We had planned a reply to Michael Brenner and Benet Lehmann. This has become a reflection on Judaic Studies, Jewish Studies and history in post- Shoah Germany. We argue that contemporary Jewish Studies is an important research focus in itself. While the two articles and our manuscript were written before October 7, 2023, the reactions ever since in Germany underscore the lack of knowledge about Jews, Israelis and Israel. We arrive at the conclusion that interdisciplinary cooperation must be expanded to address social grievances, and to support the resilience of Jewish life in Germany.