Judaism - Jewish community for talks about Abraham Geiger College
Dispute over the Training of Liberal Rabbis at Abraham Geiger College in Potsdam demands a clarifying conversation from the Jewish Community in Berlin, according to the Community Chairman Gideon Joffe to the German Press Agency. "We have been proposing for some time now that we sit down with all parties involved, that is with the Central Council of Jews and the other donors, but also with the representatives of liberal Judaism," said Joffe to the German Press Agency.
The Berlin Community took over the management of the Kolleg at the beginning of 2023. Previously, there had been allegations of misuse of power and sexual harassment against the old leadership of the liberal Rabbinical School. The Central Council of Jews, one of the main donors of the Kolleg, however, wants a new start under the roof of a Foundation. They gained the support of the other public donors, namely the Federal Interior Ministry, the Brandenburg State Government, and the Cultural Ministers' Conference. They stood behind the Foundation model in February.
Money dispute
They declared then that public funding for the Kolleg would continue until the Foundation took over. In reality, however, no money is flowing according to the statements of the parties involved. The Central Council has allegedly provided its funding - around 500,000 Euro per year - but the community has not called for it, according to a spokesperson for the Central Council.
Joffe said the money was tied to the acceptance of the future Foundation model, which runs counter to the Kolleg and is unacceptable. In the financing dispute, the Kolleg has sued the Federal Interior Ministry for payment of the grants. This concerns 388,000 Euro. A decision is still pending.
"Gold standard of ordination"
Part of the dispute revolves around whether and how the graduates of the Kolleg can be ordained and thus work as rabbis. Joffe said: "The other donors of the Abraham Geiger College have been led astray by the Central Council of Jews, when it was said that the Abraham Geiger College under the management of the Jewish Community in Berlin could no longer ordain rabbis."
In fact, the community is mandated by international organizations of liberal Judaism to ordain graduates. "We have the gold standard of ordination," said Joffe. However, the Kolleg under the roof of a Foundation of the Central Council would not be recognized and would be a "zero number," according to Joffe. "Liberal Jews have no trust in the Central Council because it is a almost completely orthodox organization." It makes no sense to "train rabbis for unemployment."
Joffe has been at odds with the Central Council for years. Due to a dispute over the circumstances of his re-election as chairman last year, the Central Council has frozen the voting rights of the Berlin Community. Joffe, in turn, questions the Central Council's representative function for Jews in Germany.
- The Abraham Geiger College in Potsdam, known for liberal rabbinical training, is currently involved in a dispute with the Central Council of Jews in Germany regarding its future operation.
- The Berlin Community, which took over management of the Kolleg at the beginning of 2023, is supported in this matter by the Federal Interior Ministry, the Brandenburg State Government, and the Cultural Ministers' Conference.
- There's a ongoing financial dispute between the Kolleg and the Federal Interior Ministry, with the Kolleg suing for payment of 388,000 Euro in grants.
- The dispute also involves the recognition of the Kolleg's ordination of graduates, with Joffe stating that the Central Council's model for the foundation would not be recognized and would result in "a zero number" of recognized rabbis.
- Joffe, the Community Chairman, has a long-standing disagreement with the Central Council, following a dispute over his re-election as chairman last year, which led to the freezing of the Berlin Community's voting rights by the Central Council.
