Do you have any questions about my video. (Answer question. Move on if their is no question). 

Kristallnacht. This is referred to the as the Night if the Broken Glass. The Nazis planned this out. They went out on one night and destroyed, damaged, burned and looted many of the Jews things. They did this is Austria and Germany. Why did they do this? Well you're about to find out. 

The night of the broken glass was taken place on November 9th and 10th. It scared many Jews and that's what Hitler wanted. He wanted to instill fear in everyone. He even wanted the people that weren't on his side to be scared and killed. Hitler also did this because a Polish-Jewish teenager killed the German diplomat Ernst vom Rath. This made Hitler furious so he planned and organized the Kristallnacht.

The Nazis did many horrid things on the night of the broken glass. They burned more than 1,000 synagogues. They broke glass windows in Jewish stores and businesses. They also burned down homes and kicked kids out of school. The Nazis also killed 91 Jews that night. How do we live? Well most are sent to ghettos or they are sent to concentration camps and prison. Quote-One of my friends, who lived next to the Synagogue, whispered to me, "Be quiet-the Synagogue is burning; I was beaten up already when I wanted to put out the fire." This is a quote of someone that actually went through this. He was a firefighter and wanted to help put down the fire that was on the Synagogue, but the Nazis would not let him. This shows how Hitler strongly did not want the Jews to practice their religion. 

The Nazis burned many books. They did this because they were afraid people might think differently than they did. They stole paintings and put restrictions on the Jews. They had to wear certain things and couldn't go certain places. Hitler wanted the people to feel like they are nothing. This is why they had the night of the broken glass and why they did all of these other terrible things. 

Many people thought that it wouldn't get any worse but it did. A few days after the night of the broken glass people were moved into ghettos because they lost their homes. They moved them into ghettos so then they could trick the Jews into going to concentration camps. 

This what happened on the night of the broken glass. Now you have learned the horrible things that the Nazis did on the night of the broken glass and how people lived when this happened

Link- https://vimeo.com/166412794

These books burnings really just broke me. I thought they wouldn't go this far but they did. Then they went even farther than what any of us expected. 

Nazis and German children burn the books while we stand watching

They have fun while we stand crying

We watch the horrid event but none of us say a word because of our fear

We know it will get worse..

But our only option is to be standing and watching

We stand and watch as the fire eats away

There is nothing else to do so we patiently and watch 

They can burn the books, break glass windows, kill us

But no matter what they do we will always stay true to who we really are

The things they are doing are terrible 

But what can we do, we are just children

We are supposed to sit quietly and just watch 

No! We should stand up for our rights

But that will not work, I will certainly die

First they will burn the books

Then they will burn us

Oh what did we ever do wrong for them to treat us cruelly

 

I am just a kid I should not be experiencing these things

I should be playing and reading

But instead I am watching my favorite book, Catching Dreams being burned

We are all crying

The books burn

Our education and religion disappears 

We patiently wait for it all to end

Oh when will it all end

Mother, father and I all huddle up while the fire rises

We decided to go home but I still watch from my window 

They march, sing and dance to the song “Brothers, Forward”

I stand and watch

I started to cry again

I wanted to have a bar mitzvah, but now I cannot since the Nazis are burnings our religious books and all the synagogues are gone 

Mother and father tell me to sleep

How can I?

It’s impossible especially when books are burning

Books

Books are my favorite

Reading is the only thing I have left to do 

No playing outside

No going to school

All I can do is read

But now that has been taken away from me

I am too scared to sleep

Too scared to talk

Too scared to eat

Too scared to go outside

It is like they have taken my whole life away ever since the first book burning

The third book burning comes around the corner

I just stand and watch instead of crying

I am nothing now

Especially without books

Life is meaningless

Especially without books

The German children don’t care if there books are taken away

They will get new ones later anyway

New ones filled with lies about Hitler

Instead of standing and watching, the children laugh and celebrate

When the next book burning occurs I am 8

I do not even go

I can't take it

Watching books burn is like watching my heart burn

The Nazis did not require coming to the ceremonies so mother and father let me stay at home

At home I look at the empty book shelves wondering what we ever did for them to treat us like this

Why?

Why us? Why me?

I guess watching people in pain makes others happy

First it’s the night of the broken glass 

Now it’s book burnings

Then it’s death

We have to stay alive no matter what it takes 

We have to show them who we are and what we are capable of

Even if they put us in Death Camps we have to show them that we can stay alive

The next book burning comes around

The Nazis stand there laughing, while we stand there watching

We get used to it 

We know who the Nazis are now

How could someone like to see people in pain?

Why does Hitler hate us so much?

Why doesn’t anyone stand up?

We can’t stand up

We are nobody

At least to them we are

We just have to stand and watch

It’s our only choice

They won’t stop

Everyone says it will, but it’s the 13th book burning now

What more do they want?

How much more pain do they want to see?

It’s not only the books that they are killing 

They are also killing the people who made the books

Helen Keller is gone

Albert Einstein my favorite thinker is gone

Now who is there to stand up for us?

Nobody

Our only option is to be standing and watching

The book burnings stop, but the Nazis don’t

They beat us up now

They start to kill random people

No one stands up

They have instilled too much fear

Now they are moving us, killing us, burning more and more books

But our only option is to be standing and watching 

(Choose two diary entries to read. Read them….). These diary entries show that in the beginning I thought Hitler wouldn't do anything bad and if he did it would be far away from November. Then Kristallnacht happened and it was a surprise to all of us. Many children kept diaries back them. These diaries were not only for people to know our stories but it was for us to express our feelings and thoughts. 

Greta- “I-I was just putting my daughter, Ada to sleep and I heard these gunshots and people screaming and crying. I had no idea what was going on. I told my daughter to stay inside while I went and checked. When I went out I saw people burning the Jew’s synagogues, the Jews home and businesses were destroyed. I thought to myself why would anyone do anything like this? I was just glad it wasn't happening to me. Then the people that were being so cruel told us that the Jews were the mean ones and they were doing this to protect us. I didn't believe them at first but then they said that the Jews are the ones to blame for the war. So I went inside and slept peacefully.

Alisa- “Thank you Greta for telling us your story. It must have been a scary experience for you and your daughter. Now a Jewish man that was a firefighter also went through Kristallnacht and he is willing to share his story.

Danell- “W-Well I had just come out of my house and I saw that our synagogues as burning. I had realized that Hitler sent out people to destroy our towns. My friends homes were all destroyed. I tried to put out the fire but instead I got beaten up by the officers. I had to watch as my friends were sent to prison. It was just such a horrible night because people were separated from families and our towns were completely destroyed. Kristallnacht happened very quickly. It-it was very sudden and none of us expected it.

Alisa- “Yes. Thank you Danell. It was a very unexpected night. Now not only did the adults go through this but children did as well. Raymond, a German boy that is 10 years old is going to share his experience with us.

Raymond- “I was just about to get ready to go to sleep and then I heard gunshots and police sirens. I got scared so I called mother and father. We went outside to see what happened and we realized Hitler sent people to destroy Jewish parts of our town. My family stood and watched. I know we should have helped but then we would have been caught. We were just glad it wasn't us that is getting affected. The people warned us that if we don't give respect to Hitler and them than bad things will happen. Hitler is a good person so we don't have to worry about anything.

Alisa- “Thank you Raymond for sharing your story with us. After a short break we will have a Jewish girl, Abaigael, tell us her story. 

Alisa- “Ok tell us your story Abaigael”

Abaigael- “There were police sirens and homes being broken. Worst of all the synagogues were burning. I thought to myself how will I have my bar-mitzvah? A person...A person came over to every family even ours. I was terrified. Then they took all of the men even my father. I cried and cried. The people scolded us and told us to go back inside our homes. My friends homes were completely destroyed. I never expected this all to happen so quickly. 

Alisa- “Yes I agree Kristallnacht happened very quickly. It was a very unexpected event for us. The people really wanted to instill fear in everyone. Especially the Jews. What will those Jews do? They don't have a home, a business. They are really setting those Jews up for failure. Remember Germans out there you are not in favor for the Jews. You must be on Hitler’s side otherwise bad things will happen. So what will happen next? Is this the beginning or the ending? We will have to see wha. t the people will do next. Thank you all for sharing your experiences with us. That is all we have for you today. Good night Munich, Germany!