To commemorate the 1938 Kristallnacht pogrom in German and Austria, in November 2024 Marcha por la Vida Argentina (the local March of the Living organization in Argentina) offered Jewish youth and youth from diverse backgrounds a joint activity designed to warn about the dangers of past and present anti-Semitism.

The event sought to raise awareness and consciousness of the importance of actively confronting antisemitic acts and hate speech, and not normalizing them through inaction.

Participants were given historic photographs of the November 1938 Kristallnacht pogrom and asked: “How does Kristallnacht speak to me today?”

Using their own emotions and thoughts, the students translated their responses into a mural/stained glass window that was completed jointly by entire group, emulating the reconstruction of windows broken during the Kristallnacht pogrom in 1938.

To close this joint action,  Marcha por la Vida quoted ADL’s eloquent call to action to combat antisemitism, which echoes the message that Marcha por la Vida’s seeks to transmit year after year:

“It has taken millennia to shape modern anti-Semitism. It will take the collective effort of all of us to counteract this evil and have a world free of hate, prejudice and intolerance. Let’s get to work. (Source: Anti-Defamation League Guide to Counteract Anti-Semitism)

The song Ani Ve’ata (You and Me), composed by the late, beloved Israeli folksinger Arik Einstein, was also included in the program. The lyrics read: You and me we’ll change the world…then all the others will come too. Even though it’s been said before – It doesn’t matter. You and me we’ll change the world.

According to Marcha por la Vida  organizers, the idea behind the song is that it us and what we do that will change the world. Even though it will not be easy, and others have already tried, it is still worth continuing on this path.

Marcha por la Vida was joined in this special Kristallnacht commemorative event by the following organizations and individuals.

Madrichim from Hebraica, Macabi Hacoach, Cissab, and Mashapp.

Masorti communities also participated as did students from the Nuestra Señora de Fátima school in the province of Buenos Aires with their teacher who was in took part in the 2024 March of the Living.

According to Marcha por la Vida, the Kristallnacht event reminds us that:

Together we were part of a collective construction of consciousness and action. We are all responsible for laying the solid foundations for a future of respect and empathy among all human beings.