Sherman to headline Kristallnacht commemoration

Academy Award-winning producer Emile Sherman will be the keynote speaker at this year’s communal Kristallnacht commemoration, which takes place next month.

Sherman, who won the Best Picture Oscar for The King’s Speech and was nominated for Lion, is the producer of the film One Life, a biographical drama based on the true story of British humanitarian Sir Nicholas Winton and his rescue of 669 children on the Kindertransport. He will be in conversation with moderator Michaela Kalowski.

This year’s theme is “From Kristallnacht to Kindertransport”.

On the night of November 9, 1938, Nazi forces set fire to over 200 synagogues, vandalised 7000 Jewish-owned businesses, arrested 30,000 Jews, and murdered 91 Jews across Germany, Austria and the Sudetenland.

NSW Jewish Board of Deputies Shoah Remembrance Committee chair Dane Stern said the theme reflects both trauma and hope.

“Out of the ashes of Kristallnacht came an extraordinary act of light – the Kindertransport,” he said.

“It reminds us that even in times of despair, acts of courage and compassion can change the course of lives. This year’s theme “From Kristallnacht to Kindertransport” reflects both the trauma of persecution and the enduring power of humanity.”

The evening will feature remarkable stories of community members rescued on the Kindertransport, with several Australian-based Kinder, or their descendants, lighting memorial candles.

Among them, Helen Geedrick will share her father’s experience and her own emotional meeting with the person who saved his life.

“It is profoundly moving that several Kinder – now in their 90s – will light candles alongside children the same age as they were when rescued,” said Stern.

“In that moment, attendees will see – not just imagine – how young they were when they left their families behind. It’s a powerful reminder that the Kindertransport was not only an act of rescue, but a story of childhood interrupted.”

The evening will also pay tribute to Yvonne Engelman, recognising her decades of dedication to preserving the memory and experiences of Holocaust survivors in the community.

To book for the event, taking place on November 9, visit nswjbd.org.au/kristallnacht2025