With a concert commemorating the 80th anniversary of the liquidation of the Litzmannstadt Ghetto, we wish to honor in a special and dignified manner the thousands of Jews who were murdered in the Ghetto organized within the city of Łódź or were transported to concentration camps and cruelly killed there. Over 200,000 Jews passed through the Litzmannstadt Ghetto during World War II, and it is estimated that no more than 7,000 to 12,000 may have survived, though this number has never been confirmed. August 29 is a symbolic date because, on this day, the last transports of Łódź Jews left directly for the Auschwitz-Birkenau extermination camp. The memory of these days and people is a special tribute from the inhabitants of Łódź, who can commemorate the victims of Nazi Germany in this only possible way today.

The concert, which will be presented by the Grand Theatre in Łódź on August 29, 2024, will include, among others, songs from the Łódź ghetto specially arranged for the concert for several choirs and orchestra. Andrzej Seweryn and Milena Lisiecka will read excerpts from ghetto diaries and Chava Rosenfarb's novel "The Tree of Life." Cantor Benjamin Muller will sing, among others, Samuel Malawsky's "Av Horachamim" with the participation of a male choir, pianist Julia Kociuban will perform Alexander Tansman's "Hebrew Rhapsody," and the famous violinist Leila Josefowicz will play, accompanied by the Grand Theatre Orchestra in Łódź under the baton of Rafał Janiak, the second part of Max Bruch's Violin Concerto in G minor, Op. 26. The concert will conclude with Wojciech Kilar's expressive vocal-symphonic poem "Exodus," based on a short theme derived from Jewish folklore. Considering the special significance of the event, the exceptional artistic value of the program, and the unique nature of the concert, we encourage you to watch it. The concert will also be available via VOD on the "Drzwi do Kultury" portal.

Honorary Patronage:

Minister of Culture and National Heritage, Hanna Wróblewska

Marshal of the Łódź Voivodeship, Joanna Skrzydlewska

Mayor of the City of Łódź, Hanna Zdanowska

Concert Organizers:

Grand Theatre in Łódź

Social and Cultural Association of Jews in Poland

Jewish Religious Community in Łódź

Event Partners:

Marek Edelman Dialogue Center

Archaeological and Ethnographic Museum in Łódź

https://www.operalodz.com/UROCZYSTY_KONCERT_Z_OKAZJI_80_ROCZNICY_LIKWIDACJI_LITZMANNSTADT-GETTO,29,679