Understanding one’s legal situation can provide a sense of security. We provide information on rights, available protections and support services, while outlining the scope for action. This enables individuals to weigh their legal options on an informed basis and make self-determined decisions. For instance, is intervention possible under the General Act on Equal Treatment (AGG)? What would the consequences be? What are the prospects of a successful legal action? What does it mean to file a criminal complaint?

We advise, support and intervene, as necessary. Our legal counseling adheres to professional standards for victim-support and anti-discrimination services, focusing on the enforcement of rights and the empowerment of those seeking assistance.

When necessary, OFEK’s psychological team offers professional support. After the war broke out in Israel, the team went on high alert. Antisemitic cases in this country have surged, causing significant distress. Many of us have family members or acquaintances in Israel who were affected by the terror attacks, and many members of the community are concerned about their safety here as well. We accept requests for psychological support via e-mail or, at the available times, through our phone hotline.

In particular since the terrorist attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, the number of antisemitic incidents at German higher-education institutions has increased dramatically. Antisemitic graffiti, occupied classrooms as well as verbal and physical violence have become daily realities for Jewish students and other Jewish members of the university community. Empirical assessments indicate a growing need for professional counseling for those affected, as well as for the development and implementation of strategies and educational measures designed to combat antisemitism and ensure protection.

OFEK e.V. advises, accompanies and supports those affected by antisemitic incidents and crimes at institutions of higher education. University leaders and committee members, students, faculty and staff can contact us by e-mail or by phone during our hotline hours to request assistance.

OFEK views empowerment as a form of political practice that places antisemitism in a historical and societal context and creates spaces in which Jewish experiences can be processed, contextualized and collectively reflected upon. This starts with sharing and listening to stories, naming and reflecting on injustices experienced, and contextualizing antisemitism as a historically rooted dynamic of power and violence that continues to affect us today.

In the empowerment spaces facilitated by OFEK, Jewish individuals and those with a Jewish family history reflect on their experiences and develop their own language to articulate what they have lived through. Ideally, these spaces serve as corrective locations, where marginalization is made visible and where the restoration of individual and collective agency can be experienced as an empowering process.

OFEK views empowerment as an open, process-oriented approach, adapted to the different lived realities, questions and needs of the Jewish community. The formats promote networking, mutual reinforcement and the expansion of individual as well as collective agency, while also providing moments of peace, creativity, experimentation and reflection.

Against the backdrop of persistent threats and structural discrimination, thematic focuses can be proposed, adapted to specific situations and tailored to meet changing needs. Currently, programs are available for Jewish psychologists and psychotherapists, students, parents and young people.

Contact: empowerment[at]ofek-beratung.de

Since the October 7, 2023 terrorist attacks on Israel, attacks on Jewish institutions and individuals worldwide have steadily increased. This situation raises questions not only about protection and security but also about crisis management and psychosocial support. The risk of potential violence highlights the need to further develop crisis-intervention capabilities and to offer crisis-related services to Jewish schools, daycare centers, museums and community structures – as well as to any other organizations that are or are perceived as Jewish. Such services include professional supervision, psychological counseling, expert advice regarding specific incidents as well as empowerment and training programs. Community boards, school directors, and professionals and leaders from local Jewish institutions are welcome to contact us at any time to request a consultation.

Contact: anfragen[at]ofek-beratung.de

Intervention management for antisemitic incidents

Especially in the educational sector, antisemitism presents a structural challenge. Upon request, OFEK offers expert counseling and educational programs to address antisemitic incidents in educational institutions. These services are primarily aimed at professionals and leadership personnel who are aware of and concerned about antisemitism and wish to strengthen their institutional capacity to confront it. Questions, needs and working methods are taken into account, and practical intervention strategies outlined with the help of specific case studies. The measures focus on the experiences and perspectives of those affected, as well as on proven counseling approaches.

MAIL anfragen[at]ofek-beratung.de

Antisemitism in therapy and counseling 

Antisemitism in therapy and counseling is a topic that has not yet been comprehensively researched or discussed. The role of therapy and counseling that critically addresses antisemitism is also rarely the subject of professional or political debate. To address this situation, OFEK offers educational and advisory services focused on developing and implementing an antisemitism-critical approach within psychological, counseling and therapeutic practices. Particular emphasis is placed on the transgenerational aftereffects of the Shoah and antisemitism, as well as on how to handle incidents within counseling and therapeutic settings.

MAIL anfragen[at]ofek-beratung.de

Protective strategies for schools and institutions of higher learning 

Assessments and case studies that address the many and varied manifestations of antisemitism in schools and higher-education institutions – and the acute risks faced by Jewish pupils, students and staff – highlight the need for both immediate intervention in antisemitic incidents and long-term awareness and protective strategies. OFEK offers schools and universities, as well as museums and other cultural institutions, the possibility to develop intersectional concepts and implement structural measures. Teachers, university leaders, students, pupils, parents and professionals in specialist or managerial roles can contact us at any time to request a consultation.

MAIL anfragen[at]ofek-beratung.de

Other formats available on request  

We offer lectures, workshops, empowerment formats, process moderation, supervision and peer-case consultation upon request. Our focus includes

• addressing antisemitic incidents at institutions
• questions and topics related to antisemitism
• counseling with a critical perspective on antisemitism
• the impact of antisemitic violence on those affected
• psychosocial support in cases involving violence  
• transgenerational trauma of the Shoah

MAIL anfragen[at]ofek-beratung.de