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Kristallnacht is memorialized w shattered mirrors

Yesterday was the 73d anniversary of Kristallnacht in Berlin and Germany. It is a fresh memory for some– for instance, my mother’s good friend who survived it, and emigrated to the U.S., and who visited her Monday. But what about this display, I confess I feel a little bit manipulated, it feels over-assertive, as if it is happening to Jews here. From a friend who sent these photos: About ten of these signs/shattered mirrors were placed around Locust Walk, UPenn’s main thoroughfare. I’m told they do this every year. Maybe it’s normal on most college campuses, and I just find it creepy because they never did anything like it in New York?

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krist2

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Being a child of a violently killed father, does not give a child the right to violently kill and abuse random ,innocent people.
It just does not.

I don’t actually see what’s wrong with that at all. It’s supposed to be an evocative piece of symbolism. Seems completely appropriate, given the name of the tragedy that is being memorialized. And, honestly, the fact that you’ve had a strong reaction to it shows that.

it’s an opportunity to reflect on the holocaust.

And yet, it’s considered anti-semitic to make comparisons between the racist violence unleashed against Jews in Germany and the racist violence unleashed every day against the Palestinians by religiously insane settlers in the West Bank. I would say Jews learned much from the Nazis. But then again, Jews seem to have learned nothing at all from their own history. How sad.

This might be a little callous, but everyday is the 73rd anniversary of something terrible that happened. Is this all there is? Praying to your oppressed ancestors? I am from a Scots-Irish/Polish family, so I have gotten a lot of this over the years as well – but it has fuck all to do with my family’s current situation; so I choose to feel good about THAT – rather than feeling terrible about something that took place decades ago, or worse, by identifying myself solely through ritual victim worship.

Truth be told, I feel for the jewish kids who just want to walk down the locust walk in peace, without the scary images and broken mirrors. It’s sort of like the jewish version of the “christian” guy passing out leaflets telling you to repent or burn….. Take it easy, ya know?