Kristallnacht, the Nazi pogrom against the Jews of Germany on the night of November 9, 1938, marked the first decisive step toward normalizing hatred, legitimizing violence, and denying Jewish rights.
It was the culmination of a campaign that many underestimated. That night signaled the beginning of the erosion and eventual abolition of the principles of freedom and human rights — a path that led directly to Auschwitz. It was the night when the subculture of fanaticism triumphed over the culture of civilization and humanism.
Today, 87 years later, anti-Semitism is once again on the rise, threatening Jewish communities across the world. Behind the mask of anti-Zionism, anti-Semitic hatred feeds on misinformation, propaganda, and confusion, corroding minds and destabilizing societies.
Just yesterday, 87 years after Kristallnacht in Germany, swastikas were drawn, probably in human blood, on cars, mailboxes and building facades in Hanau, Germany. And in Thessaloniki, fanatical anti-Semites vandalized the Memorial Column of the Jewish settlement of Campbell. The column recalls that on the night of June 29, 1931, members of the nationalist and anti-Semitic organization “National Union “Hellas”” raided and set fire to the settlement.
The state and its institutions must recognize that, for some time now, the bell of history has been ringing persistently — reminding us that the snake’s egg is hatching once again, and that Jews are once more being targeted for different reasons. No one can now claim ignorance — that they did not know or did not understand. We all, both leaders and citizens, must remain vigilant so that KRISTALLNACHT is never repeated.
Athens, November 7, 2025
Central Board of Jewish Communities in Greece