Willesden Reads Project
Join the Willesden READS Project
Join us in spring of 2026, for an unforgettable journey of learning and inspiration with the WILLESDEN READS PROJECT, brought to you by the Ensemble Theatre Company of Santa Barbara in collaboration with the Hold On To Your Music Foundation. This project offers an incredible educational opportunity you won’t want to miss!
In communities across America and the globe, students are given the book, The Children of Willesden Lane, and they create projects including essays, poetry and short films around its universal themes. The program includes the powerful theatrical show in which Mona Golabek brings her mother’s story and history to life. To date, two million students have experienced the Willesden READ. Now via a partnership with USC Shoah Foundation, the Willesden READS program is available to even more communities in both in-person and remote formats.
Join the Willesden Reads Movement: Empower Your Students Through Storytelling
Are you an educator passionate about fostering a love for reading in your classroom? Join us in the Willesden Reads initiative, an exciting program designed to ignite curiosity and inspire the imaginations of young minds. Our goal is to reach 10,000 students with this transformative literacy experience, and we need your support to make it happen.
A Willesden READ includes:
- Books or ebooks available in age-appropriate versions for grades K-12.
- Mona’s one-woman show, a combination theatrical performance and piano concert, in which she shares her mother’s story of resilience and interacts with participating students.
- Digital educational materials available through USC Shoah Foundation’s award-winning website IWitness, incorporating testimony from other survivors to extend The Children of Willesden Lane and its themes.
- Professional development in the use of localized testimony-based classroom materials to contextualize the story, offered by leading educators through Echoes & Reflections.
In 2024, ETC proudly presented The Pianist of Willesden Lane, a production that captured the hearts and minds of audiences, including countless students who experienced its magic through our student matinee program. This acclaimed performance brilliantly showcased a poignant tale of love, courage, and perseverance. Watch this clip of Mona as she shares the moving inspiration behind this extraordinary story.
A STORY OF LOVE, FAITH, AND PERSEVERANCE
A memoir of courage, survival and the power of music to uplift the human spirit, The Children of Willesden Lane is Mona Golabek’s inspiring tribute to her mother, Lisa, and available in multiple versions for readers at every level.
Based on the life of Holocaust survivor Lisa Jura, The Children of Willesden Lane is the cornerstone offering of the Hold On To Your Music Foundation. When Lisa was a 14-year-old girl in pre-World War II Vienna, her parents were forced to make a difficult decision. Able to secure passage for only one of their three daughters aboard the Kindertransport, they chose to send Lisa to London, believing her talent would give her the strength to survive an uncertain future. Lisa made her way to a Jewish hostel on Willesden Lane in London. Her music became a beacon of hope for other displaced children. Through hard work and determination, Lisa is accepted to study piano at the Royal Academy. As she supports herself and studies, she makes a new life and holds on to her dreams of reconnecting with the family she was forced to leave behind.
The Willesden READS program offers an exciting opportunity to experience a captivating 50-minute adaptation of the acclaimed play. You can choose to bring this enriching experience directly into your classroom or enjoy a live performance at The Granada.
Mona Golabek
Author, recording artist, and internationally renowned concert pianist Mona Golabek learned to play the piano from her mother, Holocaust survivor Lisa Jura. Her father, Michel Golabek, fought valiantly in theFrench resistance and received the Croix de Guerre. Mona’s grandparents died at Auschwitz. Her mother is the subject of Mona’s acclaimed book, The Children of Willesden Lane, co-authored by Lee
Cohen. The book has been translated in a dozen languages, including the recent Arabic and Ukrainian publications. The book will be published in Mandarin in 2025. In 2012, Mona made her stage debut in The Pianist of Willesden Lane, adapted from the book. The production, directed by Hershey Felder, has been celebrated by critics and audiences with sold out theatrical runs in New York, London, and many other cities. Mona has received Best Actress nominations from the New York Drama Desk and Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle.
A Grammy nominee, Mona is a prolific recording artist and has been the subject of several documentaries including Concerto for Mona with conductor Zubin Mehta. Her discography includes the best-selling Carnival of the Animals and Ravel’s Mother Goose Suite, both recorded with her sister Renee. They feature the voices of Meryl Streep, Audrey Hepburn, Ted Danson, and Lily Tomlin. In 2002, Mona formed the Hold On To Your Music Foundation with the help of the Milken Family Foundation, Facing History and Ourselves, and the Annenberg Foundation. Its mission is to foster hope through the power of storytelling and music and embolden the human spirit in the face of
adversity. Now, her foundation is partnered with the USC Shoah Foundation, creating a groundbreaking educational initiative, The Willesden Project, that brings her mother’s story to students and communities across the globe. More than ten million students, readers, and audience goers have experienced the inspirational message of “Willesden Lane.”
“The Children of Willesden Lane” by Mona Golabek and Lee Cohen is a poignant memoir that tells the story of a young Jewish girl, Lisa Jura, who escapes Nazi-occupied Europe and makes her way to London. The book covers various themes and historical contexts. Here are some key points:
Themes
Resilience and Survival: The story highlights the strength of the human spirit in the face of adversity.
Family and Separation: The impact of war on families and the emotional toll of separation are central to Lisa’s journey.
Courage and Hope: The ability to find hope and courage amid despair plays a crucial role in the narrative.
Music as Salvation: Music serves as a means of expression and a source of healing for Lisa and others in her situation.
Cultural Identity: The struggle to maintain cultural identity amidst displacement and change is explored throughout the book.
Historical Context:
- The Holocaust: The book is set against the backdrop of the Holocaust, detailing the experiences of Jews during World War II.
- Kindertransport: The memoir focuses on the Kindertransport, a rescue mission that brought thousands of Jewish children to safety in Britain prior to the war’s escalation.
- World War II: The broader context of the war, including its impact on Europe and the Jewish community, is vital to understanding Lisa’s experiences.
Other Study Topics:
- Personal Narratives of the Holocaust: Compare and contrast with other memoirs or accounts of Holocaust survivors.
- The Role of Music in Wartime: Explore how music has been used as a tool for resistance, healing, and cultural preservation during conflicts.
- Child Refugees: Investigate the experiences of child refugees throughout history, including their challenges and triumphs.
- Influence of Women During the Holocaust: Analyze the roles and experiences of women during this period, both in the camps and as survivors.
- The Impact of War on Youth: Study how children are affected by war, including psychological impacts and loss of childhood innocence.
Don’t miss out on this enriching opportunity — sign up for the Willesden READS program today!
There is no cost to participate. Books are delivered free to your school, and tickets to the recorded or live performance are also free. By signing up, you are not only showing you interest but allowing us to apply for funding that will make this program possible. Ready to Make an Impact? Register Today to empower your students with the gift of reading. Together, we can make a difference—one page at a time.