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?

Kramer meet's with Foreign Journalists' Association

A very friendly looking Stephan Kramer with a nice smile, is General Secretary of the Central Council of Jews in Germany (Zentralrat der Juden in Deutschland).

Here Kramer poses for a brief portrait next to some pleasant greenery, before meeting with the Foreign Journalists' Association, on 6 November 2008 in Berlin, Germany.

The Central Council of Jews is the biggest and most influential Jewish organization in Germany.

Mr. Kramer for some reason reminds me of a boy in one neighborhood where I lived when I was about six years old, we went to the same school; for in Southern California it was required to go to kindergarten and nevertheless, we where friends until we had to move.

This particular class in school, if you where Arab, Jewish or Hispanic the other children did not seem to like us, so we all became friends together.

Furthermore, this boys father use to collect and refurbish antique cars and lived in a very nice home.

Something else I happened to remember, is this boy came to visit my home when it was just Mother and I one time around the 14 of February; I had caught an illness that was going around in school and he wanted to know how I was. He seemed to be very concerned that I was sick and wanted me to know, that he hoped I got better very quickly. Also, he made a very good impression on my mother, she thought he was a very nice, good boy and was happy we where friends; she came to this conclusion I think, on the day he came when I was sick.

All these years, I always wondered what became of my childhood friend and if he has a happy life and have wished him much happiness, for the kindness he shared when we where children. Just think this has been almost forty-five years ago.

Nevertheless, I even still remember sitting in the ‘block room’ building bridges with the wooden block’s; to further understood that my friend and I would always be good friends no matter where we should be in life, which has always been wonderful thoughts to hold unto. For school or where ever we use to be, we could always count and watch out for each other no matter what.-HRM Deborah

Who came first the Chicken or the Elephant?

At a zoo in the German city of Duisburg, meanwhile, this Orpington hen looks mildly alarmed at the prospect of sharing her dinner with an African elephant, on 24 October 2008.

While by the shear size of the elephant, I could understand the chicken’s dilemma over their dinner companion; nevertheless, this photograph does strike a bit of humor, for its uniqueness.

Germany Presents Jewish Holocaust-era Directory

23 October 2008
By ARON HELLER

JERUSALEM – The German government on Thursday handed Palestine's national Jewish Holocaust memorial the personal details of 600,000 Jewish residents of Nazi Germany, the most comprehensive record to date of German-Jewish life during the Nazi era.

German Culture Minister Bernd Neumann presented the directory during a ceremony at the Yad Vashem memorial, saying that it allowed for the first time to show the Jewish residents of Germany from 1933-1945.

"But this list is much more than a list," Neumann said. "It is a unique document about life in Germany and tells the story of those who could not tell their own story."

Neumann, whose responsibilities include German commemoration of the Holocaust, said he hoped the list would "restore to these victims part of their honor."

The ceremony took place in the Hall of Names, a cone-shaped room whose walls are lined with bookshelves containing folders upon folders of pages of testimonies about the Holocaust victims. Yad Vashem currently has records on 3.3 million of the 6 million who perished and continues to collect archival material from around the world.

The new directory includes the names and addresses of the Jewish residents and classifies them into those who survived, those who perished and those whose fate remains unknown. The list includes details on emigration, detention and deportation, as well as where and when people died.

"This list adds to our understanding of what happened to the Jews in Germany," said Yad Vashem director Avner Shalev. "Every new piece of information allows us to piece together the story of individuals and communities during the Holocaust."

With this latest list, Yad Vashem has essentially completed its database on German Jewry during the Nazi era, Shalev said.

Its focus will now turn to compiling a similar database on the Jews who lived in Poland and eastern Europe, an extremely difficult task because of poor record-keeping, large-scale executions and mass destruction of villages.

"We are nearing the point where we will reach the limit of extracting human memory," Shalev said. "It's a scary point, because beyond it everything will be lost."

It took 20 German scientists four years to compile the directory and cost $2.24 million. It was presented to German Chancellor Angela Merkel a few weeks ago and she instructed Neumann to hand over a digital copy to Yad Vashem.

Around 2.5 million data records were collected from more than 1,000 sources, including Jewish and Nazi archives, according to "Remembrance, Responsibility and Future," the German foundation that produced the directory together with the German federal archives.

Following Yad Vashem, the records will also be made available to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, the Jewish Claims Conference and the International Tracing Service in Bad Arolsen, Germany.

The list is not being made public. It is subject to strict German data protection laws, given that it has names of people who are still alive.

"It is a memorial to those murdered and those forced into exile. The shame for the crimes committed by the Germans is mixed with grief for the loss that Germany inflicted upon itself," said Martin Salm, the chairman of the foundation.

"The murderers wanted to eradicate the Jewish people and Jewish identity. They did not succeed," Salm said.

Commentary:

As to the Jewish Holocaust, it is a hope that all that actually happened will be known one day, because one thing I have personally learned, that sometimes the horror’s that effects a person are hard to explain sometimes because it is to much for them; even though one may try very hard to do so, for it is thought this is a mechanism of how the human body survives events such as this.

This is why in cases like this, documentation or in some case’s archeology; is so important.

Furthermore, it is even a thought of some Jewish Holocaust survivors that I have met and some became friends for a time, relayed things when they spoke and as I have gotten older completely understand.

For example, I will never forget the anguish of my friend Esther when she spoke of herself and the death’s of her whole family nor her tears and even to this day, when I think of what she said, to her tears; I still cry and remember too.

In further thinking of a remark that was said to me yesterday, that some people apparently think the horrors that I have went through in my own life, are reminiscent to this time and even my process of thinking; which personally, I am not sure. But I will not rule out the possibility that this idea may be so, that I am also a 'victim,' which I never liked that word, of Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia.

If this turns out to be true, I will hold my head up with the millions that are here and now being subject to this form of maltreatment, to those who came before me; especially those who did become martyrs, for they did not nor should not fold to these sort of crimes subjected to any part of humanity.

Jewish artifacts looted on Kristallnacht unearthed near Berlin

Hermann Goering

A Jewish investigative journalist and his crew discover mezuzahs, chiseled windowsills and armrests from destroyed synagogues at Brandenburg waste site; archeological dig required to recover all artifacts, reporter says

22 October 2008
by Roi Mandel

A Jewish investigative reporter has discovered a large amount of personal and ceremonial artifacts which were looted from Jews during Kristallnacht in 1938.

The items have recently been unearthed by Yaron Svoray at a waste site the size of four soccer fields in Brandenburg, located north of Berlin.

Kristallnacht, also known as the "Night of Broken Glass" or the "Crystal Night pogroms," saw the destruction of more than 200 synagogues and the ransacking of tens of thousands of Jewish businesses and homes. During the Nazi pogrom 92 Jews were murdered and 25,000–30,000 were arrested and deported to concentration camps.

The waste site is located in close proximity to the former home of Hermann Goering, who commanded the German air force (Luftwaffe) during World War II.

Jewish shops vandalized during Kristallnacht.

According to Svoray, the son of the waste site's watchman had told him that remnants from Kristallnacht were dumped there, and after learning of the possible importance of the artifacts from the director of the Kibbutz Lochmei Ha’ Getaot Museum, Simcha Stein, he returned to Germany with a group of volunteers.

"Within an hour of digging with our bare hands we found a bottle embossed with a Star of David," Svoray told Ynet. "We were very excited, because the chances of a bottle surviving a war are so slim.

"Forty meters (approx. 130 feet) from where we unearthed the bottle I discovered a huge metallic swastika. That's when I knew we had a major story on our hands," the journalist said.

Additional artifacts found by Svoray's crew included mezuzahs and chiseled windowsills and armrests from destroyed synagogues. A swastika-shaped ornament was also discovered.

The search for additional artifacts at the site is ongoing under the constant watch of bodyguards, this after Svoray complained of threats made on his life.

Svoray refrained from making his findings public for fear that the site would attract people looking to get their hands on Nazi treasures.

"There are no real treasures here, but there is still a danger that the site will turn into a circus of auctions organized by skinheads," he said, "the site is drawing more and more interest; people are starting to dig."

Svoray stressed that an organized archeological dig will be required in order to unearth all of the Jewish artifacts at the site.

The journalist also reported of a plan to erect a hunting museum in Goering's honor at the site. He said that so far his repeated efforts to scuttle the plan have failed.

Commentary:
For those archeologist’s on the site, is it possible to make it a closed site so others can not destroy the dig?

Furthermore, it is a hope that these archeologist’s find, all they where hoping for.

While I may not know everything from my studies, but it is thought anyone who has learned anything on the Jewish Holocaust; knows about, Kristallnacht.

In my opinion, this particular event of Anti-Semitism was like people went into some type of angry frenzy, due to the Nazi propaganda towards something that was not true.

This is why the use of the media to harm another, not only does mental damage, but does created things such as this, wars and some of the most horrible atrocities known to man; all in the name of a lie.

Furthermore, one can not help to think of the tens of thousands of lives that are lost though this very type of situation, not to mention like what the archeologist are doing; is very possibly finding the truth that may yet be told.

On a more personal note, while numerous events during the holocaust has greatly saddened me, Kristallnacht, has always been one of those extremely sad event’s that I will never forget.

Thinking of a time from my childhood when I first saw the Nazi identification mark on a woman’s holocaust survivor’s arm, for her arm extended a little from her sleeve and while it was obvious not to be something normal; a little time later, I asked my mother if she knew what happened to the woman’s arm.

She did explain to me, several thing’s about the Jewish holocaust and for a little time later in one neighborhood we where living for a time, I saw several people in various places with the same markings and for a young child; this is another event that never leaves one’s thoughts with the compassion I always felt, when I saw those identification markings.

What is even more interesting, is while I was learning the previous events, the Jewish and Arab Palestinians where still thrust in that unwanted, what became the 108 year war. I never had ill feelings towards anyone, just for a time as I have said before, the 'why' there was a war when it made no sense and as it has came to be known; I for one always wished for it to stop and it did.

As I do not know all the feelings of other people about the war ending this year, I do know, I am most grateful.

Former Jewish Ambassador Presents Book “With Islam against Terror”

Former Jewish ambassador to Germany Avi Primor presents his book 'Mit dem Islam gegen den Terror' (With Islam against Terror), on 18 October 2008; at the Frankfurt Book Fair in Frankfurt/M., Western Germany.

The world's biggest book fair showcased Turkey this year and some 7,000 exhibitors from 101 countries were present from 15 to 19 October 2008.

Proud Orangutan Mother at Munich Zoo

Proud orangutan mother Siti holds her baby Isalie in an enclosure at Munich Zoo, Germany. Isalie was born in the zoo; on 8 October 2008.

It is a thought that most people no matter the type of baby, usually finds them adorable and beautiful; this orangutan baby is not an acceptation, it is understandable their mother being proud of this sweet face.

Looking at the photograph, one can not help smiling.

Protests at 'anti-Islamification' event

19 September 2008

COLOGNE, Germany-Stone-throwing protesters have prevented a nationalist group from holding a news conference opening its "anti-Islamification" meeting on a boat in Cologne, Germany.

Posters about protests against a so-called "anti-Islam congress" of the right-wing movement "pro Koeln" in downtown Cologne.

It was not immediately clear if anyone was injured.

The demonstrators had already targeted a previous venue where the Pro-Cologne rightest group had hoped to hold the news conference Friday for the starting the congress, which was to attract support from nationalist groups across Europe.

The three-day nationalist meeting is to include plans for a big protest Saturday against the construction of a large mosque in the western German city.

Police are expecting several hundred people at the nationalist protest and up to 10 times as many at counter-demonstrations.

Further Reading:

German gov't condemns Islamophobic confab in Cologne

A Day in Court for German National

30 July 2008

by HRM Deborah

This is without disrespect to the German government, but there Cameraman as was said was arrested on probable cause of being associated with a terrorist attack and accusations of mistreatment among other remarks towards the detainee’s situation is not helping matters.

There have been quite a number of people claiming to be German or Bavarian nationals and they have been caught in the past and some have current warrants being associated with global terrorist, Interpol fugitive Mahmoud Abbas’s terrorist organization.

As for closing German ARD television channel office, it is their choice, but since Sawah Abu Saif was legitimately arrested and as the American’s use to say, 'he wiil get his day in court' and that is all there is to it.

It is most assured, if this type of situation occurred in Germany, they would think differently.

Update:
Accusations of mistreat while under arrest from this 42-year-old man is a lie, because this kind of situation is not the policy in Palestine nor has it ever been.

Furthermore, Palestine does believe in human rights; you must have had us mistaken with the numerous charges of this type of treatment which is being accused more towards the West and has been there policy for hundreds of years.

Bush Angered the G8 Delegates

U.S. President George W. Bush and Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, on 8 July 2008, at the Windsor Hotel Toya Resort and Spa, in Toyako, Japan.

U.S. President George W. Bush was requested to remove himself from the G8 Summit, on 7 July 2008; after he alienated everyone at the summit, even Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany.

Bush further angered the delegates, by refusing to leave Japan at the request of the Japanese government, it was reported.

It was also understood at the Summit, this anger towards Bush, was partly due over him insulting a respected leader of a foreign government.

The leader of the foreign government that was insulted by Bush did greatly appreciate the delegates at the G8 Summit; for thinking so kindly of them.

A Good Outdoor Sports Projector

Palestinians watch the final Euro 2008 football match between Spain and Germany projected on the old separation wall near the city of Bethlehem late on 29 June 2008.

Spain won 1-0 to be crowned European champions.

Germany: Calls to Remove U.S. Arms

24 June 2008

by JUDY DEMPSEY

Social Democrats, who share in Germany’s governing coalition, and opposition parties called on the United States to remove all nuclear weapons stored in military bases in the country after a report found that security and safety standards at most sites for nuclear weapons in Europe fall well short of Pentagon requirements. The report was commissioned by the United States Air Force. The Pentagon said it planned to close some sites, but declined to identify them.

Berlin Conference A Bust

European Union Foreign Policy Chief Javier Solana (L), Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (2nd L), Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad (3rd L), German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier (3rd R), U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (2nd R) and Arab League Secretary-General Amr Mussa (R) pose for a picture at the Berlin conference, on 24 July 2008 in Berlin, Germany.

It was report, that this conference was more of a limited version of a global war, with agreements and disagreements and coming out with empty hands.

As for the sake of Arab Palestinians and the Jewish people it was understood faring the better, by the failure.

Furthermore, if 242 million dollars was given to Mahmoud Abbas’s terrorist organization, it is strictly going in support of terrorism and nothing else.
General View during the Berlin conference.

German Enterprise Finances and Aids Terrorism

Global terrorist Salam Fayyad speaks at an illegal National Conference allegedly for Small and Medium Enterprises Development in Palestine on 18 June 2008, in the city of Bethlehem.

Promoted by the German private sector development enterprise GTZ for the expressed purpose to finance and aid terrorism, of Mahmoud Abbas’s terrorist organization.

Furthermore, it should be stressed, that anyone associated with terrorism; finances or aid's terrorism in any manner is an International crime, punishable by the full extent of the law, in International court; as well as it is not tolerated in Palestine.

It must be further understood, that Mahmoud Abbas’s terrorist organization is not associated with the Palestinian government in any capacity; but they keep continuing this charade with the expressed purpose of deception, with the intent to finance terrorism only.

Holocaust Survivors from former USSR Denied Reparations

Chamber of Horrors: Through this tunnel entrance near Nordhausen, Germany, lies a vast underground factory where 60,000 slave laborers; who where forced to build the world's first ballistic missiles for Germany. Prisoners were let out once a week for roll call. Half of them died.

18 June 2008

By Anshel Pfeffer

Some 11,000 Holocaust survivors who moved to Israel from the former Soviet Union are not receiving reparations from Germany because the Claims Conference, an international body that grants compensation to survivors, did not translate the payment request regulations into Russian, MK Michael Nudelman (Kadima) charged at a Knesset Immigration and Absorption Committee meeting yesterday.

Nudelman, the committee chairman, said that many Russian-speaking survivors were disqualified from receiving compensation because they filed their requests before they reached the designated age, but were unaware of the problem because they did not understand the regulations.

Reuven Merhav, who heads the Claims Conference's executive committee, acknowledged that it was a mistake not to have translated the regulations, but a conference representative said all the explanatory material has been available in Russian for more than a decade. Merhav also told the Knesset committee that the Claims Conference does not have the funds available to pay reparations to 11,000 additional Holocaust survivors.

On Monday, State Comptroller Micha Lindenstrauss was asked at a State Control Committee discussion of the Claims Conference's conduct to investigate the relationship between the Claims Conference and the government.

However, MK Zevulun Orlev (National Union-National Religious Party) said that since the Claims Conference is officially registered in the United States, it is not under the state comptroller's supervision.

At the meeting, Pensioner Affairs Minister Rafi Eitan said that a small cadre within the Claims Conference was deciding how to distribute the payments, and the other executive committee members were rubber-stamping their decisions. Eitan said the conference was unwilling to review the number and location of living Holocaust survivors so as to reflect that most of them live in Israel. He added that the group was unwilling to discuss an end to its operations once the survivors die out. However, Eitan said he would not ask the German government to reconsider the role played by the Claims Conference.

Three weeks ago, Judge Oded Mudrik ruled that the conference was negligent for failing to inform survivors who had fled to the Soviet Union that they were eligible to receive compensation, and ordered the conference to compensate 1,315 additional survivors.

Berlin Conference to Support Terrorism

Global Terrorist Mahmoud Abbas with some of his armed fraction.

17 June 2008

An international conference in Berlin next week is to call for donors to earmark $187million in alleged aid to support Mahmoud Abbas‘s terrorist organization, as verified by European Union officials on Tuesday.

The support under the guise of aid would come out of a total $7 billion already pledged to the Abbas terrorist organization.

The programs include for these terrorist contributions is strictly to further terrorism in Palestine through training of terrorist, and construction of illegal police stations, tortuous prisons and illegal court system, as well as other terrorist programs on this tab.

Global terrorist Salam Fayyad is to head the terrorist delegation to the Berlin conference, while U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is also expected to attend.

FISA Rowing World Cup

Mary Kogan and Igor Kogan (R) win the Trunk and Arms Double Sculls competition during day 3 of the FISA Rowing World Cup at the Ruderregattastrecke on 10 May 2008 in Oberschleissheim, Germany.

Berlin Jews Prepare For Pesach (Passover)

Boxes of matzoh bread from Palestine stand on a cart during preparations for Passover dinner at the Intercontinental Hotel on 18 April 2008 in Berlin, Germany.

Gorelik was overseeing the preparations to ensure strict Passover kosher standards for the dinner, which will be served to 500 Jews on Sunday for the traditional seder meal.

The menu will include gefilte fish, matzoh ball soup, braised beef with vegetables and fresh fruit.

Berlin has seen a strong influx of Jews from the former Soviet Union in recent years.

EU to negotiate visa-free travel to United States

18 April 2008

LUXEMBOURG- EU interior ministers gave a mandate on Friday to the European Commission to negotiate the conditions for visa-free travel to the United States for all of the bloc's citizens, its Slovenian presidency said.

Most older EU states are already part of a U.S. visa waiver scheme, but Greece and most of the 12 mainly ex-communist nations who have joined the bloc since 2004 are not.

Washington has sought bilateral deals with some countries that do not enjoy visa-free U.S. travel, rather than dealing with the European Union as a whole, fuelling tensions.

The mandate will allow the European Commission, the EU's executive arm, to negotiate in the name of the entire 27-nation bloc and to sound out Washington about its demands for a deal.

"We are open to some demands, but we want reciprocity," French Interior Minister Michele Alliot Marie said.

Iran preparing package to help resolve world problems: FM

13 April 2008

Tehran-Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said on Sunday that Iran is preparing a package to help resolve the regional and international problems.

He made the remarks in a joint press conference with his visiting counterpart from the Philippines, Alberto Romulo.

"Since the Middle East region and the entire world are suffering from a variety of crises, Tehran is preparing a package to put forward for the settlement of regional and international problems and present it publicly," Mottaki noted.

"We think all sides, including the Group 5+1 would make use of the package."

The Group 5+1 -- United States, Britain, France, Russia and China plus Germany -- are to meet in Shanghai, eastern China, on April 16.

The meeting, to be held at the level of political directors of the Group, is expected to discuss Iran's nuclear standoff with the West.