The Valley of Silence: Search for Six Million

“This is not only a performance — it’s an act of remembrance. Through music we tell a story that must continue to be heard.” - Cantor Susan Lewis-Friedman

Step into an experience that is more than a concert — it is memory, history, and music woven together in a sacred space.

Inside the magnificent sanctuary of Temple Beth Zion in Buffalo, audiences will witness the world premiere of Valley of Silence: The Search for Six Million, a powerful Holocaust cantata written by Buffalo poet-composer Gloria Tetewsky and newly orchestrated by internationally respected musician Moshe Shulman.

This deeply moving performance will feature a 22-piece orchestra, including Antoine Lefebvre of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and oboist Anna Mattix, with stirring vocals by Cantors Mark Horowitz and Susan Lewis-Friedman.

A Violin That Carries History

In a rare and unforgettable moment, a remarkable instrument known as a “Violin of Hope” that survived the Holocaust itself — preserved by descendants of Romani victims — will be played Lefebvre.

Imagine hearing music about the Holocaust performed on a violin that existed during the Holocaust. The sound becomes not just music, but remembrance.

An Extraordinary Buffalo Collaboration

• A cantata by a Buffalo poet-composer
• Newly orchestrated by a Russian immigrant musician now living in Buffalo
• Performed by renowned regional and national artists
• Presented beneath the breathtaking stained-glass masterpiece by celebrated artist Ben Shahn

This concert arrives during the season of Jewish remembrance, near Passover and Holocaust memorial observances — a time to gather, reflect, and build bridges across communities.

All are welcome.
Friends from every faith, background, and community are invited to share in this powerful moment of music and remembrance.

Pay-What-You-Wish Admission
Our pay what you wish admission allows the Stained Glass Series to remain accessible to all community members.

Suggested Contribution:
• $18 Individual
• $36 Families

Every contribution has a lasting impact on Temple Beth Zion’s public programming, helping us to celebrate our heritage through our space and our music.

Come experience music that remembers, music that heals, and music that connects us across generations.

Funding is made possible through Arts Services Inc.’s Creative Impact Fund thanks to a New York State Senate Initiative supported by the NYS Legislature and the Office of the Governor, and administered by the New York State Council on the Arts.

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