Chancellor Angela Merkel celebrated the renaissance of Jewish life in Germany but denounced the "disgrace" of increasingly open anti-Semitism and racism as she marked the 70th anniversary Tuesday of the country's main Jewish group.
The Central Council of Jews was founded in 1950 to represent Jews who had survived the Nazi Holocaust. Noting that many Holocaust survivors couldn't imagine a future in Germany, she said the council originally was envisioned as a provisional entity to help them emigrate.
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"We can be glad of flourishing Jewish life," Merkel said during a ceremony at a Berlin synagogue. "But that is only one part of today's reality. The other part of today's reality is that many Jews don't feel safe and respected in our country, and it causes me great concern."
"Racism and anti-Semitism never disappeared, but for some time now they have become more visible and uninhibited," Merkel said.
