Kristallnacht Event Urges Community to be ‘Upstanders’

University’s annual commemoration reflected on the dangers of silence and encouraged students, faculty and staff to stand with those who are marginalized

Key Highlights

• ^{Sacred Heart University commemorated Kristallnacht with a call to action for students, faculty and staff to be “upstanders” who speak out against hate and injustice}
• ^{President John J. Petillo reflected on the event as a symbol of “broken humanity” and warned that unchecked prejudice can become policy}
• ^{Rabbi Marcelo Kormis led the ceremony, urging courage in the face of division and reminding the community that “policies alone do not make respect real; people do.”}

Sacred Heart University students, faculty and staff gathered recently for the annual commemoration of Kristallnacht, the violent night of November 9, 1938, when synagogues, Jewish homes and businesses across Germany and Austria were destroyed.

SHU President John J. Petillo opened the event by reminding the community that Kristallnacht is not simply about broken glass—but about “broken humanity.” He warned that prejudice, when left unchecked, can become policy and he encouraged attendees to reflect on how such hatred took hold.

“When we refuse to see others as fully human, we risk allowing darkness to return,” said Petillo. He called for the SHU community to stand beside those who are marginalized, emphasizing the individual’s obligation to ensure that “darkness like that should never find a home again.”

The commemoration was led by Rabbi Marcelo Kormis, adjunct instructor in the department of theology & religious studies. He asked the audience to consider what courage looks like “when history is breaking,” and what silence means when speaking out may be difficult.

Kormis explained the difference between a bystander, one who witnesses harm and does nothing, and an ‘upstander,’ someone who intervenes to stop harm or prevent its continuation.

Kormis shared that his own family fled Berlin and escaped to Chile during the Holocaust. He recounted stories from Kristallnacht and the Holocaust in which individuals risked their safety to help others. These acts of moral clarity, he said, show the profound impact ordinary people can have in resisting hatred.

“Policies alone do not make respect real; people do,” Kormis said. “In a world ready to divide, let our campus be an example of what community can look like.”

He acknowledged the troubling rise in antisemitism today and reaffirmed the University’s commitment to compassion, respect and diversity. “Diversity is our strength,” Kormis said. “All of us are responsible for caring for each other and respecting the dignity of our colleagues and classmates. This is who we are at Sacred Heart.”

Kormis closed by asking community members to consider one concrete action they can take this month to support others—such as standing behind someone who feels isolated or speaking up in the face of injustice. “I will not be a bystander, but an ‘upstander,’” he said, inviting the audience to follow his example.

The event concluded with a moment of reflection on remembrance, responsibility and the ongoing work of fostering a campus rooted in dignity and understanding.