jews and jewish education in germany today - The Westbury Group

it doesn’t mean that I’m criticizing Germany, but just the government. But I don’t vote in Israel. I’m here.
I’m not an Israeli citizen, although people often come to me and say: “What are you people doing there?” I’m
not doing anything there. I also don’t vote there. I don’t even have the minimal influence of being a voter.
Nonetheless someone comes and then I have to defend and support everything in Israel. That’s a little
strange. From the society I’m taken hostage by Israeli politics.
● As an Israeli outpost...
Yes, an Israeli outpost. I saw a TV program, it was really embarrassing, not just anyone was sitting there, but
former Minister Norbert Blüm, a clever person, and Friedman [a German Jewish journalist] was there as well.
Blüm was constantly attacking Friedman: “You people have done this and that there…” And Friedman
answered: “Wait a minute, I haven’t done anything. And who is meant by 'you people'? The Jewish
Community of Frankfurt where I’m a member? I want to clearify...” And then the same discussion again... It's
making nervous.
● But that program was a few years ago.
No, it was just now, this year.
● Is German mainstream media coverage of Israel objective, or is it filled with clichés?
Both. They try to be objective; sometimes people are doing their job, which is making headlines, that’s clear.
You need to sell papers, or else you will lose advertising customers. So often you see a headline like: “Israeli
soldiers killed 4 Palestinians”. Then underneath in smaller letters you see Palestinians attacked Israeli such
and such before hand. I’d like to see it the other way around. Because this, placing the cart before the horse, I
think that happens a lot. I also wish that Israel would get more talented PR people.
● What do you think about the German non-Jewish mainstream media’s coverage of Jewish life in Germany?
In Leipzig, for example.
We have wonderful contacts to the media. I can say that the Leipzig media is our partner. We receive strong
support from the media, from the main paper, the Leipziger Volkszeitung, to smaller regional papers and free
papers. We get strong support.
● Also from the content?
Yes, always ready to find space for articles about us. Always positive when there’s something positive to
report, but also with enough normalcy. Not this fake respect. I was happy that when they reported about there
not being enough money for the building project of the new community center, they took my photo and then
they put it next to the headline: “Now he has to go begging”. They hit the nail on the head and told it like it
is, not “oh, he has to try to raise funds”. No, “he has to beg.” That was the Bild-Zeitung. The Leipzig paper
reported it differently, which is also good. It’s another kind of paper, with a different readership. But still, the
Leipzig paper supports us really fantastically. They fight for us; the reporter covering the story really knew
what he was talking about. He didn’t just skim the surface, with half of everything being wrong.
● The building [for the new Jewish Community Centre in Leipzig] permit had been granted?
Yes, and then a neighbor had sued the city of Leipzig and said that they mistakenly gave us this property.
● That the allocation was wrong? Was there the fear of Jews in the neighborhood?
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