What a contrast. On Monday, the anniversary of the Olympic attack, mourning still hung over the city. Cheerful music can be heard on Wednesday in front of the Feldherrnhalle, blue and white flags are waving. Israel day. A kind of big neighborhood festival, Jews and non-Jews meet to celebrate the 74th birthday of the State of Israel, even though it was in May. Anat Rejber, who has been organizing the festival for the I like Israel association for years, says that Israel should not only be associated with persecution, but also with culture, business, travel – and joy.
This opens a window into the Jewish world of Munich. The Catholic Pilgrims Office advertises the trip to Jerusalem, Beth Shalom, the liberal Jewish community, informs them about their dream of having their own synagogue. The stand of the anti-Semitism research and information center is like a peephole in the dark, and this misanthropy is also part of German reality. Right next to it is a project that combines sadness and hope: letters are supposed to make the world a better place. You can buy letters from a Torah scroll for five euros each, and the proceeds will benefit Holocaust survivors and refugees from Ukraine.