i am the first born son of Jews who fled from Nazi Germany in the late 1930s.
In the early part of the 20th Century, before the Holocaust, Germany was one of the safest places in the world for Jews. My relatives lived in the same environment that produced Sigmund Freud, Gustav Mahler, Albert Einstein - at one point, germany was a golden paradise for jewish people. in less than a decade, that all ended.
In 2016, a suitcase was found in a little antique store in the czech republic. It miraculously made its way to me in Nashville, TN. The suitcase had the name 'julius israel lorsch' inscribed inside, along with a transport number. julius was my great-uncle.
this project serves to tell my family's story through music. it reflects the hopes, dreams, Resilience , and vulnerability of the immigrant experience - it's a story of refugees and community;
a story of survival.
The Suitcase IS A ONE MAN, SEVENTY MINUTE SHOW that blends narrative storytelling with MUSIC and archival video. THE MUSIC IS ALL ORIGINAL AND PERFORMED LIVE USING LOOPING TECHNOLOGY TO WEAVE LAYERED STORY THROUGH CLASSICAL STRING INSTRUMENTS.
thank you.
tim
"One measure of a true work of art is its power to change a person.
The Suitcase transforms people. It is timely, wise, and beautiful."
~ Bob Raines, Ph.D. ; Honors Program Coordinator, Jackson State Community College
"The show is incredibly moving, We had a full house in January and had rave reviews from everyone who attended."
- Mary Pat Higgins, President and CEO,
Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum
“It was the most unique, most respectful experience I had ever seen regarding the Holocaust."
- Barbara Schulman
Spent the war hidden in a Catholic orphanage in Belgium
UPCOMING PERFORMANCES
MAY 19, 2024 FRANKLIN, TN FRANKLIN FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH 6:30 PM $10 advance, $15 door
https://my.display.church/e/kAwKEgdH/2ytJsZdXn10
PAST LIVE PERFORMANCES
SEPTEMBER 10, 2023 FARMINGTON HILLS, MI ZEKELMAN HOLOCAUST CENTER 2:30 PM
SEPTEMBER 7, 2023 ELGIN, IL GAIL BORDEN MAIN LIBRARY, 6:30 PM
APRIL 17, 2023 MISHAWAKA, IN PENN HIGH SCHOOL, 10:00 AM
APRIL 16, 2023 MUNSTER, IN JEWISH FEDERATION, 1:00 PM
MARCH 26, 2023 MASON, TX FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH, 2:00 PM STUDENTS; 5:00 PM GENERAL PUBLIC
MARCH 12, 2023 MADISON, TN FAITH BAPTIST CHURCH; 5:00 PM, FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
MARCH 9, 2023 NASHVILLE, TN GORDON JCC,12:15 PM, TGIT
DECEMBER 11, 2022 MASON, TX PRIVATE PERFORMANCE
DECEMBER 8, 2022 LOUISVILLE, KY TRAGER FAMILY JCC
NOVEMBER 9, 2022 SKOKIE, IL ILLINOIS HOLOCAUST MUSEUM AND EDUCATION CENTER, 6:30 PM
NOVEMBER 6, 2022 HIGHLAND PARK, IL MAKOM SOLEL LAKESIDE, 10:00 AM
SEPTEMBER 10, 2022 CALUMET, MI THE CALUMET THEATER, 7:30 PM
JUNE 2, 2022 NASHVILLE, TN PRIVATE PERFORMANCE
MAY 9, 2022 DYERSBURG, TN DYERSBURG MIDDLE SCHOOL
APRIL 30, 2022 HATTIESBURG, MS TEMPLE B’NAI ISRAEL, 7 PM
APRIL 29, 2022 JACKSON, MS BETH ISRAEL CONGREGATION, 6:15 PM
APRIL 27, 2022 COLLEYVILLE, TX CONGREGATION BETH ISRAEL, 7 PM
FEBRUARY 23, 2020 NASHVILLE, TN MAIN LIBRARY
FEBRUARY 26, 2020 NASHVILLE, TN BLAIR SCHOOL OF MUSIC, VANDERBILT, TURNER HALL
JANUARY 30, 2020 DALLAS, TX, DALLAS HOLOCAUST AND HUMAN RIGHTS MUSEUM
JANUARY 26, 2020 DOTHAN, AL RUTH REMNANT MINISTRIES, THE DEPOT OFF MAIN
JANUARY 18. 2020 NASHVILLE TN, DOUGLAS CORNER CAFE
JANUARY 16, 2020 CLEVELAND, TN, LAKE FOREST MIDDLE SCHOOL
OCTOBER 19, 2019 DOUGLAS CORNER CAFE, NASHVILLE TN
AUGUST 15, 2019 GORDON JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER, NASHVILLE, TN
AUGUST 10, 2019 DOUGLAS CORNER CAFE, NASHVILLE TN,
MAY 23, 2019 MCALLEN PUBLIC LIBRARY, MCALLEN, TX
MAY 8, 2109 JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER, CORPUS CHRISTI, TX
MAY 7, 2019 HOUSE CONCERT, AUSTIN, TX
MAY 6, 2019 EMMANUEL BAPTIST CHURCH, ALEXANDRIA, LA
APRIL 28, 2019 ARNSTEIN JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER, KNOXVILLE, TN
JANUARY 29, 2019 AKIVA SCHOOL, NASHVILLE, TN
DECEMBER 9, 2018 MEMPHIS JEWISH HISTORICAL SOCIETY, MEMPHIS, TN
NOVEMBER 7, 2018 LIMOR CONFERENCE, NASHVILLE, TN
NOVEMBER 1, 2018 JACKSON STATE COMMUNITY COLLEGE, JACKSON, TN
OCTOBER 28, 2018 FAITH BAPTIST CHURCH, MADISON, TN
https://www.isjl.org/
"Suffering and joy teach us, if we allow them, how to make the leap of empathy, which transports us into the soul and heart of another person. In those transparent moments we know other people’s joys and sorrows, and we care about their concerns as if they were our own."
~ Fritz Williams
“Stories have to be told or they die, and when they die, we can't remember who we are or why we're here.”
~ Sue Monk Kidd