A special and inspiring event came to Lafayette this week for all who are moved by the Holocaust. An hour-long lecture called the Violins of Hope was brought to Beeler Auditorium February 13th, during B2 and B4, to play music and share some insight to musicians who played in concentration camps.
According to the University of Kentucky’s College of Fine Arts, Violins of Hope is a collection of more than 70 orchestra instruments that were once played in concentration camps. The violins, cellos, and violas were used as a sign of resistance. Amnon and Avshalom Weinstein, the co-founders of Violins of Hope, helped restore the instruments and have been touring around the country with them. Both violin-makers, father and son who work in Tel Aviv and Istanbul, own this collection of instruments.
Violins of Hope states that, “our violins represent the victory of the human spirit over evil and hatred. As many as 6 million Jews were murdered in World War II, but their memory is not forgotten. It comes back to life with every concert and every act of love and celebration of the human spirit.” Through music, the Violins of Hope project remembers the Holocaust and celebrates human resilience.
Harper Wells, a freshman who attended the lecture, was interviewed about how it made her feel. “It made me feel really inspired to be more proactive in my community, and it really taught me about all the pain that some of these people endured”.
As a SCAPA Voice Major, she was also asked about how she will apply what she learned to her music. “It inspired me to create more music because of the fact that music was still able to stay throughout this.” This experience has fueled her passion for both music and community involvement.
To conclude, the Violins of Hope experience moves students and helps them better understand the Holocaust and expand what they already knew about the horrors. The biggest takeaway is that this event across the globe brings people closer together to remember all of the wonderful musicians that we lost in the Holocaust.
