The event started off with an enthusiastic and emotional speech by Rabbi Yossi Sapirman, who emphasized that forgiveness should always outweigh anger and not to lose our belief in humanity. His appeal was echoed in the speech of General Consul Thomas E. Schultze. Through personal stories he emphasized his message “Never again”. “Only if Jews can live safely in Germany, Germany will have a future.” Mr Schultze stated.
The concert was dedicated to George Brady, a Holocaust survivor of both Theresienstadt (Terezín) and Auschwitz. In commemoration of her father, Lara Brady, told her father’s story in front of the audience: a boy, 13 years old, who got deported to Theresienstadt in 1942 sharing one small room with 40 other Jewish boys. In their barack, the boys started documenting their stories in their own magazine called “Vedem”. After being transferred to Auschwitz, where his little sister Hanna was murdered, he managed to escape the concentration camp in January 1945. George Brady, who died in January 2019, was best known as educator and author of the book “Hanna’s suitcase”.
After her speech, Lara Brady read out her father’s personal stories published in the book “We Are Children Just the Same, Vedem, the Secret Magazine by the Boys of Terezín” alternating with emotional music pieces sang by the Schulich Singers. Ittai Shapira, a renowned Israeli violinist, composed those pieces on the letters of Eva Sachs, who also survived the concentration camp Theresienstadt. Again, readings of her letters alternated with the great performance of the Schulich Singers which let the audience really feel what the music was supposed to transmit. After the break German-born pianist Constanze Beckmann performed together with violinist Ittai Shapira as well as the Schulich Singers which brought the concert to a magnificent and emotional end.
The concert was followed by a reception hosted by Consul General Thomas E. Schultze and his wife.
More information about the concerts in Ottawa and Montreal: