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Grim with one M) Fairy Tale Has Happy Endin in other Detroit
pianist, from Turel's
THE PROFESSOR
When the war came in 1939,
the Professor was drafted into
the Polish army, and on Poland's
defeat fled to Paris where he
continued to fight with the
French army until captured by
the Nazis.
In a PW camp he was put to
hard labor, his hands became
raw and frostbitten and his
thoughts of ever again playing
the piano began to fade.
But, since this is somewhat of
a fairy tale, there has to be
a turning point somewhere in the
story. This came when the pro-
fessor's roommate, a carpenter
by trade, made him a wooden
keyboard, consisting of only a
few keys. And, at night when
• his fellow prisoners slept, the
Professor played his silent key-
board, managing to keep his
fingers flexible.
If the following story reads
like a fairy tale, it is simply
because, in a very real sense it
sounds like a fable. But it holds
utmost significance today for
two prominent musicians. We
must begin it . • .
Once upon a time there lived
in Poland, in the same city and
on the same street, two young
boys, each of whom was excep-
tionally interested in the same
thing, a career as a musician.
One of the boys started
composing music when he was
eight and since he could not
write music, the other who was
three years his senior, wrote
it clown for him. They event-
ually grew up together, at-
tended the same schools,
studied with the same teachers
and wen_t to each others con-
certs.
In 1934, the boys—now young
men and full-fledged musicians
—went their separate ways. The
younger came to the United
States; the older boy became a
professor of music in Poland's
Lwow Academy of Music.
United Synagogue Names
Dr. Sidlow Vice-President
Dr. Leonard Sidlow of Detroit
was elected a vice president of
the United Synagogue of Amer-
ica at its national convention
in Miami Beach.
Dr. Sidlow, president of Con-
gregation Scharey Zedek, D e -
troit, Michigan regional presi-
dent of the United Synagogue,
delivered one of the major con-
vention addresses on adult edu-
eation at the United Synagogue
convention in Miami Beach.
Labor Zionist Branch Two
Plans Hanukah Celebration
Labor Zionist Organization,
Branch Two, will hold a Hanu-
kah celebration Saturday, in the
honie of Mr. and Mrs. Harry
Mondry, of Tyler Ave. Mr. Mon-
dry will participate in the pro-
gram with a repOrt on the
United Israel Appeal conference
in Chicago, which he attended.
Representatives of the group
at the Histadrut convention in
New York over Thanksgiving
were Mr. and Mrs. Philip D.
Goldstein, who also will report
at the Hanukah program.
Northwest Junior Hadassah
Schedules Social on Sunday
Northwest Chapter of Junior
Hadassah will hold a social at
8:30 p.m., Sunday, at 2654 Glen-
dale. Young women, 21 to 28, are
eligible to attend. Young men
have been invited to participate
in the program. For information,
eall TY. 6-8904 or UN. 3-3168.
And, good fortune smiled once
more when representatives of
the Swiss Red Cross inspected
the prison camp and promised
to secure for the Professor a
piano which they persuaded
the German commander to
bring into the camp.
At first, the Nazi didn't want
to admit that there was a real
concert artist among the prison-
ers and demanded an audition,
threatening that should the
prisoner have lied in order to
obtain some benefits, he would
be punished severly.
In the home of a nearby farm-
er was a piano, and shivering
and praying, the prisoner ap-
proached the piano, knowing he
hadn't played for years and
fearing that he might have lost
his touch. This was a concert for
life and death—and the Profes-
sor knew it.
First, hesitantly, and then for-
getting his surroundings and the
threats against his life, he gave
one of the greatest concerts of
his career, playing one piece after
another of the great masters.
He returned to camp a musical
hero and from then on was
placed in charge of all concerts
and entertainment for the camp.
When liberation came, he played
his first public concert in Paris
under the baton of Paul Paray.
The work was Tschaikowsky's
Piano Concerto in B-flat minor.
Why do we tell that story
now? Because here in Detroit
these musicians will be brought
together again—both person-
ally and professionally.
The Professor is Severin
Turel, who will make his
American debut as soloist with
the Jewish Center Symphony
Orchestra on Tuesday night,
in the Davison Center.
Among the pieces he will per-
form are his own works and the
Tschaikowsky Concerto that he
played when he first won his
freedom.
The
What have I to do any more
with idols? I have heard him,
and observed him: I am like a
green fir tree.—Hos. 14:8.
home town,' the little lad of 24 DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
eight whose compositions had to
Friday, December 4, 1953
be penned by his older associate.
By now, you've probably guessed
it, Detroit's own, Julius Chajes,
founder and director of the
Center Symphony.
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by My spirit, saith the Lord of
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