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the ghetto echoes in crowell

The emotional music of Jewish resistance in the ghetto of Vilna, Lithuania filled Crowell Concert Hall Wednesday night. The performance by Adrienne Cooper and Zalmen Mlotek kicked off the month-long series, "Echoes of Vilna." 

During the Second World War, Vilna’s population was annihilated. Music Department Chair Mark Slobin referred to Vilna as a "legendary Jewish city often called the Jerusalem of Lithuania."

The two-hour performance took the form of a cabaret, with Cooper singing repertoire written and adapted by Jewish composers, lyricists, and amateurs during the war. Mlotek accompanied her on the piano and occasionally sang with her. 

"Most of the songs were written by very young people at the beginning and end of their careers at the same time," said Cooper during the performance.

The songs performed were traditionally sung in the ghetto, but as Cooper explained to the audience, they were stored in people’s memories for more than half a century before anyone officially recorded and published them. Many of the songs sung at the time were already in existence, but were modified. 

"These were well-loved, well-worn songs that were altered to fit the facts of life," Cooper said.

Center for the Arts Director Pam Tatge said that one of the remarkable things about the performance was that "[Cooper] let you determine your images."

While the first half of the program contained songs that described the difficulties of surviving the horrors of the ghetto, it maintained an element of lightheartedness. The second half of the program was markedly darker. 

"It got more intense, more biting," Tatge said. "She’s such an accomplished scholar and performer."

One particularly moving song titled "Makh Tsu di Eygelekh," or "Close your Eyes," takes on the musical form of a tango, but talks about families being split up and taken from their homes in the middle of the

night.

The "Echoes of Vilna" series continues on Oct. 19, with the showing of the film "Partisans of Vilna," a documentary which highlights recollections of the survivors of the Vilna ghetto.

Cooper’s singing is featured on the soundtrack, which is the only Yiddish recording ever nominated for a Grammy Award. The idea for the series became a reality when Ron Jenkins was appointed Chair of the Theater Department. 

"The desire was here, and the perfect person came with Ron Jenkins," Tatge said. 

The University designed a series of performances and screenings to culminate with Visiting Scholar in Jewish Studies Joshua Sobol’s play. The series tries to collaborate the resources of many different departments, including the CFA, Music and Theater Departments, and the Jewish Studies Forum.

"Combining the efforts of many departments enables students to get into this period of time through music, film, theater and lecture. It’s a richer

experience than just producing a play," Tatge said.

Cooper and Mlotek travel each summer to Russia and the Ukraine to train young Jewish musicians from former Soviet territories.

"They have done an outstanding job of being faithful to the tradition, while giving them their own personal stamp," Slobin said.

"I think the University has taken full advantage of Joshua Sobol’s visit," Tatge said, referring to the scope that the "Echoes of Vilna" series covers.

Sobol’s play, "Ghetto," has a cast made up of 26 Wesleyan students, as well as a children’s choir. There are six different events scheduled over the next month as parts of the series. The series culminates in November, when Joshua Sobol will direct his play "Ghetto."

Despite the small student audience, the reaction to Cooper’s emotional performance was clearly evident. 

"By the end of the performance her voice was at full force," Tatge said. "Her final moment was just shattering; people were extremely moved."