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# 75 years after Kristallnacht: minorities in danger
- URL: https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/75-years-after-kristallnacht-minorities-in-danger/
- Published: 2013-11-08T18:11:59.000Z
- Updated: 2026-04-16T13:31:06.000Z
- Description: Jews in Britain sound the alarm about rising hostility towards migrants, asylum seekers, Gypsies and travellers.
- Author: David Rosenberg
- Tags: Crime, justice & law, #Migrated, United Kingdom, shinealight, #en, #Import 2026-04-09 16:46, #ImagesUploaded

![GermanJewsPouringintothiscountry_3.jpg](https://www.opendemocracy.net/content/files/2026/04/GermanJewsPouringintothiscountry_3_aaskDYN-1776345562808.jpg)

GermanJewsPouringintothiscountry\_3.jpg

*Daily Mail, Saturday 20 August 1938*

On 9th/10th November 1938, Nazi stormtroopers led a wave of violent attacks on Jewish people and property throughout Germany and Austria, which the Nazis had annexed. During these pogroms, 91 Jews were killed, thousands were taken from their homes and incarcerated in concentration camps, 267 synagogues were destroyed, and some 7,500 Jewish-owned shops were smashed and looted. The Kristallnacht pogroms presaged attempts to remove Jews from German life completely.

Many Jews left hurriedly to seek refuge in friendly countries, including Britain, but Britain was already in the grip of an “aliens scare”. Newspaper headlines declared: “Alien Jews Pouring In”, and claimed that “Refugees Get Jobs, Britons Get Dole”. The media accused Jewish asylum seekers of “over-running the country”. Despite wide public revulsion at the violence of Kristallnacht, powerful elements in British politics and business continued to admire Hitler and the Nazi regime.

75 years after Kristallnacht, racists and fascists inspired by the Nazis continue to attack minorities in Europe. In Hungary neo-fascists target Gypsies and Jews. In Greece Golden Dawn members and supporters brutally attack migrants and political opponents. Here in Britain, minority communities, especially Muslims, have been targeted in an atmosphere that is increasingly hostile towards migrants and refugees.

As Jewish people mindful of this history, we are equally alarmed at continuing fascist violence and the toxic sentiments expressed by many politicians and much of the media against migrants, asylum seekers, Gypsies and travellers.  
We stand shoulder to shoulder with migrants, refugees and asylum seekers in their efforts to live here in freedom and safety, to contribute to society, and be treated as equals. As Jews we stand together with all communities seeking to combat racism and fascism here and elsewhere.  
  
*David Rosenberg, Jewish Socialist magazine* 
*Prof Frank Land, 1939 refugee and Kristallnacht witness* 
*Ralph Land CBE, 1939 refugee and Kristallnacht witness* 
*Sheila Melzak, Clinical Director, Baobab Centre for Young Survivors in Exile* 
*Dr Jennifer Langer, Director, Exiled Writers Ink* 
*John Speyer, Director, Music In Detention* 
*Margaret Hodge MP* 
*David Winnick MP* 
*Lord (Alf) Dubs* 
*Edie Friedman, Executive Director, Jewish Council for Racial Equality* 
*Gerry Gable, Editor, Searchlight Magazine* 
*Prof Nira Yuval-Davis, Director, Centre for Research on Migration, Refugees and Belonging, UEL* 
*Prof Jacqueline Rose* 
*Prof Francesca Klug OBE, Director of the Human Rights Futures Project* 
*Rabbi Elizabeth Tikvah Sarah* 
*Rabbi Barbara Borts* 
*Rabbi Howard Cooper* 
*Judge Laurence Brass, Treasurer, Board of Deputies of British Jews* 
*Miriam Margolyes OBE* 
*Moris Farhi MBE* 
*Anne Karpf, journalist* 
*Bernard Kops, playwright and poet* 
*Michael Rosen, broadcaster and poet* 
*Michele Hanson, writer* 
*Dr Ros Merkin, Writer & Director of Suitcase 1938* 
*Benjamin Abeles, rescued by the Kindertransport in 1939* 
*John Abraham* 
*Ruth Abraham* 
*Karen Adler* 
*Rochelle Allebes* 
*Ruth Appleton, Santé Project* 
*Martha Jean Baker* 
*Julia Bard* 
*Zelda Bard* 
*Jacob Bard-Rosenberg* 
*Reuben Bard-Rosenberg* 
*Mark Barnes* 
*Ruth Barnett* 
*George Barratt, Councillor, Barking & Dagenham* 
*Larry Beckreck* 
*N G Benjamin* 
*Sarah Benton* 
*Mike Berlin* 
*Shelley Berlowitz* 
*Jo Bird* 
*Rica Bird* 
*Prof Haim Bresheeth* 
*Lorna Brunstein* 
*Barry Buitekant* 
*Lionel Burman* 
*Mandy Carr* 
*Prof Andrew Coleman* 
*Paul Collins* 
*Ilana Cravitz* 
*Judith Cravitz* 
*Ivor Dembina* 
*Prof Elizabeth Dore* 
*Jack Dove* 
*Norma Dove* 
*Ora Dresner* 
*Kjersti Dybvig* 
*Prof Barbara Einhorn* 
*Maggie Eisner* 
*Antony Ellman* 
*Michael Ellman* 
*Judith Emanuel* 
*Naomi Feldman* 
*Rayah Feldman* 
*Prof Robert Fine* 
*Neil Finer* 
*Sylvia Finzi* 
*Frank Fisher* 
*Nick Foster* 
*Ann Frankel* 
*Raymond Freeman* 
*Melissa Friedberg* 
*Carolyn Gelenter* 
*Mike Gerber* 
*Dr Ben Gidley* 
*Stuart Goodman* 
*Carry Gorney* 
*Dr Claudia Gould Hertzmann* 
*Jeremy Green* 
*Prof Colin Green* 
*Grahame Gross* 
*Sue Gutteridge* 
*Belle Harris* 
*Lisa Hatton* 
*Rosamine Hayeem* 
*Mike Heiser* 
*Ruth Hendrick* 
*Alain Hertzmann* 
*Prof Susan Himmelweit* 
*Dr Deborah Hirshfield* 
*David Hoffman* 
*Justin Hoffman* 
*Claire Jackson* 
*Riva Joffe* 
*Dr Hannah Jones* 
*Dan Judelson* 
*Ann Jungman* 
*Thena Kendall* 
*David King* 
*Susan King* 
*Dr Brian Klug* 
*Tony Klug* 
*Erica Kops* 
*Sarah Kosminsky* 
*Marion Kozak* 
*Stevie Krayer* 
*Caroline Kubilius* 
*Richard Kuper* 
*Vivi Lachs* 
*Jude Lancet* 
*David Landau* 
*Jon Lansman* 
*Sheila Lassman* 
*Antony Lerman* 
*Karl Lewcowicz* 
*Vivien Lichtenstein* 
*Hope Liebersohn* 
*Marian Liebmann* 
*Prof Yosefa Loshitzky* 
*Sue Lukes* 
*Ruth Lukom* 
*Simon Lynn* 
*Ilana Machover* 
*Moshé Machover* 
*Diana Maiden* 
*Paul Mayersberg* 
*Karen Merkel* 
*Jane Merkin, Executive Producer, Suitcase 1938* 
*Paul Morrison* 
*Miriam Moss* 
*Annie Nehmad* 
*Diana Neslen* 
*Esther Neslen* 
*Michael Newman* 
*Paul Oestreicher* 
*Margaret Owen OBE* 
*Dr Daniel Ozarow* 
*Gail Pearce* 
*Helen Pearson* 
*Mike Peters* 
*Rob Porteous* 
*Charlie Pottins* 
*Dr Claudia Prestel* 
*Marsha Ragsdell* 
*Ros Raizada* 
*Roland Rance* 
*Daniel Randall* 
*Norman Randall* 
*Ronne Randall* 
*Jerome Ravetz* 
*Dr Esti Rimmer* 
*Brian Robinson* 
*Ben Rogaly* 
*Prof Jonathan Rosenhead* 
*Leon Rosselson* 
*Michael Sackin* 
*Jenny Salaman Manson* 
*Raf Salkie* 
*Prof Andrew Samuels* 
*Ian Saville* 
*Prof Joy Schaverien* 
*Karel Schling, child of holocaust survivors* 
*Monika Schwartz* 
*Mike Scott, Trustee, Nottingham and Notts Refugee Forum* 
*Amanda Sebestyen* 
*Lynne Segal* 
*Prof Victor Jeleniewski Seidler* 
*Sam Semoff* 
*Barry Semp* 
*Linda Shampan* 
*Myrna Shaw* 
*Polina Shepherd* 
*Nicole Sherrick* 
*Dr Jackie Shimshon* 
*Shireen Wooldridge* 
*Prof Avi Shlaim* 
*Alan Silver* 
*Evelyn Silver* 
*Liz Silver, Notts Disabled People’s Movement* 
*Clifford Singer* 
*Juliet Singer* 
*Laurence Singer* 
*Ray Sirotkin* 
*Barry Smerin* 
*Sue Smith* 
*Ben Soffa* 
*Catharine Claire Stewart* 
*Jennie Stoller* 
*Monica Stoppleman* 
*Judith Suissa* 
*Vivien Sunlight* 
*Inbar Tamari* 
*Ruth Tenne* 
*Gil Toffell* 
*Niki Tragen* 
*Eva Turner, child of holocaust survivors* 
*Lesley Urbach* 
*Dan Usiskin* 
*Dr Nadia Valman* 
*Ida Waksberg* 
*Rafael Waksberg* 
*Adrienne Wallman* 
*Miri Weingarten* 
*Pnina Werbner* 
*Barbara White* 
*Myra Woolfson* 
*Dr Karen Worth* 
*Binnie Yeates*

---

*This Statement was drawn up by Jewish Socialist magazine BM3725 London WC1N 3XX*