On the night of November 9th to 10th, 1938, synagogues burned across Germany and Austria. Jewish businesses were vandalized, apartments looted, people assaulted and murdered. Tens of thousands of Jewish men were dragged off to concentration camps. The November pogroms marked a decisive turning point in the National Socialist persecution of Jews.
Eighty-eight years later, lights are set to burn once again in synagogues and Jewish institutions around the world. This time, however, not through the flames of destruction, but as a deliberate symbol of remembrance and hope.
The Israeli Holocaust memorial Yad Vashem and the religious kibbutz movement are calling, as part of their initiative “Spread the Light”, to leave the lights on in synagogues, cultural institutions, community centers, and other public buildings on the night of November 9th to 10th. In addition to Jewish communities, universities, theaters, memorials, and Israeli military facilities are also participating.
When he was 9, Naphtali Wertheim hid under a table as the November Pogrom (#Kristallnacht) shattered his world.
Decades later, his daughter, Dalia Yohanan, transformed that trauma into the global ‘Spread the Light’ initiative.
Learn the powerful story behind this grassroots campaign, which defies the silence of 1938 by illuminating synagogues worldwide—even in the wake of October 7th and on Kibbutz Be’eri.
It is a testament to choosing light over darkness and revival over loss.
https://t.co/fMiav9nBe7
— Yad Vashem (@yadvashem) November 8, 2026
A remembrance that travels the world
The idea originated in 2008, on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the November pogroms. At that time, Rabbi Yechiel Wasserman, who was responsible for religious affairs in the Diaspora at the World Zionist Organization, suggested keeping synagogues illuminated on the night of remembrance.
Dalia Wertheim-Yohanan from the religious kibbutz Tirat Zvi played a key role in spreading the initiative. For her, the campaign holds personal significance: her father Naftali Wertheim experienced the November pogroms of 1938 as a nine-year-old boy in Germany. While people rioted outside and stones flew through the windows of his family home, he hid under a table. He was later able to be rescued to Great Britain on a Kindertransport.
When he learned decades later that synagogues would be keeping their lights on in memory of that night, he was deeply moved. His reaction encouraged his daughter to continue the initiative.
The campaign now connects Jewish communities across several continents. Due to different time zones, the lights are switched on one after another, creating a worldwide symbol of remembrance.
A sign against antisemitism
This year’s campaign takes place against the backdrop of rising antisemitism worldwide. Since the Hamas massacre of October 7, 2023, Jewish communities in numerous countries have reported hostility, threats, and a growing sense of insecurity.
Wertheim-Yohanan explained in connection with the commemoration initiative that some Jewish communities now even hesitate to visibly illuminate their buildings at night. The fear of being identified as a Jewish institution and potentially being attacked has grown considerably in many places.
It is precisely for this reason that the campaign aims to send a message of solidarity. The organizers encourage communities and schools to also use the night for joint events, discussions about Jewish identity, and engagement with history.
Chen Shahar, head of the cultural department at Yad Vashem, told the Jerusalem Post that the initiative aims not only to commemorate the past, but also to draw attention to the dangers of antisemitism and the importance of standing against hatred and indifference today. The light represents remembrance, Jewish continuity, and solidarity.
Participating communities are invited to photograph their illuminated buildings and share the images on social media using the hashtag #SpreadtheLight.
Eight-eight years ago, the National Socialists tried to extinguish Jewish life. Today, the lights of the synagogues continue to burn.
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