2023 European Mayors Summit Against Antisemitism

After successful summits in Athens and Frankfurt, the 2023 European Mayors Summit Against Antisemitism will take place from November 29 to December 1 in Dortmund, Germany. Chaired by the Honorable Mr. Thomas Westphal, Lord Mayor of Dortmund, the summit will focus on "Fostering Cultural Diversity" and enhancing social harmony through cultural and sporting events at the local level. Dortmund, known as the "City of Sports” and the chair of the European Coalition of Cities Against Racism’s Working Group on Antisemitism, will host this gathering.

The 2023 European Mayors Summit Against Antisemitism, organized by the City of Dortmund in cooperation with the Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM) and Center for Jewish Impact, will bring together mayors, municipal officials, diplomats, special envoys, religious figures, business leaders, sports executives, community activists, and other influential policy experts and decisionmakers to share the challenges they face in the collective effort against the world’s oldest hatred and offer pragmatic solutions to foster cultural diversity at this critical moment in human history, with prejudice and extremism on the rise across Europe and the globe.

The summit will facilitate the city-to-city exchange of innovative approaches and professional frameworks for best practices to build social harmony and promote tolerance and understanding across all backgrounds through cultural and sports activities.

The previous two annual summits held in 2021 and 2022—hosted by Frankfurt am Main, Germany, and Athens, Greece, respectively—saw mayors and high-level officials from more than 50 cities across the globe—including New York Mayor Eric Adams, as well as representatives of Los Angeles, Paris, Manchester, Brussels, Amsterdam, Vienna, Buenos Aires, and Montevideo, among others—chart a fresh path forward, including a new six-point action plan, in the municipal-level fight against antisemitism.

CHAIRED BY THE HONORABLE MR. THOMAS WESTPHAL, LORD MAYOR OF DORTMUND

Thomas Westphal was born in Lübeck in 1967 and spent his childhood and youth there with his parents and three siblings.

In 1984, after graduating from secondary school, he began an apprenticeship with the state of Schleswig-Holstein as a civil servant in the police administration.
From 1988 onwards, he then studied economics at the Hamburg University of Economics and Politics on the second educational path. During this time he was also elected Federal Chairman of the youth organisation of the social democratic party SPD. After his graduation and involvement in politics, he moved to Dortmund in 1996. This was followed by several management positions at companies in the Ruhr area and in Baden-Württemberg until 2010. In this year, the change from private business to public administration took place when he took over the management of the regional business development agency of the Ruhr area.

In 2013, he moved to his home town to join the Dortmund business development agency - the largest institution of its kind in Germany. Following the nomination as the SPD's candidate for the office of Lord Mayor in September 2019, the election by the citizens of Dortmund took place one year later.

Thomas Westphal describes his vision for Dortmund as a "big city of neighbours."

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Opening Gala Dinner on the evening of Wednesday, November 29 at "Kokerei Hansa," a historical industrial monument that provides captivating glimpses into the history of heavy industry from the previous century. Today, it stands as a protected historical landmark.

Opening Session and Full Day of Panels, Breakout Sessions and Speakers during the day of the November 30th.

The Use of Public Space Against Antisemitism: unveiling of a new mural project.

Summit Closing Reception and Dinner on the evening of November 30 at “Phoenix des Lumières,” where the walls of the historic gas blower hall will be illuminated as a light installation in an immersive art experience.

Optional Friday Extension for participating mayors including a guided visit of the BVB Football Stadium and roundtable discussions.