In a symbolic gesture of resistance and hope, Yad Vashem and Religious Kibbutz Movement have launched the “Spread the Light” campaign, inviting Jews and supporters around the world to keep their lights on on the night of Sunday, November 9, 2025, in memory of Kristallnacht.
The event, which took place in November 1938, marked one of the darkest chapters in the history. Over the course of several days and nights, synagogues were desecrated and burned, sacred books destroyed, and Jewish businesses looted by Nazi groups across Germany and Austria. The pogrom became known as Kristallnacht, or the Night of Broken Glass, due to the shards of glass that littered the streets after the devastation.
According to Yad Vashem, "the glow radiating from these shining lights will prove that Nazi Germany did not obliterate Judaism; it will declare that the attempt to crush the Jewish spirit and erase its very existence was unsuccessful. In joining the "Spread the Light" initiative, we will maintain the tradition of commemorating Jewish culture and spiritual resilience during the Holocaust together—as a community".
The campaign encourages synagogues, cultural centers and community study venues to keep their lights on and to capture the moment in photographs shared on social media using the hashtags #YadVashem and #SpreadTheLight, helping spread the message of remembrance and resilience around the world.
