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The Jewish musicians who were forced to play for the Nazis

JL;DR SUMMARY The harrowing yet inspiring story of Jewish musicians at Auschwitz is brought to light through two films that coincide with the 80th anniversary of the camp's liberation. A way out west there was a fella, fella I want to tell you about, fella by the name of Jeff Lebowski. At least, that was the handle his lovin' parents gave him, but he never had much use for it himself. This Lebowski, he called himself the Dude. Now, Dude, that's a name no one would self-apply where I come from. But then, there was a lot about the Dude that didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. And a lot about where he lived, likewise. But then again, maybe that's why I found the place s'durned innarestin'.

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Tags

AuschwitzHolocaust MemorialSurvivalHolocaust MusicResistanceDocumentariesAnita Lasker WallfischOrchestrasFrancesco LotoroLost Music

Places mentioned

Oświęcim, Lesser Poland, Poland
"But there were 15 orchestras at Auschwitz, in which Jewish musicians played at the order of Nazi commanders, and many were also secretly composing in acts of personal resistance."
Bristol, United Kingdom
"He grew up culturally Jewish in Bristol, and has a distinct memory of learning about the Second World War in his last year at primary school yet not learning about the Holocaust that took place in it."
Israel
"It was music that saved my parents, literally, says Raphael, explaining that his father came from Breslau like his mother, and through his talents as a pianist was given a rare visa for talented children to go to Palestine in 1937, along with his mother and brother."

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Cairo Item ID 42489
Cairo Source ID 47
Retrieved 2025-01-24 05:30:32 UTC
Curated 2025-01-24 08:31:17 UTC