The power of storytelling | Photo by Jonathan Blanc/NYPL
NEW YORK – The New York Public Library commemorated International Holocaust Remembrance Day on the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. The discussion, titled Broadway Musicals and Antisemitism, explored how musical theater has addressed Jewish history and antisemitism through storytelling.
In partnership with the National Jewish Theater Foundation’s Holocaust Theater International Initiative, the event featured Arnold Mittelman, NJTF President, producer, director, and educator, who led a conversation with key figures behind impactful Broadway musicals. Sherman Yellen, author of Rothschild & Sons, Jeffrey B. Moss, director of Rothschild & Sons, and Alfred Uhry, author of Parade, shared their insights on how their works portrayed Jewish struggles and resilience.
Held at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, the event included clips from the Theatre on Film and Tape Archive, highlighting the power of theater in keeping historical memory alive. Dr. Alvin Goldfarb, lead scholar of the Holocaust Theater Catalog, also contributed his expertise on the role of theater in Holocaust remembrance.
Sherman Yellen, who wrote the book for The Rothschilds, later revised as Rothschild & Sons, reflected on how the musical told the story of the family’s rise from humble beginnings in Germany and their efforts to secure rights for European Jews. Meanwhile, Alfred Uhry discussed his work on Parade, which addressed antisemitism in early 20th-century America.
This event was an opportunity to reflect on history, honor Holocaust victims and survivors, and examine how theater continues to educate and inspire audiences about the dangers of hatred and prejudice.
Auschwitz, the largest Nazi concentration and extermination camp, had been the site of mass murder for over 1.1 million people. The liberation of Auschwitz reinforced the necessity of preserving historical memory to prevent future genocides.
During World War II, the Philippines provided refuge to Jewish refugees fleeing persecution in Nazi Germany. Under the leadership of President Manuel L. Quezon, the country welcomed around 1,300 Jewish refugees between 1937 and 1941. This humanitarian effort, known as the “Open Door Policy,” was carried out with the support of the Frieder brothers, a Jewish-American family in Manila, and Paul McNutt, the U.S. High Commissioner to the Philippines.
Quezon envisioned creating a Jewish settlement in Mindanao, but the plan was halted when Japan occupied the Philippines in 1941. Despite wartime hardships, the Filipino people and government demonstrated compassion and bravery by helping Jewish refugees rebuild their lives.
For more information, visit The New York Public Library (www.nypl.org) and the Holocaust Theater Catalog (htc.miami.edu), which documents theater works related to the Holocaust from 1933 to the present.
