Press Releases
The Claims Conference and CJH Announce Partnership That Expands Access to Holocaust Education Among Future Generations of New Yorkers.
To commemorate the 88th anniversary of Kristallnacht, the Center for Jewish History (CJH) and the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany (Claims Conference) are proud to announce a partnership that gives Inside Kristallnacht – a groundbreaking, mixed-reality project bringing users inside the Night of Broken Glass – a home at the Center for Jewish History in Manhattan. Starting November 30, students and the public will be able to immerse themselves in the testimony of Holocaust survivor and renowned activist Dr. Charlotte Knobloch about the Nazi-orchestrated riots against Jews and Jewish property.
Dr. Charlotte Knobloch said, “I can’t stress enough how important it is for the Center for Jewish History to present Inside Kristallnacht and to make sure that its lessons reach as broad an audience as possible, especially among the younger generation. As today’s students move into positions of responsibility across society, it is imperative that today’s students understand just how dangerous and corrosive hatred can be for social cohesion and peaceful coexistence. By using technologies that meet young people where they are, we can help them embrace this responsibility and stand up to hatred, especially the growing threat of anti-Semitism. Only by understanding the past can a person shape their own future – and help create a better tomorrow for those around them.”
During the XR experience, Knobloch, born in 1932, shares the harrowing and powerful story of November 9, 1938, when she and her father spent the night on the streets of Munich in fear that the Nazis would target their home. A pivotal moment in history when words of hate sharply turned to acts of violence, the state-sponsored pogroms in Germany, Austria, and the Sudetenland catalyzed citizens to turn on their longtime neighbors, roaming the streets in mobs, breaking the glass of Jewish homes and shops and burning down synagogues. More than 30,000 Jews were rounded up and sent to concentration camps, marking the onset of the Holocaust.
“We want young people to leave the Center with a deeper understanding of Jewish history and a personal connection to the people who lived it,” said Gabriel Sanders, Chief Partnerships and Engagement Officer at the Center for Jewish History, who is leading the initiative for CJH. “Our partnership with the Claims Conference brings Charlotte Knobloch’s testimony into a setting where students can ask questions and reflect together. By pairing the experience with guided discussion, we can help students think carefully about antisemitism and the consequences of prejudice.”
The XR experience combines Knobloch’s account with illustrated environments and archival material to explore Kristallnacht and her subsequent survival. An interactive question-and-answer feature connects participants’ questions with Knobloch’s prerecorded responses.
Knobloch continues to speak publicly against antisemitism and far-right extremism in Germany. She recently reaffirmed her commitment to that work after threats against her prompted a police investigation in Munich. Her testimony and ongoing advocacy offer a starting point for discussing how Holocaust remembrance informs responses to antisemitism today.
Claims Conference President Gideon Taylor said, “At a time when surveys show Holocaust knowledge is waning among younger generations and antisemitism is on the rise worldwide, it is critical that Shoah education like Inside Kristallnacht be accessible as broadly as possible. Kristallnacht reminds us that words matter and history teaches us that the Holocaust didn’t start with camps and ghettos—it started with words of hate and dehumanization that transformed into violence. Advancing technology is where our young people are—and the Claims Conference is committed to ensuring Holocaust education is within their grasp whatever the next frontier is. We are so pleased to partner with CJH to expand the reach of this vital program.”
Following the XR experience, middle and high school students take part in educator-led discussions and guided reflection. Students have time to ask questions and consider the historical context of Knobloch’s account. Educational resources developed for Inside Kristallnacht help teachers prepare students before their visit and continue the conversation in the classroom afterward.
On the heels of this development, CJH will also be hosting the Claims Conference-produced VR experience Benno’s Light, detailing the harrowing story of Austrian Auschwitz and Buchenwald survivor Benno Kern.
The program builds on CJH’s work, welcoming school audiences to Anne Frank The Exhibition and serves as the first offering of the Center’s broader Immersive Learning Initiative, which is being developed to create new ways to study Holocaust and Jewish history through testimony, technology, and scholarship.
Inside Kristallnacht at the Center for Jewish History takes place at 15 West 16th Street in Manhattan. For school reservations and public visiting information, visit www.cjh.org/insidekristallnacht or contact education@cjh.org.
To learn more about Inside Kristallnacht and to view the experience outside of Manhattan, please visit www.claimscon.org/InsideKristallnacht.
With Assistance from the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany
Supported by the German Federal Ministry of Finance.
About the Claims Conference: The Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany (Claims Conference), a nonprofit organization with offices in New York, Israel, Germany and Austria, secures material compensation for Holocaust survivors around the world. Founded in 1951 by representatives of 23 major international Jewish organizations, the Claims Conference negotiates for and disburses funds to individual survivors and organizations and seeks the return of Jewish property stolen during the Holocaust. As a result of negotiations with the Claims Conference since 1952, the German government has paid more than $95 billion in indemnification to individuals for suffering and losses resulting from persecution by the Nazis. For 2025, the Claims Conference distributed approximately $530 million in compensation for survivors globally and $960 million for survivors’ welfare needs such as home care, medicine and food.