Jüdischer Salon

In the organizer's words:

What does anti-Semitism have to do with the Jews?
How "anti-Semitism" is instrumentalized.

With: Eva Menasse and Mariam Lau

Anti-Semitism is a wonderful all-purpose instrument, a bit like the Ma(g)gie cube. As soon as a piece of it is mixed into a dish, all ingredient nuances are drowned out and it just tastes familiar. Comfort food!

Anti-Semitism always fits to discredit someone, preferably to the left.

What do Jews have to do with the Bavarian Aiwanger/Söder issue?

Mariam Lau says that in the famous leaflet not even the word "Jew" is written, but the leaflet is probably a Nazi pamphlet.

Is Nazism a threat only to Jews? Does it not affect our whole society?

That Jews are then called upon to forgive Mr. Aiwanger his youthful sin is mockery and cynical. An instance for absolution? And it opens a new trap: don't forgive, then the person is the victim and the Jews the perpetrators.

Important debates are quickly nipped in the bud with the sledgehammer "anti-Semitism." But they must be held to counter fear, the instrumentalization of an anti-Semitism that doesn't even know what Jews are - and alarmism. Almost amounts to wishful thinking, when it is already clear to many that the AfD will win majorities in the coming elections?

We are very pleased that Eva Menasse and Mariam Lau have agreed to accept our invitation to discuss these topics with each other.

Eva Menasse, author Journalist for Die Zeit, among others.

Born in Vienna in 1970, she began as a journalist and made her debut in 2005 with the family novel "Vienna." This was followed by novels and short stories ("Lässliche Todsünden," "Quasikristalle," "Tiere für Fortgeschrittene"), which have won numerous awards and been translated. Prizes (selection): Heinrich Böll Prize, Friedrich Hölderlin Prize, Jonathan Swift Prize, Austrian Book Prize, Bruno Kreisky Prize, Jakob Wassermann Prize, and the Villa Massimo Fellowship in Rome. Eva Menasse is also increasingly active as an essayist, for which she received the Ludwig Börne Prize in 2019. Her last novel, Dunkelblum, was a bestseller and has been translated into nine languages. She has lived in Berlin for over 20 years.

Mariam Lau, editor in the politics department, DIE ZEIT, focus: CDU domestic politics.

Born in Tehran, Iran, in 1962, her family moved to Germany in 1965, first to Tübingen and then to Berlin. First learned nursing and practiced enthusiastically until 1987, then a few years of night shifts and adult college. Studied American Studies in Berlin and Bloomington, Indiana. Afterwards, many years at the "taz," first as culture editor, then as department head. From 1997 to 2003 worked as a freelancer for the "Welt" - three daughters born. From 2003, head of the opinion department at "Die Welt". Since May 2010 in the political editorial department of DIE ZEIT.