We are deeply grateful to our current sponsors whose support makes the Violins of Hope event possible. Their generosity and commitment to preserving history, educating the community, and fostering a spirit of resilience and hope are truly inspiring.
We invite you to join this esteemed group of sponsors in supporting this powerful event. Your sponsorship will help continue the conversation of social justice, hope, resilience, and acceptance throughout our community. Your support will make it possible to share the stories of these historic violins and the people who played them, ensuring that their legacy of courage and resilience is remembered for generations to come.
Motele Schlein, a 12-year-old Jewish boy, became an unlikely hero of the resistance during World War II. After escaping the massacre of his family, he joined the Jewish partisans and used his violin as both a musical instrument and a weapon. Playing in a Nazi-frequented restaurant, Motele secretly smuggled explosives in his violin case, planting dynamite to destroy the building and its occupants. His violin, now preserved as a symbol of bravery and resistance, continues to tell his incredible story of courage. Lean More...
Crafted by Yaacov Zimermann for his close friend Shimon Krongold, this violin holds a significant place in Jewish history. The violin’s back features an inlaid Star of David, symbolizing resilience and friendship. Its journey from war-torn Warsaw to Jerusalem, surviving the Holocaust, is a testimony to hope. It continues to be played in remembrance of Krongold’s legacy and his contribution to nurturing Jewish musical talent. Lean More...
Hidden by a Christian family during the Holocaust, this violin was safeguarded for 74 years after its Jewish owners were deported and killed. Donated to the Violins of Hope, it now serves as a tribute to those who risked their lives to protect Jewish culture. Lean More...
This Schweitzer violin, made in Germany, was once played in the men’s orchestra at Auschwitz, a camp where music was often a grim juxtaposition to the horrors surrounding it. Surviving the concentration camps, this violin serves as a poignant reminder of the power of music even in the darkest times. Lean More...
This violin, adorned with a mother-of-pearl Star of David, honors the Bielski partisans who rescued over 1,200 Jews during World War II. Made in Germany, the violin not only celebrates klezmer music but also the courage and defiance of those who fought against oppression. Lean More...
Gualtiero Morpurgo took this violin with him as he was deported to a forced labor camp during World War II. Playing Bach’s Partitas on frozen fingers, the violin became his source of hope and strength in unimaginable conditions. After the war, it accompanied him throughout his life, representing resilience and the enduring power of music. Lean More...
This violin, once owned by a Gypsy musician, survived multiple Nazi attacks on the communist youth orchestra in pre-World War II Berlin. It now serves as a symbol of both Jewish and Romani resilience and is featured in concerts worldwide. Lean More...
This violin, crafted in 1884 by Collton of Brooklyn, commemorates the heroic acts of Master Sergeant Roddie Edmonds (1919–1985) from Knoxville, Tennessee. A WWII hero and prisoner of war at Stalag IXA, Edmonds famously defied Nazi orders to identify Jewish POWs, declaring, “We are all Jews here,” and saved over 200 Jewish soldiers from persecution. Honored as Righteous Among the Nations, his legacy continues to inspire resistance against hatred and antisemitism. Lean More...
Max Beker was a talented musician from Vilna, Poland, whose resilience and artistry sustained him through unimaginable hardship during World War II. Born into a musically gifted family, Max survived as a prisoner of war and later contributed to post-war survivor orchestras, including one conducted by Leonard Bernstein. His violin symbolizes hope, dignity, and the enduring power of music to heal and unite. Lean More...
Known as the “Violin of the Flowers,” this instrument carries the poignant story of a young Jewish boy who fled Poland to a Belgian village, only to be arrested by the Germans during WWII. Left behind in his rented room, the violin passed to Catherine, a young music student, who later preserved it as a tribute to its original owner. Decades later, it was restored by Amnon Weinstein, its wildflowers embedded as a symbol of hope. Lean More...
Made by Johann Gottlieb Ficker, this violin was a lifelong companion of Moshe Weinstein, a celebrated violin maker who immigrated to Palestine. Weinstein, who played an essential role in supporting talented Jewish violinists like Shlomo Mintz and Yitzhak Perlman, kept this instrument close throughout his life. It remains a symbol of his dedication to music and his efforts to preserve Jewish culture. Lean More...
Created in the Brother Placht workshop in Germany, this violin is emblematic of Feivel Wininger’s resilience. During the Holocaust, Feivel played this violin in exchange for food, keeping hope alive for his family and 17 others. Despite the loss of his treasured Amati violin, this instrument helped him survive through music. Lean More...
Sandor Fisher, a survivor of the Auschwitz and labor camps, played this violin to entertain his fellow prisoners and smuggle food for his friends. After escaping and joining the Soviets, he continued playing, even after settling in Israel post-war. His violin stands as a symbol of endurance and triumph through music. Lean More...
Made by August Darte, this French violin belonged to Zvi Haftel, the first concertmaster of the Palestine Orchestra. Recruited by Bronislav Hubermann, Haftel’s violin played a key role in the establishment of an all-Jewish orchestra, which evolved into today’s Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. Lean More...
Abram Merczynski brought this violin through Auschwitz and Dachau concentration camps, playing wherever he was sent. After surviving these camps, Abram gifted the violin to a German family who kept it safe until it was donated to the Violins of Hope project. This violin now represents friendship and survival against all odds. Lean More...
Crafted in the Schweitzer workshop, this violin traveled with Erich Weininger through Nazi-occupied Austria and the horrors of Dachau and Buchenwald. Despite being forbidden to play, Erich carried the violin through unimaginable hardship, and it now stands as a symbol of resistance and survival. Lean More...
This violin belonged to two sisters separated from their parents during World War II. Reunited after the war in Israel, the sisters discovered their violin, which had been preserved as a cherished memory of their lost family and a symbol of survival. Lean More...
Donated to honor the victims of the pogroms in Poland, this violin carries the memory of the Jedwabne massacre, where Jewish villagers were burned alive in a barn by their neighbors. It represents the atrocities faced by the Jewish people and serves as a reminder of their strength. Lean More...
This violin tells the story of Violette Silberstein, a Holocaust survivor and member of the women’s orchestra at Auschwitz. Encouraged by her mother to study music, Violette’s talent and perseverance saved her life during the war. Liberated in 1945, she reclaimed her violin and shared her story through music and testimony. Donated to the Violins of Hope in 2022, it now resonates as a symbol of resilience and remembrance. Lean More...
This elegant French Mirecourt violin from the 1920s belonged to Joyce Vanderveen, a Dutch child prodigy and Holocaust survivor. Fleeing the Nazis with her family, Joyce carried the violin through years of hiding and loss. After the war, she rose to fame as a ballet star, performing worldwide before moving to the U.S. and becoming a beloved teacher. Donated to Violins of Hope in 2021, this violin honors her extraordinary journey and enduring legacy. Lean More...
This historic violin, an early Hopf from the late 18th or early 19th century, belonged to Ole Dahl, a Danish violin maker and WWII Resistance fighter. While fighting Nazis and protecting Danish Jews, music remained a source of comfort. After the war, Ole emigrated to America, opening a renowned violin shop in Indiana. Donated by his family, this violin reflects a life of resilience, artistry, and generosity. Lean More...
This German violin, crafted in 1898, belonged to Paul Leeser, a Jewish refugee from Nazi Germany who later served the U.S. Armed Forces in World War II. Discovered decades after his death, the violin is now part of the Violins of Hope project. Scheduled for restoration, it symbolizes resilience and the enduring legacy of music amidst displacement and war. Lean More...
This violin, crafted by the renowned Zalud family of instrument makers from Terezin, Czechoslovakia, symbolizes a legacy of musical artistry and resilience. The family, celebrated for their fine instruments, perished during the Holocaust. Now part of the Violins of Hope, the violin honors the Zaluds’ contributions to music and the enduring power of art in the face of devastation. Lean More...