Councilmember Brianne K. Nadeau issued the following statement regarding a Saturday attack on Char Bar kosher restaurant in D.C. in which its windows were shattered, on the anniversary of Kristallnacht.
On Saturday night, an unknown person or persons broke the shop windows at Char Bar, a Jewish-owned kosher restaurant in D.C. The incident came on the anniversary of Kristallnacht – the “Night of Broken Glass” in 1938 Nazi Germany. The timing and the target hardly seem coincidental.
Kristallnacht was an overt attempt by the Nazis to sow division and induce fear. Emboldened by the encouragement of government officials, residents attacked Jewish businesses, synagogues, and homes. They also killed hundreds of Jews.
I am saddened and angered that someone would use the anniversary of this night of terror against Jews to instill fear and stoke antisemitism. This kind of hate and attempt to instill fear has no place in the District.
Our country is in a difficult time, divided and fractured. The forces of hate are working overtime to leverage division to their advantage. We all have a responsibility to resist the temptation to separate and instead to unite and support each other. The overwhelming majority of us in the District believe this and live this and we will continue to stick together and support each other.
I want to express solidarity with the Jewish community, of which I am a member. I ask D.C. Police to make every effort – as I know they will because they have done so in the past — to identify the perpetrator or perpetrators of this hateful and heinous act.
I encourage you to reach out to your friends and neighbors – not only Jewish, but also Black, Brown, LGBTQ, Muslim, women, and others – to show your support and to let them know that this kind of violence against any of us will not divide us or be allowed to gather energy.
Our strength is in our love and acceptance. Every one of us has a responsibility to interrupt the cycle of antisemitism, racism, bigotry and all forms of intolerance and hate, which threatens all of us.