The Lady in Number Six

On the plane, besides trying to sleep (!), I watched a brief movie which is available on Netflix streaming: The Lady in Number Six.  If families want to see a positive short film about survival through music and strength of attitude, this is an appropriate and beautiful one.

It is a history of Alice Herz, a centenarian who was 39 years old, just a little younger than I am, when she was taken to Terezin. Her first four decades were spent in Prague as a concert pianist and member of intellectual society; her family was personal friends with Kafka, and she met the famous composer, Mahler, at one of his concert premieres. 

(*Kafka is famous for his story, Metamorphosis, about a man waking up as a cockroach.)

She speaks about the power of an intellectual environment in the home and how it helps your spirit for life. (Thanks, Mom and Dad!)

  

She speaks about acts of quiet resistance. When the Nazis insisted on taking her piano, she hid her "piccolo piano" from them, needing to keep some element of her musical life. She knew this was risking her life, and yet she continued to play it every day.   There were three Nazi families living in her apartment building, but one day she learned that they even appreciated her music. Years later, in her old age, her neighbors in England appreciated her music too!

She speaks about the power of being with her son, who was transported to the concentration camp with her, and who was lucky to survive, too. They had each other, and they had music.  

"Sustained by his mother's natural optimism, he (Raphael) too survived. When a child is near to a mother, anything is possible, anything can happen. He is not afraid. It gives him a security." 

Kids-- hug your parents. Jess, hug Mom and Dad for me.

Terezin was a propaganda camp. It was, if you will, an awful loophole. The Nazis created it to show that the Jewish people were being treated well. The starving, terrified prisoners put on concerts and dignitaries were taken to see how good their conditions were. After all, if there is music, how bad can things be? 

(*An earlier blog post, Brundibar, is about the children's opera there. Alice's son was in that performance.)

Alice and her friend speak, however, of music being something more than entertainment at this time. Listening to it was transportive; it took them away to a much more beautiful place in their minds. Many of you have spoken with me about this lately (Anna, Alex, Izzy, Amanda, Joey...). Think about what other elements of life are transportive for you....this may be helpful in guiding you to find your passion.

"In difficult times, you feel it, especially...When you are suffering...."

A quote that made me ache was "We were dancing under the gallows". This is a metaphor; there were no gallows in Terezin. But most people from this camp were eventually transported to Auschwitz for death. Ugh. 

Alice spoke about finding beauty even in bad times. One of her strengths was seeing the humanity in everyone.  I want to hold that strength with me on my journey.

By the way, I decided what instrument to bring with me. It is my melodica, given to me by my 94 year old friend Mary Baxter before she passed away when I was in Uruguay. My Nunsense pianist name is Sister Mary Melodica, in its honor. And it is a small instrument, less expensive than my flutes, but one that I can breathe through which will help me in emotional moments. 

Going through security at Newark Airport, the instrument met with some questioning. What is this? But when I arrived at the Munich airport and went through security they spoke about it being precious and old-fashioned. Different strokes for different folks! Let individuality reign!