Fort Wayne Community Schools
Students at New Tech Academy at Wayne and South Side High School will learn about Violins of Hope, a collection of Holocaust-related stringed instruments, this month.
The Violins of Hope are a collection of more than 50 instruments played in Jewish ghettos and by Jewish prisoners in concentration camps. These instruments have been collected and restored in recent years by violin maker Amnon Weinstein in Tel Aviv. This November, the Jewish Federation of Fort Wayne and the Fort Wayne Philharmonic, along with dozens of additional community partners, are bringing more than 50 Violins of Hope to Fort Wayne to be played in multiple performances, including the Fort Wayne Philharmonic Youth Symphony, over a two-week period.
At New Tech Academy, students have been studying the Holocaust and working on their own Instruments of Hope in artistic, written and visual form. They will present their work, along with artwork, documentaries and spoken word by students from the University of Saint Francis, from 6-9 p.m. Monday, May 13, at the University of Saint Francis Robert Goldstine Performing Arts Center, 431 E. Berry St.
Prior to the Instruments of Hope display, New Tech students will hear from “Violins of Hope” author Dr. James Grymes at 10 a.m. Monday, May 6, in the Wayne High School auditorium. “Violins of Hope” tells the story of Amnon Weinstein and the violins he has restored.
On Wednesday, May 8, South Side students will hear from Drs. David and Carol Lindquist at 2:30 p.m. The presentation aligns with what the students are learning about the Holocaust in class and shares how these tangible artifacts outlasted the Nazi Regime. Dr. David Lindquist is the former Co-Director of the Institute for Holocaust & Genocide Studies at IPFW. Dr. Carol Lindquist is the former Chief Academic Officer for Fort Wayne Community Schools and is a member of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic Board of Directors..