Violins of Hope Exhibition

Lead Curator: Violins of Hope Exhibition

An exhibition featuring the Violins of Hope will be open (and free) to the public at the War Memorial Veteran’s Gallery in San Francisco. These remarkable instruments will be on view from mid-January to mid-March, along with stories of their difficult history, and the long journey toward their restoration. The exhibition is sponsored by the American Legion War Memorial Commission.

The Violins of Hope exhibition will showcase a collection of approximately 26 Holocaust-era violins that were played by Jewish musicians during the Holocaust. Amnon Weinstein, a luthier in Israel, began collecting and restoring the violins more than 20 years ago, and the collection is dedicated to the 400 family members he lost in World War II. The instruments have been played by prominent musicians in venues worldwide, giving voice not only to the owners of the violins, but also to the millions of Jewish people who perished.

 The Violins of Hope exhibition will offer a unique educational experience through the telling of stories and experiences of the different violin owners. Some of the Violins of Hope were played by musicians who were able to flee Europe before the Holocaust, while others were played in ghettos and labor camps to earn money for food. Jewish musicians also played in concentration camp orchestras to entertain the Nazis and to lift the spirits of their fellow prisoners. The violins also share the stories of Jewish resistance fighters and tales of loss and reunification following the war.

Related exhibit content will bring context to contemporary issues of injustice, racial and religious discrimination, and the horrors of genocide, which continue to the present day. With the rise of anti-Semitism and extremist ideologies in the United States and Europe, it is more important than ever to remind people of the effects of hatred, especially as the collective memory of the Holocaust fades with the last generation of survivors. 

Violins of Hope Bay Area 2020 is produced by Music at Kohl Mansion.