Kristallnacht: Testimony from Holocaust Survivor Michael Berkowicz
Thursday, November 7, 2024, from 7-8:30 p.m.
Reich College of Education Room 124A and via Zoom
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BOONE, N.C. — Join Appalachian State University's Center for Judaic, Holocaust and Peace Studies (CJHPS) for a presentation by Holocaust survivor Michael Berkowicz on Thursday, November 7, 2024, from 7-8:30 p.m. in Room 124A of the Reich College of Education located at 151 College Street in Boone. Additionally, the event will be offered via Zoom (click here).
Berkowicz was born in Siberia and grew up in post-war Poland. He earned a degree in physics from the City University of New York and has been deeply involved in Jewish cultural life, focusing on Polish-Jewish dialogue and history. A former treasurer of the North American Council of the Museum of the History of Polish Jews (POLIN), he is also a founding member of the Friends of the Krakow Jewish Culture Festival and has held leadership roles in various organizations dedicated to Judaic art and interfaith dialogue. On November 7, Berkowicz will speak about his experience in Europe as a child survivor of the Holocaust, and attendees will have the opportunity to ask him questions.
The week of November 7 marks the 86th anniversary of Kristallnacht, or "The Night of Broken Glass." Kristallnacht was a turning point in the beginning of the Holocaust. In two days and nights, a program was carried out against Jews in Germany, Austria and parts of Czechoslovakia by the growing Nazi paramilitary. Over 48 hours, violent mobs spurred on by Nazi officials destroyed Jewish homes, synagogues and businesses while police and firemen watched. Approximately 7,500 structures were destroyed and 91 Jews were murdered. The Nazi government blamed the damage on the Jews and required they pay one billion reichsmarks while forcing Jews to sell their businesses for pennies on the dollar. The Germans named it Kristallnacht referring to all of the broken windows. Kristallnacht marked an important and negative shift in anti-Jewish attitudes leading to the Holocaust.
Sponsored by CJHPS, this event is free and open to the public. For a disability accommodation, visit odr.appstate.edu. Visit holocaust.appstate.edu/events for more information.
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About the Center for Judaic, Holocaust and Peace Studies
Appalachian State University’s Center for Judaic, Holocaust and Peace Studies was established in 2002 to develop new educational opportunities for students, teachers and the community. Located administratively within the College of Arts and Sciences, the center’s vision promotes tolerance, understanding and respect for all human life. To accomplish this vision, the center works to strengthen tolerance, understanding and remembrance by increasing the knowledge of Jewish culture and history, teaching the history and meaning of the Holocaust and utilizing these experiences to explore peaceful avenues for human improvement and the prevention of further genocides. Learn more at holocaust.appstate.edu.
Holocaust survivor Michael Berkowicz is the former treasurer of the North American Council of the Museum of the History of Polish Jews (POLIN), is a founding member of the Friends of the Krakow Jewish Culture Festival and has held leadership roles in various organizations dedicated to Judaic art and interfaith dialogue. Photo submitted
Holocaust survivor Michael Berkowicz is the former treasurer of the North American Council of the Museum of the History of Polish Jews (POLIN), is a founding member of the Friends of the Krakow Jewish Culture Festival and has held leadership roles in various organizations dedicated to Judaic art and interfaith dialogue. Photo submitted