With the prominently organized inauguration of the new Rabbi Elimelech Vanzetta, the Israelite Community of Basel is raising high expectations.
Apart from the thunderstorm, the thunder of which could also be heard in the Beit Yosef Synagogue, everything went as planned on Sunday. In addition to the Basel political celebrities, including Council of States member Eva Herzog, government president Conradin Cramer and other national, government and cantonal councillors, Pinchas Goldschmidt, the chairman of the European Rabbinical Conference, also travelled to Basel to attend the inauguration of the new rabbi of the Israelite Community of Basel (IGB). Numerous community representatives, the Israeli ambassador Ifat Reshef and Charlotte Knobloch, president of the Israelite Religious Community of Munich and Upper Bavaria, also made the trip. Even the Israeli President Itzchak Herzog addressed Rabbi Elimelech Vanzetta via video message and wished him all the best for his work in Basel.
Israel’s current status
The President of the Israelite Community of Basel (IGB), Steffi Bollag, welcomed the guests present and especially the new rabbi, who found his way to Basel from London. It was important to her to emphasize that he is now the first rabbi in the IGB to have a woman as president. Steffi Bollag welcomed him to Basel and emphasized how ideal his appointment was for the community. His CV matched the job advertisement perfectly, but the board was particularly impressed by his social skills, his contacts all over the world and his multilingualism. Rabbi Elimelech Vanzetta speaks seven languages fluently, which he demonstrated during his speech that evening. Bollag also thanked the previous Rabbi Moshe Baumel, who was also present. She emphasized that he had “outgrown himself” during the corona pandemic and the Ukraine war and she thanked him for his wisdom and wealth of ideas.
When Pinchas Goldschmidt took the floor, loud thunder rang out again and he pointed out that thunder was currently rumbling throughout the Jewish world. Shortly before the inauguration, the deaths of six Israeli hostages had become known, and candles were lit for them during the event. Goldschmidt also spoke about October 7, 2023, saying that on that day the Jewish community experienced what it was like to live without a Jewish state, because: “On that day, the Israeli citizens functioned and nothing else.” Goldschmidt wished the new rabbi and everyone present better days for Israel.
Support from the canton
The new rabbi himself was very satisfied and looking forward to his position and his time in Basel. He is already a big FCB fan, he said, after receiving FCB jerseys for himself and his five children as a welcome gift from Steffi Bollag. He stressed that he now wants to improve his punctuality in Switzerland, and the President of the Basel government, Conradin Cramer, expressed his hope in his welcoming speech that he would soon be able to understand Swiss German. In his speech, Cramer emphasized the good relationship between the community and the canton of Basel-Stadt. He said: “Jewish life is now a natural part of the multi-religious life in the city,” but also pointed out that this should not be taken for granted. Since October 7, peaceful coexistence has been under scrutiny, also due to the increasing anti-Semitism. Cramer emphasized: “We take this very seriously.” The government council is doing everything it can to ensure that Jewish people can live in safety in the city. Further speeches followed, including one from former Rabbi Moshe Baumel. He looked back on nine years in office and encouraged his successor to remain true to the classic traditions, but also to think “outside the box”. A true scholar needs foresight and courage. Baumel has demonstrated this time and again during his term in office, for example by campaigning for the mixed-religious burial ground, which was not initially well received by all members of the community.
The Unsaid
Rabbi Vanzetta himself first remembered the deceased hostages in Israel and called for prayers for peace. He then stressed that, in his view, the most important qualities for the leader of a community are humility, devotion to his people and compassion. For him, the rabbinate is not a career, but a calling, stressed Rabbi Vanzetta. He will follow the path of the Torah together with the community. He thanked his wife Rachel and his five children (in English) for following this path to Basel with him. And he greeted his mother in Brazil (in Portuguese). Rabbi Vanzetta stressed that he would take on responsibility and work for the well-being of other people. In his view, it is important to stand together as a community, and he stressed that leadership is more necessary than ever in times like these. He was not more specific in his speech, and did not yet express any plans for his time in Basel. Nor did he speak about the special features of the Basel community or the challenges that the unified community will have to overcome in the coming years. Therefore, the inauguration was a very ceremonial and successful start to his term in office, but the new rabbi did not use it to set accents or to prepare the community for his work.
Apart from the thunderstorm, the ceremonial inauguration was accompanied by the singing of Rav Issachar Helman and the synagogue choir under the direction of Doron Schleifer. A musical interlude was provided by Etele Dosa, clarinet, and Andrei Ichtchenko, accordion. Following the inauguration, the community invited guests to an aperitif in the community center, where Rabbi Vanzetta and his family again mingled with the guests in the sunshine. He was approachable, open, multilingual and interested. How he will lead his work in the community into the future remains to be seen. He will be judged by the actions he follows up his rather general speech. With the large-scale inauguration, the IGB board has at least set the bar.
