First rabbis ordained in Germany since the Holocaust

[Poll_Blind]

From Ha'aretz:

DRESDEN - Three men were confirmed as rabbis in Dresden's new synagogue Thursday, the first to be ordained in Germany since World War II in an event hailed as a milestone in the rebirth of Jewish life in the country responsible for the Holocaust.

--snip--

They are the first rabbis to be ordained in Germany since the Nazis destroyed the College of Jewish Studies in Berlin in 1942, midway through the war.

Just before the ceremony began, Matitiani said he was "excited and happy" and that there was a twofold significance to being ordained in Germany.

He said it is important for him "because of the scholarship and the symbol of reviving Judaism in Germany."

"It's the birthplace of progressive Judaism and it has a long history of Jewish scholarship," he said.

--snip--

  About ten years ago I was in Bonn, Germany. I enjoy travel to specific destinations to see specific things but one of the most memorable experiences I had was walking along some (large) river and seeing a plaque in near a mostly-broken stone structure. It had dedications in several languages and only when I read it did I realize that the destroyed building (I don't think the wall-stones rose more than a few feet from the ground) was a synagogue that had been destroyed by the Nazis during WW II. I can't remember the wording, but it was eloquent in it's expression of shame and disgust for what had happened. I'm pretty sure it was Bonn, but I guess it doesn't make all that much difference: I'm glad to see Rabbi's being ordained again in Germany.

  I cannot say what it was like to touch those stones and to imagine what the building would have looked like so long ago- the beauty of it. And the horror that had been visited on that place and, too, what that must have been like for the people inside. I failed, but reconstructed enough of a taste to make myself shudder.

PB

[SteppingRazor]

1. I'm honestly surprised it took this long

You'd figure this would have happened fairly soon after WWII

[aikoaiko]

2. Not me -- its one of those things most Germans don't like to talk about

but the Nazis were essentially successful in getting rid of Jews from the Fatherland and many liked it that way.

[Poll_Blind]

3. I found that a bit puzzling too, especially in light of the fact that...

...Germany has been a popular destination for emigrating Jews. In fact, in something like 2002, more Jews emigrated to Germany than they did to Israel!

  I did find this article which may explain more how the 100,000 Jews in Germany dealt with a shortage of Rabbis. Starting in paragraph 7, IIRC.

PB