Family

14Oct2023Blog postEric Wisnia, Family, in memorium

Remembering Rabbi Eric Wisnia

This is my dad. You may recognize this face, smiling at you from the merch table, or sitting front row in the audience. He probably chatted you up in New Jersey, or DC, or California. My dad was an incredible supporter. If he could be at a concert, he always asked if I needed someone to sell CDs. I think he liked sitting at the table because he got to greet everyone. After he retired as a rabbi, he became a professional schmoozer. He was always very good at it. He loved talking to people.

It was a shock when he passed away last month. His heart just gave out – which is ironic, because he always had so much of it to give. I’m glad so many of you got to know him, even if just from attending my shows. I had to cancel a few concerts and events the past few weeks and I thank you for your understanding and giving me that time. I’m looking forward to getting back out on the road to make music again soon. And when I do, I’ll picture my dad there, smiling up at me from the front row, or swaying to the music from his happy place at the merch table.

>> In memory of Rabbi Eric B. Wisnia <<

27Jan2020Blog post, My Polish WisniaAuschwitz, Auschwitz75, Cantor, Family, holocaust, International Holocaust Remembrance Day, My Polish Wisnia, PBS, Philadelphia Inquirer, Poland, press, survivor, travel

Poland Part III: Day 4

On Holocaust Remembrance Day, my grandfather sang in front of this stone building, the Death Gate to Auschwitz-Birkenau. It is a profound experience to be here in Auschwitz, commemorating the Holocaust, as a family. We are three generations bearing witness to the horrors my grandfather survived. And as hard as it is to be here, as hard as it has been to make this journey, it is important. If the Nazis were successful, none of us would be here. But we are here. And we are here for all those who cannot be here. We will not be erased.

“Children and grandchildren walked beside survivors or pushed their wheelchairs into buildings made of brick and hatred, proof that the Nazis couldn’t turn every family, every future, to ash.

‘I feel a great responsibility,’ grandson Avi Wisnia said at a survivor dinner Sunday night in Kraków. “My grandfather’s story is my story. It’s the story of my family. I’m very aware that when he dies, I need to keep the memory alive, and the story alive, and these experiences alive.’

David Wisnia, a longtime cantor, stood before the crowd, the gates of Auschwitz behind him. Long ago, the Nazi guards took a liking to his voice, and it kept his future alive. He sang a prayer for the dead, then the Mourner’s Kaddish. Survivors sang along and cried.

Avi stood beside him, a singer like his grandfather.” … [READ MORE from The Philadelphia Inquirer]

>> David Wisnia & Family, featured on PBS News Hour [WATCH at PBS]

It is important to hear about the Holocaust from those who experienced it, now, while we still can.

You can still watch the 75th Anniversary ceremony. Use this english-language LINK to watch the entire event. Listen to several survivors speak about the Holocaust, in their own words, and hear my grandfather sing at hour 2:25 [WATCH]

#MyPolishWisnia

4May2016Blog post, My Polish WisniaAuschwitz, Auschwitz70, Family, holocaust, International Holocaust Remembrance Day, Jewish Museum, Jews, My Polish Wisnia, One Voice Two Lives, Philadelphia, Poland, press, storytellers, storytelling, survivor, Yom HaShoah

Remembering the Holocaust: From Generation to Generation

It is important to tell our stories; the stories of where we come from, the stories of our families, and especially stories of the Holocaust. There are lessons to be learned and applied to situations going on right now in the world. We have seen this before. We have lived it. What kind of people are we? and what kind of world do we want for each other?

Thanks to everyone who attended the event at the National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia. Read more from an article in the Philly Inquirer.

Read about my recent travels to Poland with my grandfather in the #MyPolishWisnia blog: HERE.

My grandfather’s Holocaust memoir is now available at www.onevoicetwolives.com.

2Apr2016Blog post, My Polish WisniaAuschwitz, Auschwitz70, Family, holocaust, International Holocaust Remembrance Day, Jewish Museum, Jews, My Polish Wisnia, One Voice Two Lives, Philadelphia, Poland, storytellers, storytelling, survivor

The Importance of Telling Our Family Stories

The Holocaust Awareness Museum and Education Center in partnership with the National Museum of American Jewish History is pleased to present “Telling our Families’ Stories,” in which panelists will be speaking about their personal or families’ experiences before, during, and after the Holocaust and discuss what motivates them to keep the stories alive. Join us for a panel discussion including Holocaust Survivor Daniel Goldsmith, Shari Glauser, daughter of Holocaust Survivor Kurt Herman z”l, and Avi Wisnia, grandson of Holocaust Survivor Cantor David Wisnia. After the presentation, there will be options for a docent led tour of the Dreams of Freedom galleries and an opportunity for attendees to do a short video about their own families in the It’s Your Story booth or respond to questions in the Contemporary Issues Forum. Pre-registration requested due to space limitations. Please contact Tammy Forstater at HAMEC at 215-464-4701 or email tammy@hamec.org to register and for further information.

Date: Sunday, April 10.
Time: 1:00pm.
Admission: Free with Museum Admission.
Age restrictions: All Ages.
Box office: 215-464-4701.
Address: 101 S Independence Mall E, Philadelphia PA

>>TICKETS & EVENT INFORMATION<<

Read about my recent travels to Poland with my grandfather in the #MyPolishWisnia blog: HERE.

My grandfather’s Holocaust memoir is now available at www.onevoicetwolives.com.