Intergenerational Inspiration Q&A with Dr. Edgar Klugman
Dr. Edgar Klugman worked for more than 60 years in early childhood education and is a professor emeritus of Wheelock College where he helped to establish the intergenerational studies master’s degree that I, Andrea J. Fonte Weaver, earned.
- Intergenerational (IG) relationships traditionally focus on people who are “skipped”, non-adjacent generations like grandparents and grandchildren. Have you had someone in your life from a skipped generation who greatly inspired you?
My grandmother, Frieda Klugman, was an important link to my parents for me when I was a child. I moved from my home city, Nuremberg, Germany to Ilkley, Yorkshire in England, on a Kindertransport, after Kristalnacht. Frieda had already escaped the Hitler regime by moving to Amsterdam, Holland, to her daughter’s home. My parents continued to live in Nuremberg. In order to connect with them via mail, I could not write directly since there was no longer a connection between Germany and England’s postal systems. All mail to Germany from England was censored. My grandmother made it possible for me to send my communications to her in Amsterdam (a country not yet affected by the war). My parents learned how to send their messages to me through her as well. I always looked upon her as a savior.
2) What is something you enjoyed doing with the person? What did you learn from him or her?
Before I left Nuremberg, I would visit my Grandmother, Frieda at her home down the street from my own in Nuremberg. She fed the sparrows every day on her window sill. I would get the opportunity to empty the innards of rolls and eventually I learned how to do it and fed the sparrows on our window sill in my own home.
3) How has this relationship continued to impact you? Is there something you do or a motto you follow in your personal or professional life that came from that intergenerational connection?
My relationship with Frieda was brought up for me after hearing about the policy regarding families who crossed our southern borders and were separated and detained. What a dreadful way to treat families! The experiences of these families are a bold reminder to me of the importance of becoming a spokesperson in attempts to change national policy that separates families and to try to help families stay connected in any way possible. It was a very sad day for me when I heard about this policy and caused me to relive my past difficulties and remember how important Frieda was for me and my parents.
4) Is there someone in your life now from a younger generation in which you have a special reverse-mentoring relationship? What types of experiences do you share together?
My granddaughter, Takara, a teacher of four and five-year-old children, and I, are in the midst of exchanging healing letters because I recently had surgery. I am currently in possession of drawings, sketches and words of healing. In return, I am sharing with them a special four-leaf clover plant from my own childhood that they are growing in their classroom (Oxalis Iron Cross). I sent a bulb to each one of them so they could each raise their own four-leaf clover plant. Takara and I are discussing the possibility of a Baba-Takara series of stories about our intergenerational experiences that the children, the teachers and I will create! Stay tuned in!
5) Is there a book, movie or piece of art that has reminded you about the importance and power of intergenerational inspiration?
I like the Zimbabwe statue that is on my fireplace and what it says on it, “You never stand so tall as when you bend down to help a child.”
6) How can our readers follow you and learn more about your work?
I co-founded the National Playing for Keeps initiative, within the National Association for the Education for Young Children, the Edgar Klugman Award on children’s play. This led to the first award going to the City of Cambridge Parks and Recreation Department for creating Intergenerational Playgrounds. The City of Cambridge worked to create opportunities for young and old to enjoy each other’s creativity and play. Try it, you’ll like it!
You may learn more about Ed’s amazing life from through this video.
