September 22, 2021 -- Jewish history, Sweden and Norway
The UMRA Armchair Traveler Program featured a compelling presentation by Charles Muscoplat, professor and dean emeritus from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities Campus. Charles shared pictures and information about his wife Sue's and his visits to the WWII Concentration Camps of Treblinka and Auschwitz-Birkenau in Poland and Jewish historical sites in Budapest and Prague. Lynn C. Anderson, former associate director of the Learning Abroad Center, shared pictures and information about her 2019 visit to Oslo, Krokerøy, and Bergen Norway and Tanumshede, Orust, and Uddevalla Sweden. Lynn apologizes to Chuck and viewers that she was unable to record the first part of Chuck's presentation.
Journey through Europe and Scandinavia with Armchair Traveler
Wed, Sep 22 2021, 11:30am
Join UMRA members Charles Muscoplat and Lynn Anderson to learn about their personal journeys through Europe and Scandinavia when UMRA’s Armchair Traveler program meets from 10 to 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, September 22, via Zoom.
An email invitation will be sent to all UMRA members a week before the program.
Charles Muscoplat, professor and dean emeritus of the College of Agricultural, Food, and Environmental Sciences, will present “Personal journey to WWII concentration and death camps in Poland, and Jewish historical sites in Budapest and Prague.” After starting their 2018 journey in Amsterdam’s Keukenhof Botanical Garden, Chuck and Sue Muscoplat went to Warsaw, where they toured various WWII memorials, including the Umschlagplatz Monument, the former loading yard where trains carried hundreds of thousands of Jews to their death at Treblinka. Next, they visited Auschwitz-Birkenau, where more than 1.1 million were killed. They then went to Budapest and toured pre-WWII Jewish history. Lastly, they stopped in Prague to learn about the pre-WWII history of Jews in the Czech Republic. The Muscoplat family has roots in Vilnius, Lublin, Zhitomir, and Bucharest. While most of Muscoplat’s family came to the U.S. before WWI, many stayed behind and suffered the consequences.
Lynn C. Anderson, former administrator in the College of Liberal Arts and the Learning Abroad Center, will present “Sweden and Norway: monuments, mountains, and memories.” Anderson has visited relatives in Sweden and Norway numerous times since 1975; her most recent sojourn was in spring 2019. She will share pictures and information about the incredible landscapes, amazing buildings and art, and fascinating history—plus a few goofy pictures of relatives.
Please plan to join us, and mark your calendars for our January 26 and April 27 presentations, too.
—Lynn C. Anderson, chair, Armchair Traveler
Upcoming Events
Our July 15 "hike" is going to be a kayaking adventure on Bde Maka Ska (formerly Lake Calhoun) and Lake of the Isles! If you don't have a kayak (or paddleboard), Wheel Fun Rentals, located next to the new concession stand rents single kayaks at $15 an hour and double kayaks at $25. The second hour is free if we rent before noon. Life jackets are provided with the rental.
Laura Ericksen will lead the discussion of How Stella Learned to Talk by Christina Hunger, a true story by a speech-language pathologist who taught her dog, Stella, to communicate using buttons associated with different words.
Our August 5 hike will be a reprise of our hike last summer at William O'Brien State Park. This is a beautiful park with a winding trail and a great view of the countryside. The hike is about 5.5 to 6 miles and we'll go at a moderate pace with frequent water breaks. After the hike, we will eat lunch at Rustic Roots Winery, a half mile north of the park.
Kathy Cramer will lead the discussion of The Bookbinder by Pip Williams, a book set in 1914 Oxford chronicling the life of Peggy who works in the University bindery, but craves a life beyond binding books but to being a scholar herself.
Enjoy a two-hour cruise on the Jonathan Padelford, leaving from the Harriet Island dock in St. Paul, boarding time at 5:30 p.m. We will have a brief program on board by Patrick Nunnally from the River Life Program of the Institute on the Environment.
August 31 is the due date for annual reports and updates. Annual Reports, Toolkits, web page updates, operating document updates and archives collections are all due each year on this date.
Autumn is a wonderful season in Minnesota so plan to join UMRA at the Andersen Horticultural Library at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. Kristen Mastel, head librarian and curator, will reveal its treasure trove of publications and artifacts relating to plant history, horticulture, and natural history. After the tour, those who are interested may stay to eat lunch together, sitting outside if the weather is nice. Later, you are invited to a one-hour tram tour of the entire Arboretum that includes natural areas of flowering shrubs, bogs, and forests, family garden and landscaping showpieces, and the red barn farm
After a summer break the UMRA Photo Club will next meet September 10, 2024 in the meeting room of the Hennepin County St. Anthony Branch Library. For those interested in lunch, meet at the Great Dragon at 11:30 am. For September the THEME will be Curves
We will continue to discuss the pros and cons of Medicare Advantage. You will also hear about notable non-health plan and non-broker resources.