Pittsburgh, PA  –  Monday, October 2, 2023  – 

A large part of the library’s role involves highlighting the stories and experiences of our community members, now and throughout history. On Sunday, October 22 from 6:30-8 p.m., Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh (CLP) is hosting Daring to Decide – When Ordinary People Make Extraordinary Decisions, a storytelling event by local organization Violins of Hope.  

Taking place in the CLP – Main Lecture Hall in Oakland, the program will showcase the stories of two individuals – Righteous Among Nations Sergeant Roddie Edmonds and Ho Feng Shan, consul-general in Vienna – who were forced to make life-altering choices during World War II, saving tens of thousands of Jews during the Holocaust.  

The event will feature a panel discussion with four guests, including Dr. David Frey, Founding Director of the Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point Academy; Pastor Christopher Edmonds, son of Sergeant Roddie Edmonds; Bettie Pei-Wen Ho Carlson, granddaughter of Ho Feng Shan; and Brenda Tate, retired Pittsburgh Police Officer. The panelists will join CLP President & Director Andrew Medlar in a discussion around their family histories and stories, followed by an audience Q&A.  

Daring to Decide is free, and the first 100 attendees will receive a copy of No Surrender: A Father, a Son, and an Extraordinary Act of Heroism That Continues to Live on Today by Christopher Edmonds and Douglas Century.  

Registration for the event is encouraged but walk-ins are welcome.  

Violins of Hope Greater Pittsburgh presents impactful programming throughout the community, reinforcing the valuable lessons of diversity, equity and inclusion that are essential to Pittsburgh’s future. The Violins of Hope Exhibit relates remarkable stories of string instruments played by Jewish musicians during the Holocaust. Each surviving instrument has a unique and inspiring story that connects both young and old to the history of the Holocaust in a deeply emotional, personal, and relatable way.

CLP is providing supportive programming for Violins of Hope’s main exhibit, Tuning Out Prejudice: Building Bridges That Last, which will run from October 7 through November 21, 2023 at Carnegie Mellon University’s Posner Center, including:  

October 14 | 2 pm : Dance the Story with Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre @ CLP – Beechview 

October 24 | 5:30 pm: Dance the Story with Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre @ CLP – Allegheny 

November 5 | 2 pm: Sounds Upstairs @ CLP – Main 

November 15 | 5: 30 pm: Mini Concert with Pittsburgh Youth Concert Orchestra @ CLP – West End 

November 15 | 5 pm: Mini Concert with The Pittsburgh Music Academy  @ CLP – Squirrel Hill 

More information on these events can be found on the library’s website.  

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