Yom HaShoah, an international day of Holocaust remembrance, begins tonight at sunset. Since the day also commemorates heroism and resistance – the observation is linked to the anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising – it would seem to be appropriate not only to remember those musicians who lost their lives in the camps or as a result of Nazi persecution, but also those who survived to contribute great beauty to the world. Not all of them were Jewish. Some were deemed to be politically, economically, artistically, intellectually, or ethnically undesirable.
The kind of mentality and social instability that made the Holocaust possible is not a thing of past. Unethical leadership, an angry rabble, and a passive citizenry are a dangerous combination. Always remember, and be vigilant.