Ettie Steinberg

I am what some would consider a hardcore history nerd. One of my favorite things to do is to try to find some stories that connect back to my cultural heritage. As a girl with an Irish dad and a Jewish mom, I don’t typically come across stories about people being that racial mix. But sometimes, I stumble over an obscure story about an Irish Jew like me. And since it is St. Patrick’s weekend, Women’s History Month, and we’re about to be in the midst of all kinds of Jewish holidays, it feels like a great time to share this story.

A few years ago, I was looking for biographies of famous Irish women when I discovered the story of Ettie Steinberg. She is the only Irish person to be killed in the Holocaust.

Ettie was born in 1914 to Jewish parents from Czechoslovakia but spent the majority if not all (her parents’ immigration date is debated) of her life living in Dublin. She grew up as a strong Irish girl with her Jewish faith guiding her. Then in 1937, Ettie married a Belgian man and moved to Antwerp to be closer to his family business of goldsmithing.

Living on the European continent got a bit chaotic and scary in the late 1930s, especially for those that were Jewish. As things ramped up, Ettie and her husband moved to Paris with the idea, like so many others, that they would be safer in the city. While living in Paris in 1939, she gave birth to her only child, and then in 1940, they began to go into hiding.

While Ettie and her small family were hopping around safe houses in France, her parents were in Dublin, working to figure out how to get them back to Ireland. Her parents ultimately succeeded in getting visas for Ettie, her husband, and her son, but they arrived at their safe house one day after they were arrested and shipped off to Auschwitz. 

Ettie’s little family did not last long after their arrest. It is believed that they were all murdered on arrival at the extermination camp.

I love obscure stories of badass women like Ettie Steinberg. This story does not have a happy ending, but her story needs to be told because stories like this strengthen and empower us as women. Women are stronger and braver than many give us credit for, and being a mother, you know Ettie was doing her damnedest to keep her son safe for as long as she did.

Who else is a great obscure badass I need to know about? Who is not obscure, but you think that I should definitely learn more about? Let me know, and I’ll go digging for the history.

Fitness Challenge

During February, I set myself to a challenge of doing a workout on Fiton every day. I figured a short month and a variety of workouts averaging 15 minutes would be a simple way of caring for my health and stretching my routine a bit.

So, how did it go?

Well, I did not complete the challenge. At first, if I skipped a day, I would double up the next day. However, as the month, and life, went on, that just was not feasible. But even though I didn’t meet the challenge, I don’t feel like I failed because I learned a few things about my fitness journey.

One: I hate Pilates. Every time I do a pilates-centered workout, I feel cranky and miserable. These feelings start a few minutes into the workout and last all day. So definitely no more pilates.

Two: Rest days are for more than your muscles. I found that the days I skipped workouts in February were also the days that mentally I couldn’t function in the gym. They were the days I needed to focus my mind elsewhere, even if it meant sleeping in a bit or zoning out with the television. But the next day, I was all-in, body and mind, and I felt refreshed at the end of the workout.

Three: I love Yoga! There is just something about it that feeds my soul in ways that other workouts cannot. No matter how many other workouts I try, I always get back on my yoga mat 3–4 times a week. 

Now does all of this mean that I will never sign myself up for a month–long fitness challenge again? No. But I will be more mindful of what type of challenge I pick so that it supports all areas of my fitness and wellness journey.

Yes, I've dropped a link up there, and up until this week, it was an affiliate link, but they've ended that program, so now it's just an app that I love. I genuinely love Fiton and their workout app, and their equipment shop is also pretty on point. So if you're looking for new gear or a new place to get at-home workouts, then check them out.