Re: Germans and Klezmer

[Trudi Goodman <goobietheg...>]

  Being a partial Litvaker I would make a bid to remember the Vilna 
Partisians as well and   Abbi Kovner!
    Trudi the G


>From: elliott <enr01 (at) gnofn(dot)org>
>Reply-To: jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org
>To: World music from a Jewish slant <jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org>
>Subject: Re: Germans and Klezmer
>Date: Mon, 28 Feb 2000 14:25:49 -0600
>
>Apropo the Warsaw ghetto. It is a very noteworthy but well hidden fact that 
>the
>Warsaw ghetto heldout against the Germans LONGER  than the   WHOLE COUNTRY 
>OF
>FRANCE.
>         ellllllllllllll
>
>Leopold Friedman wrote:
>
> > Marvin,
> > Punishment is God's prerogative.
> > Forgiveness was the prerogative of
> > those who suffered and died. We may
> > not presume to act for them.
> >
> > I am just asking those well-meaning
> > (for the most part), talented German
> > musicians to refrain from intruding in
> > Yiddish culture if they wish to claim
> > any sensitivity to human feelings.
> >
> > Incidentally, if you were a soldier who
> > "fought back," I don't think you should so
> > carelessly repeat that the victims of the
> > Holocaust didn't fight back, no matter
> > how little thay had in the way of weapons.
> > The Warsaw ghetto rose up without help
> > from the neighboring Poles or the Americans
> > and, somehow, partisans did what they could
> > to a degree that exceeded efforts of other
> > "occupied" nations.
> >
> > Josh, Ari,
> > Whatever their motives, however great
> > their virtuosity, however innocent and
> > well-meaning they may be as our fellow
> > human beings, they must recognize that
> > the results of their efforts will likely
> > be received as painful intrusions by those
> > of us who have "organic" connections to it.
> >
> > As an American, I feel contrite about the
> > atrocities committed in American history
> > (l'havdil), and I wouldn't presume to
> > intrude in Native American cultural
> > activities, for example. And, Ari, I don't
> > think you should bring up Deir Yassin
> > (or even Etzion) in the same breath as
> > the Shoah. If all atrocities are equal,
> > then denying Germans the moral "right"
> > to play Klezmer music would be morally
> > equivalent to what?
> >
> > The argument seems to be that playing
> > Klezmer music is a basic human right to
> > which these (German) human beings are
> > just as entitled as any ployni ben ployni.
> >
> > I wouldn't deny anyone any human right;
> > I simply want their "Klezmer" music "out
> > of my face." I enjoy the music of German
> > musicians when they play music that is not so
> > closely tied to this specific Jewish culture
> > which their nation/society nearly succeeded in
> > destroying.
> >
> > Perhaps such a concert at the site of the
> > planned Berlin memorial would entice the
> > mayor of that city to attend. Perhaps a
> > concert at a street naming organized to
> > honor Marlene Dietrich or another German
> > anti-Nazi artist would be a nice gesture.
> >
> > I am German born, so I guess I have the
> > right to be a Klezmer musician, too.
> > Leopold Friedman
> >
> > ------Original Message------
> > From: "Marvin" <physchem (at) earthlink(dot)net>
> > To: World music from a Jewish slant <jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org>
> > Sent: February 28, 2000 3:17:28 PM GMT
> > Subject: Re: Germans and Klezmer
> >
> > This has been a most significant topic for discussion.  The Torah speaks 
>of
> > punishing the sins the sons for generations for the sins of the father, 
>but
> > I see that as the prerogative of G*d to judge that isn't allowed to 
>mankind.
> >
> > My experience as a soldier in WW II was in the Pacific, and I hold no 
>grudge
> > against Japanese, even though there has been nothing much in the way of
> > apologies from Japanese leaders.  I hold a grudge against the Germans of 
>my
> > generation who claim they had no idea of what was being done to the 
>Jews,
> > and especially for those who took part in nay way.  I have no grudge in
> > general against younger generations.
> >
> > I am aware that my experience as a soldier - who had the means to fight
> > back - is very different from the experience of the victims of the
> > Holocaust.  I don't fault any surviver who can't find it in his heart to
> > forgive the children of their oppressors.
> >
>
>

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