In commemoration of #Kristallnacht synagogues around the world kept their lights on through the night, shining as a beacon of #hope. Synagogues are currently empty due to #coronavirus #lockdown so we lit a lamp in our doorway. My grandparents were #Refugees from Nazi Germany 1/7

9th-10th November 1938, #Kristallnacht. Through the night and the following day, members of the Nazi party perpetrated a pogrom on the #Jewish #Communities in Germany, Austria and the parts of Sudetenland and Czechoslovakia under their annexation. 2/7

The German gov turned a blind eye as Jews were assaulted, their homes destroyed, shops looted & emergency services only allowed to intervene if fires might spread to neighbouring buildings. There were murders, sexual assaults and other deaths following the event from suicide 3/7

30,000 thousand Jews were sent to concentration camps and many young adults held in police cells. This was the first German state sanctioned attack on the Jewish community purely based on ethnicity and paved the way for what became the Nuremberg Race Laws. 4/7

Kristallnacht means "night of broken glass", named after the shards of glass littering the pavements afterwards. The Jews were held responsible for the mess, the community fined by the government to pay for cleaning to punish them for their perceived, undeserved wealth 5/7

My grandmother grew up in Frankfurt am Mein and was incredibly close to her cousin Ruth, who lived nearby. Ruth ended up in London too. When she passed away I inherited this beautiful lamp from her. When we sit in its light at shabbat meals it feels like she's smiling at me 6/7

I often speak about my German refugee grandparents and their history on stage. I'm so proud of them & the way they built a new, safe life for their family. Today, no matter how difficult things are, let's all find a way to shine a little light on the world. #NeverForget 7/7