Lunchtime Kristallnacht commemoration in Sydney’s CBD
The Council of Christians and Jews will hold a Memorial Service in Sydney’s Martin Place on Friday to commemorate Kristallnacht.
Kristellnacht
On the night of November 9-1o 1938 Hitler’s German Government unleashed a night of violence, vandalism and terror on the country’s Jewish people considered by some as the opening salvo of the Holocaust culminating in the eventual loss of 6 million Jewish lives as well as those of homosexuals, gypsies, the physically impaired and political dissenters. 5,000 Jewish shops were looted and synagogues put to the torch. The phrase itself was coined by the Nazis.
The Great Synagogue’s Rabbi Jeremy Lawrence, who will participate in the proceedings, told J-Wire: “The CCJ has been running this for years. It is a very moving service and many stop to watch and listen. An especially moving moment is when I blow the shofar.”
He added that the service gets great spectator support and he cannot recall a single negative incident. He said: “The only unpleasant experience has been unfavorable weather”.
The Emanuel School Choir will join singer Fay Sussman in providing the music for the event.
The service will start at 12 noon and will conclude with two minutes’ silence and the breaking of a glass.
Incredibly important that this event is continuing to take place.
Many non Jewish people tend to belittle our Shoah and its beginnings and suggest we use it and the whole story, to gain sympathy..
Nonetheless, and despite this absurdity, it must remain.
Jenny