Give Me Your Tired, Your Poor, v.2015

When throngs of refugees poured into Europe in 2015, people wanted to help, but didn't know how. Holger Michel, a young German, decided to drop by a shelter and volunteer for a few hours. Immediately captivated, he came back. In short order, he found himself organizing a makeshift shelter for over 1000 refugees in an abandoned municipal building in Berlin for nearly two years. He became an organizer and spokesperson, learning remarkable things about the refugees -- and about Germany. Of her migration policy, Chancellor Angel Merkel said, "We can do it"; Michel's book about his experience is called, "We Are Doing It."

This season of the Tel Aviv Review is made possible by The Van Leer Jerusalem Institute, which promotes humanistic, democratic, and liberal values in the social discourse in Israel. Tel Aviv Review is also supported by the Public Discourse Grant from the Israel Institute, which is dedicated to strengthening the field of Israel Studies in order to promote knowledge and enhance understanding of modern Israel.