Tikkun olam – repairing the world

July 14, 2011 in All, Miscellaneous

Wikipedia:

Tikkun olam (Hebrew: תיקון עולם‎) is a Hebrew phrase that means “repairing the world.”

 

Dr. Charlotte Knobloch, whom we met during the Third Generation Initiative program, left a lasting impression on me. She herself is a survivor of the Shoa (or a word better known to Germans … the Holocaust). She told us her story of growing up in a Nazi Germany, how hard it was for her, and how she managed to survive the horrors of that time. AND she said, that today she feels at home in Germany, that she actualy feels German. And this after all the things that Germans did to the Jewish people (and to many onthers) during World War II.

This left me speechless.

Dr. Knobloch mentioned that in her opinion teaching “the young” and encouraging a dialogue that everyone can learn from, is one of the most important things that should happen between Germans and the Jewish people nowadays.

I fully agree.

There are so many things that I have learned during the Third Generation Initiative trip.
Things aboout current events that are “public knowledge” … if you know where to search.
Things that you would not be aware of, if you only read German newspapers.
Things that shape your opinion. If you are lucky enough to know them.

So … what can we do … what can I do to change that?

Well, you actually see what I can do. With this website I try to engage people in an open dialogue.
To learn from each other … because there is so much to learn.
To talk to each other … because there is so much to talk about.
To open their minds for new experiences … because there is so much to gain.

Dialogue is the only way to understand each other. The only way to tikkun olam.

Everyone is invited to join the discussion!