(JTA) — Jewish students in Germany have raised more than $40,000 to help the owner of the kebab shop in Halle that was attacked after a neo-Nazi gunman was unable to enter a nearby synagogue.
The Jewish Student Union Germany started a GoFundMe campaign last year to assist Ismet Tekin, who owns the shop with his brother, surpassing by far its original goal of 7,000 euros — about $8,300 — Deutsche Welle reported.
Tekin’s business suffered massive losses and was on the verge of bankruptcy because of the COVID-19 pandemic and a drop in sales following the 2019 attack on Yom Kippur. A neo-Nazi killed a woman and a diner after failing to enter the synagogue. He has since been sentenced to life in prison.
Tekin was not injured and thus the shop does not qualify for assistance under the Victims Compensation Act.
The attacker reportedly said he targeted the shop because it was Muslim owned.
Tekin and his partner now have enough money to stay open for the foreseeable future and renovate the restaurant, Deutsche Welle reported. They plan to add tables to the backroom for when restaurants reopen in Germany.
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