Czech Culture

Slovanská Podporující Jednota Státu Texas

Česká Část

ROČNÍK 109 ČISLO 3 8.únor.2021 Podpora ★ Lidskost ★ Bratrstvi´

BENEVOLENCE HUMANITY BROTHERHOOD

Uředni orgán SPJST ★ Založené roku 1897

Czech Heritage Museum and Genealogy Center reopens in Temple

The Czech Heritage Museum and Genealogy Center has resumed its regular hours of operation from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesdays through Saturdays. All local COVID-19 mandates are being followed. Masks are required, and social distancing will be followed. For private, small group tours, please email CzechHeritageMuseum@gmail.com or call 254-899-2935.

Interactive virtual private tours are available with the purchase of a Czech Heritage Museum and Genealogy Center annual membership. These are available at czechheritagemuseum.org; by calling 254-899-2935; sending an email to CzechHeritageMuseum@ gmail.com; or by writing to us at Memberships, Czech Heritage Museum, 119 West French Avenue, Temple, Texas 76501.

Memberships are available in various levels to fit most budgets and can be paid annually or quarterly. A senior membership is only $6 per quarter. A Czech Heritage Museum membership is a great value because the Museum participates in two nationwide museum reciprocal programs. This means free admission and gift shop discounts at most participating institutions. Plus, as stated above, an interactive virtual private tour is included with each membership. Staying in for the pandemic? You can still be a family member at the Czech Heritage Museum! If you would like a virtual tour to fit educational criteria for students, please send an email to CzechHeritageMuseum@gmail.com, and the Museum staff will do their best to tailor your tour to fit those needs.

Czech Film Night and Matinees

Czech Film Night and Matinee events have resumed at the historic Beltonian Theatre in Belton. Each event will include two screenings of Czech or Czech-related films. Matinees begin at 3 p.m., and evening shows start at 6 p.m. Admission is free of charge. Donations are accepted online or through a donation box at the concession window. Imported Czech beer and wine are available. Upcoming films are:

Tuesday, March 9

“Chuck Norris vs Communism.” A true story, often told by the actual persons who lived it. A story of ingenuity, survival and the importance of art. In the 1980s, the communist regime censured or banned foreign films. But, people found a way around it, even though VCRs were outlawed and cost the price of a car on the black market. It is said that the VCR brought down communism in Romania. (Romanian audio, English subtitles)

Tuesday, April 15

“The Pagan Queen” tells the legend of Libuse, queen of Moravia and wife of Premsyl, who envisioned then built Prague. A beautifully dark film. (English. Adult nature. Not for children.)

Tuesday, May 11

“Milos Forman, What Doesn’t Kill You” follows award-winning Hollywood director Milos Forman as he returns to his home in the Czech Republic and explains how his experiences there influenced his films. (English and Czech audio, English subtitles.)

Tuesday, June 8

“A Paul Fierlinger Film Fest.” A delightful look at the adult and children’s animated films of Paul Fierlinger, a Czech who escaped Czechoslovakia and made his career in the United States including work with PBS and Sesame Street. (English audio with occasional Czech audio.)

CZECH CULTURAL CALENDAR

REOPEN! Czech Heritage Museum and Genealogy Center, 119 West French Avenue, Temple. Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. To arrange a private small group tour, contact the Museum via email czechheritagemuseum@gmail.com; or leave a message at 254-899-2935. FILM NIGHTS, MATINEES ARE BACK! Czech film screenings are held at The Beltonian Theatre in downtown Belton, 219 East Central Avenue, 3 and 6 p.m. For a complete list of films, vist the Museum’s website https://czechheritagemuseum.org/ and click on the link at the top; or click the Event tab. Lake Drive in Taylor. This is an informal class setting for learning to speak, write, and read Czech. For information, contact Instructor Lydia Kurtin 512-859-2543. Submitted by Alice Bracewell, Lodge 48, Beyersville.

Second Sundays POSTPONED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. Czech Language Class—at Texas Czech Heritage and Cultural Center, 250 West Fairgrounds Road on US Highway 77, La Grange, 1 to 4 p.m. Fee is $10 per person per class. Call or email to verify classes. Pre-registration preferred. For information, call 888-785-4500; 979-9689399; or email info@czechtexas.org.

Wednesdays POSTPONED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. Taylor Czech Speaking Class meets every Wednesday from 6 to 8 p.m. at S.P.J.S.T. Assisted Living, 505 East August 13-15 SPJST Convention—at Killeen Civic and Convention Center. —SPJST— Tuesday, July 13

Czech Children’s Cartoons, including Krtek – the Little Mole.

Tuesday, August 10

“Beyond the Wall” - A reprise of a film the Czech Heritage Museum screened in November 2017 at the Beltonian. Back by popular demand. A documentary looking at how the abrupt changes of the 1980s affected Central Europeans. Submitted by, Susan Chandler CHM Administrator —SPJST—

TCGS introduces its 2021 egg collection

Easter in the Czech Republic is a fun time! The celebrations are very cheerful and lighthearted and last for several days. The villages and different regions usually have their own Easter traditions and customs, all relating to spring and the beginning of new life.

Decorated eggs, also known as “Kralice,” are mentioned as early as the 14th century in Bohemian and Moravian literature. The hand-painted real eggs are still made there. The decorations can be quite elaborate, requiring skill and patience to decorate them using bee’s wax, straw, watercolors, onion peels, and picture stickers. The most common designs are probably geometrical patterns, but you will also find flowers, leaves, and other subjects in a myriad of colors as well as many other eggs made by a variety of decorating methods.

Texas Czech Genealogical Society (TCGS) is happy to introduce its egg collection for 2021. While we have a supply of the hand-painted eggs from Moravia, we also have a beautiful selection of exquisite, beautiful glass eggs which are handmade in the Czech Republic. These eggs are designed with the same type of geometrics and flowers that are painted on the real eggs, but they are hand blown and hand-painted ensuring that no two eggs are identical. If you have not already begun a collection of eggs, we encourage you to consider starting a new tradition of gifting eggs to your loved ones on Easter. This is a gift that they can enjoy right away and then enjoy again during the Christmas season by placing them on their Christmas trees.

We offer 12 different selections, which we will be happy to ship to you in time for Easter giving. A gift box for each egg will be included

Please contact Nancy Machu at www.nbmachu@gmail.com or call 512971-4284 to place your order or for questions or comments. Shipping charges will be added to the price of the egg, depending on the number of eggs ordered. Please leave a short message for a return telephone call as anonymous calls without messages are not answered or returned. Fraternally, Nancy Machu Lodge 29, Taylor —SPJST—

NCSML to host virtual presentation with Stephen J. Sebesta

Join the National Czech and Slovak Museum and Library (Cedar Rapids, Iowa) from 6 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, February 9, 2021, for a free virtual presentation led by Dr. Stephen J. Sebesta, author of “The Settlement, Growth and Movement of Czechs and their Institutions in Cleveland, Ohio.”

Highlighted with photos, maps and graphics, this book reviews the history of the Bohemians, Moravians, and Silesians in Europe, collectively known as the Czechs, and the forces that led them to emigrate. It traces immigration patterns of the Czechs in the U.S., giving detailed descriptions of the Czech settlements in Cleveland, Ohio, which, in 1910, had the fourth largest population of Czech-born inhabitants in the world.

Sebesta’s research includes information about the Catholic and Protestant churches, the Jewish immigrants, freethinker organizations and the Sokols, as well other Czech organizations. He touches on Czech music and drama societies, summarizes the history of Czech fraternalism, newspapers, radio broadcasting, and breweries. The book also provides a history of the Cleveland Czechoslovak Legionnaires who fought in WWI and those in Cleveland who provided foreign relief in support of the struggle to form the new country of Czechoslovakia.

Anthony Avina of Pacific Book Review calls Sebesta’s book “ . . . a mustread for any history buffs out there and those interested in Czech culture overall.”

Sebesta was born in Cleveland, Ohio, and raised in the predominantly Czech Mt. Pleasant neighborhood. He has served as President of the Cleveland Chapter of the Czechoslovak Society of Arts and Sciences (SVU) and as a Vice President of Sokol Greater Cleveland at Bohemian National Hall. He has lectured on the subjects of the Czechs in Cleveland and the Cleveland Czech Legionnaires throughout the U.S., as well as in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. He’s also the author of “The Wartime Experiences of A Cleveland Czechoslovak Legionnaire.”

The virtual program is free to attend, but participants must RSVP to receive the Zoom link. Registrants have the option of purchasing a copy of “The Settlement, Growth and Movement of Czechs and their Institutions in Cleveland, Ohio” from the Museum Store for $16.99. Those who do will receive a signed bookplate from Sebesta and a free copy of “Cleveland Czechs” by John T. Sabol and Lisa A. Alzo. This package is valued at $39.98.

There are limited quantities of the bookplates and “Cleveland Czechs.” Interested parties are encouraged to make their purchase early.

As an added incentive, Sebesta will send a free digital copy of his book to the person who RSVPs for the program furthest away from Cedar Rapids.

For more information, please visit ncsml.org or call (319) 362-8500.

About National Czech and Slovak Museum and Library

The National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, preserves, presents, and transcends unique stories of Czech and Slovak history and culture through innovative experiences and active engagement to reach cross-cultural audiences locally, nationally, and internationally. The NCSML is an innovative leader in lifelong learning, community building, and cultural connections. We encourage selfdiscovery for all ages so that the stories of freedom, identity, family, and community will live on for future generations. For more information, visit ncsml.org or call (319) 362-8500. Submitted by, Meredith Hines-Dochterman Director of Marketing and Communications National Czech and Slovak Museum and Library —SPJST—

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