MALAGA, Spain – Religious leaders from across Europe gathered in Malaga, Spain, between July 7-10, for the 11th session of the Conference of European Churches’ (CEC) Summer School program. Supported by the Internal Police Fund of the European Commission, the event provided participants with briefings and trainings on topics such as security protection for places of worship, the rise of anti-religious hatred, and crisis management.
WJC’s Executive Director of Operations, Ernest Herzog, shared insight on the escalation of antisemitism since October 7, emphasizing the challenges it presents for Jewish communities.
"Jewish communities around the world are currently going through the the most challenging time since the Holocaust. Jews, and those who dare to show their support for their Jewish neighbors, are experiencing dehumanization and an attempt to be excluded from their societies. Any extremism is problematic, regardless of whether it is attacking you or others in your name. We should never let extremists kidnap our narratives just because they are "our extremists." Each one of us should clean up our own yards from extremism before accusing others of it," Herzog said.
"We have to come together, and we have to act together. When something bad happens to one of us—Christians, Muslims, or Jews—we all need to react and not let our friends suffer in silence. Especially when the perpetrator of hate crimes comes from our country, our religious group, or our background, this is when we need to be vocal and say, Not in my name!".
Other notable speakers included Dr. Elizabeta Kitanovic, CEC Executive Secretary for Human Rights; Rev. Nicole C. Wood, US Deputy Director, Department of Homeland Security; and Aline Niddam, Head of Project & Development at SACC.
The conference is a component of the Safer and Stronger Communities in Europe (SASCE) initiative, which aims to enhance security around places of worship, foster interfaith partnerships between Christian, Muslim, and Jewish communities, and establish formal communication channels between community leaders and public law enforcement. The project is currently implemented in 15 European countries, including Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden.
