The background noise of anti-Semitism in our society is currently undergoing a resurgence. The brutal terrorist attack in Halle lends a new prominence to the increasing hatred of Jewish people. This message act, which affected some Jews, but refers to all of them, is extremely unsettling for Jewish life in Germany.

Many Jewish institutions are only safe thanks to police protection – even in Berlin. Whether at the synagogue, in school or at a restaurant, the everyday life of many Jewish people is accompanied by a sense of constant danger. Anti-Semitism is deeply rooted in our society and constantly takes on new forms, often of a violent nature. The consequences for those affected are often simply accepted.
According to surveys, Anti-Semitic violence is at a high level in Berlin. The Berlin Research and Information Centre for Anti-Semitism (RIAS) recorded 1,083 anti-Semitic incidents in Berlin alone in 2018. In the first half of 2019, there were 404 incidents involving 13 physically violent attacks.

RIAS documents various forms of anti-Semitic incidents in Berlin and regularly publishes reports on them: report-antisemitism.de

By means of its OFEK counselling project, the Central Welfare Office for Jews in Germany (ZWST) offers a contact point in Berlin for victims of anti-Semitic violence and discrimination:zwst-kompetenzzentrum.de/beratung