Joel Feder, a well-known photographer in the early 1900s, was themissing link I had been searching for surrounding the mystery ofhow my family was in possession of this amazing violin that hadbeen passed down from generation to generation. The violin?s veryexistence began over 150 years ago, in a small province in Polandknown as Galicia. The two founding families in the district ofWozwolince?the Goldhirschs and the Feders?were the soul of thecommunity, providing religious and educational pursuits as well asartistic expression, deeply provoking the love of art and music inthe inhabitants of the town. The pogroms of Poland have been welldocumented during the nineteenth century. Many of the townspeoplewere frightened and were planning they?re exudes to America. SimonGoldhirsch, the community?s beloved rabbi, entrusted the violin tomembers of the Feder family, leaving for America with the promisethat, someday, the violin would be returned to the Goldhirschfamily in America.