Fugitive Orchestra

Violinist Bronislaw Huberman in a 1900 photo, taken when he was 18 years old.

December 26 1936 – 12 Tevet 5697

Iconic violinist Bronislaw Huberman founded the Palestine Philharmonic Orchestra by obtaining exit visas for seventy Jewish musicians fired from orchestras in central Europe under the
Nazis. Huberman’s friend Albert Einstein helped raised the funds to realize his vision of “uniting the country’s desire for an orchestra with the Jewish musicians’ desire for a country.” The first concert was held in Tel Aviv and conducted by Arturo Toscanini of the New York Philharmonic.