Anti-Semitism - Jewish community: "Many members of the community are afraid"
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.
Conference
Read also:
- Despite the terrorist attack by Hamas and other extremist groups in Brandenburg, Germany, causing apprehension among the Jewish community in Potsdam, the police have been in constant contact to ensure reasonable protection.
- Gianna Marcuk, a board member of the Jewish community in Rostock, shared her concern about experiencing a resurgence of antisemitism in Germany, as she had faced it all her life in the former Soviet Union.
- The philosopher Joel Ben-Yehoshua from the University of Jena, citing the lack of solidarity from left-wing political circles, expressed his disappointment upon removing his nameplate for safety reasons in the face of extremism.
- The event in Potsdam brought together members of the Jewish community and other experts to discuss ways to combat antisemitism, following the terror attack in Israel.
- Hamas' acts of terrorism and the rise of extremism have not only affected Jews in Israel but have also led to increased fears and safety concerns among Jewish communities in various cities throughout Germany, such as Potsdam and Rostock.
Source: www.stern.de
