75th Anniversary of Kristallnacht

Germans walk by a Jewish business destroyed on Kristallnacht

On November 9, 1938, Nazi storm troopers and German citizens launched a massive, government coordinated attack on Jews throughout Germany.  The mobs burned synagogues, destroyed businesses, ransacked Jewish homes and brutalized the Jewish people.  A total of 1,350 Jewish synagogues were burnt to the ground or destroyed; 91 Jews were killed; 30,000 Jews were thrown into concentration camps; 7,000 Jewish businesses were destroyed; and thousands of Jewish homes were ransacked.

This night is known as Kristallnacht, the Night of Broken Glass, because the streets were covered with broken glass from all the Jewish windows.  2013 marks the 75^th anniversary of this horrific event.

Kristallnacht was a turning point in the history of the Third Reich, marking the shift from anti-Semitic rhetoric and legislation to the violent, aggressive anti-Jewish measures that would culminate with the Holocaust.

We are told to NEVER FORGET.  Never forget what happened during the Holocaust so that we may prevent such a tragedy from ever happening again. Teach your children and grandchildren the lessons of the Holocaust.  As you may know, Florida is one of only five states in the US where Holocaust education is mandated in public schools.  Despite the best efforts of teachers and school administrators, many students still don’t seem to get the message.  This video demonstrates the need for schools and organizations, like our Jewish Federation, to continue to educate those of all ages about the lessons of Kristallnacht and the Holocaust.

To that end, The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee will host an Interfaith Kristallnact Commemoration on Sunday, November 10 at 3:00pm at Temple Beth Sholom. The event will feature choral performances by Gloria Musicae and The Sarasota Jewish Chorale as well as participation from Holocaust survivors, children of Survivors and area Jewish, Christian and Catholic clergy:

• Bishop Frank J. Dewane, Diocese of Venice
• Hazzan Jeff Webber, Temple Beth Sholom
• Rev. Dr. Tom Pfaff, Chair of the Sarasota Ministerial Association
• Pastor John W. Walker Jr., Chaplain for Ringling College of Art and Design, New College and University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee
• Deacon Humberto Alvia, St. Jude Church
• Joel Swallow, Chairman, Mayor’s Feed the Hungry Program of Sarasota-Manatee

As well, Dr. Sigmund Tobias will speak about his experiences as a young boy in Berlin in 1938.  His remarks will touch on the history of Kristallnacht and what it represents; he will also discuss the importance of standing up against evil today.

Dr. Tobias has a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Columbia University.  He served as a Visiting Professor at the Shanghai Institute of Education where he began, “Strange Haven: A Jewish Childhood in Wartime Shanghai.”  Dr. Tobias participated in two films on the subject, Shanghai Ghetto and The Last Refuge – The Story of Jewish Refugees in Shanghai.  A blog describing Dr. Tobias writing on Jewish subjects may be found here.

For more information, or to make a reservation for the program, visit www.jfedsrq.org/events.aspx or contact Orna at onissan@jfedsrq.org.

Federation’s Mensch of the Month – ADDIE SILVERMAN

Addie Silverman has been an active volunteer in our Federation and in our Sarasota-Manatee Jewish community for over 30 years. At 93 years old, Addie continues to diligently proofread The Jewish News each month and finds and fixes even the minutest errors. Her attention to detail is extraordinary and her technical skills are more than impressive. Over the years, Temple Beth Sholom, State of Israel Bonds, Hadassah, Technion Institute of Technology and many other organizations have benefited from the leadership, and the kindness, of Addie Silverman.

At The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee we are forever grateful to Addie for her many years of devoted volunteer work. In an attempt to explain Addie’s brilliant contributions to The Jewish News, Editor Ted Epstein wrote, “If this sentence had a double space between words, or had a Yiddish word that was misspelled, or referred to an organization as a person, it would not have made it this far with those errors. Why? Because Addie Silverman is the best proofreader an editor/writer could ever wish for! Yasher Kochech (he even verified the spelling so it wouldn’t have to be corrected), Addie!” – Ted Epstein, Editor, The Jewish News.

Her dedication and commitment to the Jewish people and our community is unparalleled. A big THANK YOU to Addie Silverman for everything she does for Sarasota-Manatee and for Israel…she truly epitomizes a mensch.