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Jewish life and the fight against anti-Semitism

Jewish Life and the Fight Against anti-Semitism

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We will fight all forms of anti-Semitism not only because it is undesirable for us in foreign and domestic policy, but also because we emphatically reject it on humanitarian grounds.

Konrad Adenauer, 1949

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At a glance

  • Anti-Semitism is not just a problem of the past. For years, there has been a tangible increase  in attacks on Jews, as well as hate speech, abuse and threats on social media.
  • Anti-Semitism is not only deeply rooted in the DNA of the political right; while also finding more and more support among left-wing extremists, conspiracy thinkers, Islamists and even mainstream society.
  • As the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung we take a clear stance: We see it as a mission and incentive to continue the fight against Anti-Semitism and to advocate Jewish life in Germany.
  • We keep the memory of the Holocaust alive through various educational programmes. Our programmes aim to inform, raise awareness, educate, encourage reflection and show solidarity.

 

Content

1. Vilification, incitement and violence against Jews on the rise

2. News forms of anti-Semitism

3. Solidarity with Jews

4. Against hostility towards Jews and for Jewish life in Germany

5. Our offers and projects on the topic

6. Publications, events and media contributions on the topic


Vilification, incitement and violence against Jews on the rise

Anti-Semitism is not a ghost of the past. For some years now, attacks on Jews, assaults on synagogues and Jewish cemeteries, the burning of Israeli flags as well as anti-Semitic abuse, incitement and threats on social networks have been noticeably on the rise again. But it's not just the numbers that are rising. The attacks of Halle in 2019, the antisemitic incidents at demonstrations against Israel in 2021 and, above all, the shocking antisemitic reactions in Germany to the terrorist atrocities committed by Hamas in Israel on the 7th of October 2023 make it clear that the backgrounds and contexts of anti-Jewish attitudes and antisemitic violence are also increasing and becoming more complex.

 

News forms of anti-Semitism

Anti-Semitism was never just a phenomenon of the radical right. The rejection of Jewishness is also finding increasing support among left-wing extremists, conspiracy thinkers, Islamists, parts of the migrant milieu and also sadly in the centre of society. This rejection manifests itself in hatred, agitation and violence. But it also manifests itself in subtle and indirect forms of rejection and hostility. And it manifests itself particularly in times of crisis, such as during pandemics or wars, as it did in previous centuries, in the search for a “scapegoat”.

 

Solidarity with Jews

Jewish life has existed on the territory of present-day Germany for more than 1700 years. Jewish life enriches German society beyond synagogues and Jewish institutions. It is a disgrace that Jews in Germany today, almost 80 years after the Holocaust, still cannot lead a safe and free life. The fight against anti-Semitism and clear solidarity with Jews is therefore a mission for society as a whole, and applies to each and everyone of us. Anti-Semitism is not an opinion, but – echoing the words of Konrad Adenauer – an attack on humanity.

 

Against hostility towards Jews and for Jewish life in Germany

For Konrad Adenauer, who already promoted Jewish life in his city as Lord Mayor of Cologne, reconciliation with Israel and solidarity with Jews was an affair of the heart. The Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung sees this as a reminder, a mission and an incentive to continue the fight against anti-Semitism and stand up for Jewish life in Germany. Through educational measures, background analyses, encounters and debates, we want to inform, raise awareness, enlighten, wake up, show solidarity and encourage reflection. This topic page will present you with a selection of current texts, reports and other media formats about our work on the theme of anti-Semitism and Jewish life in Germany.


Our offers and projects on the topic

Video series

As part of our political education work, we have produced two video series on Jewish life and everyday life in Germany.

Aftertaste – Jewish Everyday Life in Germany

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„Aftertaste – Jewish Everyday Life in Germany“, Trailer

(only in German)

YouTube, Onlinekas

What does everyday life for Jews in Germany really look like today? On the occasion of the anniversary “1700 years of Jewish life in Germany”, we have issued the video series “Aftertaste – Jewish everyday life in Germany”. Britta Herres, who is on her voluntary social year, embarks on a journey through the republic to talk to different people of Jewish origin.

 

See all episodes of our video series

Britta’s Hanukkah Week

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Britta’s Hanukkah Week

(only in German)

YouTube, Onlinekas

We sent Britta Herres, who is on a voluntary social year with us, on a little journey. Together with Leni, a young woman who has decided to become a rabbi, she explores Berlin. What motivated Leni to take up rabbinical studies? What is it like to celebrate holidays in Berlin? And where does the origin of the Hanukkah festival actually lie? More on this can be found in our video series “Britta’s Hanukkah Week”.

 

See all episodes of our video series on YouTube.


 

Event series

All about the official day of remembrance for victims of National Socialism, 27 January, the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung’s Political Education Forums offer a variety of different events on the topic within the framework of the DenkTag event series.

DenkTag and denkt@g Competition

 

For many years, the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung has used the official day of remembrance as an occasion for nationwide projects and events. As part of the DenkTag event series, talks with contemporary witnesses, lecture events, readings and exhibitions will be held on all matters relating to 27 January in numerous federal states.

Every two years, the nationwide internet youth competition “denkt@g” also takes place under the patronage of the former President of the Germany Bundestag Dr Norbert Lammert.

 

Find out more about the DenkTag

Discover more about the denkt@g competition


 

Selected projects

In the menu below we present you with selected projects that deal with the fight against anti-Semitism or Jewish life in Germany.

Virtual Walk to Places of Jewish Life in Berlin

 

Today, Jewish life has once again become an integral part of Berlin. Experience the eventful history of Jewish life in Berlin on our virtual city tour. We take you on a journey that will show you impressive 360-degree images of important places, historic pictures and illustrations of Jewish places of activity in Berlin, as well as information on important personalities, such as Moses Mendelsohn. You can listen to audio explanations during the virtual city tour that put what you see into context.

 

Learn more about the virtual walk in Berlin

Photo exhibition “Sei a Mensch” – photographs from Israel after October 7, 2023

An elderly woman, an internally displaced person, sits lost in thought at a functional table in a nameless hotel by the Dead Sea, her face sunken, her gaze fixed resignedly into space - this image expresses deep resignation and numbing powerlessness. Do we need more words to describe the situation in Israel after October 7, 2023? After the brutal Hamas massacre of mainly young people at a music festival in Israel's Negev desert, the whole country is in a state of shock. The victims were deliberately humiliated, sexually abused and their bodies desecrated. How can people do this to each other?
The photographs in the exhibition “Sei a Mensch”, which were exhibited at the Academy of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, show the emptiness and hopelessness, but also the indictment of our humanity, which nevertheless makes them hopeful. Instead of showing shock images, they sensitively reveal how burned out Israel is and how necessary our solidarity and emotional support is.

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)


 

Campaign #StandUpToJewishHate

Antisemitism does not only exist on the fringes of society. Hatred of Jews is also expressed in many everyday contexts and modern movements - often unnoticed or unreflected upon. The fight against climate change, social injustice and discrimination, but also the commitment to freedom of belief and opinion are important political and social concerns. Hatred of Jews and antisemitism have no place here. With its #StandUpToJewishHate campaign, the Konrad Adenauer Foundation wants to make it clear that commitment and dedication to better politics and society always require commitment and dedication against anti-Semitism. What should be self-evident is more important than ever: Anyone who is in favour of sustainability, justice and democracy is also #StandUpToJewishHate .

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Contact

Dr. Melanie Piepenschneider

Dr

Department Head, Department Civic Education

melanie.piepenschneider@kas.de 030 26996 -3576 030 26996 -53576
Contact

Dr. Andreas Jacobs

Dr

Deputy Head of Analysis and Consulting and Head of Department Social Cohesion

andreas.jacobs@kas.de +49 (0)30 26996 3744
Contact

Richard Ottinger

Richard Ottinger (2021)

Fundamental questions of social cohesion

richard.ottinger@kas.de (0)30 26996 - 3446

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Publications, events and media contributions on the topic

Our contributions are as wide-ranging and multifaceted as the topic itself!

Whether it's an expert interview, specialist publication or hot debate - click through and you're guaranteed to find the right format for you!

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Publications to the topic

Kas.de

Mit Fokus auf die Täter

Antisemitismus als ideologisches Wesensmerkmal im Rechtsextremismus

Kas.de

Doch wieder

Über Bedrohungen und Einschränkungen jüdischen Lebens nach dem 7. Oktober 2023

Kas.de

Das Massaker der Hamas und das dekoloniale Denken

Ein Lehrstück zur Zerstörung der Sprache durch Polarisierung

Protestschild am internationalen Frauentag auf einer Demonstration in Paris. Auf dem Schild stehen die Slogans „Feministen und Queers, Anti-Kolonialisten, Anti-Imperialisten“ auf den Farben der palästinensischen Flagge. Frankreich am 8. März 2024. picture alliance / Hans Lucas / Xose Bouzas

Postkoloniales Denken

Eine Genealogie

Proklamation der Unabhängigkeit des Staates Israel durch Ministerpräsident David Ben-Gurion am 14. Mai 1948 im Stadtmuseum von Tel Aviv. An der Wand ist ein Portrait von Theodor Herzl zu sehen. picture-alliance/ dpa / Shershel_Frank

Der Weg zum Staat Israel

Über die wechselvolle Geschichte der Region, die Ursprünge des Nahostkonflikts und die Hintergründe zur Staatsgründung 1948

Third-person perspective of a blonde woman on a university campus Adobe Stock / TensorSpark / Generated with AI

Forced exmatriculation against anti-Semitism

Between academic freedom and security concerns: anti-Semitism and the response of German universities

Filmplakat des Kinofilms Leonine Studios

Auschwitz: Zum Nebeneinander von Verbrechen und "Normalität"

Wie Auschwitz zum Zentrum des Holocaust wurde und warum das vermeintlich idyllische Familienleben der Täter das Morden beförderte

Platzhalter_weißschwarz_zpgrk

Interview: „Es herrschen Unsicherheit und Unverständnis“

Anna Staroselski über jüdisches Leben in Deutschland nach dem Terrorangriff der Hamas auf Israel

Holocaust und Erinnerungskultur in der Ukraine

Entwicklungen und Initiativen seit der Unabhängigkeit

20. Dezember 2021, Oswiecim, Polen: Das ehemalige nationalsozialistische Konzentrations- und Vernichtungslager Auschwitz II Birkenau in Oswiecim, einen Monat vor dem 77. Jahrestag der Befreiung. picture alliance / ZUMAPRESS.com | Damian Klamka

Der Weg zum Holocaust

Graffiti, (gegen) Antisemitismus Adobe Stock / Patrick Daxenbichler

Anti-Semitic alliances

Postmodern criticism of Israel and hatred of Jews in new contexts as a challenge for political education work

David Ben-Gurion, 1960 Fritz Cohen creator QS:P170,Q45269077, David Ben-Gurion (D597-087), als gemeinfrei gekennzeichnet

„Ein Strahl der Hoffnung“

Zum 50. Todestag des israelischen Staatsgründers David Ben-Gurion

People passing a broken window of a Jewish shop, November 1938 akg-images / WHA / World History ArchWHAi

Eine neue Dimension der Judenverfolgung

Die Novemberpogrome 1938 im Deutschen Reich

Macron und Netanyahu Treffen in Israel am 24 Oktober 2023 Imago / ABACAPRESS

France and the war in the Middle East

A country in worry

Flagge Israels und Deutschlands während eines Pressetermins mit dem israelischen Premierminister und dem deutschen Bundeskanzler am 6. März 2023 in Berlin. Stefan Boness/IPON/Süddeutsche Zeitung Photo

Sie verstehen einander nicht

Die „Bewältigung“ der Vergangenheit trennt Opfer und Täter.

75 jahre israel

Israel-Woche in Brandenburg

75 Jahre Israel: wieder ein Terrorangriff und Krieg gegen Israel, Antisemitismus in Deutschland, Deutschland und Israel

Menschen nehmen an einer Solidaritätsdemo für Israel auf dem Pariser Platz am Brandenburger Tor teil. picture alliance/dpa | Fabian Sommer

Attack on Israel

Hamas attack shakes the Jewish state and raises questions about the country's security and future.

Eine Frau hält eine israelische Nationalflagge bei einem Protest gegen die Justizreform von Premierminister Benjamin Netanjahu in Jerusalem IMAGO / UPI Photo

Israel's Judicial Reform

Despite massive opposition, the Knesset passes a core element of the controversial judicial reform

Flagge Israels pexels / cottonbro studio

Anti-Semitic Attitudes in Germany

Representative survey on the prevalence of anti-Semitic Attitudes in the German Population

platzhalter09_grauweißZfPGRK DPM

Mehrdimensionalität und Mythen

Eine andere Jüdische Weltgeschichte

Publications

Events on the topic

Dec

2024

fully booked

Judentum live erleben

Online-Vortrag und Musik mit Arie Rosen und Ydidiah Toledan (Jerusalem)

Event Reports on the topic

Event Reports on the topic

1 - Cover

Wenn Musik zur Heimat wird

Jüdische Musiker im Exil

IMG_0391

Der Nahostkonflikt

Die Auswirkungen auf das Leben von Jüdinnen und Juden

Lengyel (1)

Der Nahostkonflikt

Die Auswirkungen auf das Leben von Jüdinnen und Juden

Kas.de

75 Jahre Grundgesetz – eine Würdigung in Wort und Klang

Feierstunde zum Tag der Deutschen Einheit in Kooperation mit dem Beethovenfest

Publikum und Herr mit Kippa auf dem Kopf, Tacheles Sept. 2024

TACHELES: ‘Indifference is no option’

TACHELES - Israel and Germany. One year after 7 October.

Kas.de

Sei a Mensch!

Chanukkia KAS-Bremen

Jüdisches Leben in Bremerhaven

Exkursion zu einer jüdischen Gemeinde in Bremerhaven

Veranstaltung „Angesichts der Katastrophe – Lieder zu Gedichten deutscher Dichterinnen im Gedenken an Krieg und Holocaust“ KAS - Luis Brückner

Angesichts der Katastrophe

Mit Gernot Blume am Jüdischen Gymnasium Moses Mendelssohn

8 - sei-a-mensch-5459

Sei a Mensch!

Fotografien aus Israel nach dem 7. Oktober 2023

"Der ungewöhnlichste Film über den Holocaust"

Zeithistorische Filmreihe: „The Zone of Interest“ in Kooperation mit Leonine Studios

jüdische Gegenstände KAS Bremen

"Antisemitismus ist wie ein Geruch"

Schulveranstaltungen zum Thema Judentum und Antisemitismus

Bronze Skulptur KAS Bremen

"Vernichtung durch Arbeit"

Schulexkursion in die Gedenkstätte Hamburg-Neuenngamme

Sendker - Levy

"Kein anderes Land": Wo sind Juden wirklich sicher?

Eine Bilanz des 44. #HessenKAS Facebook-Live vom 31.01.2024

Teilnehmende Denkt@g Gruppenbild neu

Eröffnung des Jugendwettbewerbs "denkt@g" 2024

Ein JugendpolitikTag gegen Antisemitismus, Rechtsextremismus und Fremdenfeindlichkeit

100 Tage Angriff auf Israel

Eine Solidaritätsveranstaltung mit Israel

Gruppenfoto der Preisträger und Preisträgerinnen. Ulf Dahl/Kieler Nachrichten

"For mind and heart to recognise, understand and learn"

The winners of the German Local Journalism Award 2022 were honoured in Kiel

The Wansee Conference

Movie screening "The Wansee Conference" (2022)

Die Gedenkstätte Bergen-Belsen wird unter anderem von so vielen Menschen besucht, da die Schwestern Margot und Anne Frank aus Auschwitz nach Bergen-Belsen deportiert wurden und dort auch verstarben. Sie sind allerdings nicht an der Stelle des Gedenksteines begraben, sondern in einem der vielen Massengräber. KAS Bremen

Die Besonderheiten des ehemaligen Konzentrationslagers Bergen-Belsen

Schulexkursionen in die Gedenkstätte Bergen-Belsen

Auf dem Podium saßen Dr. Simon Strauß, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, Omid Nouripour MdB und Prof. Dr. Susanne Schröter (v.l.n.r.) KAS/Marie-Lisa Noltenius

„Die Mitte muss sich als Vermittler behaupten“

Podiumsdiskussion über Ursachen für und Wege aus der Polarisierung

Diskussionen über die Lehren aus dem Extremismus standen im Mittelpunkt der Diskussion von WELT-Redakteur Sven Felix Kellerhoff an sechs Schulen in Bonn, Köln, Rhein-Sieg- und Rhein-Erft-Kreis. Hier die Auftaktveranstaltung am Clara Schumann-Gymnasium Bbonn. Martin Reuber

100 Jahre Hitler-Putsch

Was Demokratie und Rechtsstaat daraus lernen können?

Publications

Media library

Erststimme #99: Dr. Felor Badenberg

Anti-Semitism in Germany

We welcome Berlin's Senator for Justice and Consumer Protection, Dr. Felor Badenberg, to the discussion and shed light on the highly topical issue of anti-Semitism in Germany.

read now
The asymmetry of reporting

Sei a Mensch - Israel after 7 October 2023

We are exhibiting Halina Hildebrands' photographs at the Academy of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Berlin.

Extremism

No relativisation! Hamas is an extremist terrorist organisation.

The reality is clear: the Hamas charter made it clear as early as 1988 that Israel's right to exist was denied and that armed jihad was being pursued.

Erststimme #80: Philipp Austermann

Gefährdung der Demokratie

Pünktlich zum 9. November nehmen wir die Gelegenheit wahr mit Prof. Philipp Austermann innezuhalten und uns über den heutigen Zustand unserer Demokratie auszutauschen.

read now
Auslandsinfo Spotlight Podcast

Caesura in the Middle East: Hamas' Terror in Israel and its Consequences

A conversation with Dr. Beatrice Gorawantschy (Head of KAS Israel Office) and Steven Höfner (Head of KAS Ramallah Office).

Philipp Stricharz
75 Jahre Israel

3 Fragen an Philipp Stricharz, 1. Vorsitzender der Jüdischen Gemeinde Hamburg

Die beruflichen und familiären Verbindungen zu Israel und was Hamburg nicht tun sollte

read now
Peter Lintl_Presse
75 Jahre Israel

3 Fragen an Dr. Peter Lintl

Der Konflikt zwischen liberalen und illiberalen Kräften und das Anstreben eines Friedensprozesses

read now
Dennis Thering
75. Jahrestag der Staatsgründung Israels

3 Fragen an Dennis Thering, Landesvorsitzender der CDU, Vorsitzender der CDU Bürgerschaftsfraktion

Was verbindet Hamburg und Israel?

read now
Zum internationalen Holocaust-Gedenktag

#We Remember

Pia Steckelbach spricht mit Arye Sharuz Shalicar über Erinnerungskultur und Zusammenleben.

read now
Podcast Erststimme #61

Advent im Heiligen Land

Wir sprechen mit Pater Nikodemus Schnabel OSB, einem der Stellvertreter des Lateinischen Patriarchen von Jerusalem über das Leben im Advent im Heiligen Land.

read now

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