Jewish Ledger
In Germany, the rise of antisemitism and other extremism has Jews questioning their future
By Cnaan Liphshiz
FRANKFURT, Germany (JTA) When this country’s main far-right movement entered parliament in 2017, it was a life-changing wakeup call for 38-year-old Shai Hoffman.
Hoffman went searching for answers, quite literally. He teamed with activist and educator Stella Bauhaus and obtained government funding to operate her old double-decker bus, which she otherwise uses as a mobile classroom for immersive learning projects, for a cross-country project. They held conversations with random pedestrians across Germany to study and challenge some of their increasingly xenophobic, nationalist and populist views.
In Germany, the rise of anti-Semitism and other extremism has Jews questioning their future January 8, 2021 1:46 pm People walk near the Brandenburg Gate during Hanukkah in Berlin, Dec. 19, 2020. (Odd Andersen/AFP via Getty Images)
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FRANKFURT, Germany (JTA) When this country’s main far-right movement entered parliament in 2017, it was a life-changing wakeup call for 38-year-old Shai Hoffman.
Hoffman went searching for answers, quite literally. He teamed with activist and educator Stella Bauhaus and obtained government funding to operate her old double-decker bus, which she otherwise uses as a mobile classroom for immersive learning projects, for a cross-country project. They held conversations with random pedestrians across Germany to study and challenge some of their increasingly xenophobic, nationalist and populist views.