New synagogue in Potsdam to open in summer 2024
Almost eight decades after the destruction of Potsdam's synagogue in an air raid at the end of the war, the state capital's new synagogue center is set to open in the summer of 2024. The large building with arched windows in the ten-metre-high synagogue hall will be completed by the end of spring after only two and a half years of construction, announced the President of the Central Welfare Office of Jews in Germany (ZWST), Abraham Lehrer, on Monday during a tour of the construction site. He emphasized that in addition to community life, the Jewish center will also host public events.
"I believe that many Potsdam residents, including those of non-Jewish faith, will come here to take a look," said Culture Minister Manja Schüle (SPD). Until now, there have been no venues for such encounters in Potsdam. "Here you can experience concerts or readings together and that is a great outlook for the future." The location in the middle of the city center within sight of the state parliament is important. "The synagogue building is proof in stone that Jewish life belongs firmly and visibly in our midst," said Schüle. "We also have our church in the center of the city, so the synagogues also belong in the center of the city."
On the first floor, there will be a visitor café and a large community hall for events. The synagogue room on the second floor offers space for 149 members of the congregation and 50 people in the women's galleries. The three-storey room is flooded with natural light from the arched windows and a glass roof. Religious festivals such as the Feast of Tabernacles can be celebrated on a roof terrace. The tabernacles must be in the open air. For the Sabbath, when Jews would not do any work or operate electrical systems, there are extra circuits to control the lights and elevators.
The Jewish communities had fought bitterly and without result for years over the construction and operation of the synagogue center, which was built by the state at a cost of 16.4 million euros. For this reason, the ZWST wants to take over the sponsorship in trust for the first three years. However, an agreement was reached at a round table that the Jewish community and the synagogue community would initially alternate hosting the Sabbath, reported ZWST President Lehrer. With the exception of the orthodox law-abiding congregation, which did not attend the negotiations, all congregations had agreed to this. According to the ZWST, the congregations in Potsdam have a total of around 750 members.
The synagogue is secured with bulletproof glass panes and there will also be a security gate at the entrance. Schüle referred to the increased threat to Jewish communities following the terrorist attack by Hamas on October 7. The minister also struck a self-critical note. "We have rightly kept the memory of the Holcaust alive," she said. "But it is also important to tell and show how Jewish life is currently taking place in Germany."
The new synagogue in Potsdam, set to open in summer 2024, is expected to attract interest not only from the Jewish community but also from non-Jewish residents due to its central location and the public events it will host. In light of the increased threat to Jewish communities, the synagogue will be securely equipped with bulletproof glass panes and a security gate at the entrance.
Source: www.dpa.com
