Association of Jewish Students in Bavaria

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Association of Jewish Students in Bavaria
(VJSB)
purpose Representation of Jewish students and young Jewish adults in Bavaria
Chair: Michael Movchin
Establishment date: 1947
Number of members: around 1000 (as of 2018)
Seat : Munich
Website: www.vjsb.de

The Association of Jewish Students in Bavaria ( VJSB ) is the largest and oldest Bavarian association of Jewish students and young adults. The non-profit student association sees its task in promoting and networking young Jewish life in Bavarian Jewish communities as well as in strengthening young Jewish political activism. According to its own information, it represents around 1000 members aged 18–35 years.

Fields of activity

The work of the association is aimed in particular at Jewish students and young adults interested in the Jewish religion and culture. The tasks are in detail:

  • Promotion of cultural and religious coexistence through events with thematic and personal reference to Judaism or Israel .
  • Organization and implementation of joint events with a cultural, political and religious background, especially on the occasion of Jewish holidays and memorial days .
  • Promotion of communication through the exchange of information between the association members and other Jewish and non-Jewish persons and institutions.
  • Ideal support for the State of Israel in its function as the national and cultural center of the Jewish people, including the public relations work of the association for the benefit of Israel.
  • Promotion of international understanding

structure

The general assembly is the highest body of the association. An ordinary general assembly is called by the board in the fourth quarter of the year during the lecture period of the Bavarian universities. The board consists of 5 members and is elected for one year at the general meeting.

The current board (since December 2019) consists of the following people:

  • Chairman of the Board of Directors: Michael Movchin
  • Chief Financial Officer: Grisha Dratva
  • Head of Public Relations: Alexandra Poljak
  • Board member for events: Anna Fuhrmann
  • Head of Administration and General: David Münz

history

The association was founded in the post-war period in 1947 initially to represent the interests of Jewish students. In the founding years, the VJSB provided help with food cards and student advice. In the course of time, the association transformed into a socio-political initiative of students and young adults between 18 and 35 years from the Jewish communities in Bavaria. The association was registered in 1957. a. education about Israel, social work, cultural and social events.

Political positions

In 2012, the association criticized the appearance of Haneen Zoabi at the "Palestine Days" in Munich. Zoabi does not accept the State of Israel because it sees itself as a Jewish state and speaks of "political racism". She openly calls for the abolition of the Jewish state.

In the context of a joint press release with AmEchad, the Green Youth , the Linksjugend ['solid] , the Pirate Party and the German-Israeli Society , the VJSB criticized the One World House in Munich in 2014, which rented space to BDS organizations. The Munich meeting place was asked to reject events that directly or indirectly deny Israel the right to exist. The undersigned organizations accused the program board of, among other things, increasing delegitimization and demonization of Israel at events in the One World House.

On November 7, 2018, an event entitled “Israel, Palestine and the Limits of the Sayable” took place in the main LMU building. An alliance of Jewish and Israeli solidarity organizations, including the VJSB, had requested the President of the LMU, Bernd Huber , in an open letter to cancel the event. Professor Michael Meyen , who is responsible for the teaching area , stated that it is a scientific event that is integrated into a series of lessons and that it is not about a political discussion. The University Presidium then approved the event in the interests of pluralism and freedom of speech despite the protests and regretted this decision in retrospect.

In January 2019, the cartoonist Dieter Hanitzsch received a lifetime achievement award from the Ernst Hoferichter Foundation. The VJSB sharply criticized the award, as Hanitzsch published a cartoon in the Süddeutsche Zeitung in May 2018 that conveyed anti-Semitic stereotypes. The newspaper then ended its collaboration with the cartoonist. The Left Alliance against Antisemitism, in which mainly activists from the Green Youth , Left Youth and those from the anti-fascist spectrum, demonstrated together with the VJSB and the Young Forum of the German-Israeli Society against the award. “No city prize may be awarded for anti-Semitic caricatures,” demanded Michael Movchin, director of the VJSB. The honor is a "disgrace for Munich culture". Charlotte Knobloch, President of the Jewish Community in Munich and Upper Bavaria, described the award as "more than strange and completely inappropriate".

The planned hosting of a concert by the rapper Kollegah on December 14, 2019 in Backstage Munich was extensively criticized by the VJSB. The statement not only deals with the anti-Semitism and sexism of Kollegah, but also attacks the way backstage dealt with this problem. Bavaria's anti-Semitism officer Ludwig Spaenle had previously clearly criticized the planned concert. Then the Backstage and the VIP Club canceled the sold out concert at short notice. According to the Munich police, Kollegah had decided not to appear in the VIP Club . According to the organizer, the “absolutely destructive attitude of the artist” was the reason for the cancellation. He did not distance himself from anti-Semitic statements and made fun of his critics in November 2019.

In a joint statement with the Jewish Student Union of Germany (JSUD), both of them called on the city of Munich to maintain their BDS resolution in July 2020 . The hour associations criticized the fact that the BDS movement has numerous links to terrorist organizations and that its actions are regularly classified as anti-Semitic in accordance with the definition of anti-Semitism of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance . They are supported by numerous youth organizations of the political parties in Munich and the representative of the Bavarian State Government for Jewish life and against anti-Semitism, Ludwig Spaenle. The Munich City Council decided in December 2017 that nobody who deals with or supports this campaign can receive municipal grants or use a municipal space. The Munich Administrative Court confirmed the legality of this decision in December 2018. The 4th Senate of the Bavarian Administrative Court is now negotiating the appeal against the judgment of the lower court. The plaintiff is among others Professor Michael Meyen .

activities

In 2007 the VJSB organized a bicycle rally through Munich with all Jewish youth groups, which enabled 59 trees to be planted in Israel.

In the run-up to the state elections in Bavaria in 2018 , the association invited representatives of the youth organizations of the CSU , SPD , the Greens , the FDP and the Left to a "Political Talk" under the motto "Shaping the future for Bavaria, Germany and the world". The VJSB found active support from the Central Council of Jews in Germany . The event was sponsored by Charlotte Knobloch , President of the Jewish Community in Munich and Upper Bavaria , and Josef Schuster , President of the Central Council of Jews in Germany and the National Association of Jewish Community in Bavaria .

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany , the association initiated the VJSB Cares portal in March 2020 . This gave voluntary members of the association the opportunity to offer neighborhood help to elderly and sick people . Volunteers who wanted to take part in the project could register on the association's website. In order to carry out the relief operation, the association was in contact with the social department of the Israelitische Kultusgemeinde Munich and Upper Bavaria.

Reactions

In June 2020 it became known that an anti-Semitic hate message explicitly addressed to Chairman Michael Movchin had been sent and that his death was wished for. Movchin had previously expressed a positive opinion about the decision of the state capital Munich to ban the wearing of yellow "Jewish stars" during demonstrations against the corona restrictions . The investigation was carried out by the police station in Munich's police headquarters responsible for politically right-wing state security offenses . Bavaria's anti-Semitism officer, Ludwig Spaenle , said he was "deeply appalled by the willingness to use violence that speaks out of a hate mail against the chairman of the Association of Jewish Students in Bavaria".

Cooperations

The VJSB is connected to the Munich Student Union . In addition, the association submits offers relating to faith and culture, intercultural dialogue, political commitment, and sports and leisure at the Technical University of Munich . The VJSB participates in pro-Israeli demonstrations and events such as the nationwide Israel Day. The association cooperates with the Jewish Student Union of Germany .

See also

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Kleiner, Piritta .: Jewish, young and now: Identities and lifeworlds of young Jews in Munich . Utz, Munich 2010, ISBN 978-3-8316-4003-4 .
  2. ↑ VJSB - Association of Jewish Students in Bavaria. Retrieved July 7, 2018 .
  3. ↑ Constitution - VJSB. Retrieved July 7, 2018 .
  4. ^ Central Council of Jews in Germany Kdö.R .: Student Union: Fresh Wind | Jewish general. Retrieved July 7, 2018 .
  5. ↑ Schoeps, Julius Hans .: New Lexicon of Judaism . Revised New edition. Gütersloher Verl.-Haus, Gütersloh 2000, ISBN 3-579-02305-5 .
  6. ↑ VJSB criticizes “Palestine Days”. In: Schlamassel Muc. Retrieved July 7, 2018 .
  7. ↑ gast: Tumult in the Gasteig: Jewish students do not let their mouths be forbidden. In: Schlamassel Muc. Accessed January 1, 2020 .
  8. ↑ PM 02: Munich organizations criticize hostility towards Israel in the One World House - Jachad initiative. Retrieved July 7, 2018 .
  9. ↑ Open letter to the EineWeltHaus Munich - haGalil . In: haGalil . June 30, 2013 ( online [accessed July 7, 2018]).
  10. ↑ Thorsten Schmitz: Israel Debate - The main thing is against. Retrieved June 7, 2020 .
  11. ↑ Jüdische Rundschau :: 5 (57) May 2019 :: Seen from the outside left, everything is “right”, Mr. Zumach! Accessed January 1, 2020 .
  12. ↑ Frederik Schindler: Anti-Semitic caricature in the "SZ": The bellicose and powerful Jew . In: The daily newspaper: taz . May 16, 2018, ISSN  0931-9085 ( online [accessed January 1, 2020]).
  13. ↑ Frederik Schindler: Prize for cartoonist Dieter Hanitzsch: "Shame for Munich culture" . In: The daily newspaper: taz . January 24, 2019, ISSN  0931-9085 ( online [accessed January 1, 2020]).
  14. ↑ Munich honors the controversial cartoonist Hanitzsch. Accessed January 1, 2020 .
  15. ^ Central Council of Jews in Germany Kdö.R: Gift, Protest, Shalom | Jewish general. December 12, 2019, accessed January 12, 2020 .
  16. ^ WORLD: Spaenle criticizes the planned Kollegah concert . November 14, 2019 ( welt.de [accessed January 12, 2020]).
  17. ↑ Linus Freymark, Ingrid Fuchs: Culture in Munich: Kollegah concert canceled for the second time. SZ, December 14, 2019
  18. ↑ Central Council of Jews in Germany Kdö.R: "There must be no place for the Jew-hatred of the BDS". July 14, 2020, accessed July 18, 2020 .
  19. ↑ Jakob Wetzel: BDS campaign: lawsuit against the city of Munich. Retrieved July 18, 2020 .
  20. ^ Stephan Handel: Munich: Court wants to overturn city BDS decision. Retrieved July 18, 2020 .
  21. ↑ Sebastian Krass: LMU Munich: Displeasure with Michael Meyen's blog. Retrieved July 18, 2020 .
  22. ^ Central Council of Jews in Germany Kdö.R .: Trees for Israel: Kick for the forest | Jewish general. Retrieved July 7, 2018 .
  23. ↑ Katrin Diehl: Shaping the future. September 20, 2018, accessed January 1, 2020 .
  24. ↑ Jérôme Lombard: "We want to stay in touch". March 26, 2020, accessed June 7, 2020 .
  25. ↑ Central Council of Jews in Germany Kdö.R: Coronavirus, Nazi-looted property . March 19, 2020, accessed June 7, 2020 .
  26. ↑ RIAS Bavaria - Research and Information Center Antisemitism. Retrieved July 18, 2020 .
  27. ↑ Spaenle appalled by hate mail against Jewish people. June 10, 2020, accessed July 18, 2020 .
  28. ↑ We work with ... Accessed July 7, 2018 .
  29. ↑ Student life - TUM. Retrieved July 7, 2018 .