jews and jewish education in germany today - The Westbury Group

understand me in stores or doctors couldn’t understand me. I was really frightened. What could I do with my
child, how would he develop, how would he feel in this country? The main reason why am I so involved with
all of these things and Jewish education is Alex. When he was born, I understood immediately that we are
completely alone. That’s not the future for my child, who was born here. Germany is also a foreign country.
Naturally he should live here normally, fully integrated, but he should also feel completely at home
somewhere. He needs to feel this is mine. That’s why this child brings me back to my roots, to my life as an
educator.
When Alex was one and a half, people [in the Jewish Community] realized that I’m a teacher and an
historian. They asked if I’d like to give a lecture about famous Russian Jews, modern Jews in Russian
culture. I said yes, of course I can try.
Once a woman called me and said I should do something; at the time I hadn’t worked as a teacher or educator
for about three years. I was to prepare something quickly. My choice was a little, not politically correct. I
chose Alexander Men, he was Jewish, but converted to be a Russian Orthodox priest. He “converted” with
his mom as a baby, when he was three months old. Alexander Men was a top Jewish figure, Jean-Marie
Lustiger he knew him personally and visited him in Russia, everyone was speaking about him. I have a letter
from Jean-Marie Lustiger to Men. We had contact with Yves Hamant and a publishing house in Brussels,
which published books by Alexander Men in Russian. I also wrote to people who had known him through
various channels. So I was very well prepared for a lecture about Alexander Men, but he was obviously the
wrong figure for the Jewish Community, as you can imagine. A couple of days before the lecture, people
from the Community came to me and asked why did you choose him?
● You had chosen him yourself?
Yes, I had chosen him myself because he was famous and Jewish and Russian and everything fit. They told
me that I couldn’t talk about him because he was a priest. I was so angry, and I went to the Rabbi. I didn’t
know him at all – Rabbi Dr. Henry G. Brandt. I came and told him that I’ve prepared all of this, but people
have come and told me I can’t give this lecture. Rabbi Brandt was very wise and told me, you know, you’re
talking about the person. You’re not talking about his religious beliefs. You’re talking about a man’s fate.
You can do that. So I did the lecture and it was a huge hit, there were many people and they were fascinated.
After the lecture, it was an absolute success, the Rabbi invited me to see him and said that was good, but
that’s enough about converts. The best would be if you could talk about Judaism and Jewish history. And
that’s how I started my lecture series. The next was about King David and his times.
● Where did you start the series?
It started in Dortmund, in 1996, and I still give a lecture in the Community there once a month.
● And what about the association Gesher – Integration through Culture and Education?
That came later, when people came from different towns and asked me why are you giving lectures in
Dortmund but not in Recklinghausen? And not in Münster? I began to receive invitations from different
Communities. Then I started to offer the same courses, but in different locations.
● Just like an itinerate lecturer.
Yes.
● Were you doing all of that on a volunteer basis?
In some places I’m still doing it for free, I’m doing it out of respect for the people there. Usually now we
have an agreement with the Community and I receive my fee as an educator.
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