Sacred Heart University is hosting its annual Kristallnacht commemoration in its Chapel of the Holy Spirit, 5151 Park Ave., Fairfield, Connecticut, on Nov. 6 at 2 p.m. marking the 1938 November night during which members of the Nazi party raided, destroyed and burned Jewish businesses and synagogues throughout Germany and Austria, killing over 90 Jewish people. The name Kristallnacht translates to “crystal night,” a reference to the broken glass that lined the streets and filled the businesses and homes of Jewish people in Germany. Kristallnacht marks an unforgettable tragedy at the beginning of the Holocaust.
Holocaust survivor and motivational speaker Sami Steigmann who was born in Bukovina (present day Romania) in December 1939 will be the guest speaker at this event. From ages 2 to 5, Steigmann, along with his family, were imprisoned at Mogilev-Podolsky, a Ukrainian labor camp. Although he was too young to work at the camp, Steigmann was a victim of the horrific medical experiments performed on prisoners by the Nazi party, and deals with many side effects from the operations. Since then, Steigmann has turned to inspiring next generations through motivational speaking. His engagements have taken him to every corner of the globe. He seeks to inspire young people to never give up, never lose hope and never, ever be a bystander.
The event is free and open to the public. For those who cannot attend in person, the event will be livestreamed at this link.
As the second-largest Catholic university in New England, and one of the fastest-growing private doctoral institutions in the U.S., Sacred Heart University is a national leader in shaping higher education for the 21st century.
