Violins of Hope

I created the Kulturbund Violin Concerto after reading the story of “The Buried Violin,” tracing the poignant journey of Heinrich Herrmann’s instrument—a violin intertwined with history. Buried for safekeeping, it journeyed from being buried in the snow for safekeeping to British Mandate Palestine, Switzerland, Italy, and back to Israel. A parallel emerged—miraculous survival akin to the enduring Jewish spirit.

The story is just one of hundreds in Violins of Hope. This project involves a collection of restored violins with historical significance, often linked to the Holocaust and other instances of human resilience in the face of adversity. These violins were owned and played by Jewish musicians during the Holocaust era and have been carefully restored to their original condition by skilled luthiers (violin makers) and restorers. 

When Violins of Hope came to Chicago, the Chicago JCC asked Jewish Artists Collective Chicago (JACC) members to create works of art as a companion exhibit to this concert series and exhibit of refurbished violins.

After the 1935 Nuremberg Laws, Heinrich Herrmann, judge and violinist, succumbed to segregation. The 1933 Law for Restoration of Civil Service erased over 24,000 artists, including Berlin’s finest. Amidst this, Kurt Singer, Kurt Baumann, Rabbi Leo Baeck, Joseph Rosenstock, Werner Levie, and Julius Bab birthed the Jewish Culture League (Jüdischer Kulturbund), an enclave for Jews, performing solely Jewish compositions.

An article I discovered unveiled a faded photo of Kurt Singer conducting, perhaps the Mendelssohn-Violin Concerto, maybe captured by Roman Vishniac, whose lens documented pre-WWII Eastern European Jewish life. From 1933 to 1941, the Kulturbund thrived in 42 German theaters, boasting thousands of members. As the chapter closed, some escaped; most perished in camps. This underscores music’s potent power, a tribute to resilient spirits facing adversity.