In Their Footsteps: Abby Litman writes Music for her Ashkenazi Heritage
Abby Litman's latest song, "This is Where I Stand," recounts the story of her grandparents during the Holocaust. Having attended a Jewish day school, Litman embarked on a March of Living-style trip to Poland and Israel for her graduation. However, despite being in such an intense place, she struggled with the feeling of not "experiencing it deeply" enough. Litman grappled with the dichotomy of the present and the past, acknowledging, "I'm aware of everything that happened, but I still find myself trying to make sense of it" on the Shoah.
Litman grew up in a self-described “K-12 Jewish day school bubble.” During her college career, she was not very involved in Jewish life. But after graduating, she realized she missed the Jewish community, and being around people with shared experiences. Litman likes looking at life through a Jewish lens. She finds that “When things are going on in the world, the Jewish community is always a comfortable space to talk things through.”
Writing "This is Where I Stand" allowed Litman to feel more connected to her grandparents' story. She wrote the song when she was eighteen at the end of her high school career and performed it at a Yom HaShoah ceremony.
During the height of World War II, her grandparents were just 17 years old and living in Poland. Her grandfather, originally from Warsaw, quickly realized the dire situation and moved east to Przemyslany, closer to Russia. Meanwhile, her grandmother grew up in Przemyslany, where they both eventually met as partisans hiding in the forest.
Litmans Ancestor’s
They survived by stealing food and keeping each other safe underground. Sadly, on her grandfather's side, all of his family were sent to concentration camps, while her grandmother's family met a similarly tragic fate, with her witnessing the deaths of loved ones.
Eventually, her grandparents were liberated by the Russians and started a new life. Her grandfather, who had been a Hebrew teacher, helped teach children the language before eventually moving to Israel. The couple later settled in New York. They started a family and began to rebuild their lives after the devastation of the war.
Discussing Jewish issues outside of the Jewish day school bubble, with an audience during live shows, or on social media can bring up feelings of unease for her. For this reason, Litman doesn't perform the song very frequently. Despite this, she initially included "This is Where I Stand" in her forthcoming EP, Steady, as an afterthought, never expecting it to resonate so deeply with others. Even after all these years, the song and its story still carry significant emotional weight for Litman.
The recent rise in antisemitism played a role in her reconnection with the Jewish community, as well as giving her the extra push to release “This is Where I Stand.” Outside of music, Litman is involved with the Los Angeles Jewish community. She has worked as a Hebrew school teacher and has taken on cantor and chazan roles during Shabbat and High Holiday services.
Aside from her music, Litman runs a concert series called Good Folk. The series was started in 2017 and is a monthly showcase of local folk musicians. What sets it apart from other concert series is that it is held at non-music venues and is booked entirely by the creator herself. Due to the success of the series, many local musicians have expressed interest in playing a show. There are now regular performers at each event, and a community has been formed around the series. The audience that attends the Good Folk concerts is not just there for the bar or the hang; they are there for the music and to support one another. The series is one of camaraderie and mutual appreciation, focusing on the love of music and fostering a community of like-minded individuals.
So what is on the horizon for Abby Litman? She is planning the release for her EP, Steady, and performing in venues around Los Angeles. And for our readers in LA, the Good Folk series is alive and well. Be sure to catch a show, and read more here.
