Berlin Jews plan ‘wear a kippah’ rally in response to anti-Semitic assault
Jewish community in German capital organising demonstration after an attack on an Israeli-Arab wearing a kippah
The Berlin Jewish community is organising a demonstration against anti-Semitism in response to an attack on an Israeli man wearing a yarmulke, and is urging participants to wear a kippah.
A broad coalition from interfaith, political, academic and pro-Israel circles is backing the “Berlin wears a kippah” protest set for Wednesday evening in front of the Jewish community centre in the former West Berlin.
On the same day, a similar demonstration is planned for Erfurt, the capital of the former East German state of Thuringia, organised by ACHAVA Festspiele Thüringen, a private cultural organisation. The event will take place in the morning and conclude at the New Synagogue in the centre of the historic city.
“If you can’t make it to Erfurt, then wear a kippah wherever you happen to be at that time,” the announcement said.
Last week, a young Syrian man assaulted his kippah-wearing victim with his belt and repeated the Arabic word for Jew, “Yahudi,” in public in the trendy Prenzlauer Berg neighbourhood.
The victim, Adam Armoush, 21, filmed part of the incident and posted it online. He later told the German news media that he is a non-Jewish Israeli from Haifa and that he had donned the kippah to prove to another friend that Berlin is not as anti-Semitic as rumour would have it.
His video was shared widely by the Berlin-based Jewish Forum for Democracy and Against Antisemitism, and went viral.
Meanwhile, a 19-year-old Syrian citizen of Palestinian background, since dubbed the “belt attacker” in tabloid media, turned himself in to the State Criminal Police Office on Thursday accompanied by his lawyer. He has been identified as “Knaan S.” in news reports.
The incident has sparked heated discussion on social media.
In Berlin, some 40 individuals gathered Sunday for a “kippah flashmob,” starting from the Alexanderplatz and ending up at the Brandenburg Gate.
“Today we were 40, and next time we’ll be 100,” one of the organisers said in a Facebook post.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
