Annual Kristallnacht Commemoration

Kristallnacht, or the Night of Broken Glass, was an organized attack against Jews throughout Nazi Germany and parts of Austria on November 9–10, 1938. Jewish homes were ransacked, as were shops, towns and villages, as SA stormtroopers and civilians destroyed buildings, leaving the streets covered in pieces of smashed windows—the origin of the name "Night of Broken Glass." Ninety-one Jews were killed, and 30,000 Jewish men—a quarter of all Jewish men in Germany—were taken to concentration camps, where they were tortured for months, with over 1,000 of them dying. Around 1,668 synagogues were ransacked, and 267 set on fire.

Congragtion Gesher Shalom, 1449 Anderson Avenue (corner of Stillwell) will hold 2-part commemoration.
During Shabbat morning services (9:00am-noon) on November 12th, Rabbi Stern will chant the Torah Service and the Haftarah using the traditional melodies of German immigrant congregation of his childhood.

On Sunday morning, November 13th at 10am, Dr.Lottie Pick, a member of the congregation who lived through Kristallnacht as achild, will tell her personal story. Dr. Pick's recounting of her experiences will be preceded by a brief, powerful and touching 10-minute movie, "JAI" (CHAI--LIFE), about grandparents with Holiocaust tatoos on their arms and their grandchildren encountering the Holocaust.

The public is invited. For more information please call 201.947.1735.

-Rabbi Kenneth Stern