Anti-Semitism - Jewish community in fear: experts call for solidarity
After the terrorist attack on Israel by the Islamist Hamas and other extremist groups, life has also changed fundamentally for the Jewish community in Potsdam. "Many members of the community are afraid that something could happen," reported chairman Yevgeny Kutikov on Monday at a specialist conference on anti-Semitism in Potsdam. "Now we are afraid that we could be attacked by an anti-Semitic murderer." The board had massively increased security measures for the community rooms and was in constant contact with the police, Kutikov said. "We would like more security, but we are reasonably protected."
Gianna Marcuk from the board of the Jewish community in Rostock reported similar experiences. "I grew up in the former Soviet Union and was confronted with anti-Semitism all my life," she said. "In Germany, I was able to be proud of my Judaism for the first time - and now I'm supposed to hide again?" The Rostock community certainly doesn't want that, she emphasized: "We are known as activists against anti-Semitism in the city and we will continue!" Her congregation receives great support from the Christian churches.
The philosopher Joel Ben-Yehoshua from the University of Jena reported that he no longer had a nameplate on his office for security reasons. He lamented the lack of solidarity from left-wing political circles. "I spend a lot of time in the left-wing alternative scene and the silence is very noticeable in this scene," criticized the academic.
Speakers at the conference called on civil society to resist. "The fight against anti-Semitism must not be the task of the Jews," warned anti-Semitism expert Dervis Hizarci. He emphasized that the attack on the synagogue in Halle in October 2019 had once again highlighted the murderous dimension of anti-Semitism. The whole of society must take a stand against this.
Strong anti-Semitic tendencies were also evident at coronavirus demonstrations, where participants wore Jewish stars, explained Hizarci. And since the terrorist attack on Israel by the Islamist Hamas and other extremist groups on October 7, there have been anti-Israel demonstrations in public.
"Since October 7, a concentrated hatred of Israel has been raging on German streets," lamented Olaf Glöckner from the Moses Mendelssohn Center at the University of Potsdam. As a result, many Jews are withdrawing from public life and only live in their closed communities. Anti-Semitism is often mixed with xenophobia, said Glöckner. Since the 1990s, many Jews have immigrated from Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, who often speak German poorly. "And they often experience hostility when they talk in Russian at the bus stop, for example," reported Glöckner.
Conference
Read also:
- The Board of the Jewish community in eastern Germany's Rostock, like their counterparts in Potsdam, is dealing with heightened fear and concerns due to the terrorist attack on Israel by Hamas and other extremist groups, leading to increased security measures and a call for solidarity.
- The Soviet Union, a place where Gianna Marcuk, a board member from Rostock's Jewish community, grew up, was rife with anti-Semitism, but she found pride in her Judaism in post-Soviet Germany, only to face the need to hide again due to recent incidents.
- The philosopher Joel Ben-Yehoshua, from the University of Jena, is currently without a nameplate on his office door for safety reasons and criticizes the lack of solidarity from left-wing political circles in the face of rising anti-Semitism.
- The fight against anti-Semitism is a responsibility for all of society, not just the Jewish community, asserts anti-Semitism expert Dervis Hizarci, referring to the attack on the synagogue in Halle in October 2019 and the widespread anti-Semitic tendencies witnessed during coronavirus demonstrations.
- The recent terrorist attack on Israel by Hamas and other extremist groups has led to concentrated hatred of Israel on German streets, resulting in public demonstrations and a withdrawal of many Jews from public life due to increasing xenophobia and hostility towards immigrants from Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union.
- The October 7 terrorist attack on Israel has also sparked anti-Israel demonstrations, highlighting the relevance of the middle east conflict in Europe's fight against extremism and hate speech.
- The police in Brandenburg, Germany, have been a key presence and partner in enhancing security measures for Jewish communities since the rise in hate crimes and demonstrations, working closely with the Jewish community boards to ensure a safe environment.
Source: www.stern.de
