Jakob experienced the pogrom night between November 9th and 10th, 1938 at his host family. Father Ansbacher, his 18-year-old son and a deaf old man were arrested by SA men in their apartments.

In the morning, Jakob was confronted with the news that the synagogue and the Jewish school in Würzburg had been destroyed.

He wanted to go to his parents and grandfather in Wiesenbronn as soon as possible. On the way to the train station he saw broken store windows and plundered stores all over the place.