LA JOLLA, California — The words of poets, some murdered during the Holocaust, some who survived, will be presented by Jewish Poets— Jewish Voices Tuesday, March 3, 7 p.m. in the Astor Judaica Library of the Lawrence Family JCC.
The program, Jewish Poets of the Holocaust, will feature seventeen poems, read first in their English translations, then in their original language. In addition, the 23-voice Ohr Shalom Choir, under the direction of Elisheva Edelson, will sing several Yiddish selections, Farvos Iz Der Himl? (Why Is The Sky?), with Bernardo Bicas, solo, Ghetto, with Elisheva Edelson, solo, Yisrolik with Elisheva Edelson, solo and the Partisan Song. Myla Wingard will open the program with the song, The Butterfly.
This annual Poets of the Past program, sponsored by the Astor Judaica Library and the San Diego Center for Jewish Culture is co-sponsored by “We Are the TREE OF LIFE” a community-wide initiative, spearheaded by Jackie Gmach, whose mission is to perform and exhibit works of composers, artists and writers silenced during the Shoah. It is also supported by Tarbuton.
The poems will be recited in their English translations by Janice Alper, Allison Darrosh, Sarita Fainstein, Michael Horvitz, Leean Knetzer, Michael Mark, Eli Meltzer, Susie Meltzer, Judy Scheinberg, Sandra Scheller, Liba Sherman, Steven Steinberg, and Daniel Warren.
Susan Geroe, the translater of her late aunt, Magdalena Klein’s poetry, will read the Hungarian originals. Clara Frank will read the works of the famous Hungarian poet, Miklos Radnoti. Her late father was on the same death march as the poet. Marketa Hancova will read Motyl (The Butterfly) in its original Czech. Jackie Gmach and Stephanie Steinberg will read Primo Levi’s poems in Italian.
The Yiddish readers will include Jana Mazurkiewicz Meisarosh, director of YAAANA, EZ Wajcman, leader of the former Yiddish Circle at the JCC, Sara Appel-Lennon, Daniel Ajzen, Bernardo Bicas, Maty Feldman Bicas, David Gmach, Sylvia Rosenthal, and Edward Meisarosh.
Many of the Yiddish poems were in the Ringelbaum Archives, found buried in the Warsaw Ghetto.
The poetry for this program was selected by Joy Heitzmann, Leean Knetzer and me.
This free event will conclude with a reception. RSVP via this website.
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Eileen Wingard is a freelance writer specializing in coverage of the arts. She may be contacted via eileen.wingard@sdjewishworld.com