The theme linking all three of these stories is survival, is the ultimate revenge of thriving and laughing and making music.
Tonight is the eve of Yom ha Shoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) in Israel. We will pray, we will honour, hold ceremonies and we will stand to attention as the entire country falls into a reverent silence as the wail of the siren envelops us all in our mourning of those who could not live to see this day. Buses stop in their tracks, cars stop where they are whether on by-way or highway as the country hangs its head and sheds a tear while standing to attention until the eerie wail of the siren fades away.
Dancing under the gallows.
Alice Herz-Sommer, at 108, is the oldest Holocaust Survivor in the world. Her secret is in her music, which she still plays for hours every day, and the fact that she loves people. Her neighbour in North London laughingly tells us that people “stand under her window to hear her music”. Surviving Theresienstadt she understands the meaning of evil but chooses to laugh and live and play her music for the multitude of visitors at her London flat every day. “I love people and every day in life is beautiful”
httpv://youtu.be/KMfxU3fCobw
Artist Itzchak Belfer passed away at the age of 98. He was a survivor who discovered how to express the horror through his art, through infinite patience and creating beauty out of the ultimate ugliness. It is Irving Belfer’s tragic past that has made him who he is today. He is a fun loving, joke making, 92 year old man who loves showing off what he is capable of doing. Much like a child, Mr. Belfer reaches out to those who will listen.
httpv://youtu.be/2qAlVdP2hjs
In the summer of 1942, as the persecution of Belgium’s Jews began, an underground Jewish group, in cooperation with the Belgian underground, set out to rescue Jewish children by hiding them all around the country. The most active team consisted of twelve women, mostly non-Jewish, who hid some 3,000 children. This admirable clandestine campaign was unique in the complexity of its structure and the degree of its success. The only living member of that team is Andrée Geulen, and on September 4, children who she had saved celebrated her ninetieth birthday. The celebration included a screening of a song which singer Keren Hadar performed in her honour.
The song, composed just before the event, was the impulsive composition of one of the hidden children — Shaul Harel, a professor of paediatric neurology.
One warm summer day the Harel family was at the Dead Sea Resort for a performance of the opera Aïda at Massada. Shaul Harel was in the jacuzzi and in the warm water he wondered what gift he could bring to Andrée for her birthday. “After all, she already has everything. After the war, she married a Jewish attorney, they were blessed with two daughters and with grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and to this day she is surrounded by the love of the children she rescued.” Suddenly, the warmth of the water brought words tumbling into his mind and he burst into the hotel room and asked his wife Dalia to transcribe his thoughts so they would not “get away” from him and soon a poem was on paper telling Andrée’s story. Shaul’s knew that the poem should be set to music and his favorite singer, Keren Hadar, should perform it. Keren, in turn, recommended Rafi Kadishzon, a prolific and well-known composer; Rafi recommended Dan Almagor, a master of the Hebrew word, to adjust the text for the music. This is the result.
httpv://youtu.be/QR6PC74–1s
This is a tribute to the heroes of the Holocaust – those who risked their own lives to save others.
Anniversaire Andree Geulen – On the birthday of Andree Geulen.
השיר נכתב והולחן כהוקרה לאנדרה גלן לכבוד יום הולדתה ה-90. היא השתתפה בהצלת ילדים יהודים רבים בבלגיה בימי השואה.
Chanson creee en hommage a Andree Geulen a l’occasion de son nonantieme anniversaire. Elle participa pendant la Shoah en Belgique au sauvetage de nombreux enfants juifs.
A song written in honor of Andree Geulen on the occasion of her 90th birthday. In Belgium, during the Holocaust, she undertook the rescue of many Jewish children.
מלים: דליה ושאול הראל, דן אלמגור. לחן: רפי קדישזון. שירה: קרן הדר
Paroles: Dalia et Shaul Harel, Dan Almagor. Musique: Rafi Kadishzon. Chant: Keren Hadar.
Lyrics: Dalia and Shaul Harel, Dan Almagor. Music: Rafi Kadishzon. Vocalist: Keren Hadar
A song is born
In summer 1942, as persecution of Belgium’s Jews began, an underground Jewish group took form in cooperation with the Belgian underground and set out to rescue Jewish children by hiding them in various places around the country. The most active team consisted of twelve-women, mostly non-Jewish, who managed to hide some 3000 children. This admirable clandestine campaign was unique by the complexity of its structure and the degree of its success.
The only survivor from the team today is Andrée Geulen, and on September 4, a great number of the children who had been hidden celebrated her ninetieth birthday. The celebration included a screening of a DVD in which singer Keren Hadar performed a song in her honor. The song stirred a great deal of emotion.
This song, composed very shortly before the event, arose from an impulse on the part of one of the hidden children — Shaul Harel, who today is a professor of pediatric neurology.
… and this is how it happened
One warm summer day at the Isrotel Dead Sea Hotel, the Harel family was visiting for a performance of the opera Aïda at Massada. Shaul Harel was lolling alone in the whirlpool bath. As the warm water and the complete solitude began to take effect, he wondered intensely what gift he could bring to Andrée for her birthday. “After all, she already has everything. After the war, she married a Jewish attorney, they were blessed with two daughters and with grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and to this day she is surrounded by the love of the children she rescued.” Suddenly, as to Archimedes in his warm bath, the Muse descended to him. Although he did not emerge with a mathematical equation — since mathematics was never his subject — he just as suddenly decided to write her a poem. And this is not to be taken lightly, since for many years he had written nothing but medical documentation and articles. The warmth of the water and the atmosphere brought lines tumbling into his mind, and as if possessed, he burst into the hotel room and told his wife Dalia to sit down and transcribe because otherwise the lines would “get away” from him. His wife raised her eyebrows, thinking that the desert heat had overpowered him. But she consented and soon a poem was on paper telling Andrée’s story. Shaul’s imagination took him further and he said that the poem should be set to music and his favorite singer, Keren Hadar, should perform it. Since the poem was written in free verse, Dahlia worked rhymes into it. The poem was read to Keren and she was moved to tears. She said that it was suitable for setting to music and that she would like to sing it. She recommended Rafi Kadishzon, a prolific and well-known composer. Rafi heard the poem, liked it, and immediately recommended Dan Almagor, a master of the Hebrew word, to adjust the text for the music. In the end, Dan Almagor contributed greatly to the rhythm, to the refrain, and to the perfect fit of the lyrics.
All this occurred in the course of two weeks. A week later, the song was recorded, the DVD visuals were prepared, and copies were printed with graphics and with a French and English translation. Everyone who saw it was moved, and now here it is for you.
