A November Shabbat service at Temple Judea was the setting for a double-pronged observance. Rabbi Todd Chizner, as a salute to Veterans Day, paid tribute to the military veterans who have served in the U S Armed Forces. He expressed gratitude not only to the veterans but also to the families of their loved ones. A special prayer was recited as a memorial to all the veterans who sacrificed their lives for our country.
Rabbi Chizner then introduced the guest of honor, Irving Roth, the Director of Temple Judea’s Holocaust Resource Center. Roth, who is a Holocaust survivor, is an educator and author who has initiated an Adopt A Survivor program to connect survivors with students to tell their stories. His topic for this Shabbat was a discussion of Kristallnacht, “The night of broken glass”.
He described this desecration of synagogues and destruction of Jewish-owned businesses and homes not as the beginning of the war, but as an escalation of the hate that was started and had continued for many years before. But the November 9, 1938 destruction which resulted in broken glass everywhere, as well as Jews being captured and taken from their homes, brought this evil to a new level. Roth is an honored part of Temple Judea’s staff. He brings his warmth, historical knowledge, and inspiration to Temple Judea members as well as to the many visitors to the Holocaust Resource Center, which is located within Temple Judea.
Submitted by Temple Judea of Manhasset
