My Polish Wisnia How My Grandfather Survived The Holocaust, Through Story & Song
Avi Wisnia shares the stories and songs of his late grandfather, Cantor David S. Wisnia. The “My Polish Wisnia” project traces David’s harrowing life journey from young Polish singing star to Auschwitz prisoner to American liberator with the 101st Airborne. Through it all, Cantor Wisnia’s remarkable singing voice helped save his life, especially in the Nazi concentration camp. Presented in multi-media presentations and concerts, My Polish Wisnia explores the importance of preserving David’s memories and experiences, as chronicled in his memoir “One Voice, Two Lives.” The project revolves around musical performances which highlight the powerful intergenerational connection between grandfather and grandson. The Wisnias most recently traveled to Poland to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, their journey featured in the PBS documentary “How Saba Kept Singing.” By sharing his grandfather’s story, Avi highlights the urgency of keeping the memory of the Holocaust alive and passing on this legacy from generation to generation.
Upcoming Programs & News
Story
How Saba Kept Singing US Premiere
How Saba Kept Singing is finally coming home, to New Jersey!The feature documentary about how my grandfather David Wisnia survived the Holocaust & our recent journey back to Poland as a family is here, making its US premiere at the Rutgers Jewish Film Festival in November! “How Saba Kept Singing” incorporates music by my Saba […]
Connecting to my Grandfather’s Music on Holocaust Remembrance Day
Today is International Holocaust Remembrance Day, and I’m thinking about my grandfather. My grandfather was a great singer. The music world he came from was very different than mine. And yet, the more time we spent together performing, the more I got to know him as a person and as a musician, the more I became […]
PBS Documentary Premiere
I’ve been waiting a long time to tell you, and now I finally can…HOW SABA KEPT SINGING will make its televised premiere on PBS this Spring. The documentary will air on Yom HaShoah – Holocaust Remembrance Day, Tuesday April 18 at 10pm ET /9pm CT in the United States (check your local listings). The film […]
How Saba Kept Singing Philadelphia Premiere
You are invited to the Philly Premiere ofHow Saba Kept SingingMany of you know that I performed with my grandfather for many years before he passed away. One of the last trips we took together was to Poland in 2020 to perform one last time. That journey has now been turned into an amazing feature […]
Videos
How Saba Kept Singing film trailer
BuzzFeed Video: "How I Escaped The Holocaust"
Moishelach Shloimelach song
Seattle Holocaust Center: "How Music Saved My Grandfather in Auschwitz"
David Wisnia Sings Prayer at Auschwitz 70th Anniversary Event in Poland
Museum of American Jewish History Virtual Program
“Remembering the Holocaust" Program at Bucks County UU
Levittown Legends, The David Wisnia Story
Image Gallery
One Voice,
Two Lives
David Wisnia’s memoir, available in paper-back