From 1939-45, more than 15 assassination attempts were made against Adolf Hitler, involving thousands of religious leaders, politicians and members of the military. One of the conspirators was a passionate Lutheran pastor named Dietrich Bonhoeffer.
Working as a double agent, he secretly fed information about the plots to the Allies, because he believed “action springs not from thought, but from a readiness for responsibility.” He was ultimately hung at the Flossenburg concentration camp, just 23 days before the Nazis' surrender. This week we explore the legacy of Bonhoeffer, one of the most celebrated Christian leaders to oppose Nazi anti-Semitism.
StoryCorps: Memory Fades, Love Endures
Begins at 22 min 30 sec
Ken Morganstern was diagnosed with early stage Alzheimer’s in 2001. Four years ago, two of his daughters brought him to StoryCorps to talk about the memories that remain.
Update: We’re very sorry to say that Ken Morganstern passed away a year and a half after this interview, in November 2007. This piece was played at his funeral, a Jewish service held on Long Island. Priya and Bhavani – and their siblings David and Julie - tell us they are grateful to have had him in their lives.
Produced by Michael Garofal and Sarah Kramer for the StoryCorps oral history project
A Buddhist Couple's Journey Through Alzheimer's
Begins at 27 min 2 sec
For much of the 40 years they were married, Hob and Olivia Hoblitzelle practiced Buddhism, a tradition that teaches patience, acceptance and the power of letting go. These values became their anchor in 1995, when Hob was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Olivia was both his wife and his caregiver as they coped with Hob’s increasing confusion and loss of awareness, a process often called “the long goodbye.”
Pictured: Harrison, known as "Hob," and Olivia Hoblitzelle on vacation in 1999 in Mexico.
Olivia Ames Hoblitzelle, author of "Ten Thousand Joys & Ten Thousand Sorrows: A Couple's Journey Through Alzheimer's"
