Dozens of community rabbis from across Europe will gather Wednesday in the city of Eindhoven, Netherlands, for a professional seminar addressing the challenges facing Jewish communities in Europe.
The seminar is organized by the Rabbinical Centre of Europe (RCE), the central umbrella organization representing over 850 rabbis across the continent.
In light of the tangible dangers faced by community rabbis, a significant portion of the seminar is dedicated to self-defense and Krav Maga training.
Rabbi Menachem Margolin, Chairman of the Rabbinical Centre of Europe and Chairman of the European Jewish Association (EJA), stated that the current reality, in which every rabbi in Europe is exposed to the risk of assault whenever they walk down the street, is a true alarm bell for European governments. He emphasized the urgent need to strengthen the security of Jewish centers and significantly increase punishment and enforcement for antisemitic attacks.
Rabbi Aryeh Goldberg, Director General of the Rabbinical Centre of Europe, said that the decision to hold Krav Maga training came in response to requests from many rabbis who fear walking in the streets and feel defenseless, knowing they are vulnerable at any moment to physical attacks.