Cutting ice

Jewish Olympian now skates to music from ‘Schindler’s List’

Figure skater Jason Brown wins silver at Grand Prix international competition while performing to John Williams’ film soundtrack

By Emily Burack 5 November 2019, 3:55 am

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Jason Brown performs during the International Skating Union Grand Prix of Figure Skating Series exhibition, October 20, 2019, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)

JTA — Jewish figure skater Jason Brown has skated to a wide variety of music in his career, from Simon and Garfunkel to the “Hamilton” musical soundtrack to the latest James Bond song by Sam Smith.

This season, he’s added a particularly Jewish track to his free skate routine: music from the landmark Holocaust film “Schindler’s List” by John Williams.

“My background, obviously, is Jewish, and the story is so touching,” Brown, 24, told NBC Sports earlier this month after debuting his new routine at Skate America, the first event in the Grand Prix series of international skating competitions for the 2019-20 season.

“I grew up learning about the Holocaust and about Oskar Schindler and the stories. I always wanted to skate to it, but it has to be when I’m at the level, maturity-wise, that I’m really ready to skate to it.”

Brown ended up wining silver in the men’s singles division. Fellow American skater Nathan Chen took home gold.

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“I think as performers a part of our job is to teach and to get people engaged in the story you’re trying to tell on the ice,” Brown added. “The point is to have the passion and intensity with I skate to it and get the story across.”