(NEWS) New York Composer's Music Celebrates Holocaust Hero

"One person can make a difference in the lives of thousands.

That is the message of 'Wallenberg,' a musical that opens Saturday night at the White Plains Performing Arts Center in White Plains, N.Y.

The production brings to life the story of Raoul Wallenberg, who at the age of 32 left his wealthy family and the safety of Sweden to save Jews in Nazi-occupied Hungary in 1944. Using every means at his disposal, the Swedish diplomat succeeded in rescuing more than 100,000 Jews within a six-month period.



In January 1945, the Soviets, who had just entered Budapest, abducted and imprisoned Wallenberg, perhaps because his mission had been funded entirely by the United States. He was never again seen in the free world. Though the Soviet government announced that he had died of a heart attack in prison in 1947, many former Soviet prisoners who came out of the gulag in the decades since then reported that they had seen, spent time with, even befriended Wallenberg in various prisons and institutions. The last such report was in 1981. That same year, President Ronald Reagan made Wallenberg an honorary U.S. citizen.

While Oskar Schindler is a household name, largely because of the film 'Schindler’s List,' Wallenberg — who saved many more people — is virtually unknown, the show’s organizers lament.

'He saved more people than any other person or organization and he risked his life to do so,' said Benjamin Rosenbluth, the Teaneck composer who wrote the score for the production. 'This story screams to be told passionately to the public, and what better way than through a musical?'

But 'Wallenberg' should not be mistaken for a 'Holocaust musical,' Rosenbluth insists. 'It’s the story of an incredible optimist. It conveys a very positive message about what an individual can do to impact the world.'

Rosenbluth, who was classically trained in piano and composition at Juilliard before going on to earn an M.D. degree at Harvard, has been writing music since he was a child. He has worked with such big names as Marvin Hamlisch; his compositions have been performed by symphony orchestras; and a ballet was performed at Lincoln Center. The opportunity to write music for this dramatic story was 'too exciting not to tackle,' said Rosenbluth, the 37-year-old father of four.

He began working on the project in 2004 with writers Laurence Holzman and Felicia Needleman, collaborators who have won awards for their musical comedies and librettos.

Holzman had come up with the idea of a Wallenberg production years ago, while teaching a sixth-grade Hebrew school class about the Holocaust. He noticed a footnote about Wallenberg in the class textbook and was stunned. 'I had a solid Jewish education and never learned anything about him,' he said. 'If he saved more Jews than any other organization or government, why don’t people know about him?' He called Needleman, his longtime writing partner, and told her, 'We have to tell this story. I don’t want my kids’ idol to be Britney Spears when there are incredible people to look up to.'

Through their shared background at the BMI Musical Theatre Workshop in Manhattan, the writers discovered Rosenbluth, whom they credit with creating an exhilarating score.

'Benjy’s music is so lush and beautiful,' said Holzman. 'His melodies are so sweet. He really captured the epic nature of the story with the music.'

That the project has taken so many years to bring to fruition is in large part because the writers aimed to tell the story without bending historical facts. They spent months researching Wallenberg’s life. They even held readings for survivors who were saved by Wallenberg to ensure authenticity.



A group of 'Wallenberg Jews' attended a 2004 reading at Manhattan’s Symphony Space and admitted that they had initially been nervous the play wouldn’t be respectful to their history. But the play moved them. 'An elderly woman stood up after the reading and exclaimed, ‘That was me you just portrayed when he pulled me off the death march.’' Someone else said that she saw herself in a scene that depicted Wallenberg creating fake passports for Jews. Wallenberg’s niece came in from France for a reading and then met with the cast to give them a better sense of who the characters were because she knew them. 'We heard the stories directly from the people who experienced it,' said Rosenbluth. 'That was mind-blowing.'

Their input had a considerable impact. 'We changed large portion of the script based on what they told us,' said Rosenbluth. And every Wallenberg Jew who saw the final show in rehearsals said they were grateful their story was being told with respect, accuracy, and heartfelt emotion, he said.

The show’s producers hope to bring it Broadway. But in the meantime, they are reaching out to schools across the tri-state area to arrange for students to see the show, which has been funded in part through the International Raoul Wallenberg Foundation, a non-profit organization that aims to publicize and promote the good works of Wallenberg and other heroes of the Holocaust.

Like other members of the creative team behind Wallenberg, Rosenbluth has family members who were killed in the Holocaust. But he doesn’t have any qualms that the production would trivialize the memory of the six million. Yet when the director initially asked him to write music for a character portraying Adolf Eichmann, he balked. 'I said, 'How can evil sing?' He looked to opera as a model, since evil is widely portrayed in opera in a powerful manner.

How does he work by day at Holy Name Medical Center as a radiation oncologist and manage to write the score for a large-scale production? 'I don’t sleep much,' he quips, adding that much of his composing takes place after around 9 p.m. 'I’ve written songs between seeing patients. My nurse can probably hum all the songs to the show because I walk around the hospital singing.'

Rosenbluth, who is Orthodox, said he hasn’t encountered much conflict in being a composer and keeping the Shabbat. 'My go-to person is Dudu Fisher. They wanted him to sing for the queen of England and he said he would do it but never on a Friday night. I’ve worked with non-Jews and non-religious and anti-religious Jews. I feel if people see you are very serious about your religion, they respect it. But that means you have to be shomer kashruth on every level — not only watching what you eat but watching how you act, what words come out of your mouth. Even the most hardened anti-religious person respects someone who stands by his principles.'

On Tuesday, Nov. 9, a special performance will be given at 8 p.m. in observance of Kristallnacht, the anti-Jewish Nazi attack on Nov. 9-10, 1938, which many scholars consider the beginning of the Holocaust. The show will run until Nov. 21.

For more information about the show and to hear some of the music, go to wallenbergthemusical.com.

For tickets, call (877) 548-3237 or visit www.wallenbergthemusical.com" (source)

(BLOG) Stuart Schwartz To Look At Influence Of American Jews In The Media

"Yes, publisher Joseph Pulitzer — often called the father of modern journalism — was Jewish.

And yes, the Ochs and Sulzberger families — who have long controlled the influential New York Times — are Jewish as well.

But it is not true that Jews control the media, says Stuart Schwartz, a Montvale resident and 41-year veteran of ABC News.



'There are many very powerful Jews in media and entertainment, but it’s by no means monolithic,' he said. 'Is there a Jewish voice? I would hope not,' he added, noting the exception of specifically Jewish media.

'In the mass media, the fact that you are Jewish should play a zero role in the way you report the news.'

Schwartz — who will speak on this topic for Pascack Valley/Northern Valley Hadassah on Sept. 15 — is the former producer of '20/20' and 'Good Morning America,' among other shows. A 14-time Emmy winner, he teaches broadcasting at Montclair State University.

The newsman said he has often wondered why a large number of Jews have chosen to work in the media and entertainment. Maybe, he suggested, when blocked from other professions, they embraced those where they encountered less discrimination. Or, he said, 'possibly they were drawn in because it is an intellectual exercise — it takes some smarts.'

Still, he noted, 'the universe [of Jewish media professionals] is still tiny compared to the overall universe. It’s just that, as a Jew, your ears perk up when you hear a Jewish name.'

While he has worked throughout his career with people of all persuasions, he said, the canard that Jews control the media is understandable among those looking for a 'convenient whipping boy.'

'The media is a very powerful tool,' he said. 'Talk about having your hand on the tiller of mass communications. For those who would suggest that this tool is being manipulated by ‘a Jewish media,’ there is very little that would persuade them otherwise. [But] the idea that Jews in the media get together and have a common goal is ludicrous.'

Schwartz pointed out, however, that the history of American journalism has been enriched by the contribution of Jewish 'pioneers' like Pulitzer, publisher of the St. Louis Post Dispatch and the New York World, and David Sarnoff, founder of Radio Corporation of America, later NBC. Also of note was William Paley, 'who came from a wealthy family that made cigars. He took the money and started CBS.'

'Pulitzer developed the first modern mass-circulation newspaper,' Schwartz said. 'Others took it from there. That the Pulitzer Prize is named after him is testimony to his pioneering role.'



And The New York Times — 'which has been in the hands of a Jewish family since its beginning' — has much to be proud of. 'It’s quality journalism,' he said. 'They report it as they see it.'

Schwartz said 'the defining quality of good print journalism in this day and age is context and depth of reporting and analysis. You can’t get that in a 30-minute TV news program.'

'Lots of [media outlets] can just tell the facts,' said Schwartz, who, early in his career enjoyed a stint at The Wall Street Journal. 'But it takes special reporting and reporters, commentators, and op-ed writers to dig down and get to the meaning.'

While television news reporting is often frustrating, given the lack of time available to present an issue, 'the great thing is the immediacy of it; it brings events right to you.'

Cable TV programs have more flexibility, he said, but he is not happy with 'what it has become, where you essentially have two of the major cable stations being partisan voices. CNN tries to stay neutral, but it is being overwhelmed by MSNBC and Fox.'

'News and journalism are at a crisis point,' he said. 'The combination of fractured and expanding outlets for news, plus the addition of the huge recession — causing great losses in ad revenues — means that newspapers are hurting badly.' So is broadcasting, he said, pointing out that ABC News recently laid off a third of its staff.

'It was huge,' he said. 'They’re faced with keeping up a quality product with fewer people.' And while 'newspeople like to say they are pure and only care about the journalism [side] of what they do,' this has to be paid for. 'They need a revenue stream.'

Schwartz said that while there is a long journalistic tradition of partisan commentary — evident in the op-ed columns of newspapers — what especially concerns him now is that 'some of the culture of opinion seeps into the reporting' of cable shows billed as news programs.

However, he said, he believes the three major television networks are 'absolutely making a good-faith effort to do honest reporting and maintain high standards.'

'No one can be purely objective,' he said. 'But they’re trying to do a good job with fewer resources.'" (source)

(NEWS) Burning Issue: Local Rabbis Discuss Koran Burning

"Calling Florida Pastor Terry Jones’ proposed burning of the Koran on Sept. 11 both “catastrophically stupid and fundamentally immoral,” Rabbi Jordan Millstein, religious leader of Temple Sinai in Tenafly, said such an act would have major repercussions.

Jones — pastor of the Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, Fla. — has proposed that 9/11 be declared 'International Burn a Koran Day.' Defending his idea on MSNBC’s 'Hardball' on Aug. 26, the pastor said, 'We want to send a very clear message' to Muslims that Sharia law is not welcome in America.

'It will likely be publicized all over the Islamic world, confirming in the minds of many Muslims that we hate them, that we are in a ‘clash of civilizations,’ and America’s real goal is not to stop terrorism but to attack and defeat Islam,' said Millstein. 'This will only serve to strengthen extremists and terrorists in the Islamic world.'



The rabbi added that, as a Jew, he is 'appalled and disgusted at the thought of someone burning the scriptures of another faith. How could anyone heap such disrespect upon another person’s cherished beliefs? It is astounding how low some Americans have gone in their prejudice and hatred.'

Rabbi Ephraim Simon, executive director of Friends of Lubavitch of Bergen County and religious leader of Marcus Chabad House, pointed out that 'we have to be very sensitive to book-burning,' since we have seen our books, Torah scrolls, and talmudic texts burned throughout our history.

'It’s not a proper Jewish response to 9/11,' he said. 'The proper response is to focus on adding acts of goodness and kindness, acts of love, to the world. We have to point out evil where we see it and stand up to it, but not everyone who studies the Koran is evil.'

Rabbi Neil Tow of the Glen Rock Jewish Center said. 'The first thing that came to mind was the burning of the Talmud and other Hebrew books over the centuries — France in the 13th century, Italy in the 16th, Poland in the 18th, and Nazi Germany in the 20th. My sense is that choosing to burn a holy book in a public way can cause those who are religiously moderate to feel under attack and make radicals feel even more justified.'

Tow suggested that burning a holy book is an act of violence directed at the symbol of a people and that 'violence only leads to more violence. We have to short-circuit the cycle of violence and find other ways to address the issues — in this case, the relationship among faith groups.'

He recalled reading 'Fahrenheit 451' in middle school, which first introduced him to the idea of book-burning.

'I [fear] a place where if people don’t like ideas, they feel they can be torched and destroyed. I hope it’s not the kind of world our children will live in. Our society has always tried to foster a pool of ideas and debate about them. If there are things that are troubling or difficult or potentially harmful around us, we have a responsibility as American citizens to have a lively and engaging debate about it. I don’t think burning books is in the spirit of the ‘American way’ of talking things through.'

Tow added that he is also a book lover, with a 'fondness for the wholeness of the written word and the books that contain them — whether they are things I agree with or not.'

'We should oppose [Jones’] actions and activity with the same passion we opposed the Westboro Baptist Church when they visited our area last fall,' said Rabbi Arthur Weiner, leader of the Jewish Community Center of Paramus. 'Were we in Florida, I would insist that our [Jewish Community Relations Council] publicly oppose this horror, and join with those who oppose it. As it is, I am confident that our national organizations as well as local Florida communities are handling this well.'

Weiner said that despite Jews’ historic differences with both Christianity and Islam, 'we have always held all faiths in esteem, even if we had to protect ourselves from their adherents.'

He noted that while Jones’ projected actions may be constitutionally protected speech — though, he added, he is not sure of that — 'they are immoral, and completely and 100 percent forbidden by Jewish law.'

Rabbi Benjamin Yudin, religious leader of Shomrei Torah Orthodox Congregation in Fair Lawn, said that burning a Koran 'is not simply politically incorrect but borders on morally incorrect. The Jewish people paid dearly when the books of the Rambam were burned,' he said, 'so we don’t burn books. That’s not the way to do it.'



What they’ll say in their sermons

While the rabbis agreed that political issues provide great fodder for sermons, those who are already certain of their High Holiday sermon themes will look in another direction.

'As a rabbi and spiritual leader, I always emphasize and focus on what we can do to make ourselves better people in every aspect of our lives,' said Simon, 'better parents, better spouses, better friends. Ultimately, the High Holidays are a time we can reflect on our unique purpose and mission in the world.'

Simon said he will challenge congregants to ask, 'Am I am utilizing all of the gifts God gave me to make a difference in people’s lives and in the world? We have to look at the past, reflecting within our own lives and [exploring] what we can do to improve on the past to make a difference.'

Tow said that on the first day of Rosh HaShanah he’ll look at some of the ways 'we can begin to connect more closely with the words and messages of the prayer books … becoming more sensitive and connected in our davening.'

He said the focus of what he wants to communicate is that 'aspects of prayer that can sometimes make it difficult for us can be used as opportunities for growth.'

On the second day of yom tov he will continue his tradition of looking at the Akedah, or binding of Isaac, from different points of view.

'This year, I’ll look at it from the point of view of the angel who calls to Abraham to stop.' He’ll use that as a starting point 'to see if it’s possible for us in what we do and say every day to be more aware [and] in the moment,' truly perceiving the impact of what we do and say. 'Is it possible to catch ourselves if we’re starting to move off the path, like the angel gave Abraham an insight in that moment, telling him to stop? We need to develop a more sensitive self-awareness.'

Tow suggested that if, instead of having to fix things afterwards, we catch ourselves as we’re about to go into something, 'we can be an angel to ourselves.'

Weiner of Paramus said he will explore the issue of Jewish identity and the importance of reinvigorating that aspect of our lives. He said he has always believed that the High Holiday audience 'is fully three-generational' and 'rabbis have to craft a message that can reach everyone. It’s a challenge.'

He said that 'some of the things we’re seeing, particularly in the non-Orthodox world, indicate or confirm our alienation, or the trend toward living low-impact Judaism.' The data, he said, 'are symptomatic of a much larger issue: our self-perception as Jews.'

He will urge members to make their Jewishness an integral, basic part of their identity.

'The key to helping us get back on track is to reassert that identity,' he said. 'How do we go about achieving this? Come to services and find out.'

Rabbis have to be careful speaking about political issues, he said. While they should address them, they should also be careful to distinguish between their own political opinions and 'those laws God gave to Moses.'

No rabbi walks that 'fine line' perfectly, he said, 'but we have to make sure what we are sharing in the name of Torah is reflective of the Torah’s values and not our particular opinions.'

Asked what he will speak about at High Holiday services this year, Yudin laughed, saying, 'You’re kidding, right? I’ll talk about Torah, mitzvot, and why it’s important to perpetuate Jewish tradition. What else is there?'

'It’s all in the packaging,' he added. 'However I said it last year, I’ll say it differently this year, and in 15 different ways. And next year, I’ll talk about it again.'" (source)