Germany marks Jewish renaissance

[FernBell]

Cradle of the Nazi party, site of the first concentration camp, and favorite haunt of Adolf Hitler, Munich now has a new legacy; It's home to the largest synagogue built in Germany since World War II.

The modern travertine-marble temple - unveiled Thursday on the 68th anniversary of Kristallnacht, when German mobs ransacked synagogues throughout the country - is the first phase of an elaborate $110 million complex that has been in the works for nearly two decades.

The project's presence in the heart of Munich marks the growing size and influence of Germany's Jewish population - the third largest in Europe and, in terms of immigration, the fastest growing in the world. It is also heralds an increasing willingness on the part of the nation's Jews to step out of the shadows and set down stakes in German soil.

"Since the war, Jews in Germany haven't been a visible presence," explains Michael Brenner, chair of Jewish studies at Munich's Ludwig-Maximilians University. "Now, they are becoming one."



http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/1110/p25s02-woeu.html

[xchrom]

1. ...

:woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo:

[Boston Critic]

2. German antisemitism still exists

What is heartening is that the German government is outspoken in denouncing it.