About Likht Ensemble
Likht (ליכט, "light") Ensemble is a piano-vocal duo whose goal is to uncover and disseminate music by Jewish composers from the Holocaust. As Jewish artists, the discovery of this music has allowed us to reclaim our history with a new perspective, while ensuring that voices once silenced are heard.
The Shoah Songbook is an ongoing recital series exploring music by Jewish composers during the Holocaust. The project shines a spotlight on remarkable artists whose voices were silenced too soon, ranging from the subtle poetry and haunting lullabies of Ilse Weber, to the stylistically daring works of Viktor Ullmann, to the never-before-recorded songs of Edwin Geist.
The Shoah Songbook began as a digital recital project (2020–2023) with the Harold Green Jewish Theatre Company and the Committee for Yiddish, and has since been presented in live performance at the Canadian Opera Company, Pacific Opera Victoria, the Chattanooga Symphony Orchestra and Public Library, among others.
Upcoming Shoah Songbook Performances:
January 10, 2026 - JCC & Toronto Holocaust Museum
January 18, 2026 - Salle Bourgie (Montreal)
March 11, 2026 - AusArten (Munich)
March 25, 2026 - Ehrbar Saale & ExilArte (Vienna)
The Shoah Songbook
Jewish Space Lasers is an in-development theatrical work exploring Jewish Holocaust art and Jewish identity in classical music and the world today, as seen through the lived experiences of Jewish classical musicians. This cabaret-style performance weaves together stand-up comedy, personal reflection, monologues adapted from historical documents, art song by Holocaust-era composers, new arrangements of Yiddish folk tunes, and works from the Germanic canon, including Wagner’s music.
Addressing the complexities of antisemitism, Holocaust memory, and Jewish identity in classical music, Jewish Space Lasers uses a three-dimensional storytelling approach to engage audiences with challenging material in a thoughtful, accessible, and often light-hearted way.
Thank you to the Canada Council for the Arts for supporting the first two workshops of Jewish Space Lasers.
Jewish Space Lasers
Likht Ensemble works with universities and educational institutions, community organizations, and arts organizations to offer lectures, workshops, and lecture-recitals on the following topics:
Lectures on specific composers and works, and on the lived experiences of artists in the Polish, German, Czech, and Lithuanian ghettos
Musical life during the Holocaust
Antisemitism in classical music and opera (see Likht Ensemble’s recent education package, Antisemitism in Music, here)
Lecture recitals (with various repertoire and subject matter)
Professional development for artists and creatives
Likht Ensemble regularly works with artists and students to provide professional development training that empowers creatives to pursue their passions. Workshops explore topics such as identifying personal values, expanding professional skill sets, project development and management, grant writing, time management, pitching projects, and more.
Education and Outreach
"The Shoah Songbook made for a genuinely entertaining evening of music regardless of its topical relevance. The pieces had much to recommend them, and due credit must be given to the work of Nate Ben-Horin in arranging many of these selections. I hardly need to mention that Jaclyn Grossman’s voice is something to write home about when she gets going, but I’ll say it anyway. She was as always a commanding presence through all the highs and lows of the performance."
