Night of Broken Glass

Earlier today I read in calendar that on this day in history, November 09, 1938 – Nazi troops and sympathizers destroyed and looted 7,500 Jewish businesses, burned 267 synagogues, killed 91 Jews, and rounded up over 25,000 Jewish men in an event that became known as Kristallnacht or "Night of Broken Glass."

It led me to read more about this event. The "Night of Broken Glass” was a horrific event that no doubt should never be forgotten. This event, which the Nazis attributed to the Jews themselves for an assassination of a low ranking official of the Reich, was another example of how cruel humanity can be to humanity. The name “night of broken glass” is telling. It “has its origin in the untold numbers of broken windows of synagogues, Jewish-owned stores, community centers, and homes plundered and destroyed during the pogrom. The term became a euphemism for this brutal pogrom and does not adequately convey the suffering it caused.”

 This week we spend a lot of time talking about remembering. Perhaps as we remember the sacrifice paid by so many this week we might also remember the many who suffered so greatly at the hands of oppression and injustice and tyranny. Today, sadly, we still struggle with injustice and hatred. We have to seek new ways to bring dignity to every human being. We have to work harder at living the baptismal covenant of seeking to strive to the peace and unity of every human being, and respect the dignity of every human being.

Let us all remember and let us all pray for peace.