By Stefan Ferrari and Stefan Peter
In Berlin, two Jewish schools remain virtually closed for fear of attacks. Two teachers are now turning to Berlin’s governing mayor about the untenable conditions and writing an open letter to Kai Wegner.
Eran Yardeni and Ulla Berhanu teach at the Moses Mendelssohn Jewish High School and at the Rabbi Regina Jonas School (center). The educators wrote the letter together, which is available to BZ.
Because of the call for violence against Jews this Friday (October 13th) “and because of previous experiences of violence due to the Middle East conflict, almost our entire student body stayed at home today,” the two wrote to Berlin’s Governing Mayor Kai Wegner (51, CDU).
Berlin’s Governing Mayor Kai Wegner (CDU) at the memorial and solidarity prayer for Israel in the synagogue on Münstersche Straße Photo: picture alliance/dpa
Their conclusion: “This de facto means that Jew-haters have seized control of Jewish life in Berlin.”
Berliners and German politicians have a responsibility to “change this unspeakable situation”.
Israel haters on Sonnenallee in Berlin-Neukölln Photo: Spreepicture
They are aware that Germany is doing a lot to combat anti-Semitism. However: “At the same time, over the last few decades, Germany has taken in and is taking in hundreds of thousands of people whose socialization includes anti-Semitism and hatred of Israel.”
The history of the Jewish Gymnasium goes back to 1778. The facility currently has 500 students. The Rabbi Regina Jonas High School has existed since the 2020/21 school year and has around 50 students.
“Explore migration policy bluntly and without taboos”
The “bitter reality” shows that, contrary to its own assumptions, Germany “is not up to the challenges of, on the one hand, accepting many people from predominantly Arab countries and, at the same time, effectively combating anti-Semitism and hatred of Israel.”
Against this background, the teachers call on German politicians to “explore and name the connections between migration and refugee policy and the spread of anti-Semitic and anti-Israel ideas bluntly and without taboos” – and then act accordingly.
It’s not just the two Jewish schools that are in shock after Hamas’ terror against Israel.
A police vehicle is parked in front of the Rykestrasse synagogue in the Berlin district of Prenzlauer Berg Photo: Christoph Soeder/dpa
“At the moment, people are living under acute stress,” said the head of the Advisory Center for Anti-Semitic Violence and Discrimination (OFEK), Marina Chernivsky.
Many Jews are shocked, disturbed and uncertain in view of the terrible news from Israel and the terrorist attack by Hamas. The events also caused trauma in connection with the past: “The experiences of persecution and other wars are mixed with this attack.”
Police have no indication of any specific dangers
Because of Hamas’s calls for violence, the Berlin police have made special preparations for this Friday and the upcoming weekend. Israeli and Jewish institutions are being protected even more than usual. Demonstrations or gatherings of Palestinian groups should either be monitored very closely or banned entirely due to possible anti-Semitic content.
A Berlin police spokeswoman said there was no evidence of specific dangers from serious crimes. “We are expecting in Berlin what we have seen in the last few days.” However, the police are prepared for a possible large-scale operation in addition to the existing protection for Jewish institutions.
A police officer stands in front of the building of the Israelite Synagogue Community (Adass Yisroel) in Berlin in the Berlin district of Mitte Photo: Christoph Soeder/dpa
After Hamas’ terror against Israel on Saturday, there were jubilant scenes among Hamas supporters and Palestine supporters in some German cities, including Berlin. A dispute over a Palestine flag between a student and a teacher escalated in a schoolyard in Neukölln.