Like it or not, we have a responsibility to be witnesses. Talk about a daunting task. It is hard enough to be a witness to one’s own life — to remember the details accurately day to day, month to month, year to year and infuse them with meaning. We are also expected to be witnesses to events separated by generations, even centuries? In a word — “yes.”
We can fulfill our responsibility in part by witnessing the performance of “Symphony No. 1 – Jeremiah” at Temple B’nai Israel’s Blatt-Levenson Sanctuary on Tuesday, April 21 at 8:00 p.m.
Leonard Bernstein composed this concert in 1942, arguably in part to bear witness to his relationship with his father and in part to bear witness to the horrors of World War II.
But talk about meaning layered on top of meaning and witness upon witness. By tapping into the prophet Jeremiah, Bernstein became a witness to the horrors our ancient ancestors experienced with the destruction of their Temple in Jerusalem. Bernstein channeled Jeremiah, who dared to call upon the people — from king to commoner — to atone for their sins and change their ways, or else face terrifying consequences.
Jeremiah saw first hand the horror humanity could inflict upon humanity. Centuries later, Bernstein was just becoming aware of the mechanized horror of the 20th century.
On Yom Hashoah (corresponding this year to April 21), we bear witness to the terror the Jewish people experienced — in addition to gypsies, Catholics, Eastern Europeans, the handicapped, political prisoners, among others.
Our daunting task continues to be how to derive meaning from the horror we have inflicted upon and continue to inflict upon one another. When we attempt to fulfill our task, time folds on itself. We become like the prophet Jeremiah; we become like Bernstein; we become like the reporter documenting Darfur.
On April 21 at 8:00, the OU symphony orchestra, under the direction of (temple congregant) Jonathan Shames, will help us bear witness. Haunting music and the prophetic call for justice will fuse together and fill the walls of our sanctuary.
On that day, let us willingly bear witness. And then, let us go one step further and act to fill our world with peace, justice and harmony.
