Lauder Yeshurun | A Future Where There Was None

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Background and Concept

The development of Lauder Yeshurun – a Jewish school in the centre of Berlin, Germany – was the catalyst for the resurgence of a courageous and resilient Jewish community, that due to its painful past, should never have existed in the first place. The organisation is a symbol of hope and light that escaped one of our darkest times in history, resulting in the unthinkable – a vibrant future for Berlin Jewry.

It is also the remarkable story of how thousands of Jews from the former Soviet Union managed to find their way back to Judaism in Germany – and built a home and future together. The Lauder community has blossomed in the most unlikely place. It has adapted and flourished in extreme circumstances and against all odds.

In the face of adversity, Lauder built not only a community – but a future for Berlin Jewry and a warm home for thousands of Jews.

We wanted to shed light on the progress this community has made by revisiting the emotion from our past and showing how Lauder Yeshurun has helped bring about change and a future in a place where it was once unthinkable. We want to give a rich and hope-filled picture of that future and invite donors to be a part of it.

The ads draw on three main symbols:

Railway tracks: The sound of trains to Jewish people is often a trigger to memories of the trains that were used to transport Jews to concentration camps during the Holocaust.

Breaking glass: This represents the sounds of Kristallnacht (Night of Broken Glass). This was a pogrom against Jews throughout Nazi Germany on 9-10 November 1938, carried out by SA paramilitary forces and German civilians. Shards of broken glass littered the streets after the windows of Jewish-owned stores, homes, schools, hospitals, buildings and synagogues were smashed.

Fence & Whistle: This represents the shrill whistle blown by SS commanders at fenced concentration camps. The words "left" and "right" being screamed out refers back to the instructions of the commanders – one direction sent Jews into the work camps, the other sent them into gas chambers. The screaming of Jewish names recreates the same scenario in a very different and positive light.

Donor Brochure

This booklet showcased stories of the community and highlighted the unexpected progress made over the years. The visual treatment combined black and white photography, which represented a dark and painful history, with a colourful gradient overlay, representing the light brought in by this vibrant community.

Short Film

We interviewed members of the community and showcased their individual successes and learnings to help donors understand the kind of progress that this small community was making, and to show them why they deserved more financial support to continue this growth.