III 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 417 

Commemorating the 81st anniversary of Kristallnacht, or the Night of Broken 

Glass. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

NOVEMBER 12, 2019 

Mr. MURPHY submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 

Committee on Foreign Relations 

RESOLUTION 

Commemorating the 81st anniversary of Kristallnacht, or 

the Night of Broken Glass. 

Whereas November 9, 2019, through November 10, 2019, 

marks the 81st anniversary of Kristallnacht, or the Night 

of Broken Glass; 

Whereas Kristallnacht began as a pogrom authorized by Nazi 

party officials and was carried out by members of the 

Sturmabteilungen (commonly known as the ‘‘SA’’), the 

Schutzstaffel (commonly known as the ‘‘SS’’), and the 

Hitler Youth; 

Whereas Kristallnacht marked the first large-scale anti-Semitic operation of the Nazi Party and a crucial turning 

point in Nazi anti-Semitic policy; 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
2 

•SRES 417 IS 

Whereas, during Kristallnacht, synagogues, homes, and businesses in Jewish communities were attacked, resulting in 

murders and arrests of Jewish people in Germany and in 

Austrian and Czechoslovakian territories controlled by 

the Nazis; 

Whereas the events of Kristallnacht resulted in the burning 

and destruction of 267 synagogues, the looting of thousands of businesses and homes, the desecration of Jewish 

cemeteries, the murder of 91 Jews, and the arrest and 

deportation of 30,000 Jewish men to concentration 

camps; 

Whereas the shards of broken glass from the windows of synagogues, Jewish homes, and Jewish-owned businesses 

ransacked during the violence that littered the streets 

gave the pogrom the name of Kristallnacht, commonly 

translated as the ‘‘Night of Broken Glass’’; 

Whereas Kristallnacht— 

(1) proved to be a crucial turning point in the Holocaust, marking a shift from a policy of removing Jews 

from Germany and German-occupied lands to murdering 

millions of people; and 

(2) was a tragic precursor to the Second World War; 

Whereas, despite numerous global efforts to eradicate hate, 

manifestations of anti-Semitism and other forms of intolerance continue to harm societies on a global scale; and 

Whereas, in 2018— 

(1) anti-Semitic acts in France increased by more 

than 70 percent compared to the previous year, according 

to data from the Government of France; and 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
3 

•SRES 417 IS 

(2) anti-Semitic crimes in Germany, which include 

hate speech, increased by 20 percent, according to data 

from the Government of Germany; 

Whereas, because hate crimes in the European Union are 

generally under reported, the real figures on anti-Semitism in France, Germany, and other states in the European Union are likely much higher; 

Whereas, while the United States has made progress towards 

addressing anti-Semitism, recent events demonstrate that 

much work remains; 

Whereas, in 2017, the Anti-Defamation League recorded 

1,986 anti-Semitic incidents across the United States, including physical assaults, vandalism, and attacks on Jewish institutions, which represents a 57-percent increase 

compared to anti-Semitic incidents recorded in 2016; 

Whereas recent anti-Semitic acts in the United States include— 

(1) the shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue in 

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in October, 2018; and 

(2) the shooting at the Chabad of Poway Synagogue 

in Poway, California, in April, 2019; 

Whereas, according to the Anti-Defamation League, since the 

Tree of Life Shooting occurred, at least 13 White supremacists have been arrested for their alleged roles in 

terrorist plots, attacks, or threats against the Jewish 

community in the United States; and 

Whereas Kristallnacht teaches mankind how hate can proliferate and erode societies and serves as a reminder that 

the United States must advance global efforts to ensure 

that barbarism and mass murder never occur again: 

Now, therefore, be it 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
4 

•SRES 417 IS 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) recognizes the 81st anniversary of 

3 Kristallnacht; 

4 (2) pays tribute to the more than 6,000,000 

5 Jewish people killed during the Holocaust and the 

6 families affected by the tragedy; 

7 (3) continues to support United States efforts 

8 to address the horrible legacy of the Holocaust and 

9 combat manifestations of anti-Semitism domestically 

10 and globally; and 

11 (4) will continue to raise awareness and act to 

12 eradicate the continuing scourge of anti-Semitism at 

13 home and abroad, including through work with 

14 international partners, such as— 

15 (A) the Organization for Security and Co16 operation in Europe (referred to in this resolv17 ing clause as the ‘‘OSCE’’); 

18 (B) the Tolerance and Non-Discrimination 

19 Unit of the OSCE; and 

20 (C) the Personal Representative on Com21 bating Anti-Semitism of the OSCE. 

Æ 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS