Speaker: Dr. James A. Grymes
Musical performances by the University Chorale of UNC Charlotte, Dr. Jason Dungee, Director

A civil engineer and amateur musician, Moshe Gildenman had never even held a weapon until the Nazis invaded his hometown in Ukraine and killed 2,200 Jews, including his wife and daughter. Vowing revenge, he escaped to the forest with his son and formed one of the most successful partisan units in the guerilla war to fight the Nazis. 

In his latest book, Partisan Song: A Holocaust Story of Resilience, Resistance, and Revenge, historian and National Jewish Book Award-winning author James A. Grymes chronicles the electrifying story of how this peaceful community member became a fierce resistance leader, and how music fueled his courage.

Join us for an evening of storytelling and music, as Grymes and the University Chorale of UNC Charlotte present readings from Partisan Song interspersed with performances of songs that inspired heroism during the Holocaust – music from the Yiddish songbook that Gildenman carried through the war, reconstructions of songs he composed in the ghetto and forest, and beloved anthems such as "Zog nit keyn mol." Grymes will also briefly introduce each song and English translations will be projected onscreen. 

The program will be followed by a reception where the book will be available for purchase and signing.

This program is presented by the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and is supported in part by the Crane Family Charitable Foundation and the Blumenthal Foundation.

About the Speaker
Dr. James A. Grymes is a critically acclaimed author who frequently appears as a public speaker at libraries, museums, synagogues, and universities, as well as prominent venues such as the United Nations Headquarters, Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) Policy Conference, and the historic 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama. An internationally respected musicologist, he has been featured in interviews by The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, ABC News, and CNN. Dr. Grymes lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, where he is Professor of Musicology at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He is a recipient of a National Jewish Book Award for his earlier work Violins of Hope: Instruments of Hope and Liberation in Mankind's Darkest Hour.

About the Chorale
The University Chorale of UNC Charlotte (above photo: credit Toby Schuetze), directed by Dr. Jason Dungee, is the flagship choral ensemble of the UNC Charlotte Department of Music. Consisting of both music majors and nonmajors, the Chorale proudly serves as ambassadors of the music department and the University at large, frequently performing in the greater Charlotte area and various locations throughout the southeastern United States. The Chorale has participated in several prestigious performances both domestically and abroad, including in Madrid, Spain for the 25th Anniversary Gala of the Gredos San Diego schools, and Venice, Italy, at the historic St. Mark’s Basilica.