jews and jewish education in germany today - The Westbury Group

● How did it things continue with the educational work?
After a few years we understood that the lectures weren’t enough and then we came up with the idea together
with many people we knew in Israel and in Russia to do a book presentation. A Jewish book presentation,
right where I give lectures. There is a publishing house in Israel, run by Dr. Michael Greenberg , the Gishrei
Tarbut Association, that’s huge in Israel. Michael Greenberg got an invitation to the Frankfurt book fair and
after talking to me personally, he invited us to work with them and to present the books he would bring. After
the Frankfurt book fair, we did a small book presentation in five different Communities in Germany. That
was the best 101 books in Russian about Judaism. Then we realized that we shouldn’t just do this as private
people, we should start an official association for integration, culture and education. And so we established
Gesher - Integration through Culture and Education. This was in 1999. By the way Rabbi Henry Brandt
supported us, and he is on the board till now. He lends his ideas, name and spiritual support. We’d like to be
independent from the Community but work together. The Rabbi is our vice-chair and we came to the
Community and were full of hope that they might let us use a room for the library, but we did not get it.
● Have you received any support?
No, absolutely nothing. No one has supported us up till now. It was an idealistic idea. The idea was to found
a library with many books and that’s why we needed an office.
Later we had rented the office and for this office we’ve finally gotten some financial support from a friend
who works for the Lauder Foundation in Germany.
● Where did you wanted to found the library? In Dortmund?
One idea was to have a place in Dortmund where we’d gather outside of the Community. We thought we’d
do it in the Community, but the Community said no, so we said we’d do it outside somewhere else. We took
an office four minutes away from the Community, in a parallel street. That was a three room office.
● And was it funded by anyone?
No, actually my family pays for it.
● Excuse me, but you rented an apartment privately to found an educational center and a library?
Yes, and no one supported us for the rent. What happened then was that I gave a lecture in Münster and met
Ms. Liliana Furman. This was in 1999 or 2000. She is the director of the program JOINT in Germany. The
JOINT was just beginning with its activities in Germany, and we made an appointment. She asked what I
would like to do and I said I would like to found a library and continue giving lectures and so on. Then we’ll
try to establish a project. We’ll do a project for Jewish librarians, for librarians in Jewish Communities. Then
we’ll start gathering and teaching the librarians, each time in a different Community.
● So you could start this project in cooperation with the JOINT?
Yes. The JOINT supports almost every small Community with a library. We’ve also been starting a network
among the librarians, and hold seminars.
● And the project is completely independent from the Jewish Communities?
No, everyone who’s interested works together. JOINT supports me directly. The Community lends space and
food and “Gesher” [publishing house] brings the books. Until now we’ve held 50, or I think 51 seminars for
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