New board of the Saar synagogue community: hopes and challenges!

New board of the Saar synagogue community: hopes and challenges!

On Sunday evening, February 17, 2025, Vladimir Hofmann and Daniel Stiefel were elected new leaders of the Saar synagogue community. This new election follows the resignation of the previous chairman Ricarda Kunger and her deputy Nathalie Shabanzadeh, who resigned on Saturday. Kunger and Shabanzadeh referred to different opinions about the objectives of the community as the reason for their decision. The resignation is in the context of a direction of direction between liberal Judaism and the Chabad current as well as Russian-speaking immigrants, which led to tensions within the community.

Vladimir Hofmann, born in 1965 and a native Ukrainian from the Donetsk region, has an impressive story. His grandfather was the head of a Jewish colony in Saporischja and played an important role in the evacuation of the Jews before National Socialism. Hofmann has been a member of the Saar synagogue community since 1996 and previously held the position of chairman of the representative. His deputy, Daniel Stiefel, born in 1964, was born in Saarbrücken and has also been a member of the parish since his birth. Stiefel's grandfather maternal, Eduard Lehmann, was a co -founder of the Jewish community in Saarland and from 1962 to 1964 CEO.

new challenges and goals

The new board is particularly committed to interreligious dialogue and against anti -Semitism. Managing Director Evgenij Mrinski thanked Kunger and Shabanzadeh in a press release for their constructive cooperation on the promotion of Jewish life and explained that the concerns about a religious realignment of the community were unfounded. Hofmann expressed the desire to deepen contacts with the state government and relevant institutions in order to better represent and promote the needs of the community.

At the same time, the situation in society is tense. Since the Hamas attack on Israel in 2023, the number of anti-Semitic incidents in Saarland has increased. The research and information center Anti-Semitism (RIAS) reports on an increase in incidents, especially on pro-Palestine demos. Critical statements not only put the endangerment of Jewish life in the foreground, but also weaknesses in the handling of the police. Interior Minister Reinhold Jost (SPD) defended the Saarland police and emphasized the balance between the right to expression and freedom of demonstration.

The interreligious dialogue as a key

The anticipated dialogue to which the new board invites is also in a larger social context. Felix Klein, the Federal Government's anti -Semitism representative, emphasizes the importance of interreligious dialogue in order to reduce prejudices. This is increasingly considered necessary to master the social challenges, especially since the number of anti -Semitic attacks in Germany rose to 1,839 in 2022. These incidents can often be observed both online and offline and have different motifs, including religious and political orientations.

The situation in schools is also worrying. Roland Rixecker, the anti -Semitism representative, pointed out problematic developments. Young people spread false information about the conflict in social networks, which underlines Ricarda Kunger's concerns about the educational and educational situation. The Ministry of Education has already taken measures to sensitize school management in order to counteract the increased challenges in schools.

The new election of Hofmann and Boots thus not only marks a change of management within the community, but also a potential for a new approach to existing social problems, in the sense of a responsible interreligious dialogue that is considered essential from different pages.