After World I, the German economy was in shambles and the nation was dejected. Hitler manipulated this state of affairs to legally rise to power and systematically strip German Jews of their rights. This slow increase in oppression culminated on Kristallnacht, the Night of Broken Glass, the night that the Nazi Party realized it could get away with genocide.
Big Ideas
- The path leading up to the Holocaust was long and calculated.
- Humans can come to accept moral atrocities when they are introduced slowly and incrementally.
- Commemorating Kristallnacht is a step towards preventing genocide in the future
Essential Questions
- What was the starting point of the Holocaust?
- How did the Nazis get away with genocide?
- What is the value in commemorating past tragedies?
View Resources:
Partner Content
Topic
- Holocaust
- History
Setting
- After School and Beyond
- Camp
- Congregational Learning
- Day Schools and Yeshivas
- Family Engagement
- Teen Engagement
Discover more
Meet Fred Bachner, a Holocaust survivor who had the last Bar Mitzvah at Berlin's Rykestrasse Synagogue.
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Learn about Kristallnacht, tracing how years of escalating Nazi persecution erupted into nationwide violence and marked a turning point on the path to the Holocaust.
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Our free 8-page e-book shows how Israel created its Holocaust Memorial Day.
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