A goodwill mission
from Germany

By Ruth Rovner
For the Times

Growing up in Hamburg, Germany, Jonas von Kalben never met anyone Jewish until he came to Philadelphia a year ago. Participating in a unique social-service program, he met and formed friendships with many Jews from Northeast Philadelphia, including Holocaust survivors.
Von Kalben, 19, was a volunteer for the German-based organization called Action Reconciliation Service for Peace (ARSP). As a substitute for military service, young Germans accepted into this program are sent abroad — to the U.S. and other countries — for a year of social-service work. They take on varied projects as a way to show Germany’s commitment to peace and goodwill.
"We have a responsibility to deal with the consequences of our history," said von Kalben, whose paternal grandfather was a Nazi. "I don’t feel guilty personally, but I do feel a sense of responsibility."
After he learned about ARSP, von Kalben eagerly applied.
The requirements include two letters of recommendation, a detailed application and a lengthy personal interview.
When his letter of acceptance arrived, "I was very excited," he said in a recent interview. "When I held the letter in my hand, I knew I was really doing this."
Before coming to Philadelphia, he attended a seminar in Berlin for all the volunteers selected for the 2006-07 program.
Then he flew to Philadelphia, which is the U.S. headquarters for ARSP. Arriving in September 2006, he attended an orientation for the 24 U.S. volunteers. One week later, he was ready to begin.
on duty with JFCS
His assignment involved working with Jewish Family & Children’s Service (JFCS), which has had an ongoing relationship with ARSP for six years.
As one part of his service, he helped Jewish seniors living in Center City, visiting each one faithfully each week to assist with shopping and household chores, and to offer companionship.
"Being a listener is the most important part," he said.
There were still other challenges when he started helping out at weekly luncheons sponsored by JFCS. These took place at four synagogues, three of them in Northeast Philadelphia. At each luncheon, von Kalben would help set up tables, give out name tags and then interact with the attendees.
And he knew that many of them would be Holocaust survivors.
"I felt very nervous," he recalled about the first luncheon.
It took just one encounter to melt his anxiety. He sat down to talk to an elderly woman, and she soon learned that he was from Germany.
"She pulled up her sleeve and showed me her number from Auschwitz," he related. "It was unbelievable — for me to be talking to an actual survivor."
She soon warmed up to the friendly young German and told him about how she lost almost all her family in Auschwitz.
"She felt lucky to survive and said she would never want to return to Germany," said von Kalben.
But that didn’t mean she felt hostile to her new friend. At the end of their conversation, he recalled, "she hugged me and said, ‘I wish you all the best. I don’t hold anything against you.’"
Von Kalben marveled at this reaction.
"She didn’t have any bitter feelings to me," he said. "She didn’t lose her faith in humanity."
At another luncheon, he had a similarly dramatic encounter. The social worker introduced him to an elderly woman, explaining that he was from Germany.
"And she started to cry," said von Kalben. "At first, she spoke only to the social worker. She talked about being in the camps and losing her whole family."
But soon, she began to talk to von Kalben, too, and became interested in his goodwill mission in Philadelphia.
"And afterwards, she, too, hugged me and wished me well, " he said. "I was totally surprised."
He met other survivors since then, and although their reactions varied, no one was hostile, and many were open and friendly.
"This showed me that these survivors didn’t only survive with their lives," observed von Kalben. "They also survived emotionally. They haven’t been destroyed by hatred."
His year of service also involved helping to educate students about Germany. Von Kalben participated in a theater program titled Theater of Conscience. Once a week, students in public high schools and several Hebrew schools saw a play with a Holocaust theme. This was followed by a discussion led by von Kalben, who introduced himself and then encouraged them to ask questions.
And they did.
"They asked how I learned about the Holocaust, and about my family background, and they wanted general information about Germany," he said. "They were very excited to meet an actual German in person — and also someone from today who represents a new generation."
The young German had his own opportunities for learning. For example, during the Jewish holiday of Passover, he attended two seders, together with his mother, who happened to be visiting at the time.
The first seder was given by the host family he had stayed with during his week of orientation.
"About twenty people were there, and you could feel the love around the table," he recalled. "And they explained everything to us. They wanted us not only to be observers but to be involved and participate."
The second night, the seder was given by a gay couple. They were friends of the owner of the house where Von Kalben was staying during his year of service.
"It was interesting to see that this couple could also celebrate their Jewish traditions," he said.
Besides the seders, he had a chance to experience the Jewish Sabbath. Once a month, the young German attended Shabbat dinners for people with HIV and AIDS, dinners provided as a service by JFCS.
As his year of service neared an end (he recently returned to Germany), von Kalben reflected on all he had gained from his experience. He’s had warm goodbyes from the elderly Jews he visited weekly.
"They all gave me their addresses and want me to send cards from Germany," he said.
He intends to stay connected.
His experiences with Holocaust survivors were especially meaningful.
"It shows me that people can be so open-minded and good-hearted," he said.
He also returned home with a new respect for Judaism. "I learned a lot about Jewish culture," he said. "We lost so much Jewish culture in Germany. But I found it here and I saw how valuable it is. It’s a very rich culture and I hope it can grow in Germany.
Overall, he’s deeply grateful for his year of service.
"It’s been an amazing experience — better than I ever thought it could be," he said. "It encourages me to continue working for the goals that ARSP stands for." ••