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Members‘No Jews Allowed’ – A German shop and the ghosts of the past

A sign in Flensburg echoes our darkest days – and shows how thin the line is between criticism of Israel and outright Jew-hatred.

Remembering the past. Photo: National Digital Archives, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Remembering the past. Photo: National Digital Archives, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

A few days ago, a sign hung in the window of a small shop in Flensburg. It read in full:

“Jews are banned here. Nothing personal. No antisemitism. I just can’t stand you.”

The shop owner justified the measure as a protest against Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip. It had nothing to do with antisemitism, he claimed. But anyone who reads these words, who knows German history, is left breathless. For that’s exactly how it began: with signs barring Jews from shops, restaurants, public facilities, or theaters. Back then, it often read in large letters: “Jews unwanted.” Or: “Jews out!” That we must read such words again on German streets in 2025 shows that we have learned nothing.

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Patrick Callahan

This is an example of author bio/description. Beard fashion axe trust fund, post-ironic listicle scenester. Uniquely mesh maintainable users rather than plug-and-play testing procedures.

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