The Process of Creating Holocaust Remembrance by Musical Expression

Music has a very important role in restoring and preserving the memory of the Holocaust. Efforts to transmit the authentic experiences of the live and dead witnesses through music are an ongoing process, echoed in songs and poems composed during the Second World War. Many songs wish to recall events of that time, honor the heroes and victims, and transmit the period’s history to the future generations. The remembrance process continues today, changing and adjusting itself to place and time, being influenced by local and global events, which have a tremendous impact on documenting musical pieces from the past, as well as on new original musical creation. This chapter examines individual and collective musical activities, focusing on the popular repertoire performed in Israel during the 80 years since the war’s end. This repertoire reflects past and present musical styles, carries traces of historical, social, and cultural events, and presents music as a tool of remembrance and identity.