The June 6 concert, free to the public, will feature restored Holocaust instruments performed by professional and young musicians, with poetry, storytelling, and community conversation.

Mount Zion Congregation and Curious Music Collective will host Violins of Hope: Sioux Falls, a free community program featuring restored Holocaust string instruments, on Saturday, June 6, 2026, at 7:00 PM at Hamre Recital Hall inside Augustana University’s Fryxell Humanities Center. The Sioux Falls program is part of Violins of Hope, presented by the Minnesota JCC.

Centered on the theme “Never Forget Hope,” the evening will bring together professional and young musicians led by Dr. Yi-Chun Lin, original poetry by Lawrence Diggs and Xavier Pastrano, selected instrument stories, and a post-concert discussion with organizers, artists, and community leaders. The theme reflects the program’s invitation to remember the past while choosing hope, education, and community for the future. Donations will be accepted.

Violins of Hope is a collection of violins, violas, and cellos restored and connected to Jewish individuals before and during the Holocaust. Through concerts, exhibitions, and educational programs around the world, the instruments honor Holocaust memory while carrying forward messages of resilience, resistance, unity, and the transformative power of music.