By Sandy Eller
Seventy two years have elapsed since the German invasion of Poland and as time progresses, the number of people who can recount the stories of the atrocities that occurred during the darkest period in our history continues to grow smaller and smaller. As the voices of those who survived World War II weaken with age, those who deny the Holocaust are becoming more and more vocal as they spread their malicious lies worldwide.
While Steven Spielberg’s epic film Schindler’s List made the horrors of World War II real for so many, there is an entire generation who know nothing of the inhumanity that occurred nearly three quarters of a century ago.
Raised on sound bites and video clips, today’s youth has no interest in lengthy films or perusing weighty volumes of history. Yet, there is no question that the memories of the six million who died and the stories of those who miraculously survived the most unspeakable period in Jewish history must be kept alive for both this and future generations.
Faced with this daunting challenge, composer, writer and producer Cecelia Margulies has teamed up with producer and director Danny Finkelman and created Rainbow in the Night, a breathtaking music video of epic proportion, featuring magnificent cinematography and poignant vocals that will bring the Holocaust to life in a powerful YouTube video that will transport the viewer back to World War II Poland for just five short minutes.
Filming is already underway for this first ever music video about the holocaust, which will show a glimpse into the past, present and future of a World War II survivor.
Filmed in Krakow, New York and the Majdanek concentration camp, Rainbow in the Night features a cast of thirty actors, a crew of twenty and the inspiring voice of Cantor Yanky Lemmer singing the title track, composed for this historical opus by Margulies.
Featuring glimpses of pre-war Poland, haunting scenes shot inside the extermination camp, the moment of liberation and a glorious finale featuring Judaism’s greatest triumph against the Germans – hundreds of Jewish children proudly continuing the legacy that the Nazis hoped to extinguish – Rainbow in the Night is a stunning production that will capture both the horrors of the war and the unimpeachable resilience that defines the Jewish nation.
Rainbow in the Night, which has already caught the attention of Reuters, is slated for released in both New York and Jerusalem in January.
Co-Producers of this project include the Rabbi Leib Geliebter Memorial Foundation, by Director Dr. Joseph Geliebter, as well as Sigmund Rolat and Lev Rivkin.
With their unerring eye for detail and authenticity, the producers of this epic clip are doing their utmost to ensure that this most important chapter in the annals of Jewish history remain forever etched in the minds and hearts of Jews worldwide.
Rainbow in the Night
Daniel Finkelman – Director
Cecelia Margules – Executive Producer
Mauricio Arenas – Cinematographer
Valerie Hayward – Line Producer
Tzirel Raskin – Art Director
Yitz Shemtov – Music Production
Performed by – Yanky Lemmer
Child actors: Ari Raskin, Leah Raskin
I am sitting next to a young man who attended Olei Torah for fifteen years and his class didn’t learn ANY American history whatsoever. As the ENTIRE CLASS was never taught to read in English (New York State curriculum be darned,) he was poorly equipped to seek out this information on his own. Maybe things were different ten years ago. But it is naive to deny that a large number of young Lubavitchers, particularly boys, have been educated in a manner that reinforces social isolation. To be fair, I am sure that some parents make a genuine and concerted effort… Read more »
i want to be in a movie! how can i get in???
asach nachas
ari you are one great peformer
chazak chazak go raskins
it looks amazing cant wait till the video is released looking forward for this video and others keep it coming you are very talented
more information on the holocaust is needed it has to be reminded again and again we will never forget
Crown Heights school children do cover American history in the school system as mandated by nys core curriculum requirements. They do study about slavery in the United States and are bothered by it no less than public school kids in Crown Heights are bothered by the holocaust- in both cases commensurate with how much stress the teacher puts on it.
Like #28, I attended secular (public) schools with children from a broad spectrum of religious faiths and cultural backgrounds, and we did a substantial study of the Holocaust as part of a mandatory middle school curriculum. It wasn’t until I travelled extensively across America as an adult that I realized just how lucky I was to have grown up in a state where the public school system was succeeding- too often it fails so many children on so many levels. I am proud to be from a town where every child read The Diary of Anne Frank and imagined themselves… Read more »
NOW I saw it. Can’t wait for the full-length clip. The pics themselves are awesome. Your kids are gorge BA”H. Yashar Koach. Phew. I feel so invested in this project It’s a relief to see the seeds sprout!!!! Your proud friend, B.
It doesnt matter how they look!!
Its just to remember the holocaust.
Yechi Hamelech!m 🙂
great choir
GOGOGOGO
DOBA’S CUZZ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you for sharing your talents with the world !
I really think you should be a writer. You write phenomenal!
Those false ghetto community leaders were paid off and yet met the same fate as those they betrayed and persuaded to pack and leave quickly to work without making any commotion. Above all they lacked fear of G-d and ahavas Yisroel. The Jews who were leaving the ghettos continued to be scared and confused, but they had hopes for improved conditions where they were told they were going to, so they took along and wore their favorites and tried to dress and look nicely amongst their peers.
not to make such generalizations..hope it will be so beautifully, touching and artistically done that even those deniers, and questioners won’t mind unblocking their minds for a few minutes to watch and listen. Afterwards, if they don’t know what hit their soul, they shall inquire further.
I promise you that the same non-Jewish children and people that do not take the time to educate themselves about the holocaust (in the same way most people, including Jews, don’t bother learning about genocides that are occurring as we type) will not be watching this music video.
Awesome costumes Tzirel! Leah & Ari look great!!
You’re not mean…just ignorant….Why do read Eichah every Tisha b”av?
You are right in saying that there is much readily available information about the holocaust available within jewish communities. This is not true for non-jews. I am a gioress and growing up I thought the holocaust was ancient history. My grandparents were young children when ww2 was being fought and so they have little memory of that era. My grandmother says that it was the best time of her life because she was moved to the country for the duration of the war. In school we were only taught about the pacific war in ww2. The holocaust was part of… Read more »
its about time that younger than teens can watch holocuast videos without being scared
That’s my sons school in long island!!! It looks like a very powerful and meaningful project. It’s great to see all the school children from different communities working together for a special cause. I look forward to seeing what this is.
I hope the camera doesn’t pan down on the little girl with the teddy bear’s pink velcro sandals! Not so historically correct!
u look amazing:)
Yes, the girls wore ribbons and tried to be presentable on their way to “the getto”. THEY WERE TRICKED! Fooled, told they were re-locating because of work. Only some of their so called false community leaders knew the truth. If our smart people knew, do you think that they really would have left without a fight? The greatest fear the nazis -may they be destroyed forever -had was that the Jews would find out where they were really going. Wonder what the RAINBOW song is like?
yes-many had ribbons and jewelry and fancy hats and fur coats-it goes without saying that they were not so neat by the time they got off of the cattle cars but most didnt know that they were meeting their death they did dress nicely-they had dignity and wanted to look their best for wherever they were going
Sorry to be mean.
I met a couple who survived the Holocaust while I worked at Palm Gardens Nursing Home.
They won’t talk or read about it at all. Why mull over tragedy and misery?
‘Serve G-d With Joy!’
According to survivors, there was no grass at the concentration camps – just dirt. Any vegetation that existed was eaten or destroyed before it could grow.
THE STORY SHOULD BE TOLD OVER AND OVER AGAIN IN SHORT VIDEOS LONG MOVIES BOOKS AND SO ON THIS IS A GREAT IDEA CHAZAK UVORUCH
Very nice, but the only problem is that they look way to healthy for the holocaust,
Yasher Koach!
these photos themselves just ignited a Spark in me that brought on tears – sometimes only a Moment of Silence, a moment of music or a certain photo can do that to people, motivating us to want to do something – to find preventative actions so NEVER AGAIN, to learn more, teach others, and especially to give more attention and love, interest and helpfulness to survivors of the holocaust where ever we merit to encounter them. BRAVO and Kudos and blessings to everyone who made the sacrifices, and took the risks to work on and contribute to this groundbreaking project!… Read more »
THE RASKIN’S DON’T STOP WITH THEIR AMAZING VIDEOS ,
THE RASKIN FAMILY ROCK!!!!
ahhh leah!!!
wow ari
go Leah and Ari
THE RASKINS DO IT AGAIN ARI AND LEAH ROCK!!!!!!!!
wahooo! go raskins:)
You look beautiful – didn’t know you were so talented!!
were the Jews really wearing RIBBONS in there hair on there way to the ghetto or wherever there going?
Also, their hair is too neat
i never see any pix of the holocaust. i want to know my history.
where can one whatch the whole thing?
i cant wait to see this it looks great!
Amazing work, wow…so clear, so vivid. Hashem Yinokeim Domom of all the victims, this film looks amazing.
The holocaust has been written about in novels and non-fiction books ad nauseum, documented in historical tomes as well as magazines and website, featured more than any other historical event in popular movies and documentaries, and yes, covered all the time by individuals tweeting about holocaust memorial day and attributing wonderful things to their survivor grandparents. Anyone who goes to Jewish schools and community events is constantly reminded about the holocaust and told of the atrocities. For Jewish people and others, trips to Washington, DC and Israel are not complete without visits to the comprehensive holocaust museums. Countless people have… Read more »
Can’t wait to see it!
Go Raskins!!!!!!!