Abraham Geiger College in Potsdam: Central Council of Jews outraged by new sponsor of rabbinical school

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Abraham Geiger College at the Institute for Jewish Theology in Potsdam

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IMAGO/Jürgen Ritter

The controversy about a new beginning for the liberal rabbinical school Abraham Geiger Kolleg in Potsdam does not die down.

The Jewish community in Berlin announced that it had taken over the sponsorship of the facility and wanted to work to "pacify people's minds".

However, the Central Council of Jews in Germany – a sponsor of the college – rejected the new sponsorship.

After allegations of abuse of power and several investigations, a new structure for rabbi training in Potsdam has been the subject of struggle since 2022.

The Central Council of Jews said on Thursday afternoon about the new sponsorship: "We are amazed at this deal, which does not take us a step further in securing liberal and conservative rabbi training for the future." Potsdam could continue to promote under these circumstances.

The Abraham Geiger College also receives money from the federal government, the Conference of Ministers of Education and the State of Brandenburg.

The Central Council of Jews criticized the transfer of the GmbH shares of the Abraham Geiger College and the Zacharias Frankel College by Walter Homolka to the Jewish community in Berlin without consulting the students, employees or donors.

The organization is having a new concept for rabbi training in Potsdam developed.

A concentration of power should be ruled out in the future, it said.

In addition, the previous interim director of the college, Gabriele Thöne, had announced that the facility should be restructured and become a foundation.

There was criticism of that too.

Allegations of abuse of power and sexualized harassment at the liberal rabbinical school and the search for a new beginning have long been a source of controversy.

The Central Council of Jews sees personal misconduct on the part of the founder and former rector of the rabbinical school Abraham Geiger Kolleg (AGK), Walter Homolka.

He vehemently denies the allegations and has resigned from his posts.

According to the statement, the chairman of the Jewish community in Berlin, Gideon Joffe, said: "The top priority for us at the moment is to bring the AGK into calm waters and pave the way for the students to continue their education in a stable structure". On January 10, 2023, all shares in the college, which operates as a non-profit GmbH, were taken over.

The sponsorship was therefore previously with the Leo Baeck Foundation.

The Berlin community also took over the sponsorship of the Zacharias Frankel College, which is responsible for the training of conservative rabbis, from her.

Both institutions are affiliated institutes of the University of Potsdam.

"The restructuring will of course take some time, but it is important for us to develop and implement this process with the involvement of all relevant representatives of liberal Judaism, the workforce and student representatives," said a spokesman for the Jewish community.

It claims to have around 9,000 members.

Berlin Senator Klaus Lederer (left), who is responsible for religious communities, supports the decision of the Jewish community.