Encounters break down prejudices

Dr Ruth Röcher

In 1998, the architect Alfred Jacoby was commissioned to build a new synagogue on the Kappellenberg at Stollberger Straße 28. The old one, built between 1897 and 1899 on Stephanplatz, was set on fire by the Nazis during the pogrom night of 9-10 November 1938, destroying it completely. Almost exactly 20 years ago today, on 24 May, the Jewish community of Chemnitz received its new place of worship in a moving ceremony. The new synagogue can accommodate 300 visitors and is also the seat of the community. A real cause for celebration. But Dr Ruth Röcher, chairwoman of the community, reveals why this is not the case.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the construction of the new synagogue - a reason to celebrate. What have you got planned?
Yes, it's a great anniversary. But we won't be able to celebrate because the renovation work in the building is still ongoing. It's like the never-ending story: when I became chairwoman of the Jewish community in 2006, my first important and difficult step was to see a lawyer. The defects in the building were serious and the guarantee expired in three months. It was not a good start, especially as I had no experience with lawyers up to that point. An eight-year process against the construction company and the architect began. In 2014, the judge recommended that we end the process and aim for a settlement. We agreed to this.

In October 2019, a young German attacked the synagogue in Halle. Immediately after the attack, the community received a letter from the Prime Minister of Saxony, Michael Kretschmer, and the Minister of Culture, Christian Piwarz. Both expressed their concern about the safety of the Jewish communities in Saxony. They wanted to do everything they could to change the situation. All other state governments had also sent similar letters to the communities in their states. Together with the federal government, the security of the individual Jewish communities was analysed. At the beginning of 2020, a concept was available on what structural changes needed to be made. This had to be approved by the board of the respective community. "We then followed the recommendation," says Röcher. Now both measures, the structural adaptation and the refurbishment, are to run in parallel.

These measures, which are intended to help protect Jewish life, raise the question: is Jewish life normal in Germany?
This is a big question that we discuss a lot with family and friends. Since we know how Jewish life works outside of Germany, this intensifies the discussion. If you look at how Jewish life works in the USA, for example, not to mention Israel. My answer to this question is: we are 80 years after the Second World War. Everyday life shows that normality is not here. So many Germans are afraid to even say the word Jew.
Our community's approach to the topic is to open up to pupils and other groups, because we believe that encounters break down prejudices and create knowledge. For example, with the Days of Jewish Culture that are now taking place, or with concerts that we offer in our building. Before the coronavirus pandemic, we also organised conferences for teachers and school headmasters.
I think that a child who has been here and seen, spoken to and listened to Jews is less susceptible to prejudice. It's just a small contribution we can make, because anti-Semitism often arises at home at the kitchen table, to which we have no access.

The coronavirus pandemic seems to have fuelled anti-Semitic prejudices and hatred of Jews once again. How do you experience this?
It could be because I am a great optimist who has lived as a Jew in Germany for over 45 years. I take a slightly more differentiated view of society. The people who are demonstrating against the coronavirus measures with a yellow star show that they have no knowledge of history. They display their cluelessness with such actions. But that is not the majority of the population. It's a small group. What worries me more is the silent majority. That's more my problem. Because we Jews feel seriously threatened by the changed political landscape, by the shift to the right in Germany. Many people don't seem to realise this.

Do you see a way to reach this silent majority?
I don't have a patent remedy either. I think everyone should get involved in the community in which they live. Not many people care about politics. They may think that it will always be a paradise where we live. Perhaps the war in Ukraine will wake them up to the fact that peace is a precious commodity that we must protect.

Together with the Lord Mayor Sven Schulze and a delegation from Chemnitz, you visited the Israeli town of Kiryat Bialik at the beginning of May to promote a possible town twinning. Do you think that this town twinning will raise awareness of Jewish life in Chemnitz?
Firstly, I would like to say that I am very happy that these talks between Chemnitz and Kiryat Bialik are taking place and that both cities are open to a partnership. Together with Prof Dr Rafael Wertheim, who has been involved in Chemnitz for many years and comes from Kiryat Bialik, we have done a lot for this connection.
This step that Chemnitz is now taking with the partnership is great. And it is good, not only for us as a Jewish community. It is good for the city and its population. Because such relationships between Israelis and Germans break down prejudices.

Israel is a holiday destination for many people. But there are always concerns that something might happen. Shortly after your stay in Kiryat Bialik, there was a deadly attack in a suburb of Tel Aviv in which three people were killed and four others injured.
I can understand the concerns. Something can always happen. Unfortunately, that is the case. There are people in Israel and among the Arab population who are radical. That is a minority and not the majority. Once you are in Israel, I think you will be surprised by the warmth of the people, their informality and openness. Israel has a very alert society that discusses everything. It would do the people of Chemnitz good to get to know Israel not just from the face books and television.

Do you have an influx of members due to the war in Ukraine?
We have a small influx. But you can't say that we've grown as a result. If anything, our numbers have fallen. We have a lot of older people and at some point they die. It's something that affects all Jewish communities in Germany. The big influx came at the beginning of the 1990s through Jewish immigrants from the former Soviet Union.
Integration was very difficult and still is today: many have still not learnt the German language. Although we offered additional German lessons here for years, especially for older people. I also know many people who have endeavoured to learn German, but unfortunately have not succeeded.
These people from the former Soviet Union came with very little. You have to realise that Jews were not accepted in the country and were discriminated against. Jews tried to conceal their identity and remove the word Jew from their birth certificates. The majority of immigrants grew up without even experiencing Judaism or knowing that they were Jewish. They came with negative experiences because, for example, universities had entry requirements similar to those of the Nazi era. Only a certain percentage of students were allowed to be Jewish. That's why we speak of double integration in the case of immigrant Jews. Two-track integration: one is integration into German society and the second is integration into the Jewish religion. Building a Jewish religious community with this group of people is very difficult. When the Wall came down, there were twelve Jews here. Then more and more came, so that we reached around 600 members. We currently have around 530.

The Days of Jewish Culture have been organised in Chemnitz since 1991. They were initiated by the pastor of the Pauli Kreuz parish, Mathias Wild, who died in 2004. He made it his life's work to make the festival an integral part of Chemnitz's cultural and intellectual life. The cultural festival is organised by the association Tage der jüdischen Kultur in Chemnitz e.V. in cooperation with the Jewish Community, the Evangelical Forum Chemnitz and the FUER CHEMNITZ e.V. civic association. With their cultural, social and religious orientation, the Days of Jewish Culture promote tolerance towards other cultures and ways of life.

The Days of Jewish Culture are taking place in Chemnitz until 5 June. Now for the 31st time. Is this a unique selling point for Chemnitz?
The Days of Jewish Culture are a great thing. No city in Saxony or even East Germany can boast anything similar. We are celebrating the 31st festival this year. And this is a great example of the interaction between Christians and Jews. To this day, the Protestant church with its forum has been a close partner of the Days of Jewish Culture. We have always received support from the Christian community. The festival has also grown steadily in recent years. We started with five days. Today, we fill two weeks with 70 to 80 events and have founded an association specifically for this purpose, which works together with almost all of the city's cultural institutions.

In 2006, you took over as Chairwoman from Sigmund Rotstein, who sadly passed away in August 2020. He led the community for 40 years. Can you do the same?
No, I can't imagine that. I can't do that. It's very difficult to manage the parish on a voluntary basis. I've been retired for two years now, which makes it a little easier. But I don't know if I can last another four years. (laughs)

You were born in Israel in 1954 and have been in Germany since 1976 - first in North Rhine-Westphalia and then in Saxony after reunification. How did you come to Saxony?
In 1988, I was given permission to work on my doctoral thesis as a student in the central state archives in Potsdam. I was there for three weeks. That was my first encounter with the GDR. In the summer of 1989, the Jewish community in West Berlin asked me if I would be willing to teach children from the Jewish communities in the GDR during their summer camp on the holiday island of Rügen. During this time, I got to know many decision-makers from the Jewish communities in East Germany. It was very interesting. During the day I learnt with the children and in the evening I talked to their parents and grandparents, who told me about their lives. In November 1989, the Wall came down and my husband commuted between North Rhine-Westphalia and the former GDR. As this was very stressful in the long term, we decided to move to the new federal states. So I wrote to Siegmund Rotstein, whom I knew from my stay on Rügen. He promised me a job as a religious education teacher, which I gladly accepted. And so I have now been here in Chemnitz for 28 years.

From 1994 to 2019, Dr Ruth Röcher was the only religious education teacher for the Saxony State Association of Jewish Communities - i.e. for the communities in Chemnitz, Dresden and Leipzig.

Have you ever regretted coming to Saxony?
No.

Do you want to go back to Israel?
That's a question that's always on my mind. I have two children who are in Germany. So something catastrophically bad has to happen politically for me to go back to Israel. Otherwise I feel comfortable in Germany.