"Let all who are hungry come and eat...
T
/-
/—
he Federal Republic of
Germany was not always
as open and candid about
its lurid predecessor
regime as it is today; it is to the cred-
it of many Germans that they do not
want the next generation to forget
the horrendous interlude of their
Nazi past.
When entering the parliament in
Bonn, one is struck by the bold words
hanging above: "Shoah" and "Zachor"
— Hebrew for "Holocaust" and
"Remember." And in the Museum of
the German Republic's History, the
horrors of fascism and dictatorship
are seen alongside the country's deep
commitment to democracy and civic
equality.
Several days after leaving Berlin,
walking the grounds of the Dachau
death camp, the combination of Ger-
many's Jewish present and past was
all too evident. Here, in Munich's
outskirts, sits the Nazis' first con-
centration camp designed to system-
atically eliminate social misfits,
non-Aryans and Jews.
The cold was biting and the fog
ominous as I stood in the camp cen-
ter, site of twice-a-day roll calls.
Close by were the wooden beds in
the prisoners' quarters designed for
50; they housed 400. Watchtowers
still hug the borders of the facility
while barbed wire and six-foot con-
crete walls still keep residents of the
nearby city of the same name from
caring to know much about what
happens inside.
The camp museum retells in
starkly clear words and pictures how
Nazism captured Germany's soul.
The order and zeal applied to the
industry of human destruction came
through. A 20-minute film showed
how cleverly intimidation cowed
opponents.
IV
Amazed, I stared at the eight dif-
ferent color-coded Stars of David
worn by prisoners. These markings
quickly "organized" them by social,
geographic and political divisions.
As our religious streams fight today,
it's worth remembering that Hitler's
executioners made no distinctions
between Jews because of religious
practice.
Standing there, I thought how for-
giving is not a question and of how
fortunate my parents and most rela-
tives were to escape. And how grate-
ful I am that dedication, resourceful-
ness and resilience defined their
commitment to Yiddishkeit. The
same may be said today for the Jews
of Germany, and especially Berlin.
They are building a vibrant, active
and growing community.
wo days after my Shabbat
experience, after speaking
on "Zionism's Next Hun-
dred Years," the questions
were similar to those of American
Jewish audiences: Why should Israel
give up any land won in war? Why
won't Israel's government accept that
it must embrace a broader under-
standing of "Who is a Jew?" Why
trust Arafat?
But this crowd was different. Unlike
many American Jews, they weren't
fighting assimilation amongst rampant
materialism. They sought ways to iden-
tify and learn about their Jewish past
to augment the present. Most wanted
spiritual enrichment, perhaps just
something familiar and identifiable in
an otherwise topsy-turvy world.
They vividly showed me how
Berlin's Jewish community is a
mosaic in more than one way. Recent
immigrants from the former Soviet
republics are all over the city. Not
surprisingly, power and money rests
with the more established Jews.
They run the West Berlin-based
About The
Photos
hen I moved to Berlin in 1991,
I took an apartment on Bruch-
saler Strasse, a short cobble-
stone street of uninteresting
buildings, enormous shade trees, a couple of
decent restaurants, and neighbors who, when
the sun was bright and the weather warm,
nodded their friendly greetings. The majori-
ty of the residents seem to be under fifty
years old."
So begins Edward Serotta's introduction to
his latest book, Jews Germany Memory: A Contemporary Portrait. The com-
pelling work by the Savannah, Ga., native and acclaimed photographer vivid-
ly portrays the complex realities of German Jewry today.
For information on where to buy the 150-page book, call (404)
873-1661. O
Help ensure that everyone in our community has a happy Passover.
Use this coupon to help feed hungry Jewish families.
Yad Ezra will use your donations to purchase Passover food to
distribute to those in need.
YAD EZRA
reeddy the Tew4gir Hungry
❑ I case of chicken
$82.00
$55.00
$48.00
$47.00
$41.00
$38.00
1:1 I case of matza
❑ I case of tuna fish
❑ I case of gefilte fish
❑ in case of chicken
❑ I case of coffee cake mix
❑ I case of soup/matza ball mix
$34.00
❑ I case of oil
$26.00
D I case of tomato sauce
$26.00
❑ I case of eggs
$25.00
❑ I case of horseradish
$20.00
❑ I case of grape juice
$19.00
❑ A Seder Package for a family of six $75.00
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