By Daniela Gerson in Cologne
Benedict XVI drew criticism for not mentioning a Palestinian car-bombing during a prayer for the victims of terror. Will he broach the controversy during his visit to a Cologne this week?
The hundreds of thousands of young Catholics flooding Cologne, Germany for World Youth Day aren't the only ones turning out for Pope Benedict XVI's epic visit. The city's growing Jewish community is also anxious to greet the German pope. On Friday, he plans to visit the city's synagogue, only the second visit by a pope to a Jewish house of worship in more than 2,000 years. Abraham Lehrer, a member of the board of the Jewish community in Cologne and president of the Central Jewish Welfare Federation in Germany, spoke with SPIEGEL ONLINE about what the pontiff's visit means for Jewish-Catholic relations and the prospects for a Jewish renaissance in Germany.
SPIEGEL: What would you like to hear from the pope when he addresses the Jewish community?
Lehrer: The pope's visit to a synagogue is really a special sign. It is his first visit outside of Italy. He's a German pope and knows everything about the Shoah. I think that made it easier for him to visit a synagogue so early on in his term. He is also expected to say a kaddish, which also means that he accepts what happened during the Shoah and the role of the Vatican. Unlike, perhaps a cardinal from Africa or Asia, a German pope knows the history and understands better the responsibility of the Vatican.
His visit to our synagogue is also a sign that the relationship with the Jews is important to him. For him to say he will continue in the tradition of John Paul II is the most important thing he could do with this visit. Anything he does in addition to this is nice, but for us this is the realistic expectation.
SPIEGEL: What about Israel? The pope received criticism for not including the July suicide bombing perpetrated by Palestinians in Netanya, Israel when he named a string of terrorist attacks in a homily last month. Would you like him to speak about that?
Lehrer: He is coming to a Jewish community. If he says something about terrorism in Israel that would be very nice, but I don't think he'll use the visit to the Cologne synagogue to do that. I've heard he has accepted an invitation to visit Israel -- and that's where he is most likely to say something about terrorism.
SPIEGEL: But Paul Spiegel, the head of the Central Council of Jews in Germany has been outspoken in his criticism of Pope Benedict. He has also suggested he will try to address the pope about the terrorism gaffe.
Lehrer: My understanding is that Paul Spiegel wants to meet with the pope and ask him about his speech on terrorism, but Spiegel has also said he wants to see the controversy between Rome and Jerusalem quiet down. And I think that behind the scenes Jerusalem and Rome are talking again in normal tones. Of course, it would have been better if the pope had mentioned the suicide bombing in Netanya. And there are some voices in the German Jewish community that have been critical of this ommission, but the community broadly supports his visit and the controversy will in no way overshadow his historic visit to our synagogue.
SPIEGEL: The Jewish community in Cologne has been transformed over the past decade or so from one mainly of survivors and their children to Jews who grew up under communism in the Soviet Union. How has that challenged the community?
Lehrer: In the beginning it was very difficult because both groups, the former members and the new members, really didn't fit together too well. It took explanations that these are normal human beings coming from the former Soviet Union, but with a different outlook and understanding of Judaism. After 50 to 60 years of life under communism, it's sometimes difficult to interest them in Jewish lessons and knowledge. But when we look at who is attending the Shabbat, holiday services, coming to sessions about Jewish literature or concerts with Jewish singers, always more than 50 percent are from the former Soviet Union. We haven't reached all of them, but I think in Cologne we are quite successful with leading them to Judaism.
SPIEGEL: You were born in New York in 1947, but your parents, originally from Poland, settled in Cologne when you were still an infant. At that time, there were only about 50 Jews in the city. Today there are about 5,000. Does the Soviet influx make you hopeful that Jewish life could flourish again in Germany?
Lehrer: Before the influx, we didn't have enough children for a primary school. Today, we have a primary school -- as well as a baby group, a kindergarten, a youth club, student clubs and senior clubs. This grew very much through the growing number of community members. But will Jewish life here ever return to its pre-1932 state before Hitler rose to power? I couldn't tell you -- that would just be guess work. But there is a chance it could happen. There are a few basics that you need: You have the numbers; you need to see the development. We try to give them a chance to live here as Jews, but we need more financial support. Jewish communities in Germany get money from the government, but there is never enough, not for big events like the visit of the pope. And we could use some help from outside to establish primary schools and kindergartens. Slowly, Jewish organizations in America are beginning to help, but we need more assistance.
SPIEGEL:Mr. Lehrer, we thank you for this interview.
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