The Willesden Project
The Willesden Project brings the power of music and story to reach young people and contribute to their development as empathetic, knowledgeable and resilient individuals.
In 2022/2023, Liberation75 and the Toronto District School Board piloted The Willesden Project in Canada for the first time. 10,000 books were distributed to students, 4,000 grade 6-8 students attended 4 live performances and 25,000 students watched the streamed performance. The program was a great success!
We invite other school boards to partner with us from around Ontario. Please contact marilyn@liberation75.org.
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“The Children of Willesden Lane” is a true story that begins in Vienna in 1938, when it quickly becomes dangerous to be Jewish. The heroine of the story is a 14-year-old young Jewish girl named Lisa Jura, who dreams of becoming a concert pianist. Her parents are able to secure her a spot on the Kindertransport to London, with 10,000 other Jewish children. At the train station in Vienna, Lisa’s mother tells her to “hold on to your music.” She doesn’t just mean the music Lisa is taking with her, but also the music in her heart.
Lisa’s daughter, Mona Golabek, is a pianist too, and through music, she shares her mother’s story to encourage young people to fight hate, defend the rights of others and follow their dreams in the face of seemingly insurmountable challenges.
Liberation75, in collaboration with the Jewish Heritage Committee of the Toronto District School Board (TDSB), Echoes and Reflections and USC Shoah Foundation, is proud to bring The Willesden Project to Canada for grades 6-8 students for the first time! The Willesden Project has been successfully delivered to hundreds of thousands of students around the world.
As the most comprehensive Holocaust education program in the world, the Willesden Project features educator professional development, age-appropriate books, a full suite of online educational resources (English and French), 4 live concert performances in Toronto and a livestreamed performance available to all.
Join Lisa's musical journey which tells the story of the power of music and how one teenage refugee, Lisa Jura, held onto her dreams, survived the Holocaust and inspired a generation.
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Generously sponsored by:
