PORTLAND – “The Thinking Heart,” an ensemble performance work in two voices with cello, based on the writings of a woman who died in the Holocaust, and a concert by The Casco Bay Tummlers will be presented Thursday, April 30, at SPACE Gallery.

The performances celebrate the “Thinking Heart” CD, released by Old Port Records of Lewiston.

Etty Hillesum, a Jewish woman who lived in Amsterdam during the Nazi occupation, wrote a luminous diary and more than 70 letters, collected and published together in a book, “Etty: The Letters and Diaries of Etty Hillesum.” The journal and letters were written between 1941 and ’43, ending with her transport to Auschwitz, where she died at age 29.

“The Thinking Heart” is an original arrangement of the diaries and letters, constellated as poems written by Martin Steingesser and presented by him and Judy Tierney, with cellist Robin Jellis.

The Casco Bay Tummlers have been performing klezmer music since 1988. Their repertoire ranges from traditional klezmer dance tunes to soulful, sephardic songs and high-energy Balkan music. They have released three CDs and have been featured at festivals throughout the Northeast and Europe.

Doors will open at 7 p.m., with the performance to begin a half-hour later. SPACE Gallery is at 538 Congress St. Suggested contribution: $12.

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