German kebab shop targeted in terror attack saved after Jewish community fundraiser

Turkish-owned business rescued from bankruptcy after supporters step in with $35,000

 Ismet Tekin stands in front of his Kiez-Döner restaurant in Halle, Germany, which had been targeted in a 2019 terror attack. DPA. 

A kebab shop that was targeted in a far-right terrorist attack in 2019 has been saved from bankruptcy after Germany’s Jewish community intervened to keep it going during the coronavirus pandemic.

Kiez-Döner, located in the city of Halle, Saxony, was at risk of closure due to a drop in business caused by tough Covid restrictions. But after being given thousands of euros by Jewish donors it will be able to reopen its doors once again.

In 2019, Kiez-Döner made global headlines when two people were killed in a far-right terror attack on the city’s synagogue during Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.

After failing to gain access to the synagogue, the killer turned his attention to the Muslim-owned business, killing a 20-year-old customer who was inside and a 40-year-old woman nearby.

Stephan Balliet, 28, who expressed hatred of immigrants in an online manifesto, live streamed the attack on social media. He was sentenced to life in prison in December over the slayings and attempted murder of 66 other people.

Two Turkish-born brothers, Ismet and Rafin Tekin, took over the kebab outlet shortly after the attack. The city’s small Jewish community rallied in support of the shop, which later became a shrine for the two victims, Jana Lange and Kevin Schwarze.

Germany has been under lockdown since November, causing hardships for small business owners across the country, including Kiez-Döner. Jewish regulars were the first to find out about its precarious financial situation and stepped in to help.

The German Jewish Student Union raised just under €30,000 ($35,000) online, easily exceeding its €5,000 target in the space of a few months. A local Jewish business leader also reportedly stepped in to buy €1,000 ($1,200) of kebabs in advance, which could be redeemed when the shop reopened.

"We, as the Jewish Student Union Germany (JSUD), believe in a multicultural society in this country. We believe in a peaceful coexistence, regardless of religion, nationality or skin colour. We believe in solidarity," the students said, in a post on the GoFundMe platform.

Ismet Tekin, the restaurant's Turkish-born owner, called the fundraising efforts “amazing”.

"They did it out of solidarity, to show that we are together, that we can get through these times when we stand together", he told The Telegraph.

Mr Tekin, who has lived in Germany for over 13 years, hailed the links between the two communities, dismissing historical tensions.

“For me there are no tensions. Religion is a private thing. Everyone is entitled to his beliefs”, he said.