Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
In my frequent travels in Germany, I can agree that many Germans do show regret. I had many times that they come over to me to personally apologize, (not that it changes anything). I was once looking at a map, and a car parked next to me, and the occupants went out only to help with directions. In my tens of times in Germany, I never saw or felt any anti-semitism. (I cannot say the same thing about any other country in Europe). And in Eastern Europe, e.g. Poland, neo-nazis are out in the open, and scream Juden Raus even in crowded streets.
You can find active Jewish communities in every German city. Germany’s Jewish population is currently at around 119,000, mostly
due to the large immigration of Jews from the former soviet union.
It’s also a shock to see how many flights are there every day from various German cities (Frankfurt, Munich, Berlin, Dusseldorf, and Cologne) to Tel Aviv each day. Looking at flightstats.com today – shows two Lufthansa and an El Al flight from Frankfurt, and from Munich, 4 flights, operated by Lufthansa, El Al, Air Berlin, and TUIfly.
There is an yeshiva in Berlin, and many of their students go on to
learn in mainstream yeshivas in Israel, e.g. Mir, as well as a seminary for girls.
A few years ago, there were twice weekly flights between Tel Aviv and Memmingen, Germany (an airport near Munich) operated by TUIfly, and I was on the very first flight from Tel Aviv. At arrival in Germany, we were greeted by a German marching band, and a large group of Germans holding Israeli flags, and giving a rose to every disembarking passenger.
godaven.com shows 31 minyan listings for Germany.
I think it was the shomer shabos shul in Boro Park, so it’s
opened 24 hours a day, and most pushkas in shuls are opened,
as people can take change from the money they put in.
I have heard of somebody who once got stuck in the middle of the night, with no money. He eventually found a shul, with a Meir Baal
Haness pushka, and borrowed money from it, and when he got home, he retured the money to a Meir Baal Haness pushka there.
Here is a halacha shiur in English from Rav N. Kaplan shlita on this subject:
http://ravkaplan.dafyomireview.com/aud/5771-Halacha/5771-66_opening_bottles_on_shabbos.mp3
What about all the ladies strolling with baby carriages, and talking on cell phones at the same time,
and walking through every red light in boro park? And the children see us adults walking against red lights, this is great chinuch for them!