Before leaving for my semester abroad in Germany, I was worried. It seemed like Anti-Semitism was rampant in Europe again and new incidents were on the news constantly. Cautious friends and family were telling me to be careful and always be on high alert. I was also curious if I would feel comfortable outwardly showing my Judaism in public. After living in Europe for almost 2 months, I can say with certainty that I was wrong to be anxious at all.
My Jewish journey in Europe began when I decided to attend Shabbat services at a local synagogue in Berlin. I emailed one of the staff members at the congregation about attending services and her keen response welcomed me into the community. I will soon not forget my first Shabbat in Germany because of the unique spiritual connection to the service.
I arrived to services early and initially I sat alone in the sanctuary. But as other congregants entered into room, they greeted me and made me feel welcome. The only problem was the language barrier. I had taken 4 years of German in high school but took a hiatus until college. The conversations quickly turned to English in order to sustain the dialogue.
However, once the congregation began to welcome the Sabbath bride with a thunderous rendition of L’cha Dodi, the language barrier was extinguished immediately. Singing and praying in Hebrew became our common language. Unlike the services I was used to at home, the entire service was in Hebrew. It was an incredible sensation doing the same Jewish rituals in Germany as I did thousands of miles back home. Services were sang full of jolly and there was an enthusiasm that echoed throughout the room. I was surprised to find that my own congregation used similar tunes and for those that were different, I found them very easy to pick up. After services, neighbors wished “Shabbat Shalom” to one another and I went on a Shabbat evening stroll, in awe of how much I enjoyed the service.
The following week I went with another classmate on my program to a small Shabbat dinner hosted by a young Israeli couple in Berlin. I was able to learn more about living as a Jew in Berlin. There was a small service and probably the most nutritious meal I had eaten since I arrived in Germany. Conversations went on well into the night. The Jewish community that I had thought was declining in Europe appeared stronger than I ever expected.
With Passover on the horizon, I began looking for a Seder. Because the holiday fell on a Friday night this year, I knew I would be traveling around Europe. Before I booked any travel, I reached out to different temples in places that I was considering going.
I received responses from everyone I contacted, which all had an invitation for me to come to their Seder. While I ultimately chose to spend Seder in Hamburg, Germany this year, it was reassuring to know that there were many people who would have allowed me to join them, another example of the perseverance of the Jewish people.
Being a brother of Alpha Epsilon Pi, I was excited to be able to attend the European conclave and meet my European brethren. I feel very proud being a brother of AEPi and a part of their mission to bring Jewish brotherhood to college campus. It was exciting to see how the fraternity had expanded to the United Kingdom, Austria, and Israel.
The services at the conclave will be one of my favorite parts of my time abroad. Singing and dancing the same songs with brothers from all over the world was an incredible experience. Just like my services experience back in Berlin, it was amazing to be able to communicate with people through prayer.
My Jewish experiences abroad will definitely affect my Judaism upon my return to the United States. Seeing how committed the Jewish community of Berlin is to the preservation of Judaism was inspiring, and made me want to become more active in my own community back home and there are many ways for me to do so. I can become more knowledgeable about the Middle East conflict and Israeli politics continue to study Hebrew, and become a combatant of Anti-Semitism. There is always more that I can do to benefit my Jewish community.
I would like to thank DOJAS for giving me the opportunity to attend the AEPi European Conclave. The weekend allowed me to continue to explore my Jewish identity and aided in continuing my personal development.
Hindsight is obviously 20/20, but I should never have been worried about expressing my Judaism in Europe. The European Jewish community is welcoming, alive and thriving.
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