Violin that survived Holocaust ‘comes alive’ again in hands of former Israeli hostage Agam Berger
A 130-year-old violin was gifted to Agam Berger, who survived Hamas captivity in Gaza. The violin, crafted in the late 19th century in Germany, previously belonged to a Holocaust survivor.
The Polish musician who originally owned the instrument didn’t survive but the violin lived on, and has now been given a new lease of life, according to The Jerusalem Post.
After learning that the released hostage was a violinist, the man who refurbished and took care of the instrument, Tzachi Beck, who had decided to gift the violin to Berger.
"Agam is a true survivor,” said Beck. “She said she would play and practice on the violin and take it to the March of the Living, where she will play it. That will be a true full circle moment."
The story of the people of Israel is a story of survival, often against all odds. Israel as a country also tells a story of resurrection, coming back with the same language, currency, and name after almost 2,000 years.
"Suddenly hearing the sounds of the violin from the skilled hands of the amazing Agam Berger – it was an emotional moment, as the violin came back to life," Beck enthused.
"Now it has reached real hands, Agam’s hands, who will breathe life back into it. Fittingly, on International Women's Day, the violin is passing to an amazing woman and true survivor who has brought it back to life – and she will continue the melody that will never cease,” he said.
Violin that survived Holocaust finds new life with freed Gaza hostage Agam Berger.
— Ynetnews (@ynetnews) March 9, 2025
Tzachi Beck gifts the 130-year-old violin, preserved through the Holocaust, to former Gaza hostage Agam Berger to unite stories of survival and renewal through music; 'Hearing its sounds come to… pic.twitter.com/cAdgISrvx5
Beck expressed admiration for the 20-year-old IDF surveillance officer who survived 482 days in Gaza, speaking of her "incredible strength." Berger has shared how her faith in God helped her cope during her time in captivity.
"Just watching her is unbelievable," he said while adding, "I am certain that the violin has reached the right place at the right time."
Berger was eager to hear about the story of the violin. The instrument originally belonged to a Polish musician who used to play it in an orchestra before he was killed in the Holocaust. It later ended up in the hands of Motel Bering, a Polish Holocaust survivor born in 1909. Bering’s wife and children were murdered by Nazis, however, he eventually escaped to Israel via Iraq.
Before he died in 1972, Bering married and had more children. He passed the violin to one of his sons, Yitzhak Bering, who is now 76 and living in Petah Tikva, who, in turn, gave it to his friend, Beck.
Berger played Amir Benayoun's "You overcame everything with me" on the violin in what was a significant and emotional moment for everyone involved, according to Ynet News.
"As soon as I heard she played the violin, I knew it had to go to her," Beck said. "From the moment she returned to Israel, I did everything I could to reach her."
Bering was also there to hear Berger play. He shared the story of how his father had cared for the violin and carried it all the way to Israel.
"When I saw the violin producing sounds again, I felt that its owner, who was an orchestral violinist, had come back to life," Bering said.
Jo Elizabeth has a great interest in politics and cultural developments, studying Social Policy for her first degree and gaining a Masters in Jewish Philosophy from Haifa University, but she loves to write about the Bible and its primary subject, the God of Israel. As a writer, Jo spends her time between the UK and Jerusalem, Israel.
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