Eli Tauber for N1: In Paris, Jews are afraid to go outside – in Sarajevo, we live freely

Speaking with N1 journalist Nikola Vucic, Tauber, a historian, writer, and Director of the Archive of the Jewish Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina, discussed the global position of Jewish communities, the repercussions of the war in Gaza, and what he views as a distinctive quality of Bosnian society: daily coexistence without surveillance, hate speech, or targeted threats.

“Today, if you go to America, you won’t see a Muslim and a Jew sitting together and having coffee. Here, that’s completely normal”, Tauber noted.

He also criticised how narratives about Bosnia and Herzegovina are often constructed from the outside, without regard for the lived realities of its people:

“I shudder when I see that we allow others to speak about us, as if we don’t have real events and facts of our own to present.”

Commenting on the war in Gaza and its consequences, Tauber stressed that all human suffering deserves recognition, regardless of one’s personal or national affiliations:

“Just as we must not forget what happened on October 7, when so many innocent people were killed, we must not forget that people in Gaza are dying today. How many are dying, how many exactly, I won’t speculate, because we rely on sources from various sides. But the fact is, what’s happening there is not easy to watch.”

He warned that events in the Middle East are directly affecting the lives of Jewish communities in Europe:

“When you look at what’s happening to Jewish communities around the world, you realise that the repercussions of what’s going on in Gaza are now being felt by residents of Paris, who are afraid to leave their homes. The same is happening in Germany. Antisemitism is on the rise globally.”

In contrast, he emphasised, the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina is different:

“Nothing of that sort is happening here. No police cars are guarding the Jewish Community in Sarajevo or the Jewish Museum. No one is guarding them, because there’s a certain level of trust among the people of this city, and no intent to harm the community.”

Even public protests related to Israeli policy have not translated into hostility toward local Jews, Tauber explained:

“If there are protests against Israel that pass through the city, no one comes to the Jewish Community, and not a single anti-Semitic graffiti has been written on our building.”

“We should show this to Europe,” he added, highlighting Sarajevo’s experience as a meaningful example of social trust and peaceful coexistence in a time of escalating global tensions.

Tauber also reflected on his personal reluctance to speak publicly about the war in Gaza:

“I tried for a long time not to talk about Gaza. I didn’t feel well. I thought I couldn’t say what I truly feel. I have family in Israel, and of course I have a relationship with Israel.”

However, he emphasised that this connection does not diminish the loyalty and sense of belonging that Bosnian Jews feel toward their country:

“When we talk about Bosnian Jews, we’re talking about people who are truly connected to this land, we would do anything for Bosnia and Herzegovina as our country, and we expect the country to do everything it can for our community.”

Eli Tauber is a historian and publicist who has spent decades researching the history of Jews in Bosnia and Herzegovina. He is the author of several publications on Jewish heritage, the Holocaust, and the cultural history of Sarajevo. He currently serves as Director of the Archive of the Jewish Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina.