jews and jewish education in germany today - The Westbury Group

● What the perspectives for somebody who wants to enroll at the university but wants to become a Rabbi in
the long run?
It’s theoretically possible, and if potential rabbinical students come to enroll here, we welcome them.
However, the Bologna Reforms for European Universities do not allow the extension of formal study time
beyond five years. But as you know, rabbinical students need as part of their special education a component
called “traditional learning”. That includes the attendance of a yeshiva, no matter what congregation-, and
this for one or two years. Thus, students who want to study here at our university, they can take the full
program of Jewish studies here, then go for one year to a Yeshiva in Israel or the US or certain other
countries, and then they can return and get the Smicha here from one of our rabbinical partner institutions.
That’s possible.
● How many students are currently studying at the university, and how many people are on the staff?
At the moment, there are about 150 students. The university has eight different chairs. Aside from this we are
permanently working with 15 teachers and about five lecturers, the latter, for example, to guarantee a high
quality and quantity of Hebrew language teaching. Of course, you have to add the university Rabbi and a few
clerks in administration.
● This year, the university is celebrating its 30 th anniversary?
Yes, that’s right
● What would you say was the biggest achievement during the last decade?
There were strong efforts to get stability in the staff, to win high profile teachers not only for one or two years
of guest lectureship, but also for the long term. In general, we succeeded in this. Now there is much more
stability in the staff.
● What would you say is missing most in the current educational programs on offer by the Jewish
Communities across Germany?
I would prefer to answer in general, because even in the biggest Communities there will always be always
some programs someone will find missing. What immediately comes to mind is that the complete Jewish
adult education has to be restructured. For example, Jewish students are coming to us in greater numbers
dealing with totally different issues in their lives and profession, but just taking classes as guest auditors at
our university, and this shows us that there is a real demand. We also need online programs, further education
programs for Community board members, more ideas how to inspire Jewish learning. In this context I really
hope that we will soon be able, in cooperation with other institutions, to build up a Jewish Academy, and this
would be a great step forward in improving Jewish education especially for adults.
We have lots of topics and programs here that could be provided to a wider public, transformed to a more
popular level, and exactly this is the task of the Jüdische Volkshochschule (public adult educational center),
and, hopefully soon, also of a Jewish Academy. I feel there are great attempts in this direction now, and do
not forget, for example, the program that was established [in 2007] in Erfurt which is designed for Jewish
social workers who are already employed by the Communities but get now in-depth professional training for
their work and how to impart more Jewishness to their clients as well. To sum, there are a lot of good ideas
and activities throughout Germany, but it needs to be a bit more structured and systemized in close
connection with the Communities.
● This new idea of a Jewish Academy in Germany, your university supports it without reserve?
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