Violins of Hope - JCC Chicago

Hearing the Past. Listening for Our Future.

Violins of Hope hosted by JCC Chicago and other partner organizations is coming to Chicagoland and surrounding areas across Illinois from April through September 2023. The collection of 70 string instruments played by Jewish musicians before and during the Holocaust have been painstakingly restored and are now coming to our area for cultural exhibitions, performances, and community education with a message of hope, resistance, resilience, and unity.

Contact us if you have a Holocaust-era stringed instrument that may be appropriate for inclusion in Violins of Hope.

Questions about Violins of Hope?
Email us at voh@jccchicago.org or call 847.763.3507.

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About Violins of Hope

Israeli violinmakers, Amnon and Avshalom Weinstein, have spent the last 20 years collecting and repairing 70 Holocaust-era violins and other stringed instruments from around the world, some with the Star of David on the back and others with names and dates inscribed within the instrument. Together, they have lovingly located and restored the violins to reclaim their lost heritage, give voice to the victims and reinforce essential messages of hope, harmony, and humanity.

Violins of Hope has been featured in books, print, film and television. They have been used in lectures and educational programs worldwide, exhibited in museums, and have been triumphantly played in concert halls around the globe. Through performances, exhibitions, and educational series, the instruments have impacted and inspired hundreds of thousands of people of all ages.

The Violins have traveled to cities across the globe, including:

Rome (2014), Tel Aviv & Berlin (2015), Cleveland (2015), London (2017), Washington D.C (2017), Sarasota (2017), Birmingham (2018), Fort Wayne (2019), Phoenix (2019), San Francisco/East Bay (2020, 2022), Los Angeles County (2020-21), Richmond (2021)

Stories of the Violins

Each violin in the Violins of Hope collection has a unique and meaningful story.

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Video

Courtesy of James A. Grymes, Ph.D., Author of Violins of Hope

Violins of Hope: Chicago Impact

JCC Chicago and its partner organizations aspire to reach over 100,000 community members of all races, religions, ages, and abilities.

JCC Chicago is working with premier cultural institutions around Chicago and Illinois to bolster the Violins’ residency from April to September 2023. The purpose of these residences and installations across cultural and educational organizations is to provide K-12 children, university students and the community at large with relevant, accessible Holocaust education anchored by the meaningful history of the instruments.

Beyond in-person events and experiences, the project will encompass an interactive website to ensure continued access and understanding of anti-hate messages conveyed through a virtual platform today in perpetuity.