It’s never been clear to me how or why the tragic lessons of history often repeat themselves.
After the horrific terrorist attack on Israel on Oct. 7th, 2023, I received one phone call checking in to see how I was doing. That person, a work colleague from Germany, reached out again a few months later when antisemitism burst onto college campuses and nightly newscasts. It seemed ironic, if not surprising, that a German had the sensitivity to recognize my sadness and concern. My recent trip to Hamburg and Berlin shed light on her warmth and empathy, as well as on today’s Germany, one that we should all know more about.
I was fortunate to participate in the 2025 American Jewish Committee Konrad Adenauer Foundation Leadership learning program, where ten others and I from around the US spent six action-packed days meeting with legislators, diplomats, media, law enforcement, military officials, think tanks, academics, and community leaders in Germany’s strong but anxious Jewish community. Viewing current events through the lens of German policymakers, stakeholders, and ordinary citizens helped explain their fierce understanding of the horrors of the Holocaust and their equally compelling commitment to protecting and supporting the Jewish people and Israel.
We learned how the new German government, led by Chancellor Frederich Merz, is inspiring optimism about Germany’s future leadership in the EU and NATO, while confronting serious obstacles at home related to infrastructure investments, immigration deterrence, and the unsettling possibility of conscription. Germans are worried about many issues, including tariffs and the economy, but their genuine reluctance to rebuild a strong military and assume leadership in Europe was a palpable theme in our meetings.
The proud, resilient German Jewish community shared new concerns about antisemitism that has been so powerfully condemned and confronted by German law, policy, and institutions since the rebirth of Germany’s 1949 constitution. Most concerning is the “imported antisemitism” citing the estimated 2 million Muslim refugees that came to Germany since the 2015-2016 crisis. Sadly, German Jews are actively talking about leaving Germany for the first time in many years.
AJC Berlin’s office advocates for the safety and security of Jews and other minorities and supports Israel’s right to peace and security. After years of monitoring a mosque known as the Islamic Center, AJC assisted the Office for the Protection of the Constitution of Hamburg in shutting down the mosque for its ties to terrorist organizations, thus violating the German constitution. AJC works tirelessly to assist law enforcement and supports new ways to teach German students about religious and ethnic tolerance, fairness, and equality among its citizens through Holocaust education and other educational opportunities.
Perhaps my biggest surprise and takeaway was the seriousness and rigor with which Germany is committed to democracy and democratic values. Each year, the federal budget funds programs that support civic education and engagement, the rule of law, and functioning political institutions. Internationally, the focus is on information and people exchanges that promote cultural and diplomatic understanding as a cornerstone for democracy. AJC has a remarkable 45-year affiliation with the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, an independent foundation of the current government’s majority party, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU). The Adenauer Foundation impressed me and my fellow leaders with their unwavering support for Ukraine and Israel (two of the four flags flying at their office, the others being Germany and EU), as well as their political education programs in over 100 offices around the world, which are committed to preserving peace and supporting freedom and justice.
The week culminated on Friday night with Shabbat services at one of Berlin’s oldest synagogues, where we sang Hebrew prayers and heard the visiting Latin American Rabbi share his sermon in Spanish, translated into German and English. His universal message of peace, tolerance, and acceptance aptly affirmed the transformational goals of contemporary Germany. I look forward to welcoming the German cohort of Adenauer exchange leaders to Miami and Broward later this year and furthering this extraordinary experience, which aims to learn from the lessons of history.
Susan Greene Pallot is the President of American Jewish Committee Miami and Broward Region. She and ten other AJC volunteer leaders from across the United States recently participated in the AJC- Konrad Adenauer leadership exchange program. In its 30 plus years, the partnership has produced hundreds of ambassadors for German-Jewish relations on both sides of the Atlantic.
