Rafid Amin

HONS 2011J

Hunter College-CUNY

Professor Hernández-Ojeda

Milton Wolff

Personal Statement

                Milton Wolff first caught my eye when I watched the documentary The Good Fight (1984) with classmates in our Spanish Civil War in Literature, Film and Art course, led by Professor Maria Hernandez-Ojeda. We watched the documentary fairly early into the semester and so, I did not know much about the Spanish Civil War yet. At first, I was interested and awed by the fact that we were watching a documentary involving veterans from a war that happened almost eighty years ago. Milton Wolff, as well as several other volunteers of the Abraham Lincoln Brigades, made an appearance and although I knew very little about the war at the time, there was something uplifting about the documentary. Wolff caught my attention as he had a way with words in the documentary and he fully expressed his need, a global need, in fact, to take on fascism during the Spanish Civil War. It was immediately clear to me that Milton Wolff had a perspective on life larger than his own, that he could see a much bigger picture. (more…)

Cassidy Kristal-Cohen                      

HONS2011j

Hunter College-CUNY

Prof. Hernandez-Ojeda

                        Abraham Osheroff: A life of activism and exuberance

                                                Personal Statement

            In my studies of the Spanish Civil War, I frequently found myself making comparisons to what had occurred thirty years later in Nicaragua, during the Sandinista era. The similarities between the two events are striking, and numerous. When I discovered that Abraham Osheroff had fought in the Spanish Civil War during the 1930s, as well as traveled to Nicaragua to build homes during the 1980s— I knew that I wanted to study the progression of his life. Primarily relying on resources from the Tamiment Library archive at NYU, as well as from online publications, I came to understand that Osheroff’s activism expanded far beyond the Spanish Civil War, and Nicaragua. Rather, in seemingly every progressive movement of the 20th century (that he was alive for), Osheroff was present and actively fighting. The more I learned about Osheroff, the more I came to admire, and respect him. In particular, I was drawn to his personal, political philosophy titled “radical humanism”. His articulation of this philosophy has had a lasting impact on how I think about my own political work in terms of lying outside a rigid ideology. Learning about Osheroff’s life has humanized the conflict in Spain, and shown me just how truly exceptional the Abraham Lincoln Brigade volunteers were.

(more…)

Alyssa Fernandes

HONS 2011J

Hunter College-CUNY

Professor Hernández-Ojeda

Charles A. Barr

Personal Statement

            Before this year I had never heard of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade and was surprised to discover that these incredible stories, not yet 100 years old, were not shared more frequently. When tasked with researching the life of one Abraham Lincoln Brigade volunteer, I knew it would be difficult to choose one person from the lengthy list of brave women and men. I decided that I would try to uncover the story of someone less known, who perhaps didn’t acquire much fame but still deserved to be acknowledged.

            Within the Abraham Lincoln Brigade Archives, not many interviews or documents detailing the life of Charles A. Barr exist. However, from just a few his recorded quotes, he captivated me with his fearlessness and passion for the Spanish cause. Without wasting time and without any experience in political activism, he got a passport merely weeks after his 18th birthday and left to fight in Spain soon after. (more…)

Sarah Elnewishy

HONS 2011J

Hunter College-CUNY

Professor Hernández-Ojeda

Sidney Vogel

Personal Statement

            In my search for a volunteer to focus my research on, I came across hundreds of individuals with varying occupations and participation in the Spanish Civil War. What drew me to Dr. Sidney Vogel was his passion and dedication to caring for the lives of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade soldiers. In my class on the occurrences of the Civil War, I learned about the disturbing conditions of the International Brigades and their dedication for the cause they were fighting for. I often found myself thinking of the medical professionals that had the job of treating the gruesome injuries and fatalities on the war-front. This led me to focus my research on medical professionals that were a part of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade (ALB). I knew that several of my classmates were writing about nurses, so I chose to uncover the life of a doctor. This doctor is Dr. Sidney Leon Vogel. (more…)

Kelly Schmaeling
HONS 2011J
Professor Hernández-Ojeda

Hunter College-CUNY

Introduction

           I came across Emma Goldman’s name while looking for women writers in the Spanish Civil War. While I found many famous male fiction and nonfiction writers (Hemingway, Hughes and Orwell, etc.) that reported on and wrote about the war, there were very few women. I had originally wanted to write this narrative on an author because of my love for literature. I wanted to choose a female because, as a feminist, I wanted to further shed light on the important roles that women played in the Spanish Civil War. When I came across Emma and read a little bit about who she was and what she did, I was was taken aback by her radicalism, her accomplishments, and quite frankly, her awesomeness. I felt that I had to learn more about her and the more that I learnt, through archival research as well as articles of hers that I found online, the more impressed I became. Although she was never a part of the Abraham Lincoln Brigades, I chose to research Emma Goldman because I (more…)