DLNews History:

Kristallnacht, known as The Night of Broken Glass, was a planned series of attacks on Jewish synagogues and businesses in Nazi Germany that erupted on November 9-10, 1938. 

Jewish synagogues were burned to the ground. Shop windows of an estimated 7,500 Jewish-owned commercial establishments were shattered and looted their wares. Approximately 30,000 Jewish men were arrested and deported to concentration camps.

Many historians date this rampage as the beginning of the Holocaust.

Why did the Nazis choose November 9?

On November 9, 1918, in the aftermath of WWI, the German Kaiser was dethroned, and the Weimar Republic was born. Germans, feeling humiliated at the hands of the allied victors, blamed the Jews. 

"We are going to destroy the Jews. They are not going to get away with what they did on November 9, 1918. The day of reckoning has come." – Adolf Hitler (January 21, 1939)

On Thursday, November 10, 2022, the Jewish Federation and MENSCH International Foundation held an 84th-anniversary commemoration event. It was very well attended. 

Michael Berenbaum, an American scholar and professor specializing in the study of the Holocaust, introduced the subject. His presentation concentrated on the legal aspect behind Kristallnacht. Following the looting and burning of businesses and synagogues, insurance companies realized they were liable for the damages incurred. To offset their losses, Hermann Göring, leader of the Nazi Party, imposed a collective fine of $400 million (in 1939 rates) on the Jewish communities.     

From left: Federation CEO Alan Potash, Holocaust Survivor Ruth Lindemann, Federation Women’s Philanthropy Leslie Pepper - Photo by Talia Lizemer-Hawley

Ruth Lindemann, a child Holocaust Survivor from Vienna, Austria, shared her memories of that traumatic occurrence. Her father was arrested and deported to Dachau Concentration Camp. Years later, they were reunited. However, Ruth could not recognize him: his body was emaciated, and his teeth were missing, all due to the brutal beatings he endured as a prisoner.

From left: JFS Executive Director Kraig Johnson, Nancy Rubin, Holocaust Survivors Goldie Jacoby & Ruth Lindemann, Leslie Pepper, Talia Lizemer-Hawley, and Sandi Danciger.

Source: Talia Lizemer-Hawley, M.A.