I am deeply honored to take on the role of Secretary General of the European Jewish Association.
During all my years in politics, I never really imagined doing anything else. But for all of us Jews, there is a before and an after October 7, 2023. Watching the horrifying scenes of families murdered in their homes, children and grandparents taken hostage, and entire communities destroyed, I realized what many others had been knowing for a long time, that we can never take the future existence of Israel for granted.
What many people fail to understand is that the trauma every Israeli is still living with after October 7, is something that we Jews in the diaspora also live with, every single day. Together with the surge of antisemitism across Europe and around the world, it changed everything for me. I understood that both Israel’s security and the safety of Jewish life in Europe are things that must be fought for. Therefore, I dedicated all the time I had left in my mandate in the European Parliament to this cause, and I knew that I had to keep working for it afterwards.
The EJA is one of the strongest and most respected voices for Jewish communities across Europe and we make a global impact. I am extremely proud to work for Rabbi Menachem Margolin and together with Vice Chair Alexander Benjamin and their dedicated team, they have built something truly remarkable. I am deeply grateful to him for his trust in me to lead this mission forward.
We are doing this together and every voice, every person counts. Our task is clear: to make sure that Jewish life in Europe not only survives, but thrives with pride, safety, and confidence.