Eighty-five years since the terrifying pogroms occurred across Central Europe, The Association of Jewish Refugees (AJR) held a special Commemorative Service to remember Kristallnacht.
The service, which took place at The Central Synagogue, London, was officiated by The Chief Rabbi and featured vivid eye-witness accounts of Kristallnacht, from AJR members who experienced the horrifying events of the November Pogroms.
The national organisation representing and supporting Holocaust refugees and survivors, brought together over two-hundred guests, to honour those whose lives were ripped apart by antisemitism and to stand in solidarity, ensuring that the struggles of the Jewish community are never forgotten.
Speakers included Albert Lester (96) who escaped Nazi Germany, via the Kindertransport, in 1938. Albert’s heart-rendering testimony retold the story of the terrifying raid of his school. Albert remembered:
“[I was ] swept away by a torrent of screaming, crying children running into the dining room. The swarm then ran down a metal spiral staircase into the kitchen and from there over the kitchen garden to a wooden fence erected on top of a ten-feet-high retaining wall preventing the property from falling onto the streets below. One by one, the children climbed over the fence and jumped down the wall. When my turn came, I looked down in terror…there was little else to do but to follow the crowd.”
Also speaking was Thea Valman (89), who shared her experiences 85 years ago today. Witnessing her father’s arrest and the terror which befell her hometown of Vienna, she said:
“At midnight I was woken by the sound of shouting, screaming and banging on doors all over our block. Through the window… I could also hear the smashing of glass. Totally bewildered I ran out of bed to find my white-faced parents standing in our hall…Then there was a loud banging on our door…Three men in uniform came in, took my father by the arms and walked him away…
My mother was pale and shaking…I thought it was like the time there had been an earthquake…through the windows we could still hear the sound of glass smashing and screaming voices. It was 9 November 1938 – Kristallnacht.”
During the proceedings, six AJR Holocaust survivors and refugees illuminated memorials in a moving candle lighting ceremony and the congregation was addressed by The Chief Rabbi, Sir Ephraim Mirvis and Rabbi Barry Lerer.
Guests of honour included Lord Pickles – The UK Envoy for Post Holocaust Issues and Ambassadors from Germany, Austria, Sweden and The Netherlands and representatives from the Czech and Polish embassies.
In his remarks, AJR CEO Michael Newman underlined the vital importance of marking milestones in Holocaust history, commenting:
“The AJR is highly sensitised to acts of terror against Jews. Today, 85 years on from the horrific events of Kristallnacht, survivors of the Holocaust are witnessing, once again, terrifying atrocities and the uprise in antisemitic acts. That is why it is so important, that we pause to remember anniversaries such as Kristallnacht, to educate people where antisemitism unchallenged can lead.”
The organisation is focussed on engaging with Holocaust refugee and survivor descendants to join AJR’s growing next generation membership to celebrate and preserve the history of their ancestors.
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