As the numbers of living Holocaust survivors dwindle, the importance of artefacts and stories of that terrible period in human history becomes ever more important.
That’s one of the main drivers behind a new stage play, Stories from the Violins of Hope, which tells a remarkable true story while introducing its audience to some of the most precious and evocative objects from that time.
Stories from the Violins of Hope is inspired by the Weinstein family, Israeli luthiers who have spent decades collecting and restoring instruments that once belonged to the countless Jewish musicians who perished under the Nazis.
Housed in Tel Aviv, the Weinstein collection now numbers 60 instruments. Several are decorated with distinctive six-sided stars – in the early 20th century, it was not uncommon for Jewish buyers to have their violins customised with symbolic inlays.
Importantly, the violins are not just preserved. They are also played. Several have featured in major music events, including, on the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, in a concert by the Berlin Philharmonic under Sir Simon Rattle.
Written by Lisa Pearl Rosenbaum and adapted by Ronda Spinak, Stories from the Violins of Hope draws on conversations with Rosenbaum and Amnon Weinstein, whose idea it was to start the collection. These episodes are interspersed with music curated by Noreen Green, who has temporarily relocated from her home in Los Angeles to bring her expertise to the project.
Read the article by Jason Blake on LimeLight.