One week after the attack
An update from AJC Berlin a week after Jews in Halle, Germany, were targeted on Yom Kippur. Click to View in Browser
[link removed]

[link removed]  
Dear John,

This time last week, as Jews prayed to be sealed in the Book of Life, a right-wing extremist went to a synagogue in Halle, Germany, hoping to kill those inside. (While he failed to get in, he succeeded in murdering two nearby.) Days before, a Syrian refugee, wielding a knife, was subdued as he tried to run into a synagogue in central Berlin, narrowly averting a great tragedy.

I apologize that it’s taken a few days to update you again since the day of the attack. As you can see from the length of this email, the team at the AJC Berlin Ramer Institute has been extremely busy this past week connecting with government officials at the highest levels—the leaders in Germany who can do more than offer their platitudes and prayers; they can take action and set policy to combat this rise in antisemitic violence.

Here are some of the things we’ve been doing:
We were in touch with Germany’s Federal Ministry of the Interior to discuss opportunities for enhanced security measures, including laws that will strip extremists of their guns. We were in contact with the Berlin State Secretary to discuss intensifying security for Jewish institutions in Berlin. We are pleased that security has already been tightened, at least in the short term. This week, I will participate in an emergency roundtable to further discuss the situation.
We spoke with the German government’s antisemitism commissioner. (AJC was largely responsible for the creation of this federal position two years ago.) We agreed that we must continue to press the government to ensure that every Jewish institution, no matter how small, be permanently protected by the police.
This week, we plan to connect with the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women, and Youth. A few days before the attack, they dramatically cut funding for programs countering extremism, including those that deal with antisemitism. We will call on them to reverse this decision. And we will continue to connect with other federal and state authorities in the coming days and weeks.
We also have several upcoming meetings with members of Parliament where we will express our outrage about the attack in Halle and discuss ways to avoid a similar event happening again. Even as we work behind the scenes with those in power, we are also making our voice heard to the masses. We have shared our perspective and expertise with multiple media outlets in English, German, French, and Polish.
Shortly after the end of the Second World War, AJC made the courageous decision not to give up on Germany. We reinforced that decision over 20 years ago with the historic move to open an office in Berlin. This allows us to do more than just send you emails and issue tweets. It puts us on the ground to fight antisemitism in concrete ways.

In 2020, AJC will hold our annual Global Forum in Berlin with nearly 1,000 Jews from around the world in attendance. We will raise the alarm on antisemitism in a manner never before heard within Germany. It’s presently sold out, but we are working to create additional spots. You can add your name to the waitlist here. [link removed]

Though I write from 4,000 miles away, I know you understand why we must stand shoulder to shoulder on this. Because it’s just as likely that the synagogue targeted in Germany could have been the synagogue you were praying in last week.

This is the reality all Jews face today. But it doesn’t have to be our tomorrow. I am grateful that we have an organization like AJC in Germany—and in so many other countries across the globe. And I am even more grateful to have people like you on our side.

If you wish to support AJC’s critical work, please donate today.
[link removed] [link removed]

Sincerely,
Dr. Remko Leemhuis
Acting Director, AJC Berlin Lawrence & Lee Ramer Institute for German-Jewish Relations

[link removed]
[link removed]
[link removed]

AJC’s mission is to enhance the well-being of the Jewish people and Israel, and to advance human rights and democratic values in the United States and around the world.

© Copyright American Jewish Committee 2019

To unsubscribe or to manage your email preferences, please click here [link removed].