Chief Rabbi Goldschmidt: “Europe forgets its past”

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Anti-Semitism, right-wing extremism, limitation of fundamental religious rights. The President of the conference of European rabbis (CER), chief Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt, warns of a further extract of Jews from Europe.

From Monday to Wednesday, the conference of European rabbis (CER) in Antwerp, Belgium that meets your 31. General meeting of shareholders. Around 350 Jewish clergy from all Parts of the continent are expected. In the run-up to the meeting, CER President Pinchas Goldschmidt said in an Interview to the Deutsche Welle is a great concern about the future of Judaism in Europe. The Zurich-born Goldschmidt is chief Rabbi of Moscow.

Deutsche Welle: Rabbi Goldschmidt, nationalism and populism, anti-Semitism is gaining strength in many countries of Europe. As you can see the position of the Jews on the continent?

Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt: The situation in Europe is more difficult for the Jewish community. For a number of reasons. On the one hand there is the extreme Right, the walk – in Germany, in Austria, in Hungary, with brown shirts and the like with SS uniforms.

On the other hand, there are new laws that restrict Jewish life. You are against the circumcision of boys and against the religious battles. In General, we see much less patience and will of Europe to uphold the freedom of Religion and to ensure the safety of the Jewish community.

Where, for example, there is such tightening of the rules?

We meet for General Assembly aware in Antwerp – because in Belgium, in the centre of Europe, in two regions, Wallonia and Flanders, the Shechitah (slaughter of animals according to the Jewish Religion, ed.) just was banned. The politicians told us that the scheme was not meant to be against us Jews, but against the practice on the part of the Muslim community. But we Jews are the collateral Victims.

How is your relationship to the Muslim side? Do You Have Contacts?

Years ago, we started a dialogue with Muslim spiritual leaders. Under the roof of the KAIICID-centre in Vienna, a Saudi Initiative, together with the Austrian and Spanish governments, we have started three years ago, a dialogue with Muslim spiritual leaders: a Muslim Jewish Leadership Council (MJLC). And we work with imams in Europe, to fight against the threat to freedom of religion. Also on the national level, we are in favour of this dialogue and strive. This is not always easy. But we believe that it is very important. Because the danger for the Jewish communities comes not only from the extreme Right but also of radical religious Muslims. Therefore, the Muslim clergy is in this dialogue is extremely important.

In two weeks, the Europe is the choice. The is such a thing as a destiny of choice?

. These elections that we face, are extremely important. And I think that strengthening those forces who do not believe in the future of the common Europe, a great danger for Europe would be for yourself as well as for the Jewish communities of Europe.

They fear that Jews must leave Europe, to be able to in everyday life according to the rules of Judaism life? Europe is a place where Jewish life is, de facto, is distributed?

This is happening already. During the past 15 to 20 years, the number of Jews living in Europe has declined, from two million to 1.6 million. This would continue.

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Jews in France are fleeing anti-Semitism

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Jews in France are fleeing anti-Semitism

In the past few months, there were terrible acts of Terror against places of worship, both Jewish and Muslim as well as Christian institutions. Why are more and more attacks on religious Beter?

It’s a Trend that today houses the suit prayer tires. And if you want to attack a religious minority, in a house of prayer, because there is a concentration of this minority. This happened in Pittsburgh/USA as well as in Christchurch/new Zealand in Sri Lanka and elsewhere. Therefore, the houses of God are in great danger. And we appeal to all governments and stakeholders to improve the safety of houses of worship, and protect religious communities.

In Germany and Europe, it came to the Shoah, the mass murder of the Jews by national socialist Germany. Now, this Shoah is now nearly 75 years. They fear that right-wing extremism is gaining ground also because the story is forgotten?

The way it is. The Problem is that the last Survivors of the Shoa as well as the last of the murderers of the Holocaust are about to leave this world. And the Holocaust and Second world war fall into oblivion. Europe is today remembered as the First world war how the Second world war, has looks. Europe is going to forget how horrible this world were wars, how many millions of Europeans have lost their lives. And the Europeans think about Today, the present, forget the future and forget the past.

The Interview was conducted by Christoph Strack.