Under his leadership, the centre expanded its activities with a multimedia learning laboratory for young people, two counselling units for victims of
right-wing violence, as well as exhibitions, for example on
The Holocaust in comics. Further, the local institution has become an internationally active organization. Since August 2021, Mendel has been professor for transnational social work at the
Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences. Mendel's book publications deal with
human rights,
international migration and social integration, the
culture of remembrance, racism and antisemitism, as well as
identity politics and
political education. He has also written on these topics for German news media, including
Der Spiegel, Süddeutsche Zeitung and
Die Zeit. In 2020 and 2021 he wrote a regular column in
Die tageszeitung. Mendel is married to German political scientist and writer
Saba-Nur Cheema. They live in Frankfurt and have two children. Since July 2021, they have been writing the
op-ed column
Muslimisch-jüdisches Abendbrot (
Muslim-Jewish dinner) in the
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.
Positions in public discussions Mendel repeatedly has participated in controversial public discussions. In 2017 he was involved in protest actions against the presence of right-wing publishing houses at the
Frankfurt Book Fair. Especially with regard to antisemitism among young people, his criticism and demands for more efficient education have attracted attention. Commenting on a music award for two German rap musicians, Mendel said "When idols such as
Kollegah and
Farid Bang rap antisemitic lyrics, it naturally has a special strength and impact on young people." In 2019, Mendel described the decision of the city of Frankfurt not to provide urban venues to the
BDS movement as a "strong signal against hatred of Jews and Israel-related antisemitism." Criticizing antisemitism in German cultural life, Mendel denounced a mural depicting negative caricatures of Jewish characters and symbols by an artists' collective from Indonesia at the 2022 art fair
documenta fifteen. In his article for the
Süddeutsche Zeitung of 3 April 2024, Mendel commented on public discussions about cultural events in Germany, where cultural organizations had decided to cancel events including either Israeli or Palestinian writers. He denounced boycotts such as the cancellation of a literary prize for
Adania Shibli at the
Frankfurt Book Fair 2023 as wrong and unacceptable. According to his article, both pro-Palestinian activists protesting against cultural events including Jewish artists as well as authorities trying to silence Palestinian artists are a "threat to the freedom of cultural expression" in Germany. == Reception ==