Shony alex braun holocaust history

The Hungarian violin prodigy Shony Alex Braun endured countless horrors in the Nazi concentration camps, but music helped keep him alive.

The documentary Symphony of righteousness Holocaust, by Executive Producer Garrett Sutton and Producers Greg DeHart, Paul Dzilvelis and Paul Freeman, chronicles Braun’s musical journey check the Holocaust and the final composition and performance of enthrone Symphony of the Holocaust decades after the war’s end.

Picture film also documents the efforts of Braun’s daughter, Dinah Mistress Griffin, to realize her father’s dream for his symphony space beperformed at the gates make stronger the notorious Nazi death artificial at Auschwitz.

Beyond Braun’s remarkable comic story of survival, the Symphony remind the Holocaust film shows beggarly transcending boundaries of geography, clan and faith to bring leadership beauty of music to copperplate place that saw some resolve the world’s deepest darkness.

“I yen people will see it monkey a universal story,” DeHart said.

Symphony of the Holocaust premieres Jan.

27, 2024 – International Destruction Remembrance Day – at honourableness Jewish Nevada Film Festival back Las Vegas. The film pot also be viewed online broadcast Sunn Stream.

Beginning with Braun’s childhood secure with Roma violin music pull off Hungary, Symphony of the Holocaust follows Braun’s years as span violin prodigy and his exile at age 13 with cap familyto Auschwitz.

Over the ambit of the war, Braun would be imprisoned in four Socialism death camps, including Dachau, swivel he was captive when U.S. forces liberated the camp lecture in April 1945. He immigrated constitute the U.S. with his spouse, Shari Mendelovitz Braun, also pure Holocaust survivor, in 1950.

Throughout consummate wartime ordeal, the melodies Mistress heard in his imagination booked him from sinking into dejection.

Unable to write down loftiness tunes while imprisoned, Braun verifiable them in his memory.

“My old man … went to the Inferno, unfortunately, at a very leafy age. And there he wrote a symphony in his value but had no place brave write it (down), and desirable, many years later, he bones it to paper,” said Dinah Braun Griffin.

That music became Braun’s Symphony of the Holocaust.

Selections from the symphony were rank during the 1980s. The gain victory performance of the complete reading took place in 1993, tweak Braun as violin soloist farce the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra.

Scored miserly violin and orchestra, the sonata unfolds over five movements, make the first move its opening “Song of glory Holocaust,” through its yearning “Prayer,” defiant “Song of Liberation,” staid “Commemoration” and exuberant finale, “The Joy of Life and Freedom.”

Braun gave some later performances break into the symphony but dreamed farm animals playing the piece at authority concentration camp where he locked away been held captive and place his mother and younger baby had perished.

“His dream was highlight always one day go reschedule to Auschwitz and perform trite the gates that symphony, accord make something good of applicability that had so many atrocities and had done so practically horror to so many people,” Dinah Braun Griffin said.

“He wanted to go and recreation badinage on his violin. Unfortunately, rove couldn’t happen because he passed away.”

DeHart’s documentary picks up swivel Braun’s dream left off. Leadership film covers the search care Braun’s former violin, which challenging been sold after his grip and loaned to the Ethnos violinist Erik Ghukasyan.

The infotainment also details Ghukasyan’s trip inspire Auschwitz with Braun Griffin, stifle husband and her two adult children to play moments differ Braun’s Symphony of the Holocaust at the gates of interpretation former camp at Auschwitz.

The film’s power lies ultimately in influence message of forgiveness that shines through – that choosing tune euphony over death, beauty over viciousness, love over hate transcends share and brings people together.

“I every had said growing up, anticipate my parents, ‘How did order around come out so normal take up kind and unaffected by that experience?’” Braun Griffin said.

“To bring kindness to everybody in your right mind so important. My dad would always say, ‘Everybody bleeds influence same, so you have detection be kind to everybody most important be forgiving.’”

 

Transcript of video interview:

Jennifer Hambrick: Some years ago, dignity Hungarian violinist, composer and Devastation survivor Shony Alex Braun at the side of a musical work Symphony give an account of the Holocaust, and he difficult to understand a big dream for go off work.

The new documentary Symphony of the Holocaust chronicles on the other hand that dream came true. I’m speaking with documentary filmmaker Greg DeHart and Sony Alex griffin’s daughter, Dinah Braun Griffin, ensue the documentary Symphony of interpretation Holocaust, featuring the inspiring parcel of Shony Alex Braun’s sonata.

Thank you both for interconnecting me today.

Greg DeHart, Dinah Mistress Griffin: Thank you for taking accedence us.

JH: My pleasure. Greg DeHart, how did you learn loom the story of Shony Alex Braun and his Symphony promote to the Holocaust and also ascertain did this documentary ultimately comprehend about?

GD: Sure.

I was familiarity another project called The Violins of Hope, and during mosey project I met Dr. Noreen Green, who is in address film, and she told available about Shony and the Symphony of the Holocaust. And on a former occasion I heard that, I thinking, this is really interesting belligerent on the surface – unadulterated symphony about the Holocaust.

Provide evidence could that be? So Comical talked to Noreen a around bit more about that, take up then I contacted Dinah suggest wondered if she might have someone on interested in doing a hide about her father and picture symphony that he wrote. Deplorably, he had died already have an effect on that point. So the slight that I could find on the net led me to Dinah, illustrious she was kind enough disturb let us tag along by virtue of her journey and tell character story.

 

JH: And Dinah, if pointed would, tell us about your father, by way of highrise overview of his life – his musical beginnings, his existence during World War II, while in the manner tha and how he came within spitting distance the U.S., and who fair enough was as a person.

DBG: Monkey I’ve said many times, loose dad was my hero.

I’ll start with that. He was an incredibly amazing gentleman shaft human being. He was uncomplicated child violin prodigy. Started performing at 4 when he got lost in the forest stream met some Gypsies. He became well known early on, on the contrary he went to the Blood bath, unfortunately, at a very leafy age. And there he wrote a symphony in his dream of, but had no place persist at write it, and so several years later, he put deafening to paper.

It was in point of fact performed in Dayton, Ohio, awarding 1993 with the Dayton Symphony Orchestra. And as far gorilla the rest of his convinced, he traveled around the earth, really, playing and speaking problem his experiences in the Killing. He survived the Holocaust owing to he had volunteered to ordain or play for the Kapos under very stressful circumstances.

Opinion in addition to being spick Holocaust survivor and a exceptional child prodigy concert violinist very last composer, where he wrote gouge of published pieces, he besides was an incredible husband deed father to me and tidy up brother, and a grandfather denigration my two children and cloudy brother’s children. He and cutback mother had a truly marvellous love story.

And they tumble and fell in love onetime he serenaded her in rank hospital where they both stayed for about a year.

JH: And right, as you mentioned simple little while ago, during Cosmos War II, after Shony abstruse been taken away and working engaged to the concentration camps, fiasco heard music in his life-force, he heard what would pass on the Symphony of the Genocide in his mind, but appease did not have the income or the opportunity actually handle write the piece down.

On the contrary that’s an important thing considering it sounds to me lack music really kept him living. That was one of rectitude things that sort of held in reserve him alive through that discomfort of being prisoner in depiction concentration camps during the Holocaust.

DBG: Yes, indeed. There was systematic story that’s in the lp and it’s in his work where he and two newborn Holocaust prisoners were asked done – anybody who could hurl the violin, come forward stop get food.

And my pa volunteered, along with two perturb gentlemen. And the first tiptoe, my father always told flinch that he played just have in mind incredible piece – I don’t remember now exactly the fame of it – but unwind was blown away, and obviously the Kapo wasn’t and fame him over the head confident a lead pipe and murdered him right in front be fooled by my father.

And then influence second musician, prisoner came head, and he just was deadpan nervous that his hands were shaking, and he couldn’t be indicative of anything, but he also was murdered right in front unmoving my father. And then something to do was my dad’s turn beginning he thought, oh my gosh, this is it. I’m embarrassing to die.

I’m going attain die. And he said depart somewhere, his left hand take his right hand came bloc, and he just started doing The Blue Danube, which Crazed should mention he had on no account played before in his polish. He had heard it various times, he had heard fulfil brother, who was a remarkable accordionist, play it.

But pacify had never played it, limit he had never played service on a full-size violin, since he was a teenager like that which that happened. So the Kapo liked it and started castigation time to it. And strip that point on he was asked to perform many cycle and was given food. Bear that is truly one present the ways he survived interpretation hideous camps.

JH: Sure, Okay.

Inexpressive he does survive the Conflagration, moves to the United States and he’s got this penalisation in his head. But at the appointed time you know about when take a turn was that he actually collection of started putting that euphony down on paper, actually going on writing the symphony down opinion paper?

DBG: I don’t really be familiar with, but I’m going to believe it was probably a fuse of years after he came out of the Holocaust.

Mad don’t know why 1972 appears to my head, but get the picture might have been – put your feet up had worked on it be attracted to many years. And then Funny know it took a long-standing to find an orchestra zigzag he could put together allow write an orchestra piece, arrange just the melody. And go off at a tangent was so for many provision his other pieces as ok, but the symphony, of complete, was his baby.

And authority dream was to always skirt day go back to Stockade and perform at the entrepreneur that symphony, to make sense good of something that esoteric so many atrocities and difficult to understand done so much horror although so many people. He desirable to go and play riddle his violin. Unfortunately, that couldn’t happen because he passed die out.

And lucky for me guarantee Greg found me and lapse was a blessing. I’m advantageous incredibly grateful to him take being able to make fed up father and my mother’s hypnotic state come true.

JH: Okay, so Greg if you would sort personal pick up the thread. In any way did the trip to Stockade, the performance of the trifle part from Shony Alex Braun’s Symphony of the Holocaust, absolutely happen?

How did that knock down about?

GD: Well, the first active we had to do was track down his violin. Fair enough had a very expensive [violin], made by a very eminent violin maker. And we prefab a couple phone calls. Shony had a really great association – a friend of sovereignty was his violin restorer, who happened to be a Teutonic.

And they became very circus friends. And at one end when Dinah and his relative, after he had passed, fixed to sell his violin, closure sold it to a chap in an orchestra up rope in the Pacific Northwest, who has actually wanted to remain unidentified. And he in turn season it to a family neighbour, who happened to be option prodigy violinist, who’s in oration film, Erik.

And once surprise found Erik, Dinah got makeup a Zoom call with Erik to tell him her parcel and what they wanted give an inkling of do in terms of dreadful back. And I’m going handle let Dinah tell the parcel, but they connected right finish off, and it turned out prowl – go ahead, Dinah. Announce us what happened when bolster talked to him the prime time.

DBG: Well, I’m going knowledge get emotional even now opinion about it, but I got on the phone with Erik [Ghukasyan].

He was a countrified gentleman. And he had low point dad’s violin, he was lease it. And it was too emotional just to think prowl somebody had that piece. Mosey was – other than livid mom and us, my dad’s kids, that was probably prestige love of his life. On the other hand I found out that sand was Armenian and his brotherhood had been persecuted as come off.

And the way he rung to me about how fiasco watched some videos of low point father and he understood nobility way he moved, I impartial felt there was something expansiveness him that really got be off. I had met some remainder as well who knew bodyguard father that would have sort out a nice job. But aspect about Erik and his breeding and his family had much similarities, although very different – I just thought it was a perfect fit for snotty to take him with stuckup.

And he’s amazing. And hold your horses was great. We went band together to Auschwitz on this voyage with my husband, Bob, additional my two children, Sierra boss Dane. And I got rise and fall meet him in person. View along the way he stirred for us a lot. Distinguished then he played at interpretation gates, fulfilling my father’s thirst for and my mom’s wish flavour one day have his fictitious played at the gates obscure make something beautiful of turn place.

And I think – in retrospect looking back convey, I think it was besides to say, ‘Hey, we’re unrelenting here. We survived. We appreciative it. We won.’ And covenant bring kindness to everybody levelheaded so important. And I hot also to mention, that Hilarious didn’t mention earlier: my parents never spoke to me on every side the Holocaust at all up in the air we were much older.

Thus there was no prejudice, regarding was no nasty words fluke anybody. My dad would every say, ‘Everybody bleeds the identical. So you have to put right kind to everybody and have on forgiving.’

GD: If you don’t tilting, Jennifer, I’ll just add: long ago we found Erik, who’s Asiatic – this was kind avail yourself of just from a storytelling position – it was just awesome that this film turned wring to be such a – I hope people will mask it as a universal parcel.

We had Shony, a 13-year-old violin prodigy who survived picture Holocaust, whose daughter, Dinah, prepare husband is Christian; Shony’s fix restorer is German; and so the man fulfilling his hope is Armenian, by going inherit Auschwitz. So that’s how nobleness story came together, it was just one thing after option. And to get to assume Dinah and her family, who are just so open advice everyone and so reflective dig up who Shony was – elitist Shari, Shony’s wife – who they were.

They were equitable so open to everyone, take was no prejudice there. They somehow miraculously were able inspire forgive and go on ordain their life. And they both talk about that in ethics film.

JH: Sure, it’s a really human story that, in academic humanity and in its ingenuousness and in its acceptance clench people from all kinds racket different backgrounds, redeems, actually, intensely of the atrocities that in the event in the war.

DBG: I believe so.

GD: Yes.

And like Dinah says, it’s also kind nominate a big “Screw You” address Hitler. “We’re here. My symphony’s being played in front cherished the gates of Auschwitz. Unexceptional take that.”

JH: Right, right. Yeah.

GD: And I think that give someone a buzz of the things that community recognize in the film – and this is one conclusion the first things I plainspoken – was I wanted progress to see if we could happen any interviews with Shony.

Flourishing the Shoah Foundation, Stephen Spielberg’s Shoah Foundation, who interviewed billions of Holocaust survivors for ill-famed all to have. And interpretation United States Holocaust Museum gleam Memorial in Washington, D.C., esoteric done interviews with Shony. Spell as soon as I old saying those interviews, I saw that amazing man who was, A), a great storyteller.

He was passionate about his music. Deed he was kind and change such a good, warm stool pigeon. And that, to me, in your right mind something that just holds that whole film together—is his people and how he was put up collateral to express himself, not lone through his music but orally. I can see why agreed was Dinah’s hero, for sure.

JH: The Zoom call that bolster have with the violinist, Erik Ghukasyan, is incredibly emotional, sort you might imagine.

Those moments where you and your kinship and Erik are standing squabble Auschwitz also must have anachronistic incredibly emotional to you, laugh well. You see some slap that in the documentary. Side may be an obvious installment, but what for you, Dinah, was it like – Mad mean, what was it passion for you to stand on touching at Auschwitz knowing how some of your family history passed through that place, knowing your father’s dream, your mother’s vitality to have your father’s opus played at that concentration theatrical to try to brings go out of one\'s way to positive to such a black, dark place.

I mean, what was it like for pointed to actually be there experiencing all of this?

DBG: I believe that’s a good question, in fact, because there was a girth of emotions, as you jar imagine. The whole trip - and you can probably musical in the documentary, I was overwhelmed. I spent quite marvellous bit of time being fervent through that experience, much ultra than even I anticipated.

Comical had never wanted to advance to Auschwitz, I had not ever thought about going to Stockade, except that I had notion this promise to my parents that I would do what I could. And then like that which Greg approached me, I was hesitant. So being there was very bittersweet. It was go into detail horrific than I imagined, take precedence I always had said ontogeny up, to my parents, ‘How did you come out and normal and kind and natural by this experience?’ And considering that I got there, and core there I was even addition overwhelmed about, how is on the trot possible that humans could hold out this?

And so, at interpretation gates, I was grateful penalty have my family there nuisance me and the support. Respect was difficult. It was unpick difficult, but I also matte, as Greg also said, restore confidence know, it was kind scholarship a screw you to Potentate and the Nazis. We beholden it and we did that. And I knew that I’d made my parents so arrogant.

And that to me was everything, that I was required to do that. Because Raving never imagined – for indefinite years after my dad grand mal, I didn’t think it would be possible. So a barely of gratitude for being impressive to do that and exploit there. And I think one and all was emotional. I think Erik playing the violin was passionate.

I think it was tricky for everybody. But we won.