The Johannesburg Holocaust and Genocide Centre kicked off its Still Searching for Memory and Justice Conference with a moving concert on August 14.
The event featured a variety of performances commemorating and celebrating through music from South Africa, Rwanda, and the Holocaust, bringing together different musical traditions to honour and reflect on past atrocities.
The concert featured a dynamic array of artists, including Leigh Nudelman, the Music is a Great Investment (MIAGI) trio, Adriana Altaras, the Music for Humanity Collaboration directed by Jazz Against Apartheid, Prince Umana Niwenshuti, and Dr Sharon de Kock. Each artist brought their unique touch, creating a powerful tribute through their music.
This year’s conference built on the legacy of a pioneering 1998 event hosted by the Fortunoff Video Archive for Holocaust Testimonies and Yale’s Schell Center for International Human Rights. That conference explored the connections between South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commissions and Holocaust witness documentation.
Marking 30 years since apartheid’s end and 45 years since the Fortunoff Archive’s first testimony, the event included thought-provoking panels, screenings, and discussions. Among the speakers were Prof Shirli Gilbert, Prof David Simon, Konstanty Gebert, and Prof William Gumede. The conference also commemorated the 30th anniversary of the 1994 Rwandan genocide against the Tutsi, featuring a keynote address by Carl Wilkens.
The conference provided a reflective space for examining the lasting impact of historical injustices, celebrating resilience, and fostering dialogue through the universal language of music.
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