Charlotte professor’s new book details Jewish music, survival during the Holocaust
From The Charlotte Observer
The unlikely story of a Jewish engineer and musician from Ukraine who became a World War II guerilla war hero — and the discovery of resistance songs he left behind — is the latest subject of a book by a UNC Charlotte professor.
The book by musicology professor James Grymes was released on Tuesday, Jan. 27, to coincide with International Holocaust Remembrance Day. What’s more, you can hear that music next month in Charlotte, including songs that have not been heard publicly since they were written in the midst of the Holocaust over 80 years ago.
Grymes’ book, “Partisan Song: A Holocaust Story of Resilience, Resistance, and Revenge,” focuses on Moshe “Uncle Misha” Gildenman, a civil engineer and musician from the tiny village of Korets, Ukraine. Gildenman led one of the most successful partisan units to help liberate Ukraine from Nazi control during WWII.
Grymes’ book, “Partisan Song: A Holocaust Story of Resilience, Resistance, and Revenge,” focuses on Moshe “Uncle Misha” Gildenman, a civil engineer and musician from the tiny village of Korets, Ukraine. Gildenman led one of the most successful partisan units to help liberate Ukraine from Nazi control during WWII.
The music that animated Gildenman’s life and that of his fellow partisans is also at the heart of Grymes’ new book. Two nights of storytelling and music inspired by Grymes’ research will take place in the next couple of months. Grymes will share selections from his new book and the University Chorale of UNC Charlotte will perform songs in Yiddish and Russian — including two pieces Gildenman wrote from the ghetto and forest urging others to take up arms against the Nazis.
Grymes reconstructed those works and arranged other popular war songs for the chorale to perform. The first concert takes place Feb. 26 in Charlotte at Temple Beth El. The event is free; advanced registration is required. The second concert is on March 9 at the Center for Jewish History in New York City.
Grymes spoke to The Charlotte Observer recently about Gildenman, “Partisan Song” and how the book’s themes of hope and perseverance during the darkest of times continue to resonate. Read the full story by Liz Bertrand here.
Photo by Tracy Kimball for The Charlotte Observer.