15/05/2026
From .leadership.initiative Alumni Eitan Bergman
Eitan Bergman serves as a city councillor, parliamentary assistant in the Parliament of the Brussels-Capital region, and vice president of the Jewish community of Belgium. He recently attended the 6th Summit of European Jewish Leaders in Athens, Greece — a partnership between JDC and the European Council of Jewish Communities (ECJC).
He reflects on that experience:
You can read stories, watch documentaries, or talk on the phone, but being on the ground, face to face, is the best way to understand Jewish Europe today.
What worries me most is that Jews are more vulnerable than they've ever been in recent decades. We had riots in Amsterdam. Jews in France feel frightened. And in Belgium, where I live, you need to hide your Magen David and other Jewish symbols.
Jews have always needed to adapt in order to survive — and that's exactly what the Summit of European Jewish Leaders helped us to do. On a normal day, Jewish communal leaders can feel siloed in their own work. But in Athens, everyone discussed their challenges and learned from one other.
This is a hallmark of JDC's work. I've been in contact with them since day one of my Jewish journey, and I see them as a bridge builder.
When I was director of the European Union of Jewish Students (EUJS), I had the chance to work with Junction — the JDC pan-European initiative that inspires young Jewish adults to take an active role in European Jewish community life. They not only provided expertise and resources, but connected me to other young European changemakers.
In these challenging times, that network is our strength.
Since October 7, 2023, I've been repeatedly shocked. I've thought, "I worked so hard all these years and look what's happened."....
