Berlin youths hurl anti-Semitic slurs at Jewish girls; second incident in less than a week

Jewish school girls were verbally assaulted with anti-Semitic slurs in Berlin on Monday, in the second attack on Jews reported in the German capital in less than a week.

Last week, Daniel Alter, a Berlin rabbi, was assaulted by youths in West Berlin in a suspected anti-Semitic attack, witnessed by his 6-year-old daughter.

Alter told the German daily Bild that the attackers approached him and asked, “Are you a Jew?” Then they blocked his way and began hitting him in the face, while hurling anti-Semitic curses. They also threatened his daughter’s life.

On Monday, a group of 13 Jewish school girls, from the ultra-Orthodox school "Or Avner" in Berlin, said they were surrounded by boys and girls of a "Middle Eastern appearance" who reported that anti-Semitic slurs were hurled toward them. Local police said that no one was physically hurt in the incident.

Head of Berlin Jewish community, Gideon Yoffe, denounced the attack, telling DPA that it was "time that Muslim anti-Semitism bothered the Muslim side too."

Following the attack on Alter, last week, the city's residents decided to show their solidarity with the city's Jewish community, with Reinhard Naumann, head of the Charlottenburg– Wilmersdorf Berlin district, calling for immediate action in response to the events.

Naumann called on the Berlin newspaper to take action: "Berliners can show solidarity with Daniel Alter and the Jewish community by wearing skullcaps," Naumann told BZ on Friday.

The newspaper decided to accept the challenge, and turned to politicians, celebrities and citizens, who all agreed to pose wearing skullcaps. Sven Schulz, a parliament member from the Spandau neighborhood, explained: "'Berlin wears a yarmulke' is an excellent idea, and is a powerful symbol of solidarity."

Mayor Wowereit published a notice of support for the rally, calling the attack on Alter "violence directed against peace and communality in a multi-religious city… Berlin is proud of its liberal and tolerant heritage. Our multi-national city includes numerous religious communities. Churches, synagogues, mosques and temples are all communal centers and carry an important social role."

Haaretz