The LIKRAT project in Austria continues to be a leading force in antisemitism prevention, civic education, and intercultural dialogue. In 2024/2025, the programme was supported by the EU’s CERV programme as part of the BADRI – Bringing Awareness, Dialogue and Resilience Improvement project.
Rooted in peer-to-peer encounters, LIKRAT fosters honest conversations between Jewish and non-Jewish youths, creating spaces for genuine exchange, reflection, and mutual understanding.
Since its introduction in Austria in 2015, LIKRAT has trained Jewish teenagers—known as Likratinas and Likratinos—to engage with their non-Jewish peers across schools and educational institutions. These encounters centre around personal experiences of Jewish life, identity, history, and culture. By answering questions directly and confronting stereotypes openly, participants actively dismantle prejudice and build bridges across communities.
From June 2024 to May 2025, more than 30 Jewish youths aged 14 to 18 took part in the comprehensive, multi-stage training process. Over the course of five intensive seminars, they acquired in-depth knowledge of Judaism, Jewish history, memory culture, the Holocaust, Israel, antisemitism, and anti-Zionism. In parallel, they developed strong communication skills—learning to manage group dynamics, handle complex conversations, and speak confidently in public.
This training culminated in a final seminar held from 23 to 25 May 2025 in Budapest. The seminar focused on communication and rhetoric, essential tools for future school encounters. Under the guidance of expert Daniel Neubauer, participants honed techniques in active listening, conversation management, and body language. Particular emphasis was placed on navigating challenging conversations and responding to difficult or sensitive questions.
The seminar concluded with a final check-up and realistic simulation exercises, allowing participants to integrate their practical skills with their acquired knowledge. These simulations marked a significant milestone: the final step in the journey to becoming fully trained dialogue partner
Between June 2024 and May 2025, a total of 182 encounters took place in schools, universities, and various educational institutions all over Austria, reaching over 4,000 participants. Since 7 October 2023, the programme has seen a marked surge in requests for school visits, reflecting the urgent need for initiatives that promote understanding and resilience.
Institutional interest in LIKRAT has also grown considerably. New partnerships have been formed, and existing ones deepened, expanding the programme’s reach. Meanwhile, the continued enthusiasm within the Jewish community—evidenced by the large number of applicants for the 2024/2025 cohort—demonstrates that LIKRAT is not only an educational tool, but also a platform for Jewish self-representation, civic engagement, and youth leadership.
At its core, LIKRAT Austria stands for open dialogue, mutual respect, and active citizenship. Through the voices of its young participants, it offers a powerful response to prejudice and polarisation—one based not on confrontation, but on connection. In doing so, it reaffirms the importance of education and communication as foundations of a diverse, democratic, and tolerant society.
