The Israelite religious communities in Bavaria are to receive 18 million euros per year in funding from the Free State in the future. This applies retrospectively from 2021 and is an increase of almost six million euros compared to 2020, the Ministry of Education announced on Tuesday in Munich.
Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) signed a corresponding contract on the same day, which also provides for a moderate increase in annual payments. The aim is to preserve the German-Jewish cultural heritage, to strengthen Jewish community life and to optimize security precautions at the facilities. Söder said: “We give a promise of protection against hatred and anti-Semitism and, in addition to a lively culture of remembrance, we promote Jewish life in the Free State. The Jewish communities are a firm part of us.”
Josef Schuster, as President of the State Association of Israelite Religious Communities in Bavaria, declared that the concluded state treaty underpins the commitment of Bavarian politicians to promote and safeguard Jewish life. “This relationship of equals is a great asset to the Jewish community.”
Charlotte Knobloch, President of the Jewish community in Munich and Upper Bavaria, added: “Bavaria is a Jewish homeland – and with its decision to promote community life even more, the state government is supporting this sense of home.”
Minister of Education Michael Piazolo (Free Voters) said members of the Jewish community should be able to feel comfortable and safe. “That’s why we sensitize the children in our schools to the fact that extremism and anti-Semitism have no place in our society.”
According to the announcement, Bavaria has long relied on close cooperation with the Jewish religious communities. In 1997, a first contract was signed in which the Free State committed itself to making annual payments to the Jewish community. This agreement has been updated several times. Outside of the contract, Bavaria continues to support the construction and renovation of synagogues, sacred spaces and community centers for the Jewish communities, it said. Four million euros have currently been agreed for this. Around 26 million euros have been made available in recent years.