Gronowski came to Sabadell for the premiere of the Opera 'PUSH' in catalan

Sometimes, a strong push doesn’t knock you down, it saves you. That’s what happened to Simon Gronowski on April 19, 1943, aboard Convoy 20 of the night train traveling the infamous route from Malines (Mechelen) to Auschwitz-Birkenau.

His desperate mother, Chana Gronowski, armed herself with courage and, in an act of love, pushed him out of the train, preventing her son from becoming just another victim of the Nazi Holocaust, known in Hebrew as the Shoah. She could not save herself.

Today, Gronowski is 93 years old. He visited Sabadell on January 26 to attend the opera PUSH, a participatory production that tells his unique story, this time translated into Catalan by J. Sellent. The performance brought together 130 singers from four choirs in Sabadell (Corals Belles Arts de Sabadell, Corals Els Notes, Cor Jove, and Cor Ohana from the Municipal School of Music and Conservatory of Sabadell), as well as Cor Amics de l’Òpera de Sabadell and the Orquestra Simfònica del Vallès, making a total of 154 people on stage, all under the direction of Jordi Cos, Manel Valdivieso, Dani Coma, and Buia Reixach.

The baritone Toni Marsol gave voice to Simon; soprano Laia Frigolé played his sister, and baritone Germán de la Riva portrayed the guard.

The weight of historical memory and resistance

Today, Gronowski continues to share his story, not just to remember those who are no longer here but to fight against those who try to erase the past and spread hatred among humans, reopening wounds.

The Belgian pianist and Holocaust survivor says he broke his silence late. He recounts his experience in his book L’Enfant du 20e convoi vers Auschwitz, where he explains, among other things, why he chose to spread a message of hope, an uncomfortable reminder that democracy is a daily battle, not a permanent state, but a right that must be defended.

However, it is never too late to teach new generations about the horrors of war and the Nazi Holocaust in Europe between 1939 and 1945. That is why, in 2016, British composer Howard Moody created a one-act opera with both libretto and music to tell Gronowski’s survival story. The work was commissioned by the Battle Festival, in co-production with Glyndebourne and De La Warr Pavilion, and premiered at the ROOT 1066 International Festival on October 1, 2016.

In Sabadell, the opera premiered for the first time with Gronowski himself in the audience, as part of the closing events of Sabadell as the Capital of Catalan Culture 2024.

Testimonials

Lucía Herrera, 11 years old, student at the Municipal School of Music and Conservatory of Sabadell

Jan López, 11 years old, student at the Municipal School of Music and Conservatory of Sabadell

– How did you feel meeting Simon Gronowski in person?

Lucía: Well, I felt very lucky to meet someone who is still alive and has gone through such an experience and to be able to talk to him. I was really happy because this isn’t something that happens every day and probably not to everyone. I feel fortunate to have met him.

Jan: At first, I was really moved to learn about what he went through as a child, all his tragedies, and the opportunities he had.

– How did hearing his testimony firsthand change your perception of the Nazi Holocaust?

Lucía: To be honest, until recently, I didn’t know much about World War II, but when we started working on the opera, I began researching a bit. I read a book or two, asked my teachers and parents, and it was different when they explained it to me compared to when he told me himself. One thing is hearing it from others, and another is hearing it from someone who lived through it, you know? He was there, it’s very different, and it really moved me.

Jan: I didn’t know much about his story, so I looked it up because it was a firsthand account. Talking to him clarified the events for me, and then I understood better.

– Was there a specific moment in his story that impacted you the most?

Lucía: Yes. I had imagined the moment he was thrown from the train differently. He explained that after he was pushed out, the train slowed down, and he thought his mother was going to jump too, but she didn’t. He stood still, then guards appeared, and he considered going back, but in the end, he didn’t because he knew that if he stayed with his mother, he would be killed. Then he ran in the opposite direction and spent the entire night running alone. It really impacted me to think that he was all alone without his parents.

Jan: Well, when he was pushed from the train and expected his mother to jump, but she didn’t. That was a really tough moment for him!

– What message did Gronowski want to convey?

Lucía: I think Simon wants to spread peace in the world. He wants to tell his story so that things like this never happen again and so that people understand that terrible things have happened, things he himself lived through, very important things.

Jan: Well, this still happens today, and it’s important for young people to know his story so that it doesn’t happen again.

– What did you learn from participating in PUSH?

Lucía: I think performing in an opera like this at our age is very important. Not everyone gets to do an opera at 11, 12, or 13 years old, especially one that tells the story of a man who survived a war and still believes in human kindness. When opportunities like this come up, you have to take them.

Jan: I learned how to sing better and act a little more.

These young singers and violin students took part in the production, and their responses reflected how deeply the experience affected them.

For many, it was the first time they had come so close to the memory of the Nazi Holocaust. Their words expressed emotion, learning, and, above all, a sense of responsibility. Some spoke of the importance of remembering the past to prevent it from repeating. Others expressed admiration for Gronowski’s resilience. All agreed that this experience left a lasting mark on them. More than just an opera, PUSH was a live history lesson for both the audience and the performers, who now carry with them not only the music and performance but also the testimony of a man who, despite everything he endured, still believes in human kindness. “I have never felt hatred because hatred punishes the one who harbors it, and I have never suffered from that disease. But I fight against the extreme right and fascism so that no one else has to suffer.” — Simon Gronowski in Catalonia. 

PUSH! A work by British composer Howard Moody about the moving story of Belgian pianist and Holocaust survivor Simon Gronowski.

• Musical direction: Manel Valdivieso

• Stage direction: Dani Coma

• Choir direction: Buia Reixach

• Artistic direction and coordination: Jordi Cos The production featured 130 singers from four Sabadell choirs (Corals Belles Arts de Sabadell, Corals Els Notes, Cor Jove, and Cor Ohana), plus Cor Amics de l’Òpera de Sabadell and the Orquestra Simfònica del Vallès, totaling 154 performers.

• Toni Marsol played Simon

• Laia Frigolé played his sister

• Germán de la Riva played the guard

A Unique Event in the Entire War

The barbarians murdered my mother and my sister in the gas chambers of Auschwitz-Birkenau; my father died in despair in July 1945, and I was the only survivor. […] I turned my back on the past, but I never forgot. I wanted to live for the present and the future, for optimism, joy, and friendship. I wanted to live life out of loyalty to my parents.

I broke my silence very late. To expose those who claim that it never happened, that there were no gas chambers, no crematoria, no mass murders. I wish they were right: my family would be alive. These people are dangerous: they deny the crimes of yesterday to commit others tomorrow. I must share my testimony, and whoever hears a witness becomes a witness in turn.

[…] I speak on behalf of all the victims of all barbarities. I speak especially for today’s children, the men and women of tomorrow, and for all the peoples of the world. They must know the barbarity of the past to defend democracy today. Democracy is a daily battle.

This is a message of hope and happiness. I, who lost my family to criminal hatred, do not hold hatred in my heart. Despite the tragic events of yesterday and today, I have faith in the future because I believe in human kindness.

Long live peace and friendship among all people!

Simon Gronowski

BIO

Simon Gronowski

Born in Belgium on October 12, 1931.

Son of a Lithuanian Jewish mother and a Polish father.

Lawyer, musician, and atheist.

Loves jazz and plays the piano.

Married, with two children and four grandchildren.

At the age of 11, he spent a month in Sainte-Amaline prison with his sister and mother.

He escaped Auschwitz at the age of 12 when three young members of the resistance attacked and stopped the train, opening one of the wagons and freeing 17 people. However, his mother pushed him out from another wagon. That night, 233 prisoners managed to escape.

His mother’s name was Chana Gronowski, and his sister’s name was Ita Gronowski.

The opera PUSH has three key moments: when the Nazis separate him from his sister, when his mother pushes him off the train, and when one of the Nazis, Hans-Jürgen Förster (a member of the SS), who had put him in the wagon, sought his forgiveness in 2013.