Light Up The Church

August to September 2024: Kristallnacht News Update

Thank you once again for signing the Kristallnacht declaration.

We typically send a few stories about Kristallnacht and the Holocaust that were in the news during the previous month on the first week of every month. This update covers a two month period, from August to September 2024.

  • 103-year-old Nazi Germany survivor turns memories of Germany into a painting

    Ann Dorzback, a 103-year-old Holocaust survivor living in Louisville, was asked to recreate her memories of a synagogue destroyed during Kristallnacht. With no surviving images or plans of the building, Dorzback relied on her vivid recollections, while artist Tom Pfannerstill spent nearly 10 months turning them into a painting. The synagogue, a source of strength for Dorzback during Nazi Germany, was an important part of her life before its destruction.

  • Newly discovered photos show Nazi Kristallnacht up close

    Previously unseen photos from the 1938 Kristallnacht pogrom have been donated to Israel's Yad Vashem memorial, revealing harrowing scenes of Nazi violence against Jews. The images show German onlookers as Nazis destroy storefronts, burn Jewish books, and set a synagogue ablaze. Released on the 84th anniversary of Kristallnacht, the photographs highlight a pivotal event that marked the beginning of the Holocaust, which resulted in the murder of 6 million Jews.

  • Holocaust survivor makes incredible discovery CityNews 477K subscribers

    77-year-old Holocaust survivor Elana Milman recently discovered she has a sibling she never knew existed. In a conversation with Melanie Ng, Elana shared her extraordinary story of learning about this long-lost relative later in life. The revelation added a new chapter to her remarkable journey of survival and resilience.

  • Group calls for courses on genocide, Holocaust in Nevada classrooms

    Ethan Cohen, a Nevada high schooler, reflected on his in-depth education about the Holocaust, contrasting it with the limited knowledge his peers may have. He shared these insights with state legislators during a discussion on improving Holocaust and genocide education in Nevada. Amid rising white supremacist propaganda and recent protests that sometimes veer into antisemitism, lawmakers are working on enhancing education, driven by a 2021 law that mandates reviewing how these topics are taught in schools.

  • Australian stories are part of the Holocaust. A granddaughter writes: he ‘knew he was lucky’ to escape, but paid a high price

    Two years ago in Berlin, a small group gathered to honor Max and Edith Pollnow, Jewish victims of Nazi persecution, with Stolpersteine, or "stumbling stones," recognizing their sacrifice in sending their son to Australia. Their son, Hermann Pollnow, who later became Harry Peters, is the subject of his granddaughter Tess Scholfield-Peters' semi-fictional book, Dear Mutzi. The book contributes to the growing genre of reconstructing traumatic family histories through survivor memories and serves as a way to process intergenerational trauma.

  • How a Holocaust survivor and an Illinois teen struck up an unlikely friendshi

    At 98, Holocaust survivor Janine Oberrotman remains positive, often singing "Que Sera, Sera" when asked how she copes with her past. Once a week, she volunteers at the Illinois Holocaust Museum in Skokie, Illinois, where she's formed a special bond with 14-year-old Dhilan Stanley, a fellow volunteer. Despite already knowing her stories of life in Jewish ghettos and forced labor, Stanley never tires of listening, valuing the importance of preserving her firsthand accounts to prevent history from repeating.

  • ‘A band needed a cellist. It saved my life’ – Holocaust survivor and cellist meets Auschwitz director’s son in new documentary

    The Commandant’s Shadow, a documentary released in July 2024, tells the story of Hans-Jurgen Höss, son of Auschwitz commandant Rudolf Höss, and his encounter with 98-year-old Auschwitz survivor Anita Lasker-Wallfisch. Lasker-Wallfisch, a German-British cellist, survived the camp by playing in a band for the guards. The documentary also includes her daughter, psychotherapist Maya Lasker-Wallfisch, who meets Hans-Jurgen's son, Kai, as they explore the intergenerational impact of the Holocaust. The film follows the story that inspired the Oscar-winning film Zone of Interest.

  • Antisemitism and protests in the United States trigger PTSD in Holocaust survivors

    Goldie Jacoby, an 87-year-old Holocaust survivor, has long used strategies like studying psychology and sharing her experiences to cope with post-traumatic stress disorder. However, when Hamas attacked Israel 10 months ago, the trauma resurfaced, leaving her in a state of shock. The event brought back memories of her childhood during the Holocaust, causing intense fear and emotional distress as she recounted her experience of being alone and crying nonstop.

  • Holocaust survivor shares his story

    The 390th Memorial Museum in Tucson recently hosted Dutch Holocaust survivor Andrew Schot, who shared his harrowing experiences from a concentration camp. At thirteen, Schot faced the atrocities of the Holocaust, having gone into hiding with his family at the age of eleven to escape the Nazis. Bill Buckingham, executive director of the museum, emphasized the importance of meeting survivors like Schot in person, as this generation is among the last able to hear their stories directly rather than just from history books.

  • 95-year-old Holocaust survivor tells story through book, educational foundation

    Holocaust survivor Ben Lesser, born in Poland in 1928, continues to share his harrowing experiences nearly 80 years after the liberation of Nazi concentration camps. He survived four camps, including Auschwitz-Birkenau, and was liberated in Dachau. Lesser, who still struggles with the memories of the atrocities he witnessed, reflects on the inhumanity he observed, emphasizing the profound impact of the Holocaust, during which over six million Jewish people were murdered.

  • Holocaust survivors speak to Las Vegas students as world marks 85 years since Kristallnacht

    Holocaust survivors Alex Keuchel, Jackie Beer, and Raymonde Fiol, now living in Southern Nevada, recently shared their experiences with students at Canyon Springs High School. Keuchel, who was 14 during Kristallnacht, and his fellow survivors recounted the terror they faced, emphasizing the importance of remembering these events. With survivors aging, educator Dr. Philip Riccobono highlighted the need for students to hear these personal stories to ensure such atrocities are never repeated.

  • Man recalls seeing Hitler in Vienna on birthday

    A man who came to England during World War Two said that he can remember the moment that, "Hitler walked straight through the middle of Vienna during my ninth birthday party." John Farago, 95, who now lives in Deal, Kent, said that members of his Jewish family who he was living with in Austria were "apprehensive and fearful for their lives". Mr Farago was taken to Brussels in Belgium on Kindertransport trains, which took children out of Nazi-controlled areas and into safer territory. He lived with a family in Brussels but came to Folkestone in 1940 and then moved to Amersham, in Buckinghamshire, with members of his family.

  • The less talked about side of WWII, and the father who was a Nazi

    Erika Schreiber, 91, shared her story after traveling from Germany to D.C., recalling her fear of Hitler because he preferred girls with blonde hair and braids, which she didn’t have. The daughter of a Nazi soldier, Schreiber remembers her mother secretly sewing swastika flags and the terror inflicted by Russian soldiers in their Sudetenland home. Despite the harsh realities, she noted that Hitler was seen as a savior in her village due to his promise of jobs and economic stability during widespread unemployment.

  • Separated by the Holocaust, sisters reunite 'one last time' in NJ: 'She's my everything'

    Helena and Barbara Perendyk, two Catholic sisters who grew up in Poland in the 1930s, enjoyed a happy childhood in a Warsaw orphanage until the Nazis invaded on September 1, 1939, changing their lives forever. Now 100 and 96, respectively, the sisters, recently reunited in Newark after years apart, maintain a close bond despite the physical distance, speaking daily by phone. Their enduring connection was forged during World War II, a time that tested but never broke their sisterhood.

  • October 7th and Kristallnacht

    On November 7, 1938, 17-year-old Herschel Grynszpan, a Polish Jew living in Paris, sought revenge after learning that his family had been arrested by the Gestapo and deported to the Polish border. He entered the German embassy in Paris, claiming to have an important document, and when Ernst vom Rath, a Nazi Party member, approached him, Grynszpan shot him five times, declaring it was in the name of 12,000 persecuted Jews. Grynszpan then surrendered to French authorities. His act served as a pretext for the Nazis to launch the Kristallnacht pogrom two days later.

  • Faster, higher, stronger – Together

    The Paralympic Games, celebrating athletic feats by individuals overcoming disabilities, highlight that human dignity is not tied to physical perfection. The story of the Paralympics is connected to Kristallnacht, November 9, 1938, when antisemitic attacks targeted Jewish people and properties in Nazi Germany. Dr. Ludwig Guttmann, director of the Jewish hospital in Breslau, courageously admitted anyone in need during the violence, rescuing 60 patients despite Gestapo inspections. His later work with rehabilitating war veterans would lay the foundation for the Paralympic movement.

  • Holocaust survivor, 99, plays drums in band that performed in Portland

    Saul Dreier, a 99-year-old Holocaust survivor, lost his entire family and spent years enduring forced labor in concentration camps. Despite the unimaginable hardships he faced, Dreier has found joy and resilience through music, now playing the drums in his band. His remarkable story is a testament to the power of survival and the enduring strength of the human spirit.

  • Miami-Dade man who survived Holocaust turns 100 years old

    CBS News Miami's Joe Gorchow spent time with a Holocaust survivor at the Miami Beach Holocaust Memorial, where the survivor reflected on the horrific atrocities he experienced and the miracle of his survival. The visit served as a poignant reminder of the resilience of those who lived through the Holocaust and the importance of remembering their stories.

  • Holocaust survivors attend retreat to bond, celebrate Jewish heritage

    A group of women from Brooklyn traveled to a Hudson Valley resort in Kerhonkson, New York. Hana Rychlik shared her parents' story of escaping from the Warsaw Ghetto. Lillian Feintuch spoke about the hunger and degradation her family endured during the Holocaust. Freida Breier also opened up about the significant struggles her parents faced. Together, they reflected on their families' resilience and the lasting impact of those experiences.

  • Author, Teacher and Holocaust Survivor Dies at 95. Estelle Glaser Laughlin Found Light in Darkest Days

    Estelle Glaser Laughlin, a Holocaust survivor who carried a message of optimism, passed away at age 95. She recounted her experiences in her memoir, Transcending Darkness: A Girl’s Journey Out of the Holocaust, highlighting perseverance in the face of hopelessness. Growing up in the Warsaw ghetto, Laughlin shared her memories of pre-invasion Poland, which became her source of comfort amid chaos. A gifted speaker, she frequently spoke at the Illinois Holocaust Museum, sharing her story to inspire others. Despite witnessing unimaginable cruelty, she remained committed to cherishing and revering life.

  • Chicago woman, 91, shares Holocaust survival story she kept secret

    Trixie Muchman, a 91-year-old Holocaust survivor from Chicago, has published a book titled Never to be Forgotten to share her story of survival. After keeping her past secret for over 40 years, she now hopes to honor her parents' sacrifice through her memoir. Her family's story, preserved in handwritten letters at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, recounts their escape from Germany to Belgium when she was five. Muchman lost her parents to the Holocaust but emigrated to the U.S. at age 13, building a life as a teacher and mother. Writing the book has given her parents a lasting place in history.

  • South Carolina school district restricts Holocaust graphic novel for middle-graders, citing new state law

    A school district in Columbia, South Carolina, has removed the graphic novel We Survived the Holocaust from its middle school curriculum, citing new state guidelines on instructional materials. The Lexington One school district determined the book, aimed at educating young readers, was no longer appropriate for fifth and sixth graders under the new regulations. The decision follows the passage of stricter guidelines by the State Board of Education regarding age-appropriate content. However, the book will remain available for eighth graders and in the school library.

  • Holocaust survivor who retired at 97 celebrates 100th birthday

    Nick Hope celebrated his 100th birthday surrounded by friends and family, reflecting on his remarkable life. As a child, he survived the Holodomor, a forced famine in Ukraine, and as a teen, endured over two years in Dachau concentration camp during the Holocaust. Despite the horrors he faced, Hope drew strength from his grandfather's advice to be "patient." He expressed amazement at living to 100 after such a challenging past. Hope’s resilience carried him through the darkest times, allowing him to survive and truly live.