JUDAICA - Wisdom In Torah

erlin
ish community remained unified until the end of 1952, when
its own split became inevitable. In the following years, the
situation of the Jews and the community in West Berlin was
greatly improved as a result of the rising economic prosperity
in West Germany (which also affected West Berlin) and
the return of confiscated property and the indemnification of
victims of Nazi persecution. The Berlin City Senate showed
great concern for the rehabilitation of the community and its
individual members; Joachim Lipschitz, the senator for internal
affairs (who was the son of a Jewish father and a Christian
mother), in particular did his utmost to help the development
of the community. Four synagogues were operating in Berlin.
In 1959, the City of Berlin erected a large Jewish community
center on Fasanenstrasse at the site on which one of Berlin’s
most magnificent synagogues had stood until 1938. In 1954 the
Zionist Organization and the Israel Appeal renewed their activities
in Berlin. A Jewish women’s organization, a B’nai B’rith
lodge, a Jewish students’ organization, and a youth organization
as well as several organizations dedicated to the fostering
of interfaith relations were established.
In 1954 the community had a membership of about 5,000
and by January 1970 this figure had risen to 5,577. The demographic
composition of the community was marked by relatively
high average age (4,080 were above the age of 41), a low
birthrate, and a great number of mixed marriages.
EAST BERLIN. In 1946 the number of Jews in the Soviet sector
was 2,442, while in 1966 it was estimated at 850 (according
to figures given by the community’s president, Max Schenk).
Although there was officially no restriction on religious practice
and the authorities supported the community (the great
synagogue on Rykestrasse was reconstructed), the prevailing
anti-religious atmosphere of a communist state had a detrimental
effect upon the community. By 1990 the number of
community members had fallen to 200.
[Chaim Yahil]
SINCE 1989. After the German reunification of 1989, the
Jewish communities of former West and East Berlin merged
in 1990. The community maintains six synagogues, an elementary
school, and other educational institutions. Since
1995 the magnificent building of the former synagogue on
Oranienburger Strasse has housed the Centrum Judaicum,
which serves as a museum and a center of documentation
and research. Jewish cultural institutions and initiatives are
manifold and an integral part of Berlin’s cultural life. A Jewish
museum was opened in 2002 and has since been among
the museums drawing the largest numbers of visitors in Germany.
The number of community members has risen from
6,411 in 1989 to 11,167 in 2003, with many coming from the
former Soviet Union.
[Stefan Rohrbacher (2nd ed.)]
Hebrew Printing in Berlin
The first Hebrew printer in Berlin was the court preacher
and professor D.E. Jablonsky, as Jews could not obtain the
necessary license; nevertheless, the manager J.L. Neumark,
and most of the setters and proofreaders were Jews. The first
book published by them was the Book of Psalms (1697),
followed by the complete Bible (1699), and other scholarly and
liturgical works. An application by Rabbi Mirels for permission
to print the Talmud in Berlin was refused by Frederick I,
king of Prussia; the permission to publish Maimonides’ Code
was not taken up, as this was just being printed in Amsterdam
by J. *Athias. But a Talmud edition was issued by Gottschalk
and Jablonski, in partnership with a Frankfurt on the Oder
printer, 1715–22. Among other printers to be mentioned are
Baruch Buchbinder (Radoner) of Vilna (1708–17), who printed
a number of important works such as the Tzena Urena and
works by the Shabbatean Nehemiah *Ḥayon (1713), a Mishnah
with Rashi and Jacob Ḥagiz’s commentary (1716–17), and a
Ḥoshen Mishpat (1717). Nathan, son of the aforementioned
J.L. Neumark, was active 1719–27, while his son-in-law Aaron
b. Moses Rofe of Lissa built up an important press, 1733–62,
publishing a series of well-known rabbinic works, above all
the second Berlin Talmud edition 1734–39. Aaron’s press was
continued for a while by his grandson Moses b. Mordecai.
An annual Lu’aḥ began to appear probably from 1725 but
not later than 1738. Of some importance was the press of Isaac
b. Jacob Speyer (1764–70), a son-in-law of the Berlin rabbi
David Fraenkel, who printed notable rabbinic works – Steinschneider
calls it “the highlight of Hebrew printing in Berlin”;
and that of Mordecai Landsberg, also from 1764. The prolific
writer and editor Isaac *Satanow took over Landsberg’s press
in 1772 and issued a considerable number of books, particularly
his own (until 1804). In 1784 David Friedlaender and
his friends founded the Verlag der juedischen Freischule,
managed by A. *Wolfsohn-Halle, who bought the Landsberg
press and obtained a license to print and sell books. Pupils
of the society were taught the craft of printing and a number
of books were published from 1796 with the imprint “Orientalische
Druckerei.” During these years Berlin became the center
for the printing of Enlightenment literature, notably the
writings of M. Mendelssohn, N.H. Wessely, D. Friedlaender,
etc. Mendelssohn’s edition of the Pentateuch appeared here
in 1783.
In 1830 the Landsberg press was bought by Isaac Levent.
In that year the printer Trevitsch and son moved to Berlin
from Frankfurt on the Oder. In 1834, the year of his death,
David Friedlaender founded his own press and published a
number of important books; the scholar D. *Cassel worked
there as a proofreader. In 1836 the apostate Julius Sittenfeld
set up a printing house which published the complete Talmud
(1862–68), Maimonides’ Code (1862), and other works.
In the late 19th and early 20th century H. Itzkowski and Siegfried,
Arthur and Erich Scholem were active as general, Jewish,
and also Hebrew publishers and printers in Berlin. In
1930 a Pentateuch was printed for the *Soncino-Gesellschaft
by the “Officina Serpentis” with a new Hebrew type cut for
this occasion.
[Abraham Meir Habermann]
452 ENCYCLOPAEDIA JUDAICA, Second Edition, Volume 3