German antisemitism today

I wanted to share a so far somewhat obscure piece of news with my loyal readers (the few of you that there are).

As many of you know I spent this past summer traveling the globe, but I spent all of August in Berlin. It was a strange experience being Jewish and contemplating German life and all. Having spent some time there in Germany and having many friends there, I still carefully keep up with the happenings in that city.

Despite all the emotions that surfaced while reflecting on German past and despite all the beliefs that people harbor (rather justly I believe) about German anti-Semitism, one would have to look pretty deep in to German culture to find any expressions of anti-Jewishness there. No one claims that German love Jews, but 60 years of post-nazism has put a very tight cap on what can be said in public. World War II rhetoric or Nazistic inuendo is enough to ruin a political career, as seen during this past election.

Which is why I was so surprised to hear the following story: A little over a week ago the Berlin city council decided to rename a street in Spandau from it's old name "Kinkelstrasse" to its even older name "Judenstrasse". The name was changed by the nazis to remove all Jewish references from the city street, so they changed the name from "Jews' Street" to "Kinkel Street" after some 19th century German revolutionary figure.

During the ceremony reportedly there were shouts of "Juden raus", or "Jews: leave". There were a number of demonstrators who under the guise of not wanting to change their business cards, vigourously protested the renaming of their street. The report was more detailed.

I remember hearing about the changing of many street names lately. It was done a lot in Budapest, if I am not mistaken after communism to remove all traces of the communist names of things. Many cities did such things. There must have been a whole bunch of "Lenin Street"s renamed back to their original old names. I am sure that bothered no one, and their business cards recovered. (I was quite pleased about Jackie Robinson Boulevard in New York.)

I have increasingly hearing stories of anti-Semitism in Germany lately. I even heard reports of challenges to the standard account of the Holocaust offered in academic contexts in Heidelberg.

I think I am worried.

A friend recently forwarded me an email with a line from his grandfather that went something like this: In the 30's one saw graffiti on German wals that said things like "Jews: go to Palestine", now one just sees: "Jews: get out of Palestine". While I do not see Germany attempting the fourth Reich, the days of unwavering support from Germany are waning, and I suggest the free world take heed.