Remembering Kristallnacht

Kristallnacht- The Night of Broken Glass

November 9 and 10^th, 1938 marked the beginning of a series of cataclysmic events that were to evolve into the Holocaust which was no less than a systematic effort to eradicate the entire Jewish population. On those days, a systematic pogrom led by Nazi Storm Troopers along with elements of the Hitler Youth and local thugs targeted Jewish houses of worship as well a Jewish owned businesses in Germany and parts of Austria. Thousands of buildings were ransacked and burned. Innocent people were murdered. Jewish life in Europe would never be the same. These horrific events have become known as   “Kristallnacht,” the Night of Broken Glass.

This coming week, ceremonies and memorial services will be held in churches and synagogues around the world to commemorate this event. Teachers around the country may want to use the event to discuss the Holocaust and its worldwide repercussions. You can link this discussion to bullying in schools, in accepting students of other cultures with other customs, of tolerance and diversity in our society.  You can discuss the Constitutional issue of Freedom of Religion.  In 1790 President George Washington wrote a letter to the members of the Hebrew Congregation of Newport, Rhode Island where he stated that the new US government was “a government which grants bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance.”

You also wish to share with students the amazing story of the “Paperclips Project” started by the students of the Whitwell Middle School in Tennessee. www.imdb.com/title/tt0380615. The students produced a book about their project entitled “Six Million Paperclips” which is available from Amazon as well as other booksellers. There are study guides and lesson plans that compliment this program. IN retrospect this the ideal “perfect storm” for teachers where students, faculty, parents and the community at large all worked together on this scintillating venture.

There are a number of other excellent web sites that that can provide you with resources and teaching materials. One of the best is United States Holocaust Memorial and Museum in Washington, DC.

http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005201

PBS also has a film that was part of its America and the Holocaust Program. You can obtain more information at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/holocaust/peopleevents/pandeAMEX99.html

The Library of Congress also maintains archives of documents relating to the events of Kristallnacht. Go to http://www.loc.gov/pictures/search/?q=kristallnacht%201938

I recently had the opportunity to facilitate a screening of the documentary, “ Imaginary Witness; Hollywood and the Holocaust.” This is an outstanding  two hour film suitable for high school students, college students and adults. This film presents a unique view how the Hollywood film moguls  dealt with (  or did not deal with) the Holocaust on screen.

There have been numerous books written about Kristallnacht and its aftermath. Below is a short list of books that are currently available.

Further Reading

Bard, Mitchell, Phd. 48 Hours of Kristallnacht: Night of Destruction/ Dawn of the Holocaust .  c.2010

Deen, James. Krsitallnacht: The Nazi Terror that Began the Holocaust. C.2011

Gilbert, Martin. Kristallnacht: Prelude to Destruction. New York: HarperCollins, 2006.

Pehle, Walter H., editor. November 1938: From "Reichskristallnacht" To Genocide. New York: Berg, 1991.

Read, Anthony. Kristallnacht: The Nazi Night of Terror. New York: Times Books, 1989.

Schwab, Gerald. The Day the Holocaust Began: The Odyssey of Herschel Grynszpan. New York: Praeger, 1990.

Steinweiss, Alan. Kristallnacht  1938. C.2009

Photo courtesy -Holocaust Museum  and Education Center of Southwest Florida