BRUSSELS – The World Jewish Congress (WJC), in collaboration with the European Commission, the European Union of Jewish Students (EUJS), and the Representation of the German State of Hessen to the European Union, organized a Seminar on Building Bridges in Divided Times this week in Brussels. As a platform for addressing rising negative sentiments across the European Union, key stakeholders and Jewish leaders listened to government leaders on the pressing issues facing European Jewish communities today before the seminar transitioned into a panel series.
Just one day after the divisive European Parliament elections, the need for sociopolitical and interfaith relations was more pertinent than ever. The focal point of the seminar was to foster dialogue and cultivate a renewed sense of unity amongst Europe’s minority communities, such as Jewish, Christian, Muslim, and Roma communities, amidst the rise in antisemitism and Islamophobia, targeted discrimination, and the spread of anti-democratic sentiments across Europe.
The event opened with welcoming remarks from Claus-Peter Appel, Deputy Head of the Representation of the State of Hessen to the EU as the hosting institution; Emma Hallali, President of the European Union of Jewish Students; Dany Levin Prist, European Affairs Manager of the World Jewish Congress; María Rodríguez Alcázar, President of the European Youth Forum, and Katharina von Schnurbein, the European Commission Coordinator on combating antisemitism and fostering Jewish life.
Kévin Haddad, Director for European Projects at Missions Publiques led a workshop on engaging European youth in civic engagements as a steppingstone to building societal connections. The first formal session, "Coalition Building in Divided Times," was dedicated to further exploring this concept in the framework of the upcoming European elections, particularly with issues of discrimination, the decline of law and the rules of democracy, and the surge of extremism from both the far-right and the far-left.
Participants heard from three young activists: Hanna Veiler, President of the German Jewish Student Union and EUJS Vice President, who is also a WJC Lauder Fellow; Costel Nastasie, Project Coordinator at Yahad-In Unum; and Iman Abou Atta, Director of Tell MAMA. The panelists provided insights on the obstacles they face in democratic participation and why there is a general demand for increased civic engagement in European sociopolitical circles amongst ordinary citizens.
The seminar ended with an open discussion led by EUJS President Hallali and Robin Sclafani, Executive Director at CEJI - A Jewish Contribution to an Inclusive Europe, engaging participants in a broader exchange on the challenges of bringing people together in politically turbulent times.
