Ludmilla Berkwic was born in Russia in 1910 and died in 2005 in Rockland County.
Rockland County, just 48 kms south of New York City, is a rather restful county located on the Hudson River and noted for its quaint villages and outdoor recreation facilities.
With a population of some 350,000 the county enjoys the reputation of being a playground for everybody.
In 1943, Ludmilla Berkwic, who had escaped the Nazis, settled in Rockland County, and in addition to performing as a concert pianist became one of the best-known piano teachers in the county between 1950 and 2000.
Her story is really amazing and well worth recounting.
Ludmilla was a child prodigy whose remarkable piano talent enabled her to be accepted at the prestigious Kiev Conservatory at the unheard of age of seven.
At sixteen she was accepted as the youngest contestant in the 1927 first International Chopin Competition held in Warsaw, Poland.
Although she did not win any of the three prizes in this worldwide competition, her fine performance won her a fully paid scholarship to the Warsaw Conservatory, where she graduated with the highest honours at the age of eighteen.
And this was the beginning of her remarkable journey where she was hailed as a fine concert performer in both Poland and later in Rockland County.
The Nazi Music Lover
It was well-known the Nazis treated the Poles badly, not just with the extermination of the Jews, but also in the destruction of Polish culture.
In 1943 when the war was turning against Germany, Joseph Goebbels, Nazi Propaganda Minister, was most concerned that, should Germany lose the war they would face severe punishment should any future tribunal be convened.
As an attempt to try and establish a more positive record he consulted Hans Frank, Nazi governor-general of Poland, to plan a cultural programme.
In addition to being close to Adolph Hitler, Hans Frank was a music lover and pianist who favoured the music of Frederick Chopin.
When he learnt that Ludmilla Berkwic was reputed to be the finest Chopin pianist in Poland he planned to use her in a cultural mission.
The plan was to build the first Chopin Museum in History to be housed in the enormous Wavel Castle in Krakow, Poland.
The Museum opening was in October 1943 with Ludmilla Berkwic chosen to play on a grand piano stolen by the Nazis, formally one of the many possessions of Chopin.
Her performance of a Chopin Scherzo was a great success which was recorded on film and shown in all the movie theatres in Poland.
Discovery and Escape
But her beautiful playing and national publicity turned sour when the Nazis discovered that their heroine was half-Jewish.
In an attempt to hide his Jewish origins her father, Jacob Berkwitz changed his name to Joseph Berkwic, but the attempt was exposed when somebody informed the Nazis about it.
With the help of one of her fans, Ludmilla was able to flee from Poland to escape probable death in a concentration camp.
She obtained a false ID and travelled to Bavaria where she was hidden until the US Army rescued her at the end of the war.
From there she gained a Visa to immigrate to the United States and finally settle in Rockland County.
We should reflect with gratitude and pride that so many fine Jewish musicians escaped the Nazi brutality to build world-class careers in the free world.
