This series of annual concerts was launched in 2014 by Wegman Family Professor of Violin, Renée Jolles, in honor of her father, Jerome Jolles, who buried bodies as part of a work detail in Romania during the Nazi occupation. He survived and came to the United States, where he finished his studies at Juilliard in music performance and composition. A virtuoso accordion player, piano teacher, and composer, Mr. Jolles died in January 2014.

“My father was the kind of Holocaust survivor who rarely spoke about his wartime experiences. Rather, he encouraged us to look toward a bright future filled with love, humor and hope,” shares Professor Jolles. “However, with anti-Semitism, bigotry and hatred on the rise, it is more important than ever to learn from lessons of the past. By remembering the staggering loss of human potential, and glimpsing the genius and humanity of those whose lives were tragically cut short, we can find the energy and willpower needed to combat hate today.”

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3D Tour of Kilbourn Hall