Berlin – Germany’s top Jewish leader suggested on Thursday that Jews shouldn’t wear the traditional skullcap, or kippa, in areas with large Muslim populations but also said that hiding isn’t the right approach to concerns about anti-Semitism.
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Security worries among European Jews have been stoked by recent attacks in Paris and Copenhagen. Jews in Germany generally feel safe, though security measures need to be evaluated frequently, Josef Schuster, the head of the Central Council of Jews, told rbb Inforadio.
One of Schuster’s predecessors last year suggested that Jews in Germany should make sure they’re not recognizable as Jews.
“I think hiding is not the right way” of dealing with worries about anti-Semitism, Schuster said. However, he added that it’s right to ask whether, in areas with high Muslim populations in Berlin and elsewhere, “it really makes sense to identify oneself as a Jew by wearing a kippa, for example, or whether it’s better to wear different headgear there.
Orthodox Jewish men customarily keep their head covered at all times. Traditionally the kippa is worn but other head coverings are also often accepted.
“That is a development that I didn’t expect five years ago and is a little alarming,” Schuster said, adding that Muslim groups should do more to counter anti-Semitism among young people.
On Tuesday, Germany’s interior minister met with Jewish leaders and reassured them that their safety is a top priority.
They should be going after the bullies, not the bullied.
History is like a merry go around. In 1933 felons, social failures joined the educated Nazis in the persecution of Jews. Now in Germany there is a repeat instead of the swastika it is the crescent. Turks who never could finish Gymnasium or a regular school education and achieve economic security or complete a solid education are now in the forefront of anti-Semitism. The Germans imported Turkish workers and some other Muslims flocked in and they are the core of antisemitism
There is no such warning for Muslims not to wear their Hajib in Jewish neighborhoods because Jews don’t go assaulting people while these animals have no problem attacking innocent people but our liberal politicians insist that we have to protect these sub-humans.
Hiding your kippa did not stop Hitler, the assimilated Jews were kiledl right along side of the chasdishers ous juden
Jews don’t belong in Jewish blood soaked Germany.
Germany…..what a country. First we were forced to wear yellow stars so we could be easily identified as Jews. Now we are being told don’t wear a kippa so that we are not recognized as Jews.
How could anyone not love such a place?
A funny, true story about how people sometimes don’t get how they look. Several years ago we were in Budapest for Pesach and during Chol Hamoed the tour company sponsored visits to various tourist sites. Among the group were Chasidim from Israel. The men didn’t want to look too Jewish so they wore baseball caps. This didn’t completely solve the problem since they left their peyos hanging out!
Growing up in New York city in the 1950’s, there were plenty of places I went wearing a cap instead of a Yarmulka.
Bibi has a personal chef and in addition 20,000 dollars yearly budget for meal deliveries. There are Jewish children in the heilige medina who go hungry. NO JEWISH CHILD SHOULD SUFFER FROM HUNGER
There is no telling how europe is seen ng to curreny evolve.
This is frightening.
The very poor ways of a constricted culture are so poor that the world feels the conspiracy.
I hope we can see that younger minds might learn to humanize some of these very bad minds in Germany.
This is the same cancer that gave us Hitler.
Tired years and tired fears.
Rigged hate.
Never again.
Lost credibility for the war.
Wake up Yiddalech!
We are in Galus since the Churban Beis Hamikdosh even if there were good
intervals along the way.
The Baal Shem Tov said Remembrance leads to Redemption and Forgetfulness leads to Galus.
It goes against everything we stand for but I wear a baseball cap anywhere in Europe
Bring in councillor Greenfeld straight off his kippah wearing Ramallah trip to advise German Jewry.