>>> LAST SYEAR A CONDOMINIUM IN SURFSIDE, FLORIDA, COLLAPSED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. 98 PEOPLE WERE KILLED.
MORE THAN A YEAR LATER, NO ONE KNOWS WHY THE 40-YEAR-OLD BUILDING FELL. >> I'VE BEEN INVESTIGATING
FAILURES FOR OVER 40 YEARS. THIS PARTICULAR INVESTIGATION IS ONE OF THE MOST COMPLEX AND CHALLENGING THAT HAS EVER BEEN
UNDERTAKEN. >>> THE HORRORS OF THE HOLOCAUST WERE MET WITH VARIOUS FORMS OF RESISTANCE.
SOME FOUGHT BACK BY SMUGGLING FOOD AND WEAPONS INTO JEWISH GHETTOS. TONIGHT WE'LL TELL YOU ABOUT A
DIFFERENT KIND OF RESISTANCE GROUP LIVING IN LITHUANIA. THERE, MEMBERS RISKED DEATH SMUGGLING ARTWORK, BOOKS AND
RARE MANUSCRIPTS, HIDING THEM IN UNDERGROUND BUNKERS. 80 YEARS LATER, WE FOUND TROVES OF HIDDEN MATERIAL STILL BEING
DISCOVERED. ♪ >>> TAKE A LISTEN AS WE DID TO SONA JOBARTEH AS SHE PLAYS THE
KORA. ♪ >> WITH ITS 21 STRINGS, PLAYED BY JUST FOUR FINGERS, TWO ON
EACH HAND, IT HAS A SOUND BOTH FOREIGN AND FAMILIAR. ♪ >>> I'M LESLIE STALL.
>> I'M BILL WHITAKER. >> I'M JON WERTHEIM. >> I'M SCOTT PELLEY. >> THOSE STORIES AND MORE
>>> THIS PAST WEEK HURRICANE NICOLE FORCED RESIDENTS IN MORE THAN A DOZEN CONDOMINIUMS NEAR DAYTONA BEACH FROM THEIR HOMES
BECAUSE OFFICIALS DECLARED THE BUILDINGS UNSAFE. IN SEPTEMBER, HURRICANE IAN CAUSED MORE THAN $40 BILLION IN
DAMAGE ACROSS FLORIDA. TO COVER THE BILL, IT'S WIDELY EXPECTED INSURANCE PREMIUMS ARE GOING TO GO UP IN THE SUNSHINE
STATE. ANOTHER DISASTER WAS ALREADY THREATENING TO MAKE HOUSING UNAFFORDABLE FOR MANY.
LAST YEAR, A 40-YEAR-OLD CONDOMINIUM IN THE CITY OF SURFSIDE COLLAPSED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT.
98 PEOPLE WERE KILLED. MORE THAN A YEAR LATER NO ONE KNOWS WHY THE BUILDING FELL. WE WONDERED WHY IT WAS TAKING SO
LONG TO FIND AN ANSWER. TONIGHT, YOU'LL HEAR FROM THE ENGINEERS LEADING THE LOCAL AND FEDERAL INVESTIGATIONS AND SEE
HOW THE SURFSIDE MYSTERY IS IMPACTING FLORIDA CONDO OWNERS. THIS IS SURVEILLANCE VIDEO FROM A NEARBY BUILDING.
LOOK JUST BEYOND THE POOL, THE MIDDLE OF THE CONDO COLLAPSES, DISAPPEARING INTO DUST. SECONDS LATER, THE OCEANSIDE
WING SEEMS TO MELT TO THE GROUND. IT WAS ABOUT 1:30 IN THE MORNING.
>> I AM SOUND ASLEEP, AND I HEAR THIS AWFUL NOISE. I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS. IT FELT LIKE A MOUNTAIN COMING
DOWN. TWO SECONDS LATER, ALL I REMEMBER IS LITERALLY BEING THROWN OUT OF MY BED AND LANDING
IN FRONT OF THE BED. >> LISA RODRIGUEZ LIVED ON THE NINTH FLOOR IN THE PART OF THE BUILDING THAT SOMEHOW REMAINED
STANDING. >> THERE'S A SMALL BALCONY. SO I STEPPED OUT. MY BRAIN COULDN'T COMPUTE WHAT I
WAS LOOKING AT. I SAID TO MYSELF, WHERE'S THE BUILDING? YOU KNOW, SCREAMING AT THIS
TIME, WHERE'S THE BUILDING? >> THE ELEVATORS WERE GONE, THE STAIRWELLS CLOGGED WITH CONCRETE.
THERE'S NO WAY TO GET OUT? >> THERE'S NO WAY TO GET OUT. I THINK I JUST SNAPPED INTO, OKAY, THIS IS THE SITUATION.
I'M TERRIFIED, I DON'T WANT TO DIE TONIGHT. >> SO RODRIGUEZ STARTED NAVIGATE NAVIGATING A WAY DOWN, HELPING
AN ELDERLY NEIGHBOR OVER THE DEBRIS IN STAIRWELLS. IT TOOK TWO HOURS BEFORE THEY REACHED A FLOOR LOW ENOUGH TO BE
RESCUED WITH A LADDER. TODAY, THIS IS ALL THAT'S LEFT OF THE BUILDING, A CONCRETE SCAR ON THE GROUND.
THE NAMES OF THE VICTIMS ARE LISTED ON A FENCE THAT SURROUNDS THE SITE. IT INCLUDES RETIREES AND YOUNG
FAMILIES. >> PEOPLE WENT TO SLEEP THAT NIGHT IN THE SAFEST SPOT IN THEIR WORLD, YOUR HOME, YOUR
BEDROOM. IT WASN'T THE SAFEST SPOT IN THE WORLD. >> WHAT ANSWERS DO YOU WANT?
>> WHAT ANSWER I WANT? I WANT THE TRUTH FOR MY FRIENDS WHO DIED. THEY DESERVE AN ANSWER.
>> THE ANSWER COULD BE IN THIS MASSIVE MIAMI WAREHOUSE WHERE THE REMNANTS OF THE TOWERS, 800 TONS OF IT, IS BEING STORED.
THE FACILITY IS OFF LIMITS TO ANYONE EXCEPT FEDERAL INVESTIGATORS WHO PROVIDED US WITH THIS VIDEO.
THEY'VE STARTED COMBING THROUGH THE TWISTED STEEL AND CONCRETE FOR CLUES. GLENN BELL IS ONE OF THE TEAM'S
LEAD INVESTIGATORS. BELL SPOKE TO US FROM THE HEADQUARTERS OF THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND
TECHNOLOGY, THE AGENCY CONDUCTING THE FEDERAL INVESTIGATION. WHEN ADO YOU THINK WHEN HE WILL
KNOW WHY -- WE WILL KNOW WHY THE BUILDING COLLAPSED? >> BY FALL OF 2023 AND THEN WE
HAVE TO WORK ON OUR REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS AND WE'RE LOOKING AT THE FALL OF 2024. >> A LOT OF PEOPLE IN FLORIDA
CAN'T UNDERSTAND WHY THIS IS TAKING AS LONG AS IT IS. >> I WANT THEM TO KNOW THAT WE WE'RE WORKING AS FAST AS WE CAN.
THE IMPLICATIONS FOR OUR FINDINGS ARE HUGE. WE HAVE TO GET THIS RIGHT. >> BASED ON WHAT'S FOUND, BELL'S
TEAM WILL RECOMMEND ANY NECESSARY CHANGES TO BUILDING CODES OR CONSTRUCTION METHODS NATIONWIDE.
>> WE HAVE OVER 600 PIECES OF THE STRUCTURE THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING A LOT OF TESTING ON. THE MORE YOU PUT TOGETHER, THE
MORE THE PIECES OF THE PUZZLE BEGIN TO EMERGE AND STORIES EMERGE. >> WHAT IS THE STORY THAT'S
EMERGED AT THIS POINT? WHAT DO YOU KNOW? >> RIGHT NOW WE'RE PURSUING ABOUT TWO DOZEN HYPOTHESES ABOUT
WHAT THE CAUSES MAY HAVE BEEN. >> AMONG THE POSSIBILITIES ARE SHODDY CONSTRUCTION, BAD DESIGN OR FAULTY MATERIALS.
THOSE ON THE ENGINEERING TEAM THAT INVESTIGATED THE COLLAPSE OF THE WORLD TRADE CENTER FOLLOWING THE 9/11 ATTACK CAME
OUT OF RETIREMENT TO TRY AND SOLVE THE SURFSIDE MYSTERY. >> I'VE BEEN INVESTIGATING FAILURES FOR OVER 40 YEARS.
THIS PARTICULAR INVESTIGATION I CAN SAY IS ONE OF THE MOST COMPLEX AND CHALLENGING THAT HAS EVER BEEN UNDERTAKEN.
>> WHY IS THAT? >> SOMETIMES IN BUILDING FAILURES, THE IMMEDIATE CAUSES ARE RELATIVELY APPARENT.
WE HAVE NO SUCH APPARENT CAUSE AFTER CHAMPLAIN TOUWERS AFTER MORE THAN A YEAR. >> THE TESTS ON BUILDING
MATERIALIS BEGAN IN AUGUST. GLENN BELL TELLS US IF INVESTIGATORS DISCOVER ANYTHING THAT POSES A DANGER TO OTHER
BUILDINGS, THEY WILL REVEAL IT IMMEDIATELY. IS IT POSSIBLE YOU WON'T KNOW WHAT CAUSED THE BUILDING TO
COLLAPSE? >> I'M CONFIDENT THAT WE WILL, BUT IT WILL TAKE A LONG TIME. >> BACK IN SURFSIDE, THE
INVESTALAN ON TOLD US THE INVESTIGATION DOESN'T NEED TO TAKE TWO MORE YEARS.
HE WAS HIRED BY THE CITY OF SURFSIDE TO CONDUCT HIS OWN INVESTIGATION. >> I ALWAYS SAY A BUILDING TALKS
TO YOU IF YOU KNOW HOW TO LISTEN. IT FINALLY SAYS I GIVE UP, I'LL FALL DOWN.
>> HE WAS PART OF THE INVESTIGATION AFTER THE OKLAHOMA CITY BOMBING AND THE 9/11 ATTACK ON THE PENTAGON.
WHERE ARE YOU IN THE INVESTIGATION? >> ABOUT EIGHT MONTHS BEHIND WHERE I WANT TO BE.
>> THAT'S BECAUSE HE IS STILL NEGOTIATING WITH FEDERAL INVESTIGATORS FOR PERMISSION TO DO HIS OWN TESTS ON THE BUILDING
SAMPLES LOCKED UP IN THAT WAREHOUSE. >> IS THAT UNUSUAL? >> I'VE NEVER RUN INTO IT
BEFORE. IT'S VERY UNUSUAL. >> IT TOOK UNTIL THIS PAST AUGUST BEFORE ALAN WAS ALLOWED
TO DO THIS, HIS FIRST BIG ONSITE TEST. WE WATCHED AS HIS TEAM USED 350 TONS OF STEEL PLATES TO MEASURE
HOW MUCH LOAD THE STRUCTURAL PILINGS OF THE SITE COULD HANDLE. >> THIS BUILDING SAT THERE FOR A
VERY LONG TIME, RIGHT. IT'S BEEN THERE FOR 40 YEARS, FULL OF PEOPLE FOR 40 YEARS, CARS IN IT FOR 40 YEARS.
BUILDINGS DON'T JUST FALL DOWN. >> WSURVIVORS AND VICTIMS' FAMILIES HAVE COME UP WITH THEIR OWN HYPOTHESES.
ONE IS THAT WEEKS OF VIBRATIONS FROM CONSTRUCTION OF THAT OVAL-SHAPED CONDO NEXT DOOR SOMEHOW COMPROMISED THE
BUILDING. THIS LETTER COMPLAINED THE DIGGING WAS, QUOTE, TOO CLOSE TO OUR PROPERTY AND WE HAVE
CONCERNS REGARDING THE STRUCTURE OF OUR BUILDING. SEVERAL PEOPLE WHO LIVED IN THE TOWERS HAVE EXPRESSED CONCERN
ABOUT THE VIBRATION OF THE BUILDING NEXT TO IT BEING BUILT. IS THIS SOMETHING YOU'RE LOOKING INTO?
>> THESE ARE ONE OR TWO OF THE MANY FAILURE HIGHYPOTHESES WE'R PURSUING. WE'RE DEFINITELY LOOKING AT IT
VERY CAREFULLY. >> THE COMPANY THAT BUILT THE CONDO WERE AMONG THE PARTICIPANTS IN A$1.1 BILLION
SETTLEMENT WITH THE VICTIMS AND FAMILIES. THE DEAL IS NO COMFORT TO SHANNON GALLAGHER.
SHE LIVES IN A CONDO THAT'S NEXT DOOR TO NEW CONSTRUCTION IN SURFSIDE. >> THIS BUILDING IS HOW OLD?
>> 1965. >> HOW SAFE DO YOU FEEL IN IT? >> I DON'T. >> SHE'S WORRIES ABOUT
VIBRATIONS JUST BELOW HER. SHE'S ASKED A COURT TO INTERVENE. >> THIS BUILDING IS GOING TO BE
REPLACED WITH A BUILDING THAT IS SIGNIFICANTLY TALLER. YOU CAN LITERALLY FEEL VIBRATIONS WHEN THEY WERE
WORKING ON THAT BUILDING AND IT'S FURTHER AWAY. YOU COULD FEEL THE BUILDING VIBRATE.
>> I COULD PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN MANHATTAN SAY, WE BUILD RIGHT NEXT TO EACH OTHER, WHAT'S THE PROBLEM?
>> I UNDERSTAND DEVELOPMENT. THERE'S GOT TO BE SOME THOUGHT FOR WHO YOU'RE BUILDING NEXT TO. >> FAMILIES OF THE VICTIMS HAVE
ALSO ACCUSED THE CONDO BOARD OF NOT IMMEDIATELY REPAIRING MAJOR STRUCTURAL DAMAGE. IN THIS 2018 REPORT, AN ENGINEER
HIRED BY THE CONDO BOARD FLAGGED FAILED WATERPROOFING BELOW THE POOL DECK AND CRACKING IN COLUMNS IN THE GARAGE.
>> THEY NEEDED $15 MILLION TO MAKE THE REPAIR TO THE GARAGE AND THE STRUCTURE. THEY HAD 700,000.
>> ERIC GLAZER HAS PRACTICED CONDO LAW IN FLORIDA FORYEAR S YEARS AND ESTIMATES HE'S TRAINED
22,000 OWNERS FROM ACROSS THE STATE IN HOW TO MANAGE THEIR CONDOS. >> IN ORDER TO GET ON THE BOARD,
THERE'S NO PRIOR QUALIFICATIONS WHAT WHATSOEVER. >> WHAT HAPPENS?
>> SOMETIMES THE BUDGET OR THE SPENDING ISN'T DONE RIGHT. OFTEN TIMES THE REPAIRS ARE NOT DONE RIGHT.
>> GLAZER TOLD US CONDO BOARDS CAN FACE INTENSE PRESSURES FROM NEIGHBORS, ESPECIALLY RETIREES, TO KEEP COSTS LOW.
THAT'S NOT EASY. TWO-THIRDS OF THE CONDOS IN FLORIDA ARE AT LEAST 30 YEARS OLD.
IN OCTOBER THIS 50-YEAR-OLD CONDO IN MIAMI BEACH WAS DEEMED UNSAFE AND RESIDENTS ORDERED OUT WHEN ENGINEERS FOUND A CRACK IN
A SUPPORT BEAM HAD EXPANDED. >> DOESN'T ANYBODY THINK EVENTUALLY THESE BUILDINGS ARE GOING TO NEED REPAIR?
>> AND NOW THE BILL'S COME DUE. >> THE SCRUTINY OF CONDO BOARDS PUSHED FLORIDA'S LEGISLATURE TO PASS SWEEPING CONDO LAWS.
NEW REQUIREMENTS INCLUDE STRUCTURAL INSPECTIONS BY ENGINEERS OR ARCHITECTS FOR CONDOS THREE STORIES OR HIGHER.
ANY RECOMMENDED FIXES MUST BE MADE. CONDO BOARDS WILL HAVE TO SET ASIDE ENOUGH MONEY FOR FUTURE
REPAIRS. >> NOW YOU'RE HAVING SITUATIONS IN FLORIDA WHERE PEOPLE ON A FIFIX
ED INCOME ARE GOING TO BE ASKED TO COME UP WITH THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS AND THEY DON'T HAVE IT. >> HOW DOES THIS CHANGE WHO
LIVES IN FLORIDA? >> THE DAYS OF GRANDMA AND GRANDPA SOLELY ON SOCIAL SECURITY COMING TO FLORIDA AND
THINKING THEY'RE GOING TO MOVE INTO A CONDOMINIUM, THAT'S GONE FOREVER. >> HE EXPECTS THE DEVELOPERS WHO
HAVE TRANSFORMED MUCH OF SOUTH FLORIDA'S COAST INTO A CANYON OF GLASS AND STEEL WILL LOOK TO BUY OLDER CONDOS THAT CAN'T AFFORD
REPAIR AND TEAR THEM DOWN AND REPLACE THEM WITH A MORE PROFITABLE LUXURY CONDOMINIUM. >> WE HAD A DEVELOPMENT FIRM
COME AND MAKE OFFERS. WHAT WE WERE OFFERED WAS SIGNIFICANTLY BELOW MARKET VALUE.
>> ROBERT LISTMAN AND HIS FAMILY LIVE TWO DOORS DOWN FROM THE COLLAPSE IN A CONDO BUILT BY THE SAME DEVELOPERS.
DO YOU THINK THESE PEOPLE ARE DESPERATE, THEY'RE SCARED AND THEY'RE GOING TO TAKE THESE OFFRS?
>> ABSOLUTELY. THEY COULD BUY OUR APARTMENT FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH AND STILL MAKE A KILLING OFF OF IT.
>> ARE YOU WORRIED THAT ANOTHER DEVELOPER IS GOING TO COME AND SAY, HEY, MOST OF YOU AREN'T GOING TO BE ABLE TO AFFORD THIS.
CAN I BUY YOUR APARTMENT? >> I KNOW THERE'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF OPENERS THAT ARE GOING TO LOOK AT THAT AMOUNT AND LOOK AT
THIS OFFER THEY'RE GIVEN AND GO FOR WHATEVER IT IS THEY CAN GET. >> AS PART OF THE SETTLEMENT, LISA RODRIGUEZ TOLD US SHE GOT
LESS THAN MARKET VALUE FOR THE CONDO SHE LOST. $70 MILLION WAS PAID TO LAWYERS WHO REPRESENTED SURVIVORS AND
VICTIMS' FAMILIES. THE PROPERTY HAS BEEN SOLD FOR $120 MILLION TO A DEVELOPER FROM THE PERSIAN GULF WITH PLANS TO
. >>> THE HORRORS OF THE HOLOCAUST WERE MET WITH VARIOUS FORMS OF RESISTANCE.
SOME SMUGGLED FOOD AND WEAPONS INTO JEWISH GHETTOS. TONIGHT WE TELL YOU ABOUT THE PAPER BRIGADE.
MADE UP OF WRITERS AND INTELLECTUALS LIVING IN LITHUANIA'S CAPITAL. THEY RISKED DEATH SMUGGLING
ARTWORK AND MANUSCRIPTS, HIDING THEM IN BUNKERS. TODAY 80 YEARS AFTER THE PAPER BRIGADE FOUGHT BACK AGAINST
CULTURAL GENOCIDE, THEIR HEROICS ARE UNFOLDING. THERE'S AN ACTIVE SEARCH AND RESCUE MISSION UNDER WAY WHERE
MATERIAL CONTINUES TO BE DISCOVERED AND RECOVERED. >> MY INTENTION IS NOT TO SEIZE IT AND TAKE IT AND BRING IT
SOMEPLACE. IT'S TO OPEN IT UP SO THE PUBLIC CAN SEE IT AND PUT IT OUT THERE IN THE WORLD.
>> JONATHAN BRANDT IS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF AN INSTITUTE BASED IN NEW YORK WHICH HOUSES 24 MILLION JEWISH
CULTURAL ARTIFACTS. THIS PAST SPRING WE MET HIM WHERE THE YIVO INSTITUTE ORIGINATED IN 1925 AND WHERE
SOME OF ITS COLLECTION HAS BEEN UNACCOUNTED FOR SINCE WORLD WAR II. WE LOOKED ON AS BRENTANDT EXAMI
DOCUMENTS IN A STORAGE CLOSET. >> THIS IS AN ACTIVE INVESTIGATION. >> YES, THIS HISTORY IS NOT
OVER. >> BENEATH THE HILL OF THREE CROSSES, ITS BEAUTY MASKS A DARK CHAPTER.
TODAY THE CITY IS MOSTLY CATHOLIC. BEFORE THE SECOND WORLD WAR, IT WAS ALMOST HALF JEWISH AND A
MAGNET FOR ARTISTS, MUSICIANS, POETS AND DRAMATISTS FROM ALL OVER EASTERN EUROPE. THEY WROTE MOSTLY IN YIDDISH.
>> MOST PEOPLE IN AMERICA KNOW NOTHING OF THE GREAT FLOURISHING OF JEWISH CULTURE THAT TOOK PLACE IN THIS CITY.
>> THEN IN THE SUMMER OF 1941, THEVADED THE SOVIET UNION. WITHIN SIX MONTHS, 50,000 OF THE
70,000 JEWS WERE KILLED. >> ONE OF THE WORST SLAUGHTERS DURING THE HOLOCAUST, SOME 90 TO 95 PRNT
95% OF THE JEWISH POPULATION OF LITHUANIA WAS MURDERED, BRUTALLY, CRUELLY, SADISTICALLY. SHOT, BURNED, HIDEOUS.
>> THE NAZIS WERE ALSO DETERMINED TO EXTINGUISH THE JEWISH CULTURE. THERE WAS NO PLACE MORE CENTRAL
THAN THE YIDDISH SCIENTIFIC INSTITUTE. PART MUSEUM, PART LIBRARY, PART UNIVERSITY.
ITS ARCHIVE WAS AS VARIED AS IT WAS MASSIVE. SIGMUND FREUD AND ALBERT EINSTEIN SAT ON THE BOARD.
STIEK STRIKES ME SOMEONE HAD A PRESSURE PRESCIENT SENSE OF ALL THIS.
YOU'RE CAPTURING THIS HISTORY RIGHT BEFORE OTHER PEOPLES ARE TRYING TO ERASE IT. >> WELL, THE IJEWS HAVE HAD QUIE
A BIT OF HISTORY THAT PREPARED THEM FOR THAT. >> THE NAZIS NEEDED HELP ASSESSING WHAT WAS VALUABLE, SO
THEY ROUNDED UP 40 JEWISH WRITERS AND ARTISTS, MOCKINGLY NICKNAMED THE PAPER BRIGADE TO SORT THROUGH THE COLLECTION.
THEY SET ASIDE THE MOST SIGNIFICANT MANUSCRIPTS AND ART AND ORGANIZED A SMUGGLING OPERATION BACK TO THE GHETTO.
HOMEMADE DIAPERS SIGNED INTO THEIR PANTS CONCEALED THE CONTRABAND FROM THE NAZI GUARDS. THEY HAD TEN HIDING PLACES.
THE LARGEST WAS UNDERNEATH THIS HOUSE, 6 0 FEET DOWN, ACCESSIBLE ONLY THROUGH A SEWAGE TUNNEL. YOU SAID SOME PEOPLE RESISTED BY
TAKING UP ARMS OR SMUGGLING FOOT OR MEDICAL SUPPLIES. THIS WAS A FORM OF RESISTANCE ALSO.
>> YES, BECAUSE THEY KNEW THAT IF THEY ARE NOT GOING TO SURVIVE, THE JEWISH PEOPLE WOULD HAVE THEIR CULTURE AGAIN TO
REMEMBER. >> >> THIS IS THE GRANDDAUGHTER OF AN AVANT-GARDE POET.
>> PEOPLE IN THE GHETTO LAUGHED AT THEM. OH, YOU'RE SMUGGLING PAPERS. SMUGGLE FOOD.
WE NEED FOOD. >> WHAT WAS THE RESPONSE TO THAT? >> YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT
POETRY, LITERATURE AND CULTURE WAS PART OF THEIR SOUL. >> CALDERON GREW UP LISTENING TO HER GRANDFATHER'S WAR STORIES.
WE INVITED HER TO MEET US IN LITHUANIA FROM ISRAEL. SHE TOLD US ABOUT THE NIGHT HER GRANDFATHER BARELY ESCAPED THE
NAZI GUARD AT THE GATE OF THE JEWISH GHETTO. >> HE WAS KNOCKED DOWN AND THE PAPERS CAME OUT OF HIM.
HE TOOK THE GUN, THE GUARD AND SAID, WHAT, YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO TAKE ANYTHING IN. >> HE SAYS HE TOLD THE GUARD THE
PAPERS WERE NEEDED FOR KINDLING. >> AND HE LET HIM IN. >> AMONG THE ITEMS CONCEALED, THE ORIGINAL WRITINGS OF THE
MARK TWAIN OF EASTERN EUROPE, WHOSE STORIES INSPIRED "FIDDLER ON THE ROOF." IN 1944 THE SOVIETS LIBERATED
LITHUANIA AND RECLAIMED THE COUNTRY AS PART OF THE SOVIET UNION. ONLY EIGHT OF THE 40 MEMBERS OF
THE PAPER BRIGADE HAD SURVIVED THE WAR. >> THIS IS AN UNBELIEVABLE PICTURE OF THEM COMING BACK TO
SEE WHAT CAN WE SAVE? >> THEY DUG UP THE TREASURES FROM THEIR HIDING PLACES. >> YOUR GRAND FATHER PUT HIMSELF
AT HUGE RISK DOING THIS. DID HE EVER DISCUSS WITH YOU WHETHER IT WAS WORTH IT? >> HE FELT THAT IF HE SURVIVED,
THEN HE HAS A MISSION, TO BE THE DELIVERER FOR THE DEAD FOR THE STORIES, FOR THE CULTURE. SO THAT IS THE POINT OF LIVING.
>> WITH THE SOVIETS NOW CONTROLLING LITHUANIA, JEWISH LIFE AGAIN CAME UNDER ASSAULT. EVERYTHING THE PAPER BRIGADE
RISKED THEIR LIVES TO PROTECT WAS ENGAGED FOR A SECOND TIME. >> THESE TREASURES THAT CONNECTED YOU TODAY WITH A PAST
OF 700 YEARS AGO GAVE YOU A SENSE OF YOUR OWN HISTORY AND THE VALUE OF IT AND IMPORTANCE OF IT.
THE SOVIETS WANTED DESPERATELY TO DESTROY THAT AND MAKE YOU A SOVIET CITIZEN. >> ANOTHER FORM OF ERASE YOUR.
>> ABSOLUTELY. >> THEY BEGAN A SECOND OPERATION. THEY STUFFED SUITCASES WITH
BOOKS AND ENLISTED COURIERS REDIRECTING MATERIALS TO NEW YORK CITY WHERE THE INSTITUTE RELOCATED DURING THE WAR.
THE REST OF THE MATERIAL WAS ASSUMED DESTROYED. BUT A BRAVE CATHOLIC LIBRARIAN TOOK UP THE CAUSE, RISKING HIS
OWN LIFE. FOR ALMOST 50 YEARS REMNANTS OF JEWISH LIFE VANISHED AND THE CITY'S JEWISH PAST WAS NOT
DISCUSSED. THIS UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR GREW UP CATHOLIC AND WOULD BECOME LITHUANIA'S MINISTER OF CULTURE.
>> MY KNOWLEDGE ABOUT JEWISH HISTORY AND ACULTURE AND HOLOCAUST WAS VERY VAGUE WHEN I WAS A TEENAGER.
I HAD TO DISCOVER THIS LEGACY BY MYSELF. >> HE WAS 17 WHEN HE FINALLY CHANCED UPON FADED YIDDISH
INSCRIPTIONS IN THE OLD SECTION OF TOWN. AS HIS CURIOSITY GREW, HE STUDIED YIDDISH.
>> YIDDISH LITERATURE FOR ME IS THIS NEXUS OF POETRY OR BEAUTY AND HOME DESTINIES. IT IS FULL OF VOICES OF
SURVIVORS, OF VICTIMS AND ALSO OF HEROS WHO TRIED TO RESCUE THIS CULTURE, THIS COMMUNITY AGAINST THE EVIL OF
TOTALITARIANISM. >> HE HEARD WHISPERS ABOUT A HIDDEN LITERARY BOUNTY. IT WASN'T UNTIL THE BREAKUP OF
THE SOVIET UNION IN THE EARLY '90s THAT JEWISH CULTURE COULD EMERGE FROM HIDING. HE WAS INVITED INSIDE THE 18th
CENTURY CATHOLIC CHURCH WHERE THE BRAVE LIBRARIAN HAD HIDDEN THE BOOKS. OPUS HAD CREATED A BOOK SANG
SANCTUARY FLOOR TO SOLDING UNDER THE DUSTY BAROQUE ARCHES. THE CHURCH IS NOW EMPTY AND AWAITING REOVRENOVATION.
WE ASKED HIM TO TAKE US THERE AND SHOW US WHERE THE BOOKS WERE HIDDEN HIDDEN, UNDERGROUND, IN THE
CONFESSIONAL, EVEN IN THE BELLOWS OF THE 18th CENTURY ORGAN. I'M TRYING TO PICTURE WALKING
INTO THIS UNEXPLORED BOOK PALACE. >> SOME OF THOSE BOOKS HAD BLOODSTAINS.
SOME OF THEM HAD INSCRIPTIONS MADE BY THE READERS WHO MOST LIKELY WERE KILLED. >> TODAY THESE BOOKS ARE SLOWLY
BRINGING A LEGACY BACK TO LIFE, SO SAYS JONATHAN BRANDT, WHO BECAME THE DIRECTOR IN 2009. >> THE MATERIALS REPRESENTED A
BODY OF MATERIALS WHICH IF IT WERE WIPED OUT, WOULD LEAVE AN ABSENCE THAT COULD NEVER BE FILLED IN AND IT WOULD LEAD TO
TOTAL CULTURAL DEPRIVATION FOR THOSE JEWS WHO MIGHT SURVIVE. >> THE RESCUED ARTIFACTS KEEP POPPING UP IN LITHUANIA.
IT'S ALL TRIGGERED A FAMILIAR CUSTODY BATTLE. THE LITHUANIANS ARGUED FOR THE TROVE TO STAY IN LITHUANIA.
EXECUTIVES INSISTED THE MATERIAL BE REUNITED WITH ITS COLLECTION IN NEW YORK. FEARING THE DOCUMENTS WOULD
CONTINUE TO DETERIORATE, BRANDT BROKERED A DEAL. >> THESE ARE FRAGMENTS OF BOOKS THAT WERE SCOOPED OUT OF THE
BURNT RUBBLE OF THE YIVO BUILDING, BROUGHT HERE TO NEW YORK, PRESERVED IN THESE BOXES. >> THE DIRECTOR OF ARCHIVES IN
NEW YORK JUST COMPLETED A SEVEN-YEAR $7 MILLION PROJECT OVERSEEING THE CATALOGING AND DIGITIZING THE PAPER BRIGADE'S
ENTIRE COLLECTION. >> DO WE KNOW IF THEY PRESERVED THIS? >> THEY DID.
THESE ARE THE SURVIVING PAGES. IT'S NOT THE FULL MANUSCRIPT THAT WE HAVE. ONLY ABOUT A DOZEN OR SO PAGES.
>> AS NEW WORKS ARE DISCOVERED, VOICES FROM A CENTURY AGO ARE AMPLIFIED. HIS 1946 MEMOIR WAS PUBLISHED IN
ENGLISH JUST LAST YEAR. >> THEY ARE LEARNING HIM IN MANY UNIVERSITIES NOT JUST IN LITHUANIA, IN THE UNITED STATES
AND CANADA AND IN CHINA AND JAPAN. >> LITHUANIA IS NOW HOME TO ONLY 4,000 JEWS, BUT IT'S ON ACCOUNT
OF THE PAPER BRIGADE AND CONTINUING DISCOVERIES THAT THE COUNTRY IS STARTING TO RECKON WITH THE NAZI ATROCITIES AND ITS
UNCOMFORTABLE HISTORY. EVEN SCHOOLS ARE NOW STARTING TO TEACH ABOUT HOW LITHUANIA'S JEWS DIED AND HOW THEY LIVED.
DO YOU KNOW THE PHRASE CPR? STRIKES ME YOU'RE REALLY BRINGING IT BACK TO LIFE. >> I HOPE SO.
BUT WE STILL LACK WIDER RECOGNITION IN OUR SOCIETY. IN THE COURSE OF LAST 20 YEARS, MENTALITY OF HOUR SOCIETY BECAME
MORE OPEN TOWARDS DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF ITS OWN PAST. >> IN THE PROCESS, LITHUANIANS HAVE STARTED LEARNING HOW AN
UNLIKELY GROUP OF RESISTANCIE FIGHTERS TOOK THE ULTIMATE RISK TO ENSURE ARTS AND LETTERS WOULD SURVIVE.
>>> TONIGHT WE WANT TO INTRODUCE YOU TO A MUSICIAN NAMED SONA JOBARTEH WHO INTRODUCED US TO THE BEAUTIFUL SOUND AND STORY OF
A CENTURIES OLD INSTRUMENT CALLED THE KORA. IT'S A STRING INSTRUMENT FROM WEST AFRICA, PART OF A MUSICAL
TRADITION THAT DATES BACK TO A 13th CENTURY EMPIRE AND HAS BEEN PASSED DOWN STRICTLY FROM FATHER TO SON, MAN TO MAN, IN A SPECIAL
SET OF FAMILIES EVER SINCE. SONA JOBARTEH WAS BORN INTO ONE OF THOSE FAMILIES CALLED GRILLOS.
THE DAUGHTER OF A GAMBIAN FATHER AND A BRITISH MOTHER AFTER HUNDREDS OF YEARS OF MEN, SHE IS THE FIRST WOMAN TO MASTER
THE KORA. IN HER PERFORMANCES AROUND THE WORLD AND IN HER WORK OFF STAGE, SHE SAYS SHE IS KEEPING
TRADITION ALIVE FOR THE VERY ACT OF BREAKING IT. TAKE A LISTEN TO SONA JOBARTEH AS SHE PLAYS THE KORA.
♪ WITH ITS 21 STRINGS, PLAYED BY JUST FOUR FINGERS, TWO ON EACH HAND, IT HAS A SOUND BOTH
FOREIGN AND FAMILIAR. ♪ TO ME, IT'S LIKE A HARP. WHAT DO YOU COMPARE IT TO?
>> I DON'T ACTUALLY COMPARE IT TO ANYTHING BECAUSE IT'S NORMAL FOR ME. I COMPARE OTHER THINGS TO THE
KORA. ♪ >> THE SONG SONA PLAYED FOR US IS A TRADITIONAL LOVE STRONG.
SUNG IN THE MANDINKA LANGUAGE. ♪ THE TRADITION GOES BACK TO THE 1200s WHEN A KINGDOM CALLED THE
MALI EMPIRE REIGNED OVER THE TERRITORY OF SEVERAL MODERN COUNTRIES. THE STORY TELLERS WERE MEN WHO
COUNSELED KINGS, RESOLVED CONFLICTS AND PASSED THE LEGENDS DOWN ORALLY THROUGH THE CENTURIES.
WOMEN IN GRILLO FAMILIES WERE ALLOWED TO PLAY THE INSTRUMENT. ♪ THAT IS, UNTIL SONA JOBARTEH.
AT 39, SHE HAS BECOME ONE OF THE FOREMOST KORA PLAYERS IN THE WORLD. ♪
PERFORMING WITH HER BAND ACROSS EUROPE, WEST AFRICA AND HERE IN THE UNITED STATES, AS WE SAW IN THIS PACKED THEATER OUTSIDE
BOSTON. ♪ >> THIS IS MUSIC WHEN YOU HEAR IT IT STILL TO THIS DAYC CARRIE
THE FEELING OF THE EMPIRE. IT'S SOMETHING YOU'RE SO PROUD ABOUT. >> WHAT I THINK ABOUT WITH YOU
IS YOU HAVE BROKEN TRADITION. >> IT'S NOT THE WAY I SEE MYSELF, MAINLY BECAUSE OF THE FACT OF BELIEVING THAT TRADITION
HAS TO EVOLVE. TRADITIONS ARE NOT STAGNANT. THEY GROW WITH HUMANITY, WITH SOCIETY.
THEY ALWAYS HAVE. AT ONE TIME THIS INSTRUMENT WAS NOT AROUND. THEN IT BECAME INVENTED AND
BECAME SOMETHING MODERN. NOW IT'S CONSIDERED TRADITIONAL. IN TERMS OF ME BEING FEMALE, THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT
ADAPTATION THE TRADITION MUST TAKE IN ORDER TO BE RELEVANT TO OUR NEW SOCIETY. >> SONA JOBARTEH COMES TO THE
GRILLORCH TRADITION AND INSIDERD OUTSIDER. HER FAMILY PEDIGREE TRACES BACK TO THE 13th CENTURY.
THOUGH HER PARENTS' RELATIONSHIP DIDN'T LAST, SONA GREW UP IN BOTH WORLDS, THE U.K. AND HERREN GRANDFATHER'S FAMILY COMPOUND IN
GAMBIA WHERE SHE SAYS HER GRANDMOTHER EMBRAC URGED HER TOE HER HERITAGE. >> I HATED SINGING WITH A
PASSION. >> WHY? YOU HAVE THE PERFECT VOICE. >> NEVER LIKED IT.
>> BUT YOUR GRANDMOTHER KNEW YOU HAD A GREAT VOICE. >> I REFUSED. I WAS A VERY STUBBORN CHILD.
>> BUT SONA WAS DRAWN TO THE KORA. AS A LITTLE KID, NO ONE SEEMED TO MIND HER LEARNING THE BASICS.
SHE THINKS HER GRANDMOTHER MAY HAVE EVEN LIKED THE IDEA. IN THE U.K., THOUGH, SHE STUDIED A DIFFERENT MUSICAL TRADITION,
CLASSICAL CELLO EXCELLED, WINNI SCHOLARSHIP AT 14. >> WERE YOU ONE OF THE ONLY BIRACIAL STUDENTS IN THE SCHOOL?
>> THE ONLY ONE. I WOULD VERY SHY. >> WERE YOU SAD? WAS IT A STUFF TIME?
>> YEAH. IT WAS A VERY TOUGH TIME. >> SHE DID FIND ONE POINT OF CONNECTION TO HER LIFE IN
GAMBIA. >> THE SCHOOL HAD A KORA THERE HANGING ON THE WALL. I WOULD BE ALWAYS LOOKING AT
THIS THING. ONE DAY I DECIDED TO TAKE IT OFF THE WALL. IT WAS A TOTAL MESS, AS YOU CAN
IMAGINE. I STARTED DOING EVERY TIME I GET A LITTLE BIT OF TIME I WOULD TAKE IT OFF THE WALL, FIX A
STRING, PUT IT BACK. I WAS DOING IT HOPING NOBODY WAS GOING TO NOTICE. I KEPT TAKING IT OFF THE WALL.
THERE WAS ONE LADY WHO WAS ONE OF THE LATE NIGHT WORKERS. SHE SAID WHY DON'T YOU TAKE IT TO YOUR ROOM AND JUST KEEP IT
THERE AND WORK ON IT. IT BECAME MY SANITY. >> AND HER CALLING. AT 17 SHE DECIDED SHE NEEDED TO
STUDY THE KORA PROPERLY, WHICH MEANT TAKING A PERSONAL RISK, APPEALING TO HER FATHER TO PASS THE TRADITION DOWN TO HER, HIS
DAUGHTER, AS HIS FATHER HAD TO HIM. THEY HADN'T SPENT MUCH TIME TOGETHER.
FOR YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS, KORA PLAYING WAS PASSED FATHER TO SON. ALONG COMES YOUR DAUGHTER.
>> YEAH. >> DID SHE SAY TEACH ME? >> SHE SAID I REALLY WANT TO LEARN THE KORA.
>> BUT GIRLS DIDN'T PLAY THE KORA AT THAT POINT. >> I SAID IF I CLOSE MY EYES, I DON'T HAVE TO KNOW THE
DIFFERENT. IF YOU CAN DO THAT FOR ME. >> YOU JUST IMMEDIATELY SAID OKAY?
>> I JUST IMMEDIATELY SAID OKAY. >> YOU NEVER HESITATED. >> I NEVER HESITATED, NO. >> I DON'T WANT YOU TO GET
DISTRACTED WITH THIS WHOLE IDEA OF BEING FEMALE. DON'T LET THAT GET INTO YOUR HEAD, DON'T LET IT DISTRACT YOU.
YOUR AMBITION IS TO BE A GOOD KORA PLAYER. NOT A FEMALE KORA PLAYER, JUST A GOOD KORA PLAYER.
THAT WAS MY CHALLENGE AT THE BEGINNING. >> HOW HARD DID SHE WORK? >> SHE WORKED VERY, VERY HARD.
>> SHE STARTED PERFORMING, SOMETIMES WITH HER FATHER AND THEN WITH HER OWN BAND. SHE GOT ACCEPTANCE FIRST IN
EUROPE EUROPE. ♪ AND THEN BACK IN GAMBIA WITH A
SONG AND VIDEO SHE RELEASED IN 2015 TO CELEBRATE 50 YEARS OF GAM BEBIAN INDEPENDENCE. IT'S BECOME THE COUNTRY'S
UNOFFICIAL NATIONAL ANTHEM WITH MORE THAN 24 MILLION VIEWS ON YOUTUBE. MINUS THE DANCERS, WE FOUND THE
GAMBIA MUCH AS SONA'S VIDEO DEPICTED IT. A TINY COUNTRY ON AFRICA'S WEST COAST, IT'S A FORMER BRITISH
COLONY THAT'S PREDOMINANTLY MUSLIM. PRECOLONIAL CULTURE RUNS DEEP HERE.
SONA JOBARTEH'S NAME AND HERITAGE CARRY WEIGHT AND SHE'S LEANING INTO THAT ANCIENT GRILLO ROLE OF CULTURE LEADER TO CREATE
A NEW MODEL OF AFRICAN EDUCATION. SHE HAS FOUNDED A SMALL SCHOOL CALLED THE GAMBIA ACADEMY WHERE
STUDENTS STUDY DANCE, DRUMMING, KORA, OF COURSE, AND ANOTHER TRADITIONAL GRILLO INSTRUMENT CALLED THE BALAPHONE.
>> THE MUSIC GETS THE MOST ATTENTION BUT THEY ARE LEARNING ALL THE SAME SUBJECTS AS ANY OTHER SCHOOL.
HOWEVER, HOW IS THAT IMPARTED TO YOU? >> SONA BELIEVES MOST EDUCATIONS IN AFRICA HAS BEEN SO DEEPLY
ROTE ROOTED IN COLONIAL MODELS THAT ITS MESSAGE TO CHILDREN IS THAT THEIR OWN LEGACY IS SOMEHOW
BACKWARD. >> THIS WAY IS ALWAYS VERY MUCH A EUROPEAN WAY. MY CHALLENGE IS NOW CAN YOU GET
THE SAME OUTPUT, SUCCESSFUL OUTPUT IF WE CHANGE THE CULTURAL ORIENTATION AT THE HEART AND CENTER OF THE EDUCATION SYSTEM.
>> THE STUDENTS HERE WEAR TRADITIONAL AFRICAN UNIFORMS. GAM BIAN CULTURE IS CELEBRATED. R
HERE THERE ARE NO RESTRICTIONS BY GENDER OR PEDIGREE. ROHI IS LEARNING TO PLAY THE KORA AND BORI IS IN THE ADVANCED
BALAPHONE CLASS. >> I LIKE IT. IT MAKES ME FEEL HAPPY WHEN I'M PLAYING.
>> ARE YOU GRILLO? >> NO. >> ARE YOU GRILLO? >> NO.
>> AND YOU'RE FEMALE. [ LAUGHTER ] >> LOOK AT YOU BOTH LAUGHING, BECAUSE YOU KNOW WHAT I'M
TALKING ABOUT. >> YEAH. >> WON'T THAT BE AWFULLY DIFFICULT?
>> YOU KNOW, WHAT A WOMAN CAN DO, A WOMAN A ALSO CAN DO IT. I'M FROM A GRILLO FAMILY BUT I LOVE TO PLAY KORA.
WHEN YOU LOVE SOMETHING, YOU CAN DO IT. >> ARE YOU GETTING PUSHBACK FROM WITHIN THE SOCIETY?
>> YES, OF COURSE, ESPECIALLY FROM THE OLDER GENERATIONS. BUT IT DOESN'T MATTER. ♪
>> SONA'S FIRST ALBUM WAS A MIX OF TRADITIONAL AND NEW SONGS. HER LATEST, WHICH WE SAW HER REHEARSING WITH HER BAND IS ALL
ORIGINAL MUSIC. SHE WRITES ALL THE PARTS HERSELF, INCLUDING SONGS ABOUT EDUCATION, WOMEN AND HER OWN
IDENTITY. SHE SINGS THEM IN MANDINKA. >> WHEN I SING IN THE LANGUAGE THAT BELONGS TO GAMBIA, I'M
GIVING YOU A SENSE OF PRIDE THAT YOU NEVER HAVE BEFORE, THAT YOUR LANGUAGE IS AS VALUABLE. WHEN I CAN GO TO AN
INTERNATIONAL AUDIENCE AND I CAN HAVE THE WHOLE ADD UDIENCE ALL R THE WORLD AND THEY'RE SINGING MANDINKA.
♪ >> THE POWER, SHE SAYS, OF MUSIC. >> IT BECOMES A UNIVERSAL
LANGUAGE. I CAN TALK WITH ANYBODY FROM ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD USING MUSIC.
I CAN'T DO THAT IN ANY OTHER FORM. ♪ >> AND SHE'S DOING ONE MORE
THING, PASSING THE TRADITION DOWN TO HER 10-YEAR-OLD SON SADIKI, A TALENTED BALLAPHONE PLAYER, THE NEXT LINK FROM THE
GRILLO PAST TO ITS FUTURE. YOU HAD SAID TO HER, WHEN I CLOSE MY EYES, I DON'T WANT TO HEAR A FEMALE KORA PLAYER, I
WANT TO HEAR A GREAT KORA PLAYER. >> YES. >> CLOSE YOUR EYES AND TELL US
WHAT YOU HEAR. >> I HEAR A GREAT, GREAT, GREAT KORA PLAYER. [ LAUGHTER ]
♪ >> I'M VERY, VERY PROUD, DEFINITELY. >> THE COMPLEXITIES OF PLAYING
THE KORA. HOW CHALLENGING IS IT TO PLAY THAT IN >>> THE LAST MINUTE OF "60
MINUTES" IS SPONSORED BY UNITED HEALTH CARE. GET MEDICARE WITH MORE. >>> IN HOLLYWOOD THERE'S A
SAYING, NOBODY KNOWS NOTHING IN THIS BUSINESS. STUDIOS CAN INVITE AUDIENCES FOR SNEAK PREVIEWS OR TEST THE BOX
OFFICE APPEAL OF THE STARS, BUT THEY CAN'T PREDICT A HIT. THIS PAST WEEK'S MIDTERM ELECTIONS HAVE SHOWN IT'S NOT
ONLY IN THE MOVIE BUSINESS THAT NOBODY KNOWS NOTHING. IN SPITE OF MANY POLLSTERS WHO DISSECTED EVERY ASPECT OF THE
CAMPAIGNS AND CANDIDATES, IN SPITE OF FOCUS GROUPS PROBING THE PUBLIC PSYCHE, THE OUTCOME WHEN THE BALLOTS WERE TALLIED
WAS A SURPRISE TO BOTH PARTIES. VOTERS WERE LESS ANGRY AND MORE MODERATE THAN THE POLITICAL SOOTHE
SOOTHESAYERS PREDICTED. TURNOUT WAS HIGH. VOTERS WEREN'T TURNED OFF. WHILE WE WAIT FOR SOME IMPORTANT
RACES TO BE DECIDED, WE ALSO WAIT TO SEE HOW THIS NEW GROUP OF LEGISLATURES WILL WORK FOR ALL OF US.
I'M LESLEY STAHL. WE'LL BE BACK NEXT WEEK