Kristallnacht commemoration will recall Oskar Schindler’s “Different Choice”

The anniversary of
Kristallnacht
— the “night of broken glass” in which Nazi-led violence and destruction swept across the German Reich on November 9-10, 1938 — will be commemorated at Chapman University for the eighth year on Thursday, November 10 at 7 p.m. in the Fish Interfaith Center.  Admission is free and open to the public. The Chapman interfaith community will gather for a service of remembrance for the victims, and also to remember the courageous people from many walks of life who dared to defy Nazi authority to become resisters and rescuers.

Among these latter was Oskar Schindler, a member of the Nazi Party, who in the latter days of the war risked his own life to save the lives of some 1,200 Jews working in his enamelware and munitions factories, first in Krakow, Poland, and later in Brünnlitz in the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia.  The guest speaker at this year’s
Kristallnacht
remembrance will be David Crowe, Ph.D., Presidential Fellow at Chapman University and professor of history emeritus at Elon University.  Dr. Crowe is the author of
Oskar Schindler: The Untold Account of His Life, Wartime Activities, and the True Story Behind the List
, the definitive biography of Schindler.  His talk is titled “Oskar Schindler: A Different Choice.”

Also appearing in the Thursday night program will be vocalist Rachel Joselson, DMA.  Dr. Joselson is an associate professor in the School of Music at the University of Iowa and is a guest artist in the Hall-Musco Conservatory of Music, College of Performing Arts at Chapman University. She has performed with the Hamburg State Opera and the Metropolitan Opera, among others. Her most recent recording is
Songs of the Holocaust
(June 2016).  She’ll be joined by Rene Lecuona, professor of piano at the School of Music, University of Iowa.

Violinist Iman Khosrowpour, artistic director and conductor of the Irvine Valley College Symphony Orchestra, will perform John Williams’ Theme from
Schindler’s List
with Daniel Alfred Wachs, associate professor and director of orchestral activities, Hall-Musco Conservatory of Music, College of Performing Arts on piano.

This event is co-sponsored by the Rodgers Center for Holocaust Education, Fish Interfaith Center, Hillel, Chapman Interfaith Council.

Admission is free. No tickets/reservations required.

Reserved seating is available for groups of 10 or more.

Contact Ashley Bloomfield at (714) 532-7760 or ambloom@chapman.edu to make group reservations.