Palm Springs International Film Festival

Last night we saw a very moving film entitled "Broken Promise". The story of Martin Friedman who through a number of serendipitous events survived a concentration camp and escaped to join Slovak partisans.

His best buddy and chess partner along with the other members were fiercely anti Semitic and in one sequence executed one of their own mainly because he was Jewish.

Most of his large family perished in the camps.

The promise made was that the family gathered for a joyous Bar Mitzvah in 1938 Czechoslovakia would gather again at the parents' home again in 1939.

By that time the family was dispersed and some had perished.

The highlight of the evening was the appearance of Martin Friedman, the author and survivor on the stage.

His message was that no matter how tranquil your life seems always be vigilant of your freedoms.

It brought to mind the ongoing greeting between my father and uncle.

Uncle: What's new?

Dad:(in Yiddish) Somewhere Jews are being persecuted.

Uncle:(ironically) So, What's new?