Nearly two years ago, an international group of Jewish young adults living in Berlin traveled to the Jewish community of Halle, Germany, for Yom Kippur. The purpose of the journey, organized by the Hillel Deutschland e.V. Base Berlin project for Jewish young adults, was to bring the spirit and vibe of young Berlin to an emptier synagogue with an older, majority Russian-speaking populace, in the hope of building bridges within the German Jewish community. But on that Yom Kippur day, an attacker with antisemitic, racist, misogynist and xenophobic motivations, with homemade guns and grenades, shot at the synagogue with the intention of murdering everyone inside.

In 2020, our community – both those who were in Halle in person and those in Berlin who are connected – organized the first Festival of Resilience, as a means of healing from the trauma of the attack and processing the enduring presence of right-wing prejudice in this country. Marking the first anniversary in this way was a significant milestone for survivors and a way to bring the larger community together around celebrating resilience.

The timing of the Festival around Yom Kippur and Sukkot is intentional. As the German state observes October 9th, the secular anniversary of the attack, we in the Jewish community naturally tie this memory with the Jewish date of Yom Kippur. For many of us, Yom Kippur will never be the same again – and Resilience season is a way to reclaim this holiday, as well as the following Festival holiday of Sukkot, which focuses on joy. Together, we turn fear and hate into the highest forms of joy. That's why the Festival of Resilience also features TischreiFest, a special party full of music, food, and fun.

We invite you to join us for new and old rituals, workshops, events, and more as part of the second annual Festival of Resilience – to celebrate, to learn, to empower, and to strengthen who we are.

This year's venue is Cassiopeia Berlin in Friedrichshain. The venue is completely outdoors, so please take care to dress warmly. Some events will also take place at Base Berlin in Neukölln. For a detailed schedule, please see the Schedule of Events above.

To join, please register below. Due to Covid regulations, no one will be admitted without prior registration and compliance with all Covid regulations. Specific requirements (e.g. proof of vaccination/recovery or negative test) for each event will be communicated in advance.