German Jews launch political group

Jews have formed their own political subgroup within Germany’s Social Democratic Party. The Caucus of Jewish Social Democrats chose founding members Frankfurt city councilor Peter Feldmann and Berlin lawyer Sergey Lagodinsky as its speakers. “The SPD greeted us with open arms,” Feldmann said in a press release Thursday announcing the group’s formation. Lagodinsky said the group would promote “integration of immigrants of Jewish and non-Jewish background, support activities to combat right-wing extremism” and fight for Holocaust survivors’ rights. The caucus sees itself as akin to Israel’s Labor and Meretz parties and favors a “realistic” evaluation of Israeli politics, the two said. Feldman said it was “the first time since the Nazi period that Jews have organized themselves as a political group within one of the political parties. This new beginning gives us courage.”