Date(s) -Thursday, November 7, 2024
7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Location: Congregation Emanu-El Synagogue
Categories
Kristallnacht: Remembrance Matters
Congregation Emanu-El, 1461 Blanshard St, Victoria,
Thursday, November 7, 2024 –7 p.m.
The Victoria Shoah Project invites the public to the annual commemoration of Kristallnacht (Night of Broken Glass).
The term Kristallnacht refers to the organized anti-Jewish riots in Germany and Austria on November 9-10, 1938. Over those days, anti-Semitic mobs vandalized and destroyed Jewish-owned homes, businesses and synagogues, littering the streets with broken glass; thousands were rounded up and sent to concentration camps simply for being Jewish. These riots marked a major transition in Nazi policy, and were, in many ways, a harbinger of the “Final Solution.”
On Thursday, November 7th at 7 p.m. in the historic Congregation Emanu-El synagogue, the Jewish community and members of other communities will commemorate the events of that tragic night and morning. Prayer, music, readings and reflections will help attendees gain an understanding of the power of this terrible prelude to what was to come for the Jewish people of Europe.
Our keynote speaker will be Dr. Robert Krell, Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry at the University of British Columbia. Dr. Krell is a child survivor of the Holocaust and founding president of the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre. He has done pioneering research on child survivors and with victims of both Nazi and Japanese concentration camps, and spoken to a wide range of audiences including presenting to the UN General Assembly in January 2012.
In recent years we have seen the growth of attacks and normalization of hate directed to minority groups and those who are considered to be “the other”. The normalization of hate highlights the need for us to stand together to protect and safeguard all peoples, regardless of religion, race, sexual orientation or other factors, which may make them targets of a hateful few.
Please join us to remember the tragedy of this past event and commit to take action for a better future where we will respect and protect our neighbours, not remain silent in the face of any injustice against any person or group in our community, and work towards building bridges leading to unity and shalom (peace) here and beyond.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Victoria Shoah Project
Email: victoriashoahproject@gmail.com
Website: https://www.victoriashoahproject.ca/
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/victoriashoahproject
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