Hundreds gather in Philadelphia to commemorate Kristallnacht, call for unity amid concerns over antisemitism

More than 500 people gathered along Benjamin Franklin Parkway Monday evening to commemorate Kristallnacht, a violent turning point in Jewish history, as organizers called for unity and solidarity following a controversial boycott demonstration in Philadelphia over the weekend. Jewish clergy, interfaith leaders and community members came together at the Horowitz-Wasserman Holocaust Memorial Plaza for a 45-minute service featuring prayers, songs and firsthand accounts of the violence that unfolded 88 years ago. Kristallnacht, also known as the "Night of Broken Glass," took place Nov. 9-10, 1938, when Nazis and their supporters attacked Jewish homes, businesses and synagogues across Germany and Austria. "We're here to remember; we're here to commemorate, we're here to hear stories," said Rabbi Annie Lewis, one of the event's organizers. Lewis said the annual remembrance carried additional significance this year following Saturday's pro-Palestinian boycott bike ride through Philadelphia, which targeted businesses that organizers of the ride said they believed supported Israel. She said because of that, this year, they invited the greater Philadelphia community and leaders of all faiths to join in a showing of unity. "In response to what happened this past week, we wanted to come together as a full community with Jewish communities, with our multi-faith community, with our neighbors to rise above hate," Lewis said. During the service, Stacy Seltzer, founder of 3GPhilly and granddaughter of Holocaust survivor Sidney Bratt, read from his firsthand account of Kristallnacht, when his neighborhood synagogue went up in flames. "Closer, we could see not only was a synagogue burning, but also there was a bonfire on the street in front of the synagogue," Seltzer read. For attendee Jack Butler, hearing the accounts of survivors was powerful. "The remarks of that family and their memories of Kristallnacht as it occurred with their grandparents, extremely meaningful; of course very sad," Butler said. Butler said he felt the event represented resilience. "To show that we will never run in fear," he said. The service brought together religious leaders from multiple faith traditions, who spoke about the importance of confronting hatred and supporting one another. Rev. Edward Livingston, director of community partnerships with Interfaith Philadelphia and a United Church of Christ minister, emphasized the strength of a diverse community. "We can be together in our diversity supporting one another so that we know we are not alone," Livingston said. Following the service, attendees participated in a collaborative art project, arranging pieces of broken glass into a mosaic. The activity was designed to transform a symbol of the destruction associated with Kristallnacht into something representing renewal and resilience. "Because glass was the tool of destruction on Kristallnacht," said Rabbi Gila Ruskin. "And we're taking glass and making something beautiful out of it." In: Pennsylvania Philadelphia Featured Local Savings