A school teacher in Berlin speaks out about pervasive anti-Semitism

Hannah Kushnir teaches high school in the Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf section of Berlin. She writes in Der Tagesspiegel about her experience as a Jew in Germany today. Her observations are instructive and rather depressing.

As a student Frau Kushnir tended to keep quiet about the fact that she was a Jew:

Von selbst habe ich mein Jüdischsein schon seit dem Gymnasium nicht mehr thematisiert. Zu lehrreich war mir der Geschichtsunterricht bei Herrn S., dessen Teil der Abiturvorbereitung darin bestand, uns einzutrichtern, Israel sei unrechtmäßig errichtet worden. Zu lehrreich auch die Kommentare: „Ach, du bist Jüdin? Das sieht man ja gar nicht so“ oder, genau entgegengesetzt: „Du bist Jüdin? Stimmt, das sieht man aber!“

("I never wanted to make a big deal about the fact that I was Jewish. The history lessons taught by Herr S. as preparation for the Abitur were instructive when he kept hammering home that the founding of Israel was unjust. The commentary of my classmates was also instructive: "What. you're Jewish? You don't look it at all." or "You're Jewish? Oh yes, I can tell!")

Now she is teaching in a school where a large proportion of the students come from immigrant families, or families with low educational attainment.  It is not good to recognized as a Jew.  Frau Kushnir relates what happened when another Jewish teacher made a mistake at school one day:

Meine Kollegin vergaß eines Tages, dass sie noch ihren Davidsstern um den Hals trug. Fataler Fehler. Seither fallen permanent antijüdische und antiisraelische Sprüche im Unterricht. Auf der Straße wird ihr „Du Jude, verrecke“ hinterhergerufen.

Thema Israel oder Judentum im Ethik- oder Geschichtsunterricht? Besser nicht, da startet gleich eine kleine Intifada im Klassenraum. Da ist einer Christ? „Du Hund!“ Beliebtestes Schimpfwort auf dem Schulhof und im Unterricht? „Du Jude!“ Das ist ja inzwischen an vielen anderen Schulen auch so.

("One day my colleague forgot that she was wearing a Star of David necklace. Fatal mistake. Since then one hears anti-Jewish and anti-Israeli comments in the classroom. On the street they shout at her "Die, Jew". Better not bring up the topic of Jews or Israel when teaching ethics or history or else you'll start an Intifada in the classroom.  He's a Christian! "You dog1." But the most popular insult on the playground or in class?  "You Jew!" And that is not uncommon at many schools in the meantime." )

But what really disturbs Frau Kushnir is the indifference to this behavior.on the part of the other teachers and the school administration:

Ich frage mich: Hören nur meine Kollegin und ich das? Wo ist das Empfinden der „Anständigen“ (Zitat Angela Merkel), der anderen Lehrer, die auf die Verfassung der Bundesrepublik geschworen haben, wo das Empfinden der deutschen Schüler? Und was sagte die Schulleitung, der von diesen Vorgängen berichtet wurde? Sie sagte tatsächlich: „Nun seien Sie mal nicht so empfindlich!“

("I ask myself, "Is it just me and my colleague that are hearing these things? Where is the sensibility of the "decent ones" (quoting Angela Merkel), of the other teachers, who have sworn to uphold the constitution of the Federal Republic?  What about the sensibility of the other students?  And what did the principal say when informed about these incidents?  These were her exact words: "Just don't be so sensitive!".)

Well, to me it's a big deal when you hear shouts of "Du Jude, verrecke!" on the streets of Berlin today.

Comments

[Zyme]

"Well, to me it's a big deal when you hear shouts of "Du Jude, verrecke!" on the streets of Berlin today."

Muslims shout a great many things. Unless natural Germans take up the call, you could ignore it completely in my opinion.