Amnon Weinstein (1939–2024), the renowned Israeli luthier (violin maker) who was trained by three of the most revered Italian luthiers of the twentieth century, had a vision many years ago to restore violins that survived the concentration camps and ghettos of Europe during World War II—even when their owners often did not. Weinstein’s Violins of Hope project is considered one of the most creative, effective, moving, and magnificent approaches to understanding the Holocaust and how one heals from such pain and loss.

Daniel Levin is the first photographer to document with enormous depth Amnon’s Tel Aviv workshop, his one-of-a-kind collection of violins that survived the Holocaust, and his artful process for restoring them. Through hauntingly beautiful photographs and compelling text, Violins and Hope | From the Holocaust to Symphony Hall is an artful rendering of a brilliant man and a revelation of the ethereal, as we see how Amnon fulfills his dream of transforming tragedy into triumph in the most incisive and powerful way imaginable: bringing violins of the Holocaust back to life. Under Levin’s care, the ambiance and idiosyncrasies of Amnon’s workshop come alive, and the photographer’s uncanny ability to celebrate both place and process through the beauty of light is nothing short of remarkable.

Prior to his death, Amnon had restored more than 100 Holocaust violins to their highest playable condition. They have been used in acclaimed performances by symphonies in packed concert halls throughout the world, beginning in 2001 in Istanbul. It was Weinstein's mission to have young gifted violinists, as well as many of the world’s most well known virtuosos soloists perform on his restored violins. Amnon’s son, Avshalom Weinstein, who is a master luthier in his own right, continues this mission. In doing so, it is as if the past owners of the violins come back to life and fill our minds, bodies, and hearts with joy and remembrance.

Violins and Hope | From the Holocaust to Symphony Hall includes a foreword written by Austrian-born Franz Welser-Möst, Music Director of the Cleveland Orchestra since 2002, one of the most acclaimed orchestras of the twenty-first century.

The book concludes with the author’s interview with Assi Bielski Weinstein, Amnon’s wife and the daughter of Asael Bielski, the famous partisan fighter who, along with his brothers, saved 1,247 Jews in Belarus during World War II. Assi discusses the history of violins in Jewish life and during the Holocaust, the Bielski partisans, and the enduring legacy of the Violins of Hope project.

Daniel Levin’s Violins and Hope | From the Holocaust to Symphony Hall is both a book and an experiential photographic exhibition of enormous depth that continues to be shown across America and abroad.