jews and jewish education in germany today - The Westbury Group

● What do you think about the general media coverage of Jewish life in Germany or in Berlin?
I think that media has an important function in our context because it is important that people here in Berlin
become familiar and comfortable with Jewish life in their neighborhood. Not because it’s Jewish life, but
because it’s life. Some people will perceive it in one way, and some people in another, but the more public
information, the more we lose our exotic image. We can also do something ourselves to encourage
uncomplicated contacts. For example, at the Rykestrasse we recently had a block party which was
deliberately non-political. It was only publicized in the neighborhood and we just sent out invitations to
people in the area. Because we are neighbors it’s important that they get familiar with the spaceship that
landed in their midst, and it’s not a political issue. It’s important to be in touch with the people who shop in
the same places, and buy the same tomatoes.
● It sounds like a kind of grassroots activity.
Yes, and it is. And as an American I would even say these kinds of grassroots activities build civil society,
and they can help to make society more stable. And if this works the politicians will follow. But if we have
political life in Germany supporting Jewish life only from above, without the grassroots support, then politics
can easily change.
● You have been running Lauder Yeshurun for about 10 years now. If you look back, what would you
describe as the most complicated problems your center and its programs have had to face?
Money, the single biggest problem is money. What does a lack of money means in our work? You cannot
hire the top people for the religious or educational programs. And we still need to bring rabbis, teachers, and
outreach workers from outside. Therefore, we are competing against everywhere; there aren’t many people
with specifically German roots who want to be here. We again return to the difficult German situation.
Compounding the problem is that in many places, the Jewish infrastructure is still rather weak, with poor
educational offerings and the like. So you go into the international marketplace, without being able to target
native sons and without an attractive communal infrastructure on offer in comparison to many other places,
and you have a hard time recruiting top people. Unless you offer top, top salaries.
● How many employees does the foundation have currently working in Germany?
At the moment, we have 50 employees in Germany. Three in Leipzig, two in Hamburg and 45 in Berlin
including Rabbis, office, kindergarten, school, kitchen, outreach, and office workers.
128 | P a g e