This violin belonged to Edwin Sanchick, who began playing the instrument in the 1930s before enlisting in the U.S. military to serve in Germany during World War II. Edwin was stationed in the Communications Division, a unit frequently targeted by bombings. During one such attack, he witnessed the tragic loss of his best friend to a sniper’s bullet while the two were in mid-conversation.
Unknown to Edwin at the time, he was stationed not far from the woman who would one day become his wife. Mali Teitelmann was only 15 years old then, desperately writing letters to secure her family’s escape from Frankfurt, Germany, as Jewish families were being rounded up. Mali famously survived Kristallnacht by hiding under a table while Nazis destroyed her father’s knitting factory.
Eventually, the family secured passage to the United States. Years later, Mali and Edwin met in Chicago and were married. From that point on, the violin became a musical symbol of their shared resilience and love.
The Donation
This instrument was donated to the Violins of Hope Collection during the Violins of Hope -Wisconsin residency, presented by the Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra. The donation was made on January 27, 2026—International Holocaust Remembrance Day—by Edwin’s daughters: Myra Sanchick and Donna Sanchick Greenberg.
