Against the backdrop of rising antisemitism across Europe and the mounting challenges faced by Jewish communities, Israel’s Chief Rabbi and President of the Chief Rabbinate Council, Rabbi Kalman Meir Bar, embarked on a solidarity mission to strengthen Jewish life in Germany.

The initiative was led by the Rabbinical Centre oof Europe, under the direction of CEO Rabbi Arie Goldberg, whose organization maintains ongoing contact with communities and provides them with vital support and resources.

The highlight of the visit was the public Chanukah menorah lighting at the Brandenburg Gate. The ceremony was attended by Germany’s President, alongside prominent Jewish leaders and community representatives from across the country.

The event took place just hours after news broke of the horrific massacre in Sydney, Australia. In his address, the Chief Rabbi reflected on the deeper message of Chanukah:

“We mark on Chanukah our mission and purpose, to increase light, to bring peace, and to spread goodness. This has always been our way, and it will continue to be so. Chanukah represents a light rooted in goodness and peace, a light celebrated by the Jewish people across the world each year.”

Expressing the sorrow of the entire Jewish people over the attack in Sydney, he added:

“Tragically, what we witnessed in Sydney was a manifestation of murderous darkness, born of unrestrained antisemitism.” He called on world leaders to confront antisemitism, emphasizing that “this is not only our problem, but a challenge facing the entire world.”

The Chief Rabbi extended his gratitude to the Rabbinical Centre of Europe, its Chairman Rabbi Menachem Margolin, CEO Rabbi Arie Goldberg, Secretary Rabbi Avraham Aba Torezki, and Vice President Rabbi Yossi Bainhaker for their unwavering support of Jewish communities and rabbinic leadership. “This is not a simple time,” he noted. “The support provided by the organization to European Jewry—to communities, institutions, and rabbis alike—is as essential as the air they breathe.”

 

Throughout the mission, the delegation visited numerous communities, including Hamburg, Hanover, Bremen, and Munich, and held meetings with local and national government officials.

Hamburg: The delegation met with the city’s rabbi, Rabbi Shlomo Bistritzky, and visited Jewish institutions and the local cemetery. Later, during a visit to the Hamburg state parliament, they were informed that the German government would fund the reconstruction of the Bornplatz Synagogue—destroyed on Kristallnacht—at a cost of tens of millions of euros. Once the largest synagogue in the city, it had been demolished by the Nazis.

Bremen: The delegation toured Jewish institutions and inaugurated a new mikveh built by the RCE to serve the city’s growing community. They also met with community rabbi Rabbi Netanel Teitelbaum and Chabad emissary Rabbi Shmuel Havlin.

Hanover: Meetings were held with community members to discuss ongoing challenges. The delegation visited the “Beit Binyamin” Jewish center, named after the late Rabbi Binyamin Wolff. The Chief Rabbi praised Rebbetzin Sterni Wolff, noting her dedication in continuing her late husband’s work after his passing during the COVID-19 pandemic, alongside her son-in-law, Rabbi Levi Gottlieb.

The delegation also visited the Bukharian Jewish center in the city, led by Rabbi David Davidov.

An Uplifting Shabbat in Munich: The delegation spent Shabbat with the Jewish community of Munich, led by Rabbi Shmuel Aharon Brodman and Rabbi Yisrael Diskin, the Chief Rabbi’s emissary to Germany, who marked 37 years of service in the country.

Community president Charlotte Knobloch expressed her appreciation, thanking the Conference of European Rabbis “for its unprecedented support of our community—and I am certain of communities throughout the continent.”

During and following Shabbat, the Chief Rabbi delivered lectures to hundreds of community members and visited several synagogues across the city.