jews and jewish education in germany today - The Westbury Group

● What do you personally think is missing in the Communities?
That in every Community, or Jewish organization, but we’re talking now about the Community, there
should be a single person responsible for the people between 18-35-40 who is working and responsible for
the young adults. Many Communities have adopted the practice of handing over this task to the youth
leaders, which is a step in the right direction, but the problem is just that these people already have enough
to do with children under 18 and these are two different worlds. You need one concept for the children
between 6-18 and another completely different concept and approach for young adults. That every
Community would have a person, or that every institution install someone specifically for this, that would
already be a step in the right direction.
● Would you say that there’s something like a healthy pluralism developing in Germany?
My honest opinion: We must differentiate between two things. My attitude towards the other congregations
is very critical. This is due to the simple reason that the experience in America and other countries, also in
Germany, has shown that this kind of development leads to assimilation. In America there was a study
which showed that some congregations, which were too liberal, I would say, led to Jews assimilating.
Many Jews, to put it bluntly, were lost because they became completely assimilated. That’s the one thing.
The other thing is if you want to offer things along with the religious events, I’m completely for this. You
should just separate this. You can offer a get-together, you can offer a non-religious event as a religious
Orthodox Community, you can separate that. But the Orthodox religion itself, the laws, should not be
questioned. I personally am very critical of the Liberal denominations. Because of the question of
assimilation mainly.
● You see the danger of assimilation in Germany, too?
Yes
● How would you describe the relations between religious and secular Jews in Germany right now?
If we’re talking about all of Germany, that’s difficult to form an opinion and express it in a few sentences.
Fundamentally, I think that there is a culture of dialogue, there are also cases on both sides where it’s
dissolved into radicalism, but basically I would say that the Community leadership in Germany is very
pragmatic. This is an advantage, because then you’re open, you see that a podium is necessary for this. But
this can also be a disadvantage, particularly for younger people, because there’s no particular idea of values
being imparted, because the situation is dealt with pragmatically in the Community. This is the flip side.
● If you are a member of the Community board, that means that you support the model of the United
Community on some level.
If the question is what my opinion about this concept is, then you need to understand that I don’t approve of
everything that happens in Frankfurt. On the other hand, that is a very difficult, and in fact a very important
question for the Jewish Community in Germany, how to deal with such questions in the future. There is the
concept of the United Community and there are other concepts. Basically, I think that religious life should
be religiously organized in the Community; religious in the sense of the Orthodox congregation. You can
quibble about the terms, but you know what is meant here.
The other things, as I’ve said, can have a completely different focus. You can have a culture club; celebrate
Victory Day on May 9 th , that doesn’t have to be directly connected to religion. You need to differentiate
between different levels. Many say that they’re a Liberal Community and have so many members. The
question is are they members because they’re convinced of the concept; if they understand this deep and
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