Year of Celebration book released on 5 March 2021
“German history can only once you understand the history of the Jews in Germany, for German history without the Jewish people is unimaginable.”
On Friday, 5 March 2021, the book on the #2021JLID Year of Celebration titled “Wir sind da! 1700 Jahre jüdisches Leben in Deutschland” (English: We are here! 1700 Years of Jewish Life in Germany) will be published by the publishing house homunculus.
“Wir sind da” by Uwe von Seltmann describes Jewish life in Germany both in terms of its diversity today as well as its rich past. Numerous images and biographical portraits of Jewish individuals from across the ages bring the book to life. Historically grounded and brimming with vitality at the same time, the work offers a tangible appreciation of this extensive and complex cultural history. Jewish individuals introduced in the book include, among others, the best-selling author Kaminer who laid the foundations for the Russian-Jewish-German literature scene with his volume of stories Russendisko (2000), the Germanistics scholar and bookstore owner Rachel Salamander who grew up in a camp for displaced persons and significantly influenced Jewish intellectual life in Germany after the Shoah with her approach to literature, and Regina Jonas who was ordained as the first female Rabbi in the world in 1935 in Berlin.
“German history can only be understood once you understand the history of the Jews in Germany, for German history without the Jewish people is unimaginable,” states the book’s author von Seltmann.
Abraham Lehrer, Vice President of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, Chairman of the Synagogue Community of Cologne, founding member and Chair of the 321 society’s general assembly, comments: “We want to make the Jewish experience come alive through the Year of Celebration. We want to show who we are, how we live, and what we have contributed to society – and continue to contribute to the present day. This book plays an important role in this effort.”
In the run-up to publication, author Uwe von Seltmann, foreword writer Linda Rachel Sabiers, and Dr. Matthias Schreiber, Chair of the 321 society, will discuss current topics affecting the Jewish community and the book with Shelly Kupferberg. The panel will be viewable on 3 March on the society’s homepage at www.2021JLID.de and on the following social media channels:
Homepage: www.2021JLID.de, Instagram: www.instagram.com/2021JLID, Facebook: www.facebook.com/2021JLID, YouTube: 2021JLID – YouTube , https://vimeo.com/2021jlid
Homepage: https://homunculus-verlag.de/ , Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/homunculusverlag/ , Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/homunculusverlag/
Uwe von Seltmann
Wir sind da!
1700 Jahre jüdisches Leben in Deutschland
Erzählendes Sachbuch
ca. 350 Seiten
24,2 x 22,0 cm
ISBN 978-3-946120-81-0
29,– €
For questions, please contact:
Nambowa Mugalu
Head of Press and PR
321–2021: 1700 Jahre jüdisches Leben in Deutschland e.V.
c/o Synagogue Community of Cologne Ottostraße 85 | 50823 Cologne
Phone: +49 221-968 828-22 & +49 221-968 828-30
Fax: +49 221-968 828-92
Email: nambowa.mugalu@2021JLID.de · www.2021JLID.de
Facebook: www.facebook.com/2021JLID · Instagram: @2021JLID
