The 17th Annual Kristallnacht Commemoration
"From Hitler’s Munich to American Exile: German Jews and the Realities of Forced Migration, 1933–1945"
Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2022 | 7 p.m.
Ahmanson Auditorium, University Hall 1000
Flight and Expulsion are phenomena that have inscribed themselves with evocative power into the history of the last 100 years. Seeking to advance our understanding of the often traumatic, life-altering experiences of forced migration, this lecture focusses on the individual experience of Jews fleeing Nazi Germany. Moreover, using personal accounts of German Jews that illustrate both the personal difficulties associated with the decision to emigrate and the struggles of each individual upon arrival abroad, the importance of (auto-)biographical sources for scholarly analysis of the complexities of Jewish emigration from Nazi Germany in particular and forced migration movements in general is highlighted.
Andrea A. Sinn, Elon University
Dr. Andrea A. Sinn is O’Briant Developing Professor and Associate Professor of History at Elon University. Her research interests revolve around Modern German and Jewish History, with an emphasis on the Third Reich and the immediate post-Holocaust period. She published widely on German-Jewish experiences during the Nazi-Dictatorship as well as the rebuilding of Jewish life in the Federal Republic of Germany. Her publications include German Jews and Migration to the United States, 1933–1945, with Andreas Heusler (Lanham: Lexington Books, 2022) and Jüdische Politik und Presse in der frühen Bundesrepublik (Göttingen: V&R, 2014).
This event is free and open to the public, but please RSVP.
General Information
Hosted by the Bellarmine College of Liberal Arts and the Jewish Studies Program at Loyola Marymount University, the annual Kristallnacht Commemoration honors the victims of Kristallnacht, or "The Night of Broken Glass," which took place in 1938. In one night, Nazi-orchestrated violence killed 92 Jews, arrested more than 25,000 others and destroyed 200 synagogues and thousands of Jewish homes and businesses.
“Kristallnacht is recognized as the start of the Holocaust. It is remembered as a way to honor the dead and teach younger generations about the injustice that occurred." - Holli Levitsky, director of Jewish Studies.
Past Events
-
2021: Transhumanism & The Nazi Quest for the Master Rac
Date: Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2021
Preimplantation genetic diagnosis, stem cell research, and other new medical techniques promise to help us avoid disease and other disabilities and extend life. How, if at all, is this different from the Nazi effort to create the master race?
Featuring:
- A candle lighting ceremony in remembrance of the Night of Broken Glass.
- Rabbi Elliott Dorff, Rector and Distinguished Service Professor of Philosophy at American Jewish University.
- Musical highlights by Professor William R. Washington, Director of the LMU Gospel Choir and AJR/CA Cantorial student, Kelly Cooper.
Sponsors:
- Academy for Jewish Religion California
-
2020: Voices of Hope, Acts of Kindness: Mutual Assistance in the Holocaust
Date: Monday, November 9, 2020
Featuring:
- A candle lighting ceremony in remembrance of the Night of Broken Glass.
- Voices from our community including David Silberklang, senior historian in the International Institute for Holocaust Research, Yad Vashem, LMU students' reflections, and an invocation by Michael Engh, S.J., chancellor, LMU.
- A community slideshow with family photographs of loved ones affected by the Holocaust.
- A performance of 'Or Chadash,' composed by Amy Robinson Katz and sung by members of the AJR and LMU communities.
Sponsors:
- Academy for Jewish Religion California
- Yad Vashem
View the 2020 Kristallnacht Program Here
Event Recording:
-
2019: Human Rights and Refugee Policies: The Voyage of the SS St. Louis
Date: Tuesday, November 5, 2019
Location: Ahmanson Auditorium, University HallFeaturing:
- A candle lighting ceremony in remembrance of the Night of Broken Glass.
- Screening of the documentary film, "Complicit," along with its corresponding poster exhibit.
- Discussion and Q & A with Robert M. Krakow, creator and producer of "Complicit," and Thomas Jacobson, surviving passenger of the SS St. Louis.
- A student-curated exhibition, in collaboration with the David Labkovski Project, showcasing Holocaust art and information.
- Father Alexei Smith, director of ecumenical and interreligious affairs for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, was honored with the LMU President’s Award.
Sponsors:
- Loyola Law School
- CSJ Center for Reconciliation and Justice
- LMU History Department
- LMU Theological Studies Department
-
2018: Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor: A Conversation with Yossi Klein Halevi
Date: Tuesday, October 30, 2018
Location: Roski Dining Room, University HallFeaturing:
- Candle Lighting by Rabbi Laura Owens of the Academy for Jewish Religion California and Renee Florsheim, associate dean of LMU's College of Business Administration
- Musical Performance by Cantor Stephanie Kupfer of the Academy for Jewish Religion California
- Lecture by renowned American-born Israeli author and journalist, Yossi Klein Halevi
Sponsors:
- The Martin Gang Institute for Intergroup Relations
- The Academic Engagement Network
- The Academy for Jewish Religion California
- The Academy of Catholic Thought and Imagination
- University Synagogue
- Jewish Life at LMU
- The Peace and Justice Studies Program at LMU
- The Journalism Program at LMU
-
2017: Transforming the Shards
Date: Monday, November 6, 2017
Location: Roski Dining Room, University HallFeaturing:
- Candle Lighting by Harry Lester, Honored Holocaust Survivor
- Lecture by Rabbi Zachary Shapiro
- Photo Exhibit of "A Celebration of Life," by Clifford Lester, capturing the strength and soul of Holocaust survivors through portraiture
Sponsors:
- The 1939 Society
-
2016: How One Man Tried to Stop the Holocaust
Date: Monday, November 7, 2016
Location: Roski Dining Room, University Hall, Loyola Marymount UniversityFeaturing:
- Candle Lighting by Michael Zelon, Honored Holocaust Survivor
- Film Screening of "Jan Karski & the Lords of Humanity," directed by Slawomir Grunberg
- Special guest Mariusz M. Brymora, Consul General of Poland in Los Angeles
- Panel Response by Slawomir Grunberg, Director of "Jan Karski & the Lords of Humanity"; and Edward Gaffney, Professor of Law, Valparaiso University
Sponsors:
- The 1939 Society
- The Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in Los Angeles
- The LMU School of Film and Television
- The LMU History Department
-
2015: Bearing Witness through Music: Songs of Heartbreak, Yearning and Celebration
Date: Monday, November 9, 2016
Location: Roski Dining Room, University HallFeaturing:
- "El Male Rachamim," by Robyn Littleworth, LMU Theatre Arts Major '12; and Challen Wellington, LMU Dance Major '16
- Candle Lighting by Fela Gipsman, Honored Holocaust Survivor
- Musical Concert with Vanya Green Assuied and Yuval Ron
Sponsors:
- The annual LMU Interfaith Forum
- The Martin Gang Institute
- The Lily Faculty Seminar
-
2014: "Against All Odds, Change is Possible"
Date: Tuesday, November 4, 2014
Location: Roski Dining Room, University Hall, Loyola Marymount UniversityFeaturing:
- Dr. Bernd Wollschlaeger, author of “A German Life: Against All Odds, Change is Possible,” whose book describes his struggle growing up in the shadow of his Nazi officer father. He eventually converted to Judaism, emigrated to Israel and served in the Israel Defense Forces as a medical officer.
Sponsors:
- The 1939 Society
-
2013: "Oy Vifil Yorn...? How long has it been...?" Song, Commentary, and Prose in Yiddish and English
Date: Tuesday, November. 12, 2013
Featuring:
- Cantor Jennifer Bern-Vogel and Pianist Tova Morcos
-
2012: WHY THE JEWS? ETHICAL, SPIRITUAL, HISTORICAL LESSONS
Date: Thursday, November 8, 2012
Featuring:
- Rabbi Joseph Telushkin, renowned author and speaker.