Avshalom (Avshi) Weinstein

Avshi, a third-generation violinmaker, was trained by his father, joined the family workshop in 1998 and co-founded Violins of Hope. He follows the Italian Cremonese School of violinmaking and the French school of restoration. In 2009, he opened his own workshop in Istanbul and has worked with renowned bowmaker Daniel Schmidt. Avshi has traveled globally, promoting the Violins of Hope as part of Holocaust education initiatives. He frequently collaborates with local musicians and educators, allowing students to learn about the Holocaust through these instruments and even play on them. 

Avshi's father, Amnon Weinstein (1939-2024), was one of the world’s finest luthiers, receiving numerous honors, including the Medal of the Order of Merit from Germany. In the late 1980s, he restored a violin belonging to a Holocaust survivor who had played it in Auschwitz. This sparked Amnon’s mission to locate and restore violins of Holocaust victims. During his lifetime, he restored more than 60 violins – many of which were played in concentration camps, ghettos and hideouts – as a tribute to the victims, including 400 of his own relatives.

Together, Amnon and Avshi have ensured that the Violins of Hope not only serve as historical artifacts but also as powerful symbols of survival, resilience and hope, carrying forward the legacy of those lost in World War II.