The talk by Robert Meeropol was fascinating and the brunch was delicious. It was vegetarian and included a pate made with wild mushrooms, all kinds of interesting breads and pastries, a big bowl of cut-up fruit, and lots of other yummies, as well as good coffee and Chardonnay, of which I partook.
Meeropol and his daughter, an attorney, use these venues for fund-raising, and have done a lot of them. They don't give the impression that they're bored, superior, or practiced at glad-handing, but are warm, friendly people. He helped himself to brunch and chatted with attendees and she got me coffee. I didn't realize until they were introduced later who they were.
A music stand and chairs were set up in the dining room where, I assume, the usual furniture had been removed, and Meeropol spoke there. He covered a lot of the topics in his books, both of which I had read, and he was very engaging. He spent about half the time on his parents' story and the other half on his organization "The Rosenberg Fund For Children." He did not insist on his parents' innocence, but pointed out that the crime for which they were convicted was trumped-up and the punishment meted out--death--was inappropriately harsh. As I've mentioned before, it's generally accepted that his father did pr0vide the then-Soviet Union with "secrets," but they did not concern the atomic bomb. Also, this was during WW II, when the Soviet Union was a U.S. ally; Julius was passionate about the evil of the Nazi empire and wanted to help defeat them. As for Ethel, the consensus now seems to be that she was aware of her husband's actions, but had no part in them. If they had "cooperated" with the government, they would almost surely not have received the death sentence. All mixed up in this sad affair were the "red scare," anti-semitism (open and covert), and the heavily conservative mood of the time.
Meerpool's book, An Execution in the Family, was on sale for $10 and I bought one, adding $15 as a donation to the Fund. I had already read it--remarkably, our little library had a copy--but want to have it to go over again. The author signed it, added the date, and I chatted with him and his daughter for a few minutes.
Talk about a unique family. Imagine talking to a relative stranger and the subject turns to your parents' passings: "My father died of a heart attack, and my mother of cancer. Yours?" "They were executed on the same day by the United States government."
There's a conversation stopper for you.