Commemorate the 82nd anniversary of Kristallnacht virtually

Holocaust Survivors & Friends Education Center and Jewish Federation of Northeastern New York will host a special, virtual observance to commemorate the 82nd anniversary of Kristallnacht and mark the 28th year of confronting bigotry to unite the community against prejudice in the Capital Region. The virtual observance begins Tuesday, Nov. 10, featuring video presentations by Holocaust survivors, a child of survivors, and Union College's Henry and Sally Schaffer Professor of Holocaust and Jewish Studies, Dr. Stephen M. Berk, and will include a special, limited-time screening of the film Saviors in the Night on Tuesday, Nov. 17.

Kristallnacht, or the Night of Broken Glass, was an attack by the Nazis against Jews in Germany and Austria Nov. 9-10, 1938. Hundreds of synagogues and businesses were destroyed and more than 30,000 Jewish men were sent to concentration camps. Kristallnacht is known as the night the Holocaust began.

The film Saviors in the Night tells the true story of Marga Spiegel and her family’s journey in hiding from the Nazis; a story of heroism, moral courage, and humanity. Spiegel’s husband, a former World War I solider, seeks protection for his family with a former comrade, Heinrich Aschoff. Aschoff agrees to shelter Spiegel, her husband, and their young daughter, Karen, from 1943 to 1945, saving them from the concentration camps.

Additionally, Dr. Stephen M. Berk will discuss the history and meaning of Kristallnacht in his virtual presentation Rehearsal for the Holocaust. Berk, one of the nation’s most prestigious Holocaust lecturers, is often consulted by Holocaust centers around the country, as well as national-media outlets.

Video links for this observance event are available on Jewish Federation of NENY’s website: https://www.jewishfedny.org/kristallnacht2020. Saviors in the Night will be available to stream for free from Nov. 17-20.