Religion - New synagogue opened - A sign against hate and agitation
Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier called for the fight against the growing antisemitism during the opening of the new synagogue in Potsdam. "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, 85 years after the NS pogroms. The project was difficult and marked by years of dispute among the Jewish communities, representing different religious streams.
Brandenburg's Minister-President Dietmar Woidke (SPD) 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."
Steinmeier also addressed the protests in connection with the Gaza War. "Of course, it must also be possible in our country to show the pain, the grief over Palestinian victims, the anxiety about relatives and friends in the public sphere," he said. "But the boundary is crossed where the grief, the pain, the despair, where all that becomes hate speech, raw hate, in the worst case, violence against Jewish women and men."
High Security Measures
The new building with a sand-colored brick facade is equipped with bulletproof 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 in Germany, Josef Schuster. One third of Jewish communities in Germany have experienced antisemitic attacks in the weeks following the Hamas attack 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.
The synagogue center is intended to be an open house
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 club (...)," 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 hatred," said Minister-President Woidke.
The Central Welfare Office of the Jews in Germany (ZWST) is initially responsible for managing the synagogue center. The construction and financing were carried out by the state of Brandenburg.
The President of ZWST, Abraham Lehrer, indirectly called for not voting for the AfD in 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 AfD state association in Brandenburg is classified as a suspected right-wing extremist case by the Brandenburg Constitutional Protection. The AfD is leading in surveys for the state election.
Four Jewish communities will now share the new religious and cultural center in the historical center of the state capital, one community did not sign.
At the solemn synagogue inauguration ceremony, Annalena Baerbock, Foreign Minister (Greens), and Ron Prosor, Israel's Ambassador to Germany, were among the guests. Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) was not present, according to a government spokesperson.
Four Jewish communities will now share 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, in which the Torah scrolls are stored, was opened for the first time today. The Torah is the Hebrew Bible and the spiritual center of Judaism. In the basement of the building is also a mikveh, a ritual bath for religious purposes. In addition to prayer rooms, the new building has a conference room, a visitor café, a library, office rooms, as well as music and art rooms.
- Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the Federal President, condemned the rising antisemitism across Europe, expressing concern over Jewish women and men being afraid due to their religion.
- The new synagogue in Potsdam, costing 17.5 million Euros, was inaugurated under heavy police protection, providing a religious and cultural center for Jewish communities.
- Brandenburg's Minister-President Dietmar Woidke (SPD) acknowledged the need for protecting Jewish life in Germany, given the recent hostilities following the Hamas attack on Israel.
- Steinmeier emphasized the importance of Jewish women and men feeling safe and at home in Germany, stating that it is only then that the country can truly be itself.
- The President of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, Josef Schuster, highlighted the increase in antisemitic attacks on one third of Jewish communities in Germany since the Hamas attack.
- The new synagogue center in Potsdam, despite concerns about safety, aims to be an open house for people of all faiths, emphasizing the visibility of Jewish life to combat hate.
- Abraham Lehrer, the President of the Central Welfare Office of the Jews in Germany (ZWST), indirectly suggested not voting for the AfD in the state election, citing concerns about right-wing parties not guaranteeing Jewish life.
- The modern synagogue room, equipped with arched windows and accommodating 199 people, was inaugurated with a Torah ark and a mikveh, a ritual bath for religious purposes, among other facilities.
