Make Their Memory Shine’ project

May 6, 2021

We at the European Jewish Association are proud to join the #MakeTheirMemoryShine project. Together with StandWithUs Nederlands
and other organisations across the continent, we commit ourselves to help clean the ‘Stolpersteine’ (Stumbling Stones) of Europe and honour the memory of Holocaust victims. This very important project has already started in several Dutch and Belgian cities, with several hundred stones now ensuring the memory of a victim will shine on. You can see a few examples in the images below. If you would like to participate and lead a group in your city, do not hesitate to contact us or the

Make Their Memory Shine #MTMS

page. Initiatives like these make us stronger and remind us of the reason we fight for the interest of Jewish communities every day.

Additional Articles

Anti-Semitic acts nearly quadrupled last year in France, says Jewish organisation

France24: https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20240125-anti-semitic-acts-nearly-quadrupled-last-year-in-france-says-jewish-organisation

Anti-Semitic acts in France nearly quadrupled in 2023 compared with the previous year, a Jewish organisation said Wednesday, reflecting a surge in discrimination since the October 7 attack by Hamas on Israel.

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Citing figures from the French interior ministry and a French-Jewish security watchdog, the Council of Jewish Institutions in France (CRIF) said there were 1,676 anti-Semitic acts last year compared to 436 the year prior.

Nearly 60 percent of those acts were attacks involving physical violence, threatening words or menacing gestures, CRIF said in its report.

Worryingly, nearly 13 percent of anti-Semitic acts last year took place in schools, most of them in junior high schools.

“We are witnessing a rejuvenation of the perpetrators of anti-Semitic acts. Schools are no longer a sanctuary of the Republic,” the report said.

The spike in anti-Semitism is the worst on record, according to CRIF, which has figures dating back to 2012.

Read moreFrench Jews speak out amid rising anti-Semitism

The organisation cautioned that its tally reflects only acts “that have been the subject of a complaint or a report to the police”.

France is home to Europe’s largest Jewish community and the largest number of Muslims on the continent, although no precise figures are available as the country’s census does not include religious identity.

According to CRIF, the bloodshed in the Middle East has unleashed a wave of anti-Semitic vitriol.

Read moreFrance’s Jewish community faces a surge in anti-Semitism

In the three months following Hamas’ October 7 attack and Israel’s subsequent invasion of Gaza, the number of anti-Semitic incidents “equalled that of the previous three years combined”, according to the report.

A third of the acts glorified jihadism, according to CRIF, and a quarter were “calls to murder”.

France has seen previous surges of anti-Semitism, including after a 2012 attack on a Jewish school in Toulouse and a 2015 attack on a kosher supermarket in Paris.

Bootcamp- Madrid day 2&3

Day two of our bootcamp started with two special guests: Berlin’s combatting anti-semitism representative Mr Sigmount Konigsborg, and ACOM’s Mr Angel Mas who took our participants on an intensive session into modern manifestations of anti-semitism, the challenges of social media and how to fight back on campus and in public discourse. Both are heroes of ours and it was great to have them share their experience and tips.
We had a brief tour of Madrid before getting straight back into it with Attorney at the Paris Bar and leading French Jewish and Israel advocate Pascal Markowicz who gave us his take and counter arguments to the ICC’s announcement to investigate Israel, then we dove straight into an EJA team seminar on two threats to Jewish life in Europe: Shechitah and Brit Milah. Day 2 concluded with a great dinner where special guests from the Israeli embassy and Spanish MP and friend of the EJA José Ignacio Echániz. Then, well, we let our hair down a bit…
Day 3 coincided with Yom Hazikaron, and it was fitting on a day that Israel mourns its dead in defence of the country that we spoke about the positive impact that Israel has played in embedding normalisation in the hearts and minds of the Emiratis. Two masterminds of the the social media strategy Strategic Mr Yonatan Gonen who heads up the Arab language social media section at the MFA and Mr Ido Daniel who directs public diplomacy and social media at the Ministry of Strategic Affairs shared their remarkable and inspiring works as well providing tips and insights on how to manage social media relations.
We then went straight into a panel of leading Spanish Journalists for an exchange of views on Israel and how the media covers the region, before concluding with former ACOM President and former President of the Madrid community Mr David Hatchwell, who shared his incredible and inspiring story of how he got engaged in advocacy and the challenges and opportunities in advocacy work going forward. Finally, as we drew our bootcamp to a close, we talked about our Jewish Diplomatic Corps, which is the next step for many of our bootcampers….intense, fun, enlightening and constructive. The EJA, our partners the
ECJS (European Center for Jewish Students) and Concert – Together for Israel are building the next generation of Jewish leaders. Leaders with the right skills and tenacity to lead from the front. We are proud of them.

New Cooperation with The Jewish Community of Jurmala (Jewrmala)

The European Jewish Association is proud and delighted to welcome another organisation to our growing roster of partners and communities.
We have just concluded and signed a memorandum of understanding with The Jewish Community of Jurmala (Jewrmala), Latvia.
We are sure that this cooperation will bring with it beautiful and important accomplishments. We look forward to working for the betterment of Latvia and European Jewry together.

Some 38% of European Jews consider leaving due to antisemitisim

“The Dutch government is spearheading a crucial investigation into the fate of Jewish property looted during the Holocaust. However, a disheartening reality emerges as a staggering 80 cities, towns and villages in the Netherlands decline to participate in this vital mission,” according to Dutch Chief Rabbi Binyomin Jacobs.

“Some claim there are no remaining Jewish residents in their communities, while others assert that the property has already been returned, despite conflicting information. This concerning trend reflects a growing wave of antisemitism in the Netherlands, a deeply rooted issue that traces back to the Crusades in the Middle Ages and has persisted through the critical race theory era.
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הרב ג'ייקובס. "אנטישמיות עולה בהולנד"

Dutch Chief Rabbi Binyomin Jacobs addresses the annual conference of the Association of Jewish Organizations in Europe
(Photo: Yoav Dudkevitch)
“Today, this pernicious virus continues to thrive under the guise of anti-Zionism, posing a significant threat to societal harmony.”
With these words, Jacobs, the chief rabbi of the Netherlands, delivered a poignant address Tuesday during the inaugural session of the two-day annual conference organized by the Association of Jewish Organizations in Europe (EJA).
Held this year in the vibrant city of Porto, Portugal, in collaboration with the World Zionist Organization, the Jewish community of Porto, and the EMIH – Association of United Hungarian Jewish Congregations, the conference has drawn together some 150 influential leaders representing Jewish communities and organizations from across Europe.
In an announcement made at the conference, Rabbi Menachem Margolin, chairman of the European Jewish Association (EJA), unveiled a proactive initiative aimed at addressing the rising tide of antisemitism on European campuses.
Recognizing the alarming instances of harassment faced by Jewish and pro-Israel students from faculty members, the EJA is taking decisive action by establishing a dedicated task force and launching a scholarship program specifically designed to empower and protect Jewish students and young individuals.
Jacobs recounted a recent conversation he had with the mayor of a city that once boasted a vibrant Jewish community before the Holocaust. Tragically, the majority of the community perished, leaving only two survivors in its wake.
Reflecting on the ordeal, Jacobs lamented: “There was a synagogue there. The mayor approached the remaining Jews, expressing interest in purchasing the synagogue. However, its value had diminished, as there were no longer worshippers.”
He further emphasized the irony of the situation, stating: “First, they murdered the Jews, and then they claimed the synagogue held no worth due to their absence.”
Highlighting the present climate, Jacobs shared his own experience.
“Today, when I address non-Jewish audiences in the Netherlands, they compliment my proficiency in Dutch, unaware of my Jewish heritage. I respond, ‘I’m sorry, but I have been Dutch for several generations.’ Their reply stings: ‘Sorry, we mistakenly assumed you were Jewish.'”
Read more-  https://www.ynetnews.com/article/rkf9kywrh
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