The Harmonica

Little Shmulek dreams of his very own harmonica on which to play the sweet tunes of distant memories. This is a story about one child’s love of music, his determination, making dreams come true, and about the kind adults along the way who see the child, sympathize with his heart’s desire, and help him make his dream a reality.
“The child has the right to desire … the right to grow and ripen, and having matured, to bear fruit.”
[Janusz Korczak, Educational Moments, Selected Works Vol. 1, p. 119, Yad Vashem and Lochamey HaGetaot 1996]

Stefa Wilczyńska and Janusz Korczak ran the Jewish Children’s orphanage in Warsaw [1912-1942]. Dr. Korczak was a physician, writer and educator, who employed innovative educational methods in the orphanage that centered on fraternity, equality, the children’s self-control, and listening to their desires. Stefa Wilczyńska actively ran the facility with much love and patience for the children, until their work was cut short during World War II. This book brings the light and innocence that permeated the orphanage thanks to these two remarkable individuals.
Shmulek Gogol [1924-1993] was raised by the two of them, and grew up to become a famous harmonica player, founding and serving as the conductor of the Ramat Gan Harmonica Orchestra, ini which children played.