Community Corner

2 Faiths; 1 Voice: 'Never Again'

Tuesday night, Plainview's Good Shepherd will unite with the Manetto Hill Jewish Center in an interfaith remembrance of 'Kristallnacht'

It will be 73 years this week when Nazi thugs defiled synagogues, destroyed Jewish businesses and murdered innocent people, the point of embarkation for Hitler's "Final Solution."

On Tuesday, Two Plainview congregations will remember the atrocities of Kristallnacht, or the "Night of Broken Glass," and vow that they never happen again.

"Kristallnacht represents the beginning of one of the darkest chapters in human history," said Rabbi , the spiritual leader of the Manetto Hill Jewish Center. "The Nazi regime used propaganda and bigotry to initiate a campaign of mass genocide remembered as the Holocaust."

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Members of the will march in a solemn procession to the synagogue on Manetto Hill Road Tuesday night, where an will be conducted by, pastor of Good Shepherd, and Rabbi Senter.

"We come together, two faith communities as one, to remember those who were murdered by the Nazis," Senter said. "Together we affirm the reality that we are all God's children, created in the image of the Divine."

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On the night of Nov. 9-10, 1938, a series of organized attacks were launched by Nazi leaders against Jewish communities throughout Germany and Austria. In this widespread pogrom, shops, homes, synagogues and entire communities were destroyed and thousands of people were killed and imprisoned. The Night of Broken Glass, a reference to the shattered windows seen throughout the land, is widely considered the beginning of the Holocaust.

Participants are asked to gather at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 99 Central Park Road, at 6:45 p.m. for the procession to the Manetto Hill Jewish Center, 244 Manetto Hill Road. (The distance is .8 mile.)

The service at the synagogue is set for 7:30 p.m.; the public is invited.

"We are looking forward to welcoming Pastor Olsen and the Good Shepherd community to our spiritual home," Senter said. "Good Shepherd has been an amazing partner in the interfaith dialogue that has become a hallmark of Plainview's faith communities."

Senter sees the event as an ongoing effort in Plainview at mutual understanding and tolerance of all peoples. Bigotry and hatred, he said, is rooted in fear and misunderstanding.

"We work together respecting the unique theologies which define who we are, as we celebrate shared values that bring us together," he said. "...As faith communities we endeavor to foster such respect and understanding as we raise our voices affirming: "Never Again."

Editor's Note: Are you interested in learning more about the events of November, 1938, known as "Kristallnacht?" One easy way is to follow the links in this story. They will take you to more detailed accounts of the Nazi atrocities. There are also links to stories about the congregations and their leaders.


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