Our Young Leadership educational trip to political Berlin took place from 21 to 23 November 2021. We had a packed and exciting programme, including panel discussions with active Jewish politicians who spoke about their personal “Jewish inside perspective” on their political work.
The Jewish-political inside view
These included panel discussions with active Jewish politicians who spoke about their personal “Jewish inside perspective” on their political work. Marian Offman (SPD) emphasised the necessity of Jewish involvement in politics. Michaela Michalowitz (CDU) spoke, among other things, about being perceived from the outside as a Jewish politician. Sergey Lagodinsky (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen) encouraged our young participants to get involved in the issues they personally care most about.
How to get into the Bundestag and how to get out. And: what happens afterwards?
Volker Beck (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen), Fritz Felgentreu (SPD) and Klaus-Dieter Gröhler (CDU) spoke about their personal politicisation and about which issues influenced them to enter the Bundestag as professional politicians. And also: what comes next once you are no longer a member of the Bundestag.
Our day in the Bundestag. Meet the MdBs:
Benjamin Strasser of the FDP parliamentary group gave us insights into his work as a member of parliament and in particular as his group’s commissioner for combating antisemitism.
Dietmar Bartsch is the parliamentary group leader of Die Linke. As a representative of the party’s “realist” wing, he gave us illuminating insights into the realities of left-wing politics.
As deputy party leader of the SPD and former chairman of the JUSOS, Kevin Kühnert commented at length, including on critical questions.
For the newly elected member of the Bundestag Marlene Schönberger (Bündnis90/Die Grünen), our participants in the Political Forum were the very first group to visit her in the Bundestag.
Thorsten Frei, deputy leader of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, told the participants about his forthcoming work as a member of the Bundestag, now in opposition.
Close to the Federal President…
Dr Oliver Schmolke, head of the domestic affairs department and of the Federal President’s planning staff, gave us insights into the everyday routine of his work for the Federal President. The participants’ questions covered a wide variety of very different areas.
The parties’ youth organisations
On the second evening of our educational trip, Timon Dzienus of the Grüne Jugend, Stefanie Franzl of the Junge Union, Manon Luther of the Jungsozialisten and Alice Schmidt of the Junge Liberale gave us insights into young party-political engagement in a discussion and question session.
ELES & the party-affiliated foundations
On the last day of our Political Forum, Dr David Kowalski presented the Ernst Ludwig Ehrlich Studienwerk (ELES) and explained that the Jewish scholarship organisation stands for a tradition-conscious and pluralistic Judaism.
Afterwards, Daniel Feldhaus of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, Vera Lorenz of the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung, Franziska Schröter of the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung and Teresa Widlok of the Friedrich-Naumann-Stiftung presented their respective party-affiliated foundations and then answered our participants’ questions.
The Political Forum
Finally, the Jewish Students’ Union of Germany (JSUD) and the WerteInitiative (WI) presented their work.
An annual repetition of this national, cross-party seminar as well as themed events throughout the year are planned. In addition, WI and JSUD will jointly create a basis for communication for the seminar’s participants and thus enable an ongoing exchange.
