Why a Young German Came to Israel for Shared Society

Why a Young German Came to Israel for Shared Society

 

By Sami Jinich

 

Enno Ebersbach’s relationship with Israel has long been shaped by a sense of ambivalence. On the one hand, he has felt a deep appreciation and admiration for the country’s culture and people. On the other, he has maintained a critical perspective toward many of the state’s policies.

 

Raised in a mildly Protestant household in Germany, Ebersbach developed an early fascination with Jewish religion and culture. This interest was partly connected to his family history: the Holocaust and the suffering of the Jewish people had frequently been a topic when growing up. As a choir boy he sang Hebrew songs that left him with a lasting curiosity about the language and traditions behind them.

 

He encountered the more controversial dimensions of Israeli politics at a young age. When he was 13, he visited an exhibition by the Israeli NGO Breaking the Silence, an experience that left a strong impression. “I even drafted a letter to Netanyahu in one of my diaries about the need to compromise with Palestinians,” he recalls.

 

After finishing high school, Ebersbach volunteered for a year in Israel, working with adults with disabilities. During that time, he became fluent in Hebrew, and his fascination for Israeli society and culture deepened. At the same time, frequent visits to the West Bank exposed him to the realities of the occupation. Later, he spent several months in Jordan, building relationships with Palestinians there.

 

When Ebersbach returned to Israel for a yearlong exchange at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, he arrived just days before October 7, 2023. “During my voluntary service, I had experienced Israel as a very secure place,” he says. “Being woken up by sirens on the morning of October 7 shattered that picture and deeply shocked me.” His exchange program was cut short, and he returned to Germany.

 

Back home, Ebersbach watched public discourse polarize in ways he couldn’t get behind. He saw Germany’s historical responsibility toward Israel invoked in ways he considered troubling—sometimes instrumentalized by the political right, and at other times reduced to uncritical support for Israeli government policy.

 

“I went to some of the anti-war rallies because I felt that I had to show my opposition to what Israel is doing in Gaza and the West Bank,” he explains. “At the same time, I felt uncomfortable protesting alongside people who categorically rejected everything Israeli.”

 

Unable to find a space for the kind of critical engagement he was seeking in Germany, Ebersbach chose a different path. In March 2026, he arrived at Givat Haviva as the Peter and Friedel Grützmacher Intern for International Partner Relations.

 

He was struck by the diversity of backgrounds and perspectives on the campus. Conversations in the office and in the dining hall revealed motivations and political views that resisted any single narrative.

 

“There are incredibly multi-voiced opinions and identities inside this place,” says Ebersbach. He has learned that people can work toward the same practical goals without sharing the same ideologies.

 

“I really have the feeling that a position like mine has a space here, a position that opposes many Israeli government policies while remaining rooted in deep appreciation for all of Israeli society,” he says.

 

That sense of possibility became especially clear to him at the recent Givat Haviva Art and Shared Society Conference, where he witnessed Jewish and Palestinian Israelis mourning victims of war together and openly challenging state policy.

 

“It has been rare for me to see spaces where Jewish and Palestinian Israelis work together toward a better future,” he says. “I am grateful for the chance to be part of such a place—having an impact while continuing to learn.”