Hundreds Gather at Berlin-Grunewald to Remember First Jewish Deportation
Several hundred people assembled at the former Gleis 17 in Berlin-Grunewald to commemorate the first Nazi deportation of Berlin Jews, marked by a speech from Federal Constitutional Court President Stephan Harbarth.
On Sunday afternoon, several hundred attendees gathered at the abandoned Gleis 17 in Berlin-Grunewald, the site from which the first Nazi transport of Berlin Jews departed 85 years ago for the ghetto in Lodz. Federal Constitutional Court President Stephan Harbarth addressed the crowd, describing the deportations as a definitive move from legal order to injustice and cautioning against the gradual decay of the rule of law.
Israeli ambassador Ron Prosor warned that antisemitism persists in Germany and that freedom of expression must not be confused with hate speech. Jewish leaders, including Abraham Lehrer of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, spoke about contemporary threats such as political parties seeking to curtail Holocaust education funding. The ceremony concluded with cantor Simon Zkorenblut reciting the Kaddish and participants placing white roses on the memorial plaques bearing the names of destination towns like Theresienstadt, Riga and Auschwitz.
Why it matters
The ceremony underscores the need to remember Holocaust atrocities and confront rising antisemitism in contemporary society.
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