Ekaterina Kulakova leads State Association of Jewish Communities

Two months after the death of Nora Goldenbogen, the Saxon State Association of Jewish Communities has a new leader. The executive committee elected the Dresden community chair Ekaterina Kulakova as her successor. It hopes that she will bring "new momentum and a new development in terms of Jewish life".

The 55-year-old has lived in the state capital since 2005, works as a pianist, goldsmith and computer scientist and has led the Dresden community since 2023. She reported great concern in light of the sharp rise in anti-Semitism and the political situation in Germany. "We will have to be more active in future." New formats and ideas will be discussed in the coming weeks.

We can't just place expectations on German citizens, said Kulakova. "We have just as much responsibility for our common future." According to the association, there are currently more than 2,000 Jewish people living in the Free State, around 1,250 of them in Leipzig, just under 700 in Dresden and 550 in Chemnitz. The state association represents the three Jewish communities in the state under the umbrella of the Central Council of Jews in Germany; the Chabad Lubavitch Saxony community is an associate member.

Association wants to be more active in society

Verbal attacks on members in public, fear of openly wearing symbols of Judaism or hate mail directly in the mailbox - everyday anti-Semitism is growing, reported an association spokesperson. The question is what can be done beyond state protection and criminal prosecution "to create more encounters and break down prejudices".