Young German Jews refuse to be intimidated after attacks
In Germany, there have been riots and antisemitic incidents in connection with pro-Palestinian demonstrations for several days. They have prompted concern among young Jewish people in Germany, but they refuse to be intimidated.
Transcript
00:00 This Berlin synagogue could have been set on fire had the Molotov cocktails not fallen
00:07 short and struck the sidewalk in front of the building.
00:12 Deborah Kogan is vice president of the German Union of Jewish Students.
00:16 She knows the targeted Jewish community well.
00:20 I was shocked, of course, that a synagogue was attacked, but especially this one, because
00:25 it is a very small community.
00:28 And I didn't expect something like that.
00:31 You had the feeling of at least being safe here, but as we see now, that's not the case.
00:37 Kogan's impression is that there is now more police presence in front of Jewish institutions.
00:41 Still, many Jewish people in Berlin are opting to stay at home.
00:49 When I walk by some Jewish institutions, sometimes I only see one police officer, and I've often
00:55 noticed that they're looking at their cell phones instead of keeping an eye on what's
00:59 going on around them.
01:03 Even if it's still difficult to lead a normal Jewish life in Germany, a life in safety,
01:08 long after the Shoah, 20-year-old Deborah Kogan does not want her home to be taken away
01:14 from her.
01:15 We have had over 1,700 years of Jewish life here, and I would say that Jews have always
01:21 been part of Germany.
01:23 Many are now considering whether they still have a future here at all.
01:26 It's sad to have such thoughts after all these years, after everything we've been through,
01:30 that Jewish life in Germany should end with this.
01:36 Deborah Kogan doesn't want to hide.
01:38 In fact, she advocates for dialogue, even if that seems unlikely at this point in time.