Testimonials

Violins and Hope | From the Holocaust to Symphony Hall

"Violins and Hope is a beautifully produced book. Large and heavy, with fine binding, thick paper and many gorgeous photographs, it may be called a coffee-table book in the best sense."

- Raphael Klayman, London's The Strad - the definitive journal for classic string instrument players, conductors, and composers, worldwide

"Like a rich tapestry that keeps unfolding to reveal unexpected layers and designs, Levin's book intertwines the stories behind the violins he photographed at Weinstein's studio with important historical figures and events."

- Eve Glover, The Jerusalem Post Magazine

"Daniel Levin, in his magnificent book, Violins and Hope, brings the story full circle by showing the world how Amon Weinstein restores violins that survived such a dark past so they can sing forever."

- Joshua Bell, Violin Soloist / Music Director - London's Academy of St Martin in the Fields

"Like Amnon’s restored violins, Daniel’s book is a lasting gift to us all."

- Franz Welser-Möst, Conductor | Music Director, The Cleveland Orchestra / Author of Als ich die Stille fand. Ein Plädoyer gegen den Lärm der Welt

"The noble and righteous quest of restoring to life and to the concert-hall Jewish violins that survived the Holocaust, although many of their owners perished, is movingly narrated by the insightful commentaries and richly toned, intricately layered photographs of Daniel Levin. Levin's Violins and Hope takes us into the Tel Aviv workshop of the story's protagonist, renowned Israeli luthier Amnon Weinstein, and conveys not just his tools and methods, but the heart and soul of this extraordinary man and his vision."

- Barbara Tannenbaum, Curator of Photography, Cleveland Museum of Art

"Extraordinarily Moving"

- Tom Service, BBC London | Music Matters

"Violins and Hope is a fascinating and moving documentation of how sounds of memory not only connect people and their stories across time and space, but also possess the power to convey the message of hope as an aspect of Holocaust remembrance."

- Maoz Azaryahu, Director of the Herzl Institute for Zionism, University of Haifa

"Any violin ever made is the embodiment of birth and hope. From the shape of its body to the strength of its bow, the images are rendered with love. To see them is to be informed by time. The time Daniel Levin took to make the pictures and the time Amnon Weinstein takes to restore the violin. Each step is speaking of patience, crescendo, and singular symphonic tone. Tone is the rapture that embraces us collectively and alone."

- Larry Fink, Photographer / Author of Boxing, Night at the Met, Primal Elegance, Social Graces, and The Forbidden Pictures