Shoutout to Jennifer
Fresh eyes on an old story can make a difference. When Jennifer Rosenfeld found an unpublished letter about White Rose in Stanford's archives... Read on!
In May of this year, Jennifer Rosenfeld visited me in Gettysburg for the first time to talk White Rose. She had written a musical about White Rose resistance and had only recently found our work. The conversation with this stranger started over the best Greek-Italian food in Gettysburg – Olivia’s, of course – and continued late into the night.
Jennifer had already ordered most of our publications. It was clear she had read and digested a great deal before that first discussion. It was also clear that she faced a dilemma, as she ran across Center for White Rose Studies about two months before the premiere of her musical.
She invited me to one of the performances in Los Angeles. I went expecting to be disappointed. Two months is not enough time to rewrite an entire musical – not just dialog, but musical scores.
Indeed, for the first third of the musical, her story-telling mimicked Germany’s national mythology. Scholl, Scholl, and more Scholl, with everyone else in a decidedly supporting role.
Suddenly, her cast froze and Jennifer rose from the piano to address her audience. She explained that everything to that point followed the traditional storyline. But that it was all wrong. One by one, she addressed the characters. Robert Scholl, how could you have top Nazis as your clients? Hans, how could you rape a young boy and pretend it was all right, just because the judge knew your father? How could you let your addictions control your life to the point that you betrayed your friends? Magdalena Scholl, how could you turn a blind eye to the abuse? Kurt Huber, antisemitic, really? Sophie, did your suicidal thoughts affect your actions on February 18? This is my paraphrase. Jennifer’s monologue was more direct. And powerful.
I sat there, mouth wide open, jaw dropped to the floor.
Talking to her cast and director afterwards, I learned she really and truly had thrown them for a loop with her massive last-minute rewrite. But they embraced every word. They got it.
Jennifer’s connection to White Rose came as an undergraduate at Stanford. Like many of us, she fell into the project. It found her, not the other way around. Her senior honors thesis concentrated on Dr. Zhivago – she was History and Russian Literature major. Not satisfied with citing secondary sources, she looked for primary sources that could bring a new perspective to Boris Pasternak’s work.
Instead, she fell into that wonderful rabbit hole called White Rose resistance. She unearthed an unpublished letter by Josephine Pasternak, Boris’ younger sister. Dated 1953, the letter told the story of the White Rose from an insider’s viewpoint. Because, you see, the Pasternaks had lived in Munich. They personally knew Kurt Huber and the Schmorells. For Josephine, White Rose heroism hit hard. She lost two people from her everyday life.
Josephine Pasternak tried to interest publishers in the White Rose story, but none responded positively. Soon, all that was left of her account was that 1953 narrative and correspondence with publishing houses, archived and forgotten at Stanford.
Jennifer took this as a personal challenge and spent years researching what she could. She did not have to change much if any of her script related to Alexander Schmorell, because like I, she found Igor Khramov in Orenburg, Russia. Igor gave her the same support and encouragement he gave me. (Thank you, Igor!)
Note: I am emphasizing as best I know how that Josephine Pasternak’s letter had remained forgotten and unpublished until Jennifer found it and used it in her White Rose production. Those at the Tagung a few weeks ago who spoke with Jennifer expressed surprise at the discovery that the Pasternaks knew the Schmorells and Kurt Huber.
If either Kurt Huber or Alexander Schmorell (or Pasternaks) is your area of expertise, please ensure that you cite properly and give Jennifer credit for the discovery. We must stem the horrific tide of plagiarism that plagues White Rose “scholarship.” More on that in a future post. For now, suffice it to say that Jennifer’s little bombshell could turn out to be one of those unexpected pivots in the story. As mentioned in Monday’s post, we know too little about the Aachen connection to White Rose. Among other connections.
Keep digging, but credit those who unearth gems.
Jennifer and “Willi Graf” aka Jon Lee Keenan joined me at the Willi Graf conference in Munich. Jon sang Jennifer’s composition at the memorial service that concluded the conference. As had been the case in July, I started crying about halfway through and could not stop. If you don’t weep at Willi’s last words… He’s facing death by beheading within minutes, and he dictates tender words of compassion to his parents and sisters. Extraordinary young man. (And Jon has internalized Willi’s life unlike anyone I’ve ever seen, so the passion and compassion envelop you.)
I’m enjoying Jennifer’s insights and common sense. Fresh eyes on an old story can make a difference. Any of you reading this who have been plowing the same field for decades, honorably, find young eyes. Perspective matters.
In closing, links to honor Jennifer’s (and Jon’s) work.
Jennifer Rosenfeld, the businesswoman. Her White Rose musical. Her score reminded me of Bartok, which is appropriate, considering the concert the White Rose friends attended, where the Bartok portion disturbed and invigorated them. And Jon Lee Keenan’s studio performance of Willi Graf’s last letters.
© 2023 Denise Elaine Heap. Please contact us to quote.