WE ARE CONNECTED.*
"This is the name we have given to our joint initiative for youth contacts between Germany and Israel in these difficult weeks.
We are connected. That is a statement. An assurance. A commitment. An affirmation of the deep and diverse connections between young people and people of all generations from Germany and Israel.
We are connected, because Jewish life has been an integral part of society in this country over the centuries, and it still is in present-day Germany.
We are connected because all of us in Germany and Israel are part of the terrible history in which the people of National Socialist Germany persecuted and murdered Jews from all over Europe. We are connected when we hear in these weeks how much the survivors of that persecution are affected and shaken, retraumatized by the current attacks on Israel.
We are connected in the many daily issues and challenges of our everyday lives in normal times – in the diversity of identities, interests and opinions of young people in our democratic societies. We are connected in our shared interests in culture, sport, school and extracurricular education. We are united in discourses and activities for sustainability and environmental protection.
And in these weeks, we are connected once again. Because the attacks on Israel are not just Islamist attacks on Israel's democratic and open society. These attacks have also affected us altogether in the field of exchange:
There is Yotam Ben Bassat, 24 years old. He was a participant in an exchange program of the 50-year-old exchange partnership between Emek Hefer and Siegen-Wittgenstein. Yotam died as a soldier on October 7 while trying to defend his country against the terrorists.
And there is Ilan Moshe Yaakov, 29 years old. He was the director of the Beit Dani Youth Center in Tel Aviv and a group leader in the long-standing exchange partnership between Tel Aviv and Frankfurt. On October 7, he was murdered as one of the participants of the Nova Festival.
And then there are the exchange groups that visited Israel on October 7 just as usual – also in the south of the country, such as a group from Karlsruhe in the Sha'ar Hanegev region and a group from Pankow visiting Ashkelon.
In the first weeks after October 7, the approach was cautious: How can we talk about what happened? What can we say or ask? Do our tears have a place in the distance, even though we are far away and safe? What can we do?
The WE ARE CONNECTED. initiative encourages German partner organizations and young people from youth exchanges, school exchanges and volunteer services to be in contact with Israeli partners and friends NOW and to show visible signs of support and connectedness. The initiative invites German partner organizations to provide idealistic support and also to come up with concrete help by developing donation ideas. In this situation, in which so many people in Israel are volunteering to help, the Israeli youth movements are a central force among the helpers: They support families affected by flight and evacuation, organize lessons and leisure activities for evacuated children and young people and spend time with elderly, retraumatized people.
Let's set an example of connectedness!
Our support is needed NOW."
*Excerpt from the speech by Christine Mähler, Director of ConAct, at the launch event of the WE ARE CONNECTED. initiative in Berlin in December 2023