Kristallnacht commemoration will be held in the Amsterdam Synagogue tonight

The Portuguese Synagogue in Amsterdam is hosting the annual Kristallnacht commemoration on Thursday. The Nazis attacked the Jewish people and destroyed their buildings and possessions throughout Germany on the evening of November 9, leading up to November 10, 1938. The windows of thousands of Jewish-owned shops were smashed and 1,400 synagogues were set on fire.

The celebration starts at 18.30 and is organized by Centraal Joods Overleg (CJO), a coalition of Jewish organisations. Justice and Security Minister David van Weel is among those scheduled to speak at the memorial service. Holocaust survivor and CJO Chair Channa Hertzberger will also speak. There will also be live music and a moment of silence for the victims of the attack.

With the commemoration, the CJO wants to “express solidarity with the Jewish community and work together for a future where respect, tolerance and understanding are central,” it said. “Let us keep alive the memory of this dark period in history and continue to repeat the lessons it has taught us, so that together we can work towards a world free of hate and discrimination.”