Emily Kessler, a 97-year-old Holocaust survivor, treated 350 guests to a stringed instrument concert on Monday at Lincoln Center.
Kessler, who escaped the Nazi invasion of Ukraine in 1941, plays songs that speak to her emotions as a Holocaust survivor.
Kessler became a widow at 24, with an infant son. She escaped the concentration camps with false papers and the frequent denial her identity. Although she began playing the violin and mandolin at age 10, she didn’t start up again until she relocated to New York in 1980.
Her performance came about through the efforts of the non-profit Blue Card, a group that advocates for Holocaust survivors.
