{"id":80396,"date":"2023-01-26T10:48:21","date_gmt":"2023-01-26T15:48:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.worldcatholicnews.com\/grandmothers-poems-penned-in-concentration-camp-make-beautiful-music\/"},"modified":"2023-01-26T10:48:21","modified_gmt":"2023-01-26T15:48:21","slug":"grandmothers-poems-penned-in-concentration-camp-make-beautiful-music","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.worldcatholicnews.com\/grandmothers-poems-penned-in-concentration-camp-make-beautiful-music\/","title":{"rendered":"Grandmother&#8217;s poems, penned in concentration camp, make beautiful music"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"\">\n<header aria-label=\"Beginning of Article\" class=\"article-header\">\n<nav aria-label=\"Breadcrumb\" class=\"breadcrumbs\" data-aqa=\"nav-breadcrumb\">\n<h2 class=\"visually-hidden\">Breadcrumb Trail Links<\/h2>\n<ol class=\"breadcrumbs__items list-unstyled\">\n<li class=\"breadcrumbs__item\"> News <\/li>\n<li class=\"breadcrumbs__item\"> Local News <\/li>\n<li class=\"breadcrumbs__item\"> Local Arts <\/li>\n<li class=\"breadcrumbs__item\"> Entertainment <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/nav>\n<div class=\"article-header__detail\">\n<div class=\"article-header__detail__texts\">\n<p class=\"article-subtitle\"> &#8220;That you can create beauty in those kinds of circumstances is astonishing,&#8221; said Lenka Lichtenberg, who will perform the songs in Montreal. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<figure class=\"featured-image\" data-aqa=\"featured-image\"><picture class=\"featured-image__ratio\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1200px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/montrealgazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/0127-city-poems.jpeg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=564&amp;h=423&amp;type=webp,&#10;            https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/montrealgazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/0127-city-poems.jpeg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1128&amp;h=846&amp;type=webp 2x\" type=\"image\/webp\"\/><source media=\"(min-width: 1200px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/montrealgazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/0127-city-poems.jpeg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=564&amp;h=423&amp;type=jpg,&#10;                https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/montrealgazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/0127-city-poems.jpeg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1128&amp;h=846&amp;type=jpg 2x\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"\/><source media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/montrealgazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/0127-city-poems.jpeg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=472&amp;h=354&amp;type=webp,&#10;            https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/montrealgazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/0127-city-poems.jpeg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=944&amp;h=708&amp;type=webp 2x\" type=\"image\/webp\"\/><source media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/montrealgazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/0127-city-poems.jpeg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=472&amp;h=354&amp;type=jpg,&#10;                https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/montrealgazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/0127-city-poems.jpeg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=944&amp;h=708&amp;type=jpg 2x\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"\/><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/montrealgazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/0127-city-poems.jpeg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=288&amp;h=216&amp;type=webp,&#10;            https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/montrealgazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/0127-city-poems.jpeg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=576&amp;h=432&amp;type=webp 2x\" type=\"image\/webp\"\/><\/picture><figcaption class=\"featured-image__caption image-caption\"><span class=\"caption\">Lenka Lichtenberg during a Toronto performance of her album Thieves of Dreams, featuring poems written by her grandmother during the Holocaust, set to music. The poems are not what one might expect.<\/span> <span class=\"distributor\">Lenka Lichtenberg<\/span> <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"article-content__content-group\" data-aqa=\"disclaimer-skimlinks\" hidden=\"\" id=\"disclaimer\">\n<p><em>Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through our links on this page.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<section class=\"article-content__content-group\">\n<h2 class=\"visually-hidden\">Article content<\/h2>\n<p>Lenka Lichtenberg was 10 years old when she learned she was Jewish. A child star of the musical theatre, she was on her way to sing at a Jewish community centre in Prague when her mother told her.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"ad__section-border article-content__ad-group\">\n<section aria-describedby=\"advertisment716390747561751411365790810636288\" class=\"ad\">\n<h2 class=\"visually-hidden\" id=\"advertisment716390747561751411365790810636288\">Advertisement 2<\/h2>\n<div class=\"ad__container\">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\" id=\"ad__inner-2\">\n<div class=\"ad__inner__container\" data-ad=\"[[6,6],[1200,250],[1200,90],[970,90],[970,250],[728,90],[300,250]]\" data-ad-interscroller=\"6x6\" data-ad-loc=\"2\" data-ad-mobile=\"[[6,6],[320,50],[300,50],[300,250],[300,600]]\" data-aqa=\"advertisement\" id=\"ad-2\">\n<div aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"ad__placeholder\">\n<p> This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<section class=\"article-content__content-group\">\n<h2 class=\"visually-hidden\">Article content<\/h2>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s awesome, I always wanted to be on the side of the underdog,\u201d she replied, much to her mom\u2019s dismay.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"article-content__widget-group article-content__widget-group--content-slot6 article-content__widget-group--newsletter-slot\">\n<section aria-labelledby=\"MontrealGazetteHeadlineNews8425403241759890486388738163212288\" class=\"newsletter-widget mg-headlinenews background--primary-light-gradient\" data-account-id=\"b9d3df2fccd108b5eff3c44f573b2cd6\" data-aqa=\"widget-newsletter\" data-newsletter=\"single\" data-newsletter-component=\"\" data-target-list=\"MG_HeadlineNews\" data-widget=\"newsletter\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Montreal Gazette Headline News Banner\" class=\"newsletter-widget__banner\" height=\"60\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/dcs-static.gprod.postmedia.digital\/12.7.1\/websites\/images\/newsletters\/MG_HeadlineNews.svg\" width=\"97\"\/><\/p>\n<div class=\"newsletter-widget__body\">\n<p class=\"newsletter-widget__text\">Sign up to receive daily headline news from the Montreal Gazette, a division of Postmedia Network Inc.<\/p>\n<div class=\"js-replace-main\">  <small class=\"newsletter-widget__disclaimer text-size--micro\"> By clicking on the sign up button you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. You may unsubscribe any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link at the bottom of our emails or any newsletter. Postmedia Network Inc. | 365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3L4 | 416-383-2300 <\/small> <\/div>\n<div class=\"js-submit-success\" hidden=\"\" id=\"submitSuccessMG_HeadlineNews\">\n<h3 class=\"newsletter__feedback--heading\">Thanks for signing up!<\/h3>\n<p class=\"newsletter-widget__text\">A welcome email is on its way. If you don&#8217;t see it, please check your junk folder.<\/p>\n<p class=\"newsletter-widget__text newsletter__feedback--last\">The next issue of Montreal Gazette Headline News will soon be in your inbox.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"newsletter-widget__text js-submit-error\" hidden=\"\" id=\"submitErrorMG_HeadlineNews\"> We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<section class=\"article-content__content-group\">\n<h2 class=\"visually-hidden\">Article content<\/h2>\n<p>Lichtenberg\u2019s mother, Jana Ren\u00e9e Friesov\u00e1, had been a year older when she found out she was Jewish, during the German occupation of Czechoslovakia in 1939. Friesov\u00e1 had been raised Catholic by secular Jewish parents, but that wasn\u2019t enough to prevent the family from being deported to Terez\u00edn, a concentration camp north of Prague.<\/p>\n<p>Friesov\u00e1 and her mother survived, but her father was sent to Auschwitz, where he was killed. After the war, Frisov\u00e1 went on to become a scholar, teaching philosophy and Jewish studies at a Prague university. In 1996, with the encouragement of her daughter and a friend, she published Fortress of My Youth: Memoir of a Terez\u00edn Survivor. It would be another 20 years before Lichtenberg learned intimate details of her grandmother\u2019s experience in Terez\u00edn.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"ad__section-border article-content__ad-group\">\n<section aria-describedby=\"advertisment3233807561209168413569753861324800\" class=\"ad\">\n<h2 class=\"visually-hidden\" id=\"advertisment3233807561209168413569753861324800\">Advertisement 3<\/h2>\n<div class=\"ad__container\">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\" id=\"ad__inner-3\">\n<div class=\"ad__inner__container\" data-ad=\"[[7,7],[1200,250],[1200,90],[970,90],[970,250],[728,90],[300,250]]\" data-ad-interscroller=\"7x7\" data-ad-loc=\"3\" data-ad-mobile=\"[[7,7],[300,250],[320,50],[300,50]]\" data-aqa=\"advertisement\" id=\"ad-3\">\n<div aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"ad__placeholder\">\n<p> This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<section class=\"article-content__content-group\">\n<h2 class=\"visually-hidden\">Article content<\/h2>\n<p>When Friesov\u00e1 died in 2016, Lichtenberg travelled from her home in Toronto to Prague. She was going through her mother\u2019s desk when she discovered a booklet of 65 poems written by her grandmother, Anna Hana Friesov\u00e1, more than 70 years earlier, just before and during her time in Terez\u00edn.<\/p>\n<p>She thought of donating the poems to a museum, but worried they would remain behind glass, \u201ckind of dead, one of many artifacts,\u201d Lichtenberg said in a recent interview. Being a musician, she decided instead to bring the poems to life.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt was like a treasure given to me,\u201d she recounted, \u201ca gift from another world, from my grandmother. Being a musician, which I\u2019ve been my whole life, the most obvious thing was to have these poems become songs.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"ad__section-border article-content__ad-group\">\n<section aria-describedby=\"advertisment7890223080810520603678100426850304\" class=\"ad\">\n<h2 class=\"visually-hidden\" id=\"advertisment7890223080810520603678100426850304\">Advertisement 4<\/h2>\n<div class=\"ad__container\">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\" id=\"ad__inner-4\">\n<div class=\"ad__inner__container\" data-ad=\"[[1200,250],[1200,90],[970,90],[970,250],[728,90],[300,250]]\" data-ad-loc=\"4\" data-ad-mobile=\"[[320,50],[300,50],[300,250]]\" data-aqa=\"advertisement\" id=\"ad-4\">\n<div aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"ad__placeholder\">\n<p> This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<section class=\"article-content__content-group\">\n<h2 class=\"visually-hidden\">Article content<\/h2>\n<p>The poems are not what one might expect.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"embedded-image\" data-aqa=\"embed-image\"><picture class=\"embedded-image__ratio\"><source data-srcset=\"https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/montrealgazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/0127-city-poems-1.jpeg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=564&amp;type=webp,&#10;            https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/montrealgazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/0127-city-poems-1.jpeg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1128&amp;type=webp 2x\" media=\"(min-width: 1200px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/data:,https:\/\/news.google.com\/1w\" type=\"image\/webp\"\/><source data-srcset=\"https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/montrealgazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/0127-city-poems-1.jpeg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=564&amp;type=jpg,&#10;                https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/montrealgazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/0127-city-poems-1.jpeg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1128&amp;type=jpg 2x\" media=\"(min-width: 1200px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/data:,https:\/\/news.google.com\/1w\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"\/><source data-srcset=\"https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/montrealgazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/0127-city-poems-1.jpeg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=472&amp;type=webp,&#10;            https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/montrealgazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/0127-city-poems-1.jpeg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=944&amp;type=webp 2x\" media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/data:,https:\/\/news.google.com\/1w\" type=\"image\/webp\"\/><source data-srcset=\"https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/montrealgazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/0127-city-poems-1.jpeg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=472&amp;type=jpg,&#10;                https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/montrealgazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/0127-city-poems-1.jpeg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=944&amp;type=jpg 2x\" media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/data:,https:\/\/news.google.com\/1w\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"\/><source data-srcset=\"https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/montrealgazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/0127-city-poems-1.jpeg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=288&amp;type=webp,&#10;            https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/montrealgazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/0127-city-poems-1.jpeg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=576&amp;type=webp 2x\" media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/data:,https:\/\/news.google.com\/1w\" type=\"image\/webp\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Lenka Lichtenberg thought of donating the poems to a museum, but worried they would remain behind glass, \u201ckind of dead, one of many artifacts.\u201d\" class=\"embedded-image__image lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/montrealgazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/0127-city-poems-1.jpeg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=288\" srcset=\"https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/montrealgazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/0127-city-poems-1.jpeg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=288,&#10;                https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/montrealgazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/0127-city-poems-1.jpeg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=576 2x\" height=\"750\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1000\"\/><\/picture><figcaption class=\"image-caption\"><span class=\"caption\"> Lenka Lichtenberg thought of donating the poems to a museum, but worried they would remain behind glass, \u201ckind of dead, one of many artifacts.\u201d<\/span> <span class=\"distributor\">Lenka Lichtenberg<\/span> <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cThey are really unusual, considering where they were written,\u201d Lichtenberg said. \u201cMany of them are about love and loss of love, relationships, about loss of closeness and intimacy, which was clearly happening between her and her husband, Richard. You would never think they were written by a person who was literally on the brink of death, not knowing whether she would be transported (to Auschwitz) the next day.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat she would be concerned with expressing herself about her relationship as opposed to the horrors around her \u2014 one could say it was a private world of escape where she could think about what was important to her personally, her marriage. Some of the poems are very sad. A half-dozen, which I believe were written toward the end of her stay, when she had lost all hope, go to truly dark places, describing a complete loss of faith. But most of them are beautiful love poems, and some are even quirky.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"ad__section-border article-content__ad-group\">\n<section aria-describedby=\"advertisment8577894175420797896525980643622912\" class=\"ad\">\n<h2 class=\"visually-hidden\" id=\"advertisment8577894175420797896525980643622912\">Advertisement 5<\/h2>\n<div class=\"ad__container\">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\" id=\"ad__inner-5\">\n<div class=\"ad__inner__container\" data-ad=\"[[1200,250],[1200,90],[970,90],[970,250],[728,90],[300,250]]\" data-ad-loc=\"5\" data-ad-mobile=\"[[320,50],[300,50],[300,250]]\" data-aqa=\"advertisement\" id=\"ad-5\">\n<div aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"ad__placeholder\">\n<p> This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<section class=\"article-content__content-group\">\n<h2 class=\"visually-hidden\">Article content<\/h2>\n<p>Lichtenberg released the album Thieves of Dreams last year \u2014 a selection of 16 of her grandmother\u2019s poems, sung in the original Czech and set to a mellifluous cross-pollination of world music and jazz. It reached No. 36 on the World Music Charts Europe\u2019s top albums of 2022.<\/p>\n<p>Made with funding from the Canada Council for the Arts and the Ontario Arts Council, the album features contributions from several female composers, commissioned by Lichtenberg. The Quebec premi\u00e8re of her performance Thieves of Dreams: Songs of Theresienstadt\u2019s Secret Poetess takes place Saturday, Feb. 4 at 7:30 p.m. at Congregation Dorshei Emet in Hampstead.<\/p>\n<p>Directed by Leah Cherniak, with visuals by Lum\u00edr Hlad\u00edk, the multimedia performance has Lichtenberg flanked by an all-female band. They will be accompanied by projections of photo archives and historical footage, along with English translations of the lyrics, which Lichtenberg says are essential to understanding the material.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"ad__section-border article-content__ad-group\">\n<section aria-describedby=\"advertisment2539873166101501492879478719774720\" class=\"ad\">\n<h2 class=\"visually-hidden\" id=\"advertisment2539873166101501492879478719774720\">Advertisement 6<\/h2>\n<div class=\"ad__container\">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\" id=\"ad__inner-6\">\n<div class=\"ad__inner__container\" data-ad=\"[[1200,250],[1200,90],[970,90],[970,250],[728,90],[300,250]]\" data-ad-loc=\"6\" data-ad-mobile=\"[[320,50],[300,50],[300,250]]\" data-aqa=\"advertisement\" id=\"ad-6\">\n<div aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"ad__placeholder\">\n<p> This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<section class=\"article-content__content-group\">\n<h2 class=\"visually-hidden\">Article content<\/h2>\n<p data-async=\"\">The lyrics and album booklet are available to download for free on her website, but sadly not on streaming services, which provide only the music.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt breaks my heart,\u201d said Lichtenberg, who plans to release a second volume of the album with English versions of her grandmother\u2019s poems.<\/p>\n<p>The project is the fruition of a decades-spanning journey to connect with her Jewish identity for the artist, who moved to Vancouver in her early 20s, performing on cruise ships, singing in rock bands and lounge acts before settling in Toronto 30 years ago.<\/p>\n<p>She earned a master\u2019s degree in ethnomusicology from York University, and started working \u201cas a serious Jewish musician,\u201d performing traditional Jewish folk songs before writing her own music.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"ad__section-border article-content__ad-group\">\n<section aria-describedby=\"advertisment9544308167447334730559156912128\" class=\"ad\">\n<h2 class=\"visually-hidden\" id=\"advertisment9544308167447334730559156912128\">Advertisement 7<\/h2>\n<div class=\"ad__container\">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\" id=\"ad__inner-7\">\n<div class=\"ad__inner__container\" data-ad=\"[[1200,250],[1200,90],[970,90],[970,250],[728,90],[300,250]]\" data-ad-loc=\"7\" data-ad-mobile=\"[[320,50],[300,50],[300,250]]\" data-aqa=\"advertisement\" id=\"ad-7\">\n<div aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"ad__placeholder\">\n<p> This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<section class=\"article-content__content-group\">\n<h2 class=\"visually-hidden\">Article content<\/h2>\n<p>Doing so \u201cfelt like an act of defiance,\u201d Lichtenberg said. \u201cOnce I started singing Jewish music, I felt like I was reclaiming something lost.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That quest has come full circle with Thieves of Dreams, which she hopes will contribute to a different understanding of the Holocaust.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI really hope people listen with their hearts,\u201d Lichtenberg said. \u201cI\u2019m all about beauty. Combined with the depth of what the experience was in which such beauty was created \u2014 that you can create beauty in those kinds of circumstances is astonishing. I think it\u2019s uplifting to people to see that happened, and that it\u2019s possible.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>AT A GLANCE<\/strong><\/p>\n<p data-async=\"\"><em><strong>Lenka Lichtenberg performs Thieves of Dreams: Songs of Theresienstadt\u2019s Secret Poetess,<\/strong> Saturday, Feb. 4 at 7:30 p.m. at Congregation Dorshei Emet, 18 Cleve Rd. in Hampstead, for Shabbat Shira. Tickets cost $36 in advance ($20 for students), $45 at the door, available at dorsheiemet.com. For more information on the project, see lenkalichtenberg.com.<\/em><\/p>\n<p data-async=\"\">tdunlevy@postmedia.com<\/p>\n<p data-async=\"\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-evt=\"click\" data-evt-typ=\"click\" data-evt-val=\"{\" control_fields=\"\" link=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TChaDunlevy\">twitter.com\/TChaDunlevy<\/a><\/p>\n<section aria-labelledby=\"moreTopicLabel4779566940214278880720166582222848\" class=\"more-topic\" data-aqa=\"embed-more-topic\" data-carousel-component=\"\" data-carousel-icon-button=\"\" data-carousel-type=\"list\"> <button aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"more-topic__button-prev\" data-carousel-prev=\"\" tabindex=\"-1\" title=\"previous\" type=\"button\"\/> <\/p>\n<ol class=\"more-topic__items list-unstyled\" data-carousel-slide-list=\"\" tabindex=\"0\">\n<li class=\"more-topic__item\" data-carousel-item=\"\">  <picture class=\"more-topic__item-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Montreal writer Monique Polak told the story of the \u201cmonkey man\u201d charm with the goal of spreading its message of hope and humanity to a wider audience. Above, she holds a silver replica.\" class=\"lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/montrealgazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/1008-city-col-hanes-9187.jpg?h=96&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80\" height=\"96\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/montrealgazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/1008-city-col-hanes-9187.jpg?h=96&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80,&#10;                                    https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/montrealgazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/1008-city-col-hanes-9187.jpg?h=192&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 2x,&#10;                                    https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/montrealgazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/1008-city-col-hanes-9187.jpg?h=288&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 3x\" width=\"96\"\/><\/picture>\n<h3 class=\"more-topic__item-text\"> <span class=\"more-topic__item-text-clamp\"> The story behind the story of a mother&#8217;s Holocaust secret <\/span> <\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"more-topic__item\" data-carousel-item=\"\">  <picture class=\"more-topic__item-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Until she left Ukraine in mid-March, Nataliia Mariichyn and Sam Langleben spoke daily. Air raids meant she was often in the basement. \u201cThe stress of war was definitely in the air when we spoke,\u201d he said.\" class=\"lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/montrealgazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/0521-city-ukrainian-3.jpg?h=96&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80\" height=\"96\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/montrealgazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/0521-city-ukrainian-3.jpg?h=96&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80,&#10;                                    https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/montrealgazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/0521-city-ukrainian-3.jpg?h=192&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 2x,&#10;                                    https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/montrealgazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/0521-city-ukrainian-3.jpg?h=288&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 3x\" width=\"96\"\/><\/picture>\n<h3 class=\"more-topic__item-text\"> <span class=\"more-topic__item-text-clamp\"> Closing the circle: Two families bound by a Holocaust rescue <\/span> <\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"more-topic__item\" data-carousel-item=\"\">  <picture class=\"more-topic__item-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Gideon Zelermyer sings the national anthems before the start of the Canadiens\/Jets game at the Bell Centre last week.\" class=\"lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/montrealgazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/0118-spt-habsgamer-0033.jpg?h=96&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80\" height=\"96\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/montrealgazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/0118-spt-habsgamer-0033.jpg?h=96&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80,&#10;                                    https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/montrealgazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/0118-spt-habsgamer-0033.jpg?h=192&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 2x,&#10;                                    https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/montrealgazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/0118-spt-habsgamer-0033.jpg?h=288&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 3x\" width=\"96\"\/><\/picture>\n<h3 class=\"more-topic__item-text\"> <span class=\"more-topic__item-text-clamp\"> Singer proud to wear kippah while belting out national anthems at Bell Centre <\/span> <\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><button aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"more-topic__button-next\" data-carousel-next=\"\" tabindex=\"-1\" title=\"next\" type=\"button\"\/> <\/section>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"article-content__share-group article-delimiter\" data-evt=\"beforeunload\" data-evt-typ=\"page_scroll\" data-evt-val=\"{\" control_fields=\"\">\n<h2 class=\"visually-hidden\">Share this article in your social network<\/h2>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"widget article-content__widget-group article-content__widget-group--wcm-dynamic-list-slot\">\n<section aria-labelledby=\"LatestNationalStories8717263286595061139526768100638720\" class=\"list-widget list\" data-aqa=\"widget-list\" data-async=\"\" data-category-colour=\"default\">\n<ol class=\"list-widget__content list-unstyled list--loading\" data-content-id=\"b2831e0a-9626-4577-8358-254fc6da5f66\" data-list-component=\"\" data-list-id=\"750b25a8-e919-4c89-97b7-38feb92870d9\" data-list-max=\"5\" data-list-min=\"3\" data-list-name=\"latest-national-stories\" data-list-native_ad_enabled=\"True\" data-list-native_ad_position=\"2\" data-list-pos=\"\" data-list-render=\"widget\" data-list-type=\"wcm-dynamic-list\" data-remove-duplication=\"\" data-template-name=\"feed-card-list\" id=\"b2831e0a-9626-4577-8358-254fc6da5f66\"\/>\n<div class=\"visually-hidden js-b2831e0a-9626-4577-8358-254fc6da5f66-native\">\n<article class=\"ad__native\" data-list-position=\"2\" data-native=\"\">\n<section aria-describedby=\"advertisment7579492269326013576476223634145280\" class=\"ad\">\n<h2 class=\"visually-hidden\" id=\"advertisment7579492269326013576476223634145280\">Advertisement 1<\/h2>\n<div class=\"ad__container\">\n<div class=\"ad__inner ad__inner--native\" id=\"ad__inner-native-1\">\n<div class=\"ad__inner__container\" data-ad=\"[[5,5]]\" data-ad-light-ineligible=\"\" data-ad-loc=\"1\" data-ad-mobile=\"[[5,5]]\" data-ad-ref=\"off\" data-aqa=\"advertisement\" id=\"ad-native-1\">\n<div aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"ad__placeholder\">\n<p> This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<footer aria-label=\"Article Comments\" class=\"article-footer\">\n<section class=\"comments__section\" data-aqa=\"viafoura-comments\" id=\"comments\">\n<h3 class=\"widget-title comments-anchor\" id=\"comments-area\">Comments<\/h3>\n<p class=\"comments__section-disclaimer\"> Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion and encourage all readers to share their views on our articles. 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Lenka Lichtenberg during a Toronto performance of her album Thieves of Dreams, featuring poems written by her grandmother during the Holocaust, set to music. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":80397,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[86],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v15.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Grandmother&#039;s poems, penned in concentration camp, make beautiful music - WORLD CATHOLIC NEWS<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.worldcatholicnews.com\/grandmothers-poems-penned-in-concentration-camp-make-beautiful-music\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Grandmother&#039;s poems, penned in concentration camp, make beautiful music - WORLD CATHOLIC NEWS\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Breadcrumb Trail Links News Local News Local Arts Entertainment &#8220;That you can create beauty in those kinds of circumstances is astonishing,&#8221; said Lenka Lichtenberg, who will perform the songs in Montreal. 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