Jewish communities in cities in which the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra is scheduled to appear during its current concert tour of the United States have issued statements condemning the conductor of the orchestra, Herbert von Karajan, admitted former member of the Nazi Party.
In Newark, the Community Relations Committee of the Jewish Community Council of Essex County called upon those “whose consciences revolt against attendance at a concert under the baton of such a man” to stay away and “feel free to declare their reasons for doing so.” However, the community council statement suggested that the orchestra should not be picketed or otherwise interfered with.
In Boston, the Jewish Community Council called “hypocritical” references the orchestra’s tour of the U.S. as a “goodwill tour.” While the statement also suggested non-interference with the concerts, it asserted that “we would slur the memory of Nazi victims were we not to express our sorrow at this reminder of the nightmare period of Hitler’s regime.”
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
