“Antisemitism is a series of small wounds,” argues Félix, a Geneva-based specialist in social affairs who discovered some antisemitic graffiti at the entrance to his block of flats one morning in November. It showed a swastika combined with a Star of David. That same day, Félix posted a request on his Facebook page. “If you did this, come and talk to me about it. I will receive you as one human to another,” said the post, whose author is the sole Jew in the building. “I was afraid for my 15-year-old daughter, who lives with me,” says Félix, although his daughter is not Jewish. “People think it’s my entire identity, even though I’m not a member of any community,” the Geneva resident says. His first exposure to antisemitic comments dates back to his school days. The council acted quickly and removed the graffiti. The new rabbi of the Liberal Jewish Community of Geneva, Nathan Alfred, compares antisemitism to an illness, like racism or sexism. “Misogyny does not come from women. The victims are not the problem. Society as a whole is responsible for resolving these issues,” he says. Members of his congregation have been sharing their concerns with him. Is it safe to hang a mezuzah – a Jewish religious item – on the door? The rabbi himself took the decision to hang his mezuzah inside his home. “Six months ago, I would have hung it outside,” he says. * “Albert, Esther, Liebmann, Ruth et al. – Présences juives en Suisse romande”. Francine Brunschwig, Marc Perrenoud, Laurence Leitenberg, Jacques Ehrenfreund, Ed. Livreo-Alphil, 2023 Several hundred people gathered in Zurich to show solidarity with the Jewish victim of a knife attack on 2 March. The rally was organised by Gemeinsam Einsam, a group promoting dialogue between Muslims and Jews. Photo: Keystone Swiss Review / May 2024 / No.3 13
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