Winning a war often requires more than sheer force.
The element of surprise and deception can be a vital element in confusing the enemy.
But sometimes, a surprise can occur by surprise!
Leonard Bernstein, the celebrated American conductor, composer and pianist was a great friend and admirer of the State of Israel.
“I am simply overcome with this land and its people.”
“I feel I shall spend more and more time here each year.”
“It makes running around the cities of America seem so unimportant – as if I’m not really needed there, while I am really needed here.”
In 1948, at the height of the War of Independence, Bernstein visited Israel on a goodwill mission to show his support for the newly formed state and help to lift the spirit of the people.
It was on 20 November that he scheduled an outdoor concert in Be’er Sheva with the 35 members of the Palestine Symphony Orchestra.
The concert attracted a huge attendance. It was estimated some five thousand people were in the audience, though this number may have been greatly overstated.
Just one day earlier, the United Nations had ordered Israel to withdraw its troops from Be’er Sheva which had been captured in October.
The reason for this command was unclear, but Israel refused.
However, there may have been some collusion between the UN and Egypt.
The Egyptian Army were assembling troops in the Negev desert, quite close to Be’er Sheva, presumably for an attack on Jerusalem.
In preparation for this onslaught, Egyptian planes flew over the area to report any unexpected difficulties.
When they spotted the large number of patrons at the concert, they concluded it was a build-up of the Israeli Army to defend the Capital.
The Egyptian Army promptly about-faced and fled with the mission abandoned.
Later, future President of Israel, Chaim Weizmann remarked:
“Who would take time in a war to listen to a Mozart Concerto?”
A Critically Acclaimed Orchestra
The Palestine Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1936 by Polish-born violinist Bronislaw Huberman.
His vision was to create a critically acclaimed orchestra with the benefit and availability of so many fine musicians stranded in war-torn Europe unable to get work, just because they were Jewish and persecuted.
Palestine became a haven for these refugees who were readily given permission for migration as they had employment openings in the orchestra.
The first conductor of the newly formed Palestine Symphony Orchestra was the world-famous Italian conductor Arturo Toscanini.
Bronislaw Huberman died in 1947, sadly not living to see the founding of the State of Israel in 1948 and the renaming of the Palestine Symphony Orchestra to the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra in the same year.
During the 1990s as the musicians from Europe gradually retired, the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra once again became a haven for unemployed fine musicians.
This time from Russia as the gates of emigration were opened.
The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra is highly regarded worldwide and a living legend to the foresight and vision of Bronislaw Huberman.
