14.01.2020

                     Today was the longest day so far. Our class spent most of the day on a guided tour of the Nazi ghetto Terezin. Evil is not a word to be used lightly but the cold calculation and inhuman cruelty of the Nazi regime is nothing short of evil. To manipulate entire countries and cultures into apathy and hatred towards a group people whose only crime is believing in something slightly different than the majority most certainly contributes to this. What makes Terezin unique was that the inmates there were the learned, popular, and artistically inclined of the Jewish population. An entire generation of artists erased. We cannot know how the arts may have advanced had these people been allowed to freely share their art and knowledge with the rest of the world.

                  While Terezin is a place of horror and atrocity of the highest level it is also a testament to the strength of the Jewish people who were able to maintain cultural identity and the light of art despite the bleak conditions they lived in. One of the pillars of Jewish culture is music. From special holiday songs to the weekly celebration of the Sabbath music and song is everywhere in the culture. Terezin was not able to silence this. Music even became a way to get back at the Nazis. Another pillar of Jewish culture, education, had a similar place in Terezin. Art, writing, science, literature, and math were all taught to the Jews of Terezin by the Jews of Terezin. It is incredible that the Jewish people were able persevere together instead of devolving into the mentality of every man for himself.
                 This evening our class went to see the ballet Leonce and Lena. Before the show I was concerned that watching a production of any kind would seem callous after spending the day with such a dark and heavy topic. It still might be, but I no longer care. Leonce and Lena is by far one of the most entertaining anything I have seen. With my minimal musical training I could not tell anyone the about quality of the production other than I thought it was well done. It was quite astounding how expressive movement and body language can be and the level of humor it can produce. In an earlier post I said I was unconvinced about liking ballet as a performance style. After tonight I can claim with conviction that I am a fan of ballet.