This year marks the 81st anniversary of Kristallnacht, the state-sponsored pogrom known as the “Night of Broken Glass” of November 9-10, 1938. Hundreds of synagogues in Germany and Austria were burned, Jewish-owned businesses were destroyed, nearly 100 Jews were killed and 30,000 men were sent to concentration camps.

Kristallnacht was a turning point in the Nazi persecution of European Jews, and a defining moment for the Hahn family. Owners of one of the most successful businesses in Göttingen, Germany and one of the most significant private collections of Judaica in pre-war Europe, Max and Gertrud Hahn were robbed of their possessions, and ultimately of their lives, by the Nazis.

Keynote speaker Dr. Michael Hayden, MC, OBC, grandson of Max Hahn, will detail the story of the Hahn family and their collection before, during and after the Holocaust in his remarks, A Treasured History: A Story of Loss, Courage and Renewal.

Immediately following the program, attendees are invited to view Treasured Belongings: The Hahn Family & the Search for a Stolen Legacy, the new and original VHEC exhibition which features the Hahn family's rich artefacts and documentation that speak to timely themes of cultural loss, reconciliation and intergenerational legacy. https://www.vhec.org/upcoming-exhibitions/

This program is open to everyone, but seating is limited. Registration is required. https://kristallnachtcommemorationandexhibitionopening.eventbrite.ca
For more information please call the VHEC at 604-264-0499.

Kristallnacht is presented by the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre in partnership with Congregation Beth Israel with support from the Robert and Marilyn Krell Endowment Fund of the VHEC. This program is funded through our community’s generous contributions to the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver Annual Campaign.

Exhibition supported by Michael and Sandy Hayden and children, the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Vancouver, the Isaac and Sophie Waldman Endowment Fund of the Vancouver Foundation, Isaac and Judy Thau, Yosef Wosk, Audre Jackson and the Goldie and Avrum Miller Memorial Endowment Fund of the VHEC.