How Dracula Stood up for the Jews
Annie Wilkinson mentioned our article about how the actor Bela Lugosi, of Dracula fame, spoke out for Europe’s Jews during the Holocaust. The full story of that remarkable episode is worth recalling.
In the spring of 1944—late in World War II—Nazi Germany occupied Lugosi’s country of birth, Hungary. Soon the Nazis began carrying out the mass deportation of hundreds of thousands of Hungarian Jews to the Auschwitz death camp. This took place in full view of the international community; just three days after the deportations began, theNew York Times reported that trainloads of Jews were being taken from Hungary’s Carpathian provinces to “murder camps in Poland.”
American Jewish organizations urged the Roosevelt administration to intervene. But President Franklin D. Roosevelt and his advisers regarded the mass murder of theJews as none of America’s business. To create pressure for U.S. action, refugee advocates needed to do two things: they needed to draw public attention to the issue, and they needed to show that not just Jews, but also prominent non-Jews, cared about the plight of Hungarian Jewry.
And that’s where Bela Lugosi came in.
Nowadays it’s common for Hollywood stars to get involved in world affairs, but that phenomenon was not the case in the 1940s. Lugosi, however, was not afraid to take a stand for a just cause, and to use his celebrity status to boost that cause. The fact that he was arguably the best-known Hungarian immigrant in America added to the significance of his interest in the plight of Hungary’s Jews.
Lugosi agreed to serve as one of the keynote speakers at a mass rally in Los Angeles on August 28, 1944, to urge U.S. action to rescue Hungary’s Jews. The rally, which attracted more than 2,000 participants, called on FDR to loosen America’s immigration restrictions (the same regulations that had made it so hard for Lugosi himself to reach theUnited States in 1920), and to put pressure on theHungarian regime to stop collaborating with the Nazis.
The rally in Los Angeles was one part of a larger protest campaign that refugee advocates mounted nationwide during the spring and summer of 1944 to bring about U.S. intervention to aid the Jews in Hungary. Unfortunately, these efforts met with only limited results. President Roosevelt did agree to take in one group of about 1,000 Jewish refugees–but then declined to grant haven toothers. He did reluctantly put some pressure on theHungarian leaders to stop the deportations, and although the pressure came too late for most of Hungary’s Jews, it contributed to the Hungarian leaders’ decision to halt thedeportations, while 120,000 still remained alive in Budapest.
Today most of us remember Bela Lugosi’s accomplishments as an actor. But it also worth recalling how one of the most famous movie monsters in history was willing to stand up tothe real-life monsters of Nazi Germany, and spoke out for Hitler’s Jewish victims, at a time when too many others remained silent.
–Dr. Rafael Medoff, director of The David S. Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies
Vote Yes on Ballot Proposition 2 for Clean Water
As long-time advocates for water quality in the Great South Bay, we urge Suffolk County residents to prioritize clean water by voting yes on Ballot Proposition 2 this November. Clean water is essential for every family, business, plant, and animal in our region.
For too long, our waters have suffered from nitrogen pollution, contaminating our beaches, bays, and drinking water. The scientific consensus is clear: outdated septic systems significantly contribute to our county’s poor water quality, harmful algal blooms, and the degradation of wildlife habitats.
Proposition 2 proposes a modest increase of 1/8 of a penny in sales tax to fund the Clean Water Plan. This small investment will make a significant impact, allowing us to upgrade our wastewater infrastructure. By voting yes, we can safeguard our drinking water and restore our precious bays and harbors for future generations.
Voting yes on Proposition 2 is a crucial step towards upgrading our wastewater infrastructure. This investment will protect our drinking water and ensure that future generations inherit clean water and can enjoy the beautiful beaches we cherish.
If you want clean water and safe beaches, make your voice heard. Flip your ballot and vote yes on Prop 2 on November 5.
-Robyn Silvestri, executive director of Save the Great South Bay
Distracted Driving
Recently, a fatal issue has been afflicting Long Island headlines. While motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for 15- to 18-year-olds in the US, Nassau and Suffolk are two of the deadliest counties for traffic fatalities in New York. According to the Institute for Traffic Safety and Management, Long Island averages 18.2 roadway deaths per month. That number skyrocketed to 31 in August 2023. Crashes claimed 243 lives in 2022, 29% more than in 2019. On January 2, 2024, on the Seaford-Oyster Bay Expressway in North Massapequa—while returning to school after the holidays—Dylan Nuccio went off the road at Exit Five’s northbound ramp, hit a tree, and flipped the car. An event that took his life.
We, at EAC Network, a non-profit comprised of 114 social service programs helping New Yorkers in need, can educate more teen drivers and their parents to decrease these numbers and save lives.
Rachel Lugo, EAC’s Division Director and the force behind our Driving Equation program, partnered with community agencies and Long Island high schools to promote safe driving and reduce distractions behind the wheel through free educational programs including Second Chances in Occupant Protection for Everyone (SCOPE) and Teen Driving Equation. Lugo also oversees SAFE START, a program promoting child passenger safety by educating parents and childcare providers.
According to Lisa Mirabile, an involved parent, EAC defensive driving program participant, EAC Network Board Member, and President & CEO of Vertigo Media Group, “The EAC Program is invaluable. When a young person receives their license, they don’t realize they’re driving a weapon. EAC’s defensive driving program showed my son—through live examples and testimony from EMTs, police officers, and victims—what it’s like to live in the aftermath of catastrophic accidents. The instructor revealed how he lost his own son. It brought my son to tears, he even hugged me. It scarred him straight. This saves lives and should be taught in every high school. I’m so grateful that we had this experience. It made my son a respectful driver with no accidents to date.”
As Long Island mourns, swift results are essential. The community must unite, support partners like EAC, and emphasize driver responsibility. It’s time to act. Any Long Island high school interested in FREE educational driving programs for parents, caregivers, and students contact EAC Network’s Second Chances in Occupant Protection for Everyone (SCOPE) at 631-648-7100 ext. 210. Together, we can reverse the devastating statistics.
Sincerely,
EAC Network