Our event will showcase the true story of the SS St. Louis, the ill-fated ship which sailed from Germany in 1939 carrying nearly 1,000 Jewish refugees. No country, including Canada, would allow the ship to land. It was forced to return to Europe where most of the Jewish passengers on board perished in the Holocaust. As the story in the book is told through the eyes of two children on board the ship, we are presenting our project with two children actors. To Hope and Back is a book that has been introduced into the BC curriculum as part of the education on the Holocaust.
The event is our response to the unprecedented global rise of antisemitism. It calls for compassion and brings to light our common humanity. It stands for human rights not only for Jewish people, but for the basic human rights of each one of us. Our goal is for the performance to be both artistic and educational.
The music performed in the concert is by Iman Habibi (Radiant Light), Philip Glass (Four movements for two pianos), Steve Reich (String quartet “Different Trains” with archival recordings of trains going to Auschwitz), and Gheorgi Arnaudov (Hoshanah, Save us, for two pianos and percussion).
Performers:
Jane Hayes and Anna Levy—pianos
Yaletown String Quartet
Jonathan Bernard—percussion
The Tale of Esther
The featured work is Iman Habibi’s “Shāhīn-nāmeh”, which was Juno-nominated and had won the Azrieli Foundation award for Jewish music in 2022. Based on the astonishing poetry of the 14th-century Judeo-Persian poet Shahin Shirazi, the composition depicts the tale of Esther and delves on the themes of love, spiritual struggle and devotion. Habibi’s “Shāhīn-nāmeh” resonates today in the hearts and minds of Persian and Jewish communities alike. This composition calls out to all of us for love and compassion—it brings the heart of humanity into focus!
Also on the program: Arvo Part (Tabula Raza), Peteris Vasks (The Message) and Kelly-Marie Murphy (En El Escuro Es Todo Uno, In the Darkness We Are One).
Performers:
Soloist Sepideh Raissadat—voice and setar
Leslie Dala—conductor
Yarilo Music Ensemble
Vancouver Opera Orchestra
