Violins of Hope: Strings of the Holocaust

presented by MJFF, in partnership with the Portland Symphony Orchestra
and the Consulate General of Israel to New England

October 19, 2022 @ 6pm
Portland Museum of Art
Screening · Conversation · Reception
Get tickets here

The Violins of Hope are precious stringed instruments that survived the Holocaust. Some were played by prisoners of ghettos and death camps. Today, restored by Israeli luthiers Amnon and Avshi Weinstein, these precious instruments bring joy to audiences around the world.

In October, the month-long Maine residency of the Violins of Hope sponsored by the Portland Symphony Orchestra, will culminate in two performances (October 23 and 25) of the Verdi Requiem in commemoration of prisoner resistance at Terezin (Theresienstadt.)

On October 19th, just a few days before these concerts, our screening event at the Portland Museum of Art will feature a 60-minute documentary about the Violins, a live conversation with PSO Music Director and Conductor Eckart Preu, Concertmaster Charles Dimmick, and Israeli luthier Avshi Weinstein. Directly after, please join us for a wine-and-nibbles reception in PMA’s sculpture garden or (weather dependent) the foyer outside the theater.

Please join us!

The MJFF Violins of Hope event is a collaboration between the Maine Jewish Film Festival and the Portland Symphony Orchestra. We are grateful to the Consulate General of Israel to New England for its partnership and generous support.

Please check out the PSO website for performances, exhibits, readings and community events offered by our partner organizations, including the Jewish Community Alliance of Southern Maine, the Maine Jewish Museum, Etz Chaim Synagogue in Portland, and the Holocaust and Human Rights Center (HHRC) in Augusta.

Film and Reading Resources

Check below for recommended reading about the Violins of Hope, and films that offer insight into the history of classical music performance in Israel.

Orchestra of Exiles, 2012

Directed by Josh Aronson, with Zubin Mehta, Itzhak Perlman, Josh Bell.

In the early 1930s, one of Hitler’s early assaults on Jews and Jewish culture was the mandatory firing of Jewish musicians. Sensing a future unimaginable to most, violinist Bronislaw Huberman set about to bring as many European Jewish musicians and their families as possible to Palestine to form its first symphony orchestra. With courage and resourcefulness, Huberman was instrumental in saving the lives of nearly 1000 Jews.

Viewing options:

Free with Amazon Prime membership
Rent for $2.99 on Vimeo On Demand

A Journey to Jerusalem, 1967

(also known as “Bernstein in Israel”)

A Filmways Production directed by Michael Mindlin, Jr. in association with Maysles Film Inc. With Leonard Bernstein, Isaac Stern, and members of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra.

In this rarely seen documentary, filmed in 1967 three weeks after the 6 Day War, Leonard Bernstein visits Israel to conduct Mahler’s 2nd Symphony with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. The film follows his journey including a tour of Jerusalem, rehearsals with the orchestra, and a moving visit to a kibbutz, where the Maestro realizes. to his dismay, that the young violinist who has come to play for him has only the first few pages of sheet music of the work.

Viewing options:

View this film Free on YouTube

Violins of Hope:
Violins of the Holocaust–
Instruments of Hope and Liberation in Mankind’s Darkest Hour

Paperback – August 12, 2014 by James A. Grymes

A stirring testament to the strength of the human spirit and the power of music, Violins of Hope tells the remarkable stories of violins played by Jewish musicians during the Holocaust, and the Israeli violin makers dedicated to bringing these inspirational instruments back to life.

During the Holocaust, the violin – long key to Jewish cultural life – assumed extraordinary roles within the Jewish community. For some musicians it was the instrument of liberation and for others the instrument of survival. For many it was the instrument of comfort in humanity’s darkest hour. At least once it helped avenge murdered family members. Above all the violins of the Holocaust represented strength and optimism for the future. Today these instruments serve as memorials to those who perished and testaments to all who survived.

Behind each of these violins restored by father-and-son luthiers Amnon and Avshi Weinstein, who themselves lost many relatives in the Holocaust, is a uniquely fascinating story. Together they make up an insightful, moving, and achingly human book.

Reading options:

Buy this book on Amazon