First Congregation Sons of Israel

 First Congregation Sons of Israel

161 Cordova St, St. Augustine, FL 32084

April 7, 2022

The First Congregation Sons of Israel was chartered with the State of Florida in 1908.  The first group of families came from Eastern Europe and Russia.  Before the synagogue was built, services were held in members' houses.  The first service held in the synagogue was on March 30, 1924, thanks to Rabbi Jacob Tarlinksy and his wife, Dora.  In 1958,  the colorful stained glass windows were installed by the Tarlinksy family, and in 2013, they underwent a restoration.  In 2018, the sanctuary was reopened after Hurricane Mathew destroyed the synagogue.

https://www.firstcongregationsonsofisrael.com/

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Stained Glass

The stunning stained glass windows in the synagogue have a remarkable story behind them.  In the 1950s, three women in the congregation managed to salvage a set of stained glass windows from Ahawas Achim in Atlanta, Georga.  Ahawas Achim was a synagogue that was torn down to make room for Interstate 75.  Over time the stained glass needed to be refurbished due to damage, and miraculously, the original stencils were found.  Ken Hardeman (the great-grandson of the man who helped create the stained glass) was the one to start and complete the restoration project leaving it to look flawless to this day.  Now the exterior is covered by tempered glass to protect them from damage.  

Bihma

Pictured here is an alter called a "bihma," and this is where the Torah is read from during a service.  

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Eldridge Street Synagogue

 The Eldridge Street Synagogue, found in Manhattan's Chinatown, is the first synagogue in America that was "purpose-built" by immigrants from Eastern Europe.  It was built in 1887 when there was a spike in immigration to the United States.  It became more than just a place of worship to these immigrants; it became a home.  Unfortunately, around 1924, there was a decline due to the Immigrant Quota Law.  This law limited the number of immigrants allowed to enter the U.S.  After this law was passed, the community started to thin out, leading to the steady decline of the Jewish population in the Lower East Side.  Eventually, in the 1940s, the congregation relocated to the lower level chapel and shut down the massive area above them.  This led to the building slowly deteriorating.  Fortunately, in 1986, the hidden sanctuary was rediscovered, and the community began to restore it.  After the restoration was complete, it was redacted as the Museum at Eldridge Street.    

The reason that this synagogue stuck out to me was because of the stained glass.  The museum commissioned artist Kiki Smith and architect Deborah Gans to create a stained glass window that symbolized "the continuing life" in the building.  This is similar to how the stained glass in the First Congregation Sons of Israel Synagogue brought color and life into the building. 

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Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim

Another synagogue that the First Congregation Sons of Israel reminded me of was Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim.  This house of worship was built in 1840 in Charleston, South Carolina.  It is one of the oldest Jewish congregations in the United States and is the second oldest that is still in use.  It was founded by immigrants that were escaping the Inquisition; many arrived in the 17th century.  Jews were accepted into Charleston because of the colonial charter prepared by John Locke.  This allowed Jews to worship and live freely.   This synagogue is still thriving to this day, and they claim that they are more than a house of worship; they are a "vibrant, caring congregational family."

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While we were in the synagogue, I could not help but think of community and motivation.  Religions bring people together and give them hope when life gets complicated.  I am connecting this back to Parable of the Sower, page 220 because there is a panel where Lauren talks about how even after she lost everything, she still had her beliefs.  She says, "When my father... disappeared... when most of my community and the rest of my family were wiped out... Earthseed kept me going".  This quote explains how her religion motivated her to continue trying to survive, and even though her situation is extreme, it still aligns with the idea that many people going through hardships, whether minor or not, turn to religion for motivation and support. 

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El Castillo de San Marcos

El Castillo de San Marcos

1 S Castillo Dr, St. Augustine, FL 32084

March 31, 2022

The construction of El Castillo de San Marcos started in 1672.  It was built to protect the Spanish from any threats that could have emerged.  It is the oldest structure in St. Augustine since the British burned down the town in 1702 after losing a battle with the Spaniards.   It did not burn with the rest of the town because it is made out of coquina.  Coquina is fire-resistant and nearly impenetrable.  The British never could take the fort by force, only by contract.  

https://www.nps.gov/casa/index.htm 

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The Shape of the Fort that Allows for No Blind Spots

The fort's shape is fundamental to why it was so well protected.  It is built based on the Italian bastion system, allowing for no blind spots on the fort.  If there were guards on every corner, there would be no way for someone to sneak in or climb the fort walls.  The shape and material used (coquina) kept the fort standing against all attacks on it.  

Cracks in the Fort

The cracks in the Castillo started when the National Park Service flooded the moat in 1938.  The moat was used as storage and not for water when it was built.

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Citadelle de Québec

Citadelle de Québec

The Citadelle de Québec, located in Québec, Canada, reminds me of El Castillo de San Marcos because it follows the Italian bastion shape.  The shape is also called the star shape.  This fort is slightly different because it is bigger and is not made out of coquina, but the structure still has the same benefits as the Castillo.  The main benefit that both have is the lack of blind spots. 

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Palmanova, Italy

Palmanova, Italy

Palmanova is a city in Italy that is entirely shaped like a star.  The entire city is built like a fort and is considered one of the most "ideal cities" built during the Renaissance.  The Republic of Venice built it in 1593 to protect the city from Turkish aggression.  The city was under different ruling many times, just like El Castillo de San Marcos, and they both remained standing thanks to their construction.

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Parable of the Sower: Graphic Novel Adaptation by Damian Duffy and John Jennings

In the graphic novel, Parable of the Sower by Damian Duffy and John Jennings, Lauren speaks about the wall built around her neighborhood.  Much like El Castillo de San Marcos, the wall was built to keep the people within it safe from the different threats around it.  On page 8, Lauren says, "Crazy to live without a wall protecting you," when she talks about how life was before the chaos.  This is most likely how the Spaniards felt when they thought about how life was before they were attacked.  The characters in the graphic novel and the people who had to remain in the Castillo during battles wanted to be anywhere but inside, but they knew that they could be attacked and fatally injured if they were to leave.  They also knew that they needed to find a way to survive by being well versed in what was around them and using it to their advantage.  Lauren used the books her father had to educate herself on the nature around her and fundamental skills so that worst-case scenario, she could survive.  The Spaniards used the Native Americans (against their will) as a way to survive by using them for manual labor and help when they needed supplies.  Both parties were surrounded by a wall made to protect them and had to adapt to survive. 

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Lincolnville Museum & Cultural Center

Lincolnville Museum & Cultural Center

102 M L King Ave, St. Augustine, FL 32084

March 24, 2022

The Lincolnville Museum and Cultural Center is located in Lincolnville, a small neighborhood in St. Augustine, FL.  It is home to local African American history memories that could have been lost in time if it were not for the volunteers preserving it.  Initially, it was the Excelsior School Building; this was the first public black high school in St. Johns County in 1925.  The building closed after desegregation and was converted into offices until the mid-’80s.  After that, former students and the community came together to keep the building from being demolished and created the museum that stands today.   

Mission Statement: “The LMCC’s mission is to preserve, promote and perpetuate over 450 years of the African American story through the arts, educational programs, lectures, live performances, and exhibits.”

https://www.lincolnvillemuseum.org/about 

 

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Entertainment in Lincolnville

Washington Street in Lincolnville had incredible nightlife.  There were places ranging from cafes to the “Colored” Odd Fellows Hall.  The Chitlin Circuit had three floors, and during segregation, it was where Black singers and bands were allowed to perform.  People like Ray Charles, Little Richard, Fats Domino, Billie Holiday, Billie Erskine, Muddy Waters, and BB King all started their careers in the circuit.  These people were great inspirations to locals such as Debbie Moore and Doug Carn.   

Debbie Moore Mcdade

Debbie Moore Mcdade, born Emmaline Maultsby in St. Augustine, FL, in 1925, attended Excelsior High School.  When she turned 17, she decided to travel around New York to follow her dreams as a singer.  She was extremely successful due to her obvious talent and took off after performing at different clubs and with various bands.  These experiences molded her sense of jazz voicing and her incredible timing in her phrasing.  She was given her stage name (Debby Moore) by the renowned jazz musician Louis Armstrong.  In 1959 she got to work on her record, My Kind of Blues.  She returned to St. Augustine under her married name and had a job as a waitress, and later worked for the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind.  In 2016, the Classical Theater created a musical production titled Sweet Emmaline: The Musical Journey of Debbie Mcdade to celebrate her life.

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Jack Hadley Black History Museum 

Jack Hadley Black History Museum

The Hadley Black History Museum is a museum located in Thomasville, Georgia.  Jack Hadley’s collection of Black American history dates from preslavery to the present day.  This reminded me of the Lincolnville Museum & Cultural Center because it was built to preserve Black history in a community.  The items in the museum were contributed by Jack, the community, and his friends.  

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Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia

Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia

Another museum that reminded me of the Lincolnville Museum & Cultural Center is the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia.  Here they celebrate Black culture and preserve the Black community’s history.  They choose to remember the painful past of Virginia to learn from it.  According to their website, they “endeavor to tell a more complete and inclusive story about America.” This is what reminds me of the Lincolnville Museum the most since the Lincolnville Museum works to tell the true history of St. Augustine.

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Habitat Threshold by Craig Santos Perez

Lincolnville has changed tremendously in the last few years.  The neighborhood has been home to many talented and influential people who made a difference for the generations after them.  That being said, this was no easy feat.  Change has never been easy for anyone, including the people in this neighborhood.  The Black community had to battle for their rights and watch as the oppressors around them complained about their very existence.  I am tying this challenging experience to a quote from Habitat Threshold by Craig Santos Perez.  He writes, “We do not know which to fear more, the terror of change or the terror of uncertainty.”  I am comparing the struggle that this Black community faced for many years to this quote because I could only imagine how frightening it was to try and change the way things may have been, even if it was for the better.  The quote can describe the many fears that this community had every right to have while rebuilding.  They had to choose between staying stagnate and struggling or working to build the strong community they have today.  Thankfully, they built up a thriving and talented neighborhood against all the odds and obstacles. 

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The Lightner Museum

The Lightner Museum

75 King St, St. Augustine, FL 32084

March 10, 2022

The Lightner Museum is located in the oldest city in the United States.  It is a stunning collection of oddities, beautiful art, and breathtaking artifacts.  It took the place of the Hotel Alcazar, a Gilded Age resort hotel commissioned by Henry Flagler.  

https://lightnermuseum.org/

 

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Grand Escritoire

Acajou Mahogany with Ivory Ebony Inlay 

Wood Marquetry and Parquetry

Dutch in the French Tradition

Marker Unidentified

1806-1810

This Grand Escritoire is a desk that supposedly belonged to Louis Bonaparte.  In 1806 he was made King of Holland by his brother, Napoleon Bonaparte.  The cabinet is created to look like a classical piped organ.  It has 200 drawers with “mother-of-pearl” drawer pulls that resemble organ stops, and the clock resembles a miniature pipe organ. 

Leon F. Comerre

French, 1850-1916

Maid Listening at the Door, ca. 1870

Oil on Canvas

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Rome Cavalieri, A Waldorf Astoria Hotel in Rome, Italy

The Rome Cavalieri

The Rome Cavalieri is a five-star luxury hotel found in Rome.  It reminded me of the Lightner Museum/Hotel Alcazar because many important people stayed there for events.  It is also home to one of the most prestigious private art collections.  Their collection ranges from 16th century to contemporary art.  The hotel also has Nureyev’s (one of the best male ballet dancers of his generation) ballet costumes and Gallé glass.  The art in the hotel is diverse, just like the art in the Lightner Museum.  

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The Fife Arms in Braemar, Scotland

The Fife Arms

The Fife Arms in Scotland reminds me of the Lightner Museum because of all the art found throughout the hotel.  According to their website, they have 16,000 antiques, 100 pieces of taxidermy in a single corridor, and an array of art collections found throughout the entire hotel.  I also connected the Lightner to this hotel because before being a museum, the Lightner was the Hotel Alcazar.  The hotel Alcazar had huge names coming in to stay there or nearby to enjoy the grand parties, charity balls, and local celebrations at the time; the Fife Arms also had great names that stayed nearby.  It is famous for having had Queen Victoria (who has a watercolor painting displayed in the hotel), Princess Diana, and Queen Elizabeth staying nearby in Balmoral Castle during celebrations and events.

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One Hundred Love Sonnets: XVII by Pablo Neruda

Pablo Neruda’s poem, One Hundred Love Sonnets: XVII, talks about how his love is different and cannot be described by classic symbols of love.  I chose this work to explain the art in the Lightner Museum because when Neruda says, “I love you as the plant that doesn’t bloom but carries // the light of those flowers, hidden, within itself,” he talks about how he loves unconventionally.  When we think of art, we expect it to be conventionally beautiful.  Viewing art this way takes away from the objective of creativity.  Like Neruda’s love, art does not have to follow man-given guidelines and expectations.  Art can be anything that the artist or craftsman wants it to be.  In the Lightner Museum, there are many oddities that the average person would say do not qualify as art or belong in a museum.  Still, if we look at art how Neruda views his love, we can see that we do not need to put things in a box nor let what we have been influenced to think is correct warp our views on something as beautiful as unconventional art or a different love.

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Tolomato Cemetery

 Tolomato Cemetery

14 Cordova St, St. Augustine, FL 32084

February 24, 2022

Tolomato Cemetery can be found in St. Augustine, Florida.  It is the resting place for around 1000 St. Augustinians.  It is also only around one acre in total.  Tolomato started with the First Spanish Period and continued to be used in the early Statehood periods.  The cemetery has people buried from Spain, Cuba, Ireland, Minorca, Italy, Greece, Africa, Haiti, France, and the American South and Northeast.  In addition, it is home to the graves of soldiers from both sides of the Civil War and Fr. Felix Varela.  

http://www.tolomatocemetery.com/ 

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Felix Varela Bust

This statue is found in a mausoleum called the Varela Chapel.  Felix Varela was a philosopher, political activist, and priest.  He passed in St. Augustine in 1853.  

Felix Varelas Marble Tomb

Father Felix Varela's tomb is made out of Cuban marble, and you can tell based on the way it has aged and its texture.  It was requested that the marble come from Cuba to commemorate everything Father Varela had done.  Engraved on the tomb is "To Father Varela – The Cubans – Died February 25 of 1853." In the back, you can see the mahogany altar carved in the 1850s.  On top of the altar are two candle holders, and above it is the crucifix.  

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The Alamo

Native American Burial Ground Under the Alamo

The fact that stuck out to me the most while visiting the Tolomato Cemetry was that it was initially a Native American burial site.  This reminded me of an article I read about how many Native Americans in Texas were upset that the officials did not want to preserve the land under the Alamo.  This land is important because it was a Native American burial site before the Alamo was built over it.  According to the New York Times, political leaders in Texas also wanted to dictate how slavery during the Texas Revolution was being taught.  This meant that much of Native history surrounding the Alamo would not be taught due to how strict (and incorrect) the curriculum would be.  This issue reminded me of the Tolomato Cemetery since so many generations of people completely covered up Native American history.

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US Border Wall

US Border Wall

Back in 2020, during Donald Trump's presidency, the Tohono O'odham Nation was not consulted when their burial sites were being blown up for the US border wall.  Not only was this actively erasing these people's culture and ancestors, but it was also destroying the environment around the burial site.  There were a select few tribes that were laid to rest in this area that was being destroyed to make room for something new.  This connects to how with every new generation of people in St. Augustine, Native American history was erased and covered up with something or someone new. 

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Floridanos, Menorcans, Cattle-Whip Crackers

 Poetry of St. Augustine

Nana Explains Life and Death

In the poem Nana Explains Life and Death, the author writes, "When I met Nana walking on St. George Street in my dream..."; this caught my attention because while we were in the cemetery, I was thinking about how many generations of people lived and walked the streets of St. Augustine, only to die and be buried unmarked and then have others buried over them.  I thought about the Indigenous people and how each incoming group of people erased and built over their burial sites.  Many Indigenous people who lived in St. Augustine have walked St. George Street (even if that was not the name at the time), only for some to pass away and become an unmarked name in the Tolomato Cemetery.

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Oldest House Complex

 Oldest House Complex

271 Charlotte St, St. Augustine, FL 32084

February 17, 2022

The oldest house complex is home to the St. Augustine Surf Culture Museum, Marineland’s Marine Studios Exhibit, and the People and Places of St. Augustine exhibit.  It is owned by the St. Augustine Historical Society.  According to the St. Augustine Historical Society website, its mission is to “acquire, preserve, and interpret the historical resources of St. Augustine and its sphere of influence for the benefit of the public through its stewardship of historic buildings and collections, research, publications, and educational programming.” 

 https://staughs.com/about/

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The Four Seasons

The four statues represent the seasons.  They were featured in the garden during the 1980s after Dr. and Mrs. Charles P. Carver, who were owners of the house at the time, brought them from the Columbian Exposition in Chicago.  They quickly became popular with visitors.

Richard Twine’s Camera

1886 Rochester Optical Co. Glass Plate Camera

From the Collection of Ken Barrett Jr. 

The first known African American photographers name was Richard Twine.  His photos would reflect what Lincolnville was like during the 1920s.  He gives insight into events, celebrations, and people’s personal lives with his pictures.  This was the camera that he used to capture these events and freeze them in time.  Many of his photographs were found in his attic on Kings Ferry Way.

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“Untitled,” from “Ponte City,” 2014Photography Mikhael Subotzky, via subotzkystudio.com

Arnau Bach

Arnau Bach

My second artifact reminded me of the photographer Arnau Bach.  He takes photos of everyday youth that live in what would be considered bad neighborhoods in Paris, France.  He exposes the realities of the people that lived in that community, just like Richard Twine.   He and Twine did their best to preserve history within a specific community. 

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The Fairbanks House in Dedham, MA

The Fairbanks House

The Fairbanks House is the oldest wood structure that stands in North America.  It is said to have been built in 1637 and was home to eight generations of the Fairbanks family.  It has been converted into a historic house museum like the González-Alvarez House in the Oldest House Complex.  Both of these homes had several generations live in them, and they are now open to the public so that we can appreciate the history surrounding both structures. 

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In Ann Browning Masters excerpt of poems, Floridanos, Menorcans, and Cattle-Whip Crackers, she says, "I want to ensure a continuation of the spoken knowledge about St. Augustine and St. Johns County."; the Oldest House Museum Complex does just that.  Masters' poems focus on life during different periods, and she preserves the memories and experiences of these people through writing.  Similarly, the Oldest House Museum Complex does what it can to physically preserve every era the oldest house has been through.  They show off photography and artifacts from the community's past and preserve buildings and land capable of telling their own stories.  

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Saint Photios Greek Orthodox National Shrine

The Saint Photios Greek Orthodox National Shrine

41 St George St, St. Augustine, FL 32084

February 10, 2022

The Saint Photios Greek Orthodox National Shrine is located right by St. Augustine’s historic city gate.  It was built in 1794 and was restored in 1979.  It is the property of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North and South America.  Their website states that it is dedicated to the Greek Orthodox pioneers who arrived in the “New World” in 1768.  The Shrine is also dedicated to the immigrants who made their way to the new world searching for freedom and justice.  Now it is a sacred educational center for people with Greek ancestry to be surrounded by their culture.  The general public can also visit to honor their ancestors.  

https://stphotios.org/about/our-history/

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These two images are out in front of the Shrine.  It is the first thing that you see when walking towards it.  To enter the Shrine, you need to first walk through the courtyard like most Spanish homes and buildings at the time.  According to Ms. Hillier, the executive director of the Shrine, the reason for the Shrine not opening out to the street was that it heightens the importance of the building.   

Life of Christ

This artifact is oil on wood with sterling silver riza.  Ms. Hillier explained that riza is used to cover religious art or icons.  It will leave holes for the faces in the painting to show through.  Riza helps preserve the painting.

In 1970 this cross was discovered by archeological excavations, and in 1971 it became the symbol of the National Shrine.  Archbishop Iakovos titled it the St. Photios Shrine Cross.  The focal point on the cross is the three holes that represent the Holy Trinity.  

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St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church & National Shrine

-At the World Trade Center  NYC-

Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church

Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church Website

The Saint Photios Greek Orthodox National Shrine reminded me of the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church & National Shrine in New York City.  This house of worship was tragically destroyed on 9/11/2001 during the terrorist attack.  Originally it was founded in 1916 in a row house that was originally a tavern.  This church was a safe haven for many practicing and non-practicing people.  This is why the rebuild in 2015 was s important to the community.  The rebuild was completed in 2022, and Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque inspired the design.

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St. John The Baptist Greek Orthodox Church

-Denver, Colorado-

St. John The Baptist Greek Orthodox Church

The arches in the Saint Photios Greek Orthodox National Shrine remind me of the arches in the St. John Baptists Greek Orthodox Church sanctuary.  Every sanctuary is covered in religious iconography that plays into the holiness of the space.  The sanctuaries in Greek Orthodox Churches are where the altar is kept.  The sanctuary is a sacred space where people go to light candles that are said to symbolize the Light of Christ.  This comes from John 8:12, where Jesus says, “I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” In addition to lighting the candles, the Eucharist ceremony is held in the sanctuary at the altar.  The Eucharist is the changing from bread and wine to the body and blood of Christ.

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Floridanos, Menorcans, Cattle-Whip Crackers: Poetry of St. Augustine, Ann Browning Masters

Ann Browning Masters gives a timeline in the excerpt of  Floridanos, Menorcans, Cattle-Whip Crackers: Poetry of St. Augustine that shows how the population of St. Augustine has grown and become more diverse through the different periods.  The British period between 1764 and 1784 specifically focuses on how in 1777, indentured servants came from the Balearic Islands (Menorca, Italy, and Greece).  She writes, “In 1777, indentured servants, mostly from the Balearic island of Menora, Italy, and Greece, walked to St. Augustine from the failed indigo plantation of Scottish Dr. Andrew Turnbull.  These Roman Catholics and Greek Orthodox eventually became known as the Menorcan’s in St. Augustine.” The plantation run by Turnbull overworked the indentured servants and did not keep them healthy, which inevitably led to the destruction of his plantation.  The servants who had done their period of indenture were not being freed, which led to them walking to St. Augustine to ask the governor for help.  After they were freed, most moved to St Augustine, these people became known as the Menorcans in St. Augustine, and they were mostly Roman Catholics and Greek Orthodox.  

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