Speaking in Leipzig, Kristallnacht 2014
On this night in 1938 my father, Leo Fuchs was one of 500 Jewish men in Leipzig rounded up by the Gestapo in his native Leipzig and marched to the city Zoo.
There they were forced to stand in the stream that runs through the park, and citizens were directed to gather round and curse, jeer and throw mud at the “vermin Jews” who stood helplessly in the water. Then the Nazis took my dad to Dachau where they shaved his head and abused him.
84 years later this event continues to shape my life.
Fortunately, my father was one of the very lucky ones. An older brother and an uncle in New York gained his release through diplomatic channels, and he set sail for New York on December 10,1938.
I had never heard of Kristallnacht, let alone that my father was arrested on that horrific night, until I was a rabbinical student at the Hebrew Union College in Los Angeles. In the spring of my first year, my father fell gravely ill. I flew home to New Jersey where my brother-in-law Jack drove me straight to the hospital where, for the first time in my life, my father did not recognize me.
In a state of delirium, he was shouting in German, which he never spoke at home as my mother was an American. I asked my uncle, the same one that had saved him, what he was saying, and he replied, “He is asking the guards to stop beating him.”
I like to think I was an alert and precocious kid. I loved my father dearly and felt very close to him. So, I keep asking myself. How could I not know? It is a question that to this day I cannot answer.
My penance, as it were, for my ignorance, has impelled me to speak about Kristallnacht in churches, synagogues and schools in the United States, in German high schools and more than two dozen German churches, including the famous Thomaskirche in Leipzig, and at many of the 65 plus communities around the world I was privileged to visit during my tenure as President of the World Union for Progressive Judaism.
In every one of these venues, the people treated me with graciousness and respect that warmed my heart. In return I have tried to offer a message of hope especially in places where many of those sitting before me had relatives once connected to the Nazi regime: We cannot undo the past, but we can learn from it to create a better future for our children, our grandchildren and generations to come.
Finding Ourselves In The Bible 
Your writing always makes an indelible impression. This is no different. Thank you.
LikeLike
Thank you Rabbi. Be well and safe. Pam
LikeLike
Hello, my friend, it’s Michelle Marie. I have been studying the creation and the truth that has been hidden from us for so long. I thought of you and looked up your books on Amazon, which led me to this page. As I was reading your story, I was shocked because this experience happened to me when my Father also became very ill and spoke German to my siblings and me. He was in the army and stationed in Stuttgart, Germany, in 1957, he was a medic, or so that is what I was told. He never spoke of the things that happened to him. It’s amazing how experiences can be similar and also different at the same time. For me, they always cause me to dig deeper with God to gain an understanding, even though the result may be uncovering more questions than answers. I hope that you are well and enjoying your life. Be blessed. Michelle
LikeLike
For some reason, I am just seeing this now (December18). Thank you, Michelle Marie! I am very moved by the similarity in our experiences. I hope you find some of the things I write about meaningful.
You might find that my takes on the Creation and the Garden of Eden in “Finding Ourselves in the Bible” speak to you.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I like you have not been around on WP as much. I will check that out. I’m very interested in your takes for sure! I hope all is well with you. Blessing to you my friend. Hugs
LikeLiked by 1 person
Because you are so creative and talented, I get a nice warm feeling whenever you notice something I write. Thank you!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m was looking for your book. I forgot to mention that I bought it sometime ago and loved your sharing of Eve. I find myself in the bible a lot. Our Father uses scripture to make his word come alive. Perhaps that’s why it’s called the, “Living Word.” I would love to get your thoughts on many things I’ve discovered so many untruths I was taught growing up in the Christian faith. So much to unlearn. It’s shocking how the church wanted to keep us believing their narrative, maybe to make us believe the God of the bible is dead. Which he certainly is not true. I’m excited as I see more and more scripture playing out before our eyes. I also wonder if every generation thought the time is near. I hope you are doing well. Hugs to you my friend.
LikeLike