Finding a Voice: Musicians in Terezin

Soon after Hitler and his Nazi party took over Germany in 1933, they began to isolate and then eliminate Jews and other “racial enemies.” By the late 1930s, Jews could no longer own radios or record players. They were banned from movie theaters, concert halls, and cabarets. Their music, art, and literature were labeled “degenerate,” even immoral.

This study guide is designed to help teachers and their students use the CD, Finding a Voice: Musicians in Terezín, to explore the role of the arts and artists in that extraordinary place. It is music that deepens our understanding not only of creativity but also of courage, resilience, and resistance. This music is a part of the history of Terezín and of the Holocaust.

In this study guide students will examine the issues and challenges of “finding a voice” through music during the tyranny of the Third Reich. It is a journey that will no doubt change how you listen to music, especially the music of our time.