Numerous artists have taken a stand against anti-Semitism in Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie. Jazz singer Efrat Alony, Tocotronic singer Dirk von Lowtzow, songwriter Wolf Biermann and the hip-hoppers Antilopen Gang performed at a solidarity concert for more humanity and tolerance on Monday evening. The concert was initiated by pianist Igor Levit, who appeared on stage not only as a soloist, but also as a song accompanist and chamber musician, as a speaker and host.
“A concert like this won’t save the world. But what it might do is recharge your batteries a little, not feel alone and go out strengthened,” said Levit, who was awarded the Federal Cross of Merit for his political commitment. The editor-in-chief of the weekly newspaper “Die Zeit”, Giovanni di Lorenzo, read from an interview he had conducted with Igor Levit in November 2023.
The author Michel Friedman, who recently published the non-fiction book “October 7, 2023 – Hatred of Jews,” emphasized the importance of freedom, democracy and human rights. “Arguing does not mean that everyone says what they want and does not listen to the other. Arguing means being curious with appreciation about what you can learn from the other.”
Other guests included the writer Ronya Othmann, TV chef Tim Mälzer, who performed together with singer Thees Uhlmann, and human rights activist Düzen Tekkal, who commemorated the genocide of Yazidis by terrorists of the Islamic State (IS) militia.
The concert was broadcast live in the Elbphilharmonie Media Library and is available on demand afterwards. The proceeds go to OFEK eV, an advice center that campaigns against anti-Semitic violence and discrimination, and to the Bornplatz Synagogue Foundation, which is supporting the reconstruction of the synagogue destroyed by the Nazis.
© dpa-infocom, dpa:240916-930-234457/1
This is a message directly from the dpa news channel.
