Elisheva Adler
Professor Maria Hernandez-Ojeda
HONS 2011J – Spanish Civil War in Literature and Film
17 December 2020
Leonard Bertram Levenson: “Lenny”
Personal Statement
This semester, I have had the privilege of taking a course about the Spanish Civil War, taught by Professor Hernández-Ojeda. Prior to taking this course, I had no knowledge about the Spanish Civil War. This semester I have learned about the historical background that led up to the Spanish Civil War and the valiant efforts of the international brigade volunteers to support the Republic and fight the battle against fascism. I have had the honor this semester, to conduct research and delve even further into the life of one of the heroic volunteers of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade, Mr. Leonard Bertram Levenson. Through my research and interview of Mr. Levenson’s daughter, Joan Cohen, I have gained invaluable insight into the life of Mr. Levenson and feel that his legacy in-conjunction with his fellow ALB volunteers must be immortalized as a means of attesting to their selflessness and courageous actions. I hope that by writing about Mr. Levenson’s life, his legacy and devotion to helping others will be passed on, and hopefully influence others to feel, speak, and act like he did.
Adriana Chavez
María Hernández-Ojeda
Final Essay
HONS 211J –1
Volunteer Max Shufer by Student Adriana Chavez
Personal Statement
The American public school system does a pitiful job teaching us world history, nor does American culture encourage us to keep up with foreign affairs. I went into this class expecting to learn about Spain, not the US, and was excited to do so. However, I was flabbergasted by the connections I found between the Spanish Civil War and the current rise of fascism in the US. Additionally, though I wasn’t shocked to learn of my country’s non-intervention in the Spanish Civil War, I was surprised and proud to hear about the large number of Americans who bravely volunteered to fight for the Second Spanish Republic.
Max Shufer is a volunteer who came from a similar background to the student population at Hunter College. He was a bright, working-class New Yorker, a CUNY graduate, and an ethnic minority. His contribution to the War forces us to confront whether we would’ve joined the Spanish Civil War if we had lived in the 1930s. Or, if we would fight to make a difference in another conflict that might present itself in the modern-day. It was a privilege to learn about Max for this essay, especially through interviewing his youngest daughter, Jane Shufer. Classes in the humanities often keep subjects in the theoretical. Students like myself might understand what they are learning about, but not connect to it in a concrete, non-abstract way. However, writing about Max Shufer and speaking to Jane firmly brought the Spanish Civil War into reality for me. It brought the War and the members of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade closer to me than I ever expected, but am extremely grateful for.
Shane Harilall
Professor Maria Hernandez-Ojeda
HONS 2011J – Spanish Civil War in Literature and Film
18 December 2020
Personal Statement
I initially elected to partake in this class due to a total lack of knowledge concerning the Spanish Civil War. As far as I was concerned, the Spanish Civil War was another pointless conflict with little to no meaning. I cannot believe how wrong I was. I have since come to understand the significance of the Good Fight, and as such am remorseful for my initial feelings on the matter. However, I am also grateful for the experience, as I now understand the personal sacrifices and emotional resilience of the volunteers who risked their lives for the sake of others. Having done copious amounts of research on Steve Nelson and his endeavors both before and after the Spanish Civil War, I felt a personal connection to the man, despite only knowing the legend. I gained an admiration for him and found myself in an emotional state upon reading his obituary in the New York Times. And so, I write this to not only inform others of the live of Steve Nelson, but also to celebrate his life and attempt to contribute to the immortalization of this man. My only disappointment in this class, is the fact that I could not have taken it in person. (more…)
Sylvia Welch
THHP 2011J
Hunter College-CUNY
Prof. Hernandez-Ojeda
Virginia Malbin
Personal Statement
In the fall semester of 2020, I enrolled in a course on the Spanish Civil War. Prior to this class, I didn’t know anything about this period of history. Throughout the semester, our class engaged with riveting and emotional works of art, literature, and film that taught us about this captivating period of time. We learned about the struggles against fascism, nationalist and republican propaganda, and how the war had enormous effects that rippled through individual lives, communities, and countries. As a cumulative final project we were assigned to study the life of an Abraham Lincoln Brigade volunteer. This project is designed to deepen our understanding of the events during the Spanish Civil War through learning and writing about a volunteer’s personal experiences. Virginia Malbin was a volunteer, social worker, wife, anti-fascist, union-member, and public speaker. I chose to research and write about her because I felt that she and I had a lot of similarities in our lives. I also empathize with many of her experiences leading up to her joining the ALB, such as the police brutality she witnessed and the urge to fight against what we view as immoral. I’ve seen many timely parallels while studying Virginia Malbin’s story and learning more broadly about the Spanish Civil War in class. There is great political tension and uprising in America today, and fascism is on the rise in many countries. This fight is the same battle that we have struggled with through generations. This story, and the stories of all the other ALB volunteers, are vital to our place in the fight against fascism today. (more…)
Vasilis Kontodimas
Professor Hernandez-Ojeda
HONS 2011J, Section 01
8 Dec. 2020
Nicholas Ioannou Demas’ fight “to stop the barbarians”
Personal Statement:
Before I selected Nicholas Ioannou Demas as the one Abraham Lincoln Brigade volunteer to research, I knew how treacherous the life for the Greek population had been in the early twentieth century. My grandparents had personally served and lived through WWII and the ensuing Greek civil war. So, I wanted to see what could motivate a Greek man, together with his brother, to risk their lives for Spain when Greece still faced myriad issues. I started with the Abraham Lincoln Brigade Archives and discovered that my subject was a Cypriot Greek born before WWI. Then, I re-examined my understanding of the Cypriot issues at the time and contacted my relatives who lived in Cyprus to see if there is a memorial of sort for the Cypriots who supported the Spanish Republic. I got access to a talk by Paul Philippou. Unfortunately, I never obtained his book Spanish Thermopylae. However, I was able to reach Demas’ daughters and I interviewed them on November 16, 2020. This interview was momentous because they shared their father’s letter, written on January 20, 1938. Demas’ words displayed his character and the formative forces that created his character. British colonization, military aggression, immigration to Egypt and US, and workers’ economic disparity were central in making a man willing to stand against barbarous and cruel inequalities, that impacted the world.
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