Israel's military action in defense against the attacks by Hamas has been accompanied by anti-Semitic demonstrations in Germany in recent weeks.
Centuries-old anti-Semitic enemy images such as the “child murderer” or “shitty Jew” from the Middle Ages appeared there, but there were calls for violence against Jews and the annihilation of the Jewish state.
Words lead to deeds.
This also applies to anti-Semitism and can be seen in the attacks on synagogues in Münster, Düsseldorf and Ulm in recent weeks.
Empirical studies show that 90 percent of Jews in Germany see anti-Semitism as a big or very big problem, over 60 percent have thought about emigrating and the majority avoid wearing Jewish symbols in public for fear of verbal or physical attacks .
Anti-Semitism, as it accumulates in phases on the streets, but also shapes the everyday experiences of Jews in Germany, is perceived by Jews as a concrete threat.
Despite all political efforts to outlaw anti-Semitism, this is the social backdrop for Jews in Germany 76 years after the Shoah.
The actual problem"
To change something is the goal of the joint declaration of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, the Federal-State Commission of the Anti-Semitism Commissioners and the Conference of Ministers of Education (KMK). The school is not only an educational authority, but also an educational and socialization authority. It is part of society, and so from a sociological perspective it is not surprising that anti-Semitism is also evident there. However, the latest research findings on anti-Semitism in schools indicate that it particularly thrives where educators are obliged to counteract it. Based on conversations, I have reconstructed the experiences of Jewish students and the typical perception, thought and action patterns of teachers as part of a sociological-qualitative study lasting several years.It could be shown that anti-Semitism in the student body is often not recognized or trivialized by teachers, Jewish students are sometimes perceived as the “real problem” and anti-Semitic attitudes are also pronounced among some teachers.
The joint declaration on dealing with anti-Semitism in schools, which was published by the KMK on Friday, specifically names these problems.
Uniform recommendations for the pedagogical approach to anti-Semitism are formulated for the type of school, the school subject, and across all locations and groups, which take into account the latest research findings and show the actors in the schools prevention and intervention measures.
Problem with teachers
The problematic tendency of teachers not to perceive anti-Semitism as a phenomenon of its own, to misinterpret it as a false generalization and thus as a prejudice about Jews or even to equate it with racism, is countered with a uniform basis according to the definition of the "International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance", statements or To be able to classify actions as anti-Semitic. The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance is an intergovernmental organization for research into anti-Semitism. She defines anti-Semitism as a phenomenon based on the devastating idea that “without Jews the world would be better”. This means any form of anti-Judaism, from racist anti-Semitism to post-Holocaust anti-Semitism.Teachers sometimes do not have specialist knowledge of all manifestations of anti-Semitism and do not recognize it as such.