Violins of Hope embodies the victory of the human spirit over evil and hatred. As many as six million Jews were murdered in WW2, but Violins of Hope ensures that their memory is not forgotten. Every concert is a poignant, powerful reminder of the human spirit.

Amid the horror of Nazi Germany, many Jews played their violins, violas, and cellos as a message of hope despite Nazis ordering the music while men, women, and children walked to their deaths. Since 1996 Luthiers Amnon and Avshi Weinstein have acquired and refurbished the instruments to restore their best sounds. Many of them came from survivors and family members who played them, some with Stars of David as a decoration and a tag which reads “We were played by proud “klezmers.” (A Jewish musical genre). They dedicate their expertise and endless love to ensure that those instruments, most of which were cheap and unsophisticated, get a beautiful makeover. They also get a fantastic sound worthy of the best musicians and large music halls.

Listening to the symbols of hope, the violins serenades seem to say: “Remember me, remember us. Life is good, celebrate it for those who perished, and for those who survived.”

Amnon explains, “The Nazis used music, especially violins, to humiliate and degrade Jews in ghettos and camps.” He describes the concerts as the ultimate answer to the Nazi plans to annihilate the Jewish people, their freedom, and their culture. “As these instruments play, observes Amnon, “they are testifying to the power of hope, which has defied the Nazis and won. The instrumental voices sound like human voices singing their own songs of hope for us.”

Violins of Hope is not only a memorial to lost culture and people but also an educational act that reaches young students and adults wherever the concerts are performed. In recent years some of the best world-celebrated orchestras held Violins of Hope concerts, among them the Berlin Philharmonic, the Cleveland Symphony, and many others.

All faiths and backgrounds come together, learning in extensive school educational programs and narrated concerts. The Weinsteins tell the history of some instruments – such as the violin, which was thrown out of a cattle train on the way from France to Auschwitz; the violin that was buried under the snow in Holland; the violin that saved the lives of people who played in the camp orchestra and survived: so many stories, and so much history.