Sztiler, sztiler (pol. Cicho, ciszej)

"SHTILER, SHTILER… / Hush, hush..."

Written and directed by: Gołda Tencer

Authentic Jewish songs from the ghetto and Icchak Kacenelson's moving poem, "Song of the Murdered Jewish People," form the foundation of the performance "SHTILER, SHTILER… / Hush, hush...", a profound tribute to a lost world.

The ghetto songs—sung in Yiddish—were born in the heart of tragic events. They tell of daily life behind the walls, the pain of separation, the longing for a lost world, and undying hope. They were a way of survival, an act of resistance, a form of prayer, and a record of a reality in which every day was a struggle for spiritual survival. These songs preserved the memory of those who perished, but also of those who—despite everything—believed in the future.

In the performance, these songs intertwine with dramatic texts by Kacenelson, a poet who, after losing his wife and two sons in the Warsaw Ghetto, was imprisoned and deported to the camp in Vittel, France, while hiding with his third son on the Aryan side. There, faced with his own destruction, he wrote "Song of the Murdered Jewish People"—one of the most moving literary testimonies to the Holocaust. In May 1944, Kacenelson and his son, Tzvi, were murdered in Auschwitz.

Gołda Tencer's performance is not just a reconstruction of a tragedy—it is a living testament to the power of music, words, and memory.

It is the voice of those who could not tell their story.

The performance is in Yiddish. Subtitles in Polish and English.

Premiere date:

May 23, 2025 - 7:00 PM