On October 9, avid readers and collectors of books focusing on the Titanic were able to interact with the authors, live, during a fan-requested, Virtual Conference. At 11am, Joan Adler presented a talk about her book For the Sake of the Children. The conference was well attended and was followed by a Q&A. After the presentation, Joan received several inquiries about her work from interested participants. We are so grateful to the Titanic Museum Attraction for including us in this fascinating event and look forward to partnering again in the future.
During the week of August 2-5, Joan Adler, Karen Franklin and Warren Klein presented their talk, Two Great Families and their Temple: The Strauses, the Lehman's and Temple Emanu-El and Temple Beth El. This talk was for the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies Conference. The presentation was held virtually and was attended by hundreds of participants. It was followed by a lively Q&A.
The Middletown Farms of Percy & Herbert Straus April 19, 2021
On April 19th, Joan Adler gave a presentation to the Middletown (NJ) Historical Society about the Middletown estates of Percy and Herbert Straus. In the early 20th century, the Straus brothers purchased large farms in Middletown which were to serve as their country retreats. The Strauses developed the land and French Norman style buildings, much of which stands today.
Attendees learned about the history and importance of their farms, including the complex that is known as Cobble Close. The event was well attended. The guests were fascinated by the incredible photographs and stories shared by Joan, many of which were taken in 1930 during the reconstruction project. A recording of the presentation is available on our Video page.
On April 5, 2021, Joan Adler gave a presentation to the Monday Club from Young Israel in North Netanya, Israel. Netanya, founded in 1927, was named in honor of Nathan Straus, who made many philanthropic contributions to the region. He built soup kitchens, supported workrooms so that unskilled laborers could find employment and built health stations that ministered to the victims of malaria and trachoma. He provided $250,000 for the establishment of the Jerusalem Health Center and made possible the founding of a Pasteur Institute.
This presentation was attended by more than 50 excited and interested participants. Members of the Monday Club asked fascinating questions and engaged in a vibrant discussion about Nathan and Lina Straus at the end of the presentation. A recording of the event is available on our Video page.
Thank you to Judah Harstein and Alan Gold of YINN for the opportunity to speak with their members!