The Violins and People of Hope and Labor

In the wake of Labor Day, H. Steven Moffic, MD, explores the psychological themes of the movie "The Red Violin," and how it relates to current events. "The Red Violin" is a 1998 anthology drama film directed by François Girard and starring Samuel L. Jackson, Carlo Cecchi, and Sylvia Chang. It spans 4 centuries and 5 countries, weaving the story of a mysterious red-colored violin and its many owners.

Themes include:

1. Past lives
2. Hubris
3. The suffering of artists
4. Intergenerational transition of trauma

Additionally, the Violins of Hope are coming to Moffic's home city of Milwaukee. Violins of Hope is a project of concerts based on a private collection of violins, violas, and cellos, that have been collected since the end of World War II. Many of the instruments belonged to Jews before and during the War. Many were donated by or bought from survivors, while some arrived through family members.

"The message I guess I'd like to convey for this Labor Day is that we have to maintain hope under our current circumstances," said Moffic.

Dr Moffic is an award-winning psychiatrist who specialized in the cultural and ethical aspects of psychiatry and is now in retirement and retirement as a private pro bono community psychiatrist. A prolific writer and speaker, he has done a weekday column titled “Psychiatric Views on the Daily News” and a weekly video, “Psychiatry & Society,” since the COVID-19 pandemic emerged. He was chosen to receive the 2024 Abraham Halpern Humanitarian Award from the American Association for Social Psychiatry. Previously, he received the Administrative Award in 2016 from the American Psychiatric Association, the one-time designation of being a Hero of Public Psychiatry from the Speaker of the Assembly of the APA in 2002, and the Exemplary Psychiatrist Award from the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill in 1991. He presented the third Rabbi Jeffrey B. Stiffman lecture at Congregation Shaare Emeth in St. Louis on Sunday, May 19, 2024. He is an advocate and activist for mental health issues related to climate instability, physician burnout, and xenophobia. He is now editing the final book in a 4-volume series on religions and psychiatry for Springer: Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, Christianity, and now The Eastern Religions, and Spirituality. He serves on the Editorial Board of Psychiatric Times.