After the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem, it was no longer possible for Jews to conduct religious obligations as prescribed in the Bible. With no temple, Jews moved their religious worship into the beit knesset (Hebrew: meeting place) commonly referred to as the synagogue (Greek: congregation). Unlike a church, a synagogue is not a consecrated holy place. It is a place for gathering, exchanging views, celebrating holidays and prayer. Only certain objects within them, such as the Torah Scrolls, are holy. Almost any building or room can be a synagogue – although certain rules apply. For example, a traditional prayer service is only valid when conducted in the presence of 10 Jewish men, each being over the age of 13.  Depending on customs and the degree of orthodoxy in a particular synagogue, the seating of men and women may vary. For example, in orthodox synagogues women might sit to the side, in the back, or in a special gallery – always separate from the men, sometimes behind a semi-transparent barrier. In egalitarian synagogues, men and women may sit together. The Jewish Community of Berlin is a “unified community” (Einheitsgemeinde), which includes eight synagogues – Ashkenazy-orthodox, Sephardic-orthodox, liberal, egalitarian and conservative. In our texts on the synagogues you will find details and interesting historical information.  The synagogue run by Chabad Lubavitch is not formally a part of the Jewish Community of Berlin.  Please refer to the calendar for information about events taking place in our synagogues.

For synagogue news, click here.

For the schedule of religious services, click here.