In 1942, as the Holocaust was raging in Europe, at the Terezin concentration camp in Czechoslovakia a group of prisoners led by conductor Rafael Schächter continued to make music as an act of defiance against the Nazis. Some of their instruments and others from camps and ghettos across Europe travelled to Maine in October, where they were hosted by the Portland Symphony Orchestra (PSO) in an initiative to commemorate and raise awareness about the horror of the Holocaust.
The instruments, part of the “Violins of Hope” project, were played and displayed in some twenty musical and educational events across the State of Maine to mark the 80th anniversary of the resistance of the Terezín prisoners.
“Violins of Hope” is a collection of over 90 restored instruments played by Jewish musicians during the Holocaust. These instruments, which survived concentration camps, pogroms, and many long journeys, testify of remarkable stories of injustice, suffering, resilience, and survival. The collection is owned by father-and-son violin makers Amnon and Avshi Weinstein. Avshi Weinstein travelled to the US to participate in the PSO residency.
The events organized in Maine - and attended by thousands of people - included a string quartet tour of Southern and Central Maine visiting schools, museums, and synagogues.
The initiative culminated with two PSO performances of Giuseppe Verdi’s Requiem, under the baton of Music Director Eckart Preu.
In Terezin, Schächter had taught the piece to a chorus of prisoners from one smuggled score. During 1942-43, the chorus sang 16 performances of the Requiem. For the prisoners, these performances demonstrated their determination to hold onto their humanity.
“We will sing to the Nazis what we cannot say to them,” Schächter told them.
The “Violins of Hope” residency was co-sponsored by the Consulate General of Israel to New England, in collaboration with community partners ChoralArt, Holocaust & Human Rights Center, Maine Jewish Museum, Maine Jewish Film Festival, and Jewish Community Alliance of Southern Maine.
“We were incredibly honoured to support and partake in the ‘Violins of Hope’ Maine residency with Avshi Weinstein, co-founder of this inspiring project whose goal is to educate younger generations on Holocaust remembrance,” said Ambassador Meron Reuben, Consul General of Israel to New England. “It was a wonderful opportunity for us to strengthen our long-lasting relationships in Maine, and build new partnerships. We thank the Portland Symphony Orchestra for creating meaningful ways for people to reflect and unite through music.”