An unexpected immigration wave of Jews from the former Soviet Union mostly in the 1990s has
stabilized and enlarged Jewish life in Germany. Jewish kindergartens and schools were opened
and Jewish museums theaters and festivals are attracting a wide audience. No doubt: Jews will
continue to live in Germany. At the same time Jewish life has undergone an impressing
transformation in the second half of the 20th century - from rejection to acceptance but not
without disillusionments and heated debates. And while the 'new Jews of Germany ' 90 percent of
them of Eastern European background are already considered an important factor of the
contemporary Jewish diaspora they still grapple with the shadow of the Holocaust with
internal cultural clashes and with difficulties in shaping a new collective identity. What does
it mean to live a Jewish life in present-day Germany? How are Jewish thoughts feelings and
practices reflected in contemporary arts literature and movies? What will remain of the
former German Jewish cultural heritage? Who are the new Jewish elites and how successful is
the fight against anti-Semitism? This volume offers some answers.
