Fri 10/2
Violins of Hope is an original, multi-sensory exhibition debuting Fri 10/2 at the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage and running through Sun 1/3/2016. The exhibit will showcase 19 violins that survived the Holocaust.
“Their [the survivors] very personal and moving stories are shared through video, mural-sized imagery and music, both recorded and performed live in the gallery,” says Ellen Rudolph, executive director of Maltz Museum. “The immersive space allows visitors to reflect on the power of music as a tool for survial, a form of protest and a source of hope. The 4,000-square-foot exhibition is a centerpiece of an incredible community-wide collaboration of education and arts organizations across Northeast Ohio called Violins of Hope Cleveland.”
So where do the violins come from?
“Amnon Weinstein has been restoring violins that survived the Holocaust for more than two decades,” explains Ellen. “He is a second generation Israeli master violinmaker who lost hundreds of relatives in the Holocaust. He dedicates his work to the family he never knew. People bring these violins to Weinstein from all over the world, and they share their stories with him. It can take him 18 months to restore a single violin.”
“The instruments in his collection have been played in concert halls around the world, giving voice to those who were silenced,” continues Rudolph. “Weinstein has said, ‘When my violins are on stage, six million people are standing behind them.’”
Anyone who has an interest in personal stories from the Holocaust, who are passionate about the transcendent power of music or who just want to experience a stunning, moving, difficult but life-affirming exhibition should attend this showing. Throughout the run of the exhibition, musicians from Cleveland Institute of Music and Baldwin Wallace Conservatory of Music will fill the gallery with music.
“Violins of Hope certainly fits in our overarching museum goal of celebrating culture and identity to encourage connection and promote a greater appreciation of Jewish heritage and the diversity of the human experience,” shares Ellen. “We definitely feel this community-wide initiative has the power to touch hearts and open minds.”
Seven partner organizations are part of a larger collaboration working on concerts, lectures, films, concerts, plays, etcetera: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland Institute of Music, the Cleveland Orchestra, Facing History and Ourselves, Ideastream, the Jewish Federation of Cleveland and the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage. Plus, there are more than a dozen affiliate institutions offering lectures, films, concerts, plays and other programs related to the violins and the Holocaust.
“We’ll take the restored violins out of the cases, and musicians will play on them,” says Ellen. “This will enable visitors to hear the same sounds that those violins produced when their former owners played them. People should expect to be moved by the combination of music, the stories behind the violins, mural-size images of musicians during World War II, video, and of course the presence of the instruments themselves.”
“It’s really an amazing opportunity to bring those voices to life and allow visitors to connect with those who were lost,” concludes Ellen.
Tickets to Violins of Hope are included in regular museum admission: $12 adults, $10 seniors (60+) and students, $5 youth (5-11). The exhibit is fee for Maltz members and children under 5.
Author James A. Grymes did a great deal of research on the histories of many of Weinstein’s violins for his book, Violins of Hope: Violins of the Holocaust-Instruments of Hope and Liberation in Mankind’s Darkest Hour. He was also a consulting curator for the Maltz Museum exhibition.