The Night of Broken Dreams Expelled Jewish families wait as their situation becomes ever more dire. A young and enraged boy seeks retribution. He shoots a German official in ire. Yet he accomplishes naught but the acceleration of his own people’s execution. Outwardly inflamed, the Nazis secretly rejoice. At last it has arrived; the excuse that has been so long awaited. The Chief of Propaganda raises his voice. Incensed masses go forth to leave all Jewish buildings desecrated. The police of Germany receive their directive. They are to let Jewish property be laid to waste. Of "German" property however, they are to be more protective. Their plan is to only observe as the Jewish’s hard work is erased. Nazi an attack, an attack they killed one of us they will kill us all they are the cause and our poverty the effect attack, attack we will strike back
they have plagued us long enough now, for Vaterland and Lebensraum
Synagogues were made to break and burn. Whether there were people inside is not a concern. Firemen cheer on the flames in derision of their plight. Instead they ensure adjacent Aryan homes do not ignite. Jewish stores are opened without keys. Destroyed is everything the mob can seize. The crowd moves to the next store and repeat. They leave thousands of glass crystals to litter the street. Jewish we are beaten and killed tortured and humiliated by our own neighbors we never harmed them our peaceful people refuse to give in to hate we give our lives to fate
they treat us as if we were not human yet they are the real monsters
More than crystals spilled into the streets that night. There was blood from many an uneven fight. Beaten, bruised, and broken they returned from the brawl. Yet they were lucky that they returned at all. That night many lives were cut short. However, Nazis also played the role of escort. Male Jews were arrested and dragged away. Then they were placed in concentration camps and forced to stay. German we watch in horror what more can we do but die ourselves in vain struggling against a greater current the brave rise but will soon fall to their demise
and in our fear and silence we join the side of hate and evil
On Kristallnacht, those that suffered most were the Jews. Yet again, somehow, they become the scapegoat. For the Nazis needed someone to pay the dues. And so, that the Jewish will pay restitution, is the unanimous vote. For the Reich, there were more ways to make Kristallnacht beneficial. Germany would continue and intensify the anti-Semitic repression. More laws were created to make justice prejudicial. They also had plans to once and for all solve the Jewish question. There was no outburst or cry for revolution. The Nazis were encouraged by the lack of opposition. Now was the time, the time for a Final Solution. And so the Holocaust began with the world’s permission. World how barbaric what an atrocious event how appalling what is the world coming to our thoughts are fierce and unwavering but our words are more forgiving and so we forget and continue living
and in our empty threats and inaction we facilitate the persecution of an entire people
The Nazis acted, The Jewish cried, The world watched, And it changed forever, As the death of one man Became the excuse For the deaths of millions more. |