The Strings of the Violin
Notes on the story:
The Strings of the Violin is based on the plot of my Young Adult Fantasy novel The Song of Hadariah. I have taken the plot of this book, in which three girls from our world are tasked with saving a world where Jewish folklore, myths and fairytales are all real, and I have placed it within my bubbie's experiences in the Holocaust.
My grandmother, Helena Lichtblau, was born in Czechoslovakia in 1918. She and her family had moved to Poland, where they had gotten swept up in World War Two. Despite all odds being against her, she managed to survive the Holocaust.
She and most of her family were taken from Poland. she was deported and sent to the work camps in Siberia, where she was forced to work in the coal mines and had to find a way to survive on very little food, and in the extreme cold of winter with little to no shelter. She was one of the lucky ones since she wasn’t alone. She had her mother, and her brothers: Roman and Saul with her. Despite the horrors around her, she maintained a positive attitude that she and what was left of her family would survive.
At this point in the war, she had already lost her father Hermann, and her brother Nathan. Both had been caught in Poland and had been beaten to death by the Nazis. She had one other brother, Marek, who had managed to evade capture, as well as deportation to Siberia. He had found a home within the Polish Resistance, fighting back with all he had. After the war, Helena searched for her family and friends who had not been with her, learning their fates, and coped with so much loss. She made her way to Canada, where she was able to start a new life, telling her child, and eventual grandchildren her story, and the stories from her home in Poland before the war.
In The Strings of the Violin, I will be looking at these events through an artistic lens, and use the art of theatre to tell my family’s story in a way that will make my late grandmother proud, and to ensure that people like Hermann, my bubbie's friend Lola, and her brother Nathan will never be forgotten.
My grandmother, Helena Lichtblau, was born in Czechoslovakia in 1918. She and her family had moved to Poland, where they had gotten swept up in World War Two. Despite all odds being against her, she managed to survive the Holocaust.
She and most of her family were taken from Poland. she was deported and sent to the work camps in Siberia, where she was forced to work in the coal mines and had to find a way to survive on very little food, and in the extreme cold of winter with little to no shelter. She was one of the lucky ones since she wasn’t alone. She had her mother, and her brothers: Roman and Saul with her. Despite the horrors around her, she maintained a positive attitude that she and what was left of her family would survive.
At this point in the war, she had already lost her father Hermann, and her brother Nathan. Both had been caught in Poland and had been beaten to death by the Nazis. She had one other brother, Marek, who had managed to evade capture, as well as deportation to Siberia. He had found a home within the Polish Resistance, fighting back with all he had. After the war, Helena searched for her family and friends who had not been with her, learning their fates, and coped with so much loss. She made her way to Canada, where she was able to start a new life, telling her child, and eventual grandchildren her story, and the stories from her home in Poland before the war.
In The Strings of the Violin, I will be looking at these events through an artistic lens, and use the art of theatre to tell my family’s story in a way that will make my late grandmother proud, and to ensure that people like Hermann, my bubbie's friend Lola, and her brother Nathan will never be forgotten.
Why Now?
We are currently living in a world where racism and anti-Semitism is on the rise. Over 50% of all hate crimes in my home city of Toronto are currently against Jewish people, making it the largest group being persecuted here. Holocaust denial is rampant on social media and in the classroom, with one third of young people believing in this false narrative. Antisemitism and Holocaust denial is also found on many university campuses. This is something that my family and I have personally experienced as students, educators, and continue to face on social media platforms. The message in the piece is positive and timely, and I believe that audiences of all ages will learn and engage with the content.
Upcoming Productions
The Strings of the Violin will have its first staged production in 2026 with The Riversong Players! I am excited to announce that this play will be performed this March in Almonte, Ontario.
More information about this upcoming production can be found here.
More information about this upcoming production can be found here.
Photographs
My Bubbie Helena (centre) with her two best friends, Lola and Gisa together before the war.
A class photo my bubbie painstakingly labeled in Polish, taken in 1931. She is in the third row of students, third from the left.
Identification papers of Helena Lichtblau, daughter of Herman and Salomea (Sarah) Lichtblau.
Helena on the ship to Canada. She is second row centre.
Bubbie Helena with Zaidy Alfred and my mother Regina.