JFilm 2026: Hold on to Your Music – A Mother’s Legacy

In this deeply personal and profoundly universal documentary, based on the internationally acclaimed book and theatrical production, Grammy-nominated concert pianist Mona Golabek shares the extraordinary story of her mother, Lisa Jura, a child-prodigy pianist. In 1938, Lisa was one of 10,000 unaccompanied Jewish children rescued from Nazi-occupied Europe and brought to England on the Kindertransport. As antisemitic persecution engulfed Vienna, Lisa’s father, reduced to penury like so many of his fellow Jews, miraculously won a Kindertransport ticket while gambling. Faced with an unthinkable decision, he and his wife had to choose which of their three daughters would be saved. They chose Lisa. Featuring interviews of towering Jewish scholars and spanning three generations, this life-affirming film stands as a luminous testament to survival, artistry, and the enduring strength of a mother’s love.

Film subject Mona Golabek will be opening the screening with a special live piano performance sponsored by Steinway, and following the film she will be present for a Q&A.

Winner: Torchbearer Award—Miami Jewish Film Festival

Nominated: Best Documentary—UK Jewish Film Festival