How many stories can one plaque tell? Here at the Gemeindesynagoge Plaque, we find ourselves at a place of deep historical significance. This plaque marks a place that echoes with the stories of Berlin’s Jewish community.
The Gemeindesynagoge Plaque stands as a testament to the Rykestrasse Synagogue. It is Germany’s largest synagogue. The Rykestrasse Synagogue’s story began with the expansion of Berlin’s Jewish community.
In the early 1900s, Berlin’s Jewish Community grew significantly. More synagogues were needed within walking distance for the people. The Jüdische Gemeinde zu Berlin bought the site in Rykestrasse in 1902. Johann Hoeniger was commissioned to design the new synagogue.
Construction began in 1903. The Rykestrasse Synagogue was inaugurated on September 4 1904. Cantor David Stabinski led the Ma Tovu prayer. Rabbi Josef Eschelbacher illuminated the ner tamid. Rabbi Adolf Rosenzweig preached. The synagogue could hold 1074 people.
The Gemeindesynagoge Plaque reminds us that the Rykestrasse Synagogue served various Jewish affiliations. Services followed different ceremonial styles. Some followed old style. Other synagogues used the new style. This often included organ music and choirs.
Each synagogue had its own elected board. They developed synagogal minhagim with their own peculiarities. Rykestrasse Synagogue adopted a compromise minhag. Rabbis of mainstream and Orthodox affiliation served the congregants.
The board allowed men and women to sit together. This equalled the practice in another synagogue. The plan to install an organ was given up after a debate. The space prepared for it remained empty.
In 1904, the Jüdische Gemeinde zu Berlin opened a Jewish religious school. During World War I, Rabbi Martin Joseph served as chaplain for Jewish Russian prisoners. They could attend services in Rykestrasse Synagogue.
The Gemeindesynagoge Plaque cannot hide that during the Nazi era everything changed. Disputes on style and traditions fell silent. After Jewish performers were banned, Rykestrasse Synagogue hosted their concerts. These were organized by Kulturbund Deutscher Juden.
The synagogue did not burn during Kristallnacht in 1938. Nazis vandalized and destroyed furnishings because the synagogue was in a residential area. Rabbis and congregants were arrested and sent to Sachsenhausen.
The Jüdische Gemeinde zu Berlin mended the synagogue. It reopened on the eve of Passover in 1939. Regular ceremonies continued until April 1940. The Jewish school closed in 1941. The borough of Prenzlauer Berg acquired the site in 1944.
After WWII, the prayer hall lacked benches. Sanitary installations had been dismantled. Erich Nehlhans promoted the reopening. The first Shabbat ceremony was held on July 13 1945. Rabbi Martin Riesenburger celebrated the first Jewish wedding.
In 1953, Rabbi Riesenburger re-inaugurated the Rykestrasse Synagogue. He gave it the name Temple of Peace. Further repairs followed in later years. In 1962, an organ was installed.
East Berlin registered Rykestrasse Synagogue as a monument in 1976. In 1988, the GDR government reversed the property transfer of 1944. The Jüdische Gemeinde von Berlin held property title again.
The Gemeindesynagoge Plaque shows that after unification in 2004, the centenary was celebrated. In 2007, it was rededicated as an Orthodox synagogue. Today, Berlin has the largest Jewish community in Germany.
Standing here before the Gemeindesynagoge Plaque, remember the resilience of a community. Recall the vibrant life that once filled this space. The Gemeindesynagoge Plaque serves as a reminder of the past. It inspires hope for the future.