Book Club: "The Man in the White Sharkskin Suit"

We gathered at Sheila's on Sunday afternoon to discuss The Man in the White Sharkskin Suit. It's a memoir about a family of Egyptian Jews who were forced out of Cairo in the early sixties, emigrated to Paris and then to America. The central character is the father, Leon, who is the "man in the white sharkskin suit." Lucette, his younger daughter and the author, had a close and loving relationship with him but she is forthright about his faults and foibles as well as his virtues.

We spoke about the immigrant experience and whether our parents or grandparents were happy or sad to have come to America. I realized that I never knew the exact reason my grandparents came here. In my paternal grandparents' case I assumed there was some persecution, but my maternal grandfather was wealthy in Greece and was raised like an aristocrat. I was not sure what motivated him to come to America.

Sheila always leads a fascinating discussion fueled by her insightful questions. Kudos to her! Our next book will be Born on a Blue Day.

June 11th Party

Once again, the Brooklyn Humanist Community had a great summer party. We missed the Fourth this year but celebrated in between July 4th and Bastille Day on July 14th.

Coincidentally, Jean brought a copy of the words to the tune that became "The Star Spangled Banner." It was a very old drinking song, with mythological allusions. I found it pretty much incomprehensible but it must have amused 18th century gentlemen as they imbibed. Speaking of songs, Sheila wants the BHC to have its own theme song. If we can decide on an appropriate prize, we may turn this into a contest.

The food was delicious: hot dogs, barbecued drumsticks, two kinds of potato salad, a lovely garden salad and much more. Bonnie brought us raspberries, cherries and grapes, and Julie celebrated her birthday by bringing a delicious carrot cake.

Many thanks to Michael and Antoinette for their hosting. A good time was had by all!

July Calendar

Here's our July Calendar, so far:

Saturday, July 11th: Belated July 4th Barbecue, at Michael and Antoinette's. We'll celebrate a holiday of our own making, "Humanist Day," and enjoy potluck dishes and delicious charred meats off the grill. 3 to 7 PM*

Tuesday, July 14th, 7:30 PM: BHC Board Meeting, at Michael and Antoinette's. All BHC members are welcome but you must RSVP. Again, the main focus will be the budget.

Sunday, July 19th, 1:30 PM: The BHC Book Discussion Club will discuss The Man in the White Sharkskin Suit. RSVP to Sheila if you wish to attend.

Tuesday, July 21st, 7 PM: Program Committee meeting at the home of Bruce, Celeste & Jason. All members interested in planning and producing monthly programs are welcome to attend. Please RSVP to Celeste.

Saturday, July 25th, 6 PM: BHC Monthly Reflection, preceded by a potluck meal, at Antoinette and Michael's. This month our Reflection will be offered by Lois Kellerman, an Ethical Culture Leader, and will take place by Skype as Lois is in California. This is our first foray into a digital event. RSVP to Antoinette to attend.

Major thanks to Antoinette and Michael for hosting three of our events this month!

* World Humanist Day actually falls on June 21st.

Reflection on Spirituality of Atheism

Last Saturday night the Brooklyn Humanist Community assembled for a Reflection led by our President, Tony, on the topic, "The Little Book of Atheist Spirituality." This was a lively discussion that lasted for over 2.5 hours. Tony brought in several pages of quotes from the book, and we read a section at a time and then stopped to discuss it. We talked about atheism, agnosticism, deism and theism, belief or disbelief in a power greater than ourselves, and whether or not there is an afterlife. It was a great Reflection and we were able to share differing views without anyone feeling threatened. That is the beauty of a humanist organization!