JDub Records

German magazine Der Spiegel has a touching story today about Esther Bejarano, the only surviving member of the Auschwitz Girls’ Orchestra, and her new album with Cologne-based rappers Microphone Mafia.  Bejarano is currently celebrating the release of new record Per La Vita.  That CD includes German and Italian anti-fascist standards, but also has new hip hop numbers commemorating the Holocaust.  The project is a result of an effort by The Confederation of German Trade Unions to counteract neo-Nazi materials that had somehow infiltrated German public schools in 2004-2006.  Bejarano, having spent most of her life educating people about the Holocaust, seems to be fairly enthusiastic about the change of pace:

“It is certainly a bit different from what we normally do,” the diminuitive, 85-year-old Bejarano told Spiegel Online, referring to her group Coincidence, which includes her daughter Edna and son Joram and normally plays Jewish and anti-fascist songs. “But I know this hip hop stuff is popular among the youth. I thought if we worked together, then young people could learn more about what happened back then.”

Sadly, the article doesn’t include audio– but keep an eye out for Per La Vita!

Sexy Movimiento - Wisin & Yandel ft. “Victor el Nazi”

Signs that your neighbor doesn’t quite grasp the gravity of the Holocaust: the popular reggaeton producer who’s adopted the stage name Victor “el Nasi.”  For those of you who don’t habla español, that probably means… Victor “the Nazi.”

Unless, of course, you want to give Victor the benefit of the doubt.  In that case, maybe he’s referring to the high-ranking member of the Sanhedrin, the assembly that convened in Temple times.  Or perhaps Victor is claiming Jewish roots in tribute to the illustrious Sephardic Nasi family, although the cross in the image to the left makes that a tough sell.

If you’re an anthropologist (or apologist), you might side with the findings of an anonymous “Yahoo! Answers” post claiming that “you’re the nazi/terrorist” is slang for “you’re the s***.”

What’s the proper course of action here? Should we let this one slide, or should we be letter-writing right now?

I’ve been reading a lot of Holocaust memoirs recently. I know, it isn’t exactly perfect Spring reading, but I’m headed to Berlin in a few weeks, and I decided that this project would be my self-appointed preparation, I affectionately call it “the most depressing reading list ever.” I recently finished one book that completely and totally suprised me, The Zookeeper’s Wife by Diane Ackerman. Diane Ackerman is a renowned naturalist, and she tells us the story of Antonina and Jan Zabinski, the caretakers of the animals and facilities at the Warsaw Zoo. Very quickly, most of the animals are killed, and their destruction is poetic and moving (and comprehensible) in a way that allows us to enter into the realization of the human destruction that is unfolding in Warsaw. In the next part of the story, the Zabinski’s go on to harbor and rescue hundreds of Jews, sometimes hiding them in the animal cages. The power of the book is the interplay between the animal and human worlds, and the deception and violence that define their boundaries. Something about how the Zabinski’s nicknamed the hidden Jews with animal names has stuck in my mind, humanizing through their empathy with the natural world. So I’m offering a recommendation here - put it on your own reading list, but maybe it belongs on the one that renews your hope in humanity (and animals).

The Hills Have Eyes release

Great Expectations dvd