The governors of all 50 states have issued proclamations commemorating the 50th anniversary of Kristallnacht, Nov. 9-10, the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council reported Tuesday.
The proclamations, which were issued at the council’s request, also were issued by more than 150 mayors throughout the United States. They urged their constituents to “always strive to overcome prejudice and inhumanity through understanding, vigilance and resistance.”
Many of the survivors of the Holocaust have died, said Benjamin Meed, a survivor and chairman of the council’s Days of Remembrance Committee.
“For those of us who are left, time is our enemy,” Meed said. “Now, it is our obligation to bear witness, to tell the story, and to transmit its essence before it is too late.”
The council has distributed 15,000 booklets providing background material and ways for schools and communities to observe the anniversary of the Nazi rampage through Germany and Austria, which many believe foreshadowed the Holocaust.
A film series marking Kristallnacht is being shown through November in New York and Washington, cosponsored by the council. Public television stations in the United States are to show two documentaries on Kristallnacht Wednesday night.
In addition there will be commemoration programs and services in churches, synagogues and schools throughout the country. Synagogues will commemorate the anniversary by keeping their lights on throughout the night Wednesday.
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