Eighty years after the Holocaust, Jewish life in Germany is becoming increasingly difficult; those who openly display their Jewish identity risk hostility. Unfortunately, this trend also affects children. Simon Schauer, a staff member of Young Christians Standing with Israel (JCSI), spoke with teachers at a Jewish kindergarten in Stuttgart about their challenges and experiences.
By Simon Schauer
Bright, curious children's eyes greet me as I enter the group room. "I'm Simon, and who are you?" – "My name starts with 'E'. Guess the second letter!" Before I know it, I'm sitting in the middle of a cluster of kindergarten children, all of whose names I'm supposed to guess at once. I'm visiting the Jewish kindergarten in Stuttgart. The fact that there's always a police car parked outside and that the building complex, which also includes a synagogue, can only be entered through a security checkpoint, doesn't bother the little ones. For them, it's normal. At this age, they don't really reflect on such things, two teachers I've arranged to interview tell me.
Lots of singing, dancing, and laughter. “In Jewish education, it’s important that the children are involved. That they have everything explained to them from a young age, including the meaning of the holidays. They are included because it also has something to do with their identity. They should learn their history, find out what has happened, and what is yet to come. Every story has a background,” the Jewish educator Zoe tells me.
“What always impresses me as a non-Jew is how you celebrate. With singing, dancing, and laughter. It’s joyful. Everything is presented in a very playful way, and you learn so much from you. It’s so lively, so the children can understand the stories very well,” Daniela tells her colleague. Zoe adds: “We’re not strictly religious or ultra-Orthodox here. Children learn the holidays with such ease. All the stories, songs, festivals, customs, and traditions are perfect for children. I personally associate it all with my own childhood.”
Approximately 70 children attend the kindergarten. Fifteen teachers work here, six of whom are Jewish. Not all the children are Jewish. This is partly a city requirement, but also a desired outcome. The kindergarten aims to be inclusive; all children are welcome. During meals and circle time, especially when discussing Jewish holidays, all the boys wear a kippah, the religious head covering for Jewish men. Otherwise, it is up to them, as most of the children do not come from strictly religious families.
Since the kindergarten is located right in the city center, it's important to take the little ones outside into nature. I ask if they can keep their kippahs on there. "Absolutely not!" Daniela replies. "We have to protect ourselves. When we're outside as a group, for example on the subway, our children aren't allowed to sing songs in Hebrew. They also aren't allowed to say which kindergarten they're in. Simply for safety reasons." How do you explain this to children between the ages of three and six? "We tell them they shouldn't sing, but we don't give them the reason. Many children don't think about these things that much yet. We approach it in a playful and indirect way. We try to let them retain some of their childhood."
October 7th – a turning point
The Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, was a watershed moment for all Jews and Israelis worldwide. And so I asked how the kindergarten community experienced the time after October 7th. "It was a major topic of conversation the very next Monday. I had a circle time with crying and uncertain children. They had many questions. For some, it was too much," reports Daniela. "Our preschoolers are older; they reflect more. They knew something had happened. Many were very afraid. Parents told me they had lost friends in Israel.".
We had to find a way to deal with it together. We would have preferred not to address it, because it didn't happen here in Germany. But we couldn't prevent it, because the children talked amongst themselves. I had to allow questions about it,” Daniela explains sadly. For some children, like the non-Jewish ones, it wasn't an issue.
“God is here too”
Immediately on the Monday after the terrorist attack, security measures at the kindergarten were tightened. There was a parents' evening with the police and security service. "For two months, we weren't allowed to leave the kindergarten grounds with the children, not even to get out into nature. I felt like I'd been transported back to the time of Corona." The children are very lively; they need plenty of space to play. They didn't have that and were therefore louder and more restless. I'm interested in how the teachers dealt with this new situation. Daniela explains that, as pedagogical measures, they tried to bring the group closer together and convey to the children that they had each other. Sometimes it also helped to sing songs, talk about it in a circle, or draw. "Since we are a Jewish kindergarten, we could say, 'God is here too,'" Daniela recalls.
I ask Zoe whether antisemitism in Germany has increased since October 7, 2023. "It has increased drastically!" she replies promptly. "There were times when I was happy to say that I'm Jewish. Now I tend to hide it or avoid such topics." Zoe describes the time after the brutal Hamas attack on Israel like this: "I was afraid for my grandparents in Israel, and they were very afraid for us. They were aware of what was happening in Germany. My grandmother forbade me from leaving the house. But I was less afraid than others who were afraid for me." Why? "Maybe because, sadly, I've always known this feeling. That you have to be careful. Sure, things have gotten a bit better since then. But still, you were very afraid. You ask yourself almost every day: 'Am I safe here?'"
"I hate all Jews!"
Even when Zoe was still in school, she always had conflicts: "In some groups of friends, I didn't mention my religion. Muslims didn't want to be friends with me when they found out I was Jewish."
I ask Zoe if she can identify a particular prevalence of antisemitism, whether it has intensified from the left, the right, or from Islamist circles. "It's intensified in all areas. It's become so intertwined, it's hard for me to answer," Zoe says, and continues: "Luckily, I was never beaten up. My younger brother was once beaten up on the football field and had to go to the hospital; he was twelve at the time. I'd always heard arguments and stupid things like, 'I hate all Jews!' And then I'd ask back, 'Do you even know any Jews besides me?' 'No,' was the answer."
What happens next?
I'm preoccupied with the question of what the Jewish community in Germany needs after October 7th. "Education!" Zoe answers firmly. Education for non-Jews in general, but also for children: "We need to educate children, because they bully too. We also need to educate and explain things on social media, because many young people hide there."
Back to the kindergarten. Here, the interaction between the children and the Jewish community is still working very well, but how are the little ones being prepared for life after kindergarten? "Most of the children here attend the Jewish elementary school, which is located in the same building, so it doesn't really affect us," reports Daniela, adding: "It's more of a family challenge. Parents handle it differently. Some want their children to live openly and say that they are Jewish, others don't."
From the fifth grade onward, Jewish children are required to attend a public school. What happens to them outside the previously protected environment is a completely different matter.
This article first appeared in our newspaper "Israelaktuell," issue 141. You can order the newspaper here . We would also be happy to send you several copies for distribution.
