

Esther Bejarano spent years in Nazi camps. She died this summer at the age of 96. Throughout her life, Bejarano used the power of music—first to survive and later to fight against evil.
Born in 1924, Esther Bejarano was the daughter of Jewish choirmaster Rudolf Löwy. She enjoyed a musical and comfortable upbringing—until the Nazis came to power. During the late 1930s, Adolf Hitler’s Nazi ideology made life grim for German Jews.
In 1939, Esther left home. She hoped to relocate to Palestine with other young Jews who were fleeing Nazi oppression. In preparation, she took a position at a workers’ colony called Landwerk Neuendorf. The colony trained young Jews for their new lives in Palestine.
However, Nazis took over the facility in 1941. They converted it to a forced labor camp. Bejarano labored there for two years before being sent to the dreaded Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp in Poland. Auschwitz-Birkenau was known for killing its occupants. Indeed, the Nazis killed Bejarano’s sister Ruth there before Esther arrived.
At Auschwitz-Birkenau, Bejarano volunteered to become a member of an unusual group: a Nazi-mandated girls’ orchestra. A pianist, she learned to play the accordion on the spot to save her life—since there was no piano in the camp. Bejarano repeatedly said music helped keep her alive in the death camp and during the years after the Holocaust.
The Girls’ Orchestra of Auschwitz greeted trains packed with Jews upon arrival at the camp. Bejarano said in a 2010 interview: “They didn’t know where they were going. But we knew. We played with tears in our eyes.”
Orchestra members had no choice about playing. They played as fellow prisoners headed to work, and every Sunday, the orchestra serenaded the Nazi officers.
Because her grandmother was not a Jew, Bejarano was spared execution at Auschwitz. She was later transferred to the Ravensbrück concentration camp. U.S. troops rescued her near the end of the war.
Bejarano immigrated to Israel after the war and married Nissim Bejarano. The couple had two children, Edna and Joram, before returning to Germany in 1960. Back in her homeland, she re-encountered open anti-Semitism (prejudice against Jews).
Once again, she fought with music. She played Jewish resistance songs in a band named “Coincidence” and with the group “Microphone Mafia.” Both spread anti-racism messages to German youth.
Bejarano also co-founded the Auschwitz Committee to give survivors a platform for their stories. She received numerous awards, including Germany’s Order of Merit, for her activism.
While addressing young people at concerts, Bejarano would often say, “You are not guilty of what happened back then. But you become guilty if you refuse to listen to what happened.”
1st!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
1st!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@Jonathan
I understand the whole first comment thing, but seriously, the comments are for the article. If you're just going to comment and say "1st!", that really doesn't mean much. I would have a different view if people said 1st and said something about the article itself, but that's just my view.
3rd comment
Wow that is such a cool story. I am so glad she survived the Holocaust. That was a terrible time. I had never known that there was a mandated girls orchestra. Interesting fact!
@Ranen
Are you serious? XD It's just for fun! I mean, that's fine if that's your opinion, but is it really necessary to say it like that? Will it hurt anything to have some friendly competition? (Oh, and by the way, you got second comment! XD)
@Addie L
@Addie L, I don't think Ranen said it in a mean way. And friendly competition is good, but if people end up saying, "237th comment!!!!!!!!!!!", I wouldn't be surprised if someone shut off the comments. :)
Thats really cool that
Thats really cool that because she played music for the Nazis she was able to live. There has been big bad things that have happened in the world but we need to remember that there is a new heaven and earth coming and that God will deal with the evil people in this world not us. And about the first commit thing. Im fine with the first commit but remember that this is for commiting about the story, not just to see who is first.
:'(
When I read Hana's Suitcase, I cried. That doesn't happen much when I read books. Another concentration camp story is called, Playing for the Commandant. In that the heroine survived because she played piano, so it is similar to this. Some people say that none of this happened, that millions of Jews weren't murdered. We have to remember so that it doesn't happen again.
Weird fact: My great-grandpa met Hitler. Hitler was dating the sister of my great-grandpa's best friend.
P.S. I highly suggest the Book Thief.
We have the Hiding Place
We have the Hiding Place audiobook and I cry nearly every time I listen to it. It's so good!!! 10 out of 10, would recommend.
@Above
@Caro: Wow that is really weird! I am not sure what I would do if I met Hitler. Freak out? Go off in a rant against him? Cower in fear?
@Ellaina C: I have read The Hiding Place twice! Yes it is so good. Another good one is Number the Stars by Lois Lowery.
@ Riley and Caro/ This is Bella
Riley: I have read Number the Star many times. It's so good! I usually dislike anything that recreates stories of wars because they scare me, but sometimes I love a good Holocaust book! It's so weird!
Caro: Wow! That's cool that your great-grandpa meet Hitler! If I meet Hitler, I would ( if I wasn't a Jew! :] ) be excited to meet him and, if I got the nerve to, I might talk some sense into him. :)
This story is a good one to
This story is a good one to remember. Imagine playing to save your life! What Hitler did to the Jews was a power grab. I actually learned that in order to get the peoples support, the Natis blamed the Jews for the death of Christ.
I think is fine to have a little friendly competition as long as it doesn't distract from the purpose of a comment ( ^ v ^ ) .
This is Morgan
I highly recommend the book The Secret Annex
It is about a story of a 13 year old jewish girl and her family forced into hiding.
Its a true story.
@Bella
I know! It is so weird but I like reading about wars, especially WWII. I don't know why...
What an amazing story. It
What an amazing story. It must have been really hard seeing the prisoners come in, Especially the children. I'm glad she stayed strong and survived.
@Caroline/@Belwyn
since people are recommending Holocaust books, I recommend "Salvaged Pages" by Alexandra Zapruder. It is a collection of diaries from teenagers during the Holocaust.
And it is very cool that her life was saved because she played an instrument. I play piano but I don't think I could do that.