The World Premiere of Masha's Arigato: Warsaw to Japan (1939-1941) was given by pianist Ms. Nobue Douda on August 25, 2024 at the Port of Humanity Tsuruga Museum in Tsuruga, Japan. On the very same day, August 25th, Laura Leon gave the North American premiere at a private event in New York City.

Four months later, on December 15, 2024 the Port of Humanity Tsuruga Museum held their annual Holiday concert at which Ms. Douda performed Masha's Arigato as part of the program.

Prior to Ms. Douda's performance, Laura had the opportunity to speak, in Japanese, on behalf of her family to the standing-room audience for a few minutes at the kind invitation of the Museum's Director, Akinori Nishikawa.

Laura spoke about her mother, Masha Leon (1931-2017) and grandmother Zelda Bernstein having received life-saving travel visas issued by the heroic World War II Japanese diplomat Chiune Sugihara-alongside their story of war-time Poland and their arrival in Japan as told through the music. She also described the interweaving of her mother's favorite Yiddish folk song, A Kleyn Meydele and the beloved Japanese folk song Sakura in the piece. Laura concluded by thanking the Museum and the people of Tsuruga.

Her mother cherished her time in Japan--in Tsuruga and Kobe--all of her life.

Photos courtesy of Akinori Nishikawa, Director, Port of Humanity Tsuruga Museum.