jews and jewish education in germany today - The Westbury Group

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3. EVGUENI BERKOVITCH May 27, 2009, Hanover ● Dr. Berkovitch, you are one of the most vocal critics of the joint decision of the German government and the German Jewish umbrella organizations to implement new regulations for Russian Jewish immigration in 2006, regulations that, as we see now, have seemed to bring RSJ immigration to Germany to an end. I would say that the process of Russian-Jewish immigration to Germany has been stopped much too early. For forming a stable Jewish Community across a whole country like Germany you need a critical mass. Maybe in America the critical mass was reached a hundred years ago, but in Germany it hasn’t been. These 200,000 so called contingency refugees which have come from the former Soviet Union; many of them even non-Jewish or not interested in Community life, this number is simply not the critical mass for the specific conditions here. The new regulations have come too early, and that’s a pity and it’s dangerous. We cannot predict whether there will be a positive Community development or not. ● What are the biggest challenges that Jews in Germany are facing today? In Hanover the difficulty is that there are three or four Communities and I think that each plays their own role. Of course, there are problems for the religious and non-religious. Now we have a new Liberal Community in Hanover [founded in 1995, O.G.] and that was or is a good example. There is, thank G’d, a Rabbi, originally an engineer from Hungary, Gabor Lengyel. This is the synagogue and the Rabbi. But beyond that there are also other spheres. For example, the kindergarten, a sports center, gymnastics for women, a Jewish library, literary circles and so on. People can meet their quite different interests. Every person, not necessarily religious Jews, just normal Jews, regardless if Russian or German speaking, can be a little closer to Jewish life. In my opinion, that’s the most important thing for Jewish life; somewhere, sometime and somehow to feel like a Jew. That’s important for further Jewish life in Germany. When the Community works very broadly and as widely as possible, then life can develop. ● How would you describe the relationship between Russian-speaking and German-speaking Jews today? At the beginning there were very large difficulties und very large differences. With the passing of each year, these differences and difficulties become weaker and less pronounced and things will probably be balanced soon. I have noticed that for some lectures in German more and more people come whose native language is Russian. The younger generation speaks German very well. I don’t think the important problems are between Russian speakers and German speakers, but to get the new generation who can speak better German than Russian [to be] involved in the Community or Jewish life, that’s the more important thing. ● That’s the difficulty. But that’s a different kind of difficulty than a conflict between two different groups. The older generation is going, new people are coming for whom the German language poses no problem. And therefore I think that the chasm between these two groups has already been bridged, or will soon be bridged. ● Are there problems between religious and non-religious Jews? Or is there acceptance and understanding on both sides? The problem isn’t on the inside, the problem is that these groups have too few connections and therefore both groups live separately from one another. That’s the problem. There aren’t any large conflicts, but the lives of 17 | P a g e
oth are led without contact or with too few contacts. Therefore, in my opinion, if the Communities would host events aimed at both groups, this could be very fruitful. The religious events at the synagogue are attended by the religious people. The literary circles are attended by mostly non-religious people. Our Community leaders should do something which could make contact between the groups. ● So that would mean that something should be offered that’s more interesting for secular Jews? Exactly. For example our Jewish library in Hanover, this is brand new in Hanover. There’s a section for religious literature and lectures and so on. Just like in every library this library has secular literature and they plan to hold events that are of interest for both categories. The library is located in the new building of the Liberal Jewish Community of Hanover. ● The space is there and the bookshelves have been bought? Yes, the bookshelves and some books have been donated. We have also bought some, but most have been donated. There’s computer workspace, and a large screen for films and presentations. The space is very nice I have to say. There are two-three levels that can be completely separate. It’s designed that you can also use an elevator. ● What’s the library called? The Jewish Library Hanover, run by the Israel Jacobson Society of Hanover. I’m a member of the board there. The Israel Jacobson Society promotes and puts about general knowledge about Jewish culture and history, offering books, movies and other mediums in growing number and variety. The Society also organizes public discussions, forums, lectures and seminars on political and cultural topics. Special emphasis is given to German-Jewish literature from the period before 1933 and to Jewish Exile literature. ● What else will be in the library? Everything. History, fiction, a collection of Heine, for example. The library wants to cooperate with other libraries in the Hanover region, in Germany and also in Israel and has books in German, Russian, Yiddish and Hebrew, so all these languages are represented. ●. Which libraries are you working with in Israel? There are several contacts, and we would like to develop some software together where you can also use it for Hebrew. ● The Jacobson library will be a public library? Yes. ● Is the financing in place? No. Not yet. ● You are very much involved in Jewish intellectual networks, in Jewish culture, history and local Jewish developments. Was there a specific motivation for you to create the web portal Zametki po evrejskoj istorii? 18 | P a g e
Page 1 and 2: JEWS AND JEWISH EDUCATION IN GERMAN
Page 3 and 4: Leading figures: The agenda of the
Page 5 and 6: 1. TOBY AXELROD May 13, 2009, Berli
Page 7 and 8: Yes. Aside from the three-day festi
Page 9 and 10: 2. DMITRI BELKIN Frankfurt, June 8,
Page 11 and 12: lives, they would say that they are
Page 13 and 14: ● And how much are they percentag
Page 15 and 16: This has been different from town t
Page 17: something that would be different?
Page 21 and 22: don’t go to synagogue every Sabba
Page 23 and 24: Germany after the 1990’s is a del
Page 25 and 26: ● It’s probably an unusual situ
Page 27 and 28: 18-30 year olds, yes, and within it
Page 29 and 30: ● Well, Chabad could say they’r
Page 31 and 32: in German politics. This still does
Page 33 and 34: I think the Jüdische Allgemeine Wo
Page 35 and 36: I would say so. The Community reall
Page 37 and 38: think you know them better, I’m t
Page 39 and 40: centers. The state supports them in
Page 41 and 42: 7. GESA EDERBERG May 4, 2009, Berli
Page 43 and 44: these spaces. Places where people m
Page 45 and 46: the respective Community and less o
Page 47 and 48: synagogue to meet the people and th
Page 49 and 50: 8. DAVID GALL May 28, 2009, Munich,
Page 51 and 52: if the people in the Ministry don
Page 53 and 54: presume, the close connection with
Page 55 and 56: The question is how could they thro
Page 57 and 58: ● Is the percentage of young peop
Page 59 and 60: Israel is important. I can’t say
Page 61 and 62: Very poorly. People might be willin
Page 63 and 64: This would only be possible with st
Page 65 and 66: Yes, I see it in the bigger Communi
Page 67 and 68: ● What the perspectives for someb
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Now we are also in talks with the U
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● At least probably for those who
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I am sure that one of the next issu
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● There was an overall survey in
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12. KÜF KAUFMANN June 17, 2009, Le
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keep the kindergarten afloat financ
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meeting the board member responsibl
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Probably everything together, we wo
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13. CHARLOTTE KNOBLOCH June 19, 200
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10. Many Jews in Germany seem to ke
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14. MICHAEL KOGAN June 12, 2009, D
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● If you come to the Community be
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● You mean there are good things
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15. SERGEY LAGODINSKY June 11, 2009
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● Would you say that most Russian
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to make a big fuss out of not being
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16. ARKADY LITVAN May 27, 2009, Han
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can’t speak German well up to tod
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● Another youth center? Our youth
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17. JEWGENIJ SINGER June 8, 2009, F
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philosophical concept of Liberal Ju
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For the Community board election, f
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The social circumstances have impro
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Well, from the perspective of the F
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understand me in stores or doctors
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librarians all over Germany. Now we
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Yes, and in Hebrew. That’s one di
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organize that with the help of othe
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will be some immigrants who are dee
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We started with 17 kids, and I thin
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● What do you think about the gen
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and the question exactly how volunt
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Opening to different movements. Tha
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young people are always treated as
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I think what is really missing is t
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Community]. I don’t see this plur
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● What are the principal Jewish s
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� What would you say about the yo
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throughout Germany]. They come out
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There are some challenges of true a
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Unfortunately, the reporting about
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