Music Under the Gallows: Using the Arts in Holocaust Learning
Free Presentation Open to the Public; Registration Deadline March 14
VINELAND, NJ—In the face of dehumanization and demoralization under the Nazis, how does one explain the continued desire to create and play music? What did music represent to such persons who could not say what the next day would bring? What lessons can we learn from their actions?
This will be explored at a workshop, free and open to the public, on Thursday, March 21, from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m., at the George P. Luciano Conference & Events Center, Cumberland County College, 3322 College Drive, Vineland, NJ.
This workshop, entitled “Music Under the Gallows: Using the Arts in Holocaust Learning,” is presented by The South Jersey Holocaust Coalition, the New Jersey Commission on Holocaust Education, Jewish Federation of Cumberland, Gloucester & Salem Counties, and Cumberland County College.
It will be led by Karen L. Uslin, PhD., adjunct professor of Music History and Fellow at the Center of Holocaust and Genocide Studies at Rowan University. She is also a singer who has performed on noted stages in the United States and abroad.
The workshop will explore how many of the concentration camps and ghettos in Europe—Terezin, Auschwitz, Vilna, and others—had, amidst horrible conditions, thriving musical lives. This including orchestras, concerts, musical compositions, and more. The role that music and the arts played in the camps and ghettos will be explored, as well as how the arts affected the lives of the prisoners who witnessed these performances, and how this music can used to teach and inform our current and future generations about the Holocaust.
Aside from her work as a professor, Uslin has performed in venues such as the Kennedy Center, in Washington, DC and the Academy of Music, in Philadelphia, PA, as well as at the Vatican, and in Europe.
No registration fee or cost is required to attend this workshop, but donations of any size are greatly appreciated. A light box-dinner will be included.
Educators, students, and the public are invited to attend and, for professionals, 3.0 Professional Development (PD) hours will be granted by the New Jersey Commission on Holocaust Education.
To attend, please register no later than Friday, March 14 by going to www.HolocaustCoalition.com and clicking on “Register Here“—or by calling 302-265-3870. Educators desiring Professional Development credits should kindly provide their name, contact information, and school.
For more information on this and all South Jersey Holocaust Coalition events and activities, e-mail holocaustcoalition@gmail.com, visit the Coalition’s website at www.HolocaustCoalition.com, or visit their Facebook page at “South Jersey Holocaust Coalition.”
