Voice of shared humanity

Re: “Never Be Silent: Memorial tribute to life of Elie Wiesel,” by Dr. Fred Gordon in the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer Sunday Forum,, July 10, 2016:

Dr. Gordon’s beautiful essay reminded me of Elie Wiesel’s words at the dedication of the U.S. Holocaust Museum in April 1993, which I attended. On an unusually miserable, cold and wet day in April, Elie Wiesel stood before a crowd of dignitaries, Holocaust survivors, and citizens from all faiths and all walks of life insisting that we acknowledge that the Holocaust was about the murder of Jews. It was always Hitler’s intention to exterminate the Jewish people, not only in Germany, but as far as his powers would reach. Many others were also targets of his hatred and victims of the Reich, but the Jews, Elie Wiesel among them, were the foremost intended victims. The term “genocide” was coined to describe what was happening to the Jews of Europe.

It is a measure of Elie Wiesel’s Jewish faith that he also spoke out on behalf of other victims of ethnic and religious hatred. He spoke in front of audiences large and small, public and private, always drawing on his faith, and the empathy for all human suffering that he learned from Jewish tradition and his own experience. In living his Judaism, he touched the essence of what it is to be human.

In 1993, Wiesel spoke about the ethnic cleansing of Bosnian Muslims; today we are again confronted with millions of people driven from their homes by religious, racial, and ethnic hatred, by politics and greed. His message is just as important now.

May God cherish his eternal soul, and may his memory be a blessing, and a lesson, for us all.

Grateful guest

I am a bassoon soloist from Peru. and I want to say “thanks” to the city of Columbus and Columbus State University for their hospitality and kindness during my visit June 26-30 as part of the International Double Reed Society (IDRS) conference.

This year more than 870 participants presented 120 concerts and 74 companies relating to the manufacture of musical instruments, tools, machines and publishers of sheet music and books. Although I was born in Bulgaria, I represent the Peru and I selected an innovative program that showcases Peruvian music from different periods, both as a solo performer and in ensembles.

I must mention the importance of support by "Marca Peru" (Brand Peru) and Promperu (the government’s organization in charge of promoting Peruvian products), because through their collaboration our desire to present Peruvian music around the world was made a reality with an international team of musicians that accompanied me, such as William Wielgus (soloist at the National Symphony of Washington), Linda Binkley, Jessica Cambell, Sarah Southard, Cindy Behmer and Scott Pool (professors from universities in the United States).

The International Double Reed Society was established in 1971 and is a global organization of instrumentalists, teachers, publishers and promoters, and builders of double reed instruments, particularly the oboe and the bassoon. The society has more than 5,000 members from 60 countries.

So thanks again, Columbus, for your hospitality and for the opportunity to perform Peruvian music to such high-level audience.

Teachings for today

We live in a time that takes beheading in stride, that sees murderous attacks upon our civilian population as routine and the assassination of law officers as understandable. We have heard from almost everyone. Allow me to share a perspective from the teachings of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace.

Jesus took the form of a servant, lived a scant 33 years as a citizen of Ancient Israel. Before he was arrested and crucified, he had much to say about violence. Today, one-third of the world's population seeks to follow him. Some of his teachings:

"Greater love has no man than to lay down his life for another." "If a man strike you on one cheek, turn to him the other." "Forgive seventy times seventy." "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." "Love your enemies."

What about vengeance? "Vengeance is mine, says the Lord." "Do not fear him who can take your life. Fear only him who can take your soul."

Who are some of the people in recent history who have taken to heart what Jesus said? Mahatma Gandhi in India, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in America, and Nelson Mandela in South Africa. May history record in some future list the names of those who in this crisis did not despair nor cease to love.

Evil is so easily attributed to those who are other than us. We must never forget that all evil has as its end the scrap heap of history. We must pray that we not remain a part of the evil that will destroy our children' future. It is time to come together and love one another.

This story was originally published July 20, 2016 at 2:51 PM with the headline "Voice of shared humanity."