Havdalah and El Malei Rachamim

On November 9, 80 years ago, during the Reichskristallnacht, synagogues burned all over Germany. It was the beginning of a Jewish genocide without precedent. My German-speaking friends may read the story of the burning of Freiburg's synagogue here.

Freiburg's Old Synagogue, as seen by the painter Alexander Dettmar

On November 10, Red Baron went to Freiburg's new synagogue for the celebration of Havdalah, marking the end of the Sabbath and, fitting to the occasion, the singing of El Malei Rachamim in remembrance of 6 million Jewish victims of the Holocaust:

God, full of mercy, who dwells in the heights, provide a sure rest upon the Divine Presence's wings, within the range of the holy and the pure, whose shining resemble the sky's, all the souls of the six million Jews, victims of the European Holocaust, who were murdered, slaughtered, burnt and exterminated for the Sanctification of the Name, by the German Nazi assassins and their helpers from the rest of the peoples. Therefore, the Master of Mercy will protect them forever, from behind the hiding of his wings, and tie their souls with the rope of life. The Everlasting is their heritage, the Garden of Eden shall be their resting room, and they shall rest peacefully upon their lying place; they will stand for their fate at the end of days, and let us say: Amen.

In Wikipedia, we read: The ritual of Havdala involves lighting a special candle with several wicks, blessing a cup of wine, and smelling sweet spices.

While Irina Katz, chairwoman of Freiburg's Israelite Community,
lights the candle wicks, Cantor Moshe Hayoun sings the Havdalah.

Irina Katz holds the Havdalah candle, and Moshe Hayoun blesses the wine.

Havdala and El Malei Rachamim were followed by a remembrance of the Reichskristallnacht.

Corner of remembrance at Freiburg's new synagogue

Mayor Ulrich von Kirchbach presented a copy of the painting by Alexander Dettmar.

Mayor Ulrich von Kirchbach found the right words.

Next was my friend Andreas Meckel talking about: 80 Years Ago, Pogrom 1938, Accounting of a Governmental Crime.

Irina Katz introduces the speaker of the evening, Andreas Meckel.

The speaker kept the memory alive by describing the events on November 9, 1938, and beyond. Thank you, Andreas, for your devotion to the cause.

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