Since moving to Southbury in 2004, I have become captivated by the story of how the Town of Southbury intentionally opposed the efforts of the German-American Bund (a neo-Nazi movement) to build their largest training camp on land they purchased in September 1937 in Southbury.
My efforts, along with others, resulted in the production of a documentary video. You can watch that video at this link: https://youtu.be/04KXvT40yIE On the weekend that the documentary premiered in Southbury, there were numerous events that were included in a separate documentary. You can watch that video at this link: https://youtu.be/Erqrv3p06E8
If you would like to read the story of how the documentary came to be produced and how the story we told became a prominent part of an exhibit at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum, click here. The exhibit is called “Americans and the Holocaust”.
In December, 2020, I completed an illustrated children’s book that is a fictionalized account of the events in 1937 through the eyes of Lois, the daughter of the Minister at the South Britain Congregational Church. The wonderful illustrations were done by Betty Ann Medeiros. The book’s title is Lois’s Story: A Young Girl’s Inspiration Helps to Stop Hate and Fear. The book may be purchased through Amazon in either paper or digital format: https://www.amazon.com/Loiss-Story-Young-Girls-Inspiration-ebook/dp/B08QHC8VM2/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=Lois%27s+story&qid=1608173608&sr=8-2
In November of 2021, Rabbi Eric Polokoff and I began to plan an 85th Anniversary to commemorate the brave actions taken back in 1937. The weekend planning is progressing very well. For more information go to www.southbury-ct.org/1937.
