A community-wide commemoration of Kristallnacht took place on November 9 at Beth Israel Beth Aaron Congregation in Côte Saint-Luc. The program featured a nice intercultural component.

Pictured here is the choir from General Vanier Elementary School from Montreal’s East End where none of the students are Jewish. Their music teacher, Jason Lipstein, is an orthodox Jew who travelled to Israel last summer as part of a Holocaust Education Program at Yad Vashem. Upon his return he pledged to teach his students music of the Holocaust. Their presence at Kristallnacht last week, alongside the Bialik High School Choir, was very well received as was their performance of  the Yiddish folk sing Vie Ahin Zoll Ich Gein (Tell me where I should go?). The program also included remarks from a witness to the Kristallnacht, Isle Matalon, Israel Consul General Joel Lion, Rabbi Reuben Poupko, another short musical program, a memorial prayer and kaddish. Long time Jewish day school teacher  Hanna Eliashiv chaired the evening.

Here is a video about Kristallnacht: