Lest We Forget

A program of Yiddish Music of the Holocaust, the culture that it nearly destroyed, and of hope and determination to make the world a better place

"Play me a song in Yiddish,
So everyone can see that I'm still alive and can still sing,
Stronger and better than before."

--Yiddish song from the Holocaust

Lest We Forget is a program of Yiddish music that shows the vibrancy of the culture of the Jews of Eastern Europe who were nearly eradicated in the Holocaust. It was developed by the Wholesale Klezmer Band for a high school symposium on the Holocaust, racism and genocide. It includes music written by Holocaust martyrs and survivors and post-Holocaust music written in response to genocide and oppression. This program educates Jewish and general audiences about Jewish history, values, and resistance to oppression.

Our music emphasizes these lessons from the Holocaust:

The Wholesale Klezmer Band works with school personnel to help develop study materials and program notes, including lyrics to all the songs in transliteration and translation. Our program, while dealing with tragic and horrible events, is positive in that it emphasizes anger, hope and action, rather than self-pity. Students in our audiences have intently followed the program notes during the performance and expressed their appreciation afterwards to band members and teachers.

The Wholesale Klezmer Band has been selected by the Massachusetts Cultural Council for its Event & Residency and Touring Rosters making school and community concerts eligible for subsidies. You can find out how to bring this and other concerts and workshops by the Wholesale Klezmer Band to your school or organization by contacting:

Joe Kurland
The Wholesale Klezmer Band
Adamsville Road
Colrain, MA 01340
413-624-3204
email: wkb@ganeydn.com

See also: School Programs


Table of contents for
Wholesale Klezmer Band
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Peggy H. Davis Calligraphy