Light Up The Church

June to July 2026: Kristallnacht News Update

Thank you again for signing the Kristallnacht declaration. Every month we send a few stories about Kristallnacht and the Holocaust that made the news in the previous month. Towards November 2027 we will share information about Light Up The Church 2026.

Below is the update from the stories of June to July 2026.

  • Daisy Miller, Holocaust survivor and one of the driving forces behind World Federation of Jewish Child Survivors of the Holocaust & Descendants

    Daisy Miller, a Holocaust survivor and longtime USC Shoah Foundation leader, dedicated her life to preserving survivors’ stories and supporting the child survivor community. She helped establish the World Federation of Jewish Child Survivors of the Holocaust & Descendants in 1985 and left a lasting legacy of courage, leadership, and Holocaust remembrance.

  • How Berlin's Jewish Hospital survived the Holocaust

    Berlin’s Jewish Hospital survived the Nazi era despite being used under Nazi control for deportations, forced labor, and other purposes, with some individuals inside helping save lives. By April 1945, hundreds of Jews remained there and were liberated by Soviet forces, allowing the hospital to continue operating after the war.

  • 104-year-old Holocaust survivor shares his story of escaping to freedom in the US

    Walter J. Levy, a Holocaust survivor and longtime Dallas Jewish community leader, shared his life story with residents of Presbyterian Village North. Born in Germany, Levy and his family fled to the United States in 1938, and he later dedicated his life to social work, community leadership, and preserving the importance of sharing and remembering personal stories.

  • ‘Miracle’ reveals the incredible true story of the 51 boys who escaped Auschwitz’s gas chamber

    “Miracle” tells the incredible true story of 51 Jewish teenage boys who were sent to the gas chambers at Auschwitz in 1944 but were unexpectedly ordered to leave and survived. Through their experiences, Rabbi Naftali Schiff and Michael Calvin highlight the horrors of the Holocaust while emphasizing faith, resilience, hope, and the responsibility to remember and share these stories with future generations.

  • A Holocaust survivor asked if her story will matter. Our AI choices may decide | Opinion

    The article highlights the importance of preserving Holocaust survivors’ stories as fewer survivors remain. It warns that while AI can help share their testimonies, it must never invent words or answers for survivors; when a survivor did not say something, AI should remain silent rather than create a false memory.

  • These 9 Holocaust survivors reached 100 years and were honored for what they endured

    Nine Holocaust survivors who reached 100 years old or more were honored during Holocaust Survivor Day in Cooper City, Florida. Their stories of surviving ghettos and concentration camps, rebuilding their lives, and helping future generations remember the Holocaust show remarkable strength, hope, and resilience.

  • Seven Pearls of Wisdom from a 102-Year-Old Holocaust Survivor

    Pearl Hinda Nagel, a 102-year-old Holocaust survivor, shares seven powerful lessons drawn from her experiences of suffering, survival, faith, and rebuilding her life. Her message encourages people to choose hope, kindness, faith, and joy, cherish every moment, and use their lives to create a better future for the next generation.

  • Austria once denied its Nazi past. Now it sends young people abroad to confront it

    Austria once avoided acknowledging its role in Nazi crimes, but today it sends young volunteers around the world to help preserve Holocaust history and educate others. Through the Austrian Service Abroad program, young people work with Holocaust museums, memorials, archives, and organizations, helping keep survivors’ stories alive and teaching future generations about the dangers of antisemitism.

  • New Treblinka research uncovers forgotten role of women in 1943 death camp revolt

    New research reveals that Jewish women played an important but long-overlooked role in the 1943 Treblinka prisoner revolt. Historian Chad S.A. Gibbs uncovered evidence of women helping smuggle food and weapons, provide medical aid, and organize resistance, restoring their stories to Holocaust history and showing the importance of preserving their testimonies.

  • An Illinois farmer thought he knew how his family survived the Nazis. Then he went to the town that saved them.

    Nik Jakobs, an Illinois farmer, traveled to the Netherlands to learn more about how his Jewish grandmother survived the Holocaust. He discovered that a Christian family hid his grandmother and 12 other Jews, while nearly 100 villagers knew about them and kept their secret, and today their story is being remembered through a play, memorials, and local efforts to preserve this remarkable story of courage and rescue.

  • A Survivor; A presentation in Sag Harbor last week was a reminder that antisemitism is rising once again

    Holocaust survivor Tova Friedman, who survived Auschwitz as a child, shared her powerful story in Sag Harbor and reminded the audience of the horrors she experienced. At 87, she continues to speak for the Jewish children who were murdered, urging people to remember the Holocaust and stand against rising antisemitism.

  • Growing Up in the Shadow of Auschwitz

    The son of a Holocaust survivor reflects on how his mother’s experiences in Auschwitz shaped his family through loss, silence, vigilance, and resilience. He emphasizes the responsibility of survivors’ children and grandchildren to preserve their stories, learn from the warning signs of hatred, and ensure the Holocaust is never forgotten.

  • The pogroms after the Holocaust

    The Kielce pogrom of 1946 showed that antisemitism and the ancient blood libel could lead to deadly violence even after the Holocaust. The article warns that rising antisemitism today shows why remembering this history and confronting hatred early remain so important.

  • Facing the harrowing history of the Holocaust

    The article reflects on the Holocaust through a visit to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and the stories of survivors and rescuers. It emphasizes the importance of believing survivors, remembering what happened, and having the courage to speak up and act when others are being persecuted.

  • There is more to the Jewish story than turmoil and tragedy

    Ryan Golditch reflects on his experience visiting Auschwitz, Tykocin, and Treblinka during the March of the Living, where he witnessed the painful history of the Holocaust and remembered the millions who were murdered. The journey also showed him the strength, unity, and resilience of the Jewish people, giving him hope for a future filled with peace, security, and a thriving Jewish community.

  • Germany launches ShoutOut platform to fight Holocaust denial and antisemitism online

    Germany has launched ShoutOut, an interactive educational platform that teaches students how to recognize and respond to Holocaust denial and antisemitism online. Through a short virtual game and classroom materials, the program aims to empower young people to challenge online hate, protect truthful Holocaust history, and speak out against antisemitism.

  • Rethinking: Children’s Agency in the Holocaust

    The article explores the complex experiences of Jewish children who survived the Holocaust, showing that rescue was not always simple or completely heroic. It highlights how children showed courage, resourcefulness, and agency while facing danger, exploitation, and trauma, and calls for a more honest understanding of both the people who rescued them and those who harmed them.

  • Honor: A Holocaust Story Of Courage And Resilience

    The article tells the true story of Holocaust survivor Leizer Buchwald and the Ukrainian family who courageously hid and protected him and his family from the Nazis. It highlights the bravery, kindness, and resilience of those who risked their lives to save Jews, showing how acts of compassion can leave a lasting impact across generations.