Kristallnacht – 80 years on

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Last night the 80^th anniversary of Kristallnacht commemoration took place at Sydney’s the Great Synagogue, organized by the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies.

Justice Stephen Rothman, Gladys Berejiklian, Lesli Berger and Danny Hochberg   Phot Giselle Haber

Kristallnacht, more commonly known as ‘the night of broken glass’, commemorates the horrors the Jews of Germany and Austria faced in November 1938, which encompassed of a Nazi orchestrated program destroying Jewish homes, synagogues and shops.

The evening was attended by the Premier, Gladys Berejiklian, alongside many other members of parliament as well as local government, the Consul Generals of Austria, Germany and Spain, senior leaders from many ethnic and faith communities and members of the Jewish community.

Edward Santow, the Australian Human Rights Commissioner, and Holocaust survivor Eddie Jaku both gave an address. Jaku, 98 years of age, who describes himself as the ‘happiest man on earth’, specifically touched the audience with an inspiring speech about having no room in his heart for hate.

The CEO of  The New South Wales Jewish Board of Deputies Vic Alhadeff is in Germany and spoke to ABC radio this morning