A group of Holocaust survivors hummed along to familiar melodies, which were written by Jews who were confined in WWII ghettos and concentration camps, during a Yom Hashoah remembrance event on Thursday night at Temple Shalom in North Dallas.
Holocaust educator Tamara Freeman performed the tunes on a 1935 viola that was rescued from the Holocaust to a group of survivors and a crowd of attendees in the sanctuary of the temple during the "One Day in the Holocaust 4.19.43" recital.
Thursday's performance was meant to recognize three major events that happened on April 19, 1943, which were the Bermuda Conference, the stopping of the twentieth train from Belgium and the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising.
The recital was so packed that a retractable wall was moved and additional chairs were added to accommodate everyone.
Freeman said she spent time researching and learning the forgotten songs that she performed, which were composed by Jews during the Holocaust.
"I couldn't imagine the people suffering in those circumstances would have the energy to do such a thing as to create music or make music," Freeman said.
Also, six torches were lit during the recital in honor of the six million Jews who perished during the Holocaust.
Freeman, who is an instrumental music teacher in New Jersey, created the United States' only Holocaust music curriculum for students in kindergarten through twelfth grade.
To find out more information about future Holocaust-related events, visit the Dallas Holocaust Museum/Center for Education and Tolerance's website.