German President Joachim Gauck, in an address to a Jewish community conference in Berlin, marveled at the fact that Jews want to live in his country.
Gauck’s Nov. 24 appearance was the first time a German president attended the annual conference hosted by the Central Council of Jews in Germany, the main umbrella organization representing some 105,000 official members of Jewish communities throughout the country.
Speaking to some 600 community members and guests at Berlin’s Intercontinental Hotel, Gauck also defended his decision to sign the Prague Declaration in 2008, which called the Nazi and Communist regimes twin disasters of the 20th century.
“We should avoid competition between victims,” Gauck said, noting that as a German he felt a special responsibility to warn against genocides.
Called “One People, One Community,” the three-day conference drew rabbis, communal leaders, representatives of Jewish NGOs and community members for workshops, meetings, Sabbath services and a gala party.
Gauck, who grew up in the former East Germany, said he had never imagined as a young man that Jews would want to live in Germany again.
Gauck also reiterated his support for Israel and his commitment to Jewish life in Germany. — jta