A very musical Philly Christmas | Morning Newsletter
And a Jewish son struggles to understand
The Morning Newsletter
Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter
Grab your umbrella. Sunday is expected to be soggy and cloudy with a high near 54.
Philly has been remarkably snowless. It’s been 90 years since a five-year period was this snow-deprived. But that may change now that we’re in the meteorological winter.
One look at the upcoming events on Philly’s concert calendar says it all: This year, holiday music is back big. We walk you through the highlights.
— Paola Pérez (@pdesiperez, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
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There will be music for every ear to enjoy this holiday season. There’s a vibe to match a variety of moods or tastes, often within a single concert, and sometimes free.
On top of annual traditions and marquee vocalists in the lineup, the Kimmel Center alone has dozens of holiday concerts between now and the new year. So Inquirer pop critic Dan DeLuca and classical arts writer Peter Dobrin joined forces to point you to the biggest and best.
Some of their picks:
Big Freedia’s Christmas in Central City on Dec. 6 at the Brooklyn Bowl
Mariah Carey on Dec. 13 at Wells Fargo Center
The Glorious Sound of Christmas on Dec. 14-16 at Verizon Hall
John Waters on Dec. 15 at Union Transfer
There are many more that you can’t miss. Get the complete list.
🎤 Now I’m passing the mic to features reporter Zoe Greenberg.
After Gilbert Tabby died, David Tabby began sorting through the collections he left behind. He wanted to honor his father’s memory.
But he quickly discovered that more than anything else, his father had collected Nazi memorabilia. Not just a few small objects, but hundreds of Nazi artifacts, alongside other World War II and Holocaust items. The Tabby family is Jewish, and not direct descendants of Holocaust survivors.
David had grown distant from his father as an adult. Now he wondered whether he had ever really known him at all. Why did his father have a Nazi flag so large it literally could not be displayed inside? Why had he never mentioned it? Why had David never asked?
I was drawn to this story because it’s fundamentally about a son grappling with who his father was in life, and struggling to understand him after he died. — Zoe Greenberg
Keep reading to learn about David’s efforts to keep his father in remembrance, and why he’s not selling the items.
What you should know today
Gino Hagenkotter, the man who escaped from Philly’s jail last week, has spent years in and out of prison on drug and theft charges. As of Saturday night, he remained at large, and police have had no confirmed sightings of him since his initial escape.
Rite Aid will close three more stores in the Philadelphia region before the end of the year. The pharmacy chain filed for bankruptcy in October and has been shuttering locations nationwide.
A man who was beaten to death inside a Philadelphia jail last week was assaulted within hours of his arrival at the facility. And the Defender Association of Philadelphia, which represented him, said he never should have been behind bars in the first place.
Digital billboards thanking Sen. John Fetterman for his support for Israel are driving around midtown Manhattan this weekend during Pennsylvania Society, the annual glitzy gathering of the state’s political establishment.
A 51-year-old former postal employee pleaded guilty Friday to stealing more than $170,000 cash from mail sent from a South Jersey shopping center.
Washington Square West residents have mixed feelings about the proposed Sixers arena. Along with Chinatown, the community is sure to be impacted by the $1.55 billion project.
The Philly Pops has agreed to pay its debt to musicians, ending one of two lawsuits in which the Pops has been enmeshed. It’s been almost a full year since the full Pops orchestra last performed a concert.
❓Pop quiz❓
Which team color or design will the Phillies retire in 2024?
A) pinstripes
B) gray
C) powder blue
D) red
Think you know? Check your answer here.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
Hint: In the heart of Fishtown
BOB ROLL WONKY
Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here. Cheers to Nancy Gale who correctly guessed Friday’s answer: The Rolling Stones.
Photo of the day
🎶 For today’s Sunday track, we’re listening to: “No need to understand / ‘Cause I’m just happy to begin again.” 🎶
Spotify Wrapped dropped last week. My top artists of the year were Bad Bunny, Caroline Polachek, Freddie Gibbs, KAI and Emotional Oranges. What’s in yours (and did you stream Philly’s #1 artist)?
👋🏽 That’s it for now. Taylor will bring you the latest news bright and early on Monday. Thanks for reading, and take care.