Musical instruments recovered from Holocaust victims feature in Sioux Falls concert
Violins, cello and viola were 'witnesses to humanity’s darkest hours' during World War II
The organizers of a free concert honoring the victims of the Holocaust hope the event offers a counterpoint to the current climate of disrespect and hate mongering.
One way to reach out to others is through the universal language of music. In order to teach understanding and acceptance plus remember the Holocaust, Mount Zion Congregation and Curious Music Collective will host Violins of Hope Sioux Falls: Never Forget Hope, on June 6.
The performance will feature stringed instruments that belonged to Holocaust victims. They will be played by professional musicians along with a soprano. The event also features poetry, storytelling and a post-concert discussion.
During World War II and before, when Jews were rounded up for deportation to the death camps in Europe, they were only allowed to take a few possessions, says Jacob Forstein, president of Mount Zion Congregation in Sioux Falls.
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Many chose to take their musical instruments.
Music became a fundamental part of camp life. “There were over 500 orchestras and musical ensembles formed during the Nazi regime,” says Yi-Chun Lin, executive and artistic director of Curious Music Collective.
“They exploited the talents of Jewish people and the power of music during the camps, including having orchestras play at the gates of the camps when people were sent there. Musicians were forced to perform at various occasions including executions. Music was not only a survival tool, but it also brought people moments of peace, calm, and humanity.”
They also performed for the guards’ private entertainment.
Various camps also used music from radio broadcasts or record players during executions to drown out the sound, and they played during the selection process to deceive new arrivals into thinking they were not facing immediate death, according to the Music and the Holocaust website.
As a result, camp musicians received some “privileges” such as lighter work assignments, better clothing or a bit more food, and their status protected them from arbitrary acts of violence. But those benefits fostered an unhealthy dependence on guards and served to divide the musicians from the average camp inmate.
Dozens of their instruments were eventually recovered and restored. They are now used in symphonies and performances around the world.
For the first time ever 12 of those instruments are coming to Sioux Falls to be played in a concert led by Yi-Chun Lin. She put together the concert program and all the music-related activities, including the musicians, poets, a singer and local violin students.
These sacred instruments were witnesses to humanity’s darkest hours, says Forstein. This concert is a way to honor the memory of the Holocaust and promote education, unity and flexibility through the universal power of music.
Our past can impact our future, Forstein says.
“Six million Jews and countless others perished in the Holocaust,” he said. “It’s important to help educate what hate can do.”
The instruments are ambassadors to ensure we never forget and realize how the aftermath continues to affect our society even today, say concert backers.
“The hope is that we don’t repeat our past,” says Zechariah Van Harris III, vice president of Mount Zion Congregation.
The negative history regarding the Jews in World War II “can apply to black Americans and Native Americans as well,” he says.
“These are mass murder events. It’s our responsibility to not allow these things to happen again, says Van Harris.
The program has added significance for him; “I’m a black Jew,” he says.
“Not only do I have a target on my back because I’m black, but I also have a target because I’m a Jew and feel forced to explain that.”
The free program includes music by Jewish composers influenced by memory, exile, resilience and loss. In addition, there will be a soprano and original poetry readings by Lawrence Diggs and Xavier Pastano to confront hate and division and foster hope for the future.
We are connected through the generations by this catastrophic event.
The student performers are the torch bearers of hope and light, says Dr. Yi-Chun Lin.
“We hope they will continue using their musical or artistic voices to bring out the best in other humans.”
“The music in this program carries both heaviness and hope,” she says. “The instruments that survived and are played in this program embody the spirit of human resilience and hope that will continue to bring forward the light in the dark of this world.”
If You’re Going
Violins of Hope: Sioux Falls
Saturday, June 6, 2026; 7:00 p.m.
Concert, followed by Post-Concert Discussion and Q&A at Hamre Recital Hall, Fryxell Humanities Center, Augustana University 2120 S. Grange Ave, Sioux Falls, SD 57197
Free event though free-will donations will be accepted;
All are welcome however seating is limited
For more information:
https://www.sfcmcollective.com/
Hosted locally by Mt. Zion Congregation and Curious Music Collective.
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