Violinist Niv Ashkenaz counted on JVS SoCal to help him pursue his studies in New York at the prestigious Juilliard School of Music from 2008 to 2014. He has since returned to JVS SoCal as a performer during the scholarship awards ceremony, alongside his wife Leah Kohn in 2016, and to share his testimonial about how our scholarship contributed to his success as a performer and educator.
“When I was two and a half years old, we were visiting family in Israel. There was a busker on a street corner, and we stopped to listen,” says Niv about the moment he was first introduced to the instrument. He remembers being fascinated by the melodies he heard, “at the age of six, six and a half, I began playing the violin.”
Encouraged by his parents, Niv first learned to play through the Suzuki Method, which emphasizes watching and listening, following the philosophy that children learn to play music through immersion in the same manner they acquire language. Niv lives with paraplegia, which was not going to stand in his way as he pursued the instrument. He was soon recognized as a virtuoso and received classical training during his years at Highland Hill Waldorf School, where his creativity was greatly encouraged.
His abilities landed him a scholarship to attend The Juilliard School of Music for his undergraduate degree, but the scholarship only covered tuition and didn’t include living expenses in New York City. That’s when he applied to our Scholarship Program, which helps Jewish students with financial need pursue post-secondary education and vocational training.
“New York is an expensive city,” says Niv, who was fully committed to the intense rehearsal routine needed to maintain top grades. “The Scholarship helped offset the living costs of what it is like to be a student in New York… that really helped out!”
“Niv has never let his confinement to a wheelchair stop him from achieving academic, career and personal success,” says Joyce Cele, program coordinator at JVS SoCal. Joyce and the Scholarship Committee meticulously matched Niv with the right sponsors in the program — The Stanley A. Dashew Scholarship Fund.
Stanley A. Dashew was a longtime supporter of JVS SoCal’s initiatives in helping people living with disabilities. His legacy remains strong as a significant benefactor of the agency’s CARF-certified disability assessment center.
While at Juilliard, Niv was trained with world-renowned violinists like Israeli-American violinist Itzhak Perlman. Perlman mentored Niv while he was completing his Master’s degree, and was a central figure in the making of Niv’s most recognized project – Niv Ashekenaz: Violins Hope album.
“It’s very important,” says Niv about honoring his Jewish heritage, “both my parents are Israeli. I grew up learning Hebrew as my first language…and is a big part of me and my wife’s life.” Violins of Hope is a project founded by Israeli artists Luthiers Amnon and Avshalom Weinstein that brings light to the atrocities endured by Jewish artists before and during the Holocaust.
“As an alum of the Perlman Music Program, I was invited to join several other musicians performing on instruments from the [Weinstein] collection in recitals and educational programs for Violins of Hope in Sarasota, Florida.” says Niv, “shortly after, this developed into a long-term collaboration, and I received the violin used on this album on long-term loan from Amnon Weinstein.”
Niv, along with his wife Leah Kohn, who is also a classical musician and Juilliard alumna, produced Niv’s album inspired by and performed with instruments in the Violins of Hope collection.
At their performance during the awards ceremony several years ago, they shared highlights of Niv’s successful classical performance career which has spanned over 15 years, including performances at the Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall, and numerous international venues.
“I’m a soloist and a chamber musician as well as an educator” says Niv proudly. “I love teaching… It’s a wonderful way to give back, and also to raise the next generation of musicians. Honestly, whether someone goes into music or not is not really that important, it’s just as good for them to develop a love for music.”
If you’d like to help students like Niv achieve their goals, please donate today.