NEW YORK
The Defiant Requiem Foundation joined forces with On Site Opera to present two remarkable and important Terezín-era operas: Brundibár and Der Kaiser von Atlantis to support UJA-Federation of New York’s Community Initiative for Holocaust Survivors on November 21, 2022. Brundibár is a children’s opera composed by Hans Krása and, despite being written before WWII, it became famous as a result of the 55 performances that children, all of whom were prisoners, presented in the Terezín Ghetto/ Concentration Camp. In contrast, Der Kaiser von Atlantis (The Emperor of Atlantis) was actually composed in the camp, but is famous for the exact opposite reason: it was never performed in Terezín as was intended in 1944, instead it was censored by the Jewish Council of Elders prior to the Terezín premiere. The performance in Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall featured the Young People’s Chorus of New York City under the direction of Sophia Papoulis, a cast of internationally acclaimed opera singers, an orchestra that included members of the American Modern Ensemble, costumes by Beth Goldenberg, staging by On Site Opera General & Artist Director Eric Einhorn, and was led by Foundation President & Artist Director Murry Sidlin. In additional to raising funds for CIHS – the fourth such time The Defiant Requiem Foundation has worked with UJA-Federation of New York to support this critical initiative – the evening also honored Foundation Board Member and longtime champion of survivors’ needs, Patti Askwith Kenner.
PHILIPPE SANDS AND KATJA RIEMANN IN EAST WEST STREET Photo credit: John Keith
WASHINGTON, DC
On December 15, The Defiant Requiem Foundation hosted a theatrical performance of East West Street: A Song of Good & Evil based on the book East West Street by Foundation board member Philippe Sands. Held at La Maison Française at the French Embassy in Washington, DC, the production consisted of actors, video, and music exploring the conflicts and connections between the men at the heart of the Nuremberg war crimes trial: Cambridge academic Hersch Lauterpacht, Polish prosecutor Raphael Lemkin and Hitler’s notorious lawyer, Hans Frank. The production also interweaves the story of Sands’ grandfather and family from Lvov and the creation of international human rights law. It is a fascinating account of the origins of the concepts of crimes against humanity and genocide. Guests included the Ukrainian Ambassador Oksana Markarova who provided remarks at the reception following the presentation. Philippe and the other talented performers, Guillaume de Chassy, Laurent Naouri and Katja Riemann, who all traveled from Europe, graciously mingled with guests at the reception. The revival performance was directed by Julia Mintzer. This was the first time East West Street: A Song of Good & Evil was performed in Washington, DC.
DER KAISER VON ATLANTIS PERFORMANCE AT ZANKEL HALL AT CARNEGIE HALL Reproduced with permission from Jewish Appeal-Federation of Jewish Philanthropies of New York, Inc. Photo credit: Michael Priest
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