Gesprek | Present-day Jewish life in Berlin
Communities, Culture and the City

Berlin has a rich Jewish history. A history of ups and downs, prosperity and decline, with the lowest point being the Shoah. Interestingly enough, the German capital is experiencing a growth of the Jewish communities, especially in recent years. Young Israelis in particular are moving to Berlin. What motivates them to come and live in the city where the elimination of Jewish life can be felt all around? And what’s actually meant when we’re talking about contemporary Jewish life? We will discuss these questions with Berlin writer Mirna Funk, social anthropologist Dani Kranz and the director of the Jewish Museum in Berlin, Hetty Berg. Panel host: Sandra Rottenberg.

Jewish life in Berlin is diverse. For some, religion plays a major role, for some it does not. There are local resident Berlin Jews but also Jews from the former Soviet Union, among others. This group came to the city as so-called "Kontingentflüchtlinge" after the fall of communism. Another group for which the German capital is particularly popular consists of young, mostly left-liberal Israelis. Why is that? And where do we see contemporary Jewish Berlin reflected in the city's art and cultural scene?

In German media and public debate, being Jewish is often still reduced to the Shoah. As a result, most of German society know little about Jewish culture of today. Initiatives such as the talk show Freitagnacht Jews or the podcast 2021 Jüdisches Leben in Deutschland are trying to change that. But what else is needed to bring perspective to the present and future? And how is being Jewish being experienced differently in a neighbouring country like the Netherlands?

About the speakers

Hetty Berg is director of the Jüdisches Museum Berlin. Previously, she was manager of museum affairs and chief curator of the Jewish Cultural Quarter in Amsterdam.

Mirna Funk majored in Philosophy and History at Humboldt University Berlin. She is a journalist and writer and lives in Berlin and Tel Aviv.

Dani Kranz is an anthropologist and DAAD Visiting Professor at Ben Gurion University, Israel. She is also a member of the Advisory Board of the Federal Commissioner for Jewish Life and Combating Anti-Semitism.

Sandra Rottenberg works as a programme maker, advisor, and producer for a wide range of media including television, radio and public debates.

This event is organized in collaboration with the Goethe-Institut Niederlande and the Joods Cultureel Kwartier.

Register via Eventbrite.