Cyprus police bills Jewish congregation €5000 for Chanukah protection

Kurz vor dem Start einer Auktion von Nazi-Erinnerungsstücken gerät der Veranstalter im US-Bundesstaat Maryland in die Kritik. Der jüdische Dachverband European Jewish Association (EJA) fordert, die Versteigerung abzusagen. Einige Hinterlassenschaften stammten aus dem Umfeld des NS-Diktators Adolf Hitler.

»Der Verkauf dieser Gegenstände ist abscheulich«, erklärte der EJA-Vorsitzende Rabbi Menachem Margolin in einem offenen Brief an die Veranstalter der Auktion, Alexander Historical Auctions, im US-Bundesstaat Maryland. Der EJA vertritt nach eigenen Angaben verschiedene jüdische Organisationen in Europa.

In seinem Brief nahm Margolin auch Bezug auf einige Gegenstände, die bei der Veranstaltung meistbietend verkauft werden sollen. Auf der Auktionsseite wird unter anderem eine Golduhr Hitlers beworben, die der Führer zu seinem 44. Geburtstag erhalten haben soll. Das derzeitige Gebot liegt bei einer Million US-Dollar.

Die Uhr wurde laut der Beschreibung am 4. Mai 1945 von einem französischen Soldaten in Hitlers Feriendomizil in Berchtesgaden gefunden, als die Alliierten in den bayerischen Bergen vorrückten. Laut dem Auktionshaus hätten mehrere Uhrmacher und Historiker bestätigt, dass die Uhr echt ist und Hitler selbst gehört habe.

The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, will celebrate Chanukah on Monday 19 December  by lighting the flame on a large menorah in front of the European Commission’s headquarters in the Brussels EU quarter.

As part of the cultural agenda of Brussels, the city’s Mayor Philippe Close will light the second candle of Chanukah.

The event is  seen as a strong sign for the European Jewish community in the wake of the EU’ clear commitment to ensuring a Jewish future and fostering Jewish life as laid out in the EU Commission’s new strategy for combatting resurgent antisemitism and fostering Jewish life in Europe.

European ambassadors and civil servants are expêcted to attend the event.

The lighting, which is organized in partnership with the European Jewish Association and the City of Brussels, will take place on Monday at 18:00 on Schuman Square and will be followed by a concert from the singer Haim Tzvi.

Chanukah, the Jewish festival of lights, is one of the most popular Jewish holidays worldwide. Candles are lit over 8 days to remember the miracle of one day’s worth of oil lasting eight following the reconsecration of the Temple in Jerusalem. Its message of hope, light and emancipation resonates are universal and timely. Celebrations worldwide are attended by heads of states who often light their own candles.

In addition to Monday’s lighting, Chanukah will also be celebrated the next day in the European Commission with the presence of the European Commissioner Janez Lenarčič, honoring Hias Europe, the world’s oldest refugee organisation, first established in the 1880s to help Russian Jews fleeing from pogroms resettle in the United States. Since then, HIAS Europe has had a strong presence throughout Europe, resettling hundreds of thousands of European Jews fleeing from violence and conflict. Today, HIAS Europe is a global humanitarian organization with thousands of employees in 22 countries dedicated to helping forcibly displaced persons, irrespective of their background. During more than a century of activity, HIAS Europe has helped more than 4.5 million people escape persecution worldwide »

EuroChanukah is organised every year by the European Jewish Community Centre (EJCC).

“we must not agree, let alone encourage the Jews, to give up its religious attributes” says European Jewish Head.

The chairman of the European Jewish Association (EJA), Rabbi Menachem Margolin, today called upon the President of the Central Council of German Jews, Yosef Schuster, to retract his call to Jews to refrain from wearing a skullcap in public space in Germany 

In a statement Rabbi Margolin said:

“I have no doubt that the declaration stems from Mr. Schuster’s sincere concern for the safety of The Jews – a concern that I naturally share in light of the growing anti-Semitism in Europe, but unfortunately he is mistaken in the cure for the serious problem, “says Rabbi Margolin.

Emphasising the point, he went on: “ Not wearing a skullcap due to fear of anti-Semitism is in fact the fulfillment of the vision of anti-Semites in Europe. 

The leaders of the Jewish communities and organizations must insist that every government care for the security of all its inhabitants and do more to educate and prevent this dangerous phenomena. 

But we must not agree, let alone encourage the Jews – or any other religious or ethnic group – to give up its religious attributes. ” 

That is why the call to refrain from wearing a skullcap is also liable to turn those who wear skullcaps into a provocative act and deserving of a response.”