41Frith
bni D 10, 1918
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Playing for Time:' Personal Account of the Horrors of Auschwitz
Review and Commentary
By DR.MILTON
STEINHARDT
"Playing for Time" by
Fania Fenelon (Athenium)
is an intimate personal ac-
count of the Holocaust from
the perspective of one who
survived because of her
musical talents as a singer
in an all-woman orchestra
in Auschwitz concentration
camp.
Our minds find it difficult
to comprehend in the
abstract the death of six
million, but wemay experi-
ence the feelings of the in-
mates as they reacted to
specific events. We then
conjure an image of two
women running in panic to
the electrified fence and en-
ding up as twisted, grotes-
que figures; or the sight of
punishing an inmate by in-
citing vicious dogs, and her
carcas carried off to the
laughter and merriment of
the SS onlookers.
By citing particulars, the
ow author confirms the verac-
ity of the Nazi atrocities —
thereby refuting recent at-
tempts to minimize the
enormity of the dastardly
acts and diminish the guilt
of the Hitler regime.
The purpose of this
all-woman orchestra was
to entertain officials of
the camp as well as to "of-
ficially" greet the new
transports. It was a
"Danse Macabre", partly
for propaganda purposes
— to show how civilized
and cultured the Ger-
mans were, and partly to
camouflage the real pur-
pose of the death camp.
There also were many
inner contradictions, as on
one occasion the comman-
dant, having completed the
selective process of the new
arrivals (those doomed to
the gas chambers and those
still able to work), was seen
listening to Schumann's
"Traumerae" with tears in
his eyes.
The author, half Jewish,
DR. STEINHARDT
witnessed the ahppenings
at the Auschwitz death chestra music with the sight
camp from January to of those marching to their
November 1944. Though doom, and with the smell of
the orchestra group was the nearby incinerators, is
given the same miserable reminiscent of the sinking
food rations, the regimenta- of the Titanic to the strains
tion and hard labor were of the ship's orchestra.
less severe.
Several episodes illus-
The character description
of the Jewish musician trate the pathos, irony and
Alma Rose (Mahler's niece) tragedy inherent in the life
in her role as conductor, her and death at the camp.
blind devotion to music and When the women lined up
Nazi discipline despite the for food, the Aryans turned
degrading and dehumaniz- right and the Jews left. The
ing circumstances, is very author being half Jewish,
decided with her companion
illuminating.
The author presents to stand fast at the midline,
candidly the psychologi- and explained that since
cal backgrounds and in- they were half Jewish they
teraction of the orchestra did not know which way to
members and how they turn. This resulted in elabo-
coped with the reality of rate consultation with the
life in Auschwitz. An in- authorities.
teresting example is
Clara, one of her friends,
who when placed in
charge became very of-
ficious, arrogant, and
more sadistic than her
Nazi masters, illustrating
the psychological
phenomenon of "Iden-
tification with the Ag-
gressor."
The solution is reminis-
cent of the Chelm stories.
The final determination
was that they need only
wear one half of the Star of
David. When the girls re-
turned to camp thus ar-
rayed, they were met with
such ridicule and contempt
that they decided to sew the
other half back on, since
The contrast of the or- they were considered
Boys From Brazil' Now on Film
ity Mengele is alive and
well, the picture moves
ahead and depicts his
punishment as a reality.
By HERBERT LUFT
(Copyright 1978, JTA, Inc.)
HOLLYWOOD — Simon
Wiesenthal appears under
the name of one Ezra
Liebermann in the film by
Sir Lew Grade and Robert
Fryer, of Ira Levin's novel,
"The Boys From Brazil,"
dealing with the trackifig
down of Nazi war criminals
still hiding out in right-
wing controlled countries of
South America.
Wiesenthal, alias
Liebermann, is portrayed
on the screen by Sir Laur-
ence Olivier. Dr. Mengele,
chief surgeon at the Au-
schwitz extermination
center, maintains his real
name in the picture. For a
switch in character, the
Nazi doctor is depicted by
Gregory Peck, with James
Mason as General Seibert,
his superior officer in the
dreaded SS elite guard.
Uta Hagen makes a rare
• screen appearance as
Frieda Maloney who now
works with Mengele for the
SIMON WISENTHAL
purpose of creating a new
breed of supermen by clon-
ing, or the artificial repro-
duction of the Nazi speci-
men, and then bringing the
"boys" from Brazil to an
adoption society for future
return to the fatherland.
Liebermann and his
sister Esther (Lilli
Palmer) discover the
scheme and finally con-
front Mengele with his
crimes of the past and
present. Though in real-
Robert Fryer, who pro-
duced in conjunction with
Grade's ITC the thought-
provoking "Voyage of the
Damned," is now acting on
behalf of the Producer Cir-
cle Company which has a
number of films in prepara-
tion. Among them are "The
Shining," "Trans-Siberian
Express," and "With a Ven-
geance."
Fryer also will be con-
tinuing the management of
the Ahmanson Theater in
Los Angeles and adding
another stage production,
Ben Hecht's "Twentieth
Century," to open in mid-
February at the St. James
Theater in New York.
Fryer is currently with
the production company in
Vienna, after having com-
pleted interiors in the
studios of London and dup-
licated the Brazilian setting
in Portugal.
Jewish anyway according to
Nazi doctrine.
One unforgetable story:
One orchestra woman
watched the arrival of a new
transport and recognized 21
people of her family. She be-
came very excited, and the
next day asked the guard
where she could see her
family.
The guard replied:
"You see the chimneys
there. Your father went
up in the smoke in the
right one, your mother in
the left one, and the
others in the third." Need
one elaborate on the emo-
tional reaction of this
poor woman?
In another episode, due to
starvation, depression and
fear, many of the girls
ceased to menstruate. At
other times a girl might drip
blood down her legs, having
no means of keeping clean.
When in some instances the
girl was punished for un-
cleanliness, the others,
being envious of her condi-
tion, wished they could be in
her place as menstruation
was regarded as a sign of
normality and health.
Some questions do oceiir
to this reviewer: Why did
they author wait 33 years to
bring the events to light?
How could she recall all the
minute details after three
decades? The account,
though excellent and grip-
ping, is a bit contrived and
defensive, as in nearly all
instances she emerges as
highly efficient, intelligent,
witty, and compassionate.
To what extent is it the
product of the ghost writer,
or the result of an uneven
translation from the
French?
The most significant
issue is the moral dilemma
when confronted with the
choice of survival or corn-
promise. This book does in-
clude the story of a couple
who made a most daring es-
cape but were captured, and
paid with their lives for this
and for the luxury of exhort-
ing the onlookers to rebel.
cluded that victory was not
possible and that the fate of
Jerusalem was sealed. One
may then inquire: Could
Jerusalem have been saved
from destruction and the
Jews from expulsion by
negotiating an honorable
surrender?
When is death preferable
to humiliation, possible tor-
ture, and slavery, and when
do we opt for survival as a
temporary goal? There are
adequate historical in-
stances of each approach.
The case of Josephus
Flavius and his surren-
der to the Romans is in
sharp contrast to the
suicidal determination of
the
beleaguered
Jerusalem defenders at
that time. It appears evi-
dent that no universal
mode of action can be
formulated by someone
outside a specific situa-
tion.
In summary, this book is
a valuable and worthy "var-
iation on the same theme"
to those who know the his-
tory of the Holocaust; and to
those not fully aware who
wish to experience vicari-
ously how it felt to be in a
Nazi cage looking out, this
book does give a vivid
touching, and sobering a
count.
Jewish Legion Veterans Set
Anniversary Parade Events
BALTIMORE — The fea-
ture celebration of the 30th
anniversary of the state of
Israel will be the Veterans
Parade in Jerusalem on
May 11.
The Palestine Jewish
Legion Veterans who
served in the First World
War as part of General Al-
lenby's British forces will be
in the lead of this march. It
was the first Jewish-
identified military forma-
tion since the days of Bar
Kokhba, 1,900 years ago.
Following them will be the
Veterans of the Palmach,
Hagana, Etzel, Lechi, the
Jewish Brigade of World
War II and the Israel De-
fense Forces.
Those who volunteered in
the Palestine Jewish Legion
in 1917-1918 provided Is-
which was formed 30
years later, with its out-
standing military leaders as
well as the key political fi-
gures, including David
Ben-Gurion, Yizhak Ben-
Zvi, Levi Eshkol, Gershon
Agron.
Every year the Vete-
rans of the Jewish Legion
and surviving relatives
gather in I§rael. Some 350
former members of the
Jewish legion are still liv-
ing all over the world.
For information about the
parade, or Jewish Legion
activities, write William
Braiterman, 32 E. Lanvale,
Baltimore, Md. 21202.
Hasidism Quiz
(Editor's note: This quiz is part of a series taken
from one of the various courses offered by the Ameri-
can Jewish Committee's Academy for Jewish Studies
Without Walls.)
(Copyright 1978, JTA, Inc.)
1. The historical Besht in fact
A. never existed
B. is a composite of many early zadikim
C. wrote many treatises
The author's pangs of D. is almost impossible to recover
conscience as the favo-
2. The zadik's main task was
rite entertainer — in her A. earning a livelihood
soprano role in Puccini's B. helping others achieve salvation
"Madame Butterfly" — C. prayer
cannot compare in mag- D. study
nitude to those who sur-
3. Daily activities were perceived as
vived by actually dis- A. impediments to worship
patching others to the B. relaxation from devotion
crematorium.
C. opportunities to earn a living
' The decision whether to D. occasions for devotion
resist to the last breath or
4. Oral teaching was stressed by the Besht becatik
whether to survive and A. it was easy to remember
fight another day is not an B. it was easy to prepare
easy one. The heroic story of C. he was illiterate
Chana Senesh will never be D. he could reach Jews at all levels
forgotten in the history of
5. The Besht recognized that human frailty meant
martyrs. She attempted to A. All could worship God
save Jews from Nazi- B. none could worship God
occupied Hungary. She was C.
Hasidic spiritual techniques would have to be more
captured, tortured before elitist
her death, but refused to D. Hasidic spiritual techniques would have to be less elitist
name her accomplices.
Another historical case
TRUE OR FALSE
occurs to us: When Rabbi
6.
The
Besht
is
the first ba'al sheen in Jewish history.
Yochanan Ben-Zakai
7. Kemiot are herbs.
managed to pass through
the gates of besieged 8. Intellectual efforts play no role. in Hasidic practice.
Jerusalem to plead with the 9. The Besht embodies both cosmic and social activities.
Roman general for permis- 10. Mahshavot Zarot are utilized for spiritual purposes in
sion to -establish a yeshiva Beshtian Hasidism.
at Yavneh in order to con-
tinue the learning of the To-
ANSWERS
rah, he must have con-
LL '0I
.6 'd . 8 'd
`,4 '9 `1:1 "9 'fa 't 'CI 'E 'H 'Z 'CI t.