Mr. Schuster, the Central Council of Jews has taken over the chairmanship of the Large Communities’ Task Force Against Antisemitism also known as the J7. The representatives of the seven states involved will be meeting in Berlin this week. What do you want to focus on during your six-month chairmanship?
We have placed the topic of Shoah education at the center of our chairmanship. This coincided with the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz as well as the 80th anniversary of the end of WWII. Not only in Germany, but all over the world, we have to recognize that the memory of this time is fading and, at the same time, antisemitism is on the rise. So, there is a connection here, the effects of which we want to combat together. During the J7 visit, we will also visit the Sachsenhausen concentration camp memorial.

The J7 include the U.S., Canada, Argentina, the U.K., France, Australia and Germany. Why is it important that the largest associations always speak out with one voice?
Our voice is heard. We met with UN Secretary-General António Guterres. I don’t know whether he liked what we had to say, but he couldn’t ignore us. This week, we will be talking to Germany’s Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. It also helps German politicians if they recognize the international dimension of antisemitism.

What experiences have your J7 colleagues had in their home countries after October 7th of 2023 in regard to solidarity and Jew hatred?
There are very different situations in the individual countries. But what we can see is that many aspects are interlinked. The radical protests at universities were very strong early on in the U.S.. A bit later, this was exactly what we saw in Europe.

The J7 task force was founded in 2023. What political results has it achieved so far?
We were founded before October 7th of 2023. The reason at the time was the rapid rise in antisemitism worldwide, which, at least in part, was related to conspiracy theories and COVID. The J7 are primarily about understanding the threat to Jews and learning from each other how to deal with it. Specifically, the J7 have played an important role in the networking of antisemitism commissioners in the states involved. We are a driving force.

»Antisemitism is a global phenomenon that requires a global response.« This was the J7 statement when the task force was founded. What are the new strategies for combating Jew hatred?
We agree that historical and political education will play a key role in the digital age. At the same time, we can see that people hate what they don’t know. So, the lesson from the explosion of antisemitism after October 7th must not be a retreat of Jewishness. Together with the J7 partners, we recognize that, in our time, Judaism and liberal democracy belong together. This also means that, contrary to what some believe, we must be part of our liberal societies and not »disintegrate«.

Philipp Peyman Engel, the editor-in-chief of this publication, spoke to the President of the Central Council of Jews in Germany.