Last state capital has a synagogue again
Since the Hamas attack on Israel, the number of antisemitic incidents in Germany has significantly increased. As a sign against the growing hate, the opening of the new synagogue in Potsdam is now taking place. Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier called for a fight against the rising antisemitism during the opening ceremony.
"Jewish women and men are again afraid all over Europe. Afraid of hate, of violence, of outbursts. Because they are Jews. That's unacceptable," Steinmeier said at the event. Germany must do everything to protect Jewish life.
The new, 17.5 million Euro synagogue was inaugurated under heavy police protection. Jewish women and men now have a religious and cultural center in the Brandenburg state capital after more than 85 years. The project was difficult and marked by years of dispute among the Jewish communities representing different religious streams.
Brandenburg's Minister President Dietmar Woidke said: "It's a shame for our country that we have to protect Jewish life." Since the Hamas attack on Israel, hostilities against Jews in Germany have reached a new dimension. "Only when Jewish women and men feel completely at home in Germany, only then is this country truly itself," Steinmeier said and promised: "Germany remains a home for Jewish women and men. I personally, and the majority of Germans - I assure you of that."
"Jewish communities are not a secret society"
Steinmeier also addressed protests related to the Gaza War. "Of course, it must also be possible in our country to show the pain, grief, and anxiety about relatives and friends in the public sphere." The line has been crossed, however, "where the grief, pain, despair, where all that turns into raw hate, in the worst case, into violence against Jewish women and men."
The new building with a sand-colored brick facade is equipped with armored glass and a security gate. "It still sounds strange to speak of the inauguration of a synagogue in these times," said the President of the Central Council of Jews, Josef Schuster. A third of Jewish communities in Germany reported antisemitic incidents in the weeks following the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7 - from vandalism and psychological pressure to assaults.
Potsdam was previously the only state capital in Germany without a synagogue. There was only a small Jewish house of worship at the university. The old synagogue was destroyed in 1945. Despite concerns about growing antisemitism and high security measures, the new Synagogue Center does not want to isolate itself, but be an open house, also for people of other faiths. "Jewish communities are not a secret society (...)", Schuster said. "Only when we make Jewish life visible, when we show the many facets of Jewish community culture (...) can we also set a sign against hate and hate speech," said Minister President Woidke.
Brandenburg's Minister President Dietmar Woidke also expressed concern about the strengthening of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in the upcoming state election. "We cannot allow ourselves to be divided by hate and fear," he said, emphasizing the importance of unity and respect for diversity. Steinmeier also addressed the issue, calling for a strong democratic response to the challenges facing German society.
Carrier of the Synagoge Center is initially for three years the Central Welfare Organization of Jews in Germany (ZWST). Built and financed it was Land Brandenburg. The President of ZWST, Abraham Lehrer, called indirectly for not voting for AfD at the September state election. "We look at the survey results here in Brandenburg with great concern," he said. "Right-wing parties will never be a guarantee of Jewish life in Brandenburg." The Constitutional Protection Brandenburg classifies the AfD state association as a suspected right-wing extremist. The AfD is leading in surveys for the state election. At the ceremonial synagogue inauguration, Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and Israel's Ambassador to Germany, Ron Prosor, were among the attendees. According to a government spokesperson, Chancellor Olaf Scholz was not present as a guest due to scheduling conflicts.
Four Jewish communities will now jointly use the new religious and cultural center in the historical center of the state capital, one community did not sign. The modern synagogue room with arched windows reportedly accommodates 199 people. The Torah ark was opened for the first time today, in which the Torah scrolls are stored. The Torah is the Hebrew Bible and the spiritual center of Judaism. In the basement of the building is also the Mikveh, a ritual bath for religious purposes. In addition to prayer rooms, the new building houses a conference room, a visitor café, a library, office spaces, as well as music and art rooms.
The opening of the new synagogue in Potsdam, a significant city in Brandenburg, is a response to the rise in antisemitic incidents in Germany, as highlighted by Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. This international event attracted prominent figures such as Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and Israel's Ambassador to Germany, Ron Prosor.
The new synagogue, equipped with security features like armored glass and a security gate, serves as a religious and cultural center for Jewish communities, opening up opportunities for people of various religions in Brandenburg. This initiative, supported by the Central Welfare Organization of Jews in Germany (ZWST), aims to counter antisemitism by making Jewish life more visible and setting an example against hate speech.
Amidst growing concerns about the strengthening of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in the upcoming state election, Brandenburg's Minister President Dietmar Woidke emphasizes the importance of unity and respect for diversity, urging Germans to not allow themselves to be divided by hate and fear. Similar sentiments were shared by Federal President Steinmeier, who called for a strong democratic response to the challenges facing German society.
