Residents from the Geauga County area recently gathered in Chardon Square to hold a candlelight vigil in remembrance of the 83rd anniversary of Kristallnacht, or the “Night of Broken Glass,” when nearly 100 Jewish people were killed, thousands were captured and Jewish communities were destroyed in 1938 Nazi Germany.
Organized by former Claridon Township trustee Mary Briggs, the Nov. 9 event was the first formal Kristallnacht remembrance vigil held in Chardon. Attendees congregated around the square’s pavilion to light candles, listen to the history surrounding Kristallnacht and pay their respects to the tragic events of Nov. 9-10, 1938.
Kristallnacht took place a year before the start of World War II, but was one of the beginning markers of antisemitic violence that would follow in the years to come. The “Night of Broken Glass” was named for the shattered glass from Jewish-owned store windows that covered the streets after members of Nazi paramilitary groups burned and destroyed 267 Jewish synagogues and 7,500 businesses, schools and homes in Germany, Austria and the Sudetenland region of Czechoslovakia.
Under the orders of Nazi leadership, the police and fire brigades stood by amid the attacks.
The vigil featured several guest speakers, including Ellen Jacob, vice president of the Beachwood-based non-profit Kol Israel Foundation, and daughter of two Holocaust survivors. Jacob, Briggs and the other speakers led attendees through prayers, poems and songs as they encouraged them to remember the past, while committing to protecting peace and equality in the present.
“I am the child of two of these Holocaust survivors who met right here in Cleveland,” Jacob said. “Why here? for the promise of freedom and opportunity. Each had emigrated, penniless and alone, to the U.S. after the war, having survived religious persecution, brutality and labor, concentration and death camps.”
“They loved America,” she added. “Truly, the American dream — a way of life we must protect and defend.”
Briggs told those in attendance that in a country so divided on many issues as the U.S. is today, it is particularly important to stand up against any injustices people see in their daily lives.
“World peace begins at home,” Briggs said. “Anti-racism begins at home. It is an inside job, it is ours to learn and no other’s responsibility to teach us.”
Briggs said she was very moved to see how many people came out to the vigil and hopes to turn it into an annual event. She explained that she’s been aware of Kristallnacht for decades, and felt that given the current atmosphere of the country, it was the right time to raise more awareness about it.
“It’s meant to honor and to educate,” Briggs said.
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November 11, 2021 at 05:36AM
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Residents gather in Chardon Square to hold candlelight vigil in remembrance of Kristallnacht - News-Herald.com
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