The synagogue on Folkingestraat in Groningen city has made modifications to its traditional Kristallnacht commemoration, including the cancellation of the silent march. The decision to alter

the event is aimed at preventing potential incidents due to the ongoing violence in Israel and Gaza, which has resulted in heightened tensions worldwide.

The typical Kristallnacht remembrance involves two segments: a silent march from the Waagplein to the synagogue in Groningen, followed by a memorial gathering inside the synagogue. Geert Volders, the synagogue's director, informed RTV Noord that due to the current situation in the Middle East, the outdoor component has been canceled in favor of focusing solely on the event inside the synagogue.

Volders emphasized that they have not received any threats but that they are taking precautionary measures. "We want to prevent people from misconstruing this silent procession as a demonstration, which is not its purpose," he explained. "Given the extreme polarization and emotions, we don't believe it is responsible to ask volunteers to guide this silent journey. It doesn't seem appropriate at this time."

The commemoration will now exclusively occur within the synagogue on November 5, featuring a lecture by Manja Pach, musical performances, and poetry.

Kristallnacht, often referred to as the Night of Broken Glass in English, marks the onset of the mass persecution of Jews during the Second World War. During the night of November 9-10, 1938, the Nazis conducted a widespread attack on the Jewish community throughout Germany, resulting in the destruction of hundreds of synagogues, shops, and residences. The name Kristallnacht is derived from the glass shards that covered the streets in the aftermath. Numerous German Jews were arrested, subjected to violence, and killed during this horrific event. Photo by Hardscarf, Wikimedia commons.