Israel's Ban

Backstage in Haifa's Armon Cinema last week, Violinist Jascha Heifetz was tuning up for his afternoon recital when a messenger handed him a letter. It was from Israel's Minister of Justice (and chairman of the Israel Philharmonic), relaying a request from the Ministry of Education and Culture that Heifetz drop Richard Strauss's Sonata from his program "because of the strong feeling in Israel against the playing of modern German music."

It was the latest upcropping of a 20-year-old unofficial ban that began when the Nazis began persecuting the Jews. Israel's extremist press threatened trouble every time the question of German music arose. Violinist Heifetz was not deterred, played the sonata anyhow, and won an ovation. Said he: "I don't recognize any bans, official or unofficial, on the playing of music." The following night, in Tel Aviv, he played Strauss again. Perhaps for the first time in his career, Heifetz drew stony silence instead of applause.

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