Folks in the Boston area might be interested to know that "Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes. Part 2: Perestroika," presented by Central Square Theater and Bedlam, continues at Central Square Theater through Oct. 8. “Part 1: Millennium Approaches” is staged Oct. 7.
On this day in 1950, Ethel Rosenberg was arrested and charged with "conspiracy to commit espionage" after testifying before a grand jury.
On this day in 2015, in a ceremony on the steps of City Hall, NYC Council members gathered, with three generations of Ethel Rosenberg's descendants present, to issue a stunning proclamation in Ethel's honor, stating in part, "the government wrongfully executed Ethel Rosenberg; now therefore BE IT KNOWN: That we, the undersigned Members of the New York City Council, honor the life and memory of Ethel Rosenberg in observance of the 100th anniversary of her birth."
On this day, April 5, 1951, Federal Judge Irving R. Kaufman sentenced Ethel and Julius Rosenberg to death, one week after a jury convicted them of conspiracy to commit espionage.
In his sentencing speech, Judge Kaufman said, "I consider your crimes worse than murder" and that the Rosenbergs' "love for their cause dominated their lives – it was even greater than their love for their children.”
Rosenberg Mention of the Day // A new podcast episode of "Now What?" with Carole Zimmer features Michael Meeropol, older son to Julius and Ethel, to discuss his parents and his childhood. The show hosts "conversations with extraordinary people about their lives and how they navigate all the bumps in the road."
This episode is available now on Apple, Spotify or Stitcher and online here: bit.ly/3BnRXEu
#OnThisDay in 2015, "Ethel Rosenberg Day of Justice in the Borough of Manhattan" was declared on Sep 28, Ethel's 100th birthday. In honor of this momentous day, we share some of the powerful remarks from the Proclamation gathering back in 2015:
Rosenberg Mention of the Day: Sharing Foreign Affair's latest review of "Ethel Rosenberg: An American Tragedy", a brief statement acknowledging that prejudice (misogyny, antisemitism, anti-communism) obstructed justice for Ethel and led to her eventual execution. (While we’ve known the truth of the review’s concluding sentence for years, it’s still shocking to read it in a preeminent establishment publication...)
Rosenberg Mention of the Day: We're pleased to share Ellen Meeropol's publication for Lilith Magazine, a thoughtfully crafted reflection on two recently published books focused on Ethel Rosenberg.
Rosenberg Mention of the Day: ICYMI - RFC Founder Robert Meeropol & NYT bestselling author Anne Sebba discuss Sebba's latest biography which focuses on the life of Ethel Rosenberg, the wife and mother whose execution for espionage-related crimes defined the Cold War and horrified the world. (Recording available here: https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?v=405417641025854&ref=watch_permal…)
Rosenberg Mention of the Day: ICYMI - Jenn Meeropol's "Exonerating Ethel" presentation delivered on June 6th, 2021 to the Community Church of Boston to commemorate the 68th anniversary of the execution of Ethel & Julius Rosenberg.
Watch the event recording here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jI0Rj_rvabY
00:55 Music, intros, readings, led by Dean Stevens
22:44 Jenn's talk "Exonerating Ethel" begins