In my hometown of Rockville, there is a road that I pass on my way to work with a Jewish day school, Jewish community center, synagogue, Jewish retirement home, and Jewish hospice center. I attended the Jewish day school, was a member of the community center, and spent several summers volunteering at the retirement home. Although these areas were all instrumental to my Jewish upbringing, I now pass them without much thought. I lost the appreciation for what it means to have these buildings or even this road that is dedicated to the Jewish people of my community. It wasn’t until I returned home from my trip that I noticed how special my drive to work really is.
On our final day on the Germany Close Up trip, we were fortunate enough to meet Rabbi Steven Langnas of the Ohel Jakob Synagogue in Munich. He walked us through this gorgeous facility that also has a school, community center, retirement home, and even a butcher. He explained the history of its creation and how the community had not had a Jewish synagogue since “Kristallnacht”, which meant that this served as a sign of “new beginnings” for Munich’s Jewish community. Even with all of the modern architecture, there is still a strong sense of remembrance in the halls with sections dedicated to the victims of the holocaust. Walking into a Jewish building in Germany 80 years after the “night of broken glass” was such a surreal experience, but the way that Rabbi Langnas summed it up really helped me organize my thoughts.
A member of our group asked Rabbi Langnas what we should take back to the U.S. from this experience and he explained that because so many people have a tainted view of Germany, there is confusion and disbelief on how Jews are able to live and coexist in Germany. His message to us was that we need to educate others and let them know that the Jews in Germany are practicing and living their lives just as they would in other countries like Israel or the U.S. (although there is always some anxiety with antisemitism). I thought about my own experiences with my Jewish peers from my hometown questioning my decision to go to Germany and after hearing Rabbi Langnas’ answer, I can confidently use his story as an example of Judaism blossoming in Germany. I will also take this opportunity to appreciate my own Jewish community and support what I have in Maryland. It’s easy to take these things for granted as our lives become more complicated and ephemeral, but I would advise anyone that has lost touch with their Judaism to take the time to explore how far we have come.
Daniel Bakhadj lives in Maryland.