ОТКРИВАЊЕ НОВИХ СТРАНИЦА КОЛЕКТИВНОГ СЕЋАЊА НА ЗАБОРАВЉЕНЕ ЈЕВРЕЈСКЕ МУЗИЧАРЕ
UNCOVERING NEW PAGES OF COLLECTIVE MEMORY ON FORGOTTEN JEWISH MUSICIANS

Summary/Abstract: In the scholarly study Jewish Musicians in Belgrade: From the Balfour Declaration to the Holocaust, Maja Vasiljević undertakes a significant and challenging task rooted in her dedicated but exceptionally long and exhaustive process of discovering, collecting, selecting, and analyzing sources and documents related to Jewish musicians in Belgrade from 1917 to 1943. Through this effort, the author enriches the knowledge in the fields of music history and cultural history of Belgrade over a period of more than twenty years. By examining the importance of the contributions of Jewish artists in various fields – dance, ballet, singing (in choirs or in the Opera of the National Theatre), jazz, and folk music – both within state institutions (Radio Belgrade, Kolarac) and beyond, she skillfully connects insights into Jewish culture, political orientations and situations, religion, and diverse cultural practices with the musical and cultural history of Belgrade. A particular contribution of this study lies in the systematization of musicians as performers and creators, as well as the depiction of their assimilation into the work of leading musical and theatrical institutions in Belgrade. In addition to textual material, the study is enriched by tabular representations of Jewish artists, lists of their creative works, and photographs. Finally, this study raises questions about Jewish identity, its distinctive expression in a city where various political and social influences have changed over the years, and which have, in turn, shaped different attitudes towards the Jewish community.

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