The Soraya musicians will play violins owned by those who lived through the Holocaust. (photo courtesy of Violins of Hope)

The Violins of Hope, a collection of rescued and restored musical instruments from the Holocaust, were on their way to Los Angeles when their journey was interrupted by the COVID-19 crisis.

Now, after a two-year delay, the violins will be played in a concert at The Soraya.

Violins in the collection were played in the concentration camps and ghettos, providing a source of comfort for some and a means of survival for others. Amnon Weinstein and his son Avshalom, who founded the project, are Israeli luthiers who collect the instruments, refurbish them in their Jerusalem shop to concert quality, and bring them to communities all over the world.

Although the instruments make beautiful museum pieces, at the heart of the Violins of Hope project is the Weinsteins’ commitment to ensuring that the instruments are played again.

The Los Angeles Jewish Symphony, was scheduled to perform with these historic instruments at The Soraya while the Violins of Hope were in residence in March 2020.

After the pandemic caused the cancellation, the Violins of Hope collection of instruments went into an almost self-imposed and secured hiding under The Soraya stage for seven months until they were safely returned to the Weinsteins in November 2020, after violinists Niv Ashkenazi, Lindsay Deutsch and Janice Mautner Markham performed on three of the instruments.

Now, after almost a two-year delay, several of the Violins of Hope will make return to The Soraya as Dr. Noreen Green conducts the Los Angeles Jewish Symphony at 7 p.m. on Dec. 12.

“Suspending Violins of Hope activities in 2020 was heartbreaking for everyone who had come together around this extraordinary project – musicians, educators, philanthropists, elected officials, arts organizations, churches and synagogues, and the public at large,” said Thor Steingraber, executive and artistic director of The Soraya. “But now my heart is filled with joy as we finally welcome Dr. Green and the LAJS to perform their initial program, marking this as a celebration of perseverance and of music’s power to transcend.”

The program will feature violinist Lindsay Deutsch and cellist Barry Gold performing “Schindler’s List Suite,” “Kol Nidre,” “Baal Shem: Three Pictures of Hassidic Life” and “Suite for Klezmer Band and Orchestra.”

The Soraya is located at 18111 Nordhoff St. in Northridge. Tickets start at $41 and are available at thesoraya.org or by calling (819)677-3000.