Where did you find the songs you are showcasing in Tears, Joy and Hope?
Many of the songs showcased in my program were taken directly from the music library of my long-time friend, the late Ethel Weinstein, a teacher of Yiddish music. The inspiration was a book in Ethel’s library entitled “30 Songs of the Ghetto”. I gravitated to it and found a wealth of beautiful songs I had never heard before.
Why are these songs important?
These exquisite poems have been set to beautiful haunting melodies and they describe what life was like for the composers, writers and performers who lived in the Jewish ghettos. Most of the people behind the music perished, but their music speaks for them. I feel strongly about doing my part to ensure these songs will not be forgotten.
How did you find the history of the songs?
I was lucky that my own Yiddish music collection contained the background to some of the songs I wanted to sing. But several songs in 30 Songs of theGhetto were missing the names of the composer or the poet, so the internet became an important resource. While researching these songs, I was able to contact Alix Wall, the daughter of Sorele Krinski, the young girl who inspired the song Dos Elnte Kind. Alix was most generous with her time and she gave me more insight into the story behind the song. It is important that each song’s history be accurately told.
Why tell the history – doesn’t the audience hear it in the song?
Not everyone understands Yiddish, so it was important to provide a translation of the words. The music, which was beautifully presented by my two professional accompanists, added depth to the performance. Together they conveyed the feelings of the Jewish people as they were forced from their homes and into the ghetto. I hoped that by sharing the stories the audience would experience the emotions felt by the souls lost to the Holocaust.
What purpose do the photos serve?
We are often asked to think about large groups such as the now familiar “six million people” and it can be difficult to think of them as individuals. By showing photographs of some of the talented artists who lived in the Jewish ghettos, the audience has an opportunity to “meet” them while learning their stories. It creates a powerful connection.
Why perform them in Yiddish?
Preserving these songs in the language they were written is a way of honoring those who were silenced by the Holocaust. I feel we owe it to the memory of those who died to keep these songs alive. I also had firsthand experience with the power of Yiddish songs. When I was 12, as a favor to my father, I learned a Yiddish song to sing for his mother, my Bubbe Molly, who lived in a retirement home among other Yiddish-speaking residents. So on a visit there, I performed “A Yiddishe Momme” for them. About halfway through my performance I noticed that many of the residents were crying. At that moment I realized that by singing a song in Yiddish I could move people to tears. That memory has always been the driving force that keeps Yiddish music in my repertoire.
Did you have to learn Yiddish to perform these songs?
No, I grew up hearing my parents speak Yiddish to each other and with other family members. As a child I learned to read and write Hebrew, which has some similarities to Yiddish. I am not a fluent Yiddish speaker, however, as part of my preparation for this concert, I made sure my diction and accent were correct by working with a language teacher whose expertise was in Yiddish. Most importantly, I made sure that I knew the meaning of every word so that I could accurately interpret the message.
What do you hope to achieve with this concert? What do you want your audience to take away?
As the generations evolve, the memory and the emotion of the Holocaust slips a little further away. I wonder if there is wisdom in the words of writer and philosopher George Santayana, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." I think there is an important history lesson in these seldom performed songs of the Jewish ghetto and I want to share it with a wider audience.
Are you pleased with how the concert is being received?
The response to my concert has been overwhelmingly positive. I was concerned that my explanations of the songs would distract from the beautiful words and music. The feedback I’ve received from my debut at Temple Israel in Long Beach proved that I worried needlessly. My audience stepped back in time with me and we shared the experience exactly as I had hoped.
2022 Rates
Tears, Joy and Hope: Yiddish Songs Written in the Ghetto is a multi-media presentation that includes a PowerPoint presentation, historical photographs, and English translations. Soprano Harriet Bennish is accompanied by an accordionist and cellist and together they capture both the mood and the heightened emotions of the darkest time in the lives of the Jewish people.
90 minute concert with 10 minute intermission......................$2250
60 minute concert (no intermission).......................……….........$1800
45 minute concert (no intermission)........................................$1500
(When not local, travel and accommodations billed separately)
*Contact artist for a virtual (Zoom or Webinar) presentation at a reduced rate. Virtual programs are narrated live by Harriet Bennish. Historical photos and videos of songs from previous concerts are inserted into a PowerPoint presentation with English subtitles.
**Sliding scale may be available in some circumstances; please contact Harriet for details.