photo via faz.net
The future of Jews in Europe has not looked so uncertain in decades. The anti-Semitic uproar that took place these last few months has yet to fizzle out, and frankly I see so evidence that it will.
If you’re reading this you probably are already aware of the dangers European Jews face. Physical and verbal anti-Semitic attacks, the threat of ISIS “lone wolves,” and a threat to the safety of being Jewish “in public.”
Quite understandably, this has had a powerful effect on the way Jewish people see their place in Europe. But the issues that arose were not only the actions of aggressors. The response of Jewish leadership was far too often too little, too late.
If European Jews are to continue living in this dangerous climate, they urgently need new leadership. This isn’t a question, it’s a priority. European Jews deserve to be represented by leaders that actively support their best interests, and do not use their positions in Jewish organizations only for their own political gain.
So I’d like to ask the question that seems to me to be most imperative: who should be considered as future leaders for European Jewry?
A great example would be Dieter Graumann, a prominent lawyer, economist, and business owner.
As a Jewish community leader from Germany, Graumann has real world experience combating anti-Semitism in the diplomatic sphere. And he did just that this past summer, even writing an article for Huffington Post in July, drawing attention to the severity of German anti-Semitism.
As for credentials, Graumann currently serves as Chairman of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, and is the Vice President of the World Jewish Congress. He is a trustee for the charitable Leo Baeck Foundation, aimed “at expanding and strengthening European Jewry and at creating perspectives on interfaith dialogue”
(Source: Leo Baeck Foundation)
“Graumann has also repeatedly and openly criticized Germany for its extensive business ties with Iran, calling them “despicable” and “a disgrace.”
This is the kind of active, exemplary leadership that European Jews deserve, but are currently lacking. The current head of the European Jewish Congress, Moshe Kantor, has not only neglected his diplomatic duty to combat anti-Semitism, but also lacks the experience needed to address the issue. Kantor is a Russian oligarch with close ties to Putin. It’s little wonder that he has neglected the Jewish community.
But the facts are clear- in a time of necessity, Kantor has failed to address the needs of Europe’s Jewish communities. The time has come to find a competent successor, thus empowering and protecting European Jewry.
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