The Shattered Glass of Kristallnacht was Swept up. But it’s Fragments Still Pierce the World Today.

On the night of November 9–10, 1938, the world witnessed an eruption of violence and hatred so raw that it would be forever seared into memory. Kristallnacht—“The Night of Broken Glass”—was a series of coordinated attacks against Jewish people and their properties across Nazi Germany and Austria. Synagogues burned, Jewish businesses were shattered, homes ransacked, and thousands of Jewish men were arrested and sent to concentration camps. This pogrom would signal a dangerous turn, a descent from discrimination into full-scale violence that would culminate in the Holocaust. Kristallnacht not only shattered glass but tore apart any illusion of safety for Jewish communities in Europe, setting a horrifying precedent. Today, as we reflect on this atrocity, it serves as both a warning and a reminder in light of modern events that share an unnerving resemblance. Kristallnacht has unfortunately not become just a dark historical footnote but a somber lens through which we can view the frightening trend toward rising antisemitism today, whose historical echo feels chillingly close in events such as the recent Amsterdam attack, where anti-Semitic sentiments manifest violently. Kristallnacht illuminates the path that led from bigotry to mass atrocity. Before the Nazis unleashed the horrors of the Holocaust, they first normalized prejudice. They chipped away at public empathy, inch by inch, through propaganda, rhetoric, and small legal restrictions that gradually escalated into unspeakable violence. The memory of Kristallnacht stands as a reminder of how seemingly minor acts of hate can snowball into mass dehumanization and systematic murder. Today’s world, with its technology and mass communication, has become a breeding ground for bigotry and hate to spread like wildfire across social media, creating echo chambers where harmful ideologies are amplified. Disinformation, stereotypes, and political agendas fuel suspicion and fear. For instance, many Jews in Europe and the United States report feeling increasingly unsafe, feeling like targets in a society that has failed to root out the seeds of anti-Semitism. The attack three days ago on November 6 is a stark reminder of the endurance of hate but also a call to action to confront it head-on. We are all stewards of memory, honoring the lessons of the past and acting to shape a future where such history never repeats. In this endeavor, every effort matters—whether in the form of education, outreach, community building, or simply standing against bigotry in everyday life. Each one of us has the power, and indeed the responsibility, to prevent the resurgence of shattered glass and broken lives. Let us remember Kristallnacht and strive to ensure that the "broken glass" of hatred is never again swept across our streets.