Politics & Government

About Town:Stoughton Evening Will Have Emotions Flying

Welcome to "About Town with Mark Snyder," a column that will keep you up to the minute with what's what, who's who and what's going on around town.

By Mark Snyder

"Losing our Sons," a documentary film, is an investigation into the first successful homegrown Islamist terrorist attack on American soil. This is the story of a young African-American man from Memphis, Carlos Beldsoe, who converted to radical Islam (and became Abdulhakim Mohamed). He went to Yemen for terrorism training, and came back to murder a young U.S. Army recruiter, Pvt William Long, in Little Rock, Arkansas for “Allah.”  It will be playing starting at 7 p.m. at Ahavath Torah Congregation in Stoughton Oct. 10. 

But, that is just the beginning.  As part of the Hausman Memorial Speakers Series, and JST Event Management, the film will be followed by a live discussion with Melvin Bledsoe and Darius Long, fathers of both young men. The evening, part of Americans for Peace and Tolerance, should be emotionally charged.  

Melvin Bledsoe's testimony at Rep. Peter King's radicalization hearings in the House helped define the issue of how homegrown terrorists are born. It pointed a bright light at the true enormity of the problem, which also resulted in the Ft. Hood massacre.

Dr Charles Jacobs says that "two fathers and two sons were lost in one ideologically-inspired act of jihad."  Rabbi Jonathan Hausman, who is hosting the event, told About Town, "Those who attend will have the opportunity to listen to and to feel the pain of two fathers who had never met previously, bring healing and hope out of loss."

Find out what's happening in Stoughtonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The event runs from 7-9 p.m., with a cost of $10 with pre-registration, or $15 at the door. To preregister, visit https://jstlosingoursons.eventbrite.com.

Ahavath Torah Congregation is located at 1179 Central Street in Stoughton.

Find out what's happening in Stoughtonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Happy Birthday to: Stoughton's Judi Moore, who works for Cumberland Farms/Gulf Oil.  To Michael Hammond, the new "Big Cheese" at Stoughton Media Access Corp. (SMAC). To Rabbi Avigayl Young of Stoughton, who works at Gann Academy. She was formerly School Principal at Ahavath Torah Congregation.   And Happy Birthday on Tuesday to: Carolyn Curtis-Mahoney, a PTO leader at the Dawe Elementary School, and co-founder of the IT's Elementary 5 School 5K. To my neighbor and friend, Donna Sandler. To Stoughton native Michelle McGrath, who's done the PR thing for South Shore Conservatory and The Company Theatre. 


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