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Community Corner

Kristallnacht Commemorative Concert Draws an Audience of Over 300

On Thursday night, November 7, over 300 people attended an Interfaith Concert at Temple Sholom in commemoration of the 75th Anniversary of Kristallnacht, the “Night of Broken Glass”.  The concert featured singing by over 90 children from the youth and teen choirs of Temple Sholom, Greenwich Academy, 1st Congregational Church, Christ Church, First Presbyterian Church and 2nd Congregational Church.  Prominent composer Gerald Cohen also presented selections from his new opera, “Steal a Pencil for Me.”

Kristallnacht was a pogrom, a series of coordinated attacks, against Jews throughout Nazi Germany and parts of Austria on November 9 and 10, 1938, carried out by Nazi forces and non-Jewish civilians. German authorities looked on without intervening.  The name Kristallnacht comes from the shards of broken glass that littered the streets after Jewish-owned stores, buildings, and synagogues had their windows smashed.   At least 91 Jews were killed in the attacks, and 30,000 were arrested and incarcerated in concentration camps.  Jewish homes, hospitals, and schools were ransacked, as the attackers demolished buildings with sledgehammers. Over 1,000 synagogues were burned (95 in Vienna alone) and over 7,000 Jewish businesses destroyed or damaged.

In addition to the songs, a number of members of Greenwich Fellowship of Clergy shared stories of survivors who emigrated to the US .  Selectman David N. Theis was also present and shared remarks. Temple Sholom student Ava Bodek accompanied on cello.

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            This program was sponsored by Greenwich Fellowship of Clergy, The Sholom Center for Interfaith Learning and  Fellowship, the Interfaith Council of Southwestern Connecticut, Christ Church, and Temple Sholom.

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Temple Sholom is an award-winning Conservative-Egalitarian congregation which has served the Greenwich, Stamford, and Rye Brook communities for more than 90 years. For more information about Temple Sholom, please call (203) 869-7191 or visit our website at www.templesholom.com.





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