The plan was actually to celebrate the diversity of Jewish life in Hamburg’s Grindelviertel. But the “Grindelfest: Culture.Jewish.Colorful,” which was supposed to take place from September 13 to 15 in cooperation with the Kammerspiele and the Jewish community of the Hanseatic city, has now been canceled with reference to the events in Solingen.
“Unfortunately, we have come to the conclusion that we cannot guarantee safety despite security and police support,” said Jimmy Blum, chairman of Grindel eV, on the association’s Facebook page last Wednesday. They are afraid of copycats and therefore do not want to take any risks.
This decision was harshly criticized by politicians. “The cancellation of the Grindelfest is a disgrace for our city,” explains Anke Frieling, deputy chairwoman of the CDU parliamentary group. “I can understand the organizer’s motives very well, but right now it is important that such peaceful festivals for tolerance and diversity can be held safely in our city.”
“The fact that the Grindelfest was cancelled makes me sad and thoughtful,” said Sonja Jacobsen, state chairwoman of the FDP in Hamburg. “If public Jewish life in Hamburg can no longer take place, that is an alarm signal.” And Gabor Gottlieb, chairman of the SPD parliamentary group in the Eimsbüttel district, added: “We will not allow our festivals or public space to be taken away from us.”
»In the current situation, cancelling the Grindelfest is simply the wrong signal.«
David Rubinstein
The Jewish community would also have decided differently. “In the current situation, cancelling the Grindelfest is simply the wrong signal,” said its managing director David Rubinstein. “Those who would like to prevent such a festival have already won.” He therefore cannot understand the association’s decision. “Other events such as the Uhlenhorst district festival took place at the same time as the attack in Solingen and were not simply cancelled.”
Jimmy Blum told the Hamburger Abendblatt that they were very aware that the decision not to hold the Grindelfest was exactly what terrorists wanted to achieve. And given the amount of work that had been invested in planning the event over the months, it was anything but easy to call off the event. But Solingen would have changed everything. “In the end, we as organizers are responsible if something happens.”
According to Blum, discussions with the police in an interview with the broadcaster NDR 90.3 in Solingen, during which he was promised a lot of support with security, did not change his decision. Nevertheless, he does not want to give up and wants to carry on. He would like to make up for the now cancelled Grindelfest next year.
