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Hillel hosts German Embassy for Shabbat One of the highlights of the night was a Building bridges across cultural and linguistic barriers is a complex and delicate short talk given by Charlotte von Friedeberg, task, yet it yields many worthwhile rewards. a representative of the German embassy. George Mason University Hillel, the center Her words intrigued many in the audience, for Jewish life on Mason’s campus, attempted as they gave an understanding of the flourto do just that last Friday night during ishing state of Judaism in Germany today. “In 1950, there were only 25,000 Jews their weekly Shabbat dinner at the Hub, in which they invited the Federal Republic of all over Germany, and very few organized communities. Today we Germany’s Embassy are proud to have over along with a few young 110 Jewish communiGerman professionals ties with over 120,000 to promote Germanregistered commuJewish dialogue. nity members,” Von Hillel director Ross Friedberg said. Diamond was aware The embassy reprethat it was much easier sentative also addressed for people to relate to the demographics of others with a similar the Jews in Germany background and saying that most language as them, so he Jewish communities actively encouraged the in Germany used to be various attendees to get Reform or conservative, to know each other. but following the influx “We’re all humans of many Jewish immihere,” Diamond said. grants, more and more “We all want to sit Orthodox communities with people who we have been forming. can speak the same Mason students language with or who were very outspoken look a little like us, but about the importance I’d like it if everyone of beginning at the took the intentionality grassroots level with to sit with people who dialogues and dinners they may have a keen such as this one. interest in finding out “This is a really good their story.” example to set, and not The evening began just between Jews and with an opportunity for Germans, but any two the students to introgroups of people that duce themselves to Ross Diamond, historically may have each other, followed director of GMU Hillel been at odds with each by a Shabbat service, other,” said freshman which involved the Tessa Schwartz. “If singing of traditional Hebrew prayers, led by Mason students enough events such as this one occur, even small dialogues on a college campus, they Marissa Arager and Erez Cramer. “Shabbat is just the day to take a break from may begin to happen on a much larger scale.” Diamond ended the service with a few the rest of the week. You’re supposed to relax at home, and mingle with other people,” said more words on the importance of building cross-cultural relationships, which was Marissa Arager, Hillel’s Religious co-chair. While there were primarily students at a topic that had permeated much of the the event, there were also various other evening’s conversation. “You may make a friend that’ll let you members of the community, such as Mason professor Thomas Stratmann, who is of crash on their couch in Berlin someday,” he German descent, and worked with the Action told the students. Reconciliation for Peace organization. “Events like this are important because they force individuals into relationships SUHAIB KAHN that build understanding between different STAFF WRITER denominations,” Stratmann said.
We’re all human here. We all want to sit with people who we can speak the same language with or who look a little like us, but I’d like it if everyone took the intentionality to sit with people who they may have a keen interest in finding our their story
Feb. 11, 2013
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