On another Jewish sports club, Hakoah Vienna (“The much better condition for all those who are positive note, I would like to welcome Clara Strength" in Hebrew) and have a discus- resting there and for all of the visitors who “Bobbi” Jackson, our new administrator. I sion with Annie Lampl, one of the seven made it to this historical and spiritual place. am sure you will all enjoy getting to know remarkable swimmers. her as much as we have. Our board and its committees have been I would also like to say a busy preparing for the next annual Mem- final good-bye to Julie bership Meeting, Book Sale and annual Fall Gordon. Julie, you really Conference. I am confident that you will made your mark on our find the topics and programs of interest. society. Thank you, we Look inside this issue to learn more about will all miss you. each of these events and please make sure you mark your calendar and save the dates. In the coming year, we The video history project is ready to com- are rededicating ourselves plete the booklet phase of the project. The to our mission and to our Page 2 New Mexico Jewish Historical Society Catching the Genealogy Bug by Dorothy Corner Amsden Note from NMJHS editor: The NMJHS board has decided to add a genealogy component to the Society and asked Dorothy Amsden to join the board in this regard.