jews and jewish education in germany today - The Westbury Group

� What would you say about the young adults? Do the Communities succeed in integrating and attracting
them in Community life?
At least for the moment, I would say, it’s not working. As I’ve seen and heard, many young people have left
the Jewish Communities recently, even my own son. Many of the younger people just do not see any reason
to be part of the Communities. Of course they remain to gather, to be in some networks, but then they do it
outside of the Communities. This is a serious problem.
� Does this mean that the current programs on offer by the Jewish Communities are not attractive for young
people?
I’d rather say the package on offer is not that systematic. For example, in former years we had these kinds of
[religious] Sunday schools. They don’t exist anymore. Obviously, nobody needs it. Sporadic actions, yes. But
probably that’s it. Jewish education is important. But actually nobody seems to miss this.
� What about Israeli programs like “Birthright Israel”?
That’s done by the Jewish Agency, by the Sochnut. We concentrate on other things, for example, the arts,
culture, learning programs, political actions for Israel, public relations for Israel and the like. Anyway, our
capacities are limited.
� You know that many Jews in Germany keep their distance from Jewish Community bodies. What are, to
your knowledge, the main reasons for that? What is to be done about this?
If we speak about Berlin, then I would say the problem is that there are lots of politics and promises but not
very much fulfillment. In the election campaigns so many things are promised to the members, but when a
new representative assembly is elected they just start to think about their own interests. That’s one of the
main problems. Of course, there are also a lot of objective problems like refurbishment of buildings, or caring
for cemeteries, but it seems to me that the people are without a real program.
� You mean the current leaders [of the JC of Berlin] or the former?
I mean the current leadership, and the leadership before, and also the leadership before. I’ve been a member
of the JC Berlin for 20 years, and I’ve felt the same dilemma all of this time. I also don’t know why. One of
the difficulties might be a result of the different territories and mentalities where the Russian speaking Jewish
immigrants come from; from Ukraine, the Baltic States, or Uzbekistan. They did not develop a sense of
community by themselves, but rather remain on their own. That’s a real difference compared with the
veteran, German speaking Jews, despite the fact that they have come from Poland and other Eastern
European countries as well. However, there is a certain kind of homogeneity, but our people seem to be just
from quite different worlds. Obviously, part of them has real problems to orientate themselves in the triangle
of Jewish culture, German culture and their own culture from Russia, Ukraine, or Middle Asia.
� To what extent are Jews in Germany becoming a part of German society, and identifying with the German
nation? I ask here especially with respect to the Russian Jews.
Good questions. Many of us have already been here [in Germany] for about 17 or 20 years. At the beginning
there was a trend of quickly learning German, declaring oneself German and adopting German culture.
Meanwhile, our children have become adults, but now there’s an obvious trend to go back to the roots. I see
142 | P a g e