The German Curse

B"H

Just a week ago, the two Israeli chief rabbis were visiting Germany, and according to what they said, they seemed to be very enthusiastic about German Jewry. I couldn't believe they that such a thing. Obviously, I am not the only one thinking this way, as different websites from Boro Park or Williamsburgh (both NY) agreed with me.
The main reaction of their readers was that apparently German Jews haven't learned anything from the war. How can they still settle in Germany and enjoy life ?

However, it looks as if the two chief rabbis were just visiting the main orthodox Jewish communities in Germany. Such as Frankfurt, Berlin or Munich. In those cities it is possible to have a Jewish life according to Halacha. You can find kosher stores and restaurants, but if you want something really kosher, you should rather go to Chabad.
Although Chabad is not very popular in Germany, they seem to attract more and more people. According to my experience, they are also the only one's teaching halachic Jews about Judaism and chassidic thought.
Before Chabad came to Germany, regular orthod. rabbis just demanded high salaries from German communities but didn't bother too much giving classes to the community members. Abroad we are used to all kinds of classes in any subject. Not so in Germany.
Chabad came and immediately the other orthod. rabbis saw in them a competitor. They started spreading rumors about Chabad.
Nevertheless, a few months ago, Chabad opened a huge community center including their own synagogue in Berlin. Hopefully, more German halachic Jews will learn more about Judaism and getting interested. That's already a great improve, as Germany is well - known for its reform movement.
This is also the reason why I stress the words "halachic Jews" in this article. The German reform movement is converting a great amount of Gentiles into their movement who are, according to orthodox thought, not Jewish at all. Well, when I hear the reform views about different Torah subjects I feel like I am listening to another religion anyway. A religion I wouldn't call Judaism.

I have two religious sites: this one in English and another one in German. Responses to both sites are very very different from each other. This site is mostly being read by Jews who know something about Judaism. Which makes it much easier for me, as I don't have to explain every word.
Responses to the German site are different. Most German Jews have no real clue about Judaism let alone the Jewish vocabulary. There my footnotes keep on growing.

Pessach is coming soon and it keeps on reminding me of my life in Germany during my last year before I made Aliyah.
I had lived in Israel many years before, then I had gone back to Germany for a little more than two years, and finally I made Aliyah. I haven't been back to Germany for almost seven years now. Baruch HaShem.

When I was still living in Germany, one needed to be an enrolled community member in order to get Mazzot for Pessach and join the Seder. In my small Bavarian town I wasn't a member which meant that I had to organize my own Pessach celebrations. I was lucky having a very good friend in Brussels and for the Chag, I went to see her. The Seder I had with Rabbi Menachem Hadad in Brussels. A sephardi Chabad Seder. We had a great time although everything was in French and I didn't understand too much. I had a great time but, on the other hand, it is very sad that there are such rules in German Jewish communities. And I am sure that if the two chief rabbis were living there for some time, they wouldn't be too enthusiastic any more.