“Learning Disguised as Play: Children’s Music Education in the Terezín Ghetto During the Holocaust” – Dr. Amanda Greenbacker-Mitchell ’17, G’22

Amanda Greenbacker-Mitchell is a proud Syracuse University alumna whose groundbreaking dissertation research focuses on Holocaust music education—specifically examining how children engaged with music while imprisoned in the Terezín ghetto. Her work bridges a critical gap in our understanding of life during this tragic period.

Notably, Amanda created educational materials for the Defiant Requiem Foundation, demonstrating her deep commitment to preserving and sharing this important history. Her expertise offers invaluable context for audiences experiencing the Defiant Requiem performance.

This talk is part of a series of residency events organized in support of the Syracuse Orchestra and Syracuse University Oratorio Society’s performance of Defiant Requiem, making it particularly relevant to your community members and audiences.

While the musical activities of adults in Terezín have been well-documented, the musical experiences of children in the ghetto remain largely unexplored. This talk bridges that critical gap in our understanding of life in Theresienstadt.

Drawing from her dissertation research, Professor Amanda Greenbacker-Mitchell ’17, G’22 examines the nature of children’s music engagement while imprisoned in the Terezín (Theresienstadt) ghetto during the Holocaust between 1941 and 1945. Specifically, she elucidates the ways children engaged with music in Terezín, and categorizes those experiences into formal, non-formal, and informal music engagement practices.

This research offers valuable insights for scholars and practitioners in music education, general education, and Holocaust history. Through examining the nature of music engagement in Terezín, we may better understand the daily lives of young people in the ghetto, the creation of educational infrastructures in unstable circumstances, and the rationale and practices of music education under perilous conditions.

Terezin_Lecture_Greenbacker-Mitchell-mwedit012826