Abraham-Geiger-Kolleg

Abraham Geiger Kolleg is the only rabbinic seminary in Potsdam, Germany. The school was founded 1999 as the first and only seminary in continental Europe since 1942 in Germany, the Holocaust, when the Hochschule für die Wissenschaft des Judentums in Berlin was shut down by the Gestapo. The college is named after Abraham Geiger (1810- 1874), a German Reform oriented Jew, and is managed by the Rabbis Walter Jacob and Walter Homolka.

Organizational Integration

In 2001, "Abraham-Geiger-Kolleg" joined the World Union for Progressive Judaism and in 2005, the examinees received accreditation towards the Central Conference of American Rabbis. The first-generation of ordained Rabbis - Daniel Alter, Tomáš Kučera and Malcolm Mattitiani - left the Kolleg in 2006. Daniel Alter is caring for the Jewish community in Oldenburg, and Tomáš Kučera leads "Beth Shalom," a reform Jewish community in Munich. Malcolm Mattitiani returned to South Africa to lead the "Temple of Israel Congregation" in Kapstadt. [ [http://www.talmud.de/cms/Erste_Rabbinerordination.317.0.html First Rabbis ordinated in Germany after Shoah] ]

The five-year long studies take place in conjunction with the "Kollegium Jüdische Studien," and upon completion, the examinees receive the title of "Magister in Jüdischen Studien". The Kolleg is part of Universität Potsdam, founded by the German government, the Zentralrat der Juden in Deutschland, the state of Brandenburg and the Potsdam Leo Baeck Foundation. Thefounding principal of the Kolleg is Rabbi Professor Dres. Allen Podet, who came from State University College at Buffalo to take the post and served from 2001-2002.

Abraham-Geiger-Preis

The Abraham-Geiger-Kolleg dedicates a biannual price for "Verdienste um das Judentum in seiner Vielfalt" or, accomplishements for Jewish cultural multitudes.

*Nominees
** 2000 Susannah Heschel
** 2002 Emil Fackenheim
** 2004 Alfred Grosser
** 2006 Karl Lehmann
** 2008 Prince Hassan Ibn Talal of Jordan

Emil Fackenheim Lecture

Famous and outstanding representatives of Jewish studies are invited as guest lecturers.
* 2003 John D. Rayner
* 2004 Daniel Boyarin
* 2005 Jakob Allerhand
* 2007 Michael Marmur"'

Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion Fellows at Abraham Geiger Kolleg"'

Rabbi Dr Dalia Marx, Rabbi Dr Samuel K. Joseph and Rabbi Dr Reuven Firestone are members of the HUC-JIR Faculty. They visit Berlin and teach at the Kolleg for four weeks. Rabbis Marx and Joseph have participated twice in tis program.

References

Links

* [http://www.abraham-geiger-kolleg.de/dw_video2.php] Deutschen Welle TV about the Kolleg
* [http://www.abraham-geiger-kolleg.de/ www.abraham-geiger-kolleg.de] Homepage
* [http://www.leo-baeck-foundation.org/ Homepage of Leo-Baeck-Foundation in Potsdam]
* [http://www.goethe.de/ins/ph/map/ges/rel/de1894346.htm Germany's only rabbinic seminary]