Speaking passionately at the European Parliament last Thursday, Rabbi Avi Tawil drew urgent attention to the long history of anti-Semitic hate crimes targeting visibly Jewish children across the continent. He traced Judaism’s deep roots in Europe spanning millennia and appealed for unity and understanding between different religions to realize the promise of an inclusive European society.
“Today, especially after 7th October, but already for many, many, many years. Children in the streets of Europe if they choose, or their parents allow them, or just that they walk with the kippa in the streets or they come out of a Jewish school. And there is a great deal. These kids grow up with a trauma of insults and abuse. This is something common,” explained Tawil, director of the European Jewish Community Centre, a non-profit promoting Jewish culture.
While stressing that fundamental rights belong to all communities, Tawil warned that Jewish Europeans are often still viewed as not fully European. “Jews across Europe paid full price and a very expensive price to have 2000 years or more of history in these lands,” he remarked, tracing Jewish contributions to shaping European civilization since ancient times.
Yet Tawil found reason for optimism in the very gathering where he spoke. The event at the European Parliament titled “Fundamental Rights of Religious and Spiritual Minorities in the EU” was organized by French MEP Maxette Pirbakas and brought together Catholic, Protestant, Muslim Baha’is, Scientologists, Hindus and other faith leaders.
“We were discussing and learning together and it made me very hopeful. These moments of sharing, these moments, these special moments that we can actually understand that we are all part of this European project,” Tawil commented.
In his view, defending rights for all spiritual minorities is essential for realizing the unifying promise of Europe. “If we have the same determination, we know what our values are, we know how we have to stand strong for each other, for each other’s freedoms, we can for sure make an impact,” he appealed in closing.
Tawil called for faith communities to come together in solidarity and bless Europe with “the determination to defend these important fundamental rights for every single person, every single citizen in this beautiful Europe.”
