POB Students Experience the Power of Music and History at “Violins of Hope”

Plainview-Old Bethpage John F. Kennedy High School orchestra students, including members of the advisory board that helped reopen the Holocaust and Genocide Education Center, attended a rare and moving concert, “Violins of Hope,” at Molloy University’s Madison Theatre on March 12.

The event featured the historic Violins of Hope collection, performed by internationally acclaimed musician and educator Dr. Michael Klinghoffer of the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance, alongside master violin restorer Avshalom Weinstein, who is the steward of the instruments.

These violins, violas and cellos once belonged to Jewish musicians before and during the Holocaust, some marked with Stars of David and others having survived ghettos, concentration camps and cattle trains. Restored to full voice, they now tell stories of resilience, survival and the enduring power of music. Through live performance and storytelling, the POB students connected with history in a deeply personal way, seeing firsthand how art can preserve memory and inspire hope.
Dr. Klinghoffer spoke to students about the role of string instruments in carrying memories across generations, emphasizing how music and the arts unite people, restore dignity and help heal a fractured world. 

For the POB students, the experience was more than a concert. It was a living history lesson, a reflection on humanity and an opportunity to witness the power of resilience and remembrance. The experience aligns with the District’s mission to prepare students to be civic-minded, compassionate and engaged participants in a diverse and ever-changing world.