About

Pittsburgh has long been known as the City of Bridges, with a multitude of these unique and colorful structures that connect our communities and our diverse backgrounds. This has enabled us to come together to celebrate our shared cultural, educational, social, and vocational activities.

How better to underscore these shared values than through a landmark collaboration of the arts, religious institutions, community organizations, education professionals, and musicians. Violins of Hope Greater Pittsburgh will present impactful programming throughout our community, reinforcing the valuable lessons of diversity, equity, and inclusion that are essential to our future.

Over the course of two months, through educational and cultural programs and exhibits, this unique project will, through lessons of the Holocaust, demonstrate humanity’s amazing ability to rebound from even the darkest depravity. The centerpiece of this event is the Violins of Hope Exhibit, which showcases violins played by Jewish musicians during the Holocaust. Each instrument has a unique emotional history that tells a story of perseverance and hope.

As a community that has already experienced attacks of hatred and division, Pittsburgh is especially sensitive to the need for unity. Thus, it is our hope that this landmark project will bring our community together, tuning out prejudice and building bridges that last.

A note from the chairs

When we began working on this project in the spring of 2018, we knew it could be a powerful experience for our community. The stories of the Holocaust and the lessons we can learn from them have never been more important. We are proud to be bringing together such an amazing group of community partners to present a broad array of meaningful programming. We look forward to engaging our fellow Pittsburghers in tuning out prejudice and building bridges that last.

A project of this scale does not happen without wide-scale community cooperation. We are so grateful to The Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh and the Diskin Family Foundation for embracing our vision from the very beginning. In addition, the enthusiastic support of the following groups has inspired us every step of the way:

Community partners
Generous donors
Dedicated volunteers
Knowledgeable educators
Talented musicians and artists

We have also been blessed to work with a wonderful team of professionals that have guided us along this journey.

And of course, we offer a heartfelt thank you to Amnon, Assi, and Avshi Weinstein for sharing their violins with us. We will forever be grateful for the opportunity to welcome these amazing instruments into our community. They will surely leave a lasting impression on all who see and hear them.

With deep gratitude and appreciation,

Sandy Rosen – Chair | Pat Siger – Co-chair | Lynn Zelenski – Project Manager

Exhibit

The Violins of Hope Exhibit relates remarkable stories of string instruments played by Jewish musicians during the Holocaust. Each surviving instrument has a unique and inspiring story that connects both young and old to the history of the Holocaust in a deeply emotional, personal, and relatable way. Paralleling lessons of the past to present day issues is key to creating a future where diversity, equality, inclusion are valued.

This one-of-a-kind exhibit will be housed at the Posner Center on Carnegie Mellon University’s campus. It will be open, free to the public*, from October 7-November 26, 2023. Individuals can experience the exhibit on their own or be guided by a trained docent. Group tours will also be available. In addition, time will be set aside for special tours to be given to middle and high school groups throughout Greater Pittsburgh.

*tickets required

Youth Education

One of the main goals of Violins of Hope Greater Pittsburgh is to educate both young and old in our community by using stories from the past to shed light on our future. A special emphasis will be placed on comprehensive in-school programming for middle- and high-school students. In addition, subsidies for school groups will be available for transportation and admission to age specific educational tours of the Violins of Hope Exhibit.

By delving into the historical themes of bigotry, racism, and intolerance during the Holocaust and telling stories of perseverance through these times, students will uncover the power of the human spirit to overcome even the most daunting circumstances.

If you are a school who wants to participate contact us here.

Events

Violins of Hope Greater Pittsburgh will bring together over 50 community partners that will present a variety of impactful programing throughout our community, with the hope of reaching a broad audience to reinforce the valuable lessons of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

We are grateful to these invaluable
community partners for embracing our vision.

Events will include:

Exhibits
Adult and Youth Education
Concerts
Cultural Arts Programs
Speakers
Panel Discussions
Films
University Programming
Community Interfaith Programming
World Kindness Day Celebration

Click here to sign up for event updates.

Get Involved

Be a part of this amazing project! There are so many ways to get involved:

Volunteer. Details on specific volunteer opportunities will be coming soon.

Spread the word. Talk to your friends and colleagues about Violins of Hope Greater Pittsburgh.

Contact your local middle and high schools. Ask if they have signed up for our educational opportunities.

Donate to Violins of Hope Greater Pittsburgh. Community support is essential to make this project a success.

Community Voices

Jeffrey H. Finkelstein, President & CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, shares his perspective on the impact this landmark program will have on the greater Pittsburgh region.