1938 signifies a watershed moment in the history of German-speaking Jewry. Within one year, the already oppressive living conditions of Jews in Germany and Austria deteriorated rapidly. They were confronted with a cascade of events and decrees, such as the “Anschluss” of Austria, the Conference of Évian, the decree on the change of names (“Israel” and “Sara”), the so-called Polish Action, the November Pogroms and the Kindertransport. The Leo Baeck Institute – New York | Berlin presents this fateful year through the eyes of Jews whose private documents detail their experiences and the hardships they suffered. Letters, diaries, and photographs reveal personal stories that bring to life the fears, hopes, and choices of individuals and families in the shadow of Nazi persecution and the cataclysmic events of 1938.weiterlesen