By:  Sandy Eller

Living in an age where the sixty second sound bites rules and a world of information can be carried in the palm of your hand, we constantly look ahead to the next new obsession, making it more important than ever to stay connected to our roots in order to ensure that as time continues its exorable march forward, the legacy that is our past stays fresh in our minds.  As the last living witnesses to the horrors of Hitler’s unspeakable schemes live out their golden years, the movement to deny the Holocaust gains momentum, seeking to eradicate one of the defining periods in Jewish history by revising the annals of history.

It is the continuity of the Jewish people that has defined us for centuries and it is incumbent upon all of us to become the voice of those who survived as their numbers continue to dwindle, sharing their story with future generations so that the lessons of the past will not soon be forgotten.  Every Jewish child that is brought onto this earth is living testimony to the eternal nature of the Jewish people and the greatest revenge that could ever be brought against Hitler and his army of evildoers.  Now more than ever, we must continue to forge the chain that binds us to our past, by sharing the survival of our ancestors during the darkest moments in history, with our youth, our brightest hope and our link to the future. 

Rainbow in the Night, a short YouTube clip, is a brief but exceptionally powerful video created specifically for today’s fast paced generation.   Using stunning cinematography, a haunting score,  hard hitting lyrics and vocals that will touch the deepest recesses of the soul, this historical work offers a glimpse into World War II Krakow as seen through the eyes of a survivor.  Beginning with footage of a 1939 oil painting of a synagogue being ravaged by the Nazis, shown at a private event in the survivor’s home, Rainbow in the Night is an exquisitely emotional journey, as the survivor recalls first the warmth of his childhood home, then the shock and disbelief as people are forced to leave their homes for the Krakow ghetto, taken to an extermination camp and after enduring unspeakable cruelty, finally liberated.  Set against a backdrop of utter despair and hopelessness, the survivor relives the inexplicable power that enabled him to persevere, the rainbow in the figurative night that promised better days to come.  Culminating triumphantly with our hope for the future, the faces of hundreds of modern day Jewish children, Rainbow in the Night is both a euphoric tribute to the indomitable human spirit that enabled the Jewish people to survive against all odds and also a call to arms, to rekindle the spark of Jewish pride and unity among Jews worldwide, as we continue to rebuild the generations that were destroyed by the Nazis. 

Filmed in New York, Krakow and inside the Majdanek concentration camp, this first ever music video depicting the Holocaust was directed by Daniel Finkelman, with cinematography by Mauricio Arenas and produced by both Finkelman and Arenas.   With a stirring title track written and composed by executive producer Cecelia Margules and sung by legendary tenor Cantor Yaakov Lemmer, Rainbow in the Night is an epic historical work that will allow the voices of survivors to be heard for generations to come.

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“Rainbow in the Night,” a breathtaking music video of epic proportion, produced by Danny Finkelman and composed by Cecelia Margulies, stars Ari Raskin and his sister Leah Raskin of Crown Heights.

By Sandy Eller

Seventy two years have elapsed since the German invasion of Poland and as time progresses, the number of people who can recount the stories of the atrocities that occurred during the darkest period in our history continues to grow smaller and smaller. As the voices of those who survived World War II weaken with age, those who deny the Holocaust are becoming more and more vocal as they spread their malicious lies worldwide.

While Steven Spielberg’s epic film Schindler’s List made the horrors of World War II real for so many, there is an entire generation who know nothing of the inhumanity that occurred nearly three quarters of a century ago.

Raised on sound bites and video clips, today’s youth has no interest in lengthy films or perusing weighty volumes of history. Yet, there is no question that the memories of the six million who died and the stories of those who miraculously survived the most unspeakable period in Jewish history must be kept alive for both this and future generations.

Faced with this daunting challenge, composer, writer and producer Cecelia Margulies has teamed up with producer and director Danny Finkelman and created Rainbow in the Night, a breathtaking music video of epic proportion, featuring magnificent cinematography and poignant vocals that will bring the Holocaust to life in a powerful YouTube video that will transport the viewer back to World War II Poland for just five short minutes.

Filming is already underway for this first ever music video about the holocaust, which will show a glimpse into the past, present and future of a World War II survivor.

Filmed in Krakow, New York and the Majdanek concentration camp, Rainbow in the Night features a cast of thirty actors, a crew of twenty and the inspiring voice of Cantor Yanky Lemmer singing the title track, composed for this historical opus by Margulies.

Featuring glimpses of pre-war Poland, haunting scenes shot inside the extermination camp, the moment of liberation and a glorious finale featuring Judaism’s greatest triumph against the Germans – hundreds of Jewish children proudly continuing the legacy that the Nazis hoped to extinguish – Rainbow in the Night is a stunning production that will capture both the horrors of the war and the unimpeachable resilience that defines the Jewish nation.

Rainbow in the Night, which has already caught the attention of Reuters, is slated for released in both New York and Jerusalem in January.

Co-Producers of this project include the Rabbi Leib Geliebter Memorial Foundation, by Director Dr. Joseph Geliebter, as well as Sigmund Rolat and Lev Rivkin.

With their unerring eye for detail and authenticity, the producers of this epic clip are doing their utmost to ensure that this most important chapter in the annals of Jewish history remain forever etched in the minds and hearts of Jews worldwide.

Jewish Music Report