Resilience is the story of the Jewish people, and it’s woven into the story of Hillel. Four years ago, a group of participants happened to be joining Yom Kippur services in Halle, Germany, and were present during the terrible shooting. Only later, after Yom Kippur ended, the extent of the harm caused was discovered: innocent people, Jana Lange and Kevin Schwarze, killed, a Döner shop attacked, passerby fearing for their lives in nearby Wiedersdorf.

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Some of those participants have since left Germany, while others have stayed, and still others have taken journeys in and out. We are proud that Hillel continues to host the annual Ceremony of Resilience between Yom Kippur and Sukkot – to amplify the voices of survivors, to honor the memories of Jana Lange and Kevin Schwarze, and to showcase that meaningful coalitions can be built, even as right-wing extremism threaten to tear us apart with its violence. Resilience is a Jewish value, and we are glad to invite all of our partners to join us in our generations-long process of how to keep moving from moments of despair to moments of joy, and everything in between.

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Thank you:

@jessinthetardis and @ismettekin04 for your powerful keynote talks.

@know_me.guembel paige.harouse @feldmantalya @ezgaussprimes @anastassiaplet @tezul Nathan B. @re_blady @sharfmanm for appearing on stage, even from afar.

@asquirrelmistake @mishakov @sophie_blay for everything you’ve put together.

@sandrarababli and friends, and @tayfun.guttstadt @svetakundish @cowboyhasid for your beautiful musical accompaniment.

@lepiquenique_foodtruck for the delicious food and @bum.berlin for the homey space.

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Thank you to everyone who joined us. We’re keeping the meaning of resilience alive and relevant, as it is now more than ever.

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