On 7 September 2025 the first Kurdish-Jewish congress took place in Berlin. The congress brought together Jewish and Kurdish figures from politics, academia, civil society and the media in order to discuss shared challenges and future prospects within German politics and society . At its centre were antisemitism, hostility towards Kurds and the growing influence of Islamist and nationalist ideologies.
The congress was organised by the Kurdischen Gemeinde Deutschland and the Jewish association WerteInitiative. The central outcome of the congress is a Joint Declaration.The conference showed that free and democratic core values only work as a shared basis for a diverse coexistence if they are also actively lived. Both organisations emphasised that both the Jewish and the Kurdish communities are extremely heterogeneous. Individual identities can be preserved, protected and lived out – not through identity politics, but through the shared understanding of being a member of a plural society on the basis of shared values . Alongside this positive understanding of coexistence, both population groups are connected by the experience of being a minority and an enemy image: hostility and terror from political extremists and Islamists, and cases of social exclusion are part of their reality. Against the background of worldwide anti-Western agitation, left-wing extremists posing as anti-imperialists are moreover trying to play Kurds and Jews off against each other.
The congress clearly showed that this calculation does not work out. For beyond individual threat situations and experiences, Kurds and Jews are united by a vision: the alliance of two groups which, for all their differences, share a common understanding of values – of freedom, democracy and the rule of law.
Ali Toprak, Chairman of the Kurdische Gemeinschaft Deutschlands, declared:
“This congress marks a historic moment for Kurdish-Jewish cooperation in Germany. We want to strengthen the long-standing connection between Kurds and Jews and to stand up together for free and democratic values.”
Elio Adler, Chairman of the Jewish association WerteInitiative, said:
“We are overwhelmed by the response to our congress. The places available were booked out within a very short time. It is encouraging to experience such a great desire for common ground and mutual respect in times of division.”
You will find the Joint Declaration of the organisers here.
