New York
This piece originally appeared in the Times Union (Albany, NY).
By David Gill and Michael Schmidt
Jan. 27 is International Holocaust Remembrance Day. On that day in 1945, the concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau was liberated. For us this is also an occasion to reflect on our German-Jewish history.
It is a rich history of more than one and a half millennia. In 321, 1,700 years ago, Emperor Constantine the Great granted the Jews of Cologne, and subsequently in all provincial towns, the right to hold public office. His edict marks the oldest document of Jewish life in Europe north of the Alps. Germans and descendants of European Jews all over the world commemorate this remarkable anniversary.
We can tell an exciting and powerful story of Jewish influence and involvement in the arts and sciences, philosophy and religion, politics and economy. There were periods of great success in Jewish entrepreneurship as well as German-Jewish patriotism, resilience and vibrant Jewish life. Countless names stand for German-Jewish creativity and ingenuity, like Zedekias, who, in the ninth century, served as personal physician to the Roman Emperor Charles I; or Paul Ehrlich, who centuries later won the Nobel Prize for his scientific achievements. Many German-Jewish Nobel laureates followed him, including, of course, Albert Einstein. Caroline Herschel, a 19th-century astronomer, was the first woman to receive a salary as a scientist. The entrepreneur Emil Rathenau was crucial in developing the use of electricity on an industrial scale and his son, the liberal lawmaker Walther Rathenau, served as German foreign minister during the Weimar Republic. Indeed, Germany has been gifted with German-Jewish artists, philosophers, politicians and inventors, as well as with hundreds of thousands of ordinary citizens who, through their lives and participation, shaped Germany in a unique way.
It is also true that German-Jewish history throughout the centuries was a very dark one. Jews were scapegoated and the focus of conspiracy theories, and threatened by pogroms and persecution, culminating in one of humanity’s lowest points: the Holocaust. By erasing Jewish life and pretending to make Germany “more German,” National Socialists destroyed a huge part of German culture and identity. It took generations of reconciliation to rebuild trust.
Last October, Germany celebrated the 30th anniversary of its reunification, a remarkable success story which includes the humbling fact that the unified country has become, once again, a home for Jews. Jewish life continues to bloom in so many German cities and towns. The Düsseldorf Synagogue, for instance, is one of the largest in Germany with more than 6,000 members. Berlin is home to more than 9,000 Jews who belong to the organized Jewish community and more than 10,000 Israelis who enrich a vibrant and multicultural life. Germans are grateful for this wonderful change.
But those positive developments should never lead to complacency. We have to be vigilant since Germany and the United States, together with countries around the globe, are facing a rise in antisemitism, hate and nationalism. We are confronted by the claims of nationalists, racists and antisemites who want to prove their superiority by once again blaming the other, be it migrants or minorities. We cannot — and will not — stand idly by. We will defend our fundamental values of religious freedom, democracy and the rule of law.
Europe’s rich Jewish history is also an ongoing obligation to assure the trust of Jewish citizens and communities, a responsibility society as a whole must uphold. Therefore, the American Jewish Committee New York Regional Office and the Consulate General of Germany collaborate to build trust in one another and jointly advocate against hate and antisemitism.
Constantine’s edict is a reminder to initiate cultural, political and interreligious debates within our society. We are committed to working together in friendship, reconciliation and trust to help shape the future of the Jewish-German relationship. We are proud to be a part of this story.
David Gill is the consul general of Germany in New York. Michael Schmidt is the American Jewish Committee’s New York regional director.
