Local series commemorates 100th anniversary of Triangle Shirtwaist fire

Women fell to their deaths as they tried to escape the fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist factory, where the exits were locked.

The fire claimed the lives of 146 workers, mostly Jewish and Italian immigrant women. Here in the Twin Cities, Jewish Community Action, together with a range of historical, educational, labor, immigrant rights, and social justice organizations, will mark the anniversary with a series of events in March, April and May. The series will examine the legacy of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire and make connections with contemporary labor and workplace safety issues.

The series is being organized by Jewish Community Action, with community sponsorship from organizations including the Minnesota AFL- CIO, AFSCME Council 5, ISAIAH, UFCW Local 789, UNITE-HERE Local 17 and others.

Events include:

Sunday, March 6,

3 p.m., film screening on the fire and panel discussion, John B. Davis Auditorium at Macalester College, St. Paul. Panelists include Hy Berman, historian; Liban Ali, UNITE-HERE Local 17; representatives from Centro de Trabajadores Unidos en la Lucha (CTUL) and others.

Sunday, March 27, 1:30 p.m., Jewish Community Action’s 9th Annual Immigrant Freedom Seder, Mount Zion Temple, St. Paul. A Passover Seder commemorating the Fire and highlighting on-going immigrant and worker issues. Led by Rabbi Amy Eilberg and featuring stories from past and present immigrant groups. RSVP by March 18 to Jewish Community Action, 651-632-2184.

Throughout March, D’vrei Torah and study sessions at congregations and in homes, Twin Cities wide. A coordination of teachings and talks on the Fire, as well as past and present immigrant and labor stories. Jewish Community Action also will distribute a Haggadah insert for home use during Passover.

Sunday, April 3, 1 p.m., VOICE film premiere of “New Faces of Minnesota: Meet Us,” photo exhibit and panel discussion, Sabes Jewish Community Center, St. Louis Park. JCA and VOICE will co-sponsor the screening of a new film about the experiences of immigrants from Eastern Europe, Southeast Asia, East Africa, and Central America.

Sunday, April 10, 10 a.m., the Minneapolis Yiddish Vinkl’s event, “Remembering and Honoring our Past,” Sabes Jewish Community Center, St. Louis Park. The Minneapolis Yiddish Vinkl, an organization dedicated to preserving the Yiddish language of Jewish immigrants, will highlight the immigrant experience, the Triangle Fire and the Holocaust through poems, song and more.

Wednesday, April 13, 7 p.m. Premiere Minnesota screening of “abUSed: The Postville Raid,” Beth Jacob Congregation, Mendota Heights, and April 17, 7 p.m., Macalester College, St. Paul. In 2008, 900 armed agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested 389 undocumented workers in Postville, Iowa at Agriprocessors, Inc., the largest kosher slaughterhouse and meat-packing plant in the country. Luis Argueta will introduce his new film that focuses on the Postville story and explores various immigrant and worker themes.

Sunday, May 22, Jewish labor history bus tour, St. Paul. Led by labor historians Peter Rachleff and Dave Riehle. This tour, in a 1954 Twin City Lines bus, is sponsored by the Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library and their annual “Untold Stories” labor history program. To RSVP or for more details, contact Peter Rachleff.

For more information
To RSVP for events, please contact Lauren Bastien at JCA at 651-632-2184 or e-mail her.

Visit the Jewish Community Action website and the  website on events in other cities.

Steve Share edits the Labor Review, the official publication of the Minneapolis Regional Labor Federation. Learn more at www.minneapolisunions.org