Israeli director quits German opera over alleged anti-semitism

Israeli director quits German opera over alleged anti-semitism

News

norman lebrecht

January 26, 2023

Die Welt reports that an Israeli orchestra director, Ilia Jossifov has resigned from the Wiesbaden State Theatre in the state of Hesse over what he says was ‘systematic anti-semitic harrassment’.

His accusation was directed principally against  Holger von Berg, managing director of the Hesse State Theatre.

His agent Marcus Felsner points the finger at the state culture ministry for failing to protect his client. ‘The fact that a German state ministry can deal with the rights of a Jewish citizen and employee in this way in the 21st century is astonishing beyond the borders of Germany,’ he said.

Jossifov, a Bulgarian-born former singer at Bayreuth and the Israel Opera, was unavailable for further comment.

Comments

  • Helen Kamioner says:

    more specific details please

  • Tamino says:

    Storm in a tea pot?
    Apparently the controversy it’s about the previously reported picture of a Bayreuth poster about a discourse about Bayreuth’s Nazi past which was hanging in von Berg’s office, and talks with staff happened in its presence. So far nothing outrageous, to the contrary.

    But apparently Mr. Jossifov’s feelings were hurt, because he was unable to understand the context of the swastika symbol. (left in the picture)

    https://www.faz.net/aktuell/rhein-main/kultur/skandal-um-hakenkreuz-plakat-am-staatstheater-wiesbaden-18253504/plakatentwuerfe-zur-18253885.html

    Now who’s mistake is that?

  • william osborne says:

    For many Jewish people, there’s no such thing as an ironic swastika. I think that would easily apply to the image on the left in this photo:

    https://www.faz.net/aktuell/rhein-main/kultur/skandal-um-hakenkreuz-plakat-am-staatstheater-wiesbaden-18253504/plakatentwuerfe-zur-18253885.html

    I would think an administrator in Germany would be sensitive to this issue, especially if it were of concern to an Israeli music director who is someone obviously central to the organization. It wouldn’t have been a big problem to take down the poster and replace it with something else. As people in Germany say, irgendwas stimmt hier nicht.

    • Tamino says:

      I don’t see the use of the swastika as ironic. If you look at the poster, you see the swastika is superimposed over a portrait of Wagner. No irony but grave association of Wagner with the Nazis.
      And highly critical of both, within the context of the Motto “Discourse”.

      • William Osborne says:

        What nonsense. As if a 12 inch tall swastika filled in with Wagner’s face wouldn’t be discomforting to many people, to say nothing of Israelis. And the neutral term “discourse” doesn’t help at all. It isn’t critical, it simply means discussion. In Germany and else where, there are too many people who would like to have a neutral discussion about both Nazism and Wagner. The poster truly is a problem in the same way this poster for Wagner performances in Baden-Baden is:

        http://blog.angryasianman.com/2012/10/wtf-wagner-does-chink-eye.html

        • Tamino says:

          I‘m sorry, but if you seriously believe, anybody in any meaningful position in an opera house in Germany would use a swastika in earnest, and NOT as a critical comment these days, you need your being in touch with reality examined. It is insulting and defamatory what you say.

          • William Osborne says:

            A willful and ridiculous misreading of my comments for rhetorical effect. My point again: swastikas cannot be situated in any sort of ironic context in the eyes of many Jewish people. The Holocaust is simply too grave. To refuse to replace the poster with something else at the request of a Israeli Music Director cannot be seen as anything short of malicious. The people responsible have no one to thank but themselves for the opprobrium their actions are causing. They have defamed and slandered themselves with their own petty small mindedness.

    • Fritz Grantler says:

      Thank you for your words of wisdom .

  • William Osborne says:

    I would like to add to that Jossifov was accused of not being able to understand the context of the offending poster. That is ridiculous and an insult to his intelligence. The events organized by Bayreuth to address its associations with the Nazis are well-known in the music world and there is no doubt that Jossifov understood the context of the poster. It is also understandable that the context would not alleviate the pain the poster caused him. Why would they not take it down if he expressed discomfort about it?

    • OverIt says:

      It is incumbent upon the offended party to deal with his emotions and reactions. People have got to get over themselves. If he was as intelligent as you suggest, then he would have understood the context and moved on, realizing that it isn’t about him, and his emotions don’t actually matter to anyone but himself in the greater scheme of things.

      Everything has a context. Deliberate unwillingness to take a context into consideration is a sign of lack of intelligence and more pandering to ridiculous woke ideology where feelings and perceptions are treated as far more important than objective reality and fact.

      There can be plenty of room for compassion and understanding…but the constant need for people to feel aggrieved and victimized reduces any inclination towards empathy.

      • William Osborne says:

        I do not think the situation of an Israeli seeing a large swastika very prominently and provocatively displayed on a poster fits your need to grind an axe about overly sensitive people.

        • Helen Kamioner says:

          agreed. my only question is how could he, given his feelings, perform in Bayreuth or even work in Germany?

      • David says:

        While I agree that some do look for ways to be victimized, and that contexts do matter, I think we have to be careful when looking at each particular case and listen to both sides and be charitable. You mention context, but given the lack of full context, I believe it is unfair for you to characterize him as lacking intelligence and pandering to woke ideology. I think we also need to understand that unless you are Jew of his generation yourself, you will never fully understand the context. What we should be doing here, is to question if there was a real issue or not, and suspend our judgement unless further clarifications have been made. Can we all do this without jumping to “He’s woke liberal cry baby vs fascist right-wing neo-nazi” ?

      • James says:

        You massively underestimate how recent the Holocaust is for Jews – many of whose parents and grandparents were murdered – and how upsetting it is for us to see that symbol, in whatever context. Yes, we ‘feel aggrieved and victimized’ since six million of us were tortured and murdered within living memory. Sorry if we’re being over-sensitive about that.

        • Fritz Grantler says:

          How about the millions that were murdered by the Soviet and Chinese Communists – Oh , I forgot the genicide in Cambodia and Rwanda…the list is endless…

  • Thomas M. says:

    Wiesbaden has always been an unfriendly climate, musically. Years ago their music director Oleg Caetani quit DURING a rehearsal after being harassed by the orchestra.

  • Marion Berghahn says:

    To leave this poster hanging there clearly is very insensitive and painful to look at also by many non-Jews, but can this be interpreted as an expression of antisemitism by von Berg? These are two very different issues.

  • MOST READ TODAY: