The
Jews of Sighet display a theme common to many of us today. With the
regularity of everyday life, they allowed themselves to slip
into regularity; a sense of security. As many have experienced in their
own lifetimes, this illusion of permanence is so comfortable that we try
to protect it by ameliorating the effects of a world moving on – the
new, strange and awkward should be avoided at any costs.
And so, a theme of passivity is established in Night,
to the extent of denial. Is it that the community simply does not
believe Moishe the Beadle? No – Moishe is respected enough for his story
to be credible. Rather, the community finds it easier to simply deny
the reality than to accept and prepare for the truth. This theme is
continued throughout the opening chapters: “They will stay in Budapest”. People
ask why so few of the Jewish settlements put up resistance to the Nazis
– even when they were aware of the consequences of allowing themselves
to be taken. In order to prepare a defense, one has to accept the
reality of a situation. And acceptance is the most painful stage: how
many of us have refused to believe that a close one is gone?
After
the Holocaust was exposed for what it was, nations of the world united
in saying “Never again”. And yet, genocide still continues. Persecution
is still commonplace. And still the world watches silently.
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Terezín and Music During the Holocaust
The persecution of Jews during the Holocaust would not suggest that every bit of tradition was left behind when they were taken away from their homes and transported to concentration camps. Music and its composition was a key role in society which was not to be easily forgotten no matter what the conditions were. Most musical pieces were written in a few camps, those camps being made simply for notable musicians, writers, artists, and leaders. However, one camp, by the name of Terezín (Teresienstadt), was the place where composers such as Hans Krasa, Pavel Haas, and Gideon Klein stayed (by the commission of Hitler, of course) during the Holocaust. Musical masterpieces were written at Terezin, including "Passacaglia" (Krasa), and had a profound affect on those who listened to them, whether it was a small audience in Terezin or people of this modern era.
The emotion/mood of orchestral pieces that were written during this time by Jewish composers living in the camps was of a deep longing for what once was and holding on to the last thread of hope that could lead to a brighter future. The depth in these pieces came from a two to three cellos which produced a floating, yet almost bouncy, foundation for the violins and violas that accompanied it. The tempo often reflected what kind of effect the composer wanted and the rhythm reflected the sentiment that corresponded to the slower or faster tempo.
Influences from countries outside of Europe, for example East Asia (China, Japan, etc.), gave pathways of direction for many pieces written during the time. "String Quartet, No. 2 Opus. 7," (Haas) has an almost Japanese feel to the more rhythmic, fast tempo sections of the piece, and releases a sense of free-moving emotions that could easily fill any audience with warmth and buoyancy.
For many, many years, music has been a way to escape from any pain or suffering in any of its forms. The composition of music has especially contributed to the survival mechanisms of inmates in camps like Terezín and we can see how that had brought to light many new and brilliant composers.
The emotion/mood of orchestral pieces that were written during this time by Jewish composers living in the camps was of a deep longing for what once was and holding on to the last thread of hope that could lead to a brighter future. The depth in these pieces came from a two to three cellos which produced a floating, yet almost bouncy, foundation for the violins and violas that accompanied it. The tempo often reflected what kind of effect the composer wanted and the rhythm reflected the sentiment that corresponded to the slower or faster tempo.
Influences from countries outside of Europe, for example East Asia (China, Japan, etc.), gave pathways of direction for many pieces written during the time. "String Quartet, No. 2 Opus. 7," (Haas) has an almost Japanese feel to the more rhythmic, fast tempo sections of the piece, and releases a sense of free-moving emotions that could easily fill any audience with warmth and buoyancy.
For many, many years, music has been a way to escape from any pain or suffering in any of its forms. The composition of music has especially contributed to the survival mechanisms of inmates in camps like Terezín and we can see how that had brought to light many new and brilliant composers.
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
The Holocaust
Throughout history, the world has seen many serious tragedies. One of the worst tragedies is the loss of over 6 million Jews, gypsies, and other ethnic groups that died during the Holocaust in the mid 20th century. These people went through hardships that most of us can't even imagine, first being taken away from their homes, being stripped of all possessions, and then forced into hard manual labor camps or worse. These people not only lost their lives, but worst of all were treated like animals. we must learn from the mistakes that people have made for us so we won't have to make them for ourselves.
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
2013 - Ready, Set, Go!
We're getting ready for the third installment of the Palo Alto High School Community Book Event to study and discuss Elie Wiesel's memoir, Night. After a one-year hiatus, Facing History and Ourselves classes are organizing discussions about this powerful Holocaust memoir, and inviting adults from the community to come talk with students about the book.
Here are a few pictures from our most recent version of this event, in 2011.
We'll gather on the evening of March 4, 2013. Students will create posters, facilitate group conversations, teach new content, deliver short speeches, photograph and blog about the event. This event is for invited guests from the community, along with students and staff. I'll hand it off to our student bloggers to take over from here, and let them tell you some of their thoughts about the book, the class work and discussions, and their thoughts about our studies and our upcoming event.
Here are a few pictures from our most recent version of this event, in 2011.
We'll gather on the evening of March 4, 2013. Students will create posters, facilitate group conversations, teach new content, deliver short speeches, photograph and blog about the event. This event is for invited guests from the community, along with students and staff. I'll hand it off to our student bloggers to take over from here, and let them tell you some of their thoughts about the book, the class work and discussions, and their thoughts about our studies and our upcoming event.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Last Word.
I felt that the Night event went swell. I got the chance to go and listen to talks about resistance and targets of genocide. The talk I went to on resistance was very interesting. I mainly chose to go to that talk because I just wanted to learn more about resistance and see what the kids running it had to say. Then the talk I went to on Targets of Genocide was cool too! It was really interesting to hear about different groups that faced mass-genocide during the holocaust along with the Jews.
From my perspective, the event seemed to go great! I haven't heard a single complaint about it. The discussions seemed to turn out very well and everyone seems happy with the end result of their work!
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Music in the Holocaust
One of the discussion groups that I attended at the event was the subject of music composed during the Holocaust, led by Dahae and Hannah from first period. At the second discussion, there were about seven people in the audience.
The audience didn't know much about Holocaust music when the presentation began. We first learned about how Jews in concentration camps got the chance to compose music: The ideal concentration camp, the fortress of Terezin. The world was told that Hitler had set aside a town for Jews in order to be protected from the dangers of war. This town, built in the city-fortress of Terezin, was the only camp opened to the Red Cross during the war. Prisoners were shipped there, and it produced several propoganda films during the war showing prisoners splashing in a nearby lake, apparently having fun. When the Red Cross came to visit, the storefronts were filled with bread and candies and other goods. The Red Cross concluded that the Nazis were treating the Jews of Terazine well, and were therefore treating the Jews of Austerwitz and Birknau and the other camps just as well.
In fact, the prisoners of Terazine were shipped off to be gassed after they were no longer needed. Hans Krasa and Victor Ullmann, the composers of the two music pieces that we listened to, were both murdered at the other death camps.
At the camps, to further the illusion that it was a place where prisoners were treated well, Jews were permitted and ordered to compose music. There were enough musicians for two full orchestras in Terezin. At the beginning of the war, musical instruments were not allowed in camps, so musicians would break down their instruments into component parts and hide those in their clothing. Later in the war, the ban on instruments was relaxed.
When we had learned the background of the composition of the music, we turned down the lights and listened to a piece by Hans Krasa. I don't know the name of the piece, but here is what I have in my notes: It begins with a single cellow, playing slow and low, sadly. A violin begins to play, matching the mood but not the melody, playing at a much higher pitch. They go on in this manner, and then two more violins begin, playing the same notes at different octaves at the same time. The doubled melody rises and falls against the slow cellow and the high violin. Suddenly the doubled strings are silent, and there is a section where violins are plucked rhythmically. cautiously, as a single high thread is played by the first violin. Then a violin plays boldly, almost triumphantly in counterpoint to the mood of the rest of the piece, and is quickly silenced.
One member of the audience thought that the rhythmic, soft plucking reminded him of footsteps tiptoeing around, trying not to draw attention. "As long as food was coming that day and no one was being threatened, then it was a good day." I thought that each string represented a different prisoner's story, and that the doubled strings were the story of a boy and his father, or a girl and her mother staying together through the war, only to be killed before the end later.
The presentation was done well, and the audience was interested the whole time. I learned a lot, and so did everyone else.
The audience didn't know much about Holocaust music when the presentation began. We first learned about how Jews in concentration camps got the chance to compose music: The ideal concentration camp, the fortress of Terezin. The world was told that Hitler had set aside a town for Jews in order to be protected from the dangers of war. This town, built in the city-fortress of Terezin, was the only camp opened to the Red Cross during the war. Prisoners were shipped there, and it produced several propoganda films during the war showing prisoners splashing in a nearby lake, apparently having fun. When the Red Cross came to visit, the storefronts were filled with bread and candies and other goods. The Red Cross concluded that the Nazis were treating the Jews of Terazine well, and were therefore treating the Jews of Austerwitz and Birknau and the other camps just as well.
In fact, the prisoners of Terazine were shipped off to be gassed after they were no longer needed. Hans Krasa and Victor Ullmann, the composers of the two music pieces that we listened to, were both murdered at the other death camps.
At the camps, to further the illusion that it was a place where prisoners were treated well, Jews were permitted and ordered to compose music. There were enough musicians for two full orchestras in Terezin. At the beginning of the war, musical instruments were not allowed in camps, so musicians would break down their instruments into component parts and hide those in their clothing. Later in the war, the ban on instruments was relaxed.
When we had learned the background of the composition of the music, we turned down the lights and listened to a piece by Hans Krasa. I don't know the name of the piece, but here is what I have in my notes: It begins with a single cellow, playing slow and low, sadly. A violin begins to play, matching the mood but not the melody, playing at a much higher pitch. They go on in this manner, and then two more violins begin, playing the same notes at different octaves at the same time. The doubled melody rises and falls against the slow cellow and the high violin. Suddenly the doubled strings are silent, and there is a section where violins are plucked rhythmically. cautiously, as a single high thread is played by the first violin. Then a violin plays boldly, almost triumphantly in counterpoint to the mood of the rest of the piece, and is quickly silenced.
One member of the audience thought that the rhythmic, soft plucking reminded him of footsteps tiptoeing around, trying not to draw attention. "As long as food was coming that day and no one was being threatened, then it was a good day." I thought that each string represented a different prisoner's story, and that the doubled strings were the story of a boy and his father, or a girl and her mother staying together through the war, only to be killed before the end later.
The presentation was done well, and the audience was interested the whole time. I learned a lot, and so did everyone else.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Samuel Bak
A few days ago in class, we observed and analyzed paintings by artist and holocaust survivor Samuel Bak. The paintings we looked at were: "Flight From Berlin," "Family Tree 1," and "The Family." Flight from Berlin contains three men sitting in what appears to be a makeshift, childish, "junkyard"attempt at an aircraft. Family Tree 1 features a tree growing on top a small, run down stone building, which is probably the ruins of synagogue, with stars of David stuck on the branches. There is also some new sprouts coming up off the building. I think the withering tree symbolizes the old generation of Jews who died or survived through the Holocaust, and the new sprouts symbolize the new generations. The last painting I looked at was The Family. The Family features a mass of people, some of them deformed somehow, none of them seemingly particularly happy. Some of the people can talk, but have bandages over their eyes; some of the people can see, but have bandages over their mouth. I the very background you can see smokestacks, presumably from the crematory, and the people see coming from it. I think this painting symbolizes the terrible effects of the holocaust.
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