Triangle Memorial Shirtwaist Fire Memorial Walk 2011

Since my days of working in a laundry, followed by a lumber mill, catering hall, animal hospital, nursing home and eventually (people) hospital, I have had a strong interest in the plight and rights of working people.  I have  always been  aware of and grateful for the  sacrifice of the 146 women, who, before their deaths in the famous fire of 1911 had been labor organizers.  Their mass memorial drew ½ million New Yorkers and changed fire codes, strengthened the labor movement and planted the seeds of the women’s rights movement.

     One hundred years after that fire, my friend Terry and I went to the memorial march and demonstration in lower Manhattan.  It was a typical March day, chilly but if the wind kept away, warm in the rare sunny spot.  As has been usual since 9/11, at every march I’ve been in, we were herded into pens and funneled  through as if to prevent a stampede or other unruly behavior.  This seems to be the fear of police.  We are allowed to practice democracy in our little play-pen as long as we act nice.

    Terry and I were freelancers, not marching with any group.  The Steam Fitters Union was welcoming but we did not  feel we, well, fit.  The Jewish Labor Committee was nearby with big orange placards and they kindly  invited us, two ex-Catholics ( one Irish, one Italian) to march with them.  We decided to march in honor of our dear friend Judith Richman, a strong member of the teachers union, who had died much too young.

     I did not know anything about this organization but put the placard on  and desperately hoped no one from the media would stick a microphone in my face and ask questions about  “ our” organization.  As we shuffled along, a few renegades, mostly elderly, tried to escape the pen to walk on the sunny sidewalk.  Police refused their exit with verbal warnings.  Many  onlookers were surprised at the thousands of people, of all ages and nationalities , marching down the street during a work day.   

      At one point a passerby asked a man in our group: “ Why are you Jewish Labor?”. The reply  was calm and friendly: “ We’re Jewish and we stand up for labor”.  This did not satisfy the questioner.  “ Well, why are you Jewish?”.   Our guy:  “ Because we ARE."  I was shocked, we were in New York City with a Jewish senator and mayor! Next the clueless fellow asked, “ Why can’t you be normal, why do you have to be Jewish?”  With truly extraordinary patience our leader answered, “ We ARE Jewish AND we’re normal."  I was ready to join the Jewish Defense League and get a “ Never Again “ tattoo at that point.

 We had been Jewish for ½ hour and already experienced anti-Semitism.

 Marching along, which can be tedious because of the enforced speed limit, we sensed a pocket of excitement as Somebody Important was being hustled through.  A petite, dark haired woman thrust out her hand “ Hilda Solis, Labor Department”  she said.  An actual Cabinet member!  She seemed thrilled to see Jewish Labor and I thanked her for coming to the event and she did not ask any hard questions, thankfully.

     As we reached the building where the fire occurred, the crowd quieted as the fact that so many young women had jumped out of the 9th floor  to their deaths  became palpable.  The feeling of awe and reverence was akin to what I felt when I visited the Vietnam Memorial Wall.

     At the site we heard enthusiastic singers, truly bad poetry and  great speakers such as Sen. Chuck Schumer and our close personal friend, Hilda Solis.  Mayor Bloomberg was loudly booed by the teachers union, which I thought was not in the spirit of the event, but he’s the mayor and it’s a tradition to boo him, evidently.  We also heard Danny Glover, who got himself all fired up but did not make much sense.

     Later we carefully discarded our placards and with them our temporary Jewish identity.  Terry and I  traded a few quips, “ Oy, my feet are killing me.”  And  “Such a day I’ve never had."  We dragged our numb and frozen feet to a bar and toasted Judith, who surely would have been right there with us, marching, cheering, booing, singing and KVETCHING.

     Because THAT is our tradition.

Dedicated with gratitude to the Jewish Labor Committee.