jews and jewish education in germany today - The Westbury Group

Yes, I try to cooperate.
● Many Jews in Germany are not involved with the local Jewish Communities at all. What are the main
reasons for that? What can be done about it?
Let’s begin with the non-members. It seems to be the case that except for the Israelis who are sure of their
Jewish identity, and so might not think it to be necessary to become members of the Jewish Community, we
do have a certain percentage of immigrants from the former Soviet Union with a different religious status
according to Halacha. People who do not want to convert formally, people who because of their socialization
in the former Soviet Union have a difficult relationship to religion. The question is whether we have
organizations which work with those people. In fact, we do have them. For example, the Jüdischer
Kulturverein (Jewish Culture Association) in Berlin (JKV) focuses on these people. They even reach them in
a religious way.
● Would you say that the Jüdischer Kulturverein in Berlin could serve as a model for other towns with a
large number of non-Halachic Russian Jewish immigrants?
I don’t know. I could imagine that this is a specialty of Berlin because it seems that in all the other larger
cities these people of Jewish descent from the former Soviet Union simply disappear into the larger German
population.
● Could the non-Halachic Russian Jewish immigrants be integrated into the Reform Communities? Do the
Reform Communities have an answer to this problem?
No, they do not. In fact, if Jews from Russia become religious, it’s been my observation that they rather tend
towards an orthodox form of Judaism. If they do it at all, then they do it right. They often have an interest in
the mystical as well. The question is whether liberal Jewish congregations in Europe should take over the
North American model, in which one does not have to be the child of a Jewish mother, but can also be the
child of a Jewish father to be recognized as a Jew. However, in North America that means that the father has
to educate his child as Jewish and this was probably not the case for the majority of Jews from the former
Soviet Union.
● So the American reform model wouldn’t work here?
Probably not.
●What has been your experience with German officials, politicians or the non-Jewish population?
My personal experiences have been really optimal, but due to the fact that I was a member of the Frankfurt
city council for 12 years, everyone knew me in political circles. I’ve never had any problem.
● What do you think about the general media coverage of events that relate to the Jewish condition in
Germany, the Jewish world and Israel?
It is obvious that there is a great interest in Jewish life in Germany. Regrettably, there are almost no reports
whatsoever about Jewish life all over the world. For the German public the most important topic is Israel. I
think here things could or should change. I personally would wish there was more attention paid to Jewish
life in North America or in France.
● What do you think about the existing Jewish media in Germany? Is there enough pluralism in the Jewish
media?
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