Instead of having an annual dinner as it has in the past, the group brought Henry Fenichel to town, in cooperation with the local American Legion post.
 
Fenichel was born in the Netherlands in 1938.  Shortly after the Nazi rise to power, sensing the danger, his mother sent a request for their relocation to Palestine.  After his father was deported by the Nazis and no response from the request to immigrate, Feichel and his mother went into hiding in a convalescence home. He was 6 years old when they were discovered hiding and were transported to the Westerbork Detention Camp. Shortly after arriving, they learned of a prisoner exchange that was going to allow a select number of Jews escape to Palestine.Through a miraculous series of events, Fenichel's mother was able to get them on the list. In 1944, as part of a rare prisoner exchange, he, his mother and 220 individuals traveled from Bergen Belsen eventually arriving to freedom in Palestine.

Fenichel grew up in Palestine before coming to America as a teenager. He attended Brooklyn College before pursuing a doctorate in physics at Rutgers University. Fenichel and his wife, Diana, moved to Cincinnati when he was offered a position at the University of Cincinnati as a professor of physics. He taught there for over 38 years.

Fenichel has two daughters and many grandchildren. He has been involved in numerous community organizations, he served as president of Northern Hills Synagogue and currently serves on the Speaker’s Bureau and board of The Center for Holocaust and Humanity Education.


50th Anniversary of Franklin's Quasi-Sesquicentennial

When the city of Franklin threw what was arguably its biggest-ever shindig it was all a big mistake. After all, who pulls out all the stops for a 164-year anniversary?

It happened in 1960, and the Franklin Area Historical Society will feature an exhibit marking the 50th anniversary of that event this spring when the Harding Museum opens, featuring a display of memorabilia from what was known as the Quasi-Sesquicentennial.

The museum will unveil the display when it opens for the season April 25. After that time, the museum, located at 302 Park Avenue, will be open from 2 to 5 p.m. each Sunday and by appointment through November.

“We hope people who have photographs, home movies or other memorabilia from the Quasi-Sesqui will loan them to historical society for the exhibit,” said Dan Darragh, president. “We have newspaper accounts leading up to and reporting all the activities along with some costumes and the wooden nickels that were legal tender,” he said.
 
One of the highlights of the week-long celebration was an outdoor pageant called “Happy Valley,” which traced the history of Franklin from even before its founding to the mid-20th century. More than 350 local people were involved in the pageant along and many others were involved in the activities during the festival. Copies of the pageant souvenir program will also be on display.
 
The whole thing came about when a local businessman thought it would be a good idea for the city to celebrate its 150 years of existence. He had apparently read accounts of a big Franklin homecoming celebration that took place in 1910, a celebration so big he thought it was a centennial celebration. However, Franklin was founded in 1796, not 1810, so the sesquicentennial had come and gone and no one noticed.

But by the time the mistake was discovered, planning was well under way and so many civic groups and individuals were involved that it was decided to go forward and have the event anyway.

In the weeks preceding the festival, which began the end of June and continued over the Fourth of July, men grew beards and women began wearing sunbonnets when they went downtown. A group of men calling themselves “Keystone Kops” would even prowl the streets issuing citations for various infractions, such as shaving without a permit or lying about golf scores, summoning hapless residents to appear before a “judge” where comical sentences were handed down.

Franklin residents formed motorcades and traveled to neighboring cities promoting the event. Wooden nickels were made and residents could obtain them at the bank in exchange for real money. Many merchants accepted the coins in payment for goods during that time and then took the coins to bank for repayment when the event ended.

“A lot of people probably have some photos and movies from back then, and we hope they'll be willing to share them for the exhibit,” Darragh said.
He can be contacted at (937) 746-1914 or by e-mail at ddarragh@sbcglobal.net

All items will be returned to their owners.


St. Mary Church is Newest  Ornament

St. Mary Catholic Church is the subject for this year's wooden Christmas ornament, which is now on sale by the Franklin Area Historical Society.