“A Doorway to Heroism: Rabbi Romberg's Great Uncle Richard Stern" at the German American Heritage Center -- November 19.
Sunday, November 19, 1:30 p.m.
German American Heritage Center, 712 West Second Street, Davenport IA
In a special in-person program on November 19, the astonishing accomplishments of a noted European will be the focus of the German American Heritage Center lecture A Doorway to Heroism: Rabbi Romberg's Great Uncle Richard Stern, with this fascinating historical account co-presented by the Jewish Federation of the Quad Cities.
Imagine a German Jew who was a decorated German soldier in World War I, a resister in Cologne at the start of Hitler's reign of terror, and a Silver Star decorated U.S. Army soldier. Three heroic actions, at three different times, in three different places. This is the story of Richard Stern, whose photograph of his protest hangs in multiple German museums, showing a rare Jewish protest in Nazi Germany. Richard Stern's history connected to the Holocaust is unique, and in A Doorway to Heroism: Rabbi Romberg's Great Uncle Richard Stern, his story will be recounted as told by his great-nephew Rabbi W. Jack Romberg, who will also speak on how the Shoah impacted his family.
W. Jack Romberg retired as the rabbi of Temple Israel in Tallahassee, FL in the summer of 2019. It was his second career, and he intended to enter rabbinic school after graduating from University of Pittsburgh in 1976 with a BA in history focusing on Germany, but his father asked him to help in the family's furniture manufacturing business. In 1995, Romberg decided to pursue the lifelong dream to be a rabbi, entering Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in 1996, earning a master's degree in 1999, and becoming ordained in 2001. Before retiring, Rabbi Romberg decided to write the book on his great uncle Richard Stern, perhaps forming a third career.
As a rabbi, Romberg was deeply involved in the general community, interfaith programs, and on-partisan community issues. He did frequent opening blessings at the state legislature, the governor's cabinet meetings, and county commission meetings, and also wrote numerous editorials for the Tallahassee Democrat. In 2008, Rabbi Romberg served on the paper's editorial board as the chosen community person and led a number of organizations, including the Interfaith Clergy Association, the Village Square, and the Tallahassee Equality Action Ministry. Additionally, he was on the board of the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra for 15 years. For a special concert in 2017 that told the story of music performed by prisoners in the Theresienstadt ghetto during the Holocaust, Rabbi Romberg wrote the narrative, selected the music, and was a narrator in the concert. He was also a frequent guest speaker on local TV discussion shows and a local NPR radio show, and at his retirement gala, the mayor presented him a key to the city.
A Doorway to Heroism: Rabbi Romberg's Great Uncle Richard Stern will be presented at Davenport's German American Heritage Center on November 19, participation in the 1:30 p.m. program is free for Heritage Center members and $5 for non-members, and more information on the event is available by calling (563)322-8844 and visiting GAHC.org.
