A prominent Jewish community leader in northern Germany is stepping down from his post after reports that he may have lied about his roots.
The head of the Jewish Communities Association in Schleswig-Holstein state said Friday that the leader of its branch in the town of Pinneberg, Wolfgang Seibert, is resigning “with immediate effect, to avert further damage.”
In a recent report, the German weekly Der Spiegel cited documents that questioned Seibert’s Jewish heritage, including claims that his grandparents survived Auschwitz.
In a separate statement Friday, Seibert’s lawyer, Alexander Hoffmann, said his client “exaggerated” some of his public accounts, causing others to feel personally insulted and he apologized for doing so.
Hoffmann added that Seibert remains “committed to the principles of Jewish faith” and will work to regain the community’s trust.
(AP)
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4 Responses
Is he related to Elizabeth Warren?
A German pretending to be a Jew! V’nahapachu. Like the Purim story: “V’rabim m’amai haaretz misyahadim ki nafal pachad hayehudim aleihem.” (Megilas Esther 8:17)
He may have been confused since his mother was from the guernsey province and his father was from Holstein, he thought he was a Goldstein!
How black nissim in new york can be considered a jew, as convertit, and many others, but in germany not?