Nick Rosati was pleased to have Avishai sign a family book of songs used for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippor for his wife Diana, a CTK cantor.
Last week, CTK had the privilege of hosting Violins of Hope, a program that was introduced to us by The Jewish Community Relations Council of South Jersey. The project, which now has over 40 violins in its collection, either bought or donated from survivors, represents “the victory of the human spirit over evil and hatred”*, and advocates for the memory of the 6 million Jews murdered during the Holocaust.
Over 130 people attended the evening in Morgan Hall, which included incredible personal stories of Avishai Weinstein, the master violin maker who, along with his father, owns and refurbishes this astonishing collection.
Even before WWII, electricity was expensive, and not all households in Germany could afford such a luxury, but most families had violins. Wood was imported from a variety of countries, including the US, and the instruments were cheap to make. In a lighthearted moment during his talk, Avishai relayed that the way to tell how many children were in a family was to count the violins hanging on the wall inside the home.
Tragically, we also learned that the Nazis had an affinity for music. However, they perverted this beautiful art form into a tool of torment and degradation against the Jews. Those living in the ghettos had their instruments confiscated, and those in the camps were forced to play for countless hours for the amusement of the Nazis, even in the gas chambers. After each story, Leo Matsuoka, the accompanying violinist from the University of Delaware, played a short piece using one of the eight violins brought for the evening. Later, CTK Homebound Communion minister and President of the CTK chapter for the Saint Vincent de Paul Society, George Hutchinson, marveled at Leo’s expertise, given his ability to pick up each instrument and play so beautifully.
The Weinstein workshops are located in Tel Aviv and Istanbul, giving new life to the instruments confiscated during WWII.
*ViolinsOfHope.com
Speak out against hate, and continue to relay the stories that you learn. At a recent ministry meeting of Knit, Crochet, Pray, Suzanne Clark shared her photos of the violins, each adorned with six-sided stars, a symbol of the Jewish faith and a poignant reminder of the Holocaust. She expressed her amazement at what she learned that evening, underscoring the emotional impact of the event.