Nearly 90 years after a German officer defied Nazis on Kristallnacht, police pledge to protect Jews

Nearly 90 years after Kristallnacht, German police pledge to protect Jewish life. On November 5, 2026, about 150 police leaders gathered at Berlin's Neue Synagogue to commemorate Kristallnacht for the first time, part of the 'Operationalizing Never Again – Not on Our Watch' initiative. Holocaust survivor George Shefi, 94, shared his testimony.

Nearly 90 years after Kristallnacht, German police have pledged to protect Jewish life. On November 5, 2026, approximately 150 police leaders convened inside Berlin's Neue Synagogue to commemorate Kristallnacht for the first time. The event was organized through a partnership between Rutgers University Miller Center on Policing, Germany's GDP, and the University of Virginia Center for Public Safety and Justice in collaboration with the International March of Living. It is part of the international police leadership initiative 'Operationalizing Never Again – Not on Our Watch,' which examines the Holocaust and the role of police in society. Paul Goldenberg, chairman of the international delegation, said antisemitism has evolved into targeted violence against a religious community. Holocaust survivor George Shefi, 94, shared his testimony of being sent to England on the Kindertransport. A proclamation was signed by police associations including the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Executives.