Russell Kaback

After his grandfather is murdered at the outset of WWII, young Szyjek seeks his guidance “from beyond” as he navigates the ever more horrific world of the Nazi camps. With a promise made to his mother that he would return home, he manages to survive, by grit and ultimately, by luck – only to find that she is not there. All that he has left is the spirit and memory of his perished family to guide him forward into his adult life.

25044 is a solo musical story, written and performed by Russell Kaback, based on the life of his grandfather Szyjek Magier, a Jewish Polish teenager who spent four years in the Nazi labor and concentration camps.

Presented in Russell’s theatrical storytelling style that weaves together original songs on guitar, characters, sounds and gestures, 25044 incorporates personal interviews, testimonies, in-depth research and imagination, reminding us that hope can endure.