Join us for the annual Kristallnacht commemoration, with a panel conversation and a poignant musical performance from the Zemel Choir.
Dr Liselotte Adler-Kastner was born 1934 in Vienna to Dr Ernst Adler, a general practitioner and Dr Regina Kapeller-Adler, a biochemist. The family fled from Nazi-controlled Vienna in January 1939 to Edinburgh, their lives saved due to her mother’s scientific discovery of a pioneering chemical pregnancy test.
Liselotte will be in conversation with Dr Bea Lewkowicz, oral historian and Director of the AJR Refugee Voices Testimony Archive. Together they will discuss Liselotte’s family story in Vienna, both before and after the Anschluss, her father’s arrest by the SS on the Kristallnacht, as well as her parents’ subsequent professional reestablishment in Scotland and her own pathway in life.
Kristallnacht, also known as the November Pogrom, occurred from the 9 - 10 November 1938. Synagogues were set ablaze, Jewish businesses were destroyed, and countless lives were forever changed during a wave of anti-Jewish violence in Nazi Germany.
The name Kristallnacht refers to the litter of broken glass that was left in the streets in the wake of the violence.
Combining the power of conversation and music, the Zemel Choir will offer a reflective journey, exploring the historical context leading up to this tragic event. There will be a short panel conversation featuring an eyewitness, highlighting personal insights and reflections, enriching our understanding and significance of Kristallnacht.
Through a curated selection of songs and narratives, the Zemel Choir will provide a powerful connection to the past.
The Zemel Choir, established in 1955, is known worldwide as one of the finest mixed-voice Jewish choirs. Their repertoire, embracing Ashkenazi, Sephardi, Yiddish, and Israeli traditions, offers a heartfelt connection to the experiences and resilience of the Jewish community. The universal language of music connects us to history and can provide a meaningful reflection for the future.
