Childhood Memories Of The Holocaust A Cantata Jan. 27 In Columbia

COLUMBIA, MD — In observance of International Holocaust Remembrance Day and the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the Howard County Office of the County Executive, the Howard County Office of Human Rights and Columbia Center for the Arts will present Childhood Memories of The Holocaust A Cantata: We Will Never Be Bullied Again. This event is free and open to the public, and starts at 7 p.m. Monday at Oakland Mills Meeting House.

“This Cantata reminds us of how quickly words of hatred can become actions,” said Howard County Executive Calvin Ball in a statement. “On this Holocaust Remembrance Day, it is our responsibility to stand together against fear and hatred, and to stand together for hope and peace.”

The musical piece is presented by teens and adults from the Howard County area. The cantata tells the story of a child who brings a book to her grandfather - it’s his brother’s Holocaust-era diary. The grandfather reads passages aloud and the child asks questions about the Holocaust. A black-clad choir, comprised of children and adults, then joins the two on stage to dramatize the diary’s words.

The event is directed and adapted by Toby Orenstein with musical direction by Ira Singer and Cantor Jan Morrison. Production assistance is by Stephanie Gurwitz Zurier and it was written and used with the permission of Stephen Freedman.