Henrik Unger (1911) graduated from the Music Academy in Kraków, Poland, as a violinist and conductor. He also played piano and trumpet, but his violin was always at the heart of his life. In 1935, he and his wife immigrated to Palestine, where work was scarce. He took on manual jobs but continued teaching and performing, sometimes playing just for a meal. When Bronisław Huberman invited him to join the Palestine Orchestra, Henrik declined because the position came without salary, though he never stopped performing in cafés, weddings, and community gatherings.
During World War II, Henrik joined the British Army as an officer. Fluent in eleven languages, he became the personal translator of Field Marshal Montgomery and served in Cairo and through campaigns in Benghazi, Tobruk, El Alamein, and across the Middle East. He ended the war as a major, later working for a British company while continuing to play his violin whenever possible.
After the establishment of Israel, Henrik worked for the national electric company but still devoted his free time to music—concerts at home on Saturdays and trumpet performances with the Ramat Gan Fire Brigade Orchestra in public parks. His violin remained his closest companion throughout his life. After his passing, the instrument was entrusted to the Weinsteins, joining the Violins of Hope collection.
