Hillel Award 2025: Young voices against anti-Semitism!

Hillel Award 2025: Young voices against anti-Semitism!

Wien, Österreich - On June 22, 2025, a significant event took place in the community center of the Israelite cultural community of Vienna: the first awarding of the Hillel Awards. This newly launched price aims to award pre -scientific work from pupils who deal intensively with Jewish life in Austria and the topic of anti -Semitism. In her greetings, Minister Claudia Plakolm, IKG President Oskar Deutsch and Bishop Tiran Petrosyan underlined the importance of dealing with these topics.

The excellent work reflects the variety and depth of Jewish life. Olivia Sophie Predl dealt with the educational situation of Jewish girls from the Vienna Upper class between 1900 and 1938, while Anne-Catherine Daniell researched the influence of Jewish culture in Austria until 1938. With his work, Samuel Elias Wallmannsberger illuminated the topic of conspiracy theories and anti -Semitism. In addition, Lorenz Ebner received honors for his analysis of anti-Semitism in Vienna around 1900 using Gustav Mahlers and Anna Malliga for their innovative interreligious four-course menu. The total value of the prices was 1,000 euros and was donated by Ruth Steiner and Elfriede Deek.

a sign of hope

Bishop Petrosyan described the Hillel Award as a sign of hope for a more mindful and fairer society. IKG President German recalled that the fight against anti-Semitism is more current than ever. According to the anti-Semitism reporting point of the Israelite cultural community of Vienna, there were a total of 1,147 anti-Semitic incidents in 2023, which represents an alarming increase of 59.5 % compared to the previous year. Much of these incidents occurred on the Internet.

Minister Plakolm emphasized that the Hillel Award should motivate young people to deal with the Christian-Jewish coexistence and to act actively against discrimination and intolerance. These initiatives are part of the national strategy against anti -Semitism, which was launched in 2021 and includes numerous measures to combat anti -Semitism that are currently being implemented.

melodies of life and the Jewish legacy

In the same breath, the event was part of the "Life Melodies" series, which was launched on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. These events address the fates of Jews during the Holocaust and the legacy of Jewish music. The musician only Ben Shalom lists these melodies and actress Iris Berben reads moving texts that bring the life stories of Jewish musicians to life. Such projects are important to keep the memory of the six million Jewish people murdered in the Holocaust and to promote Jewish life in Austria.

commitment like that of Lothar Wagner, a Salesian brother who takes care of street children in Liberia, reminds us that suffering is not only rooted in the past. Wagner guarantees that bright spots will also arise in hopeless situations and gives the children a voice. This complements the concern of the Hillel Awards, which is clearly against suffering and injustice in the here and now.

It remains to be hoped that today's efforts and awards, like the Hillel Award, not only remind you, but also inspire to actively stand up for a society in which anti -Semitism and discrimination have no place. Because the fight against prejudices is an indispensable part of our responsibility - not only towards history, but also for the future.

Ö1 reports on the event and the topics related to Hillel Award, while katholisch.at The results in more detail. The Federal Chancellery website informs about the current developments in the fight against anti-Semitism.