The RIAS Federal Association, established in October 2018 in Berlin to use the portal report-antisemitism.de to ensure consistent recording and documentation of antisemitic incidents by civil society throughout Germany, on Tuesday announced its portal’s recorded antisemitic incidents had surged by more than 80% last year, with more than half occurring after the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7.
RIAS reported 4,782 such incidents in 2023, ranging from verbal abuse to physical assaults, up from 2,616 in 2022.
The period following the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel saw 2,787 incidents – exceeding the previous year’s total. This surge included a notable attack on a Berlin synagogue in mid-October, which sparked widespread concern.
RIAS categorized the 2023 incidents as follows:
- 7 cases of “extreme violence” (life-threatening or severely injurious)
- 121 attacks
- 329 instances of targeted property damage
- 183 threats
- 4,060 cases of offensive behavior
As RIAS Director Benjamin Steinitz put it: “An open … but above all carefree Jewish life has become even less possible in Germany as well since Oct. 7.”
It’s a well-known fact that Jews flock to Germany for the spontaneity of Jewish life there.
The Associated Press quoted Daniel Botmann of Germany’s Central Council of Jews, who said that “we are not currently seeing the effect of an emigration of Jews from Germany,” unlike the rush to get the heck out of France, for instance.
In other words, the more things don’t change, the more they remain the same in Berlin.
RIAS maintains “close and continuous cooperation with the Central Council of Jews in Germany, the regional associations of the Jewish communities and the Competence Centre for Prevention and Empowerment at the Central Welfare Office of Jews in Germany, and other Jewish organizations,” noting that this is central to its operations.
RIAS also maintains that “continuous consultation with the existing advisory and support services of victim counseling, mobile counseling and anti-discrimination counseling is central to the success of a gradually developing nationwide reporting and support network.”
And they all prefer to stay in the land of industrial-magnitude extermination of Jews.
Funeral expenses in Germany vary significantly based on burial preferences and personal requests. Statista reports that the typical cost for a German funeral averages about 13,000 euros. However, there’s a wide range in pricing. On the lower end, an anonymous cremation may cost as little as 2,000 euros. In contrast, an elaborate cemetery funeral with a large gathering can exceed 30,000 euros. The final price largely depends on the specific choices made by the deceased and their family.
Milky, anyone?
