Kristallnacht Pogrom 70 Years Anniversary

Jews and non-Jews attend a commemorative service for the 70th anniversary of the Kristallnacht pogrom at the beautifully restored Rykestrasse Synagogue, on 9 November 2008; in Berlin, Germany.

On 9 November 1938, Nazi SA and SS paramilitary troops attacked Jewish establishments across Germany, burning 200 synagogues, ransacking Jewish businesses, killing 92 people and deporting 25,000 to 30,000 Jews to concentration camps.

Central Council of Jews in Germany head Charlotte Knobloch speaks at a commemorative service for the 70th anniversary of the Kristallnacht pogrom at the beautifully restored Rykestrasse Synagogue, on 9 November 2008; in Berlin, Germany.

The Rykestrasse Synagogue is Germany's largest synagogue and reopened in 2006 after meticulous renovation; which is thought with much happiness among the Jewish people.

One who was thought hidden, but now is seen (for 'it was time'): A young Jewish man attends a commemorative service for the 70th anniversary of the Kristallnacht pogrom at the beautifully restored Rykestrasse Synagogue, on 9 November 2008; in Berlin, Germany. I studied for a short time to learn to read Hebrew, but I will sadly admit, like Arabia it is poor; because of my situation.

Commentary:
I was reminded recently by an old friend how when we where children and while I did not understand at the time of why we where singled out and further through school the same thing would happen or sometimes worse; which I will admit at times it got so bad, I would go home and ask my mother if there was something wrong with me; for me to be treated in such a way and she always said no or it was not me.

Prior to 9/11, if you had a Semitic background in the US, one could be subjected to Anti-Semitism, which being me; I could not understand people even thinking of being mean to each other. I started to understand more in Adulthood and still as most people know do not agree in any manner.

After 9/11, people where singled out and Islamophobia was born, so if one was Jewish they where mistreated because of Anti-Semitism and if one was Muslim, here came the Islamophobia. To here again, I have gotten the joy of having both; which is assured there are many more like myself; especially in my thinking if one actually comes from Palestine or ones ancestry is such.

Then we step back in time to WW2 and what became known most sadly as the Jewish Holocaust, while the Nazi’s apparently could tell the difference of someone being Jewish or Arab Palestinian we still ended up in the camps and worse, the gas chambers. So in further thinking, prior to 9/11 anyone Semitic had the honor of walking together with something in common, racism.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel (L) and Central Council of Jews in Germany head Charlotte Knobloch arrive at a commemorative service for the 70th anniversary of the Kristallnacht pogrom at the beautifully restored Rykestrasse Synagogue, on 9 November 2008; in Berlin, Germany.

While my old friend, happened to remind me of this fact recently, for at the time when we saw each other on about a daily basis; I was only six years old and had to my understanding in the outside world the first taste of this type of maltreatment and as then to now, what is still a wonderment is most simply when will it stop or when will people stop mistreating one‘s differences; to instead appreciate these differences?