Page 23 - Jewish News_December 2021

JEWISH INTEREST December 2021 23A

Bordello, The Musical

By Arlene Stolnitz
blood… to save Europe,” but without riginal musical programs Carner, which tells the story of girls man’s story with a larger audience is Arlene Stolnitz, founder of the Sara-
a victory. As a result, he added, “the based on historical events in from Odessa who were sold into slav- consistent with Hadassah’s tradition of sota Jewish Chorale, is a member of
Jews… must disappear.” OJewish history always amaze ery and forced to come to America. embracing “brave Jewish women who the Jewish Congregation of Venice. A
Ominously, Frank also alluded to me. How clever are these authors/ And the story continues, even today, in stick their heads above the fray and try retired educator from Rochester, New
“a great discussion” that was to take composers who create such innovative many third-world countries. to make a difference.” York, she has sung in choral groups
place in Berlin the following month works! I have been particularly struck by A decade in the making, the can- for over 25 years and also sings in
to discuss the extermination process. Case in point: an article I the poetic words of lyricist Barbara tata is not fully completed, but will be The Venice Chorale. Her interest in
Though he did not refer to it by name, wrote last month called “To Big- Bellman, who learned about the story presented as a first-class production the preservation of Jewish music of all
that meeting would be the Wann- otry No Sanction.” It concerns a while working on her master’s degree. to a London audience before its U.S. kinds has led to this series of articles
see Conference on January 20, 1942, cantata written about George Washing- In researching the subject, she uncov- debut. on Jewish Folk Music in the Diaspora.
which would be attended by Frank’s ton’s affirmation of the “free and equal ered the story of Raquel Liberman, a
State Secretary Dr. Josef Bühler. status of Jews as American citizens. 20 century Polish immigrant who had
th
Proceeding from this, Frank over- Other works I have written about in- fled her home country to start a new
saw the segregation of Jews into ghet- clude Julia Wolfe’s life in Argentina. Raquel had turned Dr. MArtiN

tos, especially the enormous Warsaw musical, Fire in to prostitution as a way to support her- Luther KiNg Jr:
Ghetto, and into the Bełżec, Treblinka, My Mouth (Octo- self and, in the process, became aware
Majdanek and Sobibór extermination ber 2019), an ora- of the sex slave business run by Zwi Celebrating His Legacy
camps. He became responsible for the torio dealing with Migdal. She was a force in the inves- in Spoken Word and Song
exploitation and murder of hundreds of the Triangle Shirt- tigation into the organization run by
thousands of Polish civilians, includ- waist Factory fire, Jewish pimps, thugs and prostitutes,
ing their use as forced labor. Frank ad- and London com- and was partially responsible for the MONDAY
ministered the destruction of Poland as poser Carl Davis’ breakup of the group, which had flour- JAN 17, 2022
a national entity with the murder of the Kindertransport ished in several Argentinian cities.
country’s leaders, educated elite and Arlene Stolnitz story, The Last The music in Bordello, The Mu- 7:30 PM
clergy, and the extermination of nearly Train to Tomorrow (November 2016). sical: She’ll Be the Perfect Girl for
all Poland’s Jews. The Sarajevo Haggadah: Music of the You reflects the Argentinian influence FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
On May 3, 1945, at war’s end, Book (July 2020) was based on Geral- of composer Emiliano Messiez. It in- 104 S. PINEAPPLE AVE, SARASOTA
Hans Frank was located and arrested dine Brooks’ People of the Book. And cludes the tango choreography of his TICKETS AT
by United States troops and stood trial then there was the revamped 1918 Yid- country combined with Ashkenazi/ WESTCOASTBLACKTHEATRE.ORG
at Nuremberg before the International dish pandemic song, “ You Poison Our Klezmer motifs. You can hear “Cae- OR 941-366-1505
Military Tribunal. He was found guilty Innards” (September 2020). sar’s Tango” on YouTube, as well as
of war crimes and crimes against hu- Recently, I came across a new mu- “The Day She Ran Away,” whose lyr-
manity, sentenced to death, and was sical cantata, a powerful story about ics I find particularly poignant.
hanged at Nuremberg on October 16, human trafficking, so relevant today. “The Day She Ran Away”
1946. The reimagined story is based on his- “…yellow is the light of a summer day
Paul R. Bartrop is Professor Emeritus torical facts of the 1920s, regarding an When a girl of 12 was sold to a man
of History and the former Director of organization that lured poor European four times her age
the Center for Holocaust and Geno- girls and women, mainly from Poland, Who locked her in a cage.
cide Research at Florida Gulf Coast to work in wealthy homes, mainly in She learned to survive and stay alive.
University. Buenos Aires, but also other major Her dress was yellow, head to toe, as
cities of Argentina. Fearful of the po- she went screaming through the town
groms, parents in dire economic means Begging for a place to hide, she fled Your Musical,
in Eastern Europe would send their into the countryside.
daughters to Buenos Aires for a bet- But that yellow dress betrayed her… Comedy, Drama
ter future. Instead, these girls became The last time she wore yellow
sex slaves and often were beaten and Was the day she ran away.”
forced into prostitution. They were in With book, lyrics and music by and
effect part of an organized crime group, Barbara Bellman and by Emiliano
the Zwi Migdal organization, which Messiez, the cantata was previewed at Live Music
functioned from the 1860s to 1939. a sold-out performance for the Dona
The story has been told before and not Gracia Hadassah Chapter on October Destination!
only in European countries. Recently, 3, 2021, at the Union League of Phil-
I read The Third Daughter, by Talia adelphia. The idea of sharing Liber-
Why WE belong

Others before us stepped up and
built our Federation. As the next
generation, we have to step up
and do what we can to ensure
that there are always Jewish
tomorrows. It is our turn
to make that a reality.

Randon & Lynn Carvel
BOARD ROOM,
KLINGENSTEIN JEWISH CENTER Photography: Karen Arango

Photo: Diane Broda

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