Hotel in Leipzig, Germany, rebuffs Jewish singer for wearing Star of David
Hundreds of people, some draped in Israeli flags, stood outside the Westin in Leipzig, Germany, on Tuesday night to protest an alleged incident of antisemitism at the hotel. Now, at least one major Jewish organization has launched a petition calling for the hotel, part of the Marriott chain, to apologize.
Gil Ofarim Facebook
The uproar comes after a video went viral of German Jewish singer Gil Ofarim recounting his experience trying to check-in.
Recorded just outside of the hotel on Monday night, Ofarim said in German that he had been waiting in line to get a room and that others were allowed to go ahead of him. When he finally got to the front of the line, Ofarim claims that he was told by a Westin employee to put away the Star of David necklace he was wearing.
“Really? Germany 2021,” Ofarim states at the end of the video, according to a translation.
The video, in which Ofarim is seen wearing the necklace, has since been viewed 1 million times.
“The antisemitic hostility that Gil Ofarim has obviously experienced in Leipzig is terrifying,” wrote Josef Schuster, president of the Central Council of Jewish in Germany, according to a translation of a statement posted on social media. “This is the everyday antisemitism that Jewish people face again and again. Where were the other people in line in front of the reception standing by the side of Gil Ofarim? Why didn’t anyone protest?”
“This blatantly antisemitic incident is sickening and unacceptable everywhere, but especially in Germany. It reminds us that antisemitism is a problem in all parts of society, not only in the extreme fringes,” said Remko Leemhuis, director of AJC Berlin. “Marriott should take all necessary steps to ensure that something like this will never happen again. AJC stands ready to help with our expertise and knowledge.”
For its part, the Westin has reportedly put the employees involved in the incident on leave as they investigate the singer’s claims.
According to a local news report, police are investigating the incident.
JNS
Distressing as the antisemitic incident was involving a staff member of hotel in Leipzig and the behaviour of onlookers, it should come as no surprise. Losing the War did not automatically create a nation of Angela Merkels. But remember that it was not Germany alone that set out to eradicate a whole race and murdered over 6 million innocent people of all ages. Nearly every other nation stood by or actively joined in with the exception of a few righteous individuals, the key word being few.
Eli Wiesel summed it up when he said the opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. There will always be individuals that hate others and are prejudiced, but the ones who should stand in judgement and be condemned are the other guests who took advantage of the antisemitism and lodged not one word of protest. They stand in shame.
Germany and some surrounding countries, have retained over 30 sculptures called ‘Judensau’ – a pig with Jews suckling at its teats and a rabbi at its back legs – for 700 years in various towns and cities. The first one appeared on the main church in Wittenberg where Martin Luther wrote his anti-Semitic diatribes. In recent times, there have been court cases to have this first one removed, without success.
In the light of this, is it any wonder that anti-Semitism in Germany abounds, where recently a Jewish businessman was called a ‘Judensau’?
The teaching of the Holocaust is mandatory in many countries including Germany. What message is sent to the school children when they encounter a ‘Judensau’ in the main street of their town?
It is high time that these ugly, insulting relics of a bygone era are removed; perhaps that will reduce the incidences of anti-Semitism … it’s worth a try.