Every now and then, I come across a YouTube movie that takes my breath away. I usually put them under the YouTube graphic in my blog's sidebar, and there is one there now that is also worth watching.
This video called "Alice Dancing Under the Gallows" is the Official Trailer for a new documentary short about the oldest Holocaust survivor in the world, Alice Herz-Sommer. This interview with her, and some of her friends who were also Holocaust survivors, is so compelling that I think you will find it is one you will want to share with many.
Alice was a 39-year-old concert pianist in Prague in 1943 when she and her husband and six-year-old son were arrested and sent to the Nazi concentration camp Theresienstadt. I could not imagine the horrors she saw in her days in that camp, but playing music helped her to persevere. At the age of almost 107 years old she continues to live with hope and optimism. She is truly inspirational!
The video begins by running dark for a few seconds, but will soon open.
This is the conclusion of the walk I took along the Battery Park City Park Esplanade that runs along a portion of lower Manhattan west side along the Hudson River from Chambers Street to historical Battery Park...part one can be read here, and part two here. This beautiful walkway is filled with wonderful walkways, parks, meadows and flower beds. I am now in the section known as the Nelson A. Rockefeller Park, located in the north end of Battery Park City, west of River Terrace. The fountain in the photo above emptied into a man made pond. You can see the stone top of the Irish Hunger Memorial in the background, and beyond that is the construction of the Freedom Tower on the former World Trade Center site. (all photos will enlarge when clicked on once and then click on once again when they open on a new page.)
This happy looking duck in the pond was enjoying his view of the Hudson River
Rockefeller Park contains most of Battery Park Conservancy Parks’ wide lawns, as well as a large playground, plantings and gardens, several public art pieces, and a sheltered pavilion. This playground contains a peddle-propelled carousel, climbing, running and jumping equipment for all different ages, plus sprinklers, swings and sand boxes.
The Rockefeller Park House loans board games and ping pong paddles, balls and jump ropes and has a first aid kit if needed. A basketball and a handball court are nearby.
The park is overseen by the Battery Park City Parks Conservancy, which provides amazing array of children's programs from May 1 to October 31.
Many of the flower beds in the park were filled with bushes filled with delightful large hibiscus flowers!
I also spotted lots of pink lilies, echinacea, and wild roses.
One of the large lawns in the park with a view of Jersey City, New Jersey, which is located across the Hudson River.
The most magical place in Rockefeller Park is Tom Otterness' "The Real World," which is a small sculpture garden at the northeast end of the park, bordering River Terrace.
Small bronze footprints wind a path toward the circular wading pool, where water rushes in at one end and sweeps out the other.
Tiny whimsical creatures lurk everywhere; on top of tables, and underfoot, even on top of lamp-posts.
The Park House will loan chess or checkers pieces if you'd like to play.
This bird better watch out as the cat has his eye on him!
A close up at all the detail in the fountain. A penny for your thoughts?
Is this frog a prince in disguise? The Battery Park City building that houses the Poet's House can be seen in the background
This was my favorite sculpture. It is a working water fountain that has a friendly brass bulldog chained to it!
A photo collage of some more of the fanciful figures in the sculpture garden!
The Battery Park City Park Esplanade ends in the vicinity of Stuyvesant High School, which is located at 345 Chambers Street. Stuyvesant is a specialized high school for mathematics, science and technology, and is one of the premier high schools in the United States. It is noted for its strong academic programs, and has produced many notable alumni, including four Nobel laureates. Run by the New York City Department of Education, it is open to New York City residents and charges no tuition. Admission is by competitive examination. I'm proud to say that my son is an alumnus, and was one of the first classes to attend the high school when this new building opened in Battery Park City in 1992, when the school was moved from the former east side location that was built in 1904. We have witnessed quite a bit of the development of Battery Park City through the years, and even through the events of 9-11 severely effected the quality of life in that area for some time, the neighborhood has rebounded and is thriving and is definitely better than ever.
The Battery Park City Park Esplanade is a wonderful place to visit and I hope you enjoyed walking along with me to see all it's interesting sights!
I'm linking to "Pink Saturday" on Beverly's blog "How Sweet The Sound." One of my favorite blogs to visit on Pink Saturday is Susan's blog Black Eyed Susan's Kitchen. Please visit Beverly to see the list of participating Pink Saturday blogs to visit and drop by Susan's and say hello!
If you are a frequent reader of my blog you know I am a very proud life long resident of Brooklyn, New York, and that I always try to show this large and populous borough of the City of New York in a positive way, but even I was surprised to learn that Superheros like to shop here! Are there really true Superheros in the world today?
If you click on to enlarge this photo you will read their supply list and a list of services. They advertise "one stop for all your foe battling needs." Hmmm...I think that a service that even non superheroes could use!
Peeking into the window I saw cans of omnipotence, bravery, immortality and an alternate universe.
Curious, I decided to go inside. The signs in the photo mosaic above were prominently displayed in the lobby. It all sounds so official!
This was the first view I saw of the store when I walked in. Superhero capes and costumes were for sale, but I could see that this was not just a costume store.
They also had the supplies a Superhero and his, or her, sidekick might need! There were cans of things like gravity and anti gravity, x-ray vision, muscle, invincibility and intelligence.
There were boxes full of devices, such as invisibility detection goggles and night vision binoculars. There was even an evil blob containment capsule!
The economy sized plastic jugs of telekinesis, telepathy and e.s.p. seemed to be big sellers.
Need replacement parts for your cyborg robot? Step right up and order them here!
During the time I was browsing in the store I saw two little Superheros use this special "devillainizer" wind chamber to make sure their capes were not corrupted.
Although all the items shown here are actually for sale, both at the store and through mail order from the web site, the Brooklyn Superhero Supply Company is not just a novelty store, it is literally a front for the charitable non profit organization called 826NYC, with all sales going to the organization.
826NYC is dedicated towards supporting students ages 6 to18 to develop their creative and expository writing skills, and it also helps teachers to inspire their students to write. 826NYC provides free drop-in tutoring, after-school workshops, in-schools tutoring, help for English language learners, and assistance with student publications.
Inside the Brooklyn Superhero Supply Company store there are "secret" rooms located behind the shelves, where free after school drop in tutoring sessions are held Sunday through Thursday, along with special after school and summer workshops ranging from playful to practical, and taught by volunteer writers, artists, educators and publishing professionals.
826 National was founded in 2002 by author David Eggers and co-founder NÃnive Calegari, at the flagship location in San Francisco, known as 826 Valencia. It has since grown into seven more chapters across the country: Los Angeles, New York City, Seattle, Chicago, Ann Arbor, Boston, and Washington D.C., several of which offer a unique storefront retail experiences as fundraisers, all with different themes.
826NYC's writing center opened its doors in September 2004. Since then their programs have offered well over one thousand students opportunities to improve their writing and to work side by side with community volunteers.
Do you want to learn more about the services of 826? Watch this informative Youtube video. Pay attention towards the end of the video and you'll see the secret passage to the tutoring room in the Brooklyn Superhero Supply Store revealed.
So, are there true Superheros in the world today? Yes! Each and every 826 National volunteer and all the children who participate in literacy programs throughout the country are Superheros. Hopefully, they will someday make the world a better place.
