Light Up The Church

June 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 2026 we will share information about Light Up The Church 2025.

Below is the update from the stories of June 2026.

  • How Berlin's Jewish Hospital survived the Holocaust

    Berlin’s Jewish Hospital survived the Nazi era because it remained useful to the Nazi regime, functioning under strict Gestapo control while delaying some deportations and providing limited protection for Jews who could still work. Its survival was not simply a story of resistance or rescue, but a complex history of coercion, moral compromise, and bureaucratic exploitation that allowed the hospital and hundreds of people within it to outlast the collapse of the Third Reich.

  • Holocaust survivor Angela Orosz-Richt to speak at Kristallnacht commemoration

    Walter Levy, a 104-year-old Holocaust survivor, shared his powerful story with residents of Presbyterian Village North in Texas, describing how he escaped Nazi persecution and eventually found freedom in the United States. His testimony highlights the horrors of the Holocaust, the resilience that helped him survive, and the importance of preserving these firsthand accounts for future generations.

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

    Rabbi Naftali Schiff’s book Miracle: The Boys Who Escaped the Gas Chamber in Auschwitz recounts the extraordinary true story of 51 Hungarian Jewish boys who were led into the gas chambers at Auschwitz in 1944 but were unexpectedly ordered to leave and ultimately survived. Through survivor testimonies and historical evidence, the book and accompanying documentary highlight both the horrific reality of the Holocaust and the enduring power of faith, resilience, and hope in the face of unimaginable evil.

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

    The article highlights the urgency of preserving Holocaust survivors’ testimonies as their numbers decline, particularly in South Florida, which has one of the largest survivor populations in the United States. It argues that while technology can help educate future generations, it must preserve survivors’ exact words rather than generate new statements in their voices, ensuring that historical memory remains truthful and authentic.

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

    The article highlights the urgency of preserving Holocaust survivors’ testimonies as their numbers decline, particularly in South Florida, which has one of the largest survivor populations in the United States. It argues that while technology can help educate future generations, it must preserve survivors’ exact words rather than generate new statements in their voices, ensuring that historical memory remains truthful and authentic.

  • 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 leader at the USC Shoah Foundation, dedicated her life to preserving Holocaust memory and supporting fellow survivors. After surviving years in hiding in Italy during World War II and later immigrating to the United States, she became a pioneering advocate for child Holocaust survivors and helped preserve survivor testimonies for future generations through the Shoah Foundation.