Today, October 7, at precisely 6:29 p.m., the Tel Aviv Opera House will host the world premiere of Kaddish for Oria and the Theresienstadt Ghetto, a poignant composition by musician and historian Hannie Ricardo. This performance takes place exactly one year after the devastating Hamas attack on Israel. It also carries deep personal significance for Ricardo, who dedicates the piece to the memory of her daughter, Oria z”l, tragically murdered at the Nova music festival that day.
Originally conceived as a tribute to the composers who perished in the Theresienstadt Ghetto during the Holocaust, the work has since evolved into a dual homage – honoring both the victims of that historical atrocity and those of the massacre of October 7, 2023. It has become an intimate tribute to Ricardo’s daughter and those who perished alongside her at the festival. A second performance will be held on October 15 at the Jerusalem Theatre, commemorating the anniversary of Oria’s burial.
“Oria was a bright, joyful young woman who loved music, dancing, and her mother more than anything,” says Ricardo, whose grief at her loss has been channelesed into this deeply emotional composition.
As a musician, Ricardo has spent decades preserving the memory of the Holocaust through the music of the Theresienstadt Ghetto. Her connection to Jewish cultural heritage runs deep: Her great-grandfather, Benjamin Israel Ricardo, was the rabbi of Amsterdam’s Portuguese Jewish community before most of her family was murdered at Auschwitz. In Kaddish, Ricardo weaves together Shabbat hymns taught to her by her grandfather, creating a bridge between the Holocaust’s horrors and the October 7 massacre.
The performance
The performance will be conducted by Talia Ilan and feature Ariel Shapira (soprano) and Shachaf Regev (baritone). The first half of the aconcert will present choral and solo works composed in the Theresienstadt Ghetto, while the second half will introduce Ricardo’s Kaddish, composed for soloists, choir, wind orchestra, and timpani. The event will be broadcast globally, spreading its message of resilience, remembrance, and the fight against antisemitism.
“For the composers imprisoned in the ghetto, music was their strength,” says Ricardo. “It helped them endure, much like this composition helps me remember and honor the memory of my daughter.”
The concert is a collaboration with Beit Theresienstadt, an institution dedicated to preserving Holocaust memory with a focus on the Theresienstadt Ghetto. Ricardo initially approached Beit Theresienstadt to create this joint project, intending to commemorate both Oria and her friends who were murdered at the Nova festival, alongside the composers of Theresienstadt.
This concert is more than a memorial. It stands as a powerful reminder of the ongoing battle against antisemitism and the parallels between historical atrocities and modern-day violence. Kaddish for Oria and the Theresienstadt Ghetto offers a space for reflection, serving as an act of defiance against those who seek to erase Jewish memory.
The event invites audiences worldwide to reflect on the tragedies of both the past and present. It calls for unity, awareness, and a continued fight for justice.
Kaddish for Oria and the Theresienstadt Ghetto, October 7, 2024, at 6:29 p.m., The Opera House, Performing Arts Center, Tel Aviv.
Kaddish for Oria and the Theresienstadt Ghetto, October 15, 2024, at 6:29 p.m., Jerusalem Theatre.
Tickets: to-mix.co.il/product/kadish-oria-vaterezin/
