Max Beker was born into a family with a strong musical tradition in Vilna, then Poland. His grandfather had conducted the Czar’s brass band, and Max performed with his father and brother to help support the household.
In 1939 he was drafted into the Polish army, but when war broke out he was quickly captured and became a prisoner of war on September 18. Jewish POWs were separated from the others and sent to forced labor, including work in mines and quarries. Max was eventually sent to Stalag VIII-A near Silesia, alongside thousands of French and other prisoners. His fortunes changed when a group of 63 fellow inmates from Vilna pooled their resources and persuaded an Austrian guard to buy him a violin. With it, Max became part of the camp orchestra. After liberation by American forces, he met pianist Fannia—who, with her sister Henia, a singer, had survived Dachau. The two married and began a new life together.
Max later learned that his parents and six siblings in Vilna had all been killed. He joined the Displaced Persons camp in St. Ottilien, where survivors formed an orchestra. In 1948, Leonard Bernstein conducted the ensemble, restoring dignity and hope to those who had lost so much. Max’s story is recounted in detail by his daughter in the book Symphony on Fire. Today, his violin continues to be heard in Violins of Hope concerts and exhibitions.
