Kristallnacht marked a turning point in Nazi Germany -- the moment when years of escalating antisemitic legislation burst into open, coordinated violence carried out by Nazi stormtroopers (Sturmabteilung), SS forces, Hitler Youth, and civilians. On those two days in November 1938, close to 100 Jews were murdered, and approximately 30,000 Jewish men were arrested and sent to concentration camps.
It is one of many things we must never forget. In that memory, tonight many homes are leaving a light burning all night, as a reminder and a signal of sanctuary across the decades.
