About this Event
Join us for the San Francisco premiere of Hold On To Your Music: A Mother’s Legacy, including a live performance by internationally acclaimed concert pianist Mona Golabek.
In 1938 Vienna, 14-year-old piano prodigy Lisa Jura’s parents faced an unimaginable choice: which of their three daughters to send to safety on the Kindertransport. They chose Lisa. She arrived alone in wartime London with her music, memories of the family she left behind, and her mother’s parting words: “Hold on to your music.”
Directed by Academy Award nominee Josh Aronson and Emmy Award winner Adam R. Wood, the film brings Lisa’s remarkable story to life through rare archival footage, newly restored recordings, and performances by her daughter, Mona Golabek. Adapted from Golabek’s bestselling book and acclaimed stage production The Pianist of Willesden Lane, the story has reached more than 20 million people around the world—a testament to the power of music, memory, and a mother’s love across generations.
Following the screening and live performance, Golabek joins co-director Josh Aronson and producer Susan Solomon Libitzky in conversation with executive producer, Dr. Anita Friedman.
Best Documentary | Los Angeles Jewish Film Festival (2026)
WINNER - Audience Award for Best Documentary | JFilm Festival Pittsburgh (2026)
WINNER - Best Holocaust Documentary | Boca International Jewish Film Festival (2026)
WINNER - Torchbearer Jury Award | Miami Jewish Film Festival (2026)
UK–USA | 2025 | 75 minutes | English
Film courtesy of Menemsha Films.
Presented with generous support from the Libitzky Family Foundation, in partnership with JFI and the JFCS Holocaust Center.
5:00–7:15 PM – Film screening, live performance & conversation
7:15–8:30 PM – Reception with sips and hearty bites in the Atrium
Watch the trailer here
Questions? Email [email protected]
Event venue & nearby stays
Jewish Community Center of San Francisco, 3200 California Street, San Francisco, United States
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