Special Concert: "Kaddish - I am Here" Performed at Yad Vashem

Avner Shalev, Chairman of the Yad Vashem Directorate, greets State Comptroller Micha Lindenstrauss and Speaker of the Knesset Reuven Rivlin
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08 September 2011

On September 8, 2011, a unique concert featuring the stirring words of Holocaust survivors, performed by the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra - IBA, soloists and choirs from Israel and the United States, and conducted by Gil Shohat took place at Yad Vashem. The concert took place in the presence of Holocaust survivors and their families, and official State guests, including members of the Diplomatic Corps. It was the Israeli premiere of the piece.

Created by composer Dr. Lawrence Siegel and named for the Jewish prayer for the dead, Kaddish - I am Here conveys the stories of Holocaust survivors in their own words, in their own languages, providing a window into their experiences. The libretto was translated into Hebrew by Ada Paldor.

Kaddish was commissioned by the Cohen Center for Holocaust Studies at Keene State College, Keene, NH, in honor of its 25th anniversary, and has since been performed seven times, to great acclaim, notably by the Houston Symphony Orchestra, in partnership with Holocaust Museum Houston, in the premiere of a full symphonic version. The September concert at Yad Vashem's Warsaw Ghetto Square, is part of Yad Vashem's ongoing activities to commemorate the Holocaust through the arts. Two years ago, Leonard Bernstein's Kaddish with a libretto by Samuel Pisar was performed by the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, and smaller concerts are held periodically.