Friday, November 6, 2026
Temple Israel of Lawrence will commemorate the 88th anniversary of Kristallnacht during a special Shabbat service on Nov. 6, featuring Holocaust survivor Livia Horovitz, a Bellmore resident, who will share her story of survival, resilience and rebuilding a life after the horrors of the Holocaust.
The service, scheduled for 7 p.m., will welcome congregants and community members to remember the victims of Nazi persecution and honor survivors whose testimonies preserve the history of one of humanity’s darkest periods.
Rabbi Galina Makaveyev said the congregation is “deeply honored” to welcome Horovitz, whose childhood was shattered by Nazi persecution and whose life reflects the enduring strength of family, friendship and love.
“Livia’s story of survival is a testament to a life sustained by family, friendship, and love,” Makaveyev wrote in a statement. “It speaks to the courage, resilience, and strength of the human spirit, even in the darkest of times.”
Kristallnacht, known as the “Night of Broken Glass,” took place on Nov. 9 and 10, 1938, when Nazi leaders orchestrated widespread violence against Jewish communities throughout Germany and annexed territories. The attacks marked a turning point in the persecution of Jews before the Holocaust, escalating the Nazi regime’s campaign of terror.
During the pogrom, Nazi forces and their supporters burned synagogues, vandalized Jewish-owned businesses, ransacked homes and assaulted Jewish residents. More than 1,400 synagogues were destroyed, and approximately 26,000 Jewish men were arrested and imprisoned in concentration camps. The shattered glass that littered streets outside Jewish-owned businesses gave the violence its name.
For Horovitz, the history is deeply personal. Born in Hungary, she was 6 years old when she and her family were imprisoned in a concentration camp in Austria. In a 2018 interview with the Herald, she recalled the terror of her childhood.
“I was 6 years old when I was first taken to the camp,” Horovitz said. “It was cold, dark. There were fences with barbed wire.”
At Camp 12, she witnessed the deaths of family members and other prisoners. She also recalled being struck by a camp officer.
“One slapped me,” Horovitz said. “I fell to the floor. I thought I was dead.”
After the war, Horovitz returned to Hungary and later made a dangerous escape across the Hungarian-Austrian border. During the journey, she met Tibor Horovitz, another Holocaust survivor who had endured imprisonment in Austrian camps and witnessed the killing of his sister.
The two hid from border guards in freezing temperatures, eventually huddling together in a pile of hay. Unsure whether they would survive the night, Tibor proposed to Livia. Before she could answer, her friend Marika exclaimed, “Yes, she will marry you.”
The couple went on to share 63 years of marriage, immigrate to the United States and raise a family. Their experiences also shaped their commitment to helping others. After Livia’s liberation, her parents took in 17 surviving children, including two Christians.
That spirit of generosity continued through Livia and Tibor, who welcomed people facing difficult circumstances into their home and treated them like family. Their daughter, Debbie Horovitz, described the values her parents passed down.
“We take everyone in,” Debbie said in the 2018 interview. “From any walk of life. It’s how we were brought up.”
As Temple Israel gathers to commemorate Kristallnacht, Makaveyev hopes Horovitz’s presence will inspire congregants to remember the victims, listen to survivors and carry their stories forward.
“May Livia Horovitz’s presence inspire us to remember, to bear witness, and to help build a future of hope, understanding, and dignity for all of God’s children,” Makaveyev said.
