Rabbi Jeremy Borovitz is the Chief Program Officer at Hillel Deutschland – jüdische Bildungsinitiative in Deutschland e.V. – a nonprofit association that brings together Jewish adults aged 18 to 35. Hillel is a people-centered organization, grounded in Torah ritual, learning and critical thinking, that pursues justice by creating inclusive Jewish spaces and engaging in Tikkun Olam (a Jewish concept referring to the pursuit of social justice). Hillel’s office is located in Kreuzberg, where most of its activities with the Jewish population take place. However, Hillel’s engagement with non-Jewish communities is concentrated in Neukölln, where Borovitz resides. The son of a Reform rabbi, Borovitz was trained as an Orthodox rabbi. He immigrated to Berlin from the United States with his family five years ago and is a survivor of the 2019 antisemitic, racist and misogynistic attack that took place in Halle and Widdersdorf during Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. 

Amid heightened tensions across Germany following the intensified violence in Israel and Palestine since October 7, 2023, Borovitz remains committed to building bridges, fostering local solidarity, and strengthening alliances. Borovitz wears his kippah defiantly as he walks through the streets of Neukölln, enduring constant insults and harassment in the hope that one day he will be able to walk without a sense of fear or worry. He is aware that the October 7 attacks have led not only to a global increase in antisemitic incidents, but also to a rise in hate crimes against Muslims. Interfaith dialogue initiatives, he told us, such as those he has been engaged in with Muslim schools and organizations in the neighborhood, will hopefully help make his vision of an inclusive Jewish life in Germany a reality.

In December 2023, Hillel initiated its third annual Hanukkah celebration at the Berlin-Neukölln city hall, where eight-branched Hanukkah menorah candles were lit. More than 300 people from Jewish, Christian and Muslim backgrounds attended. Last March, during Ramadan, Hillel members were invited by Imam Mohamed Taha Sabri of the Dar Assalam mosque to participate in an intercultural Ramadan Iftar – fast-breaking event with over 200 Muslims, Christians and Jews in the middle of Neukölln. A panel discussion was organised as part of the event, to which Borovitz was invited to participate. The annual “Festival of Resilience” also took place this year and served as a tribute to the resilience of minority communities in the face of hate. This festival commemorates the attack in Halle and extends a compassionate hand to survivors and families affected by other far-right attacks in Germany, including the Hanau attack that occurred just four months after the tragedy in Halle. Through shared narratives of endurance and remembrance from both the Jewish and Muslim communities, Hillel is cultivating a collective culture of resilience with the other survivors of the attack. This innovative gathering fosters a deep sense of solidarity and mutual support, inviting individuals to unite across differences and find strength in shared experiences of survival and loss, but also of resilience, care and hope.