Violinists perform in the Kovno Ghetto Orchestra. United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, courtesy of George Kadish/Zvi Kadushin
On August 18, 1942, not long after the Kovno Ghetto was sealed, 534 of its most highly educated male occupants were murdered. After this, many of the musicians in the ghetto were afraid to claim themselves as professionals. This photograph shows members of the orchestra, which consisted of 35 instrumentalists and 5 vocalists. During a “quiet period” that same year they asked permission to regroup the musicians and start an orchestra. This orchestra performed bi-weekly for a total of 80 concerts. This photograph shows Boris Stupel, Michael Leo Hofmekler, and Maya Gladshtein as well as other unnamed musicians.
—Lindsay Miller, Registrar and Exhibitions Coordinator
