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Two people died in the attack, which shocked Germany
The trial begins Tuesday against a suspect accused of killing two people after an attack on a synagogue in the German city of Halle last year.
It was the holiest day of the Jewish year.
On October 9, 2019, a cantor in a synagogue in Halle was leading the faithful in prayer to mark Yom Kippur when he looked at a CCTV monitor and saw an armed man trying to shoot at the building.
When officials led the congregation to an adjoining room, Christina Feist said that she and other faithful were quick to secure the synagogue.
“He didn’t even understand what was happening, he just knew there was a guy with full battle gear; he didn’t know if he was already on the premises or on the street.”
“I saw my friend jump and I thought, ‘You’re not dying alone,’ so I also jumped up and ran outside with him and he closed one door, I closed the other door.”
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The gunman threw explosives at the compound and opened fire at the synagogue’s main door. Recently reinforced, it stood firm and probably saved the lives of those inside.
Apparently frustrated by his lack of access to the entrance, he pointed his gun at a 40-year-old woman who was passing by and caused fatal injuries.
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After another failed attempt to enter the synagogue, he walked away and stopped a few streets away.
There he threw an explosive at a kebab shop and shot and killed a 20-year-old man inside.
The suspect
Prosecutors believe Stefan Balliet, 28, was motivated by anti-Semitism and xenophobia, and planned to massacre those inside the synagogue.
It is believed that he acted alone, he self-radicalized on the Internet.
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Stephan Balliet, center, admitted to committing the attack
Shortly before the attack, which he broadcast live, he posted online documents in which he called on readers to kill the Jews. Soon after, he confessed to the crime during a hearing with an investigating judge.
At that time, his lawyer told the German media: “It would be absurd to deny it … In his world view, he blames others for his own misery and that is what triggered his action.”
The answer
The attack horrified Germany. The next day, the country’s president, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, came to pay his respects at a makeshift shrine in front of the synagogue door, saying “We must protect Jewish life.”
This country, where the horrors of the Holocaust were perpetrated, promised “never again.” But despite warnings from the Jewish community, anti-Semitic crime and sentiment are on the rise.
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The door of the synagogue is still damaged by the attack.
After Halle, the government passed an online hate speech law.
Two years ago, he also created a new role: a commissioner for the protection of Jewish life.
Felix Klein says there are several reasons for the rise of anti-Semitism; Chief among them is the fact that the Internet and social media provide a way out and exacerbate what was latent hatred and discrimination.
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His goal is to combat the problem by strengthening the laws and focusing on education, but he admits that there is a long way to go.
“We have a serious problem in Germany, where in the schoolyards the word ‘Jew’ is very common as an insult,” he said. “There are many fields that we must address.
“The main thing is that people must know the Jews and see that Jewish life is a normal and integral part of our culture and that whoever attacks attacks our own German culture.”
The Jewish community
The door of the synagogue in Halle is still marked and splintered by the attempted attack. It is a reminder of the painful details of that day.
Most of the Jewish places of worship and education in Germany are under constant police surveillance. The Halle synagogue, even on Yom Kippur, had no such protection. That, for many, has represented a greater failure on the part of the German authorities.
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Rabbi Yehuda Teichtal, who represents the Jewish community in Berlin, has warned for years about rising levels of anti-Semitism in Germany.
He says that while the government has made some progress, it is not enough.
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“The goal is for people to trust that they shouldn’t have to worry when their children go out alone, just because they have a Star of David on a chain,” he said.
“There has to be zero tolerance for anti-Semitism. Not just a rampage after an anti-Semitic attack, which finally goes away.”
The proof
Stephan Balliet is charged with two counts of murder and 68 counts of attempted murder. Some of those who were inside the synagogue that day will be present while on trial.
Christina Feist is among those waiting for the court to hear her testimony. The trial is about justice for the dead and wounded in the attack but, for her and for many, it is also an opportunity to emphasize the threat posed by anti-Semitism.
“It gives me an opportunity to talk about the big picture,” he said. “It also gives me a chance to look the boy in the eye, if I can handle that emotionally, look him in the eye and show him something, but especially me, ‘You are the one who tried to do it. Kill me but I’m still here. You failed, and not just because I face you in court. “
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The trial begins Tuesday in a regional court in Magdeburg.
