Published March 1 2016
Young girl's experience during World War II has parallels today
A Bellevue resident will recount how her family was forced to flee the then Italian island of Rhodes during World War II in a story of exile with parallels today at the next Cultural Conversations meeting on March 8, 1-2:30 p.m., at the Crossroads Community Center, 16000 NE 10th St.
Cynthia Flash Hemphill's mother, Clara Barkey, a Sephardic Jew, was a young child when her family was forced out in 1939. Hemphill, a publicist, journalist and editor, has just edited and released a book, "A Hug from Afar," about the Barkeys' journey of survival across three continents and challenges in securing legal immigration to the U.S.
Hemphill will speak at the Cultural Conversations meeting, accompanied by her aunt, Regina Amira, also of Bellevue. (Clara Barkey was Amira's older sister.) Hemphill's book is based on a compilation of long-lost letters Barkey wrote in her original Judeo-Spanish language (Ladino) to a Seattle-based aunt and uncle between 1930 and 1946, when her family desperately sought refuge from the Holocaust.
Following the presentation, the group will explore how the themes in Clara's story ring true today for refugees around the globe, including the role family ties, love and trust play in survival, and of how our stories inform who we are today.
Cultural Conversations is a women's group launched in 2010 as a partnership between diverse women in the community and the City of Bellevue. The meeting is open to all women who wish to enhance knowledge and understanding of different cultural practices and world views.
The event is free, with refreshments, and women of all ages, faiths and cultures are welcome to attend. To fully participate in the sharing, attendees are encouraged to make arrangements for child care. Please RSVP with Carol Ross (cross@bellevuewa.gov or 425-452-7917).