Across the country, Jewish communities make a significant contribution to the integration of Jewish refugees from Ukraine. At the same time, rising antisemitism has led to a decline in the sense of security felt by many Jews in Germany. Jewish communities should not have to face these and other challenges alone—this is why the Central Council of Jews in Germany offers professional advice and support through its GemeindeCoaching programme. The project is supported by the Alfred Landecker Foundation.
How can a community remain resilient, even in times of crisis? How should one communicate and act appropriately after an antisemitic incident? How can community members be protected? Which new projects and initiatives could meaningfully complement a community’s existing activities? These and other questions can be addressed in a targeted way by community leaders and Jewish executives through the GemeindeCoaching programme, enabling them to develop practical solutions.
Professional consultants support participants in identifying challenges and developing concrete strategies to address them. The coaching programme is aimed at regional associations, Jewish communities, and other institutions such as youth centres, synagogues, or family groups. The Alfred Landecker Foundation supports the project because it makes an important contribution to fostering Jewish life and to strengthening the communities in both their resilience and their capacity to act across Germany.
Strengthening Leadership and Networks
GemeindeCoaching is based on three pillars: organizational development, promoting interaction and engagement, and developing skills, for example in communication and public relations or in the area of fundraising. As part of the consulting process, a shared vision for the future is developed, medium- and long-term goals and indicators of success are defined, and a strategy for achieving these goals is designed. A particular focus of the project is the qualification of volunteer and professional staff. Individual coaching sessions support young leaders in particular in clearly defining their roles, further developing their leadership skills, and organising their work more effectively.
Promoting an Open and Diverse Community
In addition, a digital training programme is being developed to provide participants with foundational knowledge and practical input for organisational development. To encourage sustainable cooperation, formats such as peer consultation, peer learning, and best-practice exchange create spaces for networking among Jewish leaders throughout Germany.
The project therefore not only directly strengthens Jewish organisations, but also contributes to the broader goal of promoting an open and diverse civil society. With the support of the Alfred Landecker Foundation, the project will test new formats and pilot innovative approaches to community development in the coming years, strengthening Jewish communities for the future.
GemeindeCoaching is also open to other Jewish organisations that actively contribute to the development of Jewish life in Germany. This includes institutions under the umbrella of the Central Council, as well as partners such as the Jewish Student Union Germany (JSUD), regional student associations, and other civil society initiatives.