Bruce Springsteen Delivered An Emotionally Charged Rendition Of “Dancing In The Dark” At The USC Shoah Foundation Gala In New York, Giving The Iconic Song A Profound New Meaning As A Tribute To Holocaust Remembrance.

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Armed With His Acoustic Guitar And A Voice Full Of Passion And Grit, The Boss Captivated The Room, Infusing Each Lyric With Deep Respect And Sorrow. This Was More Than A Performance — It Was A Soulful Call To Remember, Honor, And Stand United. Once Again, Springsteen Demonstrated His Power Not Just As A Music Icon, But As A Voice For Humanity. Watch The Full Performance Below!

The Boss was a surprise performer at the star-studded USC Shoah Foundation’s Ambassadors for Humanity Gala Sunday, Oct. 13 at the New York Hilton Midtown in New York City. Springsteen performed solo acoustic versions of “Dancing in the Dark” and “The Ghost of Tom Joad” at the event, which honored the resilience of Holocaust survivors while marking the importance of their testimonies for future generations.

Itzhak Perlman, the evening’s other musical performer, played the theme from the Academy Award-winning film “Schindler’s List.”

Springsteen, who’s famously Catholic, joked that he sometimes gets mistaken for Jewish.

“I actually was Bruce Springstein for the first year or two of my career. Everywhere I went — I pull up to the club. ‘Welcome Bruce Springstein,’” said Springsteen from the stage. “This happened as late as a month ago. I’m not joking.”

Attendees included foundation founder Steven Spielberg, Meryl Streep, Debra Messing, Wendell Pierce, Drew Barrymore, Whoopi Goldberg and more.

The center point of the night was the presentation of the Ambassadors for Humanity Award to Holocaust survivors. Survivor Irene Weiss, 93, accepted the award on behalf of more than 50 survivors present in the room.

“I am 93 years old. When I speak about my experience, I am 13 years old again – 80 years later, my memories are vivid,” said Weiss, in comments provided by the USC Shoah Foundation. “It is unthinkable to me that stories like mine should be forgotten. I am grateful to the USC Shoah Foundation for providing the platform for survivors to tell what happened, a place where survivors like me can give voice to those who perished.”

The USC Shoah Foundation was founded by Spielberg in 1994 following his experience making “Schindler’s List.” Its mission is to collect, preserve, and share testimonies with survivors and witnesses of the Holocaust.

The Foundation moved to its permanent home at the University of Southern California in 2006.

“These survivors can change the world,” said Spielberg on Sunday. “Their stories are a rebuke to hatred and a testament to the resilience of the human spirit. Through these voices, we find the courage to stand against injustice wherever it arises. By sharing their stories, they have given us a gift that will never stop giving and will never stop proving the strength of the human spirit, the will to survive, and the unforgettable power of memory.”

The gala celebrated the launch of the USC Shoah Foundation Endowment Campaign, which seeks to ensure funding and expand the foundation’s research and educational programs.

“We are witnessing the alarming convergence of anti-semitism and hate across social media, communities, and even campuses,” said executive director Dr. Robert Williams. “The archive, which spans the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, stands as an unparalleled record of humanity. As we mark this milestone anniversary, we reaffirm our commitment to ensuring that these testimonies enrich scholarly discourse, inspire new generations of educators, researchers, and creators, and secure a future for an active and informed memory of the Holocaust.”