Join us at the Downing Film Center, 19 Front Street, Newburgh, 561-3686 on Monday, April 16th at 2 p.m. & 7 p.m. for a special viewing of the “The Gefilte Fish Chronicles”. After each viewing, descendants of the Dubroff and Kaplan’s will discuss their family, the film and the upcoming musical that will bring their story to the stage.
This professional documentary is a loving remembrance of a local family’s annual rituals and reflects the warmth of family gatherings everywhere.
In 1904, Abe and Minnie Dubroff emigrated from Russia to Brooklyn where they raised seven daughters and a son. For a century, the family has gathered at Passover and celebrated the Seder together. First in Brooklyn, then in Boonton, New Jersey and for the last four decades, Passover has been celebrated in Newburgh, New York.
Led by the three surviving sisters, Sophie Patasnik, Peppy Barer and Rosie Groman, traditional preparations were made for the Seder at Peppy’s home in Newburgh. Six Weeks before the Seder they shopped and chopped, tasted and seasoned. Using recipes nearly a century old, they began to put together the Gefilte Fish, Cholent, Horse Radish and Sponge Cake.
“I’ve heard it said many times, and it’s the truth: the family that sits around the table together stays together. And we have many tables.”
Contact Johanna Porr, Historical Society of Newburgh Bay and the Highlands, (845) 561-2585 for more information about the event. Details about the documentary can be found at www.gefiltefishchronicles.com.
On Sunday, April 1, the Historical Society of Newburgh Bay and the Highlands will be celebrating a preview of an art auction to be held in May with an open house between 1-4. Also being celebrated is Lisa Silverstone’s tenure and Johanna Porr’s new directorship.
Historical Society of Newburgh Bay and the Highlands
189 Montgomery Street, Newburgh, NY 12550
The Historical Society of Newburgh Bay and the Highlands is excited to announce that lifelong Newburgh resident Johanna Porr is their new director!
Johanna was selected from a pool of highly qualified candidates and is looking forward to taking on her new role, beginning this week.
“To be able to study the largest historic district in New York State is certainly fun, but to be entrusted with a role to use that understanding to help rebuild this city is an honor,” she said.
As director, Johanna’s duties include fundraising, directing future research and programs, overseeing the remaining renovations to the Captain David Crawford House, creating useful networks in the fields of public history and academic history and increasing membership within the group.
“The Historical Society has been and will continue to be a resource for people who want to learn more about Newburgh’s history or those who are interested in restoring homes here,” she said.
Johanna wants to establish an inspiring new direction for the Historical Society of Newburgh Bay and the Highlands while maintaining everything Newburgh has come to love about the organization. Her goals are to keep up with the current trends in the academic world, exchange information and ideas with other historical societies in New York and beyond and to use the society’s resources to make Newburgh’s history more relevant to today’s citizens.
“It’s important to find the academics who are already doing the research and connect them with the people on the ground who have a better idea of the questions the public is interested in,” said Johanna. “I’d like to see more serious focus on scholarly research being done in the Hudson Valley.”
Johanna has a passion for Newburgh and an extensive historical background to match. Many know Johanna as an historical interpreter at Washington’s Headquarters, where she has both volunteered and been employed for nearly a decade. She attended Franklin College in Switzerland where she studied European history, earned an M.P.A. from Marist College and recently spent time in Virginia doing archaeology at Historic Jamestown and historic-trades research at Colonial Williamsburg.
“Newburgh is a fascinating place,” said Johanna, who grew up in city. “We call it ‘History City’ because you can take any major movement and tie it back here somehow; you can always find a way to understand the scope of American history through the narratives that are available in Newburgh.”
The new director is the daughter of former Newburgh city manager Harold Porr and Joan Mauriello, who volunteered as a preservationist and historical activist while Johanna was growing up.
“This society is one of the earliest and we’ve been building a collection and archive since 1884,” Johanna said. “I’m proud to be part of such a strong institution, especially since the viability of Newburgh’s future is inseparable from its legacy.”
You can meet Johanna at the Crawford House onSunday, April 1 at 3 p.m., during opening day of the society’s art auction preview and reception. For more information about the Historical Society or its new director, call 845-561-2585.
On Saturday, March 31st Washington’s Headquarters State Historic Site’s will celebrate Woman’s History Month. This annual program, “The General’s Lady” highlights Martha Washington by honoring a contemporary Woman of History. This year’s recipient is Stella Bailey. The event, taking place at 1:00 PM in the Ritz Theater Lobby, 107 Broadway, is free and open to the public.
Ms. Bailey, a co-founder of the Fort Montgomery Battle Site Association, is also its Executive Director and Financial Officer. For many years, she’s been involved with Hudson Valley historic preservation, serving as President of the Town of Highlands Historical Society for 32 years, and as the town/village historian for 19 years.
Washington’s Headquarters in Newburgh will be hosting a three-day celebration on February 18th, 19th and 20th, from 12:00 until 4:30 PM. There will be a variety of activities and presentations for all ages. To add to the “back in time” atmosphere, each day re-enactors will be performing military drills – Lamb’s Artillery on Saturday, the 5th New York Regiment on Sunday and the 5th Connecticut Regiment on Monday. There will be cake all three days and music by Thaddeus MacGregor in the Headquarters. Admission is by donation.
Call 845-562-1195 for additional programming and further details or directions.
Washington’s Headquarters State Historic Site announced that this year’s recipient of the Martha Washington Woman of History Award is history advocate, Stella Bailey.
Mrs. Bailey, co-founder of the Fort Montgomery Battle Site Association, has been involved and dedicated to preserving Hudson Valley History for over 50 years. She has worked in all capacities in over 20 different organizations over these many years. At present, she is the Executive Director and Financial Officer of the Fort Montgomery Battle Site Association; President of the Town of Highlands Historical Society for 32 years; and Town/Village Historian for 19 years. Mrs. Bailey also finds time to write “Then and Now” columns for the local News and is busy with community projects such as the Senior Citizen’s Group, and the Local Development Corporation for Main Street revitalization.
The Fort Montgomery Battle Site Association is a Friends Group which supports the preservation and restoration of the Revolutionary Fort Battle Site,. Opened to the public in 2001, is it now one of the State’s major tourism attractions in the area featuring a media room, conference room, and museum.
Mrs. Bailey will be added to the already esteemed list of previous winners of this award, including Janet Dempsey, local historian and author, Barbara Bedell, TIMES-HERALD RECORD columnist, Mary McTamaney, City of Newburgh Historian and, most recently, Mara Farrell, community activist.
Washington’s Headquarters State Historic Site presents the prestigious “Martha Washington Woman of History Award” as part of their annual Woman’s History Month program, “The General’s Lady”. This event will take place on March 31st in Newburgh. In addition to presenting this prestigious award, “The General’s Lady” includes a reception and a speakers’ program, starting at 1:00pm. The program is open to the public. For further details call 845-562-1195.
Washington’s Headquarters State Historic Site is a registered national historic landmark. It is located at the corner of Liberty and Washington Streets within the city of Newburgh’s East End Historic District. The site is one of 35 historic sites within the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and is one of 24 facilities administered by the Palisades Interstate Park Commission in New York and New Jersey. For further information contact: (845) 562-1195. For more information about New York State Parks, please visit our website at www.nysparks. com.
