First candle – also for the German Chancellor: Olaf Scholz recently participated in lighting Hanukkah candles in front of the Brandenburg Gate in central Berlin.
German Chancellor lights first candle at Europe's largest menorah at Berlin's Brandenburg Gate | Social Networks
"To stand here, where the Nazis held their marches, isn't that a message of light and hope?" said Schultz at the candle lighting.
Chancellor Scholz and Rabbi Teichtal light a candle. In the background: Brandenburg Gate, photo: AP
The chancellor's unprecedented participation in the event comes at a particularly difficult time for German Jews. The number of antisemitic incidents in the country soared after the Hamas attack on October 7, raising constant concern for the safety of local Jews and Israeli Jews living in the country. Just to illustrate: between October 7 and November 9, there were 994 antisemitic incidents – an average of 29 incidents per day. According to the Federal Association for Research and Information on Antisemitism, this is a 320% jump compared to the same period last year.
"The chancellor's arrival is the clearest expression of his support for the Jewish people in general and for Israel in particular," said Rabbi Yehuda Teichtal, rabbi of Berlin and Chabad emissary. "Since the terrible massacre, Germany has been at the forefront of support for Israel and the Jewish people, among European countries."
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