
Violins of Hope
Throughout the month of May, the Spurlock Museum has been home to four violins from the Violins of Hope project, a collection of over 70 stringed instruments played by Jewish musicians before and during the Holocaust. Over the last two decades, these instruments have been lovingly collected and painstakingly restored by Israeli master violinmakers Amnon and Avshalom Weinstein, a father–son duo. The Violins of Hope project was established to give voice to the victims, reclaim lost heritage, and promote messages of hope and unity. The violins in the collection have since traveled the world as part of educational initiatives, exhibitions, concerts, and workshops. The Violins of Hope exhibit at Spurlock closes on Wednesday, May 31, and the final concert will take place on Thursday, June 1 at 7:30 p.m. at the Rose Bowl Tavern. If you don’t get a chance to see and hear these priceless historical artifacts before they leave town, read on to learn more about the project and the stories behind these instruments.