Amnon Weinstein has spent the last three decades locating and restoring violins that were played by Jewish musicians during the Holocaust. He dedicated this important work to the more than 400 of his own relatives, all of whom were murdered in the Holocaust.
By Sallie Downs
Finally at last, we were ONE COMMUNITY! Not my community, not your community…but OUR community! Those were the sentiments spoken by Birmingham’s former Mayor, Dr. Richard Arrington, Jr. after witnessing the historic Dreams of Hope concert at the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church. A choir of haunting voices from Holocaust violins sang out in praise telling stories of triumph over evil. The sanctuary overflowed with an exhaustively diverse group of people who by evening’s end were connected in heart and soul through the universal language of music.
Dr. Henry Panion, III meticulously designed this program to welcome the Founder of Violins of Hope, Amnon Weinstein, and his family to our city; and to honor with respect and great reverence the powerful responsibility these violins carry with them.
Amnon Weinstein has spent the last three decades locating and restoring violins that were played by Jewish musicians during the Holocaust. He dedicated this important work to the more than 400 of his own relatives, all of whom were murdered in the Holocaust. His grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins all stayed behind in Eastern Europe while Amnon’s parents, Moshe and Golda, immigrated from Lithuania in 1938 just as the persecution of Jews was escalating in Germany.
Amnon was born in 1939 and grew up in Tel Aviv where he worked in his father’s violin workshop. In his early 20s he moved to Cremona, Italy, known for its master luthiers. He continued his training in Paris with Etienne Vatelot, one of the world’s most renown luthiers.
In 1975 he married Assaela Bielski Gershoni, daughter of Asael Bielski. The Bielski brothers were Jewish resistance fighters whose heroism saved more than 1,200 Jews by hiding in the forests. Their story was made famous in the 2008 film Defiance and the brothers were played by Daniel Craig, Liev Schreiber and Jamie Bell.
In the 1980s, Amnon had his first encounter with a violin from the Holocaust. It had barely survived Auschwitz, as did its owner, having been forced to play in rain and snow. When Amnon took the instrument apart, he discovered black powder inside, certainly fallout from the crematoria at the death camp. This moment triggered horrible memories of what had happened to his family, and he struggled in his commitment to repair the violin. Ultimately, he found the courage and strength to bring the violin back to life.
Determined to claim his lost heritage, Amnon put out a call for violins that were played by Jews in the camps and ghettos. Together with his son, Avshalom, they began systematically collecting the instruments, documenting their stories, and painstakingly piecing the violins back together in their Tel Aviv workshop. There are now more than 60 violins in the Violins of Hope collection. The artistic skills and relentless determination of father and son have made ready these damaged, weathered, and weary instruments for the most prestigious concert halls in the world. And with their newly discovered voices, a new life with great purpose.
Violins of Hope has performed all over the world including Turkey, Israel, Switzerland, Spain, Mexico and the United States. On the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz , Violins of Hope was recognized by an exhibition and concert with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. Amnon also received the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, one of the country’s highest honors.
When approached about coming to Birmingham, Amnon agreed without hesitation. He said he wanted the violins to be played in Birmingham so “those who helped change the story of civil rights in America can hear their messages of hope for the future of all mankind.”
Amnon Weinstein brought Violins of Hope to Birmingham in April of 2018. He also brought his children and grandchildren, and it was a powerful educational exchange for everyone. Our community experienced four incredible days and nights of concerts, lectures and hands-on exhibits. The Weinstein family spent three days touring the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute and Kelly Ingram Park.
In a recent interview, Amnon and Assi were asked if there was a special Violins of Hope memory that stood out above all others, and Assi’s response was “I’ll tell you right away. To me, the most important Violins of Hope concert took place in Alabama, in Birmingham, in the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church.” Amnon said he would remember it all his life! “A concert like this….in a church, the choir, the orchestra, the soloist, the conductor, the music (Jewish and Gospel)”, Amon said. “A concert like this should happen at Carnegie Hall, and I hope one day it will.”
Our community was left with much more than beautiful memories of an extraordinary time; we are enriched by lasting tangibles from Violins of Hope.
Gail and Jeffrey Bayer who co-chaired Violins of Hope Birmingham created a new Field of Interest Fund at the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham. The Instruments of Hope Unity Fund is designed to develop a sustainable and permanent model for fostering civil discourse and action by addressing the most complex challenges facing this community of ours.
Alabama Public Television produced a 30-minute educational program featuring the AL School of Fine Arts Orchestra where students played instruments from the Violins of Hope collection; and Avshalom (Avshi) Weinstein spoke to the students about the history of the Holocaust and shared stories involving the violins. The production includes interviews with students and teachers and remains a powerful teaching resource.
So inspired were the masses that attended the Dreams of Hope event, Dr. Henry Panion and David Macon worked together to create a documentary that encapsulated the intoxicating evening. “Dreams of Hope” – the docu-concert tells the story of the Violins of Hope and the historic concert at the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, featuring violinist Caitlin Edwards performing Dr. Panion’s composition for solo-violin on the powerfully resonate “Auschwitz Violin.”
Violins of Hope Birmingham created an enduring friendship between the Weinstein family and our community. The ultimate display of their love and high regard for our community was when the Weinsteins decided to provide Birmingham with one of their cherished violins so we could continue our collaboration with Violins of Hope. The “Soldiers Violin” is on display at the Alabama Holocaust Education Center in Birmingham, and it is used for educational programming and special events that align with the mission to educate the people of Alabama about the history and lessons of the Holocaust in order to create a more just and compassionate world.
I asked Amnon to bring the violins to Birmingham. I had the honor of leading the Violins of Hope effort in Birmingham and the privilege of working with an incredible group of volunteers to make it greater than I ever imagined. Along the way, making new friends was my lasting reward, especially the relationship that evolved between Amnon and me. At the conclusion of two years of planning and a week of implementing, and after Violins of Hope left Birmingham, I received a card from Amnon and Assi that said, “If you will it, it is no dream,” words of Theodor Herzl.
In one of our conversations after the October 7th massacres, Amnon assured me he was doing okay, as long as he could work on his violins. It kept his spirit of hope alive at a time when the Jewish people suffered their greatest loss of life in one day since the Holocaust.
On Monday, March 4th, Amnon Weinstein passed away. His obituary appeared in notable publications around the world including in the U.S. in The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. CBS Sunday Morning acknowledged Amnon’s passing along with others who were “more famous” than he. But he was there because he made a significant contribution in creating a better world because of how he chose to live his life. This is not an obituary but a testament to the power of every individual whose lives are guided by purpose.
I, along with Avshi who will carry on Amnon’s legacy of Violins of Hope, and the many people Amnon blessed during his lifetime, will honor his legacy by taking personal responsibility and doing our part in bringing beauty to the world, building tolerance through understanding, promoting justice through education, and nurturing acceptance so the people of the world who desire peace, can live in peace with security.
I bear witness to those that don’t believe they can make a difference. We are the only ones who can. Do something that you feel passionately needs bettering. If you aren’t sure what that is, pay closer attention because needs are everywhere. Don’t look away. If you aren’t sure how you can help, just ask someone. If you doubt you can make a difference, just look at who has. Perhaps we can’t all be Martin Luther King, but that’s not the point. We may not get to the Promised Land, but that’s no excuse to not paving the way.
Here are some resources to get started and share with a friend:
Donate to the Alabama Holocaust Education Center to support Violins of Hope programming (www.ahecinfo.org)
Watch the docu-concert “Dreams of Hope” (just search “dreams of hope PBS”)
Learn about the “Instrument of Hope Unity Fund” (www.cfbham.org)
As my friend, Phyllis Weinstein, of blessed memory, was known to say, “Your job is what you leave at the end of the day; your work is what you leave at the end of your life.”
