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The Partisan Song Project News

Zog Nit Keynmol

ORT CIM Mexico

New videos have arrived:

ORT Compilation

Mexico CIM ORT

King David High School Victory Park, Johannesburg

Press reports:

Australian Jewish News 27 April 2017

Lithuanian Jewish Community

ORT and Non-ORT Schools Join in Partisan Anthem Project

From the SASIG Newsletter

SA-SIG – Southern Africa Jewish Genealogy: SA-SIG Newsletter

The SA-SIG Newsletter

Source: www.jewishgen.org/safrica/newsletter/index.htm

 Including:

Update on Southern African KehilaLinks sites

A reminder that there are a number of South African KehilaLinks pages which can be found on the JewishGen’s KehilaLinks project web site. (The KehilaLinks project provides a set of web pages which commemorate the places throughout the world where Jews have lived.)

The full list of South African KehilaLinks pages can be found at:

http://kehilalinks.jewishgen.org/Asia.html

The list now includes the following towns: Benoni, Bloemfontein De Aar, Cape Town, Germiston, Graaff Reinet, Grahamstown, Kwekwe (Que Que) in Zimbabwe, Johannesburg, Kimberley, Muizenberg, Oudtshoorn Pietersburg, Port Elizabeth, Pretoria, Springs, Stellenbosch, Uniondale, Upington, and Witbank.

Eli Rabinowitz, who has created and maintains most of these KehilaLinks sites, is currently in the process of setting up the following new pages: Paarl, South Africa; Maputo, Mozambique; and Mauritius, Africa.

Eli invites you to send him your stories, memories, photos, family biographies, and articles on Jewish life in any of these places, or for any of the existing pages. As examples of the kind of material he is looking for, Eli suggests you refer to the following links:

http://kehilalinks.jewishgen.org/kimberley

http://kehilalinks.jewishgen.org/graaff_reinet/We rtheim.html

http://kehilalinks.jewishgen.org/nasielsk/Kurtz.ht ml

You can find more information on Eli’s complete set of KehilaLink pages at:

KehilaLinks


You can contact Eli at eli@elirab.com

For reference, the KehilaLinks project home page can be found at:

http://kehilalinks.jewishgen.org/

and

Lions Shul is a special place

The Lions shul is Johannesburg’s longest standing synagogue, still a vibrant, active, and dynamic congregation. The 108 year old synagogue is in pristine condition and the chavershaft (solidarity/equality) is warm and family-oriented. The services are inspirational and the ambiance magnificent.

A video about the synagogue can be found at:

A description of the synagogue on the Johannnesburg KehilaLinks page can be found at:

http://kehilalinks.jewishgen.org/johannesburg/Li ons_Shul.html

and

FIRST COUSINS REUNITED

The story of how Eli Rabinowitz finally found his first cousin, Zara Smushkovich, after being separated for over 35 years

We love hearing stories of families reunited through Geni. Recently, Eli Rabinowitz finally found his first cousin Zara Smushkovich after being separated for over 35 years! The discovery was made thanks to the help of a friendly person on Facebook who found the family tree on Geni.

Read the SA SIG newsletter link for more.

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Updates to the Partisan Song Project

The Lithuanian Jewish Community

Never Give Up

San Diego Jewish World

A new generation learns The Partisan Song

Smookler – South Africa

Eli is a Genealogist of note……….. Eli Rabinowitz – ‘Gib A Kuk’ at his blog…E-mazing news from ‘Der Heims’ & The ‘Beloved Country’…. https://elirab.me/

“Continue the Legacy of the Jewish Partisans and Survivors “From generation to generation” With less than a week to go to Yom Hashoah on 23/24 April, show your solidarity with Survivors by reciting the Partisan Song, Zog Nit Keynmol, in your own language” ……………….. YOM HASHOAH take place

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Updated Zog Nit Keynmol

Hi All

I have added new items to my Jewish Partisan Song portal.

Click on the link –  Zog Nit Keynmol below

Zog Nit Keynmol

I have additional resources thanks to the numerous people who wrote to me after I posted messages on JewishGen. Thanks so much.

Have a look at Other Resources as well as Our Vision for this project.

Please share this site with your contacts. You are welcome to subscribe to elirab.me.

Regards

Eli

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Workshop at the Holocaust & Genocide Centre

On 15 February I gave a couple of workshops at the Johannesburg Holocaust and Genocide Centre.

One session was for survivors and the other for staff and members.

(L-R). Eli Rabinowitz & Don Krausz

This was the first time I had presented specifically to a group of survivors, although I had filmed several survivors’ testimonies in the past.

I showed photos from my trips to the Baltics & Eastern Europe as well as some videos from my Zog Nit Keynmol project for King David & Herzlia Schools.

The most noticeable outcome was the positive reaction to my initiative to get our youth learning and singing Zog Nit Keynmol, the Partisan Song.

(L-R). Eli, Veronica Phillips, Barbara Berman

For more details on Zog Nit Keynmol, please visit:

https://elirab.me

The two key videos to watch are:

the Phillip Maisel Interview

Herzlia’s Vocal Ensemble Sings:

Below is a video of Freidi Mrocki reciting the poem in English. Freidi is the teacher at Sholem Aleichem College in Melbourne, who recorded the interview with Phillip Maisel in 2015.

IMG_5500.MOV

(L-R). Shirley Sapire, Betty Slowatek, Eli, Margaret Hoffman

Slideshow:

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The Legacy of the Partisan Song

Zog Nit Keynmol – the partisan song

A simple request from King David High School in Johannesburg has now snowballed into an international project involving schools in South Africa, Australia, Lithuania, Ukraine and Moldova.

This is an amazing opportunity for this beautiful and inspiring song to be heard. Sung by young students, it rekindles hope for their and future generations.

Please contact me at eli@elirab.com to find out how your school or organisation can become involved.

Click on the link below and read more details about this anthem and how this project developed.

Zog Nit Keynmol

King David Linksfield

King David Linksfield

King David Victory Park

My radio interview on ChaiFM on 7 February.

Click here  Zog Nit Keynmol for more details on the project and videos used in the presentation.

ORT Solomo Aleichemo, Vilnius, Lithuania

On 11 January 2017, I was asked by Rabbi Craig Kacev, head of Jewish Studies at King David Schools, Johannesburg, South Africa, whether I could make a presentation to the students at the Linksfield…

Click here to continue with more details: elirab.me/zog-nit-keynmol/

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Talks in South Africa

In Johannesburg

RCHCC
RABBI CYRIL HARRIS COMMUNITY CENTRE

Sunday 5 February at 7.30pm

Please join us for a presentation by

ELI RABINOWITZ

Traces and Memories of Jewish Life
Connecting to our Litvak Shtetls

Eli Rabinowitz’s presentation has been compiled from six visits to Litvak lands.
His collection of photos and stories showcases:
– the shtetl, where most South Africans originated
– the people on the ground memorialising the shtetl
– the Tolerance Education Centres in schools
– the use of online resources to advance your own heritage research

“How will our children know who they are, if they don’t know where they came from?” —John Steinbeck

Eli Rabinowitz (ex- South Africa) is involved in Jewish community activities, filming events, photographing, researching, lecturing internationally and blogging on Jewish life and heritage. He presented at the IAJGS 2015 conference in Jerusalem. He manages 76 KehilaLinks websites for JewishGen. He led the first JewishGen Virtual Heritage Tour of Europe. Eli lives in Perth, Australia.

WHEN: Sunday 5 February at 7.30pm
DONATION: R90.00 (including refreshments)
VENUE: Clive M Beck Auditorium
               Rabbi Cyril Harris Community Centre (RCHCC)
               cnr Glenhove Rd & 4th Street Houghton, East of the M1 
BOOKING: Hazel or René (011 728 8088/8378) After Hours (011 728 8378)
email: rchcc@telkomsa.net or rene.s@telkomsa.net
www.greatpark.co.za

Bank details:
Nedbank Norwood      Code: 191905
Account name: RCHCC
Account number: 1920 116 699

Please put your name as reference

In Cape Town

Traces and Memories of Jewish Life

Connecting to our Litvak shtetls

Eli Rabinowitz’s presentation has been compiled from six visits to Litvak lands

His collection of photos and stories showcases:

– the shtetl, where most South Africans originated 

– the people on the ground memorialising the shtetl

– the Tolerance Education Centres in schools 

– the use of online resources to advance your own heritage research

Gardens Synagogue – Nelson Mandela Auditorium

 8 February 2017 at 7:30 pm

My Upcoming Talks at the Great Park & Gardens Shuls

 Traces and Memories of Jewish Life  Connecting to our Litvak shtetls The Great Park Synagogue RCHCC, Johannesburg 5 February 2017 at 7:30pm and The Nelson Mandela Auditorium at the Gardens Shul, C…

Source: elirab.me/my-upcoming-talk-at-the-great-park/

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In the News

Dylan Kotkis showing the Lithuanian students around Noranda CHABAD

The Maccabean

The Australian Jewish News Melbourne

The Australian Jewish News Sydney

Maoz Tzur Sung in Perth Heard in Keidan

Maoz Tzur Sung in Perth Heard in Keidan

Just think of this – when was the last time Maoz Tzur was heard in Keidan, Lithuania, sung by a Jewish kid? Maybe 75 years ago! When Laima Ardaviciene, the English teacher at Atzalyno Gymnazi…

Source: elirab.me/maoz-tzur-sung-in-perth-heard-in-keidan/

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Maoz Tzur Sung in Perth Heard in Keidan

Just think of this – when was the last time Maoz Tzur was heard in Keidan, Lithuania, sung by a Jewish kid? Maybe 75 years ago!

When Laima Ardaviciene, the English teacher at Atzalyno Gymnazija in Kedainiai Lithunia, asked whether I could give a talk on Chanukah via Skype to her students,  I would normally have sourced one of the many brilliant articles by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks and shared this with them, speaking from my home.

As I only live a minute’s drive from our CHABAD Shul in Noranda, I came up with the idea of enlisting the assistance of Rabbi Shalom White and doing it at the Shul. I also asked a young and talented friend,  Dylan Kotkis, to join us. Dylan has a friendly and outgoing personality together with a beautiful singing voice. He is a 15 year old student at Carmel School, Perth’s Jewish Day School.

Due to the 7 hour time difference between Perth and Kedainiai, 1pm (7pm here) was the best time for Laima and her students, so we held the meeting in the Shul’s library.  A minyan was taking place in the sanctuary at the same time.

Here are some photos and video clips taken  both from the Kedainiai and from the Perth ends.  I synchronised and edited the videos and combined the footage taken by Laima and myself.

Rabbi White, Dylan and I  spoke about the festival and Dylan took the Lithuanian students on a tour of the shul. Dylan sang Maoz Tzur for them.

Photos taken at Atzalyno Gimnazija

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Photos taken on the Perth side

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Screenshots and photos of  the signs the Lithuanian students presented.

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My bond with Atzalyno Gimnazija, a school in Kedainiai

The Internet by Dylan Kotkis